Spent most of today asleep (!) after the Relay for Life yesterday and this morning; woke up at 3:00PM, and vegged the rest of the day in front of the TV, watching the Olympics.  I couldn't even muster enough energy for a ride.  Not necessarily my most productive day :)

The Economist's increasingly liberal bent on display: Taking on Terrorists.  This makes me so sad; there was a day, not too long ago, when the Economist set itself apart from the MSM by being relatively apolitical.  And they still are relatively apolitical, as Time and Newsweek (and U.S. News & World Report) and the rest accelerate into the trash.  But the trend is in the wrong direction :( 

I never thought I'd enjoy a Kobe Bryant interview; I was wrong, as Kobe schools NBC's Chris Collingsworth:  "Collinsworth: Is that a ‘cool’ thing to say, in this day and age? That you love your country, and that you’re fighting for the red, white and blue? It seems sort of like a day gone by(?)  Kobe: No, it’s a cool thing for me to say. I feel great about it, and I’m not ashamed to say it. I mean, this is a tremendous honor."  Excellent.  My opinions of Kobe and Chris are adjusted accordingly. 

[Update: some commentors have suggested that Chris was just teeing up the question for Kobe, and upon rewatching the video of the interview, I agree.  So my opinion of Chris, formerly high, has been restored.  YMMV :]

In this context it is worth mentioning, by some accounts Kobe is the most popular athlete in the Olympic village; more in demand for pictures and autographs than even Yao Ming or Michael Phillips.

Another feel good story from Beijing: Cancer-stricken U.S. swimmer wins unexpected 'gold medal' in China.  "Although having failed to qualify for the final of the swimming competition at the Beijing Olympics, cancer-stricken U.S. swimmer Eric Shanteau won an unexpected "gold medal" from the Chinese.  He received the medal from Shanghai-based Cancer Rehabilitation Club for his fight against the disease, in the presence of 200 cancer patients from Shanghai."  Good for them. 

A simple rule from Richard Wolpert for reconnecting a dropped cell conversation [ via Joi Ito ]: 

• If you dialed the other party, you redial.
• If you received the call, you wait [semi-patiently] for them to call you back.

Pass it on...