Cork The Whine v.2. Radioactive. Accountability. Spring Has Sprung. A First Time Listen.
An Overachiever. Godzilla Cuts Kong Some Slack. Stepping Over The Line. Sports Central. Crazy For You.
I guess we have every right to bitch and complain with all the issues we have to deal with these days. Whether personal, financial or work-related, the pandemic has given us a level of frustration and unfortunately in too many cases, despair. Then you learn about the greatest athlete no one knows, who is featured on the latest Real Sports program from HBO. Born with severe birth defects after her birth mother was exposed to radioactive fallout from the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, 31-year old Oksana Masters was missing a kidney and part of her stomach at birth, had extra toes, no thumbs, and her legs were extremely deformed. Placed in an orphanage in Ukraine, she tells her story of being passed over by prospective parents for years. Fast forward and Oksana’s fortunes changed overnight as she was finally adopted by a college professor who had seen her story of complete despair. Those deformed legs were eventually amputated and after being fitted with prosthetics, Oksana, at the request of her mom, took up rowing and the rest is history. Her achievements include Paralympic medals in both summer and winter competitions including the biathlon, cross-country skiing, rowing and cycling. She is both an amazing athlete and inspiration to all of us. Watch this two-minute video – a real life dose of reality.
A few people questioned my sanity (join the club) with my exuberance and angst concerning the new Kong v. Godzilla movie. If you remember, I questioned the audacity of Warner Bros. Pictures and the film’s writers for growing Kong to the size of the 393-foot tall Godzilla. A sham in my opinion but the movie in general came off well. Out of respect for those who have not watched, I will not divulge the details and outcome of the movie. What I will say is that no one ever needs to challenge me about the greatest antagonist that has ever roamed this planet. Just don’t – and if you are not on Team Godzilla you just need to check yourself. 🙂
Another mass shooting last week and another Capitol police officer dead. In some states, a surge in Covid-19 contractions. These type of events damper what has become one of our bright spots in the last 14 months – the vaccine. There seems to be some momentum and a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Then we get another dose of reality with the trial of police officer Derek Chauvin, 45, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the arrest and subsequent death of George Floyd. My assessment: Chauvin was a tenured officer, experienced in apprehension and arrest procedures. I do not believe that Chauvin had the intention of killing George Floyd but I do believe that he should be held accountable for his actions that have led to the charges filed against him. Whether it be his ego, machoism, or insecurity, his action of placing his knee on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes was not warranted, especially with the presence of his fellow officers. To me he was proving a point -unnecessary actions that unfortunately led to George Floyd’s death. I agree with the charges levied against Derek Chauvin – and this is just my take. I am interested in your take, but don’t bother interjecting any reference to race or politics. Unacceptable as part of my ethos with this blog.
This weekend has always been the start of many good things. A few weeks into daylight savings time, the weather moving into springtime, and the sports world on fire. The start of Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer, the NHL and NBA in playoff positioning time, Europe’s top leagues jostling for Champions League qualification, and the NCAA Final Four for both men and women. Tuesday starts the CONCACAF Champions League competition for a few MLS teams with Atlanta United playing the first leg against LD Alajuelense down in Costa Rica. This will be a difficult match for the Five Stripes, still putting together their team under new manager Gabriel Heinze, and with a starting lineup that will average 24 years old. Speaking of young, it looks like Heinze will start four very young defenders – a big ask on the road in Central America.
It is so fun to watch these two YouTube sensations discover music from the past – whether it be Pavarotti or Metallica. I am sure Heart’s Crazy on You provided these two young men a dose of reality when it comes to Ann’s incredible vocals and Nancy’s rifts on her magical guitar. The twins, Tim and Fred from Gary, Indiana, have become YouTube sensations with their “First Time Hearing” videos which were originally focused on rap. They have obviously expanded their range of music listening with over 250,000 YouTube subscribers. Nice work gentlemen!
