IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A HIT YOU GOTTA MAKE IT FIT, SO THEY CUT IT DOWN TO 3:05:  I'm mostly posting this because the title of this post was so obvious, but here's a short Wired article on how the lengths of songs on the radio have varied over the years.

THE NOMINATIONS AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT A THICKY TRICK: Most of the Emmy nominations are pretty unsurprising, but a few things of note:

• The breakthrough program of the year?  Fargo, which got its entire "regular" cast nominated and a bunch of tech nominations,  True Detective also did well, though wasn't able to get acting nominations beyond the two leads.  Other new entrants in the top categories?  Orange Is The New Black and Silicon Valley, which, interestingly, gets writing, directing, and series nominations, but not a single acting mention, not even for the late Christopher Evan Welch--this is displeasing.
• Despite the strong season, Good Wife was unable to break into Best Drama, which remains a wholly cable/Netflix affair.  More sinfully, "Thicky Trick" wasn't nominated for original song.
• Interesting potential twofer?  Allison Janney, who's nominated for both Best Supporting Actress Comedy for Mom and Best Guest Actress Drama for Masters of Sex.
• Emmy continues its love affairs with Downton Abbey and American Horror Story.
• Scandal does add nominations for Kate Burton and Joe Morton in the guest acting categories to a return appearance by Kerry Washington in lead, but no love for Jeff Perry (who certainly had a spectacular submission episode) or Bellamy Young?  BOO!

ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOTS: Vox helpfully explains what we're all turning down for.

BEYOND ANALOGY:  Dan Levy, on Germany/Brazil:

There is no way to properly put this loss in perspective because nothing like this has ever happened before. It's unimaginable that anything, in any sport, will happen like this again.... If history remembers this game properly—if it's our job to use words like this to do just that—this will go down as the worst defeat any of us will ever see. It was exactly that bad. It may have been worse.

JUST LET US USE THE INFLATABLE SLIDE: Having already tackled airplane boarding procedures, the folks at Vox think they've figured out how to deplane people the fastest: "Letting all aisle passengers get off first — then all middle seats, then all windows — would likely reduce deboarding times. So would charging equally for both checked and carry-on baggage, and using multiple aircraft doors whenever possible."

SLUGGERRR SHOULD STICK TO HITTING:  The Missouri Supreme Court has held that fans at sporting events do assume the risk of thrown or batted balls and bats which may leave the field of play and enter the seating area, but you don't sign up for the risk that a baseball mascot beat you in the eye with a hotdog. Matter is remanded for retrial because of errant jury instructions below. Here's a sample of the ruling:

In the past, this Court has held that spectators cannot sue a baseball team for injuries caused when a ball or bat enters the stands. Such risks are an unavoidable – even desirable – part of the joy that comes with being close enough to the Great American Pastime to smell the new-mown grass, to hear the crack of 42 inches of solid ash meeting a 95-mph fastball, or to watch a diving third baseman turn a heart-rending triple into a soul-soaring double-play. The risk of being injured by Sluggerrr’s hotdog toss, on the other hand, is not an unavoidable part of watching the Royals play baseball. That risk is no more inherent in watching a game of baseball than it is inherent in watching a rock concert, a monster truck rally, or any other assemblage where free food or T-shirts are tossed into the crowd to increase excitement and boost attendance. ...

NOW CAN WE HAVE A MUSICAL EPISODE?  CBS has announced that Taye Diggs will be joining the cast of The Good Wife for multiple episodes, as a talented lawyer joining up with, well, if you click on the link, you'll see.

JELLICLE RAPS FOR JELLICLE CATS:  For the forthcoming London revival of Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber wants to add some "hip-hop flavor."  I'm sure we can provide some suggestions beyond MC Skat Kat.

WHEN DID MOTLEY CRUE BECOME CLASSIC ROCK?  FiveThirtyEight looks at "Classic Rock" radio in 20 different markets, and discovers the unsurprising (Billy Joel?  Big in New York.), the surprising (San Antonio loves them some Motley Crue), and the "get off my lawn" (Pearl Jam is big on the format in LA).

WHAT'S FOR LUNCH?  Consumer Reports has their occasional survey of fast food places up, and top honors go to Chicago-based Portillo's Hot Dogs, with Firehouse Subs and Schlotzsky's right behind, and McDonald's all the way at the back of the pack.  I'm sure there's stuff to argue about--Sonic beneath Wendy's?  Chipotle over Qdoba?  The razor close margin between Five Guys and In-N-Out?