Stay Positive
I got home from a movie tonight and threw on the radio. Twins losing 6-4 after seven. Then I hear some bumper music on The Score. I think, hey, that was "Party Pit."

By The Hold Steady. And that's where things started to turn around. Thank you, Mr. Finn:

U.S. Roombotics
I successfully dismantled and repaired the Roomba. +/- 2 years of crud sure can accumulate. Thank you, can of compressed air!

Sports Notes
(try saying it 10 times fast)

Couture noted the passing of Jack Falla, one of the better professors he and I had at BU. It does take quite a teacher to get college kids to waitlist for an 8 a.m. class. Particularly when said kids were most likely up 'til 3 a.m. putting the paper to bed. I recently read Falla's novel, Saved, and enjoyed it. I'll most likely get it for the elder nephew, he being a goalie himself.

****

So the Twins' ballpark has a name. Meh...it's disappointing, but I can't say I'm surprised. Better than Best Buy. 3M Park would no doubt remind people of the 3Com Park debacle. Land O'Lakes Park would still be better.

I'd rather have had the rights go to a local company which I try to hit each time I'm in the Twin Cities; a quality music store whose name also personifies how the Minnesota Twins operate.

Wouldn't Cheapo Field have been perfect?

Things I just can't be bothered to care about:
Twitter

another X-files movie

Either of Joss Whedon's projects

MTV remaking Rocky Horror

I'm having a good time in Mark's Trio Trophy tournament, even though most of my favorites went down early and I'n now hanging my hopes on Police Squad (in color). When Mark was asking for recommendations, I forgot to mention the following shows I really enjoyed. But the fact that I forgot about them is no doubt indicative of their chances had they been included.

The Jackie Thomas Show - 1992-93 (18 episodes) - Tom Arnold, then married to Roseanne, starred in this show-in-a-show sitcom about a standup comic who demonstrates the Peter Principle when he gets a sitcom. On paper 15 years later, its demise would surprise few. After all, it costarred Dennis Boutskaris, Breckin Meyer, and the infamous Alison LaPlaca. But it had a good dark, sardonic tone that really appealed (the writing staff included David Fury, later of Buffy, Angel, 24, and Lost). People watched, but the dropoff from its leadin (Roseanne, then #2 in the nation behind 60 Minutes) was too high for ABC.

American High - 2000-01 (4 episodes on FOX, remainder on PBS) - That brief summary should tell you exactly what went wrong here. FOX viewers, watching a sensitive documentary about high-school students in Highland Park, IL? Riiight. Despite an Emmy, this was one-and-done.

Oh, that one...
I was confused to see Road House playing at the Siskel as part of a film noir series until I clicked through to the listing.

It May Look Like A Walnut!

Have you played much with Hulu yet? It's got some cool things, but I was sad to see only one season of The Dick Van Dyke show -- specifically, not the season that includes this, my favorite episode of that show and perhaps my favorite half-hour of sitcommery.

Part 1:


Part 2:


the thrilling conclusion!