Coincidence? I Think Not.

I'm watching Football Night in America the other day, and Bob Costas announces that Bruce Springsteen is going to play the halftime show at the Super Bowl. This only adds fuel to the fire of my theory that the spirit of Tim Russert is affecting events in some way.


I mean, come on:

• A hotly contested election that looks like it's going to come down to the wire?
  
• Bruce Springsteen is going to play the Super Bowl?
  
• The Buffalo Bills are undefeated?

It's the only possible explanation, right?





----------------
Now playing on iTunes: Bruce Springsteen - I'm on Fire
via FoxyTunes

Person Tim Russert

Right click for SmartMenu shortcuts

Monday Timewaster: The Art of Netflix Origami

The Art of Netflix Origami
on Apartment Therapy Unplugged

I usually end up scrunching my Netflix flap into a ball and aiming for the trash can. But I'd probably do that with the folded one, too — I suck at origami.

And I'll have fewer envelope flaps to work with, anyway: I downgraded to one-at-a-time (unlimited) since I splurged on the Roku/Netflix box.






----------------
Now playing: Bobby Darin - It's Only a Paper Moon
via FoxyTunes

Friday Timewaster: Name the Most Populous U.S. Cities

Sporcle: Can You Name the Most Populous U.S. Cities?

I saw this on Cartophilia: Maps and Map Memorabilia the other week.

I did okay: 20 out of 25. If I had thought of more sports teams or more cities in California, I might have come up with the five I missed. So, let that be a hint to you.











----------------
Now playing on iTunes: The Thrills - Big Sur
via FoxyTunes

What Say You, O Great Blogosphere?

At lunchtime yesterday, Cathy and I continued our spirited debate about whether corn on the cob is an acceptable food to eat while driving. She says, Hell to the NO! I say, Hells YEAH!


I was discussing this topic on Sunday afternoon with someone else (while eating corn on the cob at the Yankee Peddler festival) and am forced to admit that Michelle wasn't entirely on my side. I maintain that she had no opinion on the matter, but Cathy thinks that Michelle disagreed with me but didn't want to argue about it. Whatever.

A Google search doesn't turn up too much on this topic besides a lot of photos of people feeding corn on the cob to their dog and/or baby and this hilarious — and award winning! — Worm on the Cob derby car created by Carolyn H.:




I did find this anecdote posted in an online message board entitled "When you eat corn-on-the-cob, how do you eat it?"

Ruthie said:

The other day, we were driving down the busy interstates of California, minding our own business. ... well, except for the fact that traffic was stopped, so we were peeking into our fellow traveler's vehicles.

The woman next to us was eating corn-on-the-cob while driving! She had it on the little sticker-thiny and was just going away at it. ... I suppose it's better than talking on her cell phone; it's certainly more endearing.

Cathy seemed to experience a similar event, which raised her general awareness of the issue and influenced her contention that such behavior is wrong. I see nothing wrong with it, however.

To support my position, corn on the cob is not mentioned MSN Money's list of the ten most dangerous foods to eat while driving.

1. Coffee. It always finds a way out of the cup.
   
2. Hot soup. Many people drink it like coffee. Same effects.
   
3. Tacos. "A food that can disassemble itself without much help, leaving your car looking like a salad bar," says Hagerty.
   
4. Chili. Dangerous drips and slops down the front of clothing.
   
5. Hamburgers. Grease, ketchup, mustard on your hands, your clothes and the steering wheel.
   
6. Barbecue. Spicey and dicey. There is the temptation to lick your fingers. More grease on the steering wheel.
   
7. Fried chicken. Ditto. Grease coats everything you touch.
   
8. Jelly or cream-filled doughnuts. Dangers relate to oozing while cruising. Raspberry jelly stains difficult to remove.
   
9. Soft drinks. Prone to spills and sudden fizzing if car makes sudden movements. Cola fizz in the nose is perilous while driving.
   
10. Chocolate. Tempting but treacherous. Try to clean it off the steering wheel and you're likely to end up swerving.

And it also isn't mentioned in this list of suggestions for what to eat while driving. Note, however, that the guy who created the list seems mostly concerned with foods that will make a mess in his car. I have no such worries, because I never clean my car. Problem solved!


One blog, Quarter Life Crisis, does make a case against corn on the cob while behind the wheel, but I'm ignoring it because that whole list seems to be exaggerated for some sort of comedic effect. Plus, he hasn't updated his site since January, so how trustworthy can he be? (Although I do agree with his no-talking-to-someone-in-the-next-stall policy.)


So, I'm throwing the topic out for discussion. Please post your opinion in the comments, especially if you are one of my three longtime-readers-never-posters ... or even if you just arrived here during your search for Grady Sizemore photos, a parody motivator generator, the destroy-a-printer game, or pix of awesome Chucks.




----------------
Now playing on iTunes: The Black Crowes - Another Roadside Tragedy
via FoxyTunes

How Did I Miss This?

I was actually out* on a Friday night, so I didn't get to see the Indians-Tigers brawl in real time.







Gary Sheffield has always worked my nerves, though, so I especially enjoy the last twenty seconds or so: A close-up of Fausto Carmona pounding Sheffield while Matt Underwood and Rick Manning (the Sports Time Ohio announcing duo) laugh.


This clip from FSN Detroit runs longer and has some additional camera angles, so it's also worth checking out.





* I was downtown at Ken's Martini Bar, being serenaded** and otherwise having a good time before Dean Edwards*** did a set at Hilarities.

** That's what happens when you have the same name as a popular seventies song. I used to hear the chorus of "Amie" all the time at OU from my friend Ron (who was from "Irntn: Land of No Vowels").

*** I couldn't place him right away, either. He used to be a featured player on Saturday Night Live, and he's pretty hilarious — does some good impressions/characters. If you have the chance, check out his show.






----------------
Now playing on iTunes: The Shins - Fighting in a Sack
via FoxyTunes

Tuesday Timewaster: Typographunnies

Typographunnies

I found this the other week — someone posted on their blog, but I forget who. Anyhow, I cracked up, and Matt (my fellow font nerd) deemed it awesome as well.







----------------
Now playing: The Beatles - Paperback Writer
via FoxyTunes

Putting New Batteries in the Remote

Amy's Fall 2008 Television Plans
(Click image to enlarge.)

It's officially the first day of fall, and I finally put together my grid of what I'm watching/taping this fall. The grid above is keyed to which VCR I'm setting to tape them (Still no TiVo, and proud of it!) and the one show I'm either going to have to watch in real time, catch online, or tape when it reruns on Sundays. (I could tape it on my third VCR, but it's the kind that makes you push a special "timer" button before you turn it off, and I always forget to do that.)

I'm really not watching that much TV this fall: just 16.5 hours in prime time. It's spread fairly evenly among the networks, although by virtue of Thursday night, NBC has a slight edge with 5 hours. Monday and Thursday are my busiest nights, although only Monday has an actual scheduling conflict.

I'm testing out six new shows; it would be seven, except I already crossed that Jerry-O'Connell-runs-a-hotel mess off my list. Watch your back, Valentine, Worst Week, My Own Worst Enemy, Gary Unmarried, Kath & Kim, and Life on Mars.

The grid doesn't show my late night schedule: Daily Show, Colbert Report, Leno, Ferguson, SNL, and sometimes Kimmel and Daly. It also doesn't take into account sports-related programming (anything involving a Cleveland team, plus Sunday night/Monday night football) or current events/news shows (Olbermann, Maddow, Cooper).

And, of course, it's really only valid for about ten weeks, because after New Year's, American Idol starts up again and mid-season replacements like Reaper reappear. (Yay on both counts!)

Before Cathy starts mocking me, I would like to point out that I am by far not the only person who makes personal Excel spreadsheets to organize television viewing, nor am I the only one who dedicates a blog post to it:

• My Take on TV
  
  
• TVaholic
  
  
• Whine and Cheese

----------------
Now playing: Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Autumn In New York
via FoxyTunes

Friday Timewaster: Which Superhero Are You?

You are Spider-Man.



You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky, and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero Are You?" quiz.

----------------
Now playing on iTunes: The Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions

via FoxyTunes

This Week in Netflix: Volume 26

More classic '80s movies that I've never seen before ... because they are rated R and I was 7, 11, 10, 14, and 12 (respectively) when they came out.

• Diner
  
  
• Down and Out in Beverly Hills
  
  
• St. Elmo's Fire
  
  
• The War of the Roses
  
  
• The Witches of Eastwick

Random recurring thoughts ....

• Wow! Is that ___? He (or she) looks so young!
  (Mostly in re: Diner and St. Elmo's Fire)
  
  
• This director's commentary is fascinating!
  (Mostly in re: Diner, St. Elmo's Fire, and The War of the Roses)
  
  
• So, wait, he has sex with all of the women, and everything's fine? Whatever!
  (Mostly in re: Down and Out in Beverly Hills and The Witches of Eastwick)

----------------
Now playing: INXS - Devil Inside
via FoxyTunes

Sucked In

I can't help it . . .

Every time I come across Without a Paddle on tv, I have to watch the rest of it. So, around 1 a.m. I was cracking up when the opening notes of R. Kelly's "Bump and Grind" kicked in, just before the guys snuggled up in the cave. Heh.



In other news . . .

I'm making some progress in getting all of my CDs imported into iTunes. I think I have the whole top shelf of my large CD rack digitized. Only six more shelves to go ... plus five small CD racks and two big CD binders. I guess when I said "some" I was thinking in the sense that you can empty some of the ocean with a teacup.






----------------
Now playing: R. Kelly - Bump N' Grind
via FoxyTunes

Sugar Shock

Yesterday I saw a blog post about the biggest candy store in Cleveland, and I realized that it was one of those places I drive by, am vaguely curious about, and never go in. All that changed last night.

I was overjoyed to see the massive PEZ display right by the front door.


I stopped myself from buying the limited edition Elvis PEZ in a special tin, but just barely. Instead, I went sporty: An OSU football for my sister (which we laughed at when we were in Columbus the other week but didn't buy) and an Indians baseball for me.


I was also a little jazzed to see some stuff I haven't seen since junior high, when going to Lawson's or McDowell's Drugstore and poring over the candy display was a big deal. Oh, salted pumpkin seeds with an Indian on the red package, bubble gum cigarettes*, and Fruit Stripe gum, how I've missed you!


I'm usually not that much of a sucker for '80s nostalgia — I mean, it's more ironic laughter than true wistfulness — but when I saw the '80s I Want Candy grab bag full of Bubble Tape, Pop Rocks, Big League Chew, Gummi Bears, Runts, Nerds, Starburst, Jelly Bellys, and a Whistle Pop .... wow.


Anyhow, I picked up some stuff for my sister. She likes sour, gummi, fruity . . . basically, anything without chocolate or nuts. I, on the other hand, am not that interested if chocolate and/or nuts are not involved. We do agree on black licorice, though, so I got a few pipes and laces.


I couldn't stay that long, though. It smelled nice, but the accumulated sugar in the atmosphere was starting to get to me. After aisle 5 or so, I couldn't really concentrate. I guess I'll have to go back . . .









*The kind with powdered sugar under the wrapper, so you can puff on it and actually look like you're smoking. One time when I was, like, ten, my Aunt Helen, my sister, and I were puffing away while playing Touring or some other game at my Oma's house and my Oma freaked out and started yelling at Helen because she thought my aunt gave us actual cigarettes. Ha! Good times . . .





----------------
Now playing on iTunes: Peggy Lee - Sweet Happy Life
via FoxyTunes

I Totally Want This: Netflix Player

The last two or three envelopes I've received from Netflix have featured giant ads for this box from Roku:

My mouse is hovering over the "order now" button ...

My finger is quivering ...





----------------
Now playing on iTunes: Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want
via FoxyTunes

Friday Timewaster: Which File Extension Are You?

Which File Extension Are You?

----------------
Now playing on iTunes: Elvis Presley - Got My Mojo Working/Keep Your Hands Off Of It
via FoxyTunes

Feeding Cathy's Hypochondria

It's not like I have a task list a mile long or anything ...

Just killing time before the boss shows up by taking the Deadly Diseases quiz on MSN and getting a higher score than Cathy, ha ha. (Despite the suggestion from the typesetter that it's not a good idea for C to take the quiz, because then it will just give her more ideas about diseases she thinks she has.)






In related (but old: 2004) news ... Check this out:

A Hypochondriac's Guide To Disease:

The Chances of Catching Diseases You Think You Already Have

----------------
Now playing on iTunes: Bobby Brown - My Prerogative
via FoxyTunes
----------------

Hear That?

It's Tropic Thunder, baby!  (Or the giggling emanating from a theater showing the movie, whichever.)

Christine and I saw this at the $4 theater* last night, and loved it. Just as loopy-goofy as Zoolander, where the nutjob craziness just keeps piling on. Matthew McConaughey was a pretty good replacement for Owen Wilson, but I would have liked to have seen Owen in it.

We particularly enjoyed the faux trailer for Satan's Alley. Listening to Don LaFontaine do the voice over for it and the other faux trailers ... Who else is going to bring that kind of gravitas? 

Anyhow, if you haven't seen the movie, you should. You should also rummage around on YouTube for the Satan's Alley trailer, and for the footage of the fellas as the Pips on American Idol (as shown below).

* Technically $4.25, but it's awkward to vocalize the "and a quarter" part. And the bargain price is only for Monday – Thursday, anyhow: Weekends are still full price. Also: They've started this new concession stand scheme. You can get a slightly-larger-than-Small drink & popcorn with unlimited refills for $5. (A regular Small & Small of each would be $8.50 or so.) Again, only Monday-Thursday, but awesome!

OU vs. OSU: OMFG

Buckeyes Survive Ohio’s Threat, 26-14

Bobcats Fall to In-State Rival No. 3 Ohio State, 26-14

I knew it was a foregone conclusion, but ... I can't believe OU was in it until late in the third, and even then almost pulled it off. When we had a lead in the first half, I told my friend Matt and my sister that Tressel was just toying with us — letting us get a few minutes of joy before he has the guys kick it up a notch and totally crush us in the second half.

So, it was a pretty good trip up until about 2:20 Saturday afternoon, which is pretty much when the aforementioned crushing began in earnest. My sister and I came down on Friday, geeked around at the comics archives and the campus bookstore, and took a hard-hat tour of the renovated main library. Then we went to the OU alumni pre-pregame party at the Lodge Bar.

That place was packed: We got there about two hours into it, and they had already run out of the plastic mugs with the special OU logo (the comic book image in Friday's post) and were handing out mugs with the bar logo. I'm cheesed because I wanted an OU one, but it's my own fault for getting lost downtown and wasting about a half hour.

Apparently there were a thousand people there, and between the cover charge and the rally towels, the Central Ohio alumni chapter raised about seven grand for its scholarship fund. I flipped through some of the event photos on the Columbus Young Bobcats page, but I don't think I'm in any of them, thank goodness. I did see a ton of people I know, including the president of the D.C. chapter and the former director of the alumni association (who now works for UCLA), and I rocked out a bit to the alumni band and Dirty Martini. Meanwhile, my sister sat in the corner and worked on her knitting. (No joke.)

One of her friends from OSU came by, and we went to get something to eat. Somehow we ended up at the Book Loft, because it was open until midnight. Eventually, however, my sister and I called it a night and headed back to our club-level king suite at the Sheraton. This place was pretty P.I.M.P.: two 32-inch plasma tvs — one in the living room and one in the bedroom; a king-size bed plus a sleeper sofa in the living room; a mini-fridge and microwave; wi-fi. It was in a limited-access area, which meant that you had to use your key card in the elevator to even get it to stop at our floor. Nice!

Staying there was a last-minute thing, which made it even more hilarious. I would have been content with a sleeping bag on Matt's floor, but since he couldn't put us up, he poked around on Hotwire Thursday afternoon and got us a room at the Sheraton for the same price or less than the advertised rate at the Motel 6 and Red Roof Inn on the same block. When he found out how awesome it was, he threatened to send us back to his house, and he'd stay in the suite.

First thing Saturday morning, we headed to campus in search of a parking space and the OU alumni pre-game party. It was a little strange to be eating hot dogs for breakfast, but I managed. I held off on the beer until 10, though. After I finished my beverage, my sister and I hiked up to the Oval for her alumni tailgate. We helped them kill the keg up there, while I heckled people who were hedging their bets: wearing OSU and OU gear. (Pick a team!) Around noon I got a text from Matt, explaining that a friend of his (and his brother) just got busted for open container. Doh! He managed to elude the fuzz, however, and came up to meet us on our way toward the stadium.

We were going to go to Riverwatch, since we knew some other OU alums would be watching the game from there. However, we realized that we could see the giant scoreboard inside the stadium from the street we were on, so we sat with about ten other people on a grassy knoll between the McCracken power plant and RPAC and watched the rest of the first half. I yelled and clapped loudly when OU made a good play, which confused the Buckeye fan in front of me. Her friend had to explain to her that I was rooting for OU, not OSU — a fact which I thought should have been evident from the bright green "Bobcats" shirt and green-and-white-beads I was wearing, but whatevs.

Speaking of shirts: Matt and I sounded like seventh-graders on Thursday when we argued over who got to wear what when this weekend. We both have green OU polos and something we call a Cooper Black t-shirt, since the "Bobcats" on the front uses that font. (We were cracking up over the font in May when we found the shirts in the bargain bin at Universi-Tees, since we're such font nerds. Obvs.) He wanted to wear a polo Friday and a Cooper Black shirt Saturday, but I said he couldn't, since that's what I was going to do.

He decided to sport a green "OS-Who?" shirt on game day, but came to regret that sartorial choice when he got heckled on the way to the alumni party Saturday morning. ("Nice shirt, asshole!") As a result, he bought a gray OU shirt at the party to put on before he ventured out onto campus by himself. Wimp! (Matt: Aren't you sorry you asked me to post a recap?!)

We watched the second half at Riverwatch, and when the outcome became a bit more obvious, we gave up and headed out. My sister and her friend took off to do some shopping and have dinner, and I dropped Matt off at home and went in search of some lotion to put on my sunburn. (I brought sunscreen, but neglected to actually put any on. Doh!)

My sister and I had a relaxing evening in our suite, watching Iron Man and Wanted on TV. (Did I mention they were 32-inch plasmas?) Early-ish on Sunday, we met up with some of my OU friends and their three-year-old son for breakfast at Bob Evans. Everything was going swimmingly until the waitress spilled a full glass of ice water down the poor kid's back. Yikes! My friends had a change of clothes for him on hand, though, and he calmed down as soon as he had on a dry shirt.

After all that excitement, checking out their new house was almost anticlimactic. It's lovely, though, with a big play area upstairs. We spent a few hours playing with his train set and Lincoln Logs before attempting some Candyland and Chutes and Ladders. He's still a little too young to be able to play the board games the standard way, but making up his own version was just as good.

Before we left town we had to stop by Mozart's to pick up some pastries for my mom. (She likes the marzipan peaches.) We also had lunch at the Blue Danube, where I ingested most of what I think was called a Bleu Dog: a half-pound beef frank topped with corned beef, sauerkraut, and melted cheese. Oy. It was pretty much a reuben crossed with a hot dog. Not quite a Parmageddon or Hamdog, but pretty close. If I hadn't also eaten half of the Blue Danube combo platter (fried mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower; mozzarella sticks; onion rings), I probably could have finished it. Maybe next time: I hear OU plays OSU again in 2010.




----------------
Now playing: The Doobie Brothers - Long Train Runnin'
via FoxyTunes

I Am Jack's Guinea Pig

I kind of like Google Chrome, although I am missing a few of my Firefox extensions.

For example, in FF I have a page-preview thingy — when I hover over a hyperlink, it shows me the entire content of the linked Web page. That helps me avoid opening too many tabs and crashing FF. But since Chrome claims it can support more tabs than FF, that shouldn't be an issue —Crunch all you want, we'll make more! </Jay Leno, Doritos spokesman>

Two things that crack me up:

The "sad folder" error message

The comic book that explains some of the structure and features, including the "sad folder" error message

Friday Timewaster: Blocky 2

Blocky 2 is the latest in the long line of puzzle-type games I've become addicted to ....

I don't think you ever forget your first, though.



Anyhow, have I mentioned that I'm going to be in Columbus this weekend? Because I am.




My sister and I don't have tickets to the game, but we have reservations at three pregame parties (one OSU for her, two OU for me) and that's what really counts.

Less Man Nipple, More Bonus Points [The Short Version]

Overview

The downside of being known as the Original Pub Quiz Blogger* means that you kind of have to get going with the recaps, even when you'd much rather be watching the season premiere of Bones or getting your gear together to go to Columbus for the weekend.** It's especially bad when your team*** does just sucky enough to finish rather squarely in the middle of the pack. No lottery tickets, P.J McIntyre's gift cards, or cash prizes for us this month! Just the thrill of sitting on stage, making smart remarks to Mike D, and observing the finer details of a master at work.****



* If it says it on teh Interwebs, it must be true!
** Who am I kidding? I'm going to leave my packing until the last minute, like I do every week.
*** Dynamic Duo? Wonder Twins without powers to activate?
**** Like his "Quiz Tunez" iTunes playlist and "Rules" page outlining the evening's agenda.




Scores and Standings

Round 1: History — 6 points
Round 2: Entertainment — 5 points
Round 3: Foods of the World — 4 points
Round 4: Useless Knowledge — 7 points

Picture Round: What's the Movie? — 8 points

Round 5: Peoples — 9 points
Round 6: Video Round — 7 points
Round 7: Sports— 7 points
Round 8: The Missing Link — 5 points


Alex Trebek's Mustache (R.I.P.) did get two bonus points courtesy of the Internet coupon, and we picked up a few of the bonus points sprinkled here and there throughout the rounds, but they barely made a dent in the ever-widening gap between us and the eventual winners, Team 11.* We were tied for fifth at halftime, and sputtered to a two-way tie for sixth at the end.** We were short a person — Cathy had school last night — but Christine and I agreed that she wouldn't have known the answers to the stuff we didn't know, so it was a moot point. Well, maybe she would have helped us with a point or two during Short Attention Span Theatre,*** but that's about it.



* All together now: Boo!
** I know: Ouch!
*** My new name for the Video Round.



Quotable Quotes and Notable Notes

I don't have time right now* to cherry-pick the best of the scribblings from my Field Notes memo book, so I'll have to update this part later tonight or early next week.

Watch this space for smart remarks from Mike D, a visit from our favorite member of Team 11, the score of Christine's personal spelling test, random Seinfeld references, the photo shoot/announcement to the crowd that inspired this post's title, and a personal theory about the mojo associated with the number 11.

In the meantime, poke around mikedpubquiz.com. He was taking some photos last night, but I don't know when/if he'll post them.





* I started this post at home last night, and had to set it aside for sleep and then frenzied laundry and packing between 6 and 8 a.m. I'm at the office now, and I should be proofing the religion catalog so the graphic designer can get it back to the coordinator for final review. Ugh.






----------------
Now playing on iTunes: Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young - Almost Cut My Hair
via FoxyTunes
----------------

In the Fall a Young Girl's Fancy Lightly Turns to Thoughts of Television

. . . and the Excel spreadsheets she needs to make so she can sort out what she's going to tape on which VCR, what she's going to watch live, and what she's going to watch online. Gossip Girl already started on Monday, and Bones is on tonight. (Two hours! Squee!) I've scanned the list of premiere dates and new show summaries online, but I need my Entertainment Weekly fall television preview issue to really get going. I suppose, though, that instead of building my own spreadsheets from scratch, I can just borrow some of these .... 

 Laurel’s TV Picks » Fall 2008 Schedule Grid

Letterman Is the New iTunes Commercial?

You know who's doing great these days? David Letterman's music talent booker.

— Stereogum, August 6, 2008

I totally agree. I'm not a Letterman fan, but when I tape Ferguson the VCR clicks on early enough to catch the musical act on Letterman — which is how I found out about We Are Scientists and Solange Knowles, and how I saw some great performances by Al Green and Little Anthony and the Imperials.

I was already planning to buy the new Al Green album, but now I've downloaded some Scientists tracks and the whole Knowles album, plus I did a little Googling on Little Anthony to discover that it's pretty much the same guys, still touring, and how many acts their age can say that?

Then I got curious about whether anybody else was noticing this recent run of awesomeness, and lo and behold, somebody had. So, keep up the good work, I guess.