Friday, July 9, 2010

Oleoctopus

I have not followed the World Cup (even though I really should've--would have passed those sick hours right nicely). As I said to C.-- yesterday, I like soccer pretty well* and have no objection in principle to people getting excited about the World Cup. But I do resent the assumption that everyone is into it. Attending a 3-hour cybercrime training session earlier this week, the presenters kept interrupting to give us "updates" on the score of the game in progress (I use quotation marks because all the updates were 0-0), and I found it a bit alienating. to be honest. It's just weird to be in a place where everyone assumes you care about something you don't, and where you can only assume that everyone does, in fact, care about it besides you. It was a bit like the time I went to see a comedian during college orientation week and everyone in the audience was laughing but me, which was disproportionately disturbing. But I digress...

Because apparently everyone does care about the World Cup. Including such savvy prognosticators as Paul.** I suppose I can jump on the footy bandwagon if even cephalopods (eight feet--imagine the possibilities!) are doing it... Gooo, Holland. Or is it Spain?


*In fact, had it been field hockey and not soccer whose second preseason day entailed running for half an hour, I might have continued my middle school soccer career in high school. Alas, I did not want to subject myself to that kind of 90-degree-weather agony, and as a result lost 5 seasons of my life and 2 knees to field hockey instead.

**Whose name can't help but put me in mind of Pictures for Sad Children. Is Paul who is an octopus a more compelling character than Paul who is a ghost?

9 comments:

  1. What comedian was that? I don't remember this. Um, I care far more about Paul than I do about the World Cup...I for one welcome our new (cephalopodic) overlords.

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  2. Don't recall the comedian's name; I think I have repressed it. Our cephalopodic overlords are awesome!

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  3. As I believe I mentioned, this is by far the best thing to come out of the whole World Cup:

    http://www.therestisnoise.com/2010/06/brahms-on-the-vuvuzela.html

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  4. PAAAAAAAUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLLL!
    (Said like Goooooooooooaaalll!, in case that was confusing.)
    Do you think maybe he just likes yellow?

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  5. That would be plausible but for the fact that he also correctly picked Serbia over Germany in group matches. Clearly, he's actually just psychic.

    Afraid to say I can't relate to this post otherwise. I am a World Cup/football fanatic, and would still be in a frenetic state of euphoria had Germany won. As is, I still spent last night in a packed London bar screaming for Spain with two Spaniards and my brother. And yes, we were in possession of a full-sized Spanish flag, which we waved with untiring gusto. £5 well-spent.

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  6. Paul is clearly a psychic genius. (But can he play Bolero on the vuvuzela?)

    I did wind up watching a bit of the Germany/Uruguay game while at lunch Saturday and enjoyed it. Like I said in the post, I do like football. I guess I just can't get into television... S, that sounds like a very festive occasion!

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  7. how i did miss dis post? my 'pussy knoze

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  8. A very late comment, as I play blog catch-up.

    I was once at a Capitol Steps show at the Keswick in Glenside on a Sunday afternoon in October (can you guess where this is going?), and when the first half wrapped up the PA system came on and said: "There will now be a ten minute intermission. Refreshments are available in the lobby. With thirteen minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the score is Philadelphia 24, the Washington Redskins 16."

    It was slightly surreal.

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  9. When Chris and I were at The National the same sort of thing happened. Though it was The National themselves doing the announcing and not the PA, so a little less surreal, perhaps...

    Enjoy your blog catching up!

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