GRIFTERS—IN POLITICS, ON OLD-TIME RADIO, AND AT THE MOVIES
A GRIFTER is one who obtains money or property illicitly, a confidence man. And, note, with few exceptions (see “Con Women—Balancing the Game), grifting seems to be a masculine endeavor. … Continue reading
EMI, BOTH ACCIDENTAL AND INTENTIONAL
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (EMI) is as old as the earliest electrical devices. And as potentially dangerous as ever in today’s quest for autonomous vehicles. EMI may occur accidentally, an otherwise benign … Continue reading
CELEBRATING THE ZILDJIAN FAMILY—ALL 400 YEARS OF IT
AT ONE TIME, our next door neighbors were a cymbal salesman and a violist. She played professionally and, as I recall, he also had gigs as an orchestral percussionist. They … Continue reading
THE ART OF MILTON GLASER
LET’S CELEBRATE Milton Glaser, graphic artist extraordinaire, renowned for everything from “I ❤️ NY” to the psychedelic Bob Dylan poster to logos for, among others, Brooklyn Brewery, DC Comics, and … Continue reading
WORDS ON MUSIC
“IF ONE HEARS bad music,” Oscar Wilde said, “it’s one’s duty to drown it in conversation.” Natural philosopher and polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz commented, “Music is a calculation performed by … Continue reading
GASOLINE RATIONING AND OLD-TIME RADIO PART 2
YESTERDAY’S TOPIC here at SimanaitisSays offered details of U.S. gasoline rationing during World War II. Today, a SiriusXM “Radio Classics” broadcast of Lum and Abner describes its effect on the … Continue reading
GASOLINE RATIONING AND OLD-TIME RADIO PART 1
MY INSPIRATIONS for tidbits about World War II rationing came from several sources. Reading a social history gave “Eating Brit-Style, the 1940s,” an Anglo flavor of WWII culinary matters. And … Continue reading
ON REAL DOLLARS PART 2
THE CONSUMER Price Index Inflation Calculator is a useful tool. Yesterday in Part 1, it helped assess the cost of today’s cars and their gasoline. Today in Part 2, we … Continue reading
ON REAL DOLLARS PART 1
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator offered online by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. This gizmo clarifies a multitude of issues. Among them … Continue reading
THE WRIGHT ENGINE PART 2
IN PART 1 yesterday, we learned that the 1903 Wright Flyer was powered by a horizontally aligned inline-four designed and fabricated by the brothers themselves and their mechanician Charlie Taylor. … Continue reading
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