DAILY DIRT: How’s your marriage? Do you compare more to Britney and Jason, or Ringo and Barbara?

Hey, no one ever said marriage was easy … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 338 of The Daily Dirt.

1. We’ve all heard and read about the marriages of famous people who collect wedding rings like baseball cards.

Singer Britney Spears and someone named Jason Alexander were once married for just 55 hours. Actor Nicolas Cage was once married four days. Cage had another marriage that ended after 107 days. You get the point.But there have been many celebrity marriages that have lasted for a long time. Here are three of my favorites:

Gold medal: Musician Ringo Starr an actress Barbara Bach, 37 years. “I love Barbara as much as the day I met her (in 1980),” Ringo said.

Silver medal: Actor Denzel Washington and wife, Pauletta, 35 years. “There is no secret to the perfect marriage. It’s hard work, you know. But we made a commitment.”

Bronze medal: Singers Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, 22 years: “Look, there is no secret. Either you like one another or you don’t. You want to stay married, or you don’t. You work at it, or you don’t. Simple as that.” Hill said.

2. The Great Plate search for West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri marches into the dog days of summer, and for the third time in as many weeks we have a different bronze medalist for the year.

Gold medal: LUV YADI. 

Silver Medal: GOL D LOX.

Bronze medal: YADI. Obviously, we need to get the gold medal and silver medal drivers together.

This week’s Top 5

• MANY: … are called, few are chosen.
• DEFAULT: Must be a banker, eh?
• DVL FAN 1: Go Blue Devils?
• BOOYAA: A fan of the late, great ESPN personality Stuart Scott?
• SLU 1: Obviously, a Billikens fan.

3. The best of “Found on Facebook” from the past week:

• “My goal is to be that old person everyone is afraid to take out in public.” (I think I’m getting close.)
• “To stay out of hot water when brewing a pun, it’s best to subtle tea.” (Don’t feel bad, I had to read this one a few times myself.)
• “What type of fruit do twins prefer? Pears.” (Ahh … a little old-school humor.)
• “Get your head out of your apps.” (Ahh … a little techno humor.)
• “It’s better to be happy in sweat pants than sad in jeans.” (It truly is …)

Steve Thought O’ The Day — I’m pretty sure the last time I ran as far as 100 yards without stopping was seventh-grade football practice in the fall of 1966. But I did jog to the refrigerator a few nights ago.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Does someone have a license plate that reads “Facebook”?