I know people don't post as much on the weekends, but no matter. There's some very sad news today.

Bernie Mac Dies at 50

Comedian and Chicago native Bernie Mac died early Saturday morning from complications due to pneumonia, his publicist confirmed.

Mac, 50, had been hospitalized for about a week at Northwestern Hospital, according to his spokeswoman. A few years ago, Mac disclosed that he suffered from sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in tissue, most often in the lungs.

The comic born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough could cut an imposing figure. He stood 6-foot-3, was built like a fullback and carried himself with a bouncer's reticence. But perhaps the strongest weapon in the Chicago comedian's arsenal was that voice, that amalgam of thought and a delivery that could rise like a tidal wave, outpace a Gatling gun and remained, to his last days, loud and unapologetic.

I'm at a loss for words. The guy was fantastic. May he rest in peace.

 

August 9 is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 144 days remaining until the end of the year.

Happy Birthday to Jason Fraser, Mike Lamb, Matt Morris, Troy Percival, Juanes, Deion Sanders, Whitney Houston, and Eric Bana.
Continuing the morbid tone...
American at Olympics stabbed to death

A Chinese attacker stabbed two Americans, killing the man and wounding the woman, who were attending the Olympic Games on Saturday, according to the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The man also injured a female Chinese tour guide before leaping to his death around noon from the second floor of the Drum Tower, a popular Beijing tourist site, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

The USOC said the two Americans were family members of a coach for the U.S. men's indoor volleyball team. No other information about them was released.

However, the Olympic Opening Ceremony was SPECTACULAR. Those freaking drummers were mesmerizing :]

38 dead after being bitten by vampire bats

At least 38 Warao Indians have died in remote villages in Venezuela, and medical experts suspect an outbreak of rabies spread by bites from vampire bats.

Laboratory investigations have yet to confirm the cause, but the symptoms point to rabies, according to two researchers from the University of California at Berkeley and other medical experts.

Be afraid, Batman. Be very afraid.

Clay Aiken is a father

Former "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken is a father.

The 29-year-old crooner from Raleigh announced the birth of Parker Foster Aiken on his Web site's blog Friday

"No hyphens. One first name," he wrote. "One middle name. One last name."

 

I THOUGHT HE WAS GAY!!!! 

Oh, and I must include my Olympic lust.

Phelps breaks Olympic record to advance in 400 IM qualifier

Michael Phelps opened his quest to win eight gold medals by qualifying 1.44 seconds faster than his rivals with an Olympic-record time in the 400-meter individual medley preliminaries Saturday night.

The American won his heat in 4 minutes, 7.82 seconds -- 0.44 second better than his gold-medal-winning time four years ago in Athens. Phelps was under his world-record pace after 150 meters of the four-stroke race, but eased off to save something for Sunday morning's final.

"I am pretty surprised," he said. "I didn't think that I'd be first to get it, not until the finals."

 

Zito stop Manny, but not the rest of Dodgers

ith the Olympics beginning a 17-day run, the Giants face more competition for their attention. To keep the sporting public interested, they will have to do much better than their drab showing in a 6-2 loss to the Dodgers on Friday night.

Barry Zito established a career high (or low, depending on your point of view) when he lost for the 14th time this season. He picked a good night to do it, with many regular Giants viewers no doubt watching the Opening Ceremonies from Beijing or attending the always mesmerizing Raiders-49ers exhibition game.

Manny Ramirez made his Dodgers debut in San Francisco and was the last player in blue to reach base, on a sixth-inning Rich Aurilia error. He went 0-for-5 after starting his Dodger career 13-for-23, but no matter. The rest of an all-right-handed lineup did more than enough damage to help Los Angeles win for the 15th time in its last 18 games at China Basin.

 

Don't judge me. I've been feeling lonely.

Bacon makes everything better--even chocolate?

Here are three little words that might give the staunchest snacker pause: Chocolate-covered bacon.

It sounds so wrong. But it tastes just right, says Joseph Marini III, a fourth-generation candy maker who is selling the bacon bonbons at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk seaside amusement park.

"It's not just for breakfast any more," he says with a grin.

And this isn't just a wacky West Coast thing.

This year, Famous Dave's at the Minnesota State Fair is rolling out Pig Lickers — dark chocolate-covered bacon pieces sprinkled with sea salt.

"It's just like the most bizarre combination," says fair spokeswoman Brienna Schuette. "I actually really liked it. It was a good combination of sweet and salty."'

 

Um, ew.

 

Dump away.