“That’s crazy,” said Kounts, looking at line after line of the perfectly slanted script in the Constitution.

Washington state does not require cursive in school curriculums.  Most teachers still teach it anyway, but that doesn’t mean students use it much. A Latin teacher at Seattle’s Roosevelt High School noticed the decline in her students’ handwriting, from cursive to print around five years ago and in some cases very messy print.  She asked a friend, a retired third grade teacher to give her A.P. Latin class a cursive refresher. In addition to reviewing the basics, the teachers brought in letters and historical documents written in longhand that the students, raised on computers, marveled over.  But the reality is that cursive can go the way of the dodo bird and much won’t suffer, except perhaps the thank you note which still seems to have a hold, albeit a weak one, in modern etiquette.  But I have to wonder… where will girls wistfully scribble the initials in hearts that decorate notebooks and book covers when those go away? Annotation and post-it apps in their e-books?

On the 30th anniversary of Ian Curtis’ death, KEXP DJ John Richards played a chronological history of the Joy Division music scene starting in 1976.  I’ve captured the playlist.  Book-ended with “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, the set featured multiple songs from David Bowie, Iggy Pop, the Ramones, Blondie, The Clash, The Cure, The Jam, Elvis Costello & the Attractions, singles from several other groups, and 15 from Joy Division including the last song of Curtis’ final gig in 1980.  Curtis had listened to Iggy Pop’s “The Idiot” right before his suicide, so Richards added a song from that album as the penultimate and only non-chronological entry in the tribute (other than the opener).  (previously: KEXP Tribute to John Hughes)

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of United Airline’s introduction of the flight attendant to the U.S. airline industry, these flight attendants wore vintage uniforms on Saturday on their flight between SFO and ORD (photo from BusinessWire).  I looked on uniformfreak.com and the dress on the left is circa 1968-1970 and the shirt, vest, and pants are 1976-1979.  Ellen Church, the first stewardess in 1930, was a certified pilot (yes!) and a registered nurse who approached Boeing Air Transport looking for a pilot’s job.  Not surprising for the times she was turned down but pitched the idea of having a nurse on board which led to the creation of the flight attendant.   She wore an elegant double-breasted skirt suit with a cape and hat.

Despite being a financial disaster at the time, the romance of the Pony Express lives on in American history, thanks in part to Buffalo Bill and Mark Twain who placed it firmly into popular culture.  For the 150th anniversary this year of the founding of the short-lived mail route, the annual re-enactment of the 1,966 mile relay ride will be extended to San Francisco (via rivercraft) and kept to daylight hours to accomodate accompanying celebrations.  Details and GPS tracking of the June event are on the official site.  You can have your own letter carried and postmarked by the Pony Express (this year’s application deadline is over).

Take a look inside San Francisco’s Old Mint which long ago housed 1/3 of the U.S. gold reserves.  There are photos of the “gas-powered lighting system, which called for one person to turn the wheel and another person to walk around the entire building, lighting each lamp”, the vaults, and details of the ornate doorknobs and railings.

Believe it or or not, the Ouija board was one of the first wireless communication devices.

For a thorough history of the Ouija board and the man responsible for its popularity, pay a visit to WilliamFuld.com. Researched and created by Robert Murch, the site is sanctioned by the Fuld family and describes the family feud that Murch helped put to rest by getting the grandchildren in touch with each other.  Of course there’s a listing of all the early iterations of the board plus other historical items such as customer letters, patents, and even the stencils used to make the boards.  On the more modern side, there’s a list of iPhone/iTouch apps, which is what led me to the site originally as my brain had conjured up the image of a new age fortune teller communicating with the spirits by gesturing over an iPad. (Related site: Museum of Talking Boards)

Nantucket Lightship LV-112 operated from 1936 to 1975 out of Boston Harbor, a beacon for trans-Atlantic shipping lanes.  After being taken out of service it was purchased by non-profit groups, became a National Historic Landmark, and eventually ended up in Oyster Bay, Long Island where it awaited the funds to become a museum. Robert Mannino Jr bought the ship for $1 last year and committed to its restoration. On Tuesday it returned home to Boston.  $125,000 in repairs made the lightship seaworthy enough to be towed to its old home port, but Mannino estimates $850,000 more is needed for a full renovation.  I previously wrote about Lightship Nantucket WLV612.

Metro-North, the commuter rail line that runs from New York to Connecticut, is ordering a new fleet of cars to replace the 1970s models now in service. That’s great news, until you talk to the regulars in the bar cars that are unique to the New Haven line. The rolling lounge, with its leather benches, stools, cup holders, and of course a bar, may not be a part of the new fleet. It’s an expensive customization that Metro-North will not commit to yet and the existing bar cars can’t be hooked up with the new cars.  For passengers more interested in a nap and pleasant environment,  the new cars finally have the headrests and improved restrooms that other lines have been enjoying for years.  There will also be power plugs, but alas no Internet access.

Eddie Feibusch sells zippers. He’s 86 and going into his 70th year in zipper sales — he opened his NYC store, ZipperStop, on the day Pearl Harbor was bombed.  Feibusch can sell you a 350 inch long zipper for wrapping a hot air balloon.  He can find the perfect match for a dress from the 502 colors he keeps in stock. He has so many zippers he doesn’t know how many he has, “more than a million.” And, just like mom, he says YKK is the best.