Chimneys and Olympic thoughts

0808 chimneys and sky
Originally uploaded by rooruu

Rosehill racecourse, where the Stitches and Craft Show is held, is near an industrial area including these refineries. There was a certain beauty in the way the chimneys rose above their surroundings, with colours reflecting those in the sky.

My favourite gold medallists are both Australians: Steve Hooker, with the pole vault, and Matthew Mitcham's diving from the 10m platform. Not just the grit, the skill and the many long hours of practice required, as with many other sports, but because of the sheer bloody courage required to leap into the air as they do. (And how about Matthew winning gold with the highest-scoring dive in Olympic history?)

My least favourite moment: why do Australians who get silver or bronze have to apologise to the country? Hello? Second or third best is pretty damn good... So is just getting selected for the team, putting them at the top of a huge pyramid of other sportspeople.

Chinese innovation: the widget in the flagpoles that makes the flags flutter when they get to the top. Much better than limp flags, as so often happens in stadia.

Memo to the television sponsors, whose ads are burned on my eyeballs: your ads are burned on my eyeballs. Cease and desist. Please. There's repetition and there's mental cruelty. Enough. Please.

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