I am as caught up in Olympic-fever as many others. I’ve written about several Olympic things on my personal blog including the gymnastics “controversies”. I have thoroughly enjoyed the events that I usually watch–swimming, gymnastics, basketball, track & field, etc.
Shawn Johnson has impressed me since I first saw her compete at these Olympics. It is easy to see that Shawn is an excellent gymnast–her performances are spectacular and she comes through under pressure. On top of her physically abilities, I am even more impressed by her metal attitude. She had fallen just short of Gold quite a few times but, always finished with a big smile on her face. You could never tell if she was upset or disappointed or feeling any other negative feeling. She always wore a big bright smile.
She did win Gold on the beam event finals and I am very happy for her. She deserved it. In an interview after her Gold medal, Shawn wore a pair of peace earrings. It is hard to tell if she just wore them because she thought they looked nice or if she was actually making a statement–a statement for peace. I did learn that she also sells jewelry at her online store. Those peace earrings aren’t for sale there. Her entrepreneurial spirit with an online store is highly impressive as well.
Since the athletes are not allowed to blog while they the Olympics are going on, there is no way to find out what they feel about current events unless you happen to know them. She might have been making a statement about the Georgia/Russia issue or just taking a general stance against war–for peace. Hard to tell but, I am glad she chose to wear them on an internationally broadcast interview–she could have chosen to promote earrings that she sold.
Shawn Johnson is an incredibly impressive 16 year old from what one can gather without actually knowing her. Olympic champion, entreprenuer, smile-aholic, and peace-lover?
It was rather surprising to see such an article from a mainstream media outlet but, it is worth reading nonetheless. We are in a bit of a war economy and war is good for the state. What is good for the state tends to be bad for the people. We are in too many wars, involved in too many foreign problems, and spending too many tax dollars on war related activities.
I can’t wait to see this movie. It is based on the short story by Kurt Vonnegut that portrays a dystopian society where everyone is finally equal–equally mediocre. Egalitarianism is an ideal of impossibility and naivety. For the entire world watching the Olympics right now, obviously we aren’t all equal. 99% of all people on the planet are no where near as physically talented or gifted as they are. They are extraordinary and it’s a good thing.
Check out the trailer. Egalitarianism is an absurd idea.
By Tommy Leung on August 15th, 2008 in News, Video
You gotta watch this. I’ve been writing about the recent Georgian/Russian conflict and have placed the fault on Georgia. That video is an account of what happened from a 12 year old from the Bay Area who so happened to have been in South Ossetia visiting family.
The United States and Poland have signed an agreement to put a missile interceptor base in Poland. Russia is not at all pleased with this and has said that Poland has put itself in danger of an attack–possibly by nuclear weapons. That is not good.
Poland really shouldn’t be signing agreements to allow us to use their country has a base for anything. The Russians might not be the friendliest government in the world–neither are we–but, to antagonize a them is asking for trouble. I am not dying to start war with any country let alone one with nukes.
We have a bad habit of setting up military bases in as many countries as we can–we are in over 130 countries already. No where in the Constitution does it allow us to set up military bases in foreign nations. Our military is to protect the United States so they should be at home in case of an attack.
If we recall the Cuban Missile Crisis, Russia had missiles in Cuba and we didn’t like it very much. Are we going to learn nothing from history? Do not put a military base in Poland and while we are at it, dismantle all our foreign military bases and bring our troops home. American taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for politicians’ dreams of imperialism.
