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

Category Archives: And Furthermore…

IN PRAISE OF FILM AND ITALIAN CUISINE

A MOVIE can be inspiring. Wife Dottie and I enjoyed Turner Classic Movies showing of Big Night and, the next thing I knew, I was devising a new recipe for … Continue reading

March 30, 2014 · 2 Comments

ON ENGLISH COUNTRY HOUSES

IT’S GREAT fun watching the PBS series Downton Abbey. And one of my favorite mystery movies is Gosford Park. What’s more, through friendship with Rob Walker and his wife Betty, … Continue reading

March 26, 2014 · 1 Comment

OPERA CHAOS IV

IT’S TIME—ta da!—to share more operatic madness. As Peter Ustinov noted, opera “rides the razor edge of absurdity,” and it’s good fun to read about the occasional hysterics of this … Continue reading

March 15, 2014 · Leave a comment

JUDY AND THE SAN FRANCISCO CABLE CAR

FROM TIME to time, I have an image of a lovely Judy Garland hanging off a San Francisco cable car as she sings “The Trolley Song.” Ah, but the mind … Continue reading

March 13, 2014 · 5 Comments

FOR SALE—WITH STORIES ATTACHED

ONE OF the high points of my career as an automotive journalist was enjoying Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks with friend and Grand Prix driver Innes Ireland as we … Continue reading

March 11, 2014 · Leave a comment

LIZZIE BORDEN TOOK AN AXE—OR DID SHE?

ONE OF the most notorious crimes in American history has never been completely resolved. It has, however, given rise to a skipping-rope rhyme, a folk legend, a bevy of books, … Continue reading

March 3, 2014 · 2 Comments

THE ULTIMATE SLEDDING MACHINE

THIS TITLE sounds like a sister slogan of a Bavarian automaker, but it’s completely appropriate: BMW plays an important role in the U.S. Olympic Team’s two-man and two-woman bobsled competition … Continue reading

February 9, 2014 · 1 Comment

PRIDDY FINE ART

AUTOMOBILE SPY photographers have been known for stealth, but not particularly for artistry. Brenda Priddy, however, is an exception. Her spy photo credits have appeared in prestigious magazines such as … Continue reading

February 7, 2014 · Leave a comment

EARL MADMAN MUNTZ

January 31, 2014 · 1 Comment

HOCKNEY ART: STAGE AND i

BRITISH ARTIST David Hockney, age 76, has never shied away from new media. In the early 1980s, he formed scenic montages, each Polaroid snapshot not quite merging with the next. … Continue reading

January 18, 2014 · 1 Comment