Today’s news chum brings together three articles all related to history and old things:
- Old Airports. Someone or something brought to my attention a wonderful old blog post about the “Interim” Los Angeles International Airport. I’m referring here not to the current LAX that is W of Sepulveda Blvd, nor the original “Mines Field” terminal off of Imperial Hwy, but the airport that used to be located where Airport Blvd met Century Blvd. The blog post uses a wonderful series of postcards to illustrate the old facility (which you can still see traces off as you taxi out for takeoff). Two ancillary articles related to this: (1) The original air terminal for Los Angeles, Grand Central in Glendale, will be getting a makeover from Disney, who currently owns the buildings. (2) Freakanomics has an article about the best and worst airports… and LAX is down near the bottom.
- Old Computers. PC World has a real interesting article on old computers still in use today. These range from people still using old Apple computers and Tandy computers to even older machines. My favorite is the company still using a IBM 402 Tabulator for regular payroll!
- Old Lions. The MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas once had a lion exhibit. They closed it down a few years ago. The lions didn’t go to the buffet or a zoo, but were retired uncerimoniously to the desert. The LA Times has an interesting article on the Lion Sanctuary, and how it is open for visitors (but gets few). This is something we might go visit when we go to Vegas in a few weeks.
