Dream Dies

OK, I stayed silent on this blog for the whole World Cup because I didn't want to jinx it.

I didn't want to do anything to jeapordize Germany's chances...didn't crow about Sweden or Argentina...shut my mouth and didn't say the word FINALS.

But then yesterday when my immaculate wife dared to CURSE Germany with all the powers granted to her by an Italian 'Nona of unspeakable scorn and venom I had to speak, making a witty repartee about German efficiency holding Italy to penalty kicks and prevailing...which led to todays' outcome of Italy scoring at the LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT to win the game without going to penalty kicks.

Such a damned stunning goal that Germany (and me, here at my desk listening to thesun.co.uk's unofficial gamecast) hadn't recovered before the second one was potted just before full time.

I mean come ON!

I mean it's one thing to lose fairly, but to bring occult powers into it!

She did the same thing to me 8 years ago to this very day - Look it up! I sure did! July 4, 1998: Croatia 3 - Germany 0. We had just moved in together, too. And she doesn't even LIKE Croatia!

I will have to consult outside occult forces to counter this, but I'm just too despondent at the moment.

I can just hear the jokes too...Did you hear? Germany lost! Betcha Ray's a sour kraut! HAR HAR HAR!

Morons

Why we should bring back the pillory

Damn effin' tools.

Late linkage...

...to Red Ensign #43 at Just Between Us Girls.

Apologies to Glenda for not linking sooner.

Imagine what it would cost to use Bentleys?

Yaris-Yaris-Yaris! Toyota’s Gone World Cup Crazy In England



Yes yes, I know - Deutschland über Alles! You only have to check the decor around this site to know who I'm cheering for!

But you have to admit: what the Toyota workers in Derbyshire did was frickin' cool. That's the way for a company to show their pride and support.

Competitive Edge

An article about the British experience - I wonder how easily it would be transplanted to a North American context.

Boys are being failed by our schools



I don't know if competitiveness and leadership are "traditional male traits" but I do see that competition is being downplayed in favour of collaboration - a different focus that does have a price.

Full disclosure time: I was ultra-competitive in high school - so much so that I avoided things that I would lose at in order to escape the sting of losing (yes, that was a problem that required letting go. I can still quote you chapter and verse why I was ripped off from being valedictorian because of Phys Ed...PHYS ED!) Fear of losing and failing was a primary motivator (and glares from my parents during report card time - Why only 89% in Chemistry, Ray? WHY?)

So I'm all in favour of competition, as it got me off my fat keister and got me through university.



Nothing as scary as the final exam worth 100% of your mark. Nothing as exhilirating and freeing as getting by that last test knowing that you've passed it at the last minute.



I think that this is not a girls vs boys thing. I have two girls. Believe me, girls are competitive. Mine even race from the van to the door of the daycare to see who can get in the building first, even though there's no prize - because it's fun.

Competition is fun. Or at least it's supposed to be.

Trying to ensure that everyone reaches the finish line at exactly the same time, giving prizes for coming in 10th in a field of 10 - what kind of impetus is there for anyone to get better? I'm sorry, but sometimes self-esteem needs to take a bit of a beating in order for someone to be motivated to improve themselves. I'd rather have my kids fail at a place and a time where their failures could be relatively inexpensive lessons to them about adapting to challenges and adversity rather than have them be hand-held right through university and into the job market where they fall flat on their face the first time they screw up at work.

It's not so much the screwups in life. It's what someone does in reaction to screwing up. And, I think in this there's some truth in the belief that we may be failing the next generation with the idea that there are no failures and that everyone should be rewarded just for showing up and taking up oxygen.

There has to be some middle ground where the competitive process is allowed to work while simultaneously there's something in place to catch those few students that suffer real psychological damage via the competitive process.

In any competition, some people will lose. They don't have to like it.

And #42 following up before I knew it...

The 42nd Red Ensign Standard is at Rootleweb following up on my version from last week (which damn well put me out of the blogging mood for the last two weeks!)

The Red Ensign Standard #41

Click Here to be taken to the 41st Red Ensign Standard

Nigiri

Raging Kraut's creature-nemesis:

The Dreaded OCTOPUS

'What creature will become your nemesis?' at QuizGalaxy.com

via Ith

Caprica

OK Sci-Fi - I hate you for cancelling Farscape and you don't even know that I live on this plane of mortal existence, because I'm only an insignificant part of your secondary revenue stream from foreign sales of shows to the Space network but please for the love of God please fix what you did wrong with the second series finale of Battlestar Galactica before you dilute the writing staff with the spinoff.



Blah blah blah - in fifty years they all get nuked, so who cares?

And no, I'm not going to spoil the Canadian viewers about the season finale of BSG since they're about 5 episodes away (boy did it piss me off though...) If you're that desperate go find it on bittorrent or pop the cash to watch it on iTunes (sucker...)



Kind of sounds like Dynasty in space, doesn't it?

My favourite quote about this comes from a commenter over at slashdot:

---

Maybe I'm being too hasty here - if the rumours are true that NBC wanted to grab Galactica and put it on regular greasy, slimy, vacuous network TV - then this might be a brilliant move! Offer them the spinoff as sacrificial victim so that Galactica remains pure and on a science-fiction network where it will be appreciated and nurtured properly. Caprica can have all the bed-hopping, evil twin, amnesia-laced story lines...in space...that the chattering masses appreciate without infecting the mother show...

Week Two

It's the middle of week 2 of the Double Income, Kids in Daycare regime and it looks like we survived the mutant flu-plague the girls brought home with them late last week.

The transition has gone relatively smoothly with some minor bumps in the road.

I think our dog is relieved that all the sick people have left her alone to bask in the sun on the couch...I almost purchased a remote webcam just to see what kind of trouble she gets up to while we're away.

Rue and I have an appointment at 11:30am with a family doctor who is accepting new patients - it just took us two years since we moved to Kelowna to find one. Did I mention that Rue and I work for the same employer? That we're both part of the big happy family that is the BC Public Sector?

That everything that I've ever thought about the public sector is mind-numbingly true? Both good and bad...