From Golf.com: Tiger Woods walks on water (seriously)
From NYTimes.com: With Solo in Goal, U.S. Women Win Gold in Overtime
Solo had been especially close to her father. She described him as a homeless man, but said he served as her inspiration with his candor and effervescence. She had dedicated a championship in the 2007 World Cup to his memory, only to have her plans come undone in the semifinal match against Brazil.
There was much about her father she did not know, including his real name. He was variously known as Jeffrey, Johnny and Jerry. He was a Vietnam veteran from the Bronx, who moved to Seattle, lived in a tent and may have been in a witness protection program, Solo said. He died before many of her questions were answered.
After being estranged, Jeffrey Solo reconnected with Hope when she attended the University of Washington from 1999-2002. He attended her games and she often took macaroni and cheese to the tent where he lived, a place where they talked for hours.
I had heard about the controversial benching of Hope Solo last year at the Women’s World Cup, but I guess I missed the story about her father being homeless.
From NYTimes.com: Obama Counts McCain’s Houses
If John McCain had tried to play into Barack Obama’s strategy of sounding out of touch with ordinary people, he could not have done better than to say in an interview that he didn’t know how many houses he had.
“I think — I’ll have my staff get to you,” Mr. McCain told reporters for The Politico in an interview in New Mexico on Wednesday. “It’s condominiums where — I’ll have them get to you.”
Working class people, McCain feels your pain.
From Kottke.org via Daring Fireball: Great Olympic moments on YouTube
A collection of some of the greatest athletic moments of the Olympics.
A couple of things that stand out in the videos.
Women’s uneven bar in gymnastics is a totally different event now than in the past. The uneven bars are spaced further apart now and gymnasts barely use the lower bar.
Michael Johnson’s WR run in the 200m is equally as impressive as Usain Bolt’s 200m. It looks like Michael Johnson slowed down in the end just like Bolt did in the 100m. If Johnson had run through a little harder at the end he might still be holding the WR today. Bolt has gotten flack from IOC President Jacques Rogge for showing a lack of respect to other competitors during his celebrations. But, if you watch Michael Johnson’s video, Bolt’s celebrations aren’t any different Johnson’s 12 years ago. Whenever you win gold, set a world record, and claim the title of fastest human being on the planet, there’s a certain amount of individual pride that goes with it.
I found these pretty amusing.
I found this clip while doing some research on music in the Olympics. If you’ve watched any of NBC’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, you’ve heard it a hundred times already. It’s John Williams’ Olympic Fanfare and Theme written for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
This clip is of the premiere of the Olympic Fanfare and Theme during the Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Olympic Games. It’s nice to hear the voices of Jim McKay and Peter Jennings again.
After watching the 2008 Opening Ceremony in Beijing, the LA Opening Ceremony looks like it was put on by a high school marching band. The bar for the Olympic Opening ceremony has been raised, perhaps too high.
From NYTimes.com: Two Women Sentenced to ‘Re-education’ in China
Two elderly Chinese women have been sentenced to a year of “re-education through labor” after they repeatedly sought a permit to demonstrate in one of the official Olympic protest areas, according to family members and human rights advocates.
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At least a half dozen people have been detained by the authorities after they responded to a government announcement late last month designating venues in three city parks as “protest zones” during the Olympics. So far, no demonstrations have taken place.
It totally blows my mind that the IOC and the international community allows this to happen especially with the Olympics going on.
There have been zero protests in the designated protest areas because not only has China not approved any permits, they’ve arrested and thrown into jail some of those who tried to register.
Meanwhile the international community sits back and enjoys the games. World leaders need to to take a stand to ensure the release and the guaranteed safety of these individuals.
The good news, Taipei has made the International Monopoly edition. Bad news, if you choose to look at value of the property it has on the board, it’s the second lowest, just above Gdnyia, a city in Poland. The top twenty were selected from list of 70 cities. The last two, Taipei and Gdnyia were selected during a runoff vote from a list of 20 cities that were written-in.
Here’s the list:
It seems like not everyone is happy with their positioning.
From Evening Standard: New Monopoly board puts a poor value on London
Thanks to Judy for sending me the link to the International Monopoly
From ESPN.com: China’s Olympic ceremony features sacrifices
In the Olympic ceremony segment showcasing the Chinese invention of movable type, the nearly 900 performers who crouched under 40-pound boxes donned adult diapers to allow them to stay inside for at least six hours, Beijing organizers said.
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While in Beijing, the constant exposure to the dizzyingly hot summer resulted in heatstroke for some students, particularly during one rain-drenched rehearsal that stretched on for two days and two nights.
The students were kept on their feet for most of the 51-hour rehearsal with little food and rest and no shelter from the night’s downpour, as the show’s directors attempted to coordinate the 2,008-member performance with multimedia effects, students and their head coach told the AP.
Pretty shocking article. It seems like the IOC should have been checking it’s own opening ceremonies for human rights violations.