Ice Machine’s busted.  (Not the site, just the feature.)  Moose out front should’ve told ya.

No word on when it will return.  Until then, we posted a lot on SPORTSbyBROOKS over the weekend (and did two very silly pieces today) and will have a very special treat or two tomorrow, including actually showing up for a podcast.

Here’s a clear shot from the daily Ice Machine, with crystal blue linkage of stories that will refresh you during your lunch break (where the heat lamp is on):

• We can’t wait to see what The Blowtorch does with this.
• Hanley Ramirez probably doesn’t need to work on a second career, but there he is.
• SHHHHHHHHHHHH.
• Oh, THOSE steroids!
• Sad panda.
• We won’t miss the parkland soon; we’ll play all our sports indoors.
• And we used this video elsewhere today, but we couldn’t resist playing it again:

Here’s a clear shot from the daily Ice Machine, with crystal blue linkage of stories that will refresh you during your lunch break (wherein you share a corned beef sammich with the dog):

• We hate when Greg Wyshynski makes sense.  We’re coming ’round on this Sean Avery thing, slowly but slowly.
• We’re not here to mock Vin Baker for his latest foreclosure.  Instead, we’re just glad to hear there is still a Vin Baker.
• Nerd salute.
• We believe this article about the Pixar spin machine is entirely accurate and yet don’t hold it against them.  That’s how good the Pixar spin machine is.  (We’re off to write this down in our new Wall-E journal.)
• And here we have a point/counterpoint.  First, the original:

Here’s a clear shot from the daily Ice Machine, with crystal blue linkage of stories that will refresh you during your lunch break (mutualism with brown sugar):

• We were busy Sunday at SPORTSbyBROOKS.  If you aren’t convinced it’s worth a look, consider that we thought this was a good idea:

Here’s a clear shot from the daily Ice Machine, with crystal blue linkage of stories that will refresh you during your lunch break (ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes):

• Best Buy will provide instant replay for the American Association All-Star Game.  (It’s an indie league dominated by the St. Paul Saints of “hey, you used to be famous; put on this tutu and get out to first base” fame).  We love that it’s basically a Slingbox (not likely to be a TiVo, as the article says) hooked up to a cell phone in the umpire’s pocket.  Yes, that should clear it all up.  Why didn’t Stern think of giving one of these to Bavetta in 2002 to let him know when to call a charge?
• “Kobe Bryant says he won’t play GM this summer” – ahahahahahahahahahahahah.
• Thank goodness: kung pao chicken finally arrives in China!  This decision by the Beijing authorities couldn’t say “ugly Americans with weak dollars” more clearly.
• We’re workin’ the Brooksin’ on Sunday.  We have a rather explosive notion in mind for one of our pieces.  Drop by.
• And now settle in for a long lunch with this classic:

Our Question of the Day (blasphemy edition): Is it permissible for us to not care too much about the White Sox/Cubs OMGOMGOMGSHOWDOWN4EVA!!?!?!  We just… y’know, it’s not even a National League game, so it couldn’t have less to do with the Cubs’ ability to make the playoffs.  And who will punch A.J. now that Carlos is hurt and Barrett’s… well, who cares where Barrett is?

We’re off the grid this afternoon and tomorrow.  Don’t look for us.  We’re unlookable.  

So: This was Big Tilde-worthy, this was a thoughtful consideration about hockey players, and we really laid a wet one on Rocky Wirtz this morning.  Also: Tiger broke Wall Street.

And here’s a video of the song stuck in our heads most mornings:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKDgkcx9ric]

See you on Thursday.

Here’s a clear shot from the daily Ice Machine, with crystal blue linkage of stories that will refresh you during your lunch break (Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger):

• We didn’t know people in Minnesota hated clocks so much.
• Your boutique armed forces.  (Now where can we put the Genius Bar…)
• We’ll believe it when we see it.  Literally, in this case.
• “Hey, are you an athlete?  Then I can’t sell you these ’special creams’.  Sorry!”
• Nerdgasm:

Our Question of the Day (no Rocco): Tiger Tiger Tiger Tiger… Tiger?

Here’s a clear shot from the daily Ice Machine, with crystal blue linkage of stories that will refresh you during your lunch break (utter nonsense sandwich with a side of WTF):

• We thought he looked familiar yesterday.  We hope he still looks familiar next week.  (’Cause you don’t want the Poles to be mad at you.)
• The world’s first Olympian and Paralympian.
• That Olympic story’s not counterfeit, but this one might be. 
• Babes Love Mullets.
• And just in case you can’t tell the difference, these are the real thing:

We didn’t know there was a Chinese version of Rockapella.

Our Question of the Day (cheating out on a Friday): Speaking of, where in the world *is* Carmen Sandiego, anyway?

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=cuzc4jgwlT8]

And, you know, is she lefty?  The Tigers could use an arm.

Here’s a clear shot from the daily Ice Machine, with crystal blue linkage of stories that will refresh you during your lunch break (going for the cup):

• We mentioned it to the right, but it’s worth bringing up again: We had no idea there was a Swiss pro soccer team named “Young Boys”.  The Swiss concern us on a number of levels.
• Speaking of moving to the right, we’ve done some very silly things over the last few days at SPORTSbyBROOKS and Big Tilde.  Please take a peek to the right to see odd photo manipulation, unique video selection, and that time we tried to get politics and baseball to have an unholy baby.  (Well, another one, anyway.)
• We’re not sure we agree with the tenor, but… yeah.  That’s enough.  
• Stop adding to our list of reasons to want a Wii when they start selling them in the United States.
• Sorry, Olympic torch relay; you’ll have to hang out here for a few days.  We’ve got final exams.
• Sam Mendes is pissed he used the plastic bag in American Beauty instead of this.
• Classic movies for kids, hosted at Turner Classic Movies.  Hawesome.
• Yeah.  So.  The 80s?  We wonder sometimes if you kids didn’t miss anything.

Benny Hill meets Duran Duran.

Our Question of the Day (asking frequently and sometimes having the urge to ask when we really don’t have to): If the Cubs are stepping into the Wayback Machine today, can they step back about 36 hours to when Alfonso Soriano was whole?  What are the readings on that, Mr. Peabody?

UPDATE: The afternoon post got called up to the bigs.

Here’s a clear shot from the daily Ice Machine, with crystal blue linkage of stories that will refresh you during your lunch break (drowning in a sea of love):

• Thank heavens we were saved from this.  The children were thought of.
• Please buy us the hardcovers of both of these books for our birthday.  Thanks.
• No.
• An Australian athlete caught in a bar brawl?  That’s unpossible!  (Actually, the fact that he was reprimanded at all surprised us.)
• Consider this our follow-up link to the clubhouse attendant story yesterday: groundskeepers.
• Man, candidates can’t get away with anything anymore.
• This totally explains why Jason Taylor wants to get out of Dodge as quickly as possible.
• And much love to News From Me for this mashup between “Avenue Q” and “Fiddler on the Roof”. (Warning: adult themes, language, and participants.)

Naughty!

Our Question of the Day (wildly flailing towards the answer): Can even Fred Rogers save Dontrelle Willis?  We vote yes; we don’t put anything past the spirit of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.