VERA NEMTCHINOVA, DANSEUSE—AND TEACHER
I RECENTLY came upon a marvelous characterization of “teacher.” My discovery evolved while I was learning about Madame Vera Nemtchinova. She was a prima ballerina and a part of the … Continue reading
BONNET BLING
THE DETROIT AUTO show, formally the North American International Auto Show, runs from today, January 11, through January 24, 2016. It’s expected to fill Detroit’s Cobo Hall with global debuts … Continue reading
WIDER TIRE = BIGGER FOOTPRINT?
NO, LET’S DISPEL that myth right off. To a large extent, a tire’s inflation pressure—not its width—determines the area of its contact with the tarmac. However, there are still lots … Continue reading
A HOLMESIAN CALENDAR
HERE IT IS January 8, 2016, and we’ve already missed, by two days, the 161th anniversary of the birth of Sherlock Holmes. But there are a lot more places to mark our … Continue reading
CENTURY-OLD SLANG
LADY MARY CRAWLEY of Downton Abbey uttered “Golly!” and that got me thinking. What were the slang terms of a hundred years ago? I dug into this with A Dictionary … Continue reading
COUNT VISITS MINNESOTA; SETS DESTINY
IT WAS 1863 and a well-connected German count was on military leave in America. On a trip in the Upper Midwest, this adventurous lieutenant and his party traveled by canoe, … Continue reading
BLAISE CENDRARS—FLÂNEUR EXTRAORDINAIRE
THE FRENCH word flâneur has nuances of meaning: loafer, stroller, dabbler, dawdler, loiterer, yet somehow describing a person who’s anything but inactive in these activities. Blaise Cendrars was a Swiss-born … Continue reading
RUN THE MILLE MIGLIA IN THAT??
WE USUALLY associate Italy’s Mille Miglia 1000-mile road race with high-powered sports cars. And, indeed, after an O.M.’s victory in the 1927 inaugural Mille Miglia, Alfa Romeo garnered 10 wins … Continue reading
LONDON EYE—AN ENTERTAINING ROUND TRIP
THE LONDON EYE gives spectacular views of a great city. My memories of the experience include an in-flight mini guide, a London Eye crystal and a House of Commons place … Continue reading
ON THINKING
BEING RETIRED and all, I’m not much into organizational research. Nor have I usually found attraction to the Harvard School of Business. Its graduates always seemed to be cutting quarter-inches … Continue reading
