This is how to wake me up
Aug. 6th, 2012 08:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lovingbothThe radio comes on at 6:55am. I slept through it.
But according to the 7:30am news bulletin on the Today programme, the Curiosity rover was 'slowed by a parachute until retro rockets fired up...' (to enable it to land softly).
'Whaaaat?!' went my sleepy brain. 'This is what happens when you let arts graduates write the news...'
It has taken about 30 minutes to consider that they probably meant (and should have said) '.. until retro rockets were fired' or similar.
My brain is still baffled by the scoring in the Olympics volleyball though. It's a great pity that coverage of volleyball is so poor outside the Olympics, because not only is it more exciting to watch than most (I'm afraid I include basketball in this) but it's also playable by more people. I actually enjoyed it at school (and not just for the teachers' endless cries of 'Don't kick the volleyball!!' - they really were good to kick...)
Since then, how you score in matches has changed (both sides can now score points for every rally, not just the side 'on serve') but WTF is the scoring for match results?
Currently in Group A, Poland have played four, won three, lost one, and have nine points. Bulgaria have also played four, won three, lost one, and have nine points.
OK, it's three points for a win and none for a loss, but why three for a win, given there aren't any draws? But...
Italy played four, won three, lost one... eight points. Huh?
Argentina played four, won two, lost two, six points. Australia, played four, won one, lost three, four points. Great Britain (who clearly need but won't get proper funding) played four, won none, lost four, no points.
If anyone can find an explanation on the official page or elsewhere, please do let me know.
But according to the 7:30am news bulletin on the Today programme, the Curiosity rover was 'slowed by a parachute until retro rockets fired up...' (to enable it to land softly).
'Whaaaat?!' went my sleepy brain. 'This is what happens when you let arts graduates write the news...'
It has taken about 30 minutes to consider that they probably meant (and should have said) '.. until retro rockets were fired' or similar.
My brain is still baffled by the scoring in the Olympics volleyball though. It's a great pity that coverage of volleyball is so poor outside the Olympics, because not only is it more exciting to watch than most (I'm afraid I include basketball in this) but it's also playable by more people. I actually enjoyed it at school (and not just for the teachers' endless cries of 'Don't kick the volleyball!!' - they really were good to kick...)
Since then, how you score in matches has changed (both sides can now score points for every rally, not just the side 'on serve') but WTF is the scoring for match results?
Currently in Group A, Poland have played four, won three, lost one, and have nine points. Bulgaria have also played four, won three, lost one, and have nine points.
OK, it's three points for a win and none for a loss, but why three for a win, given there aren't any draws? But...
Italy played four, won three, lost one... eight points. Huh?
Argentina played four, won two, lost two, six points. Australia, played four, won one, lost three, four points. Great Britain (who clearly need but won't get proper funding) played four, won none, lost four, no points.
If anyone can find an explanation on the official page or elsewhere, please do let me know.