Here's the Scoop by Brian Sweeney

Another bright idea
I’m declaring 2010 The Year of the Firefly.
This is being done because I’ve noticed that over the past decade or so, it seems that each summer a different type of animal or insect steps (or runs, flies or crawls) into prominence. Squirrels, ladybugs, frogs, tent caterpillars — they’ve all dominated recent summers. My early money this year is on fireflies.

I hear you, fans
While I certainly admire the remarkable skills of professional soccer players, I am not what you’d call a soccer fan. It probably has something to do with me having “two left feet” — with neither of them particularly skilled at making a round ball go in an intended direction.
I suppose that if were to sit down and watch an entire game of the current World Cup that I might gain some enthusiasm for the “world’s most watched event.” But I won’t be joining in the with the soccer couch potato crowd.

Time for Lawn-spansion
When is a lawn not a lawn? If this sounds like the type of mind-twisting puzzle uttered by Batman’s foe, The Riddler, well, it’s not. It’s a real question for homeowners. Because The Riddler is not around to provide a solution, let me help: When it’s supposed to be a forest.

Patching things up
Five months from now, I’ll be glad I made this effort. Right now, it’s just a pain in the….neck, arms, back and probably a few additional places. But when Halloween rolls around, I will proudly display the pumpkins I grew. Hopefully.

Necessity is the mother of invention
Those of you who are easily grossed out (I fit that bill) should stop reading here. I learned this week that a Roxbury resident has become a star on the Internet because of a blanket he invented. This isn’t your everyday blanket. And it’s apparently not going to replace the Snuggie (another great concept that I wrote about awhile back) in homes across America.

You don’t say...
When I go online, it’s sometimes interesting to click on the stories that the Home Page folks have deemed important. Just last week, there was a headline that screamed out at me: “The Worst Words to Say at Work.”
I naturally figured that I knew all of these — and a few more.

Hot dog! That’s a great idea
As a general rule, I hate Internet advertising. These ads are a little too “in your face” for me. Plus, there’s the indisputable fact that newspaper ads are the only ones that work.

Blasts from the past
I’m not really a Classic Rock kinda guy. To me, Classic Rock equals Nostalgia which equals Old. I have my knees to give me the age message, I don’t need my ears echoing this reality.
As a result, I have a stereo cabinet filled with discs that I have played countless times, but most of which I no longer load into the disc player.

Seedy neighborhood
On occasion, I have updated fascinated readers with The Bird Situation at our house. Since many of you have written to me seeking the latest news, I felt obligated to include another installment.
I suppose, if I were a cool tech-head, I could merely go on Twitter and “Tweet” about these bird-related events — it seems that would be very appropriate indeed. But I can’t get paid for that type of communication, so the latest news will appear here.

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