Sometimes, the lunchtime reading triggers memores (cue harp music) in this case: “bridge”, “Panns”, and “Busch Gardens”
- Bridge. The NY Times has an article about how a school in NY is using bridge (the card game) to each elementary and middle school students math and social skills, in an environment that draws students away from the iPods and other technological chains. That brings back memories of hours spent in the UCLA Computer Club playing bridge. Not very well. Even though my grandfather was a contract bridge grand master, my major problem was that I never bothered to count points. I’d see what I had a lot of, and what I had a little of, where I had a bunch of guaranteed tricks, and use that to bid. I never understood bidding conventions, other than the bid meaning: that’s where I want to be. Still, bridge provided one of the social glues in the Computer Club—you could usually scare up a game, and it was a way to interact with people.
- Panns. The LA Times has an article on the death of Eldon Davis. You probably don’t recognize the name, but if you live in Los Angeles, you know his work. He’s the designer of the “googie” style of coffee shop. Notable examples are Norms, Johnnie’s, and Panns. Now Panns still exists at the intersection of La Cienega, Centinela, and La Tijera in Westchester, and it is pretty much unchanged in design. I haven’t been there in ages, but I have memories of going there as a kid, especially after temple or when we were visiting Builders Emporium, which was across the street.
- Busch Gardens. The Daily News centennial series has a mention of the opening of Busch Gardens in Van Nuys. This was the brewery tour that used to exist with an exotic bird show. I remember the tour well, and I still try to see if any tram lines exist whenever I drive by. For the longest time, there was a flock of feral parrots in North Hills that were released when the garden closed.
