Before World War II, only 2% of all people in Germany were named Adolf, and during Hitler’s reign, he forbade Germans to name children after him. So, you are almost guaranteed to never meet anyone with the name Adolf Hitler.
The Who?
I found this list of explanations of some band names. It’s pretty interesting, especially the Blue Oyster Cult one…
Hot Tuna – they were originally called Hot Shit but their record company made them change the 2nd word to Tuna.
Pearl Jam – Eddie Vedder came up with the name in honor of his Aunt Pearl’s homemade jam which supposedly is a natural aphrodisiac and contains peyote.
Beastie Boys – Beastie is supposed to stand for Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Inner Excellence
Blue Oyster Cult – the name is an anagram of “Cully Stout Beer”. One band member came up with it one night when he was doodling at a bar with the band manager.
The Gin Blossoms – a gin blossom is slang for the capillaries in your nose and face that burst because of excess drinking
311 – the police code for indecent exposure in California.
Generation X – named after a book that Billy Idol found in his mother’s bookcase. It was a mid 1960’s sociological essay that featured interviews with teenagers in competing gangs in the UK.
Foo Fighters – World War II fighter plane slang for UFO’s
Counting Crows – comes from an old British poem that states that life is as meaningless as counting crows
Blind Melon – according to the bassist (Brad Smith) the name is slang for unemployed hippies in Mississippi
The Who – The band was originally called The High Numbers but one day they were sitting around thinking of a new name and each time somebody mentioned one, they would joke and ask, “the who?” Finally a friend said, “Why not just call yourselves, ‘The Who’?”
World Wide Web!
Call me a nerd, dork, geek, whatever but i think this is an amazing video.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE&eurl=]
Got the Ass Stamina, See All Best Picture Options
It’s a pretty good year of movies and the five films up for Academy Award for Best Picture are all worth seeing. They are Babel, Little Miss Sunshine, The Departed, The Queen, and Letters of Iwo Jima.
If you have missed some or all of them, you’re in luck because AMC theaters is doing a 1-time event where they’ll play all 5 movies back-to-back. The first film starts at 11 am and there’s a 15-25 min break between each one as well as unlimited popcorn and soda for the entire day.
Over Christmas, my cousin and i did 4 movies in a row (Rocky, We Are Marshall, Apacalypto, Dreamgirls) and it was pretty rough on the ol’ kisser, but this is a better lineup so it could prove be a little less painful. Personally, i’d go to rewatch The Departed (my favorite of the year), see Babel, Iwo Jima, and Queen and then skip out on Little Miss Sunshine. Who’s with me?
Maposaurus = Good Commercial
I was reading through the reviews of the commerical from the Super Bowl today and was shocked to see that everyone hated Garmin’s Maposaurus. Are you serious? It was fantastic. Similar to the (much better) Muse’s music video Knights of Cydonia it was retro and really good
What did the commerical have? Let’s see:
- pencil-thin mustache
- nuclear power plant being destroyed
- laser beams
- transformative belt-buckles
- carnage
How can you go wrong?
Check it out for yourself:
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kxrj3OQcXJY]
Beer for All Types of People
My sister recently discovered that she might be allergic to wheat. No bread at all, no pizza, no pasta, and even worse: no beer.
While looking into what possible options might be for her, i discovered (and then also saw here) a company called Long Tail Libations. Apparently Anheuser-Busch has created it as a division to create and market niche products. There is a great book called The Long Tail that came out in 2006 that talks about the fundamental shift of the marketplace from blockbusters to niche products as a result of the “infinite shelf” of the Internet. Bud recognized this shift and created this new division.
As a result they have gone from 26 brands in 1997 to 80 brands in 2007. The new brands cover all sorts of crazy niches such as a beers with a safe grain for those allergic to wheat (Redbridge), a beer with caffeine (Bud Extra), a bock beer (ZiegenBock), a stout (Bare Knuckle), and some organic ales (Stone Mill and Wild Hop)
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Redbridge Redbridge is a rich, hearty, full-bodied lager brewed with sorghum (a safe grain for those allergic to wheat or gluten), water, yeast, imported Hallertau and domestic Cascade hops and corn. The result is a rich, full-bodied lager with a moderately hoppy taste. No wheat or barley is used to make the beer. |
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Bud Extra Bud Extra takes beer to a new level – combining the drinkability and broad appeal of beer with caffeine, ginseng and guarana, Bud Extra is a beer remixed. Well-balanced beer with unique aromas of blackberry, raspberry and cherry, Bud Extra offers a lightly sweet and tart taste – with a “wow” factor in the finish. |
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Bare Knuckle Stout Traditionally brewed using a blend of roasted barley, pale and caramel malts, Bare Knuckle Stout is balanced with robust hopping to provide a rich and flavorful stout, with a smooth and creamy head. |
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Anheuser World Lager Rolled out in May 2003, Anheuser World Lager is a classic pilsner beer with a distinctive hop note and full-malt flavor – an import-style beer made in the United States. |
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ZiegenBock An easy-drinking, American-Style bock beer, available only in Texas, since 1995. |
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Stone Mill Pale Ale Stone Mill Pale Ale has the perfect balance of maltiness and hop bouquet resulting in a classic, fruity pale ale. Stone Mill Pale Ale is brewed with organic ingredients in a certified organic brewery. |
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Wild Hop Lager Wild Hop Lager is a classic, European-style lager. It has a signature body with Cascade hop aroma and hints of caramel sweetness. It is brewed using organic ingredients in an organic brewery. |
The world is going to niches. When you can get 1000 channels of TV for all types of people, it makes sense that you can get all types of beer too. At least with the non-wheat Redbridge lager it’ll help my sisters weekends that much more fun
Next is a Terrible Book
I just have to get this off my chest. I recently finished Michael Crichton’s latest book Next and am pissed that i wasted my time on it.
You would think this would be a book for me – i know i did and i actually bought it for myself for Christmas – as I’m a big fan of Crichton and love thinking about catastrophic genetic sceanrios (previous post i wrote on the subject). But i have to say that this is one of his worst books. The only reason i made it through to the end is because the look at genetic engineering and the moral, ethical and legal mess it creates is pretty interesting. The story and characters (both human and animals) totally suck though.
Crichton’s a smart guy and the premise to his books are really good. I just think he’s become too shallow in his character development. I think his older stuff is better and really love his memoir, Travels. If you have time, you should pick it up – he’s a strange guy and it’s a good read.
Do Dogs Really Need This?
Just when you thought the ways to pamper your dog had reached its peak, there’s more. You can now get doggie beer. That’s right, beer made especially for dogs. It’s called Happy Tail Ale at www.beerfordogs.com. A description of the ale:
Non-alcoholic and non-carbonated, Happy Tail Ale is the ultimate liquid refreshment for your best friend. Our beer is made in a real brewery and starts with artesian water and choice malted barley. Brewed in 500-gallon copper kettles, Happy Tail Ale also features all-natural beef drippings (no by-products or chemicals!). Plus, it’s fortified with Glucosamine and Vitamin E!
Seems completely idiotic to me, plus it’s over 2 bucks a bottle which it outrageous. Next up, doggie AA meetings in the park.
MPL's Oscar Predictions
I know i’m a day late on this, but here goes. My predictions and hopes for the Oscars this year:
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio in “Blood Diamond”
Ryan Gosling in “Half Nelson”
Peter O’Toole in “Venus”
Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happyness”
Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland”
MY PICK: Ryan Gosling – WINNER: Forest Whitaker
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin in “Little Miss Sunshine”
Jackie Earle Haley in “Little Children”
Djimon Hounsou in “Blood Diamond”
Eddie Murphy in “Dreamgirls”
Mark Wahlberg in “The Departed”
MY PICK & WINNER: Eddie Murphy
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penelope Cruz in “Volver”
Judi Dench in “Notes on a Scandal”
Helen Mirren in “The Queen”
Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada”
Kate Winslet in “Little Children”
MY PICK & WINNER: Helen Mirren
The big picks are available after the jump
Continue reading “MPL's Oscar Predictions”
Nice Playground…for Bears
Some people build swimming pools in their back yards. But outdoor pools in Alaska just won’t work as it’s too cold and dark for 1/2 the year. There is a particular family that lives on the outskirts of Anchorage. They decided to build a sturdy, colorful playground for their 3 and 4 year old sons, with smooth-stone gravel all around it to avoid knee scrapes and other injuries. They finished building it on Saturday evening, and the following morning, as the mom was about to wake up the boys and have them go out to play in their new play center, this is what she saw from the upstairs window:
2 more photos after the link: Continue reading “Nice Playground…for Bears”