April 2002  The Magazine  Past Issues  Write for Us   About the
Magazine  Letter from Editor  Order Back Issues     The
Innovator  Technology’s upward spiral brings us more for less.
That’s the special magic of innovation.  The late songwriter
Steve Goodman put so many of my feelings into words, it’s second
nature to look to him when there’s something really big to work
through.  "My Old Man" starts out:  I wish he was here with me.
With his corny jokes and his cheap cigars   That’s not an easy
thing to do,  But no one ever knew a more charming creature  On
this earth than my old man.  My dad sold a few cars, but only
after he had personally refurbished the mechanics and sprayed on
a fresh new coat of paint. Folks liked getting a car from him
because they knew that, unlike at used car lots, the engine was
always better than the paint. He performed those mechanical
miracles in the garage next to the house, which he built with
his own hands and those of a few good friends. He was a
Renaissance man of the mecha