Oh yeah – it’s time to dust off that dictionary and linguistics degree…
…it’s Spelling Bee season again!
It’s been going on all day. The finals are tonight on ESPN, because TNT must be covering the final nail in the Warriors coffin. Much like the Westminster Kennel Club show does, it should actually draw better ratings.
For all you stats folks, here’s your data fix:
Number of Spellers: 285
144 boys (50.5%) | 141 girls (49.5%) |
Age Range
1 six-year-old (0.4%) | 30 eleven-year-olds (10.5%) |
0 seven-year-olds (0.0%) | 51 twelve-year-olds (17.9%) |
2 eight-year-olds (0.7%) | 113 thirteen-year-olds (39.6%) |
1 nine-year-old (0.4%) | 71 fourteen-year-olds (24.9%) |
14 ten-year-olds (4.9%) | 2 fifteen-year-olds (0.7%) |
This year’s age statistics are typical of previous years’ age statistics. source
Here’s the six-year-old; he’s already been on TV with Steve Harvey:
And here’s your word:
Keep in mind that, while fame & fortune do not follow each of these kids much beyond this evening, they do go on to some pretty interesting, mostly academic careers. Business Insider (apparently your key spelling bee source) had a good write-up on past winners in May 2015. Have a gander at the successes some of them became. and maybe let’s all chip in to get WCS some dictionaries & thesauri.
But some moments – as in all competitions – are destined to live on forever. Cracked had a pretty good article on this topic in 2015, outlining some of the more bizzare things that happen – including protests – during the two days of the spelling bee. Business Insider has a 2015 story about the racism that follows the tournament because the majority of recent winners have been Indian-American.
But who cares about serious matters. Remember this kid?
His name is Akshay Buddiga. This happened to him in 2004, but gets shown at least once per year on things like a SportsCentre Top-10 list of “fails” or “unexpected falls” or some such theme. He actually came second. Well, 12 years on, he’s graduated from Stanford with a Masters in Engineering. His brother, Pratyush, a former champion, is a professional poker player.
And don’t forget “the Screamer”: (or “the Spaz”, as some sites called her)
Her name is actually Rebecca Sealfon. She went on to get a Masters in Computer Science at Columbia, and she’s now a software engineer. She’s also 30 now, so it wasn’t at all creepy trying to find out anything about her, unlike those prudes at “Project Runway Junior”. There is also a conspiracy theory & reddit dedicated to proving she didn’t spell the word “exactly”, because her euphoria added some syllables to her pronunciation. Aaaaaaaaaaand that’s why she stays off the internet and hasn’t done an interview since 2005.
Oh sure, there are other, possibly more important sporting contests this evening, but Super Bowls of other sports only come around but once per year. Drink it in, my pretties.
Tonight’s tense elimination matches!
NHL: GAME 7 – Tampa @ Pittsburgh – 8:00
- late update: The Bolts may have Stamkos back
NBA: Game 5 – OKC @ Golden State – 9:00
Scripps National Spelling Bee: Finals – 8:00 (ESPN)
Tonight’s Open Thread will be dedicated to following the madness, especially if the hockey & hoops become laughers. (Pour another one out for KSK – here’s 2015’s liveblog if you desire a trip down mammary memory lane.) Last year’s Bee ended in a tie, when they ran out of “championship-round” words. They’ve changed the rules for this year, so that shouldn’t happen. But there is no rest in competitive spelling! More importantly, every time a little kid gets a word wrong,
YOU MAY FEEL SUPERIOR!
http://i.imgur.com/XY5Qhn3l.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9jBbsunLe6U/SutfDyst_cI/AAAAAAAAA8A/yOb77YCfrGc/s320/dagmar6.jpg
http://imgur.com/XY5Qhn3
http://i.imgur.com/XY5Qhn3.jpg
I know I posted this one a bunch of times. In college I lived a place with his iconic middle finger pic in my living room. Like a fullsize wall covering version of it. This is still my fav Johnny Cash song
Johnny Cash – Solitary Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OVHnWyDmdw
I broke my rule of not driving drunk to go get cigs. It was 90% empty street. I still feel bad
Yello – Oh Yeah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU0Ypufo6BM
http://66.media.tumblr.com/0b4c1f7b7af7cfc663ae042a898be48b/tumblr_o7ljgnCfJy1sa11jco1_540.gif
Gloria Guida in Blue Jeans (1975)
http://67.media.tumblr.com/584e8564656f190298cc24135613c480/tumblr_o6eh8s8PvB1todga9o1_500.gif
Humphf.
http://67.media.tumblr.com/3227f39de3de562f2d220f15d526c406/tumblr_muqq2tHDds1qzxzcso1_500.gif
Damn you right click bumbling!!
http://66.media.tumblr.com/a88a01b7170adc7e7749538fbc825b63/tumblr_ninyw0Hn9i1s2wio8o1_500.gif
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsei53J1yE1ql141xo1_250.gif
http://66.media.tumblr.com/5e5e2666b9f8c3c3b5ed1849eb5606fa/tumblr_mlpdazbCfi1rhd1xfo1_r1_500.gif
http://66.media.tumblr.com/4b29dd9cfc11abc1d8967d645e7a7735/tumblr_o1djjv24ss1ukxknso1_400.gif
I will go to bed eventually. More Hall and Oates now
Hall and Oates – She’s gone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVUOtH8feoI
I lied when I said I was leaving. I scrolled down. Someone loves Hall and Oates so you all are getting some
Hall and Oates – Private Eyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsntlJZ9h1U
Jack Johnson – It’s All Understood
https://youtu.be/HQhQwPYjHnE
http://67.media.tumblr.com/3079f637a9b88ebfb4cc4a2ba266d638/tumblr_nuxb8hn5mC1rhd1xfo1_1280.jpg
http://67.media.tumblr.com/3227f39de3de562f2d220f15d526c406/tumblr_muqq2tHDds1qzxzcso1_500.gif
I think this is my last random song tonight. Feel free to harass me about this one in the future. I love No Doubt
No Doubt – Don’t Speak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3Vdo5etCQ
Fiona Apple – Sleep To Dream
https://youtu.be/L9Wnh0V4HMM
“It’s bad luck to open your umbrella inside.”
http://67.media.tumblr.com/ab5a7ee19d8804595cc241f6a168eeae/tumblr_nzdd711rlD1rhd1xfo1_500.gif
http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af19/dref22_22_7/Gifs/bartstevenfight1.gif
Natalie Imbruglia – Torn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV1XWJN3nJo
Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head
https://youtu.be/YPwtJ89jes4
For Your Love – Yardbirds
https://youtu.be/Z2LSSgQMc2E
http://giant.gfycat.com/MenacingColorlessAbalone.gif
http://25.media.tumblr.com/beb7bf3f6d58e2a7badad790c7a5b51a/tumblr_mwn81gzDwM1riwr6vo1_250.gif
Verve – Bittersweet Symphony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyu1KKwC74&feature
Divinyls – I Touch Myself
https://youtu.be/wv-34w8kGPM
Beerguy out!
Those two things are related.
http://67.media.tumblr.com/baf687b38a697b8526d44c13e906056f/tumblr_nux2zjY6Uw1uewjngo1_1280.jpg
http://www.soulseeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/yes-no-buttons.jpg
Maybe.
http://67.media.tumblr.com/b27b8d381557f6f602950c60a58d7b86/tumblr_inline_o0a42mfDfL1rxyzwd_500.jpg
“Oh waiter!!”
http://67.media.tumblr.com/b4bcd62ae3fc757cddd8cbb590d9adc7/tumblr_o6p3w5FpE41qg39ewo1_500.gif
Weezer – Say it aint so
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENXvZ9YRjbo
You are just getting my random playlist in full tonight
Cake – Never there
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxqaI_c9j_g
http://66.media.tumblr.com/0a79b7aee294e06391fe80d21434e5dc/tumblr_o7kbatxkHT1uxd3t8o1_1280.jpg
http://67.media.tumblr.com/b03701bb969f7a3e03d0f5faa10f6869/tumblr_o32f9kBK161uh8z9uo1_250.gif
Bif Naked – I Love Myself Today
https://youtu.be/BdpJh_zc6k8
http://67.media.tumblr.com/0091e8c1d63337894ed2cf8ff2fda4a7/tumblr_o7eizkorBP1s2wio8o1_500.gif
Because Queef cushions are more expensive.
http://65.media.tumblr.com/9c38404d4feee9d42c09c9efc14420de/tumblr_o7mw9bWl4A1qksihqo1_1280.jpg
http://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lryf11aIGe1qcs5vvo1_500.gif
http://49.media.tumblr.com/2876e86cdb1bb8e5c54bf4912f4d9717/tumblr_nom1tfd2k61r00543o1_250.gif
http://static.tumblr.com/ca3b2aa3244576f8fd655eb31c321758/cz4b3wu/n54ntq4u8/tumblr_static_dc37v15ykpskwcgo8gcssowc4.gif
Cake – The Distance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzeksmL4KBY