Guerdon Up My Loins

Amanda and I spent our Friday evening watching ABC's broadcast of the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship Finals.
Sameer Mishra, who is not suspected of having used performance-enhancing drugs, took home the trophy by successfully spelling the word "Guerdon" in the 16th and final round. Gotta love Mishra's sense of humor:

Joseph White of the AP wrote that Mishra, who won $40,000 in cash and prizes, was a crowd favorite all the way through the competition: When told one of his words in the semifinals was a dessert, he deadpanned: "That sounds good right now." He rolled his eyes and muttered "wonderful" when told that one of his words had five different language roots. He once asked, "Are you sure there are no alternate pronunciations?"

And now, in an effort to make myself feel better about the fact that I spent my Friday night watching a televised spelling contest, I will enjoy a laugh at this kid's expense: