I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Off-Topic => Off-Topic: Talk about anything you want. => Topic started by: Ohio Buckeye on August 08, 2008, 05:51:21 PM
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Do you watch the summer olympics?
Do you have anyone from your school or state you are pulling for?
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Yes
Yes, but I haven't been able to see them yet due to the smog
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The opening ceremonies are cool.
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I won't be competing this year because I was unable to find a dialysis center in Bejing.
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I have been watching the opening ceremonies and they have been incredible. My 6 yr old grandson is with me tonight, so it has been fun explaining the Olympics and looking at the map for different countries. He is very curious and is really enjoying the spectacular productions. Absolutely beautiful! I love the Olympics and the whole concept of coming together.
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OH YEH, they are on! Thanks for reminding me! Gotta go!
:waving;
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My dad couldn't wait to watch them. He had to make sure I would have the channel that would show the Olympics in my house! lol
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about half the countries I've never heard of
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Awesome!!!!! China put on a really beautiful show. It makes the heart feel good to see the world
come together like this.
Mimi
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Pretty amazing show, but also pretty long! I thought for a second they were gonna drop the torch guy flying around the stadium.
about half the countries I've never heard of
Only half? More than that for me.
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Is it over yet? :rofl;
Just glad I have another 200 plus channels to watch and many DVD's to watch.
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Marvin and I love watching the Olympics! We watched the Opening Ceremony last night -- impressive but mighty, mighty long!
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I like the track, basketball, and swimming and boxing.
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Yes it was pretty good and for once the aussies wore some nice gear and not something stupid... even if we were 3rd last to come out. Thought the Greeks were the worst (most boring) dressed... and thought the caps the US team wore were a bit.. umm... well... sure.. whatever floats your boat!
It was very long everyone at dialysis today were yawning having stayed up till 2am local time to watch it! LOL
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I'm watching! I LOVED the opening ceremonies! They said the director had a $300 million budget!!!!! Truly amazing.
I especially loved the drums at the beginning and the printing blocks. I couldn't believe that they were operated by people. The precision was so incredible that I thought it had to be computerized and hydraulics.
I agree with the hats that the US were wearing. I couldn't believe it when Costas said the they were hoping to make that hat the US version of the Canada beret from the winter olympics in Salt Lake City. I don't think so. The US hat looked like it should be worn by an old man while motoring along the country roads in his Jag E-Type, while the Canadian hat was actually pretty cool.
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I was really shocked to hear about the brutal attack and murder that happened in Beijing this morning. The victim was the father-in-law of the U.S. Mens Volleyball team coach. His wife remains in critical condition. The assailant commited suicide after the stabbing by jumping off the tower. I hope this turns out to be an isolated incident.
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It got to be so late that I turned the TV off part-way through the parade of nations and missed the torch lighting entirely. Guess I'll have to Google that to see it.
Really sorry to hear about the attack. As flip said, I sure hope this was an isolated incident.
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I'm glad there was a commentator telling us what all the drums and the print heads and water meant. I was going....."hua"?
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I can't help but think about ongoing entrenched human rights abuses, the rounding up of dissidents,the extreme censorship of the media including the internet despite promises to the contrary to the IOC, hellish prisons almost next-door to shiny new sports venues, holding, among others, people who simply want the freedom to meditate (falun gong), the Tibetan situation, Darfur, all in the background of the lavish spectacle that is the Chinese Olympics. I even find myself thinking about the prisoners (often held on extremely dubious grounds) selected for death because their organs match the shopping list of Western buyers. I can't seem to just enjoy the party no matter how hard I try or how much I support the idea of the Olympics and the individual achievements of all the athletes from all the various countries. I can't seem to get past the deep icky feeling that arises when I think of the international platform that the Olympics has given to an incredibly authoritarian, some would say fascist, regime. I think I might, no, I know I would have had similar feelings had I been alive for the 1936 Olympics. Try as I might, I can't untangle the platform from the politics of the host country. I don't think boycotting would change a thing but I also don't think the games should have been given to China in the first place. The only consolation I take is that they weren't awarded to Toronto, where I live. I want my tax dollars to deal with health funding, pollution, housing for the working poor, the homeless and other tricky urban issues with which we struggle ongoingly. I think Montreal is still paying off the huge debt they incurred from their hosting of the 1976 Olympics.
I apologize for sounding so negative about something that on the surface is so beautiful but I am truly torn between my admiration for the athletes wanting to showcase their accomplishments and my dismay at the appalling policies of China's government.
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I agree with you monrein. I have a BIG problem with the Olympics being in China. They are one of the most corrupt countries in the world with one of the worst civil rights records. then you take into account their treatment of Tibet and the problems in the Sudan and that just solidifies the fact that this country isn't worthy of hosting such a prestigous event.
That said, I just can't get past the fact that it would be fun to show the Chinese that we ARE the best country in the world and take all of their medals!!!!
Just my $.02.
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monrein, Montreal paid off the debt in 2006
I believe it was around 1.5 billion.
Have to agree about China hosting the Olympics, it was the wrong choice. They spent 46 billion & millions people there still earn just 2.00 a day.
As for the opening ceremonies I have to say they were magnificent, but with unlimited funds why wouldn't it be.
I will still be glued to the TV for the next 16 days though.
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Oooooh! Our men's gymanastic team is so cute! And so young! I love watching the gymnastics portion! GO USA! :2thumbsup; :clap; :bandance;
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kelly, my son saw just a little bit of the men's gymnastics and decided that he wants to start taking lessons. The downside is there's no where for him to do that that's less than 30 minutes away; but the upside is, he's built just right for it - very long and lean.
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I too had really mixed reactions to the opening ceremonies. Like Monrein, I have significant concerns about China's policies on many, many issues. In Greece, women carried the Olympic flag -- in China it was the military because 'the military will guarantee stability" (or something like that). But then they go and project a blue whale on the screen circling the stadium and emphasize that the goal for China is to find a way to have both prosperity and sustainability. They knew they would have a billion dollar moment and they took full advantage. The world was their stage last night.
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Well said Monrein... China is shocking in terms of human rights... and just watching the road race the other day with hundreds of police/army along the way and hardly any spectators allowed near (not even families of the riders...WTF??) just underlines the whole thing... and for all that security some guy still goes nuts and killed that American the other day. Also $300 million for that? Think of the homless and poor.. sheesh...
A lot of comments I have read were about the military like ovetones of the opening ceremony - specially the regimented numbers all doing things in unison like clockwork... and I agree. I was watching some of it thinking if someone does something wrong they'll be shipped off to the Gulag.....
sad
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I was discussing the persicion moves of the drummers, the tai chi guys in the circles and the "box" people. All the years my kids were in marching band and they would never be able to do those perfect circles. My brother in law said that everything was perfect because in practice they shot the ones who made mistakes. He is a police officer with a strange sense of humor. I can't imagine anyone agreeing with China's view on human rights. I am trying to watch and enjoy the athletes who have trained and are so excited to be there. I love hearing all the background stories.
You're right RichardMel----very sad indeed.
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KT, no matter what your son wants to do in the future (football, soccar, baseball, etc.) gymanstics and/or ballet iwould be the best for him when he is young! That's so adorable that he wants to start taking gymnastics. He's probably thinking "I'll bet the girls go wild for those guys". :clap; And he's right!!!
Maybe you could find a few other boys who are also interested and you could start a carpool schedule.
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A co-worker sent along some photos of the gardens they created for the Olympics. I can't post them all, but here's a selection. They are pretty amazing.
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Wow, those are some serious topiaries. Now if only we in Canada could turn some of our Canada geese into ones like in the last photo, we'd have a lot less goose poop all over the place. At our cottage we chase them off the lawn with a police whistle. They're quite nasty all in all. And they'll chase and peck you if they have young. Many stay here all winter now rather than go south.
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A co-worker sent along some photos of the gardens they created for the Olympics. I can't post them all, but here's a selection. They are pretty amazing.
Amazing gardens!
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I loved the opening ceremony, but I'm not interested in the events. I wouldn't watch regardless of the country, so it's not like I'm boycotting it or anything. However, I did catch just a few minutes of a lecture program on the behind the scenes stuff surrounding the Olympics in China. I think it was on either the University of Washington channel or the Research Channel. According to the lecture, the Chinese government supposedly displaced millions of people to create the venus. Other people were brought in from the surrounding countryside and forced to work on creating it all. I hope it'll be repeated. From the tiny bit I saw, it looked very interesting.
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They sure did displace a lot of people, a terrible thing to do to their own people. Check out link below.
I didn't like the military being part of the Olympics either it was out of place, scary looking bunch too.
http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/urban.php/978
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But I'm still patriotic and I'm still watching and rooting
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Me too Flip.
Here is a cool (in a science nerd sort of way) article about the swimsuits the US team is wearing:
http://ptonline.aip.org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_61/iss_8/32_1.shtml
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Olympics is a great venue for people all over the world to come together and have fair competitions on the same playing field, without any regard to color, race, religion, or stature. In my opinion, politics should not play any role in the Olympics. I love watching the games and also I appreciate getting a peek into a culture that I would never see. Sure, i disagree with a lot of what they stand for and how they run their country, but I respect that it is kept separate from the Olympic games.
Did anyone see the synchronized diving? I think it's incredible that they can fall at the same rate and hit the water at the same time, even if they have totally different body sizes. How do they do that?
You gotta love watching Phelps!!!! It's a once in a lifetime experience to see him fly in the water, breaking the world records, and capturing all that gold.
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Phelps is amazing and I enjoy his events.
What do you thnk of the young girl who sang in the opening ceremonies that was lipsyncing because the little girl who was really singing didn't have the "right" look? The Olympic committe made the wrong choice, knowing how China deals with human rights. (My opinion!)
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Did anyone see the synchronized diving? I think it's incredible that they can fall at the same rate and hit the water at the same time, even if they have totally different body sizes. How do they do that?
I think that part stems from the law of gravity. As long as their resistance to the air is not very different they should hit the water at pretty much the same time regardless of height and weight. The link I gave earlier shows where frictional resistance areas are in a swimmer in the water, but since air is much less viscous, I imagine that the frictional resistance affecting divers is probably pretty unimportant. (disclaimer - I am an ecologist, so if there are any physicists out there, please feel free to chime in.)
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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/experiments.html
Here's a good example of Galileo's experiments, one of which shows that all objects fall at the same rate. Have fun!
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What do you thnk of the young girl who sang in the opening ceremonies that was lipsyncing because the little girl who was really singing didn't have the "right" look? The Olympic committe made the wrong choice, knowing how China deals with human rights. (My opinion!)
I think this was absolutely uncalled for and merely shows how desperate that nation is to present a superficially "good" image to the world while it continues to hide its dirty little secrets and represses each and every attempt at free speech and free thought.
Just my :twocents;.
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I have really enjoyed watching the olympians compete and rooting for USA!
Like all of the volleybal, basketball, gymnastics and of course diving and swimming.
Really something to see.
l
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Watching volleyball and syncro diving right now. They are all so incredible. I am in awe of all those lean, muscular bodies!!
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not sure what it is but olympics don't have the same ? as years gone by :urcrazy;
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That's the slight tinge of repression you're sensing......
backed up by the tank in the street.....
having said that... GOLD to our aussie girls in the pool today WOOHOOO....
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Those structures are incredible! The birds' nest, the watercube. Have you seen a picture of the watercube in the evening? It's beautiful!
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The USOC has decided that Michael Phelps is too buck toothed to represent the US on the global stage,and will be replaced for his final events:
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00789/phelps_789982c.jpg)
(http://images.allposters.com/images/54/039_31743.jpg)
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The USOC has decided that Michael Phelps is too buck toothed to represent the US on the global stage,and will be replaced for his final events:
Too funny! :rofl;
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On the news today they kept interviewing women who kept saying Michael is HOT! I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder in this one.
:urcrazy;
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Phelps is amazing and I enjoy his events.
What do you thnk of the young girl who sang in the opening ceremonies that was lipsyncing because the little girl who was really singing didn't have the "right" look? The Olympic committe made the wrong choice, knowing how China deals with human rights. (My opinion!)
I saw a picture of the "real" girl who did the singing, and she's as cute as can be (crooked baby teeth and all). Of course, I also think Michael Phelps is simply adorable -- it's not so much his physical looks but his personality and the way he conducts himself. Hot? Yes, definitely!
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I saw the little girls picture also and she is precious. All children are adorable--China has a strange view on beauty. And Phelps is a cutie! Come on, just look at that body! I love all these marvelous athletes; their dedication, determination, love of their countries. Makes me feel very humble.
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Stephanie Rice can swim in my pool anyday.....
now I just need to get a pool....
3 golds and going strong....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephanie_Rice
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I watched the girls gymnastics and was so proud of our girls winning gold and silver. It is absolutely astonishing what these athletes can do with their bodies.
Mimi
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RichardMel, Stephanie is amazing! I bet you would like her to swim in your pool!
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Can someone explain to me how TRAMPOLINING is an olympic sport??? I mean seriously.....
Next beach volleyball will be.... oh wait....
Well at least they were bikinis..... >:D
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Can someone explain to me how TRAMPOLINING is an olympic sport???
well, I had to check it out... this is the men's gold medalist from the 2004 Olympics in Athens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_Nns4CRknY
He wears tights and looks pretty capable of anything ;)
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Men in tights... I thought that was for Robin Hood.
You'll never see me in tights... lol
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Men in tights... I thought that was for Robin Hood.
You'll never see me in tights... lol
Me neither, bad enough we have to wear those hospital gowns with the back showing!
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Phelps did it! He went for eight and won eight gold medals this Olympics! Good for him!
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Phelps did it! He went for eight and won eight gold medals this Olympics! Good for him!
:usaflag; What a week he's had!
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Phelps did it! He went for eight and won eight gold medals this Olympics! Good for him!
:usaflag; What a week he's had!
Whats more is that he broke his several of his personal best times too :thumbup; I bet Mark Spitz never thought in his lifetime that anyone would match or beat his record of 7 gold.
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OK hands up who saw the 100m Mens final? That guy Bolt was toying with the rest of the field for the last 40m of the race... and in a WR time of 9.68 seconds. AMAZING!
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:cheer: :cheer: My Husband Michael Phelps won his 8th medal!YAY!!! lol
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:cheer: :cheer: My Husband Michael Phelps won his 8th medal!YAY!!! lol
Got married while your parents were away did youKaren ??? :rofl; In your dreams eh! But what a swimmer he is :2thumbsup;
Team GB had a good day today, up to 3rd in the medals table, but medals aren't the be all and end all are they, just to be part of it all must be such a buzz and I say well done to all of the participants who have done their best but come away with only memories (but what memories) :cheer:
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omg Karen you told me you were single!!!!!!! :o :o :o
I have to cancel my flight over there now!!!!
*big olympic size pout*
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We just learned this morning that my husband has a distant cousin in the Olympics. His name is Andrew Campbell and he sails a small sailboat called a laser. He won at least one race :yahoo;, but came in 32nd in another :(. Apparently they have to race a bunch of races before the final standings are determined. My husband met Andrew's mom, who is the cousin of his dad, some years ago, but doesn't think he'd recognize her if he passed her on the street.
Anyway, here's wishing Andrew the best of luck :beer1;
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Ohhhhh congrats Karen....I didn't know you got married...where were you registered??? I didn't know Walmart has a registry???? Did you do this at your pj party??? Sure parents leave town and kids run off..... :rofl;
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I just loved watching Michael Phelps and his mom when they figured out he had won each of his races...they were both so excited, and he's adorable about it. But Karen, his mom seems like she has the potential to be the MIL from h*ll!
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LOL, KT, based on the involvement in his life, she sure does have that potential. Those apron strings could be hard for a new wife to cut. I also loved seeing him go into the audience to give his mom the flowers - I kept yelling to my kids - that's the way to do it - show who is important in your life! She appears to be very dedicated to her son, and I love seeing the appreciation in him. Did you see the swarm of photographers that surrounded him?! It was really tough for him to even move. Wow!! He thought he had a lot of press before! I can't imagine having that many cameras in my face.
Congratulations Phelps! It's been very exciting to watch you in the water. I am in awe of your talent. Congrats, Mom! You done good.
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Oh Karen,,,,
your parents left you alone in the house when your husband is out of the country -
I must say you make a lovely couple
what was in that Chinese food you ate?
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Yep they did! :-\ lol. Oh well, The Honeymoon should be fun ;)
I had Shrimp Fried Rice, some steamed wontons, and sweet and sour shrimp.
Yummy
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Karen,
you know your husband loves Chinese food
have you seen the commerical where the other woman thinks she is going to marry Phelps?
glad you bet her to him
he is rather nice looking
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Karen,
you know your husband loves Chinese food
have you seen the commerical where the other woman thinks she is going to marry Phelps?
glad you bet her to him
he is rather nice looking
...and rich. They're predicting he'll make approximately $40 million during the next 4 years. $5 million per medal, not bad!
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On the news this morning, they showed the new Sports Illustrated cover. They did the picture. Remember the picture with Mark Spitz standing there with all the medals around his neck? Watch for this with Phelps on the next cover. I'll definitely buy that one. It'll be a keeper!
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Freshman year in college I had that picture of Mark Spitz with the medals as a poster. It was hanging right at the head of my bed. :-*
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Michael Phelps -- The early years...
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:rofl; :rofl; :rofl;
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LOL