Serious Questions to Answer as NHRA Enters Final Stretch

It is called The Countdown to 1, and it begins this week in Charlotte.  The four major championships will be decided in two months, but racers will try to get off to good starts that they hope will propel them to titles.

Top Fuel:  It's being marketed as Antron Brown vs. Tony Schumacher, and I can't disagree with that.  This is developing into a legitimate rivalry with Brown holding a slight edge so far this season.  Schumacher has won many championships and doesn't want to give up his title.  Antron has to watch it, if he blinks, Schumacher could blow right past him, as Schumacher is as clutch as it gets.

Funny Car:  John Force and Tony Pedregon have gotten all the press recently with their squabble and war of words in Indy.  A Force has a great chance at the title, and it is Ashley.  John appears to be taking some of the pressure off of Ashley with his antics.  Tim Wilkerson is ready for the stretch, he finished second last year.  Tony Pedregon will try to hold off the competition while on his limited budget the rest of the way. He has struggles all year, but if Robert Hight can get really hot, watch out.

Pro Stock:  it appears to be the Jeg show.  Jeg Coughlin looks to be the favorite over Mike Edwards and Jason Line.  Edwards might have the best car, but Jeg is in the right place at the right time.  Greg Anderson has struggled this year, but he is too good not to be a factor at the end.

Pro Stock Motorcycle:  A wide open field.  I wouldn' count anyone in the top 10 out.  Doug Horne is dangerous, Hector Arana is tough to beat, and The Screaming Eagles of Hines and Krawiec will be there too.

Should be a action packed 2 months.

Amazon Now Selling Kindle 1 for $149.99

Amazon.com has lowered the price of the reading device that has started it all, the original Kindle.  The like-new refurbished models are selling for $149.99. (Link: http://tinyurl.com/refurmkindle1)

The Kindle 1 gives you a high resolution screen to read your books.  Access to the Amazon Kindle Store with over 400,000 books, magazines, newspapers and blogs to read.  Free wireless internet for life with Sprint Whispernet, and more...

A 30 day return policy is in effect.

A great deal

Teen Tennis Player Goes Hollywood

New on the scene tennis player Melanie Oudin is spending the first part of the week in L.A. doing the talk show circuit.  Fresh off her quarterfinal appearance at The U.S. Open. Oudin will appear on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" followed by a date with Conan O'Brien on "The Tonight Show with Conan O"Brien".  Other guests on with Conan tonight include Jennifer Aniston.

Oudin pulled out of the WTA tournament in Canada this week citing her injury from The U.S. Open.  She is expected back in action at the end of the month when the Asian swing starts. Oudin signed a lucrative endorsement deal with data mining company BackOffice while still competing in New York.  More endorsement deals are expected soon.

Oudin's world ranking has climbed this week to a career high of 44, up from 70 before the U.S. Open.

del Potro Breaks Through in New York

It was just a matter of time before Juan Martin del Potro broke through with a Grand Slam title.  It happened at The U.S. Open with an impressive victory over favored Roger Federer.  del Potro, who had Federer down at The French Open and had a great U.S. Hardcourt season took it to a frustrated Federer and claimed the title in a tough 5 setter.

I love del Potro's all court game.  I like his game on every surface but grass, and I think with a little work he can be a factor on grass.  Look for him to make a strong challenge to get into the top 3 in the next 6 months.  I little slip up by Federer, Nadal or Murray and del Potro will be right there ready to pass them.

Nothing "Fishy" about AT&T and Samsung at Lake Lanier

The Lake Lanier Striper Club, with help from AT&T and Samsung Telecommunications hosted the first major fishing tournament with the results determined by a "virtual" weigh-in.  No this is not some sort of Fish Tale, but new technology that allows participants to take a picture of,  and record the length of the fish, while wirelessly sending a multimedia text message back to officials to determine weights.

The device doing this is the Samsung Rugby, and using AT&T's 3G mobile broadband network, competitors can release their fish back into the lake faster than they could before. 

The Rugby is an amazing device.  The military certified handset will hold its own against dust, water, vibration, shock, humidity, and temperature changes, making this the perfect venue to test this do-it-all device.  The tournament winner will be determined based on pictures and measurements at the end of the day.  Samsung provided 50 Rugbys for the day that competitors could also use for GPS navigation and Push to Talk capabilities.

AT&T and Samsung's technology helped make it a memorable day at Lake Lanier.  This was the first event of its type, and other fishing tournaments are already inquiring about implementing similar procedures.

As an added bonus AT&T's 3G wireless network was used for keeping fishermen updated on current tournament standings and weather reports.  A great day for AT&T, Samsung, and The Lake Lanier Striper Club.