... and one more thing

While I'm on my Olympic soap box I thought I would share another observation.

So the cute little girl at the opening ceremony was miming (I thought it was pretty obvious, but anyway) because this little girl was too ugly to sing in front of the whole world (I think she looks cute too, but never mind). I am not sure why the world was so shocked by this... China is hardly known as a country who will compromise in their efforts to present exactly (and only) what they want the people to see.

What I did love though, was that at the same time as China was condemning one girl to obscurity for her plump cheeks and crooked teeth, this band was being chosen to perform at the United Nation's celebrations to mark International Day of People with Disabilities in December. By any standard they are unique, different... disabled. I love that they are being recognised and honoured for having the courage to have a go, to make music despite the constraints disability places on them.

You go 'Rudely Interrupted'. You are what living life to the full is all about!

this is one of the reasons for the eye rolling...

Australia won 14 gold medals at the Olympic Games.

Yay.

This is how much it cost in government funding for every medal: $16.7 million.

Yay?!

I hate to rain on the parade, but isn't that figure a bit outrageous in a world filled with poverty and injustice?

And to those people who claim our poor showing in the Olympics means the government should fund our sports people even more (surely they are forgetting our small population - in terms of medals per capita we've done pretty well. Or maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better... national pride and all that.) I have this to say:

Millennium Development Goals

The money we spent on the Olympics had the potential to supply millions of people with mosquito nets to prevent them from contracting malaria. Or fund the establishment of health clinics. Or reduce maternal and infant mortality.

Go figure.

olympic trauma

Mostly I have rolled my eyes over all the fuss - there are some really serious things happening in the world at the moment and I do not consider the Olympic Games to be one of them. But I thought it was about time I watched at least a little of the Games, being only one day of competition left in which to enjoy the incredible feats one can achieve with a body of flesh and bone.

And there are two Australians in the 10 metre diving finals... show my support and all that.

But I just can't watch it. I am so worried they might clonk their head on the platform as they spin around I have to shut my eyes until I know they are OK and then watch the replay. Pathetic but true.

So what's the point of even pretending to watch? I'm off to bed!

Oh... hang on a minute... here's a bit of ribbon gymnastics. I might stay and watch that or... no, they've switched to the 5000m race... and now the javelin and...

I give up. Bed is so much more inviting than this piece meal broadcast!