Gee-whiz!

The Pontiac G8 GXP is the best performance sedan you can buy for under $40,000. Period.

It’s easy to see that this is the perfect car for the dad that hasn’t thrown-in-the-towel, given in to the pressure of his wife’s nagging and decided that the purchase of a mini-van would indeed be the best decision. (C’mon guys…you know better! A mini-van is never a good decision.)

Well, now you can tell her the Pontiac G8 is a 2009 Consumer Guide Best Buy! General Motors and the Pontiac team have done a fantastic job on this world class vehicle. It’s sad that the Pontiac brand will be slimmed down in the near future, however niche models like the G8 will remain for at least 2 years! It’s my understanding Pontiac models will be available through your Chevrolet dealer in the future. (thanks Nuria – @GMBlogs)

415 hp out of a 6.2L V8!

415 lbft of torque!

6 speed manual! (if you want it, and you do want it.)

A “Norman Rockwell” afternoon.

A few times a month we go to the town square in , Ohio. There are several independent shops we enjoy visiting including my favorite train store.

A couple weekends ago the Annual Ice Festival was going on and the kids got a real kick out of watching the artists work on huge slabs of ice!

You know Juno?

As a graphic designer, I am always drawn to products that have terrific packaging and labeling – wine is no exception.

South Africa has a great selection of wine varieties, including their own breed of Pinotage grape. But to me, grapes alone don’t make the wine successful, you must also have a strong brand.

The Juno wine brand features marketing materials designed and painted by the famous South African artist Tertia Du Toit. The packaging and labeling is a reflection of the fun-loving nature of women and wine together. The brands strong consumer appeal is supported by the sale of Juno merchandise, including T-shirts, canvas prints, aprons, and other gift-related items.

These value wines ($10 a bottle) also have the quality to bring consumers back for more!

My wife and I enjoyed a blended bottle of Cabernet (50%) Shiraz (30%) Merlot (20%)

You can pick a bottle up at www.buehlers.com

GeoTrax!

A few years ago we started collecting GeoTrax. These toys are a lot of fun, and can really help teach kids (and dad’s!) about train track layouts.

Even though GeoTrax are highly collectible, I have not noticed any for sale at the toy and train shows held around the Ohio area.

Check out their blog! Follow the link in my blogroll.

Brand rumble. 1st gear.

In a series of new posts that I will publish in the next few weeks I am going to share with you some of the advertising and advertising art that Harley-Davidson has commissioned over the past 105 years.

Harley-Davidson is one of a handfull of brands that truly defines the idea of a product having a “tribal” following. What is interesting to note is that the Company, from nearly the beginning, has viewed themselves as a brand that would bring the lifestyle of motorcycle ownership to the entire world.

If you are interested in the series of posts you read here you would really enjoy a visit to the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee. It is one of the best interactive museums I have visited. Museum.jsp?locale=en_US

The illustration below (1929ish) depicts consumers from all walks of life circling the globe on a highway “paved” by the Company. The earth has been skillfully turned by the artist to allow the famous H-D Bar & Shield logo to find optimal contrast from the background, enforcing terrific hierarchy. The factory is working hard (see the smoke) to support the demand of a growing number of riders.

Enshrined.

If you are a baseball fan a must visit for you is The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Plan your visit

Good morning. Good afternoon. Good night.

Kerry Wood, the Cleveland Indians new closer is a stike out pitcher.

Hitters can’t settle in at the plate against this guy, he has 1407 strike outs in only about 1219 innings pitched! I am really excited about Kerry joining the Tribe and giving Eric Wedge the ability to manage the bull pen and the rest of the Club to a championship season in 2009.

My baseball perspective: I have watched and listened to more baseball games in the past 20 plus years then a lot of other fans I know, except my Grandfather. It might sound like bragging, or a claim that I could not prove, but it’s not. I just feel that if I am going to give you my opinion, I owe you an explanation for how I gained my understanding of the game. Over time I have read dozens of baseball books on theory, history and strategy,  I will often revisit the Ken Burns documentary on the sport and I have spent hours inside The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Over the years I have been lucky enough to have collected 16 foul balls that I either caught in the upper deck of Cleveland Municipal Stadium or had bounce my way while sitting with the ground crew. Dave Fry, the person in-charge of the ground crew at the old stadium saw my Grandfather at so many games, we had an open invitation (as fans) to sit with the ground crew. This unique perspective in combination with the amount of games watched has helped me to understand the nuances of baseball. Oh..and I am still learning!