Viral Vicissitudes

All Toed, going bananas: YOU-niversal a-peel...  Sounds, looks alike:   Situations, circumstances we can ALL relate to, even sympathize with...as in "glad it wasn't' me...there but for the grace of..." Yeah, full of grace, as in grace-full. Speaking of... Stumbling, bumbling: Before which, things seem to be going 'swimmingly' (spoiler alert!), even "according to plans..." after all the prep, rehearsal..."sweat equity" you put into this venture. Then, after walking out, onto what's known as the "world's stage"...during "prime time"... Coming un-done: As it "it all unraveled!" as if I (or perhaps the shoes that I was repping) came unglued, as it certainly appeared to the rest of the viewing audience that I tripped, over my own words ("Ummmm, where am, was I?"), feats...("It was UGE!")...No matter the venue... Up and down! Or, "And...off they go (as in off script, against their so-...

"And make it snappy, as our guests are..." About to arrive... Sound familiar, like when your parents told you to make your bed, take out the trash, or "can you at last put your dirty dishes in the sink...is that too much to ask?!" Especially if it's a bit unexpected, or perceived by one party or another as a bit pre-mature...a "rush to judgment...otherwise known as a snap decision, a call for snap elections..." you share something in common with one E-mmanuel Macron...whose countenance these daze, reflects a... Host of Trouble😟: Or, in the wording of Olympic trials, "A host with trouble" As in why, now, the so-called sitting President of the Host country, on who based on some polls no longer finds himself in good standing -- ( now  we're getting somewhere, right?😕) would elect to call for an almost instantaneous (demonstrated, with almost uni-versal appeal, a snap! of the fingers). A further demonstration of... Crossover Properties: Not...

Talking about trials...Presidentially speaking.  What's Presidential...is a matter, under debate: Just in time to rescue U.S. from getting over-heated, from a vicarious round of Olympic trials, the ones that took place on and below sea level, as in on turf, in the surf...here comes yet another round of... Warm-up pitches, practice swings: What are likely taking place right now, as in prepping for what we all fear will be a repeat of 200? but who's counting (as in pitches, a con-temporary trend, at last in b-ball), who will be tuning in...? But at least I'm here to connect you to the previous postings on b-ball -- (bet you didn't see this curve ball coming...) as well as the more recent ones regarding how "WE/US", our country, formed part of our team for what's being... Couched: Now see the connection to what's called the "sitting president?" In between the two scheduled, highly orchestrated, choreographed...events, we will also, millions worl...

Surf AND Turf, from toe to toe... Foward and Back...Mo' Meant-um: As in maximum push off allowed, especially at the very start of the race, other-wise referred to an "event"...which itself, can be very event-full...full of tension, after an (intentional?) build-up, as in whose in which lane, adjacent to, allowing them even the slightest of advantages (known, owned as in "Lane Four" in swim competitions and "sprints" on turf, a semi-earned, yearned for, position), according to...the laws and physics, which join together with all those rule makers... False Starts: It's all about anticipation as well as what's still referred to as "reaction time" -- the combination of which can either give the runner/swimmer in question even the slightest of advantages, at least deemed by the commentators ("off to a strong start") or, as we, the movie goers that went to see it, "Boys in the Boat" got "left in the wake" and h...

Trials, Tributaries: Swimming, Brimming, Skimming... Barely: As all those wearing the barest of minimum, spelled out "S-p-e-e-d-o" Luckily, these wearing such attire had a natural covering that just about matched, what we saw when they... Skimmed the surface...barely: As in about 8.2 feet above the actual surface of the original surface of Lucas Oil Stadium, one which was 'retro-fitted- for the occasion...one that usually hosts American football, most often on Sundays. Lucky for them, the ones that came aspiring to make the U.S. Swim Team and a trip to Pairs the next month, the surface that they "barely skimmed the surface" so as to make minimal waves, and otherwise make haste, the so-called "pro-turf" which has been softened up some over the years, could have still caused more friction than the chlorinated water that the highly trained "Olympic hope-fills" glided into, off of what are called the "blocks" -- the technology of which ...

"Say Hey" it isn't so... Catch phrase: One that on this particular day, has triple play meaning, as in a call, shout out to at least one, if not the GOAT of b-ball, and a strong association with his nick-name, which continues to be, in b-ball, many legends of questionable origin, and finally, a lament, on behalf of all of us, whether b-ball fans or not, on the passing of the one and only, Willie Mays...the man with the... Golden Glove: He had a dozen of them, presumably scattered around his household, among so many trophies and accolades that he quickly and almost continuously accumulated...it's rumored that many were only created after his play in center field in particular -- his patented "over-the-shoulder" catch in the 1954, created such a stir, as to warrant such awards... "What a tool!" Yet another ironic twist emanating from the hallowed "Hall" residing in Cooperstown...that started for one reason, and has persisted or resurfaced i...

Catchy subjects, perfect pitches: for every pitch-out, there's a catch-er... Position, players: That usually is only arrived at, by many trial and "error" -- both literally and laterally...(the latter being represented by "...new ways of using limited resources..." -- a managerial type of thinking, especially as the game goes "deep into extra innings..." how to best us what's left, both on the bench (where most of the infielders, outer fielders reside, while waiting, binding their time, for their turn to go to what's known in b-ball as yet another place to wait...the "on deck circle" ("stay inside, until you've been given strict orders...OK batter up, what ya' waiting for...a formal invite?!") About the best type of encouragement you can expect by the time you and I have arrived at whatever is called the "Big League" of the domain you are striving for. This counter-balanced by those hope-fulls hanging aroun...

LL Play-off Pairing Post: Hosts, Boasts, and, of course, Toasts...all around. All-ready?!  As in it's already that time of year...again? And that all the teams that started the season get at least "half a chance" at making it to what in Little League, is HUGE..."World's Series" which begins at many places unknown, at least unfamiliar to U.S. and culminates in a hand-full coming each year since 1947 to Williamsport, PA.  Here w-e-e-e-e! go ("better try to go, could take a while kids")...  All in, all: "Everything considered, on the whole" While a phrase used to reflect on a period just past, such as a b-ball season that just ended on anything other than a "W"   ("Loser!")., a look back, attempt to rationalize that it was still worth playing...a universal kind of experience with any team in any domain or competition (sales, for example, where someone comes out on top and an appointed one on the other side gets to deliver...

Spell...Check!   How this all buzz came to...bee: That is, bringing together some of the most Pro-ficient spellers in the world, at a time when "Spelling" as a subject has actually fallen out, of the "core" subjects taught in many grade schools, that traditionally found itself under "Writing" (in between Reading....A-Rithmetic) and under the larger umbrella of "Grammar". Before it, in many locales, even prior to "Spell Check" came to be, as an AI assist, which served to only accelerate the downward trend to characterize Spelling as what's termed ("alternate definition...?") queries the participant, pausing prior to... Spell it out! (relate yet?) No turning back now, once the "Spelling Bee" competitor, already well-schooled in the rules, realizes..."once you start a word, you can't back up, delete, change, modify..." In a stretch (here's the tie-in you've been looking for), kind of like...onc...

Great moments in Sports Psychology... What's all this buzz-i-ness? Or, what's everyone talking about, the "Breaking News!" du jour? A lead-in to a "Sports Psychology" talk I gave recently began with a crowd catcher (see the tie-in to b-ball already?)...the story of a twelve-year-old girl who indicates that..."I sacrificed quite a bit, deferring some social activities with my friends but, as a result, was able to, after some preliminary rounds, end up on ESPN Live!" Guesses ranged from gymnastics to tennis and the more relatable to this mini-series..."Little League World Series!" -- good guess, given that particular year featured a female pitcher, often dominating from the mound, over male peers, peering out from the plate... Truth be told: A scene that rivaled that of an earlier series entitled "Wide World of Sports" whose buy-in line "The thrill of victory...to the agony of defeat..." was that particular year, while f...