PARLY TRAINS
THE UNIQUELY English parly trains, short for parliamentary trains, say so much about this wonderful country. Today, let’s celebrate their history and a link with the gentle humor of Michael … Continue reading
ON STAGE AT SCRIPPS COLLEGE
THE RUTH CHANDLER WILLIAMSON Gallery of Scripps College in Claremont, California, has a beautiful exhibit titled “On Stage: Japanese Theater Prints and Costume (Kabuki, Bunraku and Noh)” running through December … Continue reading
A RESET FOR MOTOR SPORTS
TO MANY, THE NAME John Glenn hearkens back to early days of the U.S. space program. And, to many, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would seem an odd place for … Continue reading
UCI’S HYDROGEN BATTERY
HYDROGEN STORAGE promises to make renewable energy sources more efficient. The University of California Irvine is at the forefront of this hydrogen battery research and, in fact, it has already … Continue reading
ETTORE BUGATTI–PILOTE DE COURSE
ETTORE BUGATTI IS celebrated as a designer of automobiles, an artist who happened to run a factory as well. However, le Patron was also, early in his career, a race … Continue reading
I LOVE THREE ORANGES
SERGEI PROKOFIEV’S OPERA The Love for Three Oranges had its first performance in Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre on December 30, 1921. The story traces back to a 17th-century Italian fairy tale; … Continue reading
DOES AIRPLANE AIR MITIGATE JET LAG?
PEOPLE WHO MAKE long-haul aircraft trips are no strangers to jet lag, the delayed response of our bodies to different time zones around the world. Nor are travelers particularly fond … Continue reading
CIGAR-BOX RAP AND OLD-TIME RADIO
TA-DA! EVEN for relatively unmusical sorts such as me, ta-da signals a revelation of some sort. It’s just one form of interstitial music, music that bridges a gap between two … Continue reading
THE MIRACLE OF THE POTATOES
WIFE DOTTIE’s iMAC had been having problems, but maybe the hassle was solved in the dark hours by the Miracle of the Potatoes. Potatoes are sacred in our family, so … Continue reading
THE R&T WEAR INDEX
MAYBE A YEAR ago, auto journalist pal John Dinkel asked if I knew how to calculate the old R&T Wear Index. Much to my chagrin (for it was John who … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 