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

TUNISIA TRIPPIN’–1908

I’VE BEEN ENJOYING harissa, the traditional Tunisian hot sauce. My jar of this condiment comes from Trader Joe’s, though it is made in Tunisia. Thus, I feel compelled to learn … Continue reading →

October 3, 2016 · 2 Comments

PRINCE MICHAEL ROMANOFF–RESTAURANTEUR AND CON ARTIST

LET’S CELEBRATE PRINCE Michael Romanoff; he, of the famed Beverly Hills restaurant. For those keeping track of such things, this is in my on-going (albeit far from contiguous) celebration of … Continue reading →

October 2, 2016 · 3 Comments

SUPPORTERS RUN AMOK AFTER POL LOSES ELECTION

SO THERE’S THIS rough-talking politician. He has run an innovative campaign, even to dropping leaflets from an airplane and landing in the fields to speak to voters. He loses the … Continue reading →

October 1, 2016 · 3 Comments

WELL, Y’KNOW…

A FAVORITE CARTOON IS “The Emergence of Language.” And I’m fairly confident that, following “urg,” “ug” and “uh-oh,” among mankind’s first words were “well” and “y’know.” Or so it seems … Continue reading →

September 30, 2016 · 3 Comments

ROSSELLINI’S (AND BERGMAN’S) FERRARIS

SE NON È VERO, a ben travato. It may not be true, but it’s a good story. And so it is with tales of Ferraris belonging to Italian film director … Continue reading →

September 29, 2016 · Leave a comment

GREAT CAESAR’S FATHER-IN-LAW’S GHOST

A NEAT APPLICATION of archaeology, tomography and computer science has virtually unrolled a fragile 2000-year-old scroll. In today’s title, I invoke the memory of Superman/Clark Kent’s boss, Perry White, editor … Continue reading →

September 28, 2016 · 1 Comment

A BLUE HORSE AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE

RESEARCHING ONE OF our flock of miniature sheep, I came upon Marco Cavallo, a blue horse that played an important role in Italian mental health care. Then, independently of this, … Continue reading →

September 26, 2016 · 2 Comments

HURRAH FOR HOJO’S

LET’S CELEBRATE ORANGE roofs, fried clams, onion rings and developing one’s 1950s avatar. These first three clues may be a giveaway that I’m referring to Howard Johnson’s restaurants. The avatar … Continue reading →

September 25, 2016 · Leave a comment

THE M.G. K.3 MAGNETTE AND THE MILLE MIGLIA

WHAT WOULD 1950s’ high-school car-nuts sketch in their study-hall notebooks? Look no further than an M.G. And a highpoint of this British marque’s long history is the 1933 Mille Miglia. … Continue reading →

September 24, 2016 · 2 Comments

JUST GIVE HOLMES A HAND

WE CAN THANK the world’s first consulting detective for conceiving manual forensics, identifying criminals (and the rest of us) by examining the person’s hands. In The Sign of Four, one … Continue reading →

September 23, 2016 · Leave a comment