SHIPPING TIDBITS
THE ARTICLE “Gargantuanisation,” by John Lancaster, in the London Review of Books, April 22, 2021, is a review of Laleh Khalili’s Sinews of War and Trade: Shipping and Capitalism in … Continue reading
T. REX TALLY
DINOSAURS DOMINATED THE world’s land masses for 185 million years, from some 250 million years ago to around 65 million years ago. How many dinosaurs existed? Charles R. Marshall and … Continue reading
THE KERFUFFLE OF THE LADY PEN
LANGUAGES WITH GENDER distinctions are getting caught up with inclusion and equality. For example, a French “leader” is the grammatically correct “le” dirigeant, with the assumption that such a position … Continue reading
ARCANE SOUNDS AMONG MY CDs
WHAT WITH STREAMING off the cloud and all, CDs on my shelves have a 20th-century appearance, akin to the books nearby. Upon listening to them, though, there’s interesting technology associated … Continue reading
HOLY CADUCEUS!
THESE TIDBITS COME from no less than the U.S. National Institutes of Health, from Wikipedia, and from R&T. “There are certain things,” the NIH’s National Library of Medicine writes, “that … Continue reading
BAVARIA AND THE CONRAD CASE
MUCH OF THE action in vintage radio hero Paul Temple’s Conrad Case takes place in Bavaria. So, despite more than a little anachronism, I turn to my Baedeker’s Southern Germany. … Continue reading
AVOCADO UNDER MY SKIN
OUCH. TODAY’S ITEM was inspired by two sources: a crossword puzzle clue in The New York Times, May 2, 2021; and, coincidently, a mention on BBC World Service, May 3, … Continue reading
JAPANESE CONVERSATION STARTERS—AND TERMINATORS
I’VE FORGOTTEN WHERE I acquired my Traveler’s Phrase Book & Dictionary; its price notation suggests it was here in the U.S. Nevertheless, it was published in Japan by Nanun-Do, 1976, … Continue reading
DIFFERENT HORSES FOR DIFFERENT COURSES—1954
THE MID-1950S WERE a heyday for European sports car racing, with epic battles fought by Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and other automakers. In particular, 1954 was a memorable year … Continue reading
MOZART DOODLE DANDY? PART 2
YESTERDAY IN PART 1, Mozart had royal patrons bringing him fame, though not reliable income. It was a time of revolution for Europeans as well as for American colonials. Where … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 