Little bro five-oh 

My little brother turns 50 today. He's 14 months younger than I am. My mom planned it that way because she was an only child who grew up on a farm and was often lonely as a kid. It was a good idea. Scott and I did always have somebody to hang out with. We still like to hang out together. I'd pick him for a friend. His wife, too, which is handy.

Ideal match of sponsor to promo 

WBEZ, the main public radio station here in Chicago, gave away a car. Guess what car? A Toyota Prius (a hybrid). Isn't that perfect?

Must-see TV 

Watch the interview with Dave on NerdTV. He was on that day. It's a good tale, smart, frank and funny. How can some people not like this guy? I defy you to watch this, then try to say he's not both wise and cute.

Fads, fashions and crazes in voiceover styles 

The popular "In a world" movie trailer announcing style has crept into TV promos and commercials and it's starting to piss me off. I'll say more about it sometime soon; I don't think I'll be able to hold back from saying something about it. Maybe I will collect some examples and put them in a podcast.