Behind the scences

Here is a little behind the scences stuff for all of you who listen to our show every Tuesday. This story came up last week, and I felt like writing a commentary about it. Unfortunately, my co-hosts felt that it didn't fit the show,so I decided to publish it here Enjoy:

It is rare that a sporting event transcends the arena of competition and instead becomes a moment of clarity for a society. Such was the case in 1968, when riots and violence filled the streets of U.S. cities in as contentious a time as any in the last five decades.
In that year the Summer Olympics were held in Mexico City. At the conclusion of the 200 meter event, Americans Tommy Smith and John Carlos, the races' Gold and Bronze medalists took to the victory podium and raised gloved fist, bowing their heads as the anthem of their nation played.
An act not of disrespect, but of acknowledgment of the plight of African Americans in their country, all cast before a world-wide audience.
And on that day, Peter Norman stood with them.
While some viewed the Australian Norman as a victim of an improper political statement, and Norman himself humbly believed his role to be nothing more than a willing bystander to an important message, those of us lucky enough to view the event through the prism of hindsight know differently.
For beyond the pride of a nation's Silver medalist (one whose time of 20.06 seconds is still a Australian record), or the pro-human rights badge that Norman wore on that podium, the act of actually joining Smith and Carlos in their defiance of decorum was best explaineded by Bronze medalist Carlos for the Associated Press when said of Norman, "Peter never flinched, he never turned his eye or his head, When I looked in his eyes, I saw nothing but love."
Love for competition, for fairness and for his fellow man.
A love that brings us, decades later to the Melbourne suburb of Williamstown, where nearly 800 people turned out days ago for the funeral of Peter Norman, felled at age 64 by a heart attack.
Whether they knew him as a star athlete, a physical education teacher, or simply a friend, all knew Norman as a humble man fortified by the courage of his convictions.
Chief among those grieving the loss and celebrating the life of Peter Norman were the two men to which his act served as only so much as a historical footnote, Tommy Smith and John Carlos.
For on that day in 1968, Peter Norman stood up for Tommy Smith and John Carlos by standing beside them.
And now, serving as pallbearers; as they had throughout his life, Smith and Carlos stood up for him.

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Is This What The World Really Thinks???

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060911/wl_canada_nm/canada_sept11_canada_poll_col_1

"OTTAWA (Reuters) - One in five Canadians believes the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, had nothing to do with Osama Bin Laden and were actually a plot by influential Americans, according to a poll released on Monday. "

This has to be one of the most jaw-dropping things I have read in a while. Maybe I am being naive, but I was totally not aware that this many people felt that way. 22% just seems , well, huge for lack of a better word.

What does this mean? In terms of our perceptions across the globe, I knew that most of Europe, which has seen more than its share of terrorism the last few decades, views the current administration and its actions with a jaundiced eye, to say the least.

But Canada???

Their Canada, the 51st state. They are nearly identical to Americans in terms of general quality of life and media consumption. Hell, the Prime Minister right now is a righty.

For one in five to believe that some conspiracy is the cause of the September 11th attacks means that the belief of this is spread farther than just the "crackpots and extremists." That many people believing in a conspiracy says to me that our perception just beyond our own border is being colored darkly by the actions of our goverment.

Is this conspiracy Belief ground in facts and conjecture regarding the attacks themselves, or are they more a result of the actions of an administration that requests the ability to torture suspects. An administration that wishes to convict prisoners that are unable to see evidence or confront accusers. An administration that tries to paint anyone who would dare to question its policies as unpatriotic terrorists appeasers.

....Or is it just because the beer is stronger there???

The Dangers of Cats that Smoke?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/08/21/odd.tomandjerry.reut/index.html

This bothers me, and I don't know why.
I mean, its a cartoon about a cat and a mouse, in which the cat is often trying to maim, if not outright eat the mouse, which apparently nobody has a problem with.

But, you have that cat "smoking"....and suddenly its hurting the children.

Now, just as a bit of clarification, I do think that there is a lot of garbage that children are exposed to today that is harmful. The media is full of too much human on human violence, without any sort of context. Kids do see way too much sex and violence as children, and while it will not make them all into psycho killers, it does desensitize.

That being said, those images are of people. Not of two animated animals in a cartoon that is older then the parents of these children. Again, I point to the fact that Jerry can wallop Tom with a frying pan so that the cat's head leaves an impression, and that's ok, yet a obvioulsy cartoony "smoking as suave" joke raises the hackles???

I would think that if your child is imitating an animated cat from the 1950's, than you have more to worry about than Junior's smoking habit.

Of course, this could all just result from my brother trying to hit me in the head with a frying pan, to see if it would leave and indentation too.

Training Daze

So I learned yesterday that primer is my friend. I'm exhausted from doing home repair stuff Saturday and painting our den.

FYI, we are really going for Marshall University theme. It should look pretty cool. To be honest, I was really dreading working on this project, but the more I do, the more jazzed I get about the end result.

TodaY was training for new staff at work. I think we really have a great bunch of people.

*fingers Crossed*

...I need more coffee, or sleeep.

Chris Vs. The internet

Wow.

To anyone reading this, welcome. Thanks for stopping by. I hope this becomes a small part of the internet that hopefully offers something worth reading.

I mean, isn't that what we all are looking for. Not necessarily things we support or oppose, but things that interest us.

I have this dorky idea that I should do my best to learn something every day. Corny, why yes it is. However it hasn't stopped me from doing it, or from becoming a better person because of it.

Well, enough for now. Remember to take care of yourselves out there, somebody has too.