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

Author Archives: simanaitissays

FRANCO CORTESE’S BRIT RIDE

ITALIAN RACE DRIVER Franco Cortese competed in 156 races between 1927 and his 1958 retirement. These included one Formula One Grand Prix, three Formula Two Grands Prix, and 14 Mille … Continue reading →

May 28, 2021 · Leave a comment

REPUBLICAN THEATER OF THE ABSURD   PART 2

YESTERDAY IN “Republican Theater of the Absurd, Act I,” we commented on this theater genre’s dramatic circularity, starting with initial logic, then deteriorating into irrationality, and culminating where it all … Continue reading →

May 27, 2021 · 1 Comment

REPUBLICAN THEATER OF THE ABSURD   PART 1

MERRIAM-WEBSTER SAYS “Theater of the Absurd is theater that seeks to represent the absurdity of human existence in a meaningless universe by bizarre or fantastic means.” Wikipedia adds, “The structure … Continue reading →

May 26, 2021 · Leave a comment

RETHINKING NEANDERTHALS    PART 2

JOHN LANCASTER’S ARTICLE, “Twenty Types of Humans,” London Review of Books, December 17, 2020, got me thinking about the status of Homo neanderthalensis. In particular, perhaps they weren’t knuckle-dragging stocky … Continue reading →

May 25, 2021 · 1 Comment

RETHINKING NEANDERTHALS    PART 1

“OF ALL OUR human relatives,” John Lancaster wrote in the London Review of Books, December 17, 2020, “the closest in both time and genetics, the most compelling, and the best … Continue reading →

May 24, 2021 · 1 Comment

MAKING A POINT, ARTWISE

POINTILLISM, AS DEFINED  by Merriam-Webster, is “the theory or practice in art of applying small strokes or dots of color to a surface so that from a distance they blend … Continue reading →

May 23, 2021 · Leave a comment

“CAN YOU READ ME A FLOPPY, GRANDPA?”   PART 2

YESTERDAY IN PART 1, we found that scads of 1s and 0s weren’t amenable to human memory. Stacks of punched cards had critical ordering. And cassette loading of programs was … Continue reading →

May 22, 2021 · 2 Comments

“CAN YOU READ ME A FLOPPY, GRANDPA?”   PART 1

THE QUESTION ABOVE is grammatically correct: I intend “can,” not “will,” nor “may.”  Those of a certain age may remember asking, “Mrs. Grimbly, can I open a window?” She’d say, … Continue reading →

May 21, 2021 · 2 Comments

SLEEPING WITH VIRGINIA WOOLF, DREAMING ABOUT A NAKED GIRL WITH LONG JADE EARRINGS

MAYBE YOUR READING habits are like mine? I always seem to have four or five books that I’m part way through. Whenever I finish one, I’ve added another to my … Continue reading →

May 20, 2021 · Leave a comment

BEATRIX POTTER, GENTLEWOMAN AND CONSIDERABLY MORE PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE ENCOUNTERED Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter’s pal who has delighted children (and their parents) since 1902. Today in Part 2, Beatrix confronts resistance from her own parents, but thrives … Continue reading →

May 19, 2021 · Leave a comment