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: October, 2020

ON ORIGINALISM PART 1

THERE HAS BEEN much discussion recently about originalism in its interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.  Judge Amy Coney Barrett argued “that I interpret the Constitution as a law, that I … Continue reading

October 21, 2020 · 2 Comments

SEPARATED AT (COACHWORK) BIRTH?? AT LEAST IN SPIRIT

WHAT DID MY 1958 English Ford Consul Mk II convertible have in common with the 1933 Barker-bodied Rolls-Royce 20/25 Three-Position Drophead Coupe?  “Utterly nothing,” one is tempted to respond. However, … Continue reading

October 20, 2020 · 3 Comments

THE MATHEMATICIAN WORE A LARGE AND FLOPPY HAT PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE FOUND 20-year-old Sonja Kowaleski—she, of the marvelous blue eyes—charming the 55-year-old Professor Karl Weierstrass into accepting her as a student. Her large and floppy hat helped Weierstrass keep … Continue reading

October 19, 2020 · 2 Comments

THE MATHEMATICIAN WORE A LARGE AND FLOPPY HAT PART 1

SONJA KOWALESKI’S HAT was intended to keep “her marvelous blue eyes” from distracting Karl Weierstrass, famed 19th-century mathematician, when she approached him as a prospective student. Kowaleski was “twenty, very … Continue reading

October 18, 2020 · Leave a comment

TRUST OF SCIENCE WORLDWIDE

THE PEW RESEARCH Center published an extensive study of world perceptions concerning science. Do people trust science? Distrust science? And which people? Educated? Uneducated? Politically to the left? Politically to … Continue reading

October 17, 2020 · Leave a comment

CONAN DOYLE (LITERARY AGENT)—MOTORING ENTHUSIAST PART 2

YESTERDAY IN PART 1, we learned details of the 1911 Prince Henry Tour, a German-sponsored automobile competition honoring the coronation of Britain’s George V. Today in Part 2, we identify … Continue reading

October 16, 2020 · Leave a comment

CONAN DOYLE (LITERARY AGENT)—MOTORING ENTHUSIAST PART 1

LITERARY AGENT COMMISSIONS paid by Brigadier Etienne Gerard and Dr. John H. Watson got put to good use: Literary agent Sir Arthur Conan Doyle participated in motor sports by taking … Continue reading

October 15, 2020 · Leave a comment

THE HABSBURGS—MORE THAN THE JAW PART 2

YESTERDAY WE RECOUNTED origins of the Habsburg’s 1000-year dynasty. Today in Part 2, we learn how nearly two centuries of inbreeding led to its royal downfall, not to say a … Continue reading

October 14, 2020 · Leave a comment

THE HABSBURGS—MORE THAN THE JAW PART 1

I KNEW VERY little about the Habsburg royals, other than Emperor Joseph II being Mozart’s Amadeus patron and Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s 1913 assassination precipitating World War I. Mixed fame, I … Continue reading

October 13, 2020 · Leave a comment

AUTOMOBILING—BY THE DECADES

IHS MARKIT SPECIALIZES in information and analytics of many categories, including the automobile industry. A recent Automotive News includes a 14-page insert from IHS Markit that identifies key elements in … Continue reading

October 12, 2020 · Leave a comment