OPERATIC CHAOS
IT HAS been a while since I’ve had fun here with opera. Having already cited (see http://www.wp.me/p2ETap-u7) what Sir Peter Ustinov called opera’s “razor edge of absurdity,” it seems not … Continue reading
SUPERMARKETS ARE SUPER
THE EARLIEST drivers went to pharmacies, hardware stores and blacksmiths to buy gasoline—“gasolene” was another spelling for this higher distillate. By 1905, though, filling stations were appearing. And by 1914 … Continue reading
WHAT’S ISINGLASS?
“WITH ISINGLASS curtains y’ can roll right down/In case there’s a change in the weather.”—“The Surrey With The Fringe On Top,” from Oklahoma!, 1943. What do you suppose “isinglass” was? … Continue reading
A WALK IN THE CITY
PEDESTRIANS AREN’T common in my portion of the world. (Book ’em on a 203—”Without a motor vehicle in the County of Orange, State of California.”) On the other hand, I … Continue reading
EASTER FLICKS
IT’S MID-afternoon. Maybe a holiday meal with the family is either in preparation or has been concluded. Maybe the familial/liturgical/political chatter has temporarily subsided. What to do? See if there’s … Continue reading
THE CHINA TRADE
TRADE WITH China is often in the news. At the same time, I’m enjoying Eric Jay Dolin’s book, When America First Met China, as sort of a “Chinese Trade, Part … Continue reading
AMERICA’S SONGS
THE SONGS of America’s musical theater and film musicals have been called “the Great American Songbook.” Radio personality Jonathan Schwartz offers this view daily, and I agree with his assessment. … Continue reading
BARBARA HUTTON’S GTC
GOODING & COMPANY’S Amelia Island Auction, March 8, 2013, has cars ranging from a 1954 Fiat 500C Belvedere (a mini station wagon con brio, $25,000-$35,000) to several cars beyond a … Continue reading
THIS RECTANGLE IS GOLDEN
WHICH RECTANGLE do you think is aesthetically more pleasing? Most people believe it’s the one on the left. The rectangle on the left is an example of the “golden rectangle,” … Continue reading
RUN IT UP THE FLAGPOLE…
THIS IS something of an unfinished book review, one that also prompts a celebration of the flagpole. The book, which I’ve just started reading, is When America First Met China. … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 