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I have been waiting for this for years. Since I returned to watching NASCAR circa 2005, I have been irritated by Kyle Busch, the younger brother of Kurt Busch. At the time, he was part of Hendrick Motorsports, and that made me cringe. The two worst teammates for my favorite, Jeff Gordon, have been Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Both are extremely self-serving and rationalize everything away. I watched Jeff help them and get the door slammed in his face over and over again.
Finally, Hendrick had an opportunity to expunge Busch from their presence. He landed at Joe Gibbs Racing where the religious Joe Gibbs has vowed to rein in the young driver, much as Roger Penske has done for the still vocal, but now more sensible, Kurt Busch.
The elder and arrogant Busch found himself in hot water after getting arrested and being rude, shall we say, to the Phoenix Police Department. His then car owner, Jack Roush, parked him. Between that and Penske's subtle guidance, and also with a nod to marriage, Kurt Busch has become much more likable. He's no saint and he's strongly vocal, not all in good ways, but his demeanor has changed significantly. He learned, and he's tried to teach Kyle, but the younger Busch is still leaning towards arrogance, even though he's now married as well.
Kyle Busch has claimed to be a different person now, but in the truck race Friday night, he and Ron Hornaday had a minor skirmish. Kyle totally blamed Hornaday. I was watching the incident as it happened. It was a 3-wide situation with Hornaday in the middle. He was a bit of a ping pong ball, and he was definitely loose when he and Kyle had contacted.
Here's the thing. Neither truck was all that damaged. A pit stop, and both could have gone on and finished well, perhaps even winning the race. However, with the yellow flag out, Kyle intentionally rammed Hornaday into the wall. Hornaday's truck bounced around in Kyle's, taking out both trucks.
NASCAR immediately parked Kyle's truck for the race and ordered him to the hauler after the race. They repeated that command for this morning and included the Gibbs' contingent. Then Mike Helton made the announcement: Kyle Busch would be parked for both the Nationwide race today and the Sprint Cup race on Sunday.
Well, it's about time! Like I said, I've been watching Busch's one-sided antics for years. No one denies he's a great driver; his record shows that. However, he lacks maturity and sensitivity. In short, he's a jerk, and what happened in the race proves that he has not changed a bit.
NASCAR's "have at it, boys" policy has been beneficial, but this time, Kyle crossed the line so much that the governing body had to act, and they did. More penalties may follow, and more bad things may occur for the still-arrogant Kyle Busch. After all, I've always wondered why child-friendly M&M's would want to sponsor someone like Kyle.
Who knows? Maybe now, they won't!
Regardless, this feels like sweet justice, long overdue. It took years, but finally, NASCAR responded.
Have a nice weekend, Kyle, as you watch the races at home!
I am so thrilled. After a very long winning drought, Jeff Gordon, my favorite NASCAR driver, won today's race in Phoenix, Arizona. He had an awesome car. He led the most laps and easily passed Kyle Busch for the win. It was a good race, but I was bummed that Carl Edwards crashed out (courtesy of Kyle, by the way).
The important thing, though, is that Jeff won the race. Way to go, Jeff!
I love NASCAR and it's revving to go. The biggest event of the racing season, the Daytona 500, is days away. On the pole will be Dale Earnhardt Jr. Considering this is the 10th year anniversary of his famous father's death, it somehow seems appropriate. On the outside pole will be my favorite, driver of the 24 car, Jeff Gordon. These two are teammates now, so it's a good start for their team.
The equivalent of the Daytona 500 to Formula One racing is probably the Monaco Grand Prix. The difference between the two is that F1 is probably more international in scope than NASCAR is. That's on a broad scale. From the practical, it's the type of vehicles that are used and the tracks raced on that are probably the most obvious differences.
Monaco grand prix hospitality deals with a huge number of visitors for this race which twists and turns its way through Monaco, the last home of America's beloved Grace Kelly. It's a course that is difficult to pass on, but it's a prestigious event that the drivers look forward to.
Regardless which sport you are passionate about, it's definitely time to go racing for 2011.
I've just finished watching the results show for Dancing with the Stars. Bristol Palin was saved again. Look, there is no way that on her own she has that kind of fan base. This is all her mother, and I don't buy Bristol's innocent act that she has no clue what is going on. If she really thinks that way, she has one very huge ego.
Donny Osmond had one of the best organized 'vote for me' when he was on, and that came from 50 years of performing. Bristol had a baby while unwed. That's her claim to fame. This is all Sarah Palin's doing, and she's lying if she denies it.
That's my two cents on it. Bristol should have been gone at least 4 weeks ago.
On the NASCAR front, I was glad to see that Kyle Busch was fined for giving the finger to a NASCAR official. While I didn't buy his average apology after the race, his statement since then seemed more sincere.
I was also glad to see that the Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton fight didn't rank a comment, penalty wise. Have at it, boys!
I had a phone call from someone wanting to know if I wanted to invest in gold. Uh, sure. One problem: I need the money to invest with. That was my chuckle of the day.
That's it for this check in. Come back soon!
It's been an eventful couple of days. I was really surprised by the NASCAR Texas race on Sunday. It was full of surprises and excitement, only a lot of was off the track, like Kyle Busch giving the NASCAR officials the finger and Jeff Gordon pushing back Jeff Burton after crashing out.
On another topic, anyone watching Dr. Phil? I'm beginning to question the topics of the shows. I just feel like there's been a lot of 'drama' without resolution. It almost seems like it's becoming a soap opera.
Have a great day and I'll chat with you again soon!
Happy Monday morning. It was a very hot weekend for me. It's the first time this year I've turned on the A/C, but the fact that it was this late in June that I did that was a good thing.
The Pocono race proved to be full of fireworks, even though it had a long rain delay. I was crushed when my favorite, Jeff Gordon, ended up with nowhere to go and plowed into Kasey Kahne on the last lap. It was a bummer.
I've been moving video tapes around. I have so many of those things on hand. I wish I had one of those units where you can put in your VHS tapes and record it onto a DVD that is part of the same unit. The space I could save is absolutely incredible.
In the past, I've had some things transferred professionally. It's a very handy and easy way to convert precious items recorded on a video tape, but it can be an expensive proposition to do such a thing. Still, the product received back is always top notch and so easy to store because DVDs are so much more compact.
My sister recently had a number of things put onto DVD as well, including old family 8mm films. I use a company that has proven to be ultra reliable over the years.
Oh my gosh. I have the news on and just heard it was 93 degrees yesterday. I knew it was hot, but I didn't realize it had gotten that high. Now I understand why I was compelled to hit the 'on' button for the A/C.
Until later, have a good week!
Cassie is doing fine after having those seizures last week. No one knows the problem. It's idiopathic seizures, which people and animals have. I'm still wondering if it might be related to skunk scent. She hasn't been sprayed but they were around when the seizures happened. I really don't even want to think about it. It's a horrible thing to watch, that's for sure.
Kyle Busch continues to be an immature kid. He's in no way a role model, and I really can't stand to have announcer after announcer condone his actions. They want passion back in NASCAR. Passion is good; having a tantrum is not.
I finally got all four of the new stories uploaded to the website, so if you're a fan fic reader, make sure you get to the website. I'm working on another one that was begun last year -- Tripping the Light Fantastic. I'm actually dividing it into two stories, the first being The Concept and the second being The Reveal. This is because the story would cover a full year, and it's just easier to break it up. Alex returns in this one, which actually takes place in 2012.
Are you ready for the DTV Conversion? I finally got a converter box and made an appointment with the Geek Squad to come out and install it for me. It's just easier that way. Once it's hooked up, I'm probably going to let cable play on for just a couple more weeks and then pull the plug on it altogether. I just can't afford it. Actually, I can't afford anything. The disability thing is going on forever, and I'm out of money. So, bye bye cable. I realized while watching my favorite driver, Jeff Gordon, on Regis and Kelly this morning that I won't be able to see NASCAR once I remove cable. That's gonna be tough on me. As the saying goes, though, I gotta do what I gotta do to survive.
Have a great day!
Tonight was the debut of So You Think You Can Dance on Fox. I really enjoy this program a lot. It's a kinder program than American Idol, and the judges are more in sync. There were some awesome dancers. It'll be a great season.
On another note, NASCAR is prepping for the big 600 mile race on Saturday evening. Jeff Gordon ended up third, with Ryan Newman getting the pole. It'll be a great race.
Hope your Saturday has gone well. I wasn't feeling too well last night and this morning, but it's been a better afternoon and evening for me. I did watch the NASCAR race. I think it was the most exciting race of the year. Jeff Gordon didn't win, but he did finish fifth and extend his points lead. I tell ya, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. needs to go back to driving school. He just can't get into his pits. I've been talking about it all year, and now even the announcers are beginning to point out just how costly the constant miscues on pit lane are for Jr. Sorry fans of the 88, but Jr. is not a good driver. If he were Dale Smith, Jr., he probably wouldn't even have a ride.
We're in the mid-80's this weekend. I wish we'd get back to the mid-70's. I like that weather a whole lot better. It's just a little too warm in my house when it gets to any temp over 83 or so outside.
Here's a link folks interested in vinyl shutters might want to check out.
I've written a lot of new articles over at Helium. Please use the link on the right hand side of the blog to review them. Every time you surf one of my articles, it's a plus for me.
Have a great night -- more later!
I've been watching the news and seeing all the devastation in Southern California. Man, that's frightening. All those homes being lost and being having to flee for safety. It's growing, too. The pictures have been incredible, showing the blaze. Some of our news reporters covering it had to flee even in the middle of a report because the wind had changed the direction of the fire last night. Too close!
I watched Michael Shanks' movie, Living Out Loud, again tonight. He really did a great job in it. It was different to see him as a husband and father. Of course, this was a Hallmark movie which meant that they glossed over so much of the 'meat' of the story. I wanted to see the things we didn't see and wanted more depth to the transitions that were made in the character. Sadly, a two-hour movie is only 90-minutes and with five people to focus on, they can only do so much. Still, a very nice movie. I wish I could have taped it, but taping doesn't work for me anymore. Pooh! I'm hoping Hallmark shows it a lot, assuming I'm still able to get the Hallmark Channel in the foreseeable future.
The dogs are such a hoot. They've been bone-deprived for a while now, and when I saw these decent size ones on sale this week, I just felt like I had to get them each one. When I got home, though, I decided to just open one and put it on the floor and let them decide who got it first. You see, when I give them each big bones like this, they just never both eat them. One of them will start chewing on theirs, and the other one ends up watching or sitting by me. They seem to have fun doing that. The second bone gets ignored for the most part until the first one is gone.
And, since I can't stand to decide who should get the bone first, by just putting it on the floor and then letting them in the house, they decide the issue, and that's what they did. They had me in stitches. They took turns with all day long. They seem to have a code or something. It's just adorable to watch.
Sci Fi's been showing the first season Stargate SG-1's lately, and that's been fun to watch, even if they are chopped up. I'm so sick and tired of those crappy last couple of seasons that this feels refreshing to see the old shows again. I keep hearing that the new SG-1 movie will be more like the days of old and that Richard Dean Anderson definitely is the center of the attraction. I'm so hopeful of some good Jack and Daniel moments.
I'm also hoping for a good Jack and Daniel cameo together in the premier of Stargate Universe, a show I don't plan on watching except for the premier because Rick and Michael are both in it. It's probably going to be just like the Stargate Atlantis pilot where they are just in a few minutes towards the beginning, ie, the big send off. As long as it's Jack and Daniel, together, I'll be happy.
I read today that the dingbat responsible for the Air Force One fly-over the Statue of Liberty resigned. Maybe he's a scapegoat, and maybe not, but that was just the most ridiculous thing I've seen in a long time, so someone had to go. He admits to not reading emails and such. Time for a new job.
Did y'all get the Oprah Kentucky Fried Chicken coupon for the grilled chicken? Now talk about Oprah's popularity, this thing almost caused a riot. On the second day of the offer, my KFC was taking names and addresses and telling everyone they would be sending out coupons in the near future that would include a beverage, so that's even a better deal. The grilled chicken is good, by the way. I took advantage of getting the free piece on April 27 and thought it was very tasty.
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm doing a lot of surfing these days and also doing some sponsored posts here and there. So, whether it's stuff I'm finding on my own or places I've been directed to, I hope you'll continue to drop by and keep up with the latest, which hopefully will be more positive things than my lonely rant of a few days ago.
Saturday night is the Southern 500, and I'm hoping Jeff Gordon can get another win there, or at least have a top 5. He's starting in the front row and has a good history there, so I'm thinking positively. Jeff's still having a lot of back problems, though, and that's kind of scary. I guess they've pinpointed the problem finally, but he hasn't told the world what it is as yet. I'm thinking those two big crashes he's had in the last three years may have taken a toll, not to mention lifting his little girl all the time. I just hope that whatever it is, they can take care of it. I'd hate to see his career end early.
As for the fan fic, those two stories are still there. I've had so many ideas pop into my fron lately, too, but I just have to spend the majority of my time earning money. I hate it; I really do, but I have to stay focused. I'm just down to scratching through the days. Soon, I hope!
Have a great weekend all!
March is ebbing and April is about to dawn. It's a trying time for me as I'm getting down to my last means in terms of survival. I'm trying not to think about it too much, but I don't know if that's smart or not. It's just scary. There's only so much I can do anymore, and asking for help is tearing at me, too. To top it off, folks have their own problems, and they've already helped me out beyond my wildest expectations. The well is about to dry up and I'm honestly not sure what will happen by month's end.
I'd rather be worrying about the judges scoring on Dancing with the Stars or dissing on the powers that be who ruined my favorite TV show, and I'm trying to do that as much as possible. At some point, though, a person has to face reality.
My entire future seems to hang on whether or not the disability will come through. The odds aren't on my side, but without it, I'm totally lost. Enough of my sad reality.
I thought Jeff Gordon might finally win a race on Sunday. He had the lead for a long time in the first third of the race, but couldn't quite pull it off. He finished fourth and actually gained some points as he continued to be the leader in points.
I'm on season five of MacGyver as I try to work my way through the DVD problems. It seems that the set was definitely put together by taking individual sets and putting them into the complete set. From what I've read, Paramount has had a ton of problems with DVDs from those thin pack cases. I wasn't that worried about the first two seasons because I have those already, and the third and fourth seasons weren't all that bad. There were just a couple of places where there problems. Season 5 seems to have some problems though. One disc that has one of my very favorite MacGyvers (The Log Jam) will barely play. I've tried rubbing alcohol and have switched over to Windex, which is helping but not enough. I want to try the toothpaste thing, but mine has whitening formula in it and everything I've read says to use a regular toothpaste. I can't afford to buy toothpaste just for my dvds so this is going to have to wait. In the meantime, I keep applying Windex, but I'm worried about overdoing it.
I'm going to stop with the daily articles and reviews; didn't really look like it was having any effect. If you want to vote for my reviews, many are listed on the right hand side of this blog (you can't miss it - right under the big smiley face), and the link to my articles at Helium is also on the right. Thanks for those who spend time doing both for me.
Onward to a new day!
Hump Day! Well, actually it's almost Thursday. I've spent most of the last couple of days just trying to write reviews. Sounds repetitive, but when you're out of a job, you have to do what you can to get by, and that's what I'm desperately trying to do. At least I can have MacGyver on in the background as I'm reviewing. He makes a nice backdrop.
My racing favorite, Jeff Gordon, was honored by the Boy Scouts on Tuesday night for all that he's done for the Scouts. He's raised a ton of money (over a million dollars) for them, has attended events, and the like. The Silver Buffalo is the same honor that's been given to past US presidents for their contributions, so it's quite the big deal. Way to go, Jeff!
Just saw a clip on ET with Julianne Hough, Derek Hough, and Mark Ballas. They're three of the fun ones on Dancing with the Stars. Apparently, the three have a band that performs every Tuesday evening at The Grove in Los Angeles. Julianne is quite good. I didn't know Derek sang, so that was interesting. Sounds like he plays a mean guitar, too.
For my fan-fic readers, I might have a new ficlet soon. I have an idea that I've wanted to do for a long time, just a silly little Munchkin thing from when they were babies. We'll see if I can get it together. It's a time thing right now since I'm having to do so many reviews to bring in income. The muse is still swaying back and forth with exactly how this little ficlet plays out. It involves Jack, Daniel, the babies, and, hmmm, candy.
Today's article at Helium is located here (poor thing is last right now; not my best apparently), and today's Review Stream review is located here.
Onward to Thursday!
It's almost race time at Lowe's, and I'm thinking positive thoughts for Jeff Gordon. He's due for a win. They've had a couple of great stories on Jeff on the racing shows this week, and it's been nice to see them. I really love hearing him talk about his daughter, Ella.
With a few minutes to spare, thought I'd tell everyone about my favorite recreational site on the web right now. It's Winster, and you can play all kinds of games there. It's a new site, and it does have some server issues, but I'm sure that will improve with time. My favorite game is the slots (think slot machine). You get 200 free spins a day, and that's good enough for a couple of hours of fun. If you want more, you can buy them. You also win prizes as you accumulate points. I've already won one and am working on my second one now.
Anywho, if you like some online fun that isn't as complicated as some of those fancy videogames are, try out Winster.Com (using this link will help me, too, as I get bonus spins for everyone who signs up).
I feel like Winnie the Pooh these days. It's been very blustery, the wind blowing pretty dramatically for the last few days. Otherwise, it's been nice, albeit a bit chillier. I've put on my sweatshirt for the first time this fall. It may be time to put on the winter bedding!
I have a few children's books that are new that I'm offering for sale, plus a couple of used videos that I no longer need. The books are from Disney's 'Wonderful World of Reading' and are:
1) Bambi
2) Cinderella
3) Peter Pan
4) Lady and the Tramp
5) A Bug's Life
6) Cars
The used videos are:
1) How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
2) White Christmas
I'm asking $2.25 each plus shipping for the books and $1.50 each for the videos. Payment through paypal (if you're linked to a credit card, you'd have to add the fee they charge, too). If you're interested, please contact me.
There are a lot of new reviews listed on the right side of this blog, under the Review Stream smiling face. Also, if you haven't read my articles on Helium, please do. I'm trying to reach the payout there, and it's based on traffic. If you can, send the folks over to my Helium page and spend a couple of minutes to read the articles or stay landed on the page. I'm very close, but I need traffic! Thanks!
The race is about to start! Everyone have a great weekend!
It's the start of a new week and the end of a month. Most of my time on the internet these days is spent doing whatever I can to earn money for my survival. I missed my time on the web doing my passion, though - writing my fan fic. So, I took a lot of September off. I still did a lot, but I let the pressure go of "I've got to do this or I won't be able to pay the bills" go. I had to, I needed my passion.
I've been giving a lot of thought to time management and scheduling. I don't really have a set schedule anymore, so it's a little difficult to really plan, but I'm struggling to find a happy medium between that urgency of needing money and still enjoying the internet and being able to fulfill my passion. I still don't have it figured it out, but I hope to find a way because spending every waking moment 'working' makes it a hardship and takes the fun out of being online. Yet, I have to earn money, or I'm stuck. My financial situation isn't pretty. I have to do all the little things I do to stay afloat.
This is why I have the ads here and why I plug the sites I believe in and the links that appear all along the right hand side of this blog. Please support me by using these links whenever possible for your purchases. This week, I received my first affiliate check from Amazon, thanks to those of you have used the link. I realize the list is long on the right, but again, I'm trying to stay afloat. Remember, there's a link to DeepDiscountDVD here, too, and that's a great place to get the best prices on DVDs.
The site that has helped me the most to survive in recent months has been GPTCashcow.com. If you are in need of extra cash, please consider signing up and earning money there by doing various offers. It's a proven site -- they've been paying a lot of my bills since I joined earlier this year.
GPTCashcow has just opened a sister site, today, too. You can advertise your own sites or businesses there, and create/build your own downline. The site is called Blazing Referrals. Again, please sign up and participate. It really helps me.
There are a bunch of new reviews listed on the right, items and such that I've written about at Review Stream. Remember to vote, saying that the review was 'helpful' to you. Also, it's a great way to make money. Reviews are quick and easy to write. They have to be roughly 250 words or thereabouts, which isn't really much, and they are more interested in your opinion and not the 'how to', which is what really lures me to the site. When you're ready to write your first review, just click here.
Thanks for all the support!
I was so very sad to hear about the passing of Paul Newman. He is one of my all time favorite performers. I think I saw "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" about 100 times in the theater (seriously) when it was first issued. He was a class act, using his Newman's Own to donate hundreds of millions of dollars to charity, and he did it quietly. He was never part of the Hollywood scene and really didn't understand the fuss surrounding the moniker of 'celebrity'.
I'll never forget his appearance on "The Mike Douglas Show" many years ago. Mike was talking about the lure of Newman's blue eyes. The women were swooning, and Paul was just blank. To him, eyes were eyes. What was the big deal?
Paul Newman was one of the last real genius actors, with performances that will be remembered for decades upon decades, instead of just this year, if that. He'll be missed, that's for sure!
Jeff Gordon had a good finish in today's NASCAR race, finishing fourth, in spite of the fact that he was really sick. I'm still hoping he can pull through and win the Chase. He's within striking distance, but you just never know. Carl Edwards almost won today, and I was sure hoping he would. He pulled a miracle pass on the leader on the last corner, but slid into the wall harder than he thought he would (yes, he planned on the wall and his car coming together), and it slowed him down more than anticipated. Darn, that was fun to watch, but I really wanted him to be successful (I'm not a fan of the person who ultimately won).
The craziness continues. A mother tried to drown her little girl last night. She calmly called the police and waited for them outside. The husband wasn't home; he's stated his wife is mentally ill. Okay, no arguments there. The little girl is fighting for her life.
I do not understand this world. If you can't handle being a parent, take your child to a shelter and walk away there. What is the point in trying to kill them? This aspect of our human existence is beyond my understanding. I don't get it.
Michael Shanks' first episode of "Stargate Atlantis" aired on Friday, and it was pretty fun to see. I hated his hair, though, and I don't understand why he went to Atlantis in his civvies instead of his SG-1 uniform. He was on duty, so that is very confusing. Part 2 of this episode will air in a week or two weeks, depending upon whether you believe Sci Fi's website or the TV promo.
I adored the scene where Daniel was standing in front of the three bell lights and trying to figure out the correct sequence that would open up the door to the secret lab. It was like a kid playing. Very cute.
Transcribers of these episodes have my sympathies. Michael Shanks and David Hewlett of SGA are two of the fastest talkers in show biz. I recall the producer or director commenting that the show was about 5 pages over time, but because Shanks and Hewlett naturally talk fast, the shows actually came in on time.
That's it for this post. Thanks for stopping by!
Should I say Good Morning or Good Evening? It's just after midnight here, and I figured I'd say a few things since I just added to my list of Review Stream articles (see the long list on the right hand side of this column).
I had a great time watching the Olympics, though I still believe there was some big time fudging with the ages of the China gymnastics team. That aside, I had a blast with beach volleyball and several other sports. I still hate all the tape delay business, but I'm apparently in the minority on that.
Now it's back to regular TV. Saw the newest reality show on NBC -- America's Most Dangerous Jobs, or something like that. As an animal lover, I had a hard time watching the poor crabs being suffocated, but the premise of the show is interesting. However, I see bullfighting is coming up, and if they show the murder of a bull on TV, they're going to hear about it from me, that's for sure. That's one of the cruelest and most disgusting so-called sports out there.
As for real sports, loved Carl Edwards giving it back to Kyle Bush during the big NASCAR race Saturday night. Kyle is such an immature, cocky baby. He can't take what he dishes out, and Saturday night, Carl dished out some of Kyle's own stuff. It was terrific! The best part? Carl didn't apologize. He was straight forward and honest about his 'bump and run'. Go Carl!
My #1 fave, Jeff Gordon, finished fifth. Hang in there, Jeffy! Three more races to the Chase. What's frustrating is that without this dang chase format, Jeff would have won two titles in the past four years. He'd be a 6-time champion. Well, he is to me, anyway.
We're gearing up for another heat spell. Our mid to high 90's are going to reach 103 by Wednesday, so goes the forecast. I'm not happy about that. I'm not a sun person, if you know what I mean.
Onward I go. Have a terrific week, Folks!
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