Hey, I can stay!

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

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Largest number of dillusional kids gather in Bergen

In Norway 3,638 schoolchildren broke the record for the number of schoolchildren playing recorder together. Click here for story. They played the traditional childrens' song "The bear is snoozing"

According to the story in the Norway Post "This is the world's coolest world record, they stated." They are wrong.

Well, at least Britain's going down the tubes as well

In a recent article in the Scotsman, Click here for story, Dr. Simon Singh complains that Britain is heading into an "age of irrationality. I can go into a chemist and buy a homoeopathic remedy that's never been proven to work. We seem to be going back to a dark age of voodoo and witchcraft." He then goes on to warn that "the UK could rapidly go down the drain because economies thrive by having innovative pioneers, creative people."

All the witches and voodoo practitioners I know are creative and innovative.

Victory!!!!

Saturday was the Drunk Monk Challenge. This is the homebrew competition for the Club I belong to the Urban Knaves of Grain, or UKG for short. With 444 entries, this is one of the largest brewing competitions in the country. And it draws entries from all over the country. This years winners included beers from as far away as California, Houston, New Hampshire, Maryland, Florida and other states. Into this I sent my one and only beer.

And I won my catagory. Click here for the complete results (I'm in Table 11). The neatest thing about this win is that I made a kit beer from the store that I did some work at over Christmas time, The Homebrew Shop in Saint Charles, IL. The owner, Ed Seaman, came in second place with the same kit.

Songs in Sport

Yesterday , on the NPR show The World, there was a story about an Italian Soccer Club which started to play the White Stripes song Seven Nation Army. According to the story, the fans reacted so posistively that the opening base line has become the favorite chant from the crowd. This reminded me of the way that Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" has become a late inning anthem at Fenway Park. Click here for story.

Then I began to think way back to my days at WIU. At football games, the band would end their show with the Ray Charles standard, Georgia On My Mind. I have no idea why they play it, but the show just wouldn't be the same without it.

If Steinbrenner is against it....

This afternoon I've been watching the World Baseball Classic. Click here for the WBC. And it has been very entertaining. It's almost like a mini All Star game. And since its early in the Spring, the pitching isn't very crisp and the offense kicks ass.

Steinbrenner is concerned that his players may get hurt in a meaningless game. But that's exactly what's been happening to the Cubs over the last few years at spring training. Hey, Harriston got beaned by the Giants and Wood's hurt again.

An empty carboy is a terrible thing

In little more than a month the National Homebrew Competition will be starting. Alas, I have nothing in the works for it. This will be the first time in four years that I have not entered a beer in this competition. Unfortunately, money's too tight for brewing.

I need a job!!!