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

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS UPDATES ON COVID-19 PART 2

THE U.S. AUTO industry’s leading journal Automotive News is dealing with Covid-19. Here in Part 2, we pick up with mid-March, 2020, by which time all but a few people … Continue reading

April 17, 2020 · 1 Comment

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS UPDATES ON COVID-19 PART 1

YOU’D THINK THE world’s auto industry would be flatter these days than a midwest Interstate. However, there’s still news to be read in the weekly Automotive News. Here, in Parts … Continue reading

April 16, 2020 · Leave a comment

COVID-19 AND THE WORLD ECONOMY

IN THE LONDON Review of Books, April 16, 2020, historian Adam Tooze’s “Shockwave” offers insights on the Covid-19 pandemic’s consequences for the world’s economy. Here are tidbits selected from his … Continue reading

April 15, 2020 · 4 Comments

CHRONICLER WATSON PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE BEGAN an analysis of Dr. John H. Watson’s chronicling of the world’s greatest consulting detective. Today in Part 2, we discuss penmanship, obfuscation, a downright goof, and the … Continue reading

April 14, 2020 · Leave a comment

CHRONICLER WATSON PART 1

THE WORLD’S GREATEST consulting detective had, appropriately, one of the world’s greatest chroniclers. Here, in Parts 1 and 2 today and tomorrow, are tidbits about chronicler Dr. John H. Watson … Continue reading

April 13, 2020 · 2 Comments

ON PRESIDENTIAL WIT

INHERENT PRESSURES OF the job tend to preclude witticisms on the part of our national leaders. Over the years, though, there have been exceptions beyond an inadvertent toilet-paper heel, staring … Continue reading

April 12, 2020 · 1 Comment

TRAVELING IN STYLE—1935

SHELTERING IN PLACE encourages wanderlust, and what more beautifully vintage means of travel than a 1935 Bowlus Road Chief? This particular example, with direct ties to the Bowlus family, was … Continue reading

April 11, 2020 · 2 Comments

A PALAEOGRAPHER’S ADVENTURE PART 2

IN PART 1 yesterday, manuscript specialist Christopher de Hamel introduced us to the earliest surviving book known to have been in medieval England, The Gospels of Saint Augustine. Today in … Continue reading

April 10, 2020 · 1 Comment

A PALAEOGRAPHER’S ADVENTURE PART 1

RESEARCHING OLD MANUSCRIPTS is anything but musty and mundane. Palaeographer Christopher de Hamel is a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and former Fellow Librarian at the university’s Parker Library. … Continue reading

April 9, 2020 · Leave a comment

1952 BRM 15—AN ADAGE VERIFIED PART 2

THE BRITISH MOTOR TRUST had high aspirations for its BRM 15 Grand Prix car described in Part 1. The car’s engine, especially, was replete with innovation. However, as motoring journalist … Continue reading

April 8, 2020 · 7 Comments