Lorenzo Rambles

It's the time of year where I feel guilty for having only posted once, and I have decided to give all of you a Christmas "gift." How generous.  Over the past few years I have become a classical music fiend, having gone from not being able to listen to a piece longer than 15 minutes, to regularly listening to 90 minute symphonies. If you had asked me 5 years ago if I liked classical music, I would have said "no," and added, "it's boring."  I think the real deterrent is that I, like many others, was intimidated by the world of "other" music that I had no experience with. I had no real "jumping off point," and that is why after spending an inordinate amount of time exploring the world of classical music I think I am moderately qualified to create a guide to help other's get a taste of it too.  Aside from the issue of not knowing what to listen to, the second major hurdle is learning how to listen to a different type of music.  ...

High in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps stands a castle, brash and alone. Its appearance is self indulgent, fanciful, and almost instantly recognizable. You, the reader, have most likely seen this castle before in posters, commercials, movies, and as the basis for the "Disney Castle." Despite the commanding appearance and importance suggested by its posture, the castle, Schloss Neuschwanstein, was never the seat of power for a great empire nor a powerful ruler. It stands as an unfinished monument to one of Europe's most distinctive rulers, King Ludwig II of Bavaria.  Ludwig II is known by many as the "mad king," and popular belief holds that his penchant for building large and expensive castles led to his downfall.  This may be true, but was the "mad" king really crazy?  Many have marveled at the king's ostentatious castles, but the king's life, and especially his sudden death at age 40, remains shrouded in mystery.  Born on the August 25th,...

    Trundling their way down the street, it is doubtless you have seen a postal vehicle resembling the one shown above. In fact, by the United States Postal Service's estimates, there are still around 100,000 still on the road. So what are these odd little trucklets?   They are called the "Grumman LLV," the LLV standing for "Long Life Vehicle."   Before the 1980s, the post office would buy modified versions of civilian vehicles (usually Jeeps), with right hand drive, so the driver could also dispense mail.  The problem with this, however, was the USPS wanted a more unified fleet of vehicles, that would be more suitable for deliveries and could carry more mail. The postal service needed a vehicle that was robust and could withstand rough roads while conversely remaining relatively small in stature.  In the mid-1980s they decided to launch a design contest for a dedicated delivery vehicle that best suited their needs. In 1985, the three final designs competed...