Happy Birthday (2/17) to My Dad, the Iron Man!

Yesterday was my dad's birthday, his 51st. He is an amazing person, and I will be writing a longer post on this wonderful person later.......

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Mark Martin Misses Daytona Win...Thanks to Matt Kenseth!

Mark Martin, driver of the 01 US Army Ginn Racing Monte Carlo, finished 2nd to Kevin Harvick today at the Daytona 500. After 20 years with Roush Racing, Mark left because owner Jack Roush felt he couldn't give a ride to a part-time driver; despite the fact that MARK made Roush Racing. If not for Mark Martin, Jack Roush would be a washed up drag racer in Ohio. However, Mark saw a great opportunity and took it. He is united with Ryan Pemberton and will drive a limited schedule in Nextel Cup, some Busch racing, and some truck racing as well.

Well, showing that he has no loyalty for the man who got him a job, Matt Kenseth helped Kevin "I lost Goodwrench as my Sponsor" Harvick to the front on the last lap charge. Mark survived challenges by Kyle "I'd wreck my Mom" Busch and two caution flags. However, the push by Kenseth did Mark in. And to think that Mark is the one who got Matt the job with Roush, who discovered Matt. Thankfully, this Roush loyalist/traitor got what he deserved when his pushing led him to wreck. Mark tried to fight back in the last lengths, but Harvick had the preferred position for momentum and won by 2 one hundredths of a second. It was Mark's 23rd 500.

However, did Mark get bitter? Did he show the same lack of class usually shown by Jack Roush and the young whiners that make up most of Nextel Cup? No, he blamed himself and said he didn't get it done. However, he did all he could do. It was his protege who did him in. Thanks, Kenseth, on behalf of all Mark Martin fans, for NOTHING!!!!

It's spring...

...training. And Ken Griffey Jr. is hurt. He has a broken wrist/hand. He had not revealed how he had gotten injured until now. He did reveal at last that he got the injury wrestling with his kids. Well, at least it was something wholesome, unlike Jimmy Johnson of NASCAR who acted like a total moron and broke his arm while doing jackass material on a golfcart.

I hope Griffey, who by the way is reporting to camp early, has a great year. This guy deserves it. He quite possibly is the best player of the last half of teh 20th century, but he has been snakebitten. I hope he does well, and on the flip side, may Barry Bonds rupture his achilles and be forced to retire, along with his Clear and Cream.

Star Trek Has Jumped the Shark...Again

Well, it looks like Star Trek, one of the greatest franchises ever, has finally jumped the shark. Instead of coming up with new ideas and characters, the current custodians of Roddenberry's dream have gone through the re-imagining route ala Battlestar Galactica and others. They have cast Matt Damon to play Captain Kirk, set in the early days of Kirk's career, at the academy; where he will run into Spocke and McCoy. ARGH! These people are totally loons if they think they are doing the right thing. First of all, Kirk could not have been at the Academy the same time as Spock and McCoy; both are older than him. Also, Matt Damon sucks as an actor (except the Bourne Movies, and that's mostly because he isn't talking), and him filling the shoes of Bill Shatner is an insult.

I am sure there will be other crap like characters being different genders and sexual preferences (all these reimaginings have those twists) which will tarnish the image all the more. You can't recapture that old Star Trek feel, no matter if you bring back the old sweaters of the 1960s. It disgusts me that they are going to spit on the legacy of these actors and characters, and create a bastardized version. It reminds me of what has been done to other classic tv shows and movies, like the disgusting remakes of Dukes of Hazzard, Starsky and Hutch, Mission Impossible 2 and 3, as well as Posiedon (the original is much better, having to flip the ship with Shelley Winters on board, that's hard!).

These aren't reimaginings or trying to bring the good stories and characters to new audiences. Like our in our education system, this is the systematic dumbing down and bastardization. And it is disgusting.