22 Feb 2014

Which Is More Interesting: Space Elevators or Kate Upton in Zero Gee?

posted in: quirky, space, sports | 0

Too much snow, and other tiring distractions! Let’s think about something else for a change. Which is the more compelling of two stories that came across my radar the other day, both from space.com:

The coming reality of space elevators?

http://www.space.com/24739-space-elevator-tether-technology.html

Or the effect on supermodels of being photographed in skimpy swimsuits in zero gravity?
http://space.com/24726-kate-upton-zero-g-sports-illustrated.html*

You decide! (For what it’s worth, I like both of them.)

*You can see more photos in the series at http://swimsuit.si.com/swimsuit/models/kate-upton/zero-g-photos/1. Watch Kate get launched through the airplane by the photo crew!

31 Oct 2013

Yay, Sox!

posted in: public affairs, sports | 0

Congratulations, Red Sox, for a great World Series! Even this generally-doesn’t-watch-baseball fan got pretty enthused about the series this year. We stumbled into the playoffs by accidentally tuning in about ten minutes before Ortiz hit his grand slam home run a couple of weeks ago. And from there on, we were all in. Way to go, Bosox!

I found myself wondering, though, why the two teams don’t come together and shake hands at the end, the way sporting athletes used to do. For all of the excitement, I feel as if we’ve lost something in our obsession with the win. I think acknowledging each other as worthy opponents makes the sport larger, not smaller–and I wish we could have a movement back in that direction. Imagine a game like tonight’s, but with both teams out on the field at the end: the losers congratulating the winners on their win, and the winners sharing just a bit of the spotlight to acknowledge that the other team put up a hell of a fight.

Well, why can’t I do my bit right now? Cardinals, you put up a hell of a fight, you played some great baseball, and you managed to grow beards without looking like mountain men! Congratulations to you, too, on a great series.

What the hell, while we’re at it–congratulations to the fans! And to the new owner* of the Boston Globe! Beers all around!

Boston Globe photo by Barry Chin

*John Henry, who also owns the Red Sox.