Alexander Courage is no longer with us

The man who wrote the original "Star Trek" theme is dead at age 88. So it goes.

Did you know that the memorable theme had lyrics? It did — kind of.

I, for one...

...welcome our monkey-cyborg overlords.

Anthony Bourdain blogs about Top Chef

Worth a read if you're following Top Chef.

Earle Hagen is no longer with us

The man who wrote the "Andy Griffith" theme and a host of others has died at age 88. So it goes.

Bobblefoot

Teh awesome.

China outsourcing to the US

If we just step up our torture infrastructure, maybe we can turn this whole economy thing around....

Is there no end to Tom's talents?

Is he a great interviewer, or a great interviewee? It's hard to tell.

He's a rainbow — a scary rainbow

Remember the guy who used to show up at high-profile sporting events, wearing a rainbow wig? He's behind bars now.

Key quote: "No one can meet my standards."

Yeah, no.

Da Plane!

Urgh. Just got back from the dentist, where I had my second planing and scraping in a week. It's about as fun as it sounds. With all the grinding, whirring and gurgling of the various electro-mechanical tools and suction tubes in your mouth, it feels like being French-kissed by an evil robot from outer space shortly before it beheads you in front of your family and neighbors to make an example of you. Sort of.

Anyway, be sure to floss, kids!

The Iron Dude

I caught "Iron Man" last night with some friends. It's a serviceable summer action movie, powered by Robert Downey Jr. He exceeds expectations portraying a war profiteer turned superhero.

Jeff Bridges plays the villain, a fellow war profiteer who stays that way at all costs. Even though Bridges has a shaved head and wears slick suits, his voice still betrays him as The Dude from "The Big Lebowski."

It's only a matter of time before someone grafts some "Lebowski" dialog on top of Bridges' scenes in "Iron Man," just as people have done with James Earl Jones and the "Star Wars" movies.

Possible Dullard Feat of Strength

Hit 48 states in 120 hours, like these dudes are trying to do.

The circle is now complete

Obama as Luke Skywalker in "The Empire Strikes Barack."

Two indicators that I am old

Two moments from today that indicate that I am old:

1. When I overheard this in a conversation between a bagger and cashier at Trader Joe's: "I was in middle school the first time Bush ran for president."

2. When I was watching U2 perform "Sunday Bloody Sunday" in their IMAX concert movie and realized that this was almost as good as the time I saw them at the jai-alai fronton — in 1983.