Competition, to be meaningful, must be between or among equals. That's why in sports competitors are segregated by such things as gender, age, weight, skill level.
While watching the Oscars last night, I noted the same is true there -- directors do not compete against cinematographers, nor do set designers compete with costume designers. In most categories, however, gender plays no part. Both women and men were nominated for film editing and art direction and sound editing.
So, why are there separate Oscar categories for male and female actors? What is the difference between an acting performance by Colin Firth and one by Natalie Portman?
Monday, February 28, 2011
On a personal note
Well, not only am I a senior citizen on social security, I'm am now an official retiree. Last working day was Friday.
And it was a great party! Lots of people came, and I appreciate all their good wishes. In lieu of gifts, we said if people felt like they wanted to do something, they could make a donation to Paws with a Cause. Obviously I have very generous friends, because we collected $650 for that charity. I am mighty thankful to all.
The highlight of the evening, though, was the barbershop quartet, four members of the Capital City Chordsmen, who entertained us with several numbers. My family in Wisconsin, including my barbershop-singing brother, couldn't make it to the party, so they sent these guys instead, and they were great.
In the days and weeks ahead I will be concentrating on discovering if retirement is all it's cracked up to be. So far so good.
And it was a great party! Lots of people came, and I appreciate all their good wishes. In lieu of gifts, we said if people felt like they wanted to do something, they could make a donation to Paws with a Cause. Obviously I have very generous friends, because we collected $650 for that charity. I am mighty thankful to all.
The highlight of the evening, though, was the barbershop quartet, four members of the Capital City Chordsmen, who entertained us with several numbers. My family in Wisconsin, including my barbershop-singing brother, couldn't make it to the party, so they sent these guys instead, and they were great.
In the days and weeks ahead I will be concentrating on discovering if retirement is all it's cracked up to be. So far so good.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Inquiring minds want to know
Today is the birthday of Samuel Pepys (1633-1703), an Englishman most famous for keeping a diary during the 1660's. The subject matter ranges from very personal matters (such as his bodily functions and his wife's periods) to observation and commentary on social and political events of the day. Since he kept said diary during the period of the Restoration of the Stuarts, there was plenty to observe and comment upon.
But what is really, really fascinating about this guy is that his last name is pronounced "Peeps."
How do you get Peeps out of Pepys?
Well, think back to my discussion of "mum's the word" in which I pointed out that in the 15th-century our lyppis were sealed, but by the time we got to Shakespeare, it was our lips that didn't move. There are many words from Middle English that end in -is and -ys that end up as plain old -s as time goes by.
But it's still real weird. I think that English scholars perpetuate the practice of pronouncing it Peeps just so they can feel superior to the people who pronounce it like it looks. At least no reader of my blog will ever make that mistake.
Happy birthday, Mr. Pepys. Goodbye, Mr. Chippys.
But what is really, really fascinating about this guy is that his last name is pronounced "Peeps."
How do you get Peeps out of Pepys?
Well, think back to my discussion of "mum's the word" in which I pointed out that in the 15th-century our lyppis were sealed, but by the time we got to Shakespeare, it was our lips that didn't move. There are many words from Middle English that end in -is and -ys that end up as plain old -s as time goes by.
But it's still real weird. I think that English scholars perpetuate the practice of pronouncing it Peeps just so they can feel superior to the people who pronounce it like it looks. At least no reader of my blog will ever make that mistake.
Happy birthday, Mr. Pepys. Goodbye, Mr. Chippys.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Guests and fish and pink
All right, enough with the pink already.
It was the Susan G. Komen folks who started the pink ribbon, and now the ribbon and the color have been adopted internationally as a symbol for breast cancer awareness. Well, cool. I am all for anything that raises awareness since my partner and I are both breast cancer survivors.
But now the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is sponsoring what they call the Pink Zone to raise awareness, and for ten days or so in February, women's college teams are taking to the court in pink. Did I say pink? I meant PINK.
NFL and MLB and NBA players and coaches adding pink shoes or a pink headband or a little pink trim on a cap -- that's one thing. But these completely pink uniforms some of the teams are wearing put it way over the top.
Somebody needs to mention to Illinois that the orange numbers on their pink suits was a distinctly ghastly choice. Orange and Pepto-Bismol are not on the same color wheel.
It was the Susan G. Komen folks who started the pink ribbon, and now the ribbon and the color have been adopted internationally as a symbol for breast cancer awareness. Well, cool. I am all for anything that raises awareness since my partner and I are both breast cancer survivors.
But now the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is sponsoring what they call the Pink Zone to raise awareness, and for ten days or so in February, women's college teams are taking to the court in pink. Did I say pink? I meant PINK.
NFL and MLB and NBA players and coaches adding pink shoes or a pink headband or a little pink trim on a cap -- that's one thing. But these completely pink uniforms some of the teams are wearing put it way over the top.
Somebody needs to mention to Illinois that the orange numbers on their pink suits was a distinctly ghastly choice. Orange and Pepto-Bismol are not on the same color wheel.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Go Green, Go White (and I don't mean snow)
See? I said I wasn’t getting my hopes up. We had another 10 inches of snow again by this morning.
I feel like I spent most of the weekend watching basketball games. Both Michigan State’s teams won. Life is sweet. The women’s team is on top of the Big Ten (which has 11 and will soon have 12 teams in it). That program has done very well of late, and people are appreciating what the players and Suzy Merchant have done. They sold out the Breslin center for their most recent home game.
Haven't been to a game in a long time. I'd hate to start now -- I'd look like a fair-weather friend. The women used to play in the women’s IM building, a cozy little gym, but even then it was empty. I was astounded when they moved them to the Bres – capacity of about 14,000. There would be 300 people there. You could hear the players talking to each other on the court, and the loudest noise was sneaker squeaks. The biggest crowd for a women’s basketball game at the Bres was always when Ohio State came to town. Their fans outnumbered us.
But I'm very glad to see this trend. Maybe it just took Title IX a while to get to East Lansing.
I feel like I spent most of the weekend watching basketball games. Both Michigan State’s teams won. Life is sweet. The women’s team is on top of the Big Ten (which has 11 and will soon have 12 teams in it). That program has done very well of late, and people are appreciating what the players and Suzy Merchant have done. They sold out the Breslin center for their most recent home game.
Haven't been to a game in a long time. I'd hate to start now -- I'd look like a fair-weather friend. The women used to play in the women’s IM building, a cozy little gym, but even then it was empty. I was astounded when they moved them to the Bres – capacity of about 14,000. There would be 300 people there. You could hear the players talking to each other on the court, and the loudest noise was sneaker squeaks. The biggest crowd for a women’s basketball game at the Bres was always when Ohio State came to town. Their fans outnumbered us.
But I'm very glad to see this trend. Maybe it just took Title IX a while to get to East Lansing.
Friday, February 18, 2011
If winter comes ... and goes
I start dreading winter the day after the summer solstice, because I know the days are going to grow shorter and the temperatures will eventually get colder and the precipitation will come in the form of snow. In Bleak December I perk up a little bit on the 22nd (or thereabouts) when the trend reverses itself in minute increments.
We missed the January thaw this year, so we're having it now in late February. I refuse to get my hopes up that it's over. Some of the most annoying snow storms I've experienced were in April. So there is going to be more winter weather, more cold temperatures, more snow, and lingering seasonal depression on my part for a while at least.
But hope springs eternal. Right now all the snow that wasn't piled in 10-foot mounds has melted. And that has yielded this harbinger of things to come: my tiny dog went out on the deck, down the stairs, and onto the grass to do her thing this morning.
If your dog pees on the grass, can spring be far behind?
We missed the January thaw this year, so we're having it now in late February. I refuse to get my hopes up that it's over. Some of the most annoying snow storms I've experienced were in April. So there is going to be more winter weather, more cold temperatures, more snow, and lingering seasonal depression on my part for a while at least.
But hope springs eternal. Right now all the snow that wasn't piled in 10-foot mounds has melted. And that has yielded this harbinger of things to come: my tiny dog went out on the deck, down the stairs, and onto the grass to do her thing this morning.
If your dog pees on the grass, can spring be far behind?
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Elementary
I have always liked "Jeopardy!" -- even the old original day-time show hosted by Art Fleming ("Thank you, Don Pardo!") when the dollar values in the first round ranged from $10 to $50 (compared with $200 to $1000 today). I watch it often.
But now they've gone too far. They are asking me to witness two formidable former champions get the living crap beat out of them by an IBM computer named Watson.
It is impressive that the computer can parse the clues and come up with a correct response (I'd say 95% of the time), but the reason it is winning is that it can do it in nanoseconds. He rings in before the humans can even send the message to their thumbs to press the button.
When Watson gets it wrong, however, it misses big. "Final Jeopardy" was not the computer's finest hour. The category was American Cities, and the clue was:
"Its largest airport is named for a WWII hero. Its second largest for a WWII battle."
Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter and I knew the answer is Chicago -- O'Hare is named for pilot Butch O'Hare, Midway is named after the Pacific battle. Watson's answer: Toronto.
Hello? The category is American cities.
OK, yes, there are four American towns named Toronto -- in Ohio, Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas. I'd be surprised if any of those places has even one commercial airport, much less two.
The players get 30 seconds for Final Jeopardy. Maybe they should program Watson not to think too hard or too long.
But now they've gone too far. They are asking me to witness two formidable former champions get the living crap beat out of them by an IBM computer named Watson.
It is impressive that the computer can parse the clues and come up with a correct response (I'd say 95% of the time), but the reason it is winning is that it can do it in nanoseconds. He rings in before the humans can even send the message to their thumbs to press the button.
When Watson gets it wrong, however, it misses big. "Final Jeopardy" was not the computer's finest hour. The category was American Cities, and the clue was:
"Its largest airport is named for a WWII hero. Its second largest for a WWII battle."
Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter and I knew the answer is Chicago -- O'Hare is named for pilot Butch O'Hare, Midway is named after the Pacific battle. Watson's answer: Toronto.
Hello? The category is American cities.
OK, yes, there are four American towns named Toronto -- in Ohio, Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas. I'd be surprised if any of those places has even one commercial airport, much less two.
The players get 30 seconds for Final Jeopardy. Maybe they should program Watson not to think too hard or too long.
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