Conspiracy Theory

Ahh... the Olympics are here. And what would any world class sporting event be without a little contoversy? This time around, it came in the form of an illegal gambling ring - busted the week before the opening ceremonies. And who could possibly be tied to this "house of the rising sun" as it were? Mr. Hockey. Mr. Canada. Mr. I-will-gladly-endorse-any-product-should-I-be-paid-enough.... whatever you want to call him, Wayne Gretzky. Or more specifically implicated was his sterling wife, Janet. Who was foolish enough to bet on the Superbowl through said illegal gambling ring. Now, it is not illegal to place a bet in the States, but placing a bet with through a shady guy with supposed mafia ties does not do much in the way of endorsing one's clean-cut image. So the media has a field day over this little hoo-ha, wire-tapped phone calls are flung around, and next thing you know, Wayne Gretzky is talking about stepping down from managing the Canadian Olympic Team. So here's my theory... the Americans got whooped in Salt Lake City. There are no two beans about it. Maybe they didn't like the whole lucky loonie under the ice voodoo magic trick. Maybe the American team is looking for its own lucky loonie - and the best one they know of is scandal. Put Gretzky through the ringer, get him distracted, thereby getting the team distracted... and whattya know? Americans walk home with the Gold. The timing's a little too perfect on this one.

Next week I'll discuss my theories behind the JFK assassination. Just kidding.

This weekend I went to Transamerica with Kelsey (can anyone think of an adjective that starts with K? Kitschy was all I could find in the dictionary, but I just don't think that'll work.) Felicity Huffman was great. It was actually a very funny movie, but very disturbing also. Mostly in that too close to reality sort of way. It reminded me of one of those Richard Kern nudes - they're real people, not supermodels, and try as you may to look for the inner beauty in them, you can't stop yourself from feeling sad for the subjects. It is a movie well worth seeing though.

Alas, I did not go home to watch Starship Troopers, a movie, dinner, and bed are more than enough for me. However, I did watch Gray's Anatomy on Sunday night - which I am now obsessed with. This week I damn near had a heart attack. Did anyone else catch this?! Bombs in body cavities. Crazy.

I just finished a fantastic little book called Borges and the Eternal Orangutans by Luis Fernando Verissimo. I don't generally read other staff picks from work, if only because if one person can recommend a book, then I should try and find something else to recommend. Then we cover all the bases and know about as many books as possible. Anyhoo... my co-worker discovered this little gem, which I decided to read because I have been on a Borges kick lately. The narrator of the story is an aspiring writer who decides to go to an Edgar Allen Poe convention in Buenos Aires, where he meets Borges, whom he had corresponded with briefly. While at the conference, an infamous and outspoken lecturer is killed, and the narrator work with Borges to solve the murder. The book itself was no longer than 150 pages, but it was such a fascinating piece of detective fiction, with this engaging metaphysical slant. You don't need to be familiar with Poe or Borges to read it, but you may find yourself wanting to learn more about them once you have finished! It was just one of those little books that was such a gift to read. You couldn't possibly feel guilty for reading this instead of doing something productive - it was just that good!

Well, midterm week is upon us. Tomorrow it's Forensics, Thursday is Ethics and Issues in Canadian Justice, and Friday is Interviewing. Fun, fun, fun. Next week I'm heading home to sunny Saskatchewan, with my monthly delivery of IKEA furniture to those without the good fortune to possess an IKEA in their quaint little city. I should be making commission from these damn trips.

Signing off,
Admirable Auutmn
(Hee hee, Kelsey said I'm admirable. So there!)