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Entries by Logan Molen (283)

Saturday
Feb182012

Dog TV? For reals?

A new digital TV channel promises to deliver programming for -- get this -- "stay-at-home dogs." 

Dog TV promises programming like the video above, simulating what a dog might see from a moving car. There'll also be video of dogs playing or "relaxation" programming such as a faraway boat moving across a tranquil lake. A Marketwatch podcast even mentioned dogs like watching "SpongeBob Squarepants."

Here's how DogTV describes its vision:

"DOGTV's subscription-based channel organizes programing into 3 to 6 minutes of relaxing, stimulating and behavior-improving segments that work collaboratively to provide just the right balance for the daily routines of our beloved “stay-at-home” dogs."

Dog TV is a fee-based service, at $5 per month. Marketwatch reports there won't be any commercials, although I can see some crazy marketing trying to figure something out.

Thursday
Feb092012

'The Kids Are Alright,' Don Tapscott style

Don Tapscott is is one of our most brilliant thinkers, particularly when it comes to reforming education. 

I question a few of his points in this two-minute blast but appreciate his passion in defending the youth of today -- the ones us Boomers are leaving with one big, heaping pile of stink to clean up. 

Monday
Jan302012

Dirt track racing in San Luis, circa 1924

Check out this amazing video showing auto racing at nearby San Luis Obispo in 1924. I had never heard of Exposition Park Raceway, but it looked to be quite sizable for what must have been a relatively small farming town at that time. 

The Exposition dirt track was bumpy and dustyand drew a large crowd. According to the YouTube detail page, the track "was located along South Street between Higuera and Broad Street."

Couple fun things to look out for:

  • The close promixity of speeding cars and crew members casually walking alonside the track (the pits were not segregated by a wall as is common in modern tracks).
  • The dust plumes that follow the cars along the backstretch. They reminded me of the dust left by the Roadrunner. 
  • A nice pass on the backstretch that begins halfway out of Turn 2. 
  • A very quick pitstop in which a crew member deftly removes the damaged undertray of a car. Not sure they could make the repair any faster these days.
I'm regularly amazed with the scope of racetracks back in the day. I mean, how many tracks have you been to that have overhangs over the stands?