It's A 5 Dog Eat-Off

"This is one of the greatest moments in sports history."

"The passion is raw, but the hot dogs are cooked."

Nothing screams American pride quite like competitive eating. Nathan's Hot Doge Eating Contest just finished after a five dog eat-off between Joey Chestnut and Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi, which apparently has never happened in the annual Coney Island-hosted event. This year marked the 93rd time eaters pitted their stomachs against other's.

I love the hyperbole used in sportscasting. The announcers managed to hang the future of the world on the outcome.

Winning hot dog count: 59 (plus 5 dog eat-off).
My record for hot dogs eaten in a day: 4.



So this Fourth of July, be sure to load up on calories and forget about all those who are starving elsewhere in the world.
...Go on

Fourth of July

I got a bison burger yesterday and it had an American flag toothpick holding it together. Inspired by this clear display of patriotism, could everyone make an effort to snap some pictures of their holiday festivities (parades, fireworks, bbq's, trouble-making, etc.) and post them along with blurbs about their day?

Let's share how independence is celebrated around the country in all its lavish glory.

I will do my best to capture the essence of the Fourth in a small 'burb outside of Chicago.

I just came across this as well. It makes Mt. Rushmore look pathetic. I get a lactose-induced headache just looking at this. Why is patriotism so painful?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A sculpture of the signing of the Declaration of Independence made from a one-tonne block of cheddar cheese glistened on the sidewalk of Times Square in New York on Thursday as an artist's tribute to the Fourth of July.

Who brought the Ritz?
...Go on

Chancellor Concurs With Gillespie

In an article from the future, Times Online reports on the increase in paying bills with plastic.

This week the Bank of England revealed that credit card borrowing staged its sharpest rise in May for almost two and a half years. A survey by E[rnst]&Y[oung] found that households were 15 per cent worse off than they were five years ago.
...
Alistair Darling said: “The UK economy is fundamentally far, far better than it ever was in the past.

And we all know that access to credit has far improved the quality of life for citizens.

At least we aren't the only country going through money problems.
...Go on

...And the Murrow Goes to...

It struck me a bit odd today when I read that media awards themselves for disaster coverage. The RTNDA announced the 2008 winners of the Edward R. Murrow Awards, honoring excellence in electronic journalism. The awards will be presented at a swanky dinner on Oct. 13, in New York.

Isn't standard award procedure to announce the nominees, THEN have a dramatic reveal at the dinner? This sounds like a pseudo event. They are doubling their news coverage of the awards. Maybe we can secure a late award for best coverage of the awards?

Despite all of the negative press regarding Katie Couric as host of the CBS Evening News, the program won for best newscast. Take that NBC and ABC.

The awarding of disaster coverage reminds me of Mitch Hedberg's sketch regarding reservations at restaurants.

Sadly, our blog did not bring home any Murrow's. Consequently, there will be no after party. We'll get 'em next year.
...Go on

New Yorker

I yoinked my first issue of the New Yorker from the library last night. The magazine makes me feel simultaneously educated and dumb. The articles are rather lengthy and my attention span is rather short. The cartoons are amusing and I very much enjoy the overall style of the mag.

Anyone discovering new mags/news sources?
...Go on

Happy Birthday, Patrick!!

To the man who only wears his Red Hot Chili Peppers tee. To the man who drunkenly wanders around in aviators, nearly smashing the guitar he's playing. To the man who loses a group of 20 people within 5 minutes. To the man who can hold a conversation about chewing gum. We all love him. And I'm sure if he were around right now, we'd get him schnockered and make him do all those silly things over again. Happy Birthday, Patrick. I hope wherever you are, you're getting schnockered and doing all those silly things over again. ...Go on