For those who drink the Apple Kool-Aid

Mapple - The Simpsons
Uploaded by aarplane

As the sun sets on the Petty Empire

From NASCAR.COM

Yet in the ensuing months, economic reality intervened. A recession hit. Sponsorship dried up. And so began the long tumble toward Thursday, when Petty Enterprises announced that it is negotiating with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports to field its flagship No. 43 car, and Labonte announced that he had been released from all ties to the organization. It's another step toward the end of Petty Enterprises as the sport has always known it, the team that family patriarch Lee Petty founded in 1949.

 

"In over 15 years of racing in the Sprint Cup Series, I can't remember a time when the sport's landscape looks as it does today," Labonte said in a statement. "Saying that, Petty Enterprises and I had serious and very sincere discussions about what was best for myself and everyone involved at Petty Enterprises moving forward. These discussions culminated with us agreeing that moving in a separate direction will be the greatest way to reach our end goals. It was by no means an easy decision."

Meanwhile, Petty Enterprises said it is in "exclusive" negotiations with GEM, which fields three Sprint Cup entries, about a transaction that would essentially involve the Gillett organization absorbing Petty's No. 43 car, which has been without primary sponsorship since General Mills announced last year its intentions to move to Richard Childress Racing for 2009. A deal with GEM would theoretically secure a place in the sport's future for the No. 43 car and owner Richard Petty, who drove it to seven championships.

I for one, though I am new to the sport will miss Petty and their presence.  It is the likes of Kyle Petty and his devotion to Victory Junction Camp that showed me there was more to these guys than 'go fast, turn left'.  We will miss you all.  Mr. Labonte, may you find a great ride.

More Stupid Christmas Gifts

Got to love the global warming mug!

Nothing says I'm fiends with you like koobface.

There's nothing like social networking sites to keep people connected and worms propagating — such as the all new and improved Net-Worm:W32/Koobface.CZ. A little infection equals a little comment in someone's little site somewhere.This version of Koobface targets the following sites in its body:–

– bebo.com
– myyearbook.com
– blackplanet.com
– facebook.com
– myspace.com
– friendster.com

You've Got Comment! - F-Secure Weblog : News from the Lab

Well, the social network sites get to play the game now.  Seems like they are going after them hard.