Some of you might have read my post yesterday on TTAC. I don’t have anything else to say about the gentleman (I don’t want to help his SEO presence any more than I already have) in question or his “work,” as I believe that it speaks for itself.

However, I feel that there’s a gap between what I would call the real writers in this business of automotive writing and the, well…I won’t use the word that Katt Williams would use. I’ll call them the Frauds.

I’m thankful that Mark Stevenson, my Managing Editor, has given me the space on TTAC to mercilessly expose the “writers” who suck on the collective teat of the OEMs for their very sustenance. I was text messaged by no fewer than five writers whose opinions I greatly respect yesterday, all saying that they wished they could do the same. I don’t take that freedom lightly.

I do, however, feel uncomfortable at times with the notion that there are truths that some don’t want to say. If there’s a Fraud out there, writing reviews about cars that are nothing more than copy/paste jobs from the press kits, why shouldn’t he or she be exposed? Why does it take a “Bark” to do it?

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Starting tomorrow, your friend, Bark M., is the official Facebook Live ambassador for American Endurance Racing. (Full disclosure: yes, they’re paying me to do this.)

Set your alarms to stun for 3:00 PM Eastern tomorrow as I broadcast live from the AER Facebook page. I’ll be giving you the scoop on America’s best amateur racing series, as well as previewing next week’s race at Palmer Motorsports Park, one of the newest and most amazing circuits in the world.

And if you’re not interested in any of that, just tune in anyway and hear my girlish voice. Thanks!

 

Whew. I’m beat.

I have spent the last two days taking the kids to soccer camp at various times of day, as well as piano lessons, and I have a confession to make.

I don’t know how stay-at-home moms, or, God forbid, working moms, do it.

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“But what would have been the good?”

Aslan said nothing.

“You mean,” said Lucy rather faintly, “that it would have turned out all right – somehow? But how? Please, Aslan! Am I not to know?”

“To know what would have happened, child?” said Aslan. “No. Nobody is ever told that.”

“Oh dear,” said Lucy.

“But anyone can find out what will happen,” said Aslan.

—C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian

Each of us has regrets. It’s foolish to say that we don’t. Our lives are full of choices made, chances taken, and risks averted. Frost famously said that his choice to take the path less traveled made all the difference, but what of the other path? Who is to say what could have happened?

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Well, it only took me a week, but I’ve recovered enough from my trip to the New York International Auto Show to write about it. There were so many dinners, galas, preveals, private events, blah blah blah that I can barely remember them all. Here are my impressions of the show in my best BuzzFeed listicle format.

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Want to prove that you know more about sports than I do? Then go here. Search for “Riverside Green.” Create your own bracket and see if you can beat Bark at sports prognostications. Fair warning—I did this on my own blog last year, and I came out victorious. Just saying.

You only have until the first game starts, which starts just after 12:00 PM, Eastern time. Go!

 

  
Short and sweet:

Panthers 45, Broncos 10

Unfortunately, I don’t see any way that this ends well for Peyton Manning. Demaryius Thomas has disappeared this postseason, and Manning simply cannot throw the ball downfield. This will allow the Panthers to set their linebackers loose on the run game, rendering Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson useless. 

On the other side, Cam Newton is more difficult to defend than any other quarterback in football. The Broncos’ pass rush will be slowed by Newton’s running ability, and the Panthers will be the beneficiary of good field position all night, due to Manning’s inability to move the Broncos against the Panthers’ elite defense. 

In other words, if you’re a Broncos fan, I suggest that you find something else to do for the second half, as this game is going to be ugly.