There’s something about the sound of football on the TV that makes me happy, especially when I’m working in the house. I like to tune in and listen to the games while I’m building something, or pulling down walls (one of the most Zen moments I can remember in my old house was installing the backyard deck under a brilliant sunset—the Ravens game was on, and every time somebody would score, I could hear the folks in American Harry’s around the corner yelling at the TV) but the problem is that I usually wind up watching the game more than working. Especially around the fourth quarter. Which is why I now enjoy the NASCAR when I’m demolishing a room. You see, NASCAR is so frigging boring for 99% of the time, I’m not tempted to look at the TV at all. The announcers are always yammering on about ‘adjustments’, e.g. “He’s been runnin’ that car so hot for so long, they’re gonna need to make some adjustments,” or “The car was super, and we switched the tires and made some adjustments…” Who the hell cares? This is a sport where people get excited about stopping for gas. The good part is, it’s mostly dull with the possibility of major catastrophe at any time. And that’s really the only reason I leave it on. Unlike football, I could give a crap about who actually wins, but I like to have some kind of conversation going in the background.