Week End

Olympics
I watched a lot of Olympics coverage lasting through 1am or so each night. That includes beach volleyball, swimming, synchronized diving, gymnastics, and only some of other sports. Not enough. I intended to watch more of the specialized sports, but found it was easier to watch the NBC primetime and USA Network coverage. I heard Stephen Fatsis (sp?) on the radio yesterday saying Team Handball was a great sport so I'll try to catch some of that on the Internet, as well as Table Tennis.
I'm a little overloaded with Olympics, but I won't give up now!
The highlights for me so far? The opening ceremony, the sincerity and genuineness of the Chinese people. Otherwise, I'm not sure I've been thrilled by the sporting events. Yes, Michael Phelps getting 7 gold medals with world records (as of right now) is cool and I hope he gets the 8th. But, it doesn't really affect me, so I'm not getting emotionally invested in it. I felt bad for Sacramone at the team finals of the girls gymnastics. I don't really care if the Chinese girls are too young (except that I care for them personally - I hope they aren't hurting their young bodies). It was fun to watch Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson in the All-Around competition.
There are lots of political/social issues with the Olympics, but I'm ignoring them. On purpose.

My Tow Patrol experience
I learned that "I Don't Care" is a powerful weapon when my car was towed from my own assigned parking space because I hadn't put my parking sticker on the car.
I was reminded (again) that I get no credit for doing the right thing 95% of the time - but I will be 'punished' for making a mistake 5% of the time.
My dislike of 'corporate' America intensified because I realized (again) its the corporations who don't care. People can be influenced, but a corporation can't. And to save their own butt, people will hide behind the corporation..."I'm just doing my job."

It's Hot
It's hot, but I'm doing okay without air conditioning so far. I'm afraid I'll get overheated though and won't be able to cool down.

International
I can't take any more. The invasion of Georgia by Russia seems surreal and like it belongs in another decade. I've only looked at the headlines. I don't have anything left to give to this emotionally. This is what I understand so far...Georgia used to be part of the Soviet Union, it became an independent country later. There was a Rose Revolution in the last few years that led to democratic elections. Part of Georgia is South Osettia (sp?), which has been effectively ruled/influenced by Russia for several years, but was still in Georgia. The South Ossetians wanted to be independent of Georgia. There was a movement. Georgia sent troops to South Ossetia to 'quell the rebellion'. Russia went into Georgia to 'protect' the Georgians. They had tanks and bombs. (Why did they use such deadly weapons if they were protecting the South Ossetian people?)
Additional items I don't know about - a cyber war leading up to this invasion? Russia's been planning this for months, a second province in Georgia has also been at issue?
This is history happening before my very eyes...and yet, I haven't been able to take it in.
I'm sorry - it makes me feel inadequate that I can sit safely in my home and not have the emotional energy to deal with the misfortune of others who are less lucky than I.

Its Too Much!
Really, the last several years have been devastating. I'm feeling numb.
Avian Bird Flu scared me, the invasion of Lebanon by Israel scared me, the North Koreans with a nuclear bomb scared(s) me, the Taliban scares me (they also make me angry; they bomb girls schools because teaching girls is not Islamic), George Bush/Dick Cheney/neocons/Ahmadinejad etc scare me, the corporatization of America scares me, Hurricane Katrina scared me, the earthquakes in Pakistan and China scared me, getting old and being poor scares me.

The bottom line is that life is fragile and the 'ruling' class is crazy. That's scary.

I don't have a lot of family, and we're very independent. I don't have a husband or a close circle of friends so I alternate between feeling free and feeling alone. I'm not very clever and I didn't start saving for retirement early enough. Whatever will become of me? Thank goodness I'm mostly happy and can live in a state of denial!! HA!