The Undiscovered Country

I am pleased to say that, during the course of the Olympic Games, this site has had over 25000 unique visitors from around the world.



Thanks for visiting.



I have also had a number of emails from some of you; some supportive and complimentary, others critical.



I have appreciated the constructive comments, both positive and negative; and have copied below extracts of two emails, that I received on Sunday, that reflect the variety of views that have been expressed about this site. The authors have given me permission to use the extracts.



Regarding the future, this site will continue to grow and develop; as I begin to change focus from Athens to the Olympic Games to be held in Beijing in 2008.



Therefore, I hope that all of you; both those that like the site, and those that don't, continue to visit.



Ken



View One



"Hi there, first of all what a great site you have - found it only today and wished we had seen it before!!



We are British living in Northern Greece for the last 18 months and our only TV access at the moment is Greek..............



We watched the opening ceremony with our Greek neighbours....... When the doping fiasco started with their athletes it was a case of who was to blame, first the

Americans..., next the Greek Mafia and finally the Norwegians who apparently are tampering with the Greek athletes urine samples in Norway!!



Now that we have found you site we will visit often and will certainly recommend it to friends........."



View Two



"...You certainly know how to put the "frost" on the magnificent Olympics in Greece. Are you simply doing an overkill with your sense of humor?



Ok, granted, many negative occurrences are evident throughout the Olympics, however can you at least focus on a few positive facts? I'm curious; who is your employer?



Greece was like the parents of the bride. They had given gave birth to a beautiful baby- the Olympics. And now came the celebration of their daughter's wedding. They pulled out all of the stoppers. Of course, they will be paying off this "loan" for a long time to come. And if you compare it again to a wedding as a one day event, so much money for one day, so to speak, if it is an only child- it was well worth it.Greece has been slapped around enough, has been tough through global and media verbal abuse. Greece is such a SMALL COUNTRY because it has been made that way by surrounding countries occupations, by the take-over of 1/2 of Cyprus, which should have joined Greece decades before, as did the island of Crete.



Where am I getting to?



It's time to put Greece on the map again. Why don't you try a new approach and write about all the inhumanities history has imposed on Greece. Be mindful of what sources you use for reference.



Are you afraid to do this?



Maybe the Turks will censor such a brave task on your part? Then you can honestly report on what a great job such a small country has accomplished in Athens 2004.



Here's where you can start- the Romans using Greeks as slaves,the stealing of their mythology, teachers, the fatal abuse of their athletic,strong and courageous men in their colliseums. The Ottoman Empire's wrath and exile out of Constantinopole, Smyrna, etc. How the history books of Turkey have been changed with no reference of their "acquired": relics, land, etc. to the Greeks. Their children are led to

believe that they were the oppressed and the Greeks- the oppressor! The Italian

and German invasions What about Serbia- stole the young men, male babies,

trained them in their camps to fight against the Greeks. The new republic of

Macedonia, using the name of Macedonia, birthplace of the Greek-Alexander the

Great, as their newly formed country's name!



This is not propaganda or heresay.



It is the truth of a small country that surrounding nations would like to take

over.



I hope it will not crumble or get strangled by the expensive acceptance of the Euro and I pray it not have the same fate as Sarajevo.



I challenge you to a new view in your "reporting". Do you dare to change your approach. Be the "devil's advocate" or should I say "angel's advocate"? If you

need contacts for referencing, please feel free to contact me...."

Adieu Athens

The closing ceremony of the 2004 Olympics went without a hitch last night.



The show included fireworks, dancing, closing remarks by International Olympics Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge; and the presentation of the Olympic flag to the mayor of Beijing, China, where the 2008 Summer games will take place.



Kudos to the organisers, the Games went off without calamity or disaster.



Now those that attended the Games, along with the locals who delayed holidays, are all making their way to the airport.



It is estimated that 200,000 people will leave for overseas destinations over the next 48 hours.

What a Plonker!

In one of the most bizarre incidents of the Games, an Irish gentleman wearing a rather unusual costume grabbed the leading marathon runner (Brazil's Vanderlei de Lima) in yesterday's race.



Needless to say this put the poor chap (the runner) off his stroke, and he came in third.



Italy's Stefano Baldini won the race.



The incident happened after about 22 miles. The man, dressed in a green beret, a white shirt, a red kilt and green knee socks ran onto the course, grabbed de Lima and pushed him off the roadway onto the sidewalk.



He later claimed that he was promoting the "second coming".

The Olympic Spirit

It is reported that Britain's Olympic boxing hero Amir Khan, who won silver today, has turned down the chance to become a professional boxer; opting instead to remain as an amateur fighter, for at least the next two years.



His performances in the ring in Athens have been likened to Muhammad Ali.



He has indicated that he wishes to fight in the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Let Wheat Grow

Tonight sees the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, as the Greeks pass on responsibility for hosting them to the Chinese.



Therefore expect fireworks, and an Asian feel to tonight's ceremony.



The Olympic stadium will be put to good use afterwards, it will be turned into a wheatfield.

Dopehead

Another dope addled "athlete" has been kicked out of the Games.



This time it is the Colombian cyclist, Maria Luisa Calle Williams, who has been stripped of her bronze medal after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

Dopes Out

More dope ridden "athletes" have been ejected from the Games.



This time the honour falls on Hungary's Ferenc Gyurkovics, a silver medal winning weightlifter, and Puerto Rican wrestler Mabel Fonseca.