Random Thoughts for the Week of August 6, 2012

In just this past week I think I’ve seen the best and worst that mankind can be.  I find it strange and sad that we can have a week, at any time, where both sides of human nature can be so publicly and vividly expressed.  Why can’t we have more of the good than the bad?

THE GOOD (well GREAT)

• In ancient times the Olympic athletes were truly the best of the best.  They represented the most fit, mentally capable, confident, strong and, put simply, the best humans on the planet (ex. Heracles).  After watching this past week of Olympic feats I think that hasn’t changed much.  Those athletes are at the top of their games.  They have such fitness , discipline, endurance and an insatiable drive to win.  It’s as inspiring to watch them lose as it is to cheer for their victories.  They are the best role models for us all.
• The U.S. may be last in math and engineering in schools, but we just landed a massive mobile laboratory on another planet.  NASA and its engineers display ingenuity, expertise and intellectual greatness that never makes it into the papers or onto TV.  Whether you realize it or not, they are out there making the world a better place and raising the bar for human achievement.

THE BAD

• I don’t know why that idiot felt it was necessary to walk into a temple and start shooting people.  I don’t understand that mentality at all.  How can things be so bad, people so horrible that the only solution is to kill them with a gun?  Truly such thinking is the worst of humanity today.
• 31 people were shot in Omaha in the month of July.  Truly people have no idea how to be neighbors, even in such a wonderful town as Omaha. 
• The New York Post continues to write about incidents in the city where a simple argument escalates to gun play and death.  Gun owners in New York must be some of the dumbest people on the planet, right up there with gang members in Omaha.
• Congress, the President and the Republican nominee are all unwilling to even talk about gun control laws during an election year.  Wow.  How cowardly is that?  There are people out there getting guns who shouldn’t have them!  We’re not saying ban all guns or even ban certain types of guns (although I still need someone to convince me they need an assault rifle and body armor in their home).  We’re saying do more to keep the guns out of the hands of the fucking idiots in the world.  That’s the responsibility of our government oversight.  Alas, the power of the electorate and the lobbyist is too strong.  Some day other issues are going to hamstring our government (abortion, health care, budgeting, etc.) and nothing will ever get accomplished.  The only thing I’ve seen Congress get done in all of 2012 is to pass the continuing resolution to spend as money as we have been to keep the government running.  I wouldn’t say our Congress has earned their paycheck this year.  The background check for guns people either.  I guess what I’m saying is maybe it’s time for the end of the professional politician.  If a party of candidates were formed by people willing to take 2, 4 or 6-year terms away from their normal jobs to serve and not get re-elected I’d bet we’d get some things done in this country.  I’ll have to think more on that and write about it later.
• The father of a friend of mine decided to be with a friend and probably get drunk rather than stay and support his family. He threatened to kick them out of the house. If we can’t even support the people closest to us, how can we possibly survive? You support your family. Period. No matter how bad it gets, you stick with them. He’s an idiot. I hope counseling will help him to recognize this and work to make things better for himself and the whole family.
• The ancient Olympic athletes would have had some creative ways to deal with the Badminton players who deliberately played poorly in their matches this week.  I hope they’re banned for life from the “sport.”  I hope the other athletes in the Olympic Village pepper them with so much ridicule that they leave and never return.  I hope the Badminton officials rethink how matches are setup to avoid such pathetic attempts to position teams into better playoff spots.  The Olympic Games are about the being the best of the best of the best.  I don’t see how deliberating losing a game, in any sport, demonstrates that mentality.  Fuck them.

WHAT ELSE I THOUGHT ABOUT THE OLYMPICS SO FAR

• Why the hell is Badminton an Olympic sport anyway?  Seriously.  Tiny little racquets.  A shuttlecock.  A dinky little net.  Sorry, I don’t see athletic greatness in this event.  I see a backyard game that kids play.  Might as well make cornhole an Olympic event.
• Same with water polo.  Yes, it’s a tough, physical game.  But as I watched those players with their silly little hats, all I could think about was playing in the pool in elementary school when we were anything by Olympic in our play and stature.  It’s just silly.
• I’m unqualified to say whether Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian athlete ever.  There’s nearly 100 years of athletes and achievements to compare him to.  He’s obviously the most decorated and successful Olympian, based on medal count alone, and that’s no small feat.  That means he defeated dozens and dozens of other exceptional athletes, all of whom qualified to be there.  But is he the “greatest ever?”  That’s a huge statement to make, especially if you compare a modern athlete to Heracles, one of the first Olympian athletes.  For me, the “greatest ever” would have had to accomplished something that no man has ever achieved, overcome such odds and competition time and time again that he has no equal, and the achievement is one that may not be duplicated again in our lifetime.  So, yeah, I guess he qualifies, but I can’t say for sure if there’s someone else who does or has done that and more.  Phelps can swim like a fish, no doubt, and he’s one of the best examples of a professional and selfless athlete I’ve seen since Michael Jordan.  But do his achievements overshadow Bolt’s blazing speed, the fitness greatness of gymnasts, or so many others?  It’s hard for me to say for sure.  Right now though, he’s at the top of the pyramid and he’s earned it.
• I got to watch some of the Olympic fencing this week.  Really enjoyed seeing that the sport has evolved in all the right ways.  Do I miss fencing?  Only a little.  I doubt I’ll show up in Omaha and join the fencing club, but it’s not impossible.  I think the thing I loved most about fencing was my team and its coaches.  That’s something that just can’t be duplicated.
• I can think of few things worse for a professional athlete than finishing fourth.  So close to greatness.  So mired in obscurity.  It’s probably worse than finishing dead last.
• People, Gabby Douglas won a gold medal in gymnastics.  That’s a really, really, really, really hard thing to do, especially for someone as young as her.  Really, you’re going to give her shit about her hair?  Fuck off and learn to take pride in someone’s achievements.
• The more I look at it the more I love the Olympic torch.  Brilliant in its simplicity.  If I were an athlete in that stadium, every time I looked at it I’d be inspired to greatness.
• London may be the greatest site for the Olympics ever.  I love the fact that this booming, modern city is host to so many people with such diversity in its offerings and appearance.  I love the fact that the equestrian and beach volleyball stadiums are within spitting distance of the royal palace itself.  They built a fucking waterway!!  I’m amazed the more I see it.  On top of just the physical locations the citizens of the country come out to watch and cheer, six rows deep on rainy days.  I’m not sure you’d get that in Los Angeles, Chicago or New York.  The British should be very proud of this year’s events.

And now, on to other shit …

• So, this whole Chick-fil-A thing … I feel I should chime in considering how hard I came down on the Boy Scouts a few weeks ago for their stance on homosexuality.  But then the more I thought, read and talked about it, the more I realized the two situations aren’t even in the same fucking ballpark.  The BSA, an organization dedicated to the education and moral development of kids, demonstrated discrimination in their policy and should be punished for it by abstaining from its activities.  Chick-fil-A is in the business of selling chicken sandwiches.  Who cares what their CEO believes?  He’s entitled to his opinions.  He has the right to express them publically.  But you know what, his company does not have specific policies that says they won’t hire gays or serve gays.  They do have a policy that says they won’t be open on Sundays so employees and their families can attend church services, and no one is up in arms about not getting a chicken sandwich on a summer Sunday afternoon.  People can disagree with the CEO, but chastising the entire company is ridiculous.  If you want to protest the CEO by not eating there, that’s fine, but I don’t see any justification for mayors to deny the restaurant business opportunities in their cities.  That’s just taking it one step too far.  Hopefully the pundits and the courts will recognize it, then maybe the public will too.  I think if I boycotted a company because of the ethical opinions of it’s senior management I probably wouldn’t do business with any company except NASA.
• It’s been so hot this year the Mississippi River hit 91 degrees.  That is just crazy to me.  What sucks is I’ll never really know if it IS because of global climate change because I can’t trust any scientist or politician to tell me the truth about the situation because of their own agendas.  Sad.
• Can’t wait to see pictures from Curiosity.  Seriously, the greatest achievement by engineers since the invention of the iPhone.  Impressive!
• Kudos to NASA for investing in private companies to get astronauts back into space.  What sucks is these new spaceships are going to be so boring looking.  We’re going backwards in our designs to simple Apollo capsule designs rather than the starship Enterprise.  Why can’t space travel be comfortable and elegant as well as practical?
• I never knew it, but NFL players are charged $5,000 in fines each time they do a Lambeau Leap (for either excessive celebration or leaving the playing field, I’m not sure).  Crazy.  I’m glad they do it anyway.
• Wow, with the Olympics, the Wisconsin shooting and everything else going on, did anyone even notice that the NFL Hall of Fame Induction and game was this weekend?  I didn’t and it happened only 2 hours away from me!  Granted, I’m not a big fan of any of this year’s inductees (although I did get one good FF year from Curtis Martin).  Even still, the NFL pre-season starts Thursday.  From an FF perspective I am way, way, way behind schedule this year … I wonder why …
• I came upon an article about Tiki Barber who left his 8-month pregnant wife to shack up with an intern with NBC.  What’s sad about it is that he’s given multiple interviews in the past lambasting his father who dumped his wife for another woman.  Then here he comes along and does the same thing.  Hypocrites drive me crazy.
• Hang in there, Pastor Bill.  God has given you many challenges in your life.  This is just one more.  He also has way too many other things for you to add your special talents to.  Peace and long life to you, sir.
• After listening to “Balls in Your Mouth” I have a new found respect for Eddie Vedder’s musical abilities.  Sure, his own songs are weird, depressing and not that interesting, but his vocal range and his musical talent are quite impressive.

ALEXANDER UPDATE

• Well, Mindi survived and thrived three days without any help around the house.  No surprise to me there.  What was a surprise was the arrival of all new growing tantrums that resulted in erratic eating and sleeping habits in our little monkey.  Mindi adjusted very well and got the job done.
• Modern technology allowed Mindi to send me pictures and videos of my son while I was in California.  If there’s any greater benefit from those advancements in our society, I’m not sure what they are … well … maybe curing a few diseases would be nice, but I sure loved the video of my son talking. 
• Alex is definitely finding his voice.  It’s an adorable voice and I can’t get enough of it.  We’ve been able to get a little dialogue going.  I think he is just loving talking! 
• Alex is now sleeping from 9:30 till 6-6:30 each night. I honestly didn’t think that happened until closer to 6 months in. I’m grateful that both Mindi and I can get full nights’ sleep now. If only we didn’t have other stresses in our lives …
• I also get the feeling he wants to be able to move around on his own more.  He enjoys sitting up (well, propped up by us) and he wiggles with more intensity now, as if he’s got somewhere he wants to go.  He just hasn’t realized yet that he has the ability to move on his own.  When he does, God help us.