Lost in Trafalgar Square

Magnet #1315 - Trafalgar Square, London

I just got myself lost in Trafalgar Square tonight.

Ya'll, I can't count how many times I've been in Trafalgar Square. But, it seriously just took me 20 minutes of googling images and layouts trying to orient myself to this vintage image.

Not even joking.

I finally figured out that the vantage point is actually as if you were standing with the National Gallery to your right, as if you were on top of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

Here's why this is even more ridiculous.

The very first time I walked into Trafalgar, it was to find the National Gallery. And I walked around for a good 10 minutes before I found it. You should have seen how much I laughed my ass off when I finally walked up the stairs of the giant building right in front of me.

For context, it's akin to walking around the National Mall in DC, and not being able to find the Capitol Building. Or walking around in Times Square, and not being able to find the Coke sign.

See? Ridiculous.

Anyway, picked this magnet for today, because we sat through a couple of tapings of Would You Rather? with Graham Norton for BBC-America's Ministry of Laughs comedy block. Much as I love Graham, highly doubtful I'll actually watch the show when it airs, just not my cuppa.

But, ya'll know how I adore tapings and behind the scenes anything, so it was a fun way to spend a few hours.

Popsicles, not ice lollies. But wonder what Captain Jack would call them?

Magnet #1285 - NYC Popsicle

Ages ago, I made the conscious decision to ignore all the Torchwood chatter until DCsis was able to drop it to DVD for me. It's actually been easy to ignore everyone talking about it, and Twitter's been unusually good about no spoilers these last two months.

What I haven't been able to avoid is how divided people feel about the show.

At our London tweet-up with @blogtorwho, I mentioned that based on the trailers the show already felt more American than its UK predecessor. And he responded with, but it's always felt more American, citing Captain Jack.

It was so odd to hear him say that, because for me, original!recipe!Torchwood didn't have an American feel to it. It was always way too dark for US television.

This week, I'm mainlining these episodes.

First, I didn't realize how much I so very much missed Jack and Gwen. So much. (And Ianto, Owen and Tosh, too, of course.)

Second, it's dark. Darker than I like my US television. Which means it kept its original voice, so that's something, I suppose.

Third, there really is something more American about it. Whether it's bigger explosions or American actors or scope of story or bigger budget or what, I'm not sure at all.

Fourth, I really did love the Babe, I mean, Esther translates Gwen scene. It was cute, and a little tongue-in-cheek. It's why I totally picked up this Popsicle at LaGuardia, because even the littlest things have different names across the pond, and those differences makes me giggle.

Last, I don't know that I like it. It's not pulling me in emotionally as previous TW series. But I think it's mostly due to the overarching storyline that I really don't like - so much so that like TW: Children of Earth, it's a heavy mantle of sadness on me with each episode.

Granted, I haven't yet seen the last three episodes, so maybe they'll figure out a way to draw me back in.

But for now, it's nice to revisit old friends.

Authority always wins

Magnet#1274 - James I (1603-1625)

Meet James I.

As in King James Bible, which is apparently 400 years old this year.

One wonders what someone's thinking when they say..."Oh, you know what? I think I'll just issue my version of the Bible."

King James (who, as son of Mary Queen of Scots, was the King of Scotland for 36 years before he ever sat on the English throne) was a theologian as well, and had some issues with how the Puritans had interpreted the Bible, and so decided to do his own. It was only the third English version by 1611, and he used almost 50 translators to get the job done.

They must have done a good job, given that the Authorized Version became the one widely accepted.

Or, at least, accepted in hotel rooms worldwide, anyway.

Not Leaving London

Magnet #1273 - Passenger to London

The new blog Not Leaving London is one of the best things to come out of the recent London riots. It's theoretically for non-Brit London-lovers - where you submit an image and a quote about why you'd never leave London.

Here's my entry, with St. Ethelburga the Virgin, the smallest church in the City, backed by the Gherkin, the 6th tallest building in town.

The other thing to come out of London during the last few weeks is their new Tube map that's sparked map vs. diagram controversy on Fast Company. While it may help our tourists a bit more because it maps a little bit more to street level geography, folks seem to be having issues with it for just that very reason.

To be honest, if I were a local, I'd be annoyed as well. Indeed, when NYC MTA redid our transit map last year, I was nervous - we'd had the other one for so long. Part of me feels like London waited to see how NYC would take it before implementing theirs. The other part of me thinks that they just wanted a new map in time for London 2012 Olympics.

Eh, however you feel about it, it's still a pretty, pretty map...and of course now I have a reason to head back to London - need to get the new Tube map magnet!

Oh, yes. This is number two of my 24-magnet London set. What? Yes, I might try and blog them all...remember, I can't see myself breaking up a set!

London, what up?

Magnet #1264 - Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

I'm not a Londoner.

No matter how much I want to be.

So I can't pretend to get what the hell's going on over there, no matter how much coverage I find myself watching this week.

But, it's upsetting nonetheless.

But one mistress here

Magnet #1242 - One Mistress

I might identify with this magnet quote just a little too much. It's why I decided to buy this magnet, instead of any one of a dozen portrait magnets...from the National Portrait Gallery in the London.

But it's true. Unless you're my boss and paying me to listen to you and do your bidding, I hate being told what to do. Doesn't matter who you are, or who you think you are, it makes me crazy.

Honestly, in most cases, bossing me around makes me want to do exactly what you're telling me not to do.

Right? Makes me sound like a five-year-old, and I'll admit, that's probably as long as I've felt this way.

We could chalk it up to being a stubborn Taurus bull, or that I'm the oldest child, or that I've been on my own for almost half my life.

In fact, yes.

Let's do that, and skip the diatribe on marriage, relationships, and the life of a single gal.

Though, if anyone's seen Sir Walter Raleigh (as played by Clive Owen, and before he did that whole secret marriage thing) around, I might could be convinced otherwise. I'm just sayin'.

Gonna be a bumpy ride

Magnet #1235 - London's Red Double Decker Buses

Ummm, so I just bought 24 vintage London magnets. And paid hellawaytoomuch for them, but I had to have them! I mean, how gorgeous is this set?

There's a part of me that wants to just frame the whole set, because they're just so pretty together. But then I thought maybe I'd give some of them away. (And then I giggled softly to myself and said, Really? Will you?)

Just like I love taking buses everywhere in New York, I love taking the bus wherever we can in London, love racing to the upper deck to grab seats in front. Just like a tourist, I'm sure, but I don't much care - it's the best way to see the town. Slowest, but best.

This magnet reminded me of the crazy triple decker Knight Bus that picked up Harry Potter in Azkaban, which reminded me that I was superhappy when the final credits rolled on Potter 7.1 this past weekend.

And yep, I totally just had to look up which movie the bus was in - after finally finishing my Potterthon in advance of 7.2, the whole series is pretty much a blur.

Pillars of London

Magnet #1225 - Royal Mail Red Pillar Box

So, apparently, there are 100,000 of these red royal mail boxes scattered throughout the UK, and even more throughout other British territories.

I bought this magnet for myself as a reminder of all the Royal Mail post offices we went to while in London a couple of weeks ago.

Now, if you know me and my tendency to overbuy on vacations, you know I'm usually in random post offices to mail stuff back to myself, to avoid having to hand-carry it home.

But this time around, we were ducking into every post office we could to ask if they had the Royal Shakespeare Company 50th anniversary commemorative stamps - specifically, the David Tennant as Hamlet ones.

And in every place we stopped, I'd get the same "Bless her cotton socks" look from them as they opened their books to the RSC page and showed me that they didn't have any David Tennant ones left.

Of course, they didn't. Here it was June, and the stamps had come out in April. Sigh. Oh well.

Oh! And the other reason for using a mailbox today, is because my dad wrote possibly the funniest, most macabre thing ever on a letter today:

RETURN TO SENDER. HE'S DEAD.

Hmph. Take that, Harris Interactive!

A tourist's job is never done

Magnet #1214 - United Kingdom

I miss London.

No. Seriously. To be honest, I don't know why I don't just move there. Since my summer session abroad, my heart's always been set on either New York or London.

Sixteen years later, I'm still in New York. But, I'm thinking it's good to have a place to always want to go back to visit. Again. And again. And again.

Case in point: While waiting for everyone to board the plane yesterday, I post-mortem'd our itinerary. Looks like we did pretty well - we managed to do a lot, even as we had to bump a few things here and there.

But the great thing having my running itinerary, is that I've already planned out the majority of my must-sees for the next trip over. Now, I just have to figure out when that is.

I have a couple of friends doing a UK roadtrip in the fall. Is that too soon?

What?

One man's rubbish...

Magnet #1213 - The Perfect Rubbish Gift

...is another treasure for me?

When we were shopping at JOY (seriously, how could we not go in, I love that shop!), I had to buy this Waldo Pancake magnet.

C'est vrai, no?

We left London today, stuffed to the gills with all manner of English wares. Seriously, folks. The three of us left with much more than we came in with.

I'm expecting an OBE for duties performed in service of reviving Great Britain's economy.

Magnets for myself? 20.

Magnets for others? Wouldn't be surprised if it's just about as many. I've decided, what better gift for others than to make them start collecting magnets...if only by their association with me.

And besides, who doesn't like a good rubbish magnet every now and again.

All that, and a bag of grits!

Magnet #1211 - Out of this World, British Library

Today was another one of those loose and flowy days, where in time got away from us. Time, and a bag of grits, anyway. Heh.

When we left the hotel, we actually had a plan - New London Architecture, Pollock's Toy Museum, British Library, St. Pancras and King's Cross. All before lunch.

Stop laughing. I can hear you.

Well, despite intense shopping along Oxford, we managed to accomplish all of the above, only by about 3:15ish, when we had to run back from King's Cross all the way back down to our Earl's Court hotel, to grab my imported grits for my friend, whom we were meeting in Trafalgar Square at 4ish. Whew!

But, I wouldn't trade the muss and fuss for anything, as we had a good time at HMV looking for a million Brit music CDs and Simon Pegg's Nerd Do Well book. And at the soccer shop (no really, it was called the Soccer Store, presumably to draw in us dumb Americans). And at the touristy souvenir shops (had to pick up Wills/Kate magnets). And at a place called JOY (yes, I know!). And window shopping. And saying hello to FDR and Winston on Bond Street.

We finally managed to get on with our schedule round about 11 or so...with a fun trip to the Toy Museum, all Victorian with its overwhelming collection of both creepy and cool toys. Seriously, that place must be a madhouse when all the humans go home - you just know all the toys are totally raving afterhours.

My fave part of the trip thus far has been the New London Architecture space - which has a supercool London diorama. Ya'll know I love a good diorama. I mean, it wasn't on the level of the Queens diorama of New York, but nothing gives you a better feel for the layout of a town than a fantastic diorama. Whoa. Ya'll didn't think I could be this dorky, huh. (Well, you are reading a magnetblog! Hmph!)

We also loved the supercool Out of This World science fiction exhibit at the British Library. I mean, the library itself was an awesome building - but the exhibit, despite being overcrowded, was really well done. It basically went through the science fiction genre from several different aspects and POVs, and through books and music and television and film. So good! We weren't able to do the tour or the Library treasures exhibit, but I suppose we should keep some stuff for future visits.

After a quick trot in the rain past St. Pancras, and a quick snap at Platform 9 3/4s for the sister, it was back to pick up the grits for my friend. No, really. She lives with her hub in South London but grew up with me in NC, and that was her one request. It's the one thing she can't find in London. I feel her pain, man. It's hard to get good grits in New York, too.

Well, like they say, you can take the girl out of North Carolina...

To marry a prince - Escape Home to NYC Day #3

Magnet #1162 - Keep Calm

Could not resist this perfect magnet my sister sent.

As I type this, it's 4:50am, and I've just settled into the aforementioned couch in Queens...wondering how long we have to wait before breaking out the stereotypical scones and clotted cream.

Congratulations, cutecouple I've never met before!

So funny how the world has invested so much in the happy couple - it's like we're all reading from the same romance book! And truly, they're everywhere - I've been away for a while, so it was just yesterday that I saw the Congratulations William & Catherine! taxi-top ads from MSNBC with complete with flag and engagement picture.

Uh, ya'll know they're not our royal family, right? That we fought a whole war of Independence a few years ago to get away from 'em?

Eh, no matter.

Today, we are all royal.

Wait. We're not?

Rufus. Really?

Magnet #1154 - William II (r. 1087-1100)

Oh, I sooooo need to get home to the rest of my magnet collection, I'm down to 25 in the photobucket collection and not an ounce of inspiration to use any of them. So this William II magnet will have to suffice.

This time next week, I will likely be ensconced on a sofa in Queens (natch), awaiting the wedding of another royal William - hopefully eating some scones and clotted cream (though, I'm betting Zabar's will be sold out by the time I get home).

So what's this I hear that if/when Prince William takes over, he gets to pick his official name? That it can be any combination of his full name - Prince William Arthur Philip Louis?

I mean, it's probably easiest to go with King William V, right? But, how much fun would that be, picking out your name? (I'd totally be Queen Joy. C'mon, that's nice!) But, it'd be fun to have a King Artie? King Phil? King Bill? King Lou? Oh, the possibilities abound.

Anyway, this William reigned for only 13 years before being killed in a hunting accident in the New Forest. But, apparently, he was known as William Rufus, a nickname given to him because of his ruddy complexion and blond hair. According to reports, he had an outspoken personality, didn't get along with the Church, and had to fight conspiracies left and right to keep his throne.

Hmmm...that sounds like a dozen other monarchs we've run across, no?

The other London

Magnet #989 - London, Ontario

One of my roadtripping friends took a mostly for work roadtrip with another friend up to London, Ontario, and brought this back for me.

Settled by Europeans in the 1800s, London, Ontario, Canada, it's definitely taken its cue from its namesake in England, with both a Thames River and a Covent Garden Market.

And, as it turns out, the town of more than 350,000 inhabitants has a lot to see and do.

I'm not a beer person at all, but would so do the Labatt Brewery tour, it looks like fun! I don't have kids, but I would love to visit Storybook Gardens, cuz it just looks like a great place to hang. They have a few museums as well, and we all know how I love those.

Also, I'm not like a huge tree fan, but how cool does this London Tree Trunk Tour look? The public art project's done by some amazing artists, with the tourism board and STIHL Canada. The artists have taken more than a dozen tree trunks scattered throughout the town, and have created some gorgeous carvings out of the trunks. Seriously cool stuff!

Definitely helps them earn that Forest City nickname!

Who's who in British history

Magnet #983 - Westminster Abbey

One of the coolest places to visit in London is Westminster Abbey. There's been a religious structure on this site since as far back as 960, when Dustan, a Benedictine monk from London, and a dozen of his buddies set up shop here. Dudes. The 10th century. That's 1,050 years ago!

Sure, the present church has really only been there since 1245, but how many buildings have you been in that are a hundred years old, much less almost a thousand? It's nuts.

And when you walk in, you can feel the history oozing from every nook and Poet's Corner, from every stone and Coronation Throne, and from every step and funerary monument. It's where almost every British monarch was crowned since William the Conquerer in 1066, and it's the final resting place for at least 17 monarchs. This place has seen more history that could fit in anyone's history books. It has to be seen to really be believed.

Remember last year, when I visited Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence? Santa Croce may have Michelangelo and Galileo and a few others, but man, Westminster is just like it...but on speed.

Chaucer's there. Chaucer. Buried in 1400. And he's just one. Shakespeare. Darwin. Keats. Shelley. Dickens. Newton. Olivier. Those are just the ones I could think of off the top of my head! There are so many famous folks buried and/or commemorated in the abbey that you'd need at least a couple of days and a couple of tours before you can see everyone. The list is so long, that it's not even complete! It truly reads like a who's who in British history, and makes you realize what the Brits have contributed to this world.

Can you imagine what it's like in the dead of night when all the spirits are chatting each other up? Because you know the spiritual din in that building must be crazy. And the conversations they're all having?

You know, if I weren't creeped out by crypts and monuments and statues of dead folk, I probably would have spent much more time there if I could. As it was, on my last London visit a couple of years ago, I skipped it, opting for pretty pictures outside, rather than visiting with the dead by myself.

What? There's a reason I can't continue watching The Walking Dead on AMC.

"Never in the field of human conflict..."

Magnet #938 - Churchill Quote

"...was so much owed by so many to so few."

- Prime Minister Winston Churchill

I must have started this magnetpost a few times, on a couple different days, but since @stephenfry (#ff, if you don't already) Tweeted about the 1940 Chronicle, I figured this particular magnet works for any day this week.

Forty years ago around this time, the London Blitz was in full swing, and I honestly can't even imagine how that felt. Imagine, every night, going to bed, knowing that the Luftwaffe was headed your way, and being powerless to stop it.

The chronicle keeps you up to date with what happened forty years ago each day, related to readers as newsreports from correspondents and diaries. Such a great idea, because it gives today's audiences a better context to learn history.

Despite the fears of the people, they must have felt a little better knowing the Royal Air Force was bravely defending the skies and warding off the Germans. Mind you, this four-month Battle of Britain (celebrating its 70th anniversary), fought mostly in the air, is considered one of the turning points of the war. The RAF successfully defended the UK from German invasion.

Which brings us to the point of the 1940 Chronicle. Without being terribly salesy about it, the site is actually part of the very clever digital fundraising campaign for the RAF Benevolent Fund.

They have a fundraising spot featuring Winston Churchill, (sloooowly) talking about the speech he gave to the House of Commons, regarding progress of the Battle of Britain - which included the quote on this magnet.

There's also a second microsite, where you can leave your Heartfelt Thanks to those in the RAF. Oh, it makes me sniffle!

Seriously, I love this campaign. It's just well-done, all around. Of course, my first instinct was to check out who produced it - a digital agency called reading room. What a terrific project for that digital team to work on.

It's not often that you're privileged to do great work for even greater causes, so cherish that.

Best-laid plans

Magnet #868 - London

If you've read this magnetblog with any sort of regularity, you'll remember that I have this inexplicable love affair with London.

No why fore or reasoning, really, I just like it. I mean, really, ya'll know how much I love New York City. London's just the UK equivalent, is all.

I'm just using this Kristina Myers Crafts magnet for today because I have a few friends over there right now.

One lucky gal who moved her life over there and is Facebooking pictures, allowing me to live vicariously. And another one just on holiday, who has dropped off the map since she's been away. (I'm so sad she hasn't found the 1 GBP web cafes!)

Either way, they're both sitting in London - well, sleeping at this point - and I'm sitting here in New York, wishing I was there.

It's ok for right now, though, since I'm in the midst of planning the next big holiday - going to Comic-Con in San Diego in a couple of weeks. SDCC's releasing the official schedule one each day, starting yesterday. Dudes, seriously. The Excel spreadsheet was full before the official schedule came out.

Now? I haven't figured out how we're going to physically be in as many as 3 places at once. I haven't figured out how when we're hitting the floor. For that matter, I haven't figured out when we're hitting the bathrooms.

The funny thing is that while we're whining about how we're gonna get it all done...there are folks out there, like @televisionary trying to actually figure out their schedules as well. For work.

And that my friends, I'm seeing, is another blessing in disguise that I wasn't able to parlay my love of all things entertainment into a real job. I did that with publishing and now I can't read a book without editing it and criticizing its cover. I did that with advertising, and now I can't watch a tv spot or print ad without seeing all the behind-the-scenes issues.

Imagine, if I'd actually ended up at Warner Brothers or ABC. I wouldn't be able to go to Comic-Con just for the sheer entertainment of it all. I can go to all these panels and screenings and Q&As just for fun. And enjoy it. And Tweet it. And be a big old (not dressing up) geek about the whole thing.

So, I guess, thanks WB and ABC, for not hiring me after those crazy interviews! Looks like that was part of someone's plan.

Now. If only I could figure out the rest of the plan - for my SDCC trip. And for my life.

Whoa. How meta.

By a Lady - Guest blogger, DC Sister

Magnet #855 - Winchester Cathedral

I've been deemed inhuman in some circles because of my non-fluency in the Jane Austen oeuvre.

I know. I can't help it - even after my seventh grade English teacher reco'd Jane to me, I just couldn't get into her. I skipped Jane and jumped right into Loveswepts.

But, my middle sister has a thing for Jane Austen. So I figured since she brought this back for me from Winchester, she'd be the best person to magnetblog it out.

- joy

____________________________________

Joy's off having quality BFF time, so she asked some of us to pick from a selection of magnets to blog about.

Well, of course I chose this one. I gave it to her!

I've been to Jolly Olde England about five times now, starting with a high school band trip. I wonder if my parents had some kind of 19th-century "all girls must take a grand tour of Europe" philosophy because we all went to the Continent in high school. Anyway. Back then I had only a slight interest in Jane Austen. We'd seen the 1980 Pride & Prejudice adaptation in English class, I loved the chemistry between Elizabeth and Darcy, and I muddled my way through the book (still my fave ever). So you'd think I'd have known that Jane Austen was buried at Winchester Cathedral when I was, you know, at Winchester Cathedral way back in 1995 on that high school trip.

But no. I was kind of distracted at the time (cute boys will do that to you), and so I totally missed that fact. So ever since then I've wanted to go back to Winchester.

And since those halcyon days of high school, my love for Jane Austen has grown exponentially. A few years ago I re-read all her books in order of least familiar to most familiar (if you must know: Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, Emma, Sense & Sensibility, then finally P&P).

Right afterward, I went on a Great Great Britain tour: two weeks of traveling through the country via train. LOVE. When planning the trip, I asked my friend: Do you want to see or do anything in particular? His reply: Not really.

Wheee!

Left to my own devices, I scheduled us tons o' Jane Austen stuff! We went to Chawton Cottage, where she spent several years and saw the little table where she revised P&P and Sense & Sensibility and wrote Persuasion, Mansfield Park and Emma. Imagine: this woman all hunched over this tiny table laboring over these books that, during her lifetime, were published anonymously, described as being written "By a Lady."

Today those same books are a veritable industry. Crazy!

We went to Bath, where I succeeded in suppressing my squees at seeing the Pump Room and Milsom Street and Queen's Square (all associated with her books) and the Assembly Rooms (closed for a private event -- boo!). Then we got to the gravel walk where Anne and Capt. Wentworth reunited in Persuasion -- my second fave book -- and I couldn't hold it in anymore. Squeeee! People looked at me funny.

An we went to Chatsworth, the Peak District home of the Duke/Duchess of Devonshire and the supposed inspiration for Darcy's Pemberley estate, though a few estates are said to have that same distinction. Chatsworth, y'all? Amazing. I mean, damn.

It actually was Pemberley in the 2005 P&P movie with Keira Knightley, who incidentally returned to the home again to film scenes for The Duchess [as in Devonshire]. In a nod to Austenites like me, the estate's sculpture gallery still has the bust of Matthew Macfadyen that played a part in the P&P movie. Of course I have a picture with it. So go if you can. The ride on the bus there was cool too - lots of barren peaks and moors.

Very Heeeeathcliffffff!

So with all those Austen-y adventures planned, you'd think I went to Winchester on that trip, right? Wrong. I was at Winchester a few months ago on my woman-on-her-own trip to London. Finally.

We just couldn't fit the town into the Great Great Britain Tour or on any other visit to the U.K. I've taken in the past, oh, 15 years. It took an hour to get there and I spent about 30 minutes total in the cathedral and about 45 minutes at the gift shop, buying this magnet and a book examining the social context of Austen's novels.

They have a few of her letters on display in the church and she has a memorial window, a marker inlaid in the floor plus a plaque on the wall. All in all it was very cool. Still, though, I think of all the places I visited, I still love Chawton the most, with its whole OMG-she-lived-in-this-very-house vibe.

Anyway, I was going to include links and interesting facts about Jane Austen, such as she moved to Winchester in 1817, the year she died.

But you know what? You only need to know one thing: Jane Austen kinda rules.

Tennis is crazy*

Magnet #854 - Wimbledon

My sister brought this back for me from her tour of Wimbledon a couple of months ago. How timely.

Seriously, boys. How do you play for eleven hours, five minutes. Across three days?

Never-ending tennis. They broke pretty much every record in tennis you could think of.

Though, really, all I thought of, after he got off the court was, whoa, that John Isner is hot.

And he has to play again. Today.

Sheesh.

*Live quote from said BFF of the BFF Babymoon Over the Confederacy Roadtrip

You've come a long way, ducky

Magnet #843 - Circuit board ducky

Hahaha. You totally thought it was gonna be another NCIS post, about my love for Dr. Ducky Mallard, didn't you. Sorry to disappoint.

My sister picked this up for me at London's Natural History Museum. I think she just thought it was cute. It totally is. Of course, it makes me think of her running around as a baby, singing that Ernie song,

Rubber ducky, you're the one!
You make bath time, lots of fun!

Over and over. And over.

Still, it's a supercute circuit board ducky.

Picked it for today, because this day in 1951, the first commercial computer was unveiled. The UNIVAC - Universal Automated Computer, with U.S. Census and Prudential as its first customers.

The UNIVAC filled a whole room at 25' x 50'. Feet! And it had an internal storage of a whopping 1,000 words, processing at 2.25MHz bit rate.

Compare that to today's technological wonder, the iPad, which can go virtually anywhere at 9.56" x 7.47". Inches! No telling how many words it can hold with a minimum capacity of 16GB, processing at 1GHz.

Whoa.

Now. If we could just get those flying cars moving along, we'd be in business.