SPILLS, THRILLS, CHILLS

AND OTHER THINGS. Once again I am posting on a few different, but related, subjects.  Kinda. Or if not related, at least they will fuse into each other, I hope.  So, here goes.

1. On 29 January the Round House in Santa Fe' was filled with kids. For any who may read this and wonders what the round house is, that is where the legislature meets. Any way, the kids were to express their right to be outside. This was an event organized by the State Land Commission to promote a "Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights". This was to say that kids should be outside playing.  Mostly it was a way for the commision to bring attention to the state wildlife, air and water and land quality and how we should take care of it.  Yep, maybe a good way to get kids outside and away from the evils of watching too much TV.

2. On another note, the Olympics are going on in Sochi, Russia.  I enjoy watching the Olympics to some extent, and root for the USA to medal.  This TIC shot is toward President Obama and our Country's leaders.  Russia has a strong anti gay law.  According to the news.  OK. Much of the United States is more liberal toward gays. I am not going to get into the gay versus straight subject here, but want to say this about our country's leaders. President Obama deliberately made a statement about Russia's law and chose gay athlete's to go to Russia as a protest against their law.  This is wrong.  We do not have to like their law.  but we are guests in their country, so we obey their laws and we do not go to the games to protest what they do. This does not build good relations between the two governments.  At least the Athlete's are having fun. Mostly

3. OK, then on to the Olympics. The U.S. has won two gold medals in the new sport of Slope Style. They go down a course on a snow board and do tricks while in the air. And well, if you watch you know what I mean and if not, then I can't explain. Torah Bright, a member of the church I belong to, placed 7th. She is from Australia and is representing that country, although she trains in Utah. Her speciality is th eHalf Pipe and she will be competing on that later this week.  I will root for her to win. along with Shaun White for the men.   A last comment.  36 year old skier, Bodie Miller, favored to win the gold on the men's downhill, placed 7th. Several others had went down the course and did well.  Bodie had an excuse.  No, it wasn't just, they did better, or that he had not skied well.  Nope, he blamed a change in the weather from when he had practised earlier.  Well, duh!  just admit you didn't do as good as you could have. The others skied the same course in the same weather.

4. One final comment.  Ice skating.  It has been superb. there have been spills, of course, but most have skated well, but some have been brilliant.  the USA team dancers are excellent. But there is a Russian girl, 15 years old, that is so supple I don't know how she does the things she does, and while on skates on the ice.  She will be a force in this sport for years to come, I think.  AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK