Olympic games in Paris (2024)

[Fluffy]

I'd say some good points of view. What I'd add is that it's worth recognising that the extreme position on either side (i.e. it's either all good or all bad) is never representative of the average.

From an "average" perspective, most sports in the Olympics don't offer very good earnings to athletes who aren't in the top 100 in their sport (exclude stuff like football, basketball and tennis).

On average, to succeed, there's a certain level of dedication and selfishness needed. By its very nature of competition, athletes if they want to succeed must have resolute self confidence but this must be such that they also must know how to learn and listen so they can get better (otherwise they simply won't get better or succeed). They recognise that we (i.e. the normal man) aren't on the same journey and so they may appear selfish or egotistical to us. A man who is dedicated to a cause may appear selfish to a man who is dedicated to nothing - one man sacrifices everything and the other man languishes around criticising and demanding everything.

Having said the above, athletes are not immune to the things that we are all here to learn. Of course each athlete is also an individual human being and they are in 3D because they have lessons to learn despite their profession / calling.

Personally, having seen a few (no one famous, ultimately people who didn't "make it"), I recognise the hard work they put in, the sacrifice and that for the majority, the defeat they'll have to come to terms with. I recognise the strength and talent in these human beings. In my view, its better than just accepting a life of no dedication to anything, of no suffering towards something of not striving or sacrificing or holding a dream.

How many of them though are perfect little puppets, OPs, NPCs or whatever we like to call them? May be the suffering isn’t really suffering at all but and externally driven by a force compelling them to do what they do and they can’t not do it because they don’t really have a choice in the matter. The Olympic Games is and always has been a spectacle for the elite’s delight, and they drag us all into it like it has some kind of special significance about who is the best at this and that.
For what purpose? Pure entertainment just like zoos and circuses.

 

[SOTTREADER]

How many of them though are perfect little puppets, OPs, NPCs or whatever we like to call them?

At least the ones I knew were just normal kids who picked up a sport at some point, weren't incompetent at it and decided to stick it out and try to improve and make something of it. Whilst everyone else was busy getting blind drunk at uni, these guys were over there with their bottles of water. Whilst everyone slept in until 10 or 11 am, these guys were up 5 or 6am.

What's not to admire?

May be the suffering isn’t really suffering at all but and externally driven by a force compelling them to do what they do and they can’t not do it because they don’t really have a choice in the matter.

Can't you say this about anything? Can this for example not apply to what it is you do?

The Olympic Games is and always has been a spectacle for the elite’s delight, and they drag us all into it like it has some kind of special significance about who is the best at this and that.
For what purpose? Pure entertainment just like zoos and circuses.

I think it's a matter of perspective - there are people who work extremely hard to get to the Olympics and compete. No matter what, that effort and struggling they put in can't be taken away from them. Real things come to the person who can put himself through such things and those are things that can't be taken away by another man.

I should add these are just my personal views. We can hold differing views.

 

[Fluffy]

At least the ones I knew were just normal kids who picked up a sport at some point, weren't incompetent at it and decided to stick it out and try to improve and make something of it. Whilst everyone else was busy getting blind drunk at uni, these guys were over there with their bottles of water. Whilst everyone slept in until 10 or 11 am, these guys were up 5 or 6am.

What's not to admire?


Can't you say this about anything? Can this for example not apply to what it is you do?


I think it's a matter of perspective - there are people who work extremely hard to get to the Olympics and compete. No matter what, that effort and struggling they put in can't be taken away from them. Real things come to the person who can put himself through such things and those are things that can't be taken away by another man.

I should add these are just my personal views. We can hold differing views.

I’m just throwing it out there, I can’t tell the difference between an OP or a souled person because most of them act the same. I do admire perseverance and dedication yet when it’s to attain personal goals that are totally self serving and benefit no one but they self then it doesn’t count for much (in my opinion), even if it is impressive on some level. So what if you got a gold medal and you’re the best in the world, how does that help anyone else be a better version of them self? It likely just encourages more people to want to serve themselves in a same kind of way.
I’ve just never really been a fan of competition, winners, losers, striving for top dog… it’s not my jam, and if I had to pick a side I’ll always cheer for the underdog.

 

[Nienna]

Weight class is pretty important in sports like wrestling and boxing, and it's not the first time an athlete was disqualified for failing the weigh in. Most of them are competing in a weight class below their natural weight, so they try to game the system by losing some weight to make the weigh in. It has nothing to do with fat shaming, and everything to do with competitive fairness.

I understand what you are saying here, hlat, and weight definitely is important as you say. I find it interesting, though, that this carries more weight (no pun intended) to them than letting a biological male compete against a biological female in a female event.

 

[Corvus]

From an "average" perspective, most sports in the Olympics don't offer very good earnings to athletes who aren't in the top 100 in their sport (exclude stuff like football, basketball and tennis).

Top 5 I would say more likely and even top 3 it is not some money of course depending on the country.

Personally, having seen a few (no one famous, ultimately people who didn't "make it"), I recognise the hard work they put in, the sacrifice and that for the majority, the defeat they'll have to come to terms with. I recognise the strength and talent in these human beings. In my view, its better than just accepting a life of no dedication to anything, of no suffering towards something of not striving or sacrificing or holding a dream.

Everybody suffers here, just some more others less. I been through all that from early age, I can say I am still active in that regard but nothing serious anymore, I am now 37 years old and I am in sports for about 27 years, nothing serious anymore, and still in better shape then some of those active 10 years younger, and yes agree better to strive to something to built your will, resilience and characther, especially in early age but when you get to a certain level depending on your intellect, emotions and being you see how pointless it is and there are other more constructive things in life where you can direct your attention, but we are not the same and not all have same way, like most people in different areas they all stay in that sport loop because they do not know any better or are not capable for anything else. Everyday people also are suffering even more just in other areas, just everyday work can be as just as hard but you do not get paid as much because it is all about bread and circuses and money for big buisness.

They recognise that we (i.e. the normal man) aren't on the same journey and so they may appear selfish or egotistical to us. A man who is dedicated to a cause may appear selfish to a man who is dedicated to nothing - one man sacrifices everything and the other man languishes around criticising and demanding everything

I would not say here are "normal" people in that sense, would say they are more disciplined and dedicated to their goals in physical sense, would not call that selfishness compered to other people but way around because you sacrifice some things normal people do not, but looking like that you do not need to be olympian to do that but can also work on self in that way, like this it is all about medal around neck, and some leatherhead tapping you on a shoulder to inflate your ego and sense of worth because of society programming what is meaning of sucess(most of humanity shares this predicament, suffer for things they want and even if they get what they want suffer because they can not hold it forever). There are children working in mines in Africa everday from early age so I would say their lives are much more difficult in a physical sense. In my view you can be a top athlete and if you are a s... of a man you have "not" learned anything, but most do not share the same view of course because we are in sts world afterall.

 

[heinrich]

dear forum, i have to come back to one aspect of paris2024:
it has to do with the I = inclusion of the holy DEI.

the opening ceremony has been criticized because offending christians beliefs, ok, so be it, we christians are used to present the other cheek...
- the surfer from brazil has been instructed to remove an image of the christ of rio as this image affects the religious neutrality of the “games”. i have not checked whether he complied.
- the indonesian female climber has been allowed to climb with her head scarf. my question: WHY?? the scarf is imposed on all moslim women so as not to excite the sexual avidity of moslim men. is it not, as such, a religious appartenance sign? WHY HAS IT BEEN TOLERATED??
- could it be that the ioc is concerned with offendig moslems, and therfore tolerates the scarf, but not afraid of offending christians when banning a symbolic depiction of a real monument in rio?? and surely, there were many more moslem women at these games, thus demonstrating that it is really possible for a moslem woman to be seen without a scarf. i thank these for being of our time.....

how did i find these pictures?
- the scarf women was on images, and maybe you have noticed it belongs to getty, the universal image absorber - how american, they like monopolies...
- the surf board image was impossible to find after 11 google pictures pages, and the only one i found came from

Paris Olympics BANS 'Jesus Christ' surf-board of Brazilian Joao Chianca

Brazilian surfer Joao Chianca shares that he was forced to change his surfboard featuring an image of Jesus Christ before entering the Paris Games. The

firstsportz.com

i found NO OTHER NEWS OUTLET including this picture. that, in itself, is also revealing... below, the images:

the moslem, allowed:

dear moderator, it is too cumbersome to paste images...

the christian, not allowed:

dear moderator, it is too cumbersome to paste images...

you may conclude...

 

[happyliza]

And the world keeps on reacting to Paris, tonight I ran across this from Erdogan



And this from Maria Zakharova, really worth the read!

What I have witnessed since the London Olympics is that every opening ceremony in the West for something seems to compete with the previous much publicized spectacle as to how debauched they can fall to!
Thankfully reading this thread and seeing the images displayed further prevented me from seeking out a local venue that was going to broadcast the opening live.
Also remembering the Cern debacle - and even more total waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere, I had no intention of immersing myself through hours of licentious brothel behaviour. I feel appalled at anyone who did not distract their children and take them elsewhere immediately. Though of course, they ensure that everything is in our face now, media being so complicit and aim very young by abusing the children in primary schools through this pathelogical behaviour ( I fail to see it as a disease).

ON witnessing this grotesque charade I was grateful I could share my instant inner feelings here, knowing everyone else here felt equally repulsed. I was then able to immediately turn my concerns away from it entirely, purely reading the updates and sound observations here.

I chose not to watch any of the 'show' also because everyone who participated in this monstrosity was there by choice. Most would even feel proud, even that it was their proudest day of their life (not meaning the actual competitors here). Yes years ago it would have been a very special and precious occassion to be a part of it by invitation. And quite rightly as it was a serious and splendid pageant.

However, Why should I choose to watch and be deeply upset by something that people actually chose to participate in when I would wholeheartedly, though extremely sadly, prefer to expend my energies and feeling, standing as witness to those who had no voice to express themselves, those who were murdered alone in horrific fashion. Genuine people fighting genuine causes with their lives.

Thankfully the world is so obviously split now and I doubt those of culture will ever wish to be a part of such olympics and will form their own - Russia being the epitome of family tradition and superior culture.
Not all French people can be tarred with the abysmal idea of culture of the miniscule minority however. Thankfully, those of higher morals, taste and exquisite talent will keep our culture alive, and ensure the real people can still enjoy their art, concerts, opera, ballet, theatre and spiritual expression in peace, in the magnificent architecturally designed buildings that our wise ancestors bequeathed to us.

Maria and Erdogan rightly express the beauty of creation that is our legacy.
The depth of the depravity and psychopathic abyss and the breadth of the divide must surely affect the human cosmic connection, and hopefully strengthen the resolve of people's choices. Can humanity still make a difference in 'time'? I pray so - the future is always open.

 

[Alejo]

i found NO OTHER NEWS OUTLET including this picture. that, in itself, is also revealing... below, the images:

the moslem, allowed:

dear moderator, it is too cumbersome to paste images...

the christian, not allowed:

dear moderator, it is too cumbersome to paste images...

you may conclude...

I was reminded of this from earlier this year, may o may not be connected at all.

Q: (Keit) Are there any reverse engineering projects going on right now?

A: Yes

Q: (Keit) Is Putin aware of such projects?

A: Yes

Q: (Keit) What is his view on the alien phenomenon? Does he think it's malevolent?

A: Mostly and why he promotes Christianity.

 

[hlat]

I understand what you are saying here, hlat, and weight definitely is important as you say. I find it interesting, though, that this carries more weight (no pun intended) to them than letting a biological male compete against a biological female in a female event.

You are correct of course that only natural born females should be allowed in female events. The unfairness of allowing males in is glaring when there are so many harsh rules for the fairness of the competitions.

 

[Iain]

I’m just throwing it out there, I can’t tell the difference between an OP or a souled person because most of them act the same. I do admire perseverance and dedication yet when it’s to attain personal goals that are totally self serving and benefit no one but they self then it doesn’t count for much (in my opinion), even if it is impressive on some level. So what if you got a gold medal and you’re the best in the world, how does that help anyone else be a better version of them self? It likely just encourages more people to want to serve themselves in a same kind of way.
I’ve just never really been a fan of competition, winners, losers, striving for top dog… it’s not my jam, and if I had to pick a side I’ll always cheer for the underdog.

Each individual athlete will, I would think, have differing reasons for participating in their chosen sport and for trying to attain such a high level in it.

For some it may encourage a self-serving attitude/approach.

For others it instils a high level of personal discipline, great physical fitness (at least in the majority of sports) and mental strength. Similarly to those who serve in the military there can be many positives in personal growth - and of course negatives.

Maybe some do just want to dominate and win, simple as that.

What the individual uses their skills, fame, earnings and influence for when they are not competing surely determines their alignment to self or others. All we see if we do not follow these people closely is the little background the TV channel provides and then the competition itself.

There are plenty of examples out there of athletes, current and former, from all sports who have done some good things during/after their sporting careers and plenty who have done some pretty awful things.


It is all down to the individuals concerned and sports are just another way in life to try to practice something and try to become as good at it as you can - in the case of the Olympics, possibly the best in the world/ever, which incredibly few sports people will ever get close to.

 

[Asa]

I'd say some good points of view. What I'd add is that it's worth recognising that the extreme position on either side (i.e. it's either all good or all bad) is never representative of the average.

From an "average" perspective, most sports in the Olympics don't offer very good earnings to athletes who aren't in the top 100 in their sport (exclude stuff like football, basketball and tennis).

On average, to succeed, there's a certain level of dedication and selfishness needed. By its very nature of competition, athletes if they want to succeed must have resolute self confidence but this must be such that they also must know how to learn and listen so they can get better (otherwise they simply won't get better or succeed). They recognise that we (i.e. the normal man) aren't on the same journey and so they may appear selfish or egotistical to us. A man who is dedicated to a cause may appear selfish to a man who is dedicated to nothing - one man sacrifices everything and the other man languishes around criticising and demanding everything.

Having said the above, athletes are not immune to the things that we are all here to learn. Of course each athlete is also an individual human being and they are in 3D because they have lessons to learn despite their profession / calling.

Personally, having seen a few (no one famous, ultimately people who didn't "make it"), I recognise the hard work they put in, the sacrifice and that for the majority, the defeat they'll have to come to terms with. I recognise the strength and talent in these human beings. In my view, its better than just accepting a life of no dedication to anything, of no suffering towards something of not striving or sacrificing or holding a dream.

I was a promising footballer as a young pup, and was signed to the West Ham academy from the age of 10 to 16. I hated that environment, all the joy is sucked out of it. I remember my father driving me to training and the games, wishing that something would happen to stop them from going ahead. But my identity at the time was so entangled with football, I did not dare quit.

Its dog eat dog, and only the most ferociously committed and unwaveringly self confident make the grade, with a few exceptions for generational talents who are just destined to play at the highest level and make the grade effortlessly - Joe Cole would be the example from my group.

Any self doubt or performance anxiety is ruthlessly exposed, and its a difficult place for most psychological profiles to survive. No doubt its gotten worse as the riches on offer have increased....

 

[SOTTREADER]

I was a promising footballer as a young pup, and was signed to the West Ham academy from the age of 10 to 16. I hated that environment, all the joy is sucked out of it. I remember my father driving me to training and the games, wishing that something would happen to stop them from going ahead. But my identity at the time was so entangled with football, I did not dare quit.

Its dog eat dog, and only the most ferociously committed and unwaveringly self confident make the grade, with a few exceptions for generational talents who are just destined to play at the highest level and make the grade effortlessly - Joe Cole would be the example from my group.

Any self doubt or performance anxiety is ruthlessly exposed, and its a difficult place for most psychological profiles to survive. No doubt its gotten worse as the riches on offer have increased....

Wow - I can't say I'm surprised that this is how it is at those professional football academies.

With regards your view, does such an environment foster excellence and build resilience or does it basically produce broken human beings?

 

[Puma]

CIA Urges U.S. Citizens to Avoid Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony Due to Terror Threat **

According to various reports, the CIA is advising U.S. citizens not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics to avoid the risk of becoming accidental victims in a potential terrorist attack.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1821899767708061732

CIA would blame Iran which by the way wants to negotiate the attack on Israel if there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

 

[JEEP]

I'm currently watching the rhythmic gymnastics and saw the performance by the Israeli competitor, Daria Atamanov:

Israel’s Daria Atamanov performs with the ribbon at the rhythmic gymnastics’ individual all-around qualification during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, August 8, 2024. (Loic Venance/AFP)

She was either wearing the same costume as in the picture above or one quite similar. What is not apparent in the photo, though, is a most curious addition on the left upper side of the costume - a downward human hand with the all-seeing eye in the palm, and in blue as opposed to the mostly golden yellow of her costume. Her performance was dedicated to Israel and she performed to a Hebrew prayer.

What, pray tell, was that blue all-seeing eye hand supposed to represent? Interestingly enough, the TV commentators made no mention of the blue hand on the costume unless they had done so at an earlier appearance.

 

[Ben]

I'm currently watching the rhythmic gymnastics and saw the performance by the Israeli competitor, Daria Atamanov:

Israel’s Daria Atamanov performs with the ribbon at the rhythmic gymnastics’ individual all-around qualification during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, August 8, 2024. (Loic Venance/AFP)

She was either wearing the same costume as in the picture above or one quite similar. What is not apparent in the photo, though, is a most curious addition on the left upper side of the costume - a downward human hand with the all-seeing eye in the palm, and in blue as opposed to the mostly golden yellow of her costume. Her performance was dedicated to Israel and she performed to a Hebrew prayer.

What, pray tell, was that blue all-seeing eye hand supposed to represent? Interestingly enough, the TV commentators made no mention of the blue hand on the costume unless they had done so at an earlier appearance.

Did it look like this?



It's a protection symbol used in various cultures, and called various names. It's common in Jewish culture.

Hamsa - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org