Olympic Roundup

I have been hypnotized by the Olympics this year. So much so that I programmed a set of favorites on the cable box so that I can move from NBC associated channel to channel searching for coverage. I have even been watching Juegos Olimpicos on Telemundo if they have the best coverage. (Not huevos olimpicos, that would be eggs Olympics) It is great that NBCOylmpics.com has 2000 hours of coverage online but if you use firefox they make you download the Silverlight extension, which I did. Couldn't they just use the streaming video that everyone else uses? My biggest pet peeve about the coverage is that CNBC insists on having paid advertisements during the weekend instead of Olympic coverage. What does that lady selling that cooking thing have over the CNBC execs? At least Universal HD, Mojo are simulcasting the CNBC or MSNBC coverage in HD along with NBCHD.

I have so many other opinions about the Olympic this year that it would take many hours to commit them to writing. Turns out many other have made the same observations. To save time I point you to their coverage.

Howard caught the opening games and has been watching many of the unusual (not baseball, or tennis) sports of the games. he even noticed that female saber seems to consist of the women trying to tab each other first and then both turning to the judge with a fist pump thinking they won.

Howard is also impressed with the man made kayak course and the kayakers themselves. He, like the rest of us, hasn't quite grasped the new scoring for gymnastics that doesn't go from 0 to ten anymore. I try to remember that higher is better and that it usually ranges from 14 to 17 for top-level gymnasts.

I thought the opening ceremonies were fantastic, but this guy nit-picked the details for us. For the record, the commentators told us the firework footprints were special effects during the coverage and there really were fireworks footprints in Bejing. Also, only a blind person would think that little girl at the piano was actually singing. I would think that all of those years of Milli-Vanilli and Ashly Simpson would help us realize when someone is lyp syncing, poorly. The commentators also told us that the children representing the ethnic groups were not from the ethnic groups.

Someone else was critiquing the opening ceremony outfits as harshly as we were during the parade of nations. Read the practically country by country critique at Street Carnage, from the worst outfits in the world red flowered print jackets of Hungary to the cool plaid of Antigua and Barbados.

By the way, I hear there is this guy, Michael Phelps, and he is a swimmer going for some sort of record. A neighbor told me of a drinking game his friends had where you must drink everytime his name is mentioned during Olympic coverage and you must down the whole drink left handed everytime they show his mother.

Happy Olympics!

Happy 8-8-08 at 8:08

I am sure that you have noticed that today is 8-8-08. I thought I would post at 8:08 to remind you. The Olympics started today 8-8-08 at 8:08, the Chinese chose this time because eight is a lucky number, the word eight sounds similar to the word for prosper or wealth.

I have already had someone wish me a Happy Olympics today, so I pass that on to you.

(see you again at 9:00 on 9-9-09)

Watching Woman's Olympic Curling

This Olympics I have been watching a lot of the woman's curling. I have hours and hours of it recorded on my DVR, although I keep hearing results before I get to watch them.

Unfortunately, I just missed the opportunity to join a woman's curling betting pool, I can't think of anything more obscure than betting on woman's curling (football playoff fantasy football and superbowl statistics are mundane compared to that). I am really mad I missed the chance to bet in the pool, because I could have won, since I am sure that I am watching more curling than anybody else in the pool. No amount of computation would probably be able to predict this one. Neither Wisdom of the crowd or genetic algorithms could be applied, because I really have no information (Aren't you scared I thought of it, though?).

Curling is the sport with the 42 lb stones they slide on the ice to a target. It is interesting to watch because it isn't just "wack the opponent's rocks" out of the circles (called the house); there is strategy involved. I also enjoy the Canadian/Minnesota accent of the announcers, certainly a humorous accent to an east-coaster like myself. I suppose it's surprising that I should have an interest. Perhaps it is due to the similarity to bocce or lawn bowling, or just it's obscurity.

I suspect the popularity is higher this year because the US Woman's team has some really cute girls, and the human interest story of the two Johnson sisters on the team. They have their own website over at Curlgirls.com, where you can leave comments wishing them luck. After starting 0 and 3, they have finally won a match against Denmark. I am hoping for more victories for them going forward. U S A !