Quite right--I left "nationalist" there; I think I was wrapped around the Christian Patriots while writing about the Union. Thanks for pointing that out.

Really? I thought it was a universal fear of clowns. Or Robert Hooke. Either will do.

Thanks Jeff. I'm working on a po-etoscope tonight--maybe it'll be done for tomorrow...

Thanks so much, Ray--you always have an interesting insight and perspective.

Cover prices on the cover--they turn up as points to distinguish firt editions and such now and then. ("Naked Lunch" and "Lolita" are examples via Olympia Press.)

Hi Ray! I think that the abacus salesperson must've been not un-common, and fairly cheap. They're wood/beads/wire. And they were needed.

Oh yes--then there's the Going-on-a-trip-with-all-your-importnat-stuff, but DEAD, category. Too bad the folks in the Monster Balloon weren't revealed as being dead at the end of the script.

Very interesting idea, Jeff: *you* should've written this post. Noah probably went too far, taking everything (and then 2x that in some cases). I guess travel with everything would've been limited to ships, as you said--and then to monstrous airships, which in the second case here would've been a floating thing that was about as big as anything humans had ever made, and certainly the largest movable thing. And then it flew, fast. I like the freedom-but-not-so-much-of-it-that-I-could-afford-to-leave-so-much-behind pathos.

Thanks Max W--I've made appropriate changes. Thanks for your help. JP

Jeff-- thanks. I have to admit that I've nevermade it through the Burton book. I mean over the years I've gotten through mos to fit piece-by-piece but it honestly has never been to me a book to actually "read" so much as one to "graze". And I was there for his references more so than the content I'm sorry to say. I'd like to do it though one of these days because it should be done...but there are a lot of books on that list. (What are a few of your's?) I'm moved now to go read "love". Back to you later.

The ad was printed in 1918 in "Motor", a German tech magazine. I don't see many images for ball bearing manufacturers, but I believe that there were others in that same journal.