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

Monthly Archives: July, 2016

APT, LG, SEC, BEAUT RIV VU, NR TRANS + SHPNG

HOUSE HUNTERS in Bronze Age Britain had some interesting options. As reported in Science, the weekly magazine of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, archaeologists have discovered residences … Continue reading

July 31, 2016 · Leave a comment

THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF

YOU’RE A KID in Cleveland reading this: “Imagine an MG-powered machine which weighs exactly one-half that of a stock TD and you have a thumbnail sketch of the Lotus.” Heady … Continue reading

July 30, 2016 · 3 Comments

STAND TALL/STAAN HOOG/STĀVĒT GARŠ

THE TALL GUY—or gal—gets the goods. Researcher Majid Ezzati at Imperial College London notes, “Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings.” Examining this worldwide, he … Continue reading

July 29, 2016 · Leave a comment

ELECTING A PRESIDENT—1840 STYLE

IMAGINE: SOMEONE who actively campaigned to be president of the United States! And an old guy at that—William Henry Harrison was 67. Martin Van Buren, his incumbent opposition, had been … Continue reading

July 28, 2016 · 1 Comment

AS RARE AS… EARTH?

A PRESS RELEASE dated July 12, 2016, caught my eye: “Daido Steel and Honda Adopt World’s First Hybrid Vehicle Motor Magnet Free of Heavy Rare Earth Elements.” I’d agree, avoiding … Continue reading

July 27, 2016 · Leave a comment

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF FINES

THE FEDERAL CIVIL Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 doesn’t just sound redundant, it’s causing havoc among automakers. As with many laws, there’s rationality and a spirit of … Continue reading

July 25, 2016 · Leave a comment

DREADFUL THINGS LARGE AND SMALL

LOOKING FOR something to worry about? I confess, my topics here at SimanaitisSays are ordinarily chosen to be pleasant, upbeat, non-threatening. I figure we’ve got plenty of other places to … Continue reading

July 24, 2016 · Leave a comment

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS—AERO THEORETICIANS

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS went far beyond being bicycle builders because of their extraordinarily methodical approach to all of their activities. Why, for example, did these Ohioans first fly at Kitty … Continue reading

July 23, 2016 · 1 Comment

THE VILLAGE OF PETER FRITZ

PETER FRITZ did more than sell insurance in Vienna, Austria. In the 1950s and 1960s, during his spare time Fritz built architectural models. Indeed, he left more than enough structures … Continue reading

July 22, 2016 · Leave a comment

AN ENTHUSIAST’S FATHER BROWN

BEING ENTHUSED about classic cars, vintage aircraft and English mystery stories, I recommend the BBC TV adventures of Father Brown. In a recent PBS presentation, this parish priest/amateur sleuth found … Continue reading

July 21, 2016 · Leave a comment