The olympics are on. I loathe them.

The olympics have started in London. It has been very interesting to see the lead up to this four yearly event. There was a very self-disclosing comment made by some POM in the news yesterday. He said, and I sort of quote, that, 'we like to complain'. And part of the major complaints by everyone in the world about the Olympics, was that the POM's were continually complaining about everything to do with it. It is not without some substance, that certainly in New Zealand, the general nickname 'whinging POM' was lavished on all English people. By the way, POM, we were told as children mean Person Of Merit.

I'll let you in on a secret. I am three quarters POM, Mum being English born, and my father being half English.

Now, just a note on the Olympics. I didn't get to see the opening, but I did see a few bits on the news. I will have to find the opening ceremony on the internet and have a look at it. But the whole thing has nothing but nuisance value.

• It's in the middle of the night, well it starts at about 6pm, but it goes right into the wee hours
• I am going to miss lots of sleep
• I am going to have to sleep during the day to catch up
• It will completely mess up my daily schedule
• I am going to be tired
• I am going to be grumpy
• I like to listen to the ABC in bed but the programs are almost all Olympics and then....
• When I hear something exciting on the radio I have to get up and watch it, again in the middle of the night, because....
• Even the best commentator can make the most boring thing sound mind bogglingly exciting....
• And I won't know if I am missing something unless I get up and watch.
• If the Olympic committee had any brains they would have timed everything so that it suited the really important people of the world, those that live down under....therefore
• I hate the Olympics
• I loathe the Olympics
• I abhor them too
• Oh, and I hate all the ads they stick in every five minutes just to annoy the viewers who are compelled to watch all  night.

Ummm, did I mention I had a little bit of  POM in me? But I'm different. I never complain.