Category: Video

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Kool April dragracing images reflect our car culture

My involvement with the Redding Dragstrip came about because the track president is a neighbor. The Dragstrip is truly a shoestring operation, mostly run on community enthusiasm since the early 1960s. Bob learned I had some web skills and volunteered me. Which is fine, really. Happy to help. The world’s oldest NHRA dragstrip is quite a unique asset for our town, and brings in loads of out of town money. The pro racers, and volunteers like retired policeman Ed Ochoa of WeLike2Race, ultimately support the Street Legal racing nights that keep local hot rods from staging unsafe clandestine races on your streets. And that’s a good thing indeed.

The strip operates on City owned property east of the airport. But Redding charges for the use, and doesn’t offer subsidies of any sort, even though we clearly subsidize other marginal tourist attractions who shall remain nameless. That’s okay, but our track is very much reliant on this one big weekend for most of its meager operating revenue, and the weather is notoriously fickle this time of year. Rain this weekend can kill their whole year. Fortunately this year, it looks very good for the races. I took some pictures and video for the track website at last year’s 2009 Kool April event, and you can click on either to view. Come on out Friday or Saturday. It’s Really Redding.
drags

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Another viral music video

One viral video leads to another, apparently. In case you haven’t seen it.

I’m old enough to remember cartoons by Rube Goldberg. He drew illustrations of kinetic stuff like this, except you the reader had to use your imagination as to how it would all actually play out. This commercial video makes no reference to Rube, but perhaps for good reason. Turns out he is protected by copyright, despite being dead for 40 years. There’s even a Rube Goldberg merchandise website. I wonder if after these artists are long dead, somebody will be merchandising viral videos with their OK-Go trademark?

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I get interviewed on KRCR News Channel 7

Orville Thomas of local ABC affiliate KRCR News Channel 7 interviewed me over the weekend about the impending deadline for the federal first time homebuyer tax credit. We spoke for quite a while at a home for sale where I am representing a first time homebuyer in escrow. Orville is a bright and articulate guy, so it was fun. We were in a bank-owned home where the seller is represented by Robin Rivera. My buyer had an emergency at the last minute, so Orville interviewed me instead, and ran with it. I think it turned out okay.


Always fun to see myself on TV. Thanks Orville!

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Beatlemania weekend – excellent short video

With the emergence on 9-9-09 of remastered Beatles tunes and the new Beatles Rock Band game, it’s been a Beatles weekend around here. If you’re not quite Beatled-out yet, I offer you an excellent cover version of Let it Be, from Russia with Love. Well worth a view.

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A lifetime in 42 seconds

Be sure to let this ‘buffer’ some before watching. Hit play, then pause for a bit.

Last Day Dream from Chris Milk on Vimeo.

It’s a brilliant work of film maker art. I celebrate the artist, Chris Milk. Kudos, sir.

Seeing it for the first time yesterday, it has proven almost too poignant for words. The recent death of Adam Martinez has been in my thoughts.

I knew Adam. Last year I showed him some homes, and helped him write an offer on one in east Redding. It was an unsuccessful bid, and he lost the house to another person. We learned later the winning offer had actually been for less money than Adam’s offer. Adam was very disappointed, and we drifted apart. You write a lot of home purchase offers as an agent, and sometimes they are unsuccessful. There can be any number of reasons. Some fail inexplicably, and others for reasons that become clear only in hindsight. Some lost transactions you forget and move on, but this particular offer has played over and over in my head since then, with a great many what-ifs. Now probably more so.

Erin was acquainted with the young man that struck Adam at the nightclub. A single blow to the head. We see where it’s being investigated as a homicide now. All in a very short instant….a moment that effectively shattered two young lives.

May God bless you Adam. My most heartfelt condolences to your family and friends.

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Canadian band Fear Zero

Ok these guys aren’t local to Redding, but a friend told me I should check out the video below. The guy can shred. Plus he has a cool accent, eh.


Octane – Fear Zero from Ken Mason on Vimeo.

They do more than shred. They have some catchy tunes and a new CD to promote. Check out the free download of radio friendly “Breathe Again” and you’ll see what I mean. Caution: this tune sticks in your head. The band link is HERE. I like what I’m hearing, they got me moving. I expect good things for them. Rock oot, eh!

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Imagining 10 dimensions in 11 minutes

This was an interesting and fun video about how to conceptualize 10 dimensions, although we beings only seem to occupy 3 or 4 of them. At least, so it seems. Well worth your 11 minutes.

Watch Imagining the ten dimensions in How to Videos  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
After watching this, I lay in bed the next morning wondering if time, the 4th dimension, was actually arranged on a Möbius path. We might find ourselves at the start of our path when we reach the end, like the Flatlander in the video. That would be odd. Anyway, thanks to my brother Ron for sending this one.

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Rare historical Drag Racing video from Redding CA 1962 or 63

I posted a very rare short video of a day at the races in either 1962 or ’63 at the Redding Dragstrip in Redding. It’s fascinating to see what it looked like back then. The video appears to a be a dub of an 8mm film titled “Drag Day”, and made by the Sparman family. Shot in “Sparmascope” no less. Really fun to watch:

Our great thanks to the Sparmans for preserving this bit of our history about 45 years ago. I am tracking down another one like this that is also very interesting, and hope to post it soon. If you have any old movies or videos of the Redding Dragstrip, I’d appreciate hearing from you. As of now, it looks like our dragstrip is the oldest continuously operating drag racing facility in California. Redding has always been a big car town, and these images reveal a glimpse of our past.

As an aside, I run the website for the Redding Dragstrip, since a neighbor found out I had the ability, and their previous web person bowed out. It’s been a lot of fun, and I’ve met lots of nice folks. You can view that website HERE.