Miscellany

Sally Jenkins is always good when she writes about cycling (and particularly the Tour de France), and now she proves herself insightful on horse racing too. She has an excellent column today about the tragedy of Eight Belles’ death and the causes behind it:

There is no turning away from this fact: Eight Belles killed herself finishing second. She ran with the heart of a locomotive, on champagne-glass ankles for the pleasure of the crowd, the sheiks, oilmen, entrepreneurs, old money from the thousand-acre farms, the handicappers, men in bad sport coats with crumpled sheets full of betting hieroglyphics, the julep-swillers and the ladies in hats the size of boats, and the rest of the people who make up thoroughbred racing. There was no mistaking this fact, too, as she made her stretch run, and the apologists will use it to defend the sport in the coming days: She ran to please herself.

Christopher is trying to finish an end of the semester project for his Linguistics class, looking at the speaking traits of people with Asperger’s Syndrome. He has designed a quick, handy online survey and needs responses from folks with an AS diagnosis OR who live with someone with AS and are familiar with their conversational style.

Anonymous, of course, and you will earn both our undying gratitude — anonymously — for filling it out. Please pass on to anyone you know who fits the bill.

Today’s Annoying Parts of Life: 1) tire with a hole in it (fixed, and even for free), 2) hot water heater problems plus (with the plus upping the total to YEEOUCH 3-grand), and 3) dirty hair (see hot water heater problems) and bad sleep last night leading to a general state of fuzzy-headedness.

It’s a nice day outside, at least, and these things are minor in the scheme of, and too shall pass. Etc. (It would be, perhaps, easier if I wasn’t on antibiotics that prevent the consumption of wine. Three. More. Days.)

And now that I’ve TMI-ed you to death, here’s a happiness-inducing thing: Graeme McMillan’s list of X-Men Who Should Be X-ed Out. I’m still mulling whether I have any additions, but have got to concur with Angel and some of the other conclusions*. Your own nominations welcome in the comments.

Also, if you’re a moneybags and would, y’know, like to send me 3-grand, I have a use for it**.

*Who knew that Australian teleporters suck so hard?

**No, I’m not going post-apocalypse. I should be able to shower when I get home. Poor, but clean.

Theresa Duncan set up an autopost for today featuring a Dick Cavett anecdote about Basil Rathbone, a friend’s car crash and a message from a medium. Apparently, another will appear on New Year’s Eve.

This striking image by photojournalist Petros Giannakouris accompanied today’s Associated Press story about the massive fires sweeping across Greece. Firefighters were able to stop fires just before they destroyed the ruins of Ancient Olympia, but others continue to burn.

The NYT profiles the deal-breaking content of some apartments. One rich, strange bachelor has faded, decades-old kiddie sheets (because they don’t make them in adult sizes anymore*):

“I was dating this very nice woman, I thought,” says Mr. Podell. “I was ready and she was ready to do the big deed. I take her to my apartment, go into the bedroom, and fling back the sheets, and she said, ‘My husband had these sheets and he was a mean-hearted son of a bitch and you must be like him and I’m leaving.’ ”

Could it be maybe, just maybe, that the problem is that Mr. Podell refers to sex as "the big deed"?

But stuffed baby seal guy’s just getting a bad rap. Klimt posters, however? Buffy already handled that one.

Gavin, let me know if any of these people write in to Dear Aunt G: I am ready with the advice bazooka.

*This guy is a millionaire and yet not enterprising enough to get some custom sheets made? The women SHOULD be running.

Live Cam! (Via Jenny D.)

The Atlantic Monthly has compiled a list of the 100 most influential Americans. I don’t know if it’s more of a commentary on the list or America that there’s so little diversity on it. Full list behind the cut, for the curious.

…

Dead White Guys RuleRead More »

Awwwww.

Why does China hate the guanmao?

See slideshow for more cuteness.

One of the best things online this week has been all the wonderful photos from Comic Con of People In Costume. (PICs, if you must have an acronym.) Frankly, I find all the sort of Ren Faire-reject pirates* a little sad, but then there’s shots like this one from Wired. There’s more where that came from, but Theo Black’s two sets are my faves so far.

*This is a compliment to the Ren Faire, not an insult. Really.