Huh? What's Up With That?

tv repairs?...                                                                                 RCA, Zenith, Admiral, Crosley, Westinghouse, Philco , Motorola and others   were all television manufacturers in the days following the medium's introduction at the New York World's Fair in 1939.     Today, of that group, only RCA and Motorola produce   televisions.  Other companies like LG and Sony have taken the place of the original companies, and, in some cases, the old brands have melded into today's offerings such as Zenith becoming LG .   Donny Koch, 78, has been in the television repair business in Louisville, Kentucky for over 60 years.   My dad and his brother opened Clarksdale TV Repair back in 1938, he told me.  They started repai...

job$ somebody's gotta do...                        job$ somebody's gotta do  is a tribute to the late Indianapolis broadcaster,  Jim Gerard,  and his radio feature,  Sounds of the City,  heard weekly on  WFBM-AM  debuting in 1962 .   The host interviewed people with jobs held by very few people, such as a jackhammer or crane operator, or, language interpreter.    Following a 12 day stay in an ICU unit last August, I came away with a profound admiration and respect for those who serve our medical needs.  I am not sure they qualify as angels 24/7, but, during their working hours they fill that role.     There were a minimum of 20 different medical staff assisting me and doing their best to keep me headed in the right direction.  RNs, respiratory therapists, a kidney doctor, heart doctor, lung doctor, ICU trained nurses, aides, and, phlebotom...

is a dog's life so bad...                                                                    By any measure, a dog's life today doesn't compare to the bare bones like existence of most four-legged critter's life 70 years ago.  We are in an age of, What can I do as a human being to make my dog's life easier .       HUH ?  What's up with that ?   Back in the day, most canines in the neighborhood, and there were many, lived in a dog house in the back yard.  Few lived in the luxury of a warm residence alongside its owners. When temperatures plummeted, Fido was brought indoors for a rare overnight stay.     An exception to that dictum were the three boxers owned over an eight year period of time by the George Family.  Ace, Blade, and, Rusty, lived indoors with us a...

  changing workforce...                    The last time the four George Brothers were seen together was at a wedding reception at Plum Creek Country Club in Indianapolis.  It was early May of this year.   Ken's daughter, Mollie, and her husband, Danny, tied the knot during a beach ceremony in Mexico last April and their reception was held a few weeks later in their hometown.   It was about an hour into the celebration when Ken drifted over to Carl, David, and me as the three of us were standing by the bar.  The bride's dad had been greeting guests but found a few minutes to chat with us.  The band had not yet begun to play.   This could have been the transcript of the conversation as we started the dialogue by complimenting our youngest brother on his part in planning the reception.     Thanks, boys.  I hope you are all having a good time at my expense ., he laughed.  As I was ...

  all in the family...                   There is an old adage that states the first generation builds or starts a business; the second generation grows the business, and; the third generation sells the business.  In the case of the Thomas Family of Louisville Car Wash fame, all of that happened and more.    HUH ?  What's up with that ?    Alex Thomas, 36, is a grandson of the founder of Thomas Car Wash.  We sat down on a wooden bench outside the remodeling of his latest venture on a beautiful spring day for a one on one.    I hated washing cars when I was little, he lamented.    I remember when I was four or five squeezing the pressure gun.  Man, that thing puts out 12 hundred pounds of pressure.  I worked in back in what is called, The Hole, with two guys, Ollie and Danny.  It seemed like I was there all day, but, I'm sure it was just for a minute or two.   Th...

oddities, observations, & ?'s...#15                                                                                                                      I remember learning at some point the acronym,  R and R , referred to  Rest and Relaxation during World War II.  When the '50s came along, R and R was adapted to fit a new kind of music .   Today, R and R stands for, Retaliation and Revenge.   While waiting for the last tanker car of a long CSX freight train to clear the intersection, I was in awe of the artwork displayed on a good portion of the boxcars.  When are these motion pictures painted?  Who are these talented people?  My favorite on this ...

not mr. benny's violin ...pt 2                                                                                   Zara Christopher is a classically trained violist and violinist and the district manager of Old Town Violins in Lexington and Louisville Kentucky.  She achieved her goal of playing in an orchestra, but, that career was short-lived due to a hand injury.  Zara was forced to carve a new musical path.  She played for several orchestras in Arizona and Michigan before her mishap.   Regina and I traveled to Lexington earlier this month to interview Miss Christopher with permission from the owner of the business.   Part I was published two weeks ago today.  This is the conclusion of that interview.   Do you ever have older or retired...