Mini Golf Maniacs » Olympic Games

VW -A Car For All Seasons

salsabilahanun — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:22:35 +0000

I believe the popular saying goes something like “two things that are guaranteed in life are death and taxes”. I suppose you can’t really argue with that statement and I must admit that when I am feeling a little despondent about the world such a phrase inevitably comes to mind. Then I think to myself hang on, there are a lot of positive things happening as well so like the title of one of my favourite Elvis Costello albums we should all “Get Happy” once in a while.

Let’s face it there is nothing better than a little of bit of harmless escapism to distract us from the seemingly constant barrage of depressing news from around the world, the recent situation in Georgia for instance to name but one. It’s as if there is a happy/sad balance in operation and nowhere reinforces this more than when you switch on the TV news.

Despite talks of a recession in the UK which now seems inevitable and the strong likelihood of a change in government at the next election for better or worse, there is a tangible wave of euphoria sweeping the nation in response to team GB’s incredible success in the Beijing Olympic Games. This seems to have temporarily distracted us all in the UK from yet another dismal summer and the fact that we didn’t make it into the European Football Championships. I doubt this ‘feel good’ factor will last very long as everyone is worried about the cost of living and falling house prices but we can all enjoy the moment while it lasts.

I am always amazed at my young daughter’s ability to change her moods in an instant. One minute she will be screaming her head off over a seemingly minor problem mainly not being able to open the food cupboard and grab a handful of rice cakes. When she occasionally manages to do this she triumphantly waves them like a trophy and shares her spoils with Ozzy our nutty sheepdog. If she doesn’t manage it she likes to throw herself on the floor dramatically but then a few minutes later all is forgotten and she is off to pursue some other activity which usually involves hiding my car keys.

I wish I was as easy to please as her. I’ve just successfully managed to book my car into the garage after several attempts so it can have its annual MOT test which was a weight off my mind but then I thought that’s going to cost me £50 and the car won’t be any different when I collect it.

I enjoy having some kind of project to work at and my latest one has been to research buying a new car. It’s amazing how your priorities change as you get older. There was a time when all I was interested in was how fast it would go and how big are the alloy wheels and most importantly did it have a stereo capable of making your ears bleed.

When you pass your driving test there is the inevitable question of affordability with your first car and to that end my first car was a VW Polo 1.0. I remember every detail about that car and especially the fact that it was red and due to the previous owner’s laziness they had never polished it so every panel was a different shade of red and the roof was practically pink.

Then when I reached the insurance milestone of 25 I was able to afford a very nice Golf GTi. I would spend every waking hour polishing it and would park in the remotest part of a car park to avoid parking dents only to return to find someone trying to steal parts of it (you can’t win).

Now look at me in my later years researching a VW Touran and trying to work out if we can fit numerous pushchairs and baby seats and god knows what into it. Maybe if we get one I’ll attempt to recreate my youth and put 18″ wheels on it as a final gesture of defiance! Perhaps when I retire VW will have created something to spend my final years zooming around the supermarket car park in.

History of Hockey

hanun — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:10:22 +0000

The history of hockey is similar to that of golf as it basically is rooted from any game that involved a stick and a ball or rock which have all been played for thousands of years. Very rough and crude forms of these games have been taking place for thousands of years throughout Europe, Egypt and South America that have formed hockey history.

Hockey began to form clearer roots throughout England in the sixteen and seventeen hundreds. These were treacherous games that often combined the entire village versus another village and teams could often have up to a hundred players and the players often played through major injuries and endured several days of these games.

The sport that we are more familiar with today began to form at Eton University in England when they actually began to formulate rules around 1860. Then the first Hockey Assoc. in the history of hockey was formed in 1875 which clarified more rules.

Further growth of the sport was spawning in North America as new settlers came to the continent. Montreal was credited with the first organized game in the history of hockey that was played in 1875 by college students. The students then formed more associations and leagues and created new rules at the same time.

The game continued to grow in popularity and became so popular that Montreal offered the first World Championship of Ice Hockey in 1883. European hockey continued to grow at the college level while a number of universities formed fierce rivalries.

Some dramatic rule changes were applied that helped progress the game to a field of eleven players while hockey equipment began to evolve as well. The use of safety equipment to include pads, helmets, mouth pieces and protective eye shields have dramatically improved from the early days of hockey history. It was not uncommon to not even wear head gear until the last few decades.

The international appeal of hockey grew tremendously due to the Olympic Games. It was first played at the Games in 1924 and only allowed male teams. Canada was a safe bet to win the gold medal as they won the first six out of seven golds. From the mid fifties to the eighties the Soviet Union dominated. Although the US won its first gold medal in hockey history in1960 it was the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” where our college amateur team went on to beat the heavily favored Russians that spurred a growth in Americas appetite for hockey.

The NHL as we know it today was formed in 1917 and consists of 30 teams 24 of which are from America and the remainder in Canada. The bulk of the players come from Canada, Europe and America. There is also an International Association called the International Hockey Federation which was formed in 1908 and continues today by hosting some of the largest international ice hockey tournaments. These two organizations have helped to form and govern hockey as we know it today. The sport has grown a lot from twigs and balls to a major international activity that produces billions in revenue each year and has some of the most amazing athletes on the planet, so goes the history of hockey.

2008 Olympic Games

hanun — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:45:06 +0000

The Games of the XXIX Olympiad are now less than a year away, with the opening ceremonies scheduled to begin in the host city of Beijing, China on August 8, 2008. The Olympic games will be held between August 8, 2008 and August 24, 2008 in Beijing and surrounding cities. The games will feature three hundred two events covering twenty eight sports.

Nine new Olympic events are scheduled to be held in 2008. There will be two new events in cycling, and women will compete in the 3000m steeplechase for the first time. In addition, marathon swimming events for men and women, will be added to the swimming competition. Team events in table tennis will replace the doubles events.

Since December, 2003, Beijing has been preparing for the arrival of the Olympic games with the construction of thirty one venues. The most prominent venues are the Beijing National Stadium and Beijing National Aquatics Centre. Other important venues include the Olympic Green Convention Centre, Olympic Green, Beijing National Indoor Stadium, and Beijing Wukesong Cultural And Sports Center.

The opening and closing ceremonies and some of the athletic events (including soccer) will be held in the newly constructed Beijing National Stadium which is also known as “The Birds Nest”. The nickname for the structure is due to its design which appears to be a birds nest sitting on top of a concrete structure. The stadium will seat over eighty thousand people for the games and ceremonies.

The Beijing National Aquatics Centre is also known as the “Water Cube.” The “Water Cube” will be the venue for swimming and diving for the Games. The Beijing National Aquatics Center is an award winning venue for the 2008 Olympic Games. It was recognized by Popular Science in 2006, for “ Best of What’s New in Engineering”, and in 2004 it achieved an award for “Most Accomplished Work (Atmosphere section) “ by Venice Biennale.

The structure of the Water Cube is based on unique, lightweight, construction from panels of a form of Teflon, that allows more light and heat penetration than glass and transforms the building into an energy-efficient greenhouse-like environment. Indeed, solar energy will also be used to heat the swimming pools, which are designed to reuse double-filtered, backwashed pool water that’s usually dumped as waste.

Excess rainwater will also be collected and stored in subterranean tanks and used to fill the pools. The Centre is shaped like a square box with interior designs that are carved out of a cluster of foam bubbles. The overall design makes the Centre appear like a cube of water bubbles.

In addition to the venues, the environment will certainly be a factor in the 2008 Olympic Games. The air pollution in China is at least two to three times higher than what is deemed safe by the World Heath Organization. Endurance sports may see a decline in overall performance due to air pollution and the August heat in Beijing. In fact, athletes from several countries already have indicated that they will arrive immediately prior to the games to limit their exposure to the negative air quality in Beijing.

Politics always plays a role in the Olympic Games, and 2008 will not be an exception especially since China is the host country. Already, there are several groups that are making news protesting Chinese violations of human rights and free speech as follows:

“Human Rights Watch “and “Amnesty International” both have released reports that denounce China as failing to honor its Olympic obligations on human rights.

“The Committee to Protect Journalists” said China was still impeding foreign journalists and jailing domestic ones, despite promises to allow reporting.

“Reporters Without Borders” managed to stage a protest in Beijing, only to see the police briefly detain the foreign journalists covering it.

With human rights and free speech problematic issues for China, these type of protests will only grow stronger as the Olympic Games approach.

The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China are destined to have the excitement of world class summer sports competition, the showmanship of the opening and closing ceremonies, award winning venues, new competitive Olympic events, human rights politics, and the conflict between man and his environment.

The Olympic torch arrives at Beijing National Stadium on August 8, 2008. Mark that date on your calendar, because the Games of the XXIX Olympiad may well be a show you don’t want to miss.

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