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
MOZART DOODLE DANDY? PART 1
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART hobnobbed with important Europeans, Emperor Joseph II of the Holy Roman Empire, for one, who in turn was Marie Antoinette’s brother; she, married to Louis XVI of … Continue reading
NEW COPTER REPELLED BY MARS TOO!
IT’S A HOARY old joke of fixed-wing aviators that helicopters don’t really fly; it’s just that the Earth repels them. With this in mind, it’s time to celebrate another rotary-wing … Continue reading
THE SIAI-MARCHETTI-NARDI FN-333—FOR PIRATES OF THE RIVIERA PART 2
YESTERDAY, THE FN-333 RIVIERA’S heritage was described here as a rare amphibious aircraft, 26 produced in Italy, perhaps six in the world airworthy today. Here in Part 2, I offer … Continue reading
THE SIAI-MARCHETTI-NARDI FN-333—FOR PIRATES OF THE RIVIERA PART 1
IN “THE COOL World of Seaplanes,” Flying magazine, June 1966, James Gilbert summed up the FN-333 Riviera, “The ads talk about your being a private pirate in the Riviera, but … Continue reading
CELEBRATING SECONDHAND ROCKETRY
ONE-USE ROCKETRY IS so 20th Century. In the old days of space exploration, rockets and their boosters were one-use entities, discarded in the ocean as part of the space capsule … Continue reading
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