What... Olympics day 17 is Sunday? | Golden Skate

What... Olympics day 17 is Sunday?

Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Yeah, that's going to be my treatment, Doris. I'm betting that the skating threads will be very busy for a bit.

It's frustrating that most of the Summer sports don't have televised competitions or other programs throughout the year. The gymnastics tour is about the only post-Games event we can look forward to, and I probably won't get the opportunity to go to those. Besides, for me, gymnastics is something I prefer to watch in close-up on TV, not from the nosebleed seats in a stadium. I'll do that for skating, but not for a floor routine or a balance beam. (Now, if they added rhythmic gymnastics to the mix, maybe!)

I'll be especially sorry to say goodbye to these Olympics. Something extra was added by its being in London. It was wonderful seeing that beautiful city, one of my favorites in the world--I especially enjoyed the nighttime aerial view NBC often showed--and watching the Brits do so well was a delight.
 
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dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
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Jul 26, 2003
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Ahh. I miss the old Wide World of Sports program that they had on ABC when I was a kid. It had lots of the Olympic sports throughout the year.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Yeah. That way, the athletes got some attention (well deserved) more than just once ever four years.

One thing I'm looking forward to is that wonderful retrospective to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony that they show every Olympics as their last shot. I think they inherited the tradition from the other networks that covered the Games. First of all, that symphony is one of the pinnacles of music. (And Beethoven isn't my favorite composer. But the Ninth is probably the equivalent of Michael Phelps--everything just comes together perfectly.) It's also a symbol of the best efforts of humankind and of civilization. Beethoven was devoted to the idea of human achievement and individual rights and dignity. So this music is the perfect expression of the highest accomplishments that people call up out of themselves, alone or as part of a team.

Anyway, I always try to watch it, even if I have an early day at work the next day. Hope they do it this year!
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Well, right now they are showing WW2 History. I love London, and it was one of the few large cities I saw before life changed totally at 28. I am sure it is unrecognizable from the city I saw in 1978, when london was already a melting pot of people selling gyros and felafel sandwiches on the street. How exotic, Middle Eastern food I thought and delicious. Strangely, I met more Americans and other people from the commonwealth nations. I cannot imagine what the City of London is like now apart from all the tourist areas.

I am really happy they have had their best Olympiad in a century! 25 gold medal for GBR is a haul. I do not know if there was any athletes that did well from Ireland, Northern ireland, Wales or Scotland. I missed all the late night interviews and profiles. I am hoping a lot of interviews will turn up on youtube when I have the chance to watch them. I have watched more of this summer Olympics than any in my life and am curious as to why we have had just our small cadre of watchers in these threads. I am wondering if there are any active GSers from GBR? I suppose if we still had skaters like Torvill/Dean, Robin Cousins, John Curry or if the Kerrs were still skating (they retired yes?) we'd have some active skate fans. Oh, I forgot the hunky and very exciting 8 time brit champ, Steven Cousins. I have no idea who is BGR top skaters now and who is heading for Sochi.

The homeland crowds lifted GBR to its best showing in a century and gave us thrilling moments. It was fun watching the sport Duke and Duchess of cambridge jump up and down. When I went there there were still cracks in the road and buildings near the Brittish Museum. When i am reminded constantly that the sun has indeed set on the empire, and it seems we are in same boat, I am reminded how this "great" country once ruled the world and that they were magnificent in WW2. The Royal family refused to leave the city, preferring to survive or perish together. The Queen's finest days were then. When I see those stories, my heart softens toward this 'family,' as she is the only one old enough to remember the war and all they endured to survive. From them we have our government, our language, some of our customs. Since I have not travelled widely like some forum members, this city and this Olympiad were meaningful to me. Someone said ? "If you are bored with London, you are bored with life." Can someone identify that quote for me?

How can it be that the industrial revolution was transforming us into the worlrd's richest superpower 60 years ago and our empire has set as Asia rises? The speed of change is making many people very disoriented. Has the sun set on us too?
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I really enjoyed that TV special on Britain in the War also. I also love London. I haven't been there in years, but plainly the old London coexists with the new.

I wouldn't be so sad about the end of the British Empire. The empire ended because of something progressive and rather noble: a largely peaceful divestment of colonies so that they could themselves become sovereign nations. If you look at the difference between the birth of independent Ghana and Jamaica and the start that Angola and Mozambique got after Portugal let them go, for example, you see that Britain didn't so much lose its empire as transcend it. Look how many of those countries are part of the British Commonwealth and acknowledge the Queen as their sovereign, and no army is forcing them to do that. Britain has a vibrant culture, a better health insurance program than we do, and North Sea oil, thank you very much. I think they have a good future, though of course nothing is certain in this world. While they don't excel in every area of human achievement (cuisine comes to mind, and their classical music pretty much begins and ends with Ralph Vaughan Williams), they can't be beat in drama, novels, poetry, and children's literature. In such fields they will always speak for many in the world, not just themselves.

I think the man who said "A person who is tired of London is tired of life" was Samuel Johnson. It's a favorite quote of mine. It says a lot about London (a city I'll never get tired of, even from a distance!), and it says a lot about Johnson, too.
 
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skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Thanks for quote source and word correction. Would that I were a blue butterfly that could cross the pond and perch wherever for eternity. London is so amazing.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
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Jul 26, 2003
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I can't wait to see how the Torch comes apart so that they can send the individual parts back with the 204 countries.
 

snowflake

I enjoy what I like
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
I can't wait to see how the Torch comes apart so that they can send the individual parts back with the 204 countries.

Yep, and if they have moved the torch down to the center again. And what will happen there? Closing ceremony starts in half an hour :party:
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Thanks for quote source and word correction. Would that I were a blue butterfly that could cross the pond and perch wherever for eternity. London is so amazing.

Yeah, if I could visit any other city in the world right now, I'd probably pick London. Though it would be nice to see Paris. They say it's really nice in August, when half the population takes the month off and leaves for the countryside. And of course there's Vienna....Which city has the best chocolate, Skateluvr? That's how we'll choose. Get your butterfly wings dusted off.

Doris, it's going to be such fun watching how they close out this Olympics. Maybe they don't disassemble the Torch until afterward, and they send messengers to each delegation with a little package containing their share? I hope they talk about it tonight so we know. It will be really tough to say goodbye to this Olympics. It is very close to my heart for some reason.
 
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