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

THE AUSTIN A90, SPEED, AND OLD R&TS

WHAT WITH SIMANAITISSAYS EVOLVING from 33+ years at R&T, it’s no surprise that automobiles are occasional topics at this website. Here at the beginning of 2024 let’s return to R&T’s … Continue reading

January 2, 2024 · 2 Comments

TRIPPIN’ TO THE WORLD’S FRIENDLIEST CITIES—VIRTUALLY AND IN RECOLLECTION

WHAT BETTER WAY TO BEGIN THE YEAR than to visit friendly cities?! Good for Marika Spitulski and Nice News for offering “From Amsterdam to Auckland: 15 of the Friendliest Cites … Continue reading

January 1, 2024 · 1 Comment

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

December 31, 2023 · 3 Comments

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

December 23, 2023 · 3 Comments

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

December 22, 2023 · 4 Comments

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

December 21, 2023 · Leave a comment

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

December 20, 2023 · 4 Comments

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

December 18, 2023 · 4 Comments

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

December 17, 2023 · 1 Comment