Exxon Mobil once again reported the largest quarterly profit in U.S. history today, posting net income of $11.68 billion on revenue of $138 billion in the second quarter. That barely beat the previous corporate record of $11.66 billion, also set by Exxon in the fourth quarter of 2007. The profit announced today works out to $1,485.55 a second.

Mentioned yesterday that Cheech & Chong were getting back together and planning on touring. Well, they're heading our way. You can see Cheech & Chong at the Paramount in Seattle on November 29th.

The Blue Angels are in Seattle for Seafair. They're practicing today and tomorrow to get ready for shows on Saturday and Sunday. I laughed out loud at the press release from the Seattle Police Department asking that people not call 911 to complain that the jets are noisy. Police spokesman Mark Jamieson says "There's absolutely nothing that can be gained by calling 911 to report loud noise by the Blue Angels. There has been plenty of forewarning." Alrighty, then.

Curt Gowdy on Ted Williams

Trivia Answer: Curtis Edward Gowdy -- Curt Gowdy -- who was born on this date in 1919. Gowdy was said to have a warm, slightly gravelly voice and an unforced, easy style that set him apart from his peers. Unlike many well-known announcers, Gowdy never developed catch-phrases or signature calls, but merely described the action in a straightforward manner. He retired in 1985, when The American Sportsman was canceled. Gowdy briefly came out of retirement in 1988, calling NFL games for NBC with Merlin Olsen, while Olsen's regular partner Dick Enberg was covering the Olympics in Seoul. In May 2003, a few months shy of his 84th birthday, Gowdy called a Red Sox-Yankees game from Fenway Park, as part of the ESPN Major League Baseball "Living Legends" series. At the end of the broadcast, he thought he could have done better. ESPN's Chris Berman said, "We'll give you another chance." Gowdy replied, "Call me back." He also made cameo appearances in the movies The Naked Gun and Summer Catch, and his voice can be heard in BASEketball. In 1970, Curt Gowdy became the first sportscaster to receive the George Foster Peabody Award. He was elected to the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame in 1981. In addition, he was given the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, the Pete Rozelle Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, and a lifetime achievement Emmy in 1992, and was selected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1995. Gowdy was president of the Basketball Hall of Fame for several years, and that institution's Curt Gowdy Award is presented annually to outstanding basketball writers and broadcasters; he was one of its first two recipients. A new state park in Wyoming, opened in 1971, was officially named for Gowdy on March 27, 1972, one of numerous honors bestowed on the native son from the state of Wyoming on "Curt Gowdy Day." The 11,000 acre Curt Gowdy State Park is halfway between his hometown of Cheyenne and his college town of Laramie. Gowdy was proud of his Wyoming heritage and loved the outdoors, and said that he was "born with a fly-rod in one hand," and that the sports microphone came a little later. Curt Gowdy died at the age of eighty-six at his winter home in Palm Beach, Florida, after an extended battle with leukemia. His funeral procession circled Fenway Park.

Ichiro Suzuki stole a page from Hall of Fame outfielder Ty Cobb last night as he picked up the 3,000th hit of his professional career. The hit that did it for him was his 1,722nd as a major leaguer. Combined with the 1,278 hits he had in Japan and one single he added later last night, Ichiro now stands at 3,001 career hits. The only other ballplayer to reach 3,000 hits under the age of 36 was Ty Cobb. He reached the plateau at the age of he was 34 years, 231 days. Ichiro got there a hundred days sooner at the age of 34 years, 130 days.

So how's your day going?  I'm thinking better than the driver of the red convertible.

Now that their feud is up in smoke, Cheech and Chong are high on plans to reunite for their first comedy tour in more than 25 years. Cheech Marin told the AP that he and Tommy Chong "looked at each other going, `If we're ever going to do something it has to be now because you're not getting any younger and neither am I."' They tossed around some ideas and figured a comedy tour, said the 62-year-old Cheech, would be "the most fun" and "the least hassle." Cheech and Chong broke up amid creative differences and have tried to reunite before but have always fought too much. Laughing, Cheech says "It takes about 3 minutes for that to happen. There's this veiled hatred." But he added: "We've kind of resolved that." "We've gotten to the age where we don't feel like fighting anymore because the end is a lot closer than the beginning," he said. Cheech says he thinks dope humor can be as funny today as it was back in the '70s. Details of the "Hey, What's That Smell?" tour were to be announced later at a news conference in West Hollywood, California. During their original run, Cheech and Chong released nine comedy albums between 1972 and 1985, were nominated for four Grammy Awards and won one. They also starred in eight feature films, almost always portraying a pair of comical stoners stumbling through life.

Trivia Answer: William Ernest Walsh -- Bill Walsh -- who died one year ago today. Born in Los Angeles, Walsh started his career as a running back for Hayward High School in Hayward, California. Following high school, Walsh attended San Mateo Junior College for two years as a quarterback. He then transferred to San José State, where he played as a tight end and a defensive end. Walsh graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1955. He served under Bob Bronzan as a graduate assistant coach on the Spartans football coaching staff and graduated with a master's degree in physical education from San Jose State in 1959. His master's thesis was entitled Defensing the Pro-Set Formation. Following graduation, Walsh coached at Washington High School in Fremont, leading the football and swim teams. Walsh was coaching in Fremont when he interviewed for an assistant coaching position with Marv Levy, who had just been hired as the head coach at the University of California, Berkeley. After Cal, he did a stint at Stanford as an assistant coach, before beginning his pro coaching career. Walsh began his pro coaching career in 1966 as an assistant with the AFL's Oakland Raiders. As a Raider assistant, Walsh was trained in the vertical passing offense of Sid Gillman, favored by Al Davis. Walsh would later modify his own offensive philosophy to favor a predominantly horizontal passing approach. He then moved to the AFL expansion Cincinnati Bengals in 1968, serving under Paul Brown for seven seasons as one of the architects of the team's offense, built around quarterback Ken Anderson and wide receiver Isaac Curtis. When Brown retired as head coach following the 1975 season and appointed Bill "Tiger" Johnson as his successor, Walsh resigned and served as an assistant coach for Tommy Prothro with the San Diego Chargers in 1976. In a 2006 interview, Walsh claimed that during his tenure with the Bengals, Brown "worked against my candidacy" to be a head coach anywhere in the league. "All the way through I had opportunities, and I never knew about them," Walsh said. "And then when I left him, he called whoever he thought was necessary to keep me out of the NFL." In 1977, Walsh was hired as the head coach at Stanford where he stayed for two seasons. His two Stanford teams went 9-3 in 1977 with a win in the Sun Bowl, and 8-4 in 1978 with a win in the Bluebonnet Bowl; his notable players at Stanford included quarterbacks Guy Benjamin and Steve Dils, wide receivers James Lofton and Ken Margerum, and running back Darrin Nelson. Walsh was the Pac-8 Coach of the Year in 1977. In 1979, Walsh was hired as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. The long-suffering 49ers went 2-14 in 1978, the season before Walsh's arrival and repeated the same dismal record in his first season. Walsh doubted his abilities to turn around such a miserable situation -- but earlier in 1979, Walsh drafted quarterback Joe Montana from Notre Dame in the third round. Walsh turned over the starting job to Montana in 1980, when the 49ers improved to 6-10. San Francisco won its first championship in 1981, just two years after winning two games. Under Walsh the 49ers won Super Bowl championships in 1981, 1984 and 1988. Walsh served as 49ers head coach for ten years, and during his tenure he and his coaching staff perfected the style of play known popularly as the West Coast offense. In addition to drafting Joe Montana, Walsh drafted Ronnie Lott, Charles Haley, and Jerry Rice. He also traded a 2nd and 4th round pick in the 1987 draft for Steve Young. His success with the 49ers was rewarded with his election to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1993. Many of his assistant coaches went on to be head coaches, including Mike Holmgren.

Just months before he died, George Carlin was looking into the face of death -- and making it the butt of his jokes. "You know what I've been doing? Going through my address book and crossing out the dead people. It gives you a feeling of power, of superiority, to have outlasted another old friend," Carlin says on what turned out to be his final comedy album. The recording, "It's Bad For Ya," comes out today. Carlin died June 22 of a heart attack at 71. In an interview four months before his death, he told The Associated Press he was particularly pleased with the material he was working up for the album. "Definitely some people who are close to me who have seen this show, and have seen a lot of the others, feel this is my best stuff yet," he said. Among them was his daughter, Kelly Carlin McCall, who said she was delighted to see the album mark a return to what she called her father's "playful goofiness." In recent years, she noted, his routines had seemed to get darker and angrier. On the new album, Carlin waxes on -- with four-letter words in abundance -- about the advantages of getting older. "It's a great time of life, you get to take advantage of people and you're not responsible for anything." He adds that he discovered a popular pastime could be had gathering family members around and pretending to have Alzheimer's. "You say, 'Who are you people and where's my horse?" Although there will be no more new routines, Carlin is still around, thanks to his daughter and brother, Patrick, who spent a weekend earlier this month scattering his ashes at his favorite haunts around the country. They stopped in front of the nightclubs he played in New York City's Greenwich Village and at a summer camp in New Hampshire where, as a child, he received a necklace for winning the drama competition. He was wearing that necklace the day he died.

As the litigation continues, lost in the data stream devoted to the duplicity of Clay Bennett, the hypocrisy of the Great Caffeinator, the mobility of the SoonerSonics lurks the unasked question. What about Squatch? Squatch, who performed in dozens of 90-second bursts at more than 40 home Sonics games annually and ventured south for a number of appearances here in the South Sound, no longer technically exists. Squatch appears squelched ... but his rich inner life, Marc Taylor, lives on. Taylor is a 33-year-old New Mexico native and has been Squatch's motor for the past nine years. Lean and fit at 5 foot 9 and 155 pounds with a Lance Armstrong close cut and a ready smile, Taylor doesn't know what or who will replace the character he's spent a decade honing. He does, however, know this: He loves his job. He's following the team to Oklahoma City.  "I'm on a contract," Taylor explained before a recent Storm game. Taylor also doubles as Doppler, the WNBA Seattle Storm mascot. "I don't know what I'll be yet," he said. "Obviously, the name of the team is going to a major thing. If it's buffaloes, for example, then you build a costume around that." Taylor, like the players on the team, knew early on what he wanted to do. He was the tiger at New Mexico's Alamogordo High. At Colorado State, he became Cam the Ram. It was at State that he befriended the mascot for the Denver Nuggets basketball team. That led to a gig as a mascot assistant -- the uncostumed second-banana who keeps the mascot on schedule, loads the T-shirt cannon, sometimes acts as the straight man. "That's when I realized it could be a career," he said. He managed to land a job as Howler, the Colorado Avalanche mascot but the National Hockey League is low in the mascot pecking order because of limited performance time and territory, given the icy surface. So when the Nuggets' mascot told him the Seattle job was open, he jumped at the chance. He sent them his mascot resume. He sent them his regular resume. He sent them a DVD of his work. Offered a tryout with three other hopefuls, he dressed in a low-rent chicken costume provided by the team. But the head kept falling off. One of the other hopefuls, the BYU Cougar, offered help: "He said, ‘Hey, do you guys want to use my head?' " So Taylor, dressed as a chicken with a cat head and in front of a few thousand preseason fans performed a mascot-in-drag striptease to the song "Pretty Woman." He won the job. Now he waits for word. He's going to have a new costume to commission, a new city to learn, a new character to build from the ground up. The decision to move was an easy one; there are only 30 jobs like his in the country.

Trivia Answer: Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings -- Peter Jennings -- who was born on this date in 1938. When he returned to the anchor chair after honing his reporting skills, it was in 1978 as one of three anchors of ABC's World News Tonight. He was promoted to the role of sole anchor in 1983. He formed part of the "Big Three" news anchors who dominated American evening news in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the ABC anchor until his death in 2005 from complications of lung cancer. His death, which closely followed the retirements of Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather, marked the end of the "Big Three" era. A high-school dropout, he transformed himself into one of American television's most prominent journalists. Having always been fascinated with the United States, Jennings became a naturalized United States citizen in 2003

We watched him play on Fridays when he was with Timberline High School. We watched him on Saturdays when he was with the University of Oregon Ducks. Now, we get to watch him on Sundays with the Carolina Panthers. Word is that Jonathan Stewart signed a five-year contract with the Panthers -- a contract that reportedly includes $10.8 million in guaranteed money -- over the weekend. Stewart set Washington's all-time high school rushing record before playing three seasons in Oregon. Jonathan was the 13th overall pick in the NFL draft in April. His deal could be worth up to $20 million. According to the Charlotte Observer newspaper, Stewart’s last night before becoming a multimillionaire was spent at a Motel 6. He drove from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Spartanburg on Friday night, anticipating that his contract would be finalized. Along the way, he was informed that it was not done, and he wasn’t to report to training camp yet. According to the Observer, when asked why he chose to spend the night at a Motel 6 and not more plush accommodations, Stewart smiled and said “because I didn’t have any money.”

Kudos to the Black Hills/Cal Ripken 11-year-old All-Star baseball team. The squad wrapped up its season Saturday by winning the Pacific Northwest regional championship with a 5-1 win over Wenatchee in Eugene, Oregon. There is no World Series in Cal Ripken 11U, so the regional championship is the furthest the team can go. Black Hills won its last 23 games on the way to a 30-2 record this season.

And now a word from our sponsor ... well, really it's another "Not Ready for TV" Bud Light commercial.

"The Dark Knight" continues to obliterate box office records, crossing the $300 million mark in just 10 days. Heath Ledger as the Joker and Christian Bale as Batman are breaking box office records with "The Dark Knight." The Batman saga grossed $75.6 million in its second weekend in theaters, pushing its domestic total to $314,245,000, according Warner Bros. yesterday. That surpasses the record set in 2006 by "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which took 16 days to make $300 million. The latest Batman installment already had broken records for best opening weekend at $158.4 million and best single-day with $66.4 million. It's also busted records in its showings on IMAX screens, making $16.3 million in its first 10 days. It's expected that "Dark Knight" could reach $400 million in about 18 days, which would beat the record "Shrek 2" set in 2004 when it made that much money in 43 days. "The Dark Knight" could pass "Titanic" as the highest-grossing film in U.S. history, according to some.  James Cameron's 1997 extravaganza made $600,788,188 domestically, a record no other movie has come close to touching. "The 'Titanic' record hasn't even been threatened for 10 years. It's a tall order but if any film has a chance to surpass that number, it's got to be "Dark Knight."

Trivia Answer: Sally Struthers first achieved fame for her portrayal of Archie Bunker's daughter, Gloria Stivic on the 1970s sitcom All in the Family. Sally turns 60 today. She had a memorable nude scene with Jack Nicholson in "Five Easy Pieces" in 1970. Struthers is also widely known for her work with the Christian Children's Fund, advocating on behalf of impoverished children in developing countries. She has also worked with the International Correspondence School.

To the right is a car for the 2008 campaign.  Whaddaya think?

Former NASA astronaut and moon-walker Dr Edgar Mitchell -- a veteran of the Apollo 14 mission -- claims aliens exist. Furthermore, says he, extra-terrestrials have visited Earth on several occasions but the alien contact has been repeatedly covered up by governments for six decades. The 77-year-old Dr Mitchell said during a radio interview that sources at the space agency who had had contact with aliens described the beings as "little people who look strange to us."

With all the bad news in the headlines ... the mortgage meltdown, rising food prices, layoffs and cutbacks, it's nice to see some good news. The headline reads: Gas Price Nears 7-week Low. AAA reports the Highest Recorded Average Price for a gallon of regular unleaded here in Olympia was $4.397. We set that record over three weeks ago back on June 30th. This morning, the going rate is more than 14 cents less than that record at $4.253.

Dave Niehaus calls first pitch in Mariner history.

Dave Niehaus with the call of The Double.

Dave Niehaus classic grand slam call.

Trivia Answer: Dave Niehaus -- the lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners since their inaugural season. In 1977. Danny Kaye was part-owner of the expansion Mariners and recruited him to become the franchise's radio voice. Since that first game, it's been thirty-two years. Dave has called 4,912 Mariners games (not including several hundred in spring training). He has flown some 2 million miles with the Mariners (enough for four round trips to the moon). The Ms chose him to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the opening of Safeco Field, on July 15, 1999. In 2000, he was the second figure to be inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame. This year Niehaus was named the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award, which recognizes career excellence in baseball broadcasting and is considered the highest baseball broadcasting honor and is being honored in Cooperstown this Sunday. The 73-year-old Niehaus -- the voice of summer here in the Northwest -- is being honored and given a permanent place in a display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. By the way, that signature Niehaus call -- "my oh my!" -- is an unabashed and admitted adaption of his former broadcast partner Dick Enberg's "Oh my!"

It's always fun to see the Bud Light commercials in the Super Bowl.  Well, here's one that didn't make the cut this last go 'round...

A jury in Hall County, Georgia, has awared a woman $150,000 after she sued her former fiancé for calling their wedding off. RoseMary Shell sued her ex-fiancé, Wayne Gibbs, after he broke off their engagement in 2007. Shell argued her fiancé's promise of marital bliss amounted to a binding contract. She said she left a high-paying job in Florida to be with Gibbs and that she has suffered financial losses since their break-up. She also said she's suffered emotionally. Gibbs testified that he had taken Shell on trips and paid $30,000 of her debt while they were engaged. He said when he found out she had even more debt, he canceled the wedding by leaving Shell a note in their bathroom. Closing arguments were heard yesterday morning and by yesterday afternoon, the jury awarded Shell $150,000. Hell hath no fury.

A family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names. Judge Rob Murfitt made 9-year-old "Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii" a ward of the court so that her name could be changed. The girl was involved in a custody battle. The new name was not made public to protect the girl's privacy. Said hizzoner, "The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child's parents have shown in choosing this name. It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily." The girl had been so embarrassed at the name that she had never told her closest friends what it was. She told people to simply call her "K." In his ruling, the judge cited a list of the unfortunate names. Registration officials blocked some names, including "Fish and Chips," "Yeah Detroit," "Keenan Got Lucy" and "Sex Fruit." Others, however, were allowed including "Number 16 Bus Shelter" and "Violence." New Zealand law does not allow names that would cause offense to a reasonable person, among other conditions. Officials usually talk to parents who propose unusual names to try to convince them of the potential for embarrassment.

Trivia Answer: It was July 24, 1983, and the Kansas City Royals were playing the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. In the top of the ninth inning, George Brett came up to bat against Goose Gossage, his old rival. Brett hit a two-run homer to put the Royals up 5-4. After Brett rounded the bases, Yankees manager Billy Martin calmly walked out of the dugout and the umpires used home plate to measure the amount of pine tar, a legal substance used by hitters to improve their grip, on Brett's bat. Martin cited an obscure rule that stated the pine tar on a bat could extend no further than 18 inches. Brett's pine tar extended about 24 inches. Earlier in the season, the Yankees had noted Brett's habit of adding pine tar further than the allowed 18 inches, but waited until a crucial time to point it out to the umpires. A few moments later, the home plate umpire, Tim McClelland, who misinterpreted the rule, signaled Brett out. Brett charged out of the dugout, enraged, and was immediately ejected. Said the Yankee play-by-play announcer, "Look at this! He is out, and having to be forcibly restrained from hitting plate umpire Tim McClelland. And the Yankees have won the ball game 4 to 3!"  Despite the furious protests, McClelland's ruling stood. The Royals protested the game and their protest was upheld by American League president Lee MacPhail. MacPhail (who coincidentally had once been the Yankees' chief executive) ruled that while the bat was illegal, it didn't violate the "spirit of the rules." He added that the bat was not "altered to improve the distance factor", and that the rules only provided for removal of the bat from the game, not calling the batter out. MacPhail ordered the game resumed with two out in the top of the ninth inning with the Royals up 5-4. He also ruled that Brett was to be ejected for his outburst.  On August 18th (a scheduled off day for both teams), the game was resumed from the point of Brett's home run.  The top of the ninth inning finally ended twenty-five days after it had begun. Dan Quisenberry then got New York out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the Royals' 5-4 win.

Goose Gossage is heading into the Hall of Fame this weekend. He pitched 36 games for the Mariners in 1994 winding his career down. Of course, Dave Niehaus is also being inducted this Sunday.

Hundreds of stars on Hollywood's "Walk of Fame" are to undergo a much-needed $4.2 million makeover to repair cracks and holes ahead of the 50th anniversary of the beloved tourist attraction. They're being joined by a newcomer -- Absolut Vodka -- which gets its own star plaque as the first corporate sponsor of the "Walk of Fame." Some 778 of the star-shaped plaques along 2 1/2 miles of sidewalk in and around Hollywood Boulevard need replacing, according to a business group. Many of them -- including those for "Dynasty" star Joan Collins, singer Peter Frampton, actors Walter Matthau and Burt Lancaster -- have been deemed potential safety hazards to pedestrians. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce said yesterday it hopes to raise about $4.2 million from private and public funds to restore the stars. The Hollywood Walk of Fame began with a few demonstration stars in 1958 and was officially launched in November 1960. It now features 2,365 stars in the categories of television, radio, theater, movies and recording and is one of the top tourist draws in Los Angeles.

And the survey says ... Are you a typical or average American? The following applies to more than half of us:

• 80% of us eat corn on the cob in circles (the rest go side to side).
• 75% American women wear the wrong size bra.
• 67% of married Americans wear their wedding rings.
• 63% of us prefer to hear the "bad news" first.
• 62% of Americans become upset if they don't get their coffee at their regular time.
• 61% of Americans would wear torn undergarments.
• 60% of men admit they spit in public.
• 57% American women believe in "love at first sight."
• 53% of Americans read the horoscopes in the morning paper.
• 53% of women won't leave the house without applying makeup.
• 50% admit to sneaking food into movie theaters to avoid high priced concessions.
• 50% Americans eat three meals a day.
• 50% of households do not purchase ice cream.

The list below represents the minority:

• 48% of parents allow their kids to jump on the beds at hotels when they get a room.
• 45% of Americans use mouthwash every day, 9 percent swallow it.
• 38% of us sing in the shower.
• 37% of Americans have made love on a chair (16 percent on a front porch swing).
• 37% women would like to change their teeth.
• 31% of women think the man should pay for every date.
• 22% of Americans never read the bible.
• 22% of us leave globs of toothpaste in the sink.
• 15% of us go to a shrink.
• 14% of us eat watermelon seeds.
• 13% of us admit to occasionally doing our kids homework.
• 13% of Americans brush their teeth from side to side.

David Letterman remembers Calvert DeForest

Trivia Answer: Calvert DeForest who was born on this date in 1921. After years of poor health, DeForest died at a hospital on Long Island in 2007. As per his request, no funeral services were held, and press accounts indicate he left no surviving relatives.

It turns out Batman is more of a superhero than first thought. The latest installment in the Caped Crusader franchise, "The Dark Knight," enhanced its status as the biggest movie opening of all time at the North American box office, according to final data issued yesterday. The film grossed $158.355 million during its first three days of release across the United States and Canada -- a $3 million improvement over the initial estimates.

By the way, an AskMen.com poll asked, "Who is the greatest 'Batman' actor?"

1. Michael Keaton 39%
2. Christian Bale 25%
3. Adam West (TV's Batman) 23%
4. Val Kilmer 7%
5. George Clooney 5%

In his final performance at Shea Stadium, and in the final concert that venue will ever see, Billy Joel brought out some big guns on Friday. Joel played classics for the sold-out crowd at the stadium -- the stadium where The Beatles kicked off their American tour four decades ago. At the end of the show, Billy was joined by one of the Fab Four. Paul McCartney came out saying he “came here a long time ago. We had a blast that night and we’re having another one tonight.” Together, they played “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Let It Be.” Other special guests included Tony Bennett who sang “New York State of Mind” with Joel, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler who performed “Walk This Way” and Roger Daltrey from The Who, playing “My Generation.” After the song, Joel smashed a guitar in two. By showing footage of New York Mets highlights, the concert paid tribute to Shea, which will be torn down at the end of baseball season.

NBC says Conan O'Brien will take over the Tonight Show on June 1st -- and what happens to deposed host Jay Leno after that is anybody's guess. Leno's last show is set for Friday, May 29th, and O'Brien starts the following Monday, June 1st. That's what NBC executives told a Television Critics Association meeting yesterday. NBC is angling to keep Leno with the network but the late-night king has indicated he's ready to jump ship. NBC competitors, including other networks and syndicators, are eager to help him make the leap. Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff, NBC Entertainment co-chairmen, were asked about the specter of Leno being hired by ABC and overpowering O'Brien in the ratings. "We really believe in the decisions we've made with our partners, including Jay" and are standing by them, Silverman replied. Jimmy Fallon is poised to take over O'Brien's "Late Night" in March or April of 2009, after honing his approach in brief Internet shows. O'Brien will wrap his "Late Night" run sometime in the first quarter of the year, with exact dates to be determined, the executives said. O'Brien reruns will fill the gap until Fallon takes over.

Sometimes you just gotta wonder who thought it was a good idea to begin with. From the Rock & Roll Calendar, it was on this date in 1967 that Jimi Hendrix called it quits as the opening act for The Monkees.

Trivia Answer: The gentleman is Donald Hugh Henley -- Don Henley -- who turns 61 today.  It was Glenn Frey that he met when he moved to California.  Don and Glenn would form The Eagles.  Linda Ronstadt did a cover of their song "Desperado."

Batman sent Spidey packing as king of Hollywood's box-office superheroes. Heath Ledger as the Joker and Christian Bale as Batman are breaking box office records with "The Dark Knight." The film took in a record $155.34 million in its first weekend, topping the previous best of $151.1 million for "Spider-Man 3" in May 2007 and pacing Hollywood to its biggest weekend ever. Factoring in higher admission prices, "Spider-Man 3" may have sold slightly more tickets than "The Dark Knight." At 2007's average price of $6.88, "Spider-Man 3" sold 21.96 million tickets over opening weekend. Media By Numbers estimates today's average movie prices at $7.08, which means "The Dark Knight" would have sold 21.94 million tickets.

The 2008 Summer Olympics open in 18 days and we get word now that Beijing has ordered restaurants to remove dog meat from their menus during the games so as not to offend Western sensibilities.

Trivia Answer: Robin McLaurim Williams who turns 57 today. The sitcom from which he came was Mork & Mindy. His Academy Award was for his performance in Good Will Hunting.

First baseman Richie Sexson and the New York Yankees reached a deal yesterday -- just a week after the Mariners cut the slumping slugger. The Yankees picked up a fraction of Sexson's contract, leaving the Mariners to pay the rest of his $14 million salary.

A Miami man who held up a McDonald's at gunpoint in 1994 is now promoting the restaurant's signature sandwich in song. Tamien Bain is among five finalists in the fast food chain's contest for a new jingle promoting the Big Mac. Bain was arrested on Memorial Day 1994 for the holdup. He served 12 years in prison, where he became interested in making music. The 29-year-old Bain says he was up front with contest officials about his past when applying for the MySpace.com/BigMacChant competition. You and I have until Sunday to vote. The winner gets a trip to Los Angeles and their song featured in a national McDonald's ad.

A measure seeking to commemorate President Bush's years in office by slapping his name on a San Francisco sewage plant has qualified for the November ballot. The measure certified Thursday would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant. Supporters say the idea is to commemorate the mess they claim Bush has left behind by actions such as the war in Iraq. Local Republicans say the plan stinks and they will oppose it.

Speaking of politics, it's time for some campaignin' ...

Trivia Answer: Carlos Santana who turns 61 on Sunday. By the way, Carlos is Northwest bound. He plays the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn in September.

Rolling Stone guitarist Ronnie Wood entered a rehabilitation facility yesterday for help with alcoholism. The 61-year-old has fought a long battle with alcoholism during his rock 'n' roll career, which started in the 1960s when he played with the band The Faces. His spokeswoman didn't release any details about the treatment he'll receive or the clinic that he entered. The craggy guitarist had seemed to be in good health in recent years. He has developed a strong second career as an artist, selling his paintings at some of London's respected art galleries. But he has been the focus of feverish recent newspaper reports about his resuming drinking.

One of Jimi Hendrix's favorite guitars, set alight on a London stage more than 40 years ago and thought to have been lost forever, is to be auctioned later this year. The guitar, a 1965 Fender Stratocaster, was famously doused with lighter fuel and set alight by the rock legend during a performance at London's Finsbury Astoria in March 1967. Hendrix had to be rushed to hospital with minor burns to his hands after the stunt. The guitar, slightly damaged along the neck and pickboard, was recovered by his staff. It eventually ended up in the hands of his press officer, Tony Garland, who stored it in his parents' garage, where it remained until it was unearthed last year by Garland's nephew. The guitar is among a range of rock memorabilia to be auctioned in London on September 4th. It has an estimate of 500,000 pounds ($999,000). Hendrix, who died in 1970, burnt two guitars on stage -- he repeated the stunt at a festival later in 1967 -- but the one to be auctioned is the only example that survives intact. A previous auction of a Hendrix guitar, known as the Woodstock Stratocaster, fetched $1.8 million.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Trivia Answer: Art Linkletter who turns 96 today. No disrespect intended but I was surprised to discover that Art is still alive ... glad to hear it but surprised. He has had one of the longest marriages of any celebrity in America. He married Lois Foerster on November 25, 1935 and they had five children. Art was a good friend of Walt Disney. In 1963, Art became the spokesman for Milton Bradley's Game of Life. His picture appeared on the box and on the $100,000 bills. Linkletter was once a spokesperson for National Home Life, an insurance company. He received a lifetime achievement Daytime Emmy award in 2003. Earlier this year, Art suffered a mild stroke.

In his five decades of making music, Elton John has never played in the state of Vermont. That gap gets filled in on Monday. After Monday's concert, Sir Elton can claim to have rocked in all fifty states. To honor the event, Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company has combined peanut butter cookie dough, white chocolate chunks, butter brickle and chocolate ice cream to form the newest flavor: Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road.

Miss USA has learned a simple lesson from her humiliating tumble during the Miss Universe pageant -- the second year in a row the American contestant has taken a spill (see the videos below). "I think I'm going to have to take some walking classes," Crystle Stewart told The Associated Press just hours after her mishap was broadcast live across the globe. "I would never have thought in a million years that I would fall down at the Miss Universe pageant -- right after Miss USA fell last year. I always wondered: My God, if that happened to me, what would I do?" Stewart is taking the episode with equal parts humor and philosophy, determined to move on. "Things happen," she says. "I"m perfectly fine. I'm going to move back to New York and get on with my life." Stewart's fall came as she walked on stage for the evening gown competition. "My dress has beautiful beads on the bottom of it, and I stepped on my gown and they made me slip. It was like I was on Rollerblades. There was no conspiracy or anything. Nobody left marbles on the floor. It was just me."

Trivia Answer: Harry Forster Chapin -- Harry Chapin -- is the singer/songwriter and the song was "Cat's in the Cradle." Harry was killed in a car accident on this date in 1981.

A baseball note: Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers hit a record 28 homers in the first round of the All-Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium ... and then didn't win. He was beaten by Minnesota's Justin Morneau in the final round 5-3. Hamilton, back from drug and alcohol addiction that derailed his career, broke Bobby Abreu's mark for one round with a dazzling display of power. Abreu hit 24 home runs in the first round in 2005 at Detroit's Comerica Park. With his free and easy left-handed swing, Hamilton connected on 13 consecutive cuts before falling short of the fences on his final two. His longest shot was estimated at 512 feet. Tonight, of course, Major League Baseball presents the 79th annual All Star game pitting the National League against the American League. The National League has not won since 1996. Okay, they didn’t lose in 2002. That was the year the game ended in a tie. No matter. When the first pitch of the All-Star Game is thrown tonight, the biggest star will still be the building. The game promises to be a celebration of Yankee Stadium and its rich history in the American sporting scene, revolving around the New York Yankees' final season in the game's cathedral before moving into a gleaming facility across the street next season.

It struck me as interesting to watch the Home Run Derby last night and see the Budweiser commercials with the slogan "Budweiser The Great American Lager" on the heels of the news over the weekend that Anheuser-Busch was in the process of being purchased by foreign interests. In fact, Philip McClary was barbecuing at his home in suburban St. Louis on Sunday night when he heard his hometown brewer would be bought by the Belgian company InBev. The deal would create the world's largest brewer and put the U.S. beer maker in the hands of Belgian-based InBev. Said McClary yesterday, "I was actually drinking a Bud Light when I heard, and I couldn't even finish it. That's the honest-to-God truth." McClary has posted a song on YouTube. In the tune "Kiss Our Glass" he sings "America is not for sale, and neither is her beer. All you hard-working Americans stand up and show some class. Have a drink with Mother Freedom, and tell InBev to kiss your glass." Of course, here in the South Sound we have experience with breweries being sold to foreign investors. The Olympia/Pabst/Miller property is still sitting empty. A little history: Frederick Miller bought the Plank Road Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1855 after emigrating from Germany. The South African Breweries bought Miller in 2002, forming SABMiller. Miller Brewing Company operates as a subsidiary of the South African-based company. SABMiller added U.S. brewer Coors to its brand portfolio when Miller and Coors combined operations earler this year. The Schmidt Family, which owned and operated the Olympia Brewery and company, elected to sell to Heilemann's Old Style Beer Company in 1982. Heilemann's was subsequently purchased by Pabst in 1983. The brewery was eventually purchased by SABMiller which closed it July 1, 2003, citing the unprofitability of such a small brewery.

Philip McClary's "Kiss Our Glass"

Both Barack Obama and John McCain are left-handed, meaning that no matter who is elected president in November, six of the last 12 commanders in chief will have been southpaws. Only one person in 10 in the general population is left-handed.

It looks like Bloomingdales may soon be your Beatles shopping destination. The department store has reportedly gained the rights to Beatles images from Apple Records and will conjure up a series of T-shirts, jackets and accessories that feature images from posters and album artwork. Bigger news is that they will also sell a limited-edition Beatles iPod which will boast every song in the band’s catalog, and only 100 are being made available. The Fab Four gear is coming out this holiday season, so you may want to get in line now.

A couple of calendar notes: It was on this date in 1916 in Seattle that a couple of gentlemen -- William Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt -- incorporated Pacific Aero Products. The company would later be renamed Boeing. Five years ago today, AOL Time Warner disbanded Netscape Communications Corporation. Interestingly, the Mozilla Foundation -- the folks behind the Firefox web browser -- was established on the same day.

Trivia Answer: Alexander George Karras -- Alex Karras -- who turns 73 today. He also starred on the ABC sitcom Webster, alongside real-life wife Susan Clark, as the main character's adoptive father.

The campaign countdown continues. Only 114 days to go. Jay Leno has made a couple of references lately to the fact that the approval rating of congress now stands at nine percent ... while the oil companies are at 12%.

Major League Baseball's All-Star game is coming up tomorrow night. It turns out that it's the highest-priced in baseball history. Lower-deck seats arre costing $525 to $725, and bleacher tickets are going for $150. In New York's Wall Street-driven economy, the Home Run Derby sold for $100 to $650. And that's the list price. On Stubhub.com, tickets for tomorrow night's game were on sale for up to $6,390 each.

Miss Venezuela has been crowned Miss Universe 2008 in a contest marked by the spectacle of Miss USA falling down during the evening gown competition ... for the second year in a row! An elated Dayana Mendoza received the crown from her predecessor, Riyo Mori of Japan. and then prepared to meet a gaggle of reporters. The 22-year-old Miss Venezuela was once kidnapped in her homeland and says the experience taught her to remain poised under pressure. Tension got under the skin of Crystle Stewart of Texas, the second Miss USA in a row to fall down during the Miss Universe pageant. She tripped on the train of her bejeweled evening gown as she made her entrance. During the 2007 Miss Universe contest in Mexico City, Miss USA Rachel Smith also tumbled during the evening gown competition and became an unintended star on You Tube, where the video was shown over and over again. Like Smith, Stewart quickly stood up after her fall and continued on as if nothing had happened.

Now

Then

Trivia Answer: The $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 bills. Circulation of high-denomination bills was halted by executive order of President Richard Nixon, in an effort to combat organized crime. The callers this morning kept guessing the $2 bill but it is still in circulation. The two-dollar bill is one of the most rarely seen in circulation and actual use. They are almost never given as change for commercial transactions, and thus consumers rarely have them on hand. Production of the two-dollar bill is quite low only making up about one percent of all bills currently produced. Although they are still technically legal tender in the United States, high-denomination bills were last printed in 1945 and officially discontinued on this date in 1969 by the Federal Reserve System. The $5,000 and $10,000 effectively disappeared well before then: there are only about 200 $5,000 and 300 $10,000 bills known, of all series since 1861. Of the $10,000 bills, 100 were preserved for many years by Benny Binion, the owner of Binion's Horseshoe casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they were displayed in a glass case. The case is no longer there, and the bills were sold to collectors. For the most part, these bills were used by banks and the Federal Government for large financial transactions. However, the introduction of the electronic money system has made large-scale cash transactions obsolete. When combined with concerns about counterfeiting and the use of cash in unlawful activities such as the illegal drug trade, it is unlikely that the U.S. government will re-issue large denomination currency in the near future. In fact, according to the US Department of Treasury website, "The present denominations of our currency in production are $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100....Neither the Department of the Treasury nor the Federal Reserve System has any plans to change the denominations in use today."

The new Apple iPhone went on sale this morning, but early reports of problems activating the device threatened to overshadow its debut. With eager buyers flocking to Apple stores, news organizations chronicled reports that Apple's iTunes store was struggling with the heavy traffic. Apple's new iPhone is cheaper and built on third-generation, or 3G, technology that is faster than the original iPhone's network. AT&T, the iPhone's exclusive carrier in the United States, has cut the price of the iPhone in half: an 8-GB model sells for $199, or $200 less than the original iPhone. The 16-GB version costs $299. The Apple Store on New York City's Fifth Avenue, which had a line of 150 people outside just after 5:00 this morninga and was moving people through the line with new iPhones at about 10-minute clip per customer when the doors first opened. But problems soon appeared. Customers had difficulty setting up their new phones and were told to go home and try to activate their devices later. Today's rollout was a stark contrast to last year's debut, in which hordes of eager buyers camped out for days at Apple stores around the country and the purchasing process went off without a hitch - at least on Apple's end. AT&T, meanwhile, was hounded with problems activating service. Today, AT&T was quick to pin the blame on Apple. "There's a worldwide issue with iTunes that Apple is working to resolve," an AT&T representative said in an e-mail.

About the new iPhone

A Japanese company has partnered up with Oklahoma company Rocketplane Global Inc. to be the first group to offer wedding ceremonies performed in space. For 2.3-million dollars, couples can say “I do” from 60 miles above Earth starting in 2011. “Honeymoons in space and out-of-this-world sex will be a reality within a decade,” says Laura Woodmansee, author of Sex in Space. The History Channel is reportedly interested in doing a special on the topic. NASA has not commented.

Trivia Answer: The lady in question is Patricia "Bonnie" Pointer -- who celebrates her 58th birthday today. The family music group is, of course, The Pointer Sisters. Bonnie and youngest sister June began singing together as teenagers and in 1969 the duo had co-founded The Pair. After Anita joined the duo that same year, they changed their name to The Pointer Sisters and recorded several singles for Atlantic Records between 1971 and 1972. In 1972, they recruited oldest sister Ruth and released their debut album as The Pointer Sisters in 1973. Their self-titled debut yielded the hit, "Yes We Can Can." Between 1973 and 1977, the Pointers donned 1940s fashions and sang in a style reminiscent of The Andrew Sisters. In 1978, Bonnie married Motown Records Producer Jeffrey Bowen and signed with Motown. That same year, Bonnie released "Heaven Must Have Sent You" which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She released three solo albums, including two self-titled albums, for Motown before retiring from the studio.

Saw a headline yesterday that said the Dow was at its lowest level since August of 2006.  Of course, you've seen the new dollar bill:

The campaign countdown continues. Just a little over 100 days left. Interesting new AP-Yahoo News poll is just out. It found that dog owners lean toward McCain, 43 to 34 percent. Cat owners divide their loyalties -- 41 percent for McCain, 38 percent for Obama.

Porky Pig...Curtain Razor

Trivia Answer: Melvin Jerome Blanc -- Mel Blanc -- who died on this date in 1989. of heart disease and emphysema. His will directed that the inscription on his gravestone read, "THAT'S ALL FOLKS." Regarding his nickname -- "The Man of a Thousand Voices" -- in his autobiography, That's Not All, Folks!, Mel confessed to a minor bit of deception. He said that by his estimate, he had provided only 850 voices. Some of those voices included Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, Cecil Turtle, Tweety Bird, Yosemite Sam, Pepé Le Pew, Sylvester, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Road Runner, Elmer Fudd, Wile E. Coyote, Speedy Gonzales, The Tasmanian Devil, Barney Rubble, Dino, Cosmo G. Spacely, Hardy Har Har, and the Frito Bandito.  In the 1949 Porky Pig short Curtain Razor -- in addition to his regular voices -- Mel Blanc appears as a turtle doing only 999 voices out of a claimed one thousand.  He actually does only about seven distinct voices in the clip.  The voices were edited into a rapid-fire montage of short sound bites, thus giving the impression of more voices.  By the way, Mel was born in San Francisco but raised in Portland, Oregon.  In fact, he began his career at Portland radio stations KGW and KEX.

Somebody saw a bumpersticker that said "Less Chuck Norris." They asked me what it meant. Uhm. I don't know but here are some Chuck Norris facts supposedly chosen by the man himself:

• When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
• Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.
• There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.
• Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris.
• Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
• Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
• Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.
• Chuck Norris counted to infinity ... twice.
• There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard. There is only another fist.
• When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.
• Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.
• Chuck Norris’ hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.
• Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.
• Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.
• Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
• Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris bites frost.
• Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit after watching a DeltaForce marathon on Satellite TV.
• Contrary to popular belief, America is not a democracy, it is a Chucktatorship.

 
The opening to Bosom Buddies starring Tom Hanks & Peter Scolari

Trivia Answer: Thomas Jeffrey Hanks -- Tom Hanks -- who turns 52 today.  The top actors in terms of box office totals are Eddie Murphy, Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, and Tom Cruise.  Those nineteen films grossing over $100 million are Bachelor Party, Splash, Money Pit, Big, Turner and Hooch, The 'Burbs, A League of Their Own, Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Toy Story (voice), Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail, Toy Story 2 (voice), The Green Mile, Cast Away, Road to Perdition, Catch Me if You Can, The Terminal, The Polar Express (voice), The Da Vinci Code, The Simpsons Movie (voice), and Charlie Wilson's War.

Nothing new to report on yesterday's cougar sighting in West Olympia. However, it was pointed out to me that, of course, there are Cougars in West Oly ... and there are Bears near the brewery ... and there are Thunderbirds in Tumwater ... and even Bearcats in Chehalis.

From our "find good news where you can" department comes word that we have gone over a week without setting a new record for gas prices here in Olympia. The high-water mark is $4.397 per gallon for unleaded regular. That record was set back on June 30th. According to AAA, this morning's average here in Oly was $4.388.

I love this story. A federal judge in Tacoma told a lawyer he needs to make it snappy. Apparently this 465-page lawsuit made its way onto Judge Ronald Leighton's desk. The title alone of the racketeering lawsuit filed by attorney Dean Browning Webb was eight pages long. Hizzoner was not amused. He invoked a rarely used rule that requires a "short and plain statement" of allegations. The judge issued an order in limerick:

Plaintiff has a great deal to say,
But it seems he skipped Rule 8(a).
His Complaint is too long,
Which renders it wrong,
Please rewrite and refile today.

Hope you had a great Independence Day weekend.  The fireworks in Tumwater were awesome.  Thanks, by the way, for joining Kris Marshall and the Roxy Road Show at the Artesian Family Festival & Thunder Valley Fireworks at the Tumwater Valley Golf Course on Friday.

Kind of a scary news release from the City of Olympia:

There have been a least two sightings of a cougar in West Olympia early Monday morning. The initial sighting was in a brushy area near Cooper Point Road and Mall Loop Drive. Another sighting was reported shortly thereafter near Cooper Point and Mud Bay Road. In following up, officers learned of another possible cougar event on Kaiser Road earlier in the weekend. A team from the Department of Fish and Wildlife was called out this morning to attempt to locate the cat, but that search did not produce fruitful results. While the cat may leave the area on its own or be located soon, for several days it would be prudent for residents in the area to keep a very close eye on younger children and pets when they're outdoors and to avoid going into wooded areas. Park users are also advised to use caution around the wooded parts of Yauger Park and Grass Lake Park -- particularly on the trails in Grass Lake Park. Confirmed cougar sightings should be reported to 9-1-1 without delay.

Well, the Mariners wrapped up their weekend with a 2-to-1, 15-inning loss to Detroit but that wasn't the news. The big story was that little-used catcher Jamie Burke took the mound for the 15th inning, leaving Mariners fans doing double-takes at their televisions. After 14 innings of stellar pitching, it had come to this. He didn't put a zero up, but even though he gave up one run and took the loss, Burke didn't embarrass himself. As the game was progressing and the Mariners were burning through relief pitchers, they started running out of options. Brandon Morrow had pitched four of the past five games, and they wouldn't chance using him again. Arthur Rhodes had slept awkwardly on his pitching arm, and bullpen coach Norm Charlton shut him down after seeing him warm up. By the 11th inning, the Mariners were down to Cesar Jimenez available in the bullpen, and rode him for a career-high four innings of relief. Then they hit the end of the line. The only other pitchers on the roster were Jarrod Washburn and Carlos Silva, who are scheduled to start the next two games, and Erik Bedard, who had a sore arm and had already been scratched from his next start. Riggleman looked down the bench and saw Burke, the man who has been rendered odd man out as the third catcher. He called Burke over and asked if he'd ever pitched. Burke told the manager that he had in fact pitched, twice at Triple-A. He went three innings and got a win in a marathon game in 1999 and pitched an inning in a blowout in 2002. The Skipper sent him to the hill. Burke threw a couple of wild pitches as he was warming up, but said he was just concentrating on throwing strikes. Burke hit 87 with his fastball, but several times could be seen shaking off catcher Jeff Clement. Says Burke, "There was a couple times he wanted me to throw changeup or slider and I was like, oh no." Burke became the third position player in Mariners history to pitch in a game. The first was Manny Castillo, who gave up seven earned runs in a 19-7 blowout loss in 1983. The other was John Mabry, who gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning in a 14-4 loss in 2000. Burke can lay claim to being the only Mariner to play a position and pitch in the same game (neither Manny Castillo nor John Mabry played a position in the games in which they pitched).

Another baseball note: It was announced over the weekend that Ichiro Suzuki is part of the American League All-Star team. In other news, the sun will once again rise tomorrow. Ichiro in the All-Star Game is as sure as death and taxes. It's an honor the Mariners outfielder has now achieved in all eight of his seasons playing American baseball. You could even say Ichiro's All-Star streak is 15 years -- he was an All-Star for his final seven seasons in Japan.

Trivia Answer: Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen who celebrates his 81st birthday today. He's best known for leading the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. His dad, by the way, was a dentist. As a youngster Carl was nicknamed "Little Doc" after his father. When he grew up he was no longer "Little" but he remained "Doc." In the 1950s, during Steve Allen's tenure as host of NBC-TV's Tonight, Doc Severinsen played first trumpet in the band which was directed by Skitch Henderson. Severinsen took over as bandleader in 1967, and soon became noted for his flashy, trendy stage wardrobe. Under Severinsen, the Tonight Show's NBC Orchestra was the most visible big band in America. Severinsen took the opportunity to update many well-known swing and jazz standards for the show's audiences, often introducing new listeners to classics by Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie, and others. Severinsen would sometimes substitute for Ed McMahon as announcer and sidekick. Although adept at comic interplay, Severinsen took his role as band leader on The Tonight Show seriously. The band played both incidental music for comedy sketches and guest introductions, and intermission music during station breaks. Severinsen campaigned for the band to get featured slots during the show. For the most part the band was seen on camera during the frequent "Stump the Band" segments. Audience members would challenge the band with obscure song titles, and Severinsen and his crew would attempt to play something appropriate to the titles. Severinsen often cried, "Key of E!", his signal for the band to strike up a western theme, and then he would enthusiastically sing a country-flavored nonsense song. Severinsen continued as bandleader until Carson's retirement in 1992. Today, Doc lives in San Miguel, Mexico, with his wife, Emily. He has three adult children. He has three grandchildren in New Jersey, all of them musicians. Doc owns Severinsen Custom Trumpets, manufacturer of custom-made horns, including his Destino line of trumpets (and he play-tests each one). 

The Sonic Boom and Hoopless in Seattle were just a couple of the headlines coming after yesterday's last-hour announcement of a settlement between Clay Bennett and the city of Seattle. NBA season tickets went on sale in Oklahoma City this morning. It turns out that nothing can stop Clay Bennett from taking his basketball franchise there next season. Former Sonics owner Howard Schultz, who sold the franchise to Bennett's group in 2006, is holding out hope of ultimately overturning the process and getting the Sonics back to Seattle by 2009-10 as he proceeds with his legal attempt to reverse the sale on the basis of fraud and breach of contract. His attorney says, "Our lawsuit is separate. We are not a party to (the city's) settlement and, in fact, we chose not to participate in it."

Art Thiel in this morning's Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

The "man possessed," Clay Bennett, showed that he will do just about anything to gratify himself and his fellow Oklahomans by offering another silly payment for NBA ball, yet one the Seattle political leadership lacked the guts to refuse.Obliterated for cash is 41 years of sports and civic history. So much for the city's passionate courtroom argument that the pro basketball team was of irreplaceable value. New York, if you fancy the Space Needle, bring your checkbook and a really big hacksaw. We'll deal. As with the Sonics, it's privately owned and not used by a majority of voters, and its structure is a World Fair relic that maybe could use an upgrade. To paraphrase a famous punch line by Winston Churchill, we know what we are. We're just quibbling over price. Pragmatists will argue that Bennett's $45 million settlement more than covers the city's lost rent and admissions taxes at KeyArena for the next couple of years, plus all of the remaining indebtedness from the 1995 remodeling that became nearly worthless in less than a decade. The amount was the least the city should have accepted. Yet applause is expected? Perhaps we should cheer, too, when Mayor Greg Nickels uses his turn signal, or buckles his seat belt. The city could have bargained for that sum after Bennett's first offer of a $26 million settlement in February. Bennett already figured that two more years in Seattle was going to cost him $60 million in operating losses, so he probably would have jumped at $45 million. As for the additional $30 million due in 2013 if Bennett hasn't helped get another franchise for Seattle -- please. Bennett being forced to help Seattle scrounge a team is like hiring Yosemite Sam to be an anger-management counselor. As far as relocating a team here, no commissioner of any sports league can dictate where a team must move. Does any sports fan think the NFL wanted Al Davis to shuttle the Raiders back and forth between Los Angeles and Oakland? Or to have the Rams abandon the L.A. market? The idea that assurance would be given Seattle about another established team moving here has always been pure fantasy. Yes, Seattle is keeping the Sonics name and history. Whoopee. Months ago, that was the first, easiest thing Bennett offered in settlement. Now that he has a settlement, the chance to bestow those small virtues on another team is a speck on the horizon. Yes, the NBA chipped in with a promise to notify Seattle when a team is for sale. Thanks a bunch, David Stern. Believe it or not, we have the Internet here. In the end, the settlement gave Seattle little more than cover for the bean-counting City Council constituencies and nothing for its sports fans. The biggest culprits in this deal have been the NBA and former owner Howard Schultz. However unfairly, the mess they created fell to the city and the business community to clean up. But by neglecting to put more resources in front-end imagination instead of back-end litigation, the game was lost. Bennett is still a liar, Stern is still unconscionably remorseless, and the Sonics are gone. As Nickels said on the witness stand during the trial's first day in explaining why he wanted the Sonics to stay two more years, "anything can happen." Apparently, anything included nothing.

The headlines are screaming about gas prices continuing to climb, but around here they seem to have stablized somewhat -- at least for now. AAA reports the current average for a gallon of regular unleaded is $4.375 here in our fair city. That's over two cents lower than the record of $4.397 that we set on Monday.

Trivia Answer: James Gilmore Backus -- Jim Backus -- who passed away on this date in 1989. He's probably best remembered as Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom "Gilligan's Island," and as the voice of Mr. Magoo. His filmography, however, is quite extensive. In addition to "Revel Without a Cause," he appeared in "Father Was a Fullback" in 1949, "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" in 1962, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" in 1963, "Billie" in 1965, "Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?" in 1968, and "Prince Jack" in 1984. In addition to the "upper-crust" roles, he would occasionally be cast in regular roles including in Richard Brooks' "Deadline U.S.A." in 1951 and George Cukor's "Pat and Mike" in 1952. In stark contrast to his usual affluent characters, he appeared on "The Brady Bunch" as an old gold prospector. In 1952, he had a brief scene in "Don't Bother To Knock" with Marilyn Monroe. Years later, as a frequent talk show guest, Backus would recount the time Monroe urgently beckoned him into her dressing room. Once there, she exclaimed in her breathless voice, "Do Mr. Magoo!" In the late 1950s, he made two novelty records, "Delicious" and "Cave Man". They were a zany kind of humor and became popular in areas where they were distributed. Backus also did several television commercials. As Mr. Magoo, he helped advertise the GE line of products over the years. He was also a spokesperson for La-Z-Boy furniture during the 1970s. In the late '80s, he was reunited with former co-star Natalie Schafer (Lovey Howell) in an advertisement for Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn. In the ad, they reprised their roles from Gilligan's Island but rather than being shipwrecked, the setting was a luxurious study or den. Both performers were rather frail and this would be the last television appearance either one would be in before their deaths. On July 3, 1989, Backus died in Los Angeles, California from complications of pneumonia, after suffering from Parkinson's disease for many years.

U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman is set to make her ruling on the Sonics' future this afternoon at 4. Her decision is to be posted here (www.wawd.uscourts.gov/SonicsCase01.htm).

Also in the wonderful world of sports, whodathunkit? Richie Sexson stealing a base and hitting a home run in the same game, the Mariners rallying from deficits of 3-0 and 6-2 in the same game, and the Mariners winning 7-6 on a walk-off single from Willie Bloomquist?  Last night's game at the Safe was the kind of game the Mariners didn't win during the first half of the season. They had to wait until the 83rd game for the kind of victory winning teams get. Hopefully, the second half of the season will continue to be less dismal than the first.

More than 30 tall sailing ships are on display in Tacoma for the holiday weekend. They include the three-masted Coast Guard training vessel "Eagle" and the Aberdeen-based "Lady Washington," a replica of one of the first U.S. ships in the Northwest. Also a replica of the "Bounty" built for a movie.

Today -- July 2nd -- is the 184th day of the year.  In a non-leap year, it would be the 183rd day and  middle day of the year with 182 days before it and 182 days following it.  Also in a non-leap year, it falls on the same day of the week as New Year's Day.  This, however, is a leap year so ... uhm ... never mind.

A few other calendar items for today.  It was on this date in 1937 that Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappear over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first equatorial round-the-world flight.  In 1962, the first Wal-Mart opened for business in Rogers, Arkansas.  In 1979, the first U.S. coin to honor a woman, the Susan B. Anthony dollar, was introduced. 

Trivia Answer: Frederick Hubbard Gwynne -- Fred Gwynne -- was the actor and the character was Herman Munster. Fred died on this date in 1993 -- eight days shy of his 67th birthday. He was best known for his roles as Francis Muldoon on "Car 54, Where Are You?" and as Herman Munster on "The Munsters." For his role as Herman, he had to wear 40 to 50 pounds of padding, makeup, and four-inch elevator shoes. His face was painted a bright violet because it captured the most light on the black-and-white film. Interesting to note that the show aired at night once a week in black-and-white on CBS for just a relatively short period of time -- from 1964 to 1966 -- for a total of 70 episodes. It was cancelled after ratings dropped to an all-time low due to the premiere of ABC's "Batman" -- which was in full color. "The Munsters," of course, have continued in syndication ever since. Gwynne was known for his sense of humor and retained fond recollections of Herman, claiming in later life, "I might as well tell you the truth. I love old Herman Munster. Much as I try not to, I can't stop liking that fellow." After his experience in "The Munsters," however, he found himself identified with the character which led to difficulty in being cast in different kinds of roles. For example, in 1969, he was cast as Jonathan Brewster, a Frankenstein monster-like character, in a television production of "Arsenic and Old Lace."

Welcome to July!  This is Ice Cream Month (the 20th is Ice Cream Day), National Blueberry Month, National Horseradish Month, National Hot Dog Month (the 10th is Hot Dog Night), and Women's Motorcycle Month.  You should also know that Air Conditioning Appreciation Days start Thursday and run through August 15th (the 23rd is Hot Enough For Ya Day).

Ahh, politics.  Check the video below for a real mind-blower.

Trivia Answer: The Sony Walkman. Walkman is a popular Sony brand used to market its portable audio and video players. The original Walkman introduced a change in music listening habits, allowing people to carry their own choice of music with them. The device was created by an engineer in the audio division of Sony for the company's co-chairman who wanted to be able to listen to operas during his frequent transpacific plane trips. He, by the way, hated the name "Walkman" and asked it to be changed. After being told by junior executives that a promotion campaign had already begun using the 'Walkman' name and that it would be too expensive to change, the co-chairman relented. The original blue-and-silver Walkman model -- the TPS-L2 -- went on sale in Japan on this date in 1979. In the United Kingdom, it came with stereo playback and two mini-headphone jacks, permitting two people to listen at the same time (though it came with only one pair headphones). It should be noted, however, that the first portable personal stereo audio cassette player was called Stereobelt, and had been invented earlier by the German-Brazilian Andreas Pavel in 1972. It was patented in the U.S. in 1978. After lengthy legal battles, Andreas Pavel was finally recognized by Sony in 2003 as the original inventor of the Walkman. The names "Walkman," "Pressman," "Watchman," "Scoopman," "Discman," and "Talkman" are trademarks of Sony and have been applied to a wide range of portable entertainment devices manufactured by the company. Sony continues to use the "Walkman" brand name for most of their portable audio devices, after the "Discman" name for CD players was dropped in the late 1990s. According to Sony, the plural form is "Walkman Personal Stereos" -- rather than "Walkmans" or "Walkmen" (presumably to preserve their trademark on "Walkman").