I volunteer at a folk/roots music venue and have been able to work at 3 of Ralph Stanley's shows the last few years. (By the way, in addition to his son, he's also been bringing up his grandson in the tradition.)

I discovered that our library had the entire "A History of Britain" on DVD and watched it from start to finish during the Christmas holiday break. Because I am a nerd.

I volunteer at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, and in 2009, he was one of our headliners. (Along with grandson Tao and Arlo's daughter Sarah Lee.) Each day, he came early and sat backstage even when he wasn't performing, and his presence made for one of the most calm and serene settings I've ever been in backstage, while…

So, was that a different actor as young Burt? (Apparently, it is.)

Nige will be armed with an AR-15 rather than a crossbow in the American version. Or maybe a rocket launcher.

That was the clip I was thinking of previously when I tried to explain to someone the horribleness of this "American" Tennant.

So David Tennant has been cast in the Alec Hardy role in the American version of Broadchurch for Fox? As an American? What? Why? What?

Help! I've fallen down a YouTube Gunsmoke hole! (Wow. There are a whole lot of uncut early season episodes on YT.)

My father was a big Gunsmoke fan, and I grew up seeing the late-years version. (The Newly O'Brien era.) When Nick at Night or some such channel started showing the original half-hour black-and-white episodes I was blown away by how different they were and how much more complex the morality issues were.

There was a photo, decades ago, of all the CBS stars — past and present — gathered on a set of risers. James Arness was at the end of the top row and I remember thinking: Huh. He's the same height as everyone else. I thought he was taller. Then I noticed he was actually standing on the step below the top step. It's…

My uncle got on back during the Bob Barker days. He carried a harmonica and wore a homemade t-shirt claiming he'd play a tune for Bob. It worked and he got picked. (But he couldn't play an actual tune, so when Bob asked him for one he only got the musical equivalent of a toddler with a kazoo.)

Excuse to link to video of NdGT geeking out while opening a crate containing a model Saturn V rocket. http://www.youtube.com/watc…

NdGT was a college wrestler. I'd bet on him.

Dude, I loved the heck out of Connections. (Though whenever they did a marathon of them, you could make a decent drinking game out of the number of references to the "short & curlys" that Burke made.)

I kept feeling bad that I hated the re-cast Owen. Baby Owen I could ignore. The kindergarten Owen was just annoying.

I was going to refer to Yoopers, but I didn't want anyone to think I was referring to the novelty music act.

I once had a car-deer crash in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and when I stopped to check the damage (minimal & with a drivable car), someone else pulled over and asked if I wanted the deer. Then asked if he could have it.

Wasn't that also the setting for Ned's apartment in "Pushing Daisies?" At least that's what I recall it from, the hallways anyway. Or maybe they just re-created a version of it.

The main things I remember from seeing this show once upon a time was the theme song and that Merritt Buttrick seemed way too old to be playing a 15-year-old. Even by TV standards.

And special appearance by Carl Kassel, who moves the band to silence.