KISSOFF 2023
WRAPPING UP THIS YEAR, I will focus on the pleasurable rather than the problematic. Here’s a selection of SimanaitisSays 2023, the particular research, composition, and presentation of which gave me … Continue reading
ON FAITH, FANCY, POETRY, LOVE, AND ROMANCE
IN 1897 VIRGINIA O’HANLON WROTE a letter to The Sun, a New York City newspaper: “Dear Editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is … Continue reading
CALIFORNIA TINY TOWN TIDBITS
RECENTLY, THE DISCOVERER LISTED “The Tiny Towns of California.” Being as I am a born-again Californian (since 1979) though not a tiny town dweller, I am interested in its selection. … Continue reading
ON BERKELEY, DEL RÍO, AND WELLES—TOSS IN PARSONS AND HEARST AS WELL
BUSBY BERKELEY WAS RENOWNED for kaleidoscopic choreography. Dolores del Río with a career spanning 50 years was the first major female Latin American crossover star in Hollywood. Orson Welles was … Continue reading
EARLY FLIGHT AND THE FEAR THEREOF
BACK WHEN I WAS ACCUMULATING aviation books (I can’t call this hodgepodge a “collection”), I tended to limit my acquisitions to pre-1914 civilian. Imagine my excitement upon adding Pioneer Aircraft … Continue reading
KEEP ON DANCIN’
THE WORD “CHOREOMANIA” IS MORE THAN a song by Florence + the Machine. It’s a recognized phenomenon of dancing, something that’s been going on for millennia and yet as timely … Continue reading
ARG! HONORIS CAUSA
PH.D., OF COURSE, MEANS Doctor of Philosophy. And adding the Latin phrase honoris causa, “for the sake of honor,” means that the degree is awarded in recognition of one’s life … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY: EIGENGRAU—AND OTHER STUFF HERE AND THERE
I LEARNED AN OPTICAL TERM from the WordDaily website that jogged my memory in other ways: The word “eigengrau” defines “the dark gray color seen by the eyes in perfect … Continue reading
CELEBRATING THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN
I MISSED ITS OFFICIAL ANNIVERSARY, but the Hollywood Sign turned 100 on October 31, 2023. Gee, this calls for some (belated) research. For instance, the sign has its own website, … Continue reading
SERIES HYBRIDS: GOOD ENOUGH FOR LOCOMOTIVES; PICKUP TRUCKS TOO?
THOUGH WE CALL THEM “DIESELS,” railway locomotive wheels are actually spun by electricity produced by diesel-powered generators. That is, they’re “series” hybrids. This is contrasted with automotive “parallel” hybrids like … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 