When you find yourself watching a mini-series 4 times, it probably means you liked it. Maggie and I rarely share the same affection for television programs. So when we are both uncompromisingly enthusiastic about a production, you can be sure it’s special. And Good Omens is quite special. Here’s why.… Continue reading
Living in New York in the early 90’s I caught a clip on television of a new radical boat from Bombardier’s Sea-Doo division called the “Speedster.” This jet boat, weighing less than 1500 lbs., generated over 170 horsepower from twin Rotax marine rotary engines. The clip showed the boat launching… Continue reading
When I wrote for Motorcycle Consumer News magazine, I watched for products to enhance a rider’s ability to enjoy, maintain or repair their motorcycles. When I found, bought and wrote about JIS screwdrivers, it generated a great deal of reader mail. As regular subscribers to my newsletter know, this series… Continue reading
Occasionally feedback on my newsletters and resulting conversations are more informative and meaningful than the original piece. The “In Praise of Talent” newsletter seems to be one of those. Here is some of the feedback, a day or so after publication of the newsletter with its special nod to photographers.… Continue reading
With my purchase of a 1969 Lotus Elan in 1971, I became the only Lotus owner in Rochester, MN. As such, I was occasionally pulled over by the police, mostly to answer questions like, “What kind of a car is this?” or “Who makes Lotus?” However, when I tried to… Continue reading
The purchase of one of my dream cars, a Jaguar XJ6 sedan, did not work out entirely as anticipated, but in the end, everyone was happy. Buying the nearly ten-year-old Jaguar from a local used car lot was easy. Making it go away was a tad more difficult. The euphoria… Continue reading
In the early 1970s, after purchasing my Lotus Elan, I was working at Schaak Electronics in Rochester Minnesota. We were suffering yet another long and exceptionally cold winter. Little did I know, the following spring I was going to experience one of those self-realizations and experiences that would forever change… Continue reading
Keith Martin’s Sports Car Market Magazine is the most respected publication for the collector car market. Period. In the July 2020 issue, they published my letter to the editor, in which I commented on an article appearing in their June 2020 issue. Readers of my newsletters know I’ll always use… Continue reading
Okay, no surprise, I’m a car guy. Everyone knows it. I’ll not clog this newsletter with information on my collection of three of the most iconic cars of all time: a 1969 Lotus Elan, a 2002 Acura NSX and a 2014 McLaren MP4-12C, although the McLaren makes an appearance later… Continue reading
Early in 2000, stories circulated in the automobile universe about an extraordinary new car from BMW called the M5. Journalists and car nuts nicknamed it “the Beast.” At 400 HP and 398 lbs. of torque, it was a rocket ship. With scary 0-60 times and a top speed of 180… Continue reading