<font color='black' size='4' face='Times New Roman, Times, serif'><font size="4">The following are both in the Saipan Tribune. London Olympics hacked in haste to beat deadline. Sharing it with the listserv. (I thank George H. for the JWM quote in the second article.) </font>
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<div><font size="4">If curious, you are welcome; not, see you at the bend.</font><br>
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<div style="font-size: 18px; clear: both; ">j'aime la vie</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"><b>Memorable Music and Metaphors of Madness at Marshgate</b></font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">The evening was billed as a <i>Symphony of British Music, </i>bringing together the best musical stars
of the last 50 years, characterizing the tenor of the closing ceremonies of the
2012 Olympic Games in London. The
Olympic stadium is on Marshgate Lane in Stratford, London, and madness was a
theme early on in the varied performances.
We could not resist the alliteration in the title.</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">Britain of Winston Churchill, complete with a speechifying
PM, along with images of tabloid journalism, the Cardiff cliffs, street
sweepers, the London Eye of the famed Millennium Park Ferris wheel, and cars,
cars, cars, set the tone for the evening, beginning at mid-evening summertime
in London. Simulcast in the web but
delayed on CCTV by a couple of hours for the morning audience, we missed much
with the anchor's Zhongwen bantering and the sporadic English subtitles,
especially of the performers. </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">The Empire that first employed oil to power its naval fleet,
and became preeminent world power in the 19th century, was authentic in
displaying what the world have wanted from its factory lines ever since. Who hasn't drooled over the majesty of the
Rolls Royce, the chic leopardine sleekness of the Austin Martin, and the
durability of the workhorse Land Rover?</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">Yup, the oil guzzlers were up on stage without apology. Very elegantly and arrogantly British!</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">Impressive was the parade of the international colors,
followed by the march of medalists, and joined by the assembly of athletes to
the side of the mid-field ramps that served as routes to the stage, and later,
the Olympic flames, seen from above to be shaped like the Union Jack. Fitting for the occasion was the medal award
ceremony for the marathon, with first finisher from Uganda, the sole medalist
from the land of the much-maligned Idi Amin.</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">Recognition of the without-which-there-would-not-be-a-smooth-Olympics,
the Volunteers, was poignant to us as we remember our Olympic hosting adviser
from Sydney of Pinoy descent and pediatric training, who made the trip to
London earlier to share her wisdom, undertaking such challenges while living
with the scourge of cancer.</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">Volunteers were much heralded in the running of the Beijing
Olympics and the Shanghai Expo that their tribe henceforth shall be a mainstay
in every international sport gathering.</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">Employed on stage were former British Empire Commonwealths
such as Indian drums and colorful Sikhs, along with memorable performances of
the band Queen, joined by Jessie J in the vocals for <i>We will, we will Rock You! </i>A
noticeable style of singing in the field started with monotone chanting,
reaching a screeching height of screaming.
I suppose, we are showing our age re electric metal rock!</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><i><font size="4"> </font></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">Comedian Eric Idle of the Monty Python fame tore the stadium
down when he emerged from the bowels of the earth after a feigned failed
cannonball shot into the rafters, pranced, and sang on stage ("always look
at the bright side of life") with the Spice Girls, nuns and the dancing
Sihks, et al.</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><i><font size="4"> </font></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 15pt; "><font size="4">The Who took a big chunk of the blood pudding, with
hit songs like "Baba O'Riley," "My Generation", and their
signature song from their musical <i>Tommy, </i>"See
me, feel me/Listening to you."
Earlier, Kaiser Chiefs rendered their classic "Pinball
Wizard". <span style="font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(38, 38, 38); "></span></font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">The night extravaganza went beyond its three hour schedule,
but we stood when the Greek colors went up with the anthem to honor the Games'
country of origin, and to remember how the euro that affects as all is critical
in the economy of that land.</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">The singing of the Olympic anthem is lofty and dignified if
one is a church-going person, but perhaps, for the seculars of our likeness, it
is time to jazz it up.</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">Passing of the Olympic interlocking Penta Rings from London back
to IOC President and on to the Mayor of Rio de Janiero stood us up for the
perky national anthem of Brazil. Aerial
view of the stadium with the Union Jack in the middle surrounded by lit
Brazilian colors in circles was phenomenol visual assault. </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">A street sweeper-attired performer (looks like one of the
athletes but I could not decipher the Zhongwen commentary) left on stage with
an English security officer trying to point out that the performances was over,
was a foil to get the next site Rio in Brazil, its Carnival dancers, a float, lively
EuroAfrican beats and samba steps, Amazon motiffs, native costumes, and Pele!,
on stage.</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">London Olympics coordinator Stephen Coe said in his farewell
address: "we lit up the flame, and we light up the world." He added, "we saw what tenacity,
ambition, and imagination can do."
Wondered what that would do were we to refocus efforts on such daily
human issues as poverty and war. Haunting
in this regard were the children's voices that sang John Lennon song <i>Imagine </i>during the ceremony, followed by
a projected image of the Beatle member himself singing his song in a somber
moment.</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">Snuffing of the Olympic flame surrounded by a lit up
stadium, and a last burst of fireworks, the fires were passed on to the
emerging Brazilian bird in the background.</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">"In our time Britain got it right", said Coe. British version of madness is usually mayhem. This one went just fine. "You and me, we can light up the
sky," went an ending song. And in a
characteristic British fashion, "We can rule the world!" Nah.</font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4"> </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; "><font size="4">Jacques Rogge, IOC President, bid his grateful adieu. The Who's "See me, feel me, touch
me" from <i>Tommy </i>anticipated
Copacobana of Rio. So<span style="font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(38, 38, 38); ">, </span>all right, Rio, top this one. Here we come, Copa! Got your thongs ready?<span style="font-family: "></span></font></div>
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<div style="font-size: 18px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; clear: both; "><a style="font:lighter 10px Verdana, Arial;color:#000000;"><img align="absmiddle" border="0" src="http://presence.mail.aol.com/mailsig/?sn=jrvergarajr2031"></a> <font color="black" size="2" face="arial">Jaime R Vergara
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<div><i><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#ff0000"><b>All of yesterday, thanks; all of tomorrow, yes; all of today, let it be!</b></font></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b>America’s got talent</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">We have two singing presidentiables competing for our
attention. Obama did Al Green's <i>Let Us Stay Together, </i>while Romney
belted out the beloved hymn of <i>America
the Beautiful. </i>That each camp found
cause to point out deficiencies in the renditions is simply an unavoidable
political hazard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Singing, of course, is the language of the heart. The phrase 'Singing Revolution' refers to
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania’s response to the Nazis in WWII, and the
Russians during the Cold War. They were
forbidden to sing in public any of their rousing national songs. The Baltic folks just kept singing, and a
recent PBS docu has the Lithuanian defying their Soviet lords until the Berlin
Wall came down, and the flowering of their voices bloomed and is now digitized
for the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The first act of a baby when transitioning from water-based
existence to air-based breathing is to sing.
Well, not exactly to the tune of Beethoven’s Fifth but the <i>waaah</i> wailed when heard has been known
to keep a father’s heart to skip a beat, and a mothers throat to utter a deep
sigh of relief.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">We taught Peace Corps Volunteers in the early 80s employing
the immersion method. One went to class
with nothing but the language being learned.
This has pedagogical merit. A baby's
way of learning a first tongue is to hear it spoken, and then to mimic what one
hears. Thus, we learn language by first
hearing, then repeating, before we are confident enough to speak on our own.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Schooling adds reading and writing. We learn to read, utilizing sounds symbolized
by the alphabet. After third grade in
the PSS curriculum, a student reads to learn.
We get familiar with syntax (grammar) and expand word meaning
(vocabulary). We are taught to recognize
ratio and afix them with numbers. We
objectify patterns that evolve into what is logical and/or reasonable. Cognition is birthed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Intelligence is measured in terms of its facility with words
and numbers, and it expresses sense experience, emotional state, mental
discipline, and willed decision. Hearing
words delivered through familiar music is one of the natural methods of getting
fluent in a language.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Singing has become a lost art in our schools since we
treated music as an academic course.
Somehow, we managed to kill the spirit of singing with either
irrelevance (too much reliance on classical forms), or justifiable boredom (the
inanity of the mathematical scale). We
let pros sing our national anthems at public events, promoting their trademark
vocal styles rather than lead a crowd in communal singing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">One of the remarkable features of the Olympics is the
playing of one's national anthem when receiving the gold. Almost invariably, a member of Team China in
the medal platform visibly sings <i>Qilai,
Qilai </i>(Arise, arise!), when the national anthem is played. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Team America was once a meaningful term. Our 1992 Basketball Team was dubbed the <i>Dream Team.</i> The Dallas Cowboys called themselves
America's Team. Somewhere along the
line, tearmwork got sidelined as stardom shined in the skies. We hope the current team of superstars
retrieves the reputation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Christianity evolved first as Team <i>Ecclesia </i>(the Household of God) in the manner of the expected one,
Messiah in Hebrew, and <i><span lang="EL">Κριστοσ</span><span lang="EL"> </span></i>in Greek,
before it became idolatrous and began singing the glories of Jesus Christ
Superstar! So this dichotomy is not new.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">China's French Open champion Li Na bolted out of the Team
and went solo on claims that economic gains favored the team's interest too
much. She is not very popular, and her
lackluster performance in London, losing her first game, did not receive much
sympathy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Liu Xiang of the 110m-hurdle capped the gold in the 2004
Athens Olympics, was hounded by all kinds of ailments, got healed and was
poised to reclaim a medal in London. He
walked around tagged by a lion's share of favorable media. He stumbled on the first hurdle of his heat,
and went through tendon surgery. The
papparazzi are still on his tail.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">His expressed sentiment is: "winning a medal is not
what matters; participation does," according to his coach. He shares his means liberally (e.g., Sichuan
earthquake) and remains one of Team China's staunch members.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Talent in current American parlance is a stardom category,
with competition understood as one besting another. <i>America's
Got Talent</i> on TV mirrors our politics.
Wisconsin's Paul Ryan notwithstanding, Republican conservatives still shun
Romney, and Obama tries to prove he is mainstream and centrist to the
Democrats. I would rather that he be liberal
and progressive.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Obama leads the polls and has an edge on 9 of the 10 swing
States in the coming election. The
contest, however, is doomed to be another lose-lose affair, as once more,
governance get stuck in grid lock, and the American people will wail their
whine unto the heavens! Team "Yes,
we can" got sidelined by BHO the reluctant superstar!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">An old guru once wrote: <i>Hope appeareth, but it is not
your Hope—you do not have anything to do with it. It just appeareth. It comes as a stranger, as an alien—it
just appeareth! You do not even
know why you hope. How in the
world could you hope when there is absolutely nothing to justify
any hope?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The
presidentiables are singing. That's
hopeful!</div>
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<br>
<div style="clear:both"><a style="font:lighter 10px Verdana, Arial;color:#000000;"><img align="absmiddle" border="0" src="http://presence.mail.aol.com/mailsig/?sn=jrvergarajr2031"></a> <font color="black" size="2" face="arial">Jaime R Vergara
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<div><i><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#ff0000"><b>All of yesterday, thanks; all of tomorrow, yes; all of today, let it be!</b></font></i></div>
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