THE KERFUFFLE OF THE LADY PEN
LANGUAGES WITH GENDER distinctions are getting caught up with inclusion and equality. For example, a French “leader” is the grammatically correct “le” dirigeant, with the assumption that such a position … Continue reading
ARCANE SOUNDS AMONG MY CDs
WHAT WITH STREAMING off the cloud and all, CDs on my shelves have a 20th-century appearance, akin to the books nearby. Upon listening to them, though, there’s interesting technology associated … Continue reading
HOLY CADUCEUS!
THESE TIDBITS COME from no less than the U.S. National Institutes of Health, from Wikipedia, and from R&T. “There are certain things,” the NIH’s National Library of Medicine writes, “that … Continue reading
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
Simanaitis Says 