VENEZIA
ROBERT BENCHLEY had a good line: “Streets filled with water. Advise.” As a car enthusiast, I cannot fathom why this Italian city with flooded streets should hold my attraction. Yet … Continue reading
MEIJI-MURA
IT WAS during the Meiji era, 1868-1912, that Japan more than opened to western influence. The country, isolated by choice for the previous 300 years, enthusiastically assimilated western ways in … Continue reading
GIBRALTAR NEWS
GIBRALTAR HAS been in the news of late. And, with no modesty on my part, I admit this has nothing to do with my recent item on Peter Ustinov and … Continue reading
ABOUT ENGLAND
A BOOK is a wonderful gift, often because of unexpected things to which it leads. Georgina, a dear English friend, gifted us with a book that, according to its cover … Continue reading
MRS. THORNE AND ORSON WELLES
AN ODD synergy exists between a wealthy Chicago woman, Mrs. James Ward Thorne, and the theater/film/radio great, Orson Welles. It’s all the more curious in that Welles has been called … Continue reading
東京ディズニーシー
TRAVELING INTO Tokyo from Narita International Airport, when the train or bus ran along Tokyo Bay, I passed an active volcano on the left. It’s no cause for concern because … Continue reading
OWLS HEAD TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM
WHAT A perfect time to visit Owls Head, Maine, and its Transportation Museum (http://www.ohtm.org)! The museum offers a real variety for enthusiasts of motion, with 50 cars, 28 aircraft, 14 bicycles, … Continue reading
MY BOBSLEDS
BOBSLEDDING WOULD be my ideal sport. Run for only a short distance, hop into the bobsled, go like hell and have gravity scare the bejesus out of me. Plus, I … Continue reading
GAMING NOISE
“I WON! I won!” Or maybe not. Artfully engineered responses from games—and gambling hardware—are designed to encourage continued play through what researchers call “losses disguised as wins.” This concept is … Continue reading
THE ALPS: MOUNTAINS OF PROMINENCE
THE ALPS are more impressive than the Rockies. True, both have neat scenery, wonderful roads and great touring. But in the Rockies, you’re already starting from a mile high. It’s … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 