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

NEED ENERGY? MORE OIL? BETTER SOLAR?

TWO RECENT articles in Science magazine, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, give indications of energy research in two contrasting areas: How to form hydrocarbons; and … Continue reading

September 24, 2013 · Leave a comment

LED MATRIX HEADLAMPS

THERE ARE plenty of reasons for more automotive lighting of the Light-Emitting-Diode variety. LEDs are more efficient than conventional incandescent illumination. They give stylists great opportunity for originality. They offer … Continue reading

September 23, 2013 · Leave a comment

UNDERGROUND ART

THERE’S SOMETHING invigorating about public art. And, over the years, the London Underground has been a wonderful venue for its exhibition. London Underground art even generated its own typeface. Here, … Continue reading

September 22, 2013 · Leave a comment

AERIAL REFUELING, 1929

REFUELING AIRCRAFT in mid-air is now routine with air forces around the world. Its history, though, is a combination of military methodology and publicity stunt bravado. A Sirius XM “Radio … Continue reading

September 21, 2013 · 1 Comment

B20: DO I FEEL LUCKY?

WHEN B20 biodiesel is discussed, I am reminded of Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood’s character, saying to the punk, “You’ve got to ask yourself a question, ‘Do I feel lucky?’” This, … Continue reading

September 20, 2013 · Leave a comment

ENGLISH CLUBLAND

NEITHER SHERLOCK Holmes nor his brother Mycroft were English Clubland sorts. True, Mycroft was a Founder of the Diogenes Club, an establishment said to have “the most unsociable and unclubbable … Continue reading

September 19, 2013 · 4 Comments

WHY “THE FAT LADY” IS FAT

AS THEY say, “The opera ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.” And, with evidence of two wonderful cookbooks in my collection, I believe I know why the fat lady … Continue reading

September 18, 2013 · Leave a comment

CARRIER OPPS, 100 YEARS AGO

IT WAS less than a decade after the Wright Bros. first flew that an aeroplane took off from and landed on a ship. These aviation firsts were accomplished by the … Continue reading

September 17, 2013 · 1 Comment

CARS AND THE ‘BURBS

SOME OF those into social engineering delight in disparaging the automobile and its suburban environment. From whatever their view—a luxury midtown loft?—they want to shame us out of the ’burbs … Continue reading

September 16, 2013 · 1 Comment

TSUKIJI FISH MARKET

JAPANESE BREAKFAST is the best breakfast in the world. It’ll have steamed rice, nori (dried seaweed, for dipping in a tad of soy sauce and making little rice rolls), miso … Continue reading

September 15, 2013 · Leave a comment