IT'S NOT EASY BEING ANDRETTI GREEN

So I know most people are not huge IRL fans, but you have to admit that was one exciting Indy 500. Come from behind win for Sam Hornish over 19-year-old Marco Andretti. Photo finish. I loved it. (Even though the Washington I had riding on the outcome was a bust -- thanks for nothing, Danica.)

Anyway, I just wanted to point out some cool interactive stuff the Star had online. There's an audio/video slideshow of the race that's pretty cool, a driver's eye view of the track and a two-minute time-lapse of the race. But if you only check out one thing, watch the PJ Chesson segment of the series of videos exploring where Indy car drivers live while in Indianapolis. Awesome.

KEEP YOUR KNEES LOOSE

So I'm watching the Countdown last night and notice that the guest host is Brian Unger. And I can't quite place him until I realize that he was on The Daily Show back when Craiggers was the host. Anyway, this leads me to discover Unger's long, strange trip through the world of infotainment. Enjoy.

MEANWHILE: Spam Finally Taps Into Male Desires and Dellinger has a piece on urban development in the Oxford American.

HALLELUJAH INDEED.

So I'm watching one of my favorite teen dramas Thursday night and it was the Pivotal Season-Ending Graduation Episode.

I don't know if you are a fan of my favorite teen drama, but a quick rundown is this: three kids grow up together in their idyllic seaside town. Then, during their sophomore year of high school, the new kid, trying to escape a poor family life, comes to town and shakes things up. Much drama ensues in high school leading up to the Pivotal Season-Ending Graduation Episode. One wonders what will happen next? Two of the main characters are off to college in New England. Another is going to college in California. And as a last-minute surprise, one of our friends will not be going to college but will instead join the crew of a yacht and sail around the world.

Yes, I sure did love Dawson's Creek.

However -- SPOILER ALERT! -- perhaps the Creek should have taken a cue from the OC and killed off Dawson before he went to college. (Seriously though, bold move to kill off one of your lead characters just because their storylines got tedious and boring.)

Regardless, let's face facts people: The O.C. is a Neo-Creek. Just run with me on this one, because if you don't I'll just launch into my Neo-Fresh Prince theory. (C'mon! Ryan Atwood is Will Smith! Seth Cohen is Carlton Banks! Discuss.)

ALERT VIZEDS!

Uh-oh! Test cuts meet slime chore! (Via Gawker)

LIVING IN SIN WITH A SAFETY PIN

CLEVELAND, USA -- So I'm in Cleveland for the big SND 1A Quick Course. Some quick notes:

Steve Dorsey gave a great talk about creating conceptual front page centerpieces ... and then drove back to Detroit to launch the first Sunday Freep in 17 years. Bold.

Tim Frank gave an excellent presentation about creating effective promos. Feel free to download the handout.

The Plain Dealer has one fancy building. FAN-CY.

Canadians are cool. But the deficiencies in the American educational system were laid bare at the bar late Saturday night as Whitley and I could not name all the Canadian provinces, yet one of our Canadian friends could name all the U.S. states. In alphabetical order.

Actual quote from one of our Canadian friends:
"So are T-Ball and T-Shirt related?" (Answer: No.)

CHESWICK (BUT NO FOZCAT) IN NEW APPLE ADS

Reality distortion field? Meet the Warren Cheswick Experience. Ed's Justin Long (also of Jeepers Creepers, Jeepers Creepers 2, the Britney Spears vehicle Crossroads and, who can forget, Lohan: Fully Loaded) has joined the Daily Show's John Hodgman for a series of Apple ads that were all over Fox last night.

I never have quite understood Apple's Mac marketing since the ad campaign for the original iMac. They do great image advertising with the iPod ("you're cool if you have an iPod"), but every Mac ad lately tends to be more "you're an idiot if you use Windows." Don't get me wrong, it is hi-larious to Mac users ... but I'm guessing it doesn't do much for the Windows users they are trying to appeal to. Anyway ... the ads are kinda funny. And props to John Hodgman, who's also the humor editor at the New York Times, for calling the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg "one of the most respected technology experts on the planet."

Bold. I guess David Pogue can go pound sand.


TOUGH CROWD: If you, like me, are a fan of uncomfortable silence and polite applause, you should check out Stephen Colbert's appearance (Part One, Part Two, Part Three) at the White House Correspondent's Dinner. A gem of the night: Colbert called the idea that the While House is just re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic stupid, saying, "This administration is soaring, not sinking! If anything, they are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg!"

Also: "I believe that the government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq."

Classic.