Blarney

 

 

 

C.Q.D.

 

 

 

 

 

C.Q.D. (link)



Vienna

 

 

 

Cathedral Island, Wrocław

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which is no longer an island: Ostrów Tumski.  The time when I was there, a flautist played Bach as I walked the Tumski Bridge.  The notes faded into the bricks and stonework of the ancient fanes and houses.

 

The postcard looks to date from communist- era Poland, maybe 1950s or 60s.  The language, not surprisingly, is Polish, and the sender appeared to have forgotten to bring the recipient's address. 

Wyspa Tumska is an alternate form of Ostrów Tumski -- Dominsel in German, or Cathedral Island in English.

 



World Time Map

 

 

From a shortwave radio guide, 1954.  Many of the place names in this pamphlet, such as "Ciudad Trujillo" in the Dominican Republic, have since undergone changes.

Radio Log Book (1920s)

Bad breath, muddy complexion, dull eyes, nervous headache, nervous indigestion -- who wants that?

Concerning Dr. Miles and Dr. Miles Nervine (sic) :  http://arnoldzwicky.org/2010/12/18/dr-miles-nervine/

White Alice

My father (on the left) playing chess, 1958, Alaska, at the time of the White Alice Network project.

New Blog

I opened a second blog, Aardcoyote Jonathan, one for occasionally posting some of my writing:

http://liegnitzyugen.tumblr.com/

Your truly John

 

 

Toe to Toe with the Rooskies II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another relic from the Alaskan project my father worked on in the late 1950s (see entry of  3 August 2012).  I am pretty sure the White Alice network, or anything concerning it, no longer falls under the label of "classified" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Alice_Communications_System -- in fact, the government decommissioned the antenna array decades ago.  White Alice -- wasn't that a Jefferson Airplane Song?

 

In Hodges' biography of Alan Turing, he indicates that American usage made "classified" a synonym for "top secret," rather than referring to levels of classification.  Classification level:  Top stupid.   Then, the American habit of saying "hello" repeatedly through the day irritated Turing during one of his stints here.

 

The guy on the phone looks as if he's about to issue some kind of doomsday order.  Serious business, no doubt.

Stay off the Moon!

 

 

Amazing

 

December 1962

 

Cover art by Alex Schomburg