I’ve always been fascinated by the way languages other than English use letters other than our familiar 26—not so much completely different alphabets, like Greek, Arabic or Cyrillic, but those little tweaks to the Latin alphabet, ranging from unusual diacritical marks to additional letters, that other languages use to communicate particular sounds to their readers. … Continue reading Letters From Abroad: Eng
There does not seem to be any reason why it should not be possible, by the use of a suitably designed multi-stage rocket, to send a projectile into space beyond the Earth’s gravitation. From the scientific and engineering points of view, interplanetary travel may be considered to be a practical possibility. It is the great … Continue reading Spaceflight Before Spaceflight: Two Books
In the evening, after supper, they entertained us with an Otaheitian dance, which consisted of various writhings and distortions of the body, by no means obscene, yet in no respect pleasant. Edinburgh Philosophical Journal (1820) Vol.III No.VI Art.XXII.—Extract from the Journal of Captain HENRY KING of the Elizabeth From the Pitcairns, which I’ve described … Continue reading South Pacific: Part 4 – French Polynesia
In [Bounty Bay], which is bounded by lofty cliffs almost inaccessible, it was proposed to land. Thickly branched evergreens skirt the base of these hills, and in summer afford a welcome retreat from the rays of an almost vertical sun. In the distance are seen several high pointed rocks which the pious highlanders have named … Continue reading South Pacific: Part 3 – Pitcairn Island
The essence was timing. You had to hover outside the reef until a roller approached, throw on the engine, and ride through the passage on the crest of the wave. Dea Birkett, Serpent In Paradise (1997) (Landing on Henderson Island) From our starting point on Easter Island, which I described in my previous post, … Continue reading South Pacific: Part 2 – The Pitcairns
You won’t find “islomania” in a dictionary, but the phenomenon exists, just the same. Thurston Clarke, Islomania (2002) islomania A passion or craze for islands. Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition (1989) It seems Thurston Clarke just needed a better dictionary, but at least he drew the word islomania to the attention of a wider … Continue reading South Pacific: Part 1 – Rapa Nui
So this puzzle isn’t about sunshine (the amount of time the sun shines from a clear sky), or even about the intensity of sunlight (which decreases with increasing latitude), but about cumulative daylight—the length of time between sunrise and sunset in a given place, added up over the course of a year.* It’s a surprisingly … Continue reading Which Place Gets The Most Daylight?
Kinnoull Hill (NO 136228, 222m) Deuchny Hill (NO 152236, 232m) Murrayshall Hill (NO 164253, 279m) Westhill (NO 169237, 213m) Taymount (NO 167228, 154m) Binn Hill (NO 157226, c165m) 17.2 kilometres 643m of ascent Another exploration of the Braes of the Carse, this time their extreme western end above Perth. As with my previous walk in … Continue reading Braes Of The Carse: Kinnoull to Murrayshall
ˈwɒs(ə)l / ˈwæs(ə)l / ˈwɒseɪl / ˈwæseɪl wassail: a salutation spoken when presenting a cup of wine or drinking to another’s health; the wine drunk on such an occasion; the custom of drinking wine in this way on special occasions; a carousal or celebration; a song sung during such a carousal or celebration; to celebrate … Continue reading Wassail
This kit was first released fifty years ago. It’s a model of a real aircraft, the Wallis WA-116 Agile autogyro, designed by Ken Wallis and built in extremely limited numbers (five!) in 1962. It achieved fame because one aircraft, G-ARZB, was kitted out with some splendid yellow-and-silver livery and simulated weapons for the 1967 James … Continue reading Airfix 1/24 Wallis WA-116 Agile Autogyro: “Little Nellie”