On The Fly

An incredible convergence of technology and human ingenuity was achieved as Commander Neil Armstrong and Colonel Buzz Aldrin stepped cautiously down the ladder of the lunar module Eagle and onto the moon’s surface. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” came Armstrong’s crackled transmission from the moon's surface. That sentence would resonate with millions on Earth for years to come. It was July 21, 1969, when I was 13 years old, watching a fuzzy black and white television transmission with fascination and anticipation; the space program held me captive. As an avid science fiction reader, I know this was not fiction - but mankind’s greatest achievement. That memory was rekindled over four decades later while clattering along the rails in a passenger train from Kansas City to Galesburg, Illinois, recently, while listening to Buzz Aldrin’s audiobook version, Magnificent Desolation, retelling the story in detail. I was transported back in time...

Would your friends describe you as open minded and curious? The very foundation of being an effective educator is curiosity. We must constantly search for innovative ways to present subject matter to our students. Curiosità is the first of the seven principles in the book How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael Gelb. Curiosità is defined as “an insatiably curious approach and an unrelenting quest for curious learning.” Would you like to try a proven approach to inspiring yourself and your students to think in new directions? Let Michael Gelb introduce you to Leonardo da Vinci’s seven principles: • Curiosità — curiosity • Dimostrazione — demonstration • Sensazione — sensation, being sharp • Sfumato — embracing change • Arte/Scienza — balance art and science • Corporalita — body and mind fitness • Connessione — find connections Among the fundamental shifts in thinking that Gelb presents is this: You can teach your students to increase their problem-solvi...

"I have a book here," said my friend Alister Peridot as we relaxed by the evening fire, "which I think, Adamas, that we simply must pursue." Peridot paused to take a sip of his wine. We had made our way to Peridot’s study at his Los Angeles home and were seated in the leather chairs in front of the cozy fireplace. "When you say pursue - what exactly do you mean monsieur ?” I asked. “Recently, I have been fascinated by the birth of the Renaissance. Many identify that period with Leonardo da Vinci; however, this small book has convinced me that another genius 100 years before da Vinci had already made staggering contributions to mathematics, architecture, and pure reason. Listen  to this." “On August 19, 1418, a competition was announced in Florence, where the city’s magnificent new cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, had been under construction for more than a century:" " Whoever desires to make any model or design for the vaulting o...

Upon our return from India we spent a few days unraveling the sapphire mystery at Peridot’s home in Los Angeles. Not long after I was hired to teach at the school of Gemology, Hercule Peridot completed his sabbatical there and resumed his duties at the University. He had long since retired from his teaching as a tenured professor of Geological Sciences. The son of a wealthy businessman, he never wanted for money. He had moved west to earn his Ph.D. from Stanford. The access road was a narrow winding climb. What emerged was a low profile bungalow nestled in the Hollywood hills. Peridot’s home at 1740 Tsavorite Lane was rather spartan on the outside but would prove quite comfortable inside. “Thank you for the kind invitation.” I said as we entered through the large turquoise door, the feeling of spaciousness was overwhelming. The entryway contained Amethyst geodes, sentinels guarding the front entrance. Large skylights filled the space with soft light. “Welcome to my...

Photo by: Robert Weldon “Meet me at the airport in Atlanta this Saturday,” was the text message I received on my iPhone early that morning in my study. It was still dark; about 4:30 a.m., I knew Hercule Peridot kept odd hours. I immediately texted Peridot back - “Que se passe-t-il?” Instantaneously an  email  from Peridot popped up, “We will review the facts on the flight –  we're  off to India. Click the attached link in this e-mail; Your flight is confirmed.” My name is Adamas Bontemps, G raduate  Gemologist ( G.G .). I'm an avid student of gemstones and the lost art of deductive  observation . My heritage is French. However, my formative years were spent in the Midwest, the Chicago area. My home is in California; as  you will see,  the nature of my work allows me the freedom to travel the world extensively. My good friend and mentor, who you will come to know through our adventures, Hercule Peridot, always had a surprise up h...

I remember it like it was yesterday . . . a biting cold snowy winters’ eve. The wind howled through the trees, a grey landscape blanketed with a new-fallen snow, reflecting the dim glow of streetlights. Like fluffy white sand the snow drifted across the streets and yards. Trudging through the snow that night burned this scene into my memory for one reason, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Delivering the Canton Daily Ledger in 1968, my first job. Bundled up, running from house-to-house, invited in to get warm, provided me glimpses of the television special destined to become a classic. That memory was triggered by a mid-summer visit to the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, CA. A long way from blistering cold wind and deep snow drifts. However, as we strolled the galleries vivid impressions of how Peanuts shaped my life as a small boy flooded my thoughts. The Peanuts Cartoon Strip is the heart and soul of the collection. The Museum’s collection represe...

If you’ve ever seen Blazing Saddles by Mel Brooks, you may recall one of the first scenes in the movie; railroad workers in the scorching desert being driven by a stern taskmaster, a blistering, parched, scene. One worker drops from exhaustion and dehydration. Taggart barks out, “Dock that Chink a days pay for nappin’ on the job, can’t be more than 115!” I could never really relate to that scene until last years trip to Las Vegas, teaching Diamond Grading class at AGS. We endured 115-degree days for weeks on end. This year, thank goodness the weather is more temperate. Returning to the same hotel it’s apparent that things change from year-to-year. New buildings sprout up, employees move on, businesses change and empty lots are filled - but what remains untouched is nature’s beauty - the glowing landscape of the Mojave Desert in Nevada! Without fail, my early morning walk treats me to panoramic views of the mountains in Summerland bathed in the golden sunlight of Red Roc...

“The climb gets harder - its a steady 10 mile climb before we reach the top, then its downhill all the way back to the car,” said Margaret De Young.  “Don’t tell me that right now!” - as I struggled to maintain a steady six-mile an hour pace climbing out of the Lake Meade basin in Las Vegas Nevada. If you think you’re in shape let Margaret and J.T. set you straight! It had been over a year since seeing Margaret and her partner J.T. My first free weekend in Las Vegas would be touring the mountainous landscape on J.T.’s Trek road bike that he had so carefully outfitted for me that Saturday morning of our first ride. Sixty-four miles over two days, “a casual weekends ride”, not so fast . . . The story begins on Saturday March, 3, 2012, we agreed to meet at 10:00 a.m. to just take a bicycle ride around their neighborhood in Vegas. That first ride turned into a 25.8-mile undertaking with an elevation gain of about 958 feet. Five miles out we started our ascent - that cl...