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, 2022

TRAVELS WITH EMMA—THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY

I WAS ORDERING another book entirely (of which more, once it arrives) when the Amazon Smile algorithm was spot-on with two other recommendations. Here are tidbits about one of these … Continue reading

June 30, 2022 · 1 Comment

SPINNING MERCURY!

THOSE OF US of a certain age remember pushing little blobs of Mercury around in science class; this, before people got all antsy about handling this extremely toxic element. Science … Continue reading

June 29, 2022 · 2 Comments

CASTAWAY LISTENING PART 2

YESTERDAY, MIRANDA CARTER introduced Desert Island Discs, a long-running BBC interview program, its theme describing desirable musical accompaniments to castaway island living. We continue today with tidbits about this, together … Continue reading

June 28, 2022 · Leave a comment

CASTAWAY LISTENING PART 1

THE IDEA OF BEING a castaway on a desert island seems increasingly pleasant these days. The London Review of Books, June 6, 2022 offers “My Castaway This Week, Miranda Carter … Continue reading

June 27, 2022 · Leave a comment

IN PRAISE OF BREWER’S DICTIONARY OF PHRASE & FABLE

FROM TIME TO TIME, I feel the urge to seek trivia. Not directed research on one thing or another. Just taking pleasure from unadulterated facts I really don’t need to … Continue reading

June 26, 2022 · Leave a comment

RUNNIN’ IT UP THE FLAGPOLE—1950

ROAD AND TRACK WAS BARELY three years old in 1950, but it had already attracted a goody number of readers and advertisers. Here are tidbits about the latter, with the … Continue reading

June 25, 2022 · 3 Comments

NUNS AND THE FLOOZIE

ENCOUNTERING AN ARCHITECTURAL nickname reminded me of asking directions in Birmingham, England. Here are tidbits on both Nuns in a Scrum and The Floozie in the Jacuzzi. The Sydney Opera … Continue reading

June 24, 2022 · 1 Comment

MUIR’S MUSIC MUSINGS PART 2

HERE ARE MORE SELECTIONS from Frank Muir’s collection of cited witticisms in his book An Irreverent and Thoroughly Incomplete Social History of Almost Everything. Part 2 offers a poem, a … Continue reading

June 23, 2022 · 2 Comments

MUIR MUSIC MUSINGS PART 1

FRANK MUIR AND DENIS NORDEN offered brilliant wit in their BBC radio programs My Word! and My Music!, both discussed here at SimanaitisSays. Books by both are delights as well: … Continue reading

June 22, 2022 · Leave a comment

THE FIRST LE MANS BENTLEY—AT THE FIRST LE MANS PART 2

YESTERDAY IN PART 1, we began the tale of Bentley’s first entry at Le Mans, the inaugural 1923 version of this French 24-hour race. Today in Part 2, we continue … Continue reading

June 21, 2022 · 2 Comments