=SUM(where)

Vacationing to OBX requires:
> Check writing skills.

> Excel proficiency. Add your info to the what-would-we-do-without-it file "OBX 2010 Vital Stats" & Reply All.


Andrew sez: "I can almost taste the crack chips now...."

Up in the Air

Scenes from the upcoming Frisbee flick.

Week 3: Gassed

Matthew recaps...

In the first half, Sludge was like starting a car engine in the winter. The CHoMppoents relied heavily on their tallest and fastest players, scoring the first four goals of the game en route to a comfortable 8-2 halftime lead.

In the second half, Sludge warmed up & did what it could to deny the best players the disc. The brown zone, which had been completely ineffectual in the first half, began to stymie the potent Chompfense.

Sludge embarked on a (slow but) steady uphill battle and cameback to tie the game at 14. But the hot sun & the long points cooled down the blazing Sludge, who found that they simply did not have enough gas in the tank. Youth prevailed, ekeing out the final two goals to win 16-14.
Loss 14-16.

Note: MVP Award to Christy who was involved in at least half of Sludge's scores, including an ill-advised but well-executed hammer to her very proud husband.

BFF

Super Surly Animals

"Frisbee" by Super Furry Animals:


Lyrics...
Locked in a sorry dream
You know we're drowning in designer ice cream
I scream: This is the present but it's no surprise
Then I realize
(To see you, to see you, to see you)
What I see I spies
(Nice to see you, to see you, to see you)
The past was eagle eyed
(To see you, nice to see you, to see you, to see you)
The future's pixelised
(To see you, nice to see you, to see you, to see you, to see you)

I had my frisbee sharpened and honed
I had it galvanised and chromed
Decapitate and bury your toys
My frisbee brings the noise
(To see you, to see you, to see you)
What I see I spies
(Nice to see you, to see you, to see you)
The past was eagle eyed
(To see you, nice to see you, to see you, to see you)
The future's pixelised
(To see you, nice to see you, to see you, to see you, to see you)

To see you, to see you, to see you, nice to see you
(Wipe your windscreen with a chocolate cake)
To see you, to see you, to see you, nice to see you
(Count your pizzas before they bake)
To see you, to see you, to see you, nice to see you
(Wipe your windscreen with a chocolate cake)
To see you, to see you, to see you
(Count your pizzas before they bake)
To see you, to see you, to see you, nice to see you
(Wipe your windscreen with a chocolate cake)
To see you, to see you, to see you, nice to see you
(Count your pizzas before they bake)
To see you, to see you, to see you
(Wipe your windscreen with a chocolate cake)
To see you, to see you, to see you, nice to see you
(Wipe your windscreen with a chocolate cake)

Art in Every Game

Think of the ultimate frisbee field as an art museum - plenty of frisbellipses! Thx to Russ for the tip.

The Frisbee of Art [NYT 9.23.10]

...The ellipse is the Frisbee of art, the circle freed from its flatness that sails out into imagined space tilting this way and that and ending up on the top of the soup bowl and silver cup in Jean-Baptiste Chardin’s still life or, imagine this, on the wheels of the speeding Batmobile.

Once you tune into ellipses, you will begin to see them everywhere: in art, as in the Chardin painting, or in life, in your morning coffee cup or the table top on which the cup sits. The ellipse is also implicit in every cylindrical form whether or not we see its end exposed (as it would be in a can or a cup or a length of pipe). Just look at the Picasso “Mother and Child.” Highlighting the ellipses helps you to understand the basic roundness of those limbs, encouraging you to see and to draw with a volumetric rather than a flat perception of what you are observing. So the ellipse is important because it exists in so many places as an actual shape, and because it is “buried” in so many round forms that we are likely to draw.

The challenge of drawing an ellipse is that it must be done with enough speed to engage the natural “roundingness” of your reflexes. In essence, you are deciding to make a particular shaped ellipse and then letting your hand and wrist move autonomously to accomplish the job. Much of what you are practicing in learning to draw is engaging your fine motor skills in this way, so that the hand moves to do your bidding without a ”controlling” space between deciding to make a particular line and the hand moving to do it. Before this kind of almost simultaneous cooperation between your brain and your hand occurs, you will tend to worry the line out in slow incremental steps. In this hand-eye coordination, drawing is an athletic activity that benefits from practice, like golf or tennis. On a page of your drawing pad, make various kinds of ellipses as a warmup for the exercise below. Keep the movement of your hand fluid and relatively fast.

SLUDGEopardy III

Welcome to the third round of SLUDGEopardy trivia questions about Sludge's tournament history - tracked, archived & devised by Matthew - in honor of the 25th season. A special prize for the person with the most correct answers. Submit answers via Comments.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

First Round: Questions 1 - 5
Second Round: Questions 6 - 10

Q11. In 2003, the Spring tournament was completely rained out, and the Fall tournament was played in the inches-thick mud at Lake Fairfax. Sludge made it all the way to the finals, only to lose to this team. (Hint: Several of their players would later play on the team called ReRun.)

Q12. In Spring 2004, Sludge lost to a team in the semi-finals that would later change its name to Durty Luvers. What was their team name at the time?

Q13. A few months later (Fall 2004) Sludge would avenge its loss from the prior season by defeating Durty Luvers in the quarterfinals. Sludge then lost in the semi-finals to the eventual champions, whose one-word adjectival name was intentionally written in all lowercase. What was the team’s name?

Q14. In Spring 2005, Sludge found itself in a tough pool and barely managed to advance. Sludge would eventually lose to Duck Pond in the quarterfinals, but not before defeating this green-shirted team in the pre-quarters.

Q15. The following season (Fall 2005) Sludge drew an even tougher pool. Despite defeating Raze, Sundays at Six, and Harshmellows and finishing the day 3-1, Sludge was eliminated based on points because of its loss to what team? (Bonus Note: Harshmellows, whom Sludge had beaten convincingly, went on to win the championship, beating this team that had eliminated us.)

FrisBOOKee

Complete Book of Frisbee
The History of the Sport &
The First Official Price Guide

Author: Victor Malafronte

Info: 290 pages of history, pictures and a completely detailed price guide of the entire spectrum of flying discs. Published in May 1998, the sometimes overly self-aware author does an extremely thorough job, especially in the picture and Frisbee side story departments.

This book is for all who dared launch their dreams like Frisbees and follow them where they may...

Price: $19.99 here or $56.00 here.

Causes to Fall

Happy Autumnal Fall Equinox!

When a disc is cutting through the air with forward motion (throw) it slices the flowing air around it. Half goes above the disc and half below. Two separate forces contribute to the Frisbee's flight.
1.) Bcs the Frisbee is tilted the air flow beneath the Frisbee is deflected downward and a higher pressure is created below the Frisbee that is pushing up on the Frisbee (at the same time the Frisbee, because of gravity, is pushing down) this is called aerodynamic lift)

2.) The upper air flow on the other hand naturally follow the curved edge of the Frisbee and continue curving away from the Frisbee creating a substantially lower pressure above the Frisbee. That means that the natural downward push of the air pressure on top of the Frisbee that would usually cause it to fall is no longer there & the air pressure underneath causes the Frisbee to lift creating hours of fun for everyone!!!

Domo Arigato

Another 25th Season logo to share...


"Action may not always bring happiness;
but there is no happiness without action."

-- Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)

Return, Reuse, Recycle

Herding all plastic brought to work last week...

Week 2: Gamey

Agility. Yes.
.
Speed. Definitely
.
Mental Toughness. Most Definitely.

No doubt these are just a few of the top skills needed to be successful in this game. As Sludge proved on Saturday versus a 2nd-game-dreary Built2Swill.

Starting on defense, brown kept a consistent pressure courtesy of the cup - Matthew, Bucci, Steve, Russ, Brian, David; & expertly anchored by wings - Nigel, Jen, Andrew, Sarah, Christy. No matter who was tapped to play, the result was the same. Defensive Turnover!

1-0, 4-2, 7-4. 8-4 at half.

Sludge rose up offensively and ran circles around the other team. Open space was sought and found regularly. Notably, Mike chased down a 50-yard low sailing huck by Joe.

In command at 11-4, Sludge could not be caught. Win 15-10.

Notes:
> Mi Rancho supplies tasty chips & salsa.
> CHarlie is highly proficient at sideline games.

MoonSoon

Only three more work weeks 'til we launch to The Moon!
Saturday, October 9
Sunday, October 10
Monday, October 11
Tuesday, October 12
Wednesday, October 13
Thursday, October 14
Friday, October 15

Where in the World?

Paying homage to the worldly mobility of Sludge...

Today's Feature: Rachel

Q: Where in the World is Rachel?

A: Rachel is in London.

SLUDGEopardy II

Welcome to the second round of SLUDGEopardy trivia questions about Sludge's tournament history - tracked, archived & devised by Matthew - in honor of the 25th season. A special prize for the person with the most correct answers. Submit answers via Comments.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

First Round: Questions 1 - 5

Q6. The following season (Spring 2001), Sludge began its quarterfinal game at the JFK hockey fields but had to move to the polo fields to accommodate a soccer game. Prior to relocating, Sludge was losing 5-3, but it went on to defeat this team 15-6. Name the team.

Q7. On that same day (Spring 2001), Sludge had a comfortable lead in the semi-finals and seemed destined for another trip to the finals when their opponent put on a stifling zone and roared from behind for an impressive 13-10 victory. Name the team.

Q8. In Fall 2001, Sludge began the final day of the tournament with a 15-1 rout of I Dunno and a convincing 12-7 victory over UnClique before suffering a heart-breaking loss in the finals to which perennial nemesis?

Q9. In Spring 2002, Sludge stormed back to the finals, only to lose to a very short-lived team, named for after this 1972 Newberry Medal-winning children’s book.

Q10. The following season (Fall 2002), Sludge recorded quarter- and semi-final victories over Slow Gerkin and Duck Pond en route to its second championship, which it won in convincing fashion over what team?

Week 1: New & imprOveLD

Andrew recaps Saturday's day...
Something old: Sludge in its 25th clique league season (Joe has the 12.5 year old shirt to prove it).

Something new: pool party (thanks, Russ, Elizabeth, Charlotte Rose, & Amelia) before the game and pirate booty instead of crack chips

Something borrowed: folding chairs for the pool party.

Something blue: Uniforms of Disc Toast

To warm up for the first game of the season, Sludge Gen 2 quickly clogged the hot tub at the pool party which prevented Sludge Gen 1 from loosening up creaky legs. No matter as Sludge--fueled by hot dogs, salad, Joe's sourdough bread, pink lemonade and/or beer--started on defense and blended the traditional zone D with hammers thrown for scores, knee-sliding catches, and plenty of no-look and other tricky throws to build a 8-5 halftime lead at Anacostia. More of the same quickly resulted in a 14-6 advantage.

Then, disaster struck, bringing to mind the phrase that dare not be mentioned. Sludge squandered several opportunities to close out the game and surrendered 5 straight points. Fortunately, order was quickly restored and Charlie found Nigel in the end zone to close out the game at 15-11.

Bring It

In this economy, celebrate that you can bring yourself (& a frisbee) to a place of employment!

(Flat) Ball Flingin'

Ultimate frisbee ("...ball flingin', birds singin', bees stingin'...") is cited early on in the video/song by local rapmedian who sang about Arlington returns with a diddy re: METRO SONG.

Long Game

Bucci found a recent game that offers plenty of playing time...

World record in ultimate disc broken [9.7.10]

They played ultimate disc for 74 hours and 56 minutes, one minute more than a group at Purdue University in Indiana.

"As soon as we beat the record, my body was done," said Steve Jaworski, who flew in from California to get in the game, which started Friday morning at 7.

But he and the 29 other players willed themselves to keep going until 3 p.m., hitting 80 hours. They didn't want to just break the record -- they wanted to own it for a long time.

Still, a record's not a record until it's confirmed and recognized by the World Flying Disc Federation, the disc sport record-keeper for Guinness World Records. That means a lot of paperwork, video evidence and reports from two objective observers.

But when they reached the home stretch, they faced another obstacle: tired, hungry, achy, can't-go-on-any-longer bodies.

Play slowed down in the final hours, and a fair number of the players had taped-up knees and ankles. Mind you, each had run the equivalent of nearly three full marathons at that point.

Jaworski tallied up a list of injuries: "Shin splits, foot cramps, knee injuries, two Achilles tendons crapped out, that guy over there, blood vessels popped in his toe, there were a lot of blisters ... I could keep going."

The good news: It looked like none of the injuries was permanent.

"And it was absolutely worth all the pain," Jaworski said. "Because for the rest of my life I'm going to be able to say I helped break a world record. There's no greater feeling."

Pain Management

More 25th Season logos to share...


"Learn from the mistakes of others.
You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962)

O Canadisc!

Ultimate Canada, USA Ultimate's country counterpart, has scheduled an awareness event for this week -- Bring Your Disc to Work Day.

Ultimate Canada needs your help in promoting the sport of Ultimate. There are over 28,000 players in the country, but lots of people still don't know much about the sport (is that played with dogs?) or realize how popular it is. If you like Ultimate and own a disc, then bring your disc to work on Thursday, September 16th as part of our national Bring Your Disc to Work Day initiative to promote Ultimate in Canada.

ByDtWD is gonna be *so* much better than Bring your Work to Disc Day...

Go Long-evity

“Mere longevity is a good thing for those who watch Life from the side lines. For those who play the game, an hour may be a year, a single day's work an achievement for eternity.”

-- Helen Hayes (1900-1993)

Sludge begins their 25th season of ultimate frisbee on Saturday with a ceremonious bath of champagne chlorine.


Related posts: 24th .. 23rd .. 22nd .. 21st .. 20th

chicaMEGo

Meg is officially moving from DC today & destined for one of the lands of Lincoln - specifically Chicago. Chicago, home to the Sears Tower, has numerous nicknames including "Chi-town," "Windy City," "Second City," the "City of Big Shoulders" & by Sunday - the City where Meg Lives.

Bon Chance!!

Spirit of '05

Sludge's "Spirit of the Game" Plaque [fall league 2005]

Related: Current spirit awarded to 2 Sludgees.

SLUDGEopardy I

Welcome to the first round of SLUDGEopardy trivia questions about Sludge's tournament history - tracked, archived & devised by Matthew - in honor of the 25th season. A special prize for the person with the most correct answers. Submit answers via Comments.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Q1. In its first season (Fall 1998), Sludge advanced all the way to the Finals but unfortunately suffered a heart-breaking defeat on the backfields of Anacostia at the hands of what team?

Q2. The following year (Spring 1999), Sludge went on to win the finals! What was the name of the team that Sludge beat? (Hint: The team avenged that loss the following season in the 1999 Fall League finals.)

Q3. As previously mentioned, Sludge lost in the 1999 Fall League finals, but not before winning a thrilling 16-14 come-from-behind victory against a team that had Curious George on their shirts. Name the team.

Q4. In Spring 2000, despite being the top seed in the pool, Sludge had a shocking exit from the tournament, as it failed to advance out of pool play. Name the two teams that beat Sludge that day.

Q5. In Fall 2000, Sludge advanced to the semi-finals, where it was eliminated by a team that would move into the A division the following fall. Name the team.

Fall 2010 Schedule

Fall 2010
Week# : Date : Time : @ Location [updated 11/9/10]
-->Find fields

Week 1: Sept 11: 4pm @ Anacostia Park #1

Week 2*: Sept 18: 12pm @ Sligo #1 + 2pm @ Sligo #1
* = 2 games

Week 3: Sept 25: 12pm @ Sligo #1

Week 4: Oct 2: 4pm @ Sligo #3

Week 5: Oct 9: BYE...to DC (Hi to OBX)

Week 6: Oct 16: 4pm @ Anacostia Park #2

Week 7: Oct 23: 4pm @ North Bethesda #1 12pm @ Lee Middle Skool

Week 8: Oct 30: 10am @ Sligo #1 1pm @ Polo fields

:Tournament:
Week 1: Nov 13
9:30 am @ Sligo #4
11 am @ Sligo #3
12:30 pm @ Sligo #4
2pm = bye
3:30 pm @ Sligo #4

Week 2: Nov 20

PP Reminder

No fall 2010 season schedule on the calendar yet, but this event is...
Saturday's Pool Party...
Saturday, Sept 11th @ 3:00 PM Post-game 12 PM - 9:00 PM 8:30 3:30 PM

"Tell me what you eat and
I will tell you what you are."
-- Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)

What food item(s) are being brought?

I Scream

The feedback on Sludge's 25th Season logo has been mixed. From 'not very iconic', 'won't fit on a magnet'; to 'love the colors'. Here's one of the runner-up designs for comparison.


"My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate - that's my philosophy"
-- Thorton Wilder

Gut Check

The best [person] plays center and the other 4 [players] back up center to insure a catch. Maximum effort is made to play and requires great skill and energy. It's great fun! (1973)

Where in the World?

Paying homage to the worldly mobility of Sludge...

Today's Feature: Gayle

Q: Where in the World is Gayle?

A: Gayle is in London.

Safe and Found

Jen used her cutting (ultimate frisbee; not food prep) skills to get the hell outta the building! on 9/1 during the crazed hostage crisis at Discovery HQ in Silver Spring. She is safely home; presumably being fed.

Earl-y Arrival

If Earl continues its present course, it will batter the Outer Banks of North Carolina Thursday night and Cape Cod Friday night with strong winds, powerful waves and potential flooding problems. While Earl's strength continues to fluctuate upon nearing the U.S. coastal waters, meteorologists are concerned sustained winds will reach near hurricane force on the Outer Banks.

Much as the Outer Banks will deal with Hurricane Earl Thursday night into early Friday, Cape Cod will be facing the same scenario Friday night into early Saturday. Waves of up to 20 feet may batter the region, leading to beach erosion and over wash of roads and structures.

Ariel View of The Moon (circa 2009)

Also...In North Carolina, the Vacation Rental Act states that vacation renters who are offered but don't accept hurricane insurance are on the hook financially if they can't get to their vacation unit or are forced to leave early. Those who do pay for insurance - - an estimated 6% to 6.5% of the total rental cost - are reimbursed if their location is placed under a mandatory evacuation order, says Scott Leggat, vice president of marketing for Outer Beaches Realty.

No i in Team, 2 i's in Spirit

The recreational summer league team co-captained by MicHael + CHarlie did not win many games. Not unexpected, their team still ranked #1 in Spirit Points - an honor bestowed by their opponents who beat them as much as a panda eats bamboo.

Mazel Tov!

escrOBXw

The mortgage payment rent for the new house OBX rental Christy bought secured is due.

Pay up to play in the sand!

Do Over: August 2010

Catch up on last month's noteworthy posts you may have missed...

Halfway-to-a-hoodie season

Unidentified Flying Objects

Frisbee 411

Disc-toring Honor