In less than an hour’s time, the Winter Olympics in South Korea will have their official opening ceremony. There will be gold, silver and bronze medals for the numbers 1, 2 and 3 in various matches. No, no pine cones, like for this squirrel.
This squirrel photo and other Olympic squirrel photos are by Swedish photographer Geert Weggen, who put toy skis, toy bobsleds etc. in the snow outside his window and waited till the red squirrels came to play with them.
Meanwhile, before the official opening, sports people have already been active in Korea. The Norwegian curling team unexpectedly beat the Canadian favourites. In the ski jumping qualifications, German and Polish participants did best. Happiness for South Korean spectators as one of their two competitors qualified for the final round, and sadness because the other Korean did not.
Finally, happiness for South Koreans as their curling team beat the USA 9 to 1.
Under the cover of the pre-Winter Olympics thaw between North and South Korea and the momentary lull in the “fire and fury” rhetoric from the Trump White House, there are growing signs that the Pentagon and the CIA are pressing ahead with preparations for a preemptive war against North Korea, including the use of nuclear weapons: here.
The Trump administration, or a powerful military-intelligence faction within it, is pushing for a pre-emptive military strike on North Korea, in the wake of, or possibly even during, the Winter Olympics due to start in South Korea on Friday: here.
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE VOWS TOUGHEST ECONOMIC SANCTIONS EVER FOR NORTH KOREA Ahead of this year’s Winter Olympics. [Reuters]
US President Donald Trump yesterday exploited a joint press conference at the White House with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to once again menace North Korea with crippling economic sanctions and a military onslaught. Trump’s comments come as the Winter Olympics in South Korea are about to close and the US and South Korea prepare for massive joint war games in April: here.
Photos of squirrels preparing for the Winter Olympics: here.
Dutch NOS TV reports that today North and South Korean delegations are again talking about North Koreans going to Pyeongchang. One northern delegate is Ms Hyon Song-wol, the leader of the Moranbong Band. She wants her band to play during the games.
This music video from North Korea says about itself:
North Korean Moranbong Band: The World’s Most Famous Songs (US, Brazil, Russia, France…)
6 May 2017
We have nothing to envy in this world – Kim Hyok
Symphony No. 40, 1st movement – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Rondo alla Turca – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Those Were The Days – Boris Fomin
Dark eyes – Evheniy Grebenka
Isle of Capri – Wilhelm Grosz
Red river Valley – American folksong
Tico -Tico no Fubá – Zequinha de Abreu
Swan lake – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Skaters’ Waltz – Émile Waldteufel
O sole mio – Eduardo di Capua
Radetzky Marsch – Johann Strauss
Carmen Overture – Georges Bizet
Brilliant motherland – Ri Myon-sang
THE rival Koreas agreed today to form their first unified Olympic team and have their athletes parade together for the first time in 11 years during the opening ceremony of next month’s Winter Olympics in South Korea: here.
Trump emphasises hostile stance on North Korea: here.
This 2017 from a figure skating match in Germany shows North Korean couple Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik.
Tomorrow, 9 January 2018, North Korean and South Korean delegates will talk whether these skaters will be able to skate at the Winter Olympics in Pyongcheang in South Korea.
Trump’s Golf Trips Cost Taxpayers $43 Million In 2017
7 January 2018
According to a new analysis of Trump’s golfing habits, his frequent trips to the golf course cost American taxpayers $43 million in the year 2017. He spent 26% of his presidency on the golf course last year, and while it may be better to have him play games rather than destroy the country, when it comes at the expense of taxpayers it isn’t preventing any damage. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.