SteveMandich.com Blog

It Was 25 Years Ago This Month: Seattle Hosts the NBA All-Star Game

2012-02-16T00:52:00.000-08:00

February 8, 1987: My big sister Linda and I attend the 35th NBA All-Star Game at the Seattle Kingdome. My Dad and I went to the 50th MLB All-Star Game at the same venue eight years earlier, when I was ten. Now I was a high-school senior, and my sister a college graduate, on her way to a Peace Corps assignment in Ecuador. Here's a picture I took from our seats (click to embiggen)...

A crowd of 34,275 sorta filled the cavernous multi-puropse stadium. A bunch of last-minute, relatively cheap tickets were released in the 300 level, up high and far away from the court. We snagged a pair, pretty much on a whim. I sneaked a bit closer for a better photo...

The game itself featured 14 future Hall-of-Famers, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas and, in his final season, Julius Erving. They all wore '80s short shorts, as was the style at the time. The hometown Sonics were represented by non-HoF-er Tom Chambers, who scored 34 points and was named MVP. For those keeping score, the West team beat the East in overtime, 154-149. I bought this program, which I still have...

Here's a link to a recap and some cool video.
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Happy 60th, Paul!

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Starchild hits the big six-oh today.
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Apropos of Nothing #4

2012-01-17T23:47:00.001-08:00

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Happy 70th, Muhammad!

2012-01-17T10:49:00.000-08:00

The Greatest hits the big seven-oh today.
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Mandich Update

2012-01-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

Earlier this season, Jim "Mad Dog" Mandich -- the most famous guy with my last name -- was posthumously inducted into the Dolphin Honor Roll at Miami's ~~Joe Robbie Stadium~~ ~~Pro Player Park~~ ~~Pro Player Stadium~~ ~~Dolphins Stadium~~ ~~Dolphin Stadium~~ ~~Land Shark Stadium~~ Sun Life Stadium. From the Miami Herald comes this article, plus photos and a video. Here he is in action against Pittsburgh...

I first blogged about him in 2008, and again last May when he died. Here's another shot, hauling in a pass against New England...

Much less famous is Dan Mandich, who I once briefly mentioned here...

He played in 111 NHL games, all for the Minnesota North Stars, between 1982 and 1986. One of his game-worn jerseys was recently up for auction...

Here he flattens Calgary's Lanny McDonald...

Finally, video of him taking out Detroit's Greg Stefan.
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SteveMandich.com Blog 2011 Year in Review!

2011-12-31T12:40:00.000-08:00

This is easily the best picture I took this year, if not the best picture I've ever taken.

Among this blog's 105 posts in 2011, it's obvious that I became obsessed with hockey (and to a far lesser extent, D.B. Cooper), and I had fun on my travels around the Northwest and Southeast.

Celebrating birthdays this year were Yakov Smirnoff, Wayne Gretzky, Dog, Dr. Dre, Jack Chick, Ace Frehley, Willie Mays, Chris Elliott, Gene Simmons, The Onion, Ryan Kesler, Adam West, Captain Bananas, Weird Al, theUniversity of Washington, Washington state, Quatchi, Fred Armisen, Peter Criss, Lemmy andDon Francisco.

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Tura Satana, the White Stripes, Knut, Jim Mandich, Gil Scott-Heron, Cave Man, Clarence Clemons,Rick the Peanut Guy,R.E.M.,Red Foxx (albeit 20 years too late) and Kim Jong Il.

On top of this being the fifth full calendar year of this blog, I also started a couple new blogs in 2011 -- Super Ichiro Crazy! and Bigfoot is Real -- and I've also added lotsa stuff to my flickr pages, which now host almost 1,000 images.

Anyway, the good Mayans willing, stay tuned for more of this stuff in 2012... Thanks for reading!
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My Favorite Music, Movies, DVDs & Books of '11!

2011-12-31T12:15:00.000-08:00

Movies
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Moneyball
Win Win
Notes: Of the 29 movies I watched this year, 12 of which were 2011 releases, but just these three I deemed list-worthy.

DVDs
The Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live in Texas '78
Louie: Season 1
Breaking Bad: Season 3
In Treatment: Season 3
The People vs. George Lucas
Eastbound & Down: Season 2
Lemmy
Don Cherry's Rock'em Sock'em Hockey 23
Notes: This doesn't include stuff from the "Movies" list above; it's mostly either TV shows or films from previous years first released on DVD this year.

Songs
Apex Manor - "Teenage Blood"
The Baseball Project - "Ichiro Goes to the Moon"
Beastie Boys - "Make Some Noise"
Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"
Black Lips - "Noc-a-Homa"
The Dirtbombs - "Cosmic Cars"
HeadCat - "Let it Rock"
JEFF the Brotherhood - "Ripper"
R.E.M. - "We All Go Back to Where We Belong"
Wild Flag - "Something Came Over Me"
Yuck - "Get Away"
Notes: Like last year, I listed songs instead of albums, since really the only new 2011 album that I've found start-to-finish killer is Only in Dreams by Dum Dum Girls (also good: their He Gets Me High EP). Otherwise, my favorite '11 albums are either new reissues of old faves (Some Girls by the Stones), or sorta new-to-me favorites from years past (Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!), neither of which apply... I became obsessed with Devo this year, and saw them in concert in September. Other bands I saw this year were the Black Lips, the Butthole Surfers, and the Baseball Project, where I shot this video.

Books
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training by Josh Wilker
Evel by Leigh Montville
I Want My MTV by Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum
Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper by Geoffrey Gray
Notes: The other 21 books I read this year were either published in previous years, or comics...

Comics
Batman #1
Green River Killer by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case
Huntington, West Virginia “On the Fly” by Harvey Pekar
Old-Timey Hockey Tales by Robert Ullman and Jeffrey Brown
Paying for It by Chester Brown
21: The Story of Roberto Clemente by Wilfred Santiago
Notes: None.

For those keeping score, here are my favorites from 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006 (movies and music).
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Happy 71st, Don Francisco!

2011-12-28T23:59:00.000-08:00

The host of the long-running Sabado Gigante hits the big seven-one today.

I wish I could watch his show more often, but unfortunately I have to work most Sabados.
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Merry Xmas to Me

2011-12-26T16:50:00.000-08:00

As per my Christmas list, Eliza got me this kickass 1965 edition of Æsop's Fables, selected and adapted by Louis Untermeyer, and wonderfully illustrated by the wife-husband team of Alice and Martin Provensen.

Others have posted images of the cover and inside pages, so I'm just showing a few details here.

The book was treasured by my sisters and me when we were kids. My oldest sister still has that copy, so I'm happy to finally have one of my own... The Provensens also illustrated some other books that I haven't seen before, but I have now reserved at the library...Incidentally, their Æsop's illustrations remind me of Ed Fotheringham -- he's the former lead singer of Seattle's infamous Thrown-Ups, who recorded such tunes as "Smiling Panties," "Felch," and "Eat My Dump."
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Happy 66th, Lemmy!

2011-12-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

Mr. Kilmister hits the big six-six today.
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Happy 66th, Peter!

2011-12-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Catman hits the big six-six today.
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We Hardly Knew Ye: Kim Jong Il

2011-12-18T22:27:00.001-08:00

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Your Attention Please: New Flickr Sets

2011-12-09T12:52:00.001-08:00

Check out my new flickr sets: Batty, Baseball Zines, and miscellaneous pocket schedules from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia.

Thanks for your time.
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Your Attention Please: Bigfoot is Real

2011-12-06T12:33:00.001-08:00

Somehow I forgot to mention here my new-ish Tumblr micro-blog, Bigfoot is Real. I'm keeping it minimal, though I do aim to do at least one post per day. I've also added a link in the right-hand column here.

Thanks for your time.
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Happy 45th, Fred!

2011-12-04T01:24:00.000-08:00

Fred Armisen hits the big four-five today.

He's one of my favorite performers on Saturday Night Live, and though I haven't seen much Portlandia, I did see him live here a few years back. He played a pitch-perfect cover of the Damned's "Smash It Up (Part I)" on guitar, followed by a monologue playing Saddam Hussein as if he were a British Invasion rocker.

His finest moment, however, was in Anchorman, playing opposite Will Ferrell in the funniest scene in the funniest movie since 1998's The Big Lebowski. Watch the above video.
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I Can't Quit You, Quatchi! #4

2011-11-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Quatchi's fourth birthday -- it was November 27, 2007 when he was first introduced to the world, along with his Vancouver Winter Olympics mascot pals Miga and Sumi -- here's a roundup of my latest Quatchi findings.

Kicking things off is this killer Quatchi toy (above) that was posted on etsy. Other creative folks have rendered Quatchi in ceramic, leather, and, uh, keychain. I still come across the occasional Quatchi illustration, like these Canucks-themed drawings made during Vancouver's Stanley Cup run last spring. (See more Quatchi-themed art at deviantART). Less original, but possibly more useful, are these Quatchi icons of various sizes.

Over at Quatchifan2010, Sophia's massive Quatchi clan continues to have fun since moving from Korea back to Canada...

Elsewhere in the blogosphere, Sammers' Q, along with new pal Mini Q, continue to cook up a storm and travel the globe on Quatch Watch. Incidentally, Mini Q is the only Quatchi I've seen whose nose is not only off-center, but also above his eyes!

I've also discovered some Quatchi-tagged posts on tumblr, like this funny gif...

And here's a video of Quatchi wandering down Bourbon Street, where he meets up with some drunk girls...

Be careful, Quatchi!

Finally, it's great to see that Quatchi designer Meomi remains busy with the Octonauts and their other cool projects.

Wherever Quatchi is, I'm sure he'll spend today cheering on his hometown BC Lions in La Coupe Grey.
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Happy 122nd, State of Washington!

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

My home state hits the big one-two-two today.
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Happy 150th, University of Washington!

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

My alma mater hits the big one-five-oh today.

I enrolled as an 18-year-old freshman in September 1987, and graduated as a 32-year-old Communications major in December 2001. (Yeah, I took some time off along the way.) My parents also graduated from there, as well as one of my sisters.

I still love the school and the campus, and the Graduate Reading Room at the Suzzallo Library (above) remains one of my favorite places on earth.

Oh, and I still love Husky football...

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I Read a Book: The Underground Baseball Encyclopedia

2011-11-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Underground Baseball Encyclopedia: Baseball Stuff You Never Needed to Know and Can Certainly Live Without

By Robert Schnakenberg
282 pages
Triumph Books, 2010

Baseball constantly rewards us with historic, unforgettable moments -- new milestones, no-hitters, World Series victories and so forth. But for every Lou Gehrig farewell speech, there's a Disco Demolition Night, as baseball also delivers an ever-increasing amount of arcane, oddball lore. There are enough drunken antics, wild '70s hair hairstyles, and George Brett hemorrhoids to fill an encyclopedia. Now, thanks to Brooklyn-based author Robert Schnakenberg, it finally does.

The Underground Baseball Encyclopedia is a tidy, cross-referenced compendium of the game's underbelly: the sordid and the silly, the scandalous and the stupid. Other than tasteful coverage of a few truly ugly episodes (i.e., Lyman Bostock’s murder), Schnakenberg usually goes for the laffs. And why not?

Here’s an A-to-Z sampler: Astroturf, The Bad News Bears, Cocaine Seven, Double Knit Uniforms, Eephus Pitch, Fuck Face Card, Greenies, House of David, The Isotopes, Juiced, Harry Kalas, Lake Erie Midge, Morganna, "No Pepper," Saduharu Oh, Joe Pepitone, Dan Quisenberry, Road Beef, Schottzie, Tomahawk Chop, Bob Uecker, Bill Veeck, Winfield Seagull Incident, Xenophobia ("See Rocker, John"), Youppi, and Don Zimmer.

Baseball is a game full of eccentrics, and the UBE has loads of ‘em -- players (Dock Ellis), fans (Steve Bartman), broadcasters (Harry Caray), and various other characters (wacky ballpark vendors, secret mistresses, "disgraceful" National Anthem singers). There’s Chief Wahoo and Chief Noc-a-Homa, Billy Bean and Billy Beane, The Baseball Bunch and The Brady Bunch (specifically, the episode guest-starring Don Drysdale). And, of course, mascots. Nearly 60 are listed, and while most of the book’s entries are limited to a few sentences, the Phillie Phanatic has by far the longest UBE write-up, spread across four pages.

Schnakenberg admits up front that his survey is "far from comprehensive," but a few oversights remain: the (Mario) Mendoza Line, 1975 bubblegum-blowing champ Kurt Bevacqua, Kenny Powers... Granted, defining what constitutes "underground" is pretty much impossible, yet some inconsistencies are apparent: Dodger Dogs are included, Fenway Franks are not; Johnny Bench Batter Up is in, the Rod Carew Batting Trainer is out; there’s Larry Doby’s Cock, but no Merkle’s Boner.

Still, with over 400 solidly researched entries, the UBE is a fun read for both casual and hardcore fans, at least those of us whose appreciation of the game isn’t limited to the Ken Burns-y, Field of Dreams-type stuff, but who dig the offbeat sidelights just as much. Maybe even more.

Originally appeared in a shorter version in Zisk #20.
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Cool Halloween Shit #3

2011-10-31T18:09:00.000-07:00

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Jack T. Chick's Halloween Tracts

2011-10-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

Boo!

The Little Ghost

The Little Princess

Happy Halloween

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Happy 52nd, Weird!

2011-10-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

Weird Al Yankovic hits the big five-two today. Here are his official site, discography, and my two favorite Weird Al videos.

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We Hardly Knew Ye: Redd Foxx

2011-10-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been watching lots of Sanford and Son -- highlight reel above -- and it occurred to me that it was 20 years ago this month when the comic genius sadly passed away. Here's his basic info on Wikipedia, and a much better profile in Roctober, where he's enshrined in the zine's Hall of Dynamic Greatness.

Let us not forget the reversible Redd Foxx talking doll...

Hopefully it doesn't play the You Gotta Wash Your Ass routine.
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Happy 5th, Bananas!

2011-10-17T00:42:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, but our cool little fish hits the big oh-five today!

The above photo is from a few years ago -- like me, it appears Bananas has a case of vitiligo. He's even paler in this more recent photo, taken right after I brought him home a decorative Brontosaurus Rex...

Seems like just yesterday that we first said hello (and then quickly lost his pal Matt Hasselbeck), and then celebrated his six-month, one-year and two-year birthdays.

Long may he swim!
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Bob Newhart Spoiler Alert!

2011-10-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite comedians has a surprise cameo at the end of this so-so comedy.
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We Hardly Knew Ye: R.E.M.

2011-09-22T01:04:00.000-07:00

In light of R.E.M.'s announcement yesterday that they were calling it quits, here are my ten favorite R.E.M. songs (in chronological order)...

"Radio Free Europe" (Hib-Tone version)
"Shaking Through"
"We Walk"
"Pretty Persuasion"
"(Don't Go Back to) Rockville"
"Fall On Me"
"Get Up"
"Country Feedback"
"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
"E-Bow the Letter"
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Happy 83rd, Adam!

2011-09-19T03:18:00.000-07:00

TV's Batman hits the big eight-three today. Though Bruce Wayne comes from Gotham City, West hails from the Jet City. And while The Lone Ranger was the first TV show I was obsessed with, Batman soon made me forget all about it. Its campiness, however, shot way over my head. As a four-year-old, I was scared that Batman and Robin would really be baked to death in that giant cake.
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Apropos of Nothing #3

2011-09-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

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Summer of 42

2011-09-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Besides hitting the big four-deuce in June, here's some other stuff that happened over the summer, stuff that hasn't already been mentioned here or on Super Ichiro Crazy!... Above, we went to San Juan Island in June to visit my mom; below is this Bigfoot-looking sign at the Boom City fireworks lot at the Tulalip Indian Reservation...

Some fun camping trips, both with friends and on our own, at Washington Park in Anacortes, Salmon la Sac, and Denny Creek, where I-90 passes overhead...

We highly recommend the hike through the cool Snoqualmie Pass train tunnel -- here's Eliza at the eastern (Hyak) end...

Spider-men were out in full force at the Evergeen State Fair...

Bigfoot was there too...

The view from the top of the Ferris wheel...

Last week we happened across this bar near Yelm, with the old Seahawks logo and a wooden Ken Griffey Jr. statue on the outside (click to enlarge)...

Also near Yelm, we drove by Ramtha's compound... Later I spotted Bigfoot again, at our neighborhood Trader Joe's...

Then last night I saw the Butthole Surfers -- here's a shitty iPhone photo...

Despite all the scaffolding on our building over the summer, it hasn't dissuaded the neighborhood cat we've dubbed Chunkee from visiting us almost daily. Here's a common sight, him napping on the sofa with Webbly...

We've been having fun all summer long. But now we're ready for fall, my favorite season.
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Happy 27th, Ryan!

2011-08-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

Ryan Kesler, my all-time favorite hockey player, hits the big two-seven today... Granted, I've only actively followed hockey for less than a year, but still.
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Seattle's Sports Poster Boys

2011-08-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

Over the summer, Manhattan gallery Salon 94 ran the exhibition For the Kids, displaying these once-ubiquitous, athlete-worshipping posters cranked out by West Seattle's Costacos brothers. John and Tock Costacos enjoyed early success selling "Purple Reign" T-shirts to Washington Husky football fans in the mid-'80s, before getting Seahawks star safety Kenny Easley to pose for their first poster as "The Enforcer." The Costacoses then convinced other star athletes to do the same, and by the time they sold their company in the mid-'90s, they had moved some 25 million posters featuring over 700 athletes. Their most popular poster was of Michael Jordan, selling 1.2 million copies. Probably the most popular poster here in the Emerald City celebrated notorious Seahawk flop Brian Bosworth (above).

The brothers initially didn't own licensing rights to display logos and game uniforms, so they instead relied on the color schemes of the subjects' respective teams, like the green and gold in this poster of Seattle SuperSonic Xavier McDaniel...

Nowadays these pre-Photoshop posters look pretty campy, with their garish colors and weird, non-ironic themes. However, for better or worse, they did help turn pro athletes into larger-than-life celebrities. Here's Giants-licensed hothead Kevin Mitchell (N.L. MVP in '89, the same year Tim Burton's Batman was released) before he joined the Mariners...

I never actually owned any of 'em -- I was more partial to Sports Illustrated's straightforward posters, like the one I had of Steve Garvey.
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Happy 23rd, The Onion!

2011-08-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here's the front page of the very first issue of The Onion, published 23 years ago today. Three of my all-time favorites stories...

Bush Regales Dinner Guests With Impromptu Oratory On Virgil's Minor Works

Local Anorexic Still Way Too Fat

I Can't Stand My Filthy Hippie Owner

Plus I love pretty much anything by Jim Anchower and Smoove B.
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Happy 62nd, Gene!

2011-08-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Demon hits the big six-two today.
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Cool D.B. Cooper Shit

2011-08-08T01:33:00.000-07:00

Northwest folk antihero D.B. Cooper is back in the news. The FBI announced last week they had a "promising new suspect," prompting a woman to come forward claiming that Cooper is her late uncle. She's writing a book about it, while another D.B. Cooper book comes out tomorrow. However, like fellow Northwest legend Bigfoot, D.B. Cooper interests me far more as a pop-culture phenomenon than as an unsolved mystery. Thankfully, there's the awesome Wikipedia page D.B. Cooper in popular culture, which lists lots of the stuff below...

Like the 1981 movie The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper, with Treat Williams in the title role. It's never been released on DVD, but I watched the tape a few years ago. It's pretty bad, as its opening demonstrates...

D.B.'s been referenced to a lesser degree in several other movies, as well as on TV -- David Lynch named his Twin Peaks protagonist Agent Dale Bartholomew Cooper. Elsewhere, D.B. (or characters inspired by him) have been the basis of episodes of Barnaby Jones, Quincy, Charlie's Angels, The Fall Guy, Renegade, NewsRadio, Prison Break, Numb3rs and Journeyman.

Many musical shout-outs too, by far the most popular being Kid Rock's "Bawitdaba" -- among the "Gs with the 40s and the chicks with beepers" is "D.B. Cooper and the money he took." Also on the audio tip, kickass talk-radio satirist Phil Hendrie included Cooper in a couple comedy bits -- in March 2000, former commercial airline pilot Art Griego told the story of D.B. Cooper and the Three Bears, and in January 2008, Dr. Jim Sadler suggested that D.B. Cooper is presidential candidate Ron Paul.

A bunch of D.B. Cooper books have been published, both fiction and non-, speculating on Cooper's post-skyjack whereabouts. I haven't read any of 'em, but Roland Smith's 1998 teen novel Sasquatch sounds the most promising, as D.B. and 'squatch meet up to witness the eruption of Mount St. Helens. I've placed a hold on it at the library.

While D.B. inspired all this pop-culture stuff, he himself might've been inspired by pop culture. Specifically, the French comic book Dan Cooper, popular in the '60s and '70s. D.B.'s real name was Dan Cooper -- at least that's the name he gave when buying his plane ticket; "D.B." was the name the media erroneously stuck him with. Around the time of D.B.'s the skyjacking, an issue of the comic was released with a skydiving Dan on its cover. Read more about this on the FBI site... In other comics, D.B.'s been referenced in The Far Side, Dilbert, and here.

Moving on to business establishments, there's D.B. Cooper's Bar & Grill in Madison Heights, Michigan (they lifted their artwork from The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper's poster), D.B. Cooper's bar in Kansas City, and D.B. Cooper's Mansion, a Houston ~~gentleman's club~~ tit bar. Former D.B. restaurants operated in San Jose and Nashua, New Hampshire. However, only the Ariel Store & Tavern in Southwest Washington, in the area where Cooper is believed to have touched down, hosts an annual D.B. Cooper party every Thanksgiving eve...

The most indelible image of D.B. Cooper is his iconic police sketch, as familiar in these parts as frame 352 of the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film. With his wraparound shades, skinny tie and no-nonsense expression, Cooper comes across as one cool customer. The sketch inspired this black stencil, and this green one...

His mug has also appeared on T-shirts, patches, and, well, mugs.

That's it for now. D.B. previously appeared on my blog here and here, and I also wrote about him on Seattlest.com...

Oh, and the FBI needs your help!
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My Favorite Movie of the Year So Far

2011-08-08T00:16:00.000-07:00

Though I've only seen nine other movies in 2011: Biutiful, Blue Valentine, Bridesmaids, Cedar Rapids, The King's Speech, Lemmy, TRON: Legacy, Win Win and Your Highness, which sucked.

I find this helpful.
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Happy 30th, MTV!

2011-08-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

Music Television hits the big three-oh today.

I was twelve when MTV debuted, and though we didn't have cable in our neck of the 'burbs, the impression I got was that it was immediately cool. Instead I settled for watching NBC's Friday Night Videos, and locally, REV on Seattle's NBC affiliate. When we did get cable in our area, there was still no MTV, so I got my video fix from Radio 1990 and Night Flight on USA and Night Tracks on SuperStation WTBS. Then when we did finally get MTV in 1986, it was nonstop Licensed to Ill-era Beastie Boys. (At the time I was obsessed with Late Night with David Letterman, and I remember him joking about how we must fight for our inalienable, God-given right to party.) Plus it was all Bon Jovi and Whitesnake and U2 until I left home for college in 1987. I didn't have the opportunity to watch regularly again until 1993, when it was all grunge, Beavis and Butt-Head, and The Real World, and later in the '90s I dug Sifl & Olly. But I haven't had cable since 1998 and I don't give a shit about what's on there now.
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We Hardly Knew Ye: Rick the Peanut Guy

2011-07-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Rick Kaminski, beloved longtime Kingdome/Safeco Field peanut slinger, dead of a brain aneurism at age 67.

Above, a classic Rainer Beer ad featuring Rick and another late, legendary Seattle sports vendor, Bill the Beerman.

More here.
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Baseball Bigfoot

2011-07-27T01:56:00.000-07:00

Found here.
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Apropos of Nothing #2

2011-07-23T01:21:00.000-07:00

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David Letterman Meets Bigfoot

2011-07-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Sort of.

Dave visits some fictional Washington town to investigate Bigfoot for an NBC show called Peeping Times. The 60 Minutes spoof lasted just one episode, which aired in 1978.
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Bigfoot Car Wash Update

2011-06-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

Above is what "Seattle's Best Car Wash" up in little old Lake City looked like in 2005; below is what it looks like today.

Besides the new signage, they now also sell Bigfoot Car Wash T-shirts ($19.95) and hooded sweatshirts ($29.95). Here's a video I made inside the car wash from the driver's seat:

Finally, here's another "Big Foot Car Wash" I visited in Wisconsin in 2009...

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We Hardly Knew Ye: Clarence Clemons

2011-06-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

Glad I got to see The Big Man once, in 2008.
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Way to Go, Canucks!

2011-06-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Too bad Vancouver fell short of winning the Stanley Cup last night (and too bad about that bonehead riot as well), but I had a blast jumping onto their bandwagon this year.
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We Hardly Knew Ye: Cave Man

2011-06-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

This week the Seattle Times reported on Cave Man's apparent closure: "Cave Man's phone is disconnected. Public records show the owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February and their business license expired in March."

Which stinks, since Cave Man was one of the few things I liked about my hometown. As a teenager I landed my first-ever job at the long-running Kent institution (though I promptly quit after just one miserable shift of washing an endless stream of greasy dishes). But I've always loved their smoked chicken, which I still enjoyed once a year or so whenever I traveled down that way for a T-Birds game or an afternoon of thrifting. Heck, it even made my "Seven Wonders of Kent" survey in my first-ever 'zine. I'm sad I'll never taste that chicken again.

Photo by Curtis Cronn.
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I Can't Quit You, Quatchi! #3

2011-06-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

I'm super-delighted that Meomi coaxed Quatchi out of semi-retirement to cheer on the Canucks during the Stanley Cup final... And look! Mukmuk is a Green ~~Man~~ Marmot!!

Meanwhile, Dub sent me these photos of a sweet Quatchi birthday cake she made. Below is what the cake figurine looked like after her son ate Quatchi's foot and a good portion of his head...

Dub also made these cool cupcakes...

Finally, I love Harkem's Quatchi Hug...

UPDATE

Here's Summertime Quatchi...

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Now I've Seen Everything #16: Korean Baseball Fight

2011-06-04T02:54:00.000-07:00

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Cool Hockey Shit #8: Special Canuck Fan Edition

2011-06-01T00:46:00.000-07:00

In honor of Vancouver's return to the Stanley Cup final tonight, here are some of this year's coolest Canucks fans... Above, whoever threw a salmon on the ice; below, the Hockey Luvin Homos...

The chick who flashed a Sharks player in the penalty box...

Diana Krall and Elvis Costello...

And, of course, Sully and Force, better known as the Green Men...

I'm stoked about the finals -- it's gonna be killer!
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Happy 51st, Chris!

2011-05-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

All-around funny guy Chris Elliott hits the big five-one today.

Just finished Daddy's Boy, and have moved on to The Shroud of the Thwacker. Into Hot Air is next.

I have never watched a single episode of Everybody Loves Raymond.
***

More New Flickr Sets!

2011-05-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

Media guides for the Seahawks and the Sonics.
***

We Hardly Knew Ye: Gil Scott-Heron

2011-05-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

Didn't know much about him, except that I love "Whitey on the Moon"...

...and "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"...

***

Apropos of Nothing #1

2011-05-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

***

Your Western Conference Champion Vancouver Canucks

2011-05-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

The Canucks beat the Sharks last night to win the Western Conference championship and advance to the Stanley Cup final for the third time in their 40-year history. Ryan Kesler scored a game-tying goal with 14 seconds left in regulation, and Kevin Bieksa scored the freakish game-winner in the second overtime. Also, Roberto Luongo stopped 54 of 56 shots... Luuuu!

Still, the Canucks have never actually won the cup, losing to both the Islanders in 1982 and again to the Rangers in '94, but they're looking great this year. This is gonna be killer.
***

Bigfoot Action Figure Update

2011-05-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

I'd like to amend my earlier statement that the only thing I like about the annual Sasquatch Festival is the poster art. I also like the Salvatore the Sasquatch action figure, released to promote this year's festival. I picked one up tonight, a welcome addition to my out-of-date Bigfoot Menagerie.

Salvatore came packaged with his human pal George -- watch the two of them together in this video...

***

Treehizzy!

2011-05-16T23:20:00.001-07:00

For our second anniversary we stayed in this treehouse last night - highly recommended! We also had lunch at the Fall City Roadhouse and dinner at the Woodman Lodge in Snohomish -- both recommended as well.

Nearby Snoqualmie Falls was raging...

***

New Flickr Set: Major League Ballparks

2011-05-14T00:17:00.001-07:00

My love of both baseball and aerial photos inspired my latest flickr set: Google Maps satellite images of all 30 big-league ballparks... L@@K!
***

Way to Go, Canucks!

2011-05-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ryan Kelser leads Vancouver past the Nashville ~~Sexual~~ Predators to Round 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Kesler's a fucking horse.

***

Happy 80th, Willie!

2011-05-06T00:32:00.000-07:00

The greatest living ballplayer hits the big eight-oh today.
***

Farm Report: Tacoma Rainiers vs. Portland Beavers Tucson Padres

2011-05-05T16:57:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to my first Pacific Coast League game since last year's last-ever Portland Beavers game, and my first Tacoma Rainiers game since a Rainiers-Beavers tilt last July. In the meantime, the Rainiers won the PCL championship, while the Beavers moved to Tucson and became the Padres (the Rainiers' opponent last night). But I was mainly interested in seeing Cheney Stadium for the first time following its major off-season renovation.

For starters, the exterior is totally different -- the new luxury suites make it appear more like an office building than a ballpark. But it definitely looks better than it used to, and I especially dig these Native American-styled salmon sculptures around the outside...

The renovated concourse is far nicer, and I'm glad the time capsule is still on the premises...

In the stands, the overhang is much smaller, providing a lot less shelter. Otherwise, the interior changes aren't as dramatic. The old concrete bowl feels a bit modernized with all its new seats, but looking out on the field, Cheney is more or less the same....

The Ben Cheney statue still sits in the stands, in a small section preserving some of Cheney's old wooden seats...

However, I suspect some finishing touches are still on the way. Like, it's weird that there aren't the usual ads plastered all over the luxury suites and press box (not that I'm complaining), and the concrete dugouts aren't even painted. Here, Rhubarb entertains on the Padres' bare dugout during the seventh-inning stretch...

Rhubarb and later I bumped fists.

I ate a Rainier Dog and bought a Rainiers cap and picked up a Rainiers schedule for my collection, featuring future Mariner second baseman Dustin Ackley...

Ackley contributed a grand slam to Tacoma's come-from-behind 7-6 win. Also, Mariner Franklin Gutierrez played DH, on a rehab assignment following his recent struggles with irritable bowel syndrome.

Nice to see that the Padres still have many of the Beavers from last year (Luis Durango, Luis Perdomo, Will Inman, etc.), as well as the same manager, Terry Kennedy. They'll stay in Arizona through 2012, after which they move to their permanent home in Escondido, California, playing in a new ballpark near my dad's house.

Final note: on the drive to Tacoma and back I listened to former Beaver radio guy Rich Burk's Pastime Radio, where I got to hear what it'd sound like if he traveled back in time to call game three of the 1947 World Series. Nice to listen to Rich's play-by-play again (albeit for an ersatz broadcast), along with his newfound, post-Beavers perspective. Be careful what you wish for.
***

We Hardly Knew Ye: Jim Mandich

2011-05-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

The most famous guy with my last name passed away last Tuesday at age 62. That's him catching a Bob Griese pass in Super Bowl VII. I previously wrote about him here.
***

Batman Meets Evel Knievel Devil Dayre

2011-05-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Batman #264, June 1975: Dunno how this escaped my attention 'til I stumbled across it on eBay last week, but I bought it right away. Click images to embiggen them...

Al "Devil" Dayre was scheduled to jump Torres Canyon, much like the Snake River Canyon that Evel attempted to jump in September 1974. But, for some unknown reason, Batman did the jump instead. The rocket landed in the water, but Batman couldn't be found; only his costume was recovered...

Then a bunch of other stuff happened.

Then we learn that Dayre faked his own kidnapping 'cause he was scared to do the jump, and that the ransom money would've paid him handsomely anyhow. Later, after Batman did the jump, he escaped in scuba gear before any rescuers could find him. At the end, Batman chased down Dayre for a final confrontation...

Then Dayre apparently died after crashing his motorcycle through a window.
***

It Was 25 Years Ago Today: Expo '86 Opens

2011-05-02T01:31:00.000-07:00

For awhile there, the Northwest hosted a World's Fair every dozen years: Seattle's Century 21 Exposition in 1962, then Spokane's Expo '74, and finally Vancouver's Expo '86, which opened 25 years ago today. Though I was alive for the latter two, I didn't go to either one (for that matter, I haven't been to any World's Fairs). But Expo '86 was the first one I was at least conscious of, though about all I remember was Jean Enersen's live reports.

Expo Ernie was the mascot (image found here)...

And here's the temporary monorail...

When I was in Vancouver in February I found this time capsule...

Many celebrities attended the star-studded fair, including Archie and his pals...

For more, check out this fan site.
***

Now I've Seen Everything #15: Buttafuoco Kid Sings "Nu Thang"

2011-04-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to commenter Marco... Now playing at Christian Nightmares!
***

I Read a Book: Evel

2011-04-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

After my Evel Knievel biography was published in 2000, the next Evel bio appeared in 2004, written by a Brit named Stuart Barker and titled Life of Evel. Though I was eager to read it, I was disappointed to find it largely a rewrite of my book, often bordering on plagiarism...

Mandich, p. 146: “Following Snake River, Warner had signed Evel to a three-picture deal, beginning with Viva Knievel!. Unlike the 1971 biography in which George Hamilton played Evel, Viva was a fictional action picture starring Evel as himself.”

Barker, p. 176: “Following Snake River, Warner Bros. had signed Evel to a three-picture deal, and the first was to be Viva. It was not to be an updated biography following on from George Hamilton’s 1971 Evel Knievel movie, but rather a fictional action-adventure with Evel starring as himself.”

Wanker.

Anyway, upon hearing last year that Sports Illustrated's Leigh Montville had his own Evel bio in the works, I was eager to read it as well, but also wary of another knockoff. At long last, Montville's 400-page Evel arrived on Tuesday, and I've spent the past couple days plowing through it. So...

I liked it! Instead of a rehash of all the stuff in my book, I was pleased to find that Montville had explored the various eras of Evel's life in much more depth than I did, turning up lots of good information and anecdotes that I hadn't known about before. While my book was steeped in dates and places and facts and figures, and relied heavily on previously published sources (I made a point of including as many of Evel's most obnoxious quotes as I could find), Montville interviewed many of the big names Evel crossed paths with, such as Frank Gifford, Brent Musburger, Linda Evans and George Hamilton. He also talked to many less-flashy supporting characters -- a childhood friend, a cellmate, an old hockey teammate. My book spent large chunks exploring son Robbie's daredevil career, as well as the careers of many of Evel's other imitators; I also wrote lots about Evel's ongoing impact on pop culture, much of which involving the loads of Knievel-related media and merchandise released in the '70s. In contrast, Montville mostly stuck to the many wild stories that were a constant in Evel's life, relating them with the flourish of a seasoned biographer. Still, he glossed over the 30-odd years between Evel's retirement and his 2007 death in the final chapter, while I spent maybe a third of my book covering Evel's post-daredevil career... Overall, Montville's book is a solid complement to mine, and vice-versa.

However, though I didn't think it possible, Montville far surpassed my book in demonstrating that Evel was a colossal asshole -- a violent, abusive, drunken, mean-spirited, philandering, egomaniacal bully, whose m.o. was to lie, cheat and steal his way through life. Among Montville's juicier bits: Evel's FBI file (released in 2008) suggested he hired goons to beat up his daredevil rivals; a couple interviewees said that Evel himself beat his wife Linda (not surprising, though nothing I've actually read in print before); not only did Evel regularly dine-and-dash, but he also pulled a midnight heal-and-dash from a hospital; he once rudely referred to George Foreman and Muhammad Ali as, as Bob Arum politely put it, "another word for 'African Americans'" (also not surprising). Evel had an anti-Semitic streak too (currently listed on eBay by Evel's son Kelly: EVEL KNIEVEL ORIG 1977 ANTI SEMITIC LAWSUIT PAPERWORK -- bidding is now at $51!).

But hey, Evel's jumps were still cool.

Almost as entertaining as Montville's book is its reception by the knuckleheads on the Ultimate Evel Knievel Fan Board...

Posted by Jeff on April 27, 2011, 1:56 am
Did this really say that Evel beat up Linda and the kids? Wow. Has anyone here ever met Linda? That would be like beating up Mother Theresa. If all this is true, its no wonder that Robbie left home at 16. Bob, surely you aren't liking this book, right?

Posted by Bob on April 27, 2011, 3:18 am
Im not even reading the book after what you told me before. Not buying it or giving the guy that wrote it one dime of my money. But thats just me. I have no interest in the book what so ever. To me it was never even written...I removed all info on ordering or promoting the book on my site and canceled my order sometime ago..

Posted by Dave Whiting on April 27, 2011, 11:29 am
I looked forward to this new EK book for months. I haven’t even made it half way through and I’m already ticked that this guy got a red cent of my money. As far as I’m concerned, I doubt this guy ever even met Evel or knew anything about him and had absolutely no business writing a book about Evel Knievel other than to just cash in on the name. I hope the royalties to the Knievel estate are stinkin HIGH ! If anyone out there who hasn’t already paid for this, Don’t waste your money!!! It's a real rip off !!!

Posted by Jeff on April 27, 2011, 12:46 pm
We should all just pass around one copy and not put any more money into this guys hands.

Posted by Bob on April 27, 2011, 3:40 pm
All i can say is thanks to Jeff for the heads up on the book. Which not only saved me money but didn't give this guy any of my money. I think everyone who truly loves and cares about Evel, If you read the book or not. Should go to amazon.com and rag on this guy for your book review..I am...by the way i like Jeff's idea,let everyone that cares pass the book around and then we will burn it.

Posted by Scott on April 28, 2011, 8:21 pm
Mine came in today. I missed the thread about how negative the book is. Not even going to open it. Sending it back on Monday.

Posted by Bob on April 29, 2011, 12:02 am
Thats the way you do it Scott..good man..

Man, I can't wait to see their Amazon reviews ...
***

Happy 60th, Ace!

2011-04-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Spaceman hits the big six-oh today.
***

Cool Stuff Now!

2011-04-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

Two killer items were officially released today: the new Evel Knievel biography by Sports Illustrated senior writer Leigh Montville (above), and the Rolling Stones' The Singles: 1971-2006 box set (below)...

First impressions: the Evel bio is twice as long as mine, though I'm pleased to see that Montville still found room for a shout-out:

I seemed to refer often to Evel Incarnate, a fine book by Steve Mandich that lays out the grid of the famous daredevil's life. Mandich also has a website, SteveMandich.com, that contains all things Knievel. Highly recommended.

Sweet. I'm also glad that Montville didn't perpetuate Evel's bullshit coma story, which has been erroneously repeated by The New York Times and pretty much every other major news outlet. Especially nice that he credited this very blog with its debunking...

Knievel biographer Steve Mandich noted in his SteveMandich.com blog that within two years [of Evel's Caesars Palace crash] a story appeared in the September 1969 issue of Science and Mechanics claiming that Knievel "suffered a severe brain concussion." The statement quickly grew from there to an almost routine Knievel reponse that he had been in a coma for twenty-nine days after the Caesars Palace crash. A basic part of his story, totally bogus, was that he landed in Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital in a coma and woke up twenty-nine days later and was famous.

I'll post a full review of the book once I've read it.

As for the Stones box, I already own most of the stuff on there, but there are still a bunch of B-sides I haven't heard (as well as, um, eight different mixes of "Out of Control," a tune that wasn't so hot to begin with). Also, I'm a sucker for the nifty packaging. So there.

Lastly, the Canucks finally vanquished the longstanding burr in their playoff saddle, the Chicago Blackhawks, in tonight's thrilling game seven overtime win. Alex Burrows (below) netted both Vancouver goals.

The 'Nucks dodged a fucking bullet. Next up: the Nashville ~~Sexual~~ Predators.
***

Now I've Seen Everything #14: DC Talk

2011-04-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

For this special Easter edition of NISE comes DC Talk -- Decent Christian Talk -- kickin' it old school. This made Baby Jesus shit the manger.

From FourFour via Everything is Terrible! via Christian Nightmares.
***

Bigfoot Re-Re-Remix!

2011-04-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

The good folks at Everything is Terrible! compiled this X-rated, NFSW video from a bunch of Bigfoot movie and TV clips. Many of these are listed on my Bigfoot on Film page, including Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter, The Capture of Bigfoot, The Geek, iCarly, Little Bigfoot, Night of the Demon, Shriek of the Mutilated, The Six Million Dollar Man, and To Catch a Yeti, starring Meat Loaf.
***

It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Johnny Thunders Dies

2011-04-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

April 23, 1991: Punk guitar god dies a mysterious death in New Orleans -- read more here.

Devil raised a good boy.
***

Birdland Baseball

2011-04-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Eliza's folks treated us to a ballgame in Baltimore tonight. Above, The Bird eats Eliza's head; below, a field guide to the many Orioles seen throughout Camden Yards...

Like on the backside of the giant scoreboard...

On the pressbox...

And on a program stand...

Oh, and the game was good too. For the record, the Twins beat the O's, 3-1.

***

Southern Accents

2011-04-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

A couple more shots from Atlanta: above, Hank Aaron's 715th home run marker in the Turner Field parking lot; below, a view from the lounge atop the Peachtree Plaza Hotel (click to enlarge, if you want to sorta see the ballpark in the middle distance)...

Sunday I picked up a rental car and motored toward Washington, where yesterday I met up with Eliza at her parents' house, and where we've been ever since. On the drive north I spotted Mr. Waffle (have since been punching myself in the face that I didn't stop to eat there) as well as Crazy Steve's, both in South Carolina...

In North Carolina I took in my first-ever International League game, watching the Durham Bulls clobber the Gwinnett Braves, 18-7. Here's a big bull sign above the stadium's "Blue Monster"...

I dined at Waffle House and spent the night at a Holiday Inn, both in Raleigh. (The Carolinas mark the 41st and 42nd states I've visited, leaving only Alabama, Iowa, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Vermont.)

Yesterday, just before dropping off the car in Arlington, Virginia, I had a half-smoke at Weenie Beenie...

Then today in D.C. I had another half-smoke at Ben's Chili Bowl, where Ben's widow Virginia complimented me on my Nationals cap!

Orioles/Twins Thursday.

***

Mostly Clear Night in Georgia

2011-04-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

Ah, that's more like it.

Still way down south in Dixie, in the land of cotton, Richard Jewell, Steve Bartkowski, Whatizit and the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show. After tonight's ballgame, Turner Field is now the 25th current stadium I’ve been to a game at, and 31st overall, leaving only Toronto, Minnesota, Chicago (Cubs), Florida (Marlins), and Tampa Bay (Rays). I had a Georgia Dog and Tomahawk Amber Ale.

My history with the Braves started as a teenager in the '80s, watching "America’s Team" on SuperStation WTBS, if only to catch opposing NL stars like Dwight Gooden, Tony Gwynn and Dave Parker. In the early '90s, seeing Ted Turner and Jane Fonda doing the Tomahawk Chop on TV was fairly annoying, but after observing it in person tonight, I've decided it's the stupidest fucking thing I've ever seen in all the live sports events I've ever attended. (Except for Turner Field's illiterate, 40-foot Chik-fil-A cow statue, which also does the Chop.) The stupidest rainout thing I've ever seen was last night, when the stadium video screen showed a lengthly Chipper Jones bow hunting video.

Anyway, I'm still glad I went. For the record, the Bravos beat the Ny Mets squadron, 4-2. Due to last night's rainout, it rescheduled as the second game of tonight's doubleheader. However, I missed the first game due to sightseeing, much of it spent on rotating platforms. First I spun around on the Cyclorama, viewing a four-story, 360-degree Civil War oil painting. Then I spun around atop the Peachtree Plaza Hotel, 73 floors up (I'm a total sucker for observation decks).

Elsewhere, I strolled around Phillips Arena (home of the Thrashers and Hawks) and the Georgia Dome (home of the Falcons) and took the CNN tour, which was fairly cool. However, being a Saturday, there wasn't any live broadcasting to be seen. (In the CNN gift shop, you can buy a CNN snuggie and/or a Dale Gribble "Guns Don't Kill People, The Government Does" T-shirt.) At the Varsity, I had a chili dog, a chili burger and a Coke (had to have at least one here).

Other ballpark photos: in the cool Braves museum, a sleeve patch on Ralph Garr's jersey...

The Powerpuff Girls' house at "Tooner Field"...

And the Hammer statue outside the ballpark...

Suck it, Bonds.

***

Rainy Night in Georgia

2011-04-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Feels like it's raining all over the world.

I'm in Hotlanta, or Shitlanta, or the ALT or whatever it's called. Home of Spud Webb, Wolf Blitzer, Billy Beer, Outkast, David Cross, the Black Lips, Ty Cobb, Gladys Knight, the Pips, and Chief Noc-A-Homa. Sadly, tonight's Braves/Mets game was rained out. I've been to a few games with rain delays, but this was only my third all-out rainout (the others being in Texas and at Wrigley Field). Instead, I updated Super Ichiro Crazy while watching the Canucks/Blackhawks game in my room at the Marriott (sure enough, inside the nightstand is The Book of the Mormons).

In case you were wondering, I have been here before, but it was just an overnight layover when I was a kid in the late '70s, on a family vacation to New York. I think we stayed at a Motel 6 near the airport.

Anyway, tonight's game will be made up during tomorrow's doubleheader. After all, tomorrow is another day.

***

Happy 87th, Jack!

2011-04-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Jack T. Chick, purveyor of a zillion batshit kookoo Christian mini-comics, hits the big eight-seven today.

I don't have much to add that hasn't already been written about his work (myself, I already wrote a fair amount in Heinous #3), except that it appears his funnybook empire is a strong as ever.

Anyway, his official site is always a hoot, and jeez, I'm jealous that I didn't create this cover gallery myself.

***

Your Attention Please: Super Ichiro Crazy!

2011-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ladies and germs, I'm pleased to present my new blog, Super Ichiro Crazy!

It'll track Ichiro's performance during his 2011 season (which begins tonight), and act as a sort of complement to my Ichiro fan page, also called Super Ichiro Crazy!

This is my second subject-specifc blog, following last year's Quatchi Watch. But, unlike during the first three months of Quatchi Watch, I plan to keep current with this here general-interest blog (even if it's just of general interest to me).
***

We Hardly Knew Ye: Knut

2011-03-20T00:12:00.000-07:00

The world's most famous bear suddenly died yesterday of unknown causes at the tender age four. Read more at (where else?) Cute Overload.
***

Stupid Hockey Shit #3

2011-03-19T02:00:00.000-07:00

Above, Phil Esposito and friends perform "The Hockey Sock Rock" on Thicke of the Night. Below, Mark Messier befriends Gary Coleman...

FoxTrax...

Gretzky hosts SNL...

Shania Twain dressed like a Rocket Richard skankbag...

The Love Guru...

Carey Price's nightmarish Jacques Plante mask...

And finally -- somebody call the SPCA -- it's bears playing hockey...

UPDATE

Unofficial Ottawa Senators mascot, Sensquatch...

***

New Flickr Set: National Park Brochures

2011-03-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

Inspired by January's Yellowstone trip, I've begun collecting those official brochure maps you get when you visit each of our National Parks (or, when you sit on the sofa, emailing the various parks to request 'em)... L@@K!
***

Cool Hockey Shit #7

2011-03-04T23:50:00.000-08:00

Above, the NHL's best mascot, Carlton; below, a funny collision...

Slap shots...

Slap Shot...

Croatian-Canadians Frank Mahovlich, Pete Mahovlich, Joe Sakic...

...and Dan Mandich...

Fred Sasakamoose...

Larry Kwong...

Women...

The Game...

The Hockey Book...

The Hockey Theme...

The Richard Riot...

And -- you guessed it -- fights...

***

I Can't Quit You, Quatchi! #2

2011-02-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

It's been eight weeks since I put the kibosh on Quatchi Watch, but seeing as how today is the one-year anniversary of the closing of the Vancouver Olympics (as well as the Golden Goal), it's as good a time as any to share a few more Quatchi updates.

The best thing? Meomi just posted a couple of killer clips as a "thank you to all the mascot fans." The Mascot Reel is above and Broadcast Spot Animations is below. Both include some cool action that I hadn't seen before, like Quatchi and Miga curling -- nice!

Along similar lines, here's a flickr set I made of the mascots demonstrating the various Winter Olympics sports...

And here's a cool image recently sent in Johnson Lau; it's kind of a remix of some of Meomi's graphics...

Finally, ladies and gentlemen, unveiled last Saturday, your 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics mascots... yecch!

Long may you run, Quatchi!

UPDATE

If you pause that Mascot Reel video in the right spots, you'll glimpse some rare images. F'rinstance, this one of Quatchi playing hockey, though not minding the net as he usually does...

UPDATE

More great Quatchi deals at 17hours.ca...

***

Cool Map Alert

2011-02-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

Above is a bit of detail from Ray Troll's "Washington State Fossils" map, which includes four of my favorite topics -- Bigfoot, D.B. Cooper, Mount St. Helens and the Portland Beavers (sort of). See the whole thing here; order a print here.
***

Popular Pike Place Pig Plowed

2011-02-20T17:33:00.000-08:00

I'm a couple weeks late with this, an update to my old Do the Collapse post, covering "the Seattle area's decades-long history of man-made structures falling down, exploding, imploding, sinking and whatnot"... Back on February 5, Rachel, the 25-year-old, 550-pound bronze piggy bank at Pike Place Market, was rammed by a taxi -- details.
***

Stupid Hockey Shit #2

2011-02-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

The Disney-era Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and pretty much everything associated with them (the awkward name, the lame movie tie-in, the suburban SoCal locale, the scary mascot, the ugly uniforms, that shitty logo, etc.). Below, Florida hockey...

A certain pop star...

Score: A Hockey Musical...

Jesus...

The 1986-87 Calgary Flames' Red Hot video...

Pink ice...

And guys like this...

***

Happy 46th, Dre!

2011-02-18T10:40:00.000-08:00

Dr. Dre hits the big four-six today.

Back in nine-deuce he released The Chronic, which remains my favorite-ever rap album, largely 'cause of its unstoppable videos -- Nuthin' But a "G" Thang, Dre Day and Let Me Ride.

Yeah. Hell yeah.

Of course, he also introduced Snoop Doggy Dogg to the world.
***

Now I've Seen Everything #13: The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger

2011-02-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

***

Cool Hockey Shit #6

2011-02-14T16:58:00.000-08:00

Chuck Canuck and Peter Puck (watch PP episodes 1, 2, 3 and 4)...

Blood on the ice...

The Blackhawks' timeless uniforms...

The Avalanche's Bigfoot shoulder patch...

Ovechkin's yellow laces...

Biz Nasty's tweets...

Mark Recchi (at 43, he's the only active NHL player older than me!)...

And, now and forever, fights...

***

I Can't Quit You, Quatchi!

2011-02-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

It's been six weeks since I put the kibosh on Quatchi Watch, but seeing as how today is the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Vancouver Olympics, it's as good a time as any to share a few Quatchi updates.

The best thing? The amazing batch of stuff sent to us all the way from Korea by Sophia at Quatchifan2010, seen in the photo at the top... Custom backpacks, messenger bags, notebooks, drawings, laminated photos, paper craft figures, and some other non-Quatchi-related treats too -- there's more here. Thanks again, Sophia!

Speaking of Quatchifan2010, good to see that Sophia's blog is still going strong. I particularly dig this picture of her Quatchis in Canucks gear...

Also going strong is the mighty Quatch Watch, where Sammers shares Q's adventures in the kitchen and on the road. Like, here's Q representing in his hometown sweater while visiting London's British Museum...

While theirs is not dedicated solely to Quatchi, Shanny & D's blog does feature frequent Quatchi appearances, like his visit to Oregon. Here he is at Portland's Voodoo Doughnuts...

On the more artistic, socially conscious tip, Vancouver's Albert Art has begun The Homeless Quatchi Project, which also has its own Facebook page and flickr set. Albert writes...

Since the Olympics games, Quatchi has ended up on the street, unemployed, and depressed, he became an alcoholic and started experimenting with hard drugs such as crystal meth, and crack cocaine. He had to resort to theft, and panhandling to feed his addiction... Quatchi, a sasquatch from the forests up north came to Vancouver seeking opportunity to provide for his family back home, unfortunately with no more opportunities post-Winter games, he has no where to go and can't seem to get the help he needs to better his situation.

Likewise, on The Blackbird's flickr set, Quatchi was homeless before the Olympics, and Blobfarm depicted a homeless Quatchi during the Olympics. Poor Quatchi.

Over at the Urban Shaman gallery in Winnipeg, photographer Keesic Douglas has a show called Trade Me, which runs through March 19. One of the pictures is this Aboriginal woman with an iconic HBC blanket, appearing to nurse Quatchi...

While the official Vancouver2010 site was shut down shortly after New Year's, all its mascotty stuff is now over here. Which is cool, but I don't know why it's there or how long it'll last. Myself, I imagine I'll do periodic updates here (they'll have a Quatchi tag). Back at Quatchi Watch, I still occasionally update old posts with new bits (they'll have an Update tag like on the Quatchi/cat post that I just added a couple photos to). Lastly, I've been working on a short Quatchi video, so stay tuned for that.

UPDATE

Here's a radio skit by a Vancouver DJ, which aired around the one-year anniversary of the Olympics. It's Quatchi and Mukmuk meeting face-to-face for the first time since the games, discussing a possible mascot reunion. For the audio-impaired, I've transcribed it below...

Woman (Mukmuk's owner?): Alright Mukmuk, someone’s here to see you!

Mukmuk (with typical squeaky voice): Yaaay! … [gasps]

Quatchi (with atypical Brooklyn accent): Heh-heh-heeey, Mukmuk! Give it up!

Mukmuk: Quatchi? What happened to you? You look terrible!

Quatchi: Ah-hah, you always were the funny one, Mukmuk, huh. But uh, but yeah, seriously, I did gain about 160 pounds. Uh, haven’t exactly taken care of myself, but, uh, that’s what happens when you’re a big star one moment, everyone loves ya, and next thing you know, you are 80% off in the discount bin. [inhaling noise]

Mukmuk: Quatchi, you can’t smoke in here!

Quatchi: Aw, c’mon Mukmuk, we’re Olympic mascots – we’re untouchable!

Woman: Quatchi, this is your last warning!

Quatchi: Okay, okay, okay.

Mukmuk: So, how are you doing these days?

Quatchi: Well, you know, I moved to Hollywood, and uh, I found a pretty cool gig on the Boulevard, I take pictures with people for tips. Sure, most people think I’m Chewbacca, but uh, hey, you know, whatever puts the food on the table, right? Hey, by the way, have you heard from Miga recently? He ain’t returning any of my texts.

Mukmuk: Yeah, Miga’s turned into a bit of a [bleep].

Quatchi: Yeah, I just don’t know if this reunion’s a good idea. I mean, it’s just not going to be the same without Sumi, may he rest in peace.

Mukmuk: Damn poachers.

***

Cool Hockey Shit #5: Special Vancouver Road Trip Edition

2011-02-09T21:43:00.000-08:00

On March 30, 1985, my dad and I saw the Flyers beat the Rangers 3-0 at Madison Square Garden. Twenty-one years later, on December 27, 2006, I saw the Canadiens beat the Capitals in D.C. On Monday I attended my third-ever NHL game, witnessing the Canucks beat the Senators 4-2 at Vancouver's ~~General Motors Place~~ Rogers Arena -- here's the official recap. The game also marked my first-ever NHL game in Canada, and the first-ever game I'd seen featuring only Canadian teams. Of course, the only national anthem performed was "O Canada."

Anyway, onto the cool shit, like the Super Chexx at Vancouver's five-pin Commodore Lanes...

This ridiculous Don Cherry Cold-fX ad on the Sensormatic security panels at the giant downtown London Drugs...

A few blocks away, the massive catalog of hockey books at the Vancouver Public Library (this pic of Quatchi with some execs appears in Canucks at Forty)...

Poutine at Costco, right across the street from Rogers Arena...

Goalie Roberto Luongo; after each of his saves, the Canuck faithful exclaim "LOOOOOU!"...

Ryan Kesler, my favorite Canuck...

Fin, seen here with some hoser skank who was born on Vancouver Island on Canada's centennial, July 1, 1967...

Granted Clothing's officially licensed Cowichan chunky sweater...

The enigmatic Green Guys (even if they weren't at Monday's game)...

Finally, a video of my own, set to "The Hockey Song" as covered by Vancouver's D.O.A...

Obviously my iMovie skillz are far from mad, but you get the idea.

It was a killer game, a major highlight of my hockey-obsessed winter. Because I love Vancouver -- home of the nearest NHL team to Seattle -- I've always pulled for the Canucks, but this is an especially great season to fully embrace 'em. In their 40 seasons, they've yet to win the Stanley Cup, though they made it to the finals in 1982 and '94. But this year they're the top team in the league, riding high in the proverbial catbird seat (even though they lost to the Ducks tonight). Can't wait to see what happens.
***

Sasquatch Poster Update

2011-02-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

Been hearing a lot lately about the lineup for this year's Sasquatch Festival, but the only thing that interests me is the poster art. Monday saw both the release of his year's model (above), and a trailer... Apparently rock shows have trailers now?

A couple of bonus posters: one for the 2010 launch party...

And the other for the 2003 event...

Still can't find the elusive '04 poster, but here's the rest.
***

We Hardly Knew Ye: The White Stripes

2011-02-08T00:48:00.000-08:00

I'm a few days late with this, but Jack and his sister/ex-wife Meg have officially broken up the act.

I first became aware of them while they were riding low on De Stijl, when I sorta saw 'em play an in-store set at Fallout on June 17, 2000 (the joint was jammed, so I stood out on the sidewalk). Beforehand, Jack stormed past me down Olive Way, looking like a man on a rock 'n' roll mission, while Meg sat forlornly against the storefront, smoking a cigarette. A few years later, while they were riding high on Elephant, I saw them play the infinitely larger Stadium Exhibition Hall, on September 16, 2003. However, I was more impressed with openers Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

"Seven Nation Army" has since become a jock jam (I heard an organ rendition of it at tonight's Canucks game), but their best song (as well as best video, directed by Michel Gondry) remains "Fell in Love With a Girl"...

Jack'll do fine, having played with the Raconteurs and Beck and Dead Weather, and producing comeback albums by Loretta Lynn and Wanda Jackson. And since he's apparently all chummy with Mick & Keith (see his Loving Cup cameo in Shine a Light), he's rumored to be producing the Stones in the approximate future...

Dunno what'll happen with underrated and oft-maligned Meg, but wishing her the best.
***

We Hardly Knew Ye: Tura Satana

2011-02-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

Iconic B-movie queen dead at 72; there's a nice remembrance on Pop Candy.
***

Happy 58th, Dog!

2011-02-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

America's favorite bounty hunter hits the big five-eight today.

I take back what I once wrote about him being racist, 'cause on Wikipedia it says he is now a racial healer.
***

Happy Groundhog Day!

2011-02-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

Predicting an early spring: Buckeye Chuck, Chuckles, Dunkirk Dave, General Beauregard Lee, Grady the Groundhog, Gus, Jimmy the Groundhog, Malverne Mel, Punxsutawney Phil, Shubenacadie Sam, Staten Island Chuck, Susquehanna Sherman, Wiarton Willie.

Predicting six more weeks of winter: Balzac Billy, Dover Doug, Holtsville Hal, Mountain Maryland Murray, Octoraro Orphie, Poor Richard, Sir Walter Wally, Stormy Marmot, Tumbleweed, Uni, Woody the Woodchuck.

Full results here.
***

Stupid Hockey Shit #1

2011-01-31T14:04:00.001-08:00

Above, the Avalanche replacing Howler the Sasquatch (left) with Bernie the St. Bernard (right). Below, the NHL replacing its classic shield logo (left) with the new one (right)...

Jaromir Jagr's hair...

Stan Lee's The Guardian Project...

Garish goalie masks...

Kevin Smith...

Slap Shot 2, Slap Shot 3, MVP: Most Valuable Primate, The Mighty Ducks, etc...

A certain hockey mom...

Hockey in the desert...

Ice girls...

And, of course, Todd Bertuzzi ending Steve Moore's career...

***

Cool Hockey Shit #4

2011-01-28T23:23:00.000-08:00

Above, the Original Six. Below, Warhol's Gretzky portrait...

Philadelphia's Broad Street Bullies...

That hot chick on How I Met Your Mother is from Vancouver, and her character often references the 'Nucks...

Johnny Bower's "Honky the Christmas Goose"/"Banjo Mule" single...

Pingu's Ice Hockey...

Coverage by the Onion Sports Network...

Topps' Wacky Packages Hookey...

Playoff beards...

Canada's Heritage Classic...

The classic CCM logo...

The sinister Calgary Hitmen logo...

Don Cherry's Rock’em Sock’em Techno...

And, as always, fights...

***

The Simpsons Meet Bigfoot

2011-01-28T01:07:00.001-08:00

The Call of the Simpsons (February 18, 1990).
A near-nude Homer is lost in the wilderness. After bees sting him in the mouth and he falls into some mud, a random photographer in the area mistakes the hollering, mud-caked Homer for Bigfoot. The forest quickly becomes a carnival of souvenir stands, burger shacks, and cardboard cutouts: "Get Your Picture Taken with Bigfoot." Homer is eventually hunted down, tranquilized, and taken to a lab for testing. Upon observation, scientists can't discern if Homer really is Bigfoot, or merely "sub-human." A TV news anchor reports that the photographer "was most impressed by the creature's uncivilized look, its foul language, and most of all, its indescribable stench." After a reporter interviews Marge, a tabloid runs articles with the screaming headlines: "I Married Bigfoot," "Bigfoot's Wife Pleads: 'Call Him Homer,'" and "The Bigfoot Diet: 'Pork Chops Aplenty.'" Here's a clip.

Mr. Plow (November 19, 1992).
We see a brief outtake from an upcoming Fox TV special, "In Search of Bigfoot," which spoofs the infamous 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film. Then we hear the off-camera director yell at the guy in the Bigfoot costume, "Hold it Bob, we can see your wristwatch!" Bob looks down at his watch and exclaims, "Aw, dammit." Here's a foreign-language clip (I think it's Spanish).

Homer Bad Man (November 27, 1994).
Facing sexual harassment charges, Homer appears on the tabloid TV news show Rock Bottom. As an aside, he tells the interviewer, "I saw that report you did on Sasquatch. It was fair and even-handed." Homer later asks the interviewer, "Say, can you introduce me to the Sasquatch? I like his style." Sasquatch never appears onscreen, so no images or clips for this one.

The Bart Wants What it Wants (February 17, 2002).
The Simpson family travels to Canada. A bus pulls into a Toronto bus station, and we see a Mountie, a hockey player, Bigfoot, and then the Simpsons themselves disembark. Here's a clip with some rock soundtrack -- blink and you might miss him.

Spanish Fry (July 13, 2003).
This is actually from an episode of Futurama, but since that series also came from the mind of Simpsons creator Matt Groening, close enough. Anyway, the Futurama gang camps out in Duraflame National Forest. It's a National Bigfoot Preserve, where the park ranger shows them a film short, "Bigfoot: Endangered Mystery." True believer Fry, who calls Bigfoot his hero, is saved by the creature at the end of the episode, just as a space monster is about to chop off Fry's "lower horn." Note that Futurama's Bigfoot closely resembles The Simpsons' Barney. Can't find a proper clip, but take a look at this.
***

Happy 50th, Wayne!

2011-01-26T00:02:00.000-08:00

The greatest hockey player of all time hits the big five-oh today... What a country!

Canada, I mean.
***

Happy 60th, Yakov!

2011-01-24T09:56:00.000-08:00

In Soviet Russia, birthday celebrate you.

Yakov Smirnoff hits the big six-oh today. Since coming to America in the '70s, Bobby Hill's comic idol has done it all: Branson entertainer, beer pitchman, AARP Magazine columnist, schlock artist...

What a country, indeed.
***

Cool Hockey Shit #3

2011-01-24T00:05:00.000-08:00

Above, Gerry Cheevers; below, Miroslav Satan...

Snoopy...

Snoop...

Stanley's Cup...

The Hockey News...

Boston Garden...

Activision Ice Hockey (and its TV ad starring Phil Hartman)...

Vancouver's Sedin twins...

Vancouver's D.O.A...

Stompin' Tom's The Hockey Song...

Guy LaFleur's disco album (and McKenzie Brothers Molson ad)...

Al the Octopus...

Pond hockey (depicted here on the Canadian $5 bill)...

Tim Horton (and Tim Hortons)...

Johnny Canuck...

The Miracle on Ice...

Sidney Crosby's 2010 Vancouver Olympics gold-winning goal...

And, once again, fights...

Bring the NHL to Portland!

***

National Park Roundup

2011-01-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

Last week's Yellowstone trip got me to thinking about how many of the 58 National Parks I've visited in my life. So... I've been to all three in Washington (Mt. Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic), plus Crater Lake (Oregon), Redwood and Yosemite (California), Zion and Bryce Canyon (Utah), the Grand Canyon (Arizona), and the Grand Tetons (Wyoming)... That's an even ten, all in western states.

My favorite is Mt. Rainier (just 'cause it's the closest one to Seattle, and I could see it every clear day while growing up in Kent). The one I'd most like to visit someday is the Everglades (just 'cause it's the furthest one from Seattle, with probably the most foreign environment from the other parks I've seen).

Almost as much as the parks themselves, I love these posters by Seattle's Doug Leen, based on original 1930s-40s WPA art (I have that Rainier print, above). Here's a flickr set of several such posters, and here's where you can buy 'em.

***

Rocky Mountain Roundup

2011-01-21T22:26:00.000-08:00

We spent this past week with Eliza's folks in and around ~~Jellystone~~ Yellowstone National Park. No sign of Yogi or Boo Boo -- they were probably hibernating -- but I spotted Bigfoot at a grocery store in Gardiner, Montana, in the form of these snow shovels...

Obviously there was much cooler stuff to be seen, like Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs...

Achtung! This nearby sign graphically illustrates the dangers of wandering into the park's many thermal features...

Eliza admires this deadly spring from a safe distance...

Ooh, a ~~buffalo~~ bison!

We saw many of these guys, along with elk, deer, coyotes, eagles, ravens, ducks, geese and other such critters from the snow coach we rode through the park for a couple days. Yellowstone is buried in snow during the winter, so snow coaches and snowmobiles are the only vehicles allowed in the park during the season.

Here we are in eight-degree weather, standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone...

The best non-Yellowstone highlight was an awesome day of dogsledding in Montana's Absaroka mountains. I plan to post a video shortly -- for now, check out these doggies, rarin' to haul Eliza and me up a forest service road...

We lodged at the lovely Chico Hot Springs Resort (though not in Warren's Wing, which has loads of Warren Oates memorabilia lining the walls; instead we stayed in suite 405 of the Lower Lodge). Chico's outdoor pool of sub-scalding spring water was a treat to soak in after a long day out in the cold.

Immediately adjacent to the pool is a ~~bar~~ saloon, which has a signed Evel photo on the wall...

Of course, every bar in Montana probably has an autographed Knievel photo, but whatever.

Then on today's flight home, I distracted myself from the sweaty-palm turbulence by snapping iPhone photos of the propeller outside my window. I'd seen this weird effect before, and sure enough, it worked for me too...

And now we're back. A zillion thanks to Steve and Kristina!

UPDATE

Here's video:

***