Olympinonsense

[gurnemanz]

Lat, to clarify my position. If someone has been brought up in this country, their adopted country, then I don't think anyone has a problem with them being British. My problem has been with certain "imported" athletes such as (can't remember her name) the triple jumper who has competed for Cuba and somewhere else (sorry to be so vague!) who merely changed nationality in order to compete

Yamilé Aldama, the triple-jumper in question "merely changed nationality" by marrying someone British, like my wife who was born in Germany. Unlike her, the only time my wife jumps is when I creep up behind her and shout boo.

[Anna]

Many thanks for clarification gurnemanz, I had not known that.
Lat, I don't have an answer for you as I don't know enough of the rules of residency/citizenship (as has just been proved above!!)

[Lateralthinking1]

Many thanks for clarification gurnemanz, I had not known that.
Lat, I don't have an answer for you as I don't know enough of the rules of residency/citizenship (as has just been proved above!!)

That's ok, Anna - nor do I!

I doubt it is a huge issue. I just feel that some countries with smaller populations lose out a bit in these situations. Although my main example is Australia, it is particularly a shame for the poorer ones.

[Pabmusic]

John Lennon: Imagine

Scotty might be pleased to know he has the support of Turkish state TV:

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/trt-refuses-to-imagine-world-without-religion-censures-lennon-song-at-olympic-ceremony-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=27744&NewsCatID=383#.UCpYUSeXkIU.twitter

[scottycelt]

John Lennon: Imagine .. Scotty might be pleased to know he has the support of Turkish state TV:

Surprised rather than pleased,Turkey being an avowedly secular state, Pab ...

It does however demonstrate that the country's TV mouthpiece is well aware and respectful of the beliefs of a huge part of its audience, unlike certain event organisers rather closer to home.

Getting back to the closing ceremony as a whole, when I heard Imagine I stopped viewing in sheer disbelief (no pun intended) as I dreaded what might come next. Since then, and with a spare three hours, I watched a recording of the whole thing on iplayer and, apart from the song, it did have its unexpectedly good moments ... I loved the London Welsh Male Voice Choir singing the Olympic Anthem and we even had some ballet, for goodness sake. Annie Lennox was great fun as well! My initial impression, on more studied reflection, was unfairly harsh,

As Gary Lineker also pointed out if anybody deserved a gold medal at these games, it was those responsible for the impressive lighting effects at both ceremonies ... simply superb!

[Lateralthinking1]

Surprised rather than pleased,Turkey being an avowedly secular state, Pab ...

It does however demonstrate that the country's TV mouthpiece is well aware and respectful of the beliefs of a huge part of its audience, unlike certain event organisers rather closer to home.

Getting back to the closing ceremony as a whole, when I heard Imagine I stopped viewing in sheer disbelief (no pun intended) as I dreaded what might come next. Since then, and with a spare three hours, I watched a recording of the whole thing on iplayer and, apart from the song, it did have its unexpectedly good moments ... I loved the London Welsh Male Voice Choir singing the Olympic Anthem and we even had some ballet, for goodness sake. Annie Lennox was great fun as well! My initial impression, on more studied reflection, was unfairly harsh,

As Gary Lineker also pointed out if anybody deserved a gold medal at these games, it was those responsible for the impressive lighting effects at both ceremonies ... simply superb!

Well, that's fair scottycelt. Personally, I didn't think that there was enough yellow in the lighting but I will have a look again.

What do you think of the line "imagine no possessions"? Do you think people mean it literally when they sing it and do you get hot under the collar when they do?

[scottycelt]

What do you think of the line "imagine no possessions"? Do you think people mean it literally when they sing it and do you get hot under the collar when they do?

I would imagine a lot less 'hot under the collar' than some who object to Scots and Welsh athletes not singing God Save the Queen, Lateralthinking1 ...

[Lateralthinking1]

I would imagine a lot less 'hot under the collar' than some who object to Scots and Welsh athletes not singing God Save the Queen, Lateralthinking1 ...

You will be pleased to hear, scottycelt, that I have awarded your answer an A.

However!

The differences are:

(i) Singing GSTQ was a reasonable requirement of members of Team GB as it was about wholehearted representation. 'Imagine' was a part of a showcase of Britain to entertain all of of the world.

(ii) Literal interpretations were not appropriate to the event. During 'Here Comes The Sun', it was dark; Ray Davies often changes his story on whether "Waterloo Sunset" was written about London, as everyone in the stadium thought, or Liverpool;

and when the David Bowie record was being played - a part of its lyric "Fashion - turn to the left; Fashion - turn to the right", the models didn't turn at all but rather provocatively gyrated.

(iii) It is probably also true that every word of GSTQ should not be interpreted literally. That is how some of the Celtic minorities ended up in a pickle. It is merely a broad statement about national loyalty.

[Anna]

(i) Singing GSTQ was a reasonable requirement of members of Team GB as it was about wholehearted representation. 'Imagine' was a part of a broad showcase of Britain to entertain all of of the world.

In fact very few Team GB sang GSTQ when awarded medals, Bradley Wiggins certainly didn't! Other nationalities also didn't sing theirs. Although it's very difficult to sing if you are choked with emotion.
As to Imagine I've always thought of it as a song for peace and world unity, imagining a sort of Utopia. Now however I associate it with funerals as it's been played at the last two I've attended when the coffin enters.

[Lateralthinking1]

Bradley Wiggins certainly didn't!

Well that's hardly surprising Anna. He was born in Belgium and his father was an Australian. More to the point, he is a controversialist. He is currently in Majorca celebrating his success with beer, pies and cigarettes:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/cycling/9476594/Bradley-Wiggins-celebrates-Olympic-gold-with-wine-and-cigarette-in-Majorca.html

[scottycelt]

You will be pleased to hear, scottycelt, that I have awarded your answer an A.

However!

The differences are:

(i) Singing GSTQ was a reasonable requirement of members of Team GB as it was about wholehearted representation. 'Imagine' was a part of a showcase of Britain to entertain all of of the world.

(ii) Literal interpretations were not appropriate to the event. During 'Here Comes The Sun', it was dark; Ray Davies often changes his story on whether "Waterloo Sunset" was written about London, as everyone in the stadium thought, or Liverpool;

and when the David Bowie record was being played - a part of its lyric "Fashion - turn to the left; Fashion - turn to the right", the models didn't turn at all but rather provocatively gyrated.

(iii) It is probably also true that every word of GSTQ should not be interpreted literally. That is how some of the Celtic minorities ended up in a pickle. It is merely a broad statement about national loyalty.

When it came to GSTQ, Andy Murray got it absolutely right, imho ...

As soon as the music began he burst into a broad grin (obviously very conscious and amused at anti-Celtic eyes eagerly waiting to pounce on any perceived non-movement of lips) and then clearly tried to mouth one or two little words in what now appears to have been a successful attempt to appease his many English detractors (at least those in the media).

Thanks for my own gold medal award, lateralthinking1, though I'm surprised that anybody should think the Ray Davies song referred to Liverpool rather than London.

Didn't Mr Davies sing about Waterloo Underground or maybe this wasn't to be taken literally either and he really meant John Lennon Airport? (or whatever it was called then!)

[handsomefortune]

one or two little words

what, like murray sang 'and', 'of' or 'the' ....can't say i blame him tbh!

i am happy at murray's success, but cringed at shots of his girlfriend and mum, the cameras zoom in, flicking back and forth from tennis to out and out voyeurism for its own sake. he'll need to have continuing success and cash to keep sports news mongers at bay, that's for sure.

alan partridge knows these (muscular) things:

'on the hour', imv a near perfect accompaniment to the olympinonsense thread, alan covers olympic muscles with his particular style of rap around sporting commentary http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00f...pisodes/player

[Anna]

Well that's hardly surprising Anna. He was born in Belgium and his father was an Australian.

Being born in Ghent hardly makes him a Belgian anymore than my uncle George being born in Lucknow makes him an Indian. It just means their mothers were there at the time. I think it was Spike Milligan who said "if a cat has kittens in an oven it doesn't make them buns"

Admittedly Bradley is half Australian but as his father walked out when he was 2 and he was raised in Kilburn by his mother and his maternal grandparents what does his father's ancestry all those years ago matter? He was raised in Britain and has a British passport.

[Richard Tarleton]

Being born in Ghent hardly makes him a Belgian anymore than my uncle George being born in Lucknow makes him an Indian. It just means their mothers were there at the time. I think it was Spike Milligan who said "if a cat has kittens in an oven it doesn't make them buns"

Admittedly Bradley is half Australian but as his father walked out when he was 2 and he was raised in Kilburn by his mother and his maternal grandparents what does his father's ancestry all those years ago matter? He was raised in Britain and has a British passport.

Lovely, Anna. Lat, I think rather than sniping at individuals' parentage, residency etc., you simply need to give us your criteria for Olympic eligibility, so that we can see exactly what you do consider acceptable. My father was born in India, and I was born on a Mediterranean island, which I suspect by your standards means Team GB will just have to do without me.

[Lateralthinking1]

Lovely, Anna. Lat, I think rather than sniping at individuals' parentage, residency etc., you simply need to give us your criteria for Olympic eligibility, so that we can see exactly what you do consider acceptable. My father was born in India, and I was born on a Mediterranean island, which I suspect by your standards means Team GB will just have to do without me.

(a) Being born in Britain

or

(b) At least one parent born in Britain and at least 50% of the competitor's childhood (Age 0-16) spent in Britain.