Coffee and a few minutes with Botts on January 15

Here's a few items that are on my mind this morning:

• From my weekend reading: The Dallas Morning News offered this report about the the results of a survey conducted by Texas home builders. The information regarding the positive view consumers have for driverless cars and what that might mean for future residential subdivisions is interesting and good food for thought. 

• I'm reading Max Hastings' "Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War" (2013) and recommend it for those interested in learning more about the start of World War 1. At 565 pages, not including notes and index, it's a long and heavy read, but well worth the effort. I decided to make the period 1914 to 1980 an area of study for myself in 2018 and thought I'd start with Hastings' book, mostly because it has been sitting on a shelf here for a couple of years. I enjoy the book and will keep you posted on my progress with my reading list for this year.

• Here are a couple of items from The Rock 'n Roll History file:
Jan. 15, 1972:  Don McLean reaches No. 1 with ‘American Pie’. The song remained at No. 1 for four weeks. I was in middle school at the time and the song seemed to be on play list of every radio in the area. I still enjoy today, but at a play length of more than six minutes, it's hard to imagine the song it would get much air time if it were released to today.
 
And on Jan. 15, 2008: Bruce Springsteen released “Girls in Their Summer Clothes”. It's hard to believe the song is 10 years old already, but so goes the march of time. The song is one of my favorites and most welcome on a snowy January morning. Give it a tumble.

– Thanks for reading. Comments and feedback are always welcome. Send emails to kbottswrites@gmail.com. May God's peace be with you today.