Who's Leading? China or USA

I was a little surprised during the week when I encountered a medal tally for the Olympics on a Boston newspaper website which showed the USA as the leading country. I'd though China was well ahead and wondered what the USA had done to break into the lead... 

But when I looked at the actual numbers - China had the highest number of gold medals, and the USA had most medals overall, though significantly fewer of them gold... 

So I did some research, and in my rapid global newspaper study, most newspapers tally the medals according to the most number of gold medals won per country, and where that number equals another, the number of silver and then bronze defines the leader. There are a few exceptions with some online newspapers in Canada and the UK who follow their US counterparts who uniformly give the highest marks to the country with the most medals overall. 

Oh, and that happens to be the USA.

So does this technically mean that if a country were to win solely 200 Bronze medals and another 199 Gold - the winner would be the 200 Bronze?

The official Olympic website defines it according to the highest number of Gold medals won.

Here are some examples from my research...

The New York Times

USA Today

Globe and Mail (Toronto)

The New Zealand Herald

The Times Online (London)

Le Monde (Paris)

Jornal Brasileiro (Brazil)

The Australian 

The Olympics Official site

Call me a cynic - but does everyone in the USA not cope with coming 2nd to China?

Is reportage in the USA a little biased, or has the rest of the world got it wrong?

Olympic Challenge #9

Monty of Much Ado about Monty found this image of Sam McGregor from Australia's Waterpolo Team. One good reason to start playing waterpolo perhaps? I do note he's a tall lad too. 

Time is running out to send a photo of someone who's caught your eye from the Olympics to enter the Superchilled Olympic Challenge. After the games are over I'll post all the entries and you will all get a chance to vote for the winner.

Send your last minute entry to superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

For more competition details click here.

By now there are plenty of photos out there. So send 'em in!

Wild Hands-On Wednesday

The pictures say it all.

This is what you need to strive to do on this Olympic-Inspired Wild Hands-On Wednesday. 

Good luck, and may you find a great place to place your hands.

Best of the Best

Even Olympians check out other Olympians

Enter the Superchilled Olympic Challenge and be like the world's best. Find your favourite Olympic photo and send it in. The final gold medal will be decided by superchilled readers who will vote for the best of the best. (Details here)

Email: superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

Interview Panel: Tuesday August 19th

Superchilled asks a selection of people, who also blog, questions about life the universe and everything. 

Today's scenario:

You're sitting down to dinner at the love of your life's parents' home for the first time. You're served a meal that has taken your hosts days to prepare but it's something you almost gag at the sight of. What do you do?

The Green Light at the end of the Dock

Martin: Being the person I am I would grin and bear it – my partner’s mom will assume I love it, and proceed to make it for me every time I visit.

Just Beautiful Men

Eric :I think this would be an excellent case where breaking out the old 'I ate before I got here and I'm still sorta full' routine would come in handy. Either that or feign stomach issues... whatever could get me through dinner eating only a small portion of the meal (without actually appearing insulting) would be the ideal way to deal with this situation.

Geoff & Terry

Geoff: This actually happened...! I was visiting my boyfriend at the times family in Brussels and was served “moule and frites”. I said nothing and accompanied each mussel with a french fry heavily dosed in hot mustard.

Terry: I would eat the food, and thank the hosts for spending so much time putting together such a nice meal (there’s not much I can’t eat).

London Preppy

LP: If they were decent hosts they would have asked what I do and do not eat beforehand

the naked drag queen

Bruce: I would try my best to eat it. I would taste it and try and think of something else as I chewed. If that didn't work I would pretend to feel very sick and once I knew them better confess that I cannot eat that dish. Truth be told I eat most things anyway.

Along the Way...

Lynnette: I've become quite adept at swallowing sans chewing so that you don't taste the food-- and I'm pretty sure that's the tactic I'd employ. Small bite, large gulp of water, wait a second, repeat. I'm not into lying but I'd deffinitely express appreciation for the effort.

What would you do?

A Gold Rush or a DQ?

Being quite an Olympics fan myself, the past week has been quite distressing for me. It's not because Australia hasn't won enough Gold medals (we haven't but we're doing okay), not that there hasn't been enough good sportsmanship (apart from a notable bronze medal throwing event I don't recall too much evil happening) and not because there hasn't been enough eye candy (did anyone notice Andrew Lauterstein in the Australia medley relay team on Sunday?). It's because there is no TV reception for the official Olympic broadcaster, Channel 7,  where I live. Not even with satellite TV. 

And before you suggest it - the internet coverage here is nowhere near satisfying enough. Live streaming? Not on your life. Perhaps 3 minute bytes some hours after the events. 

Now it's not ALL bad - there is coverage by SBS - the 'complementary broadcaster' but if you want swimming, diving, gymnastics or any of the major athletics (and I SO do) then forget it.

I've managed to see the swimming finals at least which aired around lunchtime in all manner of places - from the waiting room at work - to a selection of pubs along the coast here as well as various events at home with some very accommodating family and friends. It's 'One World Many Television Screens' for me. 

But I know I'm a little more obsessive than most. So I have a poll running - up there on the top right - what do the olympics do for you?

Go on - tick a box.

And if you tick the third box specifically - you may want to scroll down to check out the olympic challenge entries. (More entries are heavily welcomed).

After the 1500m swim final today we went for our own planned swim and The Frenchman surprised me by not stopping when he usually does... He was doing his own 1500m. Very cute. 

Olympic Challenge #8

Stephen Looking out from a Southern Closet has sent in this rather spectacular photo of the popular American Artistic Gymnastic Team after their medal performance.

Send someone who's caught your eye from the Olympics, to superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

For more competition details click here.

Interview Panel: Saturday August 15th

Superchilled asks a selection of people, who also blog, questions about life the universe and everything.

Today's scenario: 

The police are knocking at your door - you can see them but they can't see you? What do you do? 

The Green Light at the end of the Dock

Martin: Well first I would need to get dressed, then I would open the door and assist them with their investigation – because it wasn’t me. I promise.

Just Beautiful Men

Eric : (I find this concept of this question hilarious) Anyway two scenarios immediately come to mind:

1.If I'm not knowledgeable of guilt or any crime I've committed, I'd probably go and answer the door without a second thought.
2.If I am knowledgeable of some sort of guilt on my part, I'd probably... find the biggest cover I can find, and enter into my deep basement closet to cower in fear :-(... all the while feeling totally pathetic of course...

Geoff & Terry

Geoff: Put on something sexy and answer the door.

Terry: I would answer the door, after all what could I possibly be guilty of?

London Preppy

LP: Answer the door, quote the following lyrics from 99 Problems by Jay-Z: "And I know my rights so you gon' need a warrant for that"

the naked drag queen

Bruce: If the police are knocking on my door and I can see them but they can't see me I'd probably open the door and find out what they want. I don't have a guilty conscious about anything I can think of and my curiousity as to what they could want would get the better of me. Cops have been tremendously helpful on three seperate occassions in my life. No I am not a Pollyanna.

What would you do?

Olympic Challenge #7

Peter von Amsterdam sends these images of fellow countryman Epke Zonderland, competing for the Netherlands in Artistic Gymnastics at the Beijing Olympics.

Send someone who's caught your eye from the Olympics, to superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

For more competition details click here.

Olympic Challenge: #6 Steeve Guenot

The Frenchman has discovered this Frenchman, Steeve Guenot from the Greco-Roman wrestling competition. A gold medal winner - I think he wins for more than just his sporting prowess. He also has an impressive mugshot on his Olympic page.

Send someone who's caught your eye from the Olympics, to superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

For more competition details click here.

Lyndon Ferns

A reader suggested I consider Lyndon Ferns, who will be competing in today's 100m freestyle final for South Africa. Here is a video of him being interviewed earlier this year and a few photos including Athens in 2004 when they won the 4 x 100m freestyle relay. 

I think I'm in love.

Here he is in the centre winning gold in 2004

and here on the left competing in 2006.

I think I'd like to see a reader find a great photo of him from Beijing to enter in the superchilled olympic challenge. Anyone?

Wild Olympic Wednesday

Can you get too much of the Olympics? Probably - but we'll soldier on anyway.

Every Wednesday is Wild Wednesday here at superchilled where you're challenged to do something a little different from the every day. Today's quest is to find an Olympic sport that you've always been interested in, but never done - and actually go and try it. Diving / Triathlon / Gymnastics / Greco-Roman wrestling / Rowing... whatever it is and for what ever reason - look up where you can do it nearby and go and give it a shot - take some friends - get an instructor - just give it a go - maybe we'll see photos of you here from the London Olympics...

Olympic Challenge: #4 + #5

Martin from TGL@TEOTD sent these two photos in. The first one here is, and I quote, "the hot hot hot boys from the USA artistic gymnastics team". I think he might be right. We'll call them all #4

#5  below is South African Swimmer Gerhard Zandberg. 

Martin is impressed by his arms. (perhaps also by the fact he too is South African?) 

There's all that and more it seems. He's a whopping 204cm tall! And I expect more photos will follow. 

Send someone who's caught your eye from the Olympics, to superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

For more competition details click here.

Olympic Challenge: #3 Matthew Mitcham

Tom Cat from Bondi Beach sends this photo of Matthew Mitcham , from the Australian Diving Team. He came to the public eye when he incidentally came out prior to the games. Watch out for him spinning above the the diving pool soon.

Send someone who's caught your eye from the Olympics, to superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

For more competition details click here.

Olympic Challenge: #2 Rami Zur

Speeding Bullett sends this photo of Rami Zur , who caught his eye, from the US Olympic Kayak Team.

Send me someone who's caught your eye from the Olympics, to superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

For more competition details click here.

Am I the Antigay?

On Saturday I'm in the mood for shopping. I'm not usually in the mood for clothes shopping so I take advantage of it and head to Oxford Street Paddington with The Frenchman to explore my options. And for this shopping expedition I'm looking and feeling kinda straight. I don't have anything that much coordinates and my hair is kinda unkempt, but I feel comfortable and relaxed and confident. It's a sunny winter day and the street is sparkling. So we enter a shop and there are some okay things, but they're not selling what I'm in the mood for buying, that's okay, and we move along to the second shop where the Frenchman looks for shoes I'm bored and by the third shop I'm desperate to get out. There's dance party music pumping everywhere, I'm not even remotely connecting with any of the not-so-straight-acting guys selling me stuff, and the scents I'm inhaling are über-gay to the point of nausea (are  they pumped through the airconditioning?). How are they über-gay exactly? I don't know but it's an autonomic evoked response so I'm not going to question it. 

I've become the Antigay. 

I'm supposed to feel at home in this gay-friendly strip, but I'm starting to think I need to start buying Bonds clothing or, better still, wearing whatever my husband buys for me. Then I can avoid shopping altogether. 

We leave without buying anything and head out of the GAY ZONE to catch up with a friend. I don't want to go back in there so we eat locally and entertain ourselves outside the Zone. Though it turns out that outside the Zone is becoming more popular with gay men too. But I'm okay with that, in fact I like it. A lot.

Bonds Ad.  45sec

Thing is - I'm still attracted to the guy in the ad. 

I can't truly be the Antigay - maybe it's just a phase.

Olympic Challenge Entry #1

Monty has sent me this photo of Alain Bernard, competing for France in Swimming (obviously), making this the first entry in the

Superchilled

Olympic

Challenge.

Do you think you can find a better photo of an athlete at these games?

 email your photo to: superchilledtrevor@gmail.com to enter the challenge.

Let the Gaymes Begin

So I'm starting  a competition.

An Olympic competition which I'm calling the Superchilled Olympic Challenge.

And this competition is easy and fun. 

All you have to do is find the best images of Olympian men taken from the Beijing Olympics and send them to me. I'll post them individually as they come in - and then at the end - everyone will get to vote for their favourite photo / athlete to determine the winners.  

The world is a big place - and you are all reading this from different parts of the globe, so you're also going to have different local news and sports sites that you might stumble upon. Hell you might be at the games yourself and find some of your own Olympic athletes to photograph - snap away. [if you are in fact at the games I'm curious if you can actually see this blog at all - do let me know]

You can email them to me at superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

If two people send in the same image - it will be the first who gets the glory - just as in the Olympics. 

If you know details of the photograph - who it is of, and who took it - please send that as well. 

Let the Gaymes begin.

It's not about sport, it's about new technology...

On the outside it looks flashy, powerful and new. You've got to have it!

Unpack the box and look really closely at your keyboard.

Grab your magnifying glass and and get close and personal with your new screen.

Your microprocessors.

Your super-fast optical drive.

And how you feel when something goes wrong.

Interview Panel 8-8-8

Superchilled asks a selection of people, who also blog, questions about life the universe and everything:

You've just had the best sex in your life, what do you do next?

Here are today's responses:

The Green Light at the end of the Dock

Martin: Something like the directions on a shampoo bottle - Rinse and Repeat…

Just Beautiful Men

Eric : Let's see, I'd probably get a good nights rest, take a shower, go to work the next day, and call home letting James McAvoy know that I'd be back around 6:00pm for a repeat performance... oh wait, you meant in real life? Ok, follow all the steps noted minus the sexy McAvoy call part :-(

Geoff & Terry

Geoff: Thank the French rugby team for a lovely time (ooh la la).

Terry: Thank Geoff for a lovely time (hahaha) and have a really strong espresso.

London Preppy

LP: I don't have sex of course, because I'm asexual, but if I ever found myself post such a vulgar experience, I guess what I would do is just try to quickly forget about it

the naked drag queen

Bruce: After having the best sex of my life I'd probably want to hold or be held by the person I had it with. Unless I had it on my own in which case I'd probably settle in with a good book and a cup of tea.

What would you do next?