Armchair Philosophy

A blog to cover interesting and underreported news from around the web, along with the occasional rant or musing on whatever pops in my head...

 

ESPN to cover Johnsonville brat contest

posted on 07/12/2006 11:11 AM

jsonline.com

Elevating a Wisconsin cliche to a spectator sport, ESPN is covering the Johnsonville Brat-Eating World Championship Aug. 5, according to Johnsonville Sausage and the Sheboygan Jaycees.

The 3 p.m. eat-off, sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating, will include top-ranked gobblers and the return of Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, who won the inaugural event last year by downing a world-record 35 brats in 10 minutes. Also competing is Japan's Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi, who won the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest recently.

Professional eaters will compete for more than $23,000 in prizes in the wurst race, which is part of the 53rd annual Johnsonville Brat Days, the chief fundraiser for the local Jaycees.

Sheboygan County-based privately held Johnsonville considers itself the top national brand of brats, Italian sausage, smoked cooked links and fresh breakfast sausage links. The company employs 1,000 workers and distributes its meats in 39 countries.

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A proud day to be from Sheboygan, to be sure.

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Pink Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett dies aged 60

posted on 07/11/2006 11:20 AM

LONDON (Reuters) - Syd Barrett, a founding member of Pink Floyd, has died aged 60, a source close to the band said on Tuesday.

"I have had it from David (Gilmour) that it was confirmed by the family," said the source, who did not want to be named. "It happened on Friday".

Guitarist David Gilmour joined Pink Floyd in 1968, three years after it was formed and shortly before Barrett left the band.

Barrett, a singer, songwriter and guitarist, had lived the life of a recluse for the last 30 years. He had been suffering from diabetes, although it was not immediately clear what caused his death.

The writer of the bulk of Pink Floyd's early music, Barrett had been credited with helping to shape its progressive sound. His increasingly erratic behaviour in the late 1960s has been linked to his experimentation with psychedelic drugs.

Pink Floyd's 1975 track "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", from the album "Wish You Were Here", is widely believed to be a tribute to Barrett.

He was born in Cambridge as Roger Keith Barrett, and acquired the nickname "Syd" when he was 15 years old.

He missed out on Pink Floyd's most successful years in the 1970s, which included the albums "Dark Side of the Moon", "Wish You Were Here" and "The Wall".

The band has sold an estimated 200 million albums worldwide, although internal rifts have kept public performances featuring its main members to a minimum since the 1980s.

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