THE HABSBURGS—MORE THAN THE JAW PART 2
YESTERDAY WE RECOUNTED origins of the Habsburg’s 1000-year dynasty. Today in Part 2, we learn how nearly two centuries of inbreeding led to its royal downfall, not to say a … Continue reading
THE HABSBURGS—MORE THAN THE JAW PART 1
I KNEW VERY little about the Habsburg royals, other than Emperor Joseph II being Mozart’s Amadeus patron and Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s 1913 assassination precipitating World War I. Mixed fame, I … Continue reading
AUTOMOBILING—BY THE DECADES
IHS MARKIT SPECIALIZES in information and analytics of many categories, including the automobile industry. A recent Automotive News includes a 14-page insert from IHS Markit that identifies key elements in … Continue reading
UP, WITH A TWIST, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, PLEASE
I SAVOR A Bombay Sapphire Martini, up, with a twist, on special occasions, the most recent being the Presidential and Vice Presidential Debates. Coincidentally, The New Yorker recently posted Roger … Continue reading
GP TEAM MANAGEMENT IN DAYS OF YORE
THE CONTROLLED FURY of Grand Prix racing has always been laced with team shenanigans. Here’s an example that occurred in the 1953 Swiss Grand Prix, with striking contrasts as well … Continue reading
RULERS—BEFUDDLED, MAD, AND DRUG-ADDLED
HISTORY IS RIDDLED with rulers who have different rules from the rest of us. Here are several examples, including one about whom it was said, “Do not turn your back … Continue reading
WAGNER’S NORNS AND PCH MEMORIES PART 2
YESTERDAY, A TOYOTA Mirai fuel cell car and I began a drive up Southern California’s Pacific Coast Highway, accompanied by Wagner’s Götterdämmerung. Here in Part 2, we continue north to … Continue reading
WAGNER’S NORNS AND PCH MEMORIES PART 1
THIS ADVENTURE BEGAN as an errand to drop off letters at the post office drive-through a couple miles from home. To make the errand more interesting, I took the Mirai … Continue reading
THINGS I LEARNED FROM THE MOST RECENT BBC HISTORY
I’VE JUST READ about a real scoundrel, an exceedingly incapable restorer, a thoughtful Nazi, an ex-slave named Washington, and a guy known as the Candy Bomber. All in the same … Continue reading
FCEVS—TODAY AND TOMORROW PART 3
IN THE PAST two days here at SimanaitisSays, we’ve talked about the “classic” Toyota Mirai, its 2021 second-generation version, and four generations of its hydrogen refueling at the University of … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 