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

JAGUAR ARITHMETIC

R&T SUMMED UP ITS June 1955 road test of the Jaguar XK-140 with what it called “COVENTRY’S FINEST FORMULA.” The magazine said, “For six years the Jaguar XK sports car … Continue reading

January 29, 2024 · 2 Comments

WHAT DO “TROUSERS” TROUSE ANYWAY?

ETYMOLOGIES OF SWEATERS, SNEAKERS, AND PEDAL-PUSHERS are clear. Even skorts. But what of trousers? Here’s what I learned from Merriam-Webster, the O.E.D., the Internet, and other sources. The Merriam-Webster entry … Continue reading

January 28, 2024 · Leave a comment

ROSSUM’S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS REDUX

“ČAPEK’S ROBOTS” EXPLORED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE here at SimanaitisSays back in September 2017. In reviewing Karel Čapek’s 1920 play R.U.R., the article asked, “Will its advancement be to mankind’s good or … Continue reading

January 27, 2024 · 1 Comment

MENUS AROUND THE COUNTRY

“AFTER YEARS OF PLEXIGLASS DIVIDERS, CURBSIDE DELIVERY, masked servers and, yes, QR codes,” say The New York Times writers Priya Krishna, Tanya Sichynsky, and Umi Syam, “one thing was immediately clear: … Continue reading

January 26, 2024 · Leave a comment

LAUGH IT UP—ONLINE OR OFF

WHAT WITH ONE THING AND ANOTHER, there seems to be little to laugh about these days. But what is laughter? Why do we laugh? And how do we laugh in … Continue reading

January 25, 2024 · 1 Comment

SPEED ON THE SAND   PART 2

IN PART 1 YESTERDAY, DRIVERS WENT AS FAST AS THEY COULD on the sands of 1954 Daytona Beach. Today in Part 2 we return with R&T to this venue a … Continue reading

January 24, 2024 · 2 Comments

SPEED ON THE SAND—THEN AND NOW PART 1

DAYTONA BEACH, PENDINE SANDS, BONNEVILLE—AND OUISTREHAM. This last named, less familiar, was described at the Classic & Sports Car website, January 17, 2024. It’s on the Normandy coast of France, … Continue reading

January 23, 2024 · Leave a comment

GRAND OPERA ON (AND OF) THE AMAZON

FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS is an opera of many superlatives: It’s the first Spanish-language work performed by the Metropolitan Opera in almost 100 years; and it’s the first Met opera … Continue reading

January 22, 2024 · Leave a comment

CES AND THE AUTOMOBILE

THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW is typically a whiz-bang of silicon-based wonders, so it’s no surprise that Artificial Intelligence pokes its way under the edge of the tent. On the other … Continue reading

January 21, 2024 · 1 Comment

OFFICIAL STATE THIS AND THATS

WHAT WITH OUR STATES CONTENDING WITH EXTREMELY SERIOUS ISSUES (women’s rights, voting rights, Trump candidacies verses felony counts, etc., etc.), I’m not sure I find comfort in state governments taking … Continue reading

January 20, 2024 · 1 Comment