Romney Wins First Round

President Obama let Mitt Romney run away with the trophy in the first debate tonight. The challenger was fluent and forceful. He looked directly at the president as he made his points. He came across as the one who cared more about America. For most of the debate, Obama looked down as the split screen showed Romney in a posture that suggested he was talking down to a timid student. At one point when Obama was speaking, Romney interrupted and amazingly, Obama conceded the floor to him. Instead of looking at Romney, Obama (when he looked up at all) seemed to plead with moderator Jim Lehrer to bring the debate to an end. Romney, in contrast, controlled Lehrer, directing the flow of questions.

Forget the facts. Fact checkers will tell you that Romney was wrong on this and that, as was the President. In these debates, style trumps substance. When Obama was running for president four years ago, he electrified the electorate with his newness, his near-mythical striving for the highest position in the land. That he was running against a party led by the reviled George Bush no doubt helped his candidacy.

But as incumbent, the magic seems to have left Obama. He was hesitant  and tentative with Romney. He seemed ill at ease. There was hardly any passion behind his words. He combined his sentences with a drawn out “a..and” that became a distracting mannerism as the debate progressed. His rebuttals (again, we are not talking facts here but style) were weaker compared to Romney’s. In summing up the debate with his perspective on leadership, Romney said, “America is hurting today!” and then said that he would set America right. A visitor from Mars would have believed Romney. Obama, in contrast, asked us to simply believe that what he did in the last four years should convince us to vote for him. Unconvincing, to say the least.

Only toward the end did the President briefly come alive when he said that part of being a leader was to have a plan and that a leader had to sometimes say “no” to the extreme fringes of his party. He exposed Romney’s shortcomings in two sentences but that was about it. Obama’s relief was almost palpable when the debate finally ended.

As an Obama supporter, I am hoping that we have seen the best of Romney and the worst of Obama tonight. Certainly with his performance, Romney has repaired the damage of his “47%” remark. He has accomplished his mission for now and put the President on the defensive. Obama needs to practice an hour everyday looking directly at someone while locking horns with him on contentious issues. (Joe Biden, perhaps?) It’s okay to be polite, laid back and cool in private but in a debate that can change voter perceptions instantly, passion and conviction have to radiate from the candiate's whole being.

The verdict: Obama did not hurt himself but Romney elevated himself and was the clear winner. Please, Mr. President, shed your complacency, if that's what it is. Replace ice with fire. In the next two debates, don’t let the Governor take charge. You must. Four years ago, an "outsider" seized the momentum in his debates with a Republican challenger. We want that candidate back.

Being Kind to Animals

Businesses often send their representatives to college campuses at the beginning of semesters to sign up students for their products and services. It may be a gym or a spa offering annual membership at discount prices, a beauty parlor promising to “remake your looks and how you feel about yourself,” or a local deli extolling the manifold delights of its sandwiches.

Sometimes, though, volunteers show up to sell not a thing but an idea. Such was the case recently at a community college campus in Northern California. Mike Sage, a 65-year-old software engineer at a high-tech company in Silicon Valley, was handing out brochures to persuade students to become vegetarians.  “It’s good for you and it’s good for the earth,” he was saying. The brochure was prepared by an organization committed to stopping cruelty to animals. Mike is associated with the Santa Clara County Activists for Animals (SCCAA), “an all-volunteer organization dedicated to reducing and eliminating the suffering of animals and to raising community awareness of animal issues.” SCCAA is driven by compassion to prevent cruelty to animals, “especially those used for food, clothing, and entertainment.”

With the increasing awareness of animal cruelty, surely the number of vegetarians in the United States is increasing?

“Not really,” says Mike. “As some people become vegetarians, some vegetarians go back to a meat-based diet. Lapsed vegetarians keep the overall conversion rate down.”

According to Vegetarian Times, 3.2 percent of U.S. adults - 7.3 million people - follow a vegetarian-based diet. Approximately 0.5 percent - 1 million - of those are vegans, who consume no animal products at all. In addition, 10 percent of U.S. adults - 22.8 million people - say they largely follow a vegetarian-inclined diet.

Mike has taken time off from his vacation hours to stand under a hot sun to talk with students. Many are receptive and politely accept the brochures. A few wave him off. He is undaunted.

“You must feel passionately about this, to use up your vacation time like this!”

“I cannot think of a better way to use my vacation time,” he says.

Most Americans are unaware of the torture and cruelty the food-industrial complex inflict on animals to keep the grocery stores stocked with meat, although the 2008-documentary “Food, Inc.” was a gruesome eye-opener for many. This year alone, for instance, Governor Jerry Brown of California signed into law about a dozen animal welfare bills.

But progress is slow and consumer craving for red meat continues to grow. Mike, a vegan since 2007, and others like him, know it is an uphill battle to persuade people to give up meat from their diets. “But we have a network of dedicated people all over the country. We will never give up. Humane treatment of animals makes us better human beings. As a popular poster says, be kind to animals by not eating them. It’s really as simple as that.”

Killers in Libya Must be Served Justice

The death of J. Christopher Stevens, U.S. ambassador to Libya, at the hands of extremists has shocked civilized people everywhere. Libyan Prime Minister Abdurrahim Keib declared: "This is a criminal act that will not go unpunished. This is part of a series of cowardice acts by supporters of the former regime who want to undermine Libya's revolution.” Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. "We refuse that our nation's lands be used for cowardice and revengeful acts. It is not a victory for God's Sharia or His prophet for such disgusting acts to take place," he said. "We apologize to the United States, the people of America, and the entire world. We and the American government are standing on the same side. We stand on the same side against outlaws."

The deaths of embassy officials in Libya and Egypt came about because of a crude video posted on the Internet that depicted Islam and Prophet Muhammad (saw) in a negative light. There are fringe groups in Muslim countries waiting to exploit things like this for political gain, always in the name of Islam. Because they have no political legitimacy, they resort to murder and mayhem to convince Muslims that they are acting to protect the honor and dignity of Islam. The majority of Muslims have rejected them again and again and stand united today in unequivocally condemning them. 

Mitt Romney, Republican nominee for the President of the United States, is already politicizing the crisis. “I’m outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi,” he said. “It’s disgraceful that the Obama administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.”

Fact is, the Obama administration did no such thing. As soon as the news of the deaths came to light, both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the attacks on the embassies in unambiguous terms. This will not stop the Republicans, however, from escalating their baseless attacks on President Obama in the coming days.  Party stalwarts are already calling Obama a coward for not standing up to the threats posed by “Muslims” against America. Whatever it takes – lies, distortions – to win the election is game for the Republicans.

President Obama must not allow the exigencies of the election to define his response to the attacks on the U.S. embassies in Libya and Egypt. So far, he has not and it is unlikely that he will in the future. But politics is a strange profession and the pull of power can distort anyone’s perspective. It remains to be seen how the President walks this minefield as the November election draws near.

But the bigger question is how to contain and defeat extremists who claim to act in the name of Islam but whose only aim is to seize power so that they can practice their savage ideologies. Almost always, their first victims are women. They want women to be confined to homes, remain illiterate, serve their desires and receive rigorous punishment and even death for what they alone define to be moral infractions. These self-styled custodians of “virtues” are corrupt to the core. They are nihilists whose only signature mark is destruction.

As the New York Times reported, President Obama said of the Americans murdered in Libya: “These four Americans stood up for freedom and human dignity. Make no mistake: we will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people.” He praised the Libyan government, noting that Libyan security forces fought back against the mob, helped protect American diplomats and took Mr. Stevens’s body to the hospital. “This attack will not break the bonds between the United States and Libya,” he said.

Ambassador Stevens taught English as a Peace Corps volunteers in Morocco from 1983 to 1985. He worked tirelessly with Libyan rebels in overthrowing the regime of Dictator Muammar Gadhafi last year. He had nothing to do with the hate video posted by an American Islam-hater. Yet he and three of his staff paid the ultimate price at the hands of a band of fanatics. We must do whatever we can - even if it is as minimal as protesting - to thwart the extremists.

 

Walking for the Children of Syria

Today, Saturday, September 8, 2012, concerned Americans throughout the United States will be walking for the children of Syria. Cities where the organized walks will take place include Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Charleston, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Sacramento, San Diego, Tempe, Washington, DC and Wichita.

Syrian children have borne the brunt of dictator Bashar Assad’s brutality more than any other segment of the population since the genocidal crackdown began 16 months ago. Close to 2,000 children have already perished. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) is steadily gaining ground against government troops but the cost continues to be high. France, more than any other Western powers, is helping FSA with funds and supplies. Although Zero Hour is approaching for Bashar Assad, Syrians, particularly Syrian children, are in dire need of help from conscientious people everywhere.

The Walk for Children of Syria organization is raising funds for the most vulnerable victims of Bashar Assad. Locally, in Northern California today, we will be walking across the fabled Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, from 11 am – 2 pm.

All proceeds will go to UNICEF for immediate distribution within Syria.

The life-and-death question is: "When will the carnage in Syria end?" While Syrians flee in thousands to neighboring countries like Turkey and Jordan, orphans have become the most heart-breaking symbol of the genocide wrought by Assad. The least we Americans can do is to join the walk for the children of Syria if it is taking place in or near our respective cities.

Khan Academy Benefits Students

Hundreds of thousands of students from around the world have found a reliable and competent teacher in the 35-year-old Salman Khan, the creator of over 3,300 digital lectures from math and science to economics and humanities. The online videos run anywhere from 10-20 minutes each, focused on a single topic (solve for variables x and y in a system of linear equations, for example) that students can follow and practice repeatedly until they get it.

Though not a professionally-trained teacher, Khan is a born teacher. But his success hasn’t gone down well with professional teachers, particularly math teachers, who are complaining that Khan’s videos do more harm than good. Call it a case of sour grapes.

These “purist” math teachers seem unable to accept the fact that Salman Khan has attracted a world-wide following for the simplicity and elegance of his math and other online lectures. They are nervous because Khan is attempting to reverse traditional teaching: Instead of learning new ideas in the classroom and practicing at home, often without any help, students get ideas by using his videos at home and practice their content in the class, with teachers working as one-on-one tutor.

Pilot projects testing Khan’s idea are sprouting all over, spanning continents. Results are positive. Students learn at their own paces and get personalized help from teachers when stuck, leading to a greater mastery of their subjects than in the traditional one-size-fits-all classrooms. His lesson pages have tallied close to 200 million views worldwide. Surely that says something.

Professional teachers and educators are quibbling over subtle “gaps” in Khan’s logic as he tries to explain, for instance, the mathematics of multiplying two negative numbers that gives a positive result. They are aghast that he uses the term “associative” instead of “commutative” to describe a property of multiplication. They take him to task for mixing up terms like “minus” and “subtract.”

What they overlook is that Khan’s videos are serving their purpose: teaching students what they need to learn, from the slums of Ghana to the resource-starved schools of America, in a fun, focused and interactive way. This is the case with Jennifer, for instance, a precocious 6^th-grader from San Jose, California. “I don’t have to listen to my math teacher going on and on about ratios. These videos tell me what ratio is and how I can use it to solve real problems. Once I get the idea, I am on my way.”

Salman Khan’s videos are without any glitz or gimmicks. In fact, they are almost primitive in their simplicity, in contrast to other educational videos in the market that seem more like some Hollywood production, using the best graphics and animation tools that money can buy. They dazzle but rarely teach. They are all sound and fury, signifying practically nothing.

Instead of lamenting the lack of depth or formal structure in Khan’s videos, professional teachers and educators can help raise the standard of K-12 education in America and elsewhere by incorporating the videos in their classrooms and coming up with suggestions that can genuinely improve the quality of the lessons. They should be guided by the interest of the students and not by any feeling of encroachment on their “territory” by an “outsider.”

Community Peace Rally for American Sikhs

San Joseans from all walks of life attended a community peace rally for Sikhs on August 9 at the Santa Clara County Government Center in downtown San Jose. It came in the wake of the death of six Sikhs in a Gurdwara (a place of learning and worship) in Wisconsin by a deranged supremacist. The hundreds of participating Sikhs were moved by the support and sympathy of Americans of all faiths and color. Although the occasion was somber, the evidence of common humanity lifted the spirits of local Sikhs and strengthened their faith in an inclusive America.

Leaders from Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist , Hindu and other religious and humanitarian organizations - NAACP, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Punjabi  - spoke at the rally. Posters reading “I Pledge Against Violence” and “When ONE American is hurt, we ALL hurt” underscored the message of the rally.

Speaker after speaker emphasized zero tolerance policy in America for hate, bigotry and prejudice. They bemoaned the culture of violence that seems to have gripped America. “Sikhs are peace-loving, law-abiding Americans,” said one speaker. “It is a terrible tragedy that a bigot chose to attack these gentle people in their place of worship. We must be united against such acts of violence anywhere. “

Another speaker, a lawyer and an activist, reminded the audience that the attack in Wisconsin was far from being an isolated incident.  “Just a few days ago, a gun freak opened fire in a theatre in Colorado, killing several movie goers. Columbine, Arizona, Virginia, the list goes on and on. Only a few psychopaths are breeding domestic terrorism. We have become hostages in our own country. Violent people are using the Second Amendment to kill. With violence so pervasive in the U.S. today, the idea that anyone has the right to bear arms has become outdated. As a nation, we must have the courage to amend the Second Amendment.” Otherwise, she said, bigots and supremacists will continue to target Americans who do not fit their narrow definition of who an American is.

Within hours of the Wisconsin shooting, domestic terrorists burned down a mosque in tornado-ravaged Joplin, MO. Fueled by hate and irrational fear and by irresponsible, conspiracy-theory-prone politicians, violence is rising dramatically throughout the United States. Collectively, Americans own 300 million guns, more than cars and more than there are adults in the country. Without effective gun control, as several speakers emphasized at the rally, violence of the type at the Sikh temple will become a daily occurrence in America.

Sikh children sang devotional songs and songs of peace at the rally. Sikh leaders spoke of resilience, love and unity, tempering their thoughts with practical ways to halt the cycle of violence in America, their beloved homeland.

U.S. Women's Soccer Team Will Win Gold in London Olympics

In the July 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany, Japan beat the U.S. 3-1 on penalty-kick shootout. The match was drawn 1-1 after regulation, then 2-2 after overtime. To lose the world cup on a shootout was heartbreaking for the Americans but a glorious affirmation for the Japanese, especially since the land of the rising sun was still reeling from the disasters of the tsunami and Fukushima nuclear meltdown.

A year later, at the London Olympics, the U.S. women’s soccer team escaped with a near-miraculous 4-3 victory over Canada in Manchester. Judging from the way the two teams played, the Canadians had as much right to expect a victory as the Americans. For the duration of the regulation time, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and friends found themselves playing catch-up to their northern neighbors, led by the brilliant Christine Sinclair of Canada who scored a hat trick. U.S. players had to rally three times to tie the score.

Then came overtime and until the 122^nd minute, the score was tied at 3-3. In the 123^rd minute, Morgan converted a perfect cross from Heather O’Reilly with a midair header that found the sweet spot in the net. It is no exaggeration to say that it was a header heard round America, if not the world.

So a repeat of the world cup showdown from a year ago awaits soccer lovers. The U.S. will meet Japan in the gold-medal match on August 9 at London’s fabled Wembley stadium.

Here’s my prediction: United States will beat Japan. The thrilling victory over Canada has given the mental edge to Wambach and company who will be riding it to a hard-fought victory against their nemesis. Also significant will be the “avenger” role that will animate every U.S. player to help them redeem the haunting defeat at the world cup a year ago. (It is possible that LeBron James and friends may, just may, face the Russians for the gold in basketball in this Olympics, and avenge the infamous loss at the Munich Olympics 40 years ago). The force seems to be with the U.S. Women’s soccer team in the London Olympics.  There is no other way to explain the victory against the Canadians.

A Star is Born in Gabby Douglas

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball at the age of 28 in 1947. It was a monumental milestone for a sport that had been segregated for over 50 years.

Sometimes we do not realize the progress we make as a society because we take things for granted. Can anyone imagine MLB without African-American players now? Yet 1947 isn’t that far back into the past, if you think about it. It is a year later than the initial age bracket of baby boomers.

There have been a few African-American women gymnasts here and there but until the magnificent Gabby Douglas came along, they were merely place holders, limited more by their mindset than by their talent. African-American girls were just not expected to excel in a sport dominated by fair-skinned Europeans, Russians, Asians, and yes, Americans.

The status quo has been turned upside down by a 16-year-old “flying squirrel” whose poise, grace and sheer ability earned her the crown jewel of the Olympics gymnastics program, the women’s all-around. Gabby is the little engine that could, the ballerina who refused not only to be shackled by history but soar above it.

And how she soared! A bird, a gazelle, a wunderkind with gravity-defying moves who left you gasping for superlatives. The favored Russians paled next to her. “What planet did this alien come from,” their stunned expression seemed to be saying when the four-routine program was over.

Gabby brought along a stirring and quintessentially American story to the London Olympics. It broke her tender heart when her parents divorced. She wasn’t sure she could overcome this emotional abyss. Then she moved from her home state of Virginia to Iowa to train with famed trainer Lian Chow when all attention was focused on Michigan’s Jordyn Wieber, the reigning all-around world champion. Although impressed with Gabby’s ability, even Chow didn’t think Gabby had what it took to reach the pinnacle of Olympics gymnastics.

But what tested Gabby the most was the whisperings of her own mind. No African-American had ever worn gymnastic’s crown jewel. Add to that the intimidating fact that a billion pairs of eyes would be watching.

If there were any doubts in the beginning, however, Gabby soon overcame them. When the barriers of the mind fell, only the sky, almost literally for this “flying squirrel,” was the limit. The result? A star was born, a dazzling and disarming star in whose light we were privileged to bask, from continent to continent.

Track and Field is yet to start. Undoubtedly there will be more athletes who will capture our imagination. Perhaps Usain Bolt will recover his brilliant Beijing form. Or maybe he will have to pass the torch to fellow Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake. Famed Kenyan and Ethiopian runners are waiting for their moment in the sun. Michael Phelps has already become the most decorated Olympian ever.

But if a single athlete becomes the face of the London Olympics, it is Gabby Douglas. With her transcendent victory, she has opened the doors for girls for whom race will no longer be a barrier but a catalyst for success and glory, not just in the Olympics but in the wider arena of life.

Iconoclast Gore Vidal (1925-2012)

Gore Vidal was incapable of writing a dull sentence, hence his preeminence as an essayist. Whether or not you agreed with his views, and they were often radical, no one equaled him when it came to puncturing the pomposities of leaders, celebrities and mediocrities. He was a self-taught polymath who used his devastating wit to provoke, entertain and educate. In his books and essays, Vidal took on his country – the United States of America – with unrelenting attacks on its leaders for undermining the constitution and waging wars around the world. “I am so alarmed by what is happening with our global empire, and our wars against the rest of the world,” he said in an interview during George Bush’s regime, “it is to time to take political action.”

Although Vidal failed in his attempts at public offices in the two times that he ran - first in 1960, when he was the Democratic Congressional candidate for the 29th District in upstate New York, and again in 1982, when he campaigned in California for a seat in the Senate - his powerful pen skewered the shakers and makers of American foreign policy for decades. With his passing, Henry Kissinger is undoubtedly feeling relieved.

But Vidal did not spare the mainstream literary heavyweights either. He was the quintessential intellectual gadfly. Joyce Carol Oates, John Updike, Truman Capote, William F. Buckley, to name only a few, felt the sharp sting of his criticism. He considered their work pretentious and sophomoric. His fiery rejection of what he considered trite and transient was something he shared with Vladimir Nabokov.

Vidal was too negative and extreme for most peoples’ taste. Comedian Bob Hope used to make fun of his cotrariness in his skits. But Vidal’s pungent wit and biting one-liners made him a sought-after guest on TV and campuses around the country. No shades of gray for him; he knew exactly what he thought and felt and expressed himself memorably and forthrightly. “Style is knowing who you are,” he explained, “what you want to say, and not giving a damn.” He had a matching ego to go with his talent. “There is not one human problem that could not be solved,” he once said, “if people would simply do as I advise.”

When asked during an interview where the young Vidals, the young Mailers, the young Millers were in contemporary America, Vidal alluded to Eisenhower. “Eisenhower, in a rather great speech when he left office – he warned against the military-industrial complex which he said was taking over too much of this nation’s money and life. A part of it is that is never quoted – he said, in effect, that the universities and learning will be hurt the most because when place of learning and knowledge are dependent upon government bounty and subsidies for their very lives … we have a whole generation of teachers and they are not very good teachers. Some of them are very talented writers, but they’re quiet. They don’t want to rock the boat. They want to keep their jobs … They saw what happened if you got associated with radical movements … Now, they’re quiet as could be.”

Vidal was being unfair to many talented writers and teachers who took on (and continue to take on) the establishment (the late David Foster Wallace, to name only one) without fear but his larger point that we have become a politically partisan nation, indifferent to the essence of our constitution, is on the mark.

I did not read Vidal’s novels – somehow, I could not find them compelling reads - but his essays were something else. “Brilliant” is too small a word to describe them. Incisive, witty, universal, fresh, all delivered with incomparable verve, imagination and style. Just two of the thousands of quotable snippets that I recall off the top of my head now are “drones in their unchanging hives” and “presidents and paint manufacturers.”

Gore Vidal is gone but surely his essays will live on.

Will Michael Phelps Make Olympic History?

The short answer is, yes.

The long answer is, yes, he will surpass the 18-medal haul of Soviet gymnast Larisa Semyonovna Latynina (1956 Melbourne, 1960 Rome and 1964 Tokyo Olympics).

Phelps currently has 17 medals, including the silver he just won in the 400-m relay at the London Olympics. He still has 5 more races to swim. There is no question to that he will win at least 2 more medals to surpass Latynina’s medal count. Even if he cannot add to his 14 gold medals (8 of them at Beijing), it is unlikely that anyone will surpass his 14 golds in the near future.

But then, a prodigy or a phenom will undoubtedly arise somewhere, and what was once deemed insurmountable will fall by the wayside. Remember Bob Beamon's leap of 29 ft. 2.5 in. in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics in 1968? The record stood for 23 years, until 1991, when Mike Powell jumped 29 ft. 4-3/8 in. at the world championship in Tokyo. (But Beamon's jump is still the Olympic record).

After Phelps came in 4^th at the 400 individual medley in London, major newspapers in America and elsewhere printed hysterical headlines of disappointment and dethronement . But inevitably, skills fade, competition gets tougher, time takes its toll. That Phelps has been able to maintain his excellence spanning 3 Olympics - Athens (2004) to Beijing (2008) to London (2012) - is a testimony to his peerless gift. Longevity is a sure sign of greatness. Think Pele, Ali, Michael Jordan.

I just hope that Phelps will keep his word and retire after London. Most celebrities do not do well when the spotlight is no longer on them. The mind whispers: “Take just one more shot at glory. You can do it!” When athletes, whose best days are behind them, continue to act as if time stands still for them and they can bend their bodies to the dictates of their minds, the result is a sad spectacle, tragic even.

Phelps can nurture promising youngsters and prepare them for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. That will cement his legacy as perhaps the greatest swimmer in history.

Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics

Zany and zesty. Cute and captivating. Silly and sublime. Whimsical and witty. Bonkers and brilliant.The opening ceremony of the 2012 London Summer Olympics was a mix of all these and more. Danny Boyle’s “Isles of Wonder” production was both English charm and Hollywood make-believe, the pastoral merging seamlessly with the digital.

After the spectacular 2008 Beijing Olympics, I wrote: “Imitation, Emerson said, is suicide. London will do well simply by being itself. If it can provide the color, food, music, and all the heartaches, improvisations and exhilarations of a messy democracy, and avoid going into debt, the 30th Olympiad should be a resounding success. The newly-built venues and stadiums must be converted into usable space - housing, office, hospital - within a month after the Olympics is over, with hopefully green technology leading the way. London must show the world that the host city doesn't have to be saddled with white elephants when the athletes and the visitors leave.”

Last night’s opening ceremony certainly gave viewers hope that Britain will come out better and stronger after the Olympics are over, even as the nation currently fights a brutal financial meltdown.

Some of the skits in the ceremony fell flat. I found “Mr. Bean” straining to be funny. It was like tickling someone to get a laugh. In contrast, I was blown away by Queen Elizabeth and Daniel “James Bond” Craig. For a moment I really thought the Queen had been practicing jumping off a helicopter, with 007 offering encouragement. To be able to infuse royalty with eccentric humor is a sign of self-assurance. The history lessons from the land of Shakespeare, Newton and J.K. Rowling were delivered with comedy in mind and so went down easily. And in this digital age, how can a Romeo secure the heart of his Juliet? By recovering Juliet’s lost iPhone, of course, and returning it to her. A kiss then is not just a kiss but a fusion of texting and longing.

The ceremony cost $42 million but by transforming an industrial wasteland in East London into a showcase for the best that England has to offer to the world, the money can be recouped many times over through jobs and housing once the athletic celebration of “faster, higher and stronger” is over. All in all, a "corker!"

Reducing Violence in Our Public Places

“Coming soon to a theater near you” has taken on a macabre meaning after the shooting in Aurora, Colo., that has left at least 12 people dead and 59 wounded.

24-year-old James Holmes is only the latest psychopath to spill blood in our public places. Remember Virginia Tech, Arizona, Pennsylvania’s Amish County, and scores of other sites that has made such violence routine? 13 years ago, on April 20, 1999, at the Columbine High School that is only 15 miles from the Century multiplex where Holmes unleashed his havoc, two students slaughtered 12 of their fellow students and a teacher before turning the guns on themselves. Columbine became synonymous with our out-of-control gun culture.

As a nation we had the right to claim that things change after Columbine, only that they haven’t. In fact, it is closer to the truth to say that we have regressed as far as gun control laws are concerned. One of the most feared lobbies in the United States today is the National Rifles Association. Their coercive power of fear is such that Congress has even refused to consider laws that would ban the sale of assault weapons capable of firing 100 bullets without reloading. That’s assault weapons, not your run-of-the-mill handguns!

The Second Amendment states that “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” It is futile to expect that the Amendment will be “amended” anytime soon, not in the next 50 years anyway, but there is no question that the right to bear arms by someone does not preclude our right to be safe from that someone wielding his gun to settle scores.

Many of us nurse real or imagined grievances but we wouldn’t dream of acting on them by taking the law in our own hands, even considering the frightening fact that 45 percent of Americans own guns. Not so the psychopaths. Their inner demons lead them to murderous rampages on a society that they believe has let them down. And it is easy to do, because the hugely profitable gun shops throughout America make it disarmingly simple to arm them with killing machines. The system is as porous as it gets. Universal background check on gun buyers is a joke.

So how do we keep our schools, campuses, malls, theaters and other places of gathering safe, given that the right by deranged individuals to own guns is not going away anytime soon?

First, we must continue efforts by citizens like you and me to curb the power of the N.R.A. This is slow and painstaking work and it may take decades to bear fruit but we must trudge on.

Second, we need to raise our internal alert level by a notch, instead of expecting only the police and security personnel to keep us safe in public places. It is not a question of being paranoid; it is more a question of exercising common sense. If we see someone moving aggressively in a crowded area, for instance, clutching their coats or fatigues, we should raise an alarm. A little more watchfulness, a little more keenness in perception, just a little more sense of what is going on around us, can go a long way toward reducing the routine violence that is tearing our nation apart.

Turkey Crossing

I patiently wait in my car behind three other commuters on our way to work. It is a narrow 2-lane road. The stoplight is further down but we have stopped nonetheless, watching with wonder as a wild turkey guides its chicks to the other side. It takes its time with its brood of 4, supremely indifferent to us, but we don't mind, knowing that this will be the most meaningful experience of our day.

Wildlife officials introduced wild turkeys in the woodlands and hills of California’s Santa Clara County several years ago. The bird is not native to California but thanks to the farsightedness of park officials, these ‘modern’ turkeys have thrived. The region is rich in turkey food – acorns, nuts, berries, chestnut, clover, pine seeds and hickories. You come upon them unexpectedly, ranging freely in hills and cow pastures, the male puffing his feathers, spreading his tails and dragging his wings to win the love of a female. All you have to do is see a turkey in this mode to know exactly what ‘strutting’ means. Alas, a turkey doesn’t give his heart to a single hen but to as many as it can, twenty even, strutting (one supposes) with equal ardor for all. You can accuse a tom of polygamy but not of favoritism!

Turkeys nest on ground. Breeding occurs in March, eggs are laid in April and poults are hatched in May. Turkeys can fly up into trees to escape predators like mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes and even owls and eagles. Unfortunately these predators also abound in the hills and woodlands of Santa Clara County. I have seen carcasses of turkeys here and there several times on my way to and from work.
But such grim images are far from my mind this perfect summer morning as I follow the rather clumsy progress of this particular turkey crossing the street with his chicks. Even after the 5 of them safely reach the other side, there isn’t any open range to forage for food at this particular spot. Development has taken over what used to be pristine wilderness. New homes have usurped what belonged to the wild birds and animals not too long ago in the valley.

Still, seeing wild turkeys foraging in hills and by roadsides brings perspective to commuters rushing through life. Don’t hurry, they seem to be telling us. Pause and savor life while you can. Enjoy today. Don’t live only for tomorrow.