The Journey

Photos by Randy Stern

If it takes four-to-five years for a vehicle to cycle through, what legacy will it leave when production ends? How will the enthusiasts remember it? What kind of loyalty will its owners bestow upon it?

As production now switches to a sleeker, game-changing model, the fifth generation Hyundai Sonata will be remembered as an absolute pleasure to drive. It ranks up there with the 1986-2005 Ford Taurus and the current Chevrolet Impala as a car that I can drive without guilt, loaded with pleasure and safe to run. It’s the kind of car I had no problems taking friends in for some distance.

The term “comfort food” comes to mind when I get behind the wheel of this particular generation of Sonata.

(more…)

I wasn’t there – but, weeks later, I’m getting a full picture of what went down in San Francisco over President’s Day Weekend.

International Bear Rendezvous, for the uninitiated, is one of the biggest confabs for the aforementioned gay male subculture. It was 1996 when I popped my head into this run – seeing a plethora of guys who took what was considered a fetish into a viable community of like-minded gentlemen celebrating their humanity with the world. These were men who walked the line between masculinity and sexual orientation. It was a place where I found my identity without reprisal.

It has worked out for the most part. There is also delicate balance when I talk about the people from my past and the people I associate with (lately – sometimes begrudgingly).

Still, IBR remains a magnet for the stories that continue to be told. Through technology, these stories are brought to wanting ears. Granted, these are stories you’d rather not tell your grandchildren, but they do whet the appetite of those far from the scene confirm either positive or negative feelings about their ilk.

(more…)

For Canada to earn its 14th gold medal in these 2010 Olympic Winter Games, they relied on one of their youngest stars in the sports world to earn it.

Sidney Crosby.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ star scored the ultimate goal in overtime to beat USA Hockey’s Men’s Olympic team. He brought an entire planet on the edge of their seats – except for Chile where they were shaken by an enormous earthquake earlier that morning. It took one shot at 7:40 into the extra period. All the Buffalo Sabres’ Ryan Miller of the USA could do was watch.

(more…)

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games are over. Is that a sigh of relief coming through on the other side of the screen?

It began with the welcoming by the First Nations of Canada’s West. It ended with every Canadian stereotype short of Bob and Doug MacKenzie - Nickelback and Chad Kroeger’s hair included. The show inside BC Place Stadium ended with what a friend called “Divatron 2014” and the handing over of the Winter Games to Sochi, Russia.

In some instances, I enjoyed the games. For the most part, I wasn’t sure if the Olympic Movement had any meaning left for anyone. The sprit of competition, yes. “Owning the podium?” Not if it included beer and sparkling wine to celebrate a gold medal.

(more…)

2010/11 Saab 9-5. Photo by Randy Stern

Sometimes you win…and, sometimes you lose.

General Motors had quite a week with their former assets. The “win” is that GM was able to sell their Saab automobile brand to Spyker Cars NV of the Netherlands. Known as a bespoke maker of unusual-looking expensive machinery, the Dutch company is committed to centering Saab’s operations back to their roots in Trollhattan, Sweden.

Victor Muller, the head of Spyker Cars, made it clear that the company will make “real Saabs…Saab Saabs.” As an old Saab fan – that is music to my ears!

The “loss,” however, came by default as the Chinese government may have denied Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industries bid to buy the Hummer civilian SUV brand. GM has decided to wind down the brand unless a last-minute bidder comes through to take the controversial upscale SUV brand on.

Now that the decisions were made, how will they play out?

(more…)

The instrument panel of the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. Photo by Randy Stern

Journeys are meant to be taken with great vigor. At my age, there’s no limit as to the vigor I put into the journey itself.

Annually, I take a weekend trip somewhere in February – a mid-winter getaway as part of the celebration of the new birth year. Sure, it’s indulgent, but it serves as a reminder how much more adventure I have left in this body. Unlike most previous trips, I stayed inside the state I currently call home: Minnesota.

This state has a lot to offer year-round. Winter offers a new set of adventures both urban and beyond for the traveler. It challenges the soul in terms of weather resistance.

This time, I was lucky. Temperatures were around or above freezing. The skies were clear and sunny. The snow was either melting or simply iced over. The roads were mainly clear along the stretch I covered from Mankato in the south to Duluth in the north.

The original plan for this weekender was to see my close friend Scott performing in a local production of “The Secret Garden” at the Duluth Playhouse. Normally, I do not patronize musical theater, but I figured it was a good opportunity to see him in action on stage singing his heart out in costume. The Mankato part became a last minute addition for the purpose of punching my annual hockey ticket. In all, I covered almost 700 miles of road duty in two states – a smidgen of Wisconsin included in the total.

(more…)

It has to be tough to get psyched in that huddle if you’re in front of the home student section… Photo by Randy Stern

Sticker shock. It exists in spectator sports, too!

Here’s a question: How much are you willing to pay for a hockey game? What if you’re in a market where ticket promotions for your local hockey franchise are as rare as the elusive great pair of seats at the same arena?

The Minnesota Wild is the answer to these questions. Our less-than-ten-year-old National Hockey League franchise has been the bane of my frustration lately. The problem is not the team, but the arena. The Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul would be a wonderful place if the seats in the upper deck didn’t feel so tight and on top of each other. I’d rather have vertigo than sit in the third tier. Otherwise, I would have to cough up money I truly do not have for a pair of great and comfortable seats in the lower bowl (or, maybe, the second level). I simply could not justify a two-ticket bill of $170.00 or more for a team that appears to be rebuilding under a new coach and general manager.

Thankfully, the NHL is on vacation in Vancouver as their best play for their respective native countries. What is left is a plethora of hockey options ranging from the minor leagues, junior leagues and collegiate conferences. In the Twin Cities, the best alternative to the Wild is one of the most prestigious collegiate hockey programs in the country: The University of Minnesota. I must point out, however, that the Golden Gophers held court in the state’s game longer than the first NHL franchise that graced this community: The Minnesota North Stars (now the Dallas Stars). Being a long-standing tradition, there is a price one pays for admission. At $35.00, I had to rethink whether I’d like to attend my first Gopher’s Men’s hockey game before I can justify affording it.

(more…)

Did you hear about the one where Kevin Smith was shown the door to a flight because he was too big to fly?

This is no joke. Last weekend, Kevin Smith made a few appearances in San Francisco, including one at International Bear Rendezvous – the granddaddy of all bear runs. Several local friends who had other mutual friends attending said confab confirmed his appearance there. En route home, the filmmaker thought he’s go stand-by on the, Southwest Airlines, popular discount airliner back to Burbank out of Oakland.

Originally, Smith purchased two seats to comply with a policy Southwest had regarding the cartage of larger people onboard their flights. It wasn’t clear whether Smith was given two seats when he boarded the earlier flight. All we know was Smith had to off-board the flight because of Southwest’s policy.

When I stopped fuming over this airline incident, another came across my news feeds. This time, an American flying out Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island boarded an Air Canada Jazz flight to Montreal was off-boarded because he had an odor about him. The report did not state what kind of odor the passenger had.

Last month, I expressed my frustration with the air transport system because of recent incidents involving transport security. Granted, we’re still not out of the woods in this arena. So I ask again: How much more bullshit do I need to read or hear before I can feel confident with the airlines?

(more…)

Photos by Randy Stern

Writing about automobiles can be an exhausting job. It can also be rewarding. All I do is tell the story of a car from its history to the way it drives out in the real world. That’s the rewarding part!

However, there are instances when I can’t really devote a significant amount of bandwidth to writing about an automobile. Not because they suck or is not worth the effort. Rather, there are other things going on preventing me from truly parsing out my opinions about a particular vehicle whether it is noteworthy or not.

To catch up on some of the vehicles I have been driving lately, here’s some short takes for you to quickly read through. After all, bandwidth and short attention spans are indeed taken under consideration.

(more…)

2010 Ford Taurus Limited. Photo by Randy Stern

I was stunned by its appearance on Boxing Day, 1985. I was amazed by how well it drove a year later. I continued to support it through its final days, then I eulogized it. When they tacked the name to a slow selling monstrosity, I criticized it. Then, I drove it – and everyone that rode in it, enjoyed it.

What else can be said about the Ford Taurus – all 24 years of it?

How about a new chapter? I’m all too happy to oblige in telling the story of how a star once fallen has now found redemption. In fact, it’s a story I’ve been waiting to tell for years!

(more…)