I finished my previous post about our Orkney trip with a photograph of the salvaged propeller of HMS Hampshire, which sits in the forecourt of the Scapa Flow Museum on Hoy. The Hampshire wreck actually lies on the seabed some distance from Hoy and Scapa Flow—between Marwick Head and Brough Head, on the Atlantic coast … Continue reading Orkney: Part 2
All posts by Oikofuge
Orkney: Part 1
The advent of a new scheduled flight between Dundee and the Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland, seemed like too good an opportunity to miss, and the Boon Companion and I booked seats shortly after the flights began in April. The route goes pretty much straight north from Dundee, and we had a … Continue reading Orkney: Part 1
RealSpace Models 1/96 Apollo Block II Command/Service Module (Again): Part 1
Those of you who’ve been following my build logs for a very long time will recall that I’ve built this model before, back in 2016, when I started assembling the Revell 1/96 Saturn V—which I completed three years later, putting the finishing touches to the last component just a few days before the 50th anniversary of … Continue reading RealSpace Models 1/96 Apollo Block II Command/Service Module (Again): Part 1
Isobel Wylie Hutchison: Peak Beyond Peak
I am quite clear in my own mind that I’d set my face in the right direction, though I don’t pretend to know why I should be destined to visit Greenland any more than Timbuctoo. Maybe I’m not, and I shall be able to visit Timbuctoo another day, for one journey leads naturally to another. … Continue reading Isobel Wylie Hutchison: Peak Beyond Peak
Pageantry
ˈpædʒəntrɪ / ˈpeɪdʒəntrɪ pageantry: 1) splendid display, gorgeous spectacular show; 2) empty or specious display, show without substance What pageantry, what feats, what shows,What minstrelsy, and pretty din,The regent made in MytileneTo greet the king. William Shakespeare, Pericles, Prince of Tyre Act V, Scene II The coronation of King Charles III got me thinking about … Continue reading Pageantry
The Solar System’s Place In The Milky Way: Part 1
When I wrote recently about the pole stars of other planets, I was aware of one thing my sky maps didn’t show—the rotation poles of our galaxy. They weren’t really relevant to that discussion, but I’m now prompted to write a bit about the Milky Way galaxy, and our relationship to it, because I’ve just … Continue reading The Solar System’s Place In The Milky Way: Part 1
Translating Street Names Into Gaelic
My own mental image that best gets to the nature of translation involves picturing each language as a fixed set of stepping-stones in a stream. Suppose you are translating from Burmese to Welsh. A Burmese utterance is a pathway from one place to another via the [Burmese] stones. They seem to be located in convenient … Continue reading Translating Street Names Into Gaelic
Moebius 1/144 Discovery Spacecraft: Part 7
Last time, I finished wiring and lighting the interior of the command sphere, and had it assembled and preshaded. The final part of the build was to put together all the various cargo pods along the spine of the spacecraft, as well as the dish antennae that featured as a plot device in the film. … Continue reading Moebius 1/144 Discovery Spacecraft: Part 7
Irene & Dorothy Topping: Legacy
The feeling of the entire group was that, we might be stranded in the middle of nowhere, but it certainly wasn’t the end of the world, after all, most of us had endured worse hardships during the war and overcome. So, we made up our minds to make the most of our un-scheduled break from … Continue reading Irene & Dorothy Topping: Legacy
Indict
ɪnˈdaɪt indict: to bring a charge against; to accuse (a person) of a crime These [members of a Grand Jury] have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America, and the leading Republican Candidate, by far, for the 2024 Nomination for President. Donald Trump, Truth Social post, 30 March 2023 One has … Continue reading Indict