If you thought the first 100 days were interesting. . .

Bad economy, the H1N1 virus, Iraq and Pakistan, and now this: According to NPR, Supreme Court Justice Souter will resign when the current term ends. 

Long time, no post

Over a week without an entry. Fear not, I do not have the Swine Flu, Avian Flu, or the rare combination of the two (Wren Pigs Flu). I am, however, up to my neck in research papers and portfolios to grade (which I dread), and a laundry list of pre-wedding essentials to take care of (which I enjoy).

Come back later tonight for a new podcast, one that celebrates National Poetry Month. Tomorrow, a bit of blogging on the Kentucky Derby, the most exciting two minutes in all of sport.

Dickensian blogging

Take your URL, run it through Dickensurl.com, and you get a Dickensian translation. Mine, appropriately enough, is from my favorite work by Boz, Great Expectations:

Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than the dirt itself. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and some people do the same by religion.

Can't wait for Waiting For Godot

My first Broadway experience will be Beckett's Waiting For Godot, starring Nathan Lane and John Goodman. A profile of the big guy is here (photo by Sara Krulwich of the NY Times).

How to improve the nation's I.Q.

How many of you have taken those ubiquitous online I.Q. tests? If you're not pleased with your results, there are ways to improve your I.Q., according to Richard Nisbett, a professor at the University of Michigan, and author of the book Intelligence and How to Get It. Nicholas Kristof, an intelligent NY Times writer, suggests that we work on an "intellectual stimulus package" as well as an economic one. 

And to those of you who dread summer reading for your AP classes, keep this in mind:

Good schooling correlates particularly closely to higher I.Q.’s. One indication of the importance of school is that children’s I.Q.’s drop or stagnate over the summer months when they are on vacation (particularly for kids whose parents don’t inflict books or summer programs on them).

That's right. I inflict summer reading on you for your own good. You're welcome.

All hail KAMPF!

The Lit Lounge is thrilled to announce that Mr. Kampfschulte is the 2009 High School Teacher of the Year in Kent County. Those of you who've had the privledge of taking his class, participating in Model UN, or touring Europe with the World Studies Council know what an enthusiastic, dedicated teacher he is! Congrats, Kampf!

A memory of The Bird

When Mark Fidrych was in his prime, Vern Plagenhoef covered the Tigers for The Grand Rapids Press. (Like Fidrych, he died too soon, at the age of 45.) Vern and his family lived in our neighborhood, and I babysat his kids on a couple of occasions. Vern was kind enough to ask The Bird for autographs for the three Larsen brothers. So, Vern placed three sheets of hotel stationary on a desk, and made the request to The Bird. Fidrych graciously signed his name three times - on just one sheet of paper, and not one of the signatures looks like the others.

Mark Fidrych was a goof. A beloved goof. He'll be missed. (photo from SI.com)

Bye bye, Bird

What a loss. Mark "The Bird" Fidrych died yesterday at age 54. For those who missed the absolute joy he brought to baseball, here's ESPN's Peter Gammons with a look back at his brief, beautiful career.

A viral video cure for the blahs

Perhaps it's been a long day. Maybe you feel like you're taking one step forward and two steps back. Or you're a Detroit Tigers fan. This ought to take care of it. Enjoy.

Stand By Me from David Johnson on Vimeo.

So, would that be short selling?

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan theorized that, as go men's underwear sales, so goes the economy. Apparently, it's going to get real tighty-whitey, economy-wise. 

Play ball!

Ah yes, Major League Baseball is back, and that can only mean one thing: the Detroit Tigers are out of the running in the AL Central! Just 160 more games to endure before we turn our attention to the Detroit Lions. 

Now in the Rock Hall of Fame. . .

Metallica and Run DMC, to name a couple. Not bad choices, but Time argues for ten acts that, so far, haven't made the Rock Hall cut. KISS, Genesis, Cheap Trick, Pat Benatar, and the other six have something else in common: they're all in my collection. What more can you ask for?

Heads up, students!

Since it is National Poetry Month, let's all try memorizing one poem, shall we? Jim Holt, in this essay in the NY Times, makes a compelling, if uneven, case for the task. 

National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month, a celebration of poetry "through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops, and other events." The Lit Lounge will produce plenty of poetry podcasts (alliterative or otherwise) this month. Visit this site for info on poetry happenings around Michigan. 

Meijer Gardens Summer Concert Series

Lyle Lovett, Keb Mo', The Indigo Girls, Neko Case, The Doobie Brothers, The Avett Brothers, and The Wallflowers are just part of the great lineup for this year's concert series. Tickets for members go on sale soon! 

Slumdog DVD bummer

Heads up! FOX goofed up big time and shipped rental versions of Slumdog Millionaire to retail stores instead of the full version with special features. I am one of those victims. My disc has the film and a handful of trailers, but no advertised extras.

Fortunately, replacement copies are available if you visit this site. Have your copy of Slumdog Millionaire handy, fill out the questionaire, and you'll have a replacement sent to you in a few days.

The perfect food: Squeez Bacon

Squeez Bacon, produced in Sweeden from US-bred swine. One bottle is equal to 64 strips! Yum!

(thanks to Rev. Greg for the tip)