I was amused to learn of a California company that’s recycling and selling old-fashioned floppy disks by the hundreds every day. Tom Persky runs floppydisk.com, a California-based online disk recycling service that takes in new and used disks before sending them onto a reliable customer base — he reckons he sells about 500 disks… Continue reading A blast from the computer past
Tag: History
A very, very good point
Regarding calls for a Constitutional Convention to “rectify” our current political problems, Karl Denninger observes (emphasis in original): [A convention] will do nothing until and unless it includes the willingness of the States to back the requirements of the Constitution with whatever force is necessary for it to be obeyed, Supreme Court, Executive and… Continue reading A very, very good point
The Russians are modernizing hundreds of 1960’s-era T-62 tanks, for multiple reasons
The War Zone reports: The Russian military is reportedly set to receive some 800 refurbished and possibly upgraded T-62 tanks in the next three years to try to help make up for severe losses it has already sustained in its ongoing all-out invasion of Ukraine. Many of the nearly antique T-62s have already been… Continue reading The Russians are modernizing hundreds of 1960’s-era T-62 tanks, for multiple reasons
A technological visionary
I was struck by this photograph, which appeared recently at Daily Timewaster. It shows models of three Northrop “flying wing” designs: the piston-engined YB-35, a later jet-propelled version called the YB-49, and the contemporary B-2 Spirit. Click the image for a larger view. The 120-degree angle of the wing sweep, precisely one-third of a… Continue reading A technological visionary
Observations from Fredericksburg, TX
Book research done, Miss D. and I will be moving on today, heading for San Angelo, where Fort Concho was one of a chain of military installations that protected the West from Indian predations. The fort is well preserved, with many exhibits from the frontier era that provide fruitful material for writers. Here in… Continue reading Observations from Fredericksburg, TX
On the ground in Fredericksburg
Miss D. and I arrived safely in Fredericksburg, TX late yesterday afternoon, after a trip down the back roads of Texas, avoiding interstate highways. It was enjoyable to catch scenery one often bypasses on the main arteries, and also to see historically important sites of the German settlements in Texas and the wars with the… Continue reading On the ground in Fredericksburg
Saturday Snippet: A very English poet
Continuing our occasional series on poetry, this morning I’d like to mention G. K. Chesterton. Well-known for his thousands of articles, Christian apologetics and his Father Brown novels, he was also a prolific poet. Some of his poems are popular to this day, and several collections are available. I’d like to start with one… Continue reading Saturday Snippet: A very English poet
Remembering Africa’s worst maritime tragedy
Twenty years ago today, on September 26, 2002, the Senegalese ferry Le Joola sank with the loss of an estimated 1,863 lives. That means it cost more lives than the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Only 64 survivors were found. That makes it the second-worst non-military maritime disaster in history, surpassed only by the… Continue reading Remembering Africa’s worst maritime tragedy
Sunday morning music
Time for some musical laughter. How many of you know of the educational franchise “Horrible Histories“? It’s designed to teach history in a fun, enjoyable way; and one of the techniques it uses is to write songs about the era under discussion. They’re usually off-beat, funny, and sometimes in-your-face politically incorrect. Here’s a brief… Continue reading Sunday morning music
An economist’s thoughts about English food
It seems that economist Paul Krugman penned some thoughts about English food following a visit to that sceptered isle some years ago. A reader sent me a link to his comments, and after I stopped laughing, I thought you might enjoy them too. Supply, Demand, and English Food We Americans like to boast about our… Continue reading An economist’s thoughts about English food