The classiest man in Hollywood passes on – Paul Newman, R.I.P.
Shocking news today regarding Paul Newman’s death, after a battle with cancer. The Washington Post has written both an obituary as well as a lovely longer piece, as has the Associated Press. Newman was our most unusual movie star: a handsome leading man whose chops were better than many of the top character actors; a business leader who devoted time and energy giving back to charity, but without self-congratulations; a husband and father who, unlike the brief unions so common in Tinseltown, stayed married to Joanne Woodward for five decades. In short, you didn’t have to know him personally to know of his decency. May he rest in peace.
Unique retro road in Lancaster about to lose its "overture"
Out in the small California city of Lancaster, Honda made a road groovy – literally. If you drive over the tracks at 55 MPH, in a Honda, you’ll hear the William Tell Overture (best known to us as the “Lone Ranger Theme”).
It does tend to be off-key if you’re not running a Honda or going at a constant speed (this is the time for cruise control). Unfortunately, after complaints from residents, the road is being repaved, despite Honda’s attempt to keep it far away from bothering people.
In Southern California, in many spots, I learned from personal experience, if you want to live near the beach, it means also living near train tracks. It’s jarring to hear trains pass through – ours passed through at 1 AM – but then, you simply stop hearing it. Likewise, the townspeople involved are missing out on a potential silver lining – since the unique track, like the singing beach of Manchester-by-the-sea, Massachusetts, would no doubt invite new tourist dollars into the town. And after a few more weeks, perhaps they’d get used to it.