They *cannot* be serious?

They cannot be serious?

Entertainment, Home and Hearth 4 Responses »

Aug 182008

Seems the UK media have been whooping it up because their athletes have won more medals at the Olympics than the Australians. The Sun (see the link) have a headline reading “Brittania Rules the Games”!

Basically a country with a population of 62 million is crowing because they are beating one with a population one third their size?? If this is all they have to crow about they are in a sad, bad way.

To put it into perspective, Michael Phelps has *alone* won nearly as many Gold medals as the entire might of the UK Olympic team so far! Ok the Olympics are about competing not about winning… however… if they want to draw attention to themselves I think boasting they are beating countries smaller than themselves isn’t a particularly intelligent way to do it, especially when one man has won almost as many as their entire team!!

Now… if they were beating the USA or China… well that’d be another issue altogether! Actually, if I was them, I’d be a bit embarrassed the media is drawing any attention to it at all!

In the meantime the Aussies continue to rack up medals… and are back to third in the medal tally… not that anyone’s counting of course!!

Potter Potted!

Entertainment, Gripes 3 Responses »

Aug 182008

For reasons which seem to have more to do with greed than customer satisfaction Warner Brothers have determined it’s in their best interests to postpone the release of “Half Blood Prince”, the highly anticipated film of the sixth book in the Harry Potter series!

Anyone who would like the film released on its original date might be advised to make their way over to ‘Petitions Spot‘ and make their mark. When I visited to sign up there were already 32,000 signatures on the petition so there’s a groundswell of opinion trying its best to push WB into action. This just echoes the furore erupting all around the internet on forums and blog sites everywhere. There are even moves to flood Warner Brothers with snail mails in an effort to make them realise they are alienating their potential audience!!

The trailer was a real tease… but to *now* tell us that instead of November we’ll have to wait until July was just plain cruel!!

Ever wondered what sex you are?

General Ramblings 6 Responses »

Aug 182008

Ok open to wild interpretation I know but there’s a test on the BBC that might help you establish whether in fact you have a ‘male’ or ‘female’ brain.

Have a look at this Brain Sex Test and let us know how you do. Don’t be shy!!

Drowning… with a rictus grin!

Gripes, Health No Responses »

Aug 182008

No doubt *all* of us will be glued to our tv’s later on as the most famous discipline of the entire Olympic schedule begins in earnest.

Yes… Synchronised Swimming will be using the pool vacated by the real swimmers. Oops… did I say ‘real’… of course I meant ‘other’ swimmers.

Yet I still ask myself just what the hell this ludicrous so-called sport is doing in the Olympics? Realistically it has no credible credentials as a sport. Activities such as Aerobics and rock climbing have more right to be there than this lot.

Just *why* do the officials allow this bunch of maniacs lurching through the water grinning like baboons on prozac to pollute our screens and embarrass real athletes?!?!

If any of you out there can defend synchronised swimming and justify its inclusion in the Olympic calendar… please do it.

(and don’t get me started on BMX biking as an Olympic sport… !!!)

Who needs the armchair critics?

General Ramblings, Gripes, Health 3 Responses »

Aug 182008

I’ve been quietly seething over the armchair critics who are bitching in the media about how *badly* our people are performing at the Olympics because they are *only* coming home with silver or bronze medals instead of gold.What a crock of crap this is!!

Just qualifying for the Olympics makes them heroes in my book. Getting any medals at all in any sport or discipline puts them so far ahead of the rest of us that in sporting terms at least they are beyond criticism!

Every Olympic competitor who takes part has this *one* opportunity to make their mark on the record books and each one wants to be *the* winner. It isn’t a case of one wants it more than another… just that on the day, on the hour… on the minute… *that one* competitor is stronger or better than everyone else.

There’s no shame whatever in coming second… or third… or even last in the field. No matter if you come 100th in the race… you are *still* the hundredth fastest out of a world population numbered in billions.

A case in point was Tamsyn Lewis who yesterday sobbed herself out of the stadium having come last in her 800 metres semi-final. She was so overwrought she was unable to talk coherently to reporters who wanted to know what happened. Later she defended her performance… but in reality she shouldn’t have to! She’d worked hard to get as far as she did and whilst it might have been personally disappointing, just for her to have fought through to the semi-final was an achievement!

Yes… when I see the Green and Gold up on the podium having creamed all opposition, I feel a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye… but I feel a surge of national pride just seeing one of our people taking part in any event!! If they win it’s just a bonus.

Good onya guys… one and all. First or last… we’re proud of you just for being there.

Australia’s Golden Girl’s

General Ramblings No Responses »

Aug 142008

I had to take my car in for a service today, something I knew from experience was going to take a *long* time. Apart from their speed, the service centre I go to is pretty good with a decent cafe, LCD television, and some comfy chairs, table and lounges. I’d taken my laptop and had set it up to keep myself occupied so I was all set to have a long relaxing wait.

Australia's Golden Girls

During the day the Olympics occasionally attracted my attention, but it wasn’t until the Women’s 4 x 200 metres Freestyle Relay cam on that I was really hooked.

The commentators had hoped the girls, Stephanie Rice, Bronte Barratt, Kylie Palmer and Linda MacKenzie would have a chance at a medal but the qualified very low down the rankings and there were real concerns voiced that Linda MacKenzie might not have the strength to produce the sort of finish the team needed to get into medal contention.

Along with everyone else at the cafe my eyes were glued to the screen as a clear lead was built and when Linda MacKenzie finally hit the water our hearts were in our mouths.

Nobody need have worried.As she pulled herself into the final 50 metres she rallied and not only maintained the lead she’d been given by the others, she was able to extend it finishing to win the gold medal with a speed that took over six seconds off the world record.

The cafe erupted in cheering and clapping as all us blokes congratulated the team of a magnificent effort and a job well done. As with Matt’s comment in a previous post, my eyes really teared up. Made me feel proud to be Australian… even *if* I’m still a blow-in!

So… the Beijing Olympics?

Entertainment, Health 1 Response »

Aug 122008

As you will be aware my new ISP did *not* connect me to the net overnight as was promised and in fact kept me waiting almost 8 days before they let me loose on the world. During this time I had a choice of getting on with the housework… or watching the TV. And what is dominating TV coverage lately? The Olympics.

So how is it all going you ask? I did after all complain about the appalling coverage we usually get from our local stations and suggest (not untruthfully at the time) that I was going to ignore it entirely. Well given the choice between housework and the olympics, I buckled and chose the TV.

And for a change I have to admit I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen. Perhaps the TV companies have learned something from the floods of complaints they’ve received through previous sports extravaganzas and made changes. At least so far the coverage has been reasonable. I hesitate to say ‘good’ but let’s say it could have been worse.

We watched the cycling road races, we’ve watched swimming, we’ve watched some equestrian… and the coverage has been ok. Yes they chopped and changed between events and venuses but they did at least concentrate on one event and saw it through to the end.

Of course this is still early days, but so far I’m accepting what we’ve got with good grace.

Off we go to mens gymnastics. Good stuff.

Back at last!!

General Ramblings No Responses »

Aug 122008

It’s been a long couple of days since we disconnected from our old ISP until the reconnection with the new one. Also, having been with the last people for almost 12 years it’s a bit of a break with tradition.

Trouble is… back or not… right now I’ve not got much to say. Give me a day to get back into the swing and let’s see where we go eh??

Walking The Dog!

General Ramblings, I.T and similar No Responses »

Aug 072008

The blog might be updated a little less frequently than usual for the next few days – I’m going walkies!!

Well ok, I’m currently in the process of changing ISP’s ands whilst the new techs tell me they will try to have the account set up overnight, they admit it could take up to a *week* dependent on the speed at which the existing connection is cancelled at the old exchange by the techs and the new one connected.

It had to be done. The old company only allowed me a 25Gb download limit and they counted in that both downloads *and* uploads. The new one has a total of 100Gb (a mix of 40 Gb on and 60 Gb off peak) with uploads not counted… and for the same price as the old account!! They throw in a VOIP connection as well but I doubt I’d use it.

Sadly the speeds won’t increase, I’ll still be getting a maximum of 4.5Mb/sec and possibly lower throughput, but at least I hopefully won’t be throttled back to 64Kb/sec after only a few days of the month as has happened every month since Xmas!!

Let’s hope I won’t be away for more than a day… but if I am… I apologise.

Either way, I will be back soon enough whinging and complaining, so you don’t get rid of me *that* easily!

By the way…

General Ramblings No Responses »

Aug 042008

By the way, while we’re celebrating the 2008 Olympics and how well the Chinese have done in producing the spectacle… as praised they will be… let’s not clear entirely from our minds the ‘doings’ of the repressive government that controls the country.

It is now nearly 20 years since the infamous massacre at Tiananmen Square in Beijing where up to 3,000 known deaths occurred at the time (and an unknown number slaughtered after the event) as troops attacked to break up a peaceful demonstration in support of human and political rights.

Nor let us totally forget the invasion and suppression of Tibet and the thousands upon thousands killed, maimed and oppressed there.

While we’re at, it let’s recall that there are hundreds of thousands of political prisoners held all round China because their views don’t quite coincide with those of the ruling group. Just those associated with the oppressed group Falun Gong would make a large contingent… assuming their organs haven’t yet been ‘harvested’ for use in transplants.

Still, please don’t let the plight of these people spoil your enjoyment of the spectacle the event will produce, but remember that for every athlete competing, a thousand are in prison. For every medal that is won… a hundred have died.

Does their suffering matter? I suppose that depends on where you stand… literally. The Chinese government has heard of Human Rights, it just wants nothing to do with them.

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