Benjamin Daniel Kersting is 11 years old today!! Happy Birthday Big Ben!!
Now that Ben is getting closer to his teen years, we are going to get him gifts that lead him in that direction. I will not say what we are giving him this year exactly, but it is something that he says that he wants.
Today, we are going over to the Memorial Park Aquatic Center....the water park like pools here in Jefferson City...to have a little fun this afternoon.
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Yesterday, I had a little trouble with the webpage software that I used. It crashed AFTER I had finished my entry and was saving the page. So, I had to go back an do a re-write and I left some things out about the Olympic Games.
So, here is what you missed.
I have complained about NBC's coverage of the games. I praised the use of multiple channels. I am really happy with what DirecTV has done with putting the channels together so it is easy to find. (The normals channels are in their regular place, but a second copy is put at channels 750-756.) And since I am at work early, I like getting a variety of live sports to watch while I am here in studio.
All that said, why does NBC have to limit things to just one channel during prime time? Why can't they have more programming of the more obscure sports on at the same time?
I say that because I do not enjoy "sports" like gymnastics, synchronized swimming, diving and any other event that has human judges scoring. Same goes for figure skating during the Winter Games. In fact, figure skating is the best illustration of why I don't like these events. Remember the judges who cheated during the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, when they issued two gold medals. Or how about the 2004 gymnastics scoring error that gave Paul Hamm the gold medal. An error that could not be corrected.
These "sports" are corrupt by their very dependence on human judges. I think they are athletic competitions and the participants are great athletes. But so are ballet dancers.
If you can't score in a way where everyone knows what is happening, sorry but it just isn't a sport in my book. Again, ballet dancers are great athletes.
Touch 'em all, put it through the hoop, cross into the end zone, break the tape, throw it the furthest or put it in the net.
Just my opinion. I know MANY of you will disagree.
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Michael Phelps has five gold this year. Three more to go. Nothing is guaranteed, so he has to keep fighting to get it done and I don't think he is taking ANYTHING easy at this point.
BUT, he does have something that cannot be taken away unless a drug test comes back positive. He now has more gold medals than any other athlete in the 112 year history of the Olympic Games.
Congratulations Mr. Phelps. Apparently, you have accepted your mission. And accomplished a big part of it.
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At the time of my writing of this blog entry, Russia is taking on Georgia in Beach Volleyball. Russia won the first set, Georgia won the second set. You can probably guess who I am pulling for.
In case you didn't know, the Georgian team is composed of Brazil natives. I don't care. Beat the damned Ruskies!!! Didn't think I'd be saying that 15 years ago, nor even 15 days ago.
(UPDATE: Georgia won, 2 sets to 1!!)
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Russian tanks are still on the move in Georgia. Yesterday, I heard the Georgian Ambassador answer a question that compared the events to Hungary in 1956. The ambassador went further. He said Hungary, Czechoslovakia in 1968, Nazi Germany into Poland and Soviet Union in to Afghanistan.
He is right.
Russian aggression is something that needs to be kept in check.
Vladimir Putin wants a new Russian Empire or a revival of the Soviet Union. George W. Bush underestimated him, possibly from a view of American arrogance, back when they first met.
Will Bush or his successor have the willingness and ability to stand up to him? Bush, we will wait and see. As for his successor, I know that one of the two gets it. The other seems willing to let us lose the Cold War that we won 20 years ago. His Socialist tendancies prove that for me.
These events in Georgia worry me more than any other series of events in the world that have happened since 2001.
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Have a great Ben's Birthday Wednesday!!
