Watching the Olympics Online: Some Advice

"Watch the Olympics Online"
How-to Wiki, Wired (undated)

"The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, are in full swing. Many events are being broadcast either live or same-day (with a tape delay) by the major networks. But there's even more action to be found online.

"NBC is the games' official media outlet in the United States, and the network will be providing thousands of hours of content on the web. However, the only way to truly ensure you won't miss...."

Cutting to the chase:

"...Here's a list of online destinations for getting your fix of the snowiest of sporting events...."

And then, there's a list - with links.

I'm not sure quite what to make of some of the advice - but I suppose it's safe to assume that the Wired legal department made sure that what they're suggesting is fairly safe and legal.

Or, not.

Winter Olympics: One Gold Medal Down, More to Go

"Ammann glides to normal hill gold"
Reuters Canada (February 13, 2010)

"Swiss ski jumper Simon Ammann won the first gold medal of the Vancouver Winter Games on Saturday, sweeping aside his Austrian rivals to win the individual normal gold contest...."

On the off chance that you don't know about this already, here's a website that's tracking the 2010 Winter Olympics gold medals:

• Vancouver Olympic Games Medals Results Sports : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

Enjoy.

Winter Olympics: It's On in Vancouver

"Games open in Canada's wintry indoor paradise"
Reuters Canada (February 13, 2010)

"A snowboarder soared through the Olympic rings and skiers schussed down mountains in the unlikely confines of a stadium as Canada whipped up a wintry wilderness for Friday's opening of the 2010 Winter Games.

"Vancouver staged the first indoor opening ceremony in the 86-year history of the Winter Games, an ironic choice for a nation with more outdoors than almost any other place as the world's second largest country.

"On the big white canvas of BC Place, Canada painted starry skies, polar bears, blue ice and indigenous icons, with the participation of 60,000 'pixels' (spectators and athletes) to welcome the world to its cold yet coveted paradise.

"In what appeared to be the sole glitch of the night, only three of the four giant icicles supporting an Olympic cauldron emerged from the floor...."

Everybody else on the planet seems to be writing about the Winter Olympics in Canada: so I figured I'd put in my two cents' worth.

First of all "ironic choice" or not - I think the Olympic planners were smart to put the opening ceremonies inside. Not that the 48°F / 9°C it was there when I checked is all that bad. This time of year, here in central Minnesota, that'd be downright torrid. (It got up to 40°F on this date, back in 1967, but that's freakishly hot.)

Then there was that luge accident. I trust that: first, if there was an equipment failure it's been found and fixed; second, that we continue to see and hear about the more positive events at the Olympics.

Okay. I've written about the Winter Olympics.

Now, what else is there online?

Athletes, Social Media, Rules and the 2010 Olympics

"Athletes Confused by Olympic Social Media Rules"
Epicenter, Wired (February 5, 2010)

"American skier Lindsey Vonn, one of the potential stars of the 2010 Winter Olympics, told her nearly 35,000 Twitter followers that she would not be posting to the social network until after the Games were over, perhaps based on a faulty understanding of the International Olympic Committee's rules on blogging and social networking.

Vonn wrote that “because of the Olympic rules (blackout period) I will not be able to post any updates from now until march 3rd. Sorry, it bums me out too!” In the update, which was also posted to Vonn's Facebook account, she encouraged fans to keep sending her messages.

But there is no Olympic rule that sets up a blackout period for athletes according to Bob Condron, the Director of Media Services for the United States Olympic Committee...."

I'd love to see the rules - as they were presented to the athletes. The explanation given in the Wired article was fairly straightforward and lucid.

Off on a Tangent: Bureaucratese

You may or may not find "bureaucratese" in your dictionary. It's a sort of language often used by bureaucrats to (in my opinion) make their jobs look important, and make the simple seem complex.

Like this bit of instruction. See if you can figure out what I'm writing about.

Utilization of Articulated Binary Power Allocation Device

Approach the Articulated Binary Power Allocation Device (ABPAD) in bipedal locomotion mode, extending the arm, forearm and hand in such a manner as to place the distal segment of the index finger in close proximity to the ABPAD.

Determine the current power utilization state of the task-, transport-, storage- or other institutional enclosed volume under consideration and make a decision as to the advisability of altering this state through use of the ABPAD: requesting the services of an authorized agent, if your ABPAD utilization authority does not extend to the ABPAD whose utilization you are considering.

Should your authority, or the authority of the authorized agent, allow you to change the current power utilization state, and should such a change be called for, place the distal segment of your index finger on the ABPAD, applying pressure at an approximately 90 (ninety) degree angle to primary axis of the ABPAD articulated member until said pressure reaches a point sufficient to initiate appropriate motion of the ABPAD articulated member....

Oi. That sort of obfuscation was a bit more common, in my youth. I do not get nostalgic over 'the good old days,' as a rule.