RITAs and Idols and Spaceage Swimsuits

Three disparate subjects it would seem, but they do share a common link. Competition. I'm not sure how or why competition fits into pursuits such as writing and singing. I know there's no definitive: this book is better than that book, or this singer is better than that. It all depends on who is reading or listening and in the case of competition, who is judging.

My mixed feelings don't stop me hanging out for the announcement of RITA finalists each year. These are the books which gained the highest scores from the fellow RWA members who read them in first-round judging. That's five readers, five opinions, five scores. But because it's a peer-judged contest, we authors do love RITA.

I entered books from 2002-2006, got some truly horrendous scores and then in 2006 I was the world's luckiest writer and a triple finalist. I decided it could never get any better and so I haven't entered since. Yet yesterday, when the calls to finalists went out, I had the jitters something fierce. Probably on behalf of all my mates who'd entered. Congratulations to all the finalists, with a special Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi-oi-oi shout-out to Kelly Hunter, Anne Gracie and Anna Campbell, and to Golden Heart finalists Tracey O'Hara and Helene Young.

Have you checked the finalists? Any books you read there that you read and loved last year?

This week I've been glued to the nightly coverage of the Australian swim championships, also our Olympic trials. We have top swimmers, no question, but they've been swimming Very Fast Indeed this week in their high-tech swimsuits. Apparently they were partially designed by NASA. Apparently they cost $600 each. Apparently in the past 39 days, 13 world records have been broken, 12 by swimmers wearing them. My husband says they should be banned. I say they should be made available to all swimmers, not just the countries that can afford them, so in Beijing everyone is on the same playing field...or pool.

Between RITA and the swimming, I almost forgot about Idol last night. I missed Ramiele but caught the rest. Loved Michael's Queen tribute but then loved David Cook's interpretation of Billie Jean even more. He's not my favourite personality but props to him for crafting the old classics into contemporary versions.

I'm worried that Carly might go. Really did not like her last night, horrid song at the best of times and she looked soooo tense that I couldn't watch her. Worryworryworried about her surviving. Do I look as tense as she did?

Labels: Australian life, Idol, RITAs, sport