Cheerleaders:
The University of Connecticut replaces cheerleaders with “Spirit Squad”:
The new team will wear outfits similar to what the cheerleaders wore, but will focus on leading crowds in interactive cheers and spend time in “tailgating areas handing out spirit buttons and other kinds of spirit supplies,” at football games, men’s and women’s basketball games, and other school events.
I actually like the idea of the Spirit Squad, in the way I like many concepts that look right at home in a TV show from the 50′s (everyone knows about my inner hippie, few know about my inner WASP), but I don’t see why they had to replace the cheerleaders. Cheerleaders have worked so hard to lose the stigma of being weak, empty, bobble-headed objects of teen boy fantasy. Instead they’ve become the group of female athletes most likely to suffer catastrophic injuries. It’s an entirely NEW stigma! Why do we have to take that away? Can’t we have BOTH?
Hydroponic Plant Carousels:
Jason found this tonight, and was showing it to Greg and I. It’s a carousel that you can grow plants on. Doesn’t it make you want to eat a funnel cake or something? It’s like SCIENCE. At a CARNIVAL. Sadly it doesn’t play music or give you a nice view of the city, but it does light up, and if you pick your seat partner right, you might get someone to kiss you as it spins around.
I’m going to get one, grow catnip in it, and then let Jason’s cats use it as a Kitty Wheel. Exercise and entertainment at the same time! The hilarious part will be watching them get all drugged up and then try to get out of the wheel.
Opera and Twitter and a story that made me cry:
Oh, I totally lost it over this one. A guy in Portland (my hometown!) won a contest where the contestants had to explain an opera in 140 characters or less (is it just me, or is Twitter’s influence on EVERYTHING scaring you too?). He came up with a couple great ones, and ended up winning!
He selected two box seat tickets to the Washington National Opera production of “Turandot” and two tickets to the Opera Ball the following evening. “Which I’m told is the social event of the season in Washington, D.C.,” Stephen says.
He knew without question he’d give the prize to someone in the D.C. area. A friend of his, Holly Hein, suggested he give it to a music teacher.
HE GAVE THE TICKETS AWAY. On top of that, he added $500 to cover babysitting and expenses. And this is where I note that I’m pretty sure I know a Holly in Portland whose last name is Hein, and I need to ask her if this is her doing….
Anyway, the guy decides that isn’t enough:
“Except that night I’m lying in bed and I can’t sleep, turning all this over in my mind.” Suddenly he realized: “This ball is the primary event of the year in D.C. It’s not a cocktail party, not a tea dance. Where are we going to get her a ball gown?”
So the next morning Stephen called the head costumer at the Portland Opera, who happened to know the head costumer at the Washington National Opera. Who agreed to provide a gown for Priscilla.
“She says, ‘Mr. Llewellyn, I will dress her to kill.’”
Next Stephen called the office of Placido Domingo, the general director of the Washington National Opera. And yes, he also happens to be the greatest living tenor in the world.
Next thing you know, Priscilla was set to be escorted backstage after “Turandot” to meet Maestro Domingo, who would conduct.
Stephen just couldn’t stop himself. He wanted this to be an amazing experience for Priscilla. So he spoke with the manager of the Four Seasons Hotel in D.C., who agreed to provide a room for Priscilla and her husband, Larry, for two nights — and to provide a limousine.
But then Stephen realized that the Opera Ball would begin at 9:30 in the evening and would provide only dessert. So he called Michelle Pendoley of the Washington National Opera, who solved the problem: Priscilla and Larry would dine at a dinner at the home of the ambassador from Belgium.
There was more. Placido Domingo wanted Priscilla and Larry to have dinner with him after “Turandot.” The Washington National Opera’s costume department was going to create a gown from scratch for Priscilla and loan her jewels.
You think that’s incredible? It goes on from there. I was crying when I got done. I had to swab at my eyes with my shirt and hope that no one noticed. If I had loads of cash, or the ability to summarize operas in 140 characters, I would do stuff like this. Man, the next Ridiculous Haiku Contest is MINE! He must have just been lit up from the inside for months after, not to mention how Priscilla must have felt. And all for the love of art! ART! The world needs more art!