Frank's TV redux

In 2009*, the Dallas Cowboys put up in AT&T Stadium some videoscreens that measured 160 feet across and 72 feet high.  Converting that to inches and applying Pythagorean methodology, we find that this yields a diagonal size of... 2,105 inches.  Not yet available for home consumers, but still.  Frank would be pleased.

Also note that there are several stadium screens even larger in scope-- The Safeco Field screen is 2,500 inches, and the brand new (more or less) Reliant Stadium screen is a whopping 3,382 inches diagonally (a bit shorter but a lot longer.  Widescreen, donchaknow.).  There's also a race track in Dubai and a speedway in N. Carolina, but I don't have exact confirmed numbers for those, and I don't think it matters enough to track them down.  I'm sure in a couple of years there'll be another bigger one somewhere else anyway.

*"Frank's 2000 Inch TV" was released by Weird Al et. al. in 1993.  16 years ain't too bad to make something this hyperbolic happen.

Partial source: http://stadiumblog.dallasnews.com/tag/guinness-world-records
Other figures from "Bigger in Texas", Caleb Hannan, Wired, October 2013.

Combat Juggling Rules

Yes it does, and here they are.

Combat juggling is a sport featuring one or more jugglers on a team (depending on the variant).  At the starting whistle, everyone will begin juggling, typically with three clubs each.  The goal is to be the last juggler who is still juggling a full set of clubs (not necessarily the same three that you started with).

In between these two points, the idea is to "interfere" with the opposing jugglers.  This can take several forms, although the most common involve visual distractions, interposing part of your body into their personal space (backing into them can work well), or tossing one of your clubs high enough to give you time to outright steal or knock away one of an opponent's clubs before catching your own again and continuing.

There are, as previously mentioned, a number of variants on this basic theme.  The Major League Combat YouTube channel describes, in addition to the basic three-on-three team event, the following:

360s, a one-on-one timed event where the players score points for successfully completing 360 spins while juggling.  Players have to balance between completing their own spins and interfering with their opponent's.

Sumo, a sort of tag-team one-on-one version where players have to stay within a small circle while juggling.  A point is scored for each opponent who loses their clubs or leaves the ring, and losers are replaced by a teammate as the winner continues to juggle.

Zombie, a three-on-three event where instead of leaving the arena when you are eliminated, you can stay around as a "zombie" as long as you still have at least one of your clubs.  A zombie with one club can't do much but get in the way, but if a teammate passes them a club, they become a slightly more mobile version and can actively interfere with opponents.  And if they can acquire a third club, they can come back to full life and move around again.

Surfing wax

I always assumed that surfing wax (as in the infamous Mr. Zog's Sex Wax) was like wax for skis-- it's there to make the bottom of the board slicker and reduce friction.

Instead, it's actually the exact opposite.  You apply the wax to the top of the surfboard, and the waxed surface has better grip and traction for your feet.  Apparently the material that modern surfboards are made of is well and sufficiently slick on its own in the water.

Carry the torch

Apparently, when they (the IOC) is preparing for the Olympics, they do not make just one torch to be carried by the runners.  According to an interview with Sir Patrick Stewart, they actually made 8,000, one for each runner, and everyone chosen to do so for a leg had the opportunity to purchase theirs as a memento.  Sir Patrick is apparently planning to mount his on the wall, or possibly just sit on the porch and shake it and young people who've never heard of Jean-Luc (possibly anyone under the age of 18, more likely 10 if you count the movies).

Friendly Hockey Thugs

On a hockey team, there are several traditional roles and jobs.  Besides the usual obvious roles of goalie, wing, center, etc., I have been informed (by several usually reliable sources) that there is also the "unofficial" role of enforcer. This is the player (or players) whose job it is to look out for any egregious infractions on the part of the opposing team, and retaliate appropriately, or in some cases inappropriately.  Generally speaking, with fists.  This is technically illegal, but extremely common, and has become more or less just part of the game.

The bit that's completely new to me, however, is the fact that most of these guys (at least at the professional level) are not actually mean, violent types.  They look at this as their job, their responsibility, and they do it dispassionately, and in many cases genially.  A recent interview with one player on the How to do Everything podcast reveals that many of them will bust a guy in the head, or get busted themselves, and then go out for beers after the game, congratulating each other on a particularly good hit.  "Oh, man, I wish I'd known you were a lefty!"