Sanspo.com reports (automatically translated) that Gyaruru made their live stage debut on Saturday by playing a free concert for a crowd of 2,000 fans. Natsuko “Gal” Sone ate five box lunches during the event.

Tomoko Miyake attended the concert and wrote a blog entry about it.

Vox.com has a review of Gyaruru with the following comments about “Gal” Sone:

SHE MAKES SOME OF THE BEST FACIAL EXPRESSIONS EVER. Really. From “Sonene EAT CAKE!” to her sad faces, Sonene is just very, very cute. Really. Amimi and Abebe occasionally look a little odd doing their smiles or Amimi psycho faces, but Sonene always just looks so cute. I mean, I just wanna pinch her cheeks. Except, you know, she’s like twelve years older than me.

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(From Kelly Livingston) Steakbellie reports that the IFOCE purchased a bike for his son, Charlie Livingston, to replace a bike stolen on the last day of school:

What had happened, was that one of the two brothers that run the IFOCE, heard about the bike being stolen, and felt that he was in a position to help. More than just having empathy, he was called to action, and put together a fund in which several of the IFOCE organization staff, and some of the Eaters themselves donated cash, which the organization matched. The whole process and check was completed in a day.

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CNNMoney.com has an article analyzing Nathan’s Famous as an investment:

The hot dog eating contest has helped make Nathan’s a popular brand. But many investors may be surprised to know that the franchise fast food chain company is a publicly traded company and its stock has been on a roll.

Shares of the hot dog seller are up 22 percent this year, and last month the company reported stellar results for its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended in March.

The company said fourth-quarter earnings soared 97 percent from a year ago and revenue jumped 12 percent.

There is also a direct link to last week’s Jeanne Moos segment about Kobayashi’s condition.

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MercuryNews.com has both an article and an editorial about Joey Chestnut’s quest to dethrone Kobayashi. The editorial makes the following proposal:

The city of Chestnut’s girth should do something to honor a famous resident. Since there is no big eating contest on the West Coast, there’s opportunity for San Jose. The city has spent millions of dollars bringing the Grand Prix auto race to town; it could get cheaper mileage by sponsoring Chestnut at an eat-off with burritos or Vietnamese spring rolls.

Tens of thousands would flood downtown restaurants. And those fans would surely know how to eat.

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SPTimes.com has an article about Sunday’s “Science of Speed Eating” documentary.

The second half of the show follows gastroenterologist Dr. David Metz as he tries to figure out if there’s anything qualitatively different about how competitive eaters digest. To this end, Janus eats 36 hot dogs and radioactive scrambled eggs with a sidecar of barium smoothie.

The conclusion? Competitive eaters seem to relax their muscles in such a way that postpones peristalsis (waves of muscular contraction in the stomach that break down food into smaller pieces). Their stomachs become, as Dr. Metz notes, “giant flaccid bags,” four times their normal size. Their stomachs remain inert, their brains don’t experience satiation, and the eating machines keep eating.

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(from Carey Poehlmann) Suntimes.com has an article about Tim Brown. Like Crazy Legs Conti, Brown works for a gentlemen’s club.

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The bratwurst eating contest on the schedule for the Sheboygan Brat Days festival is a non-IFOCE contest limited to Wisconsin residents.

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The new poll asks what you think will happen in the Nathan’s finals on July 4.

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R Suzuki reports that Sakura Takahashi won a qualifer for a spot this fall’s “Gluttonous King” contests which was restricted to novice females. In her blog, Ms. Takahashi announces that she intends to use her prominence as a competitive eater to promote environmental awareness: (automatically translated)

As for me, the habit of being connected to protecting such terrestrial environment, it has becoming aware first in everyone, and that really it can have practicing, doing the kind of activity which is appealed to keep it would like, that thinks that anyone can practice simply.

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Brian Seiken has started an audio podcast which can be listened to at http://hometown.aol.com/beautifulbrian43/podcast.html Brian discusses Arturo Rios’ entry into the Civil Service qualifier and other current issues in the debut episode.

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From a Patrick Holbert email:

I’m throwing a party Friday night at The Underscore in NYC. Would you mind plugging this event on the blog since Badlands will be performing? I’m performing as well as my alter-ego Pat Miscellaneous. I’m a huge fan of competitive eating so I’m really excited that Badlands is on board for this show.

The Clams are playing as well and these guys are a riot. It’s going to be a really fun time so I’m trying to get everyone in the CE community to come out and have a good time.

www.myspace.com/badlandsbooker
www.myspace.com/patmiscellaneous
www.myspace.com/theclamsmusic
www.theunderscore.com

Badlands will go on around 10pm.

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A blog entry on MosesNews.com announces that Don “Moses” Lerman will receive the Lifetime Achievement award before the July 4 contest.

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A press release announces that Heinz is now the official ketchup of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Investor Nelson Peltz, who now holds a seat on the Heinz board, was willing to pay $200,000 in 2006 to cosponsor the contest.

update post-gazette.com has an article about the sponsorship

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A song praising Joey “Jaws” Chestnut by Billy Sugarfix can be listened to on the Independent Weekly website. The song has considerably higher production values than what you might expect.

Like a savant, Billy seizes upon a section of an interview where Chestnut discusses his two-handed eating process and compares it to a marathoner. “I need to find my rhythm: Bite, bite, swallow. Bite, bite, swallow,” Billy says, reading it to me. We toss a couple of ideas on how to approach the meter back and forth before settling on a ballad to Chestnut’s burgeoning legend, like a combination of Billy Jack and Davy Crocket. Billy gets back to me within 24 hours with music, the above verse, and this resplendent chorus, with the grace of a look from an eagle’s eye.

He’s a stomach-centric thousandaire
feeling the rhythm of a Krystal’s square
Coney Island here he comes
bite bite swallow,
even the crumbs are afraid.

Like anyone with less musical talent than William Hung, I’m at first shocked at how good it sounds, and immediately set about ruining it by increasing my participation. I pen another verse for the song, and call Billy back. He immediately notes that my verse in the first person, whereas, hitherto, the song has been in the third person. I somewhat clumsily admit I have thought of this, but figured the first half could be introduction, like on “Shaft,” when the background girls say how he’s a mean mofo. Ever gracious, he takes my suggestions and promises a final version by the weekend. And, lo and behold, he brings it home. Just like ol’ Joey “Jaws” Chestnut—the (potential) real American hero—damn well better.

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(From Dan Cesareo) Two new trailers from the “Science of Speed Eating” documetary, which will be televised on the National Geographic channel on Sunday, are embedded in a blog entry on the National Geographic website. One of the trailers introduces Sonya Thomas. Sonya will apparently attempt to eat 18 pounds of food in the program.

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Liz announces that she has made a new batch of buttons to represent the competitive eating fantasy teams along with some other eating themed buttons.

In other Liz news, her application to be a bunnette has been denied as Nathan’s has decided to go with professional models. If all video submitters were rejected, they definitely have reason to be upset and I would not consider that the ideal way to treat people who are some of the IFOCE’s biggest supporters.

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I have been unable to find any non-IFOCE information on the internet about P. Theyagarjan, a 7’8″ chicken tiki masala and hot dog eating contest winner from India, who IFOCE has invited to compete in the Nathan’s finals.

Googling “Theyagarjan” does not bring up any information from before the IFOCE announcement, nor does Theyagarjan appear in this list of the tallest Indians or this very thorough Japanese list of the world’s tallest men.

The July 4 contest may not provide confirmation of Theyagarjan’s existence according to this Gersh Kuntzman article:

In an unrelated injury story, the 7-foot-6 Indian giant, P. Theyagarjan, the chicken tika-masala-eating champion, has fallen and injured his foot.

“It really is true what they say: the bigger they are, the harder they fall,” Shea said. “He’s also day-to-day.”

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Cleveland.com has a long article about competitive eating which focuses on the locally televised contests from the early 1970s.

Before LeBron James, Cleveland sports was the domain of another king — Mariano “Mushmouth” Pachetti. In the 1970s, he could devour an entire pie in 30 seconds. He was unstoppable, a royal glutton.

That is, until Mushmouth met his match: Chris, the Fairview Fireball. In 1972, the saucy German shepherd jawed its title away in a pizza duel.

“Her slices fell to the floor,” says “Big Chuck” Schodowski, who presided over the event. “But she reached down and ate them; she really wanted to win.”

A cleveland.com columnist also tried his hand at competitive eating

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A commercial for paper plates starring Sonya Thomas can be viewed at http://youtube.com/watch?v=RQQ37rlvMV4 In the commercial, Sonya compares Harris-Teeter (a southern supermarket chain) house brand paper plates with name brand paper plates.

In other Sonya Thomas news, sonyatheblackwidow.com has brought up a blank page for the past two days.

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From a Paul Barlow, Jr. email:

I am finalizing my second semi-annual “Best Dressed Active Eaters of 2007” list…I need input from all sources, eaters-fans-Paris Hilton, etc….

The list will come out on my next Myspace blog the week after July 4th – Don Lerman, the best-dressed legend of all time, has already given me some feedback. The Nathan’s finals will be a great opportunity for all entered to make that last “push” for Best Dressed greatness!!

Judging based on hats, strange clothing, face paint, entrances, props, hair…..and anything else that may allow me to be highly ranked in my own list!! The eaters need not be ranked – last year some one-hit, but well-dressed wonders made the list (remember “The Pope”?)

Thanks in advance for your help – Super Paul Bonebreaker Bigmouth Barlow

Super Paul has also posted his Nathan’s predictions in his myspace blog

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From a Bruce “the Hangman” Pobanz email:

“The Hangman” Bruce Pobanz has agreed to a Hot Dog Eating Exhibition in Brunswick, Georgia on Monday July 2. The event will be a one minute contest being filmed for the Brunswick News and will be aired at www.thebrunswicknews.com on Friday July 6. The webcast will be available all weekend.

Also the Brunswick News will be doing a story on “The Hangman” and the upcoming “Science of Speed Eating” Documentary. The news article will be published in the July 7 and 8 weekend edition of the Brunswick News.

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KansasCity.com notes that the Royals have started a new class of ticket:

This weekend, the Royals held the first of what will become a semi-regular promotion in which fans can buy a club-level seat with unlimited hot dogs, nachos, peanuts and soda.

“Oh, we’ve seen a lot of people through here who could do some damage (in competitive eating contests),” says Shawn, who worked the All-You-Can-Eat concession stand Friday night. “Especially peanuts and hot dogs.”

The article also has some quotes from “Humble” Bob Shoudt

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NYPost.com has an article about roommates Crazy Legs Conti and Tim “Eater X” Janus.

Best friends “Crazy Legs” Conti and Timothy “Eater X” Janus rigged their kitchen to emulate the famed Coney Island eatery, installing a replica of Nathan’s industrial grill, a red leather banquette, and red neon signs. They even replaced glassware with Nathan’s disposable cups.

Signs of their obsession are on every imaginable surface: the Oyster Eating belt, tiramisu trophy, and 40 other plaques and prizes from eating contests.

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The Seattle Times has a long article about Erik “the Red” Denmark with coverage of his victory at the Shea Stadium qualifier. Denmark had about $10,000 in travel expenses last year.

Rich Shea says he is unaware of any diabetic eaters, which would come as news to Pat Philbin.

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A video of Thursday’s Nathan’s qualifier at the QVC studio can be seen at http://youtube.com/watch?v=aaYPM12UizE

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