Tuesday, July 21, 2015

So What'd We Miss?

As hard as it is for me to believe, it appears that the world kept spinning while I spent eight glorious, responsibility-free days paddling down a river and then downing a canoe full of Red Stripe and PBR. At the time of this writing, I'm going on 206 hours since I last combed my hair, shaved, or checked email.

But while I was incommunicado and then inebriato, things happened. Vitally important things, mundane things, really stupid things. Here's a rundown:

Our old friend the Large Hadron Collider helped scientists prove the existence of the pentaquark, using maths. The subatomic particle had long been theoretically assumed, but only now confirmed. Noteworthy to those of us who know the Collider's dark secrets: pentaquark sounds more than a little satanic. This seems important.

Mere days after zman called Tesla's Insane Mode to our attention, company founder Elon Musk went one better. "No one was asking for ludicrous model because it's too ludicrous," said Musk in a call with reporters and stock analysts. Zman called it plaid in a message to me. Whatever you call it, the newest Tesla Model S can get to 155 mph 20% faster than any previous version, and goes 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds. Stupid.

I'm sad to say that new music doesn't come out on Tuesdays any longer. With the overwhelming majority of music purchased digitally, and music's increasingly global marketing, the industry has decided to release new albums on Fridays. As the story in the link above notes, this sucks for record stores (if such thing still exist), but it's generally supported by consumers. Kinda bums younger me out a little, though.  

A U.S.-led coalition of nations reached a nuclear deal with Iran that seems way too complex for me to really understand. The people I generally agree with seem to support it, and the people I generally think are reactionary assholes with no ideas other than bombing our enemies back to the stone ages seem to really hate it, so I guess my initial take is that it's a good thing. One of my normal barometers for complex policy issues, James Fallows, is optimistic, as are contributors to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. That's good enough for me, because in truth, like 98% of Americans, I have no idea. That won't stop 98% of Americans from having an opinion.

Our man Marcus dropped 21 on the Heat in NBA Summer League play. Heat check, indeed.

Finally, and probably most importantly, NEW SEUSS! The good doctor's wife found a manuscript he'd written in the late 50s or early 60s while cleaning his office after he passed in 1991. It finally made its way to print. What Pet Should I Get is available in stores in 7/28, but hit the review circuit while we were away. Talk about burying the lede.

29 comments:

rob said...

becky hammon coached the spurs to the summer league title

Dave said...

new seuss! means clarence and i can do a reissue of our eponymous song with some new lyrics!

rob said...

and the spurs got summer league champs t-shirts. bigtime. if anyone we know could get their hands on one of those, i wouldn't turn it down.

zman said...

First Harper Lee, now Dr. Seuss. I expect Shakespeare to release a hot new joint in September.

TR said...

And Pipia...

Shlara said...

Rob, is that question directed at me?

rob said...

do you know someone?

Shlara said...

I may know people...

rob said...

just found smoked salmon in a vacuum-sealed pack that's been in my pantry for 18 months. that's gotta still be good, right?

Dave said...

fish never goes bad.

mayhugh said...

Every xmas, my parents give me vacuum sealed salmon. Every year and a half afterward, I bring it to the beach where same parents consume it. They've never made any complaints.

zman said...

Her tuna I wanted, old salmon I got.

Whitney said...

Nice, Z!

I don't work there any more.

rob said...

somewhere, mr kq feels a disturbance in the force

rob said...

marcus headed to australia to play for the sydney kings: http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4719962/why-thornton-might-head-down-under

be right back, looking for sydney kings merch.

Whitney said...

So I'm coming up with some names for the entrees as cut-up apps at Tortuga's.

Poco Coco Loco

Triple B: Bajan Burger Bites
(also called the Top Gun Homoerotic Beach Volleyball Montage, aka the greased hot Slider)

Little Wave Dave

Mexican Minnow: mini Fish Burrito (needs work)

The Piledriver: splitting Fish Tacos

The Brat: little jerk chicken




rob said...

busy day at the cracker factory?

Mark said...

Not a bad move for Marcus. Scottie Wilbekin went to Australia to play last year then finished up the year in Greece after his season down under ended. Then he turned a highly productive summer league(s) into a 4 year guaranteed deal with Philly.

zman said...

I think his biggest adjustment will be learning the language.

rob said...

agreed, mark. only a 28-game schedule down under, so he could come back and do a stint in the d-league or elsewhere after that. josh childress is on his team in sydney.

Whitney said...

Rob, I'm sitting on the beach at the Martha Wood. No factory. Just some crackers.

rob said...

let's turn that into a blog post, then, my good man. also, fix the back stairwell. it's fucking dangerous.

Mark said...

Josh Childress has gone totally off the rails. Check the clip of him clotheslining a guy in the ABL.

Shlara said...

who is organizing the GTB basketball road trip to Australia this winter?

TR said...

Umm...you?

zman said...

Joel's hot Australian chick?

TR said...

Eddie from Ghana?

mr kq said...

Eddie from Ohio?

zman said...

Jawn, in the cah, from Mehfuh!

Dwew Bledsoe's gawt no haaaaaht!