Friday, May 28, 2010

Bob Nutting's Favorite Song

Although I don't personally know Pittsburgh Pirates' owner Bob Nutting, I'm guessing that this is his new favorite song:



This is B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars performing Nothin' On You. During the chorus, it definitely sounds like B.o.B. is singing Nuttin or perhaps even Nutting. Can you imagine Bob Nutting sitting in his office reading comments online of people thinking that they could make a better owner of the Pirates? Well, they've got Nut, Nut, Nut, Nutting on me, babe. Nut, Nutting on me! Alternatively, maybe, in a moment of triumph, the Pirates' owner screams, Nutting on You, Bitches!

By the way is B.o.B.'s name really Bob? If so, this seems like a rip-off of will.i.am.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Haunting Songs

I’ve had this idea for a blog post for several years. Yes, years. The point of this post is to identify songs with haunting or eerie beginnings. I'm not refering to songs like The Monster Mash, just songs that have menacing or gloomy starts. I’m not sure that I’m explaining this well (which is part of the reason why I haven’t actually published this post until now), so I’ll go straight to examples:

Nirvana – Come As You Are
Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
The Animals – House of the Rising Sun
Ben Folds Five - Brick (Although this song has more of a sad beginning rather than an ominous start like the others.)

Do you have other songs that may fall into this category? Does this make any sense? Does anyone know how I can include the first 10 seconds of these songs into this post for those who may be unfamiliar with these tunes?

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Vote for the Guy with a Bad Back (Randomness)

- I received an e-mail from the Washington Nationals demanding that I vote for catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez to the 2010 All-Star Team. Demand may be a little strong, however, the team pointed out that Pudge is currently third in the National League All-Star voting. The Nationals failed to mention in the e-mail that Pudge is on the disabled list with a lower back strain.

- More e-mail arrived in my Inbox courtesy of the Mario Lemieux Foundation. Among the great work that the Mario Lemieux Foundation does, they also featured this: MLF HOLDS SUCCESSFUL AUSTIN'S PLAYROOM PROJECT LUNCHEON & FUNDRAISER! Am I a terrible person for thinking that perhaps the Mario Lemieux Foundation should create a new acronym?

- Of the many memorable scenes in Sunday’s Lost finale, one stood out for me. Literally. Was I the only one who noticed the significant height difference between Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) and Claire (Emile de Ravin)? Is Mitchell a giant or is Claire just short?

- This may be obsolete as coach Bob Bradley plans on announcing the full World Cup roster today, but I hope that Herculez Gomez represents the U.S. in South Africa. I feel like the U.S. has a better chance of success with Hercules (or Herculez) on our side.



- I hit the golf course for the first time in approximately a year and played as expected. I’m not very good. Actually I aspire to be not very good.

- Meanwhile, I was attacked by gnats on the golf course. Despite killing a few dozen of these annoying insects, they apparently did not get the message and continued to attack. Conversely, I killed one goose and the other geese took notice and stayed away from me.

- Actually, my best shot of the day occurred when two adult geese led six or seven baby geese into a lake. I was scared of hurting the young geese and managed to hit the ball off the tee and over the water. Unfortunately, I probably should have used a different club as my shot went well over the green as well.

- Did you know that Lindsay Lohan has a younger brother? Did you know that said younger brother just graduated from Ithaca College? Lindsay was unable to attend graduation, but I would have loved to have seen her hang out at Moonshadows.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Trivia Tuesday

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...welcome to a brand new Trivia Tuesday! Your challenge this week is to identify the (in)famous people known by three names. Think Anthony Michael Hall or Billy Bob Thornton though they are not the answers. And we’re off:

1. 1970s serial killer who dressed as “Pogo the Clown.”

2. A 90 year old Supreme Court Justice who recently announced his retirement.

3. Guitarist who first charted in 1983 with “Pride and Joy.”

4. Early rock musician who was billed along with his “Pimpin’ Piano.”

5. Actor who portrayed Howard Hughes, Ty Cobb and Agent K.

6. American citizen captured in 2001 while fighting with the Taliban.

7. First overall selection in the 1980 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors.

8. Blond rocker front man who hosted a short-lived morning show on many of Howard Stern’s former stations.

9. Achy-breaky country musician whose album “Some Gave All” was the best selling album of 1992.

10. 21-year President of the International Olympic Committee who passed away recently.

As always, please leave your answers in the comments section below and don’t use the internet for your search. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks at Stump Trivia.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Myron Cope Is MC Cope

In honor of the Pirates 10th inning win over the Braves Sunday, I'm happy to present the late, great Myron Cope's take on MC Hammer's U Can't Touch This.



When this video debuted on WTAE in 1990 (1990?!?!), I thought this was the funniest thing ever. While this doesn't seem to hold up as well today, it's still nice to see Myron Cope in action.

I can't wait to share this video again when the Pirates make the playoffs. Yes, I'm willing to wait.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Lost Predictions

This Sunday marks the final episode of Lost. I consider myself a fan of the show, but I missed significant parts of both the first and second seasons. While there are times when I feel lost (pun intended and not intended at the same time), I don’t feel the need to go back to watch the episodes I missed. With that written, I know how the show is going to end. I don’t have any inside information from Co-Producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof; I just know how the show will end.

One of the thousands of unanswered questions is the identity of David's mother in the "sideways" world. David is the son of Jack (Matthew Fox). There has been speculation that the mother is Juliet, but I have a different theory. David's mother is really Anna, the leader of the Visitors.



That's right, David is half-man, half-alien/lizard, and the fact that Jack got together with Anna is the reason why he is the chosen one. The Man in Black/Smoke Monster may seem unstoppable, but he is no match for the aliens or Jack, the guy who hooked up with the main alien.

Of course, after Jack and Anna defeat The Man in Black, Juliet will return to confront Anna, since the Visitors are truly bad guys. However, in sideways world, Juliet goes by Erica Evans and is an FBI agent. The Lost finale will be a cliff-hanger between Juliet/Erica and Anna that can only be revealed in season two of V, coincidently on ABC.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

LeBron James Should Choose Pittsburgh

Despite the fact that the NHL and NBA are in the middle of their respective conference finals, the biggest story in sports is where will LeBron James play next season. Bill Simmons recently wrote a piece breaking down LeBron’s options between 1. Staying in Cleveland 2. Moving to Chicago where Simmons believes LeBron has the best chance to win a title or 3. Joining the New York Knicks for a chance to become, legen- (wait for it) –dary. I’d like to propose a fourth option that isn’t on anyone’s radar: Pittsburgh.



I know what you’re thinking. Why would LeBron move to Pittsburgh? They don’t have a basketball team. You’re obviously forgetting the Pittsburgh Pipers, later the Pittsburgh Condors, a charter member and first league champion of the American Basketball Association. Sure, they don’t have a basketball team NOW, but Pittsburgh has had professional basketball and the University of Pittsburgh basketball team regularly sells out. Your next question: is the NBA even looking at expansion? Another minor detail. Look, we’re talking about LeBron James here. He’s the NBA MVP and arguably the biggest name in sports. There’s been talk of LeBron hand-picking his next head coach, John Calipari. In the unlikely event that Calipari is going to leave Kentucky, you would think he would go to a perfect situation. In this case, the perfect situation is creating your own franchise with the NBA MVP in your hometown. So if LeBron can select his next head coach, why wouldn’t he be able to select wherever he wants to play, even if there’s not an NBA franchise in that city?

So why would LeBron move to Pittsburgh? Well, he can bring in Calipari to run the franchise, and more importantly, LeBron could own the team. Literally. To bring LeBron to Pittsburgh, you need to provide something that no other team can or will and that would be partial ownership. You can also offer LeBron the opportunity to play in a brand new arena at the Consol Energy Center opening this fall. Although Consol Energy paid millions for the naming rights, they probably wouldn’t mind changing the arena name to the Consol Energy LeBronDome.

Maybe the biggest reason LeBron could come to Pittsburgh is a winning culture. To state the obvious, Cleveland sports teams are lacking in this area. Meanwhile, the Steelers have six Super Bowl trophies including two over the past five years and the Penguins recently won the Stanley Cup. Sure the Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t been successful lately, but LeBron James could probably play first base if he’d like. Would the Indians, Mets or Cubs allow LeBron to play? Actually, they probably would.

Finally, you may be concerned that moving to Pittsburgh would hurt LeBron internationally. He’s still playing in the NBA and would be in a new uniform. Think of the jersey sales across the globe! Plus, LeBron can follow the popularity of other plenty of Pittsburgh athletes internationally like Jaromir Jagr in the Czech Republic, Hines Ward in South Korea, Sidney Crosby in Canada and Rinku and Dinesh in India.



If you’re reading this, LeBron, let me be the first to welcome you to Pittsburgh. Welcome to the country’s most livable city and only two hours from Akron. Plus, with Sidney Crosby moving out of Mario Lemieux's house, I can recommend a great place to live!


This article was also posted on Blogcritics. (Judging by some comments left over there, they don't seem to realize that this post/my writing is generally humorous.)

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Wednesday Links

I had big plans last night to write a post or two that I think will be fun. However, I ended up spending the entire evening watching the end of season one of The Wire thanks to Netflix and the next to last episode of Lost. So instead of reading words of wisdom and magic from me, I thought I would pass on some interesting links from throughout the internet.

- A touching tribute to Erica Blasberg. [Yahoo's Devil Ball Golf]

- What happens to celebrities in the afterlife? [The D.C. Universe]

- Besides the most livable city, Pittsburgh also made many other lists. [PittGirl on Pittsburgh Magazine]

- Seth recaps every game of the 2009-2010 Penguins season. [Empty Netters]

- Top Chef is coming to DC. Without knowing anything about anyone on the show, I'm rooting for Kelly Liken who is from Pittsburgh but now lives in Vail, Colorado. [DCist]

- Behind the Steel Curtain talks with Merril Hoge [BTSC Part I; Part II]

- Great life advice even if given in a dream. [Restaurant Refugee]

- Since it looks like the Pirates will have another under .500 season, why not look ahead to the future. Specifically, a preview of the Venezuelan Summer League Pirates. [BuccoFans.com]

- Finally, I made my writing debut on Blogcritics sharing thoughts as a soccer referee. It was interesting having someone edit my posts. [Blogcritics]


P.S. Maybe tomorrow is the day when my post title doesn't include a day of the week.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Trivia Tuesday: Name That Tune

Two posts in a row with Tuesday in the title. Can I make it a third tomorrow? While we consider this, your challenge this week is to name the song title and artist based on the lyrics below.

1. Money talks
But it don't sing and dance and it don't walk

2. If you want my future, forget my past
If you wanna get with me, better make it fast

3. Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-Roma-ma-ah! (there seems to be multiple ways to spell this)

4. Don't call it a comeback. I been here for years

5. Donnie D's on the back up
Drug free so put the crack up
No need for speed
I'm anti d-r-u-g-g-i-e my
body is healthy

6. The D-A-double D-Y-M-A-C
Ya you know me

7. Back of my neck getting burnt and gritty
(A later line is "Cool cat, looking for a kitty")

8. Blonde waitresses take their trays
They spin around and they cross the floor

9. 888-E-Z-Bucks, 888-E-Z-Bucks (I can't get this song/jingle out of my head!)

10. Like Joseph Stalin and Gandhi.

As always, please leave your answers in the comments section and do not use the internet to assist you. Good luck!


As an extra bonus, Captain Easychord informed me of a Sporcle quiz where you have to spell the first name of athletes named Sean. Only one athlete spells their name correctly.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Tuesdays With Marty*

Ithaca College’s Class of 2010 graduates next week. The end of the school year also marks an end of an era as one of my favorite professors, Marty Brownstein, is retiring after 40 years at IC. During my first semester, I took Marty’s Introduction to Politics class. I remember fairly early in the semester answering a question about how not all the votes of individual Members of Congress were equal, and Marty walked up to me in this class of approximately 75 students and shook my hand. At that moment, I realized that I could make it in college.

Marty was one of the main reasons why I became a Politics major. I had no idea what I wanted to do then (or now), but I enjoyed Marty’s classes and was idealistic enough to think that maybe I could be part of the political system and help people. In reality, my politics classes improved my critical thinking and made me a significantly better writer (though this is debatable depending on what posts you read). In my second semester, I took Marty’s Media & Politics class which was fascinating at the time, though I wonder how much the class has changed in the age of 24-hour news/political television stations and the internet. Judging on a recent video of Marty from this class, Chauncey Gardiner and Being There remain a significant part of this course’s curriculum. (This is a good thing.)



As a Sophomore, I took Marty’s Model Senate course where each member of the class played the role of a Senator. In one of the first classes, everyone pulled a number out of a hat in order to choose your Senator. Yes, we had a fantasy Senator Draft! In true Senate spirit, Marty encouraged us to negotiate trades. I was lucky to choose #3, which would have been meant the Senate Majority Leader, Minority Leader, or another high-ranking member. Instead, I traded my #3 for the #17-pick and $75. Although the guy only ended up paying me $50, this was the equivalent of working 10 hours in the dining hall. With the #17-pick, I selected Senator Pat Leahy of Vermont and shared the virtues of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and the Grateful Dead. Actually, I wrote arguably my best paper about Senator Leahy earning one of the few A grades in the class for the particular assignment. In hind-sight, I should have taken this mock Senate class as a Senior as I was slightly intimidated by the Juniors and Seniors in the class and didn’t speak out as much as I should have. However, I took the class because Marty was the instructor.

While I didn’t have the opportunity to take any other classes from Marty, he remained a part of my collegiate life. He served as my advisor when I declared my major and participated in the greatest residence hall program ever about the 1996 election. Marty’s energy and enthusiasm were infectious. You always wanted to attend his classes as they were fun, interesting and never boring. I feel bad that future Ithaca College students won’t have the opportunity to have Marty as a professor, though I am proud to be one of the thousands that have. I wish Marty all the best in retirement.

As a postscript, I worked as a Volunteer Coordinator in my last job. At one particular event, a volunteer complained to me about a number of things, and I just tried to calm him down as he started getting more and more upset as chaos surrounded us. He noticed an Ithaca College sticker on my desk and asked me if I attended the school. When I replied yes, he asked if I knew Marty Brownstein. It turned out that this individual was related to Marty. When I shared my positive experiences of Marty, his demeanor quickly changed and I was the volunteer’s new best friend.

Please read more about Marty's career via The Ithacan.

* I apologize for the terrible title.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Ramblings for President

Article II, Section 1 of The United States Constitution states that "No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States." Do you see that I "bolded" four words of the Constitution? Well, effective yesterday, I can be President.



I understand that you may be hesitant to vote for me, so let me share my qualifications. In college, I worked as an intern for my Congressman and State Legislator (though not at the same time). You're looking for someone that earned and received popular support, aren't you? Well, I was elected Class Secretary during my Junior year of High School and served as Regional Treasurer in my youth group. I'm sure that you're now convinced that I would make an excellent President, so I appreciate your support.

I just hope the rest of the voters don't read this blog. Who knows what skeletons hide among 5+ years of posts? I'm guessing that I already lost the votes of Baltimore Ravens and Washington Capitals fans. Perhaps I shouldn't have shared so much in those TMI Thursdays.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Pittsburgh Steelers Dad T-Shirt

I recently received an e-mail from NFLShop.com letting me know about this new product: The Pittsburgh Steelers Dad T-Shirt!



Here's the T-shirt description:

Make a statement without saying a word by sporting this Pittsburgh Steelers Dad t-shirt from Reebok®. The short-sleeve shirt is made of soft, breathable cotton for long-lasting comfort and durability. It's decorated in the team colors and designed with the team logo and "Steelers Dad" graphic screen-printed on the chest.

Make a statement without saying a word? I think the statement is my son plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This would be a perfect gift for James Farrior's father or Aaron Smith's dad, although they probably have plenty of Steelers merchandise already. Ben Roethlisberger's father may not want to wear this unless he wants to claim Troy Polamalu as his son.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Random Question of the Day

Your potential suitor recently told you that he or she can dance. Apparently, either you were unaware of this fact or the individual was unable to dance previously. Do you love him or her now that they can dance? Does the fact that your suitor can mash-potato and do the twist have any impact on your decision?

(I think this counts as "Trivia Tuesday" this week.)

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Metro's Trip Planner Fail (Shame on Me?)

We interrupt Trivia Tuesday for a special presentation.



People complain about Metro as this is a rite of passage for people living in the Washington DC area. Based on the terrible safety record the system has had recently, the complaints are obviously justified. While I have had some problems with Metro in the past, overall, my experiences taking the Metro nearly every weekday over the past 5+ years have been positive. With that written, I have an issue with Metro that I have not seen complaints about anywhere else: the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (“WMATA”) Trip Planner.

The Trip Planner seems like an excellent idea. You enter your location and destination, and the website shows your departure and arrival times. On the first night on Passover last month, I used the Trip Planner since I left work earlier than usual. However, although I arrived at the Metro station prior to the departure time listed on the website, the Metro train didn’t arrive for another 10 minutes. Consequently, I missed my bus and was fortunate to make it to Seder on time by getting a ride after taking a separate bus to a location only about 2 miles from my house. I chalked up the error to checking the planner several hours before I actually left my office.

President Bush eloquently stated, “Fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again.” Well, I’ve been fooled again, so shame on me.

Yesterday, I checked the Trip Planner at 4:40 to see if there was enough time for me to catch the 5:12 bus. The planner indicated that one Metro train would arrive at 4:42 and a second at 4:48, both enabling me to get the bus on time. There was no chance of catching the 4:42 train, but I hustled to the Metro platform by 4:46...and waited. The train arrived at 4:54.

Let's look at some numbers.

From the Trip Planner: Metro departs at 4:48; arrives at where I need to be at 5:08. Sean gets the 5:12 bus and is home by 5:35.

Actual: Metro departs at 4:54; arrives at 5:15. Sean misses 5:12 bus and waits for the 5:47 bus (using the time to write this post!) and is home by 6:10.

If I knew there was no chance of catching the 5:12 bus, I could have accomplished a little more at work. Of course, arriving home 35 minutes earlier instead of spending that time wating at the best stop would have been a better alternative. I should note that there were no Metro delays during this time.

Although Metro's #1 priority right now should be ensuring safety of its customers and staff, having trains run on schedule (or posting a correct schedule) should be a close 2nd.


Trivia Tuesday will return next Tuesday or there may be a special Trivia session later this week.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Erica Blasberg Found Dead

Longtime readers may remember several posts I wrote about Erica Blasberg, my favorite LPGA golfer. Shockingly, Blasberg was found dead today at the age of 25. According to MSN/Fox Sports, "it was not immediately clear whether foul play was involved," and there doesn't seem to be any more information about her death. So sad.

I Think I Know Pittsburgh Pete

Jim Shearer's latest Yinz Luv 'Da Guins video features highlights from games 4 and 5 of the Penguins-Canadiens series and also Pittsburgh radio host Pittsburgh Pete. Enjoy!



Game six is tonight in Montreal. Go Pens!

Thursday, May 06, 2010

TMI Thursday: Little Things I Can’t Do Without

There are certain items that I need nearly every day. Sure, my keys, wallet, and cell phone are at the top of the list, but I’m referring to the following little things that probably wouldn't occur to you:

- Lip balm/ChapStick/Blistex: Whatever you want to call it, I always carry one of these. My dry lips require, no deserve, moisture.

- Shoehorn: I must have a shoehorn when I wear my soccer cleats. Without one, not only do I struggle getting my feet into the cleats, but I tend to destroy the back portion of shoe. I also need a shoehorn for some of my “dress shoes.” It hurts my feet trying to slip on the shoes with the hard impenetrable backs.

- Kleenex/Toilet Paper: This may seem obvious but I use one of these for a different purpose. I use a piece of Kleenex or toilet paper to dry the inside of my ears after showers. I can’t deal with wet ears.

- Bathroom reading material: I can live without reading material when using the office restroom, but when I’m home, I need to have a book, magazine or newspaper when I really need to go. As a last resort, I have been known to read the washing instructions or my pants and underwear.

- My Swiss Army Knife Toothpick: I received a Swiss Army Knife as a Bar Mitzvah gift several years ago (OK, several several years ago). Included with this knife is what I think was intended to be a sturdy, plastic toothpick. These days, I use this toothpick to help clean my shaving razors.

What little items can you not live without?



Sadly, LiLu no longer organizes TMI Thursdays. but you can always click here to see my TMI Thursday archives.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

My Attempt to Make a Conference Call With Jack Del Rio Exciting

Since I purchased group tickets for last season’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Jacksonville Jaguars game in Jacksonville, the Jaguars consider me one of their best fans. Therefore, they invited me to join the head coach in a live conference call Tuesday evening. Although I didn’t know what to expect, I figured that I should prepare some questions. With the help of some of my Facebook friends, here are some suggested questions I had for Coach Del Rio (mostly inappropriate):

- Where do you think the Jaguars will move when they leave Jacksonville?
- Do you think the season hinges on the performance of Mark Brunell and Jimmy Smith? (Brunnell is a 39 year-old back-up for New Orleans; Smith retired several years ago)
- Besides Maurice Jones-Drew, what Jacksonville player should I have on my fantasy team?
- Why didn’t you draft Jacksonville’s favorite son, Tim Tebow?



When I got into the conference call, I quickly learned that this was a moderated call. If you pressed *3, you were put on a waiting list where someone would at some point take your question and pass it on to the coach. While I waited my turn, here are the questions asked of the coach and his answers (or at least how I wanted him to answer the questions):

Q: Do you see the team being able to stretch the field?
A: No. Our QB has trouble throwing the deep ball and we have really slow receivers that can’t get separation. Why do you think we give the ball to MJD so much?

Q: Do you have any interest in trading for Brady Quinn?
A: Yes. In fact, we like him so much, that we want to send Denver our first round draft pick in 2011 and 2012.

Q: Who would you have drafted if Tyson Alualu wasn’t available?
A: Oh, there were probably a dozen other players. We really reached for Alualu because our pass rush was terrible last year and we need more Hawaiians on our team. If you look at the past 10 Super Bowl Champions, nearly all of them had Samoans on their team. Hawaii is part of Samoa, right?

Q: Does DE Derrick Harvey need to improve?
A: No. He’s the greatest player ever, and will be in the Hall of Fame immediately after he retires. The NFL will waive the 5-year retirement rule to get him in the Hall of Fame ASAP. He’s fine.

After about 20 minutes of listening to the rather stale responses, the moderator came to me. I presented the moderator with two questions: What does the team need to do to supplant the Colts as the division’s best team? Will Coach Del Rio wear a suit on the sideline?



A few minutes later, they asked the coach the suit question.

A: I may. We’ll see.

Thanks Coach! Actually, the moderator kept this topic going by suggesting that the Monday night game against Tennessee would be a perfect opportunity to wear the suit. Del Rio did give a definitive statement by saying that he would not wear a suit for the September 12th 1:00 game since it would be too hot.

Once they switched topics, I hung up as I had enough.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

2010 Celebrate Fairfax Tickets

From today (Tuesday, May 4th) through Thursday, May 6th, Celebrate Fairfax is offering its Super Early Bird sale on tickets for the June 11-13 festival.

Adult Admission
$12 regular price; $7 super sale

Youth Admission
$5 regular price; $4 super sale

Adult Combo Package*
$37 regular price; $25 super sale

Youth Combo Package*
$30 regular price; $22 super sale

Adult Combo FULL Weekend*
$111 regular price; $49 super sale

Youth Combo FULL Weekend*
$90 regular price; $39 super sale

*Festival admission and carnival handstamp voucher

No waiting in line and no hidden fees! Using Celebrate Fairfax’s online ticketing system, you can click and print your own festival tickets from anywhere. As in the past, all ticket orders will have a $2 surcharge per order – NOT per ticket. Order as many tickets as you would like at this discounted price, and only pay a $2 surcharge per order. Ticket prices will increase on May 7th, so don’t miss out on this three day sale.

For general information about the Celebrate Fairfax! Festival or to purchase tickets, please visit www.celebratefairfax.com or call (703) 324-FAIR (3247).

Plus, you can click here to see my thoughts on this year's headliners.

Trivia Tuesday

Your challenge this week is to identify the “before and after” answers for which the last name of the first clue is the first name of the second clue. For example, Goldie Hawn character writes about child rearing would be Private Benjamin Spock. This could be fun.

1. Singer backed by Crazy Horse in a 1974 Mel Brooks film.

2. 33rd U.S. President wrote Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

3. Location of Graceland sang “Sixteen Tons.”

4. Malcolm X director assassinates Kennedy.

5. King of Queens and Soul

6. Director of Aliens and Almost Famous.

7. Funkadelic frontman rushes for the Redskins

8. Porn star known as The Hedgehog stars as Ari Gold

9. Supreme Court Justice is an anthropomorphic steam locomotive.

10. Grammy-winning female rapper rules an Asian nation (this is my favorite)

As always, please leave your answers in the comments section below and do not use the Internet for assistance. Good luck!

This quiz is courtesy of the fine folks of Stump Trivia.

Monday, May 03, 2010

Congratulations Bobby Bonilla

Here are some links to start your week:

Instead of receiving $5.9 million in 1999, due to a cash shortage, the Mets worked out a deal to defer Bobby Bonilla's salary. Therefore, the Mets will pay Bobby Bo $1,193,248.20 every July 1 from 2011 to 2035. That's nearly $30 million. Good for him. [CNN]

One of my favorite professors, Marty Brownstein, is retiring from Ithaca College. [The Ithacan]

You knew this story was coming: Pittsburgh sports fans turn to Crosby (and away from Roethlisberger). [Yahoo h/t Bob Smizik's Blog]

I believe that I shared my quest to see how fast I can run 1 mile. My all-time best time was 6 minutes, 49 seconds in 10th or 11th grade. On Sunday, I completed a mile in 7:24, the fastest since I started this personal challenge last month. Why am I bringing this up as a link? While I ran my mile yesterday, thousands of people competed in the Pittsburgh Marathon. Kipyegon Kirui, a 29-year-old Kenyan, won the men's title with a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes and 12 seconds. That's an average of approximately 5:27 per mile for 26 miles! [Post-Gazette]

The Washington Capitals shockingly lost in their first round series against the Montreal Canadiens. (I may have mentioned this last week.) After the game, Caps' Brooks Laich changed a tire performing a random act of kindness. [D.C. Sports Bog]

Krista shares 10 random things. (An 11th is that she made the neat "S" for me that you can see when you look at my website address line. [Confessions of a Domestic Delinquent]

Finally, here's a trivia question to get you in the mood for Trivia Tuesday. This week, Jason Derulo reached #1 on the pop chart with his song "In My Head." Derulo is the first male solo artist in 22 years to have his first two songs go to #1. Name the artist who accomplished this last.