Game Changer: Sarah Palin

Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin
I was at home sick yesterday and watched in astonishment as John McCain picked first-term Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate. I listened to her speech and I was impressed. I found Sarah Palin refreshing in the political world for her brashness, for her blue-collar roots, and for what she has accomplished in her short political career. As I was watching her speak, my mouth dropped repeatedly and I quickly came to the conclusion that Barack Obama would soon rue the day he did not pick Hillary Clinton as his running mate.

I am a lifelong Democrat and I am a Hillary Clinton supporter. But I was never as excited about Hillary's campaign as I am by what Sarah Palin represents. But I was quickly dismayed as the predictable talking heads and surrogates lined up to either denounce Sarah Palin or to extol her virtues depending on the network editorial philosophy or what side of the aisle the surrogate represented.

You see, I have been disgusted with our two-party system for some time. In the HBO mini-series John Adams, our nation's second President warned of the dangers of our new country dividing itself across a line of ideology created by a two-party system. Never has the United States been more divided. We're either residents of a red state or a blue state. We're either a liberal or right-wing zealot. We're either an atheist or a bastion of orthodoxy spouting fire and brimstone. We're either pro-life or against it. We're either a war monger or a pacifist.

Well it's not that f*cking black and white. It is possible to be a social liberal and a fiscal conservative. It's possible to be a fiscal liberal, a social liberal, and to be an isolationist. It's possilbe to be pro-Israel, pro-military, pro-choice, and pro-environment. And it's possible to change or evolve where we stand on the liberal-conservative continuum as we grow older and the balance of power in the world and the economy changes over time.

Our nation's polarization does not have to be this way. The truth of the matter is that life is complicated, and world issues continually force us to reexamine our choices and make decisions based on the context of the day. It is so easy for Barack Obama to say that he never supported the Iraq War. Well you know what? I never supported the Iraq War either, but as much as I have always disliked President Bush, in the days following 9/11 I was out for blood, I wanted retribution, and I was standing together with all my fellow Americans as one. Yes, we were a mob and yes, perhaps we acted too quickly without finding out all the information we could. Fine. But after New York and Pennsylvania and the Pentagon were punched in the face by that bully down the street, the rest of the American family wasn't going to stand for it and we were going to march over to that bully's house and kick his ass. That's what brothers and sisters do. That's what any member of the family will do when another family member is attacked. That we were lied to and manipulated by our President and his senior advisers is not our fault. It's his. And yes, we beat up the wrong bully. We have to live with that and ask for forgiveness and try to learn from our mistake. But it's really disingenuous on the part of Barack Obama to say he never voted for the Iraq War when he was not in the Senate and not in a position to vote for or against the war. Because if he were in the Senate on 9/11 and he didn't vote for the war, his electorate would have voted him out of office.

I believe that John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin is a "Hail Mary" pass. I believe that John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin is an attempt to reach out to disaffected Hillary Clinton supporters. But I also believe that John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin is a daring and inspired choice made by someone who truly wants change and an end to business as usual in Washington.

Let's face it, John McCain, if elected, is a one-term President. There's a strong possibility that this two-time cancer survivor may become incapacitated while in office. Whoever John McCain picked as his running mate would have to be ready to take over the job as President of the United States with potentially little warning. John McCain knows this. So what does John McCain want for this country?

John McCain is a war hero. We all know that. No one can question his love for the United States, or his heroism--which I will admit is being used way too much by his campaign. Being a war hero does not qualify you for the highest office in the land. But what does he want for this country that he loves? Could it be that what John McCain wants is to end the lip service of bipartisanship by picking a running mate that broke down party lines in her own state, who fought corruption, who cleaned house so that government could stop wasting time and start taking care of the issues important to the people and to the nation?

There are many issues that Sarah Palin supports that scare me. I'll be the first to admit it. But there is so much more in this woman to admire that I'm excited about the chance to shake up our government and start dealing with issues rather than dealing with the same old result of politicians being politicians and securing their own reelections.

Here's what I know about Sarah Palin:
1. She took on and fought the good ole boy network in Alaska. She took down an incumbent governor of the same party in the primary, she got a corrupt attorney general fired. She got a corrupt US Senator out of office.

2. She reaches across both aisles and puts democrats and independents in high positions in her government.

3. She understands Energy Policy like no other in Washington as Alaska is an Energy State even bigger than Texas.

4. She does not cave to the oil interests in Alaska and taxed them at a greater rate so she could return $1200 in gas taxes per person to the people of Alaska.

5. Russia borders Alaska across the very narrow Bering Strait--it's only 53 miles wide. How ignorant of foreign policy can she be? In addition, her oldest son has enlisted in the army and will be deployed to Iraq.

6. She comes from a blue-collar family, the daughter of teachers, the wife of a fisherman and union member.

Some of the criticisms that have been thrown at her include:
1. She's not experienced, she was mayor of a town of 9,000 people, less than 1/20th the size of Obama's State Senate District. So? She's run a city, she's run a State for two years. She has more executive experience than Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and John McCain combined.

2. Alaska is inconsequential with less than a million inhabitants. So? Alaska makes up a land area 1/5 as large as the entire Lower 48. Governor Palin is responsible for all that takes place within that huge landmass's borders--earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, roads subject to huge extremes in temperature and upheaval due to the annual freezing and thawing of the permafrost layer, and cities and towns so inaccessible that they can only be reached by air. Not to mention a world-renowned tourism industry, and the governance of more National Parks Land than in all of the rest of the United States combined.

3. Sarah Palin is a staunch right-to-lifer, she would abolish Roe vs. Wade and ban abortion even in the case of rape and incest. Well, the Supreme Court would probably have something to say about that. Roe v. Wade is a landmark decision. Congress would not pass such a law, although certain legislators might try. BUT, knowing that her youngest child would have Down's syndrome, she and her husband brought that child into the world anyway. This is a woman with convictions she believes in and who will not sacrifice them to take the easy way out--if that is not the definition of leadership, I don't know what is.

What I want out of my elected leaders in Washington is simply to lead this nation. To address the issues of the day instead of hiding their heads in the sand. I want my leaders to be honorable men and women with strong morals, values--even if they differ from my own, and integrity. I want my elected leaders to listen, to care, to anticipate, and to be responsive. And I want them to be honest.

I think Sarah Palin has the potential to be the leader we have been craving for, and that's what has me so excited. I believe Sarah Palin, if elected to the office of Vice President, would be in a strong position to help end the partisan gridlock and corruption and ineffectiveness in Washington. I really believe that's what John McCain wants. He's been saying it for over a decade. Why wouldn't it be true? His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate just reinforces that idea.

I don't know yet who I'm going to vote for. But I'm not going to vote against someone because of:
1) What the talking heads on television tell me to think.
2) Because my choice of candidate didn't win the nomination.
3) There are issues the candidate supports that I don't agree with.

First and foremost, I want change in Washington. I want an end to partisan bickering. I want an end to gridlock. I want our government focused on what it needs to do to take care of the issues mentioned in the preamble of our constitution:

We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.

And that's for all Americans--the poor, the middle class, and the rich. Because at the end of the day, we are all in this nation together. For those of us who are still striving to make our version of the American Dream a reality we want a government that will support us and help us. And for those of us who have made our version of the American Dream a reality, we don't want our government involved in taking any part of it away.

John McCain and Sarah Palin might very well be the no-nonsense ticket we've all been waiting for to shake up Washington at last.

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: sarah palin, alaska, john mccain, barack obama, puma, joe biden, experience, president of the united states, u.s. constitution, politics, iraq, iraq war, vice president, republican nominee, republican convention, governor sarah palin, hockey, hockey mom, downs syndrome, talking heads, news media, pundits, surrogates, idealogues
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

The Current Within Us

Now that the Olympics are over, I find my thoughts and focus meandering back to river journeys and tales of adventure, especially now that "Gauley Season" is about to begin. While I have no doubt that the U.S. Presidential Election will be front and center for most of the fall, at least until the end of October the river will be foremost on my mind. The following is a Guest Post from my good friend and fellow blogger Ken Armstrong of Ken Armstrong Writing Stuff.

I approached Ken about two weeks ago asking if he would be willing to write a guest post for my blog. What Ken has written has blown me away with not only his kindness and his unique and clever turns of phrase, but also by his uncanny ability to read my mind and think similar things at the same time.

There have been multiple occasions when Ken and I have been thinking the same things at the same time, and once we were even reading each other's blog posts and commenting on each other's posts at the very same instant about the joint posts we had just written on our own blogs.

I consider Ken to be a kindred spirit, and if you enjoy my writing, I know you will enjoy this post from Ken. Without any further ado, here is Ken's post:

The Current Within Us by Ken Armstrong
I like Matt’s Blog a lot.

(This is Matt’s Blog, in case you’re disorientated)

I asked myself, “Why is That? Why do I like Matt’s Blog?”

I answered myself, “Because Matt and I have quite a few things in common.”

My wife replied, “Are you gonna be in there all night? There’s people out here waiting you know.”

So here’s three things Matt and I may have in common. Two of them are moderately interesting, one is just wrong and one is meant to be a bit deep and insightful.

You can judge.

1) We are both positive people
Check this Blog, it’s full to the banks with enthusiasm, fun, lust for life, discussion and general positivity. Matt does ‘+’, really well. I like to think of myself as being generally pretty positive too. In that age-old debate, I frequently find the glass to be three-quarters full. This doesn’t mean that Matt won’t disagree, argue or persuasively put forth his point of view when the need arises. It also doesn’t mean he won’t stand up for wrong doing and injustice when he sees it.

(Note to self: You’re making him sound like bloody Batman now, calm down, eh?).

So, we’re positive, yeah.

2) ABBA
(How do you do that reverse ‘B’ anyway? I’ve just lost five minutes of my life on that.)

(Note: Like this Ken.)
Matt and I have ABBA in common.

See, this is just ‘wrong’. Matt adores ABBA, that’s a given. But I don’t. Nah-hah. I think they’re good. They’ve been around in my life since that Eurovision thing. I have ABBA Gold on CD. I’ve seen ‘Chess’. But I don’t love them in any way, shape, or form like Matt does.

Yet ABBA is part of the glue which binds us together… is it just me or does that sound a bit off?

It all started many moons ago when I boasted on my own blog that I was good at recalling lyrics (I am… just deal with it). Matt tested me with some obscure ABBA lyrics and I delivered the goods. ‘Trouble is, as a result of that exchange, Matt seems to have mistaken me for a like-minded ABBA devotee. I'm not, I love Tom Waits like Matt loves ABBA.

So why is ABBA the second thing we have in common? Just because it is. It’s wacky but it’s true and I like that, I really do.

3) The River
I could be wrong about this but I think Matt and I have ‘The River’ in common.

‘The River’ has always been an important part of my life and, from reading Matt’s blog, I think it’s clear that it’s an important part of his too.

I grew up beside the river. It wasn’t a wild untamed river like Matt’s, in fact it was wide and slow. The river defined our lives in a very real sense. We marked the passing of the seasons as the salmon came and went, as the eels ran, as the mayfly spawned, as the swans reared their young. I would take a boat after school and paddle up into the river and sit in among the rushes, pulling out lively little Perch, stalking legendary monstrous Pike. I saw lives taken by the river, lives given to the river.

And then I left it behind.

So, finally then, here’s one little difference between us.

Matt has settled by the river which is so important to him, the river which runs like a metaphor for his very life-blood. He keeps his river close to him and he embraces it.

Whereas I left my own river behind me a long time ago. It may still run in my veins but I will never get back to it. I may never really see it again...

Thanks for letting me Blog over here Dude. It’s been wet but I reckon that I’ll dry out in time, I usually do.


A music video Ken has included with this post that he encourages you to watch and listen to.
__________________________

No, thank you Ken!

If you're still reading, you've probably learned something about me and something about Ken. Not only is Ken an awesome writer, he's a really great guy. And he's got an awesome sense of humor as well, somewhat dark and sarcastic like my own, even though we are both pretty positive individuals. It's for these reasons, but mostly for reasons that are evident in Ken's writing, that Ken is the latest recipient of the rare "MTMD Blog Award of Excellence."


Congratulations Mate! I can't think of anyone more deserving.


Ken Armstrong in shock that he has received yet another award.
If you haven't visited and read Ken's Blog yet, what are you waiting for?

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: ken armstrong writing stuff, ken armstrong, blogging, guest posts, rivers, abba, biographies, positive, mtmd blog award of excellence, blog awards, nick drake, youtube, music videos, gauley river, gauley season, presidential election
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Vote For Me

Thanks for reading and thanks for your support!

Almost Wordless Wednesday: A Look Back at the Beijing Olympics

The Olympic Torch is Lit by Li Ning



Sasha Artemov Securing the Team Bronze Medal in Gymnastics for the U.S.



Chinese Diving Perfection



The Men's 400 IM Relay. Eric Lezak Turned in the Fastest 100M Freestyle Split in History to Edge France for the Gold Medal.



Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson Make History by Going 1-2 in the Women's All Around Competition.



At the Age of 41, the Incomparable Dara Torres Wins Silver in the 50M Freestyle, Just 1/100 of a Second Behind the Gold Medal Winner.


Earning More Gold Medals Than All But the Countries at the Very Top of the Medal Leader Board, Michael Phelps Was a One Man Media Circus.



Awesome Underwater Photography at the Water Cube.



The Chinese Gymnast Age Scandal that We Will Be Hearing About for Years.



Rogers and Dalhauser Come Back from their First Match Loss to Latvia to Win Gold in Beach Volleyball.



U.S. Men Win Gold in 4x100 Meter Relay in Track and Field.



U.S. Women Win Gold in 4x100 Meter Relay in Track and Field.



Synchronized Swimming or Some New Hollywood Alien Creation?



Men's Marathoners in the Mist



Women's Soccer Gold Medalist Hope Solo at the Closing Ceremonies



Next Up: Vancouver in February of 2010



And then on to London in 2012



Artist Rendition of the London Olympic Stadium Waiting for Construction to Begin



Farewell Beijing!

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: beijing olympics, olympic games, vancouver olympics, london olympics, athletes, closing ceremonies, gymanstics, michael phelps, nastia liukin, shawn johnson
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Congratulations to the MTMD Page Rank Olympics Medalists!

In the end, the contest to win the Gold Medal and the $100 Cash Prize that goes along with it was fierce between Blessings and Beyond and BiznHoney, but in the final days of the Page Rank Olympics, Blessings and Beyond pulled ahead and never looked back. The blog increased its technorati ranking +83 since the start of the games just 16 days ago. BiznHoney was a close second and earned the Silver Medal by increasing its technorati ranking +71. Winning bronze with the third highest technorati increase was Sherry Rambling with an increase of +6.


Blessings and Beyond is a Christian-themed Mommy blog, but the content is eclectic and ranges from inspirational verse and Readers Digest-styled stories to tutorials on web hosting and really cool scenic photography. This blog is not preachy by any means, and if you are need of a pick-me-up, I strongly recommend you visit this blog. It's appeal is universal, which undoubtedly contributed to it's strong Gold Medal Win!


BiznHoney adopted the credo of the Page Rank Olympics in a recent post, so it's no wonder that this blog gave Blessings and Beyond stiff competition in its run for the Gold. The site explains its name this way: Biz = Business; Biz-N-Honey (Bees and Honey) = Slang for MONEY. Biz-N-Honey will serve as your resources and guide in earning money. Here you will find all kinds of ways to make money, whether it is online or not. With Biz-N-Honey, you will be able to find ways to make money via affiliate marketing, ppc marketing, blogging, adsense, ebay, paid surveys, franchising and many more! If this blog's effectiveness in making money is anything like its effectiveness in increasing its Technorati Authority, I strongly recommend you consider checking out this blog for some practical advice. Along with the Silver Medal, BiznHoney wins a $50 cash prize.

Winning the Bronze Medal and a $25 cash prize, and just edging out two other outstanding bloggers is Sherry Rambling. Sherry Rambling is a personal blog in which the blogger shares her thoughts, ramblings and things that interests her. The content is completely random, but usually revolves around some aspect of blogging and you can find some helpful tidbits to improve your own blog here from time to time.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MEDALISTS! PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR PAYPAL ADDRESSES SO I CAN SEND YOU YOUR CASH PRIZES!

Complete Results of the MTMD Page Rank Olympics Follow Below:

1) Blessings and Beyond:
Beginning PR 0, TA 252; Ending PR O, TA 335; Net Increase +83
http://www.micahdavid.com/

2) BiznHoney:
Beginning PR 0, TA 0; Ending PR O, TA 71; Net Increase +71
http://www.biznhoney.com

3) Sherry Rambling:
Beginning PR 2, TA 218; Ending PR 2, TA 224; Net Increase +6
http://sherrygo.blogspot.com/

4) Cindi @ Moomettesgram's Musings:
Beginning PR 3, TA 80; Ending PR 3, TA 84; Net Increase +4
http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog/

4) Prodinterios:
Beginning PR 0, TA 15; Ending PR O, TA 19; Net Increase +4
http://www.prodinterios.com/

6) Mommy and Me Boutique:
Beginning PR 3, TA 116; Ending PR 3, TA 119; Net Increase +3
http://themommyandmeboutique.blogspot.com/

6) Scotty's Princess:
Beginning PR 0, TA 259; Ending PR O, TA 262; Net Increase +3
http://www.scottzprincess.com

8) Lucky Girl:
Beginning PR 3, TA 194; Ending PR 3, TA 196; Net Increase +2
http://luckygirltrading.blogspot.com

9) The Clamor of Kalinga:
Beginning PR 2, TA 42; Ending PR 4, TA 43; Net Increase +1
http://theclamorofkalinga.blogspot.com/

10) Tasha's Take:
Beginning PR 0, TA 17; Ending PR O, TA 17; Net Increase 0
http://tashabud.blogspot.com/

10) The Way I See This:
Beginning PR 0, TA 26; Ending PR O, TA N/A; Net Increase 0
http://twisthis.blogspot.com

10) The Weblog Learner:
Beginning PR 0, TA 46; Ending PR O, TA 46; Net Increase 0
http://www.webbiestuffs.com/

10) Travelista:
Beginning PR 0, TA N/A; Ending PR O, TA N/A; Net Increase 0
http://worldtravelista.blogspot.com/

Olympic Lessons

The Olympic Rings Lighting Up the Sky--Can They Be a Beacon of Hope?
Sixteen days ago I, much as the rest of the world, was blown away by the spectacle of the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. I was so impressed I wrote a post entitled Olympic Hope believing that the pageantry and the slogan of One World, One Dream really meant that China was ready to move into the future as a leading world citizen. However, one man's dream may very well be another man's nightmare.

President Bush, interviewed by Bob Costas during the Olympic Games made the statement that the United States still has differences with China and that part of the reason he was in China was to show the Chinese respect. President Bush warned that all future U.S. Presidents needed to understand that we need to work with China and not to make demands on them. At the same time, President Bush indicated that there was nothing wrong in the United States at the present time, with our economy or otherwise.

I'm very concerned by these statements and I find them shocking. It is very clear that China is flexing the muscle of 1/5 of the world's population and of an economic giant. While I find myself agreeing with President Bush that all nations of the world must respect China as they must respect any nation, and that there are a great many areas that the U.S. is in agreement with China and that there are a great many areas in which we continue to disagree and that it's important to maintain relations so that we can work on the areas in which we disagree; what worries me is the apparent weakness and deference that President Bush is showing to China. The United States is a world leader. Our country is not subservient to any other. While the United States is no better than any other nation and in a lot of ways we are far worse as we trample on other sovereign nation's rights and engineer coups, the U.S. must not allow itself to become subservient to China. All nations should respect each other and deal with each other honestly and openly as equals in the world. All nations are proud and have unique cultures and history that deserve to be treated with respect and treated honestly and openly and fairly. But because the United States respects China and wants to negotiate with them in areas in which the two countries disagree, the United States must remain firm in upholding basic principles in which all nations agree--most importantly, that of honesty, and fairness and in human rights.


Beijing Closing Ceremony Fireworks
What has become clear during the 16 days of the Beijing Olympiad is this:

1) China will suppress all speech and apparent freedoms that do not agree with the official government position. During these Olympic games, while China had set up official areas far removed from the action of the Olympic Games for planned protests, all protesters had to apply by submitting a form for a permit in advance. Not a single permit for a protest was approved. Further, Joey Cheek's visa to attend the games was denied because he was involved in protesting China's role in Darfur. Further, they even went out of their way to suppress Chinese bloggers who wanted to report on the games. I strongly recommend you visit Globally Rational to read about this incident and to be just a little bit inspired over what the real potential of the blogosphere really is.

2) China will endorse cheating to manipulate Olympic results. The Age Scandal of the Chinese Olympic Gymnastic Team will be Sports News for the next decade. A former member of the Chinese Olympic Team admitted she was only fourteen when she competed in the 2000 Games in Sydney. And the implications of this are frightening. If China will manipulate birth certificates and passports just to make an athlete eligible for competition, what else will the government lie about intentionally? And how will any nation, let alone the United States, be able to trust China and work out issues of major world importance knowing that we are probably being lied to?

3) Most inspiring and frightening of all, China is capable of doing anything it sets its mind to. The Beijing Olympics were a beautiful event. The Chinese Government did everything in its power to ensure this. They dictated English would be taught. They stopped industrial operations to clear the polluted air. They built amazingly beautiful and functional venues for these games that have been hailed as landmarks in architecture. They convinced their population that it was their duty to present a positive face to the world, and they pulled off the greatest live human spectacle in history in the form of the opening ceremonies. What else can China achieve if they set their collective mind to it? A lunar landing? No doubt. Great science and environmentalism? If they want to. Control of all Asia both economically and militarily? It seems as if such a thing is within China's grasp.


See You In London in 2012, and Vancouver in 2010
I still believe that the Beijing Olympic Games represents hope for China's participation in world politics in an adult and civilized manner and I welcome that participation. The Olympic Movement is precious in that every Olympiad when all the nations of the world come together, all the issues of the world can be examined and discussed in productive ways while we gather in the celebration of sport. There are so many important issues that face us for the short term and long term survival of our world civilization and our survival as a species. China has a stake in this just like all nations and all humans have a stake in our collective existence and coexistence. But coming together as "One World, with One Dream" will not be a completely smooth or simple process. Again, I actually agree with President Bush that we must respect China and work with them--celebrating what we agree, while making progress in the areas that we disagree. And I think it's incumbent on us to stand firm on these positions. If we do not, we will lose not only our hope for a better world which China has given us a glimpse of with these spectacular Olympic Games, but we will lose hope in our own leaders to preserve the values of our own nation with which we hold most dear.

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: olympic games, olympics, beijing olympics, closing ceremonies, london olympics, vancouver olympics, politics, human rights, hope, glory of sport, sports
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

The Greatest Olympian of All Time?

Eight Gold Medals, Michael Phelps on the Cover of SI the second week in a row. The greatest swimmer/athlete of all time?
Throughout the Beijing Olympic Games, which I have watched as if they were a physical addiction, I have been struck by the superlatives being thrown around by the news and broadcasting media to describe virtually every Olympic moment.

Like most viewers, I was aware of Michael Phelps' quest to become the most award-winning Olympian of all time by breaking Mark Spitz's 36 year record of winning seven gold medals in a single Olympiad. Like most viewers, I watched every swimming event pretty much awestruck as Michael Phelps'--individually or as part of a team--set new World and/or Olympic Records in every event as he won eight gold medals. By any standard, what Michael Phelps has done is an amazing feat. By any standard, Micheal Phelps is an amazing athlete. By any standard, Michael Phelps said all the right things during and after his Olympic performances.

But as Michael Phelps has been "proclaimed" the greatest Olympian and athlete of all time, I can't say that I have really bought into such a superlative. I don't believe the feat of winning eight gold medals in a single Olympiad will be equalled again in my lifetime. But I'm not so quick to bestow superlatives while caught up in the emotions and afterglow of an incredible triumph. Especially since the superlatives being tossed out to Michael Phelps like darts to a dart board are not the only ones being tossed around in Beijing.


Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh--The greatest beach volleyball team of all time?
The other night, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh became the "greatest beach volleyball team of all time." They are the first and only beach volleyball team to repeat as Olympic Gold Medalists. Not even the great Karch Karalyi accomplished back to back golds in beach volleyball. There is no question that May and Walsh have dominated beach volleyball for the last six years. But beach volleyball has a very short history when compared with swimming. So when throwing out labels, how do you evaluate one historic accomplishment in terms of another historic accomplishment in two or more radically different sports? With different rules and judging schemes or mechanisms?


Nastia Liukin: The Greatest Gymnast of All Time?
Nastia Liukin, the winner of the All Around Gold Medal in Women's Gymnastics has been just as dominant in gymnastics as Michael Phelps has been in swimming over the last four years or so. Granted, competitive lifetimes in gymnastics are far shorter than they are in swimming, but gymnastics is also far more punishing on the body. Nastia won five medals in these Olympic Games. Like Phelps, individually and as part of a team. She competes in four different events: Floor Exercises, Balance Beam, Uneven Parallel Bars and Vault. Phelps has to master four strokes: Freestyle, Butterfly, Breast Stroke and Back Stroke. And that bronze medal and two of those silvers around Nastia's neck in the photo may be upgraded to silver and gold respectively depending on how a new Olympic controversy is resolved.

Notwithstanding the controversy under review as this post is being written, Nastia is at the top of her sport the way Michael is at the top of his. Nastia Liukin is the All Around Champion. She won five medals, edging out her team mate Shawn Johnson who won four. But that's really the most medals a female gymnast can win in an Olympic Games. Nastia Liukin can't choose to compete in a relay or some other gymnastic event that does not exist. Only in swimming can an athlete--male or female--have an opportunity to compete in seven or eight or more events.

And unlike swimming, the rules of gymnastics are much more complex. Michael Phelps has it easy. All he needs to do is jump in the pool and reach the finish line first. Not so for Nastia Liukin. In addition to doing the most difficult gymnastic skills on the books, she has to do them perfectly, without breaking form, with amplitude, with toes pointed, with grace and beauty--all of which are subjective criteria decided upon almost subjectively by a panel of judges. If Nastia Liukin fails to point her toes, she could lose a placement, and a gold medal, by the slim margin of only five/thousandths of a point. If Michael Phelps gets sloppy in his strokes he does not receive a time penalty by the swimming officials. His technique can be perfect or poor, just so long as he reaches the touchpad at the end of his race first. So how do you compare accomplishments in swimming versus those in gymnastics? Especially if what should be a level playing field is manipulated?


The Greatest Olympic Controversy of All Time
The rules for Olympic Gymnastic Competition are quite clear. All competitors have to be at least sixteen years old the year of the Olympic Games. For a long time now, the Chinese women have been scrutinized by the media, and finally the International Olympic Committee has launched an inquiry into the age of several of the Chinese Gymnasts who competed and won Gold at the Beijing Olympic Games. Just looking at the girls who have competed for China raises an eyebrow or two. It's readily apparent that some of the girls competing for China look fourteen or younger, and documents that are surfacing now seem to raise this as an issue.

The reason why this is a controversy in women's gymnastics is because younger gymnasts are smaller and it's easier for them to fly through the air and to do tricks than an older gymnast whose body has gone through puberty and changed. Having a 14 year-old gymnast compete with a 16 year-old gymnast alters the playing field and favors the 14 year-old in terms of the difficulty of the routines that can be accomplished. An age scandal in an Olympic event is just as serious as a judging scandal and this inquiry threatens to cast a pall over the Beijing Games the same way the French Judge Scandal cast a pall over the Salt Lake City Games in Figure Skating.

But when you get past the issues of rule enforcement and judging scandals and biases, how do you compare a gymnastic performance with its art and beauty and difficulty versus a performance in swimming which really involves just reaching the finish line first? I don't think it's possible. If there's ever been a case of apples versus oranges, this is it. And what about those athletes who compete in multiple disciplines?


Sheila Taormina--The Greatest Olympian You've Never Heard of?
Yes, Michael Phelps has had to master four swimming strokes to perform at the level that he has reached. But for the first time, there is an Olympian that is competing in the Olympics in three different events. Sheila Taormina is the very first Olympic Athlete to compete in three different events in three different Olympiads. In Beijing she is competing in the Modern Pentathalon--which itself is five different disciplines, and in previous Olympic Games she has won Gold in the 4x200 relay in Track and Field in Athens and she competed in the Triathlon in Sydney. How do you compare someone who excels in so many disciplines and events to Michael Phelps? No, Sheila Taormina hasn't won gold in all the events she's participated in, but they are all so different. It's amazing that she has become so good at so many of them that she can represent the United States in different events in the three Olympic Games she has sought to make the team.


Brian Clay: The Greatest Olympian and Athlete of All Time?
And then you have the Decathlon--long considered the premier event of the Summer Games, where Olympians compete not only in ten very different events, not only against the best decathletes in the world, but also against oneself. Yes, Michael Phelps competes against himself every time he tries to race faster and to achieve a new record. But the way scoring works in the Decathlon is that points are awarded for each of the ten events partly based on how much a competitor's results exceed or fail to meet the competitor's previous personal best. Because of this, a decathlete can rapidly improve and achieve success early in his career; but the longer he competes in this event, the harder it becomes to continually improve and to remain on top of the sport. That is why Bruce Jenner's Gold Medal in the 1976 Olympic Games and Brian Clay's Gold Medal today remain so awesome. Next year, Michael Phelps might get a new swimsuit and break another world record. But the margins by which he can exceed his previous results will certainly diminish over time.


Natalie du Toit: The Greatest Olympic Feat of All Time?
Finally, how can you compare one unprecedented and inspiring Olympic feat with another? Exhibit A, Natalie du Toit of South Africa. An open water swimmer making her Olympic debut, with an amputated leg. Natalie was involved in a car accident several years ago and her lower leg was crushed. It had to be amputated at the knee. But Natalie never gave up. She went through rehabilitation. She was fitted with a prosthesis. She learned to walk again. And she kept her Olympic dream alive. While she did not medal in Beijing, she competed alongside those with two fully functional legs with feet that could kick and propel them through the water. Natalie finished just outside the Top Ten. Of all the stories at these Olympic Games, Natalie's is one of the most compelling, and true to the Olympic Ideal of Competing for the Glory of Sport.

When we look at amazing athletic feats, we're always going to want to measure them in terms of other athletic feats. But how can you compare a Michael Phelps against a Roger Federer against a Tiger Woods against a Michael Jordan against a Nastia Liukin or a Michelle Kwan? And how can you compare a test of skill and precision--such as diving or shooting--against a test of speed--such as a swim race--against a test of acrobatics and beauty--such as gymnastics or figure skating--against a team sport--such as beach volleyball or basketball or water polo or hockey or football or soccer where every athlete has a role to play and works for a team result instead of an individual one? And how can you compare a modern athlete with better facilities and training knowledge and technology and equipment than an athlete of yesteryear? The current issue of Sports Illustrated with Michael Phelps on the cover points out that double Gold Medalist Jesse Owens, were he competing today, would not even make the Olympic Games with the times he turned in to win his gold medals.

The thing is, you really can't, and it's just a thought exercise that can only result in argument should you try. What gets lost in our over-the-top worship of our sports heroes and quest for superlatives to justify massive product endorsement deals is that at the end of day, all of these amazing feats are examples of greatness that every human being has the potential to achieve. Not just in sport, but also in the arts, in science, in the humanities. I only wish that our most brilliant high school and college scholars, our best bands and cheerleader squads, our best debaters and thespians had a level playing field with our sports heroes the next time Wheaties has to choose who to place on the front of its cereal box.

Thanks for reading.

Note: If you liked this post, please vote for it on Yearblook.

Technorati Tags: olympics, beijing olympics, olympic games, sports, achievement, michael phelps, nastia liukin, misty may-treanor, kerri walsh, natalie du toit, sports illustrated, wheaties, gymnastics, swimming, decathlon
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Beijing Olympics Week Two

Child Playing in Fountain Outside the Bird's Nest



Jonathan Horton Competing in the High Bar Event Final. Were it not for a step on the landing costing him 1/10 of a point, Horton would have had Gold.



It's Okay to Capsize AFTER You Win Your Sailing Medal



Olympic Tattoo: I've got spirit yes I do, I've got spirit how 'bout you?



Phelps' Wingspan In Action. Is this the Butterfly or the Albatross?



Shelly Ann Fraser of Jamaica Exults after Winning Gold in the 100 Meter Sprint



Nastia Liukin of the U.S. wonders what might have been as she wins Silver in the Uneven Bars. Many of the Chinese gymnasts are widely acknowledged to be well under the 16-year old age which is a gymnastics eligibility requirement. And yet, China has "doctored" the passports of these gymnasts according to widespread reports of Chinese journalists speaking only off the record to western reporters. Take away the under-age gymnasts participating in these Olympic Games for China and the U.S. women win the team gold, Shawn Johnson wins gold instead of silver on the Floor Exercise and Nastia wins gold instead of Silver on the Uneven Bars, and Alicia Sacramone wins Bronze on Vault. The Olympics are about the glory of sport and fair competition. If China can flagrantly violate international age restrictions in women's gymnastics, what's to stop other countries from doing the same in an attempt to level the playing field?



A track and field starting gun with the Olympic Flame in the background.



No, this is not an Olympic Clown. This is a competitor in a fierce game of Table Tennis about to hit the ping-pong ball.



Wipe Out.



The U.S. Women Take Gold in the 2000M Rowing Eights.



France Beats U.S. in Fencing for Gold. Okay, I'll give France that. The country has little else to cheer about of late.



Kolecki of Poland winning Gold in Weightlifting, and perhaps he's more excited about his medal than Michael Phelps is about any of his?



View from Under the Water in the Water Cube.


Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: almost wordless wednesday, beijing olympics, olympic games, michael phelps, nastia liukin, jonathan horton, water cube, bird's nest, gymnastics, chinese women's gymnastics
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

What Olympic Sport Are You?

I Am Fencing. Who'd have thunk?

You're competitive but not brutally so. You compete to make yourself better. You find having an opponent to be challenging and rewarding. You are fierce when you're in a competition, but you don't wish your rivals any real harm.

What Olympic Sport Are You?

Phelps Ties Spitz Record!

Michael Phelps erupts in jubilation after winning his 7th Record-Tying Gold Medal by just one 1/100 of a second.
This one was the gold medal Michael Phelps pulled out of his hat! He trailed in the 100M Butterfly the entire way, and even in the last 50M when it was clear that he was rapidly gaining on the Serbian swimmer in front, it was also painfully clear that there just wasn't enough pool left to catch him. But catch him he did. In the closest photo finish ever outside of horse racing, Michael Phelps touched the wall first. By a fingernail. And even those watching it couldn't believe it.

The Serbian swimmer took his last stroke and dove for the wall. Phelps took an extra stroke and his giant overhead swinging arms made up the distance and just out-touched the Serbian. The Water Cube erupted. Phelps's mother sank in her chair--it looked like she was having a heart attack, and by the sound of everyone screaming for Phelps where I was watching the race, the quiet that followed when it appeared that Phelps would lose, and then the deafening screams after it was announced he finished first I can completely understand that feeling.

With this win, Michael Phelps earns his seventh gold medal, tying Mark Spitz's 36 year record as the winner of the most gold medals in any single Olympic Games. "He can be called the best Olympian of all time," Mark Spitz told America's NBC television, "not because he has more gold medals than anybody but in the way he's handled himself and in the way he's actually won under a tremendous amount of pressure."

Pressure like no other. Long before the beginning of these Olympic Games, the American Media has been obsessed with Michael Phelps and has hyped the possibility of Phelps winning eight gold medals and finally eclipsing Spitz's record. Michael Phelps has all but dominated U.S. coverage of these Olympic Games. Were it not for the other marquee sports of Beach Volleyball and Gymnastic, these Olympic Games might as well be repackaged and renamed as the "Michael Phelps Swim Quest" reality show. Visa, which as we all know, is "everywhere we want to be," has adopted Michael Phelps as it's marketing poster child.

But all of that aside, Michael Phelps has trained for this moment like no other, he has planned for this moment like no other, his body is perhaps genetically designed for swimming like no other; and tonight, Michael Phelps has the opportunity to swim for his Eighth Gold Medal of these Olympic Games and to win a sporting record like no other. I'll be in front of the television tonight. Will you? And not just because of Michael Phelps!


Dara Torres Qualifies for the 50M Freestyle First
The other really amazing story of these Olympic Games is Dara Torres! Dara Torres is swimming in her fifth Olympic Games at the age of 41 in the 50M Freestyle, and she is still the fastest woman swimmer in the pool!

Last night she qualified first for the 50M final, and based on how everyone else swam, even with Torres' slow start off the starting block, it appears that no one will be able to beat Torres in her own quest to win her first individual Olympic Gold Medal.

What was truly remarkable about last night's swim however was the sportsmanship Dara Torres displayed prior to her semi-final heat. The swimmer in Lane 2 did not appear at the start of the race along with the other swimmers. Apparently she had a wardrobe malfunction--a rip in her swimsuit. So Dara Torres first told all the other racers unequivocally that they would wait for the swimmer to change her suit, and then she walked over to the race official and informed the official of what was happening and asked her to wait before starting the race.

Now, if this were me, I'm sure I would not have the composure to worry about another racer missing from the race in that pressure-packed situation. I would be trying to focus on my goal and what I had to do to win the race. Hopefully, I would have been in the zone and ready to swim one of the most important races of my life on a worldwide stage to win the chance to swim for an Olympic Medal. It's truly remarkable that not only could Dara Torres handle this distraction, but that she could refocus and go on to swim the fastest race in this event and qualify first for tonight's final.

I'm betting that if there are no further distractions in tonight's final, Torres will be just a touch quicker off the mark, and win the Gold Medal. As much as I'll be rooting for and watching Michael Phelps, it's Torres' race that I want to watch more. Perhaps more so because to me, Michael Phelps at 23 is still just a kid. Dara Torres is my age. And to me, she's an amazing inspiration as to what is still possible. No, I never was and never will be an Olympian of any kind, but I still push the limits on Class V whitewater and my philosophy about that is the same as Torres'. As long as I'm healthy, as long as I'm strong, as long as I can still paddle...I'm going to be out there doing it.

Meanwhile in stark contrast to the sportsmanship Dara Torres displayed, Swedish greco-roman wrestler Ara Abrahamian has been stripped of his bronze medal after he threw it down in protest at the medals ceremony. The IOC said his action went against the spirit of fair play, insulted his fellow competitors and constituted a demonstration, which is banned inside Olympic venues. The IOC said Abrahamian, who announced his retirement after his bronze medal bout, was disqualified, stripped of his medal as well as his Olympic accreditation. It said no athlete would be upgraded to take his bronze medal.

Seems to me the IOC got it right.

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: michael phelps, dara torres, mark spitz, olympic games, olympics, beijing olympics, swimming, gold medals, sportsmanship, sports records, seven gold medals
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Golden Perspective

Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson are 1-2!
United States media coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games is biased. It's true. America loves its champions. Nothing can prove this statement more than the non-stop prime-time television coverage of Michael Phelps, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Natalie Coughlin, Misty May-Treaner and Kari Walsh, not to mention the rest of the U.S. Swimming, Gymnastics, and Beach Volleyball Teams. If you're from the United States and you're not expected to win Gold, don't expect television coverage.

It's sad really. Only the very few will win an Olympic Medal, let alone the most coveted Gold. But it's an incredible achievement to just make it to an Olympic Team and to compete in an Olympic Games. The truth is, all Olympic athletes devote the better parts of their lives training for an Olympic Games. They all have stories of training and sacrifice. They all have stories of setbacks and injuries. They all have stories of sublime elation and the most dejected disappointment. All these stories are just as worthy of press coverage, even if these Olympians are not members of the "Redeem Team" in Basketball, or a Grand Slam Tennis Star.


Shawn Johnson sharing a hug and bittersweet tears with Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin
Last night, Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson--both World Champions, both multiple medalists through the years--competed for the All Around title in women's gymanstics. And in that marquee event of all marquee events, what really bothered me was the television commentary if the judges took just an extra minute to pick up the phone and check with the technical committee president who makes decisions and rulings regarding start values and performance. Has American coverage become so biased and so scrutinized that our commentators feel it's necessary to question judging calls and second guess every deduction?

As a viewer last night, I got sucked in and fell for it and I was all but ready to condemn the gymnastics judges, but something didn't feel right. Tim Daggett and Elfi Schlagel should know better--they competed and Tim Daggett won Gold. He knows how the process works. And he respects his fellow Olympians. So when the older lady in the red coat who was the president of the technical committee was referred to as Nellie Kim, something was jogged in my memory. It seemed to me I had watched her compete for Russia and win gold herself, and I just kind of thought that of all gymnasts I had watched over the years, I had really liked Nellie Kim and her story and had rooted for her.

Sure enough, Nellie Kim is a five-time Gold Medalist, having won three golds and a silver at the Olympics in Montreal in 1976 and two golds in Moscow in 1980. There are a lot of qualified individuals that could be chosen to serve as president of a gymnastics technical committee, but I would think that a five-time Gold Medalist would be given the benefit of the doubt. What disturbed me was that none of the three US commentators could have given Nellie Kim the respect that she deserved and had reminded the viewing audience that she was a five-time Gold Medalist herself, and would undoubtedly make the right decisions regarding the judging of our Olympians Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin.


Greco Roman Wrestling Bronze Medal left on the floor after the Swedish Athlete who won the medal threw it away in disgust.
As much as I am enjoying the coverage of the United States Olympic Champions, I feel like I'm missing out on so many other stories. I would have loved to have seen in prime time last night what triggered a Swedish bronze wrestler to throw away his medal during the awards ceremony. I would welcome watching some of the sailing events, that seem to be taking place without any fanfare whatsoever, or the whitewater events or the fencing--in which the U.S. swept the medals!

To me, the Olympic Games are about so much more than Olympic Champions. They're a stage to celebrate the glory of all sport--even sports that we never think about unless it's in the context of an Olympic Games. But sadly, our media coverage is almost exclusively focused on the glory of our athletes that fulfill their Olympic Dreams in marquee events, or who succumb to the horrible fate of not fulfilling our expectations for them in the most pressure-filled competitions of their lives.


Ryan Lochte wins his first individual Gold Medal by beating Aaron Piersol.

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: olympics, beijing olympics, media coverage, bias, media bias, gold medal, olympians, shawn johnson, nastia liukin, michael phelps, natalie coughlin, ryan lochte
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Mamma Mia! The songs of ABBA Top the Billboard 200!

Today the Soundtrack to Mamma Mia! climbs from 3-1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Charts with 130,000 copies sold last week. It took five weeks to accomplish this feat, but this represents the first time that ABBA has topped the American Charts. Meanwhile, ABBA Gold remains atop the Billboard Catalog Charts with another 33,000 copies sold; and Mamma Mia! The Movie is still doing well at the Box Office. The film has now grossed more than $104 Million and is on track to surpass Meryl Streep's last movie, The Devil Wears Prada, which garnered Meryl an Oscar nomination and grossed $124 Million.


Previously, ABBA's highest charting album was The Album, which reached #14 on the Top 200 and contained two of ABBA's biggest hits: The Name of the Game and Take A Chance On Me along with many of ABBA's most beloved songs, including what is considered their "signature" song: Thank You For The Music.

It's a great day for ABBA and for ABBA fans and a testimony to the power of great music and songwriting that has stood, and will continue to stand the test of time.

Thanks for reading!

Technorati Tags: abba, mamma mia!, meryl streep, the album, take a chance on me, the name of the game, billboard magazine
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Olympics Week 1

Alicia Sacramone Feeling the Weight of the World and Fighting Back the Tears



The Sweetest Thing



The Olympic Rings Have Never Been More Beautiful



Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte Celebrating Another Gold and U.S. World Record



Russian and Georgian Beach Volley Ball Players Wishing National Differences Could be Settled on the Court Instead of by Aggression



The Chinese Continue Their Dominance in Diving



Alexander Artemov Celebrating After Sealing the Deal for the U.S. Men's Gymnastic Team with a Brilliant Pommel Horse Routine



Who Knew Winning in Judo Was So Agonizaing?



Germany Takes Gold in Men's Kayak Whitewater Slalom



President Bush Pointing Fingers



Golden Boy: Michael Phelps



Human Spectacle



Li Ning of China Lights the Olympic Torch



The Olympic Torch Blazing Bright

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: beijing olympics, olympic games, alicia sacramone, michael phelps, ryan lochte, eric lezak, alexander artemov, women's gymnastics, men's gymnastics, diving, li ning. olympic torch, olympic flame, olympic rings, judo, whitewater, kayaking, slalom, whitewater slalom, whitewater kayaking, almost wordless wednesday
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Inspiration

Improbable Bronze
Forget College Sports' biggest rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State. Forget Original Six showdowns against the new kids on the block epitomized just a few months ago as the Detroit Red Wings defeated Pittsburgh for the Stanley Cup. Forget the Super Bowl and marquee quarterbacks such as Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, and Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Hasselbeck. If you want to witness the improbable and the rise of the underdog, if you want to see years of lonely training payoff, if you want to witness miracles and the smashing of world records, look no further than the Olympic Games.

Last night in Beijing, the U.S. Men's Gymnastic Team did what was thought to be impossible--win a Bronze Medal without their marquee stars of Paul and Morgan Hamm who withdrew with injury just prior to these Olympic Games. It came down to the very last event, the Pommel Horse, and the very last U.S. Competitor--2nd Alternate Sasha Artemov--who's father was an All Around World Champion for the Soviet Union but never had a chance to win an Olympic Medal because the Soviet Union boycotted the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in response to the United States boycott four years earlier of the Moscow Games.

The U.S. team performed their amazing feat by never giving up. By believing in themselves, and in each other. None of them had prior Olympic experience, and it was widely believed that without their leader, Paul Hamm, who won the All Around Gold Medal in Athens, their chances to medal would be slim. And then when the team's second best gymnast, Morgan Hamm had to withdraw just days before the Games, the U.S. team was all but written off.

But typically in the pressure cooker that is the Olympic Games, athletes who are only humor, succumb to nerves, to pressure, to high expectations and stumble. Maybe nothing major, maybe just a step here or a wobble there or a form break--but every error adds up and opens the door for other teams.

The U.S. team saw the open door and walked through. With absolutely nothing to lose, the U.S. team were solid. They did not make the small errors that plagued other teams. But after one catastrophic error on the last event, Sasha Artemov turned in the best performance of his career and sealed the deal, all but shutting out the German Team that was nipping at their heals. Not the first alternate, but the second. My heart was pumping and I was screaming at my television set last night. I knew I was witnessing not just Olympic or Gymnastic History, but one of the most inspiring feats of all time in sports--and the second such feat in as many days.


Jason Lezak Off the Blocks, anchoring the U.S. Men's 400 Freestyle Relay
We all know Michael Phelps will be the most decorated Olympian of all time after the Beijing Games are completed. I really don't care. It's a foregone conclusion. Whether he breaks Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympic games is a footnote for the record books. Phelps has assured his place in sporting history and he will profit handsomely for doing so. But what happened in the Men's 400 Freestyle Relay was just as heart-pounding as the Men's Gymnastic Team's triumph, maybe even more so.

The 400 Relay used to be an event owned by the United States, but in 2000 at the Sydney Games, the Australian Team took the Gold from the U.S. with the help of the Thorpedo--Ian Thorpe. Jason Lezak was part of the U.S. Team that lost the Gold. In the world of swimming, this record is something akin to the America's Cup, so the loss and the blow to the U.S. Swim Team was hard indeed. Four years later, again with Jason Lezak anchoring the 400 Relay in Athens, the U.S. was beaten again and some began to question whether or not the state of U.S. Men's Swimming was in decline.

And then there was Alain Bernard of France, anchor of the French 400 Relay Team. God love him. He had the nerve to proclaim that the French Relay team would "crush the Americans." Arrogance and Smack talking in sports is usually frowned upon. It often comes back to bite you in the you know where. Sometimes it can be forgiven if the one doing the talking can back up the talk with performance, almost. But for whatever reason Alain found it necessary to bait the U.S. Swimmers, the French team was widely regarded as the favorite for Gold. On paper, no matter how the teams were composed, the French team was faster.

But that's why you run the race and don't decide it on paper. Somehow, not only did the U.S. Team find a way to win, they did it by smashing the old world record by 4 seconds. And Jason Lezak, in his third attempt anchoring this relay, made up half a body length in the final 25 seconds and touched the wall .08 seconds faster than the French team, and in the process, turning in the fastest split time in the 400 Relay ever. The race was so fast, the top five teams all beat the previous world record set just the day before by the U.S. Team in the preliminary heats.

And after the U.S. won, they erupted in jubilation and celebrated with class. And while Michael Phelps is chasing records, the footnote of this race is that Jason Lezak's effort of a lifetime helps make Michael Phelps' goal possible. That's what teammates are for, and on so many levels, this racing victory was the most improbable and inspiring of all.


"We will crush them!"
Which leaves me to wonder, what feats of athleticism have yet to be turned in? After the opening ceremonies, after the Men's 400 Relay, after the surprise U.S. Bronze in Men's Team Gymnastics, I wonder what will inspire us next?

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: olympic games, beijing olympics, artemov, jason lezak, michael phelps, men's gymnastics, men's swimming, u.s. men's swimming, u.s. men's gymnastics, 400 meter freestyle relay
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Beijing Adolescence

A man stands before a column of tanks sent to Tiananmen Square to suppress the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
The random attack yesterday of the in-laws of the U.S. Volleyball Team's coach and a Chinese Tour Guide in Beijing does not represent a political statement against the United States, does not represent a breakdown in Chinese Security or Authority, and it does not represent any form of intended disruption of the first Olympic Games to be held in China. Instead, the attack is just indicative of the problems all major cities face on a daily basis. That the attack happened to U.S. citizens and on the first day following the most brilliant opening ceremonies in Olympic history seems to be an unfortunate coincidence.

And yet, as random as the attack appeared to be, it might also be indicative of Beijing's Adolescence. The city, as ancient as it is, is a city of contrasts and very rapid change. Beijing is in the process of transforming itself from a city of secrets and isolation to one of the most modern, accessible, and technologically advanced cities in the world.


The Olympic Green of Today Contrasts Sharply with the Tiananmen Square of only 20 Years Ago
Change, let alone rapid change, never comes easily, and Beijing has seen unprecedented change over the last sixty years
.
On January 31, 1949, during the Chinese Civil War, Communist forces entered Beiping without a fight. On October 1 of the same year, the Communist Party of China, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, announced in Tiananmen Square the creation of the People's Republic of China and renamed the city "Beijing". Just a few days earlier, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference had decided that Beijing would be the capital of the new government.

At the time of the founding of the People's Republic, the city of Beijing and its surroundings consisted of just its urban area and immediate suburbs. The urban area was divided into many small districts inside what is now the 2nd Ring Road--or what we in the U.S. might consider an interstate that circles one of our large central cities--such as I-270 that circles Columbus in Ohio, or I-465 that circles Indianapolis. The Beijing city wall was torn down to make way for the construction of the 2nd Ring Road, which was finished by 1981 in accord with the 1982 city plan. That road was the first of a series of new ring roads intended for automobiles rather than for bicycles.

Following the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping, the urban area of Beijing has expanded greatly. Formerly within the confines of the 2nd Ring Road and the 3rd Ring Road, the urban area of Beijing is now pushing at the limits of the recently constructed 5th Ring Road and 6th Ring Road, with many areas that were formerly farmland now developed residential or commercial districts. According to a 2005 newspaper report, the size of the newly developed Beijing land was one and a half times larger than the land of old Beijing within the 2nd Ring Road. Wangfujing and Xidan have developed into flourishing shopping districts, while Zhongguancun has become a major center of electronics in China. In recent years, the expansion of Beijing has also brought to the forefront some problems of urbanization, such as heavy traffic, poor air quality, the loss of historic neighborhoods, and a significant influx of migrants from poorer regions of the country, especially rural areas.

Sound familiar? What major city in the United States has not experienced the same type of growth over the last fifty or sixty years? Detroit, Columbus, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Charlotte and Indianapolis are just a few examples of cities that have greatly expanded beyond their borders and "ring roads" or interstate beltways. All these cities share with Beijing the problems of dealing with an influx of population and the associated problems of urbanization--if not in their central cities, than in their surrounding areas and a great expansion and modernization of infrastructure. When areas grow too fast for infrastructure to keep up, the problems are exacerbated.

For a city such as Beijing and a country such as China, this adolescence might be particularly painful as the city is experiencing far more than just explosive growth--it's also experiencing a radical change in its culture. Detroit has a history going back to 1701, or just more than 300 years. Beijing has a history going back almost 5000 years; and until very recently, daily life in most of China has probably been mostly unchanged for all that time.

So how does a modern city with many neighborhood districts still maintaining simple ways of life with limited infrastructure and services and a culture that values hospitality and the welcoming of neighbors and even strangers deal with the migrants that enter its borders who commit random acts of violence such as the stabbing and suicide yesterday in Beijing?

I really don't know. But it's a social conundrum for the Chinese that they will need to grapple with if Beijing is to mature into a truly modern city while at the same time trying to preserve the people's ancient culture and values.

What are your thoughts? What do you think the people of Beijing can do to preserve their culture and values as they move into the 21st century and have to deal with all the problems that heavy industrialization and urbanization are creating for them?

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: beijing, china, modernization, urbanization, olympic games, beijing olympics, culture, values, chinese history,
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

MTMD PR Olympics Underway!

The opening cermonies have concluded, credentials have been issued, and the Games have begun! The 8 (which is a very lucky number in China) participants listed below will be vying for the $175 in CASH Prizes.

For the others that have registered that don't see their names listed below, you still need to write your post publicizing the PR Olympics and linking back to the original PR Olympics Post Announcement.

Unfortunately, Bree from Roxiticus Desperate Housewives, Ken from Ken Armstrong's Writing Stuff, and Henson from Henson's Hell had to withdraw due to injury.

All PR Olympics Updates will take place in this post, so bookmark the permalink this post and return often for complete PR Olympic Coverage and in-depth stories about the competitors!

1) Tasha's Take: PR 0, TA 17
http://tashabud.blogspot.com/

2) Travelista: PR 0, TA N/A
http://worldtravelista.blogspot.com/

3) Prodinterios: PR 0, TA 25
http://www.prodinterios.com/

4) Mommy and Me Boutique: PR 3, TA 116
http://themommyandmeboutique.blogspot.com/

5) Scotty's Princess: PR 0, TA 259
http://www.scottzprincess.com

6) Sherry Rambling: PR 2, TA 218
http://sherrygo.blogspot.com/

7) Lucky Girl: PR 3, TA 194
http://luckygirltrading.blogspot.com

8) Cindi @ Moomettesgram's Musings: PR 3, TA 80
http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog/

Last Minute Registrants 8/11/08
9) The Way I See This: PR 0, TA 26
http://twisthis.blogspot.com

10) The Weblog Learner: PR0, TA 46
http://www.webbiestuffs.com/

11) The Clamor of Kalinga: PR 2, TA 42
http://theclamorofkalinga.blogspot.com/

12) Blessed and Beyond: PR 0, TA 252
http://www.micahdavid.com/

13) BiznHoney: PR 0, TA 0
http://www.biznhoney.com

Thanks for reading.

Olympic Hope

Hope springs eternal, and after watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games, I have renewed hope in the future of the world.

The first Olympic Games ever on Chinese soil opened with a tour de force production that cost a reputed $300 million--50% more than the making of the film Titanic. And I believe it was worth every penny.

I have never seen such a spectacle. Or a statement.

As the world's most populous country with 1.3 billion people, China made the most of it's opportunity to make a renewed first impression on the world. In terms of showcasing the country's cultural history with ancient drums, it's artistic heritage with gymnastic scroll writing on one of the world's largest LED screens, it's place as the birthplace of fireworks, it's arrival in the modern world and emergence as a world superpower, and the role of its children through representation of every ethnic group that makes up China and the showcase of Sheishei--a nine-year old boy who heroically saved two other children earlier this year after the destructive earthquake in Western China, these Olympic Ceremonies covered it all.

But even more powerfully, these opening ceremonies make a statement of China's political might. The largest spectacle ever. The most expensive games ever. The most regimented in terms of what the country achieved through repressive and mandatory English Classes, pollution control, precision and unification of the Chinese people who derive a sense of pride and yes, honor, from how the world perceives these games. The government of China steamrolled all this over the world's largest population of people, and the people, for the most part, fell in line. That's scary and inspiring all at the same time that China can flex such muscle--either in a display of culture and beauty as the Opening Ceremonies were, or in Oppression of Tibet or even in War.

And yet, never have I been more hopeful for world peace. China is trying to become a modern country. China is already an economic giant. And now it appears, through their Olympic Ceremonies, and through the theme of these Olympics: One World, One Dream, that perhaps China wants not just to be a major player on the world stage, but just maybe China wants to take its rightful place as a world leader. It is true that there are policies in China that most of the world denounces. And yet, China has been making strides by leaps and bounds since President Nixon visited China in the 1970s, approximately 35 short years ago. When the United States declared independence, we still permitted slavery. Slavery was not abolished until almost 100 years later, but even today we still struggle with racial and sexual prejudices and inequities. If we were not the United States of America, perhaps we too would be regarded as a country that violates basic human rights.

The bottom line is that no country or regime is perfect. Countries are made up of governments of imperfect men and women. Change comes slowly. And maybe I'm a little naive. Maybe the Beijing Olympic Games are more show than substance. But I don't think so. China has a history reaching back thousands of years. They have always looked inside with little regard to the rest of the world. The effort they have put into building world class facilities for these Olympic Games to put on a good show for the world, and more impressively, the effort they put in showcasing the cultural beauty and history of China in the Opening Ceremonies demonstrates, to me at least, that they care very much about how the world perceives them as a nation.

I am impressed. And I believe we are all going to learn a lot more about China over the next sixteen days. And that inspires great hope in me.

Note: If you liked this blog post, please vote for it on Yearblook.

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: china, beijing, beijing olympics, olympic games, opening ceremonies, human rights, hope, beauty, pageantry, bird's nest
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Page Rank Olympics

If you've scrolled this far looking for a contest, you've come to the right place. The Olympics start Friday night at 8:08 PM, and so do the MTMD Page Rank Olympics.

RULES
1. Register for the Page Rank Olympics by leaving a comment here with your current Google PR and Technorati Ranking. All PRs and Technorati Authority Rankings will be verified on Saturday night.
2. Write a post on your blog about this contest and the Olympic Games.
3. Link to this post in your own post.
4. Comment back on this post that you have made your own post about this contest and the Olympic Games.
5. I will link to every participating blog, and author an Olympic-oriented post referencing every participating blog. All participating blogs are encouraged to do the same.
6. Use whatever graphics you want.
7. The blog that has the highest increase in Google Page Rank and Technorati Authority at the close of the Olympic Games on August 24th Wins.
8. Prizes will be awarded on August 31st, 2008.

PRIZES
Gold Medal: The blog that increases the most in both Google Page Rank and Technorati Authority will win a $100 Grand Prize.

Silver Medal: The blog that has the highest increase in Technorati Authority will win a $50 Prize.

Bronze Medal: The blog that has the 2nd highest increase in Technorati Authority will win a $25 Prize.

Note: While it is very unlikely that there will be any change in Google Page Ranks during this time since Google has gone through with an update in Page Ranks, the additional link traffic that this contest will generate may have a positive impact in the next update cycle. Should no Google Page Ranks be updated, prizes will be awarded solely on the increase in Technorati Authority.

Good luck to all!

For reference purposes only: MTMD has a PR 4 and Technorati Ranking of 122 at the start of this contest.

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: olympics, page rank olympics, page rank, technorati authority, olympic games, blog contests, contests, blogging
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Top Ten Olympic Moments

As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are about to begin, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on past Olympic Games and count down my Top Ten Olympic Moments. Most of these you will probably recognize and remember, but there's at least one that may surprise you. This is my list. What are your most memorable Olympic moments?


10) Bruce Jenner winning the Decathalon at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.



9) Nadia's Perfection.



8) Greg Louganis, in a rare mistake, hit his head on the diving board and came back to win the Gold Medal.



7) Paul Hamm wins the Men's All Around Gymnastics Gold Medal, storming back from 12th place in the last two events.



6) Michelle Kwan. At the 2006 Olympic Games, Michelle honored the Olympics, her teammates and herself by dropping out with an injury she could have competed with, but chose not to since she would not have been able to perform at her best--and thus giving Emily Hughes a chance to compete.



5) Mark Spitz on his way to Seven Gold Medals at the Munich Games in 1972.



4) Before there was Nadia, there was Olga Korbut--the first darling of any Olympics in 1972.



3) The Miracle on Ice: US Hockey Team, 1980 in Lake Placid.



2) Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard win bronze in Pairs Figure Skating at the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary. This was the first medal for the United States in any sport in Calgary. No United States Pairs Team has won an Olympic Medal since.



1) Mary Lou Retton, Los Angeles, 1984. She needed a perfect 10 in her last event--the Vault--to win the All Around Gold Medal. Not only did she get a Perfect 10 on her first try, she got a Perfect 10 on her second try as well. Grace under pressure has a name and a face, and it's Mary Lou Retton.

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: olympic games, olympics, beijing olympics, olga korbut, mary lou retton, jill watson, peter oppegard, us hockey team, miracle on ice, michelle kwan, bruce jenner, greg louganis, paul hamm, nadia, mark spitz
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Sunset on the Nantahala River

Looking Upstream From River's End Restaurant



Looking Across the River at our Rafting Center from River's End Restaurant



Looking Downstream from River's End Restaurant



Sunset on the Ridge Line



Looking Upstream from River's End Restaurant with the Sun Below the Ridge Line

Pretty good photos, eh? They were all taken with my new BlackBerry Curve Tuesday Night, August 5, 2008 at approximately 7:00 pm.

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: nantahala outdoor center, nantahala river, almost wordless wednesday, river's end restaurant, sunset, whitewater rafting, river
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

Nantahala Outdoor Center Heroes

I've been very careful since I started this blog to avoid mixing blogging with work. It's generally a very good policy not to blog about work, co-workers, colleagues, policies and the like which all usually will come back to haunt the blogger in one way or another. Since I started working for the Nantahala Outdoor Center almost two years ago, it's been even harder because as my readers know, I'm passionate about whitewater rafting and the Nantahala Outdoor Center is first and foremost a whitewater rafting company. Blogging about work in this case is doubly detrimental since anything I have to say about this whitewater rafting company would be biased and colored by my perceptions as a paid employee.

Well today I make an exception.

If you are planning a rafting trip, if you are planning to take a kayak instruction clinic, if you are planning a trip of any kind to Western North Carolina or the Great Smokey Mountains and you want to get on the water, get on the trail, or even if you are just looking for a place to eat as you are driving by, you should stop at NOC.

Forget that we are leaders in the whitewater industry and that National Geographic Adventures names us as one of the "Best Outfitters on Earth." Forget that the New York Times names our paddling school and instruction program "The Nation's Premier Paddling School." Forget that magazines and travel publications like Western North Carolina and Fodor's praise our restaurant's cuisine and that our Chili has won chili cook-offs every year we enter.

The reason you want to take your trip or instruction program or dine with us, non-withstanding all other considerations, is because our staff is loaded with skilled medical talent. It is no exaggeration to say that our staff of over 500 full and part-time professionals represents the highest concentration of medical caregivers in western North Carolina. With few exceptions, every one who works for NOC is trained in basic First Aid and CPR. Most carry higher medical certifications. Our staff includes a doctor, two nurses, two paramedics, about twenty EMTs, over forty trained Wilderness First Responders, and well over a hundred trained in Advanced Wilderness First Aid. In fact, the SOLO School of Wilderness Medicine has an office at NOC, and certification programs for the public and staff are offered continuously.

This advanced medical training is not necessary for day-to-day river and outfitter operations. The forest service and most governing bodies only require basic Red Cross First Aid and CPR. But this medical training is an example of the highest standards of professionalism that our staff aspires to. We hope that we don't have to use our training, but it's comforting to all of us that should some incident occur where these medical skills are needed, we can respond.

Such an incident occurred early Friday evening just after 5:00 pm. Just as a busy afternoon of whitewater rafting was coming to an end and rafts were piling up at the take-out beach, there was a rollover car accident on Hwy 19, which runs alongside the Nantahala River. Almost immediately, no less than 20 of NOC’s finest were on the scene. EMT's from our instruction department who had just finished raft guiding or were wrapping up a kayak instruction clinic, a bunch of us raft guides cleaning up after our trip with Advanced Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder Certifications, one of our board members even paddled a nurse across the river to the accident scene. Those of us with less medical training were stopping and directing traffic as our SOLO Wilderness Instructor arrived and another EMT driving up in an instruction van with a backboard.

It was really quite remarkable. All of us responded as a team. All of us worked together, remained calm, and did our best to help the unfortunate victim and keep the business running--managing guests who had just witnessed the event and coordinating with emergency personnel as they arrived on the scene. We called 911. We maintained traffic flow on Highway 19. A driver passing through identified herself as a nurse and we made a place for her to park and escorted her to the scene. We kept walk up gawkers on the other side of the highway away from the scene. And we did our very best to provide emergency medical care to a seriously injured elderly woman hanging upside down in her inverted convertible, restrained by her seatbelt.

With some reflection this really isn’t anything extraordinary. I believe that most individuals would respond in whatever way they can in such a situation. But what was extraordinary was our ability to instantly mobilize to the scene and the clockwork precision with which we worked together as a team.

I’m most proud of our team. I’m proud to be a part of it. I'm proud of the training that we collectively possess that enabled us to respond and give that poor victim every chance at survival. And I'm proud and comforted to know that if and/or when another accident or crisis of any kind ever hits this isolated river gorge in Western North Carolina that we're ready to respond in full force in any way that's required. In fact, there’s no group of people I would feel safer with than my coworkers here at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

And if you need one more reason to choose our company over any other for your next rafting or kayaking or biking or recreational vacation, our medical training is second to none and should be more than enough to tip the scales in favor of NOC.

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: nantahala outdoor center, noc, western north carolina, smokey mountains national park, north carolina, tourism and travel, medical care, emt, paramedic, wilderness first responder, wilderness, solo school of wilderness medicine, solo, emergency medicine
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator

The George W. Bush Library Plans Announced

The Presidential Library will include:

The Hurricane Katrina Room, which is still under construction.

The Alberto Gonzales Room, where you won't be able to remember anything.

The Texas Air National Guard Room, where you don't even have to show up.

The Walter Reed Hospital Room, where they don't let you in.

The Guantanamo Bay Room, where they don't let you out.

The Weapons of Mass Destruction Room, which no one has been able to find.

The National Debt room which is huge and has no ceiling.

The "Tax Cut" Room with entry only to the wealthy.

The "Economy Room" which is in the toilet.

The Iraq War Room. After you complete your first tour, they make you go back for a second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth tour.

The Dick Cheney Room, in the famous undisclosed location, complete with shotgun gallery.

The Environmental Conservation Room, still empty.

The Supreme Court Gift Shop, where you can buy an election.

The Airport Men's Room, where you can meet a Republican Senator from Idaho.

The 'Decider Room' complete with dart board, magic 8-ball, Ouija board, dice, coins, and straws.

The speech preparation room which has a WW II word scrambler.

The museum will have an electron microscope to help you locate the President's accomplishments. Please note: No books are included.

Admission: Republicans: free; Democrats: $1,000 or 3 Euros.

Thanks for reading.

Technorati Tags: george w. bush, presidential libraries, political satire, hurricane katrina
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator