As promised, here is this weeks Wednesday Words of WiseDumb:
Tomorrow is gone, and today you were given a gift. The sunrise brought with it a chance to make it all right again. Forget the mistakes, hesitations, fears and obsessions of the past. Today starts now, and it’s not too late. It’s not too late to fix what’s broken, not too late to start all over again. Today is an ocean of limitless possibility, embrace it. –JT
See you next week.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
NASCAR Sucks
I've heard that NASCAR is the fastest growing sport in America, and for that I am sorely disappointed with all of us. NASCAR is perhaps the dumbest sport (and I use the term loosely) that I can think of. I'd rather watch curling any day of the week. In fact the only positive thing I have to say about NASCAR is that I think it's beginning was very cool and in a way embodied the historically rebellious nature of America. It's hard not to be intrigued by the bootleggers in their highly modified cars outrunning lawmen all over the country. However, after it's humble and exciting roots the sport grew decadent and boring. I mean, really, 500 laps? I know I'm not the only person who has watched a race and literally begged God for a crash to make something exciting happen. I've argued with many fans over the years and not a single one has been able to dissuade me. I'm sorry if I don't find the drivers incredibly skilled, but I can turn left all day too.
Just a short while ago I was flipping through the channels on television and I stumbled onto a NASCAR race which was about to begin. I paused for a moment because I heard the men talking about a road course and up to that point I was blissfully unaware that NASCAR drivers ever drove on something other than an oval. I thought maybe I was about to be proven wrong, that maybe the race would be exciting and captivating. It was not, and after several minutes my respect for the "sport" declined even more. Driver after driver bitched about hating road courses and how it wasn't one of their strengths. I'm sorry, but if you drive a car for a living and then say that driving on a real race course isn't one of your strengths, ask a friend to run you over. Then the commentators starting talking about how difficult road courses are and the additional stress they put on the cars brakes and tires and transmission. The whole time I was watching in disbelief, because any other kind of racing considers these things part of the sport. I then watched the beginning of the race and I found myself staring at what had to be one of the easiest looking road courses in the history of auto racing. The slowest "corner" was somewhere around 75mph. It is certainly still possible to slide off course with such broad, sweeping curves, but it's not terribly likely. If these men really were skilled behind the wheels of their cars, this course didn't ask them to prove it.
I lived just outside of Daytona Beach for a while after high school, and there NASCAR is so canonical that to be a detractor in the area is dangerous. I almost got my ass kicked on more than one occasion for voicing my opinions against NASCAR. This, of course, lead me to hate the "sport" and many of its fans even more. I defy you to find a larger redneck gathering than a NASCAR race. Anyway, just a little while ago ESPN had a tournament to discover who people thought to be the greatest athlete currently in sports. Jeff Gordon was on the list and actually made it past the first few rounds. Now, for all I know Jeff is a fantastic athlete and could kick my ass in any number of sports. That having been said, he was on the list as a driver and I can't help but find it completely absurd that sitting in a car and turning left, however hot it might get in there, is enough to qualify someone as a tremendous athlete.
Clearly I'm biased, because I despise NASCAR so completely, but if it really is the fastest growing sport in America then I suggest people try watching superbike racing or Formula 1. I think it would be difficult to be impressed with NASCAR after seeing the truly intense racing these motorsports offer. If I want to watch cars racing, I'll turn on Formula 1 and see the greatest drivers in the world driving the most advanced cars on the planet. But if, for some reason, I find the urge to watch guys drive around a circle in Monte Carlo's with 20+ year old carbureted, pushrod technology, I'll know where to go.
Just a short while ago I was flipping through the channels on television and I stumbled onto a NASCAR race which was about to begin. I paused for a moment because I heard the men talking about a road course and up to that point I was blissfully unaware that NASCAR drivers ever drove on something other than an oval. I thought maybe I was about to be proven wrong, that maybe the race would be exciting and captivating. It was not, and after several minutes my respect for the "sport" declined even more. Driver after driver bitched about hating road courses and how it wasn't one of their strengths. I'm sorry, but if you drive a car for a living and then say that driving on a real race course isn't one of your strengths, ask a friend to run you over. Then the commentators starting talking about how difficult road courses are and the additional stress they put on the cars brakes and tires and transmission. The whole time I was watching in disbelief, because any other kind of racing considers these things part of the sport. I then watched the beginning of the race and I found myself staring at what had to be one of the easiest looking road courses in the history of auto racing. The slowest "corner" was somewhere around 75mph. It is certainly still possible to slide off course with such broad, sweeping curves, but it's not terribly likely. If these men really were skilled behind the wheels of their cars, this course didn't ask them to prove it.
I lived just outside of Daytona Beach for a while after high school, and there NASCAR is so canonical that to be a detractor in the area is dangerous. I almost got my ass kicked on more than one occasion for voicing my opinions against NASCAR. This, of course, lead me to hate the "sport" and many of its fans even more. I defy you to find a larger redneck gathering than a NASCAR race. Anyway, just a little while ago ESPN had a tournament to discover who people thought to be the greatest athlete currently in sports. Jeff Gordon was on the list and actually made it past the first few rounds. Now, for all I know Jeff is a fantastic athlete and could kick my ass in any number of sports. That having been said, he was on the list as a driver and I can't help but find it completely absurd that sitting in a car and turning left, however hot it might get in there, is enough to qualify someone as a tremendous athlete.
Clearly I'm biased, because I despise NASCAR so completely, but if it really is the fastest growing sport in America then I suggest people try watching superbike racing or Formula 1. I think it would be difficult to be impressed with NASCAR after seeing the truly intense racing these motorsports offer. If I want to watch cars racing, I'll turn on Formula 1 and see the greatest drivers in the world driving the most advanced cars on the planet. But if, for some reason, I find the urge to watch guys drive around a circle in Monte Carlo's with 20+ year old carbureted, pushrod technology, I'll know where to go.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
First Ever WWW
I noticed that the address for this blog does not start with a www as most websites do. And while I claim to be something of a noncomformist and I truly believe change is good...I can't help but desire some www on this page. Call it sentimentality, perhaps it will give me a false sense of security, I'm not sure. Starting today I will post a Wednesday Words of WiseDumb (WWW) every Wednesday. It's just my little way of helping you get through humpday with your sanity intact. Wondering what it is? Well I'm going to tell you anyway.
For a long time now I've had an obsession with quotes. Famous quotes, obscure quotes, movie quotes, doesn't matter. Anything that excited or inspired me was added to a collection that is now remarkably huge. After a while I decided I would write my own thoughts down in a concise manner, much like the quotes I enjoyed. So I started saving small phrases from all sorts of places (other things I'd written, random thoughts, pieces of larger ideas) and called them quotes by me. They vary in length, depth and subject, but I think there are some genuinely good things in there. So every Wednesday afternoon I'll post one on here for people to read and let them think about it or talk about it or disagree with me over it. Anything really. Here is the first such WWW:
In the great sea of regret which we all occasionally swim in, that thing which should be missed most is the life that might have been lived had our courage been great enough to live it.
–JT
Let me know what you think guys, all comments, criticisms and discussions are welcome. Happy Humpday.
For a long time now I've had an obsession with quotes. Famous quotes, obscure quotes, movie quotes, doesn't matter. Anything that excited or inspired me was added to a collection that is now remarkably huge. After a while I decided I would write my own thoughts down in a concise manner, much like the quotes I enjoyed. So I started saving small phrases from all sorts of places (other things I'd written, random thoughts, pieces of larger ideas) and called them quotes by me. They vary in length, depth and subject, but I think there are some genuinely good things in there. So every Wednesday afternoon I'll post one on here for people to read and let them think about it or talk about it or disagree with me over it. Anything really. Here is the first such WWW:
In the great sea of regret which we all occasionally swim in, that thing which should be missed most is the life that might have been lived had our courage been great enough to live it.
–JT
Let me know what you think guys, all comments, criticisms and discussions are welcome. Happy Humpday.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Struggling Writer On Display
Hello, my name is Josh Taylor and as you can see, I'm a struggling writer. We're just like struggling actors but we can fail to become published even if we're good looking. Anyway, several months ago I decided I would like to become a writer. So I quit a decent job and started waking up early every morning to write a book. A month and a half later, I had a final-ish draft of a manuscript. That, it turns out, is the easy part. After a long process (several months) of writing letters and mailing them to various agencies, I was turned down by everyone I got in contact with.
That's alright, failure is the key to success I think, so we persevere. That's where this blog comes in. It just so happens that reputable magazines and newspapers are reluctant to hand over weekly columns to unpublished 22 year olds who went to school for business, not writing. So today, as I was shoveling a big pile of dirt (long story), it occurred to me that perhaps I should take some initiative and start a blog. I figured I could throw the link on Myspace and Facebook and see what people thought of my ranting.
I did this because a very funny thing happens when you're unemployed: you get increasingly lazy. You see, laziness is just like anything else, the more you practice the better you get at it. And when you can wake up at any time you want to and do as much or as little as possible, you tend to choose the latter. When I had a job and I woke up on my days off I would get to work and just pound out the chores and errands. 6 or 7 in a day, no problem. And that was while I was relaxing and enjoying not being at work. It was me time. Now I make a list of 6 or 7 things at the beginning of the week and pick one to do each day. It goes like this: Today is Tuesday, I need to grocery shop and do laundry. Whoa, accidentally overscheduled there, need to calm things down a bit. Laundry doesn't require leaving the house, lets do that. Grocery shopping will fit nicely into my day tomorrow. It's sad and pathetic and I think that most people who are (semi)willingly unemployed can attest to the accuracy of that portrait.
So the reason behind this semi-pretentious, vaguely narcissistic tribute to myself is to keep me writing on a regular basis and to do it in a very public way. This, as many writers will tell you, is the hardest part of writing. Letting other people actually see what you've written and making yourself vulnerable to their feedback and criticisms. It doesn't make sense, because of course the writing is being done so it will be read, but insecurity rarely relies on reason for it's own existence. Anyway, I'll finish up by sharing my vision of this blog with you. I plan on writing here once or twice a week on absolutely any-damn-thing that tickles my fancy and gets me excited. Sports, cars, women, politics, drinking, bodily functions, who knows. This is me in the actual act of struggling as a struggling writer. I hope you enjoy the show, I look forward to it.
That's alright, failure is the key to success I think, so we persevere. That's where this blog comes in. It just so happens that reputable magazines and newspapers are reluctant to hand over weekly columns to unpublished 22 year olds who went to school for business, not writing. So today, as I was shoveling a big pile of dirt (long story), it occurred to me that perhaps I should take some initiative and start a blog. I figured I could throw the link on Myspace and Facebook and see what people thought of my ranting.
I did this because a very funny thing happens when you're unemployed: you get increasingly lazy. You see, laziness is just like anything else, the more you practice the better you get at it. And when you can wake up at any time you want to and do as much or as little as possible, you tend to choose the latter. When I had a job and I woke up on my days off I would get to work and just pound out the chores and errands. 6 or 7 in a day, no problem. And that was while I was relaxing and enjoying not being at work. It was me time. Now I make a list of 6 or 7 things at the beginning of the week and pick one to do each day. It goes like this: Today is Tuesday, I need to grocery shop and do laundry. Whoa, accidentally overscheduled there, need to calm things down a bit. Laundry doesn't require leaving the house, lets do that. Grocery shopping will fit nicely into my day tomorrow. It's sad and pathetic and I think that most people who are (semi)willingly unemployed can attest to the accuracy of that portrait.
So the reason behind this semi-pretentious, vaguely narcissistic tribute to myself is to keep me writing on a regular basis and to do it in a very public way. This, as many writers will tell you, is the hardest part of writing. Letting other people actually see what you've written and making yourself vulnerable to their feedback and criticisms. It doesn't make sense, because of course the writing is being done so it will be read, but insecurity rarely relies on reason for it's own existence. Anyway, I'll finish up by sharing my vision of this blog with you. I plan on writing here once or twice a week on absolutely any-damn-thing that tickles my fancy and gets me excited. Sports, cars, women, politics, drinking, bodily functions, who knows. This is me in the actual act of struggling as a struggling writer. I hope you enjoy the show, I look forward to it.
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