Illegitimate Englishman donated millions to U.S.: Which museum bears his name?

by Jamie Rhein on

Here’s an unusual piece of American history that illustrates the power of philanthropy and what happens when money is used for the purpose it was intended. Imagine what James Smithson must think if he can view Smithsonian Castle and all the other buildings that line the Mall in Washington D.C.? Possibly, he’s pleased as punch.

Smithson, an illegitimate Englishman who died in 1829, left between $50 to $100 million dollars to the United States, a country he had never visited. His desire was for his money to be used “‘for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.'”

If the slew of buildings that includes the Air and Space Museum, the American History Museum, and the African Art Museum isn’t an indication of what can happen when one person’s generosity is put to good use, I don’t know what is. Of course, Smithson’s money wasn’t enough to create all of the Smithsonian’s building, but still, consider what what can happen when there’s a mighty good idea that has a healthy start.

In this article that first appeared in the Washington Post, Moira E. McLaughlin covers a bit of the history of Smithson’s gift that consisted of 105 bags of gold. She also points out the significance of Smithsonian Castle, the Smithsonian’s first building that is now used for the Smithsonian’s administrative offices and information center. According to McLaughlin, the information center is a perfect place to begin a visit to the Smithsonian. It can help you orient the rest of your time there.

I’ve been to the Smithsonian several times and have never visited The Castle. Next time I’m in D.C., this is my first stop. In case no one has thanked you properly James Smithson,THANKS a million times over. Your gift was truly splendid.

If the style of the building looks familiar, it’s because its architect, James Renwick, Jr. also designed St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

Airlines watch 15% of last year’s revenue disappear

by Tom Johansmeyer on

U.S. airline passenger revenue fell in October, completing a full year of dismal monthly performances. From October 2008 to October 2008, passenger revenue dropped 15 percent, according to calculations by the Air Transport Association. The study was based on a sample group of more than 24 air carriers. Falling ticket prices are said to be the problem … which means we can trace it back to household finances, throwing the job market into the mix.

With unemployment now above 10 percent, consumers are being careful with their extra cash (if they have any), and dropping cash on plane tickets is pretty difficult. Hey, that’s why more people are driving this year than in the past.

In October, the number of people flying on U.S. airlines fell 3 percent, and the average price to fly one mile dropped 13.5 percent. Basically, the number of people flying hasn’t fallen much, but they’re demanding much better pricing for their business. Airlines have to take it on the chin in order to bring any revenue in the door at all.

Utah ski resort on the auction block

by Kraig Becker on

Do you struggle with what to get your favorite ski bum for Christmas each year? Have plenty of cash, but unsure what to buy? Then you’re in luck, as Utah ski resort Elk Meadows has gone on the Internet auction block, looking for a new owner. But you better have deep pockets, as the auction, which opened on Friday, has a minimum bid of $1 million.

Elk Meadows was originally designed to be an exclusive luxury ski and golf area, catering to an upscale clientele. But its location made it difficult to attract that crowd. While it is located in a very scenic area, with good ski runs and plenty of snow, it is more than four hours south of Salt Lake City, requiring visitors to bypass a number of other excellent options to hit the slopes. The resort closed its doors following the 2001-2002, averaging just 20,000 visitors per year.

The winner of the auction will likely get quite a bargain. Elk Meadows comes complete with six ski lifts, covering more than 1300 vertical feet. Reportedly, there are other pieces of infrastructure in place as well, but the company that is conducting the auction says that the resort will require a lot of work to get up and running again. Consider this investment property a “fixer-upper”.

The bid deadline has been extended to 6 PM Mountain Time on Monday, in order to allow more potential buyers to consider purchasing the property. As of this writing, the highest bid is $1,051,000, and it is unclear if there are other interested parties who may make a move to grab the resort on the cheap. If you’d like to make a bid of your own, head over to LFC.com and get your Christmas shopping started early.

Only approved electronic devices allowed in the cockpit?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Maybe the flight attendants should start talking to the cockpit, too. When a plane overshot Minneapolis last month because the crew was playing around with personal laptops, national attention turned to what actually goes on in the front of the plane. Congress is kicking around the idea of a new bill that would kick personal electronic devices from the cockpit.

Unsurprisingly, the pilots and airlines aren’t crazy about the idea. They say that the measure would impede progress by making innovation less accessible. Scott Schleiffer, a cargo pilot who’s also thrown some brain time at safety issues for the Air Line Pilots Association, told USA Today, “We would like to have access to tools, and as tools evolve, we would like to have better tools.”

FAA chief Randy Babbit agrees, saying, “We need to be very careful,” in regards to the prohibition of personal devices in the cockpit.

Airlines are starting to bring new technology into the cockpit, with laptops and other devices used to improved weather and safety information. The devices aren’t all that different from what distracted the Northwest pilots who missed Minneapolis. JetBlue has issued laptops to pilots, which are used to push through calculations during takeoff and landing. But, the airline doesn’t allow personal use of them.

So far, two bills have been introduced in the Senate. They would exempt devices used to operate the plane or help with safety issues, but pilots don’t believe that this is enough.

Neither side of the argument addresses the core problem: keeping pilots focused on the job. In theory, extraordinary measures shouldn’t be necessary. Professionals, by definition, should not need that kind of intense oversight. It’s already against the against the law for pilots not to pay attention to their responsibilities, and that’s probably enough regulation. Instead, the solution needs to come to the airlines — organizational measures are needed to ensure that professionals remain professional. Executed properly, the good ones shouldn’t even notice a different.

Photo of the Day (11.21.09)

by Mike Barish on

Seeing as the Leonids meteor shower gave some of us a show earlier this week, it seems fitting to pay homage to the night sky this weekend. I love this photo in particular because it proves that the world still turns and time passes ever so consistently from one second, moment, hour, day, month, year to the next.

This lovely shot entitled “Tunnel View” comes to us from ohad*, who writes, “Shooting into the dark, I decided to shoot a portrait of Yosemite Valley. Half dome in the distance (with airplanes rising) and El Capitan on the left. Shot at 10mm f/3.5 for 601 seconds.” The different lines of movement from the lights of cars that cut through the dark valley to the rising airplane leaving its pink trace toward the heavens and the curving stars really make the world feel alive and allow us to appreciate just how beautiful it really is.

If you have some great travel shots you’d like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!