As a result, I'm typing these words with earplugs.

That's enterprising. How's it work, do you have them attached to your fingertips or something?

No, silly, she means the words have earplugs.

"they're overtrained, so they're making mistakes, which is how you can tell they're overtrained."

If that's the case, I'm extremely overtrained at gymnastics.

Allyson - how about a cherimoya or atamoya (sp?). They're firm enough to do some damage, obscure enough that it would throw some education in, and their appearance is pretty interesting.

In animal news - Nova last night had a show on cuttlefish. They're fascinating animals! and, seemingly, wicked smart. Also - they do a kind of light show with their coloring (bands of light and dark pulsing down their bodies and tentacles) that seemingly hypnotizes their prey.

More Olympics:

On the gymnastics, I wish they would tell you the difficulty ratings on the routines upfront as a matter of course, as well as explain a bit more about what goes into that.

Re the medal count discussion yesterday - American stations that I've seen are listing them by total medal count, not heaviest gold take first. Wonder why?

I was actually wondering if they would put the US at the top of the list even if we were actually in the middle of the rankings.

Nova last night had a show on cuttlefish.

Chicks dig cuttlefish! t /Billy and Mandy

For the record: cherimoya.

brenda, lots of ~ma.

On the gymnastics, I wish they would tell you the difficulty ratings on the routines upfront as a matter of course, as well as explain a bit more about what goes into that.

NBC's web coverage had a chart of each team's total difficulty rating going into the competition -- I don't think they broke it down by routine but I'm hoping they will before Friday.

Thanks, Nilly. She got dropped off a little while ago and the surgery will actually happen this afternoon. I'm trying very hard not to think about it.