Life as an Extreme Sport

Author: Kelly

a philosopher takes on figure skating

Philosophy

A Drexel philosopher talks about philosophy, figure skating, and why it’s declining in viewers and popularity. Mostly posting this for Lisa, but others might find it interesting – and it’s always nice to have another example of “nyah nyah philosophy doesn’t have to be boring.” This paragraph alone makes the entire thing worth reading:

Sequin abuse is so widespread in ice dancing that, as incongruous as sequins on African tribal outfits are, even Navarro and Bommentre fell victim to it. Judges, it seems, are thought to respond well to sequins and many skaters thus feel that the additions make them more noticeable. If you ask me though, two human beings alone together, out in the middle of a vast sheet of ice, are pretty damn conspicuous no matter what they are wearing. It’s as if ice dancing judges are all suffering from some sort of degenerative eye disease that makes them unable to detect the presence of objects unless they glitter.

And finally, this must be the piece by Daisuke Takahashi she’s talking about, and to say it is phenomenally mindblowing is really an understatement. I haven’t seen anything this amazingly fluid in ice skating in a long, long time.

David Cook Wins. Period.

...and everything else, American Idol, Duct Tape and Prayers, life and living, Pop Culture

It’s not like I really needed another reason to like David Cook, but yesterday morning’s Idol recap from a Tampa affiliate actually might send me over the voting edge on America, for the first time ever.

Basic rundown for those who don’t want to watch (although you should, because it really is sweet): the person doing the wrap up was in Hollywood last week for the Fox meet’n’greet, and met Cook. While talking, he explained to Cook that his teenage daughter, Lindsey, was a huge fan. He also told him how much it meant that she got excited about the show right now, because she was diagnosed with leukemia on Christmas day. So Cook stops what he’s doing, and asks for the guy’s cell phone so he can call her and say hello.

Score one massive amount of goodwill with me.

But it doesn’t stop there. The announcer also told him about the orange bracelets her friends and family wear, with the motto Lindsey uses to get through chemo, and her name. Cook asked if he could have one, promising to wear it on the show this week, and the announcer gave him the one off his wrist.

Did he wear it? Yep. At several points during Eleanor Rigby, his jacket pulls back and you can see the bracelet. Lindsey apparently went wild through the roof, and she and her father voted a million times each.

After that, so will I.

Apparently DCook’s older brother Adam has been battling cancer (from the sounds of it, leukemia) for a while, too. It’s a big and strange club of solidarity to be initiated into.

Edited to change the few details I got wrong, per the comment below. Thanks for the clarification!

American Idol, Top 12, Results

American Idol, Pop Culture

Huh. Well, I didn’t call that one, although it was in my bottom of performances. Goes to show – it’s better to be worse than unmemorable.

A couple of videos worth watching. First, the return of the Pimpermercial! Ah, Pimpermercial, how I love thee:


And a group sing! Sometimes the group sings are good, other times not so much. This one actually falls on the good side, especially Michael Oz, who seems to have found something he’s been missing – if he could pull out a performance like this next week on something, he’d rapidly find himself back in the running. I also thought it was interesting that he was the primary one to harmonize with the gals (and sounded great doing it). I always find it interesting both to see who gets the groupsing focus, and how each soloist sounds literally right next to one another.


Also, after seeing that, I’d really like to see Michael Oz bust out a full cover of Can’t Buy Me Love. Maybe David Archie and Amanda, too.

If you watched that last video, you know that next week? More Lennon/McCartney songbook. My poor father.

American Idol, Top 12

American Idol, Pop Culture

Oh right – we have a new stage and intro! Huh, I kind of like it, although I’m going to miss the seal. And the video screens everywhere are… strange. The band is all spread out, Ricky Minor’s getting some attention with prominent positioning. Looks like we have new lights, too – and tonight’s theme is… under the sea! Where’s Ariel when you need her?

Anyhow, they’re going to massacre The Beatles tonight. Let’s get this over with.

Predictions
Top Three: David Cook, Brooke White, Amanda Overmyer
Bottom Three: Kristy Lee Cook, Syesha Mercado, David Hernandez
Top Six: David Cook, Brooke White, Amanda Overmyer, Michael Johns, Carly Smithson, Chikezie
Should Go Home: Kristy Lee Cook
Will Go Home: Syesha Mercado

Here’s your Must Watch performance of the week:


hurdles

blog as therapy, life and living

I bit one bullet today, and admitted to a colleague today just how badly I have been doing, and why, and what steps I’ve taken to try to fix it, and how it’s not worked, and what I’m doing now to attempt to wrestle things back under control. She’s not dumb, and had figured most of it out… but just the act of saying “look, I’ve been barely holding it together, and here’s why” was both terrifying and liberating.

Mostly terrifying, though. People are such harsh judges, at times, and I feel like this is one thing that if I am judged for, again, harshly – or more harshly than I have been on myself – that it might just be that final straw on the camel. Which sounds so much more overwrought than I intend it to, or it is.

I have never, in my adult life, fallen apart like this before – not this hard, not this long. Not into this many pieces. And as harsh and hard as some people are being about it, to be perfectly honest, I am my own worst critic. It sounds so silly, but in some ways I think the worst thing is, I’ve lost my self-confidence. If I just had that, I might be able to pull out of this downward spiral.

Anyhow, that’s enough on the emo-express for now.