#bring back mark hanretty

[junhwabauer]

we'll have to agree to disagree on this and that's fine! i see what you mean and yes definitely, he's definitely better than many other commentators who are mean/gossipy (and of course the commentators that talk through only certain skaters programs... :/) i think his commentary just lacks more substance and knowledge that you should expect from a specialist commentator. i just saw a post about him saying that his style of commentary which is very positive is best suited for juniors and i completely agree with that

though i haven't loved some of his more recent commentary work, i think mark hanretty has done a great job at bringing in knowledge about skaters' previous competitions and career and making real-time calls on program elements while not talking too much or making it inaccessible to a less informed audience. and of course belinda also did an incredible job at this if they would ever bring her back....

you know. i appreciate that ted isn't mean in his commentating. let's not forget how straight up cruel some commentators we were stuck with in the past were....but man he really does say nothing. net zero commentary. he's bringing nothing to the table

[figureskatingandrainbows]

WTT Day 2

The men are back to their regularly scheduled chaos. That was a hot mess. 

Shoma can’t do a quad toe anymore, but he is skating on new boots, so he is forgiven. He nearly got the 3A-4T, so hopefully that will happen next year. Also, a single flip on your 3A-eu combination? Shoma! FIGHT FOR THE TRIPLES!

Kevin Aymoz did well, happy for him. His free skate was very nice, and his slides are to die for. 

Evgeni Semenenko did well too, although Simon (the ISU commentator) has labeled him the next big star and future world champion, because  Yuma Kagiyama, Shun Sato,  Andrei Mozalev, Petr Gumennik, and Maxim Naumov don’t exist anymore. Evgeni’s good, but he’s missing that wow factor for me. He is the only consistent Russian man now, though.

Mikhail fell apart in the second half, but not horribly so. He popped two jumps and stumbled on some landings and Misha why can’t you be consistent? He put up a really high score though and his program was as lovely as always.

Jason... landed his quad salchow! It was only underrotated! And let’s move on. 

Daniel Grassl did well. He landed all of his jumps. His quad flip and loop were  underrotated but otherwise was clean! Simon was looking at the 4Lo and thought it looked clean, but it received a <, so...

Adam Siao Him Fa had a nice redemption skate. Our chaos Canadian boys both fell to pieces, so good luck deciding who goes to Nebelhorn, Skate Canada.

Yuzuru did way better than at Worlds, but he popped his quad sal and I facepalmed so hard. If he hadn’t popped it, he would have won. His triple axels were lovely, and his small mistakes on his jumps cleverly disguised as choreography. His program is improving and I think he’s going to be a real favorite for the Olympics next year no matter what.

Nathan was a hot mess by Nathan Chen standards, which means he did really well by normal standards. He joined Shoma in the single-flip-off-an-euler club, and wasn’t in top condition with a couple of small mistakes. He won the free by ten points, which is a small margin for him. Anyway, a clean Yuzuru versus a clean Nathan like in the short next year is going to be insane. And if they have their showdown at the Olympics... it’s going to be so good!

Shoutout to Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who are becoming a top-ten pairs team! Can’t wait to see you at the Olympics!

In conclusion for the men: chaos reigned, no one was clean, Simon was overly excited about Evgeni, Shoma is still chaos baby, bring back Mark Hanretty, the ice needs saged, oh boy the ladies’ free is tomorrow, bring back Mark Hanretty, and the Olympics (and nationals) are going to be incredible next year.

Also, ISU, bring back Mark Hanretty please. Chris Howarth and Simon Reed make some very aggravating and sometimes incorrect claims about placements, jumps, pronunciations, and planned program content. Everyone adored Mark Hanretty. He actually did his research and understands skating. 

[anxiousamoeba]

Honestly the only good thing that happened this weekend was watching the end of WTT with my mom and listening to her complain that she missed “David Tennant” aka Mark Hanretty, whose name mom refuses to learn but whom she has decided sounds like David Tennant.

[macaroni-rascal]

i’m serious besp uncle isn’t even watching the skating. he called messy jumps from the italians wonderful and didn’t even see that galiamov doubled his sal. get him off the air and bring back mark hanretty

[moon-soo-ah]

Yuzuru Hanyu amazes again in Helsinki win

Just when you didn’t think he could go one better, he did.

Two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu stunned the skating world again with his artistry and technical prowess on the way to a commanding victory at the Helsinki Grand Prix last weekend.

Hanyu set three world records in the process for highest short program (106.89), free skate (190.43) and total score (297.12) under the new +5/-5 GOE system. But it wasn’t the numbers that resonated, it was the manner and passion with which he achieved them that did.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Sendai native also threw in another historic first — a quad toe loop/triple axel combination. Never before landed in competition in the history of skating.

Lost in the glare of the records and the quad toe/triple axel was one more first. One that is almost hard to believe. The triumph marked the first time in Hanyu’s nine years on the senior GP circuit that he has won his opening event.

“Actually I was fighting my condition, as it was not so good before I came here and after I came here,” Hanyu was quoted as saying by the ISU website. “But I beat myself. Although the quad loop and quad toe were not perfect, I am pleased I was able to stay on my feet.”

Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic came in second (257.98), nearly 40 points behind Hanyu.

Just as in the Sochi and Pyeongchang Olympics, the stage for the win was set by Hanyu’s sublime short program. Skating to “Otonal,” he began with a beautiful quad salchow, followed that with a nice triple axel, then hung on to the back end of his quad toe loop/triple toe loop combination jump.

He only received a level three on his step sequence, but it hardly mattered. The plaudits poured in from the experts afterward.

“Even by his standards, it was phenomenal,” stated Eurosport’s Simon Reed.

“One of his best ever. It is just utterly amazing,” commented Reed’s partner Mark Hanretty. “He’s still come back and is not just sustaining his excellence, but improving his excellence.”

Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir, both Olympians themselves, were wowed by Hanyu’s majestic performance.

“In this short program he was absolutely mesmerizing,” Weir said on the NBC telecast.

“He is just one of those skaters I feel honored to watch,” Lipinski remarked.

Lipinski and Weir were just getting warmed up for the main event — Hanyu’s free skate to “Origin.”

Though the superstar’s opening quad loop and a quad toe loop were deemed under-rotated by the judges, Lipinski and Weir were floored by what they saw.

“There were so many beautiful delicate moments in that program. There was a strength to the choreography,” Weir stated. “You could see that he believed in it so 100 percent.”

As Weir analyzed a replay of Hanyu’s free skate, he saw in it a lesson.

“First time ever, quad toe/triple axel sequence. Just brilliant,” Weir remarked. “The fact that he is back again, not letting his level dip below what it was at the Olympic Games, it’s so inspiring. All the young skaters out there should be looking at this and know that there is no end unless you decide it is the end.”

Weir credits Hanyu’s success in part to his ability to block out distractions.

“He completely disconnects himself from what is going on around him and only focuses on the skating,” Weir noted.

Lipinski, the 1998 Olympic champion, was impressed by Hanyu’s presence while performing.

“Watching him at center ice, where I think he is most natural, most comfortable, the joy that he brings to his fans,” Lipinski said. “The aura and the presence that he brings to ice, it’s unlike anyone else. I think he has had it for a long time. This is just who he is.”

Lipinski admitted that Hanyu is one in a million.

“It’s just rare to see this type of perfection in skating. Today wasn’t absolutely perfect,” Lipinski said. “But we talk about what he embodies. He is the entire package. He has the artistry, he has the technical ability, he has the performance ability, and he is able to withstand pressure.”

Four-time world champion Kurt Browning and top analyst Carol Lane echoed the sentiments of their American counterparts on the CBC broadcast of the Helsinki GP.

“This guy is creating new expectations of the sport and longevity that I don’t understand,” Browning commented. “How can he do those quads for such a long period of time?”

“Maybe not just the best there is, but maybe the best there ever will be,” Lane stated. “He’s that good.”

source

[anewbeginningagain]

What has been specified is that weaver, Osmond etc will be doing the commentary for the streamed versions that will be on the CBC website. Ted will be host. There is extremely limited television coverage of this event on CBC (almost entirely tape delayed in the middle of the night, thanks to hockey). It is not clear whether the television broadcast will use their normal players of lane and browning. Seems probably not since the coverage will be so small and no one will ever see it given the time slot. I will not be surprised if the stream team is the same as the television team. But maybe they will actually have separate teams. We don’t know yet. It is also not clear yet whether the ppl doing the CBC stream will be what gets used on the international feed. Hanretty said he wouldn’t be doing SC, but doesn’t mean the isu won’t have someone else for the int feed. We’ll find out I guess. Personally I’m not too up in arms about weaver, Osmond or any of the other inexperienced people bc they will take teds route of only talking after the performance and it’s super easy to tune them out if it’s bad. I never get the bitching about Ted. Just hit mute after the program if you find him that bad? It would be different if he talked through the programs.

It's so unfortunate that this is the coverage CBC gives skating, and in an Olympic season no less. I know Canada barely has any horses in the race but it's a nation that loves skating... They deserve better.

I think the thing at least for me about bringing in inexperienced commentators is that they have to have a highly experienced one bouncing back with them for it to work, and I don't think Ted is the right fit for that job. They should have probably also tested the commentators to see if they are any good... Honestly, they should have left the commentary to the commentators and gave the past skaters interview segments or at the very least have teams of like two experienced commentators + one new skater. We'll see how it goes but ACI was not a good sign.

I don't mind talking during the performance as long as it's very brief and on point. Tanith and Mark manage to do it well.

As for the bitching about Ted, his style is good for covering junior-level skating but for seniors, I think it should be much more informative and much more critical (constructive but still critical) which is something he completely neglects. I don't want the cookie-cutter version of senior commentary, it's redundant to me. And of course, his high praise (to the point it's borderline out of line) for Russian skating and especially Eteri and Co, is beyond frustrating, I don't think he even said a shred of criticism about what's going on in that skating camp, it's all about them being amazing (even when they are not). The online bitching is of course done in a rude and excessive way, but at its core it's valid.

[warninggraphiccontent]

21 February 2020

Lucky for some

Well, that was the reshuffle that was. We've summarised the whole thing in 13 charts over on the Institute for Government live blog.

Exact ministerial portfolios are still being parcelled up in most cases. Over at Cabinet Office, it may be that paymaster general Penny Mordaunt ends up with the implementation brief that covers various things digital and data, and it's unclear whether newly promoted-within-the-department Chloe Smith will keep responsibility for statistics, transparency and knowledge management. Michael Gove has taken the minister for the Cabinet Office role in place of the departing Oliver Dowden...

...who will hopefully take his enthusiasm for and expertise in digital government and data to DCMS. DCMS has helpfully published a list of its ministers' responsibilities. Caroline Dinenage gets online harms and digital tech/policy, while returning John Whittingdale gets data and the National Archives (and media - that'll be a quiet brief what with all the BBC briefing). Whittingdale was previously secretary of state at the department (before 'Digital' was added to the name), and before that, chair of the select committee scrutinising the department. This is what he told the IfG about that experience:

It was a great help because I’d done the job for 10 years, and the way select committees work is that you focus on one area and then you move to another area, so during that time I’d done inquiries into gambling, into licensing, into tourism, into heritage, into museums, arts funding, masses on press regulation, creative industries. I mean there was barely an area of the department which we hadn’t had an inquiry into... so I felt very, very familiar with almost every policy area. The only area which I didn’t know as well was the bits which were coming into the department... Because they had not previously been under the department, the select committee hadn’t looked at them, so I didn’t know those areas as well.

Helpfully, data and open government have come into the department since Whittingdale was last there, so hopefully he can get up to speed quickly. (John, if you'd like to subscribe to a newsletter that could help with that...)

Some other links:

I'm back on the IfG podcast this week - 'by popular demand', no less - talking reshuffles. But take the quiz here first - bonus quiz here.

Since it's a Six Nations weekend, here's my #dataviz from last year, when Wales were doing better than they are this time round.

And given all the recent discussions about special advisers, here's a review I did of a rather good book on that exact subject a few years ago. Still very much relevant...

Have a great weekend

Gavin

Today's links:

Graphic content

UK

Government reshuffle February 2020: live blog (IfG)

More than 100 people have sat at the cabinet table during a decade of Tory rule* (The Times)

Has it really been a year? (me for IfG)

Picking winners and losers under new UK points-based immigration system* (FT)

Visa fees (IfG)

The Macroeconomic Policy Outlook Q1 2020 (Resolution Foundation)

Social capital in the UK: 2020 (ONS, via Graham)

Revealed: the areas in the UK with one Airbnb for every four homes (The Guardian)

US

Donald Trump is appointing federal judges at a blistering pace* (The Economist)

Bloomberg’s immense spending gets him 30,000 online ads a minute, and a whole lot more* (Washington Post)

Mike Bloomberg Is Way Richer Than People Realize (Mother Jones)

What the Democratic Candidates Discussed During the Debates: Annotated Transcripts* (Bloomberg)

We Checked the Iowa Caucus Math. Here’s Where It Didn’t Add Up.* (New York Times)

Coronavirus

Speed Science: The risks of swiftly spreading coronavirus research (Reuters)

Under China’s lockdown, millions have nowhere to go (Reuters)

24 hours of China region airplane movements on a normal Friday in November 2019 (UTC time) vs last Friday the 14th Feb, 2020 (via @trumpery45)

How epidemics like COVID-19 end (and how to end them faster)* (Washington Post)

Diseases like covid-19 are deadlier in non-democracies* (The Economist)

Climate and environment

Climate Change Rises as a Public Priority. But It’s More Partisan Than Ever.* (New York Times)

How to reduce your food’s carbon footprint, in 2 charts (Vox)

Revealed: The pesticide giants making billions on toxic and bee-harming chemicals (Unearthed)

Last chance for the climate transition* (FT)

Locust Swarms Ravaging East Africa Are the Size of Cities* (Bloomberg)

Everything else

The 2020 Sigma Awards: Winners

Do Authors Write Where They Know? (The Pudding)

When a change in series X is a telltale sign of event Y (John Burn-Murdoch)

Wealth inequality is not just limited to North versus South (Koen Van den Eeckhout)

A Future for the World’s Children? A WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission (The Lancet, via Ketaki)

Japanese newspaper uses Augmented Reality to show animated charts (via Khai)

Meta data

Europe

Shaping Europe's digital future: the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the European data strategy (European Commission)

EU softens plans for facial recognition regulation, sparks privacy backlash (New Statesman)

EU launches a bold new European Strategy for Data (techUK)

Exclusive: Google users in UK to lose EU data protection - sources (Reuters)

What does it actually mean? (Mark Scott)

Employment

The Datafication of Employment (The Century Foundation)

Automation likely to shrink civil service workforce, says Sedwill (Civil Service World)

Three-quarters of civil servants don’t trust government to involve staff in automation drive (Civil Service World)

British jobs for British robots (Politico)

Meet ARNOLD - the first robot in government communications  (Civil Service Quarterly)

AI

Powerful antibiotic discovered using machine learning for first time (The Guardian)

ICO consultation on the draft AI auditing framework guidance for organisations (ICO)

The government’s approach to algorithmic decision-making is broken: here’s how to fix it (New Statesman)

Data

Our personal health history is too valuable to be harvested by the tech giants (The Observer)

Met removes hundreds from gangs matrix after breaking data laws (The Guardian)

Football Racism: No One Knows Conviction Rates – Despite Calls To Stamp It Out (Huffington Post)

A deluge of data is giving rise to a new economy* (The Economist)

A group of ex-NSA and Amazon engineers are building a ‘GitHub for data’ (TechCrunch, via David)

Data protection and trust at Co-op (ODI)

NHS data: Maximising its impact on the health and wealth of the United Kingdom (Institute of Global Health Innovation)

Critique (Peter Wells)

Online harms

Online Harms Deconstructed - the Initial Consultation Response (Cyberleagle)

Online harms: we welcome the government’s commitment to freedom of expression, but more action is needed on bad information (Full Fact)

Innovation

The DARPA Model for Transformative Technologies: Perspectives on the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (William Boone Bonvillian, Richard Van Atta and Patrick Windham (eds))

Is the UK Getting Innovation Right? (Nesta)

Everything else

Boring magic (Steve Messer)

A Farewell – looking back to the future through the camera lens (Part 1) (Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s Office)

Now Internet Society told to halt controversial .org sale… by its own advisory council: 'You misread the community mindset around dot-org' (The Register)

Met Office forecasters set for 'billion pound' supercomputer (BBC News)

Facebook must not be allowed to dictate how it gets regulated (Damian Collins for Wired)

Digital tools can be a useful bolster to democracy* (FT)

Superforecasting (Ed Conway)

Examining the Effectiveness of Current Information Laws and Implementation Practices for Accountability of Outsourced Public Services (Parliamentary Affairs)

Opportunities

JOB: Head of the Office for Budget Responsibility (HMT)

Deadline for applications to head OBR extended by Treasury (Civil Service World)

JOB: Evidence Assistant (Centre for Ageing Better, via Emily)

JOB: Senior Web Engineer - Data Visualization (Bloomberg)

EVENT: The death of anonymity in the age of identity (National Archives)

CONSULTATION: Improving patient safety by bringing private healthcare and NHS information together into NHS systems (NHS Digital)

conveRt to R: the short course (Chris Hanretty)

And finally...

It takes such a long time to get an FOI back from a govt dept these days but boy are they worth the wait (Ellen Coyne, via Sukh)

Neal.fun (via Benoit)

The Times (UK) has an entire leader premised on a statistic that nearly 1/2 of all flights taken by men 20-45 are for stag parties... (Stanley Pignal)

1 year of purchases by 1.6M Tesco customers in London, aggregated in 5k areas, with monthly snapshots (Luca Maria Aiello, via Ketaki)

Political stature* (The Economist)