ON BILINGUAL TROLLEY ACCIDENTS
DO OUR morals depend on which language we’re speaking? Can something be ethically acceptable in a second language, but not in our native tongue? Researchers in cognitive sciences say “yes,” … Continue reading
CELEBRATING JAMES THURBER
“HUMOR IS emotional chaos remembered in tranquility,” said James Thurber, one of America’s greatest authorities on humor. From the Preface of The Thurber Carnival: “Thurber’s life baffles and irritates the … Continue reading
SELFRIDGES AND A DAY OF SHOPPING
THE BBC series Mr Selfridge is now in its second year of an anticipated three. I’m a fan of it and of the social phenomenon of shopping; to wit, http://wp.me/p2ETap-10O … Continue reading
TASTY TIME TRIPPIN’
COOKBOOKS FROM other eras can be fun—and real adventures in the modern kitchen. Needless to say, I have several examples; here are three of my favorites. This isn’t a cookbook … Continue reading
JOKING AROUND, MUSICALLY, WITH GERARD HOFFNUNG
A WAGNER opera begins at 7 p.m. Three hours later, you look down at your watch and it’s 7:25. What’s the difference between a viola and an onion? Nobody cries … Continue reading
ZÉCAR AND THE MIL FOLHAS PROJECT
IT’S TURNABOUT of the best kind: A charming little toy car is helping to reforest an area destroyed by highway expansion. The toy is Zécar. The reforestation is Mil Folhas … Continue reading
HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY, LEONARDO DA VINCI
WELL, WE missed celebrating Leonardo da Vinci’s 562nd birthday. It was a few weeks ago on April 15 Old Style, so I can’t even appeal to the Julian-to-Gregorian Calendar update, … Continue reading
MACHINE TOOLS BY JOHN ASCHAUER
JOHN ASCHAUER was a model builder extraordinaire. Whereas others fashioned car, aircraft or architectural models, Aschauer built 1/16th scale machine tools. There’s a permanent collection of Aschauer’s models at the … Continue reading
HAPPY (SORT OF) BIRTHDAY, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
RECORDS INDICATE William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, precisely 450 years ago. Well, not precisely, because of England’s Gregorian Calendar change in the 1700s. In fact, his actual … Continue reading
BLOSSOM MILES—AIRCRAFT DESIGNER
I WAS researching the Miles M.57 Aerovan, but got sidetracked by romance. Maybe you’ll share my enthusiasm for F.G. Miles and his wife Blossom as well as their aircraft, about … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 