short PSA

PSA - you know Public Service Announcement.  The following clip demonstrates why mothers should never buy their children helmet cameras.

Mr. Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

photo from Jan C. Gabriel web site

Mr. Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! was Jan C Gabriel and he died on Sunday, 01/10/10.  As his web site puts it,

"Jan Gabriel crossed the Finish Line of Life late Sunday..."

There was a nice write-up about him in today's Chicago Tribune.

I didn't know Jan but he lived and worked in the area.  What I did know and remember is his voice.  His commercials about smoking US 30 drag strip were the type that stuck in your head.  His life was covered by this segment on WTTW Chicago Tonight program (very interesting piece that shows a connection to Sally Struthers).

In addition to the radio ads, I heard him at Santa Fe speedway but didn't know it at the time.  His voice will live on for sometime.

I first made the connection of the radio ad to Jan while researching a post I did last year.  To save you the bother of finding that post about drag racing and Mr. Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

here it is again.

Hot Rod Gang (1958)

I missed this exciting movie. I wonder what woman that graphic artist used as a model. Her curves look dangerous.

I do remember listening to the Beach Boys and their "Little Deuce Coupe".

I get rubber in ALL four gears. I wish.

My big brother had a hot 69 Camaro that I was lucky to drive a few times. That car could burn some rubber. Maybe I was more practical or just broke, but I had a used Pontiac Tempest and later a Vega (big mistake).

My brother and his friends got into drag racings. His friends got into the actual racing even more than him. He did drag race the car before the Camaro and won a trophy. If you don't anything about racing, one thing you should know it's expensive among other things.

A couple of times my brother and his friends were nice enough to let me tag along to the drag strip (maybe our parents forced him, I don't know). The nearest drag strip was near the small town of Oswego.

Here in the middle of soybeans and corn fields the roar of nytro powered funny cars was deafening. I thought the cool part was walking around the pits. There were some amazing machines being pushed to their limits.

Racing down this drag strip was open to anyone who paid the fee. I don't know the amount but it was reasonable. Back in the sixties they didn't even require you to wear a helmet. No special seat belts. When I recently asked my brother about it, he didn't recall even using his seat belt.

I don't know if the drag strips of today are as accessible. If you know, please share in a comment below.

I found that movie poster picture on blog/podcast site that I found when I looking up info on IKO IKO song.

Matt-the-cat does a Friday Night Cat Fight podcast that covers mostly classic rock songs.

Here's a clip of the US 30 Drag Strip commercial heard on the radio often in Chicagoland. US 30 was in northern Indiana.

what a drag

Hot Rod Gang (1958)

I missed this exciting movie. I wonder what woman that graphic artist used as a model. Her curves look dangerous.

I do remember listening to the Beach Boys and their "Little Deuce Coupe".

I get rubber in ALL four gears. I wish.

My big brother had a hot 69 Camaro that I was lucky to drive a few times. That car could burn some rubber. Maybe I was more practical or just broke, but I had a used Pontiac Tempest and later a Vega (big mistake).

My brother and his friends got into drag racings. His friends got into the actual racing even more than him. He did drag race the car before the Camaro and won a trophy. If you don't anything about racing, one thing you should know it's expensive among other things.

A couple of times my brother and his friends were nice enough to let me tag along to the drag strip (maybe our parents forced him, I don't know). The nearest drag strip was near the small town of Oswego.

Here in the middle of soybeans and corn fields the roar of nytro powered funny cars was deafening. I thought the cool part was walking around the pits. There were some amazing machines being pushed to their limits.

Racing down this drag strip was open to anyone who paid the fee. I don't know the amount but it was reasonable. Back in the sixties they didn't even require you to wear a helmet. No special seat belts. When I recently asked my brother about it, he didn't recall even using his seat belt.

I don't know if the drag strips of today are as accessible. If you know, please share in a comment below.

I found that movie poster picture on blog/podcast site that I found when I looking up info on IKO IKO song.

Matt-the-cat does a Friday Night Cat Fight podcast that covers mostly classic rock songs.

Here's a clip of the US 30 Drag Strip commercial heard on the radio often in Chicagoland. US 30 was in northern Indiana.

failure and engineering

While browsing wired.com, this honda ad attracted my attention. I agree with the message in this clip.

The best learn from failure.

The subject of inventing and developing covered in the clip also appeals to my engineering background.

There are plenty of business failures lately and I wonder if there are lessons being learned. I can only hope.

So far I just watched this one clip but it appears Honda is going to offer more - here's the link to their special power of dreams site.