It’s February, and while the jubilation of the holidays is now a distant memory, another season of hope and happiness is just around the corner: the Winter Olympics! For two and a half weeks, all eyes will be on Vancouver as athletes from around the world hope to make their families and nations proud.

Long before there was Real Housewives and American Idol, the Olympics were the original reality show, with all the drama, tears, athleticism, and even the trash talking to boot.  Skeptical? Take a look at these top Olympics highlights from years past:

5. Tara Lipinski Steals Figure Skating Gold, Nagano 1998

In 1998, America was in love with Michelle Kwan. The graceful seventeen-year-old was already a two-time US Figure Skating Champion and winner of the 1996 World Championships when she took the stage in Nagano. While Tara Lipinski, then just fifteen, had a National and World title of her own, it was Kwan whose experience and artistry made her the favorite for the Olympic title. However, after a solid performance by Kwan, Lipinski emerged with this exhuberant, youthful, and technically more difficult program to clinch the gold medal, becoming the youngest Winter Olympic champion ever. Jump to the 6-minute mark to see her receive her scores, and hear the scream heard ’round the world. Read More »

I remember being accompanied on the subways of New York City by armed soldiers, dressed in camo. I remember waking up every day checking the current terror alert color along side the weather. One day would be yellow, the next day orange…as long as it wasn’t red; I really didn’t care.

So what color terror alert are we on today?

Rudy Giuliani recently spoke to his supporters and reminded them all that terrorism is still here and that it is a reality that we cannot wish away. And yet, polls have shown that 8 out of 10 voters in Florida think that the terrorism threat has disappeared.

The inconsistency here is choking.

Yes, I marginally cared about those alerts…about as much as if it were going to be windy or cloudy on any given day, but the emphasis I placed on these in the past is neither here nor there. The fact that we have politicians broadcasting the ongoing threat without the follow up precautionary steps is what really gets to me.

Is the reality of terrorism more staged than we have been imagining? Many of my skeptic friends would say, “Yes, Of course.” So why the continuing of the charade? Read More »

How do you know when you spend too much time online?

When you forego sex for Google.

A survey polling 1,011 Americans showed that most of us can’t stay away from the internet for more than a few days without feeling anxious and “cut off” from the rest of world, while 20% of us are spending less time getting it on because we’re logged on.

“Cell phones won out over television in a question asking which device people couldn’t go without but the Internet trumped all, regarded as the most necessary” the survey claims, going on to say that most of feel like “something important” is missing if we’re not able to check email or surf the web.

I’d like to say that I’m not part of this trend, but if I did, I’d be lying. Read More »