London’s Logo For The 2012 Olympics

So if that is the logo of the 2012 Olympics, what will the slogan be: “London 2012 – Bljezjef Braznats!!!” ???

That has to be the stupidest thing I have ever seen. And here is what some twits associated with the choice say:

“The new emblem is dynamic, modern and flexible, reflecting a brand-savvy world where people, especially young people, no longer relate to static logos but respond to a dynamic brand that works with new technology and across traditional and new media networks,” London 2012 organizers said in a statement. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge described the logo as “truly innovative.”

When the hell did I loose the ability to relate to a static logo? And what the hell is a static logo anyway? You want a real Olympic logo? Look at that Moscow 1980 logo, lighting up the twilight sky like the ICBM packing the warhead that was going to destroy your hometown! Now that was a frikkin’ Olympic logo. Look at Barcelona 1992, the greatest Olympics ever by all accounts. What a logo! Abstract but not something that looks like it would please someone in a home for the criminally insane. Not something that looks like it broke, fell down the stairs and someone kicked it. Not like something that you know depends on string to stay together. What does London 2012’s logo say? “Come to London – we are nuts!” “Come to London – we know the value of nothing!” Crazy people are in charge:

“It’s vital that we reach out to those young people in a language that they understand and in technology that’s familiar to them,” London organizing chief Sebastian Coe said. “This brand is absolutely the world they live in.”

For the first time in my life, then, I can honestly say that if that is what the young understand they are nuts, too. In fact, I would be glum now if I were young knowing that this is what their baby boomer parents in charge of things think of them. That is awful. Way to go. The most God awful thing I have ever seen. Makes me embarrassed for the colour red.

Big Hop Bombs: Simcoe Double IPA, Weyerbacher Brewing, PA

Rich fine tan creamy head over deep caramel ale. The smell is orange marmalade with a sort of distinctly garlic-y hot heat. In the mouth eucalyptus and mint hops with orange peel and rich creamy malt closing into heat. A really fine double IPA, balanced – at 9% not overwhelming. A kinder gentler sibling of the same brewer’s Eleven. A fine thing in the shade on the hot day with a stinky blue cheese and a good loaf as children draw with chalk around you.

Planned by the brewer to be a softer gentler version of a big hop bomb. 100% BAer approval noted and well worthy.

Talking About The Weather

Remember when talking about the weather was a euphemism for something between being intensely dull to sensibly steering clear of controversial topics? Intersting story in the NYT this morning about the US channel the Weather Network and how the dullest station on the TV is now coping with relevance:

The daily weather forecast is rarely controversial, but the broader topic of climate change has generated no end of debate. As the network has seen its primary subject turn into a hot-button issue, it has had to grapple with how it wants to address it — and has decided not to tread gingerly. The issue started influencing the network’s coverage in a new way after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast in 2005, and has been shaping its programming decisions.

Please note: as a founding member of BFR (Bloggers For Reality) I admit and give witness to the fact I know nothing about global warming and have no idea who is right.

Memorial Day Parade 2007, South Portland, Maine

Last weekend we got to watch the Memorial Day parade in South Portland Maine. Every town and village I’d guess ran a parade at about the same time and an air force refueling tanker flew overhead giving them each an overpass. When I bought waving flags, a lady told me to have a happy holiday but it was the slightest bit weird in that I didn’t know what background of cultural memory or emotion was exactly associated with the day. It was too happy for our Remembrance Day and far too sunny. I was good at flaggy wavey, however, so that was good.

Internet Law We Can All Agree With

There are few things people agree upon as much as the benefits of jailing spammers and it looks like the law caught a biggie:

A man nicknamed the “spam king” for allegedly sending out millions of junk e-mails has been arrested in the US. Robert Soloway, 27, was arrested in Seattle, Washington, after being indicted on charges of mail fraud, identity theft and money laundering. Mr Soloway has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Prosecutors say Mr Soloway became one of the world’s biggest spammers, using computers secretly infected with orders to send out millions of his e-mails.

Fortunately, g-mail has effectively blocked most of the spam he sent me. Yup, it has been quite quiet for a year or two now. But, it is something of a testament to the staff at the Internet that email has not collapsed due to the load of 95% or more of their coal-stoking capacity has gone to sending junk. So here’s to the copytypists and telegraph operators who actually keep the whole thing going despite the acts of the wicked like Mr. Soloway.

Did I Ever Mention How I Dislike Pat Binns?

For those of you who rightfully have no idea who Pat Binns is, you can relax now as he is once again someone with a bunch of bad ideas who is now without the power to implement any of those bad ideas. Ruk – who we popped in on at Dublin NH on the way here – made sure it was done right.  And I am happy to say that the new premier, Mr. Robert Ghiz, has also done right and taken on his responsibilites to the Canadians who live in PEI a little more seriously than Mr. Binns could ever imagine doing:

In the CBC Radio interview Monday night, the province’s next premier was also asked whether he would stand by his pledge to end the perennial practice of replacing Tory-leaning contract workers on the provincial payroll, in order to replace them with Liberals. “The days of firing people are over,” he said firmly. “The [Canadian] Charter of Rights and Freedoms has been clear on this.”

Whatever my part was in laying the ground for that statement [Warning: the first link is a .pdf!!] – me now over four years removed from living in those parts – I am pretty pleased to have been able to play that part. I am also pleased for the folk who had the courage to say they got shafted and stood up for their rights in the case. It will be interesting to see how a government that respects the Constitution will change the lives of the Canadians who live in PEI.

I am also pleased for Cynthia Dunsford, blogger and our sometime comment maker hereabouts who won her riding as well as for Craig and all the others who consistently worked or bitched about the last lot when working against them or speaking out could compromise your career in a place where a political leader can and did use influence in a way that might shock because it damn well should have shocked. And good for us all, I suppose, not having a bunch of yahoos who might justify things with arguments like “you wouldn’t understand” or “it’s an Island-made solution” as tax dollars were poured into another dead-end, untendered, unaccountable scheme. Sadly, now and until the end of their mandate in a few days, the exiting Tories will now have their self-appointed task of destroying the record through a couple of weeks of shreading and burning so that years from now someone will right a book proclaiming what a great bunch they were and there will be nothing left to refute the claim.

Oh well, in any event, I’ll be whistling a happier tune as we drive up northwest through New Hampshire, Vermont and New York’s north country on our way home.

Eating In Portland

In case you are wondering we are doing OK but you would be if you had Beal’s Ice Cream (hard ice cream specialists), Red’s Dairy Freeze (soft serve specialists), Maine Diner on the way here (lobster roll and chowder), Gritty McDuff’s (lamb burder and cask ale), 3 Dollar Dewey’s (fish sandwich but shockingly no smoked fish chowder), baseball game hot dogs (plain please), Beale Street BBQ (bulk ribs…say that again…bulk ribs), Scratch Baking Co. (blondies and peabean coffee) and a trip to Hannaford for a side of salmon and enough scallops to stuff seven for under thirty-eight bucks.  Scratch Baking was a bit of a surprise.  Even though it is a few blocks away, I had it in my head it was pricey.  Not so.  Blondies for $1.75.  And fine beer and wine, too.  Achoffe IPA and a half Cantillon for $6.99.  Nutty.  But seeing as owner Bob co-founded Magic Hat Brewing of Burlington, VT it makes sense.  Portland is the new Burlington, you know.

Three Signed Balls

So we are out early at the ball park to get a good seat behind home.  We are all covered in red to fit in with the minor league Red Sox crowd.   The kids say they want to get the balls signed.  I had three that I had bought for 500 Up and the kids wanted to bring them just in case and away I go, off on a fool’s errand, thinking that I would get some old guy selling programs to sign when a nice lady in a staff shirt tells me to stand over there.  “Over there” is a little pen with guys with big cameras and other guys with binders of memorabilia.   So we stand and we wait and after a few minutes the kids start to complain.  A lesson in patience or a lesson in dashed dreams.  I know not which but either is good for a kid in grade three.  Then a Reading player comes over, a memorabilia guy shouts Michael, he signs and turns and his back says “Garciaparra” – Michael, not Nomar however.  The kids aren’t satisfied.  They don’t want no stinking Reading players autograph.  So we wait.  Nothing.  Then a guy walks out.  A kid.  A tall skinny kid with 11 on his back.  He lifts a finger and then walks away.   “Awwww” the kids say.  I hear “awwww” again and a huff for good measure.   But then Mr. 11 comes back, signs a memorabilia thing for a memorabilia guy and I hear myself say from the back “can these three kids get their balls signed?” and he says sure and a path opens to the front.  Three red dressed kids are scooted forward and he signs each one with a neat and natty signature but I can’t read the name and he walks away in one direction and the kids and I go in another.

Back in the stands, we show the balls and say who is number 11?   Apparently Clay Buchholz was Boston’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2006 and he beat Roger Clemens in his last start.   More ball cases now needed.

Three Signed Balls

So we are out early at the ball park to get a good seat behind home.  We are all covered in red to fit in with the minor league Red Sox crowd.   The kids say they want to get the balls signed.  I had three that I had bought for 500 Up and the kids wanted to bring them just in case and away I go, off on a fool’s errand, thinking that I would get some old guy selling programs to sign when a nice lady in a staff shirt tells me to stand over there.  “Over there” is a little pen with guys with big cameras and other guys with binders of memorabilia.   So we stand and we wait and after a few minutes the kids start to complain.  A lesson in patience or a lesson in dashed dreams.  I know not which but either is good for a kid in grade three.  Then a Reading player comes over, a memorabilia guy shouts Michael, he signs and turns and his back says “Garciaparra” – Michael, not Nomar however.  The kids aren’t satisfied.  They don’t want no stinking Reading players autograph.  So we wait.  Nothing.  Then a guy walks out.  A kid.  A tall skinny kid with 11 on his back.  He lifts a finger and then walks away.   “Awwww” the kids say.  I hear “awwww” again and a huff for good measure.   But then Mr. 11 comes back, signs a memorabilia thing for a memorabilia guy and I hear myself say from the back “can these three kids get their balls signed?” and he says sure and a path opens to the front.  Three red dressed kids are scooted forward and he signs each one with a neat and natty signature but I can’t read the name and he walks away in one direction and the kids and I go in another.  

Back in the stands, we show the balls and say who is number 11?   Apparently Clay Buchholz was Boston’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2006 and he beat Roger Clemens in his last start.   More ball cases now needed.