Comments on: I’ve so over Skype—but I’m not over Sonja Henie

By: AesopFan

AesopFan — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 20:11:22 +0000

CapnRusty Says:
February 24th, 2018 at 1:58 pm
* *
On changing speeds:
I followed the link-chain on Neo’s “Lucinda Ruh” post supra, and encountered the dancer Daniel Ulbricht here:
http://neoneocon.com/2008/09/19/dancers-and-the-small-shall-be-tall/

Go to the last clip, of him dancing the Faun in Four Seasons, to point 0:20, drop the speed to 25%, and watch his jump. Amazing doesn’t begin to say it.

By: AesopFan

AesopFan — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 19:40:14 +0000

Just dropping this off “for the record” – it’s a collection of Sonja Henie clips; the quality is variable (fair to poor), and the poster had no musical sense at all (no attempt to use the original sound, or cut a connected track that matched the action), HOWEVER, the second clip (0:53) shows Sonja actually dancing (no skates) and she looked very proficient to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSJMwn1QXNI

By: Molly Brown

Molly Brown — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 23:50:38 +0000

Yes, Neo, for sheer speed and innovative positioning Lucinda is the champ. I think she even holds a Guinness world record for it. But for sheer beauty I love that ‘I’ spin of Alyssa’s with the extended arm coming down. Just breathtaking. My daughter and I used to refer to it as the ‘spin of forgiveness’.
She frequently bobbled a jump or two putting herself out of medal contention (crushing the hopes of her legion of fans and well wishers) but then came that spin and; ‘All is forgiven, Alyssa, all is forgiven!’

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 20:50:43 +0000

Molly Brown; miklos: Osmond was my personal favorite this year. The others lacked the artistic finesse I prefer in skating, although of course they are good jumpers. I also think that Lucinda Ruh could give Alyssa Czisny a run for her money in the spin department.

By: CapnRusty

CapnRusty — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 18:58:36 +0000

Sonja Henie’s spins ~~seem~~ are extraordinarily fast.

Start the YouTube video. Move the hand cursor to the bottom and a panel opens. In the panel, to the left of the word “YouTube,” is a settings symbol (it looks like a gear). Click it. A menu pops up. The “Speed” setting shows the default “Normal.” Click on it. Then choose “0.75” instead. The music slows down and Sonja’s motion becomes more graceful.

A lot of YouTube videos are set by default to run too fast. I think it has something to do with copyrights. Damn lawyers.

By: Roy

Roy — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 17:06:05 +0000

I loved that Sonja Henie clip.

She is a very eloquent skater and makes it look so easy. I don’t know how she (or anyone) does those spins like that without getting dizzy. My gyros almost tumbled just watching it.

I also love the outfit and hair style too. I have always loved that 1940’s hair style – the one we associate with WWII. I really wish it would come back in style. I have a photo of my own mother on her wedding day back in 1950 and she is wearing a style like that. Mom was a real looker too. (…is it okay to say that about your own mom?)

Thank you for that clip.

Now, about Skype, I can’t help you because I’ve never used it. But I have to agree with others that there is too much “fixing” of things that aren’t broke going on nowadays. I think a lot of it is option bloat and a bid toward programmers trying to keep busy in order to enhance their job security.

By: RB Glennie

RB Glennie — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 14:21:53 +0000

Complete agreement with you about Skype – the interface was, while not optimal, operable before, but with a recent `upgrade’ it is completely crappy. Just yesterday, I tried to patch in someone for a conference call, and in spite of having both contacts in my saved list, I couldn’t for the life of me get the second person on the line… I had forgotten the Microsoft connection as well, it seems that they have a mandate for `upgrades’ – that is, make them as crappy as possible.

By: miklos000rosza

miklos000rosza — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 12:35:57 +0000

I too have been watching Winter Olympics — first time I can remember doing so with such close attention and (intermittent) emotional investment. Even the skateboarder-derived Half Pipe, though I’ve always avoided such nonsense before. The “color” commentators do a good job of selling the drama of each event.

But the Figure Skating, performed by females, is the best. I think I agree with Molly Brown, above, that Kaetlyn Osmond should have won.

By: Molly Brown

Molly Brown — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 06:30:49 +0000

At last, an ice skating post!
Your observation is correct, Neo, skating has degenerated into ‘technique is everything’. Meaning, ‘jump technique’ is everything. ‘Artistic technique’, not so much. And, once again, a prepubescent baby has won ‘Ladies’ gold. Uggh. Although I give the Russians props for the costume design (wide tutu and padded bust) that gave Zagitova the illusion of a womanly figure. Having said that, the Canadian skater that won bronze, Kaetlyn Osmond, gave as good a ‘Ladies’ skate as is possible under this system. As Dick Button would say; ‘Good for her. Good for her!’
As for the Heine film clip, yes, she was a great skater and a great athlete, but I’m pretty sure those spins are sped up – ‘film technique’! ‘Running on toe picks’ is an inside jokes with Michelle Kwan fans, she was about the only modern skater to do it and it was probably a direct Heine influence/homage. That move at the end of the clip with the backward spiral is called a ‘Charlotte’ after an early German skating star, Charlotte Oelschlagel, who is credited with originating it. In the early 1900’s, no less! Michelle Kwan also brought that move back to modern skating and gave the credit where it was due.
For a great example of Michelle’s ‘running on toepicks’, watch her breathtaking 2001 U.S. Nationals short program.
I think the last truly ‘artistic’ skater we have seen under the current judging system was Alyssa Czisny. Check out her Dr Zhivago long program from 2009 U.S. Nationals. There has never been a better spinner. Truly sublime.

By: Molly NH

Molly NH — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 03:03:02 +0000

Neo, she ‘s making me dizzy !!! I can t take it !