Day: June 25, 2012

The McBournie Minute: Who will replace our aging game show hosts?

Alex Trebek had a mild heart attack over the weekend, but he’s doing just fine, according to spokespeople. This is great news, but it it highlights something that none of us want to think about: our cherished game show hosts are aging and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Sure, we were pleased to hear that Trebek was spry enough to chase after a woman who attempted to rob his hotel room while he slept. But even then, he didn’t catch the suspect, and managed to injure his Achilles tendon.  He was on crutches for weeks. We saw him as valiant, we laughed at the news that he sleeps naked, and gasped when we realized that the man is 71. This was Trebek’s second heart attack, and even though he looks amazing for his age, he’s still in his seventies, worse yet, he’s planning to retire in the near future.

When our beloved game show hosts retire, who will be there to replace them? Continue reading The McBournie Minute: Who will replace our aging game show hosts?

Another species down, finally

The Galapagos Islands are known for their biodiversity, and of course, their huge tortoises. Well, brave citizens, the Galapagos is finally down one species of tortoise, because the last one known has died.

Lonesome George, the one-time sidekick to Curious George, is dead. He was the last of a subspecies of giant tortoise, and became a symbol of conversation on the Galapagos. George refused to mate with similar subspecies, refused to say it he had any family.

He died at the young age of 100, not even middle-aged. It begs the question: was it murder?

A monumental week of slow news

Good morning, and welcome to another edition of Slow News Week (until the U.S. Supreme Court finally drops those decisions already)! This week, we’re getting to the bottom of ancient stone things that people built.

First up: it’s round, has been featured in dozens of movies and has a raging infestation of pagans twice a year. Say hello to Stonehenge! British scientists have spent the past 10 years investigating the famous site, trying to determine once and for all what Stone Age Brits were thinking when they built it. They now believe that while, yes, the site was selected for its connections to the winter and summer solstices, the structure itself was built as a unifying monument between warring tribes. So, calling it a peace memorial should keep all those hippie freaks away, right?

Next: they’ve been in one movie starring Jason Scott Lee and have locked up all the beachfront property on Easter Island since 1200 AD. Give it up for the Easter Island statues! It’s still a mystery why the ancient Rapa Nui built over 800 tall stone statues of Bruce Campbell (or moai), but science may have discovered how they moved them from an inland quarry to the coastline: by walking them. One team discovered they could move the statues with teethers strapped around the head and tilting them back and forth on their bases. They’ve rejected The Guys’ suggestion to coin this “Weekending at Bernie’s.”

Uruguay takes first step to becoming California of South America

Uruguay, the South American country that you just don’t hear about it or even think about all that often (Guyana being the other), has decided to make news once again. It makes sense as it’s been a decade since anyone’s thought of them. The country will do more than just legalize marijuana: it’ll (maybe) be selling the drug through government dealers.

Mind you, a lot of this concept, proposed by Uruguay’s President José Mujica (who looks like a Hispanic cross between Wilford Brimley and Giancarlo Giannini playing René Mathis), is being done under the pretext of fighting off the already-present drug dealers in the country.

The next step for the country: replacing Mujica with an aging bodybuilder/actor.