Geek: July 4th.. Hollywood vs. NASA

In an effort to regain a nerd fanbase, NASA decided to launch a stunt that rivals many Hollywood blockbusters. The NASA project Deep Impact is finally answering the question: Can we blow up a comet? The mission began in early January when the probe Deep Impact was sent into space with the objective of colliding with the comet Tempel 1. The impact is set to occur around 2 AM on July 4th. NASA has clearly stated that Tempel 1 poses no threat of colliding with the Earth, and that this mission is to explore the comet's inner core. The Impactor spacecraft is about the size of a coffee table and will be traveling at 23,000 mph when it collides with the comet. NASA has admitted that part of this expirement is to collect data as to how to handle a future comet that may be on a collision course with Earth.




The entire mission only rings up a bill of about 330 million. My only criticism is that they named the expirement Deep Impact. I wonder how many votes the name Armageddon received.

Music: Damien Rice

I've had parts of this song playing in my head for the past couple of days. Maybe it's because it repeats the chorus repeatedly. You might recognize it as the theme from the movie Closer. Click on either picture to listen to The Blower's Daughter.

And so it is..
Just like you said it would be..

Click here for the video.

Cocktails: Market St. Saloon

Charleston's newest bar brings a different look to the market, for the better and for the worse. The Market St. Saloon is completely modelled after the movie Coyote Ugly, complete with a small arsenal of water guns. I was actually enjoying getting soaked by top-heavy waitresses dancing on the bar. Somewhere in the middle of Cotton Eyed Joe, I even noticed two of my close friends auditioning on the stage. Later, those two friends decided to remove my soaked shirt and that didn't really seem to phase any of the bar staff. In fact, the shoving contest between the wife-beater and the Kurt Busch fan went unnoticed also. I'm curious how well it will coexist next to Purple Tree Lounge though. Crossing from one bar to the other would be like entering some type of Bizzaro Universe.
Express Jeans automatically turn to Wrangler's, dirty martinis are replaced by deuces of PBR, and a cover charge is unheard of at the saloon. Unfortunately, the bar was filled with guys for the most part (aside from the occasional bachelorette mustering courage to Boot Scoot Boogie). I truly hope the saloon doesn't transform the market like Banana Joe's affected King Street. All in all, I suggest stopping by the Market Street Saloon for a beer or two. It would be tough to drink any more though, since the line to the bar stayed at 5 or 6 gawking busters deep.

Rating: 3 beers out of a six pack

The Rise of a Star

So there I was in the middle school gym, outlasting each of my opponents one word at a time. In between rounds it was becoming more clear to me. Now is the time for Billiam to show his worth! I don't need the country of origin. I don't need to have it used in a sentence. All I need is an opportunity. I almost felt bad for my two opponents. I approached the microphone exuding confidence.. I must have been glowing like a fire illuminating a dark summer night. The judge then issued his challenge. My journey in this gauntlet all came down to this. I looked out to all of my fans and then spoke..

"E-N-C-Y-C-L-O-P-E-D-I-A"

Music: The Killers

I recently saw the band The Killers in concert, and I have to rank them as one of the top 5 shows I've ever seen. If you have the option to check this band out, I highly recommend it. These guys just catered to their fans and filled the audience with energy. They put on such a good show that I bought their CD. That's right, you can still buy CDs in stores. Even the opening band, Louis the XIV, was entertaining.

The only complaint I have from the show is that The Killers only played for a little over an hour. Now I know they only have one CD out and have a limited number of songs to play, but it still felt like a short concert. One of the local radio stations is having a contest where the winner will be flown out to Hawaii to see The Killers live. It just seems weird to me to put people on a 17 hour flight to see a 45 minute concert. Now I've heard there's a few things to do in Hawaii to kill time, like visiting the boyhood home of Chad Rowan Yokozuna or collecting igneous rocks.. but that just doesn't sweeten the deal for me. Sorry 96 Wave, but ya ain't sendin' me to Hawaii anytime soon.. especially not during the Summer of Dev. I feel sorry for the "saps" that "win" this "contest."

On the other hand, my close friends the Tanners recently returned from Hawaii and had a great time.. despite the fact that Joey had recurring hallucinations about a native girl and they were stranded on a deserted island for a couple of hours. Damn you clipboard of fun! In the end though, it all worked out because they were chosen to perform with the Beach Boys. I guess I won't rule out all Hawaiian vacation contests this summer.