April 14, 2021
Ready for another roller coaster ride? This time we are off to Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, and the Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt is the third oldest roller coaster in the United States, still in operation. Kennywood first opened in 1899, as a trolley park attraction, and Thunderbolt was introduced in 1924. Actually, it began it’s career as the Pippin which was rebuilt in 1968 and christened Thunderbolt.
A feature of the Thunderbolt – that I remember clearly and which scared the bejeebers out me because we were riding at night and there is no warning – is that after departing from the station, the train does not immediately go up the lift hill as on most other coasters. Instead, it immediately goes into the first drop and the lift hill is in the middle of the ride after the second drop. This POV is in broad daylight (is there such a thing as “narrow daylight”?), but let's enjoy the ride.
And for good measure, here is an historic POV ride of the Jack Rabbit at Kennywood which is the oldest roller coaster in the U.S., and one of the oldest in the world still in operation.
👉 I mentioned above that Kennywood started as a trolley park. Trolley parks, which started in the 19th century, were picnic and recreation areas along or at the ends of streetcar lines in most of the larger cities. They were often started by the streetcar companies to generate more revenue. The parks originally consisted of picnic groves and pavilions, and often held events such as dances, concerts and fireworks. Many eventually added features such as swimming pools, carousels, Ferris wheels, roller coasters, sports fields, boats rides, restaurants and other resort facilities to become amusement parks. Only 13 amusement parks which began as trolley parks are still open today.
👉 Today’s girl’s name song gets us three plays for our quarter. The song is “Proud Mary,” which was written by John Fogerty and first recorded by his band Creedence Clearwater Revival. The song became a major hit in the United States, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1969, the first of five singles to peak at No. 2 for the group.
Here is CCR with the original.
Elvis began incorporating “Proud Mary” into his live shows in 1970.
But no one does it like Tina Turner. Get comfortable. This version is 9 and a half minutes long.
👉 On Sunday, Hideki Matsuyama won a green jacket (the kind you wear, not a local minor league baseball player) and $2 million. Not bad for chasing a little white ball around a beautiful stretch of property. Well, it turns out, that’s not all he’ll make following his win at the 85th Masters. One sports marketing expert estimated that Matsuyama’s win at Augusta – making him the first Japanese golfer to win a men’s golf major – could be worth up to $20 million per year over the next three decades in endorsements. That’s a $600 million win. Did I say, not bad for chasing a little white ball around a beautiful stretch of property?
👉 You know this, but because scammers are increasing their attacks and are coming up with ever-more fiendish ways to steal your money, here are a couple of tips about how to protect yourself.
You’ve put your cellphone on the national Do Not Call List, but still numbers pop up that you don’t recognize (you can click on that link to verify, if you can’t remember). To protect yourself, don’t answer the phone if you don’t recognize the number; let strangers leave messages that you can process at your own speed.
If you do take a call and the person on the other end tells you the sky is about to fall, just say: “Could you put that in a written letter through the mail? Only then will I look at it.” Then say goodbye – do not verify your address if you are asked, a real company will have it – and hang up. If the call is genuine, a real company won’t have a problem sending a letter. If it’s a scam, you will not get the letter.
Similarly, don’t respond to pop-up ads on your computer. If you get one that concerns you, or believe your computer has a problem, activate your computer’s restart procedure (“Control-Alt-Delete” and “restart”). In most cases the pop-ups won’t reappear and your computer will be fine. If you are still concerned, have someone who knows about computers take a look at it.
I’ve run the clip before, but as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus warned, “Let's be careful out there.”
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👉 Finishing Power
June 1, 1925 seemed like another day in baseball for the New York Yankees. Popular first baseman Wally Pipp had a headache, so he was taken out of the lineup that day and another player was given a start. The new kid did so well that he remained in the lineup for 14 years without missing a single ball game.
Not many people noticed the beginning of Lou Gehrig’s career, but the record of 2130 consecutive games played by the “Iron Horse” was thought to be unbreakable. But on September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken played consecutive game # 2131.
In baseball and in all of life, it is easy to start. It is a lot more difficult to finish.
Of all the Gospel writers, only Luke recalls Jesus’ parable of the man who started to build a tower and was not able to finish it.
Jesus said, “Which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’” (Luke 14:28-30).
Luke remembered traveling with a man who started serving Christ but never finished. His name is mentioned only three times in the New Testament, but the name Demas is synonymous with starting and then failing to finish.
Paul’s writings are the source of all that we know about Demas. The first time he mentions him is when he wrote to Philemon and said, “Demas and Luke, my fellow workers, greet you.” All of the indications are that he was a devoted and promising disciple. He was given top billing, mentioned ahead of Luke.
The second reference to Demas is found in Paul’s letter to the Colossians where Paul sends greetings from “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas.” Luke retains Paul’s confidence, but Demas, now mentioned second, has become just Demas.
The last mention is in Paul’s second letter to Timothy where Paul laments, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.”
There is nothing as glorious as a good beginning, and nothing as tragic as a bad ending. The qualities which make a good start possible, are, unfortunately, not identical with the qualities which see life through to the end. Starting power and finishing power are not the same in any realm.
To finish, to go all the way with Jesus, requires a rational conviction that Jesus is who he claims to be and that following him is worth paying the price he requires. Starting is easy. Finishing is hard. In yourself, you will never finish, but through Jesus Christ you can!
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