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NASCAR Championship

Well, the final race was today at Homestead and as many suspected, Jimmie Johnson is the Nextel Cup Champion.

Honestly as much as his toady-ness annoys me, the truth is he and Chad Knauss are a first rate team and it was only a matter of time before they took the big one home. They deserved it. Congrats to them and the entire #48 Team.

It was a good race. It would have been more interesting to watch if the guys in the booth had talked about more people then just the top five Chase contenders. And Jimmie Johnson, could they have tried to go five minutes without talking about him?

(And how much saccrine psuedo-inspirational crap are we supposed to take? It's like molasses guys: a little goes a long way.)

“And we’re cycling through pit stops and hey…look who’s in the lead…Elliott Sadler!”

And they never mentioned him again. I know from the grid that he took four tires with 50-60 laps to go when everyone else took two. A smart move. If they were going to take four it was the time to do so when they still had the laps to make it work for them, but then he just vanished. Only by watching the ticker did I find out he had to drop out of the race and we don’t know for what reason.

Anyway, rough day for the #8. They were putting up a good fight and had a strong lead but a mess-up in the pits which ticked off Dale who then over-drove the car and smacked the wall…But hey, you guys ended up 5th in points, that ain’t chopped liver. Congrats on a great year. :)

And Elliott, congrats on hopefully finding the right situation for you to shine in next year. :)

Well. Except for the Banquet it’s over. As JJ and Co. sticks around to do Victory Lane on SPEED, everyone else is moving at warp speed to get their butts back to their respective families for hopefully a few days of coma and the Thanksgiving Holiday. NASCAR has the longest season of any sport, period. It starts February 12 and goes to now, the weekend before Thanksgiving. 36 races, plus the non-points oddities like the Nextel All Star and the Budweiser Shootout. Enjoy your time off fellas, you earned it.

It’s been an interesting season…

I have seen a couple lists of great import this weekend and felt I should contribute to the ongoing discussion of such vital topics as…

Greatest Songs of the 1980’s and Best Ships in SciFi.

We’ll tackle songs first and ships tomorrow.

Music of the 1980's

I graduated high school in 1989, so for me to discuss it’s pop culture is not an attempt at trendy kitsch, but a true nostalgia. As Grosse Point Blank spelled out so well, the music truly defined that generation, perhaps more so than the kids living today in a Clear Channel/manufactured music media world.

Now, there are many songs that are symbolic of the era. Born In The U.S.A. for example. Honestly, I was never overly fond of this song. I prefer Springsteen’s earlier stuff like Born to Run. However this was *the* song that represented the American Middle Class, it’s growing disillusionment with the Government and the failing American Dream. Had Reagan not heisted it for his 1984 campaign, it might have remained a pure rock anthem. As it was, it was everywhere and catapulted Springsteen into superstardom.

But every 80’s list includes and discusses songs like this and the Police “Every Breath You Take” and Duran Duran. I don’t need to go over those songs.

Here are some that to me represent that time in culture and my life.

That is, after being forced down to 10 and in no particular order…

- Life In a Northern Town by the Dream Academy. Arriving in Southern California from a miniscule town in Maine was something of a culture shock. Not to say that I didn’t take advantage of living in place that afforded more entertainments for the rebellious youth than swiping a six pack and driving off into the woods to get pregnant, but the big city, specially the hot big city, was never home to me. I still miss Maine. This song captures some of the pace and almost surreal detachment felt in such a grey cold place, even if the lyrics describe the height of summer.

- Suburbia by the Pet Shop Boys. This is where I moved into in Southern California and my Gawd did this song capture the vapid cloister teenagers were so desperate to escape.

- Whisper to a Scream by Icicle Works. There is no better teen rebellious angst empowerment song…ever. Though Big Country comes close, the drums on “Whisper”rock.

- Party at Ground Zero by Fishbone. There were many playful post-apocalyptic songs floating around during the 1980’s: Nina’s “99 Luft Ballons” and another one of my favorites Souxsie and Banshee’s “Cities in Dust” for examples, but this was the ultimate statement of, “We’ve been living with this nuclear Mexican standoff for so long, we just don’t care anymore.” ..and you can dance to it.

- Killing Jar by Souxsie and the Banshees, probably one of the most quietly influential bands of the era. Killing Jar is about vivisection, but it’s so..fun sounding. Honestly the lyrics an emotionally damaging exposé’ on mankind’s not mere capacity but seeming desire for destruction, but they are further brought into relief by being set to music that is so lighthearted. Which is kind of the point and how we ignore this part of ourselves. Plus the lyric “The soft hoodwink shadow size of make believe” inspired one of my favorite D&D characters. (I am such a geek.)

Honestly Souxsie had a bunch of great songs that I adored. Peekaboo, Cities in Dust, their remake of Dear Prudence and one of the sweetest, if a tad dark, love songs I have ever heard, The Last Beat of My Heart. It’s truly difficult to chose just one song from them.

- Just Another Day by Oingo Boingo. The only way most of the rest of the county has heard of Boingo is “That band Danny Elfman used to be in” or they hear “Dead Man’s Party” every Halloween, but some of us were truly blest to live on the West Coast and be exposed to Boingo’s darkly satirical light. Oingo Boingo’s tribute to paranoia remains one of my favorites to this day.

- Where the Streets Have No Name by U2. If there is one word to describe U2 it’s “passion”…and a completely tight and grand sound all their own. The same sweeping passion they brought to their political music they built their more personal or romantic music on. This one holds all the exciting and expansive promise of falling in love.

Interestingly enough, I remember KROQ in Los Angeles calling for fans to come down and be in the video…they got a few more than expected.

- Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol. What list wouldn’t be complete without an admission of a guilty pleasure? I don’t care what all you gutter-minded folk say it’s about, it damn fun to dance to.

And the video has all the nonsensical hallmarks of early MTV trashy goodness.

- Something About You by Level 42. Best/Cutest Love Song ever. That was just a great song. I really don’t know how to say anything more than that.

-Love Is a Stranger by the Eurythmics. Was their ever a vocalist like Anne? What a Voice. There are few women in music now who can sing, and even fewer who can emote as she can, plus she has matured nicely so women who loved her in the Eurythmics love her still as a soloist.

Like Bands like the Police and Bruce Springsteen, it is very hard to think of the music of the 1980’s without thinking of the Eurythmics. Truly there are many great songs to chose from but to take a break from the “Sweet Dreams” and “Here Comes the Rain Again”, I would chose “Love Is a Stranger” for expressing so eloquently all the fears most people have to conquer when they fall in love.

- Better Be Good To Me by Tina Turner. Speaking of women who can sing, Tina had 80’s women’s back and this was a great song for that “I’m getting over heartbreak” phase.

- Rag Doll by Aerosmith. Growing up in the North East, liking Aerosmith is as culturally de riguer as liking Lynnard Skynnard in the South East. During the 1980’s, Aerosmith came back together to save us from drowning in the New Wave and the release of Permanent Vacation was an event. Rag Doll is the fun with a old jazzy-rockin’ feel.

I was fortunate to see them, fourth row center, for their Pump Tour. The same year I saw Alice Cooper at the Pantages, 13th row. Honestly, there will be no shows that can top those. I never have to go to concert again.

Another 1980’s offering of theirs I really love is the bluesy What It Takes, but that was really in came out in 1989 which kind of pushes boundary a bit...though it was definitely before the Metal to Grunge transition.

-Pink Houses by John Cougar Mellencamp. (I could never stop saying the “Cougar”) Mellencamp always did balance pure American rock n’ roll with a poignant awareness of American small town culture. Hurt’s So Good and Jack and Diane on the same album for instance.

Note: After a discussion following the release of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, my brother and I decided that a person’s reaction to Jack and Diane was an acid test to whether they truly understood American small town life. People either say “Oh, that’s a cute song” or they just nod solemnly.

But my personal favorite was always Pink Houses. There is such a tattered and uniquely American pride in it.

- Pressure by Billy Joel. I love this song. I love this album (Nylon Curtin). It’s the in-yer-face Billy before he got tamed by Christie Brinkley. Pressure not only has a rockin’ sound, it’s “What the fuck do you know?” lyrics are a great way to vent at the world (and it’s something for someone trying to consul a friend through a crisis to keep in mind.) Plus the video image of Billy drowning in shag carpeting is one that stuck with me forever.

Oh lord, I’ve gone over ten haven’t it?

O.K. a couple more.

Come Dancing by the Kinks. It’s just a fun tune with a lovely hint of nostalgia.

Our House by Madness. Because if it wasn’t your house, you wished it was. Certainly after the video came out, which I think I remember it being voted the best of that year.

O.K. That’s the 80’s to me.

Democrats & Drivers

November 11th, 2006

Dear Congressmen, Congresswomen and Senators,

Congratulations on the Democratic Party’s retaking the House and the Senate. At last we can begin to breathe a little easier knowing that the legislation proposed by this the incompetent and ethically corrupt Bush administration will no longer simply be rubberstamped by a neo-conservative congress, that the balance of power between the three branches is finally returning.

Things gave gotten very, very bad in the last six years. We have placed our trust in your hands to bring back America, Land of the Free, Home of the Brave. Please, we beg you, don’t mess this up.

Now here is where I think the new Congress needs to start.

1. The security recommendations of the 9-11 Commission should put in place with all due diligence and speed. We want to be safe and “safe” means actually protecting American citizens not waging a morally nebulous war overseas.

2. A plan to withdraw our troops from Iraq within the next three years should be created as soon as possible, perhaps sooner.

3. We want an end to the Patriot Act, warrentless wiretapping and the Military Commissions Act. We want our 4th Amendment rights and our right of Habeas Corpus back. We want a complete end to the torture of detainees, no matter how the president may define it. Police departments all over the U.S. manage to illicit confessions everyday without laying a finger on their prisoners. Maybe the CIA and DOD interrogators should go take a class with the NYPD. We also want public trails of terrorism suspects and we want to suspects and their attorneys to have access to the evidence against them. If we “know” these people are trying to harm us, we should have proof and not be afraid of showing that proof.

Plus you can point out that as long as the Patriot Act has been in effect, it hasn’t caught anyone.

I never understood how having the FBI look at my pelvic exams was supposed to catch terrorists anyway.

Sorry, little off-color humor there.

4. You of course know there needs to be a comprehensive plan to eliminate the national debt. That means not only going after pork but rolling back tax cuts for the rich and corporations. Before I retuned to college full time this year, I was making 45k a year and paid 17% in federal and state taxes and I doubt I was the only one. I don’t mind doing my part, but when I hear that corporations pay only 5% of their income I find that completely unfair. There is an axiom about blood and stones that applies. Go after the people that have the money to make up for the mad spending spree the GOP has been on for the last 6 years.

5. We want an investigation into the misuse of taxpayer dollars by government contractors and companies like Haliburton with charges filed for any fraud or criminal misconduct. 45$ for a 6-pack of Pepsi applies as fraud.

6. We want veterans benefits to keep pace with the growing need of members of the armed services. We got them into this, we need to take care of them for the injuries they sustained on our behalf.

That's enough to start with.

Godspeed.

Sincerely,
Kiplingkat

Aaannd....

Best of Luck to Elliott and Dale at Phoenix today!

An interesting interview with Eillott in Paddock Talk Friday. Car of Tomorrow and Hunting.

Wonder how they adjusted the gear ratio?

And the beard is back! Yea!

Though I must say *this* pic is swiftly becoming one of my faves. *chuckle*

Some Quick Notes

Chasing Round Dice in Heaven...

I just wanted to say Requiescat In Pace to Godzilla, my Sister and Bro-in-Law's cat who passed over the weekend.

You once told me that if you you didn't belive in God, but you knew dogs went to heaven. I'm sure Cat's have annexed part of that for themselves. The soft cushy part with lots of mice.

My best wishes and thoughts are with you both. (((K&C)))

I Know I Said I Wouldn't...

But two items people might find of interest.

Robocalls Threatening Arrest for Voting

Like all the trouble with the diebold machines wasn't enough?
This is truly henious. I think election tampering should be treated as a serious felony resulting in hard prison time.

War Simulation in 1999 Pointed Out Iraq Invasion Problems

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A series of secret U.S. war games in 1999 showed that an invasion and post-war administration of Iraq would require 400,000 troops, nearly three times the number there now.

And even then, the games showed, the country still had a chance of dissolving into chaos.

This may be one of the many expert analysis mentioned in the Atlantic Monthly article I posted a couple years ago, Blind Into Baghdad. (It has been included in a book) that the Bush administration ignored in their stampede to invade Iraq.

Congrats to Dale Jr.!

Fighting the flu, Dale rallied back from 34th to finish 6th with a car that had smacked the wall early on. Well done indeed sir! Dale is third in the standings with two races to go.

So someone tell him to put down the controller and get some sleep.

It's the only thing for flu.

Elliott? What the hey happened?

And whomever is making him shave needs to be kicked in the shins.

...That's it! He's like Sampson. :D Betcha if they let him go "mountain Man" again he'd be posting top fives.

Please Vote!

I know things are really slimey and seem really hopeless out there right now, but it is certain nothing will change if we don't even try.

You can easily find your country board of elections online to find your polling place.

I know I owe you guys a final post on the Blockade Runners of the Civil War, it's forthcomming. Promise!

BTW- Go Elliott!

Qualified second at Texas!

Whooo!

And Good Luck to Dale Jr. as he persues his first championship! Have a great race guys.

Wrap Ups

Atlanta

Great race, let me first say Well Done! to Dale Jr. for bouncing back from Martinsville. I wasn't sure he could shake that one off, but when he blasted out of the gate to take the lead early (and when he didn't roll over and succumb to trouble mid-way through) I knew everything was cool in his head...Relatively. ;)

Mark Martin title chances have fallen out for good. Ever the Eeyore, Mark gave up on it two races ago, even if the sentiment of a majority of NASCAR fans had not. It's been a hell of a ride Mark and and we'll miss seeing you in action in Cup.

Elliott Sadler, snake bit indeed. What the hey?

"Where the Party's Are" in a microcosm.

In response to the NSA “Warrentless Wiretapping” bill coming up for vote, I wrote letters to all three of my representatives. G.K. Butterfield (Congress-D), Richard Burr (Senate-R) and Elizabeth Dole (Senate-R). Here are the letters I have received from Butterfield and Burr. I have not heard from Dole yet.

I have looked over Butterfield’s voting record and while there are many things he has voted for/against I do not agree with (such as for the "Endangered Species Amendment", and against the Education Appropriations bills) I can see where he is coming from. He represents a farming region. Ergo, many of his votes are very conservative (and that's the classically conservative) in trend. He is, however, also following the Dem-Trend of turning away from the Bush administration when only it was clear Bush was no longer enjoying popular support.






On the other hand, Burr is a complete tool.

"The President says... According to the Administration...the President has maintained....I believe the president has as his primary goal the safety of American citizens and he takes this duty very seriously to defend both our safety and our freedoms."










It's the lack of independent thought that disturbs me. This wasn't "I looked over the legislation and it looks fine for *thus* reasons..." This is "The president says it's O.K. so it must be..."

So much for Checks and Balances.

Remember what I said a long time ago about "faith based governance"? Looks like Burr needs to believe in his president a little less and in the Constitution and the American people a little more.

They are after all, the ones who sign his paycheck.

And I don't think I need to remind anyone here about the "It's just a piece of paper..." quote.

My problem? Only Butterfield is up for re-election and he isn't running against anyone. :P

Let's Take a Break, Shall We?

Since everyone is getting inundated night and day with politics by the mainstream media, I think I am going to take a political sabbatical until November 8th.

Unless, you know, something really heinous happens, like another Constitutional Amendment goes down.

Perhaps I'll throw in some historical stuff to allow folks some head space in between attack ads.

P.S. Mamograms hurt like Blazes! Owie!

Martinsville & Titus

Martinsville

Great race, just watching the schizophrenic standings was fun in and of itself ("He's eighth, now he's first, now he's fifth!"), but the race was pretty darn entertaining as well. Lots of lead changes and some interesting moves through some pretty hairy situations. Given the near record 18 cautions (and you could hear the tension in the booth whenever Bestwick mentioned they were getting close, in “Shut UP, man! You’ll jinx it…” sort of way), there was surprisingly little damage.

“He’s mine.”

Oh, that it could be so Denny, but Jimmy Johnson went ahead and proved me wrong by winning and putting himself back in contention. This, combined with Jeff Burtons engine failure, has proven that Brain France was right. As much as we all may bitch and moan about the "playoff format" of the Chase, between first and seventh place is less than 100 points. It’s going to be most anyone’s ballgame up until the very end.

Mark Martin has…well, I guess the only way someone in Mark’s position, and as high strung as Mark is, could survive this situation is to throw one’s hands up and go along for the ride. Part of me is disappointed because like many others, I would really like to see Mark Martin win the championship at last, but there’s another part of me which understands it completely.

Dale Jr. Well, if there is one thing about Dale is that you never have to rub anything in. He’s smart enough and honest enough to admit when he’s screwed up (getting overeager resulting in a spin out), most importantly to himself so he can learn from it. It reminds me, in my odd random way, of Kipling’s Law of the Jungle from the Jungle Book (the book, which is a rip-roaring adventure story for all ages, not the saccharine hash-up of Disney which is for small children) “One of the beauties of the Law of the Jungle is that punishment settles all scores, there is no nagging afterwards.”

He’s still one of the best drivers out there and he can bounce back.

Elliott’s day was, like last week: going swimmingly and then *ttthhhppbbbt*! Engine went to hell again. Well, I hope the engine department is as kind to him next year as they are being the Kasey right now.

The Rest of My Evening

After slamming my head against Russian for a couple hours, I took a break and caught Christopher Titus’ “Norman Rockwell is Bleeding” stand up on Comedy Central. Folks, it's dark, it's disturbing and it's funny as hell. Granted, this originally came out in 2004 and so most people have probably already seen it, but I hadn’t. I have not laughed like that in a while.

"The Los Angeles Times states that sixty-three percent of American families are now considered dysfunctional. Good. 'Cause that means when Armageddon *really* happens, thirty-seven percent of this population is going to *lose their minds*. "Oh my God, the world is over!" Us sixty-three percent? We're going to go, "Hey... there's no one watching the Lexus dealership…"

I do hope Mike has seen it, or if he has not he should. As should any of the other 63% of us who've missed it before now.

Pilot is in the pushing-herself-around-the-room-on-her-back stage....