2011 F-U 2012 Bring it on

Dec 30,2011 For those of you that never knew this blog existed sniff around there may be some cool stuff to read. Today however it's time to bring back a yearly tradition. Every New Years I make a big ol list of tasks I want to accomplish in the upcoming year. I even put thought into the list and made guidelines. I urged many of you to do the same and it was pretty cool to hear about some of your accomplishments that were a result of the list.


    I can tell you 2011 was quite honestly a shit year for me and many of my goals were not attained. I lost Badger (my dog). Gayle and I separated, I had foot surgery which ended my running  and I found myself in more stressful situations than I had been in prior years. I feel I aged more this year than I have in the past 10. There were many changes in 2011 that I may or may not go into in a future blog. I also went to college for the first time. I got an A for the first time. I ran a marathon plus rode my motorcycle in excess of 10,000 miles. Followed through on my goals of creating 2 tv shows and I am hoping to have one of them sold before Feb.


The point is it's the dawn of a new year. Time to look back but only for a short time. Time to think ahead and get your shit together. Here are some guidelines I made last year that I feel really help in making your list


 If your still having trouble coming up with your own here are a few guidelines that seem to help I urge you to post your list in the comment section of this blog so you know it is always here. I may update the status of my list every month or so. I really am stoked some of you are into this and because of your comments and the  fear of coming off like a total hypocrite  I now have even more incentive to fulfill my 22 list. What  about the mysticism of number 22. Cmon you know I don’t buy that Hippie crap. If your still having trouble coming up with your own here are a few guidelines that seem to help 

It is important to include several no-brainer fun things. Make Pancakes,Play guitar hero,go to a movie alone, watch a foreign film. Most important  is to

Be specific !!!! 

Example : I want to find true love......First of all you cant go find it  and usually what you thought was true love wasn’t in the first place. too vague. You could put  go out on five dates. / 

PLay guitar 7 hours a week. I would change that one as well. What if you cant play one week or only manage 5 hours. Dont set yourself up for possibly making a mistake. I  would put play guitar 1000 hours in 2011 and just mark off the hours.  I didn’t put  run 20 miles a week, sometimes I run more what if Im riding across the country and dont run for two weeks. I didn’t want to look at that list and make an asterisk by a certain week. I put run 611 miles  that way I will check them off as I go.  I would stay away from putting tasks that are beyond your control. I’m all for positive thinking but as I’ve said before I don’t fall for that “Secret” stuff.  I would like another TV show, I would like to be working in NASCAR next year on TV. I put on my list  pitch a show create, new ideas  and put the tools and tasks  it would take to achieve those goals on the list. It is also important to make a list that you realistically will complete... 

Remember I made that list a year ago. The point is be specific. Avoid things like "I will lose weight" too vague instead put I will weigh XXXX at the end of June or July etc. Expand my record collection go to more races,eatless fudge. They need to be more specific. Cook 6 meals, read 3 books, go on 1 tri state killing spree.

Here is a boring video recap of my list from 2011

Ok I'm done for a bit. Start thinking about your list but this year. Let's make it 12 things you will do in 2012. You've got some time

Diamond in the Rough- 7 years ago we lost Dimebag

I know that I have not posted anything on this blog page for many months. I was going to post something about this day on Twitter but there was no way 144 letter would convey my feelings.

       7 years ago today was the darkest day in rock. Legendary guitarist Dimebag Darrel of Pantera/Damageplan was murdered on stage. I won't go into the details of the story because you probably know it and I would rather focus on the good stuff and with Pantera there was a lot of good stuff.

    I have a lot of great memories with the band and Dime. A few of these stories I should probably keep to myself but I will share a few here.

    I met Pantera in early 1991. It was Phil and Dime. MTV insisted that I call him Diamond on camera not Dimebag due to the drug reference . They had a great time correcting me every time I said Diamond.* for all the idiots that loved to post on message boards that I didnt even know his name. He used to be referred to as Diamond . I was a huge fan of Pantera and still think of them as one of the top 5 metal bands period.....hmmm maybe top3. The other thing I appreciated was that hanging with the guys was pretty much like hanging with my bro's at the time. It was wild wreckless and we always had a blast.......ALWAYS.  We ended up shooting several specials with Pantera on Headbangers . We would go on the road with them, hang out in the studio even spent a week in Texas which to this day was one of the craziest, decadent and by far most ummmm entertaining of shoots on MTV.
If you ever go back and read any interviews I've done in the past I always mention Pantera and Alice in Chains as my favorite guests on the Headbangers Ball because they never took it to seriously and were always down for a party.


    Dimebag in particular was one of the most unpretentious rockers I've ever worked with. He could shred on stage for 2 hours in front of 15,000 people then be sitting in the back of a van pounding beers with fan's.No he really was that guy. D.D was the peoples rock star and never copped an attitude. He was upbeat very down to earth and exactly what we want a rock star to be which is not acting like a rock star.
In Texas we hit up a few bars, kicked a football at Dallas Cowboy stadium and even kicked it at his mothers house. That whole band,every member of Pantera was good people. That's who you wanted to party with.

         I played in a punk rock band called "Battery Club" for a few years. One night we played in Dallas. Dime and Vinnie were there bought our tape and a t-shirt. I don't even think they liked the band they were just supporting the group. After the show they asked us all to go back to the studio to listen to some new stuff and of course "party" with them. Take note my band was made up of various musician's from punk bands like Social Distortion,DI etc and really didnt know much about metal at all. I also don't think the guys in my band understood that when it came to having fun and getting fucked up these Dime and Vinnie were professionals. The drinks flowed as I'm sure the weed did too.
I remained sober so was able to observe


  Several hours later a few of the guys in my bad were so drunk they were fighting each other,quitting the band and telling the van driver to just leave without them. The Battery Club Boys could not party on the Pantera level. Few could.

It sounds cliche for me to tell you that Dimebag ws good people or how he really cared about his fans but it's true. As much as he was the guy with one of the most unique guitar tones in metal he was also the guy doing shots of Jack talking to fans about Kiss. He was honestly one of the realest mother fuckers there was.

He didnt od or do something stupid. He was taken away from us by some asshole with a gun.
 WHAT WAS DIMEBAG LIKE ?

If you want to hear something nice said about the dude all you need to do is ask ANYONE that met hin

JULY 23rd I'm going after a member of SAMCRO

Ok I know Ive been lagging in my blog's but let me tell you. I have bee really busy. Here is an event I will be participating in. I'm hoping I'll have some RACPAC support there
Toyota Speedway and Event Center

FOUR MORE CELEBRITIES ADDED TO RACING ROSTER

FOR "KIDS AGAINST CANCER" NASCAR RACE-JULY 23

Irwindale, Calif. - -  Four more celebrity names have been added to the star-studded cast of the Kids Against Cancer Celebrity Race Presented by Justice Brothers that's set for Saturday night July 23 at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale.

Here, in alphabetical order, are the next four CELEBRACERS who will be putting on the Nomex and pulling on the carbon fiber to raise money for the cause in a few weeks:

BARRY BOSTWICK:  Tall (6'4"), agile, energetic, and ever-so-confident as both actor and singer, especially on the Broadway stage, this consummate pro possesses that certain style.  Yet, for all his diverse talents (he's a Golden Globe winner and was nominated for the Tony Award three times, winning once), Bostwick is trapped in a "time warp".  35 years after the fact, he is still indelibly associated with the role of nerdy hero Brad Majors in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975).  In 1977 Bostwick won Broadway's highest award, the Tony for his work in "The Robber Bridegroom" (1977).  Following top roles in the musicals "She Loves Me" and "The Pirates of Penzance", Bostwick turned to film and TV.  After winning a Golden Globe for his role as a military officer in the miniseries "War and Remembrance" (1988), the prematurely grey-haired actor found steadier success in sitcoms as a smug comedy foil to Michael J. Fox  playing Mayor Randall Winston for six seasons in "Spin City"  (1996).  He later enjoyed a recurring role as a dauntless attorney on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"  (1999).  A prostate cancer survivor, Bostwick might also be spotted pitching items in commercials or hamming it up in family-oriented Disneyesque entertainment like "Parent Trap" and "101 Dalmatian" mold
 One word sums up Barry Bostwick as a performer:  VERSATILE!

JESSICA HOLMES:  An anchor for the "KTLA Morning News at 9", this vivacious young Los Angeles TV reporter has a reputation for versatility in front of the cameras that even extended into ariel assignments as an airborne traffic reporter onboard Channel 5's famous HD Telecopter.  Beginning her television career in 1999, Holmes interned at Nickelodeon and began co-hosting "Slimetime Live," six months later.  In 2002 her rather slippery-named series was presented with an award for Outstanding Children's Program by the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association.   By 2003, Holmes moved to New York to host the Outdoor Life Network's "Bragging Rights," a reality game show series where male contestants competed in outdoor sports challenges.  Although a native of Cleveland, Holmes spent most of her childhood in Cape Coral, Florida, graduating from the University of Central Florida where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio and Television.  Holmes joined KTLA in November 2005 as weathercaster for the station's "Prime News," after winning "The Audition", a reality show-style competition held on the Morning News show that saw hundreds of would-be weathercasters trying out in front of a million-viewer-strong audience where she landed what she calls the job of a lifetime.  Her work with the all of the exceedingly personable personalities on the KTLA Morning News can always be described as fun-loving, bright, and engaging but, rest assured, her chops as a straight news reporter are as good as anyone on the show. 

CHRISTOPHER McKNIGHT:   This actor/Industrialist was born in New York, At the tender age of seven, he began landing appearances in commercials for companies such as Toyota, Tide, and Cheerios and in television shows such as "Gunsmoke" (1955) and "Mannix"  (1967). Soon, however, he found himself involved with what would become one of the most successful television shows of all time. Partially because his dark looks matched that of Robert Reed who was already cast as the show's father, McKnight won the part of the middle brother, "Peter Brady", in "The Brady Bunch" (1969). Airing from September 1969 through August 1974, the show was highly popular with teenagers of that era. Although ending thirty years ago, it acquired instant syndication and has never since left the airways.  McKnight has starred or otherwise participated in the abundance of Brady films, television movies, series, gatherings, discussions and retrospectives. McKnight also has utilized his celebrity status by serving as host and/or spokesperson for several projects. In 2003, for example, McKnight hosted the series "TV Road Trip" for the Travel Channel. McKnight also was privileged to be the spokesperson for the National Consumer League's "AD/HD Campaign to Inform the Nation," speaking in Washington D.C. at the National Press Club on the sensitive subject of AD/HD (McKnight himself was diagnosed with lifelong ADD at the age of 40).  Cognizant of his celebrity status and seasoned by maturity, McKnight is ready and eager to return more fully to the industry that gave him his start and to expand his public identity.

DALLAS RAINES:  If you're from southern California and don't know who Dallas Raines is, you've really got to get out more!  This peripatetic prognosticator of the probabilities of the weather is not only knowledgeable (he's a real honest-to-millibars, capital "M") Meteorologist.  And his nifty nightly weathercasts on ABC7 in Los Angeles are required watching for millions who really want to know how to dress for work and/or the weekend.  At it for over 25 years now, the tanned and terrific newsman is considered something of a regional treasure by fellow broadcasters and viewers alike.  The winner of a trophy room full of on-air weather-related performance awards, Raines is also something of a performance car aficionado, doing stuff like strapping a supercharger on his already pretty darn hot Corvette.  Raines works with many community service agencies and has even taken time off to teach meteorology at Cal State University Northridge.  Raines is also known for his stylish wardrobe, always wearing suits and ties that add interest to his persona.  Perennially sporting a healthy tan, Raines is a human dynamo and one of the honestly nice guys in the biz.

Each of the above celebrities will drive identically-prepared S-2 NASCAR Stock Cars built at the RACECAR FACTORY right in Irwindale only about a mile from the track.  These are serious, full-size, fiberglass bodied, stock cars with a 350 horsepower Chevy V-8's under the hood, and a full roll cage protecting the driver.  Each machine comes "standard" with a looks-easy-when-the-pros-do-it, plop-in-through-the-window opening style entry that gets one's full and undivided attention first time and reminds that this ride is a pro deal every time thereafter.

SPECIAL SPONSOR'S NOTE:  There are still a few very attractive special sponsor opportunities available for this very unique NASCAR charity event.  $2,500 will not only get a sponsor's name painted very large on one of these sleek S2 stockers, but will include the full VIP treatment for two very lucky, very nice people.  That includes a private meet and greet with the celebrity drivers, full NASCAR pit access, and tickets to the sponsor's VIP celebration on the track's exclusive party deck located high above turns 3 and 4.  (One phone call to Mary Gonzales 626-358-1100 at the Speedway can set the above package up, just as quick as that.)

All of the above adds up to another "More (NASCAR) Racing For Your Money"  Saturday night at Toyota Speedway in nearby Irwindale, California where ticket and parking prices have not changed since opening day 1999, and where racing is just the beginning of all the fun!

The track's gates open to the pubic at 4PM and at 5:45 everyone is invited right down on the track to take part in the Speedway's special time to meet the drivers, see the cars up close, get a snapshot or two, the autograph of a favorite driver and just generally mix and mingle in the pre-race party that we call the King Taco On-Track Autograph Session.  Fans are reminded to bring the kids and not to miss this no-extra-charge unique part of the special fan experience at the Speedway!

NOTE: Since this release isn't long enough already here is a re-listing of the first five participants (again, in alphabetical order):

Veteran actor KIM COATES has appeared in over 100 film and TV productions including big screen roles in "Blackhawk Down" and "Resident Evil-Afterlife" as well as appearing as a cast member in "Sons of Anarchy" and "Human Target".  Coates will be doing double duty on the July 23rd event night at Irwindale as it is also night of the track's twelfth annual "Harley's on the Half-Mile" gathering of the two-wheel fraternity.  Bikers from all over SoCal will be converging on the Speedway to raise funds for 'Kids Against Cancer' and Coates is sure to be a big fan favorite with them.

Whether he's playing a good guy, a bad guy, and just about anything in between, WILLIAM FICHTNER is the walking definition of the word versatile when it comes to description of a working actor.  He's done stage, TV, features
 Even voice-overs for a popular video game.  Fichtner's body of work includes a recurring roles (Phil Yagoda) in "Entourage", "MDs" (Dr. Bruce Kellerman) and in "Prison Break" (Alex Mahone).  He was also seen in "The Dark Knight",  "Blades of Glory", and in the award-winning ensemble film "Crash" among others.  He shares a credit "Blackhawk Down" with Kim Coates. Fichtner raced in the Toyota Pro-Celebrity race at the Long Beach, but this will be his first time on an oval.

RIKI RACHTMAN has been one of the most recognizable figures on MTV & VH1 for over two decades.  In the 90's he spent 5 years as the host of the highly rated HEADBANGERS BALL.  He also starred on VH1's Charm School , Daisy of Love and hosted the famous Rock of Love Reunions.   Rachtman is also a full-bore, flat-out NASCAR Nut. He spent several years on working on Speed Channel shows and for NASCAR.com, these days he hosts the nationally-syndicated radio show "Racing Rocks" currently heard on over 100 stations across the country.  Just how much does this guy NASCAR love racing?  He recently told us that he's got tattoos of the iconic racing numbers #3 and #43, but he didn't say where. 

You know him as Detective Rex Winters on the gripping TV series "Law and Order: LA" where he just completed his fourteenth episode of the popular crime drama.  And just ahead of that TV specialist SKEET ULRICH played the same crimestopper on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit".  His work on "CSI:NY" was under the character name of Hollis Eckhart in the 2009 season, and from 2006 to 2008 he starred in the gritty western series "Jerico" as Jake Green.  He portrayed Jethro Wheeler in the TV Mini-Series "Into The West" and was a regular in the 2003 series "Miracles" where he played Paul Callan. 

Fifth, but far from last in this group of young actors is  PETER SHINKODA.  Now starring in TNT's highly anticipated series "Falling Skies" from executive producer Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks Television.   Shinkoda plays as 'Dai,' a competent, yet quiet commando.  Staying with the martial arts theme he'll also  be seen in the upcoming Warner Bros. produced live-action web series "Mortal Kombat .  Shinkoda's television credits include "The L Word" and "Kingdom Hospital", "Supernatural," SyFy's "Sanctuary," and James Cameron's "Dark Angel." On the big screen, Shinkoda has worked in features alongside the likes of: Jet Li, Jason Statham Will Smith, Bridget, Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart and Uma Thurman.

Toyota Speedway and Event Center opened on March 27, 1999 and has become one of the premier NASCAR Home Tracks in the country.  Featuring virtually every aspect of stadium-style motorsports competition, the facility is clean, family-friendly and features a unique money-back guarantee that refunds any fan's ticket price if they are not 100% happy with the show.  Located on the 605 freeway in Irwindale, California, the track is easy to get to from just about anywhere in southern California.

For more information, tickets, or directions:  www.toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com