The Allstar race
As usual, last night I watched the NASCAR all-star race. It used to be called The Winston and now it's called something else much longer. Every year this once-exciting race just gets harder and harder to watch. It's become a wreck fest with interminable delays between the segments. It's just not fun anymore. The race consists of three segments and after the first segment the friggin' stinkin' Red Hot Chili Peppers played a song. Not only that, in a race that is short and brings out aggressiveness in the drivers they used a hard tire that seems designed to best serve long green-flag runs. Like restrictor plate racing, it's almost like NASCAR intentionally designed this race to have a big wreck. I guess aggressive driving and an inverted field wasn't a good enough guarantee, NASCAR made sure they got "the big one" with an inappropriate tire. I don't know if I am going to even bother next year. Last night was the second race in a row at Charlotte that sucked.
If it hadn't been for Robby Gordon driving in the open I might have fallen asleep before the end. His blatant disregard for his, or anyone else's, race car was truly a sight to behold. Three wide in turn one? Let's give it a shot. I was half expecting him to get his right side tires up on the wall and pass like he was Tom Cruise in "Days of Thunder."
It really is time to change the nature of this race and I have the perfect idea. I think they should leave Charlotte and take the race to Bristol. They should then completely change the format. They should run a series of ten to twenty lap shoot-outs and invite everybody: Busch drivers, Craftsman Truck drivers and a few regional champs to duke it out with the big guys. You could do it like the U.S. Open, if you have success at a high enough level then you can bring a car and test your mettle with the best. Each heat would have one or two Cup drivers and they would be on the pole, everyone else behind them would scramble for the last transfer spot or two. Heck, you could do this over two nights. It would be huge and could attract race car drivers from all over the country like the Daytona 500 used to. Just imagine a two night stock car shoot out championship at the coolest race track in the world? Surely there would be a Cinderella or two and people go crazy for those kind of competitors. I really should be in charge.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Rainbows at the library
I went downstairs to buy a soda in the breakroom about 7:45 tonight. When I got back upstairs the downpour from earlier was now a steady rain. Looking out the windows behind the reference desk there was no rain, just dark steady-moving clouds. Sitting at the reference desk and looking across, out the windows opposite, I could see a golden rain lit by the sunset. I thought that there must be a rainbow in these conditions. I looked back out the windows behind the reference desk and, sure enough, a half rainbow arcing out of the trees and to the left out of sight. It's nice to have windows at work.
I went downstairs to buy a soda in the breakroom about 7:45 tonight. When I got back upstairs the downpour from earlier was now a steady rain. Looking out the windows behind the reference desk there was no rain, just dark steady-moving clouds. Sitting at the reference desk and looking across, out the windows opposite, I could see a golden rain lit by the sunset. I thought that there must be a rainbow in these conditions. I looked back out the windows behind the reference desk and, sure enough, a half rainbow arcing out of the trees and to the left out of sight. It's nice to have windows at work.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
The porpoise is waving, goodbye, goodybe
Ah, god bless the RIAA. They keep jamming their heads further into the ground. It's a losing battle and they are fighting it horribly. Thank god for that, it'll end the recording industry sooner.
Ah, god bless the RIAA. They keep jamming their heads further into the ground. It's a losing battle and they are fighting it horribly. Thank god for that, it'll end the recording industry sooner.
Monday, May 15, 2006
More on the race
I can't begin to tell you how fun it is to go to Darlington for a race. I wish you all would come next year. It would be fun. We'd camp out. Eat some food, drink some beers and then go so the race. Fun times. Scot Fowler in a recent Charlotte Observer column called Darlington the closest thing NASCAR has to a Wrigley Field or a Fenway Park. He's right, the place is just that cool. A big track in the middle of Nowhere, SC is where every Cup race should be held.
A few observations: I have a couple of pictures of that kid and his father that were next to us in my little photo essay. It really bugged me that they were there for almost the whole race and the child had no ear plugs in. That is so negligent on the father's part. It really distracted me for a while. Huffy did a cool thing. He let the kid where his radio headset for a while. He really appreciated it.
Unless you had a Nextel telephone, wireless phones were almost useless at the track. I understand that Nextel is the sponsor of the series but to shut out so many race fans that are trying to contact their friends is baloney. I can't get a signal and some guy using a Nextel phone walks by yakking into his phone is just a litte infuriating. Especially when you are trying to get together with a friend you don't see that often. Unbridled marketing turns NASCAR into a whore once again. The intentional denial of service to fans who pay eighty bucks to camp and eighty dollars for race tickets is a giant kick in the balls by those getting rich off your money.
Poor Jeff Gordon. He used to get so roundly booed during pre-race introductions. Now the bile directed toward him is nothing when compared to the hatred the fans turned on Kurt Busch on Saturday. Ever since Jimmy Spencer punched him in the face Kurt has been villain number one to the fans in the stands. Congratulations are in order. Like Gordon once said, "At least they are paying attention to you." The complete ambivalence shown a couple drivers was really funny. I think I would rather get booed than ignored.
I can't begin to tell you how fun it is to go to Darlington for a race. I wish you all would come next year. It would be fun. We'd camp out. Eat some food, drink some beers and then go so the race. Fun times. Scot Fowler in a recent Charlotte Observer column called Darlington the closest thing NASCAR has to a Wrigley Field or a Fenway Park. He's right, the place is just that cool. A big track in the middle of Nowhere, SC is where every Cup race should be held.
A few observations: I have a couple of pictures of that kid and his father that were next to us in my little photo essay. It really bugged me that they were there for almost the whole race and the child had no ear plugs in. That is so negligent on the father's part. It really distracted me for a while. Huffy did a cool thing. He let the kid where his radio headset for a while. He really appreciated it.
Unless you had a Nextel telephone, wireless phones were almost useless at the track. I understand that Nextel is the sponsor of the series but to shut out so many race fans that are trying to contact their friends is baloney. I can't get a signal and some guy using a Nextel phone walks by yakking into his phone is just a litte infuriating. Especially when you are trying to get together with a friend you don't see that often. Unbridled marketing turns NASCAR into a whore once again. The intentional denial of service to fans who pay eighty bucks to camp and eighty dollars for race tickets is a giant kick in the balls by those getting rich off your money.
Poor Jeff Gordon. He used to get so roundly booed during pre-race introductions. Now the bile directed toward him is nothing when compared to the hatred the fans turned on Kurt Busch on Saturday. Ever since Jimmy Spencer punched him in the face Kurt has been villain number one to the fans in the stands. Congratulations are in order. Like Gordon once said, "At least they are paying attention to you." The complete ambivalence shown a couple drivers was really funny. I think I would rather get booed than ignored.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Ed and Huffy go to Darlington
I got back from the race in Darlington this morning. Last night was the second annual mothers day weekend Darlington night race. It was awesome. Here are a few photos.
We camped of course. Drank beer at the camp site. Of course. Here's Huffy getting ready for his first beer. Maybe his second. Possibly his third?
Me at the camp site. After a beer or two.
Guys walking across the sand from the liquor store next to the campground.
My favorite porta john.
Our campsite.
Me practicing pointing out trouble in turn one in my brand new Mark Martin t-shirt.
Now were are inside the track. Here fans give the finger to Kurt Busch.
Race fans.
The start of the race.
A few minutes later. Cars whizzing into turn one.
This cute kid sat next to us. He was with his father and neither of them were wearing ear plugs. The kid's going to be deaf before he is a teenager.
Father and son watching cars go by.
Guys in the grandstand above us.
Of course there was a fight.
The guy with no shirt being hauled off after causing the fight.
A few cars going by. Notice the number 6 car of Mark Martin.
The walk back to the campsite.
The morning after. Showing no sign of ill effects from the night before.
I got back from the race in Darlington this morning. Last night was the second annual mothers day weekend Darlington night race. It was awesome. Here are a few photos.
We camped of course. Drank beer at the camp site. Of course. Here's Huffy getting ready for his first beer. Maybe his second. Possibly his third?
Me at the camp site. After a beer or two.
Guys walking across the sand from the liquor store next to the campground.
My favorite porta john.
Our campsite.
Me practicing pointing out trouble in turn one in my brand new Mark Martin t-shirt.
Now were are inside the track. Here fans give the finger to Kurt Busch.
Race fans.
The start of the race.
A few minutes later. Cars whizzing into turn one.
This cute kid sat next to us. He was with his father and neither of them were wearing ear plugs. The kid's going to be deaf before he is a teenager.
Father and son watching cars go by.
Guys in the grandstand above us.
Of course there was a fight.
The guy with no shirt being hauled off after causing the fight.
A few cars going by. Notice the number 6 car of Mark Martin.
The walk back to the campsite.
The morning after. Showing no sign of ill effects from the night before.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Fascinating
There's a new Google tool which allows you to see how often a certain search term or terms are used in Google. During my independent research I discovered that the most popular member of KISS is roughly equal in searches to the least popular Beatle. Kinda puts Gene Simmons huge ego into a proper context.
More cell phone stuff
Yesterday and today I spent a lot of time calling people I know and harrassing them. I haven't harrassed Ms. Yockey yet. You're next, sugar.
I also downloaded a couple of ringtones. I couldn't help. Highway to Hell by AC/DC? Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden? How could I say no? I tell you, nothing beats the opening riff to Highway to Hell to alert you to an incoming call. Lawdy, it's nice.
There's a new Google tool which allows you to see how often a certain search term or terms are used in Google. During my independent research I discovered that the most popular member of KISS is roughly equal in searches to the least popular Beatle. Kinda puts Gene Simmons huge ego into a proper context.
More cell phone stuff
Yesterday and today I spent a lot of time calling people I know and harrassing them. I haven't harrassed Ms. Yockey yet. You're next, sugar.
I also downloaded a couple of ringtones. I couldn't help. Highway to Hell by AC/DC? Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden? How could I say no? I tell you, nothing beats the opening riff to Highway to Hell to alert you to an incoming call. Lawdy, it's nice.
Monday, May 08, 2006
The big news
Are you ready? OK, the big news is that I got me a cell phone. That's right, Troy is the only one left. I am going to hang with Troy on not reading the Da Vinci Code but I had to back out of the cell phone thing. Just to be a dick I tried to talk on my phone while driving today. Driving on a cell while driving with a manual transmission is really hard. I might have to go hands free.
Are you ready? OK, the big news is that I got me a cell phone. That's right, Troy is the only one left. I am going to hang with Troy on not reading the Da Vinci Code but I had to back out of the cell phone thing. Just to be a dick I tried to talk on my phone while driving today. Driving on a cell while driving with a manual transmission is really hard. I might have to go hands free.
The big news
Are you ready? OK, the big news is that I got me a cell phone. That's right, Troy is the only one left. I am going to hang with Troy on not reading the Da Vinci Code but I had to back out of the cell phone thing. Just to be a dick I tried to talk on my phone while driving today. Driving on a cell while driving with a manual transmission is really hard. I might have to go hands free.
Are you ready? OK, the big news is that I got me a cell phone. That's right, Troy is the only one left. I am going to hang with Troy on not reading the Da Vinci Code but I had to back out of the cell phone thing. Just to be a dick I tried to talk on my phone while driving today. Driving on a cell while driving with a manual transmission is really hard. I might have to go hands free.
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