I bought some nice tea the other day, "Pride of Ceylon" tea from the Heladiv company. "Since 1867." It's good stuff.
It's so interesting though to see the different national styles of self-promotion that go along with packaging a product for sale. In America one is limited to vague value judgments, like "Mmmm good!" or "the best to you each morning!" Making health claims is not allowed. That injunction doesn't exist in many counties, including Sri Lanka ("Ceylon") for instance.
So the Heladiv tea claims on its box:
"Tea is rich in anti-oxidants. The anti-oxidants protect the body against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Tea also assists in lowering cholesterol. Medical research suggests that tea promotes helthy teeth, skin and bones and also assists in reducing cholesterol. Tea is not a medicine for ailments, but drinking tea regularly will help maintain good health."
All for twelve cents a cup! Not bad for a drink that's not even a medicine.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
It's Gasquet, Or It Was Anyway
I just watched the end of Murray v. Gasquet on the replay, and Murray pulled it out after losing the first set badly and looking for all the world like he was dying of something painful in the process. This is interesting stuff.
Murray won 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. It looks like a curb stomping after a slow start when you look at it that way.
The interesting part was Murray's behavior. I don't really care for the guy, sportsmanship is not his forte. He exults too much when he hits a winner, and powerfully curses his bad luck without giving credit where credit is due. He curses (literally) and stomps around. There wasn't too much of that today, or recently, maybe somebody talked to him about it. But today there was something new.
Through the early stages of the game, after some bad shots he would grimace and grab his back, like he was trying to stretch something out, something painful. In an earlier match he had even had the trainer come out to massage him. But the way he played today, in the last three sets anyway, he was not in any detectable distress.
I think it was a display of gamesmanship, or should I say Gamesmanship, a winning theory put forth by English humorist (humourist!) Stephen Potter in the great "Potter on Gamesmanship." Murray's mock ailment was played to great effect, and it seemed to have the desired effect on poor Mr. Gasquet. Potter suggests that before a game, the Gamesman should complain of some invented ailment, playing for the sympathy of the opponent and lulling the opponent into a false sense of security. The concept is stretched out to fill a very entertaining small book.
It's almost certain that the back thing was an act. Towards the middle of the match the acting would be followed by Murray smiling up at someone in the stands, someone, presumably, who was in on the joke. Then the troublesome back disappeared altogether in two hours of very athletic play.
So, what's up with that?
Murray won 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. It looks like a curb stomping after a slow start when you look at it that way.
The interesting part was Murray's behavior. I don't really care for the guy, sportsmanship is not his forte. He exults too much when he hits a winner, and powerfully curses his bad luck without giving credit where credit is due. He curses (literally) and stomps around. There wasn't too much of that today, or recently, maybe somebody talked to him about it. But today there was something new.
Through the early stages of the game, after some bad shots he would grimace and grab his back, like he was trying to stretch something out, something painful. In an earlier match he had even had the trainer come out to massage him. But the way he played today, in the last three sets anyway, he was not in any detectable distress.
I think it was a display of gamesmanship, or should I say Gamesmanship, a winning theory put forth by English humorist (humourist!) Stephen Potter in the great "Potter on Gamesmanship." Murray's mock ailment was played to great effect, and it seemed to have the desired effect on poor Mr. Gasquet. Potter suggests that before a game, the Gamesman should complain of some invented ailment, playing for the sympathy of the opponent and lulling the opponent into a false sense of security. The concept is stretched out to fill a very entertaining small book.
It's almost certain that the back thing was an act. Towards the middle of the match the acting would be followed by Murray smiling up at someone in the stands, someone, presumably, who was in on the joke. Then the troublesome back disappeared altogether in two hours of very athletic play.
So, what's up with that?
Caetano Veloso Billie Jean
Another great cover version for the archive. Maybe two! This has a nice "Eleanor Rigby" fade at the end.
French Open Update
I'm just watching Andy Murray v. So-and-So Gas-K here, and all I can think of is Monty Python. It's like Mr. Bean v. Jacques Tati, these guys are both cartoon characters.
So there is, thank the Gods, still a measure of fun in the world. Look for the good, I always say, although you might not think so.
So there is, thank the Gods, still a measure of fun in the world. Look for the good, I always say, although you might not think so.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
My Other Life
I have a comment life outside of this blog, and sometimes I wonder if it rises to the level of "blogging by proxy." The reason is that I generally wish to keep things here in a lighter vein, unless the anger really rises within me and I vent too strongly without taking time to check the impulse.
Here's an example of a recent comment that I made on another blog:
"Sabrina makes good points, as usual. "The powers that carry over . . ." indeed. My point would be that these powers now exist outside of the body of the president, they have an independent life of their own.
So maybe the questions this year, or any year, when judging candidates, is who might do the most to cooperate with this super-executive, and who might take steps to mitigate the problem?
And the idea that there is no difference between the parties does not, I think, hold water. They, and the politicians that they put forward, do still tend to push the polity in different directions. There is still a choice. Not, perhaps, the choice that we would hope for, but the choice that we have.
So Steven: I do not believe that these are powers that President Obama has taken for himself; rather they are powers that existed before him and to which he is bound. Yes, I hold against him the drone strikes, and much else, and the collateral damage, but I believe any new president these days has the riot act read to him immediately, and is shown a line to toe. We wouldn't want to experience any unanticipated helicopter crashes, now would we?"
So yes, I think there is a choice between President Obama and Mr. Romney. An important choice. It may be akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, we might be sunk already, but we need to stay to our due diligence and do the little bit that we can to avoid the future that many of us are afraid is coming.
And yes, to be clear, I'll be voting for the president.
Here's an example of a recent comment that I made on another blog:
"Sabrina makes good points, as usual. "The powers that carry over . . ." indeed. My point would be that these powers now exist outside of the body of the president, they have an independent life of their own.
So maybe the questions this year, or any year, when judging candidates, is who might do the most to cooperate with this super-executive, and who might take steps to mitigate the problem?
And the idea that there is no difference between the parties does not, I think, hold water. They, and the politicians that they put forward, do still tend to push the polity in different directions. There is still a choice. Not, perhaps, the choice that we would hope for, but the choice that we have.
So Steven: I do not believe that these are powers that President Obama has taken for himself; rather they are powers that existed before him and to which he is bound. Yes, I hold against him the drone strikes, and much else, and the collateral damage, but I believe any new president these days has the riot act read to him immediately, and is shown a line to toe. We wouldn't want to experience any unanticipated helicopter crashes, now would we?"
So yes, I think there is a choice between President Obama and Mr. Romney. An important choice. It may be akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, we might be sunk already, but we need to stay to our due diligence and do the little bit that we can to avoid the future that many of us are afraid is coming.
And yes, to be clear, I'll be voting for the president.
A Bit Of Fun At Mr. Hitler's Expense
Thais can be a little tone deaf about the Third Reich. Last year a high school up north used the Nazis as the theme for their "Senior Week," with swastika flags everywhere and kids dressed up as cheerful SS officers. The school thought it was all in good fun, at first. Then they were mightily surprised when word got out and the shit hit the fan internationally.
So I came across this shirt display at the mall the other day and found these two Hitler themed shirts. To be fair, they're both more mocking than admiring of the old boy.
So what do you think? Bad taste? Is there even such a thing anymore?
At least they're disrespectful, that's something. I see Hitler books in the stores all the time. I can't read Thai well enough to figure out the point of view, but the covers look serious. I knew an autistic kid years ago (also up north, is it a thing up there?) who was fascinated with first-person-shooter video games and the Nazis. He was even studying German, he was way into it and a good student, he was autistic, not stupid. His only question when he found out that I could speak German was, "tell me about the Einsatzkommando."
Who are we kidding? There are lots of bars in America where one of these shirts could get you curb stomped for disrespecting the local hero.
More German Culture
A nice display featuring this BMW. Very clean. It's probably a 250, could be a 175 cc, I forgot to examine the cases. Early- to mid-Sixties is my guess. It was all part of the shirt display that included the Hitler shirts, above. Coincidence? Probably.
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