Ungh!

Unbeknownst to SpeedI am slowly moving away from writing about TV shows I like. Baby steps.

Like Smallville man

Can I be hip without being cool? Yes, I like Smallville. Like most of America, I didn't watch much of the last season but I caught the season finale and it was really good. I justify it thusly, I know a pretty fair amount about Superman, yet I don't care about the current comic so they can do whatever they want provided he doesn't get invisibility or marry Lois or team up with Plastic Man. This show is pretty great. Lex is Clark's best friend. There are no supervillains yet so he spends maybe a little too much time fighting X-files quality villains. Even without the suit the big stuff comes out. It does so at an excruciatingly slow drip. The best twist? Jor-El sent the kid to conquer the earth as Krypton's legacy. He's the ultimate little league dad portrayed by disembodied voice emanating from a crack in some cave wall. Oh yeah, Lana Lang's parents were squished by Kal-El's ship when it crashed into the Earth. Good stuff at a good pace. It's been on three seasons which means that the Cable enriched can catch up on ABC FAMILY, or whatever it is called this week, and be ready for the fall.


The secret that every Tuesday they have a twofer on Metallica (except during the Howard Stern show)

It takes a village

Kasho anyone? It's summer and again time for staying up past bedtime to watch the wacky adventures of #6. I remember this being a bonding time with my dad back in the eaarly seventies when the show was first being rerun on PBS. I expect Preston is a little to young to sit through this befuddlement. Maybe next summer.
The Prisoner will be on Friday nights on BBC America.

It takes some big balls to stand between number six and freedom.

Sherman, set the way back machine for 1988

Never on purpose but always welcome
Considering that the seven hours twice a week of Night Flight was on during the Reagan years I am doubly impressed, since 20 years later there really isn't even this much alternative culture on 540 channels of satellite. MTV top 100 lists really eat crap compared to a program that would show Yoko Ono videos and SubGenius samizdat. I may come back to this many times to fondly remember the "Nancy and I do drugs" film, adulterated Looney Tunes and the videos for "I Wanna be a Cowboy" and the Plasmatics. Give this site a link and spead the word. Also, let me say again that MTV countdown shows blow.

Interactive news of the week

Quiz me! I got four and Bill got four and we both know the true meaniing of ilunga.

Shaggy guy story

BierdoThis is a not overly long account of a fellow who wanted to have fun with Ebay and ended up learning a lot about what aimless people do with the service.

Do wiseguys eat brain sandwiches?

It doesn't seem so. In looking for something completely unrelated I found this lengthy crime story. I watched Donnie Brasco last week and was interested in that period in crime history so I read it. I admit that this is a little dry by comparison.
I remember the news coverage from the early 80's about the Leisure family and, although it doesn't appear here, there had been testimony at David Leisure's trial that one of them had mangled and enemy's hands by putting them into a truck transmission.
One of the lines from this article that stands out
"During the trial, witnesses testified that Trupiano’s bookmaking operation lost money. It was the first time federal agents had ever heard of an underworld bookmaking operation running in the red. "

Spiderman, spiderman. friendly villager spiderman

And he walks a lot more than the American version When you get to this article notice the subtle changes they have made to Indian-ize the webslinger. Why wouldn't they have added more arms? It seems to me that this is one of the world's cultures that wouldn't blink at a superhero with eight limbs. Thanks for the link, Bill.

My bi ai et aa in an oe.

King me!An additional benefit that this morning news program host did not mention is that the kids will learn to play following the proper rules.

This is Ground Control to Mike

SpaceMan One This is cool stuff, especially for those of us who remember the Andy Griffith series Salvage One in which a genial country scrapyard owner built and operated a private space vehicle made out of a cement mixer and some other stuff he had laying around. After looking at some of the other contenders for the Ansari X prize I can see that they also took inspiration from that show in a more direct fashion, but then again not all of them have Paul Allen backing them. There is little doubt that this is the team that will take the prize. I hope this isn't the end of the new space race. However, the next big goal would be the moon and I don't know if there is a cash reward set up for that. I guess though that the prize would be whatever you can carry back from the moon you keep and sell on EBAY.

Brains, brains

Not as popular as they used to be This St. Louis food was a topic at the poker game the other night and Steve had trouble accepting that they were not only served to popular acclaim but enjoyed until the age of Mad Cow disease.
Only 40 cents in 1942
I used to get these with my grandfather on lunch breaks when I was working at the shop in high school. They were about two bucks by then. Brain rolled in flour, deep fried, and served on white with salt pepper and onion. Ketchup to taste. They are straighforward and delicious and better than any other fried item I've ever had on bread. I have read that these are a 3,000 calorie high cholesterol snack. I don't even think Atkins would touch them. Man, it seems wrong but it makes me really hungry. Good eatin!

The news: Now with a refreshing hint of Limey

QUIZ ME! It seemed to me that the first and last correct answers are not all that recent. I checked into this and, hoping to not give away the answers, the first was not a first and the last was the first that was the next step after the last first.
Anyway, I got one and Bill hasn't weighed in yet.

Damn Hoboes!

No one is nostalgic for the days when hoboes were taking our pies. I can't remember that happening since Reagan was in office though.

Thank you Google Pixies!

Drink me dry You know I'm just going to be adding this to beer.

Google Answers

Whazzup, Knowlege Pixies? It seems that Google has several thousand people on bread racks in airconditioned rooms looking stuff up for you. The rumor in tech circles is that they have such a robust system they have redundant failover in place so that if one breaks they don't bother to check on it but just leave it on the rack for eventual replacement.

Baby's Named a Bad, Bad Thing

Madysin Maakenzi What do you want to do tonight? Let's make fun of the baby.

Krakatowa in a jug

Suprisingly cool to the touch. Renee just sent me a link to this lovely site which illustrates a plan I think a dedicated person could make a reality.

It's last weeks world news quiz!

Quiz me! I am sorry it's a bit late, I was lobbying to have the Washington Airport renamed again to "Ray's Rockhouse"

For the record, I got five and Bill got four.

BBC Bonus Quiz!

Thug quizRemember, you are our best amabassadors. Try to learn a few phrases that you can use in the local jails.

I like to see a nice rack myself

Word Freak PowerJim has been keeping the world posted of his progress in the Dubai Scrabble Club and here is a three part report on his trip to the Gulf Open Tournament. While your out there check out some politics; once you get to Hyperbole turn left and get a load of his other blog, Enough.

Cromulent

Guide to Springfield USA Bill located this quite detailed map and it's a fair amount of fun. It reminds me of going on the Star rek ride at the Las Vegas Hilton. It's nice to feel at home after logging hundreds of hours in a fictional location.

Bulldozer Rampage

Local man builds tank, crushes town I am sadded by the death of a determined person in an otherwise injury free outburst. I am better educated for wanting to write about it though. The fact that no one else was killed in this rampage is astonishing considering the beast he was piloting. In looking up a picture of one I found that this is the same model that the Israli Defensive Forces use, with similar armored modification, to destroy buldings in their campigns against palestinian militants. This is a picture of one in use by the IDF. It is terrifying to think of this brute tool as a weapon. This article and other sources, like Caterpillar's site, confirm that the manufacturer only makes yellow ones and it is up to the owners to armor them for military or personal use.This article also indicates that the U.S. has been buying the aftermarket kits from the IDF.

Latka party

Kaufman still alive? No. Snopes has weighed on on the issue though our free host, blogger.com, is still touting the blog mentioned in the press release as a top site. I read it. It seems unlikely. I am a little disappointed in the quality of the snopes article though. I would have expected something mor concrete than just tearing down the press release, like a photo of him not living or it's uncontestable equvalent.

If it's been news, it may be on the quiz!

Quiz me. I got four. Not bad, but I was expecting a different North Korea question.

VillainSupply

Death rays-Cheap! Now that the do-gooder Tenet is out of the way, presumably to work on his memoirs, what better time to stock up on uniforms for the henchpersons.

KLOOBADA DOOBADA KLOOBADA DOOBADA

Clark Kent Changing To Superman In A Washing Machine Because The Phone Booth Was Busy: Jon located the Don Martin dictionary. Why? I don't know. It came out in the converstation that Mr. Martin has recently passed away. It will take a great talent to fill this artists oversized and inexplicably right angled shoes.