Simanaitis Says
On cars, old, new and future; science & technology; vintage airplanes, computer flight simulation of them; Sherlockiana; our English language; travel; and other stuff
A YEAR IN REVIEW
THIS MINI-ESSAY appears precisely one year after the first of SimanaitisSays. As such, it’s devoted to a review of the past year’s activities, the highs, the lows… no, let’s leave those out. But most important, let’s include some wonderful responses from readers.
My natural modesty precludes sharing really gushy ones, but I’m delighted that people enjoying the first 33+ years of my literary endeavors haven’t given up yet.
And, I sense, by broadening my topics to anything I feel like writing about, I might have broadened the audience as well. It appears to include a Methodist minister, a myriad of people from the biomedical industry and a goodly number who knew me when my hair wasn’t white.
The first image at SimanaitisSays.com, August 13, 2012.
Mini-essay No. 1 was about our Mazda Miata (www.wp.me/p2ETap-1C). We’re still enjoying it. What with wife Dottie retired, the Miata has inherited the role of our Morgan Plus Four 4-Passenger Family Tourer as Sunday Ice Cream Car. See www.wp.me/p2ETap-17t for musing on others of this genre. Indeed, the Morgan (www.wp.me/p2ETap-Vq) is on consignment with Isis Imports friend, Bill Fink (www.morgancars-usa.com). Our daily driver, with which we’re pleased, continues to be our Honda Crosstour (www.wp.me/p2ETap-9S).
On the Vintage Aero front, the Reve Bleu Bugatti 100P Project detailed at www.wp.me/p2ETap-ZC appears to be doing very well.
The Bugatti 100P Project is well along.
Its Kickstarter goal was exceeded by 25 percent, and final development is taking place. See www.bugatti100p.com.
My Just Trippin’ piece on Japanese Aesthetics (www.wp.me/p2ETap-1hc) elicited a reply at the website and a warm e-mail from Daniel Schnee. Daniel is a Canadian composer with a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology and a speciality in jazz (he studied with saxophone great Ornette Coleman). His website (www.danielpaulschnee.wordpress.com) looks to be a great place to continue studying Japanese aesthetics; in particular, see http://goo.gl/kmko3m.
Likely the loftiest response of the year came from a government in exile, in contrast to what others perceive as the legal one still in existence.
On October 25, 2012, I recounted the passing of the larger-than-life Paddy Roy Bates, also known as Prince Roy of the Principality of Sealand.
Prince Roy of the Principality of Sealand, 1921-2012. His son Prince Michael is current head of the House of Bates.
Sealand, a bit smaller than the area of a baseball diamond, might be mistaken for a disused military installation. It lies a few miles off the east coast of Britain in the North Sea. Details at www.wp.me/p2ETap-lY.
Here in its entirety is the response from its Government in Exile:
Sir, Please allow me to correct some of the statements passed on in your interesting article (see attached page). Should you be interested in discussing such issues, please feel free to contact us. With my best regards, Urs Thoenen, Principality of Sealand, Minister for Cultural Affairs and Information. www.principality-of-sealand.eu.
Attached: The person wanting to sell Sealand to become a casino—without telling his own Government—was Mr Bates, NOT Mr Achenbach! The Government decided that this was contravening International Law and—following the Sealand Constitution—deposed the Prince. When Mr Bates retook the platform, he incarcerated among others the lawyer Pütz and severely beat him up on a daily basis. After finally being released, Mr Pütz never regained his original health and could no longer follow his career.
Last, concerning my links to Sealand and to The New York Times article, Minister Thoenen concludes: Here the links are goobledygook!
As Jack Benny used to say, “Well…!” ds
© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2013
Simanaitis Says 
Happy anniversary! I’ve read each one, smiled at most, laughed out loud often, and learned something every time. Thanks for it all . . . cars, planes, science, Holmes, the lakes of Northern Italy, everything, and let’s not forget the recipe. Dennis, keep it up, I’m looking forward to the second anniversary.
And a reprise from the archives ( https://simanaitissays.com/2013/06/03/whats-french-kiss-in-yiddish/ ) . . . one day Chico’s wife caught him kissing another woman. His defense? “I wasn’t kissing her. I was whispering in her mouth.” Where might this have led had your “editress” not been on guard?
All the best to you and Dottie.