DON’T FORGET THE SYMPHONIC SNEEZE
THERE ARE FASCINATING SOUNDS IN CLASSICAL MUSIC: the Anvil Chorus in Verdi’s Il Travatore, 18 anvils in Wagner’s Das Rhinegold, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with its bells ringing and cannon fire, … Continue reading
THE SMITHSONIAN’S QUANDARY
IN 1829, ENGLISH SCIENTIST JAMES SMITHSON bequeathed his estate to the United States to establish an institution for “the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” The Smithsonian Institution followed in 1846 … Continue reading
DREAM SHOPPING IN 1955
SO THERE I WAS, WITH MONEY BURNING A HOLE in my teenage pocket and leafing through the R&T Market Place, January 1955. And before you get all slobbery about prices, … Continue reading
SCOTUS AND GERRYMANDERING
LIKE PONTIUS PILATE, CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN G. ROBERTS has washed his hands on a matter affecting humanity. As described by David Daley in “Trump Isn’t the Only One to Blame … Continue reading
PLACE NAMES—SIGNPOSTS TO THE PAST
HISTORIAN MICHAEL WOOD WRITES, “… a rusting cast-iron signpost peeping through the foliage in a sunken lane gives me an inexplicable thrill. It’s the idea that the deep past might … Continue reading
DEEPFAKE—AND OUR RESULTING LOSS OF ATTENTION AND CREDIBILITY
ZEYNEP TUFEKCI WRITES, “LAST WEEK THE TELEVISION HOST Chris Cuomo took to social media to share a video…” Prof. Tufekci is one of my most highly regarded thinkers/most valuable sources, … Continue reading
COME FLY WITH ME
I SHARE FRANK SINATRA’S VOCAL ENTHUSIASM for air travel: “Once you get up there, where the air is rarified/ We’ll just glide, starry-eyed” being a particularly telling lyric. And thus … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGIES FOR OUR TIMES REDUX
IT’S FUN—AND ILLUMINATING—TO SEE WHERE WORDS ORIGINATE. Sometimes the answer is trivial. For example, “Pettiness” from the French petit, little; as in “Short-fingered vulgarian’s pettiness.” Other times, it’s rather more … Continue reading
COUZINET 10—A SHORT TALE, A LENGTHY PROJECT
I BEGAN MY JUST COMPLETED GMAX PROJECT, THE COUZINET 10, on January 13, 2025. Fabrication of other aircraft (for example, the Consolidated PBY Catalina, the Kalilin K-12) and reporting about … Continue reading
ITALIAN HAPPY SNAPS
THE DISCOVERER BLOG CONTINUES TO DELIGHT and to remind me what wonderful adventures Italy has provided. Here, tidbits gleaned from its “Stunning Photos That Will Make You Want to Book … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 