Athletics always bored me.
Actually, most sport bored me. I am less bored now. Some sports, basketball to take one obvious example, I am actively enraptured by. But mostly – sport is not my thing.
Athletics was a particularly boring example. Okay, some people run. And then they stop. Hmmm.
I’ve watched some athletics at this Olympics, just like I’ve watched some at previous Olympiads. And you know what? It is cool, man. I like watching it. There was something in the paper today about how new technology is making it so much more fascinating – you get to be so close to the athlete, to see their face as they push themselves, compete, succeed or fail.
The runners seem so fast to me now, when once upon a time they seemed to be running at precisely the speed runners should run.
The high jumpers, decathletes, hell, all the track and field – I love watching it. It fills me with a kind of positive existential energy, if that makes any sense. It is thrilling.
Meanwhile, sadly, the NZ mens basketball team has been scorched in its final game, losing big to Australia of all people. A gutwrenching win-loss tally; we came close so many times but couldn’t quite win.
Brilliant news, however – the womens team, so long in the shadow of the men, has fought through to the top 8! I am elated for them.
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Oddest thing about the Destiny Church rally that all the NZ bloggers are talking about – in one report, I see the National Front made an appearance. In a photo elsewhere, I see an Israeli flag being waved. Stephen partly explains (from the comments in Chinashop, well worth a read in full):
“My informants tell me the Israeli flag bearers are a bunch of so-called “Messianic Jews”, ie former Jews who have been sucked into fundamentalist Christianity with the promise that they can somehow retain their Judaism. (Funnily enough, only missionaries and other apostates agree with this: you’d think that would be a tipoff). Hence their fondness for stars of David, etc: it’s how they reassure themselves.
Anyway, as far as I’m concerned, they’re not Jewish, they are deeply confused Christians.”
Any march where the National Front, who I understand to be behind the Jewish cemetery desecrations, is sharing ground with people waving an Israel flag – man, something is very very non-right.
