NASCAR - Page 2

FileNotFound · 12-11-2003, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by blue58

Just trying to fit in.

Fit into what? Are you implying that my statements were equally idiotic?

If you want proof of any of them, just ask.

Meanwhile would you like to go and dig up some proof to show that my life has been "pansy ass"ed indeed?

Undertoad · 12-11-2003, 09:30 AM

Aw cmon FNF, that was a good line.

blue · 12-11-2003, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Are you implying that my statements were equally idiotic?

Uhh, yeah.....maybe you're not as dumb as you sound.

Quote:

If you want proof of any of them, just ask.

No thanks.

Quote:

go and dig up some proof

Could care less really.

FileNotFound · 12-11-2003, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Undertoad
Aw cmon FNF, that was a good line.

Why not make it a tagline then?

"The Cellar: Where one has to make idiotic statements just to fit in!"

Oh and Blue58...if you don't care..why do you even respond to my posts?

Hell why even post in the first place?

You post what appears to be something you feel strongly about and as soon as someone disagrees you make idiotic statements, sidestep, and then don't care anymore?

vsp · 12-11-2003, 09:45 AM

Doug Stanhope is _hysterical_... when he's doing stand-up. When he's reading from the Man Show teleprompter and following their script, on the other hand...

He's a mild example of the dreaded Sagetization Effect, which is the process where a network takes a funny comic and straps him onto a tame and less-to-completely-unfunny comedy premise. The patron saint is Bob Saget, whose promising standup career derailed in favor of playing straight-man to the Olsen Twins and reading lame Teleprompter quips about yutzes' home videos, but there are hordes of other examples out there.

As for NASCAR, one of the saddest things I've ever seen happened one Sunday when I was coming home from my girlfriend's parent's house. As soon as I hit the US 11-15 junction, there were HUGE crowds on the southbound side, and it kept going for miles -- kids, parents, lawn chairs, flags, banners, the whole shebang. I was genuinely puzzled -- it was too late in the summer for a July 4th fireworks display, parades wouldn't go down a major highway, and as far as I knew, the Presidential motorcade wasn't in town...

I stopped at a Subway for a snack, and asked what was going on. The clerk explained that there'd been a NASCAR race in New York that weekend, and that the trucks with the racecars would be passing through this afternoon.

I verified that these were closed trucks. It's not as if the drivers themselves would be on them, let alone waving to the crowds like homecoming-court candidates or weaving through traffic in their vehicles. It's not as if the cars themselves would be visible, for fear that some diehard Earnhardt fan would throw a pipe bomb into Jeff Gordon's car, or anything like that. It's not as if they were going to stop and kiss babies and shake hands and let people see the cars up close. Nope, these were just tractor-trailers passing through, like any other traffic.

After verifying this, I asked rather loudly, "You mean that these people are standing around in 95-degree heat just to cheer on the EQUIPMENT TRUCKS?" The clerk cracked up, saying "Yeah, it happens every year," while a woman in a Rusty Wallace shirt across the room gave us both an uncomprehending scowl.

I got my sandwich and left, and the mass of alleged humanity on the roadside continued. I reached my exit, and ten or fifteen cars were LINING THE SHOULDER OF THE OFF-RAMP!

The next section of Route 15 was much more rural and wide-open than downtown Shamokin Dam. There were still groups of people at roadside, including some in Amish/Mennonite gear. This amused me to no end, as I imagined them having a cow in their back yards with a TV embedded in its side so that they could watch the races. "Turn ye to the left, Bessie, the picture's getting fuzzy."

Then there was one guy who had a full-size Jeff Gordon cutout with him at roadside. By now I was _howling_ with laughter, which got me a "What's so funny" look from the World's Second-Biggest Jeff Gordon Fan.

I say second-biggest because the best was yet to come. Some yutz a mile or two down the road had unplugged a SODA MACHINE with some NASCAR driver's picture on it and wheeled it to the side of the road. I nearly drove off the road when I saw that. (I really hope he worked at the store that he "borrowed" it from.) It was if this was some sort of Great Pumpkin test, where Jeff Gordon would rise up in the most sincere fan's pumpkin patch and say "YOU like me! You can ride shotgun with me next week at Talladega."

Up until that point, I had viewed NASCAR fans as being sort of like non-clued-in pro wrestling fans -- you know, the Springer-audience types who are genuinely morally offended when Triple H bashes Stone Cold with a chair, as compared to those who view the spectacle as a Hollywood stunt show gone horribly wrong. Both NASCAR and such wrestling fans enjoy watching repetitive, somewhat predictable "sporting events." Both follow larger-than-life characters with unswerving fandom, and are often emotionally upset when someone around them favors the other guy. Both pastimes are often more entertaining when something goes violently wrong than when everything goes smoothly.

But I could never imagine even diehard wrestling fans lining the Northeast Extension to cheer on a truck carrying the ring ropes, the Rock's wardrobe, Stone Cold's knee pads and similar equipment.

And the saddest thing of all was that while many of these roadside worshippers looked offended when I'd stop at a red light and they'd hear my laughter... the majority looked more confused than anything else. You could almost hear the wheels spinning in their heads -- "Heeeeeeey, he's LAUGHING at us. How can he not understand why we're out here?"

blue · 12-11-2003, 09:48 AM

Because FNF, I'm really not here to have a discussion with or about you. If we're discussing something in the same thread, sure I'll reply, but have no desire to get into some long drawn out argument with you, I've read enough of your posts to realize it isn't worth the effort. Some people just don't find you as entertaining as others perhaps.

Undertoad · 12-11-2003, 10:18 AM

This is one of those Matters Of Taste vsp... because I find that Doug Stanhope has few redeeming qualities even as a stand-up, and I worship stand-up comedy.

Quote:

Aw cmon FNF, that was a good line.

Why not make it a tagline then?

"The Cellar: Where one has to make idiotic statements just to fit in!"

Statement of wisdom you may feel free to ignore: this venomous attitude is far less productive than you think it is. You're wasting a lot of energy on nothing. You don't need to fight every fight. It doesn't change anything and only promotes anger and dissent. Sometimes the best bet is to shrug and walk away.

blue · 12-11-2003, 10:19 AM

That story was hilarious (and yeah a little sad too) vsp! But what the hell, if that many people show up, throw in a little alcohol, may be a good time.

I especially got a kick out of the Amish part. We've quite a few Amish around here and they're pretty reserved (like you'd expect...they're Amish!) but one buggy I've seen has a pair of purple fuzzy dice hanging by the wind shield, and every once in awhile when a large group goes by for some gathering, you can tell they are racing...taking side streets, trying to cut each other off, etc.

SteveDallas · 12-11-2003, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by vsp

He's a mild example of the dreaded Sagetization Effect, which is the process where a network takes a funny comic and straps him onto a tame and less-to-completely-unfunny comedy premise.

I agree 100%. I hear a fair amount of standup these days thanks to the comedy channel on my XM satellite radio. When you hear somebody like Ellen Degeneres or Ray Romano, or even Roseanne Barr, you realize why somebody thought they ought to be on TV. Which you usually wouldn't figure out based on their TV show itself.

lumberjim · 12-11-2003, 11:32 AM

yeah, and bob sagget is friggin hysterical when he's allowed to "work blue"....dude's mind works fast!
i don't remember what show i saw with him, but i remember being amazed that the dipshit from the aforementioned tv shows was actually quite funny.

xoxoxoBruce · 12-11-2003, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SteveDallas
I think it'd be more amusing to see lower end "stock." I mean everybody knows a Corvette will go fast. Why don't we stack up a Ford Escort vs. a Honda Civic or a Chevy Prism and a Dodge Neon and see what happens?

Can you say, SCCA. You can see them all.

xoxoxoBruce · 12-11-2003, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FileNotFound
The most uncomfortable moment of my life was being naturalized as the citizen of the US and having to say "Under God"...by the way.. I didn't.

Why? If you believe in God then it's not a problem and if you don't believe in God then it's just following the script, again not a problem.
I'm not breaking balls, just curious why this made you so uncomfortable?

Radar · 12-11-2003, 12:51 PM

Why? Because the word "god" has no place in any oaths, on our currency, or in our laws. It should never be used by a country that supposedly advocates the freedom of religion; especially one that was built on the premise of the complete separation of church and state like America.

FileNotFound · 12-11-2003, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by xoxoxoBruce
Why? If you believe in God then it's not a problem and if you don't believe in God then it's just following the script, again not a problem.
I'm not breaking balls, just curious why this made you so uncomfortable?

Well you see, I do not believe in god and saying that I am swearing allegiance to a nation "under god" is in a sense swearing allegiance to god. Because well...the nation is 'under him'.

I have no problem with allegiance to the US, but for me god is out of the question.
Naturalization IS a big deal to me as is my position on the non existence of god. I felt that if I didn't say the pledge then I wasn't 'really' naturalized but then if I said it, I'd be saying something that I absolutely do not believe in. That made me very uncomfortable. In the end I just stood there while everybody else spoke the pledge.

It's like getting married without being able to say I do. It's just not the same.

Have you tried to get a marriage license? You know you have to put your hand on the bible to do that? Why? I don't believe in god. I'll tell you the truth with my hand up my ass rather than with it on the bible.

perth · 12-11-2003, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FileNotFound
Have you tried to get a marriage license? You know you have to put your hand on the bible to do that?

I didn't. There wasn't any mention of a bible.

12-11-2003, 11:32 AM	#25
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	yeah, and bob sagget is friggin hysterical when he's allowed to "work blue"....dude's mind works fast! i don't remember what show i saw with him, but i remember being amazed that the dipshit from the aforementioned tv shows was actually quite funny. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

12-11-2003, 12:51 PM	#28
Radar Constitutional Scholar Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ocala, FL Posts: 4,006	Why? Because the word "god" has no place in any oaths, on our currency, or in our laws. It should never be used by a country that supposedly advocates the freedom of religion; especially one that was built on the premise of the complete separation of church and state like America. __________________ "I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death." - George Carlin

12-11-2003, 09:30 AM	#17
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Aw cmon FNF, that was a good line.

12-11-2003, 09:45 AM	#20
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	Doug Stanhope is _hysterical_... when he's doing stand-up. When he's reading from the Man Show teleprompter and following their script, on the other hand... He's a mild example of the dreaded Sagetization Effect, which is the process where a network takes a funny comic and straps him onto a tame and less-to-completely-unfunny comedy premise. The patron saint is Bob Saget, whose promising standup career derailed in favor of playing straight-man to the Olsen Twins and reading lame Teleprompter quips about yutzes' home videos, but there are hordes of other examples out there. As for NASCAR, one of the saddest things I've ever seen happened one Sunday when I was coming home from my girlfriend's parent's house. As soon as I hit the US 11-15 junction, there were HUGE crowds on the southbound side, and it kept going for miles -- kids, parents, lawn chairs, flags, banners, the whole shebang. I was genuinely puzzled -- it was too late in the summer for a July 4th fireworks display, parades wouldn't go down a major highway, and as far as I knew, the Presidential motorcade wasn't in town... I stopped at a Subway for a snack, and asked what was going on. The clerk explained that there'd been a NASCAR race in New York that weekend, and that the trucks with the racecars would be passing through this afternoon. I verified that these were closed trucks. It's not as if the drivers themselves would be on them, let alone waving to the crowds like homecoming-court candidates or weaving through traffic in their vehicles. It's not as if the cars themselves would be visible, for fear that some diehard Earnhardt fan would throw a pipe bomb into Jeff Gordon's car, or anything like that. It's not as if they were going to stop and kiss babies and shake hands and let people see the cars up close. Nope, these were just tractor-trailers passing through, like any other traffic. After verifying this, I asked rather loudly, "You mean that these people are standing around in 95-degree heat just to cheer on the EQUIPMENT TRUCKS?" The clerk cracked up, saying "Yeah, it happens every year," while a woman in a Rusty Wallace shirt across the room gave us both an uncomprehending scowl. I got my sandwich and left, and the mass of alleged humanity on the roadside continued. I reached my exit, and ten or fifteen cars were LINING THE SHOULDER OF THE OFF-RAMP! The next section of Route 15 was much more rural and wide-open than downtown Shamokin Dam. There were still groups of people at roadside, including some in Amish/Mennonite gear. This amused me to no end, as I imagined them having a cow in their back yards with a TV embedded in its side so that they could watch the races. "Turn ye to the left, Bessie, the picture's getting fuzzy." Then there was one guy who had a full-size Jeff Gordon cutout with him at roadside. By now I was _howling_ with laughter, which got me a "What's so funny" look from the World's Second-Biggest Jeff Gordon Fan. I say second-biggest because the best was yet to come. Some yutz a mile or two down the road had unplugged a SODA MACHINE with some NASCAR driver's picture on it and wheeled it to the side of the road. I nearly drove off the road when I saw that. (I really hope he worked at the store that he "borrowed" it from.) It was if this was some sort of Great Pumpkin test, where Jeff Gordon would rise up in the most sincere fan's pumpkin patch and say "YOU like me! You can ride shotgun with me next week at Talladega." Up until that point, I had viewed NASCAR fans as being sort of like non-clued-in pro wrestling fans -- you know, the Springer-audience types who are genuinely morally offended when Triple H bashes Stone Cold with a chair, as compared to those who view the spectacle as a Hollywood stunt show gone horribly wrong. Both NASCAR and such wrestling fans enjoy watching repetitive, somewhat predictable "sporting events." Both follow larger-than-life characters with unswerving fandom, and are often emotionally upset when someone around them favors the other guy. Both pastimes are often more entertaining when something goes violently wrong than when everything goes smoothly. But I could never imagine even diehard wrestling fans lining the Northeast Extension to cheer on a truck carrying the ring ropes, the Rock's wardrobe, Stone Cold's knee pads and similar equipment. And the saddest thing of all was that while many of these roadside worshippers looked offended when I'd stop at a red light and they'd hear my laughter... the majority looked more confused than anything else. You could almost hear the wheels spinning in their heads -- "Heeeeeeey, he's LAUGHING at us. How can he not understand why we're out here?"

12-11-2003, 09:48 AM	#21
blue Operations Operative Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Northern WI Posts: 739	Because FNF, I'm really not here to have a discussion with or about you. If we're discussing something in the same thread, sure I'll reply, but have no desire to get into some long drawn out argument with you, I've read enough of your posts to realize it isn't worth the effort. Some people just don't find you as entertaining as others perhaps.

12-11-2003, 10:19 AM	#23
blue Operations Operative Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Northern WI Posts: 739	That story was hilarious (and yeah a little sad too) vsp! But what the hell, if that many people show up, throw in a little alcohol, may be a good time. I especially got a kick out of the Amish part. We've quite a few Amish around here and they're pretty reserved (like you'd expect...they're Amish!) but one buggy I've seen has a pair of purple fuzzy dice hanging by the wind shield, and every once in awhile when a large group goes by for some gathering, you can tell they are racing...taking side streets, trying to cut each other off, etc.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)