February 9, 2011

Table Tennis is Good for the Brain

So says Dr. Wendy Suzuki on this news segment from ABC News. Includes play at the NY Spin Club, short interviews with actress Susan Sarandon and NY cadet Alex Lipan (U.S. #6 under 12, #1 in NY), and cameos by top player Tahl Leibovitz and NY Times puzzlemaster Will Shortz. As noted in a previous blog, this keeps popping up.

Justin Bieber Playing Table Tennis

Yes . . . we have video of Justin Bieber playing table tennis, care of Table Tennis Nation!!! Now all is well and the world can continue about its business. Anyone know how to get a plain photo out of the video that I can add to the Celebrities Playing Table Tennis page, other than using a camera to take a picture of the video on my computer screen? (NOTE - Greg Masculiano took care of this for me. Thanks Greg!)

Here's the direct link on Youtube, care of Aaron Avery.

Favorite Playing Shirt

Do you have a favorite playing shirt? Like Big Nate and his lucky socks? Actually, I don't. However, I do have favorite colors. When I want to loop a lot, I wear a red shirt. When I want to hit a lot, I wear a green shirt. When I want to play all-around, I wear a blue shirt. I know this is pretty advanced stuff, but with hard work and a good selection of colored shirts, you too can execute high-level table tennis shots.

World Championships of Ping Pong, I mean International Classic of Ping Pong

The $100,000 renamed International Classic of Ping Pong (Las Vegas, Feb. 7-8, sandpaper rackets!) is over, and there are still no results on their web page. Alas. Here are the final results I've pieced together. In the final, playing for $41,000 versus $7000, Maxim Shmyrev of Russia defeated Ernesto Ebuen of the Philippines (though he actually coaches and plays in NYC), 3-1. In the playoff for 3-4, Michael Martinez of France defeated Tahl Leibovitz (listed as representing Israel, but also coaching and playing in NYC), 3-1. Here are the results that I have.

1: $41,000: Maxim Shmyrev (RUS)
2: $7000: Ernesto Ebuen
3: $6000: Michael Martinez (FRA)
4: $4000: Tahl Leibovitz
5-16: $2625: A bunch of players that include notables such as Michael Appelgren, Stefan Feth, and Kazuyuki Yokoyama

Non-Table Tennis except that it wasted over two hours of my time, and I'm a table tennis coach & player

Yesterday I went to the MVA to renew my driver's license, as required every five years. I was given the number B-60, and told to wait until it was called. It took 45 minutes, but finally it happened! I happily went to the indicated booth - only to hear them call B-61 as I approached! They said I'd taken too long, and so had put my number back to the end of the queue and called the next one. I argued, to no avail. So I had to sit down and wait another 45 minutes. I went to drink from the water fountain across the (large) room, and then I heard them call my number again. I again went to the indicated booth. As I approached, they called my number again. Right as I reached the booth, perhaps five seconds after calling B-60 the second time, they called B-61 again! They said I'd taken too long again, and again put my number at the end of the queue! Again I argued, and again it was to no avail. I had to wait another 45 minutes, this time pacing back and forth and glaring at the two operators who had done this. Finally I was called again, and this time I did not walk, I did not run, I sprinted to the booth. Once there, it took about two minutes to take the eye test, get a new picture taken, and another five minutes and my new driver's license was ready - though for the next five years anyone seeing it will wonder why I'm glaring.

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