Yesterday’s St. Pete Times ran another feature update on Clearwater resident Evel Knievel’s daily routine as years of wrecks and crashes vie with the liver transplant and arthritis to see which is the most debilitating.

Looking back, it’s hard to believe the stunts he tried and succeeded at, let alone the disasters, from the seat of an Ironhead Sportster and the pogo stick suspension of the day.

If you’re interested in a field study on how the quality of life could be affected after falling down repeatedly at high speed, this might be the one to archive.

For a real behind the scenes look at SEMA’s behemoth, watch for Discovery Channel’s hi-def production hosted by builder legend in his own time Chip Foose. This is one smart docu-pitch, filmed after hours and without the usual mind-numbing acid guitar for no apparent reason loops.

I discovered what I missed — a lot — by skipping the tires and wheels pavillion at the show. Foose, one of the most talented car crafters of this era, acknowledges his peers while discretely letting you know why he’s the talent at the top of the hill. (Foose and powersports bike builder Denny Berg are both Transportation Design graduates of the acclaimed Pasadena Art College — proof that while there’s natural talent, developed natural talent puts these practitioners on a level of their own.)

In rotation for awhile, go to Discovery Channel’s web site then select Discovery HD and search for SEMA: After Hours for next cablecast.

Collected random access tidbits…Detroit agencies are having to suck it up after the Big 3 bail on traditional agency hookups worth over $880-mil…Harley’s going after the Latino market with a new comic book based campaign that acknowledges the sagging boomer demos…Miami agency Crispin Porter Bogusky loses popcorn action after resurrecting Orville Redenbacher icon as digitized spokesman for the brand, leading cynics to pan ads “Deadenbacher” while reminding me of the last gasp campaign for Schlitz — The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous — and instantly dubbed “Drink Schlitz Or I’ll Kill You”, before the taps were permanently closed in the ’90s…Dodge’s quick-step out of court sealed settlement for an undisclosed amount doesn’t bode well for chop fabber Billy Lane’s upcoming criminal trial in September on DUI-manslaughter charges…BMW picks up Husqvarna in a synergistic marketing extension — former Swedish brand expected to bolster entry level, Gen-X rider interest…

Do you manufacture tech-related products? Do they involve paint, welds, metalurgy, clothing, synthetics, plastics, chrome, cnc, etc.?

While NASA the government agency might draw a laugh or two from time to time, nobody’s laughing when one of their majestic flying machines rockets into orbit. So here’s the deal: you’re a taxpayer, and they’ve got solutions. Boy, do they have solutions.

NASA’s loaded with engineering talent. And that talent’s available to the general public with surprisingly few strings attached. Only small business (less than 500 employees), no software or IT issues, a 40-hour research limit and your dilemma can’t be easily solved by the private sector.

Otherwise, SATOP — the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program — is ready and waiting to help you solve your otherwise insurmountable mind-benders.

It’s a 12-year-old program that renders aid to the commercial sector in the form of really good answers to a bewildering array of questions. You work by e-mail, fax and/or phone, after having your problem reviewed and then matched to a NASA volunteer for peer review.

Seems like a good deal to us — after all, this is the outfit that came up with Teflon and Velcro.

Two new titles join the growing number of pubs devoted to v-twin customs and near customs. American Bagger and American Cycle are both based in Spearfish, while Hot Bike’s Baggers is a product of the Primedia library. Find both on the shelves now.

Another new entry (or re-entry) into the powersports trade books now circulating is Canadian Powersport Trade, a bi-monthly resurrected from the former Motorsport Dealer and Trade and aiming for a stronger presence in the leisure wheeled field.

[Manipulated image, left, uses pro tricks and Photoshop’s built-in filters to even out flaws in original, right.)

Even though art directors always want images shot on a two-wall cyc, it’s not always that easy. For those difficult shots to make it into print, it’s Photoshop to the rescue.

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