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

CELEBRATING THE ZILDJIAN FAMILY—ALL 400 YEARS OF IT

AT ONE TIME, our next door neighbors were a cymbal salesman and a violist. She played professionally and, as I recall, he also had gigs as an orchestral percussionist. They … Continue reading

August 9, 2018 · Leave a comment

THE ART OF MILTON GLASER

LET’S CELEBRATE Milton Glaser, graphic artist extraordinaire, renowned for everything from “I ❤️ NY” to the psychedelic Bob Dylan poster to logos for, among others, Brooklyn Brewery, DC Comics, and … Continue reading

August 7, 2018 · 4 Comments

WORDS ON MUSIC

“IF ONE HEARS bad music,” Oscar Wilde said, “it’s one’s duty to drown it in conversation.” Natural philosopher and polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz commented, “Music is a calculation performed by … Continue reading

August 6, 2018 · Leave a comment

GASOLINE RATIONING AND OLD-TIME RADIO PART 2

YESTERDAY’S TOPIC here at SimanaitisSays offered details of U.S. gasoline rationing during World War II. Today, a SiriusXM “Radio Classics” broadcast of Lum and Abner describes its effect on the … Continue reading

August 5, 2018 · Leave a comment

GASOLINE RATIONING AND OLD-TIME RADIO PART 1

MY INSPIRATIONS for tidbits about World War II rationing came from several sources. Reading a social history gave “Eating Brit-Style, the 1940s,” an Anglo flavor of WWII culinary matters. And … Continue reading

August 4, 2018 · 1 Comment

ON REAL DOLLARS PART 2

THE CONSUMER Price Index Inflation Calculator is a useful tool. Yesterday in Part 1, it helped assess the cost of today’s cars and their gasoline. Today in Part 2, we … Continue reading

August 3, 2018 · Leave a comment

ON REAL DOLLARS PART 1

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator offered online by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. This gizmo clarifies a multitude of issues. Among them … Continue reading

August 2, 2018 · Leave a comment

THE WRIGHT ENGINE PART 2

IN PART 1 yesterday, we learned that the 1903 Wright Flyer was powered by a horizontally aligned inline-four designed and fabricated by the brothers themselves and their mechanician Charlie Taylor. … Continue reading

August 1, 2018 · 1 Comment

THE WRIGHT 1903 ENGINE PART 1

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS designed and developed the first powered heavier-than-air craft with theoretical as well as practical considerations. “The Wright Brothers—Aero Theoreticians” here at SimanaitisSays described one aspect of this, … Continue reading

July 31, 2018 · 2 Comments

VACATIONING IN EUROPE—1909 STYLE

THE IDEA of a European vacation in 1909 was different from one today. There was no jet lag. No carefully sized carryons. But it did call for suitable planning. My … Continue reading

July 30, 2018 · 1 Comment