Talk About The Olympics

[Lightning Rod]

The Olympics

Last night I had a(nother) spat with doreen
I mentioned that I planned to watch girl's beach volleyball in the Olympics today.
What's not to like about athletic, sweaty young girls in bikinis?

Doreen called me a dirty old man, which is imminently true, but watching girls volleyball in the Olympics is not what makes me a dirty old man. Too bad they don't have an event in the Olympics for dirty old men. I would be a medalist. But it's not because I enjoy watching superb athletes at the top of their game.

I don't know if she imagined me polishing the chinaman while I watched the Olympic games, but what I usually do when I see these physical artists perform is cry. Yes, I cry regularly when I watch the Olympics. Especially the gymnastic events and in the winter I can't watch figure skating without a box of kleenex.

Even though the Olympics are fraught with politics and commercial promotion, it still thrills me to watch the spectacle of the events and to witness physical perfection in all of it's forms--strength, skill, agility, flexibility, and to feel the spirit of competition and sportsmanship that is there.

Call me a dirty old man.

What do you think of the Olympics?



PS--the US gals kicked ass in volleyball

[Doreen Peri]

we didn't have a spat. Geez. You contacted me to tell me you couldn't wait to see the girls in bikinis sweating playing volleyball and indicated that it turned you on. I said, "so what? Like i''m interested in your old man fantasies about teenage girls?" LOL ... something like that. I mean, it was a non-conversation.

.....

I didn't watch the opening ceremonies because I have a problem with people spending that much money on a huge show when there are people on this planet who are starving and homeless.

....

Looking forward to watching some of the events. I particularly enjoy the swimming. There's one woman swimmer who's in her 40's. Can't remember her name but saw her interviewed recently on TV. An inspiration.

I missed my calling. Next life? Winter Olympics ... figure skating. My dream life.

[Doreen Peri]

Here's an article about her

Dara Torres, 41

Go Dara!

[Lightning Rod]

doreen, too bad you missed that show
I know you probably had scrabble to play
but you missed one of the greatest spectacles I have ever seen

the opening ceremony was truly inpiring
those commies sure know how to put on a show

the torch lighting ceremony was an amazing piece of artwork
one single person, flying like peter pan in a slow motion sprint
circling the teeming stadium like the fairy of hope and aspiration
the single man like the guy in front of the tank in Tianamen Square
encompassing the world and all it's citizens with one swift symbol

[Doreen Peri]

I told you... I missed it on purpose.

I saw ads for it, I knew it was going to be HUGE and heard the amount of money it cost quoted .... i about fell off my chair.

And yeah, Clay, my entire life revolves around playing Scrabble which just shows you I have some lousy priorities. Geez. You don't miss a beat, do you? You take every opportunity you can to ridicule me. Why is that? Do you really think making fun of the fact that I enjoy playing Scrabble is funnY? *rolling eyes, shaking head*

Scroll up. Read my post again. I boycotted the opening ceremony for a reason.

Off to go swimming. 50 laps. 22 more and it's a mile. Working on it. Bye.

[Doreen Peri]

$100 million - A low estimate for the cost of the opening ceremony. That's about $476,000 per minute and almost $8,000 per second and more than twice the cost of the 2004 Athens opening ceremony

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... t=1&f=1004

Some people boycotted it for human rights reasons which also makes a good deal of sense
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/547669135

[Lightning Rod]

well I'm sure your boycott will have a profound worldwide effect

as for me, I think the Olympics are a wonderful thing
better than the United Nations at promoting world unity
when people sweat together and compete in honest games
they are less inclined to see themselves as separate and different
despite racial or ethnic or national distinctions

if anything will help to ease all of humanity's ills it will be the type of respect and familiar association promoted by the Olympics. That's worth the ticket.

yes, I rarely miss a beat but
I'm not ridiculing you, I'm disagreeing with you

you can play scrabble till you go blind for all I care

[Doreen Peri]

Yeah, the Olympics are a wonderful thing, I agree. World unity is a wonderful thing. I agree. Yep! Wonderful!

My boycotting the opening ceremonies will have no effect whatsoever on anyone, except me. I didn't watch it because I didn't want to watch such a flamboyant display of wasting money. Shrug. My choice how I spend my time.

Why even bring up my playing Scrabble at all? Who gives a shit? That's my point. It was totally unnecessary to even mention it.

I don't make fun of how you spend your time. Do whatever you want. Why mention how I spend mine during a discussion about the Olympics? What's your point?

Please don't bother answering. Thanks.

There's nothing to disagree with, by the way. You can't possibly disagree with my choice not to watch the opening ceremonies. It's my life, not yours. I'll do whatever I want with my time. There's nothing to argue about.

And yanno what? There's almost ALWAYS nothing to argue about. I hate arguing.

Never made it to swim today. Shame on me. But it's my choice how I spend my time. *smile* Instead of swimming, I'm going to go do the crossword puzzle while I watch the Olympics.

Maybe I'll swim later. Or maybe I'll play Scrabble. Or play music. Or write a poem. Or do nothing at all. *shrug* again.

Nothing to argue about. I choose my life.

Peace 'n' love and happy Olympics!

[Lightning Rod]

It's so much more fun to watch girls playing volleyball than it is to watch men play it
not only are they a joy to observe, so tall and lithe, but they play the game differently
men rely on speed and power to play the game and women rely on teamwork
it's much more elegant

[Lightning Rod]

what I was disagreeing about was not whether or not you have a choice to do any fucking thing you want

what I was disagreeing about was WHY you chose not to watch the greatest show on earth. By choosing not to watch it you only robbed yourself of a great experience. You didn't do anything to stop world hunger. The Olympics do more to help stop world hunger than your boycott for sure.

You need a purpose in life, doreen. Here's a suggestion. Make it your cause to get scrabble included as an Olympic event.....haha

Let's talk about the Olympics.

[Doreen Peri]

what I was disagreeing about was not whether or not you have a choice to do any fucking thing you want

what I was disagreeing about was WHY you chose not to watch the greatest show on earth. By choosing not to watch it you only robbed yourself of a great experience. You didn't do anything to stop world hunger. The Olympics do more to help stop world hunger than your boycott for sure.

You need a purpose in life, doreen. Here's a suggestion. Make it your cause to get scrabble included as an Olympic event.....haha

Let's talk about the Olympics.

It's not your business how I spend my time. It's not your business how anyone spends their time.

I remember my mom used to try to force us to eat some particular dish. "Try this! This is great! You'll love it," she'd say. "No thanks. I don't want any," I'd reply. "Oh come on! Try it! You'll love it!" she'd repeat.

And the no thanks and try it went on sometimes for 15 minutes even to the point of her putting a fork in front of my face with a bite of whatever it was on it.

"I don't want it," I'd say. "Thanks anyway."

"But you don't know what you're missing! You're depriving yourself of something great," she'd retort.

God it was sickening. I mean, why do people feel they have the right to force something someone doesn't want on someone else?

I didn't want to watch the opening ceremonies of the olympics. So what? Not your business to judge me or tell me that I've deprived myself of anything for whatever reason you think is important to you. I don't care what you think about how I spend my time.

As I said, I wasn't intending to stop world hunger or effect the world one iota.

I was only intending to choose how I spent my own time and I didn't want to watch a flamboyant display of a waste of money. My choice. My life. My business.

Good grief.

Why don't you discuss the Olympics instead of ridiculing my decisions about how I spend my time? You're a very judgmental person sometimes.

Just do what you do. And I'll do what I do. It's that simple. Live and let live.

You need a purpose in life, doreen.

*rolling eyes* .... Seems like you need a purpose in life, Clay. A purpose that has some meaning to it. A purpose that excludes telling me what to do or making comments about my life. My life is none of your business.

Peace out.

[Lightning Rod]

ok, doreen
you get the gold medal for willful ignorance

I agree, Let's talk about the Olympics

[Doreen Peri]

ok, doreen
you get the gold medal for willful ignorance

I agree, Let's talk about the Olympics

"willful ignorance"

Cute. You say such kind things to me.

Makes me want to use the pun Chinese water torture.
(Olympic torch in China? Get it? Hhahahaha.. I do amuse myself.

..............

Talk about the Olympics. Go ahead. Enjoy!

[Lightning Rod]

I was just Beijing sweet
I wasn't Peking into your life

[Doreen Peri]

Thank you LightninGod.

I'm china glad to hear you're well oriented.