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

DAVE BRUBECK

ONE OF the giants of jazz, and of modern music in general, Dave Brubeck passed away December 5, just one day short of his 92nd birthday. Brubeck was more than … Continue reading

December 8, 2012 · 1 Comment

BERLIN AIRLIFT

AVIATION ATTAINED a high point of humanitarian achievement—and a major victory in the Cold War—with the Berlin Airlift. For almost an entire year, June 26, 1948, to May 16, 1949, more … Continue reading

December 7, 2012 · Leave a comment

HIGH ON SPEED

I HASTEN to say that this item has nothing to do with drugs. Rather, it’s on the perception of movement and its feeling of exhilaration. It’s also about bees and … Continue reading

December 6, 2012 · 2 Comments

CHEERS, PROF!

AN ITEM in a recent Science magazine, Vol. 338, 9 November 2012, had a great opening line: “Biodiversity has driven doctoral candidates from Trinity College Dublin to drink.” Having once … Continue reading

December 5, 2012 · Leave a comment

EV GLOSSARY

THIS IS a bit longer than the usual mini-essay, but for completeness it’ll be a single item. I’ll not fancy it up with photos or charts; it’s a glossary, pure … Continue reading

December 4, 2012 · Leave a comment

BILL DOBSON AND MR. WRIGHT

FOR MANY years, the talented artist Bill Dobson (1935-2011) did the side view drawings—little gems of automotive art—for Road & Track road tests. Bill was also a world-recognized authority on … Continue reading

December 3, 2012 · 5 Comments

LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW 2012

I ATTENDED the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, as opposed to my remote analyses of 2012 Paris (see http://www.wp.me/p2ETap-ho and http://www.wp.me/p2ETap-i2). Generally, it was good fun to be there. Any … Continue reading

December 2, 2012 · 1 Comment

FORD OVERDRIVE

RECENTLY IT was May 22, 1949, and I was listening to an ad for Ford Overdrive. (Such are the wonders of Sirius XM and its Radio Classics channel 82.) Despite … Continue reading

December 1, 2012 · 7 Comments

PHOENIX GRAND PRIX 1989

STILL SAVORING the overwhelming success of the inaugural Circuit of the Americas Grand Prix in Austin, I thought about highs and lows of previous U.S. Grands Prix. Though I never … Continue reading

November 30, 2012 · 4 Comments

BRITAIN INVADED!

A CAR book can offer most marvelous tales having nothing to do with cars. And so it is with Bentley Motors On The Road, an assemblage of the owners’ magazines … Continue reading

November 29, 2012 · 1 Comment