Hi, all. Much thanks to Letty for inviting me here.
And I'm so delighted to find some Caruso and opera fans here. Bravo! I'm quite an avid opera fan.
Hope everyone had a pleasant Independence Day.
Rather than being shy about joining you, I figured I'd jump in here with two feet. I hope I'm not being too inappropriate or off target.
One of those 4th of July rituals that always fascinates me is the annual hot dog eating contest at Nathans at Coney Island in Brooklyn. How do they do it? How do they keep them down? Well, Joey Chestnut managed to hold on to his crown yesterday.
Quote:NEW YORK (CNN) -- World-record holder and defending champion Joey "Jaws" Chestnut held on to his hot dog-eating title Friday in an unprecedented tie-breaker at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July contest.
Joey Chestnut set a record last year of 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes.
Chestnut, of San Jose, California, beat rival Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi, of Japan, in a "dog off" in Coney Island where the two contestants battled to see who could finish five hot dogs first.
Chestnut and Kobayashi tied in the regulation competition, both eating 59 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, a record for a 10-minute competition.
"It was a little messier than I wanted it to be, but I got them in me and I got them down," Chestnut said after the competition.
(you can watch the epic battle here.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/04/hot.dog.contest/index.html#cnnSTCVideo)
Organizers decided this year to change the contest from 12 minutes to 10 minutes after "a piece of old Brooklyn historical ephemera was found that stated that the first contest, held on July 4th, 1916, was a 10-minute contest," Major League Eating spokesman Ryan Nerz said.
The previous record for a 10-minute contest was 42 hot dogs, held by Tim "Eater X" Janus, Nerz said. Neither Chestnut nor Kobayashi had previously competed in a 10-minute format.
In last year's competition, Chestnut set a record by eating 66 franks in 12 minutes, ending Kobayshi's six-year reign as winner of the competition.
Chestnut retains the "Coveted Mustard Yellow International Belt" and wins a one-year supply of hot dogs from Nathan's, the sponsor of the annual event, which is held corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn.
The video is really something to watch--if you can stomach it.
This golden oldie, by Perry Como, is a great "hot (diggity) dog" song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9i0Aqz53l8&feature=related
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While having my morning coffee today, I came across this article, about a hand-written ("uncensored") version of the Declaration of Independence that's on display now at the NYC Public Library. I found it interesting, and thought you might too.
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I just love the NYC library. In my student days I used to do reading and research there. Such an impressive place. It has been designated as a National Landmark.
New York City Public Library main branch--Fifth Ave. & 42nd St.
Two famous stone lions guarding the entrance were sculpted by Edward Clark Potter. They were originally named Leo Astor and Leo Lenox, in honor of the library's founders. These names were transformed into Lady Astor and Lord Lenox (although both lions are male). In the 1930s they were nicknamed "Patience" and "Fortitude" by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. He chose these names because he felt that the citizens of New York would need to possess these qualities to see themselves through the Great Depression. Patience is on the south side (the left as one faces the main entrance) and Fortitude on the north.
Even found a cute song about a library and books
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9QmUrxAgCA
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I also brought along a little something to listen to that seems appropriate for a Saturday morning. Hope everyone can find someone to play with today. But, that''s never a problem here at A2K, is it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhGmRVO3FX8
Hope I didn't wear out my welcome on my first visit here.
