Duly Noted

Silvio Berlusconi compares self to Christ (and Napoleon). Who ought to riot about this? Christians? Italians? Rational citizens of the world?

Betsy Martens emailed me to point out to the landmark research being conducted at a Chicago-based research institute. As Sts. Cyril and Methodius Day (they graciously allow Valentinus to share their feast) draws nearer, we can ponder the cultural significance of a general fascination with telegraphic messages printed on heart-shaped sugar.

Ron Jeffries valiantly proposes that I ought to be among Andrew Jones’s “Forty Vintage Theoblogians” (on his blogroll). Chacun à son blogroll, I say (actually, I could also say “Chacun a son blogroll”); but I appreciate the advocacy. I like to think that it’s because I’m not yet old enough to be “vintage,” but since practically everyone on Andrew’s list is younger than I, my illusion costs me a lot in self-delusion. Maybe if he starts a category called “Antiquarian Theoblogians.” . . .
I should add for Ron and other visitors who endure my divagations solely for the occasional exhibitions of Pippa’s art, that she has been spending more time reading this year. We, as much as you, look forward to every pixel of art that she makes, but it’s up to her. We will post as much of what she draws, paints, sketches, models, and rakes up as she permits us to do, and will post it as promptly as possible.

With two minutes to go in yesterday’s basketball game, Duke had been called for 19 fouls, Maryland for 16 (they ended up with 21 and 24, as Maryland was fouling at the end in order to slow down the clock). If I were a ref, and I heard people constantly suggesting that I was biased in favor of Duke, you can bet your last metaphorical cent that I would do nothing that anyone could plausibly construe as responding to those whiny complaints. If you want the ref to cut your team some slack, or to stop “favoring” Duke, the sanest answer (so far as I can tell) would involve just letting the refs call the game, and complaining only about specific bad calls (if you complain at all). Then, I’m waiting to hear what my referee friends say about this brouhaha.

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