Monday, November 30, 2020

Teqball

Teqball is a sport that is a cross between soccer and ping pong. Blending in the need to bounce the ball off the curved Teqball table adds a lot of action so, although it has the strange soccer-like aversion to opposable thumbs, at least it isn't a wheezing bore like soccer is. 

It was developed in Hungary in 22012 and has been gaining in popularity. A summary of its rules are:

  • Teqball can be played with balls used in football, with size five being official and recommended.
  • Teqball can be played by two players (singles game) or by four players (doubles game).
  • Teqball follows a points-based scoring format and is played over a best of three sets, with each set played until a player/team reaches 12 points.
  • The final decisive set must be won by at least a two-point margin.
  • Players must switch sides after each set and the time between two sets must not exceed one minute.
  • In the final decisive set players/teams switch sides at 6/12/18 points reached by the leading team.
  • Points are started with a service, with the player/team having two attempts to complete a successful service.
  • Once the point is in play, the ball must be returned to the opponent’s side onto the table by touching it a maximum of three times (hands and arms cannot be used).
  • In doubles, both players on the team must touch the ball before it is returned.
  • The ball cannot be touched by the same body part consecutively.
  • A player/team cannot return the ball with the same body part consecutively.
  • In the case of an edgeball, the point is to be repeated.
  • Players/teams change service after every four points.
  • While playing, neither the table nor the opponent can be touched.

Friday, November 27, 2020

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ― Marcel Proust

  

Two different fighting styles

Above is a video with clips of both Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton boxing. The differences in their approach to the humor of the situation is obvious. Chaplin is a trickster, frequently outsmarting his opponent whereas Keaton is a complete stumblebum. 

I've never been a big Chaplin fan, thinking many of his jokes are too cute for their own good. I much prefer Keaton's physical humor -- his getting tangled up in the ropes trying to enter the ring is good example of his work. 

 

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Japanese fisherman trading cards

Click any image to enlarge

Noriaki Kimura, a government engineer in the Aomori Prefecture in Japan, produces trading cards featuring local fisherman. He takes the pictures and makes the cards which are distributed. From a Sankei News article:

In an attempt to improve the value and popularity of fish caught in the prefecture and promote local sake that matched fish, we created a poster modeled on fishermen in the agency's venture business in FISCAL 2017. In addition, to make it easier to carry, we made business card-sized trading cards, and in December last year, we began distributing them at direct sales fairs in the prefecture, tuna demolition shows, and events in Tokyo. Then, it is said that it got a great popularity from female customers such as "I want it by all means" and "It is cool"

I wonder if they'll ever match the value of a 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner baseball card? Information and images from Spoon & Tamago's Japanese Fisherman Trading Cards are Getting Kids Excited About the Fishery Industry.


 

Friday, November 20, 2020

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Buddhist Thangka paintings

Click any image to enlarge

Buddhas, bodhisattvas, Dharma protectors, masters and monks. These images, and those after the jump are from Picryl's Thangkas & Mandalas. There are more at the link.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Veterans Day

The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. - Abraham Lincoln

  

Sunday, November 08, 2020

Indigenous people of the New World

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This artwork is the European explorers' impressions of the indigenous population of the Americas. These images, and those after the jump, are from the John Carter Brown digitized collection. There are many more at the link, including a large number of black and white etchings. 

Friday, November 06, 2020

Tuesday, November 03, 2020

Another million

Click to enlarge

 Above is an ad that was in The Saturday Evening Post on Nov. 2, 1940. Today is Election Day. Once that meant it was the day ballots were cast, now -- thanks to the execrable idea of weeks of early voting -- it just means the last day ballots can be cast (in theory).

Regardless, with the votes in the game changes. Political actions no longer need to be calibrated against votes won or lost, instead there is a different calculus. Keep that in mind as things unfold. 

 

Sunday, November 01, 2020

The day after

Last night there were Trick-or-Treaters out and about where I live. It was good to see. Of course that means today there will be sugar-addled tykes, smashed pumpkins and spooky decorations to take down.

Historically, the now very secular holiday of Halloween evolved from All Hallows Eve, the day before the actual holiday it marks -- All Saints Day. While overshadowed by its Eve, All Saints Day is still celebrated, with liturgies, visits to graves to place candles and flowers and other local traditions. 

Happy All Saints Day to you all.