1952 BRM V-16—AN ADAGE VERIFIED PART 1
LAURENCE POMEROY HAD this to say about racing machinery: “The first instance of novel principle is invariably defeated by the developed example of established practice.” In his classic motor racing … Continue reading
ABDUCTING HAMLET
“HAMLET IN MODERN DRESS” has become a cliche of untraditional theater and opera. Here are a few tidbits about several innovative efforts. In fact, one of the performances, Mozart’s opera … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY: SNARKY
THESE ARE SNARKY times, at least as witnessed by our national leader’s pronouncements. Thus, the word “snarky” is included in my Etymology for Our Times series. According to Merriam-Webster, “snarky” … Continue reading
AARRGGHH! A DIVA ROLE? AND OTHER RASCALS
I’M STREAMING VERDI’S Don Carlo as I write this. What with its complex historical theme, I’m foregoing my somnambulant practice of trusting subliminal awakening at the opera’s juicy parts. This … Continue reading
OLD STEAM ENGINES
EARLY ENGINES had their mechanicals exposed for all to admire. An excellent example of this is a beautiful steam engine offered at the Bonham & Butterfields 2010 Quail Lodge automobile … Continue reading
COUNTERING COVID-19—WORLDWIDE TACTICS
COUNTERING COVID-19 HAS become a worldwide challenge. In Science, March 20, 2020, Jon Cohen and Kai Kupferschmidt discussed responses in “Countries Test Tactics in ‘War’ Against COVID-19.” They quote World … Continue reading
ENJOYING THE HUMOR OF FRAN LEBOWITZ
CULTURAL SATIRIST Fran Lebowitz has been called a latter-day Dorothy Parker. Here are some of my favorite examples of Lebowitz’s wit gleaned from here and there. Lebowitz and Algebra. According … Continue reading
TALE OF THE CHEROKEE PHOENIX
THE CHEROKEE PHOENIX was the first Native American newspaper printed in its own language. Its story begins with the Cherokee polymath Sequoyah in 1821 and, with a lamentable hiatus, continues … Continue reading
RECALLING THE AUSTIN MINI MOKE
WHO CAN FORGET the Mini Moke? Certainly not me, because had it not been for this minimalist offspring of the Austin Mini, I would likely not be writing SimanaitisSays today. … Continue reading
COVID-19 AND THE SEASONS—PRELIMINARY SCIENTIFIC THOUGHTS
SCIENCE—NOT “FEELINGS” or hunches—should guide our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 20, 2020, Science, the weekly journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, published “Sick … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 