Tag Archive | nascar

Feeling Down About The Last Race Of The Season?

Daytona 500 Trophy

There’s Only 100 Days To Daytona!

Next season isn’t that far away. So if you’re already feeling let down that your driver isn’t competing for a title, start counting now for next year.

The next Daytona 500 will be Tony Stewart’s 501st start. He has won several times at Daytona in the summer series. But he has never taken home the trophy from the 500.

He’ll start the year with a new primary sponsor, Bass Pro Shops for the #14 Chevy. Ryan Newman will be back in the #39 with Quicken Loans. And Stewart-Haas Racing will field a 3rd car for Spring Cup, with Danica Patrick in the GoDaddy car.

Of course Dale Jr will also be back in his #88 Chevy with Hendrick. Trevor Bayne will be running a full-time schedule in Nationwide and a limited schedule in Cup. Continue reading →

From The Edge Of Hurricane Sandy

Oct30

Touched By Sandy In Central Virginia

Even in the midst of disaster and challenge our little Prince looked at the storm raging outside with the innocence that only a child could have.

He opened the bedroom window and felt the full force of a misty wind gust blowing through the screen.

He came to me and said:
“Momma, I opened the window and got kissed by the hurricane.”

Hurricane Sandy wasn’t the most powerful hurricane to hit the east coast, but it was an unusually large one in area. NASA posted this picture on Sunday October 28th, 2012 to show just how big it was.

Here in central Virginia it wasn’t the catastrophic storm the news had been making it out to be. We were lucky compared to the coastal areas and especially New jersey. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who suffered damage and loss due to the storm.

The History of Samhain and the Evolution of Halloween

Oct30

Photograph by Mukul Soman
National Geographic
on Springwolf Reflections

The Celtic New Year

It’s the start of the Celtic New Year and honors the year that has passed. It is the time when the veil of forgetfulness is lifted between the physical world and the spiritual world. Where the dead are honored and communication with spirit can take place more than any other time of the year.

An article by the Library of Congress states:
Pagans divided the year by four major holidays. According to their calendar, the year began on a day corresponding to November 1st on our present calendar. The date marked the beginning of winter. Since they were pastoral people, it was a time when cattle and sheep had to be moved to closer pastures and all livestock had to be secured for the winter months. Crops were harvested and stored. The date marked both an ending and a beginning in an eternal cycle.

With the coming of Christianity in the 800s AD, the early Church in England tried to Christianize the old Celtic festivals. Pope Boniface IV designated the 1st of November as “All Saints Day,” honoring saints and martyrs. He also decreed October 31 as “All Hallows Eve”, that eventually became Hallow’een.

Scholars today widely accept that the Pope was attempting to replace the earlier Celtic pagan festival with a church-sanctioned holiday. As this Christian holiday spread, the name evolved as well. Also called All-hallows Eve or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day).

Visit Springwolf Reflections and learn more about the History of Samhain, a widely celebrated Holiday. Whither you follow the traditions of Samhain or the non-secular celebrations of Halloween; we hope you have a fun and safe night!

Spooky Celebrations

Oct29

Merry Samhain or Happy Halloween

What ever your celebration we hope you have a safe and happy one!

A New App Review

Oct25

Accupedo Pedometer
by Corusen

Pedometers

It dawned on me today as I walking, I wonder if there’s an app for that? Well of course there is!

Pedometers rely on GPS tracking, so if you don’t like the satellites knowing where you are, these aren’t going to do much for you.

They come in a variety of options, but most will count your steps, track how far you’ve walked, estimate how many calories you burned and how long you walked. Some more advanced versions will track your speed as well. They are good for walking or running. And there are some that cross over from pedometers to cycling meters, but those seemed expensive. If you do more cycling than walking, look specifically for the stand alone cycling meters.

I tried out three different apps as I was walking and looked at two more when I got home. Since I didn’t try the two I checked out from home, I’ll have to hold off on their review for now.

Check out the three I did try out in my Android App Review.

Talladega Brings Out The Humor In Smoke

Oct13

Talladega October 2012

2012 Fall Race – The Big One

It seems racing at Talladega brings out the funny side of Tony Stewart. Matt Kenseth won the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 when “The Big One” happened on the final lap as the #14 driven by 3-time Champion Tony Stewart was racing hard against Kenseth’s #17 on the high side of the track.

Tony was coming down to protect his position, when Michael Waltrip had a big run on the inside line of cars. Tony thought he was clear, telling reporters after the race “It’s my fault. I take 100 percent of the blame. I was trying to win the race and stay ahead and Michael got a big head of a steam. I turned down across the front of his car. It was a mistake on my part, but it made for a bad day for a lot of other guys.” Continue reading →

Nascar Reinstates AJ Allmendinger

Oct13

A.J. Allmendinger

Allmendinger Gets A Second Chance

On Tuesday, Nascar announced they have reinstated AJ Allmendinger after successful completion of the sanctioning body’s Substance Abuse Policy Road to Recovery program.

This marks the first driver to enter and complete the program since its inception. ‘Dinger failed a drug test on June 29 at Kentucky Speedway. He was put on temporary suspension July 7 when the “A” sample of his urine specimen tested positive. That suspension became indefinite on July 24, after AJ Allmendinger’s “B” Sample Tests Positive.

Allmendinger’s business manager, Tara Ragan, said was an unspecified stimulant, adding that the results “were within nanograms of accepted standards.”

On August 7th Allmendinger told Marty Smith in an exclusive interview, he tested Positive for a Prescription Drug, Adderall. AJ tells Smith: ” he had been out in Louisville, Ky., the Wednesday before the Quaker State 400 race at Kentucky Speedway and was tired. A friend, Allmendinger said, handed him a pill and stated it was a workout supplement that would give him energy. Allmendinger ingested the pill.” That pill turned out to be Adderall, according to Allmendinger. Continue reading →

Looking Through A Kids Eyes

Oct11

Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy

What The Universe Looks Like – When You’re 9

We’ve made mention here before about the advanced reading of our son. When he was in 3rd grade he was tested at school for his reading and comprehension ability. As all kids are. Our little Prince was scored on a 12th grade reading level. Ok, we knew he was smart; but he’s still a kid.

This year his reading ability is so high, the school test can’t score his reading ability. So they’re saying he’s on a college level with his reading. Now there are good and bad sides to this. The good side, he’s smart and when he wants to know something he goes to Google and he reads about it. His interests lean toward science and computers. The first webpage he book marked was a page that discusses the periodic table.

The bad side is that it’s hard to find books for him to read for his homework that aren’t too easy and will still keep his interest. His favorite books are “Hank The Cowdog” by John Erickson. Now these aren’t real hard books to read, but they aren’t really written for kids. Mr. Erickson has a history of saying he didn’t intend these books to be for children. But kids love them! And adults too. They really are hilarious and not in a childish way. Continue reading →

2012 NFL Weeks 1 to 4

Sep30

Evil’s Picks

Due to the epic struggle to close one bad business and start the next one, I’ve been too busy to worry with the NFL. So now to keep my sanity from all the spreadsheets and document mining I’ve been doing, I’m making my football picks. Of course, that involves a lot of document mining and spreadsheets.

Hmm… keeping the sanity might be a lost cause.

Here’s the up to date stats/picks. Continue reading →

Write A Letter To Your 16-Year Old Self

Sep22

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88

What Would You Say?

All week I’ve heard about this article that Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrote to his 16 year old self. A CBS News project that aired September 12, 2012.

As reported by the media, other Nascar fans and friends, it’s a very moving insight from one of racing’s premier drivers. It reflects on relationships, worries, his career and it even has some humor tossed in for good measure.

It is indeed a very moving reflection from a man who is not comfortable with being in the limelight each and every time he steps through the door. And it made me wonder, if you wrote a letter to your 16 year old self, what would you say?

One of the most poignant lines in his letter that hit home for me was: “You’re there, worried about me here.”

It caused me to think about how much time we waste worrying about things that may never happen, scared to take the chance on that first step on our way to finding out what we can accomplish. One of my favorite things to tell people in my practices is: “We can’t go back and change the past, but we can change the way we allow the past to affect our present and our future.” That starts by living life in the now, to the fullest and without worrying about the failures that “might” cross your path. You will never grab the brass ring, if you don’t take the chance to reach for it in the first place.

Letter Transcript:
Here is a transcript of Jr’s letter to himself: Continue reading →