Bitsand Pieces

Just assorted junk that really doesn't fit elsewhere, and will probably alienate many of the folks who read this blog. So it goes.

BENOIT/WRESTLING

If anyone is interested in more background on Chris Benoit, his biography on Wikipedia is here. I spent some spare moments at work reading through pro wrestling related articles on Wikipedia. It was a lot of fun, really. Ther is an article on there concering slang and jargon used in that industry that may make it easier to understand me sometimes. I tend to use words and phrases in everyday speech that ocasionally assume familiarity with such things. Not so often wrestling, more often things like comics and genre cinema.

WIKIPEDIA

Speaking of Wikipedia, picking a topic and following the links is a great way to waste time yet emerge a more knowledgable human being. Don't take anything as gospel truth until verifying it, though. The user-generated nature of the thing doesn't always lend itself to accuracy (not that Wikipedia articles are necessarily incorrect though. In studies they have compared well to things like Encyclopedia Brittanica.) The most recent probable ionaccuracy I've stumbled across was in the entry on 80s/90s hair metal outfit Gorky Park. The article states they were the first Russian group to appear on MTV. I am 90%+ certain this is incorrect. Problem is I don't know what the correct thing would be with ant certainty. I do know as fact Boris Grebeshnikov's video for the song "Radio Silence" got airplay - and predates Gorky Park's "Bang". I also vaguely recall a benefit concert which included a Russian artist.

I have contributed to a few Wikipedia pieces. Mostly on 70s/80s rock and various food-related tidbits. Am I a supergeek or what? :)

MANCHESTER CITY FC

I've been a soccer fan since a trip to Germany in '86. Watched the World Cup final in a bar in ... Rotterdam, I think.

The one English club I am a supporter of is Manchester City. I don't really pay enough attention though. So imagine my pleasent surprise to discover a few months ago that my favorite US Men's National Team player Demarcus Beasely was on loan from his regular club to City!

FORMERLY THE CINGULAR 31 CAR (NASCAR)

Cingular has sponsored Jeff Burton and the 31 car for the past few years. But Cingular's name is now AT&T. Nextel, sponsors of the Nextel Cup (top division in NASCAR), was going to disallow a name change on the car, arguing that although Cingular had been grandfathered in, AT&T would be a NEW sponsor. Agreements between NASCAR and Nextel prohibit new sponsors from the telecommunications industry. AT&T sued, and at the end of May judgement came down in their favor. So the paint scheme was changed, and the car now races as the AT&T 31 car!

OK, enough rambling for now. I promise to be more cohesive and coherent in the future!