The New York Times has a great article about Wylie Dufresne and the molecular gastronomy movement.

The Consumerist has a list of the Top 10 least on-time airports in the country.

Judd Apatow talks to IGN about the writers’ strike.

The New Yorker has a review of ‘Pushing Daisies.’ What is particularly interesting about this review is how the reviewer shares my belief that the show will have a short lifespan.

“”Pushing Daisies” probably shouldn’t last longer than a season; fairy tales aren’t supposed to go on forever. It will then take its place proudly beside other worthy efforts that lived fast, died young, and left behind a beautiful DVD.”

I TiVo’d Friday nights Minnesota/Jets preseason game knowing full well that I was really only interested in the first quarter to see how rookie Adrian Peterson would do along with first year starter Tavaris Jackson for the Vikes. What I saw was Chad Pennington put in the worst preseason performance by a starter that I’ve seen in a long time. On the flip side, Adrian Peterson looked fantastic. He is a strong, quick runner that will be giving tacklers fits all season long. I am not sure that is a more dangerous runner in the open field than AD. The jury is still out on Jackson. Because of Pennington’s slip-ups, Jackson only saw 2 or 3 series of work and spent a great deal of time handing the ball off to Chester Taylor and Peterson. The Vikings could be a very interesting team to watch this year.

Saturday, I watched an absolute ton of Survivorman as it was apparently the wrong weekend to sign up for a season pass of the show. I think at last count, I watched 5 episodes of the program and 7 still remain unwatched on my DVR. It’s pretty incredible stuff. I’ve also become addicted to the travel/food show No Reservations with Top Chef guest judge and blogger Anthony Bourdain. A really fun watch.

Last night, I caught the first bit of the Giants/Ravens preseason game and shook my head at how ineffective Eli Manning is as a quarterback. The Peyton comparisons are warranted and inevitable but ultimately pointless. Eli is and never will be half the quarterback and leader his brother is. But forget Peyton for a second. Where does Eli list on the greater list of NFL quarterbacks? Top 10? Absolutely not. He’s probably one of the top 15 quarterbacks in the league. One could argue that he may be the 15th-20th best quarterback in the league given that he has not exhibited, so far, anything closely resembling leadership qualities. If the Giants are going to be successful this year, they will need Eli Manning to take control of the reins and make this his team. I just don’t see that happening.

__________

No, seriously…

The mayor of Cincinnati might be a little too sensitive.

Brazil to offer free sex changes.

A plastic cut-out cop shooting a radar gun is slowing drivers down in Tennessee (insert Tennesee joke here.)

___________

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach makes five predictions for the SEC this year/the power in the conference is moving east.

Nets forward Richard Jefferson gives $3.5 million to his alma mater.

Giants defensive end Michael Strahan expected to end holdout by this weekend.

SI’s Peter King is reporting that Falcons owner Arthur Blank feels deeply betrayed by Michael Vick.

The U.S. Open holds tryouts for “ball people.”

THE DAILY BIRD 

• Philadelphia Inquirer’s Ashley Fox: Team has questions to answer.
• Les Bowen has something similar.
• Inquirer’s Phil Sheridan: All is right with Eagles, McNabb

New York Daily News writer dubs Virginia Tech “America’s Team.”

Brady Quinn a “knockout” in Browns debut.

Alabama corner Simeon Castille arrested for disorderly conduct.

Former USC tailback Emmanuel Moody not blaming USC for this transfer.

Dan Hawkins names son starting quarterback at Colorado.

___________

Well-rounded news… 

The Federal Trade Commission is still trying to block the Whole Foods/Wild Oats merger.

Dickens World will make your bratty kids grateful for what they have.

Veronica Mars’ Kristen Bell will join the cast of ‘Heroes.’

Kanye samples Steely Dan on new record.

J.K. Rowling is reportedly working on a detective novel.

Everyone throw a couple of prayers up to the big guy for Donovan McNabb who makes his return to the field tonight. I worry that he rushed his rehab after the Birds took Kevin Kolb in the draft and that knee is not ready. We’ll see. I’m hoping for the best.

__________

No, seriously… 

Even insurance fraud can be painful.

__________

D-Nabb returns to the field tonight.

The Big Ten Network isn’t being picked up by cable carriers.

USC tailback Emmanuel Moody is headed out of L.A.

Miami Herald columnist wonders if Trent Green can still be good.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers want a cooler training camp facility at Walt Disney World.

The Orlando Sentinel on Chris Simms’ fall from grace.

___________

Netflix to drop prices yet again to compete with Blockbuster.

Disney’s Hollywood Studio to have an entire land dedicated to George Lucas?

The Huffington Post’s Liza Palmer on why Lost is like a bad relationship.

A whopping 18 stills from The Dark Knight!

Move-in day on the campus of Virginia Tech.

I also saw Ron Howard’s The Paper with Michael Keaton, Glenn Close and Robert Duvall and really enjoyed it. I think it was very true to life at a newspaper and the actors were really convincing newspeople. I don’t think this film is as true to form as a picture like Shattered Glass but was every bit as enjoyable. The flick is perfect for a rainy day. Definitely worth a spot on your Netflix queue.

Currently blasting the speakers on my MacBook and in my car is Kanye West’s new single Stronger which features an amazing slowed-down sample of Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” The song is fantastic and really embodies everything that I unashamedly love about Kanye West. The guy is inventive and not at all afraid to take risks. Can’t wait to pick up Graduation when it comes out on Sept. 11.

Worth mentioning was the trailer for Peter Berg’s The Kingdom that I saw before The Bourne Ultimatum, which I am more excited about then I can even describe. Jamie Foxx, Hillary Swank, Jason Bateman and the imcomparable Chris Cooper in what looks like it could be one of the best films of the year.

__________

No, seriously…

British teen OD’s on espresso.

Some moron paid more than $1,500 for an oil smudge on a garage floor in Virginia. It doesn’t even look like Jesus. Frankly, it looks like a goat.

__________

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach lists college football’s biggest secrets in ‘07.

Lawrence Taylor tells Michael Strahan to hang it up.

Saints linebacker Scott Fujita sets the record straight on his water park foot injury.

Pair of pieces from ESPN’s Pat Forde on Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson and on Darren McFadden going pro after this season.

DC United player pissed about ESPN’s Beckham-centric MLS coverage.

Jon Gruden is still sifting through his pack of quarterbacks.

Not really news but I find it interesting that every week there is a letter from a reader in the Buffalo News about how awful Sabres management is. Every week, never fails.

Hoosiers hope to improve their pass rush. It really can’t get any worse.

The AJC’s Terence Moore wants Michael Vick’s staunchest supporters to wake up and smell the roses.

A nice piece in the Houston Chronicle on Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee.

Packers first-round pick Justin Harrell sees limited time in preseason opener. This might have been the worst first-round pick in last year’s draft.

In case you live in a cave: MADDEN COMES OUT TOMORROW!

Drew Henson fighting for his football life in Vikings camp.

Titans players defend their ownership of pit bulls.

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart on why the SEC is smiling and the things college football fans have learned a week into practice.

Oklahoma quarterback race still not decided.

__________

Three consumer groups have spoken out against the Whole Foods/Wild Oats merger.

Google to launch iTunes competitor, gBox.

Who owns what in today’s online media landscape.

Microsoft is hoping the release of the Halo 3 this winter can help the system rebound from hardware failures and slumping sales.

Christopher Nolan debuts some ‘Dark Knight’ footage at Chicago comic con. I can’t wait for this but it seems that the producers have gone 0-for-2 in my mind in the casting of Rachel Dawes’ character. First they casted Katie Holmes, who was the worst thing about Batman Begins and now they’ve gone out and gotten Maggie Gyllenhaal who is my least favorite actress on the planet. I have never seen a single film that she’s been in that I enjoyed. I hope she can change my mind.

Cinematical lists seven movie stars who are about to fall off the A-list.

Stereogum has the real cover of Kanye’s new record, Graduation.

Facebook makes the cover of Newsweek.

Newsweek’s 25 hottest universities.

As if you needed another reason to buy Kanye’s new record, 50 cent says that if West’s Graduation outsells his record, which comes out the same day, he’s going to stop making music. (Your lips to God’s ears, sir.)

Top Chef’s Sam Talbot on the now-infamous Rocco episode.

____________

No, seriously…

Pittsburgh hospital takes a stand against crocs.

AMC doesn’t carry nickels?

Apparently life is tough when you share a name with a boy wizard.

___________

Is this the last year for D-Nabb in Philly?

McNabb appears to be showing promise early in training camp.

The Ocho Cinco has some money set aside for fines.

More of the Fanhouses Big Ten preview:

• Most overrated players
• Coaches on the hot seat
• Key position battles
• The five best players
• The underdogs
• Toughest schedules

Penn State QB Anthony Morelli is confident but is he overconfident?

Virginia Tech hopes football season will mark a return to normalcy.

Joe Theismann says he urged Tony Kornheiser to stick with Monday Night Football.

Eagles fans crash Cowboys training camp.

The Colts are parting ways with defensive tackle Corey Simon.

Pro d-backs put Indiana wideout James Hardy through his paces.

‘Browns insider’ says Brady Quinn’s agent is the reason rookie QB isn’t in camp yet.

Wolverine players tell Jim Harbaugh where to go over academic criticisms.

SI’s Peter King says Brady Quinn is a fool for not being in camp.

What a dope Michael Strahan is.

Joe Paterno considers staying in the press box. Consider this — retire.

Wilbon on the death of Bill Walsh.

IU to pay tribute to Coach Hep on uniforms, helmets.

Big Ten commish Jim Delaney proving once more that he really is a complete idiot.

UCF is loving their new digs.

Baton Rouge Advocate talks some LSU football.

Vince Young proves that his low Wunderlich score wasn’t a fluke; punches teammate’s helmet with throwing hand.  The Tennessean.

Tech group files complaints against sports leagues over fair use.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio expects the Spartans to be bowl bound in ‘07.

A nice story on the rise of Michigan true quarterback Ryan Mallett. Expect to see Mallett some playing time this season in mop-up duty. In time, I firmly believe Mallett will prove to be a much better quarterback than his rival Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen. 

The State (Columbia, S.C.) ranks the SEC quarterbacks.

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart ranks the SEC best running backs.

The NFL to produce a Vince Lombardi biopic.
__________

Well-rounded news…

The University of Iowa could become the first university to name one of its colleges after a corporation following a $15 million gift from Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Disney has pulled the plug on its plans for a ‘Ratatouille’ wine.

Two-a-days are becoming a thing of the past in the NFL.

Even investment bankers love them some Facebook.

Blogger thinks new Bourne film is an attack on the Bush administration.

Wyclef says Lauryn Hill is the reason there hasn’t been a Fugees reunion.

Halo 3 to feature online multi-player co-op.

Tech blog Valleywag urges Facebook to stop counting its money and fix the site.

First season of Heroes to come out on DVD later this month. YES!

John Mayer, Dave Matthews and Nas set to play gig at Virginia Tech in September.

Cinematical reviews The Bourne Ultimatum, which I am excited beyond words to see tomorrow night.  Another review from Time Magazine.

Robert Downey, Jr. talks about playing Iron Man.

Rumors swirl over the title of J.J. Abrams’ new project. Some production stills from the set.

The Detroit Free Press interview Cold War Kids frontman Nathan Willett.

Not everyone was a fan of Rocco Dispirito’s cameo on Top Chef last night.

Entertainment Weekly wants to know who you like more: Bond or Bourne?

American Airlines will test in-flight broadband next year.

If you get bored, I’d highly recommend Kevin Smith’s Smodcast that he does with longtime friend and producer Scott Mosier. Really funny, insightful stuff on a variety of topics, the least of which appear to be movies. Here’s the link if you’re interested.

___________

No, seriously…

Who knew an exclamation point could be so expensive.

__________

Will the NHL return to ESPN next season? And by next season, we mean 2008-2009.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are suing Ticketmaster, claiming the ticket broker of being a *gasp* monopoly?!?! I hate buying anything through Ticketmaster. I think if I had all of my “convenience charges” back, I could finance an Web 2.0 start-up.

You know you’re in trouble when Michael Irvin comes to your defense.

The Titans are shutting down Pacman Jones’ dreams of becoming the next Superfly Jimmy Snuka.

Freddy Adu signs with Portuguese football club Benfica. Wanna know why the MLS is never going to be a successful and respected soccer league? Because it can’t hold onto talent like Adu.

T.J. “Who’s your momma?” thinks NFL commish Roger Goodell is being “mean” to Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman.

Fanhouse’s Big Ten preview.

• Most underrated players
• Impact freshmen
• Players with big shoes to fill

A rare Navy football story.

Eric Wright and Joe Thomas have agreed to contracts with the Browns. Brady Quinn continues to act like a moron.

Wisconsin AD, and former football coach, Barry Alvarez is in favor of a Big Ten championship game if the league expands to 12 teams.

Chicago Tribune columnist says Big 10 commish has some ‘splaining to do.

Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock calls out Priest Holmes.

LSU head coach Les Miles tries to downplay all of the stupid things he’s said this off-season.

Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge is in search of a go-to receiver. Erik, his name is Robert Meachem, he’s in New Orleans. Just thought I could help.

L.A. Times’ columnist T.J. Simers proves can make you an elitist jerk.

Mark Richt says his Georgia Bulldogs are not “too far away” from being a title contender. Check his office for a gas leak.

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart on the early Heisman race and the five things to expect in the SEC this year.

The AJC’s Jeff Schultz says Georgia is flying under the radar and could surprise some people this year.

__________

Well-rounded news…

The Consumerist is reporting that Best Buy has fired some Geek Squad personnel following newspaper articles about “agents” taking files from customer’s computer.

Select Best Buy stores open mini-Apple stores.

NBC wants the sometimes-funny Jimmy Fallon to replace Conan O’Brian as late night host.

Premiere’s 20 fresh faces of comedy.

A major investment group has called for the resignation of Whole Foods CEO John Mackey after it was discovered he was posting to a Yahoo! stock forum anonymously.

The Federal Trade Commission may block Whole Foods’ acquisition of rival Wild Oats. Seriously, consumers need two places where they can buy overpriced health food. Good lookin’ out, FTC.

The New York Times and NBC News will collaborate on their coverage of the 2008 Presidential Campaign.

A first look at the Lost videogame. Warning: You should secure your brain before you watch this! I almost lost mine. No pun intended.

A teaser trailer for the Dark Knight. Oh man. I don’t usually get excited about trailers, especially one that is 45 seconds long. But I’m a dork and I like Batman so this made me excited. 

New Cold War Kids video for “Hospital Beds”.

Kathy Griffin on her date with Andrew W.K.

Kevin Smith to write and direct episode of Heroes spin-off.

Some Lost news from Comic-Con.

__________

No, seriously…

A man in New Orleans found a knife in his back more than 5 months after he was stabbed in a fight.

Zimbabwe authorities are pissed at a medium that led them on a hunt for diesel fuel the medium said was in the northwestern part of the country.

__________

Great Q&A on The Big Lead with The Washington Post’s Michael Wilbon.

The Falcons could face some serious consequences if Michael Vick practices, says SI’s Peter King.

Hawaii wants ESPN’s College Gameday to travel to the Big Island for the Warriors’ tilt against Boise State. Not gonna happen.

Brynn Cameron not about to put Matt Leinart up for Father of the Year. Unfortunately, this story isn’t that surprising.

A pair of stories on how Virginia Tech football players are preparing for the start of the ‘07 season. New York Times/Orlando Sentinel

Is Brady Quinn a jerk?

SI’s Grant Wahl on David Beckham’s debut Saturday night.

Keith Hernandez on his famous role on Seinfeld. The Zapruder-style footage of Hernandez spitting on Kramer and Newman is one of my favorite moments in television history.

__________

Well-rounded news…

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune on Best Buy’s Geek Squad taking stuff off your computer. Consumer rights blog The Consumerist led the way on this story. Good job, guys.

University of Kansas students will have their internet privileges taken away if they are caught file sharing.

The assistant managing editor at the Birmingham News is a genius!

An amazing map of Web 2.0.

Netflix has lowered their subscription fees in an effort to keep up with Blockbuster online. $1 guys! That’ll show ‘em!

Flying Gonzo!

Part one of Entertainment Weekly’s Top 50 Best Love Songs Ever.

Bottom Line fav Nada Surf to hit the road in the fall to preview new material from their upcoming, yet-to-be-named album.

David Chase addresses The Sopranos finale.. sort of.

The Sacramento Bee will begin posting video letters to the editor on its site.

What to do with that Joan Obsborne CD you can’t believe you own.

XM and Sirius execs continue to try to convince the FCC that its merger is good for consumers. No way.

Bringing new meaning to meals on wheels.

A woman who hates spiders is saved by them.

Jon Lovitz and Andy Dick threw down.. yes, they’re both still alive. Who knew?

__________

USAToday on quarterbacks who need to have a big ‘07.

The NFL is officially back. That is, if you care about the Jets rookies reporting to Hofstra for orientation.

It is likely all three of the Browns top draft picks will hold out. Seriously, the NFL needs to step in and do something about this. I’m so tired of rookies holding out of training camp. Get in camp, be a professional. They ought to structure rookie salaries the way the NBA does and quit letting rookie holdouts dominate NFL training camp news.

A fun story from the Purdue student newspaper (Trust me, I’m as shocked as you are.. who knew they knew how to write cohesive sentences up there) about a group of Purdue football players waiting in line at Wal-Mart for the new NCAA Football 2008.

Wilbon on Becks.

It looks as though Chiefs fans are siding with Larry Johnson on his contract dispute with the franchise.

__________

Mandatory Vick News…

The AJC’s Mark Bradley says there’s no easy way out for Falcons.

ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli says the NFL and the Falcons may ask the quarterback to take a paid leave of absence.

Nice cartoon in today’s AJC by political cartoonist Mike Luckovich.

__________

Well-Rounded News…

Lighters will be allowed back on airplanes. Unreal.

New CEO of Revision3, parent company of Diggnation, talks about the company’s future.

A smaller, cheaper iPhone may be in the works. And in related news, I still don’t care.

CNET teaches you how to ghost hunt.

Young adults and teens aren’t reading the news. Wow, great stuff, guys! Really!

You’re less likely to die in a plane crash if you’re sitting in the back.

This guy is the new Green Hornet:

Huffington Post’s Tony Sachs talks about losing his wife to Harry Potter.

Top 10 things you can do with your time before reading the new Harry Potter.

The New York Post’s Top 100 cover songs of all-time.

Newsweek’s Devin Gordon on the Emmy nominations.

___________

No, seriously…

More than 500 people are reporting symptoms of food poisoning after Taste of Chicago.

A Florida man called 911 because he was surrounded by police and needed help.

___________

The Titans are finding that replacing a felonious defensive back is harder than it might seem.

The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Fry examines the idiocy of the NFL’s new 45-second rule.

Is there beef between Matt Leinart and Ben Roethlisberger?

With the Bobcats trading for Jason Richardson and re-signing Gerald Wallace, the Fanhouse wonders if there’s room for Adam Morrison in Charlotte?

After signing defensive tackle Cory Redding to a contract that doesn’t make sense, the Lions will likely be facing a holdout from its top pick Calvin Johnson.

Edgerrin James is ditching his gold teeth.

In 14 months, at least six Baltimore-area high school athletes were KIA in Iraq.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Kathleen Nelson looks at some possible NFL reality shows to hold you over until Week 1.

Has Barry Bonds caused a riff on Fox’s baseball telecasts?

Great story in the Kansas City Star about how fans punctuate milestone moments in their lives in stadiums.

The Oklahoman’s John Rohde on what he thinks will keep him entertained until the start of football season.

Fun story in the Denver Post today about celebrity golf tournaments.

__________

Well-rounded news…

Apple has filed a patent for a backlit trackpad.

Broadband speed in the U.S. stinks.

The first four episodes of fourth season of The Office will be an hour long.

Is NBC revamping American Gladiators?

Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke has a unique way of dealing with the paparazzi.

___________

No, seriously…

A former Marine took down and lectured a bank robber as he waited for the police to arrive.

An 87-year-old Utah man disappeared from his home and turned up 48 hours later — in Pennsylvania.

An enlisted Bronx man and his wife allegedly hired a hitman to shoot the man in the leg so he wouldn’t have to go back to Iraq.

A man burst into a BBQ near the Capitol in Washington, D.C. and tried to rob everyone. He ended up staying and having a lovely evening.

__________

The second half of the Fanhouse’s ranking of the best quarterbacks in the SEC.

Could smarmy Dan Patrick be replaced on ESPN radio by the even smarmier Keith Olbermann?

A Milwaukee TV station is reporting that the Packers are reportedly interested in a deal for disgruntled Chiefs running back (and fantasy football God) Larry Johnson. By the way, this is the stupidest name for a sports blog that I’ve ever seen. Only in broadcast…

NFL.com’s Vic Carruci looks at the players most in need of a comeback in ‘07.

New York Magazine’s look at minor league baseball in the area. I’ve always believed minor league baseball games were much more fun than a game in a Major League stadium — not to mention less expensive. One of my favorite ballparks ever is Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis. It’s a quaint, clean stadium set against the skyline of downtown Indy. Great place to watch a night ballgame.

It’s going to cost Pitt $100,000 to rip up a custom made tile of its old logo in the Petersen Events Center. Someone in the athletic department is OCD.

The Indianapolis Star’s Bob Kravitz takes a parting shot at F-1, who announced it would no longer host its U.S. Grand Prix at the Indy Motor Speedway. Having lived in Indiana and in the Indianapolis area for more than half of my life, the F-1 race always finished third, to the Brickyard and the 500, in its relevance and importance to Indianapolis. Indy will be fine without F-1.

The Colts have de-activated Corey Simon, putting him on the PUP list — and he’s not even sure why.

The State (Columbia, S.C.) takes a look at the best and worst things that could happen to Clemson coach Tommy Bowden in ‘07.

There’s some static between Kevin Durant and his agent over Durant’s shoe deal.

Mark Cuban has applied with Major League Baseball to purchase the Chicago Cubs. This is great for the Cubs but I would love to see Cuban take off a slumping franchise, say the Pirates, and turn them into a winner.

Great New York Times story about the cross earing worn by Barry Bonds.

__________

Well-rounded news…

Valleywag’s Nick Denton on why Facebook isn’t the new Google.

LA Weekly’s Nikki Finke takes on Hollywood PR maven Mike Sitrick’s promotion of the new torture flick ‘Captivity’.

Thunderstorms and iPods are apparently not a great combination.

Apparently the CEO of Whole Foods Market has bigger problems than using an alias to pimp his stock on a messge board.

Florida Gov. (and Republican) Charlie Crist said the state will lower its CO2 emissions and make use of alternative energy sources.

Pop Candy’s favorite things this week include Bottom Line favorite Top Chef.