Please tell me you don't bet on preseason football! Nothing like overreacting to preseason football. It was all over ESPN yesterday before the game that Ryan Mallett was starting and the Pats were sitting Brady and Gronk. But it's nothing to panic about...Brady is not injured.

Nobody ever died from eating Spam. Not sure you can say the same about Taco Hell. Taco Bell happens to be owned by the YUM! Brands food corporation and they seem to be in the news every other month with some food poisoning outbreak. Just recently, they had problems in China. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/McDonalds-KFC-in-China-face-new-food-scandal/articleshow/38797100.cms I haven't had Spam in ages, jabe, not since I was in the Army. It's funny, given the Monty Python sketch and its use of Finnish Vikings, you would think Spam had come from the Scandinavian countries, but I found out it was invented in 1937 by the same Hormel company that makes your canned Deviled Ham. It is a mix of cooked shoulder pork meat and ham and salt, water, sugar, and whatnot. It is generally sliced and fried or grilled like your other breakfast meats (ham, bacon, sausage). I cannot remember what it tastes like...a sort of bologna I guess. The word 'Spam' is generally thought to be a confluence of the words Shoulders of Pork and HAM or SPiced HAM. Here in the U.S. it is considered a "white-trash" or lower-class food item, hence the jokes and the subsequent usage of the term "spam" to refer to the electronic junk mail that proliferates. But, I was surprised to discover that stigma doesn't seem to exist elsewhere and how widespread the eating of Spam is around the world...Europe, England, Japan, Korea, China, Southeast Asia, even Israel. It is very popular in Hawaii among the Samoan population. Apparently, the spread of Spam is one of the lingering effects of the U.S. miltary's presence in the South Pacific and Hawaii in the 20th century.

I doubt you have to worry about crowdsurfing or moshing breaking out at a Peter Frampton concert. Funny this thread popped back up again, for I have been considering whether to go to the Buddy Guy/Peter Frampton concert at the Hollywood Bowl on August 27. I always enjoy Buddy Guy's shows and I haven't seen Peter Frampton live in years. He ain't getting any younger...this might be the right time to see him for the last time.

^^^You were wide right, jabe! Happy birthday greetings and wishes to dazedjeffy! May you stay forever dazed! Enjoy your last year before the 4-0. Cheers!

Same here...I think I met one chap who claimed to have seen it back in the day but it's like Moby Dick at this point.

No spam?

You ever see Chaney's "London After Midnight"? Damn, Paul, it's too bad you aren't out here in L.A. this week...the American Cinematheque is having a helluva Universal Horrorthon tonight thru Saturday at the Egyptian Theatre. http://americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/universal-monster-mash Check out this lineup: Tonight: "The Black Cat" (1934) and "The Raven" (1935) with Bela Legosi Jr. in person. Friday: "Dracula" (1931), "Phantom of the Opera" (1943), and "The Wolf Man" (1941). Saturday: "Frankenstein" (1931), "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935), and "Son of Frankenstein" (1939).

Charles, if ypu don't take your son to see Richard Linklater's new film "Boyhood' pronto, you'll regret it the rest of your life, haha. That goes for anyone out there with kids, sons especially. It is 2 hours and 44 minutes long, so make sure they take a potty break beforehand. But it is worth every minute. In case you don't know, Linklater is the director of "Dazed and Confused", "Slackers", "Before Sunrise", among others, and for "Boyhood" he filmed the same cast over a period of 12 years, so you literally see the boy growing up before your eyes. I won't say any more so as not to spoil the magic. All I will say is "Boyhood" should be on the top of any movie-lovers list of movies to see this summer!!!

Then it follows that French nurses are the apex...the crème de la crème.

^^^ Glad to be of service, John.

Spam, egg, spam, spam, spam, bacon and spam.

Wrong? Heavens to betsy, no! There are no wrong questions. I was merely amused that the phrase wasn't as well-known as I assumed. I keep forgetting that what's prevalent in the U.S. isn't necessarily common elsewhere. You still see shirts with that slogan and others similar all over this country...and bumper stickers. America has millions of cars and those cars have bumpers...bumpers that need stickers. Stickers with pithy slogans...political slogans, religious ones, sexual innuendos, "My kid is an honour student", "My kid can beat up your honour student"...it's a veritable smorgasbord out there. Another common sight on automobiles are the Calvin taking a piss graphics...Calvin being the little kid from the "Calvin & Hobbes" comic strip.

"When you're chewing on life's gristle, don't grumble, give a whistle...Always look on the bright side of life..."

Are you just now reading the Harry Potter series for the first time, Kiwi, or are you rereading these? Do you refer to the Donna Tartt novel? That was one of the best books of the 90s. An impressive debut, no doubt.

I hope you were joking. Even so, it wasn't remotely funny. As one who has reaped the benefits of the kindness and attention of many hardworking nurses, I have nothing but praise for the job they do and have never encountered anything close to what you suggest in your post.

Well, it won't be "Magic in the Moonlight", that's for sure. Meh.

Nope. Actually, a half hour later, I went for a brisk swim. Then I worked until well past midnight. Today, lunch is more goodies picked up from the farmers market. Fresh shaved beets with goat cheese and pecans. Pita chips and red pepper hummus. Green tea with lemon and honey. Thanks for the lemonade recipe...sounds perfect.

I had no idea there was any question about the phrase "Nurses Do It Better"! That whole "____ do it better" meme has been around forever...or at least since the 70s. Fill in the blank with any group you want...nurses, cheerleaders, teachers, dogs, whatever. There was also the whole "Fireman have bigger hoses", "Cops have bigger sticks", yada yada yada t-shirt/bumper sticker craze. Yes, the "IT" is sex. No, it had nothing to do with Led Zeppelin specifically...Robert wasn't the only one who wore that shirt.

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition! Okay, so there was a sizable lack of interest/enthusiasm here for the Monty Python reunion (sans Graham Chapman) shows at the O2 Arena in July. Otherwise, I would have expected some of the British forum members here to post their reviews (if they went) or some newspaper accounts. Back in the day, there was considerable overlap between the Led Zeppelin fans and the Monty Python fans, and Led Zeppelin themselves partially funded some of the Monty Python projects. Now I have a chance to see for myself if it was up to snuff...and for free. The final date of the 10-day run at the O2 was filmed and is being shown in theatres around the world, including the American Cinematheque in L.A., as part of their Monty Python retrospective. http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/monty-python-live-mostly Interesting that the O2 Arena has now hosted two of the biggest reunions of the 21st Century.

All that being said, if pressed I think "Scott 4" is my favourite Scott Walker album...but that could easily change if you ask me next week... ...or last year, when my answer might have been "Scott 3".

Happy birthday to Mr. Wizard...alwizard! I hope you are celebrating your day by going to a show, Al! Cheers!

From one Strider to another, "Cheers mate!"

YOU FUCKING ROCK GLYN!!!! Thank You. Hell yeah, THIS is the real shit! Glen Buxton! Michael Bruce! Neal Smith! Dennis Dunaway! FTW!!! Alice should have been arrested for the criminal act of breaking up this band...he was never as good post-1974.

Yesterday was Louis Armstrong's birthday...August 4, 1901. There are not enough superlatives to describe the genius and impact of Louis Armstrong on jazz and American culture at large. Duke Ellington is his only rival as far as importance in putting American music on the map. A true American Original. Legend. Woody Allen famously said Louis Armstrong's "Potato Head Blues" was one of the things that make life worth living...he was absolutely right. Happy Belated Birthday Satchmo!

Scott Walker is one of those classic "love it or hate it" type of artist...there really is no middle ground. Your reaction will be one or the other. Since the reactions to his music or so personal, I can't really guide you...what I like, you may not and vice versa. He is really someone it is best to just discover on your own at your own speed. Be your own guide. Start with his first records and progress from there. That's what is great about youtube...you can sample his songs on there before committing to buying an album. Good luck and enjoy the ride...the journey is half the fun.