Maduko Blog-O-Matic

Go Karting Grows Up

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:53:00 +0000

I recently had the pleasure to visit a Pole Position Raceway on a group outing for my birthday (below). If you typically yawn when someone mentions go-karts then this place is for you! When we arrived I think my coworkers were a little intimidated. After signing several liability releases and removing open-toe shoes we were instructed to don balaclavas and full-face helmets.

First off, this is not the typical amusement park foot-to-the-floor stuff. There is no way to make a complete lap with the pedal to the metal. At least I couldn't! The cars are electric, but don't let that fool you. These are not toys for toddlers to tour the yard turf. They are capable of 45 MPH on straight and level and handle... well, like a go kart.

The track we visited in Las Vegas was a 1/4 mile long with about seven turns. Two of the turns were very tight and require some real skill to maneuver swiftly. Track sessions last for twelve laps, which gives you plenty of time to get a feel for the track and the way the cars work. Our group did the Grand Prix Package which includes three of those 12-lap sessions- a practice, a qualifier and the main event. In the main event we lined up on the grid and started from a standing start. Just like Formula One!

In the end I blew it in the second to the last turn on the very last lap! After setting the fastest lap in each session and whittling my time down to 27 seconds, I spun out mere feet from the finish line. Chris managed to slip by for the top spot on the podium (right).

A rematch is being planned.

Pole Position has locations in California, Las Vegas and Oklahoma City. After the great time we had in Vegas I definitely plan to visit the location in OKC soon!

Through November 8th race for only $10 with this special coupon.

Check it out!

Oklahoma Tops Small Biz List

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:20:00 +0000

Each year CNN Money has listed the best cities for start-ups. The 2009 list of best metro areas to launch a small business from rank Tulsa at 19th and Oklahoma City number one.

Centrally Located to Serve the Nation
The survey looks at affordability, housing markets, workforce availability and infrastructure to determine what natives have known for a long time. Oklahoma is friendly for business.

Best Places to Launch

Blew Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:34:00 +0000

More evidence of the prophetic nature of Mr. Show with Bob and David.

So funny. I love the reference to Tulsa by the family that's going to bake a cake in the shape of the moon.

What's that? Where are Bob and David now? Let's look in....

Television Premiere: Two Wheel Oklahoma

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:04:00 +0000

One week from today a television program I co-produced will premiere.

It's called Two Wheel Oklahoma and will follow two guys on motorcycles as they travel around the Sooner State. I happen to be one of the guys. Brad Mathison is the other one. Tune in October 3rd for the first episode!

Brad and I have talked about this concept for years. Beginning about two years ago we got serious about the idea. It's been a long road (pun intended) but it looks like the effort is paying off.

This idea fits perfectly with my lifelong pursuit of dabbling in just about everything. But this project goes far beyond merely dabbling in a hobby. We're working with a great group of people and the end result is looking very professional.

Two Wheel Oklahoma airs Saturday mornings at 9 on KMYT-TV in Tulsa.

I am not weird.

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 13:26:00 +0000

Here's another highlight from Craigslist...

free decorated paper bags for yard sales (tulsa )

Date: 2009-08-31, 12:49PM CDT

took reasoner's grocery store bags ( around 50) and decorated them with various themes. I kept them pg. Than i filled them with some small things: jewelry, toys, books, notebooks, and a few other things. What I am envisioning is they will be used at a yard sale sort of as a little bribe. Say, if you buy so much I will throw in the bag. I want the bags and contents to stay together as I put them together for that theme. Example I have an add about handlebars and hotrods for a charity so i filled the bag with some toy hotrod cars and motorcyles. I am not very talented but I had fun doing these bags and hope some charity could use them at their yardsale. No weird people need to reply because I just won't answer you. I am not weird

Location: tulsa
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1351644834

Consider it your civic duty to vote this one for Best of Craigslist! Here's a link....
http://tulsa.craigslist.org/zip/1351644834.html

FREE: Local Happenings This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:41:00 +0000

Couple of cool things coming up in T-Town this week, and the best part is they're free! So with no further adieu...

Tuesday, August 25
Tulsa Drillers Baseball
For their Advertiser's Appreciation Night fans can snag free tickets at any Driller's sponsor. That's like- a lot.
www.tulsadrillers.com

Wednesday, August 26
Lights On at El Rancho Grande
In his book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell talks about the "broken window syndrome." The theory is that just one broken window can eventually ruin a whole neighborhood. But fortunately this can also work in reverse.

Consider the restored Meadow Gold neon sign on 11th Street. It inspired the owners of one of Tulsa's oldest restaurants to polish up their neon sign. El Rancho Grande has repaired the neon and given the sign a fresh coat of paint. This Wednesday at 7:30 pm they'll be firing it up and celebrating with half price margaritas and appetizers. Ole!
www.modertulsa.net

Thursday, August 27
Fifth Night Finale
The 27th is also the final installment of Utica Square's free concert series, Fifth Night. Drop by and slow your pulse with the smooth jazz of Grady Nichols.
www.uticasquare.com

Friday, August 28
Red Dirt Rangers Birthday Party
Hard to believe it's been twenty years now since I listened to the Red Dirt Rangers at a dive in Stillwater called Willie's Saloon. And now they have the audacity to book the Cain's Ballroom?!? Well, hey... at least it's free.

Seriously, doors open at 7:00 pm for this anniversary celebration for one of Oklahoma's favorite bands. At one of Oklahoma's most famous venues! Now where'd I stash those Tuf Nut jeans....
www.cainsballroom.com

Long Way 'Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Illinois to Oklahoma on a BMW GS.

I've been wanting another GS since my first BMW motorcycle experience a few years ago. That bike, an R1100GS, was one of my less stellar eBay finds and turned out to be "well worn." But it did show me some of the virtues of the big boxers. Since then I've been keeping an eye out for a good deal on another GS. Hopefully one not quite as well worn as the old 1100 was!

Turns out I came across a candidate while trolling the motorcycle section of Craigslist. It was a 2005 BMW R1200GS. The price was right (most 1200s had been out of my price range), the bike had moderate mileage, sported a few extra goodies and even matched my yellow helmet! The one downside was the location: just outside St. Louis, Missouri.

I contacted the seller and got more info, full-size photos and details on the bike's history. It sounded like a winner so I started saving my pennies and made a serious effort to sell my R1150R (offers still being accepted!). After several emails a deal was agreed upon, a Paypal deposit was sent and I began scheming on how to get the GS home. Jackie and I discussed cheap airfares, Greyhound, shipping services and such before deciding that driving up and ferrying it home would be the best solution.

We headed out on a Sunday and decided to take our time, hit some tourist traps and visit one of the most famous Route 66 attractions. We made our way across Missouri, stopped in Springfield for lunch (turns out they have a Which Wich- currently my favorite choice for Franchise Food).

Our first tourist trap was in Fanning, Missouri. This curiously static structure is called the World's Largest Rocking Chair. We pondered where the largest rocking chair that actually rocks might be located.

Later we pulled off in Stanton, as instructed by numerous billboards, to visit the Mother Road's best known attraction. All of our lives we've seen those billboards painted on barns and wondered about the wonders that await in Stanton, MO. Inexplicably neither of us had ever been to the Meramec Caverns, so this was actually a treat. Turns out the place is very cool. Well, of course it's a cool- it's a cave, but it really is worth a visit. Even the surrounding area is a nice campground along the Meramec River, and an adjacent hotel offers rooms for $50 a night. But for some idiotic reason I left my camera in the car, so visit AmericasCave.com to see photos. Or better yet take a drive and stop in person!

Back on the road we headed on to our rendezvous in Festus, Missouri. We eventually got in around dark (perfect time for looking at a used bike!) and checked into our hotel. After putting on jeans and unloading our helmets we headed over to inspect the bike.

The bike was in good condition and ran great. Like many GS's, this one had been customized with a slew of accessories, or farkles in the parlance of motorcycle geeks. The most obvious being the huge black aluminum Jesse Luggage hanging on each side (Jackie noted that nobody calls them saddle bags or boxes- they're always referred to simply as Jesse's).

Less obvious add-ons included Wilbers shocks, a Scorpion muffler, Sargent seats, a Kaoko throttle lock, BMW cylinder heads guards, Touratech crash bars, a Cee Bailey windscreen, Wunderlich lifting handle, auxiliary fuse panel and the GS Adventure nose trim. All this was making a good deal even better.

Since the title had a lien we had to make the deal at the credit union. It was nearly an hour away and across the Mississippi River in Illinois. The owner was nice enough to take off work and lead the way. We shook hands and agreed to meet first thing the next morning to take care of all the paperwork.

We all three headed out in separate vehicles the next morning. This was my first solo ride on the 1200 and my initial reaction was, "What the hell's stuck under this brake lever?!?"

The BMW's brake system incorporates a servo assist that requires a tender touch on the front brake. I'm still getting used to it. But it was the Go Stick that really caught my attention! Throttle response is crisp and immediate compared to the 1100 or 1150. That torquey grunt is still evident, but now seems to be on tap at a wider range of engine speeds. The rasp from the Scorpion muffler seemed to magnify the effect. After I settled in I realized just how comfortable the Sargent seat really was. Over the next 10 hours that would become increasingly important!

Ready to roll. With the deal done, extra parts loaded in the Volvo, and rain gear at the ready we headed west out of Waterloo, Illinois. But before heading home Jackie had one request...

..stop at Trader Joes!

St Louis is the closest one to T-Town. Trader Joe's is a chain of grocery stores that are known for good stuff at cheap prices. Sorta' like a cross between Aldi and Whole Foods.

Then we hit I-44 and headed back to Tulsa. The sky had been cloudy most of the morning and the forecasts called for rain in St Louis later in the day. We stopped for lunch in Rolla and still no weather. I could see clouds to the west but I resisted putting on my rain gear since the temps were still warm. Then we got back on the highway and it immediately started pelting me- right through my Mesh Tex jacket!

I forged ahead looking for the first overpass- then the rain stopped. That cycle repeated a couple of times. About 20 miles later the sky really got dark and I could see the weather was getting serious. We pulled off the highway in Waynesville and I started pulling on my rain pants. Before we could get back on the road the clouds began lowering and gust front hit us.

Jackie watches the storm roll over Waynesville.

Eventually the rain slowed and we resumed our journey. Fortunately the precipitation remained fairly light, but continued non-stop.

Droning along a superslab in the rain is never a fun event, not on any bike. But the GS paid it little heed. The spray from passing trucks was really the most irritating problem I had to deal with. The sure-footed Michelin Anakees never once felt like they hydroplaned, and the heated grips are a godsend once the rain soaks through your gloves. I doubt there's any motorcycle in the world better suited for traveling in the rain.

Just outisde of Springfield the rain finally stopped. Around Joplin the western sky began looking ominous again. After we crossed the Missouri-Oklahoma border the sprinkles started. This time the showers were light and intermittent. We pressed on until we reached the Glass House at Vinita. A light rain continued to fall, but ahead of us the sky was looking bright and blue. At that point Jackie was getting road-weary and anxious to get home. Since she had the Pikepass (and I didn't) I sent her on her way while I donned my soggy jacket for the last time.

And snapped a picture of the rainbow now visible to the northeast...

After the toll plaza the rain stopped, the sky cleared and it was a beautiful day. Rolling into Tulsa it was almost hot. But I was too tired to stop and take off my rain gear at that point.

When I got home we parked the bike inside. Emptied the trunk of the car and stumbled inside. We were almost too tired to drink a cold beer. I said almost.

Manly Tee

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:26:00 +0000

Another mildly humorous t-shirt design from the world wide interwebs.

Maybe a little late for the bulk of your Summer cookouts, but there's still time if you order now!

Get it now.

Blogging, Sans Computer

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:58:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I played around with a Google's Blogger Mobile feature. It's an option available to anyone using Blogger and allows you to post a message using your cell phone.

I've known this tool was available, but never had any need or inclination to use it. My phone takes pretty mediocre pictures at best, and texting more than a few words constitutes outright torture in my book. I still blog mostly with a "desktop computer." Call me old fashioned.

But recently I've been getting all these text messages from my buddy, Ben. They usually include a photo, and sometimes a line or two of cryptic text. I often told him he should share these with the World. But get this: Ben doesn't have a computer.

It's true.

But not to be dissuaded- or deprive the world of zany words and images from Ben- I explored the bold new world of mobile blogging! I called it simply: Photos from Ben.

Turns out Blogger offers two very simple ways to transmit from your phone to the Internet.

One is a simple email address that posts to your blog. You choose the name of this special address and share (or not) with whomever you'd care to give access. Anything sent to this "secret" address is either posted immediately or saved as a draft for future moderation/publishing. Quick and easy. If your phone can send Multimedia Messages then you can publish words and photos.

The second option requires you to "link" your phone to your blog. Blogger spits out a code, sort of a PIN number, that you have to spit back at them. If the codes match then Blogger links your mobile device to your blog. Once that's done you can post using the more common SMS message format.

They're both easy to get started with and seem to work quite well. While there are obvious drawbacks, the convenience of blogging without a computer is pretty darn cool.

To learn more or get started with mobile blogging visit www.blogger.com/mobile-start.g

Pennytech: New and Improved Teleprompter

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:59:00 +0000

Avid readers may be familiar with my homemade teleprompter (see Making a $5 Teleprompter) for shooting video without the use of cue cards or memory-enhancing drugs. The original was made from a wine box, piece of glass and some packing tape.

I hadn't used the $5 Teleprompter for a couple of years. But recently we started shooting some talking head segments for the Two Wheel Oklahoma video project. The cardboard version was in pretty sad shape after being stored for several months.

I happened across some surplus coroplast signs and decided to give it a go. What a difference! Very sturdy, easy to work with, strong yet light. I used duct tape to temporarily hold it together, then made a permenant bond with contact cement.

It works great and has really helped make my video work look more professional.

Flaky Franchises a Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:06:00 +0000

Last Summer we netflixed a movie called Flakes.

It was the story of a local cereal bar being threatened by a big, mean corporate cereal bar. Yes, cereal- like Cocoa Puffs. It was mildly entertaining, but the concept of a cereal bar was the most memorable part. Well, that and Zooey Deschanel.

So then last night, passing through DFW airport enroute from San Antonio, I spotted this sign in one of the food courts...

Turns out Cereality is a franchise based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The wacky idea is apparently not so wacky after all.

Once again, life imitates art.

Pop's Featured on Today Show

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Pop's in Arcadia is one of Oklahoma's newest Route 66 landmarks. We visited the Jetsonian convenience store back in 2007 and wrote about it for Oklahoma Modern.

And earlier this week Pop's was even featured on the NBC Today Show.

Let's look in!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Giant Clothes Hangers in Cushing

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:25:00 +0000

We were recently passing through Cushing, Oklahoma hunting down modern architecture. We were detoured from our mission when we spotted a pair of huge clothes hangers!

They were hanging out (ahem) in front of the Town & Country Dry Cleaners.

To witness this exotic site in person rush to the corner of North Cleveland Street and Oak in beautiful downtown Cushing. If you're traveling along Highway 33, look for OK-18 and turn south. It's only three blocks off the main highway.

And easy on the starch.

Infill This

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Infill Development: a newspeak phrase to describe teardowns in older neighborhoods.

I'm yet to hear a good argument on why someone can't come to Midtown Tulsa, bulldoze a rotten, out-of-code, unsafe house and build a brand new beautiful home.

- Comment on Tulsa World

Nobody is complaining about the former.

And everyone is waiting to see the latter.

The majority of teardowns result in oversized McMansions being crammed on to lots fit for homes half their size. No matter what your idea of beautiful might be, the location of a home is inherently part of its appeal.

I'll never understand why someone moves to a neighborhood, then commences to undo everything that makes that neighborhood desirable.

Exploring Oklahoma's Bridges

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:58:00 +0000

Aren't infatuations wonderful? Name most anything and I can show you someone who collects, studies or shoots at it. So to is the case with bridges.

Last week some folks attending our Precious Moments Tour up in Osage Beach, Missouri had invited us to come ride with them around Oklahoma City. One of their recent destinations they mentioned was Oklahoma's longest one-lane bridge. I'd never really considered it before, but someone must measure such things.

Later that night I called home to Tulsa and mentioned this conversation to Jackie. The next morning I had an email with a link to a page about the Wanette-Byars Bridge built in 1902.

The reason it's such a long one-lane bridge? It's actually an old railroad bridge over the Canadian River that was converted for automotive use. Learn more on Wikipedia.

In the process of tracking down this not-so-elusive bridge Jackie discovered several sites that can only be described as portals for, you guessed it, Bridge Geeks. Who knew? Well... guess I could have guessed (see first paragraph).

But we found a wealth of information provided by these intrepid spotters of spans.

Finding historic, unusual or defunct bridges close to home is really quite easy. And interesting. We browsed for older bridges close by and found several interesting examples- mostly the metal girder style that's shaped like a camel's hump (turns out "camelback truss" is actually a type of bridge). One unique design that caught my eye was a bridge south of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (see photo below) that sported two inverted triangles for supports. Pretty soon we were taking notes and loading up the motorcycle for an excursion!

Exploring historic bridges can be fun because they're usually in rural areas- the type of place you might go for a Sunday drive anyway. The history these bridges reveal can tell you a lot about a community, the landscape or the road that passes over them. It's also interesting to see the engineering of these older contraptions, something hidden by concrete on most modern bridges.

Make your next day trip a bridge tour. Here are a few links to get you started...

Bridge Hunter
Lists historic bridges all over the U.S. Use the map to search by state (there are currently 1495 listings in Oklahoma incidentally) or by county or by type of bridge. Most listings include photos and map links.

Oklahoma Bridges
Wes Kinsler has been cataloging the bridges of Oklahoma since November 2000. Along with photographing historic bridges and maintaining the website, he is also a founding member of the Oklahoma Highways Group. Notable sections of this site are the Bridges by Highway and the Field Guides page that you can download and take along on your travels.

Spans of Time
A dry but informative site is the product of an Oklahoma Department of Transportation project called the Oklahoma Historic Highway Bridge Project. The site offers photos of early bridges in Oklahoma and the 171 bridges identified as candidates eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Bridges are listed mostly by type so it can be difficult to use as a reference- but it's fun to browse.

MINI + Airstream

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:09:00 +0000

What's cuter than a Mini?

How's about a Mini pulling an Airstream trailer? It's not a total fantasy- although it's not available Stateside. Last week BMW unveiled its "mobile living" concept at the Salone del Mobile in Milano.

Here's what BMW's press release says about it:

“
The collaboration was underpinned by a passion for design and an eye for detail shared by all three brands. Mobility and the interaction with nature provided a twin-pronged focus for their endeavours. The world of watersports and the yearning of surfers for absolute freedom and harmony with their surroundings offered the perfect inspiration for the design study.”

Okay, so that must be German for "It's cute."

In addition to modifying the Mini Cooper S Clubman to haul a caravan (that's Yurrup for trailer), the Airstream was extensively tweaked by fashionista Fritz Hansen. The result is a trendy trailer with modern furnishings and a motorized wall that tilts out. My favorite detail is the shelving made from surfboards.

Pretty cool travel accessory.

Groove Even More with your Sansa

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:03:00 +0000

Several months ago I posted a mini review of my SanDisk MP3 player. Since that time I've added a Belkin device that allows me to listen to the Sansa in the car (and simultaneously charge its battery) which is great on road trips.

One of the few complaints I have with the Sansa is adding music to it from my computer. This isn't so much a problem with the Sansa, it's actually a Windows thing. The process of "synching" any MP3 player with a Windows computer involves using Windows Media Player. You can avoid it by downloading some other application, but I found a different approach that seems to work better.

Instead of changing the software on my computer, I changed the software on my Sansa.

Rockbox is an open source alternative for MP3 players from SanDisk, Archos, Olympus, iRiver, Toshiba, and yes, even iPods. It is a bold attempt to make music players easier to use, more customizable and add versatility.

Rockbox for the Sansa e200 Series

It works quite differently from the firmware supplied from the factory. But managing the songs on my Sansa has never been easier. And after a short learning curve the playlist options available are greatly improved. And you can even download plug-ins that allow you to play games!

World's Largest Chopper

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Maduko Subsidiary Unveils New Helicopter

In a recent news release a bold new endeavor was announced to combine luxurious accommodations and rotating wing aircraft. The Hotelicopter offers 18 guest suites grafted on to a Soviet Mil V12 helicopter.

"The Hotelicopter is redefining luxury travel for our generation," Alvin Farley, CEO of The Hotelicopter Company said in the statement. "Of course, safety is our number one priority, and our vehicle exceeds all safety, operating and maintenance requirements outlined by the FAA in the Code of Federal Regulations relating to transport category rotocraft."

When questioned about the name, and its similarity to a hotel booking site, Farley was elusive.

Funny Shirts for $8. Walk. Don't Run.

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Here's another great T-shirt design from our friends at BustedTees.

I'm going to wear it to a Wal Mart and see if anyone gets it...

It's satirical, yet ironic. I thought it was a clever jab at the sad state of our collective physique. It works on so many levels. It's just one of many hilarious T-shirts available now for a measly eight bucks!

Shocked? How is this possible?

Only at the Busted Tees Megasale.

More fun and funny stuff...

Service Pack 3 Glitch Kills Video Capture

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:28:00 +0000

After installing Windows XP SP3 my camcorder was no longer recognized when I plugged in the Firewire cable. No matter what I tried it wouldn't allow me to capture video.

Turns out there's a glitch in the IEE1394 driver you get with Microsoft's service pack that is well documented. However, the fix isn't that easy to find.

Fortunately it's quick and simple.

If you roll back the OHCI1394.sys file to the SP2 version you'll be able to capture video again. And this error isn't specific to any particular brand of camera or computer- I have a JVC but we tried a Panasonic, a Sony and Canon without any better results. This also applies to other Firewire devices, like hard drives.

I was able to fix the problem by copying the OHCI1394.sys file from my Dell's system support files (look for a folder called C:\i386). Otherwise dig out your Windows XP disk. Once you find a pre-SP3 version of the file open C:\Windows\System 32\Drivers and make a copy of your current OHCI1394.sys file. You might want to email it back to Bill later. Now copy the older version of the file into the System 32 Drivers folder and you'll get a warning that you're copying over a newer file. Just say "Thank you very much" and click OK.

Now restart and you should be good to go.

Abother option is uninstall SP3. That's a more lengthy process but easily done through the Add/Remove Program section of Control Panel. Hope this helps someone else solve their video capture troubles!

Deep Discounts at the "Open Box" Center at B&H Photo and Electronics

Great Source for Fuel Line Quick Connects

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:40:00 +0000

Here's a hot tip I picked up off the BMW R bike forum, R1150R.net...

Many BMW motorcycles use inline quick-disconnects on the fuel lines to make removal of the gas tank easier and less messy. It's a great idea because they make it quicker to unhook the fuel line, and they also shut off the flow of fuel when disconnected. I'm sure other manufacturers use similar fittings- and if not, they're a great addition to most any bike, boat, go-kart, etc.

The problem is many are made of plastic and become brittle with age. BMW even recalled their early versions and replaced them with a new design intended to last longer. But owners still report problems, and if one breaks on the road you're stranded.

The other problem is these things aren't cheap. That's why I was delighted to find these affordable high-quality brass disconnects available in 5/16" (the proper size to fit the BMW's 8mm fuel line). They are made with buna seals which is impervious to most fuels.

I ordered a pair through Amazon for less than the price of one from BMW.

Brass Quick Connects

Worst Cars List Needs Work

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Time Magazine marked the 50th anniversary of the Edsel with a list of the 50 worst cars in history. Syndicated columnist, Dan Neil, did the honors.

The list features the bizarre, the brash, and a few boondoggles. Like the spartan Briggs & Stratton Flyer from 1920 (right). I agree with many of lemons on this list- and have more experience with some than I care to admit- like the Triumph Stag, Masarati Biturbo and V-12 E-Type.

But many of Neil's picks flat miss the mark. He claims the original 1909 Model T was "the Yugo of its day." While it was certainly simple, okay- downright crude by modern standards, the Tin Lizzy sported some ingenious design features. The planetary transmission was simple and rugged, even it wasn't fashionable among automakers. So to was the flywheel-integrated magneto.

Other entries I take exception with include the DeSoto Airflow, MGA Twin Cam, Chevy Corvair, and General Motors ill-fated EV-1. His concept that being too forward-thinking is a bad notion might be true sometimes. But most of the more recent cars on the list (Pontiac Aztek, Hummer H2) illustrate the utter lack of it.

After all, designing cars to satisfy the quarterly report is what got us into this mess in the first place.

50 Worst Cars of All Time

Web Developer- Very Helpful Plugin

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:13:00 +0000

Here's a very handy plug-in for Mozilla Firefox I discovered earlier this week. It's simply called Web Developer.

Outwardly it's a pretty basic snippet of software that adds a toolbar and menu to the Firefox web browser (if you're still using Internet Exploder you'll need to start here). It provides various tools that any web geek will find invaluable. Installation takes about half a minute and it's compatible with all versions of Firefox from 1.0 on.

With a couple of clicks you can easily test a page to see what it looks like with no CSS stylesheet. Or to the user with Javascript disabled.

One of the handier items is a view of the rendered HTML that shows you what the browser sees after all the squirrels have gone back to their cages. Or check the Javascript view to see just what all those little code snippets turn in to after the page downloads!

There are tons of great plug-ins available for Firefox (browse). If you deal with any HTML or CSS for web page design this little toolbar will make you wonder how you lived without it.

To learn more or download the Web Developer plug-in go to addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60

Radio Milan on eMusic and iTunes

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Just in time for Christmas!

Now you can download Radio Milan music from iTunes, CD Freedom or eMusic. Sign up now with eMusic and you can even download them for free!

This album is a live set recorded on the KTUL television show "Night Shift." Songs on this set include classics like Forget Your Orders, Sofas in Motion, So Many People, Space-Age Pumps and Vampire 4 U. Download your favorite track or the whole album- such a deal!

These recording were made in 1984 when the band lineup was Tony Dapolito- vocals, Scott Miller- lead guitar, David Burdick- rhythm guitar, Rex Brown- bass and Les Mobley on drums.

And for those of you that still need something tangible to hold in your hand you can still order the Jim Anthology on compact disk. For the latest updates and samples from the analog music vault visit Radio Milan on My Space.

Photography Kudos

noreply@blogger.com (Rex Brown) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:13:00 +0000

Earlier this year Jackie and I went to Albuquerque on a business trip. I had just recently purchased my Olympus E-410 and was snapping photos and enjoying the high desert lifestyle (see Take a Left at Albuquerque for more).

Some of the pics came out pretty good and I shared them on my Flickr page. Then a few weeks ago I got a message from an outfit called Schmap. They make interactive guides to cities around the world that will play on your phone or website. Schmap was considering using this photo in their Albuquerque guide:

It was a gratis gig, but I said sure. What could it hurt?

Then yesterday I got a note that they had chosen my photo and it was now included in their Schmap Albuquerque Sixth Edition. I had never heard of Schmap before (which is possibly the whole point to this) but I like what they're doing. Who better to share the story of a city than the people who have been there?

And here's a cute little Schmap widget of their Albuquerque guide, complete with my lovely photo of the mission in Old Town.