Not Topic Related:

As a google experiment, I am posting a blog entry about my professor's sisters website. She runs a shop in the UK called KidsCorner. Currently, her website is ranked 11th on google for the keyword search, outdoor trampolines chester. However, we are trying to see if we can increase her ratings on google for this specific search.

The url address that goes to the KidsCorner website is www.kidscorner.uk.com, which can be found at the following link: outdoor trampolines chester.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals:

The Olympic Medals for the 2006 Torino Olympics have been designed and created; however, they are not in their complete phase yet. The Gold, Silver, and Brozne Medals will be complete when they are awarded to and hanging around the very dedicated and deserving athletes who won first, second and third place, respectively.

Moreover, the idea for the 2006 Winter Olympic Medals was a concept put together by Ottaviani International and the TOROC graphics team. Quatrini, who works with Ottaviani International, came up with the design for the medals. Quatrini bainstormed the Medal design by incorporating views and ideas from the Italian history, along with tradition of forms and designs of the Olympic rings, ancient coins, and ornaments. In its final form, the Olympic Medal is a unique shape embedded by the town square, the arena, the victory ring, and a circle with a space at the center that reveals the heart.

The open space at the centre of the Olympic Medal is a symbol of life itself, revealing the place where the heart beats. Another uniqueness of the2006 Olympic Medal is how the Medal and ribbon are joined together. The Olympic Medal has been created and developed as a single object; therefore, the ribbon is not sewn at the top of the Medal. Instead the ribbon is knotted to the ring around at the top of the Medal, to make an unusual and intimately a unique whole.

The Olympic Flame:

On November 27th, five-ring Olympic Flag was raised and began waving in the winter winds again. Plus, on this morning, in the Plains of Olympia in Greece, the Lighting Ceremony of the 2006 Torino Olympic Flame was held. This marked the first official acts of the 2006 Olympic Torch Relay, which paved the way to the opening events of the XX Olympic Winter Games.

One of the many notable figures at the Torch Lighting Ceremony was the president of the TOROC, Valentino Castellani. He was quoted saying, "The Flame is one of the most concrete testimonies sent down to us from the ancient Games. The Flame which travels from one city to the next announces the arrival of the XX Olympic Winter Games. This event includes, 17 days of sports events and competitions with athletes coming from all over the world who will loyally face each other under the banner of sportsmanship and reciprocal respect".

Moreover, the Olympic Torch Relay will travel for 10 days in Greek territory and will arrive at the Panathinaykos Olympic stadium in Athens on December 6th. The following day, in an official ceremony the flame will be passed on to the delegation of Torino 2006 who will bring it to Italy on board a C-130 cargo plane made available by the Ministry of Defence. Then the Olympic Flame will be welcomed to Rome by a delegation of the Presidency of the Republic. Next, the Flame will depart for its final destination to the city of Torino, where on February 10th it will light up the Olympic Cauldron during the Opening Ceremonies of the XX Olympic Winter Games of Torino 2006.

An "Olympic Steeple": for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games


Today, the official poster for the 2006 Torino Winter Olympic Games was presented on a sports TV network. The symbolic Olympic poster will be featured on all the Torino 2006 sites. In addition, the poster will be displayed at all venues during the Olympic event. After the Games, it will become a souvenir that will keep the memories alive.

Moreover, the poster was conceived, designed, and developed by the Armando Testa Agency. Furthermore, the TOROC has also entrusted the Armando Testa Agency with the task of creating the Olympic mascot characters and putting the overall nature of these Olympic Games into illustrations.

Marco Testa, president of Armando Testa Agency, has centered the design for this years poster around the “Mole Antonelliana”(the Steeple of Antonelli), which is a well-know symbol in Torino. The Mole, which is also a mountain range, is located right before the Alpines. Through the use of a multicolored interpretative style and symbolic gestures, the poster represents the idea of the Olympic tracks. Therefore, the poster supports the logo and the slogan of the 2006 Torino Winter Olympic Games, “Passion Lives Here". Overall, Marco Testa created this poster as an identifying symbol of the 2006 Games; which represents, power, liveliness, and dynamism, like the Olympic Games will be, and like the city of Torino is.

A LOCAL LINK:

As we near closer and closer to the opening day of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, athletes across the world are preparing to travel to compete in Torino. However, for now, the U.S. Olympic team is being determined as athletes compete at Nationals in their various sporting events. Moreover, I thought that I would provide a closer look for you at some local Olympic hopefulls in this area.

First, is Eric Bernotas, who is 33 years of age and located in Avondale Pennslyvannia. Eric is listed as one of the top 25 Olympic hopefulls, and if he makes the U.S. Olympic team, he will be competeing in the skeleton. Eric has a long and outstanding record competeing in the skeleton which includes winning the last three U.S. National titles, and breaking the Lake Placid track record in 2004. In addition, Eric also placed eighth last year in the 2005 World Championships.

Next is Kimberly Meissner, a sixteen year old, figure skater from Baltimore Maryland. Kimmie is also a 2006 Winter Olympic hopeful for the U.S. Olympic team, who is young but has a credible track record. Last year, Kimmie finished third at the 2005 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships behind Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen. Plus, she became the first U.S. women to land a triple axel at the U.S. Nationals since Tonya Harding in 1991.


Lastly, but definately not the least by any means, is Johnny Weir, a 21 year old figure skater from Coatesville Pennslyvania. Johnny, like the other two athletes previously mentioned is also a 2006 U.S Olympic Team hopeful. He has won the men's title at the U.S Nationals Championship for the past two years, 2004 and 2005. In addition, they are hopeful that Johnny will win the 2006 men's title at the U.S. National Championships which will be held in January of 2006. Also, in 2004, Johnny finished first in four out of nine major international and national competitions that he competed in.

Preparations-Nearing closer:

With only 90 days left until the Opening Ceremonies for the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics, the excited and anticipation continues to build. Moreover, the city of Torino and the Piedmont region are in the final stages of there preparation as Olympic Teams are being determined and athletes are hard at work training for the event of a lifetime. When you think of the Winter Olympics, what is the first thing that comes to mind?? Snow, ice, sports, athletes, preparation, dreams, success, competition, unity, teams, countries, passion, or maybe even for the love of the sport. Well within a few short months, athletes and their Olympics Teams will fly from all over the world to Torino to fulfill their Olympic dreams and possible even win a medal.

The Winter Olympics is an amazing event filled with fierce competition and phenomenal athletes from all countries united by the Olympic spirit. However, the Winter Olympics requires years of planning and preparations. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Torino Olympic committee (TOROC) have been designing, organizing, and working to set up the 2006 Olympics for close to five years now! The Olympics takes a lot of hard work and effort from thousands of people in order to carry out the wonderful event that viewers watch from around the world. The city of Torino had to redesign infrastructures, build new resorts and stadiums, set-up additional means of transportation and lodging, while mapping out a series of events. In addition, the IOC and the TOROC have been revising procedures and forming new policies to ensure that the Winter Olympics will be a safe and pleasant even that everyone will enjoy. Now, this is only a glimpse of the work that has gone into preparing for the upcoming event, but I hope it gives you a better idea of the time, hard-work, and detailed planning that goes into preparing for the Olympic Games.

Less than 90 days to go, the Winter Olympics is almost here!

A NEW LOOK:

Today (November 1), the TOROC, Torino Organizing Olympic Committee, launched a new version of their 2006 Winter Olympics Website. The new website was developed to ensure that people would be able to get the information that they needed in order to be part of the 2006 Winter Olympics experience. In addition, the site contains a new layout, new design, new graphics, and much, much more content. The new website now guarantees continual and up-to-date information on the winter sports, the athletes, and the TOROC organization.


The new website has now been structured around five key areas: Come to Torino 2006; Competition and Schedules; Sports and Athletes; The Olympic Spirit; and Behind the Scenes. First, the Come to Torino 2006, provides visitors with information on ticketing, transportation, accommodations, maps of the venues, and all the necessary data that they would need to attend and make plans to get to the Winter Olympic Games. Secondly, the Competitions and Schedules section is geared toward any and all information on the sporting events; such as, the latest news, schedules, and general information about the specific events. Next, the Sports and Athletes area is devoted to the history, rules, and records of each and every Winter Olympic Sport. Fourth, the Olympic Spirit section provides visitors with insight into the values and culture of the Olympic Games, as well as information on the 2006 Torino Volunteer Program. Lastly, the Behind the Scenes portion of the newly designed website allows visitors to learn more about the TOROC, and the Olympic movement in general.

Moreover, the website was specifically redesigned to accommodate all visitors and provide them with the necessary and important information leading into February and throughout the Olympic Games. The website was built upon a new infrastructure, which will enable the site to substain the 30 million visits that are expected during the Winter Games. In addition, the website was designed to accommodate some of the various cultures, and is offered in English, Italian, and French.