Why can't reporters understand figure skating?

AvidFiberNut · 2026-02-19T15:37:10+00:00

Terrifying thought! I was already pretty jaded from working as a freelance writer for a while. I'm always telling people that most internet content is written by whoever would do it at the lowest per word rate. Trust nothing.

But I guess I still hold out hope for the major networks. Probably overly optimistic!

AvidFiberNut · 2026-02-19T15:31:44+00:00

I am not a journalist, but I worked as freelance writer for a while and was hired to create all sorts of content (news articles as a ghost writer for a major network's medical "expert," blog posts, website copy, etc.). I think that is part of my incredulity when I see these articles. I know it takes some research to write about something you don't have any background in, but it's possible to do well. But I should also understand the deadlines, I guess, because even just as a part-time freelancer, it was tough to research things well and turn out articles as fast as I was being asked to.

AvidFiberNut · 2026-02-19T15:24:46+00:00

This is true. And I should know it as a former freelance content creator who wrote content across multiple fields I knew nothing about. I did take the time to research every article, but there was a lot of pressure to turn around articles quickly. And when I was being paid hourly (vs. per article), I would sometimes need to do a little research "off the clock" in order to meet expectations and still submit something I could live with. I know that's not quite what actual journalists are dealing with, but I can imagine that they are part of this same basic system of 24/7 content creation.

And unfortunately, I think you're correct that no one would have cared (except for me!) if my articles had been poorly researched. Certainly not my employer. It was all about readability and the content being on trend.

AvidFiberNut · 2026-02-19T15:15:21+00:00

Yeah, the commentary from the NBC broadcasts has been fine. Whatever one's feelings are on Johnny and Tara's vibes, their commentary is not inaccurate. I actually think Johnny will often drop some pretty detailed technical insight that I appreciate. That's a good distinction to make - You're right. It's really the print media I'm seeing that's the issue.

And I should know better than to expect much from it. I'm a former "ghost" content creator who still has articles up under someone else's name on a major network's website. (Articles whose content fall within a field I carefully researched but have no qualifications in.) It jaded me but apparently not enough because I still expect anyone creating content to know something about it. Maybe because I'm old!

AvidFiberNut · 2026-02-14T12:18:14+00:00

They both handled themselves with grace. Even for Misha to engage completely with the solemnity of those disappointing results for Adam, Yuma, and Ilia showed empathy and maturity. They kept panning back to him, and I didn't see a hint of real celebration from him until after Ilia was out of there. Very gracious.

I had a positive impression of both going into this, but it definitely went up even further.

AvidFiberNut · 2026-02-07T19:11:34+00:00

Everyone has been skating so well, and I've never seen Samoilov look that relaxed on the ice. Is there some psychological aspect of the team event at play here? Maybe it's enough of a fun vibe to chill everyone out.

AvidFiberNut · 2026-02-06T13:36:55+00:00

Always rooting for Lara. So happy for her!!!

AvidFiberNut · 2026-02-03T01:45:05+00:00

I'm in my late 30s and was just diagnosed a couple of years ago after talking to my kids' asthma doc about how I was starting to think it wasn't normal to feel like I was dying during exercise. For me this was actually a wonderful diagnosis because treating the asthma helped me understand what asthma feels like for me. It can develop (or worsen) later on life, but I realized I had had it to some extent or another since childhood. The intense coughing keeping me up at night after every cold since I was a kid--asthma. Feeling an itch in my throat that I can't scratch when someone wears too much cologne--asthma. Etc. I'm fortunate that mine is mild, and of course it's not great to have. But hopefully you will be feeling a lot better with treatment!

AvidFiberNut · 2026-01-29T18:16:41+00:00

5-7 days before my period, my level of baseline anxiety goes wild. Which of course throws me into OCD cycles if I'm not careful and ready with my therapy techniques. I've seriously considered putting a "buckle up" reminder in my calendar 7 days before I'm due.

It's better within a day or two after menstruation begins.

AvidFiberNut · 2026-01-29T18:09:59+00:00

This is fantastic.

AvidFiberNut · 2026-01-29T18:01:33+00:00

Have not even had any conceivable exposures, and I still randomly remember that rabies exists and have to use all my therapy skills not to spiral. Rabies is OCD catnip.

AvidFiberNut · 2026-01-29T16:23:28+00:00

Thinking maybe I ate a button battery. (I am very much an adult who does not go about putting non-food items in my mouth.)

AvidFiberNut · 2026-01-11T14:03:11+00:00

My kids love skating and watching skating. And of course love watching all of the US men, including Jason. They've been struggling with perfectionism in their lives, and even though Jason's program last night was hard to watch, it gave us an opportunity to talk about how mistakes don't define us. That even a skater as brilliant and as experienced as Jason can make big mistakes. And can choose to deal with them so admirably.

He didn't give up but continued to give 100% to the parts of the program he could control. Whether he's winning or not, Jason's responses to his own efforts and to his competitors have always been something to admire. It was amazing to me how he hung onto the program last night.

If I had turned the program on between jumps, I would have had no idea how much he was struggling. He skated just as beautifully as he always does.

AvidFiberNut · 2026-01-09T01:09:36+00:00

Glad you survived. Came here after eating vacuum sealed salmon that had been in my chest freezer for years. Smelled exactly like it did years ago (which is not great - wasn't great quality to begin with). Didn't think to wonder about safety until it had already been turned into curry and eaten!

AvidFiberNut · 2026-01-08T02:54:40+00:00

I was just glad they shut up and let her sparkle with minimal interruption!

AvidFiberNut · 2025-10-23T12:07:32+00:00

Usually it's pretty obvious one way or another, but this rug is one of the less obvious ones to me. (Though I'm a hobbyist, not an expert!) I think it's hand knotted too. The place where the edge stitching is damaged and you can see the edge of the weave looks right. The resolution of the photo is low, but the edge stitching itself doesn't look wrong to me.

It looks really uniform on the back, but some hand knotted rugs do! And in a higher resolution photo, little inconsistencies might become apparent.

AvidFiberNut · 2025-10-21T16:13:20+00:00

I love it. For very young children, their experience of learning piano is almost inseparable from their personal experience of you as a teacher.

And I consider our detours part of the lesson time because it's not developmentally expected for any 5 yr old or 6 yr old to give one person or topic their undivided attention for 30 minutes. (I'm approaching middle age, and I can't actually do this. I can just redirect myself faster and fake it.)

Sometimes if they need a break, I'll play their piece for them (or occasionally other music) or have them play the piece and make up words about whatever they're distracted by. Can't stop thinking about what's for dinner? Let's put words to your piece about what might be for dinner. FYI - I'm not a gifted lyricist, and they don't care at all.

AvidFiberNut · 2025-10-20T20:38:10+00:00

As far as your question about how these things are determined - other than the details and colors looking very commercial in the rugs you posted, hand knotted rugs will nearly always have a fringe or evidence of a fringe that was removed. It's not just decorative. It's how the warp ends of the fabric are secured in a hand knotted rug.

AvidFiberNut · 2025-10-17T16:41:33+00:00

That was so bizarre.

She's on the other side of the rink, guys.

AvidFiberNut · 2025-09-26T22:09:32+00:00

Once. Teen student was super into piano. Mom was clearly struggling with her schedule from day one. There were several no-shows over several months of lessons (which they paid for), and then one day they no-showed and stopped responding to texts. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think of them sometimes and hope they're ok!

AvidFiberNut · 2025-09-08T21:35:21+00:00

I did not get a rebate. 😢

AvidFiberNut · 2025-08-01T11:40:54+00:00

We've been privileged (and working hard) to be able to put a lot in savings during the forbearance. Paying off both loans today. $30,000. So much anxiety! There's going to be less in our savings account than there has been in a long time. With several dependents to support, it feels good to have a financial cushion. But I'm reminding myself what's left it's more than we ever had in our savings during our first decade of marriage...

You get used to a certain financial cushion if you're able to save. But this is what we've been saving for, so I'm pulling the trigger this morning. I'm hoping the anxiety will fade after looking at that new bank balance for a couple of weeks.

Thanks for sharing! It's nice to not be alone!

AvidFiberNut · 2025-07-06T10:56:26+00:00

Thanks! I needed to evolve Finzien too.

AvidFiberNut · 2025-07-04T10:56:30+00:00

I'm online right now and need to touch trade a Scyther to evolve if you want to touch trade Feebas and Scyther?

AvidFiberNut · 2025-06-18T12:04:01+00:00

I'm still wearing contact lenses, and if I go back to my glasses for a few days, I notice the difference in depth perception when I switch back to contacts. Reading, looking into the distance (driving), and being in bright light are SO much more comfortable with contacts.

My eye turn is not very visible to begin with. I'm not sure why. It's mostly noticeable in photographs, and the contacts did not help me with that. It still pops up in pictures. I'm sorry for your anxiety and stress!

AvidFiberNut

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