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

GETTING A COLD CAPON IN 1911

THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY was known for sumptuous dining, even ordinary folks feasting on soup to nuts and a’plenty more. And Atlas Obscura recalls an especially significant feast: “Remembering the … Continue reading →

August 1, 2024 · 2 Comments

RALLYING IMPROVES THE BREED

“IT’S GREAT TO DRIVE A CAR,” R&T noted in October 1984, “that’s exactly what it claims to be. Whether you think of it as a rally version of the Montecarlo … Continue reading →

July 31, 2024 · Leave a comment

ENVIRONMENTAL SUCCESSES—OTHERS TO COME

WHAT WITH SUMMERS OF WITHERING HEAT across the country, indeed worldwide (45º Celsius = 113 Fahrenheit), only the dimmest of bulbs these days deny climate change. (You may remember, it … Continue reading →

July 30, 2024 · 1 Comment

SPEEDY OLYMPICS 

“HOW FAST IS THAT GOING?” asks a fascinating question posed by Jeremy White, Joe Ward, Noah Throop, Emily Rhyme, and Bedel Saget in The New York Times, July 24, 2024.  … Continue reading →

July 29, 2024 · Leave a comment

ART LOST BY SCHOOLGIRLS—SOME 350 YEARS AGO

WHAT A FIND! BRITAIN’S NATIONAL TRUST reports discovery of “A Display of 17th Century Papercuts,” July 15, 2024. Fallen Through Sutton House Floorboards. “Originally built for one of Henry VIII’s … Continue reading →

July 28, 2024 · Leave a comment

RIDIN’ THE RAILS—ASEA AND OTHERWISE

WHILE LIVING ON ST. THOMAS, we occasionally had the pleasure of dining aboard fancy cruise ships (when enough of their passengers chose STT cuisine that evening). Otherwise, I’ve never been … Continue reading →

July 27, 2024 · 4 Comments

POOR EX-PRESIDENT TRUMP

WHAT WITH A VERY BUSY NEWS WEEK, victim-extraodinaire Donald Trump has been displaced by Joe and Kamala. Poor him. To counter this Trumpian ennui, today’s SimanaitisSays recounts several past Trump … Continue reading →

July 26, 2024 · 11 Comments

MATH: THE A.I. BS STOPS HERE

QUOTED HERE AT SIMANAITISSAYS, A.I. machines “are hard-wired for bullshit. They aren’t designed to be accurate—they are designed to sound accurate.” And among human endeavors, mathematics is one that values … Continue reading →

July 25, 2024 · 2 Comments

SALON: HILL’S DINO THROUGH BERGANDI’S EYES

A “SALON” IN R&T was ordinarily a photographic essay on a classic. But this November 1984 Salon was no ordinary one: The topic was the 1961 Ferrari Dino 156 F1 … Continue reading →

July 24, 2024 · 1 Comment

A VARIETY OF SCI-TECH TIDBTS

TALK ABOUT VARIETY! I CONFESS that many of the articles in AAAS Science pass miles over my head. (I won’t bore you with my life-long biological naivete; it’s beyond storks … Continue reading →

July 23, 2024 · Leave a comment