2006 Winter Olympics

[Halfstep Denise]

Will you be watching any of the Winter Olympics events? NBC and I will be practically Siamese twins for the next couple of weeks!

Figure Skating is my favorite of the competitions scheduled.

Do you have a favorite athlete?

Halfstep Denise

[Jeannieb43]

Yes. I'll be watching as much as possible.

Michelle Kwan is my favorite, though I know she's getting "older" and may not be in shape to qualify for a gold medal, after her time out due to injuries. I think her personality and her ethical life make her a great role model for young skaters.

And it would be oh, so sweet for her to be able to win an Olympic Gold before she retires. She's won just about every other top award, but never the Olympic gold.

[Nan]

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Do you have a favorite athlete?

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If you asked that question of an Australian, you would probably get the answer "Stephen Bradbury". He is retired now, but at the last Winter Olympics he won gold - I think it was the men's short course speed skating - because quite literally he was the last man left standing. In both the semi final and the final. On form he should not even have made the final <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. Those games were the first in which this country had won gold.

[Halfstep Denise]

Hi, Nan!

I asked about a favorite athlete knowing this website has members from several countries.

Do you have a favorite athlete in these Olympic games regardless of country?

Halfstep Denise

[Ron Lambert]

I got to watch the opening ceremonies in real time, Friday afternoon 2pm-4:30pm. It was carried by the Canadian station in Windsor, which we get in the Detroit area (both general broadcast and cable). Since Turino, Italy, where the games are being held, is six hours ahead of us, it is 2pm here (EST) when it is 8pm there. During the week, the Canadian station (channel 9 in Windsor) begins its coverage in the morning. Of course, the Canadian station highlights Canadian athletes and teams, but that's all right. They show other nations' athletes too, and we'll undoubtedly see Canada vs. the US in hockey to decide gold and silver.

One thing I do miss with the Canadian channel: they do not use John Williams' wonderful, thrilling music that he wrote for the Olympics a couple of decades ago. (It was commissioned by the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee.) Perhaps the CBC did not want to pay the licensing fee. But NBC uses it. I have to admit that to a certain extent, it does not quite seem like the Olympics without John Williams' thrilling fanfare. So I watch NBC some too, just to get a digest of what happened featuring US athletes and teams, and the satisfaction of hearing John Williams' music.

[cricket]

What did you think about one of the theme songs: Imagine?

Imagine

Imagine there's no heaven,

It's easy if you try,

No hell below us,

Above us only sky,

Imagine all the people

living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,

It isnt hard to do,

Nothing to kill or die for,

No religion too,

Imagine all the people

living life in peace...

Imagine no possesions,

I wonder if you can,

No need for greed or hunger,

A brotherhood of man,

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer,

but Im not the only one,

I hope some day you'll join us,

And the world will live as one.

Writen by: John Lennon

© Bag productions inc.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. I don't run without a goal. And I don't box by beating my fists in the air. I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.

[Pockey]

I'm bummed out about Michelle Kwan's withdrawal.

[Nan]

Denise I have no idea of the big names from other countries. It is summer here and winter sports are only also ran at the best of times. I will enjoy what I watch - there is an Australian aerial skier, Alisa Camplin - I know her name! B

[Halfstep Denise]

The announcement of Michelle Kwan's withdrawal was disappointing, but she was smart to stop now. I wish she could have been well enough to do it!

By the way, the NBC reporters keep saying that Michelle will be too old in 4 years to try again! Excuse me! I seem to remember a Russian couple in Figure Skating,who were considerably older than Michelle and they kept competing and WINNING!

Now that they are allowing professionals to skate in the Olympics, Michelle could go professional if she wanted and then try again!

Cricket -- The song "Imagine" has always bothered me. It's sort of a bittersweet song. Talking about peace is the sweet part. "Imagine no religion" is the bitter part.

I've always wondered if John Lennon was talking about throwing God out of the peace concept, or was John just talking about "organized" and at times "exclusive" religions.

Ron - My husband heard me "singing" with the beginning music of the NBC Olympics coverage and he said it must be my favorite song! I don't know what I'd do if they didn't play that music to start the Olympics! John Williams is the BEST!

Nan - The only athletes I know the most about are a couple of the American figure skaters, but I am enjoying watching everyone, regardless of who they are representing!

I was even rooting for a Chinese Pairs Figure Skater who is recovering from an Achilles Tendon injury and surgery! He did great yesterday! I wouldn't have been anywhere near the ice after that type of injury!

Keep watching the Olympics everyone!

Halfstep Denise

[Ron Lambert]

I feel sorry for Michelle Kwan, of course, but she was pushing it too much to try to come back from injuries that prevented her from participating in the Olympic tryouts. I also thought it was not right for her to be given the place on the team that Emily Hughes had earned, just because of who she was. Somehow that seemed unamerican. I am glad that Hughes will be allowed to compete after all, now that Kwan has pulled out.

Halfstep--Like you, I do not like that line in "Imagine" that goes "No religion too," whereby John Lennon was implying that one of the ways to have peace is to do away with religion. Granted this may be true of false religion, but not of the true religion of Christ, whole-heartedly received. Try telling that to an atheist though!

[bevin]

Imagine there's no heaven,

I have often thought about that song.

The Beatles music was, to a very large extent, peaceful and non-violent with some nice love songs.

You only have to see the death-rate caused by organized religions - and ESPECIALLY Christianity and Islam - to understand why he was opposed to them.

Christian's have a 1950 year history of claiming to be peaceful while actually organizing murder and massacre.

GWB, for example, continues this tradition...

/Bevin

[Halfstep Denise]

Have any of you tried the Luge? Yikes!!!

My claustrophobia kicks in fast when the athlete is shown putting the shield over his face! Breathe, Denise!!!

Halfstep Denise

[cricket]

If I were 16 again, the Luge, down-hill skiing, and snowboarding would all top my list of things I yearn to do!

[darlene]

Canada's Olympic results are being posted in the Canadian Townhall under Gold for Canada. We've already gotten a gold and bronze. <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

[cricket]

Norway's really coming out on top so far!

Go Norske!!

[]http://www.appliedlanguage.com/flags_of_the_world/medium_flag_of_norway.gif[/]

[Pockey]

Shaun White was amazing. He cracks me up too!

[Ron Lambert]

I agree, Sid. Hooray for the "Flying Tomato!"

[Halfstep Denise]

Shaun White was really amusing during his interview with Bob Costas late last night! Shaun wants to meet Shasha Cohen! I wonder if NBC will work out an introduction! How cute!

By the way, I don't know exactly what Shaun was wearing as a headband and then to cover his mouth, but if he was using an American flag, he needs a major lesson in flag protocol!

I wanted to reach through the television and remove it!

Again, I realize not everyone on here is American, but as an American who was taught how to treat our flag, it bothered me.

Keep watching the Olympics!

Halfstep Denise

[Ron Lambert]

I believe the standards defining what constitutes proper and impproper use of the U.S, flag have been relaxed in recent years. Since no one did anything about flag-burning, they could hardly object to people wearing the flag.

Here is a statement in Wickipedia:

Quote:

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"The United States Flag Code lists many guidelines for the use and display of the flag,

many of which are largely ignored.

For example:

.

"No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform"

.

"The flag "should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper."

---

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_desecration

Another website on U.S. history says:

Quote:

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"Are there penalties for violating the Flag Code?

.

"No. The Flag Code is intended as a guide to be followed on a purely voluntary basis to insure proper respect for the flag."

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Link: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html

It used to be against the code to display the flag in the rain, but that is no longer observed, since most flags today are made of waterproof fabrics.

Other nations generally have not had the concern about veneration of their flag that the U.S. has had. I was raised to venerate the flag, never let it touch the ground, don't make clothes out of it and wear it, etc. But I also have to note that the flag is not holy.

[Gerr]

I'll watch some, but winter olympics just doesn't excite me.

Gerry

[Ron Lambert]

Gerry, there were quite a bit of chills and thrills yesterday, in what they are calling "Crash Monday," with all the frightful crashes and falls taking place on the ski slope, luge run, and skating rink. Fortunately, none seem to be seriously injured, and most should be able to continue competing. The Chinese couple who had the terrible fall by the lady that left her in obvious pain, wound up giving a rousing demonstration of courage and grit. She determined to go on with the program after a couple of minutes as the pain in her knee eased up, and her coach determined her knee did not seem to be seriously damaged. The lady received a standing ovation when they completed their routine. And they did so well on the remainder of their program that they won the silver medal, despite the deduction for the fall.

Crashes on the luge run may be the most frightful, since the luges can get up to 90 miles per hour. Several lugers lost control and started spinning and overturning. One lady banged her head against the wooden overhanging lip, going around 75 mph. She received a concussion. If not for her helmet, she might have been killed.

You don't seem to risk serious injury and even death nearly as much in the summer games.

[Pockey]

I can't believe the Chinese skater kept going after her fall. I was in awe.

[Ron Lambert]

Women can be heroic too.

[olger]

Joey Cheek should win a medal for the nicest Olympian.

olger

[Ron Lambert]

Of course, he is already wealthy, so he can afford to donate his winnings to charity. He does set a good example, though. Much to be preferred over the Chad Hendrick/Shaun Davis bickering--which lately seems to have been put to rest.