Xmas is coming....

Evel Knievel is no longer with us

CNN reports that the motorcycle daredevil, described in this recent profile as "the first Jackass," is dead at age 69. So it goes.

UPDATE: This video serves as a fitting tribute to those of us who remember the Evel toy as much as the man himself.

Kevin DuBrow is no longer with us

Quiet Riot singer found dead in Vegas. So it goes.

Relive Quiet Riot's moment of fame in this clip — if you must.

A true Dullard Feat of Strength

Work in a foundry in India making manhole covers. Shoes optional.

The Clash sell out

"Pressure Drop" by the Clash (actually a cover of a reggae song) is the background music for this car ad. Joe Strummer is rolling over in his grave.

Related post here.

Giant scorpions once terrorized our seas

Scientists have unearthed evidence of an 8-foot-long scorpion that ran amok in the ocean millions of years ago. How will the "intelligent design" crowd spin this one?

Dullards are geniuses

Firefox 3.0

A beta for the new version of Firefox is available. As usual, the promised upgrades include better security and usability.

Ghost Town on CD Baby

I finally got around to sending the CD in to CD Baby. Festivus is coming, and they make great (though somewhat physically awkward) stocking stuffers!

Dawn Landes' "Twilight"

Putting this here so I don't lose it, and because she's lovely:

Daily Show writer on the strike

Praise to the Flying Spaghetti Monster

The religious movement that centers on the Flying Spaghetti Monster is finally getting some respect.

Xmas is coming

So here's a list of toys for all the children in your life. Or at least the ones you don't particularly like.

Oddly compelling

This sort of nonsense is what the Interwub is all about for me.

Possible Dullard Feat of Strength

Convince the wife to let us buy nearly every video game system and game ever made.

A video game collector is selling it all on eBay — and it's all or nothing. His giant and comprehensive collection begins with the Atari 2600 and runs through the Wii, and it includes forgotten systems such as Intellivision and the Dreamcast.

Current bid is $9,000, plus $1,500 for shipping.

Mmmm...

...Padma.

Happy Diwali, Dullards!

It's the Indian festival of lights. Traditions include lighting candles, cleaning your house, shopping for clothes and gambling.

Enjoy!

Lex Luthor finds way to combine red, white kryptonite

But it takes its toll -- look how skinny it's made him.

Mapping music

The good people at Gracenote offer this map, which meshes musical taste with geography. A few observations:

• Iraq and Afghanistan are big on metal and hard rock.

• Kazakhstan loves Genesis, the Doors and Fleetwood Mac.

• A band called Soda Stereo is big in Chile.

• Pink Floyd has appeal from New Zealand to Greece and even in Iran.

The Onion A.V. Club on the Jam

The Onion looks back on All Mod Cons and gives a succinct summary of why the Jam was such a great band, something that's difficult to convey to non-fans (though Weller selling out to Cadillac still sticks in my craw, much moreso than Dylan doing the same....)

LISTS: Five least appropriately titled live albums

5. "Serious Hits … Live!" by Phil Collins. He may mean well at times, but Phil Collins’ attempts at social relevance ("Another Day in Paradise") come across as overly earnest. And no album with seven-minute version of "Sussudio" on it should have the adjective “serious” attached to it.

4. "Yessongs" by Yes. No!

3. "Love You Live" by the Rolling Stones. Caught between their glory years (1967-73) and the “elder stateman” years (1994-present), this album is a perfect example of a band in a holding pattern. Of the numerous (mostly failed) attempts to represent a Stones concert on film or on vinyl, "Love You Live" is the most forgettable and hardly lovable.

2. "The Song Remains the Same" by Led Zeppelin. The problem here is the songs don’t remain the same — they get worse. Not one track here improves on the original studio version, and the performances sound strained, the sound muddied. Zeppelin is better heard live on "How the West Was Won."

1. "Pulse" by Pink Floyd. The Water-less, Gilmour-led Floyd produced two humdrum studio albums and two dreadful live LPs. "Pulse" is the second of these uncomfortably numb sets, and the note-for-note renditions of Floyd classics and Gilmour-era material will not set any hearts racing.

Related post here.

"X-Files" sequel: Why?

A second "X-Files" movie gets the green light. All of the main players are in, with a release set for next summer.

DULLARD TAKE: Of course, we'll hope for the best, but given the pitiful way the series died, those hopes cannot be high. After all, is there really anything left to say?