The Neighbor Kids | ScrapFest 2014

A celebration of art, community and life.

ScrapFest 2014 "Revolution"

The summer is festival season in Michigan. Old Town Lansing has a special element that brings together the celebration of the first day of summer, music, Michigan made craft beer and wine, art and sculpture. Artist that have a little welding knowledge participate in the 5^th annual ScrapFest. A team collects up to 500 pounds of scrap from Friedland Industries’ scrap facility. Then the teams have two weeks to create their artistic masterpiece.

The Neighbor Kids made up of Tom Sheerin, Katherine Maki, Brent Hurst, Megan Hurst from Lansing area and St. Johns.

Megan & Brent Hurst "Revolution"

“You say you want a revolution?” The Neighborhood Kids ask.

The Neighbor Kids created a musical piece that goes in line with the way they live their lives. They fashioned together an electric guitar with an amplifier.

“Since my granddaughter was born I've been putting a guitar in front of her,” Hurst said.

A pasta roller was used to make the bridge, tailpiece and various trim pieces. Aluminum wire was straightened, then twisted and bent to make the strings, letters and music staff. The antenna pole helped name the piece because it gave it “Revolution”. The guitar body was cut out of sheet metal and finished it with translucent metallic paint. The headstock is made of sheet metal with faucet handles for tuners. LED lights from a foot massager were installed for accents on the frets, pickups and on the amp. 





The red guitar majestically reaches for the sky rests on a pedestal. At first glance you might not notice the detail of one brown and one blue adjustment knobs. Judi's eyes were one brown and one blue. At the head of the neck of the guitar is the name Judi. Angel wings sprout from the body of the guitar. These details are all in honor of Hurst’s mother. It is one thing to appreciate a piece of art as a whole. It is another to realize that the details tell more of a story.

The amp was made from leftover pieces. The metal lowers can be removed and the trays can be used as planters. The piece was built in memory of Judi Hurst. Judi loved music and nature. She was an angel on this Earth, and now she soars with beautiful wings”, Team Neighbor Kids

Functional art is a beautiful revolution.

And that is one little piece of many featured at ScrapFest 2014

Thanks for lending me your eyes.

~Melik of Michigan

SYTYCD Season 11: Fik-Shun

Fik-Shun was a surprise, last-minute guest this week and he didn't disappoint. We confirmed him at 4 p.m. PT, that's how last minute it was. I knew he was in town this week, but he had other commitments and he adjusted his schedule to come on the air with us.

The past two seasons, we haven't had guests during the audition rounds and now I realize that we should have. The insight that Tiffany Maher and Fik-Shun provide us over the last two episodes gave us an inside look on what a challenge this show truly is.

If you missed the episode, watch it below and don't forget to come back next week when our guest is Lauren Froderman!

Top 20 Genre Pairings: SYTYCD Season 11

Okay, remember that the partners will switch, but for the first "Free" week where no one is voted out, the dancers are partnered with others in their genre. Let's take a look at the seven pairings I have so far.

SPOILER ALERT:




1.Ricky/Jessica

2. Tanisha/Nick

3. Malene/Marcquet

4. Brooklyn/Serge

5. Carly/Rudy

6. Emily/Casey

7. Emilio/Teddy

8. Zach/Valerie

9. Jourdan/Jacque

10. Bridget/Stanley

Daytime Emmys Nominees Reception: Audio Interviews

After a busy red carpet last Sunday at the Daytime Emmy Awards, I thought it might be fun to post a couple of the audio interviews I did at the Nominees Reception on Thursday. It is raw footage and unedited, so you are getting everything from the background noise to the chit-chat before and after the interview.

Let's start with Jen Lilley from Days of Our Lives. She was so cute and the yellow dress she wore on the red carpet was a winner. Jen talked candidly with me about her beauty-prep routine for the Emmys.

Piston King Motor Oil

These videos are awesome!  Simply hilarious!

Is This a Partial List of Season 11's SYTYCD Top 20?

This week's show with Season 9's Tiffany Maher.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead! UPDATED AS OF JUNE 24!!

I was handed this list today from a source who has come through for me in the past multiple times. I have not been able to cross-verify the list yet, but I thought it might be fun to ponder if these dancers will be a part of the live shows in two weeks for Season 11 of SYTYCD.

All of the dancers listed had strong auditions, so I think we will definitely see many (if not all?) of these names make it past the Green Mile. >



Here we go:

1. Serge Onik

2. Tanisha Belnap

3. Rick Ubeda

4. Jessica Richens

5. Malene Ostergaard

6. Marcquet Hill (One source says yes, one source says no.) UPDATE: Hearing he's in.

7. Brooklyn Fullmer

8. Emily James

9. Nick Garcia

10. Rudy Abreu

11. Emilio Dosal (Remember, Aaron Turner replaced him when he was injured last season!!!!!)

12. Carly Blaney

13. Casey Askew

14. Bridget Whitman

15. Valerie Rockey

16. Teddy Coffey

17. Jourdan Epstein

18. Stanley Glover

19. Zachary Everheart

20. Jacque LeWarne (LAST NAME finally!!!!)

I am also hearing two fan favorites, Justine Lutz and Cristina Moya-Palacios did not make it to Top 20. I was told Justine made it to Green Mile before being cut and Cristina was cut in Round 2.

If you missed our episode today with the adorable Tiffany Maher from Season 9, watch it below:

Calvin Harris - Summer

While sort of an odd song to focus on drag racing, it works for me.

A DWTS Kind of Day

The swag bag from the #FootPetals event. Notice Karina has her own signature line now. That's pretty awesome!

I'm going to try my best to post here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while we are on the summer hiatus from DWTS.

I had a DWTS kind of day, so this is the perfect place to begin. I stopped by Sasha Farber's house to pick up my Tim Tams courtesy of one of my favorite Aussies, Jane Milne. She brought them to our DWTS taping in April and it was heaven in a cookie. Thanks for thinking of me!

Then it was off to Karina Smirnoff's event for Foot Petals. Besides a divine reflexology massage, I also chatted with Karina about Sean Avery a bit and where we were both working out this summer. She admitted that Sean was a tough partner and she was looking forward to a new season of the show. (See our photo here.)

I also got this scoop yesterday….(and please note: IT DID NOT COME FROM KARINA OR SASHA.) It came from a great source, but it didn't come from either of the pros I saw yesterday.




I may have some fun and do more of these this summer. What do you think? A little dance scoop each week in 15 seconds or less?

Let me know in the comments below!

Roadkill: Episode 29

This makes me excited to build our '68 Firebird!

2014 Gratiot Cruise - Eastpointe

This is the first year my Camaro has ever made it to the Gratiot cruise.  Typically, we all go to the show, but we park and walk.  This year, by friend Rod brought his '41 Ford pickup, my '69 Camaro, Dad's '95 Formula, Father-in-law's '14 Challenger SRT, and Brother-in-law's '14 Challenger R/T Shaker.  It was nice to have so many family and friends with their cars at the show.  After a few hours of settling in, we still walked the cruise, and though turnout seemed a bit lighter, was still a very good kickoff to this year's cruise season.



My wife's dream car, which I hope to some day get her.

One of the baddest wagons ever, and I'm not a big fan of Olds.  This Vista Cruiser though, man, with those skylight windows, simply awesome!






Nice Coronet.


This is about how my dad's Challenger will ride, perhaps even a little bit lower.










Twin turbo power!






A boat of a car, but those lines are perfect.  The wheels and stance are perfect on this one.


I really like the two tone on this Ford.




You don't see many Falcons, and this is one of the nicest, with some massive meats out back!


3rd Gens continue to gain popularity.






There are but a handful of cars that can get away with the metal flake paint jobs, and this one definitely qualifies.






Uhhhhh....ok.



2014 Gratiot Cruise - Eastpointe

Beautisol's Exscrub Me? Citrus Face Exfoliant Review

It's time for another beauty review with iFabbo and this month it's Beautisol's Exscrub Me? Citrus Face Exfoliant. After last month's Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster, I really wanted a product that would help with my dry skin and exfoliate all of the cells off my parched face.

Here's what I thought of the product:

Description of Product via Beautisol:
Exscrub Me? is a gentle, yet effective citrus face exfoliant that is the perfect solution for removing dead skin cells and impurities prior to a face self-tan application.

Benefits:
Formulated for all skin types
Provides a smooth and even surface for a perfect self-tan application
Contains fine Jojoba beads to physically remove the dead skin cells
Infused with certified organic orange peel, lemon, and grapefruit extracts, leaving the skin cleansed and rejuvenated
Paraben-free, propylene glycol-free, sodium laurel/laureth sulfate-free, and cruelty-free (PETA

Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Polyethylene (Beads), Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Jojoba Esters (Beads), Behenyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glyceryl Stearate, Sucrose Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Squalane, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil*, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Potassium Sorbate, Carbomer, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Tocotrienols, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Phytic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Alcohol, Tocopherol (D-alpha), Passiflora Incarnata (Passionflower) Flower Extract *Certified Organic

Does It Work?:
I was really happy with this product. It is not for daily use, of course, but it is the perfect product for a two or three-time per week application. It smooths out the skin nicely and it's paraben, sodium laurel/laureth sulphate-free. That earns an "A" in my book. It also is priced moderately for a beauty product. I was really pleased with this Beautisol scrub.

Cost: $17

Where Is It Sold?: You can find it on the Beautisol website here. Make sure to enter the coupon code BOGO2014 now through June 30, 2014 so you can get the "Buy 1 Get 1 Free" offer at checkout.

Connect:
If you want to learn more about Beautisol, visit their social media pages--
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram


Disclosure:  I was given a complimentary sample by Beautisol and iFabbo in exchange for a review. I was not paid for this post. All opinions are my own.

1968 Pontiac Firebird Update: 6-11-2014

I sold off the power window motors a few days ago, and also picked up some full length floor pans and a radiator support.  While the car has been on hold for awhile, my Camaro is now on the road and ready for the cruise season.  I can now try and find some free time for us to get back started on the Firebird.  Next step is getting the subframe out and the floors cut out in preparation of new pans.

Hot Rod Power Tour: Norwalk, OH

While my Camaro didn't make the trip down, I simply couldn't let the Power Tour pass us by without stopping my Norwalk to check out the action.  While a very light rain prevented fun runs down the track until around 4pm, there were plenty of cars on the grounds to check out.  So many cars in fact that they had to start parking them on the west side of the track, after running out of space in the pit area.  It was a great turnout, and an amazing number of VERY nice vehicles.  This was my two daughters first trip to the drag strip, and while our 1 year old wasn't really phased by it, our 3.5 year old was having a blast.  She said "Daddy, this is cool!"  She then was cheering on the cars, and then even stated "Daddy, stop playing on your phone and watch the cars!"  I don't think I will have any trouble getting her back to the track!

The car responsible for me owning my '69.  I first read about this car in 1993 or so, and I was hooked.  I've watched this car change many times over the years, just as I've watched mine also undergo many changes. Thanks Crusher Camaro!

One sharp '58 Chevy!


When they first announced the Z28 I was skeptical.  $75K for a Camaro?  I will now agree, that it has it's place amongst the lineup, and is perhaps more worthy of the badge than any Camaro from any generation.



Perhaps the ONLY candle apple 2nd gen Firebird I have ever seen.




I admit, I didn't know if this was a new car, old car, or even a kit car.  Then, I stumbled upon an article in the Detroit News a day or two later.  It's a Lucra, and seemingly one hell of a track car. 

This is what my '68 Firebird would have looked like.




Big, road hugging, Mopar.




I believe this car was featured in Hot Rod not too long ago.  Simply amazing car.




Viper eater.  No, really!  Powered by a Duramax Diesel, this thing edged a Viper with a 12.1 to a 12.2 in the 1/4 mile...and the crowd went wild!














One of the coolest Olds ever.








I spotted this Camaro from a few isles away.  It caught my eye, as I new it was looked a little odd.  As I got closer, I realized that it was a 4th gen Camaro with a kit to make it look like a 1st gen.  I will say, I like it better than the Vette kits I have seen, but it still looks a little odd.  If they added chrome side mirrors, I think I could very well live with it.

I will say, from the rear, most Camaro enthusiast would be hard pressed to tell that it wasn't a '69 Camaro.  They truly did an awesome job in my opinion, and would be curious to see a t-top car.




I think the future of drag racing holds a lot of promise.  I say this, because I was watching a lot of "late model" cars running down the track.  My definition of late model is anything that came with efi from factory, so the 80's cars to the stuff being sold on lots today.  You saw a lot of owners of new Camaros, Mustangs, Challengers, Vettes, Vipers, and even Caddys blasting down the 1/4 mile, which is VERY healthy for the sport in my opinion.

2014 Hot Rod Power Tour - Norwalk, OH

Jane Milne's Set Visit to AfterBuzz TV

It's not often that I have guest bloggers on my site, but I always welcome when a friend has a great post to share. Jane Milne came to visit the AfterBuzz TV set during Season 18 of Dancing With the Stars after submitting the winning bid for a charity set visit for Mental Fitness. We will be partnering up with them again in the fall, so I thought sharing her post would give you an inside glimpse of what her visit was like. We had so much fun with her that day! Thanks again, Jane…those Tim Tams were delicious!

As many of you know, in April, I was lucky enough to visit the set of AfterBuzz TV for the recording of the Dancing with the Stars after show. Many of you have been asking how this came about. This is my story...


Earlier this year I booked a two week holiday to America, visiting friends in Chicago and travelling onto Las Vegas to meet up with another fellow Aussie. Together we did our version of a 'shopping tour' of both Vegas and LA. Prior to leaving Australia, AfterBuzz TV and Kristyn Burtt teamed up with Mental Fitness, a mental health charity whose mission is to build mental fitness in all youth through arts-based awareness and prevention programs. The auction was advertised on Twitter, via Kristyn's twitter handle, @kristynBurtt and also on her blog. Prior to bidding I made sure with Kristyn that I was the one who could choose when the visit would take place as I knew that I would only have one set Tuesday that I could possibly visit the studio. Kristyn was very quick to respond to all of my inquiries about item up for auction, the charity and any queries that I had regarding the entire situation.

 I was fortunate to win the auction, providing a donation to a charity that as a school teacher, I believe is an essential asset having seen the effects of mental health issues with children on a daily basis in Australia. I believe that 'the arts' provide an outlet for children to channel and express feelings and emotions.

After successfully winning the auction, Kristyn was quickly in touch with me, arranging the date for my visit and even asking who my ultimate guests would be and providing me with travel options to and from the studio. I cannot thank Kristyn enough for how easy she made the entire process prior to my visit.

During the week prior to my visit, Kristyn continually kept me in the loop about who was going to be in studio on the Tuesday, making sure that I had everything organized to travel to and from and reassuring me that when I arrive on set that I was indeed in the correct location.

After a successful two weeks of travelling around Chicago, Vegas and LA, my last 24 hours in America rolled around. It was a bittersweet day for me as I would be lucky enough to be visiting the set of AfterBuzz, meeting the incredible hosts and meeting a fellow Aussie in Henry Byalikov. Yet, it also signified the end of an incredible trip.

At around 11:30 a.m.,  I received several tweets from both Kristyn and Suri making sure I was ready for the visit and letting me know what traffic was like that day. Around 30 minutes later, Suri tweeted me again saying that if I am early not to worry as she was already at the studio, so if I wanted to leave even earlier and come and hang out at the studio and re-watch the episode with her it was more than okay. Suri organized for the other staff members in the studio to bring me to her upon my arrival. Knowing that I would be meeting up with Suri as soon as I got to the studio, I soon found myself ready to leave my hotel and braced myself mentally preparing to head out into Julz's dreaded LA traffic.

It is no wonder he is always late, the 101 is insane, especially for the girl who lives in a town with a population of 300 (and that's including the outlying properties/farms) I am pretty sure there were that many people sitting in the traffic! Luckily for me the trip from where I was staying to the studio didn't take as long as it often can, only taking 45 minutes and not the hour and a half I had allowed.

Upon arriving at the studio the first thing I noticed was how friendly everyone at AfterBuzz TV was. From memory the first words the staff said to me were, "Oh you must be Jane from Australia, you're here for the Dancing with the Stars show aren't you, welcome! I think Suri said she would be in the theatre room and she's waiting for you."

The next thing I know I am walking thought the studio and into the theatre room where Suri jumps out of her seat and yells "I can't believe you're finally here!", along with several other rapid fire questions about my trip to the studio and around America. To say that I felt extremely welcome would the understatement of the year! After sitting with Suri, thinking to myself is this really happening, while watching and talking about several of the dances, Kristyn arrived at the studio.  At this stage I think several "I can't believe you are here" and "I can't believe I am sitting here with you both" escaped from our mouths. After several minutes of Dancing with the Stars-related chat, a familiar, homely accent could be heard coming into the theatre.

The next thing I knew the door busts open and in walks the one and only Henry Byalikov, a man whose dance career I have followed since he reached the Top 8 on So You Think You Can Dance Australia. I recommend you YouTube his routines, he was a different looking Henry back then! Henry quickly announces that he has literally just come from rehearsals and needs to change, all whilst ripping black tape from his clothes, covering any brands/labels. After a quick chat with Kristyn and Suri, I was introduced to Henry, the reaction that you can see on a person's face when they hear the familiarity your own accent always manages to surprise me and bring a smile to my face. Somehow, this familiar sound always manages to create an instant connection, a taste of home. After a quick conversation about my home town with Henry, Anna soon arrived, let me tell you if you think she is gorgeous on the TV, she is absolutely stunning in person!

Before I knew it we were entering the studio and settling down into our chairs, all while Henry was sharing on popcorn; conversing with Anna in what I can only assume was Russian; passing comments on any and every given topic; asking everyone, myself included, questions and making jokes. Before I knew it, it was suddenly go time! I honestly did not expect to be on camera at all during my visit let alone be asked questions by all of the panel talk about being put on the spot! If only Kristyn had warned me, especially in regards to the Abby Lee Miller question! My personal dislike for her stems purely from her teaching methodologies and pedagogy, as a teacher I create an environment where "failure" or "not achieving" something first time around is okay. Whereas long as you learn something from that experience you haven't failed per se. I create a learning space where children know that they are valued and their talent can be developed. There is a difference between discipline & high expectations of your students and abuse & and being a downright b*#€h.

Whether this is her real personality or a character she plays I personally wonder if that is really the way you wish for the world to see you considering it is a 'Reality' show. At the end of the day my opinions are just that, my own and whether you agree with me or not is your own business. As for guest judges, I would love to see Shirley Ballas behind that desk! Almost every dancer on every version of the show has been taught by this incredible dancer, choreographer and teacher. I think that Shirley would be an incredible addition to the esteemed panel of judges currently holding the chairs on Dancing with the Stars both in America and around the world.

 It is amazing how fast time flies when you are in studio, when watching an episode the predictions seem to come around really quickly, but when you are actually in studio it is all over in the blink of an eye. One minute we were settling into studio discussing how we felt about the theme, Party Rock Anthems, and the next thing I knew we were "buzzing you later".

For me personally, the entire experience was worth every penny! I would recommend the process to every and any fan of both AfterBuzz TV and Dancing with the Stars. I was recently asked if I would have enjoyed the experience as much if there weren't any professional dancers on my episode and my answer to this was YES! My love of dance is not based upon any specific dancer, do I have people that I love to watch, of course,  but I watch every dance because I love dance. At the end of the day I don't watch for the competition side of the show, I watch Dancing with the Stars to see moving art, to see stories being brought to life through movement and music. I watch weekly to see amazing costumes, theatrical makeup and DANCE!

For me the winner of the Mirror Ball Trophy isn't important, I couldn't care how many times anyone specifically has won the trophy because for me the true winner in is the public! For every season that exists the entire world is given the opportunity to access the arts at their best, something that was once only accessible to those in major cities and with the funds to attend such events. The American version of Dancing with the Stars would have to be hands down my favourite version of the show from anywhere in the world. The calibre of talent on the show is insane and I am not just talking about the professional dancers!

In short, if I were provided the opportunity to once again attend a recording of AfterBuzz TV's Dancing with the Stars show, I would be there in a heartbeat. The entire experience, for me, was the perfect way to conclude my holiday. As a result of this visit I have made some incredible friends in both Suri and Kristyn, I was given the opportunity to meet some amazing people including the incredibly gifted dancers that Henry and Anna are and I was lucky enough to meet the creators of AfterBuzz TV, Maria Menounos and Kevin Undergaro, all thanks to Kristyn.

I can't guarantee that if you were to win a set visit via auction like I did that you too would have the exact experience that I had when I visited the studio. For me, I personally had pre-existing relationships,  with Kristyn, Suri, Julz and even Jake even if they were only via twitter! Kristyn and Suri I cannot thank you both enough for making my visit so amazing. You are both such amazing women who I am lucky enough to now call my friends. I hope to be able to return to America again soon, visit my beautiful friends at AfterBuzz and maybe, just maybe I will be lucky enough  to attend a live taping of the show and see the amazing production that is Dancing with the Stars with my own two eyes, live in studio!


Until next time,
xoxo
Jane
@JaneMilneAU

A few random thoughts on Eric Cantor's defeat

Yeah, yeah, I know what you're all thinking: "You haven't written a blog post in a month and now you give us political analysis of the GOP? Where's our beagle haiku?!"

What can I say? It's been a busy couple of months for reasons I should probably write about here, too, when I get a chance. (Nothing bad, mind you, just village budget season, busy at work, rebuilding our porch roof, Arsen & Brigitte's impending move, etc. ... all stuff that is of great personal interest to me, but doesn't necessarily make for compelling blog post fodder.)

I'm pretty sure that most of you who stop by this blog occasionally know who Eric Cantor is, but since nobody outside political circles and the Beltway media really cares about the name of anybody in our terrible Congress, a quick introduction is in order. Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor is the the Republican House Majority Leader, which makes him #2 in the House of Reps hierarchy behind the Speaker of the House. He was generally considered to be the leading candidate to be the next Speaker. He was also one of the leading architects of the GOP's "Oppose all things Obama, whatever they are" strategy in Congress, one of the leaders of the GOP's return to a House majority in 2010, one of the GOP's top money-raisers in any role, a great help in the Tea Party's rise to prominence, and one of the most prominent institutional conservatives in Washington.

Last night, after spending more than $5 million on his Congressional primary, in one of the biggest campaign upsets in recent history Eric Cantor was beaten handily by an obscure Tea Party candidate who spent about $200,000 in campaign donations. Needless to say, the Beltway media, cable news, and the political Twitterverse went nuts.  And for once, they had something to truly go nuts about. This was genuine news that nobody expected. It was so shocking that I even (briefly) turned to the cable news channels for the first time in nearly 18 months. It was so shocking I even reckoned I'd add a few thoughts of my own to the maelstrom:

1) A lot of the instant analysis seemed to think this was about the base repudiating the national GOP's attempts to do some sort of immigration reform, since that's what a lot of the campaign rhetoric in this primary was about. I don't think that's entirely true, since to the extent that Cantor did anything on that front it looks to me as if he did more to block immigration reform than to move it along. I do believe, however, the immigration reform became a stalking horse for what this was really about:

2) People in both parties are really pissed at this Congress, and really pissed at the incumbents of both parties who spend their time working on the concerns of lobbyists and big money instead of spending their time working on the concerns of their actual constituents. Populism is alive and well in the GOP and in the Democratic Party. This result wasn't about very conservative versus ultra-conservative. This result was about "the people who feel they've been getting the shaft from politicians" versus K-Street.

3) How firmly ensconced was Cantor in the inner-Beltway lifestyle? My favorite statistic came courtesy of the New York Times. Cantor's campaign spent $168,637 at steakhouses since the start of 2013. I remind you again that his opponent spent about $200,000 on his entire campaign.

4) My guess is that despite the stench of this defeat Cantor will make more money in the next few years as a lobbyist than you or I will ever see in the cumulative total of our working careers. You don't get to be House Majority Leader without knowing how to game the system.  Don't worry, beef farmers of America. Eric Cantor will continue to rack up the ol' steakhouse bills, just from the other side of the slush fund.

5) This result is why I tell everybody working on a campaign to take nothing for granted and to work at it as hard as possible right up until the polls close. You never, never, never know for sure what's going to happen. Never.

6) Cable news has, if anything, become even more unwatchable during my time away from it. Given one of the most significant political stories of the last decade, this is what I saw during my visit to the cableverse. Fox News was unbearably moronic. MSNBC was unbearably smug. And CNN was airing an OJ Simpson "Trial of the Century" retrospective.

No, I'm not kidding about that last bit.

I reckon I can safely go another 18 months before checking in again.

7) Until last night I thought that my own obscure Tea Partying incumbent House Representative Kerry Bentivolio had zero chance to hold his seat in his August primary against challenger David Trott. For those who don't know of Bentivolio, he was an obscure Tea Party candidate who -- through a series of incredibly strange and unlikely events -- ended up as the GOP candidate in our gerrymandered district. He won in 2012, but everybody expected a more conventional candidate to challenge him in 2014, and that has indeed happened. Trott has been a big fundraiser for the GOP over the years, served on Mitt Romney's finance committee, has far outraised the incumbent Bentivolio, and has all the institutional Republican support any candidate could want.

Until last night I would've thought "David Trott wants to be the next Eric Cantor" would be the Democratic candidate's slogan in November. After last night's result I'd be surprised if Bentivolio's campaign isn't right now preparing a mailer with that message plastered across the front.

That primary campaign just turned interesting.

8) Closing thought -- I can't believe how much time I've spent blogging about internal Republican politics the last couple of years. I care 10,000 times more about what's going on inside the Democratic Party. But the truth is that Democratic Party politics since 2008 have been pretty predictable, whereas the most outlandish things seem to happen all the time on the right side of the aisle.

I am truly amazed that I live in a world in which the Republican Party is more colorful by far than the Democrats, since my fellow Democrats had a lock for decades on the "outlandish and colorful" title. Truly the 21st century is a strange and bizarre science-fictional place.

Here. I give you a photo of a blimp with a big video screen flying behind a giant video screen, in celebration of our strange sci-fi world:

Washed, filled up, cruised, and Emma approved.

I gave the Camaro a long over due washing, after filling it up the night before.  Then, I managed to talk my daughter Emma into a ride.  At 3.5 years, the only reason she hadn't rode in it before was it lacked sound deadener and the heat, noise, and fumes were a bit much in the cabin.  It's still loud, but once we pulled out of the garage Emma agreed, it wasn't TOO loud.  I'm not sure she stopped smiling the whole time we cruised to downtown Detroit, nor was she scared when I jumped on it, squealed the tires a bit, and grabbed second.  When we arrived home, she said she had fun, and was anxious to go again!  It was the reason I spent so much time this winter getting the car more family/rider friendly, and I think I was as happy as my little girl.  We are ready to hit a cruise night, as well as the Gratiot Cruise next Saturday.  Once our little Lily switches to a front facing seat, we should all be able to pile in the Camaro and make outings a one vehicle trip.

Norwalk Raceway Park or Gilmore Car Museum?

Tomorrow, I find myself in the same dilemma that I was in last year, and for the same reason, weather.  The 2014 Hot Rod Powertour makes their stop at Norwalk Raceway Park tomorrow, and I would love to check it out.  Yet like the NMCA event last year, there is a chance of rain.  In this case, it's a 40% by 6 pm.  Thankfully, the chance is less prior to 6 pm.  My second option, as it was last year, is to instead head west and check out the Gilmore Car Museum.  I have long wanted to check out the museum, but have always felt that it's one of those things best enjoyed after the cruise season is over, a rainy day, or even in the dead of winter.  I will make a last minute decision tomorrow morning, whether to head south to Norwalk, or west to Hickory Corners.  Either way, I will be seeing cars, taking pictures, and exposing my girls to the hobby.

Camaro Update: 6-6-2014

It's been a few weeks since my last update. Rest assured, I have made some progress, though still have a little work to do. I have taken it for a road test, though it was only a couple miles. I did verify that the transmission shifts through all of the gears, though I'm not sure that it shifts as hard as it did before. Granted, the way it shifted before was so violent that it left me a bit nervous when it shifted under part throttle. A defective temp gauge has prohibited any further road tests. My list is down to about a half dozen items, and will easily be finished by next week, and she will be ready to cruise. That said, I may hold off for a week or two on the line lock. I made a mounting plate today for both my line lock solenoid and my new proportioning valve/distribution block, but I will likely have to make 5 new lines and bleed the brakes, so I may put that one off until I can get all the lines ready to go, so as I'm off the road a minimal amount of time.  I also need to install my front seat belts, the new temp gauge, exhaust hangers, and secure my interior switches and two gauges.  That's it, after that, I will be ready to race!

2014 Challengers: SRT and Shaker

Here are some more shots of my father-in-law's SRT, as well as my brother-in-law's Shaker edition Challenger.  Both have already begun to see some mods.  The SRT has a new shifter, exhaust (with a nice rumble), strut support, and a cold air intake.  The Shaker has a new exhaust as well, and a nitrous kit is currently being installed for an extra 100 hp shot.

SYTYCD Season 11: Kent Boyd and Rose Marziale

It was so much fun to have guests during audition rounds for SYTYCD. We normally wait until we hit the Top 20. Thanks for Rose Marziale and Kent Boyd for joining us and giving us the inside scoop on their short film, It Remains. While Kent didn't officially confirm it on-camera, he is headed off to shoot Teen Beach Movie 2. Mark my words, he's part of the cast.

Tell us what you think of the auditions in Chicago and Los Angeles. Are you enjoying them or are you ready to just get to the Top 20 like we are?