Goodby GM.'s Opel Subsidary in Europe

Last week GM closed a deal to sell their Opel Division in Europe. Well as some readers may know during the 60's and 70's Opel was a brand sold in North America.  For a few short yrs the brand really did give the VW imports a run for their money in our market.  For those that are to young to remember they were a line of cars from a basic small  Kadet to a Opel GT sports car.  They had a fastback , station wagon and a sedan called an Opel Rallye which was the car I wanted as a young man. I have a poster of one in my home office. It is derived from an ad in 1967 , the year they introduced  the model.  It talks about the more powerful engine , 24% more horsepower. Dual carbs and exhaust.Steel belted radials. Rally lights which  really functioned as fog lights. They said the cockpit  was worthy of a "fine road machine". The price in 1967......2,192 dollars. She was the kind of semi sport car that didn't look so hot but  could move and handle quite well especially on the back roads  of my hometown of Schodack NY. 
 My mother owned the basic Kadet , that she drove to work when she was the Town Clerk. in the 60's and early 70's. She would not buy a VW Beetle even though she loved them because of WW1 and WW2 and the brands association with one Adolf Hitler. It was a boxy little car that had a very small engine but was fun to drive....really. My friend Ron Kunicki loved to drive it. One late summer long weekend we drove it all the way to SUNY Fredonia dropping off people to college along the way.
 Perhaps at a car show you might see one but from talking to some people that owned one they have fond memories associated with that car brand. One Robin Zimmer with her Opel station wagon related to me how she used to love passing big trucks on gradients with it. It probably brought out the wild woman in her as she was the quiet type in high school LOL. So anyway , fond memories aside it was an important section of automotive history. Decently priced cars , that were overall the reliable second family car or starter car of my generation. I thought it deserved  a bit  of a send off from me. Who owned one and enjoyed it. Goodby GM's Opel and thanks.

Secret Masonic Lodge NYS Capitol

 I am not really a conspiracy kind of guy. I don't see world domination groups in various corners of the world. However , I do know of a semi Masonic order that was located near the State Capitol  Bld in Albany New York. I suppose I should tell you first how I know this......well I had an uncle {now long dead} who was in the NYS Assembly in the 1960's.. He told me about it in the 1980's shortly before his death. He came from Rensselear County in upstate NY. Recently I interviewed a former higher up member of the NYS Secretary of States Dept. Reluctantly , he told me about it. So here is what I know.
 It was started during the Alfred E. Smith era  when he was Governor in the teens and twenties. It is rumored he was himself a member. It was located away from the Capitol in a private club an example being The Fort Orange Club. Members included elected state political figures members of the Governor's office and various other state dept. One had to go through  what they called a {service}. One pledged silence , brotherhood  and what they referred to as  { civic cooperation}. One was "tapped"  for membership by a mysterious person only referred to as "The Butler".  Membership I was told by my uncle was highly selective. It costs 500.00 dollars in 1962 to join. The most important element for one to be chosen was the ability to keep ones mouth shut about your membership. What was discussed in the lodge was usually NYS business , politics ,  deals.
 So.....now you know what I know.....by the way I doubt it still exists to be honest. Though it is not something one can easily inquire about. Animo non Astutia