If I was a weather man, my name would be Flo Poopo

(the name is an inside joke for my brother)

First Page in the Canadian Army Field Manual

Olympic Trampoline??? Seriously?

I guess its an indicator that I need to do more actual work at work, but this week we've been able to catch a lot of the Olympics while at the hospital in the conference room. Mid-day Olympics broadcast is really pretty interesting, at least compared the smarmy flashback crap NBC broadcasts during about of 30% of its quasi-live prime time coverage. I've seen some dressage, archery, water polo, handball (another questionable sport), but I actually was speechless when the Olympic Trampoline QUALIFYING HEATS blessed the screen.
Ummm, what?? Trampolines and washed up gymnasts does not an Olympic sport make in my book. In both real gymnastics and trampoline men wear suits that could generously be called plum smugglers. Those guys, while looking ever so dainty, can do moves requiring muscle strength far beyond that of most mortals. The women look sort of like like women, as much as you can expect a 12 year olds to look like a woman, but their strength is also incredibly impressive, and their finesse makes the men look like lumbering idiots.

Trampoline on the other hand, is just outright freaking lame. If you're gonna stroll around in pants or leotards that broadcast gender specific camel toe to the entire world, you'd better have the stuff to back it up. Trampoline "atheletes" clearly do not have that stuff.The last I checked trampolines were for the following:
1. Mormon families: they are cheap entertainment when you have 20 kids
2. Gymnasts who are practicing
3. Douche bags like the guys in the picture above.

Like all sports, the US is decades away from fielding a generation of good trampoline artists. I'd like to think it is because no red blooded American would ever stain the flag's good name by competeing in this ridculous "sport", but it only because we don't start our atheletes like China does. **See picture below***
For my money, even synchronized swimming (not surprisingly being broadcast right now on Oxygen along with dressage....) is a more of a sport. Gimme a sport where you're trying to lift so much weight that you pee yourself, and I'll stand up and cheer any day.

Cold War : Part Deux

Its not like I am an expert in international relations, and I admit my knowledge about this whole Georgia/Russian conflict is a bit sophmoric, but after a week of trolling the net, reading the NY Times and follow NPR, I think I have a fair handle on this friggin nonsense.

What it boils down to is Vlady "Mad as Rasputin" Putin has decided that Russia (with it VAST natural resources, huge military and total control over its populace) is threatened by a small country to its south that seems to be on a path to integration with Europe and the west via admission into NATO.

In the mind of Lili-Putin and pals, this obviously justifies an unmitigated land grab for Russian leaning provinces on the border, and an apparent desire to cut the country in half via take over of Gori, which would effectively shut down transport of people and goods through out this highly mountainous nation. The Georgian president can rightly be blamed for poking the Russian bear, but this behaviour on the part of the Russians is positively 20th century. Didn't we at some point decide that the attack and annexation of sovereign territory was WRONG? I have no idea how this gets solved in the long term, I only hope that the killing of innocents stops.

Art, it giveth me so much joy!!

I awoke this morning to the a new art installation in my front yard. I don't know who or what glorious being is responsible for bringing this light to my life, but I thank them. In a world so often turned ugly by the violence and senselessness of the human race, its so nice to know that somewhere, somehow, beauty remains. I present to you some pictures of this marvelous bit of avant garde magnificence.




Is this a statement about the Earth's forests being overrun by machines? Is it a plea for release from the surly bonds of gravity? Did a hobo fall from the sky whilst ballooning? Do aliens wear sneakers and drop them sometimes during anal probes? We might never know. Just enjoy.