Announcing a new summer frozen treat: "SnoToast"

My good friend Andrew and I are very pleased to announced a new frozen treat concept that we call "SnoToast". Some artist concepts for the cart, logo, etc. are below.

(Other names we considered included "PolarLoaf" and "Toasticle".)

The concept is simple: it's a piece of bread, carefully frozen and then served up fresh from a bicycle freezer cart that we call the "SnoToastMobile".  Customers will have the option to sprinkle the toast with cinnamon for a delicious fun treat, sure to cool you off on a warm summer day.

We are looking at options to include various kinds of bread, including 12-grain whole wheat, flax, pumpernickel, raisin, banana, rye, sourdough, etc.  We will also offer gluten-free and nut-free bread for diet-conscious consumers.

But we need to raise some dough to make this happen, so if you'd like to invest in this exciting opportunity, please drop me a line.

The Flaming Lips write a song for the Oklahoma City Thunder

Not bad, as far as "songs written for sports teams by rock bands" goes. (via Eric Alper)

Photo of the video scoreboard at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City

Daktronics LED scoreboard, installed in 2008.

• From TV Technology: At almost 9,000 square feet (85-by-105), the giant Daktronix screen is powered by a Ross Switcher and a couple of EVS replays, Deko 3000s for graphics and Pro-Bel routing gear. The towering board—the nation’s largest, according to Daktronix—debuted at the Royals’ home opener against the Yankees Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium ... The screen, at 1584x1980, amounts to about two 16:9 screens on top of each other ... The $8 million-plus system board replaced a 17-year-old Sony.

• From Business Wire: Daktronics HD-X LED technology will be installed in a huge outfield structure behind center field measuring more than 100 feet high by 85 feet wide, topped with the familiar Royals’ iconic golden crown. The LED display will contain more than 1800 full-color lines of resolution with lines on 16 millimeter (.63”) spacing. The display will be the largest HD LED board in the world, surpassing the former record holders designed and manufactured by Daktronics for Dolphin Stadium in Miami and Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin.

Items Photographed At The Nostalgia and Collectible Show

Photos taken at the Nostalgia and Collectible Show at the Nepean Sportsplex on March 18, 2012.

It was eBay, in real life!

Or like a more-organized and commercialized version of Hoarders.

Shows like this encourage people to fill up their basements with stuff because "maybe it'll be worth something some day".

But that's too cynical.  Most of the vendors were passionate about their collections, and told interesting stories about the items for sale.

And it's far more interesting to collect old stuff than to just chuck it in the garbage.

Here are some photos I took.

A Colonel Saunders piggy bank. You put the coins in his back.

Classic collectors item: buttons.

I think these were sold at Burger King.

Unopened cans of Coca-Cola.  Saw a lot of Coke memorabilia, not much Pepsi.

Besides cans of Coke, cans of oil are also popular collectors items.  

I've probably read every one of these.

Included here in the interest of balance.  I haven't read any of these.

Nothing makes you feel old like seeing toys you played with as a kid labeled as "collectible". (And the barn doors still moo.)

Finally figured out why they're called "Matchbox Cars".  Because they originally came in match boxes.

Early, clumsy attempts at artificial intelligence.

Just some hints, he's not giving everything away.

Creepy trolls.

People will try to sell anything.

People will collect anything.

Not a real ray gun.

From a binder full of old Valentine's cards.  Don't you love vegetable puns?

Theory: Given enough time, every doll will eventually look really, really creepy.

These ones are approaching the creepy stage much faster than the typical doll.

The cutest robots are always the deadliest.

Legendary PA announcer Budd Lynch still types his game notes

This is awesome.

Budd Lynch is the PA announcer for the Detroit Red Wings.  He's 94 years old. And here's a photo of his game notes from the other night.

Photo posted with kind permission of Ayron.

The Secularization of Shrove Tuesday

Happy Pancake Tuesday everyone.  Hope Aunt Jemima is good to you.

Strong candidate for "best fan costume of the season" at an NHL game: The Queen visits Winnipeg

Here's a photo that was posted to the Winnipeg Free Press web site this weekend. 

"Queen Elizabeth II makes an unexpected appearance at Friday night's Jets game. The winsome beauty graced the MTS Centre crowd with a wave of her elegantly gloved hand during the singing of the Canadian anthem. (FRED GREENSLADE / REUTERS)"

Great moments in Bobblehead giveaways: Alice Cooper

Well done Phoenix Coyotes, well done. Here's more info via Puckdaddy.

Please welcome tonight's guest PA announcer, Will Ferrell

Well done New Orleans Hornets, well done.

30 True Grammy Facts, Compiled

I've been researching all day to come up with these little-known Grammy facts and pop music trivia.

1. Grammy Fact: LMFAO's new single is actually a remake of an old Irving Berlin showtune, "Please Accept My Apologies For Party Rockin'" 
2. Grammy Fact: The term "Grammy" is a nod to the proliferation of cocaine in the music industry. 
3. Grammy Fact: Original Lyrics to Adele's hit song: "There's a fire / burning in my yard." 
4. Grammy Fact: "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 only has one chord. 
5. Grammy Fact: Forget Adele's return from throat surgery. Music insiders are eagerly anticipating Tony Bennett's return from laser eye surgery 
6. Grammy Fact: Tonight's Coldplay performance deliberately scheduled at end of broadcast so that they don't put everybody to sleep. Thank you. 
7. Grammy Fact: I'm not familiar with Deadmau5 but I did find one in my basement once. 
8. Grammy Fact: An old tradition is that whoever wins "Best New Artist" has to buy all the other artists a round. 
9. Grammy Fact: The award for "Best New Artist" has been handed out since 1959. Christina Aguilera has won it three times. 
10. Grammy Fact: Diana Krall, the only Canadian performing at this year's awards, was invited by accident. 
11. Grammy Fact: To reduce the length of the broadcast, all musical performances have been cut from the show this year.
12. Grammy Fact: It took me more time to write all these facts than it did for Bruno Mars to write his entire album.
13. Grammy Fact: Maroon 5 set to introduce their follow-up single, "Sits Kind Of Awkwardly At Piano Like Tori Amos".
14. Grammy Fact: LL Cool J and Dexy's Midnight Runners set to perform "Knock Out Eileen" at tonight's awards: http://t.co/shixezqN
15. Grammy Fact: Carlos Santana still refuses to do a duet with Taylor Swift.
16. Grammy Fact: The Grammy Awards have been held every year since 1959, except for 2010 during the Bird Flu epidemic.
17. Grammy Fact: Legend has it that after Alanis won in 1996, she threw her award into the Rideau Canal.
18. Grammy Fact: My kids have listened to Katy Perry's "Fireworks" about 850 times in the past year, iTunes reports.
19. Grammy Fact: Hootie and the Blowfish won Best New Artist in 1996.
20. Grammy Fact: In 1998, I was nominated (but did not win) for "Best Hockey Organist". (The category has since been dropped.)
21. Grammy Fact: Prince and Adele to perform "Some 1 Like U" on tonight's broadcast. 
22. Grammy Fact: Janet Jackson is the only artist to receive a "Best Album" award posthumously.
23. Grammy Fact: Robert Goulet, who won Best New Artist in 1963, went on to a 14-year career with the Chicago Blackhawks and Quebec Nordiques. 
24. Grammy Fact: As if Walter Ostanek has not been nominated this year. Seriously Grammys, WTF. http://bit.ly/5a85N4
25. Grammy Fact: The broadcast has had a 10-second delay ever since Raffi's explitive-filled tirade about endangered whales in 1985. 
26. Grammy Fact: The Recording Academy blamed the 1989 snub of Technotronic on a rounding error, and fired their accounting firm. 
27. Grammy Fact: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince was originally a prank to get nominated in the "Best Contemporary Jazz Artist" category. 
28. Grammy Fact: Due to changing demographics, the Academy has added a "Best Old Artist" category this year. Nominees: Usher, Green Day. 
29. Grammy Fact: The Grammy Awards are usually held in Los Angeles, except for in 1989 when they were held in Neil Young's barn.
30. Grammy Fact: Unlike the MTV Music Awards, performers on the Grammy telecast are encouraged to play instruments.

Actually only two of these are true. Which ones?

Post Script: Incredibly, Grammy Fact #25 made it back to Raffi, who denied it via Twitter: "in a word, no. def not my style"