By jingo!

This is the Daily Telegraph Medals Table, as it stands:

Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 18 11 5 34
2 United States 18 9 10 37
3 South Korea 7 2 5 14
4 Great Britain 6 6 6 18
5 France 6 5 6 17

More importance is attached to the number of gold medals, and after that silver, than the overall medal tally.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/

However, USA Today displays them as follows:

Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 United States 18 9 10 37
2 China 18 11 5 34
3 Japan 2 6 11 19
4 Great Britain 6 6 6 18
5 Germany 5 8 5 18

The news paper attaches more importance to the overall number of medals. I wonder what would happen if China were to win fewer gold medals but more medals over all. Would USA Today put China in first place?

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/index

Taking part

Jacques Rogge, the IOC Pres, opened London 2012 with this observation: “And to the athletes I offer this thought: your talent, your dedication and commitment brought you here; now you have a chance to become true Olympians. That honour is determined not by whether you win but by how you compete”. A much-derided clichè, I know, in this world of fast money and instant celebrity. But I suspect that the two camps (pro and anti London 2012) are divided by a simple criterion: have you been a competitor in sport yourself? Continue reading “Taking part”

Cycle helmets

As much as feel Bradley Wiggins has done exceedingly well with the Tour de France and winning a gold I cannot agree with him regarding cycle helmets.

He states all safety experts agree with him, they do not. The Institute for advanced Motorists cycle division state that there is no proven benefit to wearing a helmet when cycling, and that they could even be a hindrance.

I cycle now and do not wear a helmet as I feel they make the head extra heavy and if I am going through the country make me 3 inches taller so I bang my head.

When I was a kid I came off my bike numerous times, including being hit by a lorry. The damage was always knees, elbows and wrists/hands. the only bang on the head occurred when I got home with torn trousers and my mum clouted me. “so what you’ve broken your leg, you’ve torn your trousers”

Only if you’ve read it

No doubt the less inhibited inmates at the Big House have already done this to death but here in the hushed corridors of the Colosseum I’ve seen no mention of THAT BOOK (or books to be exact) which now outsells Harry Potter and probably the Bible and will soon challenge Mrs Beeton. Continue reading “Only if you’ve read it”

Judgement on photo competition 29

The photo competition, number 29 asked for photos to illustrate what the weather was doing in your area of the world… and I thought there would be masses of entries – but no, only a few!

OZ posted a laid back cat, sunning on a wooden beam – wonderful blue skies behind. How envious I felt.

Soutie posted several pictures, here, here, here and here illustrating rather extreme wet and windy weather in South Africa. My favourite of all these was the third, where the damage and the scale of the trees is clearly seen.

Boadicea posted a picture of a kookaburra in an old gum tree, and this for me is the winner.
I may be biased, but I love those wonderful birds and their call reminds me so much of camping trips in 1987 -88! I can almost smell the eucalyptus…. But more than that it is a beautiful photo: the composition is balanced, with the branch shape, the proportion of blue against the silvered bark, and the tufts of the bird’s head-feathers echoed in the sharp spikes of the broken off tree stump.

Thank you Boadicea, and over to you!

 

God gave us Grace

In the Golden age of Hollywood it was easy to brush scandals under the carpet. Take Rock Hudson for instance, who would have thought? Now Tippi Hedren has admitted that the married Alfred Hitchcock, who directed her in films, also made a play for her. The still lovely Hedren confirms that Hitch sexually harassed her when she was at her peak. She rebuffed him and her career hit the buffers. That’s life and life goes on.

A recent twitter poll asked a similar question to the long-running debate of best Bond girl: “Who was Hitchcock’s greatest leading lady?”. Hedren came out on top. Referee, Referee, you’ve got that all wrong. Consult your linesman. It’s got to be Grace Kelly.
Good looks, good acting, good pedigree. Got Royalist written all over her.
Continue reading “God gave us Grace”

Proud Father

‘unbelievable’            ‘indescribable’          ‘look, he cries, just like me’

Click this picture for link to the BBC interview (1min 45sec)

We get all the coverage but of course not the BBC continuity nor interviews. JM brought this interview to my attention (thanks JM) it’s titled ‘The media moment of the games so far’ at only 1:45 it’s short, entertaining and well worth a look. (Link to BBC interview)

Continue reading “Proud Father”

It’s how you do it that counts, allegedly

From those wonderful folks who gave you Pearl Harbor (thanks to Jerry Della Femina for the quote), it is now clear that the true spirit of the games has been revived at last. Their pommel-horse gymnast fell off. But after due consideration the judges decided he did it really nicely – so he could still help his team to the silver medal.

This is all because new events involving really nice falling are soon to be added to the Olympic corpus. They’ll do it from bikes, horses and pole-vault poles, into ditches, ponds and pits respectively.

Jolly good show, chaps! Continue reading “It’s how you do it that counts, allegedly”

The War Journal: And The Bands Played On

Ratty had returned from the ale house stinking of Hobgoblins. He emptied himself of his denim jacket but kept on his black muscle T-shirt. He had great affection for his T-shirt stained as it was with the bloodied sauces of defeated kebabs. It also doubled as a good night shirt. Plonking his torso down on the settee Ratty readied himself for sleep awaiting his nightly nightmare with relish.

“There’s nothing better than a good nightmare.” he said to himself. “I wonder what devil Beelzebub has put aside for me tonight?” Continue reading “The War Journal: And The Bands Played On”