The Olimpic games

[bf97c28c]

Do you like the Olympic games? What kind of sport do you prefer?  

[ravi_iitian]

Yes, I love the Olympics!

Athletics is my favorite.

I was the 200m, 400m, and 800m champ at school.

I like soccer and hockey too. I was the goalie in school and college.

[bf97c28c]

Ravindra. It's a great situation when you did the same sport with the athlete in the Olympics, so you can understand their feeling a little. It's an interesting time. Do you like watching the opening of the Games?

[ravi_iitian]

---

 wrote:

Ravindra. It's a great situation when you did the same sport with the athlete in the Olympics, so you can understand their feeling a little. It's an interesting time. Do you like watching the opening of the Games?

---

Nope, I am not a fan of opening and closing ceremonies. Too often a petty political point is being made.

[bf97c28c]

I respect your opinion. As for me, I can ignore political splashes at these events.

“Two people look down. One sees a puddle, the other sees stars.
Who sees what.” -Alexandr Dovzhenko

-Ad astra per aspera-

[bilal1983]

I used to watch Olympic games a lot growing up, when there were live telecasts on television. I don't watch much these days.

My interest is limited to watching rather than playing it myself (other than in my younger years)

I like track competitions like races, jumps, javelin throwing, short-putt etc.

Other than that I still watch Football (soccer), Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing, Tennis, and I watch a few other ones as well every now and then...

[bf97c28c]

That's great. The Olympics really have a lot of sports at one time you can choose to watch. And I like to cheer for the athletes from my country.

[bilal1983]

Yes! When your country is announced and they walk in with their flag and all the athletes, makes you feel proud yes?

[bf97c28c]

And what about when the athletes from your city or town are shown? During this competition, the feeling flies.

[bilal1983]

An athlete from my country won a gold medal after more than 30 years and broke the world record also. That was exciting!

[bf97c28c]

This is the best result, like a broken world record. Congratulations.

[bilal1983 · Accepted solution]

Thank you, Dmytro! I didn't watch any live events of the Olympics this year, but later watched the gold medal-winning moment. And this happened a few days before our national independence day, so it was a proud moment for the country.

[luce-neidert]

I must admit that I hate Olympic Games. I understand that it must be inspiring for the athletes, but I'm not at all interested in watching sports. 

Besides, now that we are truly seeing the consequences of climate change, it's completely inadequate to encourage crowds to travel around the world using airplanes.

I'm French, I live an hour away from Paris, I'm looking forward for these Games to be over.

[bf97c28c]

Your opinion is interesting. But I imagine how many people would like to be in your place during these games. Of course, you do not like this event, nevertheless, you can describe the situation near these games if you please.

[luce-neidert]

Well, yesterday I was with 7 friends who live in or around Paris.

Some are leaving their area to go on holidays 2 days before the planned date because they won't be allowed to drive around the area where they live due to some Olympic activity around their area.

One, who lives in Paris, is planning to take an 1/2 hour walk in order to reach a stadium peacefully. The others reminded him that he would need to have a pass to walk in that area...

They all commented on the fact that they had noticed police everywhere.

Sorry, Dmytro, all that fuss doesn't appeal to me at all!

[bf97c28c]

I understood. The safety is first of all. You give an opportunity to feel the soul of so a big event. Of course, it's so uncomfortable for the citizens, and it's the other side of the medal. But as a kind Host, your patience will give a memorable event for years for all the world. So the more you can discribe interesting situation even you dont like, the clear picture will be. And watching these games on TV, as for me, I will see more than the camera shows. So it's more interesting. Hope for your next notes. Luce, thank you.

[luce-neidert]

Sorry to disapoint you, Dmytro, I don't have a TV, never watch TV, never watch sports... I have other intetests!

[bf97c28c]

Luce.
I respect your position. I think the notes of your own vision are worth more than the TV.

[luce-neidert]

Here's some information about what you won't see on T.V. : a heat wave is on its way in France. Started in the South of France yesterday, is on its way to the North (Paris is in the North now). That's one of the things I feared would happen, seing that global warming is triggering heat waves in France nealy every summer now.

[bf97c28c]

These are really important changes that are worth mentioning. Maybe it will matter for games. So I watched the opening. It was beautiful, except for the rain. How about you?

[luce-neidert]

No, I didn't watch it. My son did. He found it marvelous. I'm a bit sad that whoever planned it included features that shocked various groups of viewers. That was unecessary.

[bf97c28c]

It's interesting. How about foreigners do you see a lot of nearby? I mean who came for the games.

[luce-neidert]

No. I live an hour from Paris, I guess foreigners are staying either in or close to Paris.

[bf97c28c]

I understood. Thank you. 

[allpurposewriter]

Hey, Luce,

I stand corrected. Or, I stand with my opinion amended.  It turns out the first study that predicted climate change was written in 1896 by a Swedish scientist named Svante Arrhenius. 

Earlier, I wrote that it's too bad folks didn't see complications ahead when the gas-powered engine was first invented -- or when it was inevitable that carbon emissions from gas-powered engines would someday be the bane of mankind. 

I don't know how many gas-powered engines were in use in 1896, but, as usual, there was a bright scientist who gave fair warning to our impending doom well before it was too late. Arrhenius recieved the Nobel Prize in 1903, so his warning was not entirely ignored or laughed at ... it's just that, to put it one way, the wheels of industry overran good science, as per usual.