soapbox

This could really be just a comment on Nathaniel’s post, but such an important public service message deserves its own post.

Jules, you will be pleased to know that there are not one but two BBQ joints at your disposal: Curtis’ in Putney, VT (about half an hour South on I-91), and Big Fatty’s just across the river in WRJ. I may have a slight preference for Curtis’ place just based on fond memories of summertime laziness, but Big Fatty’s does a good job too, and the convenience is pretty good for rural NH. They are both more of a wet sauce, more southern than western BBQ, so don’t go expecting Oklahoma/Texas-style dry rub, but Curtis’ ribs are great, as is the brisket esp later in the summer, and Big Fatty’s pulled pork sandwich is not a ripoff.

Since links are fun, I’ll save you the 7.2 seconds of Google-time:
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I has come to my attention that there is a family stage at Lollapalooza. WTF? Or in the words of Tony Kornheiser, when did that happen? They’re calling it Kidsapalooza, but I like my title better.

I discovered this fact while reading an article on the neverending-and-stomach-churning-saga-of-stupid-Brett-Fah-vrah: the thesis was that both Slash and Favre are above the law, but I have to salute the creative opening and the laugh-out-loud story, which I will quote directly b/c I’m lazy.

We have Slash to thank. He and Perry Farrell were the headliners at the kid’s stage on Sunday. Slash walked out wearing a hat that said “(expletive)” in large, black letters. He lit a cigarette, then flicked it into the crowd of children at the conclusion of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” A young boy caught it, dropped it when it singed his hand, then picked it up again and screamed excitedly.

Slash was awesome. And the kids seemed to fully appreciate his awesomeness, even though most of them were not yet 10. He just stood there, rocking, smoking, wearing the obscene hat, and a bunch of very small children loved him.

After the set, it seemed necessary to have a brief evils-of-smoking discussion with my daughter, since we’d both just lunged for a discarded cigarette. But she cut me off.

“Duh, he’s a rock star. He can do whatever.”

There are certain lessons that only Slash can teach your kid, and that’s one of them. The rules are very different for rock stars.

Well, they don’t say what games are being played, but lazy students have a new excuse in their arsenal now that surgical residents in a Phoenix AZ hospital are now being required to play Wii games as part of their training.

Q: Can a video game really help somebody improve as a surgeon?

Smith: We used cyber gloves which computerize hand movements of surgeons and we put those on surgeons. We have data on that. We put them on people playing the Wii. There is a very, very high correlation between the two and this is documented statistically.

I remember reading earlier this year an article on how marble madness was a particularly good training exercise for fine motor control - to noone’s real surprise. Those clever little accelerometers.

Yeah, just got the following from campus security here at UMD - that’s right, College Park MARYLAND:

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CAMPUS ALERT
July 31, 2008
There have been several reliable sightings of an animal fitting the
description of a cougar on the campus.  The description of the sighted
cat is: light tan and tawny brown, about 4 feet long with a 4 foot tail,
and weighing about 50 pounds.  Several sightings have been reported from
the area of Cole Field House, near the Clarice Smith Performing Arts
Center, and continuing through the wooded areas to the area of the
Comcast Center and Arena Drive Garage.  There has been no report of
aggressive behavior on the part of the animal, but community members are
warned that cougars are a predatory species and that, if seen, the
animal should not be approached.

If you see the animal, please contact the university police at
301-405-3555.  University police are working with other agencies to
remove the animal from the campus area.

****

A friend of mine has said that she’s heard reports from reliable people of cougars in the woods in northeastern PA, and sure, I’ve been seeing a lot of deer here in College Park when I walk the dog through the “woods”, but cougars?  Geez, where am I?

We’re thinking of going cougar hunting, since the sightings are in the area of the astro building.

…but maybe all y’all will enjoy it.

Don’t be disrepectin’ the ladies at no Tim McGraw concerts.

Assaulting a female fan is the reason the big ol’ boy in the video got called out, apparently.

Not if you know what’s good for you.

David Ortiz became a card-carrying US citizen yesterday.

Of course he made sure to look sharp for the event

Congrats, big guy! Nice to have you counted among us.