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: June, 2020

MAIGRET INVESTIGATES PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE MET Parisian Police detective Maigret, who had an evidently well-paid literary agent in Georges Simenon, what with Maigret’s 103 adventures chronicled between 1931 and 1972. Today in Part … Continue reading

June 30, 2020 · Leave a comment

MAIGRET INVESTIGATES PART 1

DR. JOHN H. Watson’s literary agent, Arthur Conan Doyle, would have envied Frenchman Georges Simenon. Doyle’s client Watson chronicled a total of 60 Sherlock Holmes adventures: 56 episodic tales and … Continue reading

June 29, 2020 · Leave a comment

CELEBRATING MAYHEW’S BAKED POTATO MAN

FOR DINNER LAST evening, we had baked potatoes, the sort that are wrapped and zapped in a microwave for 12 minutes the pair (our microwave is a baby one). Wife … Continue reading

June 28, 2020 · Leave a comment

IT SEEMS LIKE AN INFINITY… AND SO IT IS: ∞

IN MY CONTINUING exploration of math symbols, what better one to examine these days than ∞, the symbol for infinity. Here are tidbits on its definition, origin, and modern uses. … Continue reading

June 26, 2020 · Leave a comment

THE KOUGAR—A REINCARNATED SOUL

IT IS AN accepted belief among automotive enthusiasts that many cars have souls. What’s more, some cars are rolling proof of reincarnation. The British Kougar is one. The marque owes … Continue reading

June 25, 2020 · Leave a comment

LET’S CELEBRATE THE VOA, NOT CORRUPT IT! PART 2

FOR ALMOST 78 years now, the Voice of America has showcased American values around the world by broadcasting a valuable commodity: truth. These days, however, Trumpian strategies could corrupt its … Continue reading

June 24, 2020 · 2 Comments

LET’S CELEBRATE THE VOA, NOT CORRUPT IT! PART 1

IN AN EVER-GROWING list of things Trump and his connivers are corrupting, the Voice of America may be next. Imagine if this highly regarded international news service had the reputation … Continue reading

June 23, 2020 · Leave a comment

GENERAL AVIATION—A HALF-CENTURY PERSPECTIVE PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE STARTED leafing through the November 1966 issue of The Flyer. Today, we continue with this general-aviation magazine’s coverage of a “10-Engine Magic Carpet,” an instrument tutorial, a woman’s … Continue reading

June 22, 2020 · Leave a comment

GENERAL AVIATION—A HALF-CENTURY PERSPECTIVE PART 1

SORTING ONE THING and another, I came upon the November 1966 issue of The Flyer magazine, Vol. 6, No. 8, 40¢. It offers interesting insights about general aviation of more … Continue reading

June 21, 2020 · 1 Comment

AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AWAITED

FOR 30 YEARS, Anne Glenconner was a lady in waiting for Princess Margaret, younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II. Now in her late 80s, Glenconner has got around to writing … Continue reading

June 20, 2020 · Leave a comment