Look up at the stars

@hawking.org.uk

Stephen Hawking is the former Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and author of 'A Brief History of Time', which was an international bestseller. Now Director of Research at the Institute for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge, his other books for the general reader include 'A Briefer History of Time', the essay collection 'Black Holes and Baby Universe' and 'The Universe in a Nutshell'. In 1963, Hawking contracted motor neurone disease and was given two years to live. Yet he went on to Cambridge to become a brilliant researcher and Professorial Fellow at Gonville and Caius College. Since 1979 he has held the post of Lucasian Professor at Cambridge, the chair held by Isaac Newton in 1663. Professor Hawking has over a dozen honorary degrees and was awarded the CBE in 1982. He is a fellow of the Royal Society and a Member of the US National Academy of Science. Stephen Hawking is regarded as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists since Einstein.

In, hawking.org.uk (abridged)

@news.sky.com

At the London 2012 Paralympics Opening Ceremony, Stephen Hawking challenged athletes to 'look at the stars'. To huge cheers, Mr Hawking, paralysed and in a wheelchair, kicked off the show with a call for a new age of enlightenment. 'Look up at the stars, and not down at your feet,' he said. 'Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Through a voice synthesiser he added: 'The Paralympic Games is about transforming our perception of the world. We are all different, there is no such thing as a standard or run-of-the-mill human being but we share the same human spirit. What is important is that we have the ability to create. This creativity can take many forms, from physical achievement to theoretical physics. However difficult life may seem there is always something you can do and succeed at.'

In, news.sky.com (abridged)

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The Olympic Games Closing Ceremony

Amazing athletes

Amazing athletes

'The summer of love has passed. This greatest of all sporting seasons closed with millions hoping the spirit set free by the Olympics and Paralympics can achieve a lasting hold in British life. At a minimum, they were days of boundless fun. (...)'

In, Telegraph.co.uk 

Take a look at more pictures HERE

'The Closing Ceremony for the London 2012 Paralympic Games has wowed crowds with fire, a stunning light show and music from megastars. The show at the Olympic Stadium in east London was dubbed the Festival of the Flame and featured more than 1,000 volunteers. The spectacle began with a war hero who lost both legs in a blast on the battlefields of Helmand climbing a flagpole and proudly flying the Union Flag. The National Anthem was sung by blind singer Lissa Hermans, who is also autistic. Read more...'

In, News.sky.com

David Davies/PA

'One million Brits pay tribute to Olympic and Paralympic heroes in London's biggest ever street party. Britain's astonishing summer of sport came to a colourful and emotional climax as hundreds of Olympic and Paralympic athletes paraded through the capital to finally bring the curtain down on London 2012. Tens of thousands of spectators lined the streets as the procession wound its way through a sea of Union Jacks to Buckingham Palace. Up to 700 British Olympic and Paralympic athletes, including more than 90 per cent of the medal winners, took part in the parade.' Read more and take a look at a fantastic photo gallery of this venue HERE. 

And last, but not least, my selection of photographs of these amazing paralympic athletes whose moto is: 'Focus on the ability, not on the disability.' - Oscar Pistorious

Marcus Hartmann Photography

Getty Images

Marcus Hartmann Photography

Stefan Wermuf/Reuters

Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

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The Paralympic Games

London 2012 Olympic Games

The Olympic Games Closing Ceremony

Aimed at celebrating one of Britain's strongest cultural exports over the last 50 years, the musical extravaganza marked the end of the country's most successful Games in more than a century. Summing up the night in random order:

• Prince Harry represented the Royal Family alongside Kate Middleton
• Scale model of London took centre-stage wrapped entirely in newspaper
• Athletes appeared through the crowd and filled Damien Hirst interpretation of the Union Flag
• Performers included Emeli Sande, Madness, Pet Shop Boys, Ray Davies, George Michael, Jessie J and Annie Lennox, among others
• Kaiser Chiefs and Ed Sheeran led tributes to British greats David Bowie and Pink Floyd
• Stadium turned into huge catwalk with appearances from supermodels 
• Black London cabs performed 'taxi ballet' before the Spice Girls' performance
• Olympic Flag was handed over to 2016 hosts Rio de Janeiro to rousing applause

Photo credits: Reuters

The audience at the Olympics closing ceremony were treated to a taste of Britain's comedy heritage when Monty Python star Eric Idle appeared onstage. The actor led the 80,000-strong crowd through a singalong rendition of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, while a bizarre troupe of dancers performed around him. He was followed by a performance by pop icons Queen, including vocals from Jessie J and from beyond the grave, by the band's late singer Freddie Mercury.

Evoking images of the past from Winston Churchill and Edward Elgar, through the psychedelic 60s to the highs and lows of the Games, the closing ceremony culminated with a glimpse of the carnival that awaits in Rio in four years' time. A galaxy of stars including the Pet Shop Boys, Kaiser Chiefs, George Michael, Tinie Tempah and Jessie J, The Who, along with faces such as Kate Moss, Russell Brand, Julian Lloyd Webber, Naomi Campbell and Darcey Bussell built up to the show's climax.

Photo Credits: Associated Press

IOC President Jacques Rogge stated: 'These were happy and glorious Games. The legacy of the Games of the XXX Olympiad will become clear in many ways. 'Concrete improvements in infrastructure will benefit the host nation for years to come. Many young people will be inspired to take up a sport or to pursue their dreams.The organising committee, well supported by the public authorities, did a superb job,' he said. 'We will never forget the smiles, the kindness and the support of the wonderful volunteers, the much-needed heroes of these Games.You, the spectators and the public, provided the soundtrack for these Games.Your enthusiastic cheers energised the competitors and brought a festive spirit to every Olympic venue.You have shown the world the best of British hospitality.'

Dead on midnight the flame that reached all corners of the UK over 70 days was extinguished. As the dying flame flickered in the Olympic cauldron, a new flame emerged in the form of a phoenix suspended above the audience. Rock superstars The Who ended the night with a performance of Baba Reilly and a medley of their other hits, as a fireworks lit up the London sky. The best of Britain's past and present music scene partied with volunteers, athletes and the world as London 2012 came to a breathtaking close. And the Games were over - until 2016.

Photo credits: Getty Images

In, Mail Online (abridged and slightly adapted)

Follow THIS LINK in case you feel like taking a look at a fantastic photo gallery of the Closing Ceremony!...

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The Opening Ceremony

Danny Boyle tweeted 'Proud to be British'

London 2012 burst in pride

Photo Credits: Reuters

The world bid farewell to London on August 12th, after a frantic fortnight of Olympic competition. More than 10,000 athletes have competed for 302 gold medals in 26 sports, across 16 days. The eyes of the world have been firmly fixed on London, from the hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the globe who arrived to share the Olympic experience, to the billion plus people who have tuned in to watch events unfold on TV. And they've seen a united London, a city that rose to the occasion and has basked in the spotlight. 

An Olympic fan

Great Britain's athletes achieved their greatest medal haul in over hundred years. But London 2012 is about much more than just sport. It's about the 70,000 volunteers who slipped into their purple outfits, every day without fail, to help the Games run smoothly. It's about the 1,000 plus troops who were drafted in at the last minute to help bolster security in the wake of the G4S fiasco - but did their duty without complaint. And it's about the Britons who filled stadiums and venues, and lined the streets for every race, whatever the weather, wrapped in union flags and shouted themselves hoarse, roaring on athletes from every nation. Britain and London took the Olympics to its heart and wore the rings proudly. 

Men's marathon on the final day

Few cities in the world boast the kind of landmarks London has in spades. And the organisers did their best to show of the best of London - cleverly staging events so they showcased the capital's spectacular highlights. Visitors were given a healthy dose of the city's royal heritage; from the the beach volleyball, which took place in a purpose-built stadium in the shadow of Buckingham Palace; to the rowing events at Eton Dorney, overlooked by Windsor Castle. The equestrian centre at Greenwich Park gave guests a taste of London old and new, surrounded by the Naval College and Royal Observatory, and behind it the skyline of Canary Wharf. And on the final day, the men's marathon snaked around the city's ancient streets, finishing up on the mall. 

Prime Minister David Cameron insisted Britain should be proud of the way London hosted the Olympics and its athletes dominated competition. He said: 'We showed the world what we're made of, we reminded ourselves of what we could do.'  US President Barack Obama even telephoned David Cameron to offer his congratulations for a 'brilliant' London Olympics, Downing Street said. A Number 10 spokesman said: 'The President praised the organisation of the Games and the amazing performance of Team GB athletes. 'And he thanked the Prime Minister for the hospitality the UK had shown to the First Lady at the start of the Games and the US team ever since.' Mr Cameron in turn offered the UK's congratulations on the US team's 'astounding' medals table-topping performance and said Britain had 'thoroughly enjoyed' hosting its athletes.

          

           PM David Cameron and a volunteer

      

The Mayor of London among volunteers 

The Queen congratulated the athletes of Great Britain and the Commonwealth, saying their efforts had 'captured the public's imagination and earned their admiration'. As London 2012 drew to a close, the Queen said Team GB's success - the best performance in more than a century - would inspire a new generation of Olympians and remind everyone how sport 'unifies communities and nations'. The Queen herself played a starring role in the Opening Ceremony for the Games, featuring in pre-recorded film scenes with Daniel Craig starring as James Bond, before appearing to parachute from a helicopter into the stadium. 'As a nation, we now look forward to the Paralympic Games and wish all athletes every success.'

In MailOnline (abridged and slightly adapted)

Photo credits: PA

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London's new skyline and landmarks

London 2012 Olympic Games

The Founder of the Modern Olympics

'Olympism is not a system: it is a state of mind.' - Pierre de Coubertin

Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, was an unlikely sports hero; a French aristocrat who thought physical education could have saved his country from military humiliation in the late 1800s. The lonely campaign waged by Pierre Fredy, Baron de Coubertin, slowly gained support among advocates of athletics in Europe and America, and Coubertin was able to organize the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.

Athletics became popular in the late 1800s

The role of athletics in life had taken on a major role throughout the 1800s, after a long period when society was essentially indifferent to sports, or, actually considered sports to be a frivolous diversion. Scientists began touting athletics as a way of improving health, and organized athletic endeavors, such as baseball leagues in the United States, became very popular. In France, the upper classes indulged in sports, and young Pierre de Coubertin participated in rowing, boxing and fencing.

The First Modern Olympics

Found picture via Google Images

The decision to hold the first modern Olympics in Athens, at the site of the ancient games, was symbolic, and proved to be problematic as Greece was embroiled in political turmoil. However, Coubertin visited Greece and became convinced the Greek people would be happy to host the games. Funds were raised to mount the games and thus the first modern Olympics began in Athens on April 5, 1896. The festival continued for ten days, and included events such as foot races, lawn tennis, swimming, diving, fencing, bicycle races, rowing, and a yacht race.

Legacy of Baron de Coubertin

The idea of the Olympics as an event filled not merely with athletics but great pageantry came from Pierre de Coubertin. So while the games are, of course, held on a scale far more grand than anything he could have imagined, the opening ceremonies, parades, and fireworks are very much part of his legacy. And it was also Coubertin who originated the idea that while the Olympics can instill national pride, the cooperation the world's nations may promote peace and prevent conflict.

In, About.com 19th Century History

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Semana da Cor @PineTree

Semana da Cor @PineTree

Let's get colourful, this week!...

Found picture at EBS/Pinheiro Website

This year's edition articulates with the meaning of the Olympic Games' colour rings. According to Wiki.Answers.com, "despite popular misconceptions there is no link between the ring colours and a specific continent. The colours simply came from those colours that appeared on all the national flags of the world at that time (1913). Therefore the five-ringed symbol represents the union of the five continents - Africa, the Americas (North and South America are combined), Asia, Europe and Oceania - and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games. Baron Pierre de Coubertin conceived both the symbol and the flag. Not coincidentally, Coubertin was the founder of the modern Olympic Movement." 

So, besides colourful, let's get Olympic this week: on monday, be blue; on tuesday, yellow; on wednesday, black; on thursday, green; and on friday, red! And, above all, let's be 'Citius, Altius, Fortius', which is Latin for 'Faster, Higher, Stronger', not only during this week but also throughout the whole year!

   photo credit: kk+ via photo pin cc

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