Posts by Graeme Edgeler
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who remembers the Barcelona opening ceremony, and the newsreaders breathlessly informing us later how the flaming arrow never actually landed in the fire? Like they'd have left that in any way to chance.
I'd alwasy figured that although it didn't land in it, with the fumes of the thing, it almost certainly ignited it anyway.
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"Ah, well" I retorted "I knew he had something to do with currant affairs"
Chortles all round.And the memories come back - this reminds me of the funniest thing I ever said (as a student?).
"Blind People?"
Hilarious. One guy in the class, like 20 minutes after I said it, repeated it and just cracked up laughing.
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Hadyn - damn. You were supposed to be answering the questions, not asking them!
what exactly, does "stealing a lap" mean?
Stealing a lap is is a phrase that probably comes from stealing a base. Basically, you've done more laps than the others (i.e. you lapped them). The person who has done the most laps wins.
The little physicist in my head was saying "would that actually make you go faster?"
I'd have thought so. Standard preservation of momentum/energy. Not only does it speed them up, it slows you down. I'm not sure it's about going faster, though, rather about avoiding expending energy getting up to speed (which might be more difficult with what are doubtless very high gear ratios).
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I got the basic gist of it last night, but I'm hoping that someone can maybe someone how the points work in the Madison.
The points race makes sense. And the bit about the Madison that means that it's most laps that wins, with most points as the tie-breaker also makes sense, but how do people get points in the Madison?
Every, I'm going to say 10 laps, there's a sprint, first over the line gets 5 points, second 3, third 2, and fourth 1 point. But New Zealand got 5 points on an occasion, even though there were two or three teams that were a whole lap ahead of them. Why? How? Is not the person who crosses the line first on a lap the person who is winning?
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Too many readings of The Story About Ping, perhaps
Thanks, the first review was hilarious!
It begins:
Using deft allegory, the authors have provided an insightful and intuitive explanation of one of Unix's most venerable networking utilities. Even more stunning is that they were clearly working with a very early beta of the program, as their book first appeared in 1933, years (decades!) before the operating system and network infrastructure were finalized.
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I'm not sure that "modern" is still the right epithet for an event designed to mimick the skills required of a cavalry soldier, though.
If I was more of a nerd (or less) I'd be making some sort of joke about post-modernism here.
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__I suppose Carl Lewis is African in some sense.__
nah, i meant one of those kenyan or ethiopian blokes. the name has completely escaped me, but i'm suspicious it was selasse?
And I meant that no such person existed :-)
Haile Gebrselassie won the 10,000m at the 1996 and 2000 games.
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Now, if you want a real Olympian, I vote for the female cyclist who went from a silver medal in rowing in the last Olympics to a gold in cycling at this one. That's real diversity of talent.
Diversity?
How about Christa Luding-Rothenburger - medallist in cycling and speed-skating.
Or Edward Eagan 1920 light heavyweight boxing gold medalist, who also won the four-man blobsled in 1932 (the only Summer/Winter dual *gold* medallist).
Or anyone who finishes the decathlon? Or the Modern Pentathlon? Now that requires a generallist!
And in New Zealand, but not for completely Olympian endeavours, you can't go past Yvette Williams/Corlett. There was the Olympic gold (and world record), but also gold at the Empire Games two years later - in the shot put and discus as well. And a silver in the javelin. And made the final of the 80m(?) hurdles. And represented New Zealand at basketball...
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__1990__
Are you sure? I remember being yelled in in 4th form (1986) by my French teacher who assured me that if was still able to cane me he'd have flayed my hide over some piece of minor impertinence.
Yes.
A number of schools had themselves abandoned corporal punishment before then, perhaps yours was one?
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michael phelps? meh.
who was the african distance runner who won gold for 4 olympics straight?
It's usually hard to be better than someone non-existent :-)
Well, I suppose Carl Lewis is African in some sense. And the long jump involves distance, and you have to run too. Close enough!