The Bullet List

Rest in peace, Dan Wheldon

I was watching the IndyCar Championship with my four year old son when it happened. I turned it off immediately knowing something bad had happened. A fiery fifteen car crash that looked as terrifying as anything I had ever seen. I couldn't have imagined it was this bad. 

I've been to the Indianapolis 500 almost every year since I was 14. I'm not a huge auto racing fan, but I definitely know more than the average sports fan and I love IndyCar racing. The first time I met Dan Wheldon was at a breakfast meeting and I had no idea what it was going to be like. Even though I was older than him and we were meeting for business purposes -- he was an early and active supporter of Simraceway, a video racing game start-up I was working with -- he was an Indy 500 champion and I felt honored to meet him. Within five minutes, it was like I had known him for years; he was busting the chops of my boss, making fun of himself and acting, generally, like the gregarious, funny person that came across in every interview I had seen. As he ate breakfast, he joked with the waiter about why a race car driver would worry about the relative healthiness -- he was eating oatmeal -- of breakfast before driving 200+ miles per hour. He was someone I instantly liked. And I think everyone else felt the same way.

In the brief time that I met him, you could tell Dan was a really big kid doing what he loved. He was obsessed with talking about his two young boys and appreciation for his better half, something we held in common. My favorite moment was after qualifications, the day before the Sonoma race. He was testing out our race simulator and to be dragged out of the racing simulator to go to the corporate sponsored event. All he wanted to do was keep playing and racing. As soon as I heard the news, all I could think about was his kids losing a their fun-loving father.

Everyone knows that racing is dangerous. Everyone knows that this could happen. But you never expect it and you never prepare for it. Dan knew that too. He tried everything he could to get in a car this year, and when it finally happened he experienced the highest high and, sadly, the lowest low.

Please join me in a prayer for his wife and kids today.

Everything is a playground

One thing I've learned during the move is that everything is a playground to a 1 and 3 year old. Here's George figuring out new uses for an LC1 Chair.

 

It's that time of year

Francisco is admired for his devil-may-care-swing-at-everything-and-kill-it-into-the-riverness, Volquez for his Bugs Bunny changeup (one of the best in the biz at getting whiffs), and Chapman for...duh. You know, we really do have a fun team to watch. Aside from the guys who made the list, we have one of the best hitters in the game (Votto's opposite-field power is something for which we should build a statue), an acrobatic Gold-Glove 2B, a RF with a bazooka on his shoulder, a CF who runs like he's in a Serengeti documentary, and a LF who races four-wheelers around the warning track. I CANNOT WAIT another week!

via www.redreporter.com

For obsessive baseball fan blog posts to begin.

Does this mean the Devil is a Bengals Fan?

Ben Roethlisberger, after living a full life, died. When he got to heaven, God was showing him around. They came to a modest little house with a faded Steelers flag in the window. "This house is yours for eternity, Ben," said God. "This is very special; not everyone gets a house up here." Ben felt special, indeed, and walked up to his house. 

On his way up the porch, he noticed another house just around the corner. It was a 3-story mansion with a GREEN & GOLD sidewalk, a 50-foot tall flagpole with an enormous PACKERS flag, and in every window, a CHEESEHEAD. 

Ben looked at God and said "God, I'm not trying to be ungrateful, but I have a question. I was an all-pro QB, I hold many NFL records, and I even won a few Super Bowls." God said "So what's your point, Ben?"

"Well, why does Aaron Rodgers get a better house than I do ?" 

God chuckled, and said: "Ben, that's not Aaron's house. It's my house." 

 

Rubbernecking from your computer

via jalopnik.com

I hate to post this, it's really not right to do. But it is incredibly mesmerizing.

I feel like all the snowy places are going to curse me with an earthquake.

Don't Be Afraid of Good Music

Everybody else is sharing good tunes, so I'll get into the spirit with the Waylon's rad new release.

Enjoy.

Little People Blobs

Juan Genoves, Contemporaneos (Detail), 2010

via beautifuldecay.com

Whoa. Go see the full post on Beautiful/Decay to fully appreciate this image.

Thanks, Sippey.

When did "blog band" become a pejorative

The Waylons are not a blog band. There’s no gimmicks. They’re not really part of any scene. They’re not really young and hip. They’re not really experimental. And their name doesn’t have the words “beach,” “bear” or “crystal.” They’re totally content with all this, quietly releasing a long string of really well-written songs that could be classified as Americana.

via meccalecca.com

I think Jonny means they aren't a Tumblr band. Nice mention of The Waylons on Meccalecca.

Congrats, Karlito and the rest of the Waylons, on doing it their own way and making great music along the trip.

Things For Other Things I Don't Need

via www.goincase.com

But very cool, nonetheless. Both the Origami Sleeve and the electronic doohickey.

Happy Birthday, George

Happy birthday, George!

 

All those curls in one year. Look how much you've grown.