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

QWERTY, DVORAK, KALQ, OR?    PART 2

YESTERDAY, THIS ALL STARTED WITH a Smithsonian Magazine article on QWERTY. Today, we continue gleaning tidbits from Ellen Wexler’s article.  A Non-Jamming Theory. Ellen Wexler recounts, “In a 2011 paper, … Continue reading

March 11, 2025 · 1 Comment

QWERTY, DVORAK, KALQ, OR?    PART 1

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE RECENTLY POSITED, “The QWERTY Keyboard Will Never Die. Where Did the 150-Year-Old Design Come From?” In February 25, 2025, Ellen Wexler updated a Smithsonian article by Jimmy Stamp … Continue reading

March 10, 2025 · 2 Comments

FACTS—NOT TRUMP’S “ALTERNATIVE FACTS”

I GLEAN INFORMATION from a variety of sources, among them BBC World Service, Associated Press, Reuters, NPR, London Review of Books, Voice of America (thus far), The New York Times, … Continue reading

March 9, 2025 · 3 Comments

HARRY NILE AND CARS     PART 2

IN PART 1 YESTERDAY, WE CITED several cars appearing in Harry Nile adventures. We continue today with two more that our sleuth drove: a 1936 Bentley and a 1942 DeSoto. … Continue reading

March 8, 2025 · 8 Comments

HARRY NILE AND CARS    PART 1

I’VE COME TO RESPECT HARRY NILE, Jim French’s radio detective of the noir variety. Harry has appeared here at SimanaitisSays twice already, in “Harry Nile, Seattle P.I.,” and in “Turing’s … Continue reading

March 7, 2025 · Leave a comment

ON TRUMP—OF ALL PEOPLE?!—CONTROLLING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

THIS IS TANTAMOUNT, OF COURSE, to RFK, Jr. in charge of health and human services. Or an unelected Musk being in charge of anything governmental. But there we are. The … Continue reading

March 6, 2025 · 3 Comments

THE LRB, GRENADA’S ERIC GAIRY, UFOS, AND PRESIDENT CARTER’S INVITATION TO SATURN’S TITANIA     PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE SET THE STAGE FOR LRB LETTERS connecting the words of our title. My sincere acknowledgement and thanks to the three writers, Paul Sutton, Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire; Robert Hunter, … Continue reading

March 5, 2025 · Leave a comment

THE LRB, GRENADA’S ERIC GAIRY, UFOS, AND PRESIDENT CARTER’S INVITATION TO SATURN’S TITANIA     PART 1

FIRST, I STRESS THAT THE LATE JIMMY CARTER was one of our most technically trained of presidents: He was a Naval Academy graduate eventually specializing on nuclear submarines. Thus, his … Continue reading

March 4, 2025 · Leave a comment

CAN A GOVERNMENT BE RUN TO “FAIL FAST, LEARN FASTER”? SHOULD IT BY OPERATED IN SUCH FASHION?

“FOUR EARLIER STARSHIP LAUNCHES Highlighted SpaceX’s ‘Fail Fast, Learn Faster’ Approach” reads the headline of Deccan Herald, citing the International New York Times, October 13, 2024. The article’s subhead expands, … Continue reading

March 3, 2025 · 2 Comments

WADDINGTON’S WAR      PART 2

YESTERDAY WE LEARNED OF THE ALLIES’ SECRET WW II WEAPON—the game of Monopoly fitted out with escape aids for POWs. Today we continue with details from a variety of sources. … Continue reading

March 2, 2025 · 1 Comment