MONDAY
+ If I drank beer (I can't stand the stuff -- and find that most people get annoying after they've had a few) I'd get a free yourname@budweiser.com email address. What a brilliant marketing ploy! Every time someone sends email to or from their Bud account it puts the product name out in front of the public.

I tried to create an account using ihatebeer@budweiser.com but fortunately the system rejected the application because I put my birthdate as 2004. Minimum age for an account is 21. But how they'll enforce that is anyone's guess. I suspect that it will become a teen status symbol to have a yourname@budweiser.com address. So, it is a brilliant marketing move -- but it may not be the wisest thing for a company that says it is promoting responsible drinking.

+ One Sunday last month the ShipofFools.com people sent out an army of spies to visit and report on churches in the UK. They rated most everything from length of sermon to how friendly the congregation acted. And it sounds like they had a lot of fun. Many congregations actually geared up for the possibility of having a mystery visitor.

+ A manatee has shown up in Texas. Manatee watching was one of the highlights of our vacation in Florida last fall. They are perhaps the most interesting animals I'VE ever seen.

+ Sarge, the mechanic just called. The bad news is that the radiator on our old van is shot and it will cost over $500 to replace it. The good news is that they can get to it today. Yes, we will get that 1997 Caravan to 200,000 miles. Only 24,000 left to go.

+ We've had a deal with our children that if they get a perfect score on their SAT tests we will buy them a happy meal at McDonald's. Well, the scores went online this morning. No, Betsy didn't get a perfect score but let's just say that it was good enough that I'd still be willing to splurge on a happy meal for our favorite daughter. I'm sure that she'll be able to get into college somewhere. :-)

+ Archaeologist Vendyl Jones (unrelated to Indiana) expects to excavate the real Ark of the Covenant from its hiding place in the Judean Desert sometime this summer. If he's such a smart fellow why is he choosing to go dig up the desert during the hottest time of the year? (Thanks, MetaFilter)

+ The French word police have decided that the official rendering of weblog should be bloc notes. However, if you go to the French version of the blog with the story you'll note the free use of the term blog. Even the French resist being told what words they should use.

+ The FBI is looking for the former youth minister of a wonderful church that I served 15 years ago.