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: April, 2023

SALISBURY STEAK

HA! I ENJOYED THE NEW YORK TIMES RECIPE for Salisbury Steak (though reading only the recipe, not the background information). Here I was, all ready to describe my own tasty … Continue reading

April 30, 2023 · 3 Comments

LAKE CHARGOGGAGOGGMANCHAUGGAGOGGCHAUBUN-AGUNGAMAUGG

A RECENT SAM SPADE REBROADCAST on SiriusXM “Radio Classics” reminded me of my undergraduate years at Worcester Poly in central Massachusetts. Nearby was the town of Webster, with its lake … Continue reading

April 29, 2023 · Leave a comment

PARROTS ZOOM VIRTUALLY

PARROTS LOVE TO FLOCK TOGETHER as part of their social, cognitive, and emotional needs. Yet, as reported by Sarah Kuta in Smithsonian Magazine, April 24, 2023, “… when kept as … Continue reading

April 28, 2023 · Leave a comment

HEADS—RED AND GRAY

TALK ABOUT KARMA (with no pun intended): I write about the Ferrari Testa Rossa and then read that “Redheaded People May Require More Anesthesia.” This in turn led to a … Continue reading

April 27, 2023 · 1 Comment

VIVE LES LOANWORDS FRANÇAIS!

WE HAVE LOTS OF WORDS inherited from the French, at least in part because of the 1066 Norman Conquest. A bunch have been added later as well: pococurante, from Voltaire’s … Continue reading

April 26, 2023 · Leave a comment

FERRARI TRC—THE ORIGINAL RED HEAD

“ ‘SUITABLY IMPRESSED’ SEEMS HARDLY an adequate expression,” R&T wrote in December 1957, “to describe our crew’s thoughts after testing the newest Ferrari, the 2.5-liter TRC (Testa Rossa Competition).” Here … Continue reading

April 25, 2023 · 1 Comment

POCOCURANTE—THE CLASSICAL MEH

I SEEM TO BE ON A RUN with learning new words for familiar things: “amphibology” for ambiguous phrases and, today, “pococurante” for apathetic indifference, a classical “meh.” Word Genius describes … Continue reading

April 24, 2023 · 2 Comments

TIMES SQUARE—1923

TIMES SQUARE IS THE GINZA CROSSING of New York City. I say this without pretension because, indeed, I’ve visited Ginza Crossing more often than this Big Apple landmark. On the … Continue reading

April 23, 2023 · Leave a comment

SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW 2023 PART 2

YESTERDAY, KEITH BRADSHER DESCRIBED Chinese BEV popularity at this year’s Shanghai Motor Show. Today, he continues with news of a lady’s car, a carmaker’s vote for hybrids, and a battery … Continue reading

April 22, 2023 · Leave a comment

SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW 2023    PART 1 

THIS IS THE SECOND Shanghai Motor Show that I’m reporting on without actually having attended. (Justification is that I’ve been to Shanghai only once; and, besides, the show hasn’t been … Continue reading

April 21, 2023 · 3 Comments