According to the website Famespy, Edward Norton will be running his first New York City Marathon this Sunday to raise awareness and funds for Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, which works to preserve healthy ecosystems in East Africa.

Standard, right? Celebrity, seemingly insurmountable cause, arduous charitable task such as running. It’s all very nice in a sort of conventional way.

Norton refuses to be conventional…

He’s bringing along these dudes. Genuine Maasai warriors to run the race with him on Sunday – that’s two of them with Norton running last week in Central Park. Those sneakers bare a stark contrast to their usual running footwear…

David Blaine and Alanis Morrisette are also part of the team. I guess that’s cool.

Get more info, and check out the organization’s web-based fundraising effort at their website Maasaimarathon.com

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That’s Scott Smith. He looks like your average white nerd, especially posing with Muhammad Ali. He’s also the Lil Wayne of sports memorabilia collecting, because I can’t tell if he’s a genius or certifiably insane.

Found on Ebay: 10,000+ signed Sports Illustrated Magazines. Starting bid: $1,999,999.

According to his website, SIkingcollection.com, In 1973, Smith’s grandmother gave him his first subscription to SI, and he’s saved every week’s issue since. In 1982, he staked out a hotel and Wayne Gretzky to sign several copies of SI. Shortly thereafter, he found himself traveling seven days a week to track down coaches, athletes and swimsuit models to sign copies of the mag. And away we go…

Scott started buying complete runs of the magazine dating back to their first issue in 1954. By his count, he’s gotten 2434 SI covers signed – 94.2% of the history of the magazine. The crew he assembled to make this happen include characters like Ace Marchant, his main magazine supplier of 20 years, who barters magazines for autographs (no money has ever exchanged hands between the two). Or Michelle X, his secret weapon…

Smith brings her along when he’s “crashing a banquet” to procure a Hancock.

Just look at her. Need I say more? When I can’t get Lance Armstrong, she gets 2. When Roger Clemens saw her, he crumbled like a little girl and signed 5 in a row. Patrick Ewing didn’t stand a chance. Michelle’s lined up to do the Heisman, Baseball Assistance Team, Boys Club, College Football HOF, Mets & Yankees Welcome Home Dinners. I’ll be more than happy to lend her out to any collector that ponies up the money! She ain’t cheap and neither is my lender fee! Her services as an aggressive collector are well worth it.

Question is now, does the high roller out there exist who’s willing to help Scott hit paydirt and take this monstrosity off his hands?

Find out more at SIkingcollection.com.

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This week in 1994, New York City kind-of- a rap group Fu-Schnickens released their second album Nervous Breakdown. It featured the hit single What's Up Doc? (Can We Rock) w/ a guest appearance from Shaq Fu, himself.

Shaq's adeptness at inventing halfwords – like alidocious – would not be fully appreciated until later in history…

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Starts off with some motivation from that old sage, 24-year old second-year NFL QB Matt  Ryan…35 seconds in Lil Jon switches themes to getting crunk at the club, obviously.

Also, I just thought of three motivational speeches in sports movie that I'd like to go back in time and switch out whoever is delivering it for Snoop Dogg (Varsity Blues, Any Given Sunday, Slapshot).

Lil Jon, Swizz Beatz, Snoop Dogg & Matt Ryan – I Do (Nike Sport Remix)

via @jbdesousa & Nah Right

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Because eating out of a bowl and then having to wash it – rather than savor it in your mouth – is not the soothing, poetic process some people make it out to be, bacon once again shows its willingness to adapt.

H/T to Stacey's Snacks – you rule. Check out her recipe for baked eggs in a bacon basket.

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Designaddict.com reveals, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games have unveiled the London Olympic pictograms which will be used during the Olympic Games in 2012. All 38 sports of competition are represented. Check out the dynamic and silhouette versions of each, as well as a pic of the London Underground map – the inspiration for the design.

Karate rules, rhythmic gymnastics is a personal favorite.

In 2012, these will be used on signage, merch, etc. at the games. In the meantime, I think one of these will probably serve well as my new Twitter avatar – it’s either going to be rhythmic gymnastics, badminton, or the dead lift.

(H/T @asilentflute)

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Multiple news sources indicate that there was a mad run on the world record for straight hours spent playing Whiffle ball this past weekend.

On Monday I passed along the report that some nerds at Duquesne law did the bare minimum (25 hours straight) to break the previous 24-hour record held by their would-be state rivals just 90-miles away in Erie, PA.

Why am I belittling this? Well, I've become privy to some new information. Michael Farrell of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida posted this comment on Steady Burn on Monday:

Hate to break the news to you, but we at Embry-Riddle University played Whiffle ball for 43 straight hours this past weekend. We started at 10 pm Friday and played until 5 pm Sunday.

According to MSNBC.com, the group raised $400 for Breast Cancer Awareness. And, as the above photo indicates, at least one team thought children – and their unending energy – could be the X-factor.

Play Hardcore Wiffle Ball For A Cure (MSNBC.com)

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Law students from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh claim to have broken the world record for longest whiffle ball game. Over the weekend, they whiffed for an unprecedented 25 straight hours. The game finished with a final score of 179-170 in 126 innings.

Not only did they allegedly eclipse the previous mark of 24 hours, but their game looks like a pitchers duel compared to that of the previous record holders in Erie, PA (well, I guess still current record holders until it’s verified by the almighty Guinness representatives). That record-breaking 149-inning contest finished with a final score of 935-514 – some guy’s wife claimed he hit 150-200 home runs in that slugfest.

Found via Michelle’s Law School Blog

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Have you put an eyeball on Beck’s Record Club yet? Man, what a great idea.

Record Club: Songs Of Leonard Cohen “Suzanne” from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Record Club is what happens when a bunch of musicians get together – the likes of Nigel Godrich, Andrew WynGaarden and Ben Goldwasser from MGMT, Giovanni Ribisi? – with the previously mentioned Mr. Hansen to record a classic album in a single day. They change nothing from the original arrangements of the songs – just simply adding their own interpretations.

That was them doing Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne”, here’s “Sisters of Mercy”…

Record Club: Songs of Leonard Cohen “Sisters Of Mercy” from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

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The bacon beer has finally arrived in Brooklyn. For those who were anxiously awaiting it’s arrival (me), hope you saved up a small fortune. Grub Street reports:

We just about lost it when we heard Brooklyn Brewery brew master Garrett Oliver was working on a beer made from Benton’s Country Smokehouse bacon, and now it’s a reality. The catch is: You’ll have to pay $350 for a taste of Reinschweinsgebot, as Oliver is calling it.

$350 to get a taste!!

The beer is part of a pairing dinner at Per Se on September 18 at 7 p.m.

That sentence is just an unfortunate sentence to read.

If you agree with me that $350 is a little steep, fret not, I have the solution…

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