Associated Press Athlete of the Decade

Recently announced was the Athelete of the Decade. The result was very surprising to me. Who was it? None other than our friend, Tiger Woods. Now personally, apropos to the recent scandalous events that have taken place with Mr. Woods, I have nothing against the man. As Paulo Coelho said, "Who among us can throw the first stone?" Certainly not me. My personal choice for the award, Lance Armstrong, can in second with 33 votes (behind Tiger's 56). I just can't agree with Associated Press in their judgment of Tiger as a better athlete than Lance. He walks around and hits litte white balls into holes, playing against old, fat, white men. Lance rode in the Tour de France (and won it) no less than 7 consecutive times. This is a race that lasts for 3 weeks (that's twenty one days) and each day is a stage that is anywhere between 100 and 180 miles, ridden at speeds around 30 mph, in a pack of 180 riders that are all moving individually literally inches from you. Not only did Lance ride this 7 times, but he won it 7 times, in a very dominating fashion. Oh, and did I mention that he did this after two years away from the sport, after given less than a 10% chance of living from testicular cancer that had metestacized into his abdomen (and lungs and brain.) Surely there is no comparison when it comes to superbness of physical fitness (which, the last time I checked, was what being an "athlete" was all about.)
But my vote doesn't count. So, Chapeau, Tiger. You deserve it (or your sponsors for whom you made millions of dollars who no longer support you do.) I honestly have nothing at all against Mr. Woods. My anger is not directed at you. It is for the imbeciles who run the Associated Press who base their opinions on financial worth, rather than human sacrifice and glorious achievement.

Finals

Now that time of year is here again. I'm not talking about Christmas either. Finals-the joyous Christmas present of every student at Apollo High School. At time for cramming and studying and stressing and complaining and reviewing and exhaustion and....all kinds of stuff. Here now is my chance to say, GET OVER IT. Finals are just tests. Just another test. People make such a big deal out of them like they are a life or death matter. They get all wound up and overstressed just to find out that...oh...that final wasn't so bad after all. Those who argue that they don't do well on their finals are also the ones who devote inadequate studying time. It just seems to me that it's a crying shame that people blow these tests out of proportions (and I mean students, not teachers, just to clarify) and then it turns out to be wasted energy. I'm thankful that we can at least get out of some of them if our grades allow, which isn't going to happen in college, no doubt.

Health and Illness during the Winter

As winter becomes more apparent around us, so does the tsunami of sneezing, coughing, moaning people experiecing the delightful minor illnesses that are a daily occurence during the frigid months. It seems each year, no matter how much OJ I down, I always end up with a small cold or at least a sore throat. While these thankfully aren't serious enough to prevent me from keeping up with school, they are inconvenient to say the least. It's not that a sore throat or a cough are excrutiating or dabilitating, but it's just a little annoyance that keeps ringing your immune system's doorbell and keeps you from running at 100%. I just hope that maybe this winter season I'll be able to steer clear of all that nastiness.

My favorite Christmas decoration

I really enjoy the ornaments that we have on our Christmas tree at home. The glass orbs are always fun to look into, and the tree looks absolutely astounding when the lights that wrap around it are turned on. There is a set of ornaments in particular that I always cherish putting on the tree. They are opaque sapphire blue orbs that depict the journey of St. Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem in preparation of the birht of Jesus. They are intricately detailed, and will always be my favorite ornaments that grace our Christmas tree.

The Apollo Academic Team

I'm not usually one to brag, but I have to admit, our Academic team in comparison to some others that we compete with, is not only more socially adept, but also a lot less, well, weird. Of course I have a bit of a bias being a member and all, but objectively, we are pretty cool as Academic Teams go. I guess the main thing that sets us apart (other than Jacob Merimee's pimpin' gangster hats) is that we are smart and competitive, sure, but we aren't really obnoxious and nerdy about it like some other teams. Not only can we pull off the "cooler" image, we also win most of the time too. So the next time that somebody thinks of the typical high school nerd, they can confide in the fact that that person is likely not a member of the Apollo Academic Team.

Paulo Coelho

One of his recent quotes reads: "If you aren't pushing limits you aren't trying hard enough." This question leads me to wonder, am I pushing my limits? Am I being the best I can be? Moreover, is anyone else expanding their boundaries? Is it more consolation to be the only one exceeding expectation, or for no one to? Surely by example, (hopefully not mine, I know that I could do some things better than I do now) more people will realize the potential that they have to do better in life, therefore bettering themselves, their children, and the human race. Is our society as a whole continuing to improve at the rate that it should? Then again, who can know how fast we "should" be moving, if innovation should be present at all. It's hard to know.

School Breaks

They always seem just a bit too short don't they? It seems like just as soon as we get out and have a few days to relax and enjoy the family, free from school obligations and homework, here we are back again at the daily grind. It's not that school is so terrible; it is kind of nice to have a reliable routine. I think that we all wish though that we could have had an extra few minutes to sleep this morning when the alarm went off to the thought of "Here we go again." At least I can confide in the comfort that there is only 3 weeks left until Christmas break...