June 30, 2006
Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex
With Superman Returns hitting the theaters and the deluge of branded products that come with it; what a better time to revisit Larry Niven's classic essay 'Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex'. For those who never read the piece, (or heard part of it in the film Mallrats) Niven explores the problems of Superman and Lois Lane having a physical relationship (super sperm and super orgasms) and conceiving a Kryptonian/Homo Sapien hybrid to term.
Thanks to BoingBoing for finding an online copy of the story.
Technorati Tags: Larry Niven, Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex, Superman, Lois Lane
Posted by JB at 8:51 PM | Permalinklinks for 2006-06-30
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Our cats make me feel like this more often than I care to mention.
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Buying an "American" hybrid in the future will be a bit more of a challenge as Ford says it was just kidding about its pledge to produce 250,000 hybrids per year.
June 29, 2006
A Pixie And His Car
This article may be off the radar of some Pixies fans. Jalopnik spent the afternoon with David Lovering and his 2004 BMW 545i.
Technorati Tags: Pixies, David Lovering, Jalopnik
Posted by JB at 9:06 PM | PermalinkBears QB Partying Like Its 1999
New sports blog, Kissing Suzy Kolber, comes charging hard out of the gate with some great photos of everyone's favorite neck-bearded QB, Kyle Orton. Orton is getting down with his bad self, though there is no way to explain what is going on in the last photo. There ought to be a man law about that...
Technorati Tags: Kyle Orton, Kissing Suzy Kolber
Posted by JB at 8:36 PM | Permalinklinks for 2006-06-29
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The Further Adventures of Mister Lonely
June 28, 2006
Hurled Into The Stone Age
The shakes are subsiding from inadvertent 24-hour internet withdrawal. A construction project snapped the coax cable in the back yard and I was suddenly thrown into the stone age...or maybe 15 years, but either way it was a dark and scary place.
Without internet and cable, I was painfully reminded how hooked I am on instant access to information. Not that cable t.v. is any great treat for timely or relevant info, but when you are trying to find out the final score to a Twins game, you'll take the ESPN ticker listening to the Cubs radio broadcast for an 'out of town scoreboard'. Listening to them blow a big lead to eventually lose, made it less painful in the long run. (Cry Ronnie Cry)
On a positive note, I now own some neat coax stripping, cutting and crimping tools. After some advice from a friend (Thanks Bruno), some crude instructions on the back of the tool boxes and a few failed attempts, I can now add those connectors to coax cable and things are back up and running.
Ahhh its good to be back.
Posted by JB at 4:39 PM | PermalinkJune 24, 2006
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June 23, 2006
December In June
So it's June 23rd, the last half of the month; a couple days past the first day of summer. Kids are thinking about summer vacation. Neighborhood festivals are taking place. Making plans for the Fourth of July.
Summer is in full swing. Have you thought about the Christmas holidays? Nope, me neither.
So why did I get two offers today (one email and one letter) for big discounts on 2007 calendars?
You know what is going to happen on July 5th don't you? Christmas carols...
Technorati Tags: 2007 Calendar
Posted by JB at 7:58 PM | Permalinklinks for 2006-06-23
June 22, 2006
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Maybe I should keep my Dell laptop off my lap... Check this story out for flaming laptop photos!
June 21, 2006
Not Even South Africa Likes Us...
There is an upside to the loathing every country in the world feels towards the U.S. You can use that loathing to sell stuff! Case in point the billboard above for Smart in South Africa. (For those not into cars, Smart is a division of Daimler Chrysler whose mini cars are not currently sold in the U.S.)
From the folks at Jalopnik:
We actually thought the "German engineering, Swiss innovation, American nothing" billboards in South Africa were pretty ballsy and clever. Chrysler's Jason Vines doesn't think so, and apparently neither did some other PR types at DCX. The billboards are now toast. The ad agency said the "nothing" crack referred to the car's diminutive size, rather than the perception that America sucks. Mmm-hm...Posted by JB at 10:34 PM | Permalink
links for 2006-06-21
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The Chicago White Sox and right-hander Kyle McCulloch, the team's first-round draft pick out of the University of Texas, agreed to a contract Tuesday.
June 20, 2006
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Wow, where did this story come from? And I was just thinking of popping to New Orleans for a long weekend.
June 19, 2006
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June 18, 2006
Knocked Out
Not a very good showing in the Blogger Poker Tournanment. Finished 1792 out of 2247 entrants. Last year, I belive I lasted past the first break.
I started off good winning some small hands. Later I had a crippling defeat when my nines over tens full-house was beaten by a tens over nines full-house. After that, it was just a matter of time until the end. Better luck next year...
Posted by JB at 6:04 PM | PermalinkTwisted Foo
Foo was all twisted in a tangle of paws. Maybe she doesn't have a full set of bones...
I tagged the paws just to make sense of the mess.
McBride Bloodied In Penalty Filled Tie With Italy
Brian McBride caught an elbow to the face, which resulted in an Italian red card and the horror of all his female fans. As Deadspin put it, McBride was looking more like wrestler Ric Flair at this point.
I didn't watch the game, but by many accounts it was an oddly officiated penalty filled game. With the tie to Italy and Ghana's surprise victory over the Czech Republic, the US are still alive. McBride and Team USA face Ghana on Thursday.
Technorati Tags: McBride, Deadspin
Posted by JB at 11:40 AM | PermalinkBlogger Poker Tournament Today
Today at 3:00 CST, I will jump into the fray known as the World Blogger Championship of Online Poker on Poker Stars. Currently, there are 2244 entrants and with the entry rules I am guessing that number won't change much.
If you are absolutely doing nothing this afternoon and want to check out how I am doing, my player name is Arlington_JB. I have no delusions of doing well, but am going to give it a shot. I will post where I finished this evening.
Technorati Tags: World Blogger Championship of Online Poker, Poker
Posted by JB at 11:31 AM | Permalinklinks for 2006-06-18
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Stephen Colbert nails Georgia Representative Lynn Westmoreland, a Congressman who's co-sponsored a bill to require the display of the Ten Commandments in the House of Reps and the Senate. After bantering with Westmoreland for a couple minutes, Colbert say
June 17, 2006
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Pax Rodenta
June 16, 2006
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June 15, 2006
Japan Festival 2006
While in a sudoku and coffee zen state this morning, I had a flash of recollection that the annual Japan Festival was sometime in June. Surprisingly, it hadn't passed but is coming up fast. June 24th and 25th at the Forest View Educational Center (2121 S.Goebbert Road) in Arlington Heights. I'll be there, camera in hand.
Technorati Tags: Arlington Heights, Japan Fest, Japan Festival
Posted by JB at 9:32 AM | Permalinklinks for 2006-06-15
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Cats with unfortunate looking mustaches
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hey.mpaa.and.apb.bite.my.shiny.metal.ass.thepiratebay.org.
June 14, 2006
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June 13, 2006
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June 12, 2006
Zbikowski Fight Video
Okay this is the last post on Tom Zbikowski until he fights again or does something newsworthy.
Zbikowski's pro-boxing debut is available on YouTube. At a brief 49 seconds, you can squeeze a quick viewing into your day. Personally, I like the second knockdown that ended the fight.
Also, if you were wondering what kind of boxer Robert Bell is, he now has a record of 2-3-0. I have seen a lot worse opponents for a debut fight.
Technorati Tags: Arlington Heights, Boxing, Zbikowski, video
Posted by JB at 8:39 AM | Permalinklinks for 2006-06-12
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tr.v. brick 1. improperly flashing one's WRT54G(S) so as to prevent it from functioning 2. To cause to resemble a brick, in mode of operation as well as form 3. To render inert like a rock, or a brick, or... well you get the general idea
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Antikythera
June 11, 2006
Zbikowski Wins Debut Fight
Tom Zbikowski won his pro boxing debut with a 49 second TKO over Robert Bell.
In the deluge of local stories about him this weekend, it is worth mentioning that he had over seventy amateur fights and is waiting for the results of his Chicago Firefighters exam.
Technorati Tags: Arlington Heights, Boxing, Zbikowski
Posted by JB at 9:34 PM | PermalinkJune 10, 2006
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OLD YELLER DOG FOOD. You can't make this stuff up.
June 9, 2006
Entering the tournament again
I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!
This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.
Registration code: 1919832
Posted by JB at 9:10 PM | Permalink
Watching Brian McBride In The World Cup
Also on the subject of Arlington Heights athletes on the big stage, keep an eye on Team USA's Brian McBride in the World Cup (which starts today). The Arlington Heights native, who moved up from the MLS to Fulham in the English Premier League is described in Scripps News Service capsule as "[the] Target man is the blunt edge of attack".
I remember doing a few posts a long time ago on the old site, maybe about the last world cup. Since then, I gather from the Google searches, that he has become a bit of a sex symbol and was part of the 2003 SI swimsuit issue with his wife, Dina.
Technorati Tags: Arlington Heights, Brian McBride, Team USA, World Cup
Posted by JB at 10:26 AM | PermalinkArlington Heights Boxer Debuts Tomorrow
I was just grazed by the micro-media blitz about the boxing debut of Arlington Heights native, Tom Zbikowski. The buzz isn't because he is from our fair town, but that he is also a safety for Notre Dame. Surprisingly the usually draconian NCAA rules, allow him to be a professional in one sport and keep his college football eligibility (with some caveats).
Zbikowski's four round heavyweight boxing debut will be part of the Cotto v. Malignaggi pay-per-view package this Saturday.
Technorati Tags: Arlington Heights, Boxing, Zbikowski
Posted by JB at 9:06 AM | PermalinkJune 8, 2006
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June 7, 2006
The Grimsley Affidavit
If you are following the Jason Grimsley HGH scandal and want to see the famous affidavit with the blacked out names of all the players that Grimsley outed, you can see it here. Hopefully, MLB and the players union will really have to deal with this now instead of just paying lip service with the Mitchell investigation which has no intention of finding any problems.
Technorati Tags: HGH, Grimsley
Posted by JB at 11:31 PM | Permalinklinks for 2006-06-07
June 6, 2006
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Baseball announcer, former player and television commercial legend, Bob Uecker, files a restraining order against a crazy fan that has been bothering him for several years.
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'nuff said. Darwinism at work...
June 4, 2006
Tomorrow Music Orchestra's 666 Show!
Here's an note from Matt Golombisky of the Tomorrow Music Orchestra:
June 6. 06! (very exciting): the Tomorrow Music Orchestra 666 gig!!! we are playing this Tuesday night at Silvie's Lounge (1902 W. Irving Park) with the biggest group so far!
there are four bands total (mutual divorce, the election and good old fashion sinners), we play second, and it starts about 9.30pm. 4 bands, 4 bucks!
TMO will include flute, oboe, clarinet, alto sax, french horn, trumpet, trombone, vibes, violin, viola, cello, bass (times two), guitar, and drums! check this group out if you haven't already: www.myspace.com/tomorrowmusicorchestra and/or www.tomorrowmusic.org CDs will be for sale ($8) and stickers will be for free!
Free Stickers!?!?! I am so there!
Technorati Tags: Tomorrow Music Orchestra, Silvie's Lounge
Posted by JB at 6:01 PM | PermalinkJune 3, 2006
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An apparent crater as big as Ohio has been found in Antarctica. Scientists think it was carved by a space rock that caused the greatest mass extinction on Earth, 250 million years ago.
The crater, buried beneath a half-mile of ice and discovered by som
Posted by JB at 1:25 AM | Permalink
2006 Frontier Days Music Line-up
It just popped in my head to check on one of the sure signs of summer; the announcement of the music acts for Frontier Days. As luck would have it, they have been but I don't know how long this info has been out there. Old news or not, here are the bands that will be visiting Arlington Heights for Frontier Days.
Friday, June 30th - American English (of course. I wonder how many consecutive years they have played Frontier Days? Why not, people love them and by now, their appearance is a tradition.)
Saturday, July 1st - Dave Mason
Sunday, July 2nd - Charlie Daniels Band
Monday, July 3rd - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Tuesday, July 4th - Infinity
So the organizers landed Dave Mason, The Charlie Daniels Band, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Pretty impressive. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will be the tops on my list to see with Dave Mason coming in second.
Technorati Tags: Arlington Heights, Frontier Days, American English, Dave Mason, Charlie Daniels Band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Infinity
Posted by JB at 12:07 AM | PermalinkJune 2, 2006
The Pirate Bay Raid And Counterattacks
Torrent Freak has a recap of the raid on the 'Pirate Bay' torrent site by Swedish police and the events that have happened since including a DoS attack on Swedish police sites and an upcoming protest in Stockholm. This has turned into quite a fun story to follow and I have a feeling has a way to go before it finishes.
Technorati Tags: Pirate Bay, Torrent Freak
Posted by JB at 11:03 PM | Permalinklinks for 2006-06-02
June 1, 2006
Turner Classic Cult Films
Turner Classic Movies is rolling out a 'cult classic' show late nights, hosted by Rob Zombie, in an attempt to pull in younger viewers.
Being young in mind, though probably not age-wise, I think this is a great idea. I love the classics (Inga even more so), but the cult faves need a home too as they are classics in their own right. Aren't the cult classics often more influential to young creative minds than traditional classics?
Source: Warren Ellis
Technorati Tags: Rob Zombie, Cult Classics, Turner Classic Movies
Posted by JB at 11:48 PM | PermalinkTimothy Leary Quote
"The real war is between those who are turned on, and those who are uptight." -Timothy Leary (October 22, 1920 - May 31, 1996)
I can dig it...
Technorati Tags: Timothy Leary
Posted by JB at 10:42 PM | Permalink'Fast Man Raider Man' On The Horizon
Frank Black's new double album, Fast Man Raider Man is due to be released in the U.S. on June 20th. Back Porch Records is the U.S. label for this latest effort. Back Porch has a terrific story on their site that chronicles the process of putting together this album and previous album, Honeycomb, starting back in April 2004. There are lots of great musicians and non-stop several day long sessions that went into these recordings. Granted I am not a musician, but it seems to have been a unique creative process to make these albums.
Of equal importance in Frank Black news, there have been a few tour dates announced in support of 'Fast Man Raider Man' including a Chicago stop on October 25th at the Auditorium Theatre. It's been a long time since he has played a decent venue in Chicago.
Technorati Tags: Frank Black, Fast Man Raider Man, Back Porch Records
Posted by JB at 5:53 PM | Permalink
