July
Tuesday, July 4
One man; 53.5 franks; 12 minutes. That's Takeru Kobaya-shi's world record for hot-dog consumption—a mark he and 19 other hypereaters will chase at the 90th Nathan's Famous International Hot-Dog-Eating Contest. Broadcast live on ESPN, it's all about product placement. How do you think Nathan's got so famous?
Thursday, July 20
Comic nerds take to San Diego for Comic-Con International 2006. Thousands of bookish, sort-of-scary graphic-novel collectors will arrive from darkened bedrooms around the nation—to be joined by sort-of-scary video-game and movie execs looking for the next big score.
August
Friday, August 18
How to foster innovation in the civic sector? Ignite hope and possibility in communities? Find a decent pizza in Midway, Utah, where social entrepreneurs, business leaders, and government wonks will gather for the Harwood Institute's inaugural, Fast Company–sponsored Public Innovators Summit?
Friday, August 18
It's a title and a plot: Snakes on a Plane opens in theaters. The reptilian thriller will likely prove less remarkable (guess what happens?) than the viral buzz that has been mounting for months. Just as remarkable: New Line Cinema has had almost nothing to do with the prerelease hype.
A version of this article appeared in the July/August 2006 issue of Fast Company magazine.
