Every four years like the leap year the summer Olympics make an appearance. Countries vie to host this epic event since there is a perceived economic boost to the host nation. Their is also a chance that the squabbling government officials in the competing countries would approve budgets to redo their crumbling buildings on a massive scale.
The other competition is of course on the field. To medal. Every country believes it can achieve certain success in certain events ranging from the mundane 100 meter dash to archery to the synchronized swim.
But wait - there is more titillating events happening just before the actual kick off or torch lighting or whatever they do these days to signal the start.
1. Scalping - Now this is a sport worth watching. There are scores of people who try to attend last minute and will pay ridiculous amounts of their monetary equivalents to get in. The seller is making good on a basic economic principle - scarcity drives prices up. Scalping is the official term for it. Why not make it a sport in the evolution of the Olympic Movement? Gold to the country that can rake in the highest illegal price for a seat at the opening ceremonies and so on.
Once they declare the winners those countries get a bonus check and the rest of the folks that entered the scalping contest get jailed.
2. Speaking of the Olympic Movement how about a contest to judge who can withstand a certain movement inducing diet and hold out the longest before a run to the shed? This will certainly require a stomach of steel and all those pectoral displaying dudes can have a go at it. Literally. The one to hold out the longest wins. That would be a test of the movement (or lack thereof).
Pistol dueling I believe used to be a sport but was banned by a squeamish society. No real gore on the field. I mean if you are paying customer you have a right to see some action. Same with the gladiator like events.
Even India managed a gold after what seemed like ages and it was in Archery. What? Rama and Laxmana still influence our young cadets it would appear. Nothing dramatic here either - no one got taken out - not even a William Tell like event - just shoot at a target made of paper. I mean how do you even watch this sport? I guy flexes his forearm and lets go. That is a sport?
Its now all Nike shoes and make up and sometimes a whole lot of drugs. At least for those that get caught - then its their trials that take up the lull between the next torch lighting.
On an informal mission to read one book a week as long as the eyes allow for such ambition. Fiction or non is not important as long as it entertains and /or educates. To that end the past few weeks have brought a bounty in the form of some wonderful and then not so engaging literature. Among the notables are - Non fiction category: 1. Good arguments by Bo Seo (how to handle a dispute or debate the most efficient way possible) 2. Genesis by Eric Schmidt (and former US Secy of State Henry Kissinger, who recently passed) - how AI might affect our lives as we know it 3. One in a billion - Zarna Garg (an autobiographical look at an Indian born American woman with a bindi narrated in a standup format - yes it is at times cliched but still funny) Fiction: 1. Personal by Lee Child (a vigilante story with Jack Reacher the giant, nomad protagonist of Child's novels goes hunting for a sniper) 2. Ramayana unraveled by Ami Ganatra (she might disagree about it being a work of fiction but oh wel...
It would boggle the mind to compute the hours wasted in watching mostly fixed matches or contests in which bookies win. But the, if we don't waste the time, we might have to do something useful, and so, the game(s) go(es) on..
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