ZuDfunck

I Love You, Petty, and Favre

When a commenter caught my eye with this I was thinking Richard Petty, not Tom. But I dig Tom Petty and no doubt Favre so if you are in the Big Apple this summer check this out:

An Official Selection of the Midtown International Theater Festival and pending acceptance into the New York Fringe Festival, “I Love You, Petty, and Favre” is a heart warming and heart breaking love story about a Wisconsin couple that spans 25 years.  The main character, Brian, is an obsessed Packer fan, so much so that he marries a girl named Brett.  Brett in turn, has her own obsession with music, mainly that of Tom Petty.  Sports fans will certainly enjoy this play, particularly those that love Brett Favre.  In a hilarious and memorable scene, Brian takes his 3 year old son and 5 year old daughter to their first football game.  In another, Brett fulfills Brian’s fantasy by throwing on the pink jersey of his favorite player and putting on a “show”.  A touching and funny story about love, football, and music, it is a show that that anyone can enjoy.

“I Love You, Petty and Favre” runs July 14th – August 10th.  Tickets and official showtimes soon to be available.

Blogging About Divorce Can Be Painful For The Ex

Focusing on Topics non NASCAR for a few days. Found this in NYTimes about a woman who Blogs the details of her failed marriage to the chagrin of the ex-husband:

For the blogger, the writing can be therapeutic.

Until the morning her husband, David Sals, told her he “was done” with their marriage, Jennifer Neal had portrayed him so lovingly on her blog that he was called DearSweetDave. By the afternoon of that October day last year, Ms. Neal had shared what she portrayed as his perfidy with the 55,000 regular readers she says visit NakedJencom.

Soon after, readers came to know him by a far less flattering name, and as the guy whose insensitivity made Jen so sick that she was throwing up every day and so poor that she lost her house in Santa Cruz, Calif.

And when a despairing Jen discovered in February that her ex-husband had put his information up on Match.com, an Internet dating service, she linked to it from her blog, giving her readers a chance to share their thoughts.

Mr. Sals protested, but Ms. Neal held firm: “If he wants to tell his side of the story, he should get his own blog.”

Are You A Twitterholic?

   

Signs and symptoms of twitter ABUSE

Health
     * Continuing to twit even though you have health problems that are affected or caused by your twittering 
Financial issues
    * Paying bills late; collection agencies calling
    * Inability to keep track of your money
Legal issues
    * Driving while under the influence of Twitter (DUIT)
Risky behavior
     * Putting yourself or others in danger
Employment or school
     * Continuing to twit even though you realize your job or education is in jeopardy
     * Missing work or school, or going in late due to twitter use
Family and friends
    * Feeling annoyed when other people comment on, or criticize your twitter habits
    * Feeling remorse or guilt after twittering
    * Associating with questionable acquaintances or frequenting out of the ordinary locations when twitting
Social life
    * Scheduling your day around twittering
    * Focusing recreational activities around obtaining twits, twitting or recovering from twitter use   
    * Twittering alone or in secret

Have noticed in my 3 week adventure with twitter a strong dependence by some folks to be engaging in online, all the time, twitter activity. Ultimately the test is can you go a day without it? If not, you are probably a twitterholic.

ZuD's View on HBO's The Wire, Salem Witch Trials and 2008 Presidential Primary

Forgive the off topic, some say inappropriate and in bad taste post:

When I look at what's happening on the Wire
And see what is about to happen
The ill begotten wire tap frees Marlo and his Crew
I think back to why we need these constitutional protections

It wasn't that long ago in this country
If a man suspected a woman of being a Witch
all he had to do was claim it
and BOOM! One less woman in town

Say today
If Obama was to loose his cool on some debate tactic gone wrong
He could yell to Brian Williams
WITCH!

Hillary would be off the stage
Up for Trial
And Bill Clinton would be partying the next day
at some local TGIF, picking up strays.

Purchasing a HDTV Justification, Part 2

When I was a kid I would skip High School and go downtown to see the Cinemascope or Panavision movies that Hollywood was putting out to compete with the 19 inch black & white screens of television. I always dreamed that I would have that format when I would watch those movies again on NBC’s Saturday Night at the Movies. Fast forward to today when that dream came a reality with HDTV.  And now sports comes on HDTV and to that, Auto Racing in High Def!

As I said in a previous post that I understand the fiscal realities of today’s economy but if you factor in the high cost of going out to a show or movie the meals the concessions and all it really is a bargain to get a HDTV and Hi Def programming source, which becomes a whole different kettle of fish because the limitations of the amount of channels you receive with cable versus satellite, but I digress…

The key is film director’s vision is wide screen, football fields are wide, and to have six times the definition of images really pleases the eye and senses and captivates one to the point of ecstasy!

So take that government check that is coming from our current president and spend it on a device that will bring pleasure even when it's turned off, cause they really are sharp space age looking contraptions that will delight and dazzle you and keep you off the streets at night.

Budweiser Shootout 2008 Results

ZuD isn't  stat guy but I know some you are here ya go:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Order of finish for Saturday's   Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway (Lap length: 2.5 miles;   Starting position in parentheses):

 1.  (7) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 70, 143.3.
 2. (10) Tony Stewart, Toyota, 70, 108.5.
 3. (18) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 70, 79.2.
 4. (22) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 70, 80.1.
 5.  (6) Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 70, 102.3.
 6. (16) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 70, 85.7.
 7. (19) Dave Blaney, Toyota, 70, 99.4.
 8.  (2) Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 70, 76.0.
 9. (12) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 70, 68.9.
10.  (8) Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 70, 62.5.
11.  (3) Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 70, 66.3.
12. (20) Carl Edwards, Ford, 70, 79.0.
13. (15) Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 70, 38.1.
14. (21) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 70, 50.1.
15. (13) Ken Schrader, Dodge, 70, 45.9.
16. (11) J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 70, 43.7.
17. (23) Ryan Newman, Dodge, 70, 42.4.
18.  (1) Kurt Busch, Dodge, 70, 55.3.
19.  (5) David Gilliland, Ford, Accident, 48, 69.0.
20. (17) Greg Biffle, Ford, Accident, 48, 33.6.
21.  (9) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 47, 58.7.
22.  (4) Jamie McMurray, Ford, Accident, 24, 90.4.
23. (14) Bill Elliott, Ford, Accident, 15, 23.3.

---

Race statistics 

Time of Race: Average Speed of Race Winner: 140.751 mph.
Time of Race: 1 hour, 14 minutes, 36 seconds
Margin of Victory: .136 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 4 for 16 laps.
Lead Changes: 17 among 8 drivers.

Lap Leaders: M. Waltrip 1; D. Gilliland 2-3; M. Martin 4; M. Waltrip 5; D. 
  Earnhardt Jr. 6-22; C. Edwards 23; D. Earnhardt Jr. 24-27; D. Blaney 28-31; 
  D. Earnhardt Jr. 32-37; T. Stewart 38; D. Earnhardt Jr. 39-41; J. Gordon 42; 
  D. Earnhardt Jr. 43-49; D. Blaney 50-52; D. Earnhardt Jr. 53-60; T. Stewart 
  61-68; D. Earnhardt Jr. 69-70.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led: Dale Earnhardt Jr. 7 times for 
  47 laps; Tony Stewart 2 times for 9 laps; Dave Blaney 2 times for 7 laps; David 
  Gilliland 1 time for 2 laps; Michael Waltrip 2 times for 2 laps; Carl Edwards 
  1 time for 1 lap; Jeff Gordon 1 time for 1 lap; Mark Martin 1 time for 1 lap.

Awaiting Daytona 500 Qualifying

As we paused to grab our breath from that excitement filled Bud Shootout and await qualifying today on Fox at 1pm EST I wanted to share the experience and elation I felt when I flipped on the HD channel of Fox and saw in High Definition the Old Daytona Track in the splash of lites and depths of color that must be truly awesome to see in person.

Man what I felt being 1500 miles away must be just spectacular up-close in the stands. The sounds sights and smells must be magnificent but yet and still it is all that in my living room. I can’t think of any sport except for football that provides that kind of intimacy via TV and in HD it’s breathtaking!

So I will have my Bacon and Eggs, Ruffles and Dip, Coke and Ice ready at 1pm to soak in all the drama that comes with making the big one or packing up and going home…

ZuDfunck, NASCAR Fan, Y'all

As I await the Bud Shootout tonight at 8pm EST on Fox and transform my four-year-old blog into a NASCAR blog I thought I would officially proclaim my self a NASCAR Fan. For those who don’t know me I am an over fifty hippy of some repute who in my earlier years developed alternate content via telephone answering machines in the seventies and eighties and used the web in the years of this decade to delight and inform all generations on what is hip and important. So I am taking a huge sidestep to devote my energies toward NASCAR, but I do it both on a casual basis and in a fundamental political way to proclaim that one needn’t be from the Southeastern United States to be a NASCAR fan.

In yesterdays Trading’ Paint episode on the Speed channel Kyle Petty spoke to that exact point that NASCAR needs to return to it early ways but also grow its base and I think its important as did he that Fans down south have an inherent right to dis anyone that isn’t their neighbor. Just as Hockey fans shouldn’t dis southern US fans. As a politically entrenched liberal with a strong distaste for what President Bush has left us I shouldn’t be disqualified from being a welcome member to the NASCAR fan base.

I would like to get your reactions to what I am saying and hope you welcome me as I welcome you to this blog.

Michael Waltrip, ZuD's Favorite NASCAR Driver

I am Convinced this the year the dude makes a mark on NASCAR as a Driver. Last year was a mess and this year shall prove it was a fluke. As I type this post he is top speed in Practice so lets hope the SHootout is kind to him Tonight!

Any Dude who can walk away from this can do anything!:

Bud Shootout Preliminaries 2008, Get Stoked!

I am so stoked to be in the month of February not only did we last weekend have one of the best Super Bowls ever with the denial of supremacy and perfection to the Patriots but we also have the second Super Bowl coming up rapidly and if last nites practice for the shootout is any indication we have another anxiety ridden set of broadcasts to come out of Florida the next eight days.

I am trying to capture the footage and link to it but until I can take my word for it and set your clickers on Fox at 8PM Eastern and settle in for some rockem sockem Racing courtesy Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch…

I am watching Speed right now and Dave Despain just said there were some fisticuffs! All right! Hope he clocked Busch. Speaking of Despain he is anchoring some of the hundred hours of coverage down there with one of the old time announcers Ken Squier and he kind of has this John Madden/Andy Rooney thing going for him.