Aug-04-12
< achieve: LOL !! - in Dutch we call her "een knappe meid", or, a little more to the point, universally understood, "She's hot!">

After I posted here on Kromo's "important 23", (it was in fact 24 ;), seconds, I watched a clip of the brit duo in rowing that was beaten by two Danes... They were devastated, to a degree understandable, but theirs was to such an extent, that the famous BBC anchor man was close to tears, and Steve Redgrave had led them to the interview spot as if he was accompanying a couple who have just lost their only child in a fire... Tears, inability to speak, inconsolable...

I was stunned, angry, and confused, also by my own thoughts and emotions (I regretted I posted in that way), and by the utter schizophrenic way our society through media and entertainment, and way of reporting, seems to invert values and distorts that what is fair and unfair, important and unimportant, and how we (me especially!) all can get pulled along in that almost avalanche, like a wild water river, without being allowed the time to take a step back, reflect, and evaluate.

(Apologies for the polemic of the tone, but this is the way I move sometimes..)

Anyway, it sobered me up quite abruptly, and although I am well aware that my fascination and pre-occupation with sports and winning are quite powerful, this I felt was the world upside down. Gold equalling fame, fortune and eternal bliss, and Silver leading to devastation and ruin. Not so.

Kipling's timeless poem, 'If', springs to mind:

<[...]

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

[...]

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

>

From now on my (if at all) reporting on the Olympics will change tone and frequency, and I will mostly be trying to enjoy the sport, admire the mastery, accept the disappointment, and will spend more time with my family, starting today.

I need a kick in the butt.

To use a signature phrase of yours:

Thanks for your beatifull post this morning as I will just briefly respond cause we are going to have breakfast/brunch at the seaside.

And no need to apologize.Your honesty and care for living people and fairness is a delight to watch/experience.

To dance with the medias fooliness and greed for sensation is a real tough one wich I sometime put on a kind of mentally ignore and see this show as people playing in a kindergarten and as such shall not be taken(too much) into my perhaps naturally borned sense for joy in life...but easier said and done,but the travel worth so far IMO.

Nice to see you are showing up again and yes we are very close at the olympics , a funny coinsidence..

And how are you doing right now !?
Has it been a good summer (though still on,but on its IMO most juicy point with all its fresness and autum still safe away)? And have you and your wife had any trips,Bruxelles,Copenhagen ?

Up here things are fine and I am seemingly recovering very well after a hipoperation and today (2 weeks after)I made 100 m´s without sticks !

So and so with chess - there are thing of more importance, but I like to follow it with a halfsharpeye ;)

Looks like Holland's Men kicked major historical butt as they blew Great Britain's boys straight out of the Hockey Stadium: 9-2

A dutch surfer won Gold <two days early> by leading by so much, that two days of racing, including the Medal Race, were irrelevant for 1st spot, which is Gold!

First time in history in Gymnastics - High Bar -, a dutchman, Epke Zonderland, first time Olympic, reaches the final, and shows a routine never before seen in history, and lands the gold as well!

Go figure, three unique examples, how the heck do we do that?

Ok, with Inge Dekker, and Hoogenband in swimming, you knew where the gold would come from, van Moorsel in cycling, but this??!!

Anyway, it was fun to watch at times. ;)

More importantly: are you still making progress health wise? Is you wife's cooking finally catching up with your level? heh

I've been making some changes in my life/attitude recently and am doing much better these last few days. Looking good.

Nice too se you are back and I am glad to hear your changes has worked for the better !

I am progressing too and yesterday I made 100 m´s without sticks after 2 days with stillstand wich is usual in proceses like this..And no I am not shure my wifes kitchen skills are improving though she tried with a salmon yesterday and if it wasn´t for the aples it could have been really good.Now she almost drowned the poor salmon :)But then God invented love and all was good :)

Dont know how they do it them dutch surfers and gymnastics but I love when the script is broken,as you already know ! And kudos to you.It must be a delight to watch.

Looking forward to see the return of the cat and as well to talk to you again!

The big town near is Århus or Aarhus.
It is beautifully situated at the sea
and small enough to be provinsial and
big is not to be big ;)I have lived there for almost 3 decades and know almost every little street outside in.. Nowadays this suburban life is more quit and it suits me very well.

And you,Amsterdam if my memory serves
!?..And I forgot to ask,if its OK,which changes you have made that seems to work out so well !?..

Played through your game a second time
and I enjoyed it as I did the first time.You really succeded in keeping your strong opponent from counterplay. e4!! is not difficult to find,but with this little move you underline that blacks strategy didn´t work.. And the concluding attack/ pressure came as a clear logic follow up and reminded my of several games played around let us say 1890-1915 were (often in the Ruy Lopez´),black was defending from the 3 last rowes.Often a hopless task..so the concept of counterplay is evident and has naturally developed since then.You asked what happens if black takes the bishop(fxB5)and then f6 is my response with a dewastating attack.

For some reasons I waited about going to town and then my friend phoned me and he will come out here !! Really looking orward to it,as we can talk and explore almost anyhting together. A great gift and privelledge.

So see you around,sidewerts, upwerts und für alles werts !

Good to hear about the mountains.I wish we had some ):

Thanks for being such a friend, confidante, and our talks have been of great value to me, I assure you. I'm living more healthy, less time online, more outside, fixing a spare bike that I had been postponing for months... And some other things.

Thanks for your expert feedback on my game, and enjoy the afternoon, plus rest of the weekend. :)

Enjoy the rest of the day and perhaps you also have a brigth clear augustsun at its best at your place as we are having here !?

Just read this last (22nd) page here in the forum, and it feels like You are in very good spirits. Enthusiastic and joyful, as ever. Which is always good to see. It is also inspiring to others, including myself.

So I assume Your post-surgery recovery/therapy process has been going quite well.

A fascinating number: <-3,333>!!!

I'm over the moon however with my new avator! :)

And of course the premium benifits among which the OE, and so much more... Again thanks for that, tremendously appreciated.

I'll open it whenever a need might arise, but my time is taken up <to the max> with various pages on this site I regularly visit, so that is the main reason behind it.

Also, I'm suffering from another heatwave here, above 30 Celsius even during the night, inside, and as a precaution I hardly turn on the computer, as it broke down the last time because of the heat. I do check out some stuff with my android, which is of course a luxury! :)

Thanks for dropping by and its nice to hear from you again,though I wish the heat will slow down in your country,but OTOH your gathering with your neighbour soúnds as one of those rare and uplifting ocurrances that maybe only happen in a case of emergency !? Anyway I liked your story,also as I have tried something simular on several occasions.If I one day write a book/novel it could be something about people stranded in a cafe,train,hotel and then are "forced" trying to communicate.

And I am glad you like the premium as well as your beautiull avatar which I also find adoreable :)Is this wood trush living at the beaches ?

I asked my wife about making our e-mail public,but she was not too found of it,but if you send yours I´ll definately answer you (our e-mail included).So if you are satisied with this way we should be just a few clikcs away....I am also interested in hearing more about your reason for closing your forum and what ells is going on in your life.

Here the basic picture is fine,except from a stomach issue which makes me tired a couple of hours during the day. But yesterday I (we) were at the hospital for a 3-4 weeks routinecheck about the hip and they say I was doing very fine which is basically a very comforting message,e.g. telling that I am doing the right excercises and doing them well !