phx: Are you still following the FIDE World Chess Cup? (FIDE is the world chess organization for others reading.)
I learned yesterday that the president of FIDE is Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who until a few years ago was also president of Kalmykia, one of the new Russian republics formed after the collapse of the USSR. Ilyumzhinov was one of those people who somehow emerged from the Soviet collapse with many millions of dollars. He returned to his country to run it Putin-style, complete with dead journalists.
He's also a Buddhist, a chess fanatic and claims to have been taken aboard a UFO. He wants to make his small country the capital of world chess. Quite a character.
He has FIDE rigged so that he has been president since 1995. Kasparov and Karpov, former world champions, have tried hard to dislodge Ilyumzhinov from that position and failed.
It's a bizarre story. It's one reason, I suspect, that there is still so little money in chess. What corporate sponsors want to get in bed with a maniac like Ilyumzhinov?
There was a great story @ the Little League World Series. However, the media doesn't cover it because they can't see it.
Chula Vista, Ca. played and beat Westport, Ct. twice in the series to advance to the Championship game today vs. Japan. Westport is one of the most affluent towns in this country. Chula Vista, a suburb of San Diego, is a working class mix of white, Latino, Asian, etc. The reason it's not portrayed as a socioeconomic victory for kids not born w/ spoons in their mouths is because the people reporting live in the Westport's of this country. They don't see the story.
I grew up in Bristol, Ct. Geographically only 30 miles or so from Westport. However, Bristol was a blue collar, factory town. And, in every other respect, my town was much closer to Chula Vista. Sports is one of the great meritocracy's still left.
“In this situation, when there are weapons of mass destruction involved — or when there is evidence that weapons of mass destruction may be involved — that would have an impact on the calculus about the impact that this has on our national security,” Earnest said.
Dude needs remedial lessons in government bull-shitese.
The estate of J.D. Salinger will release five new books in 2015. I look forward to reading all five. I don't read fiction any more, but I'll read these.....I suppose I'll be disappointed, but maybe that's more because my perceptions have grown stale over the years, rather than any deficit on Salinger's part.
creeley23: I have been following the Kirsan Ilyumzhinov story. As Yogi Berra might have said, "Only in America." The positive thing is he is perhaps the only force in the world (other than Putin) that could possibly bring Kasparov and Karpov into agreement with one another.
9 comments:
When this turns into the screw up we all know it will, who will be found to have said, "It's a slam dunk, Mr President"?
And is it all just to wag the dog?
phx: Are you still following the FIDE World Chess Cup? (FIDE is the world chess organization for others reading.)
I learned yesterday that the president of FIDE is Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who until a few years ago was also president of Kalmykia, one of the new Russian republics formed after the collapse of the USSR. Ilyumzhinov was one of those people who somehow emerged from the Soviet collapse with many millions of dollars. He returned to his country to run it Putin-style, complete with dead journalists.
He's also a Buddhist, a chess fanatic and claims to have been taken aboard a UFO. He wants to make his small country the capital of world chess. Quite a character.
He has FIDE rigged so that he has been president since 1995. Kasparov and Karpov, former world champions, have tried hard to dislodge Ilyumzhinov from that position and failed.
It's a bizarre story. It's one reason, I suspect, that there is still so little money in chess. What corporate sponsors want to get in bed with a maniac like Ilyumzhinov?
I had no idea. Had you run into this before?
There was a great story @ the Little League World Series. However, the media doesn't cover it because they can't see it.
Chula Vista, Ca. played and beat Westport, Ct. twice in the series to advance to the Championship game today vs. Japan. Westport is one of the most affluent towns in this country. Chula Vista, a suburb of San Diego, is a working class mix of white, Latino, Asian, etc. The reason it's not portrayed as a socioeconomic victory for kids not born w/ spoons in their mouths is because the people reporting live in the Westport's of this country. They don't see the story.
I grew up in Bristol, Ct. Geographically only 30 miles or so from Westport. However, Bristol was a blue collar, factory town. And, in every other respect, my town was much closer to Chula Vista. Sports is one of the great meritocracy's still left.
From Ed's first link, my bolding:
“In this situation, when there are weapons of mass destruction involved — or when there is evidence that weapons of mass destruction may be involved — that would have an impact on the calculus about the impact that this has on our national security,” Earnest said.
Dude needs remedial lessons in government bull-shitese.
Crack, I'm glad you finally did that. I like your stuff. Now I really need to have a party.
The estate of J.D. Salinger will release five new books in 2015. I look forward to reading all five. I don't read fiction any more, but I'll read these.....I suppose I'll be disappointed, but maybe that's more because my perceptions have grown stale over the years, rather than any deficit on Salinger's part.
William: Stunning. I'd given up that anything would emerge from his vaults.
It'd better be better than Hapworth 1924 -- the greatest literary train wreck in history IMO.
creeley23: I have been following the Kirsan Ilyumzhinov story. As Yogi Berra might have said, "Only in America." The positive thing is he is perhaps the only force in the world (other than Putin) that could possibly bring Kasparov and Karpov into agreement with one another.
By the way, I'm pulling for Tomashevsky in Tromso. Kind of a new name to the winner's circle.
Post a Comment