I'm no longer idealistic enough to watch the Olympic Games.

I used to really enjoy them, but for me, the games of my childhood were about sport. Now they're about commercialism and nationalism. For me, it was the Seoul games that turned me away with the naked displays of nationalistic, and perhaps even ethnic, chauvinism on the part of the Korean fans. The last Olympic games I enjoyed were Barcelona and Lillehammer, which seemed so charming.

The Beijing games appear to promise more naked racial and nationalist displays as the Chinese work to show they aren't the inferior nation of the past. I'd rather they worked for peace in Darfur or Lebanon to show their putative "greatness"--whatever that means to them. Instead, I fear we'll see more poor sportsmanship like in Seoul or Atlanta (or even Athens). I'd like to see more fans like the Swiss, who don't complain about the winners when they lose, they quickly blame their own athletes and coaches! Plus, they turn up with those cowbells to show their enthusiasm--much nicer than the "USA!" chants...

CDs listened to today:

• Samuel Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915
• Jeff Buckley: Grace
• Duke Ellington: Suite from "The River"
• Ludwig van Beethoven: The Symphonies, disk 1 (Roger Norrington conducting)
• Feist: Let It Die
• The Streets: Original Pirate Material