Hotter than a real Chinese firecracker

Yikes. Another 100 degree day arrives here in the great Pacific Northwest. Granted, when it nears 65 degrees in these here parts, shorts and sweatshirts are normal attire. Hot and cold mean something different to us, compared to, oh, say, my relatives' definition of weather in Nebraska.

When the temperature rises to three digits, well, as you might guess, we are hot, and we are bothered. Me? I'm trying to chill out by checking out what's new and newsy. (I'm also wondering for the zillionth time why I don't own an air-conditioned house. And unlike previous scorching days, when we'd drive our air-conditioned cars around to cool off, well, that little gas-price problem has stopped that method of lowering the body temperature.)

Burning Olympics topic:: No, I'm not wondering how the swimmers get into those itsy bitsy teeny weeny suits. I'm thinking ahead to the next Summer Olympics, the London 2012 version. You know, I hope, that you will not see softball or baseball, but you can still watch the heart-thumpin' drama of the flight of the shuttlecock. Yes, Badminton, the "world's fastest racket sport" will still award gold medals, as will Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Handball and the subject of one of a most-hilarious skit on "Saturday Night Live," with Martin Short and Harry Shearer.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/mens-synchronized-swimming/1980340333

No offense to any of these sports, or the athletes who participate in them, but somehow, my viewing habits tend toward other areas:: Gymnastics, Swimming, Track and Field. You know, the sports that get the highest viewership, things like that.

But in a secret International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2005, only baseball and softball were eliminated from the list of Olympic sports. Someone reported that these two sports were "too American." The last sport eliminated from the Olympics was polo, in 1936. "Live Pigeon Shooting" was eliminated in 1900 -- the gold medal was awarded to the athlete who killed the most birds -- but I suspect no one misses that "sport."

Oh, in case you missed it, Badminton Doubles gold went to China, the silver was won by Korea and the bronze went to China. Is that "too Asian?"

Potential hot top alert:: The Census Bureau released a report a couple of days ago that informed us that white Americans will no longer be a majority by 2042. (Disclaimer: I'm a white female. The female part probably makes me more of a minority in many ways than the "white" part.) Just four years ago, The Census folks projected the white minority would occur in 2050. Why do I feel an uncomfortable event or situation coming on? It's partly the fault of aging Baby Boomers. But perhaps we need to discuss this situation before people work themselves into a sweat over the change. But maybe I'm too cynical. Or too pale. Or too hot. Anyone out there have an opinion?

Shaken, not stirred:: Child, Julia Child. Who knew? Hot topic yesterday was the just-released documents of people who spied for the OSS during World War II. According to the CIA (the OSS was folded into the CIA after Pres. Truman disbanded it in 1945), that tasty little souffle Ms. Child was cooking in her TV kitchen might have had a coded message baked inside.

Other undercover agents included: Boston Red Sox catcher Moe Berg; actor Sterling Hayden; Kermit Roosevelt, son of the Pres. known as "Teddy"; Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg; and Miles Copeland, pop of pop band The Police's drummer Stewart Copeland.

Some 750,000 documents detailing the OSS operatives were CIA-classified for decades; the National Archives let 'em out yesterday, hot off the press.

Are you thinking "Big Hollywood Movie" like yours truly?

Hunk of burning science news:: Divers have discovered 13 new species of fish near Micronesia (if you're somewhat geographically impaired as I am, you'll know the place because TV's "Survivor" has filmed two seasons there). A quote I saw under one of the photos released by the BBC made me wonder if this was a good-or-bad-news situation: "The bright blue damselfish is finally in the hands of science."

Despite an urge to avoid going outside, I must. As I leave, sunscreened from head-to-toe, I'll leave you with this thought.

Quote O' The Day:: "I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean." ~G.K. Chesterton

That's all she wrote. Today. Until later...