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CHAD MCQUEEN, HIS DAD, AND A CAR CLUB NAMED “R GRUPPE”

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Chad McQueen, son of the late movie actor Steve McQueen. Chad is a very gracious man and was willing to talk with me at length about his famous father. For Porsche enthusiasts, Steve McQueen is best known for the 911S and 917K he’s seen driving in the epic racing movie Le Mans.

Unlike many actors today, he not only talked the talk, he walked it, and he did it with a strong sense of who he was. Steve (with a broken foot) and Peter Revson (heir to Revson cosmetics) led the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring in a Solar Productions Porsche 908 until the last hour. They officially finished second overall, although some feel they actually completed the winning number of laps first. At a minimum they won their class. Continue reading “”

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DRIVING THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST

Travel is a great way to see the world and experience its many cultures. Although it’s very exciting to fly far away to a place like Africa or Australia, local adventures can beckon just as strongly. Introducing his book, Travels with Charley (Charley was a French poodle), the famous American writer John Steinbeck said: “A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.”

One of my favorite locales closer to home is the central California coast. Continue reading “”

Neil Young

NEIL YOUNG : EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE

As part of its ongoing music archives reissue campaign with legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young, Reprise Records has recently re-mastered the first four of his classic solo albums: Neil Young, Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, After the Gold Rush, and Harvest. These titles are available either on regular CD (HDCD encoded), gold CD (in a box set), 140 gram vinyl (individual release), or 180 gram vinyl (also available in a box set). The limited edition box set is available here:

NeilYoung.com / BecauseSoundMatters.com

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HELLO AND WELCOME TO MY BLOG

I’m starting the New Year in 2010 with this commentary site, which reflects my personal areas of interest and how I view the temporal quality of life. My goal is to post something at least once a week on one of my four major passions: Photography/Video, Classic Porsches, Travel, and Music.

Hopefully I’ll provide a useful perspective on how each of these pursuits can be experienced with more than one unique sensory experience. I plan to review on average one photo tip, one sports car article/video, one journey, and one music album every month.

-Randy Wells

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I MADE THIS PHOTOGRAPH OVER 40 YEARS AGO

Hard to believe today, but this was my subject in New Zealand in the spring of 1980. A boy in a worn Superman t-shirt sitting in front of a corner store on the south island of New Zealand. I remember I had a 24mm f/1.4 lens on my Canon F-1 with Kodachrome 25 film. Seems just like yesterday with my buddy who’s celebrating his birthday this week … wish I was there now.

KEEPING IT FRESH

Here’s some good advice for the jaded photographer I came across:

“If your images have become predictable to you, they likely feel predictable to others too. Curiosity isn’t just about experimenting; it’s about maintaining a genuine interest in exploring the unknown within your craft. Nostalgia can become a trap, too. (Mr.) Chakyat shares his own occasional struggles with relying too much on past successes to justify current complacency. His advice is clear: reflect on your achievements, but don’t let them excuse your lack of present ambition.

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THE BEATLES REDUX

Happy New Year!

It’s been a hell of a journey. “Ob La Di, Ob Li Da”.

As Joseph Campbell said, “”I don’t think the meaning of life is what we’re seeking. I think it’s an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.” The message is to enjoy life fully in the moment.