I am sooooo glad our women's gymnastics team won the gold! It was so heartbreaking that Jordyn Wieber didn't make it to the individual all-round finals--her score was 4th out of everyone behind 2 teammates and a Russian, but only the top two athletes from each country are allowed to compete in that event. So sad! But she did her best to put it behind her to help the team win gold. Now THAT is a great competitor! So many talented athletes have a really hard time coming back from disappointment like that, but Jordyn did it. What a great team! Every single routine was great, and a few, like Jordyn's own floor routine and McKayla Maroney's vault, were basically flawless. It's always fun to watch an entire team succeed together.
The US swim team is doing awesome this year, too! Nearly every single swimmer we have has won a medal, including Allison Schmitt's exciting gold tonight in the 200m freestyle. The women, in particular have been really impressive. Phelps and the men have been great, too, but when you're expected to win and you get silver, it feels like a loss. Any medal at all is a big achievement, but there is definitely a difference between "winning" bronze and "losing" gold. Phelps "lost" gold tonight in the 200m butterfly because he had some iffy turns and a bad finish, but he did make history by becoming the most decorated Olympian EVER with his 19th medal (a gold) from the 4x200m freestyle relay. Very cool!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Missy Franklin is on a roll!
Individual diving is pretty amazing, but synchronized diving is double the awesome. Not only are the dives cool-looking and super difficult, two people have to do the exact same thing at the exact same time! And the US did great, too! The women's team won silver and the men's team, bronze. So neat!
The American men really messed up the team gymnastics competition, but the Brits pulled through to medal for the first time in a hundred years with a bronze. Originally, Britian had silver, Ukraine had bronze, and Japan got fourth, but Japan disputed a score and was moved up to second, bumping Ukraine off the medal stand. You can't blame a coach for looking out for his team, but I, for one, thought the Japanese guy's score was fair--his pommel horse dismount looked pretty terrible to me. I feel sorry for the Ukraine.
US swimmer Missy Franklin (17 years old) has a really great story. She and her family decided to stay in Colorado to train instead of moving to a bigger swimming state (like California), and they have turned down numerous sponsorships and prize money offers so she could stay eligible to swim with her high school team. I think that's really cool--that her parents are allowing her to stay a normal kid as much as possible, not pushing her talent to the breaking point or weighing down her shoulders with high-stakes pressure. As a result, swimming has remained a fun activity for her instead of an obligation and a job. That's the way it should be done... and it has worked out splendid for Missy! In addition to the bronze she got with the US team in the 4x100m freestyle, she won GOLD in the 100m backstroke 14 minutes after swimming in a heat for the 200m freestyle. Looks like I have a new favorite swimmer.
The American men really messed up the team gymnastics competition, but the Brits pulled through to medal for the first time in a hundred years with a bronze. Originally, Britian had silver, Ukraine had bronze, and Japan got fourth, but Japan disputed a score and was moved up to second, bumping Ukraine off the medal stand. You can't blame a coach for looking out for his team, but I, for one, thought the Japanese guy's score was fair--his pommel horse dismount looked pretty terrible to me. I feel sorry for the Ukraine.
US swimmer Missy Franklin (17 years old) has a really great story. She and her family decided to stay in Colorado to train instead of moving to a bigger swimming state (like California), and they have turned down numerous sponsorships and prize money offers so she could stay eligible to swim with her high school team. I think that's really cool--that her parents are allowing her to stay a normal kid as much as possible, not pushing her talent to the breaking point or weighing down her shoulders with high-stakes pressure. As a result, swimming has remained a fun activity for her instead of an obligation and a job. That's the way it should be done... and it has worked out splendid for Missy! In addition to the bronze she got with the US team in the 4x100m freestyle, she won GOLD in the 100m backstroke 14 minutes after swimming in a heat for the 200m freestyle. Looks like I have a new favorite swimmer.
Monday, July 30, 2012
American women are owning
I really enjoyed watching women's weightlifting. If whoever runs the 100m is the fastest in the world, then I suppose whoever lifts the most would be considered the strongest in the world. Those asian women are so much smaller than me, but they can lift 2 me's into the air. So cool.
The women's road race was pretty exciting. It was raining, which made the road slick (and caused the cameramen to repeatedly wipe off their cameras), so quite a few crashes occurred. I really wish I had had time to watch it all the way through, but because of work and other events to catch up on, I had to fast-forward through most of it. For much of the race, the US team stayed up at the front to avoid crashes, but later on, the Dutch kept attacking to lead and pick up the pace. Toward the end, Vos of the Netherlands, Armistead of Britain, and Zabelinskaya of Russia pulled ahead and stayed close till the very end, getting gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. It was quite the riveting finish!
The men's 4x100m freestyle relay was exciting, too. It looked like we had it won, but the French caught up to us in the last 50m--exactly the same thing that happened in 2008 but the other way around!
NBC did a special on Kim Rhode, who won gold in individual skeet shooting, becoming the first American to win individual medals in 5 consecutive Olympics. She's only missed once in all that time! Wowie! And Dana Vollmer won gold in the 100m butterfly in world record time, becoming the first woman to swim it in under 56 seconds--faster than most men! Yay for American women!
The women's road race was pretty exciting. It was raining, which made the road slick (and caused the cameramen to repeatedly wipe off their cameras), so quite a few crashes occurred. I really wish I had had time to watch it all the way through, but because of work and other events to catch up on, I had to fast-forward through most of it. For much of the race, the US team stayed up at the front to avoid crashes, but later on, the Dutch kept attacking to lead and pick up the pace. Toward the end, Vos of the Netherlands, Armistead of Britain, and Zabelinskaya of Russia pulled ahead and stayed close till the very end, getting gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. It was quite the riveting finish!
The men's 4x100m freestyle relay was exciting, too. It looked like we had it won, but the French caught up to us in the last 50m--exactly the same thing that happened in 2008 but the other way around!
NBC did a special on Kim Rhode, who won gold in individual skeet shooting, becoming the first American to win individual medals in 5 consecutive Olympics. She's only missed once in all that time! Wowie! And Dana Vollmer won gold in the 100m butterfly in world record time, becoming the first woman to swim it in under 56 seconds--faster than most men! Yay for American women!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The 2012 games have begun
I loved London's Opening Ceremonies. It really showed off how much great stuff Britain has produced for the world over the centuries. The progression of time was a cool framework for the show, starting out with quaint agrarian life (reminiscent of Hobbiton), transitioning to the Industrial Revolution (towering silos coming out of the ground reminded me of the intro to "Game of Thrones"), and then on to the digital age (feature texting and modern music). The musical ride from the 50s to today was very neat and well-done. I'm glad they saved Pink Floyed for the fireworks finale--so fitting!
The short film featuring the Queen and James Bond (Daniel Craig) getting into a helicopter was fun, then seeing "them" jump out of it into the stadium right before Her Majesty's declaration of opening the games was very clever! Roan Atkinson "playing" the Chariots of Fire theme was HILARIOUS! I could not stop laughing through that entire song. I also greatly enjoyed watching top-hatted Kenneth Branagh wander around hordes of people whilst chomping on a cigar and posing with fists on hips.
The idea of having one copper pedal for each country come together to form one Olympic flame was ingenious. And Paul McCartney was a great closer, leading the crowd in singing "Hey Jude." My favorite part, however, was the children's literature segment. JK Rowling read a passage from Peter Pan, kids jumped and flipped on movable beds, costumed nightmare creatures danced around sleeping children, and a giant Voldemort was defeated by many Mary Poppinses!
Danny Boyle's production turned out to be incredibly creative, visually interesting, and intensely entertaining. China's awesome ceremony in Beijing was impressively big, but I liked this one better. I do hope to see the good Doctor somewhere in the closing ceremonies, though.
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I noticed that some of the cyclers in the men's road race were chatting it up during the first part of their ride, when everyone was still in a big clump. What a great example of the Olympic spirit! Seeing athletes from different countries being friendly and nice to each other, especially during competition, is one of the main reasons why I love to watch them. It's always see great sportsmanship at the Olympic level--makes me wish it was more common in US pro and college sports. Another thing I enjoy: seeing older athletes and underdogs win! 38-year-old Vinokourov of Kazakhstan surprised everyone and took home the gold for this race.
There was an Irishman named Kieran Behan competing in men's gymnastics with an inspiring backstory. He's had quite a few bad injuries that had doctors thinking he wouldn't walk again, let alone compete in the Olympics! But he recovered from them all to become the second man from Ireland ever to qualify for the Games. He didn't get to the finals, but he sure had the time of his life. How cool is that?
Ryan Lochte won the gold by a longshot in the men's 400 IM (individual medley). His extra hard work over the last four years has really paid off, and as he said, he's "ready to rock" for the other events. Michael Phelps got 4th. Just goes to show that busting one's ass can really make a difference.
The short film featuring the Queen and James Bond (Daniel Craig) getting into a helicopter was fun, then seeing "them" jump out of it into the stadium right before Her Majesty's declaration of opening the games was very clever! Roan Atkinson "playing" the Chariots of Fire theme was HILARIOUS! I could not stop laughing through that entire song. I also greatly enjoyed watching top-hatted Kenneth Branagh wander around hordes of people whilst chomping on a cigar and posing with fists on hips.
The idea of having one copper pedal for each country come together to form one Olympic flame was ingenious. And Paul McCartney was a great closer, leading the crowd in singing "Hey Jude." My favorite part, however, was the children's literature segment. JK Rowling read a passage from Peter Pan, kids jumped and flipped on movable beds, costumed nightmare creatures danced around sleeping children, and a giant Voldemort was defeated by many Mary Poppinses!
Danny Boyle's production turned out to be incredibly creative, visually interesting, and intensely entertaining. China's awesome ceremony in Beijing was impressively big, but I liked this one better. I do hope to see the good Doctor somewhere in the closing ceremonies, though.
_________________________________________________________
I noticed that some of the cyclers in the men's road race were chatting it up during the first part of their ride, when everyone was still in a big clump. What a great example of the Olympic spirit! Seeing athletes from different countries being friendly and nice to each other, especially during competition, is one of the main reasons why I love to watch them. It's always see great sportsmanship at the Olympic level--makes me wish it was more common in US pro and college sports. Another thing I enjoy: seeing older athletes and underdogs win! 38-year-old Vinokourov of Kazakhstan surprised everyone and took home the gold for this race.
There was an Irishman named Kieran Behan competing in men's gymnastics with an inspiring backstory. He's had quite a few bad injuries that had doctors thinking he wouldn't walk again, let alone compete in the Olympics! But he recovered from them all to become the second man from Ireland ever to qualify for the Games. He didn't get to the finals, but he sure had the time of his life. How cool is that?
Ryan Lochte won the gold by a longshot in the men's 400 IM (individual medley). His extra hard work over the last four years has really paid off, and as he said, he's "ready to rock" for the other events. Michael Phelps got 4th. Just goes to show that busting one's ass can really make a difference.
Monday, July 23, 2012
This year has been interesting so far.
2012 started off pretty well. I did some soul searching and figured out that I wanted to become a librarian. I wouldn't quite call it my life's passion, but after working at a library as an aide (aka page), I realized I could see myself staying in that environment long-term. Here was a job that I could make into an enjoyable and fulfilling career. So I started doing research on grad school for a Master's in Library Science.
Then I read Lissa Rankin's book What's Up Down There? about women's health, which enlightened me in regards to how I should view my body and overall health. Her websites OwningPink.com and LissaRankin.com illustrate her innovative view of "whole health," which includes other aspects of life besides just physical well-being. She's also a champion of living life according to what she calls your "Inner Pilot Light," which basically means being true to yourself and listening to yeart heart and conscience.
My research on Lissa's ideas eventually led me to an inspiring TED talk by Brene Brown, which helped me more clearly form my outlook on life and people in general. I already believed in something close to what she said in the lecture, but my feelings on the subject were unfocused. Brene uses her extensive research on shame and vulnerability to posit that being vulnerable is the key to having healthy relationships with oneself and others, which, in turn, leads to contentment with life and prevents feelings of shame. Basically, she provided me with a clear outline of proof supporting my view of how the world works. I was so amazing that I bought both her book (which are excellent) and continue to gobble up everything she publishes.
In the midst of all that, however, was great tragedy. My Grandma Pat died on February 10th after fighting against numerous ailments that hit her back-to-back in a short stretch of time. We knew she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months earlier, but what started the avalanche that buried her was a stupid little blood clot. It all happened too fast for me to write about while it was going on, and I still having trouble thinking about it now, five months later. In a way, though, I'm glad she didn't have to go through a long drawn-out process with chemotherapy and lingering discomfort. I do selfishly wish I had had more time with her, but she's no longer in pain and no longer has to feel anxious about impending treatment for terminal illness. I believe she is in a better place.
I definitely feel that I've grown a lot as an individual over the past few months. I've learned new things about myself and the world, I've come to terms with my outlook on life, and I feel closer to my family after spending so much time with them surrounding my grandma's illness. I've had some pretty rough times this year, but getting through them made me stronger. I feel like I have a purpose again, something to strive for, and even though I may need to dig a little deeper to find out whether librarianship is my true "calling," it's still something I care about deeply enough to pursue with vigor. This is where I'm at so far:
I don't feel a need to help kids learn directly, I aspire to help them want to learn. I guess that's why being a teacher doesn't really appeal to me but being a librarian does. A teacher has an obligation to try to impart knowledge on a specific subject, whether or not their students actually care to learn about it. A librarian has an obligation to aid someone who asks for knowledge, but if a person has no desire to learn about a certain topic, there is no obligation for the librarian to pursue the matter. A librarian's main goal is to make information available to everyone who wishes to learn it and to encourage learning across a broad spectrum. Teachers are like steering wheels and librarians are the road signs! The real trick is to inspire people, especially kids, to want to explore new ideas by making them fun, easy, and intriguing. Doing this for kids, especially, helps them grow into intelligent, confident, and inquisitive adults who continue to learn throughout their lives.
Then I read Lissa Rankin's book What's Up Down There? about women's health, which enlightened me in regards to how I should view my body and overall health. Her websites OwningPink.com and LissaRankin.com illustrate her innovative view of "whole health," which includes other aspects of life besides just physical well-being. She's also a champion of living life according to what she calls your "Inner Pilot Light," which basically means being true to yourself and listening to yeart heart and conscience.
My research on Lissa's ideas eventually led me to an inspiring TED talk by Brene Brown, which helped me more clearly form my outlook on life and people in general. I already believed in something close to what she said in the lecture, but my feelings on the subject were unfocused. Brene uses her extensive research on shame and vulnerability to posit that being vulnerable is the key to having healthy relationships with oneself and others, which, in turn, leads to contentment with life and prevents feelings of shame. Basically, she provided me with a clear outline of proof supporting my view of how the world works. I was so amazing that I bought both her book (which are excellent) and continue to gobble up everything she publishes.
In the midst of all that, however, was great tragedy. My Grandma Pat died on February 10th after fighting against numerous ailments that hit her back-to-back in a short stretch of time. We knew she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months earlier, but what started the avalanche that buried her was a stupid little blood clot. It all happened too fast for me to write about while it was going on, and I still having trouble thinking about it now, five months later. In a way, though, I'm glad she didn't have to go through a long drawn-out process with chemotherapy and lingering discomfort. I do selfishly wish I had had more time with her, but she's no longer in pain and no longer has to feel anxious about impending treatment for terminal illness. I believe she is in a better place.
I definitely feel that I've grown a lot as an individual over the past few months. I've learned new things about myself and the world, I've come to terms with my outlook on life, and I feel closer to my family after spending so much time with them surrounding my grandma's illness. I've had some pretty rough times this year, but getting through them made me stronger. I feel like I have a purpose again, something to strive for, and even though I may need to dig a little deeper to find out whether librarianship is my true "calling," it's still something I care about deeply enough to pursue with vigor. This is where I'm at so far:
I don't feel a need to help kids learn directly, I aspire to help them want to learn. I guess that's why being a teacher doesn't really appeal to me but being a librarian does. A teacher has an obligation to try to impart knowledge on a specific subject, whether or not their students actually care to learn about it. A librarian has an obligation to aid someone who asks for knowledge, but if a person has no desire to learn about a certain topic, there is no obligation for the librarian to pursue the matter. A librarian's main goal is to make information available to everyone who wishes to learn it and to encourage learning across a broad spectrum. Teachers are like steering wheels and librarians are the road signs! The real trick is to inspire people, especially kids, to want to explore new ideas by making them fun, easy, and intriguing. Doing this for kids, especially, helps them grow into intelligent, confident, and inquisitive adults who continue to learn throughout their lives.
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