Democracy

I like to photograph the sky when I can. Here in Silicon Valley there are rarely clouds above but almost always there is a beautiful blue sky. The second shot with the jet in it was an experiment in how well my Auto setting works with moving objects. Pretty good! I like blue skies because they help me to think and to dream. I am often at a bus stop and I always take into consideration my surroundings. I try to always keep my camera with me just in case something is worth shooting. The thoughts I had during when I shot these pics was about the up and coming Olympics and the Democratic National Convention and democracy in general.

I loved the Olympics and love to cheer, especially the water sports. My brother developed a dive in the early 60's that made a world record in NCAA. He never went on to the Olympics because it was an extremely dangerous dive. It killed a Soviet diver when he tried it off the high dive in the Soviet games. It hurt Greg L. when he tried it off the low dive and hit his head. My brother's close friend and life guard buddy talked him out of performing it after he recorded it in competition. My brother named it "The Suicide Dive". It was a 3 and 3/4 dive off the low. I truly believe he is alive today because he agreed to stop. I noticed this year again, that no one had attempted this dive, even off the high platforms. Of course, Michael Phelps was such an inspiration this year. I am in awe of his skills and sportsmanship. He is a true Olympian! Some of my favorite sculpture is from ancient Greece and shows some of the sports of the ancient games, the Olympians in white marble. I saw these sculptures in a special show when I was in London. They were wonderful and really captured the sport. It was such a thrill to see these games in Communist China, something from our ancient world that the Chinese obviously respect! I think it is events like the Olympics that will one day make communism disappear.

So from something from the ancient world of democracy up to the modern world of politics and the Democratic National Convention is a real thrill for me. The ancient Greeks are a culture that I have studied and read from the originals (not in Greek, though) because I think it is a fairer form of government than republics. My dad's family has been traced back to ancient Greece, particularily Troy, so I have a deeply personal interest. I have been watching speeches and seeing people I have never heard before. But tonight was the topper when, Hillary Clinton spoke. I wanted her to be our next President, believing she is the most prepared and has the best platform for the future of our country than anyone else. It has been a let down for me that she is not the candidate. But hearing her tonight, seeing her in her state of grace she so wonderfully wears for the world, I was so inspired to tears by her ideas, fortitude and energy to get on with it and support the candidate, Barack Obama. I just finished reading her book, Living History and was all fired up anyway.

Three weeks straight of world and national democracy has brightened up my world.