UPDATE!

Apparently, I can't spell. Caster Semenya's name is spelled Semenya, not Semenaya. I'm not going to change it, however, because apparently some other folks can't spell as well. And honestly, I want folks who can't spell to land here rather than the website that calls Semenya horrifying names. I won't link to that article, I'm actually sorry that I clicked there and gave them any traffic whatsoever.

Instead, here's an only slightly offensive story comparing Usain Bolt's treatment to Caster Semenya's.

And, callooh callay, the officials' behavior is being investigated. What should really be investigated is our collective behavior, however. We are the monsters.

OH MAN

Okay, when I posted the picture of Obama as a Jedi with the kid in the background? I don't know how I missed it, but apparently there was an entire Chicago 2016 event going on on the South Lawn sometime last week. Amazing! Here are some pictures!

Sometimes, as president, you get to watch fencers.

This version is pretty small, but his expression is actually :O

Sometimes, when president, you get to poke the fencers with your lightsaber.

Who is the cutest sledge hockey team in the country? Why yes you are!

Judo!

There is actually a bit of news here. It seems fortuitous for Chicago 2016 that the President of the United States is a hometown boy. Throwing the White House's weight behind an Olympics bid whose fate is in the hands of the ever-fickle IOC, however, may not be the best use of political capital. In early September, Obama informed the committee that he would not be flying to Denmark to lobby for his hometown. Do you know who is going, though? His wife.

We here at Mount Olympics will of course keep you up to date with any Chicago 2012-related news. In the meantime, however, I leave you with this:

HAhahaha facial expressions.

IMPORTANT CHICAGO 2016 UPDATE

This is relevant, I swear. Look at the kid's shirt.



Right, I'm totally posting this because the kid's shirt has the Chicago 2016 logo.

That's the ONLY REASON.

End transmission.

Caster Semayana and Gender in Sports

That's a pretty pretentious title for what is mostly going to be a bucket o' links post. As soon as this controversy arose, we here at Mount Olympics began composing a brilliant post about gender, sex, and its role in sporting competition. The problem? We got distracted by shiny, shiny things and then... other people said it better. So this post will have three parts!

Part 1: Bucket o' links!



John Green is amazing.

Lauren McMillan is similarly amazing.
IAAF urges caution, which would be great, except that somebody kind of leaked the results.
"Results of the gender investigation aside, Caster Semenya’s humanity has already been sacrificed to Western culture’s desperate, frightened effort to maintain the fiction of binary, fixed gender."
Semayana gets a makeover for You magazine. Gah.
Time offers an incredible slideshow showcasing Semayana's triumphs and strength.
The science behind the scandal.
Idiocy of sex testing!
Semayana withdraws from race in South Africa.

God, it's just so monstrous.

Part 2:

This is not the first time that an athlete's gender has come into question. Here's the thing: sometimes people do try and cheat. I'll have to try to have more GoogleFu later, but I'm pretty sure there were a couple of instances of men entering women's competitions just to win. I'm also pretty sure they don't always win.

Here's the story of another athlete who had to deal with this gender testing: Santhi Soundarajan. And her advice? Don't let them win. You already won.

And don't let anyone stop you.

Help me blow my first paycheck

I have recently come into what we in the business call a "job." It comes with a "paycheck." As such, I suddenly have money, and now I desperately want to spend money.

And what better to spend it on than Olympics paraphernalia? I ask you, what better? Rent, you say? Well, you're right. But still, I can look, right?

[I went to go look up Olympics related items on eBay. I returned to this blog post 30 minutes later with only this to show for it.]

Oh man, never ever search "izzy atlanta" on ebay. I say this for a few reasons.

1. There lies only madness.
2. They can barely give this stuff away.
3. You could buy an Izzy pin, an Izzy plush, AND an Izzy holographic equestrian postcard with a five dollar bill and get change back. (Okay, so purchasing things online requires a credit card, and that's not counting shipping. But still.)
4. I can't LOOK AWAY.
   
5. I do not need any items with Izzy on them, let alone three at once.
6. I will never get those 30 minutes back.

Only $1.25? For four pins? No way!

Other things I could purchase:

A collage from Etsy! Homemade! $10!

Water cube fountain pen? Ridiculously expensive? Yes. $159.99

A Five Rings key chain! Also from Etsy. $5

I need to stop looking or else I really will buy stupid things. In the meantime, do you have suggestions?