This is a perfect Frazz. Jef brings us unfamiliar but very accomplished sports heroes, and matches them nicely with the characters in his strip. Then we have to google the names of the heroes and understand their accomplishments. Education at its finest!
Kathleen Genevieve “Katie” Ledecky is an American competitive swimmer. She is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and 14-time world champion, the most in history for a female swimmer. She is the current world-record holder in the women’s 400-, 800-, and 1500-metre freestyle. She also holds the fastest-ever times in the women’s 500-, 1000-, and 1650-yard freestyle events.
Shalane Flanagan is an American long-distance runner. She holds the American record times in the 3000 meters, 5000 m and 15K road race. She won the bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in the 10,000 m and the bronze medal at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She won the Women’s 2017 New York City Marathon, the first American woman to do so since Miki Gorman in 1977.
Alan Mathison Turing was an English computer scientist, mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the Turing machine, which can be considered a model of a general purpose computer.
Will Shortz is an American puzzle creator and editor, and crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times.
I guess one of the points of today’s strip is that we all have our own heroes that may not be known by others. If you notice each reference was to somebody outstanding in each character’s area of interest.
There was a pretty fun show on NPR that I kept in my weekly streaming schedule called the “Dinner Party Download,” and when the hosts interviewed someone, they always asked two standard questions. The first was to name a question the guest hated being asked, and the second was for the guest to tell them something they didn’t think anybody would know, either about the guest’s own self, or, about whatever. If they interviewed me, I would probably say that I’m the only person ever to both swim the length of the Mackinac Bridge AND stand atop one of its towers. And then I would have to add that, not only did they not know that, but I don’t even know it for sure. Oh, I know I swam under the bridge and stood on top of it, but I can only be about 99% confident that I’m the only one to have combined those two particularly weird things. Someone else may have. And I don’t care. Because I’m not that good at impressing people anyway, and because it was so cool at the time, I was so caught up in the moment, that the whole world could have been traipsing up there and under there and it wouldn’t have been any less of a lifetime highlight reel moment. And it feels that way every time I remember it. Who needs to impress anyone?
Says the guy who secretly hopes Will Shortz or Katie Ledecky or Shalane Flanagan sees this and likes it.
Frazz by Jef Mallett for Jan 7, 2018 | GoComics.com
GreasyOldTam over 6 years ago
Unfortunately there won’t be a reference to this on Weekend Edition Sunday because the puzzle segment is recorded on Thursday.
mddshubby2005 over 6 years ago
Of course I’m the greatest – the greatest ME there ever was and ever will be. I don’t have to live up to anything else!
Bilan over 6 years ago
While I appreciate Will Shortz as much as Mrs Olsen, my opinion of her just went down if she doesn’t even know who Alan Turing is.
fusilier over 6 years ago
A “Dinosaur Beach” sweatshirt? Be still my geeky heart.
fusilier, SMOF, jg (ret.)
James 2:24
rfherald Premium Member over 6 years ago
This is a perfect Frazz. Jef brings us unfamiliar but very accomplished sports heroes, and matches them nicely with the characters in his strip. Then we have to google the names of the heroes and understand their accomplishments. Education at its finest!
Yakety Sax over 6 years ago
Kathleen Genevieve “Katie” Ledecky is an American competitive swimmer. She is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and 14-time world champion, the most in history for a female swimmer. She is the current world-record holder in the women’s 400-, 800-, and 1500-metre freestyle. She also holds the fastest-ever times in the women’s 500-, 1000-, and 1650-yard freestyle events.
Shalane Flanagan is an American long-distance runner. She holds the American record times in the 3000 meters, 5000 m and 15K road race. She won the bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in the 10,000 m and the bronze medal at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She won the Women’s 2017 New York City Marathon, the first American woman to do so since Miki Gorman in 1977.
Alan Mathison Turing was an English computer scientist, mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the Turing machine, which can be considered a model of a general purpose computer.
Will Shortz is an American puzzle creator and editor, and crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times.
from Wikipedia
Uncle Bob over 6 years ago
Gotta admit, this is a nice strip…
Kroykali over 6 years ago
I think she’s going to get an “A” for her poem.
benjamineyal over 6 years ago
Amazing poem!
benjamineyal over 6 years ago
Amazing poem!
banjinshiju over 6 years ago
I guess one of the points of today’s strip is that we all have our own heroes that may not be known by others. If you notice each reference was to somebody outstanding in each character’s area of interest.
1MadHat Premium Member over 6 years ago
We’re all good at something, and there is a hero for each of us to emulate.
wellis1947 Premium Member over 6 years ago
She may get a “B” or a “C” for a grade but she deserves an “A+” for perception!
Stephen Gilberg over 6 years ago
I don’t understand the first line.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 6 years ago
Fazz16 hrs ·
There was a pretty fun show on NPR that I kept in my weekly streaming schedule called the “Dinner Party Download,” and when the hosts interviewed someone, they always asked two standard questions. The first was to name a question the guest hated being asked, and the second was for the guest to tell them something they didn’t think anybody would know, either about the guest’s own self, or, about whatever. If they interviewed me, I would probably say that I’m the only person ever to both swim the length of the Mackinac Bridge AND stand atop one of its towers. And then I would have to add that, not only did they not know that, but I don’t even know it for sure. Oh, I know I swam under the bridge and stood on top of it, but I can only be about 99% confident that I’m the only one to have combined those two particularly weird things. Someone else may have. And I don’t care. Because I’m not that good at impressing people anyway, and because it was so cool at the time, I was so caught up in the moment, that the whole world could have been traipsing up there and under there and it wouldn’t have been any less of a lifetime highlight reel moment. And it feels that way every time I remember it. Who needs to impress anyone?
Says the guy who secretly hopes Will Shortz or Katie Ledecky or Shalane Flanagan sees this and likes it.
Frazz by Jef Mallett for Jan 7, 2018 | GoComics.com