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I picked up Octopussy, by Ian Fleming, sometime in the 1970s at the small-town public library where I grew up.  It was for sale, and I think cost something like ten cents. Being a young James Bond fan at the time, I was delighted to happen upon this book.  But soon after I bought it,… Continue reading Octopussy, By Ian Fleming: One of the Best Bonds

I’ve only had high tea a handful of times, as I’m not much of a tea-drinker.  But high tea at a grand hotel is something entirely different.  It’s not just tea or sweets; it’s a way of slowing oneself down and savoring the moment. On a Sunday, after a symphony concert at Benaroya Hall, we… Continue reading High Tea at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle

In all their glorious beauty, well over a century of Popular Science and Popular Mechanics covers.  And all the pages following the covers, too. It always seemed like the covers were the main thing–blimps, subs, nuclear-powered trains, rotating houses, and all sorts of wonders that we would soon experience. Truly, these things make me wish… Continue reading Years and Years of Popular Science and Popular Mechanics, Free and Online

Want to make all the other kids jealous at the next summer music festival?  Ditch your Coleman Elite for something far cooler–a tent modeled in the shape and size of a 1965 VW Camper van (Microbus*). This tent is officially licensed (whew – I was worried about that) and has doors on the side where… Continue reading 1:1 Scale VW Camper Van Tent Keeps You Dry and Groovy

Reading the new paywalled New York Times today, I saw an article, pictured above, about violence in the Ivory Coast. That word, intercommunal, leapt out at me.  Wha?  Huh? The dictionary just says the predicable–“that which exists between communities.”  Well, yeah.  Duh.  But what is it really? My guess is that this is the newest,… Continue reading What Is “Intercommunal”? My Vote: “Tribal”