ETYMOLOGY: THUG
I RECOGNIZED that the word “thug” had to do with Hindi thugees, but that was where my knowledge ended. Now that we have a thug in our country’s highest office, … Continue reading
SINGAPORE STARS
MICHELIN GUIDES WERE originally developed in 1900 to help French motorists identify motor car mechanicians as well as restaurants. Based on anonymous reviewers, Michelin began recommending restaurants with single stars … Continue reading
VARSITY ESPORTS
LARSON’S FAR SIDE offered a laugh some 15 years ago titled “Hopeful Parents.” But who’s laughing today? Not people at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Varsity … Continue reading
AUTO UNION TYPE C
THERE WAS A TIME when Grand Prix cars had front engines. Ah, but the exception was exceptional indeed: the Auto Union. What’s more, these cars were documented by two giants … Continue reading
ON RELIGIONS
SOMEONE ONCE SAID, “I think of myself as a flying buttress, supporting the church, but from without.” Another religious adage I like is “Lord, protect me from zealots.” These two … Continue reading
IN DEFENSE OF ALGORITHMS
IT ISN’T MY mathematical background that has me defending algorithms. Nor is it scads of angry algorithms responding to the last two days of SimanaitisSays, in which I shared Annalee … Continue reading
BETTER SOCIAL MEDIA PART 2
YESTERDAY, WE saw the dark side of today’s social media, as detailed in Annalee Newitz’s Quest for Better Social Media, in The New York Times, December 1, 2019. Today in … Continue reading
BETTER SOCIAL MEDIA PART 1
ANNALEE NEWITZ IS on a quest for better social media, as described in The New York Times, December 1, 2019. Her article is as rich as social media itself, but … Continue reading
HOLMES: DOUBLE-0 221B?
WAS THE WORLD’S first consulting detective also a British agent? As Sherlock Holmes himself says, “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” … Continue reading
HAPPY 25TH, SAVEUR!
IT HAS BEEN a quarter of a century now that we have enjoyed Saveur. The slogan of this gourmet, food, wine, and travel magazine is particularly appealing: “Savor a World … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 