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With all the heat across the country, the Wall Street Journal had an article today (p. A13) on "Air Conditioning, Blessed Invention". The article highlights Willis Carrier, who invented the first modern air conditioning to cool a printing plant in Brooklyn NY in 1902. The article goes on to mention that "The first automobile air conditioner was offered in 1940, on a Packard". Nice to have our cars in the news today!

There was one other point that the article mentioned. It stated that before air conditioning,"...Washington D.C. used to be nearly deserted in the summer because of the notorious heat and humidity. Today, the government runs year round. That's not necessarily progress." How true!!!!

As a matter of fact, DC was considered a "Hardship Post" by the Foreign Offices of quite a few countries prior to AC. The British Ambassador was permitted to where shorts and a pith(sp) helmet in the Summer.