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

EMI, BOTH ACCIDENTAL AND INTENTIONAL

ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (EMI) is as old as the earliest electrical devices. And as potentially dangerous as ever in today’s quest for autonomous vehicles. EMI may occur accidentally, an otherwise benign … Continue reading

August 10, 2018 · 3 Comments

CELEBRATING THE ZILDJIAN FAMILY—ALL 400 YEARS OF IT

AT ONE TIME, our next door neighbors were a cymbal salesman and a violist. She played professionally and, as I recall, he also had gigs as an orchestral percussionist. They … Continue reading

August 9, 2018 · Leave a comment

THE ART OF MILTON GLASER

LET’S CELEBRATE Milton Glaser, graphic artist extraordinaire, renowned for everything from “I ❤️ NY” to the psychedelic Bob Dylan poster to logos for, among others, Brooklyn Brewery, DC Comics, and … Continue reading

August 7, 2018 · 4 Comments

WORDS ON MUSIC

“IF ONE HEARS bad music,” Oscar Wilde said, “it’s one’s duty to drown it in conversation.” Natural philosopher and polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz commented, “Music is a calculation performed by … Continue reading

August 6, 2018 · Leave a comment

GASOLINE RATIONING AND OLD-TIME RADIO PART 2

YESTERDAY’S TOPIC here at SimanaitisSays offered details of U.S. gasoline rationing during World War II. Today, a SiriusXM “Radio Classics” broadcast of Lum and Abner describes its effect on the … Continue reading

August 5, 2018 · Leave a comment

GASOLINE RATIONING AND OLD-TIME RADIO PART 1

MY INSPIRATIONS for tidbits about World War II rationing came from several sources. Reading a social history gave “Eating Brit-Style, the 1940s,” an Anglo flavor of WWII culinary matters. And … Continue reading

August 4, 2018 · 1 Comment

ON REAL DOLLARS PART 2

THE CONSUMER Price Index Inflation Calculator is a useful tool. Yesterday in Part 1, it helped assess the cost of today’s cars and their gasoline. Today in Part 2, we … Continue reading

August 3, 2018 · Leave a comment

ON REAL DOLLARS PART 1

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator offered online by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. This gizmo clarifies a multitude of issues. Among them … Continue reading

August 2, 2018 · Leave a comment

THE WRIGHT ENGINE PART 2

IN PART 1 yesterday, we learned that the 1903 Wright Flyer was powered by a horizontally aligned inline-four designed and fabricated by the brothers themselves and their mechanician Charlie Taylor. … Continue reading

August 1, 2018 · 1 Comment

THE WRIGHT 1903 ENGINE PART 1

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS designed and developed the first powered heavier-than-air craft with theoretical as well as practical considerations. “The Wright Brothers—Aero Theoreticians” here at SimanaitisSays described one aspect of this, … Continue reading

July 31, 2018 · 2 Comments