ST. EXPEDITUS
A LETTER to the Editor in the London Review of Books, October 8, 2015, introduced me to St. Expeditus, the patron saint countering procrastination. Being able to procrastinate with the … Continue reading
MEDIA SHOES SQUIRM—AGAIN
THE HEADLINE reads “CBS Says It Won’t Run Ads for Rathergate Pic Truth.” Briefly, the network has passed on a multi-million-dollar promotion of Sony Pictures’ Truth, a drama concerning a … Continue reading
A FOGGY DAY/IN LONDON TOWN…
IRA GERSHWIN wrote the lyrics, his brother George composed the melody, and Fred Astaire introduced the song in the 1937 movie A Damsel in Distress. Old-time movie buffs may recall … Continue reading
MIATA REDUX— A SPIRITUAL KINSHIP
I WAS delighted to sample the Mazda Miata’s fourth generation as part of a Ride-and-Drive at the Orange County, California, International Auto Show, just up the road at the Anaheim … Continue reading
TWO UNABASHEDLY NAUTICAL FLYING BOATS
THE BRITISH Supermarine Sea Eagle and Walrus, first flown in 1923 and 1936, respectively, were both flying boats with the emphasis on the second word. Each looked strikingly nautical. However, … Continue reading
PUPILS—VERTICAL, HORIZONTAL OR OTHERWISE
THE PUPILS I have in mind here aren’t kids in a classroom, they’re the openings in eyeballs, adjustable for different lighting conditions through many evolutionary variations. I learned about these … Continue reading
A RESURGENCE OF WARMTH AND TACTILITY?
VINYL IS making a comeback. It’s a fascinating cultural phenomenon, perhaps in part expressing a preference for warmth and tactility over digital accuracy and efficiency. Or is it simply a … Continue reading
THE FIRST MILLE MIGLIA WINNER
WINNERS OF Italy’s Mille Miglia come readily to mind: Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz. And Italian forklift manufacturer O.M. O.M.?? Yes, the firm wasn’t into forklifts back in 1927, but the … Continue reading
THE DVLA, A BRIT’S DMV
PITY THE Brits enjoying vintage cars of one sort and another. In marked contrast to the U.S., there’s a single omnipotent Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for the entire country. … Continue reading
FREUDIAN HOLMES/SHERLOCKIAN FREUD
NO LESS than Dr. John H. Watson, chronicler of his friend Sherlock Holmes, refers to Sigmund Freud as “the greatest detective of them all.” Or at least this high praise … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 