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

MILLER TEXAS GEM

FORMULA ONE—whether on the ground or in the air—is replete with high technology and innovation. One of my favorites of Formula One air racers is Jim Miller’s Texas Gem N74M. … Continue reading

November 23, 2013 · 3 Comments

IN PRAISE OF ANNOTATED EDITIONS

IT’S GOOD fun to read the great books. It’s added pleasure to peruse them in annotated editions. I didn’t realize how many of these I’ve accumulated over the years until … Continue reading

November 22, 2013 · Leave a comment

ONE NINER RIGHT

DID THE earth move for you too? On July 24, 2014, my home field, John Wayne Santa Ana Airport, SNA, will change its busiest runway from One Niner Right to … Continue reading

November 21, 2013 · Leave a comment

THE CARS OF J MAYS

YOU REALIZE the passage of time when someone you remember as a promising kid now announces his retirement. And so it is with J Mays, 59, chief designer at Ford … Continue reading

November 20, 2013 · Leave a comment

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? I FEAR NOT

IT’S NOT that football hasn’t enough problems with brain-addled players encouraged to use their helmeted heads as battering rams. Now NFL fans are vying to see which venue can cause … Continue reading

November 19, 2013 · Leave a comment

McLAREN F1

PRESS INTRODUCTIONS of exotic cars are, by their very nature, special events. And, without a doubt, the most exciting one I ever attended was the 1992 introduction of the McLaren … Continue reading

November 18, 2013 · 7 Comments

CASABLANCA LORE

CASABLANCA IS my favorite movie of all time; maybe yours too? I think of it as having not a wasted frame, not a wasted look, not a wasted sound, not … Continue reading

November 17, 2013 · 2 Comments

CLIFFORD NASS—SINGULAR SCHOLAR

I NOTE the recent death by heart attack of Clifford Nass, 55, Stanford University professor and expert on how humans interact with advanced technology. It was Prof. Nass whose research … Continue reading

November 16, 2013 · 1 Comment

TRAINS AND MUSIC

RECENT MINI-ESSAYS here on trains (www.wp.me/p2ETap-1JO, http://www.wp.me/p2ETap-1K2) and on music (www.wp.me/p2ETap-1Jz) got me thinking of trains and music. (And now you know how my mind works.) It turns out my collection of … Continue reading

November 15, 2013 · 1 Comment

STROTHER’S CAR CULTURE

STROTHER MACMINN taught automotive design at the Art Center College of Design for five decades, with disciples throughout the industry. He was also instrumental in establishing Toyota’s Calty Design Research … Continue reading

November 14, 2013 · 1 Comment