Olympics and Pole Dancing?

I'll start off by saying that I was officially in mourning today after the shocking loss to the US in men's hockey last night. Canada had way more shots, but the US certainly made theirs count. Moving on to happier things...

I couldn't let this go when I read it this morning. Yahoo news ran a story by Associated Press writer Eric Talmadge about a woman in Japan who is a world champion in pole dancing and would like to see it recognized, on day, as an Olympic sport! You can link to the full story here. The gist of it is that they must first be recognized by the IOC as a sport prior to getting permission to participate in a future Olympics as a demonstration sport. I've got to tell you, the viewership for those events would be way up. At least for the male demographics. And where does that lead us? Will there be a male pole dancing category? Perhaps couples as in ice skating? My mind is wandering at the possibilities here...

I must admit that when I first read the byline (not wearing my glasses) I thought the story said "Poe Dancing" and I of course had to include the picture I ripped from Aaron Polson's blog. I look at it once in a while for a laugh (but how often is too often, you may ask?)

Speaking of Mr. Polson, he provides a link today on his blog to a podcast of his short story "The Sub-Basement." I must admit I loved this one when I read this when published at EDF in January 2009 (prior to joining the Aaron Polson fan club, I might add). Do yourself a favour and listen to his smooth delivery of his scary little tale.

WIP the Olympics

I'm thinking that, yet again, the title name will lure impressionable, innocent, young Natalie Sin into visiting my blog. Y'know...all the talk of whipping.

I have made little progress on my next flash piece (ie. none) since my last post. Sorry, but I just realized that the last sentence sounded a bit like being at confession. Must be the Ash Wednesday effect. Let me share a line from my next Fridayflash: "Small Victories"...

I don't think there was intentional malevolence, just a shortness of patience and lack of better judgement due to the excessive ouzo consumed that evening. *

*(note: author reserves right to delete and/or alter the crap out of this line prior to show time).

I blame the lack of progress on those darn Olympics. Perhaps this installment of the Games has more of a soap-opera-ish feel to it. Controversy after controversy. Perhaps you are not getting all the dirt at your location, but we in Canada are getting lambasted with information. Just in case you have missed some of the action, allow me to recap the past 6 days...

• The very sad accident at the luge track where the young Georgian died on the first day(I had wondered if this was the first death at an Olympics, but apparently it was the 4th).


• The Cauldron Malfunction at the opening ceremonies when one of the four legs couldn't get it up...


• The warm temperatures and lack of snow at Whistler and Cyprus Mountains. Vancouver Olympic Committee boss John Furlong noted that the temperatures this year are unprecedented in over 100 years (some locals are referring to it as the Summer Games).


• The unsightly 10 foot high chain link fence stopping the public access to the cauldron. I understand that they have, today, found a solution to this.


• The leaky, environmentally friendly ice machine at the Richmond Olympic Oval.


• The anti-Olympic rioters on Saturday who smashed in windows of stores selling Olympic items. This led to 11 arrests. Note that these knuckleheads should not be associated with the protesters of the previous day who marched peacefully, as is their right.


• An automobile accident on Sunday involving three vehicles of VP Joe Biden's motorcade, sending former Olympians Peggy Fleming and Vonetta Flowers to hospital.
  

One more Olympic item. It's not controversial, more annoying. The Canadian media's OCD-like focus on the fact that Canada was yet to win a gold medal on home soil. Note, we had not won a gold in either the Calgary or Montreal Olympics. The media were here were harping on about it as if they were teenage boys, wondering when they would eventually lose their virginity. Thank God that Alexandre Bilodeau won gold in the Men's Moguls on Sunday to shut the press up. Appropriately on Valentine's Day. I just hope that the athletes and visitors to the beautiful city of Vancouver are still managing to have the time of their lives. Despite what the media thinks.