The Olympic Flame is Lit in Ancient Olympia.

The Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece, (3/24/08) and now it is on its way to Beijing, with a long torch relay through many countries. These games were held, at least, since 776 BCE and until 394 CE, when the Christian emperor Theodosius banned them as a bad pagan practice! Christianity thought of the human body purely as a functioning machine for survival, not to be idolized in any way. Any pleasure of the flesh was rather sinful.... But, that's another story for later.

Anyway, the Olympic Games were resurrected by Pierre de Coubertin in 1896, held in Athens. Much has changed since the ancient times and since the first modern Olympiad. But, did you know that the (modern) Olympic flame first appeared in the Amsterdam Olympiad of 1928, and the torch relay in the Winter Games of 1936 in Germany? A Dutch Freemason [conspiracy theories, anyone?] lit the flame every day during the games and this custom was established.

You may not know that much of the Peloponnese and the area around ancient Olympia were severely burnt this past summer. The devastation was immense. Many people died when their villages were surrounded by the fire. Actually, much of the country experienced horrible fires last summer. This part of Greece is truly beautiful and (was) very green. I've been to many places on this "island" and I have family connections there. I don't know if I could visit now to see that area devastated; I'd rather not.





I'd like to end this post on a high note. I'm told that the Greek swimming team is in rare form this year and will probably dominate any opponent that dares to challenge them in the water. Here's a picture of the Greek swimmers training.... Intimidating, no? Don't mess with these guys!

A fellow blogger (tmt) is in China and has taken wonderful pictures of the the Water Cube where all sorts of aquatics will take place. Here are some of those nice pix.

click on the picture for more by tmt

Happy, Beautiful Spring. Observe and Enjoy!

A couple weeks ago we jumped ahead by one hour and now Spring has arrived! Ah, time for renewal. It makes sense that the ancients celebrated the new year in the Spring, doesn't it?

Do you know why we have the seasons? It's because our home is wobbling and has a maximum axial tilt of about 24 degrees. It's not the distance from the Sun that does it. Actually, we are closer to our main sequence star in the winter than in the summer! Fascinating stuff. Too bad too many people still believe all sort of fallacies and don't want to change their minds. Science is the best tool we have for understanding the world around us.

New York City

The city that never sleeps. Unlike elsewhere when the night comes, you know it--everything gets dark. Not in New York city. It's just like another day without sunglasses... (well, sometimes sunglasses are necessary at night in NYC!)

The local public station had a documentary on New York City this evening. I watched the whole thing with mixed feelings. They had several famous people who have made NYC their home, all praising the city though not idealizing it. The theme was that New York, despite all its problems, its ups & downs, being a huge mosaic, and seemingly a cacophonous metropolis, it charms the people who really get to know it.

I think any place means something because of the events that take place there. New York City is a harsh place for newcomers, like myself, who try to establish roots here. The late 70s and early 80s were particularly difficult for me as a very young person trying to adjust and "make it" without having a network of friends and family around. Many years have passed since. Maybe I got the attitude described by the lyrics of the famous NY song, "if you can make it here you can make it anywhere!"

Even common events, including the horrific days of 9-11 and its immediate aftermath, even though they're part of our collective memories, they also have a personal meaning to individuals. You feel connected, affected, but you give your own meaning to the events, to your own life. People have their own routines, life struggles, expectations, hopes, happiness and sadness. Most New Yorkers aren't tourists in their own city; they try to survive. The fortunate ones steal time to enjoy the city. The rich & powerful (and there are plenty here) have a much different taste of NYC.

So, New Yorkers don't have the same experiences despite living in the same city. I've seen several aspects of this big city and I know there are lots more that I haven't seen, only heard about. I've had a long trek through it, and the socio-economic status determines a great deal of what a person sees & experiences. It's the same in any big city. The reality is a bit more harsher here because of the overall rush and grit this city is known for.

I feel I could write a book about New York city, including the borough of Queens where I spent many years of my life. Which brings me to another point: The city is not only Manhattan but the entire 5 boroughs, each one having its own character and sub-culture(s). I intend to return to this subject several more times, and I don't think I can exhaust it. The best approach would be to break down the various aspects of the diverse experiences within this metropolis and its surrounding areas in which I've spent most of my life. So, stay tuned....

PS. clicking on the images opens them bigger for better viewing.

Winter

It's been cold lately, but it's hard to convey temperature unless the element that sustains life--water--is present in the form of ice or snow. I was walking around my work place today, and it was so pretty. I regretted not having my camera with me. Here are some pictures I've taken over the years in my extended neighborhood.

Clicking on the pictures, makes them larger!

A Nice Way to Move About......(with fewer emmissions!)

Well, I didn't have this in mind, but I'd prefer this sight to a Hummer that burns a ton of oil every mile and takes 15 normal car lengths in my city!

I don't know how this would work in big congested cities, but I think it's a great idea, if it is taken seriously and the infrastructure is made to support such a change. I'm talking about bicycles for the urbanites! European cities have been trying this for a while already. London just announced that it will provide 6,000 free bikes for rent for a small fee so people could easily & efficiently move about their city. To encourage Londoners and visitors to the city to actually use the bikes, they have planned to first establish a series of bike lanes and bike paths that will easily link up many of London's most popular spots.

"The cycle hire scheme in Paris has proved a huge success, and I have now instructed Transport for London to work with the London boroughs and interested parties to develop and implement a bike hire scheme in central London, accessible to all Londoners," London mayor, Ken Livingstone said in a press release.

New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg is seriously looking into this as well. I hope it goes through, but knowing the city, some major changes need to take place to make this a safe alternative.

Now, here's another pet peeve of mine: unnecessary monsters on the road! What's up with those people who probably have some kind of a psychological complex to drive those humangous SUVs... I know, it's more of a statement that a utility. Those "Sport Utility Vehicles" also happen to give you very poor gas mileage. You know, that kind of a fossil fuel God put in the soil of countries that don't like us! The kind of fuel we spend fortunes at the pump and to maintain a military presence overseas to make sure we get it... Ah, also throw in the thousands of American soldiers' lives lost in the process of acquiring such fuel for those people who say they support our troops.

Those magnetic stickers many SUV owners have placed on their cars say, Support the Troops. OK, I often asked, what does such a statement mean? How does an American exactly support the soldiers fighting for our freedoms and lifestyle? There seems to me that it's not sacrifice at all if you say, I do so because I can afford it! Those magnetic ribbons do something for sure. They are an irritation, and they dmost likely support some guy in China who makes those plastic stickers.

I think people should pay a premium based on their impact on the environment and all the other resources, especially when certain behaviors & symbols are not of necessity but of showing off!

Again, Mr. Livingston has a bright idea: Drivers of 4x4s, high-powered sports cars, and other high-emission vehicles will have to pay $49 a day to enter central London! This is (only) tripple the current charge. But, wait, most governments would stop here, not this mayor. He said that fuel-efficient vehicles will get a free ride! Wow, now, that's a thought!

I thought I had finished this post until I read this Alternet article You've got to be kidding, and I got more infurated. General Motors calls this new trend (?) intelligent indulgence! I'm not making this up. GM is pushing hybrid monsters as a public relations move and to give some kind of a fig-leaf excuse to people to keep buying unnecessarily huge vehicles. I don't know how many people would buy into the idea that a innefficient & gas-guzzler car is OK because it's a hybrid... I'm all for better fuel-efficient standards but I believe this is ridiculous. From a 10 MPG to 13.5, or whatever little more it is, it still doesn't make any sense to me. All to drive from the supermarket to the movie theater to a few blocks around the house. By the way, 98% of the "off road vehicles" never leave the paved roads!

Happy New Year.... and, a Few Scenes from Chinatown in New York.

We've had some very warm days this February--broke records too--but today, when we decide to go out to a parade, a blast of arctic air comes around! Not only that, but for about an hour we had a snowstorm! I mean it was so cold that my fingers froze in order to take these pictures. They're not artistic, just a small glimpse into a segment of the mosaic we call "the city."


We have a rather big Chinese community in New York City, and as you might have heard, they're celebrating a new year. All this past week, there've been several fun events around town, and a parade on Sunday in Chinatown, downtown Manhattan.

Overall it was a nice experience. I think I was there last year too. Visiting Chinatown, it's a mini adventure. One advice though: don't eat anything you don't recognize or you can't acertain what it is! At the very least, the taste or the combination of ingredients may surprise you. Many of the signs are in Chinese only and the shopkeepers often aren't very fluent in English. But, you must try the food there, including the deserts. By the way, food is far less expensive than anywhere else; for example, the price of a cup of coffee is only 75 cents--which is unheard of after Starbucks appeared.

Chinatown spreads over many blocks in lower part of the island, and it's adjacent to Little Italy. I'm already planning a trip to Mulberry Street for some Italian treats, even though their prices are more in line with those in Rome, and paying with US dollars!