NASCAR will survive the economic crisis

NASCAR has been the subject of criticism almost since it’s inception in 1948. I guess that’s pretty much true of any sport that some people just don’t understand. However, the current economic crisis has moved the target from the politics and safety of NASCAR, to the fuel being used.

Bootleggers were really the original stock car racers. However, they were in competition with the police rather than other drivers. The bootleggers needed a way to get their products to the customers and therefore modified smaller, lighter vehicles in order to evade the police. The modifications not only allowed the cars to go faster but they also changed the cargo areas to accommodate their unusual load.  After Prohibition, moonshine was still popular with some folks so the drivers now had to evade the tax man rather than the police.  Some of the drivers came to love the pursuit and the thrill of driving on the winding dirt roads and began organizing races with their peers.

Eventually the races became major events set up by promoters. One of the popular races at the time was held in Daytona Beach, Florida. The winner of the 1938 event was William France, Sr, who wanted to organize the events in order to protect drivers from shady promoters and standardize the rules and regulations. In 1947 he got together with some other popular drivers and promoters, of the time, and the result was the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing or NASCAR.

The first season of unified series racing  ran from January to December of 1947 and included 24 races. The top prize was $1,000 along with a trophy and an additional $3,000 went to other drivers who competed.  Today a typical series may include 36 races with prize money of up to $4 million at each event.

NASCAR has been criticized for it’s lack of concern for safety almost since it started. Only in the last few years have they really begun making lifesaving changes. For the most part the safety precautions were not mandatory and therefore were not enforced. It wasn’t until the death of one of the sports most popular drivers, Dale Earnhardt, in 2001 that they began taking safety more seriously. Some of the changes that were made included the seats, seat belts and harnesses and the wall barriers. As a testament to the effectiveness, there has not been a death in any of NASCARs’ three major series since 2002.

The number of NASCAR viewers has dropped by about 18% since it’s peak in 2005 and attendance at the races has dropped almost 20%. Some are saying its because of Chrysler and possibly GM going into bankruptcy and the general collapse of the auto industry.  Others say that even the fans are concerned about the waste of fuel and the emissions. I say it’s because even NASCAR fans have been affected by the economic crisis. I think that even NASCAR fans are feeling the money crunch due to layoffs and plant closings. I also think that they will be back. Once we weather the current situation, ticket sales will go up and fans will begin ordering pay-per-view again.

While you are waiting, go to www.nascar.tellmeaboutthat.com and check out the latest news, articles and ads. When things turn around you’ll be ready.

Skydiving requires a parachute made by a human

The other day in Wal-Mart, my wife commented that the credit machine that we run our cards through to pay for our purchases, had screwed up again. When she chose “No” for the money back option, the machine added $20.00 anyway. My wife told the cashier that this was the second time this month and last week the same thing had happened to our son. The cashier looked at my wife and said “a human made it” and went back to her business. There was nothing to say. She was right and it got me to thinking about some of the things we depend on in our everyday lives. How much faith do we put in our cars, that when we turn it on with all that gas in the tank and all those “spark” plugs, it will take us where we want and not just blow up.

Just today I was watching the news as they talked about an earthquake in Italy. One of the things they focused on were the number of homes and other buildings that had been destroyed. It seems that some of the older ones had been built using less cement than we use now and were therefore not as strong. WOW!!  Are we really sure that the guys who built our homes used enough cement? I mean, who checked on them? Maybe it was the state code enforcement inspectors, you know, the ones where there are not enough of them to go around and they don’t have time to inspect every one. Maybe they weren’t there to inspect mine. Maybe that was the day the builder was a little short on cement and decided to cut corners.

I once asked a special forces troop I knew, “Why would you want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?”. He answered that there is no such thing as a perfectly good airplane. He may have a point there. However, I have a fear of heights and although I have no problem flying, there is no way I am stepping outside of a plane in the air. I can’t understand why an otherwise sensible individual, would suddenly go nuts and jump out of plane for fun.  Not only that, but they are strapping a man-made bag on their back which is stuffed with a man-made parachute. I just don’t get it. Some people have suggested that I try skydiving and then I would get over my fear of heights. Now they may have a point there. In fact, I know I would get over my fear real quick because I would undoubtedly have a heart attack and die. Besides, I’ve kinda gotten used to my fear of heights and have adjusted, so just leave me alone.

Now if the rest of you still want to go up and jump out of a “perfectly good airplane”, go forth and have “fun”. However, before you do, go to www.skydiving.TellMeAboutThat.com to check out the latest information before you make that jump. If you like what you see then please go to my site at www.TellMeAboutThat.com and enjoy some of my other articles. Good luck! I mean it.

Koi, a symbol of friendship and love

Koi (sounds like coy) fish are growing in popularity as an ornamental fish for backyard ponds. The Koi is actually a carp whose origins are in Central Europe and Asia and is a symbol of friendship and love in Japan. The species includes both the very colorful versions that attract visitors as well as the dull version that we usually associate with the carp. Originally, the Koi was raised as a food fish. It’s ability to thrive in a wide variety of climates and water conditions helped with it’s popularity.

Koi is Japanese for carp, although the cross breeding for the various colors originated in China and only started in Japan in the 1800′s. One result of the cross breeding is the Goldfish which is very popular as a pet. However, there are major differences between the Koi and the Goldfish. For one thing Goldfish are generally much smaller and have a greater variety of body shapes as well as tail and fin configurations. In comparison, the Koi has a pretty standard shape as well as a wider variety of colors, which only makes sense since you couldn’t really call a black colored fish a “goldfish.  Although there are six main colors to the Koi (white, black, cream, red, yellow and blue), the possibilities of color variations are endless.  

If you decide to have these colorful fish in you pond there are a few things that you need to know. As we said,  the carp and therefore the Koi, is a hardy fish which adjusts to most climates. However, they do not do well in extended winter climates, although with special care they can survive.

The bright colors of the Koi make them attractive to predators as well as you and your visitors. Deeper water helps to keep them safe from herons and kingfishers. Properly designed overhangs and shade trees will keep them safe from raccoons, cats, foxes and predators that may be flying overhead.

Koi are not picky eaters and will often eat peas, watermelon and other tasty snacks. Food which is specially designed for Koi to be nutritious, is also made to float. This helps in bringing the Koi to the surface so that you and you visitors can further enjoy the bright colors, but also helps you to check for disease and parasites. Amazingly, over time the Koi  will begin to know who feeds them and will gather together as you approach. With patience you will also be able to get them to eat from your hand which will further impress your guests, especially the children.

While raising Koi it is important to keep the pond clean. Remember this is where the Koi live, sleep, eat and relieve themselves. An unattended pond will become unattractive and scum and mold will begin to accumulate. You should also keep the pond free of floating debris. If you can’t see the bottom of the pond then it’s a good idea to clean it. However, the design of your pond to include waterfalls and rocks and filters will make cleaning a snap.

There are many books and articles about enjoying and raising Koi. Many of them can be found at www.Koi.TellMeAboutThat.com. If you enjoyed this article please visit my site at www.TellMeAboutThat.com and leave a comment or criticism.