Why Are You So Absent?

Some reasons for my two week hiatus:

Flu - Feeling Lousy Unrelentingly. Whatever I have, H1N1 or H5N1 or HEINY or Dopey or Grumpy, this is one mean bug that settles in the bronchi and just sits in there and tickles you to death.

OLYMPICS - We've already been through this one. The last week was very exciting especially for us Canadians so it was difficult not to get stuck all day in front of the tube.There isn't a lot more to say but I have a comment or two.

• Where do Speed skaters go for their street clothes?Those glutes and vasti extremi won't slide into your ordinary Levi 501's without some lubrication or outsizing.
• These could have been called the "Beautiful Olympics." if you're extremely shallow. There were seriously high numbers of very attractive people participating, with the possible exception of Kevin Martin. Some of those bobsledders (the guys) were as homely as pickle barrels too but all in all Beauties outscored Beasts.
  
• We should have had another week of competition so that "Win the Podium" could have succeeded completely. New competitions might include "Archathalon," a combination of archery and cross-country skiing. "Remote juggling" could be judged on YouTube with varying degrees of difficulty as the number and volatility of the remotes increases. Snow-finding would be a useful competition and probably very lucrative.
• WTG Canada!!!!!!!!!!!!

Solution for Mini-cryptic Puzzle #4

Across:
1. ogees (SEE, GO reversal)
5. Etna (NEAT anagram)
6. test (two meanings)
7. dairy (RAID anagram+Y)

Down:
2. Grantor (GRANT+OR)
3. emboss (EM+BOSS)
4. strata (A START anagram)

Movie: STARGATE