...but really messed up FB posts!!!

While Christianity does not need to be in the Science Classroom, Spelling should be on the syllabus of every home schooler

The electrical distribution system was invented by Westinghouse engineers, most notably Tesla, who was an Eastern Orthodox and the son of a priest.

Edison was a proponent of Direct Current as opposed to Westinghouse's Alternating Current. DC could not be transmitted any great distance, and could not be transformed easily into different voltages.

The graphic is misleading as it suggests our present power grid was invented by Edison. You are right to say this is not the case. Our present grid, technologically speaking, is more attributable to George Westinghouse, and by extension Nicolai Tesla, for his 1886 patent on an alternating current distribution system.

However, Edison patented a direct current power distribution system in 1880, and, for a brief time, it was the national standard. While Edison did not have creative input in the development of our current power grid, he is, for lack of a better term, its spiritual progenitor.

Yikes. I didn't know that.

I knew DC was still around after WWII. Remember a book about a New York family where the Dad became an electrical contractor after getting out of the Army, specializing in DC to AC conversion - it was a job where an average working stiff could make big money, because it was so dangerous few people wanted to do it. I remember the book mentioning the "current-rich" DC power installations. Yeah, I bet...

NY Times, 11/14/2007:

Off Goes the Power Current Started by Thomas Edison
By JENNIFER LEE

Today, Con Edison will end 125 years of direct current electricity service that began when Thomas Edison opened his Pearl Street power station on Sept. 4, 1882. Con Ed will now only provide alternating current, in a final, vestigial triumph by Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse, Mr. Edison’s rivals who were the main proponents of alternating current in the AC/DC debates of the turn of the 20th century...

The direct current conversion in Lower Manhattan started in 1928, and an engineer then predicted that it would take 45 years, according to Mr. Cunningham. “An optimistic prediction since we still have it now,” he said.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/off-goes-the-power-current-started-by-thomas-edison/

Just FYI, NatGeo ran a great show today about mass murderer "Dr." H.H. Holmes and the Chicago Exposition of 1893. In some of the movie footage (probably filmed by Edison, ironically enough), you can see a Westinghouse demonstration proudly touting "the Tesla System."

The show is called "Madness in the White City" and is well worth an hour.

More useless trivia, NY Times again: in 1910, Edison was interviewed by a NY Times reporter. He made his religious views very clear - he didn't have any. In the interview, he denied the existence of a soul, among other things.

General Electric's board of directors freaked out about the possible effect on stock prices from Edison's "godless" interview. They insisted on a second interview so Edison could "clarify" his remarks. IIRC, Edison didn't back down much, only allowing that his religious ideas were his own opinions.

Edison is also on the record as calling religion "damned nonsense," and saying no form of religion should ever be taught in American schools.

They used to generate DC at the Perry K plant mostly for use in the traction motors in all of downtown's elevators.
I think the streetcars used it, too.