Slumberland

The Pop vs. Soda Page surveys which word you use for carbonated soft-drinks. I found this link at Sheila’s Web Site, where she says that she is voting for “soda” — she must be from California, then. The term here in the great Pacific Northwest has always been “pop”! Cast your votes today!

The Big Brother Plane Banner Project probably deserves your money more than CBS’ “vote the houseguest out” poll. Just imagine, a banner flying over the BB house reading “HACKER SET UP SHOWER CAM ON NET” or “BRITTANY’S BURNINGMAN NUDE PICS ALL OVER NET”, for all the houseguests to see. Now there’s some good tv.

I Hate Music is an “encyclopedia of musical badness.” I love music, including some of the bands mentioned, but I still get a kick out of this.

“If you feel the need to disagree with me, you may. However, it is worth pointing out that while I have every respect for your musical taste, you are wrong.”

Carl Barks dead at 99. I loved reading Barks’ Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comics when I was a kid. They were reprints even then, but it didn’t matter. They were wonderful. R.I.P., Carl.

I freely admit to being unable to tear myself away from the irresistible car-wreck that is reality TV. Not just during this year’s craze, either. Anyway, there’s a reality TV weblog, now.

Hmph. Mayor Paul Schell vetoed the Teen Dance Ordinance repeal. He seems to think that only those too young to go to clubs for live music will care. How wrong you are, Paul. This is just another checkmark on the list of reasons never to vote for Schell, ever.

Must… have… LEGO desk! In fact, I think furnishing the entire house with LEGOs, and then running a monorail around the place, would be the coolest thing ever.

If fans had a Hall of Fame vote, Edgar Martinez would be in. Damn straight. I don’t think we have to worry about it yet, though — Edgar’s got a few more good years ahead of him. But five years after he does retire, he belongs in the Hall. As one of the fans quoted in this article, David Bowman, says: “Like it or not as a concept, the designated hitter is a bona fide position in American League baseball. The Hall of Fame is supposed to honor the best of every position. At his position, Edgar is the best who ever played the game.”

I want this so I can have my very own Monorail.

For God’s sake, Junior, grow up! Maybe his hamstring has been bothering him for his entire career, if that’s why he can’t run hard to first.

Junior’s lack of hustle in running the bases has always bugged me, even when he was at his peak of success in Seattle. I respect players that hustle even in a lost cause. Jay Buhner, for example — a slow runner, but he always seems to put his all into it. I respect that much more than Griffey’s lackadaisical jogging around the basepaths.

It looks like the end is near for the Montreal Expos. I hate to see baseball teams relocate. It’s heartbreaking. I grew up hearing about the Seattle Pilots’ betrayal (now they’re the Milwaukee Brewers, whom I loathe with a passion), and in the 1980s through mid-90s, I lived in fear that I’d wake up one day to see the Mariners in Tampa Bay. Now at least the M’s are safe, but other teams are where the Mariners used to be. Even the lowly Expos (and the Twins, who are in a similar spot) have fans — I really feel for them.

The man who designed the Disneyland logo is dead. He also lettered the masthead that the Seattle Times used from 1976-1997. Now that I think about it, I can see the resemblance.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Dad, by Peter Bagge (of Hate fame) and Dana Gould. “The almost – true story of a rock band, a jealous father, and a martini – soaked liver” skewers Murry Wilson, the Beach Boy Wilsons’ dad. Requires Flash.

The Teen Dance Ordinance has finally been repealed! When this ordinance came into existence in 1985, it meant almost instant death to the all-ages music scene in Seattle. I was still under drinking age at the time, so this affected me. Now, finally, we can have true all-ages shows again.

Drag queens will appear at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics, an Olympic first.