Last Friday,we lost a great actor,a humanitarian,a gentleman,and a wonderful human being with the passing of Paul Newman. Mr.Newman was an Oscar-winning actor who delivered many brilliant performances. His best remembered roles include playing a convict in "Cool Hand Luke",his role in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid",in which he co-starred with his pal Robert Redford,and co-starred with Redford in "The Sting". Mr.Newman also delivered what was regarded by many as a powerful performance in "The Verdict".
Another thing and perhaps more importantly,what Mr.Newman will be well remembered for is his charitable contributions. 100 percent of the proceeds from his Newman's Own food products went to charity,most notably the Hole In The Wall Gang camps,one of which is the Petty family's NASCAR themed Victory Junction Gang Camp in North Carolina, which was a dream of Adam Petty,a young NASCAR driver who perished in an on-track accident in 2000. Adam was a son of Kyle Petty,grandson of Richard Petty,and great-grandson of Lee Petty,all NASCAR drivers. VJGC opened in 2004 and now a second camp is planned in Kansas.
Mr.Newman was a lifelong racing fan and owned a racing team. He enjoyed associating with drivers and other team owners. He was also a devoted family man,married to actress Joanne Woodward for 50 years. Rest in peace,Paul Newman,and God bless you.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sports Weekend
College Football
I hope the North Carolina Tarheels(2-1)get their act together as well after losing at home to Virginia Tech last week. This week,the Heels play Miami,a football powerhouse on Miami's home turf so UNC has their work cut out for them. Realistically, I pick Miami to win.
NFL
The Carolina Panthers play Atlanta. Good luck to the Panthers as they face the Falcons.
NASCAR
This week,Kansas Motor Speedway will have the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series races. Greg Biffle won the first two races in the Chase for the Sprint Cup and is the defending winner in the Kansas race,a win challenged by runner-up and Kansas native Clint Bowyer last year. Kansas is not a nail-biting track like Dover,Bristol,or Martinsville. It's more like Auto Club(California) or Chicagoland Speedway in that once the lead is taken by a driver,it's hard for other drivers to make a challenge or pass for the win. Matt Kenseth is my favorite Chase driver but if it's not Kenseth then I hope it's 3 in a row for Biffle. My pick to win: Biffle,with Bowyer a strong second choice. I think Tony Stewart is a strong possibility as well ,coming close three weeks ago at Richmond. Have a great weekend,everybody.
I hope the North Carolina Tarheels(2-1)get their act together as well after losing at home to Virginia Tech last week. This week,the Heels play Miami,a football powerhouse on Miami's home turf so UNC has their work cut out for them. Realistically, I pick Miami to win.
NFL
The Carolina Panthers play Atlanta. Good luck to the Panthers as they face the Falcons.
NASCAR
This week,Kansas Motor Speedway will have the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series races. Greg Biffle won the first two races in the Chase for the Sprint Cup and is the defending winner in the Kansas race,a win challenged by runner-up and Kansas native Clint Bowyer last year. Kansas is not a nail-biting track like Dover,Bristol,or Martinsville. It's more like Auto Club(California) or Chicagoland Speedway in that once the lead is taken by a driver,it's hard for other drivers to make a challenge or pass for the win. Matt Kenseth is my favorite Chase driver but if it's not Kenseth then I hope it's 3 in a row for Biffle. My pick to win: Biffle,with Bowyer a strong second choice. I think Tony Stewart is a strong possibility as well ,coming close three weeks ago at Richmond. Have a great weekend,everybody.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
57 States?
I received a most interesting e-mail today. I normally don't write politically-themed blogs but I felt the need to make an exception in this case. Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has said that he plans on campaigning in all 57 states. When did the nation gain another seven states? It was pointed out by Rush Limbaugh that since former Vice President Dan Quayle misspelled "potato",we still hear jokes about it. Mr. Quayle's intellect was openly questioned,yet when Senator Obama makes a big gaffe,he's just "tired" from the long campaign. It raises even more legitimate questions about Obama's competence to be President. This tops the gaffe made by actress and pro-abortion activist Raquel Welch on "Larry King Live" years ago when she insisted there were 52 states,one of them Chicago. Here is an interesting fact that might give us some idea what runs through Barack Obama's mind. It turns out there are 57 Islamic states in the world. Could it be that Obama was thinking about the Islamic states instead of the United States? It should be noted that this comes on the heels of a speech during Obama's much ballyhooed tour of Europe and the Middle East,when he openly criticized the United States in a speech in Berlin. Something else to think about,ladies and gentlemen.
Monday, September 22, 2008
WOW!!!!
What a race. I was so certain that Matt Kenseth at long last would finally win a race this year but in the last few laps in Sunday's race at Dover,Delaware, Kenseth was overtaken by his teammate Greg Biffle for the win. Matt is my second favorite driver,after my sentimental favorite Bobby Labonte. Much as I wanted Matt to win,I am happy for Greg,as he is my next favorite driver after Matt. The post-race comments made by both drivers indicate how much Greg and Matt respect and admire each other and that they are teammates in every sense and truly believe in teamwork. Carl Edwards deserves kudos as well as he helped keep his Roush Fenway Racing teammates in the lead and could have easily won himself. Carl now has the points lead. Unlike many recent races,the Dover race kept me glued to the TV,and cheering for my driver to win. Congratulations to Greg Biffle and the number 16 team for a whale of a race and a well-deserved win,making it Biffle's second consecutive win in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Friday, September 19, 2008
NASCAR and Classic TV
NASCAR,The Chase,Part 2
This week,the 12 competitors in the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup and 31 other drivers will race at Dover International Raceway in Delaware. While Greg Biffle is no doubt riding high from his win at New Hampshire,I'm sure he knows that one race win does not a championship make. As Jeff Burton noted,do not count Kyle Busch out. While Busch had a bad race at New Hampshire,he could make a strong comeback at Dover. Busch is still a force to be reckoned with. I notice now that Bill Kimm has decided to count Matt Kenseth out. Just a minute,Mr.Kimm. All Kenseth needs is a win or two and some top 5 or 10 finishes and he's a contender for the championship. It's too early to count anybody out. Good luck to Matt Kenseth,along with my sentimental favorite Bobby Labonte and others too numerous to mention in this blog.
HAPPY BELATED ANNIVERSARIES
"The Waltons" debuted on CBS on September 14,1972. "The Waltons" was a show filled with love,warmth,compassion for others,and the importance of faith,family,and community and a family enduring the trials of the Great Depression and World War II. It is a shame that these values have long since disappeared from prime time TV. In its beginning,nobody gave "The Waltons" a chance against two extremely popular shows, Flip Wilson on NBC,and "The Mod Squad" on ABC,yet the "little show that could" forced their competition off the air and secured a top 20 by the end of its first season. "The Waltons" scored as high as second in the Nielsen ratings and spawned a new genre,the family drama,with other shows such as "Little House on the Prairie",which debuted on NBC in 1974 and embraced values similar to "The Waltons",though in an earlier time,in the 1870s and 1880s,and based on author Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood,as "The Waltons" was based on the youth of its creator Earl Hamner Jr. Even after series star Richard Thomas ("John-Boy") left "The Waltons" in 1977, the show continued until CBS cancelled it in 1981. The later years also saw a prolonged absence by Ellen Corby("Grandma") after she suffered a stroke and returned to the series a year and a half later, and the death of Will Geer("Grandpa") in 1978 after filming had concluded on the sixth season. There were reunion movies filmed in the 1980s and 1990s. The show remains popular in reruns and is shown on the Hallmark channel.
On September 17,1964,"Bewitched" debuted on ABC. This was a magical sitcom about a witch,Samantha,played by Elizabeth Montgomery,who fell in love with mortal Darrin Stephens,an ad exec(played by Dick York and later Dick Sargent),and married him. Samantha had a bevy of relatives who popped in,including her mother Endora(played by the brilliant actress Agnes Moorehead),who strongly disapproved of her daughter's mortal marriage,her father Maurice(played by the magnificent Shakespearean actor Maurice Evans),who was not overly thrilled about having a mortal son-in-law either. Though there were relatives more supportive of Samantha and who liked Darrin,including Aunt Clara(played by comic actress Marion Lorne,who passed away after the fourth season),Uncle Arthur,Endora's practical-joking brother,played by actor/comedian Paul Lynde,and Samantha's look-alike cousin Serena,also played by Elizabeth Montgomery. Over the show's eight seasons,there were many changes,such as the birth of two children,witch daughter Tabitha,and son Adam,who showed some magical abilities in one episode in the final season. In 1969,Dick York left the series after collapsing on the set due to a dependence on pain-killers,on which he started after injuring his back on the set of a movie,resulting in back pain he suffered the rest of his life,until his death in 1992. Dick Sargent replaced York as Darrin. In 1991,Sargent publicly admitted he was gay and in 1994,died from complications resulting from AIDS. Elizabeth Montgomery,the show's star and daughter of screen legend Robert Montgomery,died in 1995 and is still loved by millions of fans worldwide. Ms.Montgomery had her star unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this year. At the time "Bewitched" was filmed,Ms.Montgomery was, in real-life, married to its executive producer William Asher,whose previous experience includes working as a director/producer on "I Love Lucy". "Bewitched" is shown on WGN weekdays at 9:00 AM Eastern time. I wish though that WGN would show all eight seasons and not start with season three,the first season filmed in color. I am glad though that it's still being shown someplace. I plan on buying the DVDs,along with DVDs of "The Waltons","Little House on the Prairie",and my sci-fi favorites.
This week,the 12 competitors in the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup and 31 other drivers will race at Dover International Raceway in Delaware. While Greg Biffle is no doubt riding high from his win at New Hampshire,I'm sure he knows that one race win does not a championship make. As Jeff Burton noted,do not count Kyle Busch out. While Busch had a bad race at New Hampshire,he could make a strong comeback at Dover. Busch is still a force to be reckoned with. I notice now that Bill Kimm has decided to count Matt Kenseth out. Just a minute,Mr.Kimm. All Kenseth needs is a win or two and some top 5 or 10 finishes and he's a contender for the championship. It's too early to count anybody out. Good luck to Matt Kenseth,along with my sentimental favorite Bobby Labonte and others too numerous to mention in this blog.
HAPPY BELATED ANNIVERSARIES
"The Waltons" debuted on CBS on September 14,1972. "The Waltons" was a show filled with love,warmth,compassion for others,and the importance of faith,family,and community and a family enduring the trials of the Great Depression and World War II. It is a shame that these values have long since disappeared from prime time TV. In its beginning,nobody gave "The Waltons" a chance against two extremely popular shows, Flip Wilson on NBC,and "The Mod Squad" on ABC,yet the "little show that could" forced their competition off the air and secured a top 20 by the end of its first season. "The Waltons" scored as high as second in the Nielsen ratings and spawned a new genre,the family drama,with other shows such as "Little House on the Prairie",which debuted on NBC in 1974 and embraced values similar to "The Waltons",though in an earlier time,in the 1870s and 1880s,and based on author Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood,as "The Waltons" was based on the youth of its creator Earl Hamner Jr. Even after series star Richard Thomas ("John-Boy") left "The Waltons" in 1977, the show continued until CBS cancelled it in 1981. The later years also saw a prolonged absence by Ellen Corby("Grandma") after she suffered a stroke and returned to the series a year and a half later, and the death of Will Geer("Grandpa") in 1978 after filming had concluded on the sixth season. There were reunion movies filmed in the 1980s and 1990s. The show remains popular in reruns and is shown on the Hallmark channel.
On September 17,1964,"Bewitched" debuted on ABC. This was a magical sitcom about a witch,Samantha,played by Elizabeth Montgomery,who fell in love with mortal Darrin Stephens,an ad exec(played by Dick York and later Dick Sargent),and married him. Samantha had a bevy of relatives who popped in,including her mother Endora(played by the brilliant actress Agnes Moorehead),who strongly disapproved of her daughter's mortal marriage,her father Maurice(played by the magnificent Shakespearean actor Maurice Evans),who was not overly thrilled about having a mortal son-in-law either. Though there were relatives more supportive of Samantha and who liked Darrin,including Aunt Clara(played by comic actress Marion Lorne,who passed away after the fourth season),Uncle Arthur,Endora's practical-joking brother,played by actor/comedian Paul Lynde,and Samantha's look-alike cousin Serena,also played by Elizabeth Montgomery. Over the show's eight seasons,there were many changes,such as the birth of two children,witch daughter Tabitha,and son Adam,who showed some magical abilities in one episode in the final season. In 1969,Dick York left the series after collapsing on the set due to a dependence on pain-killers,on which he started after injuring his back on the set of a movie,resulting in back pain he suffered the rest of his life,until his death in 1992. Dick Sargent replaced York as Darrin. In 1991,Sargent publicly admitted he was gay and in 1994,died from complications resulting from AIDS. Elizabeth Montgomery,the show's star and daughter of screen legend Robert Montgomery,died in 1995 and is still loved by millions of fans worldwide. Ms.Montgomery had her star unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this year. At the time "Bewitched" was filmed,Ms.Montgomery was, in real-life, married to its executive producer William Asher,whose previous experience includes working as a director/producer on "I Love Lucy". "Bewitched" is shown on WGN weekdays at 9:00 AM Eastern time. I wish though that WGN would show all eight seasons and not start with season three,the first season filmed in color. I am glad though that it's still being shown someplace. I plan on buying the DVDs,along with DVDs of "The Waltons","Little House on the Prairie",and my sci-fi favorites.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Breakaway, NASCAR,and more
REMEMBERING MOONBASE ALPHA
If you are a fan of the 1970s science fiction series "Space:1999" as I am, then you know that on the show,a catastrophic nuclear explosion ripped the Moon from Earth orbit on September 13, 1999, on the show's first episode,appropriately titled "Breakaway". I saw it as an 11-year-old when the British series made its American television debut in 1975, starring then husband and wife actors Martin Landau and Barbara Bain (both of "Mission:Impossible" fame). This was not long after the Apollo Moon missions of 1969 and the early 1970s so the idea of having a fully operational Moonbase by 1999 was not inconceivable by some in the early 1970s. On every episode, the lunar castaways found the Moon orbiting new planets and encountering new civilizations. While some argued in the 1970s that "Space: 1999" was a ripoff of "Star Trek",I beg to differ. If anything,"Space:1999" is a tribute to "Star Trek" and its legacy of encouraging space exploration. Martin Landau,who played Moonbase Commander John Koenig on "Space: 1999", was Gene Roddenberry's first choice to play Mr.Spock on "Star Trek". The part went to Leonard Nimoy as Landau was starring on "Mission:Impossible" with then wife Barbara Bain.
Nine years have passed since the real 1999 and still no Moonbase,though a documentary I recently saw on You Tube says that NASA should have a Moonbase up and running by 2024. I pray it happens,without the nuclear waste and the nuclear explosion of course.
LET THE CHASE BEGIN
NASCAR's much ballyhooed Chase for the Sprint Cup begins this week at New Hampshire International Raceway as the top 12 drivers will compete for the Sprint Cup championship. Kyle Busch leads in the points. Carl Edwards poses a strong challenge to Busch. The drivers are divided by 10 points each,starting with Busch at the top. While I have never been much of a fan of the Chase since its inception, I have begrudgingly learned to live with it and one of my favorite drivers,Matt Kenseth,happens to be in the Chase so I hope he ends up winning it all. Whoever your favorite driver is and whether or not he's in the Chase,I hope you enjoy the race.
PERSPECTIVE
Remember in your thoughts and prayers the 3,000 men and women who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on our nation on September 11,2001. Let us not rest until those responsible for this evil,cowardly act are brought to justice. God bless America!!!!
Also,my thoughts and prayers are with those on the Gulf coast as Hurricane Ike comes ashore. My sister lives in Houston so it's even more personal for me. Talk to you soon. God bless.
If you are a fan of the 1970s science fiction series "Space:1999" as I am, then you know that on the show,a catastrophic nuclear explosion ripped the Moon from Earth orbit on September 13, 1999, on the show's first episode,appropriately titled "Breakaway". I saw it as an 11-year-old when the British series made its American television debut in 1975, starring then husband and wife actors Martin Landau and Barbara Bain (both of "Mission:Impossible" fame). This was not long after the Apollo Moon missions of 1969 and the early 1970s so the idea of having a fully operational Moonbase by 1999 was not inconceivable by some in the early 1970s. On every episode, the lunar castaways found the Moon orbiting new planets and encountering new civilizations. While some argued in the 1970s that "Space: 1999" was a ripoff of "Star Trek",I beg to differ. If anything,"Space:1999" is a tribute to "Star Trek" and its legacy of encouraging space exploration. Martin Landau,who played Moonbase Commander John Koenig on "Space: 1999", was Gene Roddenberry's first choice to play Mr.Spock on "Star Trek". The part went to Leonard Nimoy as Landau was starring on "Mission:Impossible" with then wife Barbara Bain.
Nine years have passed since the real 1999 and still no Moonbase,though a documentary I recently saw on You Tube says that NASA should have a Moonbase up and running by 2024. I pray it happens,without the nuclear waste and the nuclear explosion of course.
LET THE CHASE BEGIN
NASCAR's much ballyhooed Chase for the Sprint Cup begins this week at New Hampshire International Raceway as the top 12 drivers will compete for the Sprint Cup championship. Kyle Busch leads in the points. Carl Edwards poses a strong challenge to Busch. The drivers are divided by 10 points each,starting with Busch at the top. While I have never been much of a fan of the Chase since its inception, I have begrudgingly learned to live with it and one of my favorite drivers,Matt Kenseth,happens to be in the Chase so I hope he ends up winning it all. Whoever your favorite driver is and whether or not he's in the Chase,I hope you enjoy the race.
PERSPECTIVE
Remember in your thoughts and prayers the 3,000 men and women who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on our nation on September 11,2001. Let us not rest until those responsible for this evil,cowardly act are brought to justice. God bless America!!!!
Also,my thoughts and prayers are with those on the Gulf coast as Hurricane Ike comes ashore. My sister lives in Houston so it's even more personal for me. Talk to you soon. God bless.
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