Archive Page 4


Mayor Johnson – the super flamboyant Londoner’s darling – had the crowd rolling in the isles @ the post Olympic party in Beijing

Virtually every single one of our international sports were either invented
or codified by the British and I say this respectfully to our Chinese hosts who have excelled so magnificently at ping pong

Ping pong was invented on the dining tables of England in the 19th century and it was called wiff waff.

There I think you have the essential difference between us and the rest of world.

Other nations, the French, looked at a dining table and saw an opportunity to have dinner, we looked at a dining table and saw an opportunity to play wiff waff. That is why London is the sporting capital of the world.

And I say to the Chinese and I say to the world, ping  pong is coming home.

An extract from Larissa Ham’s article [25th August]

[incase you haven't heard London is hosting the next Olympics - 2012]

LINK – Watch Johnson’s Ping Pong Speech – [youtube]

LINK – Boris Johnson’s Biography – a clever toff  & cycles to work @ city hall

Black & White photo by Mark Pritchard

Image courtesy - Matt From London
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●Info on the original painting by Ingres


LINK
– Gorgeous BIG blow up

Title: Napoleon 1st on his Imperial Throne – 1806

Artist: Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres – French

Born: August 1790
Died: January 1867 Paris

The french hated it!
More info on the painting
Watch Me Paint

“…may be said to have been a lonely phenomenon in the art of the nineteenth century” NewAdvent

I’m sure he must have used the camera obscure? with a lens to get such stunning detail


LINK
– The Louvre – France’s National gallery/museum?

Napoleon on his throne doesn’t seem to be there – have run out of time – anyone know where it is & how large it is?
I wonder if it’s in the British National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar sq with Nelson on his colomn!

LINK – The National Portrait Gallery’ 2 photos of Ingres



Cartoon by Morten Morland – curtecy Times on line

An architect told me that the birds nest stadium is a technical marvel but utterly not green – the power it requires to run would power the whole of Cape Town!
Naaaa it can’t be

The architects are a couple of Swiss chaps – Herzog & De Meuron



This is one exhausted kitten

Photo: Courtesy Teckline – A v good blog for teaching those of us on WordPress who might be a tad challenged at this thing called blogging!


photo: thanks whom ever you are


photo: thanks to you too whom ever you are


Newly born Chinese panda – can not find web site link – sorry [will update when i do]

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It takes courage to become happy — courage to remain true to one’s convictions, courage not to be defeated by one’s weaknesses and negativity, courage to take swift action to help those who are suffering.

Daily Quote by Buddhist Philosopher Daisaku Ikeda

Photo by Christian Frölich – “Sand Landscapes” [Flickr]

LINK – Daily Quotes

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[U can click image 2C larger]
ZapiroMore @ Mail & Guardian Online [www.mg.co.za]

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LINKFor more Zapiro posts



Surfer: Greg Long – Photo by Craig Koleskcurtesy RedBull Photofiles
Wave hight – 18-21m [65-70 feet]
Dungeons Reef, Hout Bay South Africa – august 08 [click image 2C larger]


“Ooooh bleeeeeeeeep!”………….Photo: Chris Burtish – curtesy RedBull Photofiles
Wave hight – 18-21m [65-70 feet]
Dungeons Reef, Hout Bay South Africa – august 08 [click image 2C larger]

Science of waves
Ocean surface waves are mechanical waves that propagate along the interface between water and air; the restoring force is provided by gravity, and so they are often referred to as surface gravity waves. As the wind blows, pressure and friction forces perturb the equilibrium of the ocean surface. These forces transfer energy from the air to the water, forming waves. In the case of monochromatic linear plane waves in deep water, particles near the surface move in circular paths, making ocean surface waves a combination of longitudinal (back and forth) and transverse (up and down) wave motions. When waves propagate in shallow water, (where the depth is less than half the wavelength) the particle trajectories are compressed into ellipses……

[Courtesy - Wikikpedia - Read on >>> LINK ]

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URLs of really really big wave photos – some are giants…>>>
Continue reading ‘●Surf’s up dude! Calling all surfers and lovers of big waves – feast yr eyes on this one – it’s a big one – it’s bleeping terrifying!’


Official medal rankings “only reflect world power, derived from economic might” so says Bill Mitchell, Professor of economics – give the man a platinum medal!

Abso bloody lutely! Its so obvious now that I heard about it last week – on BBC World radio – I love those people in London they are switched on and ask the right questions – most of the time

Thank goodness for our Proff. who must have made a mammoth effort to crunch the numbers, pass it through the formulas, to construct a live, fairer medal chart, for all to see – And bless the BBC and Google for finding him! [I have no shares nor relatives or friends who work in either company by the way nor am I looking to work for them!]

Image source: Bruce in Beijing [Flickr]

So, guess who are the top 3 Countries on Prof. Mitchell’s medal chart?

The official medal ranking 13th August was: China 1st – US 2nd – South Korea 3rd

When actually the medal rankings based on GDP and population numbers of each country is radically different [see Mitchell's ranking chart]

China37th – with a population of 1,321,851,888 (July 2007)
one billion three hundred and twenty one million etc

United States27th – population: 301,139,947 (July 2007)
Three hundred and one million, etc

South Korea7th – Population: 49,044,790 (July 2007)
Forty-nine million etc

Well done South Korea!

If this ranking system was implemented would the so called “super” powers pull out of the olympics?

Why hasn’t this ranking been used?
Might it be that the Top brass of the olympic committee is also made up of the G8 countries? And if not the super powers are bound to hold the equivalent of the veto!

I have done no research what so ever in finding out the olympic power demographics!
I’m sure it’s been done

LINKBill Mitchell’s Alternative Olympic Games Medal Tally – 2008
By GDP – By Population – By GDP Per Capita – By Team Size – By Gender

LINKThe REAL Olympic medal count – Mitchell’s [NOT Eco. Power/pop. based]

LINK – Olympic medal count [World Eco Power/pop. based]

LINK – Widget olympic medal counter – A/mac [World Eco Power/pop. based]

LINK – Widgets – Google search result for ‘Widget medal counter’ – Take your pick! ______ [Grrrrrrrr I've tried & failed - I'm seriously IT challenged!] Good luck :-)

LINK – Olympic official website

LINK – Olympic event schedule – [Blue=Game. Orange=Final]

LINK – BBC Sport Olympics


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LINKS – To my other posts on the Olympics

●Hitler’s propaganda olympics 1936: Show the world aryans are the super race – thank goodness for black, Jesse Owens – LINK
●China olympics: Zapiro – spells it out – LINK
China olympics: finally after mammoth search to find who directed yesterdays spectacular show – it’s film director Yimou Zhang – he’s THE manLINK
●China: Olympics kick off show – was amazing! – LINK
Beijing China: Finally Olympics begin today @ midday [GMT] – & at last that bleeping torch gets switched offLINK
●China: most blocked internet sites are unbanned during olympics – LINK
●What has the olympic torch, Hitler & the five rings got in common? LINK

I’m seriously cynical about the Olympics
The girl and boy athletes are just brilliant at what they do
but the pain and the ambition to get there is scary!

Is it health to be that driven?
And why are the tennis pros Williams and Federa there?
I thought the olympics was for amateurs?
It’s a sham.

National pride? What’s that all about?
Nationalism – creates an us and them – that’s healthy for world peace and harmony!

I’m really not interested in sport so I don’t know why i’m even thinking about these things!

Might it be that I’m seeing parallels to the 1936 Olympics – fascism, nationalism, recession, inflation, depression of the world economies, food prices, oil prices, war etc etc corruption etc etc violence, genoside etc ect

Mitchell’s Definition: GDP – Gross Domestic Product ●Read on>>
Continue reading ‘●Olympics: What is the REAL medal tally? The one linked to each country’s GDP and population – that’s what!’


Jesse Owens, won 4 gold medals – unequalled for 48 years – At home, segregation ruled. He was awarded the presidential medal of freedom by President Ford, 5th August 1976 – 40 year after his magnificent feat.


Jesse Owens’ Medal ceremony, Berlin 1936 Olympics, Tajima, Owens & Lutz.

Before the Olympics began, Nazis began sweeping gypsies and other non-desirables off the streets of Berlin and placing them in concentration camps….

[@ the olympics]
Aug. 3, Owens took gold in the 100-meter sprint. On Aug. 4, upon advice from German athlete Luz Long, Owens took gold in the long jump. On Aug. 5, Owens took gold in the 200-meter sprint. Owens was added to the 4×100 relay team and won his fourth gold medal on Aug. 9. No athlete would equal his performance until Carl Lewis won four gold medals in the 1984 summer games…..
[author: Michael E. Palmer - michael.palmer [at]tuscaloosanews.com]
source:Tuscaloosanews Read on>>

Germany won only five combined gold medals in men’s and women’s track and field, but saved face for the “master race” in the overall medal count with an 89-56 margin over the United States.
source: Information Please

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What has the olympic torch, Hitler & the five rings got in common?
[posted 19th April]
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● Other excellent sites with info on Jesse Owens & the 1936 Olympics:

JAMES CLEVELAND OWENS (b. Sept. 12, 1913)
www.medaloffreedom.com/ JesseOwens_1936Olympic

German Myth 10 :The 1936 Berlin Olympics – Hitler and Jesse Owens
http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth10.htm

1936 Olympics Berlin :
http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0114524.html

Google search results for photos
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=opera&rls=en&hs=Z2m&q=Owens+olympian+1936+%2B+photo&btnG=Search



ZapiroCourtesy Mail & Guardian Online [www.mg.co.za]
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” T h e G r e a t F i r e w a l l of C h i n a ! “

humanrights.org
- page can not be displayed

tibet.com
- page can not be displayed

amnistyinternational.org
- page can not be displayed

china@darfu
- page can not be displayed

ZapiroCourtesy Mail & Guardian Online [www.mg.co.za]

Will China go back to blocking these sites/pages after the games are over?
Of course they’ll block them! Bets are on – I’ll give up spring rolls if they don’t.

ZAPIRO: Zuma proves he is a complete twat!
by The David Robert Lewis Blog

Yahoo is in cahoots with the Chinese authorities – supplying info
BOYCOTT YAHOO NOW!

And what about the weapons China suppies to Zimbawe & other countries in Africa?

This also goes for the US & UK [& others] who do the same – train the “freedom fighters” which later on backfires & they then call & classify them as “terrorists” eg. The US & Afghanistan – when the Russians where at war with them

LINK- the genocide list
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LINKFor more Zapiro posts


Zhang directed the film – House of Flying Daggers

If you haven’t seen it - it’s visually stunning – loads of slow mow & graphic gems

I wanted to find a list of the creative team of the opening show
- I’ve run out of steam – they are stupendously underwhelmingly visible!

LINK – Olympic official website

LINK – Olympic event schedule
[Blue=Game. Orange=Final]

LINK – Olympic medal count [not GDP linked]

LINK – Widget olympic medal counter

Photo courtesy: imdb.com & WireImage.com

Olympic medal ranking : http://www.olympicmedalranking.com/



All Photos: Telegraph online Reuters/Afp/Getty/
Very bad form not to show the names of these brilliant photographers!


Photo:Getty – BBC Online


LINK:: more brilliant pics @ telegraph on line
LINK: Getty Images – sport [very slow to upload page as it's so large]



Photo: The Telegraph – EPA – National Stadium, rehearsal – opening ceremony
Architects of stadium: Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron from Switzerland

Estimated cost of hosting the China Olympics:
$44 billion USD – €28.7 billion EUR – ₤22.6 billion GBP – R330.4 billion ZAR
A bargain!

In a discussion on a BBC World radio program [Thursday 7th aug [Outlook?]] – it mentioned that hosting the Olympics has generated huge returns for Madrid and Athens.

I think the hosting cities are etched into the collective viewing consciousness via the plethora of media images – especially TV inserts of the local surroundings. A brilliant PR and Marketing tool to promote your city – And also, to build an extraordinary, never done before/breaking the conventional mould/multy billion building in your city, I’ve heard works too.

People will travel far and wide just to see it. If i have the time and the money I must say that i will do this too!

Because it’s so expensive to build and usually so big it gets the media’s attention and documentary makers – the tallest the biggest the most extravagant etc etc

Madrid, a case in point – planned their Olympic event including what would happen to the buildings afterwards – all of which are integrated into the city.
Their tourism figures have tripled. [same BBC prog]
The architect who planned all the buildings – a woman

Greece on the other hand, who did a rush job, did not plan for after the event and many facilities are closed to the public

Moral of the story: if you want your City’s economy to grow – get to host the Olympics

● The Beijing National Stadium, also known as:the bird’s nest – seats 90,000 – It’s big – very big

The opening show is bound to be spectacular!

LINK: for more virtual images from inhabitat

LINK: Times on line – 24 hour full Olympics coverage – Wonderful photos
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On Monday, August 6, 1945, the nuclear[?][atom bomb]weapon Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima by the crew of the American B-29 bomber Enola Gay, directly killing an estimated 80,000 people. By the end of the year, injury and radiation brought total casualties to 90,000 – 140,000. Approximately 69% of the city’s buildings were completely destroyed, and 6.6% severely damaged……

Source & Photo: Wikipedia
[To enlarge pic click on it]
The photographer that took this must have got radiation sickness.

LINKNuclear Age Peace Foundation

LINK - Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research

LINK – Earth Charter Initiative

LINK – Abolition 2000

LINK - Manifesto 2000 for a culture of Peace and Non-violence – UNESCO

2008 – Global Nuclear Weapons stats.

Continue reading ‘●Hiroshima: Today 63 years ago 80 thousand were wiped out by an atom bomb’



Warning! This cake is not good for your health.
One bite & you can’t stop eating it!

Patrick’s Chocolate Buttermilk Cake De Lux (the Devil’s Cake!)

Read on – for Recipe & Conversion Calculator >> Continue reading ‘●Chocolate Cake – A Very Very Evil Recipe’


China lifts ban on Tiananmen sites – Officials heed pressure from Olympic committee…..

Websites on sensitive subjects such as the bloody crackdown on democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989 were accessible in the Chinese capital yester-day as the authorities lifted more internet restrictions in order to meet their Olympic Games commitments…..

…. However, Wikipedia’s ‘Chinese democracy movement’ page was inaccessible and websites on banned spiritual movement the Falun Gong, the Tibetan government in exile, the International Campaign for Tibet and Free Tibet remained off limits last night.

Under pressure from IOC officials, the authorities began unblocking sites following an outcry over censorship. While they routinely bar access to sites, they had promised that Olympic reporting would be ‘free and unfettered’……
Tania Branigan in Beijing – The Observer, Sunday August 3 2008

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/03/china.humanrights

Image by Jeff Widener 5th June 1989(The Associated Press).