Boomtown to Ghost Town
In the 19th century it was home to Mexico's richest silver mine, boasting its own mint and a population of 15,000. When the price of silver fell steeply at the…
A Satchel Full of Steamers
You'll recall our recent interview with singer-songwriter Jeffrey Foucault in which he talked with us about his new album, Blood Brothers. If you missed the interview, you can read it here. Jeffrey…
Getting to Be a Habit
Other people's working habits are always fascinating. I can sit and read about them for hours. Aristotle said: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not an act…
Row, Row, Row Your Boat.
"Leander, Leander, Leander," cried the British. "Harvard, Harvard, Harvard," answered the Americans. The 1914 Harvard Second Varsity Eight nosed across the finish line ahead of the vaunted British club with…
Counting the Minutes
"I just have a few things." Portuguese Proverb: “Visits always give pleasure—if not the arrival, the departure.” "Hospitality is making your guests feel at home, even if you wish they…
Between Points A and B.
Behold the beauty of maps. Utilitarian, certainly. But beyond that: works of art. The best objects in life can whop you with a double-whammy of usefulness and beauty. A sleek…
July 3, 1776
A storm, the previous day, had broken a spell of humid days. It was mercifully cooler. Although not so much indoors, where the Second Continental Congress was meeting in the…
The Price of Courage
The Lockheed Model 10E Electra had been reconfigured with extra fuel tanks replacing the passenger seats, allowing the plane to travel further between re-fueling. Her co-pilot was Fred Noonan. Landing…
203 Years to the Day
In Lyon, France, this week, a hat reported to be worn by Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo sold for more than $400,000 at auction to a European collector…
White Dog, Whiskey Thief, Red Line
On National Bourbon Day. Do you know your single barrel from your small batch? Know what to do with a whiskey thief? (It's not as dangerous as it sounds.) Use this guide…