Saturday, January 31, 2004

YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO: I think I've got it, ooh, I think I've got it: a copy of the "Hey Ya, Charlie Brown!" video on a server that hasn't been completely overloaded. Watch it, and you'll see why most servers that have hosted the file have collapsed under the weight of people's desire to see it. Great concept, solid execution.

Also, go here for the Saddam Hussein "Hey Allah!" remix. Not quite as good, but still cute.

Enjoy. Quicktime required.

Friday, January 30, 2004

PHILADELPHIA -- WE DON'T WIN ANYTHING AT HOME: Congratulations to South Korea native Sonya Thomas, the "Black Widow", for defeating five-time champion "El Wingador" Bill Simmons to capture the Wing Bowl XII crown before a crowd of 20,000+ drunk Philadelphians.

Ms. Thomas, all of 99 pounds (and the only woman in the competition), downed 167 wings in 34 minutes (two 15-minute halves, then a two-minute finale, then two minutes of overtime during which she downed 13 more wings) to take the title. In the Inquirer profile of her from earlier this week, you can learn tidbits such as this:
Thomas, who is unmarried, got a job managing a Burger King at Andrews Air Force Base in nearby Maryland. At the end of a shift, she would eat three large orders of fries, a chicken Whopper, and 20 chicken tenders, then wash it down with two 32-ounce soft drinks. Thomas recently quit the job to be a full-time eater.

"I have great stomach capacity," Thomas says. "I can take in and hold 14 pounds of food in 12 minutes."

Video and photos of the event are available via this link.

Thursday, January 29, 2004

ANTICIPATION: After weeks and months of buildup, suspense and speculation, the teams will finally take the field Sunday night. I don't know about you, but I can't wait. I'm looking forward to seeing the game's best strategists show their stuff on the playing field, seeing how such top athletes perform against each other in a neutral setting, where one big mistake can end the game, laying it all on the line for the ultimate prize.

So tell us your thoughts on Survivor 8: The All-Stars, debuting on CBS Sunday night after that football game.

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

HARD HOBBIT TO BREAK: The Oscar nominations list is out. Here's my initial reactions:
1. It's odd seeing three Best Picture nominees with not a single acting nomination between them. You'd think Russell Crowe would've gotten a nod for M&C:TFSOTW. Surprising, especially with In America doing the reverse -- nominations for two actors and screenplay, but not Best Picture.

2. All that hoopla about Charlize Theron's transformation from this to this, but no nomination for Best Makeup? Fo' shizzle?

3. I did not realize that Johnny Depp had never been nominated before -- not for Ed Wood, not for Edward Scissorhands, not for Dead Man or even Donnie Brasco. About damn time.

4. I wouldn't want to be around Harvey Weinstein today, what with the Cold Mountain and the not-getting-the-top-nominations and all. I hope he doesn't send Jack White out to beat someone up.

5. A friend (and frequent poster here) noted that Spellbound did not get nominated for Best Doc. Nor were any Holocaust documentaries nominated in either doc category. It's a wide open race, but I'd still bet on the man who caused the most deaths, Robert McNamara.

(edited to add: Oops. Spellbound was, in fact, nominated last year. Thanks, Lorna.)

6. Out of all the Mighty Wind songs, the one that gets nominated is "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow", and not "Old Joe's Place"? Ea! A! Oes . . .

7. Not one nomination for either Matrix film, even in the technical categories. Guess the Wachowskis should have taken the other pill.

Your thoughts are welcome.
EXTRA CREDIT: Fantastic answers. Now, for those of you that answered, which of your four is Teddy Roosevelt? I'm looking at mine, feeling like they're all kind of Teddy Roosevelt.

Little bit of Elvis in Teddy, if the light catches him just right. Foreshadowing, maybe.