Sandsation

Be the change that you wish to see

45 years to the day that Martin Luther King Jr delivered his "I have a dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to crowds that reflected the diverse cultural melting pot that is America, a similarly culturally diverse crowd thronged the Mile High Stadium in Denver to witness the dream become a reality.

His critics had accused him of being light on specifics and heavy on rhetoric, a triumph of style over substance, but in accepting the Democratic Party's nomination for president, Barack Obama's outlined a detailed work plan of how he planned to change things once he was in the Oval Office. He paid a poignant tribute to his, now elderly, grandmother who "poured" what she had into him and ended by invoking The preacher.

He empowered the audience in the stadium and the million of Americans watching at home, by reminding them that the election is about them. Gandhi said "be the change that you wish to see" so here's to hoping that the American electorate, on 4th November, will do just that.

The audacity of hope is a beautiful thing to behold

Access All Areas

The words, in the photo on the right, lie over the entrance to the Reichstag and translate to The German People, a visual reminder for German politicians as to whom they serve.

Last Sunday, all German ministries held their annual open day where members of the public could tour the ministries and meet the ministers. We went to the Foreign Ministry and the access was such that I now know the incumbent Foreign Minister is a Mac man and I saw the gift that Barack Obama brought when he visited Berlin - there was also a seriously bejewelled pens, earrings and watches set from the Saudi king. There were mini-workshops on what being a diplomat means, Mandarin lessons and chances to question the Foreign Minister, town hall style.

The open day had been heavily advertised and despite the inclement weather, there were a good number of people who did not want to miss the opportunity to get up close and personal with the people who represent them.

As a way of getting people engaged in the political process, the German method gets my vote.

Comment is free, no it's not

In response to this article, I wrote the following comment:

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing

Osama, you and your Freedom Boaters are good men. It's a stain on the world's conscience that the oppressed are now the oppressors and continue to dehumanise a people because of their own securities.

Why is it that such a small country has a Napoleonic complex to the nth degree (where n is large and positive)? Israel is a belligerent, bellicose bully, but bullies get their comeuppance eventually.

Somebody complained about the comment and instead of the above, my entry is now as follows:

MusingsofaFailure

Aug 23 08, 8:08am

This comment has been removed.

My Olympic predictions vs the actualities

With less than 72 hours to go before the curtain goes up to mark the start of the XXIX Olympiad, I thought I should gaze into my Olympic rings and pick some winners. So here goes:

Women

100m - Sherone Simpson, Jamaica - right country, wrong athlete
100m hurdles - Susanna Kallur, Sweden****
200m - Allyson Felix, USA SB
400m - Christine Ohuruogu, GB SB
800m - Pamela Jelimo, Kenya WJR and it's goodbye to the legend that is Maria Mutola
5000m - Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia
10,000m - Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia OR
4x100m relay - Jamaica DNF
4x400m relay - Kenya******
BMX - Shanaze Reade, GB
Football - Brazil
Heptathlon - Kelly Sotherton, GB - fifth
High Jump - Blanka Vlasic, Croatia
Long Jump - Carolina Kluft, Sweden - ninth
Marathon - Catherine Ndereba, Kenya
Pole Vault - Yelena Isinbaeva, Russia WR
Triple Jump - Françoise Mbango, Cameroon OR

Men

100m - Olusoji Fasuba, Nigeria**
110m hurdles - Liu Xiang, China***
200m - Usain Bolt, Jamaica WR
400m - Jeremy Wariner, USA - right country, wrong athlete
400m hurdles - Kerron Clement, USA - right country, wrong athlete
800m - Abubaker Kaki*****, Sudan
1500m - Bernard Lagat, USA*
3000m steeplechase - Ezekiel Kemboi, Kenya - seventh; right country, wrong athlete
5000m - Bernard Lagat, USA - ninth
10,000m - Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia OR
4x100m - Jamaica WR
4x400m - USA OR
Basketball - USA
Decathlon - Bryan Clay, USA
Football - Argentina with the mercurial Messi and a stellar supporting cast
High Jump - Stefan Holm, Sweden - fourth
Long Jump - Irving Saladino, Panama
Marathon - Sammy Wanjiru, Kenya OR
Tennis - Rafael Nadal, Spain World No 1
Triple Jump - Phillips Idowu, GB

Legend

DNF - Did not finish
OR - Olympic Record
SB - Season's Best
WJR - World Junior Record
WR - World Record

I'm hoping my predictions will epitomise Corinthian ideals in their quest for Olympic glory.

Citius, Altius, Fortius

**REPLACEMENTS**
**Oh well, Olu didn't run as Olu can run, but Usain Bolt sure looked mightily impressive as he jogged his way to 9.92s so I'll plump for Usain to complete a sprint double.
*I reserve the right to nominate someone else as Bernard Lagat did not qualify for the final so I'm putting forward Asbel Kipruto Kiprop, Kenya
***I was hoping Liu Xiang could provide Beijing with a similar moment to the one Cathy Freeman provided in Sydney, but in reality the form guy leading up to the Olympics is the world record holder, the bespectacled Dayron Robles of Cuba so I'm nominating him.
****Lolo Jones, USA - right country, wrong athlete
*****Alfred Kirwa Yego, Kenya - right country, wrong athlete
******GB - fifth SB

Kenya 5 Ethiopia 4

With Kenya women chipping in with their first ever golds in the 800m and 1500m, Kenya was able to pip Ethiopia in the number of golds won. All of Ethiopia's golds were won by 2 people completing incredible double doubles in the men and women's 5000m and 10000m, Tirunesh Dibaba and Kenenisa Bekele. Sammy Wanjiru claimed Kenya's first ever marathon gold and Pamela Jelimo and Nancy Langat victories were historic for Kenya. Kenya confirmed her middle distance supremacy completing a men and women's double in the 800m, the men's 1500m and the event that is regarded as Kenya's own, the men's 3000m steeplechase.

Jamaica 3 USA 0

3 is the number of world records Jamaica's men set in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, but perhaps I could have gone for Jamaica 4 USA 0 given that Jamaica won the men and women's 100m and 200m. The USA may point to their wins in the women and men's 4x400m relays, but then again the latter win wasn't so surprising given that they swept the individual event. It looks as if the era of US sprinting supremacy is well and truly over, roll on 2012.

The Emperor and Empress of Entoto

Entoto is the mountain at whose feet, the city of Addis Ababa lies and is the resting place of Empress Taitu. It was Empress Tatitu who convinced her husband, Emperor Menelik II to relocate Addis Ababa from the top of the mountain to the bottom to be nearer to the therapeutic hot springs at the base.

The forests that cover Entoto's slopes provide trails on which Tirunesh Dibaba, the double Olympic champion in the women's 5000m & 10,000m, trains. I was in Addis Ababa's national stadium in May when she won the 10,000m at the 16th CAA championships and the wall of sound that the spectators made throughout the 31 minutes that it took her to complete the race caused the stand in which we were sitting to vibrate.

Kenenisa Bekele emulated his compatriot Tirunesh by winning the men's 5000m & 10000m, but went one better when he set Olympic records in both events.