Odds and ends: Buddy's not racing, Brittany's pregnant, fundraiser

Some recent events in my world:

• Buddy Wayne Barefoot disappointed some of his fans by choosing not to participate in next week's Legends Millions at Lowe's Motor Speedway. However, he will be on hand for some ceremonies and to present the trophy. "If my life after NASCAR racing was not fulfilling, and that's true for many people, I would have been tempted to return," he explained. "However, I have always said that my racing career is not the reason for my existence. So I am happy to stay retired." The final day will be shown live on Speed on Saturday night, July 17.
• Brittany Spears, Barefoot's wife, revealed that she is pregnant and that the child, a girl, is due in mid-September.
• The Barefoot Fund, the charity that supports efforts to save family histories, held its first fundraiser at the new NASCAR Hall of Fame on June 23. The highest bid among the 22 items available in an auction was for a cruise to Greece, Italy and Malta with Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Mark Martin; that went for $11,000. Blondie and Bubba Brister performed.
  

Heaven TV: a closer look

Of course, this blog references My Ideal World, a television show on a network that I had Buddy Wayne Barefoot create in the book. The network was made out of seed money from a blockbuster feature film pooled together with money from Bud Paxson, a real life media magnate from Florida. I called it Rebel after the original film.

As it turns out, I have decided to expand the concept and change a few other things about it. For one thing, I would give it a new name: Heaven TV. The idea is to present what life is like in the world beyond for those who live in the here and now, and to be the official network for the world to come as described in the Bible book of Revelation.

Heaven TV would present the same kinds of shows that air on ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, except with a strong Christian message. It also presents programs that reflect the overall theme of heavenly life, "What life was before and will be again." In other words, nostalgic and timeless subjects prevail tying together the past, present, and future.

Here are some of the other primetime programs:

• BunkMaster: Operation X - This is also mentioned in the book. Bunky Barefoot plays a character best described as part James Bond, part Mick Jagger. He travels the world to solve mysteries.
  
• The Barney Show - Barney is one of the most common names ever for comedic characters, but this one is different. Barney Laughinghouse and his family star in an improvisational sitcom that combines "reality television" elements with strong messages.
• The New Black - Singing star Melanie MacMelville plays fashion-magazine writer Melanie Black, who tries to balance family life and her magazine work.
• King and Queen - Married rodeo stars Billy Bob Bryant and Krista Bamburg star as a pioneer couple in modern-day Arizona. This is the first Western series on primetime television since The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. went away in 1995.
• Escape to Reality - Sixteen characters who are reminders of reality TV shows live together and try to use their talent in the context of the outside world. But as in the worlds they have left, one at a time are eliminated until there is a winner.
• Bellinger Island - A cast comprised mainly of African-Americans play out drama, romance, and suspense in a world left for them by their former slaveholders after the Civil War.

Add a nightly newscast with Magdalena Babblejack, regular morning and late night shows, some daily game shows, a soap opera, a primetime newsmagazine, children's shows, and Sunday church services, and there is Heaven TV. It's a mix of religious and mainstream television that would be unique, and suitable for all family members.

What I love about summer

One week ago, my classes at ABC Adult School ended for the year, so now I have a lot more time for other pursuits, including this blog. So what else would I write about for this first entry than Idealia's summer highlights?

Here in this part of heaven, the food tastes better, the water is purer, and the children even scream louder than anywhere on Earth. This is especially true during the hottest season of the year.

Here are the five biggest highlights:

• Picnics and family gatherings - Every family gets together to eat barbequed meats, watermelon, corn on the cob, potatoes, and bread, among other things. In Idealia, the feasts overflow with food thanks to the abundant family farms. After dinner comes music, storytelling, and other entertainment based on the heritage of their relatives.
  
• Watering holes - Several lakes, many streams, and other bodies of H2O provide relief for the hazy, lazy days of summer. The Timber Lake has an endless supply of brill, the unique local fish that combines genetic elements of bass, catfish, and brook trout. The waterfall into Biddy's Pond is a favorite of children and adults alike. The fall provides a 150-foot drop from a scenic rock to the water below, a ride far more scenic than anything at a man-made waterpark.
• Treehouses - With school out, children spend the day in complete bliss with the shelter and security of burrows carved into the trees. Here is a site to gather and read, sing, play games, and just spend the days.
• Porches - In the days before air conditioning, going to a porch at night was the best way to beat the heat that lingered even into the night. That tradition has returned due to the willingness of the local residents to return to old-time ways. The biggest attraction is to look up and see the stars in the darkness.
• Relaxation - This is the time of year when the farmers get the most rest they will get all year, a break from planting, harvesting, and taking care of the land. Typically, farms will close for about three weeks during this period. Some will pursue other interests; it's no coincidence that events like the Heritage Cup auto race and the Cultural Arts Festival take place every summer.
  

From the vault: Brittany vs. Britney

The expiration of BuddyWayneBarefoot.com is just hours away. Here is another of my favorite pages from the site that I wish to keep.

It's the comparison chart between Brittany Spears, one of my other favorite characters, and Britney Spears. I originally composed this in 2007, so the ages are as of that time.

Full name	Britney Jean Spears	Brittany Lynnette Spears
Hometown	Kentwood, Louisiana	Beattyville, Kentucky
Age	25	17
Music style	Pop/R&B	Bluegrass
Parents	Jamie and Lynne (estranged)	Blanton and Rebecca (happily married)
Husbands/boyfriends	Married and divorced twice; two kids from second marriage	Has a secret boyfriend (psst, it's Buddy Wayne Barefoot)
Career start	Mickey Mouse Club	Parents' basement
Signed by...	Business manager Louis Pearlman	Race car driver Buddy Wayne Barefoot
Debut album released	1998	2007
Album title	Hit Me Baby One More Time	Tales of a Jillbilly
Backup performers	Session acts (no names available)	Brothers Bunch, Blanton and Bradshaw; sister Bailey; cousin Brashears
Intended audience	Pop music lovers, horny men 18-49	The whole family!
Movie crossovers	Starred in Crossroads (remember that?)	None
Outrageous moments	Shaving her hair bald, lesbian-kissing, going to a public bathroom barefoot, and so many more	None (as far as we know)
Rehab visits	Several (in one week!)	None
Biggest professional problem	Where does one begin?	Her name on Wikipedia redirects to Britney's page
Overall image	Girl gone wild	Girl next door you want to marry
Does she exist?	Yes (unfortunately!)	No (unfortunately!)

From BWB.com: Lyrics to "Bluebird"

This is the second in a series of some of the essential pages from buddywaynebarefoot.com now being transferred to this blog. Please see this link for information as to why this is happening.

As a result of creating my character, I became a songwriter. Granted, I am not a professional and in fact this was my first-ever attempt. But I am confident that I conveyed his spirit through the lyrics of what would have been his songs.

Here is what the page looked like.

My character's signature song is "Bluebird." It is about the time, in 1997, that Buddy Wayne Barefoot left the United States for a new life overseas. He moved to an island off the coast of Africa because he thought it would provide for a great professional opportunity.

Unfortunately, his father did not approve and he had to sneak out of town through clandestine means. (For more information, see this page.) Although "Bluebird" was biographical, the theme is universal for anyone who is yearning for freedom. In addition, that this is a guitar solo makes it easy for just about anyone to play this song.--D.H.

Bluebird, bluebird, sittin' in a tree

Bluebird, bluebird, smilin' back at me

Bluebird, bluebird, sittin' in a tree

Bluebird, bluebird, smilin' back at me

Bluebird, bluebird, singin' a happy song

Bluebird, bluebird, all the day long

Bluebird, bluebird, singin' a happy song

Bluebird, bluebird, all the day long

One day I looked up expectin' to see

The bluebird perched at the top of the tree

But I was dumbfounded, I was amazed

To find the place empty, I was in a daze

Later, I found out he was taken away

Oh my, that had to be a miserable day

I searched everywhere, even asked around

But my dear bluebird was nowhere to be found

A few days later I discovered a cage

My reaction was nothing but a cold, hard rage

I found it in a house of a mean ol' man

I thought, "I want to stop him as fast as I can!"

Why, oh why, I attempted to say

Did that hard-hearted man want to take him away?

I had to do something, had to spread the word,

That someone had to free this beloved bird

My brave little bluebird/Thought of a plan

But couldn't get away/From the mean ol' man

Time passed away/And there was despair

The bird suffered more/Than anyone should bear

All the other birds/Knew of the little one's pain

And all of them vowed/He shouldn't suffer again

The cardinal, robin and sparrow too

Pecked away at the cage, oh yeah that was true

And soon the word spread across the great land

About the war that was ragin' and the birds' upper hand

In a last battle, the man tried one last time

But the bluebird's friends avenged the horrible crime

The cage broke wide open, the bird took his wing,

And at last my beloved bluebird was FREE AGAIN!

The aftermath saw a huge party in the woods,

The beasts of the meadow welcomed him back for good

The threat to his freedom, the days full of strife

Made the bluebird cherish his precious life

(Repeat first quatrain)

Bluebird

Bluebird

Bluebird

Oh, yeah, bluebird

(By the way, the link refers to a dummy page that would have been his Wikipedia entry had it existed, with this actual address.)

From the vault: The BWC movie

On Monday, I received an e-mail from Melbourne IT, which sells domain names to clients of Freeservers. Since 2007, I have maintained a website, buddywaynebarefoot.com, at Freeservers. However, for financial reasons, I will not keep the domain name after May 31. Therefore, Melbourne IT will reclaim the address for sale to another possible owner. More importantly, everything on my site will be erased.

The next several posts will be devoted to preserving some of the highlights of the site by transferring them onto this blog. First will be a "casting" of a movie based on The Buddy Wayne Chronicles, as posted on Dec. 7, 2007.

About one year ago at this time, the idea for The Buddy Wayne Chronicles was hatched. A sports and music celebrity gets away from it all, finds new adventures, and becomes more than he ever expected to be in the process.

All in all, it reads like a script for a Hollywood movie, with one exciting scene after another. So who plays the role based on the characters I created? And who fills the behind-the-scenes roles?

ACTORS

• Buddy Wayne Barefoot - Jason Lee (My Name is Earl). Of all the major film and TV stars, he is the closest in age, physical appearance, and accent to B.W.
• Shayla McLamb-Barefoot - Reese Witherspoon (I Walk the Line, Election). I would be so privileged to have an Oscar-nominated actress in this film.
• Bunky Barefoot - Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings trilogy). Picked because of his youth and his distinctive curly hair, matching what I think Bunky should look like.
• Brenda Barefoot - Kathy Bates (Misery). Even better: an Oscar winner in this role! Trivia to wow your friends and co-workers: Her original stage name was Bobo Bates.
• Dylan Bryan-Brown - Either Adrien or Adam Brody. The brothers are both favored by many movie critics and have been nominated for awards.
• Will Hawks - Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy). Derrick "McDreamy" Shepherd is not only a rising star, but also a sports-car driver.
• Bubba Ray Lumpkin - Nick Cannon (cut his teeth on Nickelodeon, several other films since). The moon face looks familiar...
• Alonzo Barefoot - Wilford Brimley (TV commercials, 1980s series Our House). If he could be persuaded to shave his mustache and put on a gray wig, he would be perfect.
• BooTeasha Baltimore - Tyra Banks (Tyra, America's Next Top Model) - My personal pick may also be the most difficult to obtain due to her schedule. If Banks is not available, either Gabrielle Union or Queen Latifah could step in.
• Brittany L. Spears - Taylor Swift. This teenage country singer beats out Kellie Pickler (American Idol) for the role of a bluegrass star. Swift is closer to the age of the character than Pickler is.
• Bubba Brister - Taylor Hicks (American Idol). Another reach, as Hicks would have to dye his hair for the part. But Hicks' R&B/blues background is somewhat like Brister's.
• Voice of Althea McBiddlewhiskers, the guardian angel - Marianne Muellerleile (too many TV shows and movies to count). One of Hollywood's great character actresses, she has over 200 credits in the last 30 years.
• Ms. McBynum, the restaurant owner - Mo'nique (various TV shows). This would be her first big movie role, no pun intended. And she deserves it.
• The other roles - including pro wrestlers Big and One Man Gang; Blackman Bibb, who runs the conference center; and Randy Mantooth, the serviceman turned racer, will be filled by unknowns, either character actors or first-timers. (For example, some National Football League players could play the pro wrestlers.)

BEHIND THE SCENES

• Head scriptwriter - Bonnie MacBird. MacBird not only has a name that could fit among the denizens of Idealia, but she more importantly has more than 25 years of writing and executive experience. Her most famous script was for the 1982 Disney hit movie Tron. She currently teaches a scriptwriting class at UCLA Extension called "Write Side of the Brain."
• Director - Ron Howard. The co-head of Imagine Entertainment has been a fan favorite as an actor, director, and producer for over 40 years, going back to when he played Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show. I think he is best at telling this type of story.
• Stunt/race coordinator - Stanton Barrett. Currently driving in the Busch/Nationwide Series, Barrett has over 25 movie credits as a stuntman, including Spider-Man 2, The Dukes of Hazzard (film), and 8 Mile. No actual person knows the world that Buddy Wayne inhabits better than Barrett.
• Brian Barefoot is not only the namesake of the star character, he has worked on all 14 seasons of Survivor to date as an editor. Don't know if he has any film experience, but I would hire him for this.

Some updates: Mo'Nique is now the second Oscar winner in my cast, as she won Best Supporting Actress in 2010 for Precious: Based on Push by Sapphire. Instead of 14 seasons of Survivor, there have now been 20. In 2009, Cannon became the host of America's Got Talent, and returns for a second season in that role on June 1. Finally, Tron: Legacy hits theaters this coming December.

It's been a while, so...

While I reviewed my website to import some photos to fulfill an assignment for the adult school, I found that it has been a month since I made my last posting. So here is a brief update:

• I have added a new, important link that you can access by clicking on Buddy Wayne's picture. It is the page at which you can buy my book. This is the most important feature I have added to the site, and I am so sorry that I did not do this earlier - probably at the moment this blog was created.
• As mentioned, I am creating a new final project for my InDesign class using my characters. The eventual result will be a 12-page "press kit" with "biographies" of selected singers. The Brittany Spears page will be labeled Spears Family Band due to my teacher's lack of ease over the use of a similarly-named recording artist, and I have changed the name of the Barenaked Ladies (too provocative to use in a class project) to Slumber Party.
• The NASCAR Hall of Fame opened on May 11 in Charlotte, NC. This is a place after Buddy's own heart, as it honors the past of the sport but also provides a setting for interactivity, just like science museums. The Hall can also be rented out for special events, and indeed I have "scheduled" one for June 23, honoring the Barefoot Fund, an organization that honors family history, military service, and moral and ethical causes. The form I would have used to make the reservation links from this page.
  
• Finally, there is still no decision as to whether or not Buddy Wayne will enter the million-dollar legends car race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I will continue to take my time.