Hello there again!

If you haven't noticed, it has been more than three weeks since my last posting. I have spent most of that time cleaning up some old business.

Five years ago, I imagined what would happen if the top NASCAR drivers up to that point had competed in an all-time series. I ran race results in my head based on some statistics I picked up and ran the results. Unfortunately, I wasn't happy with some of what I created and threw everything away! Four years later, I learned of a website called the506 which breaks down which areas of the country receives NFL football games each week. I then learned of a forum that further analyzes what is on the main site, and which has since extended to a wide variety of topics. One of those was simulations of past sports event scenarios - e.g. what would have happened if the NFL had not gone in strike in 1982 or Major League Baseball had done the same in 1981 or '94. I remade the NASCAR sims, set in the same era, for the506 and added "all-star leagues" for other sports.

When administrator J.P. Kirby banned further use of the sims, a forum member named Anthony used some software to create a "spinoff" called alltimesports. I finished up NASCAR there, then added similar results, which I had planned to do in 2006, for the NFL, the NBA, college basketball, and the NHL. As for MLB, I have yet to add my all-star league for that, but I have helped an undermanned crew finish up the '81 and '94 simulations. The latter is still ongoing, but might be completed by September 1.

The point of all of this is to explain why this site has been inactive, despite my promise to be active here over the summer. I will try to pick it up before I expect to return to ABC Adult School next month.

I will, however, let slip the most exciting event in my world this summer: Pinky Ann McPipkin, the country/Southern rock singer and "biker girl," won the most recent Heritage Cup in her auto racing debut! In some ways, this is more incredible that Buddy Wayne Barefoot's win three years ago for many reasons. Two of them come to mind:

• She is the first woman ever to win the 300-lap short track car event, akin to Danica Patrick winning at, say, Bristol Motor Speedway in a NASCAR race.
• Just about everyone else had at least some experience in the Legends-style cars used in the race and some even competed in NASCAR races like Bunky Barefoot, Bubba Ray Lumpkin, and Luke Barneycastle.

I'll have an "interview" with Pinky (pictured at top right) about her extraordinary night, and I promise it will be within the next few days.

Buddy's required reading

Here are some recent web articles that I have found online and which I am sure Buddy Wayne Barefoot would also have felt passionate about:

• Daniel Hemric won the Legends Million, the auto race I have referenced several times here on this site because of my character's decision not to compete in it. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular David Ragan finished fourth. Here's the story.
  
• ESPN ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer, one of the top executives in the history of televised sports, cuts the network he is following a new one on its coverage of the announcement that LeBron James was to sign with the Miami Heat.
• An obituary of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Vernon B. Davis honors not only his heroism, but his dignity in fighting in a U.S. Army that was still segregated. Comment #2 at the end of the article expresses the perversion of media priorities that Barefoot has railed about for a long time.
  

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.)