Funny Things

I think my five year old son might end up being a poet. Yesterday he was riding with his mother. As a they passed a field he piped up, "See the dandelions singing in a choir of wheat." Of course, it was just tall grass - not wheat - but I guess we can call that poetic license.

On the way to church, his mother was trying to get his sister to stop reading her book in the car (my wife has a fear of people gettin sick in the car). My little girl says, "So, what am I supposed to do?" Mom replies, "Look out the window." To which my little fellow says, "Yes, and then you can get window sick."

Kids sure are fun.

How things change in 400 laps

I dropped from 2nd to 4th in my NASCAR fantasy league. Jeff Gordon dropped from 2nd to 3rd in the Cup points standings. Greg Biffle has now moved into the second spot.

Pait Racing
6 Greg Biffle (#16)
9 Michael Waltrip (#15)
39 Jeff Gordon (#24)

20Buck
1 Kasey Kahne (#9)
10 Jamie McMurray (#42)
16 Jeff Burton (#31)

Well, Waltrip did me right. Gordon did me wrong. Had he run like he normally does, I just might have won this one. What a weird situation. I should have benched Gordon and run Nemechek - not that Joe did that much better (finishing 18th).

Both Waltrip and Nemechek stayed the same in points. However, Waltrip is now within 400 points of the leader due to Jimmie Johnson's crash. That puts him in the hunt for the Chase. Gordon also gained on the leader even though he lost a spot. All, in all, it turns out not to be that bad of a race.

Here are the standings in the Fantasy League:

20Buck: 6 Wins 4 Losses (3588 pts.)
Bud_Man_Fan: 6 Wins 4 Losses (3610 pts.)
Driver 8 Fan: 5 Wins 5 Losses (3728 pts.)
Pait Racing: 5 Wins 5 Losses (3711 pts.)
Boogity Boogity Boogity: 5 Wins 5 Losses (3489 pts.)
FreeAgents: 3 Wins 7 Losses (3187 pts.)

Me / Current Leader

Virginia is for Racers

What to do, what to do...

The lineup for tonight's Chevy American Revolution 400 race at Richmond International Raceway places my drivers in the following starting spots:

Greg Biffle: 9 (3 in points)
Jeff Gordon: 20 (2)
Mike Waltrip: 23 (17)
Joe Nemechek: 25 (20)

Of course, Biffle and Gordon are no brainers. Now to decide on Waltrip and Nemechek. Rarely do I make the right choice on who to bench. Maybe this time I'll make a choice and then bench the other guy!

In this race last year, Waltrip finished 10th and Nemechek finished 36th after getting caught up in an accident. In the September race, Waltrip once again bested Nemechek with a 13th place finish. Nemechek came home 22nd, one lap down. Of course, in the 2003 spring race, Nemechek won the race while Mikie crossed the line in 12th.

I'm going to have to sit Nemechek. As long as Waltrip avoids Jeff Green, I might stand a chance. The only problem is that I am going against a strong team this week.

Kasey Kahne: 1 (19 in points)
Jeff Burton: 12 (16)
Jamie McMurray: 17 (8)

No major changes at Bob Jones University

A friend of mine sent this to me. I didn't realize until afterwards that he had taken a picture of me looking at the destruction - pre-construction - of the towers surrounding the Founder's Memorial Amphitorium. He included the picture in an email to me with the following caption, ". . . there won't be any immediate major changes under Stephen Jones'leadership."



Yep. There are some major changes at BJU. It all depends on the kind of change you are talking about!

Updated List of CommonVoice.com Sites

This past week we brought online two more websites. This brings the total to eight.

Georgia
GeorgiaVoice.net
http://www.georgiavoice.net

Minnesota
NorthStarVoice.com
http://www.northstarvoice.com

Missouri
ShowMeVoice.com
http://www.showmevoice.com

Nevada
MyNevadaNews.com
http://www.mynevadanews.com

North Carolina
TarHeelVoice.com
http://www.tarheelvoice.com

South Carolina
SCHeadlines.com
http://www.scheadlines.com

Texas
LoneStarVoice.com
http://www.lonestarvoice.com

West Virginia
MountaineerVoice.com
http://www.mountaineervoice.com

There are more opportunities for others to get involved. There are also discussions in place with other possible editors. If you would like to take part, contact me by clicking on the little mail icon below.

My date with the lady in black

The first race at Darlington under the lights should be proof enough that NASCAR should in the years to come return to this track fraught with tradition. Of course, it helps that I won my fantasy league race. I'm still not in the lead for the season, but I'm gaining ground.

Pait Racing
1 Greg Biffle (#16)
2 Jeff Gordon (#24)
34 Michael Waltrip (#15)

Boogity Boogity Boogity
37 Kurt Busch (#97)
15 Dale Jarrett (#88)
20 Elliott Sadler (#38)

Well, this time I should have run Nemechek. The 01 had a top 10 finish and Mikie kept trying to run over Jeff Green the whole race. One of these days, I'm going to hit it right and blow the doors off the competition.

Here are the standings in the Fantasy League:

Driver 8 Fan: 6 Wins 4 Losses (3878 pts.)
Pait Racing: 6 Wins 4 Losses (3803 pts.)
20Buck: 6 Wins 4 Losses (3549 pts.)
Bud_Man_Fan: 5 Wins 5 Losses (3525 pts.)
Boogity Boogity Boogity: 4 Wins 6 Losses (3438 pts.)
FreeAgents: 3 Wins 7 Losses (3134 pts.)

Me / Current Leader

All in all - It was a nice date with the lady in black.

Bob Jones - Laura Bush - Bill O'Reilly

I keep having people stop me and say, "Hey, I heard BJU was mentioned on the Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly the other night." "Oh, really," I reply. "What did he say?" No one seems to know exactly what he said, but best I can decipher it is something like "the only people who would be offended by Laura Bush's comic routine at a recent press dinner would be ideaologues like those people at Bob Jones University."

So, I ask myself, am I offended? Frankly, I think there is too much "offending" going around. I'm not offended when someone says something I disagree with or says something I agree with in a way that I wouldn't. I am offended when someone calls me a liar or tells me my mother is ugly. But why would I be offended by Laura Bush talking about "Desperate Housewives" and off color things?

Does it make me scratch my head and shrug my shoulders? Yes. Does it offend me? No.

It is like when someone comes on the campus of BJU and they have a hankering for a smoke. They apologize profusely as they tap out the cigarette and light up. Am I offended? No. I might be a little offended that they think I am offended, but if someone is addicted to a cigarette needs one, I don't want to deal with them while they are all jittery!

There was a guy just yesterday on campus, he was talking to me and let out a curse word. It was almost humorous to see the look that came over his face. "I'm sorry for my language." I appreciated his concern, but why would I expect someone who is used to cursing to stop cursing just because he was visiting Bob Jones University? Was I offended by his language? No.

I don't smoke. I don't drink. I don't cuss. I'm not offended by those that do. If that is the culture people live in, why should I expect them to act any differently? I don't tell off-color jokes or watch "Desperate Housewives." I'm not offended by those that do.

Was I surprised by Mrs. Bush's routine? I will have to say I was. Was I offended? No. Would I have been offended had Hillary Clinton done the same? No. Yet, neither would I have been surprised.

When it rains it pours, or...

...just when you think you have heard it all!

Some of my BJU buddies - I guess I'll have to start calling you my "bible boys" (see below) - have probably already seen the Washington Post piece by Peter Carlson. I had to shake my head at Peter's dipping of the brush into a palette 20, 30 and 40 years old in order to paint his picture with strokes of his own prejudice. I spent three days with the guy. Still, he could have written that column without ever stepping foot on campus. He might as well have done so. I wonder if he will refund the WP their money for the wasted time?

But, just when you think you have heard it all, I learn today that Bob Jones University showed up on FOX's The OC. That in itself is extremely odd. But listen to the episode guide:

Seth takes a victory lap after his shuffleboard slaughter and is about to head down to the club house for lunch when a very attractive young blonde - Mary Sue -- challenges him to a game. Mary Sue beats Seth and before they start the next game, Seth suggests they make it interesting. If she wins, Seth has to partner up with her in a dance contest for Music Video Nation's big Spring Break special. The five thousand dollar prize will really help with her college loans.

When they get to the contest, Seth discovers that it's not exactly a dance contest, it's more like a lick-the-whipped-cream off Mary Sue's near-naked body contest on national TV. Ryan hopes Summer forgot to pay her cable bill.

At the contest, Ryan runs into Mary Sue's boyfriend and his burly bible study buddies, who came down from Bob Jones University to get hold of Mary Sue and whoever's been corrupting her.

Seth, covered in whipped cream, courtesy of the bible boys, walks down the streets of Miami with Ryan.

Now, that is odd. Even more odd than having Ethan and Joel Coen make Marva Munson send her loot to Bob Jones University in the conclusion of The Lady Killers. The later is more to be believed than the former!

I guess it just goes to so how ill informed people are about Bob Jones University - and with "journalists" such as Peter, they will most likely continue to be so.

It just gets weirder and weirder.

Latest list of TCV sites

Here is the latest listing of sites in the CommonVoice.com community:

South Carolina Headlines
http://www.scheadlines.com

Tar Heel Voice
http://www.tarheelvoice.com

Georgia Voice
http://www.georgiavoice.net

My Nevada News
http://www.mynevadanews.com

Lone Star Voice
http://www.lonestarvoice.com

North Star Voice
http://www.northstarvoice.com

Show Me Voice
http://www.showmevoice.com

Pay a visit and see what is up in the various states. Plus, remember to tell your friends who might live there about this new opportunity in their area. The CommonVoice.com community - Where you choose the news.

Under the gun...

This time of year always gets me under the gun. The investiture of our new president at Bob Jones University takes place this weekend. I also have all of the other things going on at church, with my kids, etc. Don't expect to see much here!

Go! Yoda. Go!

Aaron's 499 | Talladega Superspeedway

Pait Racing
1 Jeff Gordon (#24)
3 Michael Waltrip (#15)
13 Greg Biffle (#16)

Free Agent
27 Scott Riggs (#10)
32 Carl Edwards (#99)
41 Kyle Busch (#5) Out Of Race

Looks like my benching of Nemechek was the right call. The 01 finished 31st after running strong earlier in the race. That guy is going to have some good luck at some point this season and he is going to win one.

Here are the standings in the Fantasy League:

Driver 8 Fan: 5 Wins 4 Losses (3458 pts.)
Pait Racing: 5 Wins 4 Losses (3377 pts.)
20Buck: 5 Wins 4 Losses (3129 pts.)
Bud_Man_Fan: 5 Wins 4 Losses (3110 pts.)
Boogity Boogity Boogity: 4 Wins 5 Losses (3165 pts.)
FreeAgents: 3 Wins 6 Losses (2842 pts.)

Me / Current Leader

Wow, it is getting tight. Good to move into second. Watch out Driver 8 Fan!

We settled for 2nd place...

In a previous posting, I said I would post a picture of our second place finish at the pinewood derby. Here is my little girl Emma holding her trophy and the car.

Next year, Emma will make her own.



Here is a closer shot of the car. I shaped the car freehand using a Drimel tool. Boy, was I ever covered with saw dust!



All the dads also competed and my car won second. Next year it will be first! :-)