Triple Axel, triple Lutz, triple flip, triple Salchow, triple toe loop: they all look exactly the same to me. All impressive, to be sure, but to my untrained eye, indistinguishable. Whichever ones he did, congratulations to Naperville, Illinois native Evan Lysacek on the gold medal he won tonight.
I'm heading out of town for a busy weekend at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament so I don't expect to update this space for a few days. To keep our chitchat going I'll give you a suggested topic: baseball and softball are no longer Olympic sports but hobbyish, marginally athletic oddities like ice curling and biathlon are. Why?
One possible explanation: feeling little love for the USA, the rest of the world ousted from the Olympics two sports generally considered all-American and thus grist for our gold medal count, even though South Korea and Cuba made the 2008 gold medal baseball game and Japan beat the Yanks to take the Beijing softball gold.
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3 comments:
Hi Ben,
Why are there no comments on your blog? You are obviously intelligent, insightful and funny! (Don't feel bad, no one comments on my blog either...so I kind of stopped writing it.) I've only read the first several entries of your blog, and already am considering forwarding or linking some entries (such as the "Canuckiana" entry to my daughter, who wore an "Invade Canada" t-shirt on her first trip there... heh heh). I may just send the kids a link to the whole blog! You're THAT GOOD! ("Emotional rollercoaster"! "Spelunkheads"! "Rush Limbaugh! The Musical"!
I arrived here via Amy Reynaldo's blog, having followed the ACPT closely, participating online from home. Hearty congratulations on your 160th place! Had I been there, I would have tied with someone called "Ben Sokol" at #551.... better luck next year.
I think your possible explanation for the Olympic loss of baseball & softball is right on the money; but is that allowed? Where was our Olympic rep when that vote was going on?
For some reason - it must be the Age of Aquarius - I suddenly am watching the Olympics whenever I can, though I have shunned them for most of my life. My family and friends are baffled.
Carry on, Ben! We'll be watching.
Tricia
Thanks for the nice thoughts, Tricia.
It's true, some days I don't get many comments here. Other days, though, I get my share. Also, some people email comments to me rather than post them publicly.
I like to joke, but it's also true, that I write this blog for an audience of literally tens of readers. Amy's puzzle blog probably gets as many visitors in a day as mine does in a year. Many people find her site by googling for a crossword answer, then come back for more of her polished commentary.
My blog just covers topics of general interest, at least to me. Without the crossword focus (or a rock band, sports team, politics, pornography, or whatever) to bait the hook, the only tools at my disposal to attract and build an audience are my sense of humor, personality, and/or writing ability. Uh oh! :)
I just sent the "Canuckiana" to my sister and her husband, Toronto residents for ~40 years (but now downgraded to repatriation and living in Atlanta: The Megalopolis.)
I am looking forward to your ACPT experiences; already you are the lead-off picture on the website "photobucket."
I will enjoy hearing your impressions, especially as I was bowled over by the normal appearance-- attractive, even!-- of some of the constructors whose names have recently been branded into my consciousness. Kevin Der--just darling! Mike Nothnagel--engaging and smiling! Paula Gamache--soignee and self-possessed. And all of them did such a grand job of disguising their horns and tails!
No, but seriously....I'm bookmarking so I don't have to wait for your comments to appear so I can follow the torturous path across the sticky worldwideweb in future.
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