Observations from the Window 7.23

With the Olympics opening Friday, football/soccer on Wednesday, the sports freak in me is more than a little excited. While rock climbing isn't one of the 26 sports at the London games it is possibly the fav sport of the friend who sent me this awesome vid. The video features the 19 year old Sasha DiGiulian, all 5' 2" of her.

Sasha DiGiulian from adidas Outdoor on Vimeo.

"On October 15th 2011, adidas team athlete, Sasha DiGiulian became the first American women to climb the grade 9a (5.14d) with her historic ascent of "Pure Imagination" in Kentucky's Red River Gorge. Keith Ladzinski and Andy Mann (Three Strings Media) were there to capture her efforts and tell her story."

For more about Sasha read The Washington Post article "Rock climber Sasha DiGiulian, 19, is making her way to the top." The article also includes an awesome photo gallery.

To Whom It May Concern

Now that the dreaded Nittany Lions have been declawed to everybody's satisfaction could we please put the same enthusiasm into taking assault rifles out of the hands of wackos or at least make it once again illegal for them to purchase them? Somehow I didn't think so ....

Observations 7.23

I really wanted to stay away from the whole Paterno statue, NCAA sanctions, what did Corbitt know, its so easy to blame the dead man story, for now anyway. It's just such a total no win situation for me, too damn emotional too, and I have other things I want to write about. But yesterday I read Maureen Dowd's column in The New York Times,  "Paterno Sacked Off His Pedestal",  and to my surprise I found it good. Good other than where she falls into the same trap as everybody else and believes the Freeh Reports's assumptions about Paterno to be fact. I know, I know, stay away from it Katie.

Sometimes all to eager for punishment I was skimming the comments to the column when I came across this one from a Times reader in Dallas. I just had to nod.

"Pretty decent column Ms Dowd ...
I enjoy college football, that said, the over the top fasination with football as heroic, it's players and coaches, elivating them to such high levels of adoration is absolutely puzzling. It's a game, entertainment, little more.
We have no one else to blame but ourselfs if they get "too big" for their jobs, and believe the hype, pumped up by the "fans" misguided adorations, and the sports writers must take some of this blame as well. For all those writers recent "outrage", who help create that public image?? But I do not see how killing PSU football program serves any useful purpose. Leave Paterno's statue where it sits, it will for ever remind everyone of the good and the bad that lurks in all of us.
Let the courts handle the rest."

I should note it wasn't the first time I had read that Penn State should leave the statue up as a reminder but sadly the PSU President didn't agree. Early Sunday morning a shroud was thrown around JoePa, a tarp was thrown over his head, and he was carted off to that proverbial secure location. Later the words on the wall behind the statue were removed as well, as if it had never been there.

Memory is a fickle thing.