A couple of lovely people I know have suggested that some of the Olympic disciplines are not “proper sports”. This sentiment is one frequently echoed by compatriots of losers, stand-up comedians and miserable bastards the World over.

It has now seeped into the social consciousness and zeitgeist to the extent that many people mistakenly think “sports” are one thing - typified by physical endurance, stamina, or skill - and “games” are things anybody can do really, probably whilst having a pint at the same time.

Let’s put to one side that “the Olympics” are actually called “the Olympic Games” (or in French, “Jeux olympiques”), and just assume the “point” of the Olympics is to promote “sporting disciplines”.

Why do I feel certain that every single one of the Olympic disciplines is worthy of the name “sport”?

Even archery, which I reckon I could have a good bash at it with the right kit despite being a perfect example of how bad Guinness can be for your waistline, or boxing which is standing around and punching people when they didn’t even borrow that DVD off you in the first place.

Yes, I’d even include dressage where the horse is the one actually doing the moving about, whilst the “competitor” sits atop in a fine hat looking more English than a teapot in a red phone box (even when the competitor is French, which must be embarrassing for them).

All of these can be - and in the context of the Olympics, most definitely are - sports.

To explain, let’s just focus on what makes something nothing more than “a game”.

Any activity can be made into a game. All you need is a way to keep score and some rules to make sure the scores actually mean something. Staring at a wall: how long for without looking away? Making a cup of tea: judges could taste-test quality, or there could be speed trials. Having a nice sit down and a biscuit: how few crumbs can be counted on your lap afterwards?

Most games are obviously a bit more involved and preferably prefer people either getting naked or putting things onto a spring-loaded donkey (or both!), but the point is I could make a game out of writing this very post if I wanted. Or even this sentence. (4 words, 0.6 seconds, 100 words/minute, if you’re interested).

“Gamification” is a major social force in the web application industry right now, to the point where sitting in your office and pressing a button in an app on your phone can make you “Mayor”, which is why I don’t use FourSquare: I might become an annoying prat who asks for a third of a Londoner’s council tax to spend on bicycles and zip lines or whatever.

Games are obviously more fun when there is a degree of competition, and therefore the scores must be fairly comparable. You and I might decide to play pooh-sticks for example, and we will have a grand old time as I crush you and claim glorious victory and then we’ll go and get an ice cream or something. The fun is in me beating you without “cheating”. Or you usurping me and claiming a surprise victory, perhaps (like that’s ever going to happen, you fool), all whilst not kicking me in the head as I sing “We are the Champions”, etc.

This is a game: any activity at which there are some established rules allowing the participants to keep score, and where the point of the rules is to make different participants scores comparable with each other.

Cheating isn’t just “naughty” - it stops it becoming a game, because the scores are no longer comparable. If I turned up to pooh-sticks with laser-guided remote-controlled precision sticks with outboard motors on them, I can’t claim a fair victory when you’ve just picked up that stick with a leaf on it next to that weird moss on that rock, no not that one, that one over there, no, there you moron… yes, the bent one! 

Providing the game is fair then, I would argue that any game can become a sport. How? Other people caring about the outcome.

If whilst I am thrashing you at pooh-sticks, a small crowd appears and starts cheering one or the other of us on (hint: I’m very charismatic, they’ll be cheering for me mostly), then we have a sport. The number of people who care about the outcome or who want to have a go themselves determines how “sporting” it is. Once we start keeping World Records, or we meet regularly to do contest on a schedule we share with non-participants, and arrange ourselves into leagues, and perhaps start making money from the gullible fools who fawn in my pooh-stick abilities, then we have a moderately successful sport.

Sport is, I think, simply any game, where non-participants care about or are interested in the scores and who wins.

If the dressage, archery or boxing events at the Olympics, it’s pretty clear there were non-participants who cared about the outcome. In some cases, they really cared to the point where they flocked to Twitter, barely able to type through their blubbering tears about how wonderful and marvellous it is that somebody they’ve never met who happens to be considered by International Law to be a citizen of the same part of the World as them despite living 3,000 miles away, beat somebody who lives 300 miles away who they do not share such a close bond with due to them suffering the genetic disadvantage of being French.

So, here’s my cut-out-and-keep guide:

1. In both games and sports, people keep score somehow
2. In both games and sports, rules ensure the scores of different participants are fairly comparable
3. In games only the participants care about the comparison, in sports there are non-participants who also care

If this still doesn’t make sense to you, think about what sports would become if nobody cared? Or even if the outcome wasn’t scored or measured? What exactly would those footballers be doing if nobody nobody cared about the score? What would the by doing if they didn’t bother keeping score? Just what is it that Usain Bolt would be proving by running really quickly if nobody was watching? Or some people were watching, but were not measuring how fast he was running?

So the next time you hear somebody say “that’s not a real sport”, despite there being a clear loyal following of non-participants, maybe point out that it might be an activity whose outcome they don’t care about, so that can mean it’s not a sport to them.

But to the participants and to their followers, and to the people around them, it is very much a sport. And what they’re saying is a smidge hurtful to all of them, even if it’s just pooh-sticks. So, you know, try not to say that. It makes you sound a little bit mean.

… somebody told me this last week that replies here were pretty poor. So I’m moving this blog onto its own server in the next 7 days, along with http://p7r.io

If you’re following via RSS, I’ll shout out again when the move is complete with a new feed URL.

In the meantime, any recommendations on getting some cheap infrastructure? I have a couple of ideas, but it’s so long since I last did this, I feel as though I might be out of the loop these days. Due to the nature of poor replies here, feel free to tweet me @p7r or you can find my inbox via paul with an at symbol and then this domain.

Abbey is offering reduced rates on their two year fixed rate mortgage allowing the public to remortgage. Lal Tawney, Abbey's head of mortgage marketing, said: "For people that want to remortgage to Abbey, our two-year fixed rate has been slashed...

Spanish bank fees vary but are typically around 1% of the mortgage amount. They also charge around €500 for the mortgage valuation; stamp duty of 1.8% of the mortgage amount; and notary and registration fees of around 0.5% of the...

Easy to understand information about domain names. Want your own domain name? Find out how to choose a good one here.

Michael Jackson with Britney Spears legs! Oh my! It's the DNA slot machine, bet on mixing and matching celebrities DNA.

Both Zillow.com and Trulia.com could vanish tomorrow, completely – websites crash and stay down forever –  and it would make ZERO difference, at all, in the successful sale of any home in Austin TX, or elsewhere in the U.S. Period. There is no hardship or selling disadvantage created for sellers or their listing agents if their real estate listings do not appear on these real estate entertainment and advertising websites because it is not the purpose of these consumer portal sites to sell homes, but instead to sell advertising to Real Estate Agents. These consumer sites not only fail to cause homes to sell, the websites fail to create smarter, better educated buyers and sellers. Instead, they create consumers exposed to bad data, and too much of it. Including the ridiculous Zestimate, which everyone knows is inaccurate but which nonetheless remains the “favorite” feature of Zillow.com users, according to Zillow. ... Read more

And the real estate journey continues … Sylvia and I started Crossland Real Estate in Jan 1993, and remained independent until we sold our property management portfolio in 2004 and “retired” for a year. We didn’t actually formally retire … more of a sabbatical … as we were still in our 40s with kids 9 and 12. But we did take a year off from active real estate “production”. We weren’t sure whether we wanted to remain in real estate forever or not. I started a telecom services company and dabbled in Business Brokerage, both of which were interesting pursuits worthy of a full effort, and which I could have succeeded at doing, but after some time off from the daily real estate routine, something happened… The phone rang. It was Real Estate. It wanted us back. Sometimes distance from something brings perspective and a renewed appreciation of it. So, ... Read more

Should you enroll in a Real Estate investment seminar in Austin or your home town? Be very careful if you do. Understand the risks and what you are paying.

Update August 2018: The Austin Board of Realtors has Discontinued use of the Coming Soon Status. It caused more trouble that it was worth. Austin Realtors can now enter For Sale listings into the Austin Central Texas MLS before the listing is ready for showing. For up to 14 days prior to the “Active” date. And, therefore, buyer agents and buyers can get a “heads up” on listings that are (supposedly) about to come onto the market live in the MLS. What Problem Does This Solve? During Austin’s red hot seller’s market of the past 5 years, it had become increasingly frustrating for Buyer Agents and Buyers trying to operate in a low inventory market. We heard tales of buyers literally driving zig zag through neighborhoods looking for “Coming Soon” signs. Every new listing that popped up live in MLS became a Red Alert fire drill, as I wrote about ... Read more

What effect does "negative cash flow" real estate have on the growth of your Net Worth over time?

What is your Austin home worth, right now? When considering a sale, it’s generally worth “market value”, defined loosely as the highest price a buyer would pay, and that a seller will accept in an open, competitive market. This assumes neither buyer nor seller are under any undue stress or duress external to the transaction itself. Many homeowners want to know their home value even when not considering a sale. Such as when protesting assessed property value at Travis County. Or maybe you are just curious, or you want to update your Net Worth spreadsheet with a current value. If you don’t want the “market” to determine your home value, because you don’t want to sell, there now exists a plethora of “Automated Valuation Model” (AVM) tools that will tell you the supposed value of your home online based on mathematical algorithms and data. The most well know is perhaps ... Read more

The Austin real estate market has begun to level off and slow down a bit, but that fact is not yet fully reflected in the market statistics, other than Days on Market creeping up. Nevertheless, Median Sold price is up to $322K, an increase of 8% over August 2017. I see more price drops coming across the listing update feeds I follow as well, and I also see more “back on market” listings.  This softening of the Austin real estate market may more fully appear in the September through December stats as I expect Days on Market to keep rising and price increases to slow. Real Estate cycles in Texas have traditionally run 4 to 7 years. We’re in year 7 of a continuous increase in prices, which is outpacing the very strong job growth Austin has enjoyed over the same period. But prices have run away from wages. Austin ... Read more

Gazze şehitleri… Son 30 yılın en üzücü ve hüzünlü hikayesi Gazze’de kanla dolu bir sayfa kapanmak üzere. En azından bu sabaha kadar, katil İsrail anlaşmaya yanaşıyordu, bugün yine saldırı haberleri […]

The post İsrail’in 2014 Katliamı – Gazze Şehitleri first appeared on Amerikada Birgün.

Bugün İstanbul Çapa ve Cerrahpaşa hastaneleri etrafında Amerikan Ateli arama günümdü. Doktorumuz alçısız olan bu üründen başkasını kullanmak istemediği için çaresiz kaldık. Alçısız Amerikan ateli diye adı çıkan bu ürün […]

The post Alçısız Amerikan Ateli ve Satış Fiyatı first appeared on Amerikada Birgün.

In July 2024, the Biden-Harris administration made a significant move to bolster the United States’ energy security by purchasing 4.65 million barrels of crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). This acquisition is part of a broader effort to replenish the SPR, which had been significantly drawn down in response to the global energy crisis triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) confirmed that this latest purchase brings the total amount of crude oil secured for the SPR to over 40 million barrels since the administration began its replenishment efforts. The DOE has been able to procure this oil at an average price of $77 per barrel, which is nearly $20 less per barrel than the average sales price during the emergency releases in 2022. This strategic purchasing not only ensures a good deal for American taxpayers but also maintains the operational readiness of the SPR. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm emphasized the administration’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s energy security while securing favorable terms for taxpayers. She noted that the DOE has successfully accelerated the return of nearly 5.5 million barrels initially slated for later in the year, further maximizing the...

Oil prices saw a partial recovery on Tuesday following Israel’s military response to Hezbollah’s recent attacks. The geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have once again highlighted the region’s critical role in global energy markets, causing fluctuations in oil prices. The latest conflict began when Hezbollah launched a series of rocket attacks into northern Israel, prompting a swift and decisive retaliation from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF targeted key Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, aiming to neutralize the threat and prevent further escalation. This exchange of hostilities has raised concerns about potential disruptions to oil supplies from the region, which is a significant factor in the global energy market. In response to these developments, Brent crude futures rose by 2.5%, settling at $82.30 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures increased by 2.7%, closing at $78.50 per barrel. Analysts attribute this rebound to fears of supply chain disruptions and the market’s sensitivity to geopolitical instability in the Middle East. Energy market experts have noted that while the immediate impact on oil production and supply routes remains limited, the situation underscores the vulnerability of global oil markets to regional conflicts. The Middle East accounts for a substantial...

In recent months, Europe has witnessed a surprising and significant economic event: negative power prices. This phenomenon, where electricity producers must pay consumers to take their power, has raised eyebrows across the continent. While it may seem counterintuitive, negative power prices are a direct result of the evolving energy landscape, particularly the rise of renewable energy sources. Understanding Negative Power Prices Negative power prices occur when electricity supply far exceeds demand. This situation often arises during periods of low consumption, such as weekends or holidays, combined with high levels of electricity generation. In such cases, power producers, unable to store excess energy, must pay consumers or other utilities to absorb the surplus. This is especially common in countries with a large share of renewable energy, where generation can be unpredictable. The Role of Renewable Energy Renewable energy, particularly wind and solar, has played a pivotal role in driving negative power prices. Europe has been at the forefront of the transition to green energy, with substantial investments in wind farms and solar panels. However, these energy sources are inherently variable—wind patterns fluctuate, and solar power is contingent on daylight and weather conditions. On particularly windy or sunny days, renewable energy production...

Recently, a significant reserve of oil and gas was discovered in Pakistan’s territorial waters. This finding came after a three-year geographical survey conducted in collaboration with a friendly country. The identification of these reserves could mark an important milestone for Pakistan’s economy. The discovery was confirmed by a detailed study that mapped the exact location of the deposits. The reserves found are considered substantial and have the potential to transform Pakistan’s economy, which currently faces significant financial challenges. The exploitation of these reserves could provide a new source of revenue and reduce the country’s dependence on energy imports. Energy sector experts highlight that, although the discovery is promising, it is still in the early stages of exploration. Considerable investments in infrastructure and technology will be needed to efficiently extract and process the oil and gas. Additionally, the sustainable management of these resources will be crucial to ensure that the economic benefits are long-lasting. The Pakistani government has already been informed about the discovery and is taking steps to initiate exploration activities. The expectation is that, over time, these reserves could significantly contribute to the country’s economic growth, creating jobs and boosting industrial development.

According to the latest GlobalData report, the oil and gas industry is experiencing a slowdown in its energy transition efforts. The report highlights that despite the growing global emphasis on sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, the pace at which the oil and gas sector is adopting renewable energy and other green technologies has decelerated. This slowdown is attributed to several factors, including economic uncertainties and fluctuating oil prices. Investment Shifts and Challenges The report points out that while there has been a significant investment in renewable energy projects, the overall commitment from major oil and gas companies has not met the expected levels. Companies are facing challenges in balancing their traditional fossil fuel operations with the need to invest in cleaner energy sources. The economic pressures and the need to maintain profitability in a volatile market have led to a cautious approach towards large-scale investments in renewable energy. Ravindra Puranik, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, commented on the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on energy security. He noted that the resultant supply chain disruptions have driven countries towards readily available fossil fuels, thereby boosting oil and gas demand. Puranik also highlighted that the push for energy self-reliance and high...

Awesome

A blast to ride

Wish Suzuki still made UJM styled shaft drive bikes; not everyone wants a Harley

Would buy again!

What an amazing machine

Great if the weather is pleasant

Good bike for women or men

More than an absolute beginner should get, but so well designed that only an idiot can mess it up

My choice

A true UJM - this bike is a jack of all trades, allowing for many riding styles

Schedule and send Google Spreadsheets on a recurring schedule. Email Google Sheets as PDF, CSV or Microsoft Excel formats on daily, weekly, monthly or yearly schedules.

The post How to Email Spreadsheets Automatically on a Recurring Schedule appeared first on Digital Inspiration.

With Creator Studio, you can easily convert your Google Slides presentations into a video file with audio and upload to YouTube. You can also export slides as animated GIF images.

The post How to Download your Google Slides Presentation as a Video File appeared first on Digital Inspiration.

I have posted a "super-short" survey regarding the next release of IP Locator. Please take 5 minutes to help me make it the best geolocation widget out there. Thanks!

Studies say 97% of spam (no, not Spam) happens because you posted your email address to a web page somewhere...The Obfuscator to the rescue! The Obfuscator converts your email address into an encoded string that spambots can't read, but web browsers and email programs can! For convenience, your obfuscated string is automagically copied to the clipboard.

New in Version 1.0.1:

- Fixed trailing newline issue when copying data to the clipboard (thanks Ben Kazez!)

For folks using Mac OS X 10.3.9 and enjoying widgets thanks to Mesa Dynamics’ Amnesty Widget Browser, I have posted the contents of the WidgetResources directory for download. Just unzip it and drop it in /System/Library/ and you will have access to widgets that are not “backwards compatible.”

Over at clearwired.com, I have posted the first in a series of blog entries about What Sundial Taught Me. The first one is on Widget Localization. It’s a pretty thorough overview, if I do say so myself. If you’re a widget developer who wants to get started with localization, it’s worth a look!

Safari 3 beta breaks widgets that use the search history feature of search input field types. I have put together a version of IP Locator with that feature disabled for anyone who wants to continue using it with the broken version of Safari. You can download it here. A bug has been filed with Apple and I suspect this will be a fairly high priority fix considering how many Dashboard widgets are affected.

A few of you, loyal IP Locator users, have written to let me know that the widget is not working. IP Locator gets its geolocation information from DNSStuff.com. It appears that DNSStuff.com has moved to a subscription model for most of its services. I have written to R. Scott Perry, the owner of the site and asked him what is to become of IP Locator in light of this change. Scott and I have enjoyed a good working relationship since I approached him 2 years ago and asked if he would like to collaborate on the widget. I will post an update here as soon as I know more. Thanks for your understanding. –Andrew

Ever check your web logs and wonder where in the world is 84.112.1.125? (Answer: Vienna, Austria) How about 118.90.122.47? (Answer: Kerikeri, New Zealand) Wonder no more! Through the magic of geolocation, IP Locator takes that mysterious IP address and tells you where that hit to your web site (or intruder on your network!) resides.

New in Version 1.6.2:

- Fixed a bug where latitude and longitude were sent to Google Maps in the wrong order for HostIP requests
- Added IPGP.net as a geolocation provider

Mirza Hassan began as a freelancer, where his passion for WordPress and Shopify ignited his creativity. His dedication and expertise led him to Themefic, a platform for WordPress themes, and PSDtoWPService.com, a service that turns Photoshop designs into WordPress sites. Besides his technical prowess, Mirza has a unique perspective and dedication to his craft. As […]

The post A Conversation with Mirza Hassan, Creator of Tourfic and Ultimate Addons for CF7 appeared first on MonstersPost.

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I’ve decided to let Craig have a break from posting so he can get some work done. Besides, I’ve had something on my mind that is worth mentioning. I think.

It has become increasingly interesting at the variety of exercise clothing participants wear to class. For the most part, they are dressed comfortable, in easy to move in outfits. Some have outfits that match – right down to the shoes, and some could care less how ‘in style’ they are – they just came to get a great workout. Then there are the ‘others’. You know who you are – the ones in the low cut tops, the shorts with the really wide legs, the shorts with no legs at all, you get the picture. For us, it makes it difficult when we are watching for form because we don’t want to appear like we are staring at something we shouldn’t! Does anyone else have this problem?

There has also been the rare occasion where someone has forgotten his or her shoes. I had one lady work out in her hiking boots! Craig has had to work out in his socks before. He would have had to work out barefoot but I went to the local drugstore and bought him socks! He has also forgotten his shorts and had to workout in his jeans. Not very comfortable.

Personally, I am one of those who likes to look somewhat put together. (I confess – I have Nikes that match my outfits…) My biggest issue is finding clothes to wear. Right now I teach 6 classes per week – that will increase to 11 in a couple of weeks so I need plenty of outfits! Being one of those who are vertically challenged, it makes it especially hard to buy pants that don’t need to be hemmed. I love Capri’s’, but on me they always come down to my ankles making me look like someone chopped off my legs. Tops are another issue. I’m short waisted so most tops on me are too long – leaving a wad of material at my middle. And then, exercise clothing is soooo expensive! And unfortunately, if you buy cheap stuff, it doesn’t last. Thank goodness I don’t have a problem with shoes….

It is great to see Body Pump clothing getting away from so much red and black. Don’t get me wrong – I DO like it, but it is nice to have some variety. However, I can’t afford to keep up with all the BP latest fashions.

Men don’t seem to have the same problems women do. When Craig went shopping for his BP attire, he got everything he needed at one store. I on the other hand have to go from store to store – and when you live in a small town with not a lot of stores, your choices are even smaller. Most everything looks all the same – black or navy pants, solid or print tank style top. I have seen some great websites offering cool clothes – but I generally like to try things on before I buy.

So, I guess for now I will continue to wear my same outfits. (Maybe a new pair of sneakers would brighten up an old outfit) Or maybe I’ll call Stacey and Clinton from TLC’s “What Not To Wear”!

Everyone is motivated by something to get in shape. Ours just happens to be fear.

We don't want to look like this. What motivates you?