1934 ALFA ROMEO 2.3-LITRE CASTAGNA—BRIO WITH ELEGANCE
AMONG THE MANY adjectives that characterize Alfa Romeo automobiles, “sleek,” “snarly,” and “swoopy” come readily to mind. The word “elegant,” though, usually describes other marques: Bugatti, Delahaye, and the like. … Continue reading
THE END OF AMERICAN WORLD ORDER?
OCCASIONALLY THE London Review of Books baffles me with (its understandable) focus on British matters. It reminds me of “Fog Shrouds Channel; Continent Isolated.” Most times, though, I find the … Continue reading
HIGH ON MANHATTAN PART 2
CELEBRATING MANHATTAN SKYSCRAPERS continues here in Part 2, with tidbits gleaned from Stefano Chen’s “New York City’s Evolving Skyline,” The New York Times, June 9, 2019. Here, developers seek to … Continue reading
HIGH ON MANHATTAN PART 1
IN “NEW YORK CITY’S Evolving Skyline,” Stefano Chen writes that this year “could be the city’s busiest year ever for new skyscrapers.” Here, in Parts 1 and 2 today and … Continue reading
ON QUARKS, ROBOTS, AND PANDEMONIUM
PROFESSOR MURRAY GELL-MANN died, age 89, on May 24, 2019. He was an American physicist who received the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the theory of … Continue reading
GODZILLA—AND CHANGING TIMES
SINCE ITS 1954 film debut, Godzilla has doubled in size, breaking all sorts of guidelines in evolutionary theory. It’s more along the lines of the Hollywood dictum that if one … Continue reading
SHERLOCK HOLMES—THE SPORTSMAN
IN INITIAL ASSESSMENT of Sherlock Holmes—his Limits, chronicler Dr. John H. Watson made no mention of sports other than “Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman.” This was recounted … Continue reading
FAUX PIT STOPS IN F1 PART 2
YESTERDAY IN Part 1, fake F1 pit stops were frowned upon by the Fédération International de l’Automobile. But there was a time…. The Good Old Days with Stirling and Alf. … Continue reading
FAUX PIT STOPS IN F1 PART 1
PIT STOPS in modern Formula 1 are marvelously orchestrated affairs. Four tires are changed, maybe aerodynamic devices are adjusted, and the car is gone, all in a mere 2 seconds … Continue reading
THOUGHTS ON AUTO THEFT
AS REPORTED EARLIER this year in USA TODAY, January 9, 2019, “Thieves stole more vehicles in 2017 than they had in any single year since 2009—and the biggest reason might … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 