So I don't know if anyone realised, but the Olympics were over the last two weeks. Thought I'd just give a quick passing mention in case someone didn't notice...
Oh, also my birthday.
In this week's edition: "Who won all of the Olympics?", A second set of ten years - a brief retrospective, and What I'm Listening to.
"Who won all of the Olympics?"
So London 2012 has closed, and eyes are already on Rio in 2016. Before that, however, we need to decided who actually performed the best this olympiad. I don't know why, but judging by the medal tables I keep seeing popping up all over the place, the world will not be content without knowing who won the Olympics.
First of all I don't even think it's completely possible. Okay sure, you can go by the number of gold medals won, then the number of silver and bronze like most medal tables you'll find, but I'm not completely convinced it's a fair way to judge which nation is best at sport. After all, there's a wide multitude of events across numerous sports like Athletics, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball... um, Gymnastics? Isn't that rather subjective?...
I don't want to open up another version of the "NCEA judging for Art subjects is horrendous" argument here... that's been done.
But even the IOC doesn't officially endorse these rankings.
"I believe each country will highlight what suits it best. One country will say, 'Gold medals.' The other country will say, 'The total tally counts.' We take no position on that." - Jacques Rogge, International Olympic Committee President(Taken from "China's Show of Power", The Washington Post, August 25, 2008)
(Oh yeah, I've done research)
But that doesn't mean I ignore rankings entirely. No, instead I use my own "Points won per 1000 athletes" ranking, in which smaller countries have a greater chance of making it to the top. Which I think is rather fair.
Here's how it works - For each gold medal won, the country scores 5 points, then 2 for silver and 1 for bronze. Then I divide the total by the number of athletes that were entered and multiply by 1000. This results in my PPkA rating (patent not pending).
So here's the top 50 table:
| NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Points | Athletes | PPkA | Rank |
| China | 38 | 27 | 23 | 267 | 396 | 674.242 | 1 |
| Jamaica | 4 | 4 | 4 | 32 | 50 | 640.000 | 2 |
| Iran | 4 | 5 | 3 | 33 | 53 | 622.642 | 3 |
| United States | 46 | 29 | 29 | 317 | 530 | 598.113 | 4 |
| Ethiopia | 3 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 35 | 571.429 | 5 |
| Botswana | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 500.000 | 6 |
| Grenada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 500.000 | 6 |
| Kenya | 2 | 4 | 5 | 23 | 47 | 489.362 | 8 |
| Russia | 24 | 26 | 32 | 204 | 436 | 467.890 | 9 |
| North Korea | 4 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 51 | 431.373 | 10 |
| Georgia | 1 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 35 | 400.000 | 11 |
| Azerbaijan | 2 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 53 | 377.358 | 12 |
| Kazakhstan | 7 | 1 | 5 | 42 | 114 | 368.421 | 13 |
| Great Britain | 29 | 17 | 19 | 198 | 541 | 365.989 | 14 |
| South Korea | 13 | 8 | 7 | 88 | 245 | 359.184 | 15 |
| Hungary | 8 | 4 | 5 | 53 | 157 | 337.580 | 16 |
| Cuba | 5 | 3 | 6 | 37 | 110 | 336.364 | 17 |
| Uganda | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 312.500 | 18 |
| Netherlands | 6 | 6 | 8 | 50 | 178 | 280.899 | 19 |
| Japan | 7 | 14 | 17 | 80 | 293 | 273.038 | 20 |
| Germany | 11 | 19 | 14 | 107 | 392 | 272.959 | 21 |
| France | 11 | 11 | 12 | 89 | 330 | 269.697 | 22 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 30 | 266.667 | 23 |
| Italy | 8 | 9 | 11 | 69 | 284 | 242.958 | 24 |
| Mongolia | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 29 | 241.379 | 25 |
| Lithuania | 2 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 62 | 225.806 | 26 |
| Czech Republic | 4 | 3 | 3 | 29 | 133 | 218.045 | 27 |
| Romania | 2 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 103 | 213.592 | 28 |
| New Zealand | 6 | 2 | 5 | 39 | 184 | 211.957 | 29 |
| Bahamas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 208.333 | 30 |
| Ukraine | 6 | 5 | 9 | 49 | 237 | 206.751 | 31 |
| Norway | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 64 | 203.125 | 32 |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 35 | 200.000 | 33 |
| Australia | 7 | 16 | 12 | 79 | 410 | 192.683 | 34 |
| Denmark | 2 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 113 | 185.841 | 35 |
| Croatia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 108 | 175.926 | 36 |
| Afghanistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 166.667 | 37 |
| Qatar | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 166.667 | 37 |
| Armenia | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 25 | 160.000 | 39 |
| South Africa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 125 | 160.000 | 39 |
| Cyprus | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 153.846 | 41 |
| Belarus | 2 | 5 | 5 | 25 | 165 | 151.515 | 42 |
| Ireland | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 66 | 151.515 | 42 |
| Uzbekistan | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 54 | 148.148 | 44 |
| Colombia | 1 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 104 | 144.231 | 45 |
| Slovenia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 65 | 138.462 | 46 |
| Spain | 3 | 10 | 4 | 39 | 282 | 138.298 | 47 |
| Mexico | 1 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 102 | 137.255 | 48 |
| Switzerland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 102 | 137.255 | 48 |
| Indonesia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 136.364 | 50 |
...and that's that. I realise this table isn't perfect since team events skew the results, and for perfect data you'd need to include all the other placings in all events. But for now, it's good enough. If you're not happy with your country's place, stop complaining and come up with your own way to rearrange the data. New topic.
A second set of ten years - a brief retrospective
I've now been in existence for 20 years. Yep. Or, quite possibly longer, if you believe those college students from 10 years ago saying I was a test tube baby for being smart enough to be in a maths class with 14/15 year olds. Actually let's talk about that.
10 years ago, I was at Kapiti College, walking to classroom M8, just like I had been for the year so far. After exhausting the mathematical education possibilities at my primary school, for one hour each day I'd walk across two rugby fields to the neighbouring college to take a class, and walk back again. A thought went through my head at the time, "a ten year old in a year ten class".
I think 10 is a great age... you get to experience everything you want without much regard to consequences; and there's a lot of hope in there too - you'd have no idea what's gonna happen in the next few years, what career you'd like to follow after university, how you'll become successful in the next 60-something years of your predicated life span. In my opinion, 10 is an age of believing anything you want.
That's what I'd like to say was me in a nutshell at 10. If past posts are any indication, there was a lot of shyness to express my own personality to friends. I say friends... more like people-I-see-often-because-we-go-to-the-same-school.
So what happened to me next?
In the next year, my attending-college would be part of the focus of a documentary, "Small Wonders", where a bunch of kids across New Zealand with different talents would be interviewed in regard to how they live their lives. I'm sure our copy is still hanging around somewhere, even if it is on a VHS tape. I've had minimal contact with the rest of the documented group, partly in fault to my not-being-able-to-focus-on-doing-things. But if anyone from the documentary found this, drop me a line.
Following on from that, I would eventually graduate from Thomas Kennedy Junior Academy and attend Kapiti College full time, while also dealing with the news of my mother's brain tumor.
I was only just getting through Year 9 in 2005. I can safely say Year 10 was much better, and being put into an extension class with like-minded people put my mind at ease. I was different, sure... but I wasn't the only one.
In 2006 time stood still as my mother passed away on that Friday in June. And for a moment I realised I did have people I could associate with, when half of my form class turned up at the funeral. I'd like to think that that was a turning point there, because in the next few years over the rest of college, I'd open up to more friends over different classes, and let more individuality through.
But then came 2009, and in the last year of college, a decision: university, and what I'd choose as, quite possibly, my life direction. On top of that, it resulted that most people I'd met and befriended were going to a different university, and just like the transition from primary to secondary school, I'd be starting fresh.
2010 was not only the start of a new decade, but the start of a new learning institution. I'd move into Colombo Hall, Room 5 in February and start my first year of Computer Science. In my first few weeks and the Let's Get Going program, I'd met about a dozen different people. But, as I've noticed, these people you first meet never seem to be the ones that stick around. It wasn't until later I met Steve, who's now currently studying in Albany.
Funny story actually. In 2011, I'd started as an Residential Advisor on campus, and a pre-semester event was one of the RA's birthdays at a bar in town. It was during the day, but me and another RA, Catie, were a little sceptical of going and ended up bailing about 15 minutes in. She called her friend Jordan to pick us up. Jordan just happened to be one of the people I'd met last year but never stayed in touch. Also, Catie was a resident of Colombo Hall in 2010. So I guess people do re-meet each other further down the line, they just don't realise it until it happens. Catie, Jordan, Emily (who I also met at Let's Get Going) and I all are in the halls this year (either as RAs or residents) and we get along fine.
And that brings us to this year. And the sad story of closing of the ten years with my grandmother's diagnosis and passing, also due to cancer.
I heard that there is a book being compiled with stories my grandmother dictated to a writer, and I think that that's a neat idea. Everyone has a story to tell. That's what I'd like to think this blog is partially, a chronicle of my life through the years. Which is why you'll find more snippets of things like this under the "Story of My Life" tag, if you're interested.
If there's something I want to summarise this with, is that I'm thankful for what happened. Should something happen further down the track, maybe 10, 20, 30 years time that I want to say, "that's what my life was leading up to", I can look back and think, "if I hadn't been through all that, I never would've got here".
If I had swapped colleges in Year 9, I wouldn't have met some friends I have now.
If I had different friends at college, I may have had different interests.
If I had different interests, I may have changed my course at university.
If I had changed courses at university, I may have had to go somewhere else.
If I was somewhere else, I may not have decided to be an RA.
If I wasn't an RA, I may have been a totally different person.
If I was a totally different person, I wouldn't be where I am now.
People have sometimes asked why I am taking Computer Science as a course. Over time, I've kind of avoided and tried to divert the question. But I guess I decided I wanted to do Computer Science back when I was only 10. I'd like to be immersed in the 10th year I guess I never had, to be responsible for creating a sense of wonder when playing a game, to transport the player to another world, to give the player a new identity, and to believe that anything is possible. I'd like to continue making 10 years old the best year to be.
What I'm Listening To
It's blog posts like this that take most of my time to complete, not because there's a lot to remember, but because I'm being all retrospective and stuff I put on slow, motivational-pop songs, and get all teary.
So here's the playlist (also works for cosy, rainy afternoons):
No One - Aly & AJ
Be Your Everything - Boys Like Girls
I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz
Hold On - Måns Zelmerlöw
1000 Stars - Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Take It All Away - Owl City
When I Look to the Sky - Train
Safe - Westlife
And that's me for this week. See you next time.
If you like what you read, you can follow this blog using the tool on the right, or subscribe to the RSS feed at the top of the page.
I've now been in existence for 20 years. Yep. Or, quite possibly longer, if you believe those college students from 10 years ago saying I was a test tube baby for being smart enough to be in a maths class with 14/15 year olds. Actually let's talk about that.
10 years ago, I was at Kapiti College, walking to classroom M8, just like I had been for the year so far. After exhausting the mathematical education possibilities at my primary school, for one hour each day I'd walk across two rugby fields to the neighbouring college to take a class, and walk back again. A thought went through my head at the time, "a ten year old in a year ten class".
I think 10 is a great age... you get to experience everything you want without much regard to consequences; and there's a lot of hope in there too - you'd have no idea what's gonna happen in the next few years, what career you'd like to follow after university, how you'll become successful in the next 60-something years of your predicated life span. In my opinion, 10 is an age of believing anything you want.
That's what I'd like to say was me in a nutshell at 10. If past posts are any indication, there was a lot of shyness to express my own personality to friends. I say friends... more like people-I-see-often-because-we-go-to-the-same-school.
So what happened to me next?
In the next year, my attending-college would be part of the focus of a documentary, "Small Wonders", where a bunch of kids across New Zealand with different talents would be interviewed in regard to how they live their lives. I'm sure our copy is still hanging around somewhere, even if it is on a VHS tape. I've had minimal contact with the rest of the documented group, partly in fault to my not-being-able-to-focus-on-doing-things. But if anyone from the documentary found this, drop me a line.
Following on from that, I would eventually graduate from Thomas Kennedy Junior Academy and attend Kapiti College full time, while also dealing with the news of my mother's brain tumor.
I was only just getting through Year 9 in 2005. I can safely say Year 10 was much better, and being put into an extension class with like-minded people put my mind at ease. I was different, sure... but I wasn't the only one.
In 2006 time stood still as my mother passed away on that Friday in June. And for a moment I realised I did have people I could associate with, when half of my form class turned up at the funeral. I'd like to think that that was a turning point there, because in the next few years over the rest of college, I'd open up to more friends over different classes, and let more individuality through.
But then came 2009, and in the last year of college, a decision: university, and what I'd choose as, quite possibly, my life direction. On top of that, it resulted that most people I'd met and befriended were going to a different university, and just like the transition from primary to secondary school, I'd be starting fresh.
2010 was not only the start of a new decade, but the start of a new learning institution. I'd move into Colombo Hall, Room 5 in February and start my first year of Computer Science. In my first few weeks and the Let's Get Going program, I'd met about a dozen different people. But, as I've noticed, these people you first meet never seem to be the ones that stick around. It wasn't until later I met Steve, who's now currently studying in Albany.
Funny story actually. In 2011, I'd started as an Residential Advisor on campus, and a pre-semester event was one of the RA's birthdays at a bar in town. It was during the day, but me and another RA, Catie, were a little sceptical of going and ended up bailing about 15 minutes in. She called her friend Jordan to pick us up. Jordan just happened to be one of the people I'd met last year but never stayed in touch. Also, Catie was a resident of Colombo Hall in 2010. So I guess people do re-meet each other further down the line, they just don't realise it until it happens. Catie, Jordan, Emily (who I also met at Let's Get Going) and I all are in the halls this year (either as RAs or residents) and we get along fine.
And that brings us to this year. And the sad story of closing of the ten years with my grandmother's diagnosis and passing, also due to cancer.
I heard that there is a book being compiled with stories my grandmother dictated to a writer, and I think that that's a neat idea. Everyone has a story to tell. That's what I'd like to think this blog is partially, a chronicle of my life through the years. Which is why you'll find more snippets of things like this under the "Story of My Life" tag, if you're interested.
If there's something I want to summarise this with, is that I'm thankful for what happened. Should something happen further down the track, maybe 10, 20, 30 years time that I want to say, "that's what my life was leading up to", I can look back and think, "if I hadn't been through all that, I never would've got here".
If I had swapped colleges in Year 9, I wouldn't have met some friends I have now.
If I had different friends at college, I may have had different interests.
If I had different interests, I may have changed my course at university.
If I had changed courses at university, I may have had to go somewhere else.
If I was somewhere else, I may not have decided to be an RA.
If I wasn't an RA, I may have been a totally different person.
If I was a totally different person, I wouldn't be where I am now.
People have sometimes asked why I am taking Computer Science as a course. Over time, I've kind of avoided and tried to divert the question. But I guess I decided I wanted to do Computer Science back when I was only 10. I'd like to be immersed in the 10th year I guess I never had, to be responsible for creating a sense of wonder when playing a game, to transport the player to another world, to give the player a new identity, and to believe that anything is possible. I'd like to continue making 10 years old the best year to be.
What I'm Listening To
It's blog posts like this that take most of my time to complete, not because there's a lot to remember, but because I'm being all retrospective and stuff I put on slow, motivational-pop songs, and get all teary.
So here's the playlist (also works for cosy, rainy afternoons):
No One - Aly & AJ
Be Your Everything - Boys Like Girls
I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz
Hold On - Måns Zelmerlöw
1000 Stars - Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Take It All Away - Owl City
When I Look to the Sky - Train
Safe - Westlife
And that's me for this week. See you next time.
If you like what you read, you can follow this blog using the tool on the right, or subscribe to the RSS feed at the top of the page.
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