Dread Czar,

Further to your discussion with Dr. J on opening ceremony nonsense, did you notice that when NBC showed banners from past Olympics, the two recent American games went down the memory hole?

I noticed it in the TV broadcast, but you can see it in this clip on NBC’s website. Both 1984 and 1996 are missing, along with Berlin 1936. Starting at about 2:30.

The Los Angeles games were boycotted, but so were the 1980 Moscow games, and they were shown. Atlanta had the bombing, but the 1972 Munich games had a terrorist attack, and they were included. So I don’t know why these two games were excluded. I sent an email to NBC on it — maybe I’ll hear back tomorrow, or next month, or the fifth of Never.

Best regards,
AH

Most curious. One suspects that these were edited for time, without the juvenile editor realizing the importance of 1936, 1984 and 1996. Well, maybe not 1996 so much. Aside from the bombing, which while serious was not enough to disrupt events the way 1972 did, the 1996 Olympics were a bit dry. But so were the 1992 Olympics, and yet, there they were. Let us know if you hear anything of substance—which is unlikely.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.