Isebrand

Paralympics were a ground-breaking success ignored in the U.S.

It was the most successful Paralympic Games in history, to a point where it could have forever changed the way the Paralympics are perceived.

Before the Games, organizers and television executives quoted seemingly (to me) outstanding numbers when discussing the amount of people who would watch domestically and abroad. Those numbers were blown away. About 11.2 million people watched the opening ceremony on Channel 4, blowing out expectations, and 7.7 million watched the closing ceremony. The trend continued for the span of the competition. commanded a 12 percent viewing share from 5:25 to 7 p.m. on the fifth day of competition when the British swimming star Ellie Simmonds landed her second gold medal of the Games, and stayed above 10 percent for the rest of the evening action. Later in the week when the Briton Johnny Peacock was tearing down the track in a gold medal 100-meter run, 6.4 million people were sitting at home watching as 80,000 people were cheering in the stands. The evening wrap-up show “Last Leg,” on at 10 every night, averaged 1.2 million viewers and a 6.4 percent share.

via london2012.blogs.nytimes.com

(Photo: "Joshua George said he would never forget the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games in London." Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images.)

Breathtaking London 2012 New Year's Day Fireworks

If you've not seen the BBC's HD video of the ground-breaking 2012 London New Year's Day fireworks extravaganza, you need to see it now. It was set to a great playlist of songs. From the thrilling opening when Big Ben itself seems to fire flame from Clock Tower with each midnight ring to the stunning climax at 9:59, set to "Insomnia," by Faithless, it was, as they say, a real cracker! (A lower-resolution version of this on YouTube is closing in on 3,000,000 views.)

Playlist below with links to each track's start time. The video may take two or three seconds to start. Be patient. It's worth it.

1:19 Labrinth, (feat. Tinie Tempah), "Earthquake"

1:57 D'banj, "Oliver"

2:33 Coldplay, "Viva la Vida (Thin White Duke Mix)"

3:13 Martin Solveig, "Hello"

3:31 Supergrass, "Alright"

3:57 The Kinks, "You Really Got Me"

4:54 Mark "Ruff" Ryder - "Joy (Tainted Love)"

5:26 Shirley Bassey, "Diamonds Are Forever"

5:59 Adele (feat. Maddi Jane), "Rolling in the Deep" (remix)

7:01 House of Pain, "Jump Around"

7:41 The Automatic, "Monster"

8:07 The Prodigy, "Firestarter"

9:15 Emeli Sandé, "Heaven"

9:59 Faithless, "Insomnia"

Ancient site of Olympia was buried by Tsunamis, researcher finds

Olympia, site of the famous Temple of Zeus and original venue of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, was presumably destroyed by repeated tsunamis that travelled considerable distances inland, and not by earthquake and river floods as has been assumed to date. Evidence in support of this new theory on the virtual disappearance of the ancient cult site on the Peloponnesian peninsula comes from Professor Dr Andreas Vött of the Institute of Geography of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. Vött investigated the site as part of a project in which he and his team are studying the paleotsunamis that occurred along the coastlines of the eastern Mediterranean over the last 11,000 years. According to his account, the geomorphological and sedimentological findings in the area document that Olympia and its environs were destroyed by tsunami impact. The site of Olympia, rediscovered only some 250 years ago, was buried under a massive layer of sand and other deposits that is up to 8 meters deep.

via historyoftheancientworld.com

We might be getting a little stuck

From "Income Inequality and the 'Superstar Effect,'" by Eduardo Porter.

One study concluded that each percentage-point increase in the share of national income channeled to the top 10 percent of Americans since 1960 led to an increase of 0.12 percentage points in the annual rate of economic growth — hardly an enormous boost. The cost for this tonic seems to be a drastic decline in Americans’ economic mobility. Since 1980, the weekly wage of the average worker on the factory floor has increased little more than 3 percent, after inflation.

The United States is the rich country with the most skewed income distribution. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the average earnings of the richest 10 percent of Americans are 16 times those for the 10 percent at the bottom of the pile. That compares with a multiple of 8 in Britain and 5 in Sweden.

Not coincidentally, Americans are less economically mobile than people in other developed countries. There is a 42 percent chance that the son of an American man in the bottom fifth of the income distribution will be stuck in the same economic slot. The equivalent odds for a British man are 30 percent, and 25 percent for a Swede.

via www.nytimes.com

Going for the gold in dead Olympic competitions

Walter W. Winans (1852 – 1920) was an American marksman, horse breeder, sculptor, and painter who participated in the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics. He won two medals for shooting.... He also won a gold medal for his sculpture An American Trotter at Stockholm in 1912.

via en.wikipedia.org

When men were men who shot deer-shaped targets and were sculptors! And had big mustaches! And wore lots of tweed! Until 1952, the modern Olympic included competitions in the arts, too. And this chap--an American residing in Britain--is one of only two Olympians who won medals in both artistic and sports competitions, including competition in "Men's Double-shot Running Deer." (Huzzah?)

Imagine: Inspired by the past but eager to embrace contemporary life, the IOC will be adding competitions in speed tweeting and web design for the 2012 Olympics.

Jeremy Hardy speaks to the nation...about Andy Murray

From the 8th series of Jeremy Hardy's BBC Radio 4 program, "Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation," this bit about Andy Murray is from the July 7 broadcast, "How To Confront The Vexed Issue Of British Identity Without Getting In The Most Fearful Bate About The Whole Thing."

I’m not that bothered about sport. It’s okay that we’re a nation of clumsy asthmatics in a grey but well-meaning land where nothing works, and we muddle through. It’s infuriating, but it’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t matter that Andy Murray got knocked out of Wimbledon again. I’m hoping that it might even teach him some humility, and to think not, “I must try harder,” but instead, “I’m not the best, but that doesn’t make me a bad person.” But I suspect he’s still too consumed with needing to show off the fact that he’s quite good at a bat and ball game.

I’m sure you’re not a bad lad, Andy, and I know you’ve got demons, but you’re not dealing with them in the right way. And they’ll return to haunt you when your back goes, and your mass-produced signatures on white polyester nylon shorts is all that remains of a career that’s been outshone by someone younger, taller, faster, and stronger, and with even less self-awareness than you, which will happen because science dictates that it will.

I wish you well. I hope you never resort to heavy drinking and cocaine, because if you do, the media who’ve fawned over you will turn on your like cannibals in a post-apocalyptic, dirty-faced, survivors thing. Because the people who only like you hoping you might one day gratify their thwarted nationalism, don’t actually care whether you live or die. I hate to break it to you, but it’s better you know now.

People liked Ilie Năstase because he was funny, John McEnroe because he swore. All you’ve ever done is practice!

(Photo: Andy Murray has a calendar available somewhere. That reminds me, I should take down my 2005 Jonny Wilkinson calendar sometime.)

Loud about William the Silent!

Today, The Netherlands and Spain play in the final of the FIFA World Cup, the largest sporting event in the world. Neither national team has ever won The World Cup, so it will be a particularly exciting outcome for whichever team wins.

It's an interesting World Cup contest in part because Dutch national identity is tied into The Netherlands' revolt against Spain in 1568 and its involvement in the subsequent Eighty Years War, 1568-1609. 

Het Wilhelmus ("The William") is the national anthem of the Netherlands and is the oldest national anthem in the world. Yes, one of the lines is William of Oranje saying he's always been loyal to the King of Spain. It's a long story. Basically, think of it this way: as the American colonists at first tried very hard to stay loyal to the King of Britain, similarly, the Dutch some many decades before at first thought of themselves as non-Spanish subjects of the Spanish king; but, they had some objections. (Including some about taxation--sounds familiar?--but, not about tea, apparently.) As the American colonists eventually stuck it to George III, so had the Dutch, under the leadership of William "the Silent," to Charles V, their actually much-more-foreign ruler. This is known as the Dutch Rebellion, which was one of Europe's first successful wars of independence, and established one of the modern era's first republics. (The Netherlands today is technically a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy, however, not a republic. That's a whole different kettle of herring.)

From the ubiquitous Wikipedia:

Like many anthems, Het Wilhelmus originated in the nation's struggle to achieve independence. It tells of Willem van Oranje (William of Orange), his life and why he is fighting against the King of Spain.As a result, the anthem is written in a first person perspective, as if it were sung by William himself.... "Den Coninck van Hispaengien heb ick altijt gheeert" ("I have always honoured the King of Spain").

Embrace your Oranje crush! Click on the collages to enlarge them.

UPDATE: Spain wins; deservedly so. And when they did, it was, appropriately, raining here in New Amsterdam.

Go, USA, England, and Netherlands in 2014! ;)

May 17 - International Day Against Homophobia

May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia ("Journée internationale contre l'homophobie") -- a campaign of the Quebec-based organization, Fondation Émergence -- which raises awareness about the problem of homophobia in the sports world.

http://homophobiaday.org/

US boat wins back America's Cup

Larry Ellison's space-age trimaran BMW Oracle won back the America's Cup for the United States by speeding across the Mediterranean and routing two-time defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland in a two-race sweep.

The 65-year-old software tycoon was onboard his incredibly fast craft Sunday, after sitting out Race 1 due to a weight limit. His victory over rival Ernesto Bertarelli sends the oldest trophy in international sports to San Francisco's Golden Gate Yacht Club.

via www.google.com

The Oracle features a 223-foot wing sail that "powered the craft at three times the speed of the wind." The America's Cup tropy hasn't been on U.S. shores since 1995.

(Click photo to enlarge.)