Splish-splash, it wasn't a date: Emily Hanson is a 20-year-old Normal Community High grad and highly talented swimmer at University of Michigan who recently accepted an invitation from a college pal to attend a Detroit Pistons' basketball game. So they went. | Read more Flick | Complete Olympics coverage

Originally to be a group of four, two had to cancel so it ended up just the two them at the game.

They hung out, sitting in the stands.

That's when a TV camera happened to catch a shot of her guy pal up in the stands and, as the camera panned (later to be shown on ESPN), the entire world then noticed Emily, too, sitting next to him.

Emily's pal at the pro basketball game?

That would be a fellow Ann Arbor swimmer who trains with her as well and more recently, also made a splash for himself at the Olympics.

Yup, Michael Phelps.

They are Ann Arbor chums.

Chuckles Emily's uncle, John Hanson, who is also a Bloomington alderman: "If you think about it, they're a lot alike - they both live in a pool and love to swim, they both train at the University of Michigan, Emily has about $25 worth of gold and Michael has about $3½ million of it."

Bad spelling gold: Speaking of the Olympics, that language gap can cause so many problems at an event where dozens and dozens of different languages converge at one site.

As an example, there is the Associated Press photo of a placard being waved at the Games last week. (See photo, above right)

That one word is either slightly misspelled or it explains why traffic around Tazewell County might have seemed a little heavier lately.

OK, it's official … School is back in session, college is back on track and the word set - "panty raid" - has reared itself again.

Yup, according to police reports, a sorority girl in a house along Franklin Avenue had six sets of Victoria's Secret undergarments stolen from there the other night.

So be on the lookout!

The difference between panty raids of yesteryear as opposed to today: Panties used to cost, say $5 for a package of 12. But have six sets of Victoria's Secret undergarments stolen today?

It's listed as "$500, plus" and felony theft.

That's just about what tuition used to cost.

More local folk doing good: Those United Airline commercials that have been airing during the Olympics?

There's a B-N tie there, too.

The music in all five commercials was performed with members of the L.A. Philharmonic as well as superstar pianist Lang Lang and jazz icon Herbie Hancock, and were conducted by Paul Rudolph, a 1984 Normal Community grad and son of Sally and Lee Rudolph of Bloomington.

Video of Paul Rudolph conducting them can be seen at www.youtube.com by typing in the search box "Paul Rudolph conducts Herbie Hancock."

Today's deep thought: As mulled by Bill Tackett, of Morton, on the pair of U.S. senators running for the presidency:

"Where else could you collect full salary, not show up for your job for an entire year while seeking another job with the same employer? Taxpayers are such a generous lot!"

Some polling place: November is coming in a rush and the battle lines, war zones and turret trenches are forming when it comes the presidential race.

And we're just talking in one house, in some cases.

Along Boardwalk in the Park Place subdivision in north Bloomington, as an example, is a driveway with an Obama yard sign on one side of the driveway and a McCain sign on the other.

Obama's, by the way, is on the left and McCain's on the right.

At least they are at peace with that.

Contact Bill Flick at flick@pantagraph.com. More Flick at www.pantagraph.com/flick.