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

MY FAVORITE NEW BUGATTI—THAT’S NEVER TO BE

ONE OF the first sports cars I rode in was a Bugatti Type 44, and I’ve been an enthusiast of Bugattis ever since. The marque has had two resurrections since … Continue reading →

December 6, 2015 · 3 Comments

A PERPETUAL CALENDAR

AMONG MY many ornamental objects of questionable modern utility is a perpetual calendar. After all, there’s always the Calendar icon on my smart phone. Also, complete data are displayed, to … Continue reading →

December 5, 2015 · 2 Comments

MANY FLUTES ARE MAGICAL

MOZART’S DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, The Magic Flute, is an opera that has been magical in many ways. When it premiered in 1791, it was a linguistic breakaway that also spilled the … Continue reading →

December 4, 2015 · 1 Comment

SOME OF THE THINGS I KNEW FOR SURE WERE NOT

LIFE IS full of continuing ed. Or at least it can be. Among the many facts I’ve accumulated over the years, more than a few of them are downright incorrect. … Continue reading →

December 3, 2015 · 4 Comments

GEORGIAN DIGS, PART III: THE ROYAL PAVILION AT BRIGHTON

IN THE late 18th century, Brighton was an eight-hour trip from London to England’s south seacoast, 58 miles. George, Prince of Wales, later to become King George IV, liked the … Continue reading →

December 2, 2015 · Leave a comment

LITHIUM-AIR—THE BEST OF BATTERIES, THEORETICALLY

LITHIUM-AIR TECHNOLOGY comes as close as possible to the theoretical limits of battery energy density; this, according to Science, the weekly magazine published by the American Association for the Advancement … Continue reading →

December 1, 2015 · 2 Comments

GEORGIAN SHENANNIGANS, PART II: ENGLAND’S GOLDEN AGE OF CARICATURE

IF EVER there was a royal personage ripe for caricature, it was George, Prince of Wales, later succeeding his father to become King George IV. A wonderful scalliwag, George had … Continue reading →

November 30, 2015 · Leave a comment

“SERVICE” STATION TIPS—1938

YOUNGER AMERICANS may never have heard the term “service” associated with gasoline stations. Today, in many places we pump our own. Even in states where others do the refueling, attendants … Continue reading →

November 29, 2015 · 5 Comments

GEORGE, PRINCE OF WALES, ROYAL SCALLIWAG: PART I

QUEEN ELIZABETH II spoke of her Annus Horribilis of 1992, but it pales in comparison with the goings-on of George, Prince of Wales, prior to his becoming King George IV … Continue reading →

November 28, 2015 · 3 Comments

TRACK TESTING, POST-TAPLEY METER, PRE-WHIZBANG

I CAME upon some photos summarizing automotive testing as practiced when I arrived at R&T in the late 1970s. One photo brought back memories of the excitement, the technical expertise, … Continue reading →

November 26, 2015 · 5 Comments