Charles Osgood opened the show topics: summer vacation season and the cars we drive, to be reported by Lee Cowen, you are what you drive, the 15 most influential cars; luxury hotels that cater to celebrities, to be reported by Conor Knighton; smart and tough Judge Judith Scheindlin, to be reported by Rita Braver; toasters, to be reported by Bill Geist; pigeons of Venice; the Vogels and their art collection, as reported by Mike Wallace, and more.
Headlines: Aurora, CO, remembering and mourning the victims of recent shooting spree that killed 12 and injured 58, gunman Holmes to appear in court again tomorrow; Mitt Romney is in Israel; Syria attacking Aleppo; Germany insists Greece abide by prior financial agreements; at Olympics yesterday, Lochte won gold, Phelps placed fourth in the 400 I.M.
Cars that made America: like pets with wheels, illuminating history; Paul Ingrassia, his book, "Engines of Change," lists what he says are America's 15 most influential cars, most of which have a home at The Henry Ford, a museum in Dearborn, MI. The Model-T tops his list, putting America on wheels; the Toyota Prius, giving impression or lack thereof on environment; the GTO, defining American muscle; the LaSalle, stylish and comfortable; the 1953 Corvette, flashy, proud, starring in Route 66; the 1959 Cadillac, adding size to speed, particularly the size of tail fins, indicating America's upward mobility; the VW Beetle, Kraft Der Freude Lagen, or "The Strength through Joy car" Hitler's vision of practical and functional, and the choice of hippies; the Ford Mustang, made popular on television by actors Steve McQueen and Mary Tyler Moore, 'sporty' became affordable as baby boomers were coming of age, getting their driver's licenses, attending college, wanting something different from their parents; the Chrysler Minivan in place of the crowded station wagon, for soccer moms; the Chevy Corvair, which Time Magazine called one of the worst cars ever made, the second most influential car in American history after the Model T Ford, Ingrassia states: "The Model T put Americans on wheels. This car put America in the hands of lawyers!" Nader, then a young attorney, said the Corvair was "unsafe at any speed"; product liability lawsuits followed, government safety standards and regulations were created, effect of the Corvair reached the White House, influencing presidential politics, the hanging chads in Florida in 2000, Nader getting 95,000 votes there, Al Gore could have become POTUS. Florida that year," said Marlow. "Had Nader not been on the ballot, I think it's a solid argument that most of those 95,000 votes, or a good percentage of them, would have gone to Al Gore. Ingrassia includes the Ford F-150, and more -- but not the Camero, the T-Bird, or even the 1957 Chevrolet.
Almanac: when Charles married Diana, July 29, 1981 -- 31 years ago, in St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Two sons, William and Henry (Harry), were divorced in 1996. Diana killed in 1997. Charles married Parker-Bowles in 2005; Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011. Diana revered still for her charity works and patronage. She would be 51 years old.
[Encore] As reported in 2008 by Mike Wallace for 60 Minutes, archived documentary: One of the country's most impressive collections of modern art by Herbert and Dorothy Vogel, displayed in their NYC apartment. They bought the art on Herbert's postal worker salary and covered household expenses on Dorothy's earnings as a librarian. Befriended many of the artists. Never sold any of the art, worth an untold fortune. Donated art to National Gallery of Art [From Minimalist to Conceptual Art] for a modest stipend to maintain themselves in retirement. Herbert died July 22, 2012. See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1227929/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_and_Dorothy_Vogel;
http://www.nga.gov/press/2008/vogel50x50_a.shtm.
[Encore] Seth Doane on Venice's pigeon problem. See IPBiz post of May 13, 2012.
[Encore] Gregory Brothers, AutoTune and green screen viral videos; 'Fed Intruder' by Antoine Dodson watched more than a million times on YouTube; Charlie Sheen, among others. See IPBiz post of January 8, 2012.
Passage: Sally Ride, first American female astronaut, accomplished physicist, died Monday of pancreatic cancer (age 61); Sherman Hemsley, actor best known for [All in the Family spin-off] The Jeffersons, died Tuesday (age 74); Chad Everett, actor best known for Medical Center (as Dr. Joe Gannon), died Tuesday of lung cancer (age 75).
[Encore] Bill Geist on toasters -- in the 1920's, sliced bread promoted popularity; Thomas Edison invented Edicraft toaster. Collector couple host an annual toaster convention. WebsiteL toastercollectors.org. See IPBiz post of November 20, 2011.
A celebrity luxury hotel: California's "Pink Palace" (The Beverly Hills Hotel), where Hollywood stars such as Jimmy Fallon frequently spend $1200 a night for a suite and the secluded bungalow where Marilyn Monroe stayed costs $5000 a night. Built one hundred years ago on land that was growing lima beans. Hard-working single-mother Margaret Anderson already owned/operated a hotel in Hollywood before building/operating The Beverly Hills Hotel. Built with bridle paths, black-tie dinners and lush gardens, the rich came, and they bought property around the hotel where their mansions were erected. Douglas Fairbanks. Bungalow-dwellers Cary Grant with Carole Lombard, honeymooning Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor (the latter spent six of her eight honeymoons at the hotel), Howard Hughes stayed in one of the BHH bungalows for 30 years. The BHH was remodeled in the late 1940's under supervision of Paul Revere Williams, one of America's first prominent African-American architects; he updated the hotel's look with bold stripes, tropical wallpaper, sinuous curves, a distinctive logo and the renowned Polo Lounge. Hotel was featured in California Suite and Designing Women and aspiring starlets would strut poolside (this led Raquel Welch to One Million Years B.C. Anderson family sold hotel in 1928; its current owner, the Sultan of Brunei, reduced the number of suites and rooms from 250 to fewer than 200, creating larger bathrooms and closets.
[Encore] On July 27, 2012, CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley -- Steve Hartman reported on Luther Masingill, a 90-year old radio broadcaster who has worked at the same station longer than any other broadcaster in history (WDEF, Chattanooga, TN), for 72 years. Reports national, local and community-interest news, including lost and found pets. The National Radio Hall of Fame has selected Luther for induction this year. See http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57481615/72-years-on-the-radio-from-wwii-to-wayward-pets/.
Opinion: Tavis Smiley on poverty, calling it the new slavery, threatens our democracy. Co-author of "The Rich and the Rest of Us, A Poverty Manifesto," published in April 2012.
Face the Nation: Bob Schieffer questions Mitt Romney -- has he given 'the okay' to Israel to bomb Iran?
Moment of Nature: just across the Bering Strait from Alaska to eastern Siberia where snowcaps linger into summer and loons call.
Next week, ports of call.
