About the Pet Shop Boys Last Night . . .

Procession of the Pet Shop Boys during the Olympic Closing Ceremonies:

Procession of heretics during an Auto-da-fe:

I hope this explains everything.  You’re welcome.

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An Oxford fellow and friend reminds me that the video for the Pet Shop Boys’ 1987 hit “It’s a Sin” uses Inquisition imagery.  And so it does.

I should warn that the song and its history is quite sad.   But having reexamined “It’s a Sin”, I appreciate it and the Pet Shop Boys that much more. 

About Those Olympic Protest Parks

Chinese authorities said there were going to allow protest at the Olympics . . . at “protest parks” miles away from the actual Olympic venues.

But it seems even that feeble promise was a lie. The police say they have received 77 applications to protest at the parks. None have been approved.

Instead two applicants have been rewarded with a sentence of one year of “re-education through labor.” They are two ladies aged 77 and 79.

On a lighter note, here’s a humorous animated commentary on life in China.

China Roughs Up Press

So much for Chinese promises about media freedom during the Olympics.

Phony China Olympics

I made a point not to watch the phony opening ceremonies. But it turns out much of them were indeed faked, including replacing a 7 year old singer whom Chinese authorities deemed not pretty enough.

Shameful.

About the China Olympics . . .

In times past, I would get quite excited about the Summer Olympics. You see, I was a serious and successful distance runner from ages 14 to 18 and followed Track and Field closely. (FWIW, best times: 9:38 2 mile and 4:24 1 mile if my memory is correct.)

During my running years, my ambition was to win gold in the Olympics. My eye was on the 1500 meter at first. But when it became clear that my talent lie in longer distances, I dreamed of winning the Marathon, and I worked hard toward that dream, running more than 100 miles a week one summer (which in hindsight was overdoing it and hastened the end of my running career).

I say all this to provide some background to my attitude about the China Olympics, which is not very positive. I’ve long been disgusted that a country with the poor human rights and downright evil foreign policy record of China got the Olympics. I rooted for those protesting the torch relay. And, if I watch the Olympics, I’ll be rooting for any protests that might crop up. Yes, there are a couple athletic stories I find interesting. But even in that area of actual athletics, I don’t find this Olympics as interesting as in the past. I won’t be watching much.

But how should the U. S. government respond? Although I think it highly inappropriate that President Bush will attend the opening ceremonies, I think a boycott would have been a bad idea. But then I think the 1980 Moscow Olympic boycott was a bad idea . . . even though it had the wonderful result of the Soviet Union retaliating by boycotting the 1984 L. A. Olympics – an Olympics free of Soviet cheating was very refreshing!

I did and still do look at it from the viewpoint of the athlete. To train and look forward to the Olympics and then have that taken away would be devastating. There are surely better ways to protest than at the expense of the athletes.

If I were an Olympian today? I would go to China, but skirt the rules and protest, perhaps with tattoos or patches saying “Free Tibet.” I would go to the Olympics, protest, and compete. If that got me kicked out of the games, then so be it. To be so kicked out of these sorry Olympics would be an honor perhaps greater than a gold medal.

And I do consider the awarding of these Olympics to China sorry. I hope they are a big flop and an embarrassment to that evil regime.

Me? Rooting for San Francisco?

I never thought the day would come that I would root for the lefties of San Francisco. But today is that day.

The Olympic torch goes through San Francisco today.

I might have to watch it live and cheer the lefties on.

Maybe the Olympics are uniting people after all.