so my friend Donkey Kong sent this to me: it's a news article on a poll of wackiest street names. It's sorta funny, especially Farfrompoopen Road, which is the only road up Constipation Ridge in Tennessee. That's funny, but I think it's bullshit (get it?). I mean, where is Constipation Ridge? The only Google results for "Constipation Ridge" or "Farfrompoopen Road" are the news article posted a bunch of places. And then this article, which is by the people who ran the contest, says Constipation Ridge is in Story, AR. That's not Tennessee.

The street or ridge (whether in TN or AR) aren't on the US Gazetteer, USGS Geonames, PlacesNamed.com, the Columbia Gazetteer, ESRI's gazetteer, TopoZone, Terraserver, or any other similar site. And those sites are all pretty good - they have Beaver Ridge, the ridge near my house in Tennessee.

This smells funny to me (get it?). One would think that a ridge or a road would be listed somewhere on Google - there are tons of databases and such that are on there. I mean, if it's a private road, I don't think that should count, as you could call a private road whatever you wanted, since it's your street. They're basically long driveways. And anyway, that same article has some errors - there's no Lake Havasu, Wisconsin, for example - it's Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Furthermore, the one that got second place, Divorce Court, isn't in Heather Highlands, PA - there is no such town. It's in the Heather Highlands mobile home park in Pittston, PA, or possibly Jenkins Township (they have the same zip code). And anyway, that's a mobile home park - I doubt Divorce Court is a real address, they probably just have a bunch of mailboxes at the entrance, which is at 109 Main Street. And the USPS website says it's not a valid address either.

As for first place, Psycho Path in Traverse City, MI, that's clever and all, but I can't find it either. And as the picture shows, it's also a private street. Plus the picture looks suspiciously photoshopped anyway - there is no color variation on the sign.

So, I think Constipation Ridge and this article are full of crap, unless they show me a lat-long or a map or something official.

so I am going to move in July to my pal's place at 14th and U Street. It's a pretty sweet place. However, it's 2 bedrooms so I'll need another roommate. I think it would funny to pick the roommate with a reality TV show: "Who Wants to Be My Roommate?" There would be challenges like who can play the most video games, who can carry the most beer home from the store, who cleans their dishes up quickest, who doesn't snore, who has the hottest feamle friends, and whose poop is the least stinky (since there is only one bathroom). I will have to get an assistant to judge that last one however. And instead of saying "you're fired!" when I eliminate somebody, I could say "find another place to live, sucka!"

so my pal Donkey Kong first alerted me to this - there's going to be a March on Georgetown to advocate for a GW-Georgetown basketball game. Pretty awesome! I've been hoping for this for years. The march will meet up this Saturday at 1 pm at Kogan Plaza and head over to Georgetown. I'll definitely be there. It's ridiculous, GW and Gtown haven't played since 1982, even though both teams are now ranked, and have still played each other more than any other schools.

Burberry Scarves

Burberry Scarves
Originally uploaded by Jean & Jill.

so I don't understand what the deal is with these Burberry scarves. So many people have them now, it's ridiculous - everywhere you look, you'll see people with them. Yesterday on the Metro there were two people standing next to each other wearing the same Burberry scarf. Then I turned around and another lady had one. Walking off the train, two people in the next car had them. What is the deal? Are they free? Are they somehow warmer than other scarves? Do they come with an iPod embedded in them or something? I don't get it. I mean, it's a scarf! It goes around your neck and is warm. Who cares what brand it is! The only thing I could care less about is what brand your socks are. If it costs more than the $3 ones they sell outside Metro stations, then it's a waste.

And looking at this site, they are all more than $150. Congratulations, you spent $150 on a scarf that everybody else has. It's not $150 warmer than my cheapy Metro vendor scarf, but hey, at least it is like a recognizable plaid pattern or something. Because I make my judgements about people based on what they wrap around their necks.

so I was watching this pretty cool show on Bravo called Viral Videos, about the videos you forward around. They had this one on there. It is absolutely amazing.

so the Westminster Kennel Club show was the other day, meaning that there are tons of stupid dog names in the news. I honestly don't know what is up with people and these retarded names. The one that won is called Rufus, which is a perfectly fine name for a dog. However, that's not really the dog's name, it's "Ch Rocky Top's Sundance Kid." What the hell is that? Can you imagine calling your dog with that stupid ass name? "Ch Rocky Top's Sundance Kid!! Ch Rocky Top's Sundance Kiiiiid!! come get some snackies!!" I mean, just name the dog Rufus, what the hell.

Here are some more terrible names:
Ch Caitland Isle Take A Chance NA NAJ
Ch Pop Star SS Of Northern Farm
Ch Nanuke's Snoklassic No Boundries (sic, nice spelling dipshit)
Ch Happylegs Lilbuddy At Bronco (honestly, any one of those words would be a fine dog name. If you can't decide, just name it Fido)
Ch Eclipse Envy O Sportingfield
Ch Sangeo Farscape CD RN AX AXJ (RN? is this dog a nurse?)
Ch Chuckanut Party Favour O Novel
Ch Kemosabe Broxden High Button Shoes
Ch Fwaggles Tap Man At Burmack (?????)

so I just saw the trailer for "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," the NASCAR movie with Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G). It looks super funny. Just the picture of him in the goofy ad-covered jumpsuit looks funny. He kinda sounds like his George W. Bush impression, but oh well.

so i saw this on Stereogum and thought it was pretty funny: a guy drew some Law and Order: SVU valentines

so I am on Sports Illustrated's website. pretty cool! the writer, Luke Winn, was coming to DC to check out GW and Georgetown's teams, saw my blog about GW basketball, and emailed to see if I wanted to talk about GW. of course I said yes. It was cool, and he was a pretty cool guy. He's as old as me, which is kind of crazy. These young people and their jobs!

The article is also on the front of the college basketball section, as well as on Yahoo. I'm not sure if it will be in the print edition or not, that would be awesome.

so I was flipping channels ta minute ago when figure skating was on the Olympics and saw Dave Chappelle on "Inside the Actor's Studio." It was kind of surprising to see him on the show, and it was really a fantastic interview, he's a really interesting and smart guy. They didn't talk much about his movies, probably because there aren't many, but more about Hollywood and life. I really recommend the show, he went from pretty funny and light to pretty serious and a little bit sad about things. It looks like it's on next March 5th at 8.

I don't really feel like I'm giving the show any justice with my description, but he talked about Hollywood being difficult and causing people to do weird stuff, like Martin Lawrence waving a gun around in traffic and Mariah Carey taking her clothes off on TRL, and why he went to Africa - he said he was kind of stressed out and scared and didn't really know what he was doing with his life - he didn't really have any friends, and he was hanging around. He talked about the $50 million dollars he got offered for the Chappelle Show and how it kind of made him defensive about it - he compared it to the cartoons where the guy is really hungry, and he looks at his friend and the friend looks like a chicken dinner.

He talked about other stresses in the entertainment world, and that he wants to be honest all the time, and sometimes it's difficult to do so in Hollywood. He talked about how he thinks people in America need to be more open and honest about things, which I definitely agree with. He said something to the effect that the U.S. is the greatest country in the world, by default, but if we actually got together and had honest discussions about things, we could be the greatest country ever. He talked a lot about race as well. Maybe these aren't great descriptions, but it was really pretty moving and fascinating. James Lipton, who I usually think is kind of corny, asked good questions and the two really seemed to like each other - they were funny and everything flowed well.

Chappelle kind of got progressively more down as the show went on, by his body language and tone, he sort of sunk into his chair and was talking about doing things right and, corny as it is, being yourself. After the interview the students asked him questions, and the answers were really interesting, about being how you are and living right and things like that. Again, lame description, but it was really good.

There's more on this Chappelle Show forum, lots of people saying "thanks" and things like that. Apparently this was the first or second time the show has been on.

so I have mentioned the bizarre antics of Ward 3 City Council candidate Jonathan Rees a few times before. Now DCist has a piece on a lady who wrote him an email about him constantly posting crap on Craigslist. Apparently he refused to stop, then added her email address to a bunch of marketing spam email lists. She wrote him back again and told him to take her off the list. Here is his response:


(click it for full size)

That is crazy shit. I really think, after reading his nonsensical crap for months, that this is performance art. It's so bizarro, hilarious, and unstoppable no matter what anyone says to him, that I think it has to be a really funny and well-planned art project. Either that or he is completely insane.

so I'm watching the Olympics a lot recently, I like it. it's sort of inspirational, plus I like it since sports is on prime time all the time. However, NBC's coverage is kind of messed up I think - for one thing, they are going on and on about figure skating, which I could care less about. And it hasn't even started! I'd rather watch anything else. Ice fishing, lawn mowing, whatever. A lot of the stories are also cheesy and breathless, they're really straining to get nice, heart-warming type stories - talking about how so and so had to fly across the Atlantic to go to the games and things like that. Boo hoo, thousands of people do that every day. And now they're showing the qualifying for the snowboarding, when they showed the finals three hours ago. What's the point of that? Are there no other sports? Oh well, enough complaining.

I do think Shaun White, the snowboarder from the USA, seems like a cool guy. His interview after he won the gold on the halfpipe was neat, he was genuinely really excited and likeable, plus he's unpolished, which is cool. So many times athlete interviews are like "well I gave it my all, my competitors were good, I'm going to have to go out and do my best" blah blah. His was cool though, and showed real emotion, he said something like "this is the best year I've ever had, I don't think I'll ever have anything as great" or something like that. Anyway, it was cool.

so I watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics tonight, pretty cool. What I don't get though is why we're calling it "Torino"? The English version of the city is Turin, as in the Shroud of Turin. But nobody says the 1972 Olympics in München or Ciudad de México for the 1968 games or Athína for the Athens Olympics, so why Torino? I dunno.

so here's my newest concert list. not that much, really

SAT FEB 18- ELECTRIC SIX, SHE WANTS REVENGE, ROCK KILLS KID $13 mainstage 9:30 Black Cat

Sun Feb 26th- Rahim, Menugar, Barn Burning Velvet Lounge. I heard Rahim on Stereogum, pretty good. Although Rahim are also scheduled on the 26th at the Warehouse Next Door. weird.

MON MAR 6- Belle &Sebastianw/ The New Pornographers 930 Club. Sold out but I have a ticket!

Sat Mar 11- Measles Mumps and Rubella(CD RELEASE PARTY!) $10 w/French Toast & Free Blood DC9

THUR MAR 16- KARMELLA'S GAME, JINXED AT TWELVE $5 backstage 9:00 Black Cat. Karmella's Game are local and I've heard good stuff. That's also the NCAA tourney though, so we'll see.

TUE MAR 21- Stereolab w/ Sam Prekop with Archer Prewitt $18.00 930 Club

so awhile ago I signed up for the Metro eAlerts, which are emails and text messages sent when there's a delay on Metro. However, they don't work. I usually get a couple each week, but I've noticed a number of times that I've been sitting in a delay, but not gotten any text message or email. Today, for example, I got to Gallery Place on the Green Line and walked upstairs to take the Red Line towards Glenmont. The platform was packed, which is unusual, and the sign with the times for trains was blank, so obviously something was up. After waiting for a few minutes, somebody came over the loud speaker to say "passengers going to Glenmont, the next train to service your platform is at Dupont Circle." A train came by, but didn't stop and was empty with some chairs up-ended. Then another 5 minutes and a packed Red line train comes in, and as usual dummies don't move to the middle of the train. The whole time, no text message saying there's a delay and no email in my mailbox once I got to work. If they had said something I would have just got out and walked, since I was only going to Judiciary Square. But thanks to no message, I sat and waited. Thanks Metro, something else you do poorly.

so I thought this was pretty interesting: the wrestler Nikolai Volkoff is living near Baltimore. He was the "Russian" bad guy in the 80s, and his tag team buddy was another of the guys I remember, the Iron Sheik. pretty cool.

Here's some photos of him. I used to have the plastic figure of him.

so I saw this at GWhoops.com, it's a video of one of the contests at the GW games where guys shoot free throws to win some stuff. I think it was the Rhode Island game last month. This guy is having some trouble. It's best to listen with the sound on, then you get his friends' comments.

It reminds me of the time I was in one of those contests at the Smith Center. I had thirty seconds to make a layup, a free throw, and three pointer, and a half court shot, and if I made them all, I'd win a Hummer or a $20,000 scholarship. Obviously I'd choose the Hummer.

So I got the ball at the free throw line and did a running layup, which I missed. Then I did another running layup and another, missing them both. Everybody started to boo. I missed another, then I just got under the basket and made a layup that way. I ran to the free throw line and made the first free throw I took, then ran to the three point line and made the first three pointer. The crowd turned and started cheering, and as I was running to take the half court shot, time expired. But it was pretty sweet, I turned the crowd from booing me (rightfully so, that was wack) to cheering, and I won a cell phone, a jacket, and a tote bag as a result. It was very cool.

so I think this hubbub in the Muslim world about some cartoons of Mohammed is ridiculous - chill out. People are allowed (in this country and many others) to write about whatever they want, whether it's offensive to someone or not. The best argument you can make against this is to A. say you disapprove, and B. show that they're wrong. Muslims are angry because one of the cartoons (out of 12) shows Mohammed with a bomb-shaped turban, thus equating Islam with terrorism. Ok, yes, that is sort of offensive. However, arguing that not all Muslims are terrorists and then destroying the Danish embassy is pretty counter-productive, you morons. It's basically telling someone "I'm not a violent person" as you punch them in the face.

Some Muslims are agruing that it's illegal to say anything anti-Semitic in a lot of countries in Europe, so why is it legal to say stuff against Muslims? They neglect to say that it's also legal to say things against Christians, and no Christians care. So I say grow some thicker skin, people are going to say something that will piss you off at some point, deal with it. Secondly, it's not the same thing - millions of Jews were killed because people were inflamed by anti-Semitic rhetoric, and Europe wants to prevent that from happening again. I still am sort of against this ban on anti-Semitic stuff, but I can see the point.

Christopher Hitchens has a good article on it too. He gets pissed.

so I thought this was pretty funny: Paul Wall, one of those syrup sipping rappers from Houston, is selling fake teeth with diamonds and stuff on them, which he is famous for having. There's even a handy FAQ - apparently you can still have teeth and wear them. They get pretty expensive though, the "Expensive Taste" model is $700 a tooth. Yow.

so here's another stupid headline: "Water Ice detected on surface of comet." Yum! I'm going to that comet! I love Water Ice, which is sort of like a sno-cone or gelato. It's really good, I had some at the Crafty Bastards festival last year in Adams Morgan. Maybe I will be taking a trip to this comet next. Although there is also a Water Ice stand at Rhode Island Ave and 23rd St NE, which is closer.

DCist.com wrote about water ice too. Check out my comment there. I am "andrew."