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Photo by Jay Hagan,
7/12/08 Burbank, CA
A Thought for Today
When I think about the distance to doubt,
I find it too far to go.
TO BEGIN WITH
Nice to see the progress women athletes are making in the Olympic
movement. Women athletes were not permitted to participate in the first
Olympics of the modern era, the 1896 games in Athens, and it wasn’t
until over a hundred years later in 1984 that women were allowed to run
in an Olympic marathon.
Of the 11,427 athletes participating in this years Olympics 4,845 are
women, that’s 500 more than competed in Athens 4 years ago and a
thousand more than those who participated 12 years ago in Atlanta.
And oh yes, swimming champion Dara Torres just won another medal. How
many is that now –– never mind, I’ve lost count and anyway she’s just
another 41 year-old woman racing against all those kids.
NOBODY ASKED ME BUT . . .
WHERE WAS CNN?
Not that we need any more yellow journalism but it does seem odd that
while the national press was busy chasing
Brittany and Paris it took the dogged pursuit of The National Enquirer
to break the latest sex scandal involving a would-be presidential
candidate. When Sen. Edwards came clean about his extra marital
dalliance the national news media seemed in shock and awe. Not so
readers of The Enquirer who know that Elvis is Alive, Bush is a secret
cross-dresser and that any day now Cher will give birth to triplets.
SHIA WHO?
In bold red letters the September cover of Details Magazine promises a
story on why “SHIA LaBEOUF JUST CAN’T GET LAID.” Wonder if he’s thought
of changing his first name to Not So Shia?
Michael Phelps
SHIFTING SHOULDERS
Maybe it’s because we are all used to lithe Olympic champions like Mark
Spitz and Greg Louganis but has anybody noticed the upper bodies of this
year’s American Swim Team? The world record smashing Michael Phelps and
Matt Grevers are all shoulders and pecs, ditto Ryan Lochte, Brendon
Hansen and Ben Wilde. Are swimmers as fullbacks becoming the new axiom?
Whatever; they are piling up medals.
This year even gold medalist Aaron Peirsol looks like he’s traded his
California surfer dude body for a bulkier model and Nathan Adrian must
have the best-proportioned but most un-swimmer-like body of all. His
movie star good looks promise an even brighter future on land once he
finally comes out of the water. Hey, it worked for Johnny Weissmuller,
Buster Crabbe and Esther Williams. OK, so they were usually typecast,
but still . . .
IN A BLIND
I can’t be alone in keeping an extra pair of glasses on hand to put on
while I look for my other misplaced spectacles.
BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Sad to lose two great African-American artists over the weekend. On
Saturday morning fifty year old Bernie Mac died from complications due
to pneumonia probably brought on by a pre existing condition. Mac had
spent half a lifetime as a professional and was just hitting his stride
as a versatile film actor and comedian. He had his own award winning
television show, several planned film roles and the talent to do just
about anything asked of him.
On Sunday the internationally famous soul singer/songwriter Isaac Hayes,
68, probably best know for his Oscar and Grammy winning “Theme from
Shaft”, collapsed and died while working out at his home in Tennessee.
His groundbreaking album “Hot Buttered Soul” released in 1969
established him as one of the all time great rhythm and blues artists.
He was known as a humanitarian and worked hard on behalf of civil
rights.
Both will be missed by the entertainment industry and fans in the
millions. One of the ironies of the day is that Issac Hayes was set for
a guest spot in a new film that was to start in September. It’s star,
Bernie Mac.
HEROES COME IN ALL SIZES
Bet I’m not alone in feeling the most moving and inspiring moment of the
opening ceremonies was the basketball giant Yao Ming marching into the
Olympic stadium a long side of the diminutive Lin Hao. Hao is the 9 year
old earthquake survivor who, when his classroom was leveled by the
devastating quake went back into the rubble and rescued two of his
classmates. Asked by a reporter about this heroic act he replied, “I had
to help, they look up to me because I’m a class monitor.”
RM 8/10/2008 First Publication
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