PBS American Experience - The Presidents

Whenever I read a book, it is typically historical or biographical. I've always been a fan of history, and declared it as my major in college until I decided I would need to get a job after I graduated. So I switched to nursing, and never looked back. But even to this day I still enjoy hearing about the life stories of interesting people. In spite of the political climate - especially in this town - the presidents fit that bill. PBS is rebroadcasting six of the president's stories in August. So we got them all in the queue and started watching the first one about Kennedy and have gotten as far a Carter. I was too young to really understand a lot of what was happening in the 60's, but vividly recall the black and white news casts and images. After college I became more in tune with world events. But now, when I hear the stories about national and world events and relive - again - the action of the time, one thing is clear. Don't we ever learn from the past? It hardly matters who was in office. I keep hearing the same words and speeches by different parties and leaders. Maybe because we are watching all of them within days, they all sound the same. I think having lived in DC for ten years now makes us even a bit more confused about how and why things happen as they did, and continue to today. Or maybe, I'm just getting older and notice it more. I'm not sure if anybody watches these shows? May be they should. It's amazing how things never really change.  

Reagan's 1962 Willy's Jeep on the Mall

Last weekend it was President Taft's 1909 Steam Car, and this weekend it was President Reagan's Jeep. Cars at the Capital celebrates the historic vehicle association's love affair with the automobile. One unexpectedly comes upon the vehicle in the glass box in the middle of the national mall in front of the national gallery of art on one side and the Smithsonian and air and space museums on the other. Apparently this vehicle was driven regularly by Reagan while at the ranch in California. It is said he rode his horse in the morning and drove the jeep in the afternoon. I'm not sure when these vehicle displays started, but have only noticed them in the last two weeks. I wonder if someone stands guard over them when the sun goes down? I'm sure getting them here and hauling them back is no small affair. This is another reason we like living around this neighborhood. You never know what you are going to run in to next. A bit more exciting than living in a suburban Midwest neighborhood.