My wish for the Oscars show

Wouldn't it be fun if Jon Stewart did some jokes about the nominated movies, illustrating them with LEGOs? Ah, but that would never happen...

What? You mean it's been done with Brokeback Mountain? Well, then! We're already a fifth of the way there!

Now life can get back to normal

The Olympics, wonderful though they are and as much as I love them, are over for the next two and a half years. Thank goodness. Now my life can get back to some semblance of normalcy...

But I am now getting very excited about the possibility of going up to Vancouver in four years to see something live and in person!

I Hate Clowns

So far I'm utterly unimpressed by the Olympic closing ceremonies. I hate clowns.

Bring on Vancouver!

I'm in love, Torino 2006 encore edition

I have always thought that Canadian cyclist/speedskater — yup, she's not only been to both the Summer and Winter Games, she's medalled in both as well — was one of the coolest athletes around, or at least in Canada. Maybe it's that gorgeous red hair. At any rate, congratulations on finally getting a gold medal, in the 5000 m.

Love the Olympics? Pay it forward!

Joey Cheek, the American speed skater, has donated his bonuses for his Olympic medals to Right to Play, an organization founded by the great Norwegian speed skater Johann Olav Koss that uses sports to raise hope and spirits in underdeveloped countries. And now, you can donate to them, too.

Now that's what I call... uh... Curling

A streaker interrupted play at the Bronze medal curling match. The Mercury News has the best headline, though: "With streaker, curling gets some extra exposure"

Ronald McDonald is This Olympic's Little Blue Cow

In the last Olympics, the Little Blue Cow participated in tons of events in ads. This year on the CBC, Ronald McDonald is participating in events in ads. At least there isn't any doubt as to Ronald's gender.

I'm in love, Torino 2006 edition, more honorable mentions

Shizuka Arakawa's face, when she saw how good her marks were in the free skate, and then again when she'd realized she'd won the gold medal.

Cindy Klassen, Canadian speedskater.

Deidra Dionne, Canadian aerial skier. (Hey, I've mostly been watching the CBC, so I get to see a lot of Canadian athletes.)

The Johnson sisters on the US women's curling team. And while I'm on the subject of curling, hearing the Swedish and Italian women's teams talking. Whoever thought to mike up curlers was really thinking.

I'm in love, Torino 2006 edition, honorable mentions

Sasha Cohen's eyes, especially when she smiles.

Irina Slutskaya's derrière. I hope more female skaters will take advantage of the new rules allowing pants.

Anja Paerson.

Ouch!

Our hearts go out to Australian aerial skier Lydia Ierodiaconou. On a very hard landing during qualifying, she reinjured her knee, which had undergone reconstructive surgery only a few months ago. The cries of pain were heart-wrenching, and now she has to go through the whole thing all over again, from scratch. Well, Vancouver is only four years away now...

I'm in love, Torino 2006 edition

Not only is Tanith Belbin a terrific ice dancer, she's an extremely attractive young woman. And she sounds like Kristen Chenoweth.

Samsung Ads promote Theft and Blackmail

There are two very annoying Samsung ads I've seen a lot of during the Olympics. In one of them, a young employee blackmails his way up the corporate ladder. In another, a neighbor steals a TV. The tagline implies that both actions are acceptable. This has resulted in me never wanting to ever buy another Samsung product again.

Most telling moment of an Olympics commercial

Bell, the big phone and television service in Canada, has a couple of anthropormorphic slacker beavers doing Olympics-themed commercials. They're pretty amusing actually. But in one of them, one is watching the Olympics, and says something along the lines of, "Man, I've been watching so much of the Olympics, I'm sick of myself!"

Hee hee!

More Olympics humor

Thanks to Tom Galloway, Dave Barry's Winter Olympics preview (but no, it doesn't look like he's writing his column on a regular basis again).

Thanks to David Letterman, Chad Hedrick's Top Ten Good Things About Winning an Olympic Gold Medal.

Snowboard Cross

I gotta like it. It's like motocross... on snoboards. Awesome.