Shane Will Like This Record

Furr, by Blitzen Trapper.

You can even buy it on vinyl, which fits nicely with its 70s folk-rock retro vibe.

The Big Bang

This morning on the way to school, India asked a question about The Big Bang - how it happened, when it happened, etc.

Anya piped in and said, "I don't think they should call it The Big Bang. I think they should call it The Humongous Space Kablooie."

My Bright Idea for the Day

Mandatory life sentences without parole for spammers.

Who's with me?

Song Title of the Day

"The Ballad of Butter Beans" by Man Man

Go for the Gusto!

Pabst is brewing Schlitz again!

Schlitz was the top-selling beer in the United States for much of the first half of the 20th century. But recipe changes and a series of snafus made the beer — in many a drinker's opinion — undrinkable, turning what was once the world's most popular brew into little more than a joke.

But after decades of dormancy, the beer is back.

Schlitz' owner, Pabst Brewing Co., is recreating the old formula, using notes and interviews with old brew masters to concoct the pilsner again.

Song Title of the Day

"Lord, I'm Discouraged" by The Hold Steady

Sad

They're tearing down Tiger Stadium.

It was probably my favorite place I ever saw a ballgame. Either that or Old Comiskey.

Update! This is good news: They're going to save the field, the foul poles, and the flag pole - which used to be the only flagpole in the field of play in the major leagues. (It was until they put an in-play flag pole in the outfield of that stupid stadium in Houston, but I refuse to acknowledge that ridiculous bandbox.)

I hope the field becomes a city park or something.

Deep Thought

It's odd, isn't it, that Tommy John had Tommy John surgery, and Lou Gehrig died of Lou Gehrig's disease, but Cy Young never won the Cy Young Award?

Funny Ad

There's a banner ad on Yahoo right now which promises:

We deliver compatible singles to you.

You mean, right to my door?

I've Never Seen This One Before

Michael Barrett of the San Diego Padres hit himself right between the eyes with a foul ball.

Ouch.

Your Quiz for the Day

Which is larger?

1. The continental U.S. or Australia?
2. Austria or Maine?
3. Burkina Faso or Colorado?
4. Cameroon or California?
5. Germany or Montana?
6. Greece or Alabama?
7. Iran or Alaska?
8. Ireland or West Virginia?
9. Japan or California?
10. Niger or Texas?
11. The Pacific Ocean, or the entire land area of the world?
12. Pakistan or California?
13. Turkey or Texas?
14. The United Kingdom or Oregon?
15. Zimbabwe or Montana?







Answers:
1. The Continental U.S.
2. Maine
3. Burkina Faso (It's a country in Western Africa.)
4. Cameroon
5. Montana
6. Alabama
7. Iran
8. Ireland
9. California
10. Niger (It's almost twice the size of Texas.)
11. The Pacific Ocean
12. Pakistan (It's almost twice the size of California.)
13. Turkey
14. Oregon
15. Zimbabwe

Did You Know This?

I didn't:

Iran is one of the world's most mountainous countries.

And furthemore:

There are no major rivers in the country.

Lots of mountains, no rivers. What happens to all the rain, I wonder?

Stupid

I'm beginning to think stupidity is a virtue.

Obama has more work to do to quell fears among voters like Kirstie Hartle of Rome, N.Y., a registered Democrat who has never supported a Republican presidential candidate. She said she doesn't like Obama's name and thinks he has a questionable background.

"It sounds to me like a Middle Eastern type of name and whether or not he's born here in the United States, he doesn't seem like, to me, somebody who is trustworthy," Hartle said in a telephone interview. "You can't trust anybody these days, so who's to say he's not a terrorist and we just don't realize it yet?"

"I refuse to vote for an Arab to be in my White House," said retired salesman Dean Johnson of Lanett, Ala. "That is the only factor. Otherwise, you couldn't break both my legs and make me vote for a Republican."

Wouldn't it be great to be this stupid? Because, think about it:

When you're this stupid, you never, ever worry that you might be wrong.

A Band You Should Check Out And It Don't Matter Who You Are

Sea Wolf

I Don't Care What They Say

Engineering is cool.

Check this out.

Be sure to watch the video. It's not every day you get to see a 1.4 million pound ball swinging around on cables and hydraulics.

Too Much Food, Not Enough Exercise

Leads to things like this:

The number of Americans with diabetes increased by 15 percent in two years to 24 million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 8 percent of the population now has the disease, mainly Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity and sedentary living, the agency said in a report using data from 2007.

This has been a friendly reminder (to myself as well) to avoid overeating and get some exercise.

Still Seems Weird

I may have to face the fact that I will probably never get used to this.

In a news story on the radio I just heard the following four words, and I still just can't wrap my head around this idea:

"California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger"

Bo Knows Tecmo

Remember the video game Tecmo Bowl?

Remember Bo Jackson?

Here's a hilarious example of a typical Bo touchdown on Tecmo Bowl.

I wish they still made 'em like this.

Fucking Fuck

George Carlin has died.

Your Assignment

Part 1: What book is being referred to here?

It sold more than a million copies in Germany in its first year. Nazis were beginning their rise to power at the time, and they hated the book because it portrayed World War I as misguided and pointless. It was one of the books they publicly burned in 1933. When the film version of the book premiered in Berlin, Nazi gangs attacked the theater.

Part 2: Read it.