Let the Games Begin! There are few better arguments that Humanity continues to be a worthwhile endeavor than the International Olympiad. Watching the opening ceremonies tonight, seeing the endless shades of my fellow men and women marching together, not for the edification of their home countries, but in celebration of Mankind itself, I thought, "Yes, we are marvelous." This is what the atheletes who will compete in Athens truly represent. They are our greatest hope: A reflection of our world joined in admiration, skill and persevearance. The Opening Ceremony What a wonderful show Athens gave us. The story of Greece is the story of Western civilization and the Host Comittee created a beautiful pageant that felt like a History of the World directed by the love child of Stanley Kubrick and Julie Taymor. It was huge, sometimes esoteric, grandiose, but also incredibly human, or more rightly, humane. The sepctacle did not overwhelm its subject matter, ie: us. Did my mind drift to fears of terrorists? Yes, but watching the explosions of fireworks and the enduring flame of the olympic torch as it reached its way into Calatrava's sweeping stadium, I stood in awe of what we have, as a species, accomplished in spite of our own petty hatreds; I, and the world, was reminded what greatness our collective genius can accomplish. This is why the Olympics are so vital. They inspire us to live out its motto: Swifter, Higher, Stronger- not just on the field, but in our own lives as well. And while political leaders have tried to use the Olympic Games to push foward their own agenda, (most notably Hitler, most recently George W., whose latest ad implies that a vote for Bush is a vote for Michael Phelps) and athletes get caught up in scandal, the Olympics endure because, really folks, we need them. Japhyjunket's Olympic Coverage Because Japhyjunket can not compete with Bob Costas (who talked all the way through Bjork's Opening Ceremony performance) and NBC coverage ("Seventy Hours a Day!") , I will spare all of you from my attempts to become a sports journalist. Instead, I will do what I do do best- natter on about whatever weird esoteric subject interests me. In the spirit of the Olympics, over the next sixteen days, Japhyjunket will go global. I am lucky to have an international audience and would like to thank the people abroad who have chosen to read Japhyjunket. In tribute to them and the spirit of global unity that the games represent, I will offer up articles focusing on the top ten foriegn countries that read Japhyjunket. For the next two weeks, Japhyjunket belongs to you. The countries Japhyjunket will cover are: (links are to Olympic news for respective country) Great Britain Canada Japan Australia France Germany The Netherlands (whose native son, Tiesto becomes the first DJ to ever play at the Olympics) Belgium Spain Singapore

posted by Japhy at 8/13/2004 11:34:00 PM || #