The Great Locomotive Chase
Posted on April 13, 2012
Today the Disunion series of The New York Times published my third article. The story corresponds to a Civil War incident known as The Great Locomotive Chase which occurred one-hundred-and-fifty years ago yesterday.
For Confederates the quickest connection between eastern and western theaters was a railroad from Richmond to Chattanooga. Consequently, the Mountain City’s strategic significance was far greater than its modest population. Union forces would not gain undisputed control of the town until November, 1863.
To download two minute audio narration to iPhone, iPad, or iPod click here.
But one general authorized a plan that could have led to Federal occupation more than a year-and-a-half earlier in April, 1862. If successful, the scheme would have avoided such battles as Stones River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge. Today, only the seed of the scheme is popularly remembered as The Great Locomotive Chase.
Although all Union raiders were captured, eight broke-out of prison, and six were exchanged. A year later, the survivors were the first to receive a new military medal authorized by Congress; one that has since become the most respected of all — The Congressional Medal of Honor
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Why I am Buying More Books
Posted on April 11, 2012
The four reasons I’m buying more books than five years ago are (1) Internet interactivity, (2) second-hand markets online, (3) Amazon.com rewards points and (4) iPad.
Internet Interaction
The ability to interact over the Internet stimulates my book buying in two ways.
Download seven minute audio narration to iPad, iPhone, or iPod here.
First, I can buy books with a mere mouse-click which is more convenient than driving to a store where the desired title may not even be in-stock. But there’s more to it than that.
Almost unconsciously I’ve become increasingly skilled at using Amazon’s tools for browsing. For example, Amazon routinely provides suggestions of alternate titles, similar to the one being considered for purchase. Another is the ability search for key words (e.g. topics) within many books remotely over the Net. It’s a more powerful way to learn how much of a topic-of-interest might be covered in a given book than examining the index of a physical book. Read more…
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Big News in Wireless Internet
Posted on April 3, 2012
Wireless Internet Service Providers held their semi-annual conference in Orlando last week. A number of important industry-specific developments were announced and one was coincident.
1. Last Friday Towerstream (Ticker:TWER) filed a Form 8-K with the Securities & Exchange Commission disclosing it “signed a Wi-Fi agreement with a national wireless carrier (for) utilizing our current and future rooftop assets.” During the past two weeks the stock moved from $2.75 a share to $5.15 this morning (April 3rd).
Download four-minute audio narration to iPad, iPod, or iPhone.
Presently the company has an extensive WiFi network in Manhattan designed to help cellular carriers and other potential clients offload wireless Internet traffic. The purpose is to avoid customer frustration with congestion on cellular networks. Towerstream’s Manhattan footprint has about 1,500 access points. Based upon the 8-K language, the company evidently will be building similar networks in other cities, or at least making its antenna locations available to others for a fee. Read more…
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