Fastest Tracks racing

NASCAR classifies its racetracks into two categories, short tracks and super speedways. Short tracks are anything under a mile; while the super speedways are over a mile. There are two tracks in the super speedway category that exceed the two mile length - Dayton International Speedway is 2.5 miles long while Talladega Speedway is 2.66 miles in length. These tracks also have a banking at the turns in excess of 30 degrees.

Because of the speeds that can be achieved at these tracks - in excess of 200 miles an hour - the engines are restricted in the amount of horsepower they produce which slows the cars down around eight or 10 miles an hour. However, when the cars get into a single line causing a draft the speed of these cars increases and can again reach the 200 miles an hour mark. As a child I lived five miles from the track in Daytona. This was before the speeds reached today and the restricor plates and we could hear the cars going around the track even with the windows closed.

But because of the restrictor plate Daytona and Talladega are not the fastest of the tracks in NASCAR racing. That distinction belongs to Atlanta Motor Speedway where the cars can easily reach the 200 mile an hour mark without the help of drafting.

Unlike the open wheeled cars that routinely exceed two hundred miles per hour, NASCAR tries to keep the cars under that mark as a safety issue. Even so when there is a crash at the larger tracks it can trap a large number of cars in the field causing what is known as THE Big One. The cars are usually a mess after such an event but fortunately the drivers nearly always walk away from the fray.

Raymond.. Love him?

Abrasive, weird, and completely unafraid to say what was on his mind, Frank Barone was the best character on "Everybody Loves Raymond." Raymond's father Frank was the perfect sidekick for Marie, who more often than not stole the show. His constant barrage of insults brought her down to earth, when everyone else was afraid to stand up to her. And had any other character uttered Frank Barone's lines, they would have become instantly unlikeable. But Frank Barone remained loveable throughout. Here is why Frank Barone was the best character on "Everybody Loves Raymond."

"Everybody Loves Raymond" was one of the most critically acclaimed American sitcoms of its time. It ran from 1996 to 2005, and can still be seen in syndication several times a day all over the country. I admit I was one of the few American viewers who didn't love "Raymond" during its initial run. I found Ray Romano's character Raymond Barone incredibly annoying, what with that nasal voice and pathetic fear of his beautiful wife Debra. I didn't care much at all for his brother Robert, played by Brad Garrett, either. He was nothing but a big goof and the character was overdone, overacted. But I did love "Raymond" when I began watching it in syndication on TBS, not because of Ray or Robert, but because of their hilarious parents, Frank and Marie.

Frank Barone was played by legendary character actor Peter Boyle, who passed away in New York on December 12, 2006. His trademark "Holy crap!" was hysterical, and just about every line he uttered during the show's long run was perfectly delivered. With Frank's strange look and attitude, the character could have been easily dismissed as nasty and mean, but quite the contrary, everybody loved Frank.

And Frank Barone loved Marie's cooking, and deep down, he even loved Marie herself. The insults, the one-liners, it was just the way they were. Everybody used to get a few digs in on Frank, too. They remarked about his baldness, his weight, but Frank Barone always had a comeback, and when he didn't, he simply brushed them off.
"I'm not some trophy wife!" exclaimed Marie, portrayed by Doris Roberts, on one occasion. "What contest in hell did I win?" said Frank.

Peter Boyle gave the character of Frank Barone heart and warmth, and the legendary actor is already missed, as is the show, "Everybody Loves Raymond." Boyle's seamless portrayal of Frank made him the best character on "Everybody Loves Raymond."

20 PC Games

When it comes to PC gaming some people say that the PC is dead for games. I think not. The PC may be down do to popularity of some councils but it will hold steady and always be here. Here is a list of what I consider the top 20 PC games that I have played. These games all have great story lines as well as game play. This list of course changes from time to time but these games are still tops.

1. Half Life 2

2. Homeworld

3. Homeworld Cataclysm

4. Homeworld 2

5. Space Hulk

6. StarCraft

7. Pravateer 2 The Darkening

8. Freelancer

9. Diablo

10. Elder Scrolls Oblivion

11. Thief The Dark Project

12. Tie Fighter

13. World Of WarCraft Reign Of Chaos

14. Mass Effect

15. Global Civilizations II Twilight of the Arnor

16. Battlezone

17. FreeSpace 2

18. NHL East side Hockey Manager

19. Mafia

20. Assassins Creed

These are all really good games. Some old and some new but all great to play. There are of course others but these will do for now. If you have not played these games then do yourself a favor and check them out. You will have a blast if you do. Also remember that just because councils are the fade now does not mean that the PC is done for. The PC has a line of unique games that I have not seen any council even get close to. The only council that ever did was the 3DO but thanks to stupid people no one purchased one. It carried games like Space Hulk Vengeance of the Blood Angels and Syndicate. Two very cool games. It also had others but the best one was Star Control II. This is an old game but one of the best. Find it and download it for yourself. You will love it.