The movie was being shown about a dozen miles straight down the road from my hotel. A light drizzle was just beginning as I set out. It soon became a steady rain which became a heavy rain. Then there was a little hail mixed in then a little more. The rain became a deluge and the hail started to sound like golf balls being dropped on the car's roof from a great height. It didn't take long for that downpour to create foot deep streams in the outer lanes of the road. As the streams got deeper and the hail got louder, it suddenly got darker. It was already dark but now the street lights went out. I never encountered non-working traffic signals and all lighting appeared to be working as I approached my destination but at least a couple miles of my drive was without the benefit of overhead lighting. I began the first day of this trip lamenting that I was prevented from driving my old -- and leaky -- convertible Valiant. As hail pounded the roof and rooster tails shot high above it, my mind was saying, "Thank you driveway sealer man. Thank you."

The movie I was off to see was produced by members of Historic Roads whose conference, "Preserving the Historic Road 2012", was also being held in Indianapolis. The Why in the Road uses Indiana roads and people to address the question "Why are these roads so important to preserve?" This is not a slick Hollywood production but neither is it crude and amateurish. The video is quite good; The audio less so. The audio isn't all that bad but music and interviews sometimes start or end abruptly and sound levels vary. No words are lost and it is certainly listenable but it is evidence that the movie is not, as I've already said, a slick Hollywood production. The movie does not provide a single crystal clear answer to the question it asks but it offers many suggestions. I don't know what plans are for the movie. Though not perfect it is still very good and something every road fan I know would enjoy and its potential for making others aware that historic roads do exist is obvious. Hopefully it becomes generally available in some form.

Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand, KV.

I've no particular memories connected with the cars in the last three pictures but I kind of liked the pictures. The very last picture shows what a difference a century makes. That's Ray Harroun's 1911 race winning Marmon Wasp on the left and Dan Wheldon's 2011 Dallara/Honda on the right. Aside from the obvious technology advances something else has happened over the century that I don't consider an advance at all. In 1911 there were, by my count, twenty-four different automobile models represented by the forty entrants. That meant it was necessary that I identify the 1911 winner as a Marmon. Identifying the 2011 winner as a Dallara/Honda wasn't necessary at all. Every one of the thirty-three entrants was a Dallara/Honda. The Speedway was conceived as a manufacturer's test track but that aspect of the place slowly faded over the first nine decades. It's now completely gone and the Indianapolis 500 is formula racing presented as pure entertainment. It's sometimes good entertainment but I sure miss the Novis and Chevys and Buicks and Alphas and turbines and diesels and cars with six wheels.