Random Thoughts on Various Subjects

1. STEVE ADDINGTON FIRED

Steve Addington was the crew chief for Kyle Busch, but Joe Gibbs fired his ass. Nevermind that Busch and Addington were second only to Jimmie Johnson in victories. I would call that a great job. So, who gets fired for doing good work? JGR has some shit-for-brains fools running their organization.

2. IMPEACHING SANFORD

The General Assembly needs to let this shit go. Sanford is the lamest lame duck ever thanks to his scandals. When I talk to people here in SC, no one gives a fuck. I hear Clinton-Lewinsky cited as precedent on this matter. As one guy put it to me, "He got some pussy on the side. So, what? I bet most of the General Assembly is guilty of the same thing."

3. MADOFF AND THE SEC

My leftard friends can't ever believe my arguments that we need less regulation instead of more regulation. But Bernie Madoff admitted in an interview that the SEC was inept and gave him credibility in duping his clients. This is the problem with regulations and agencies. People cease with due diligence expecting the government to take care of it for them. It is precisely because of agencies like the SEC that shysters like Madoff can pull off their schemes. These agencies are incompetent and will remain so forever.

4. RED STATE AMERICA

I am fascinated with Red State America. SC is a Red State, so this may explain some of it. But I don't consider myself a Red State type of guy because of my libertarian, anti-war, pro-immigration viewpoints. But I have noticed a few traits of this emerging group of people-

-They love Sarah Palin. She is the Queen of RSA. When I talk to Red Staters, they tell me that McCain did not interest them, but they would readily vote for Palin.

-They love Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart triumphed precisely because Sam Walton went after the rural market, and it has paid off big.

-They love to hunt and fish. If you see a guy wearing camo, it is a good sign that he is a Red Stater. They also have a love for four wheel drive vehicles, tractors, and American made SUVs. It is also a safe bet that a Red Stater has a firearm.

-They love Jesus. Red Staters are solidly evangelical Christians.

-They love country and classic rock. A typical Red Stater will have Garth Brooks and AC/DC CDs in their vehicles along with some contemporary Christian music from people like Amy Grant. Red Staters prefer CD's to iPods which also explains why Wal-Mart sells so many units.

-They support the military. They are not necessarily pro-war because many of them agree with me that Iraq was a mistake. But they believe that military might makes a big difference.

-They want a Great Wall of Mexico. Almost all Red Staters hate Mexicans and have affinity for militia groups like the Minutemen. But this is less about racism than economic ignorance. Being blue collar, they see cheap Mexican labor as a threat.

-They really hate Obama. They could care less that he is black so much as the fact that he is a socialist. They also buy into conspiracy theories that Obama was born in Kenya and has plans for some sort of military crackdown on civilians like them. They see Obama as a Black Hitler.

These traits are not a Southern thing but stretch across the entire Southern region to California, the entire Midwest, and Alaska. I also suspect that many Red State minded folks are sprinkled in the rural areas of Blue States.

I like Red State people for some weird reason. This is more for personal reasons than for any political viewpoints we might share. Beyond not liking Obama, I don't have much in common with these people. But I think classifying them as a bunch of rednecks is a mistake. A redneck is a guy who swills beer and lives out in the woods in a trailer and doesn't vote. Red Staters aren't into the redneck thing at all. They live in nice homes, drive nice vehicles, and make good livings in blue collar trades and manufacturing. They read books and watch Fox News. And they vote. The one thing I hear from them over and over again was whether or not I voted in the last election.

5. NASCAR, THE NFL, COLLEGE FOOTBALL, MLB, THE NBA, THE NHL, ETC.

There is a reason that NASCAR and football are the most popular sports in America. These are weekend sports. Basketball, baseball, and hockey play numerous games during the week, and only diehard fans can follow the action. People that work and have families prefer their sports in weekend servings. The hype builds up during the week, and people actually have time to watch the games and races. This is why the NFL and NASCAR are 1 and 2 in popularity.

Major League Baseball suffers from a steroids scandal that won't quit and a belief that the league belongs to big money teams like the New York Yankees. As for the NBA, it has been in decline since Jordan retired. Nobody I know gives a shit about basketball. As for hockey, the NHL made a dumb move expanding into areas where people don't play hockey. When the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup, no one here gave a shit or even knew the team existed. I shit you not.

Hockey is a great sport, but it is regional. It is the sport of Canadians and Northern urban areas like Detroit, Chicago, and New York. Hockey games in these areas regularly outsell basketball games. The NHL diluted their product by going to places like Texas, Florida, and California. The best thing that league can do is close down those franchises or move them to Canada.

The most exciting in sports these days is mixed martial arts. MMA and UFC are wildly popular among a lot of people I talk to. Boxing is dead, and MMA has replaced it. UFC PPV events are huge especially when you can watch them at Hooters. It is a quality product for the sports fan.

As for NASCAR, the biggest problem with that sport is when football starts. It is hard to watch a race and the Panthers play at the same time. The Chase has done nothing to rekindle interest during football time. It also doesn't help when you have a guy like Jimmie Johnson winning it every damn year.

The NFL, NASCAR, and UFC--the best stuff going.

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