Fisher factory up in flames

A landmark American factory burns.

Hooray and up she rises

The battle to save the Radio 4 theme tune goes on. You can listen here.

The fuel of the future

Methanol, a fuel long known to drag racers, is being touted as the fuel of the future. The Times has the story.

'Dyno Don' is dead

One of my drag racing heroes from the sixties, 'Dyno Don' Nicholson has died. You can read an appreciation here.

Is nothing sacred?

The BBC has announced that it is axing the Radio 4 theme tune. I used to love this at 05:30 - waking up to the same tune every morning - it was like Groundhog Day without Sonny & Cher!
Every day was the same - I put on the same suit, same tie and same white shirt and caught the same train to the same office with the same people and did the same things. I went nuts!
Eventually I had to stop and I'm alright now. [Well, at least I have a new set of obsessions.]
You can sign a petition here.

GM Futurliner

The GM Futurliner sold for $4.1m dollars at the Barrett-Jackson auction. Apparently the vendor was expecting $600,000!
More here.

Whistle a happy tune

The National Post has a piece on the styling salvation of Detroit.

Trader's Bank Building

To Yonge street in Toronto to photograph the Trader's Bank Building at #67 on the corner of Colborne Street. At fifteen storeys, the building designed by Carrère & Hastings was the tallest commercial building in the British Empire when built in 1905-6. [Source: Toronto Observed: Its Architecture, Patrons and History. Wm. Dendy & Wm. Kilbourn. Oxford University Press. 1986.]

Soul of the Machine

From typewriters to old computers: Paul Allen, an original Microsofty, has a website paying tribute to DEC, aka Digital, who pioneered the minicomputer. I remember visiting this company in Reading in the early eighties before the fall. Digital Park had a "street" indoors with a cafe and bank facilities and was a wonder at the time. DEC went the way of Wang and all the others caught in a proprietary timewarp - their word processors weren't 'compatible' when that was starting to matter.
BTW Allen is the man behind the Experience Music Project in Seattle - a homage to Jimi Hendrix and popular music culture. See PunchBuggy Passim.

Hunt and Peck

Have you got one of these lurking in your basement? Now as dead as a dodo - the typewriter has gone the way of the horse and buggy. This is a vintage Underwood model.
Actually I've discovered the black and white setting on my digital camera and wanted to try it. It is especially useful for photographing text in documents.

Total Quality Hogwash

Are they still dribbling on about mission statements and all that total quality BS at your office? Try the Dilbert random Mission Statement generator - saves hours on "Awaydays" drinking expensive bottled beers at out-of-the-way hotels that nobody in their right mind would stay at in normal circumstances.