A Popinjay With Feet Of Clay

What the hell is going on with tennis?

I've been watching some great matches for a week and-a-half now from the French Open at Roland Garros.

By the way, why did the French name a tennis stadium after a noted World War I aviator? What's up with that? Unless of course the stadium's founding fathers had the sweeping, dipping and looping camera angles that the French broadcasters practice in mind when they chose a dignitary after whom to name the place.

Sadly, in a huge upset, four-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal was defeated. Some 23rd seeded Swede (Robin Soderling) felled the mighty top-seeded player. And I think I know what happened.

At the French Open the reddish-orange clay courts stand out in stark contrast to the military green of the billboards and stadium. It's quite different from the grass at Wimbledon. But the clay isn't the only colourful thing at Roland Garros.

What the heck ever happened to "tennis whites", long the standard uniform of tennis professionals? I think things started to turn with the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena. When they hit the scene tennis fashion started to change. In fact, I think the reason they won so much early on in their careers was they knocked their opponents eyes out with the flashy cut and colour of their clothes!

These days, colourful tennis clothes are, to aptly use a french phrase, de rigour. And the colourful look has jumped genders and now men players are loud and proud. For example, France's Gael Monfils has been sporting a banana-yellow tank top, even brighter than the yellow tennis balls. Number 2 seed Roger Federer strutted with a sea-blue jersey. But the worst was the pink with yellow piping affair worn by Nadal. Why did he lose to the 23rd seeded player? Hell, he blinded himself!

The Polka Dot Door

A long time ago, when I was 22, my first child was born. That kid grew up on a little Canadian kid's show called Polka Dot Door, produced by the TV Ontario network. And Dad, more often than not, sat through those shows with his little one. Nine or so years later when a brother, and a year after that when a sister came along number one son was moving on to Knight Rider and The Dukes of Hazzard. But there was a nice overlap where his siblings picked up where he had left off with Polka Dot Door. And Dad was right there to welcome them. So you're looking at a Polka Dot Door veteran. The show began in 1971 and ran to 1993. I didn't watch the full run but I did get in my fair share. The formula was pretty simple. A young male and female host, which seemed to change every week, sang songs, told stories, made crafts and generally did their best stimulate little brains. The show opened as follows... Imagination Day! Oh boy! ...

30 Days of Photos III #4 Sour

Check out Ziva's Inferno for the rest of today's photos.

I Am Charlie, I'm A Bore

Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, Colin Farrel...you know the list, it goes on and on. The list of Hollywood hick-ups who not content to meltdown behind closed doors have to drag each and every detail out into the light of day and share it with all of us. Well, add Charlie Sheen to that luckless and lascivious list of losers. In the past few days he's been on every major media soapbox complaining abut how he's been treated and how he's misunderstood. Last night he spent an hour on ABC's 20/20 "in his own words". Charlie, you should have stuck to the script. "I have a highly evolved brain". You know I never did like that song by Helen Reddy in the 70s "I Am Woman". But I have to say the melody really leant itself well to a parody of Hollywood's latest flame-out, Charlie Sheen. Although I never thought I'd hear myself say this, my sincerest apologies to Helen Reddy. And now if you're ready (a little play on wor...

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