Friday Miscellany

This, and also that.

• Ambiguous headline of the day: "US shares flat after tricky week" - is this going to be an hilarious sitcom like "The Odd Couple" or "The Young Ones"?
  
• Jack White's baby is named Scarlett. He's taking that red/white colour scheme thing a bit far.
  
• What a tedious sport is basketball. The fatal flaw in the game is how subjective is the officiating. Is it offensive charging or defensive blocking? Is it a punch to the groin or a friendly pat on the balls? Who's to say? Rarb, who is a bit of a sports-fanatic, suggests one way the game could be improved: use a bowling ball.
  
• Why, when Britain had an empire, didn't the monarch go by the title of Emperor? Queen Victoria used the title of Empress of India, but secondary to her Queenship. Surely "Empress" is a more important title than "Queen"?
  
• Jodie Foster lisps Eminem lyrics at a Commencement Address. Embarrassing.
  
• Conan O'Brien showed how it should be done at Harvard in 2000.
  
• Band names that pit something against itself: Spy v. Spy (1982); Cop Shoot Cop (1987); Dog Eat Dog (1990); Boy Kill Boy (2005).