Beijing Olympics | TalesOfSendingCards.com

Used to Play for Bronze…Now They Play for Gold

By on Friday, November 13th, 2009 | No Comments

Lithuanian Team

‘96 Lithuanian Basketball Team and ‘friends’. (photograph by Jack Straw—a joke for dead fans)

Chris told me this great Olympic story about the 1992 Lithuanian Men’s Basketball Team—how the first team was partly sponsored by the Grateful Dead. Naturally, they wore colorful tie-dye warm-up uniforms, sporting a version of the typical skull logo—typical if you’re a dead fan, that is.

Not only did they stay warm in them, though, the public sight of the Lithuanians accepting bronze medals was pretty heart-warming. It sounds like the Olympic podium has never been quite the same.

Against the odds, Lithuania went on to win the Bronze in Barcelona and stood proudly to receive their medals in tie-dye green, yellow and red with Lietuva (Lithuania) written across their chests. I wish I could have seen it.

The story actually begins with Lithuanian born Raimondas Šarunas Marciulionis :

Drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the sixth round (1987), Marciulionis was one of the first Europeans to get significant playing time in the NBA. He really got excited when his country gained its independence from the USSR in 1990, and set himself to organizing a national basketball team. The rest is history as the Lithuanian team went on to win three Olympic Bronze medals.

Saurnas Marciulionis is quite a special fellow I’d say. Back in 1992, the Goldenstate Warriors thought so and signed him to a 10.4 million dollar contract . The part I like is how Saurnas jumped right into the middle of that scary Bay Area earthquake. During the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, he was spotted in his Goldenstate Warriors jacket pulling trapped passengers from a train wreck and administering first aid.

After his career as a pro was over in the mid-nineties, Marciulionis moved back to Lietuva, his homeland—our loss, their gain. He is reportedly one of Lithuania’s most successful businessmen.

How (you might ask) is Lithuania fairing in the Beijing Olympics? True to magical form, Lietuva stunned Olympic Gold Medal hopefuls, Argentina (79-75) on Sunday and then went on to pound Iran 99-67. Their next game pits them against Russia on Thursday. For a full basketball game schedule, click here.

Happy tales, and happy clicking for more information on sendoutcards,

Laura signing off

China Capitalizes on Capitalism

By on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 | No Comments

Hurricane My energy is positive movement, my energy is positive movement, my energy is positive movement.. (Another hypnotic moment, brought to you courtesy of AOML.)

Just when you thought it was safe to open my blog without hearing about the Beijing Air quality, think again…….

Remember how Chinese officials shut down their coal-fired plants prior to the Olympics in order to improve the air of Beijing? Guess, what, folks. This included Vitamin C factories, and now there is a shortage of precious C—which means higher prices for you and me.

Speaking of which, Chris and I received a notice from Highland Labs (makers of our private vitamin line) telling us that Vitamin C is almost nonexistent due to Chinese factory shutdown, and the price of C is sky rocketing. In plain language, Linus Pauling is rolling in his grave.

Here’s a little known fact: The Chinese cornered the market on Vitamin C production way back in 2005. How did they do that, you ask? By using ancient, capitalist strategy, or undercutting everyone else to put them out of business, then raising prices. After China dominated the manufacturing sector, it was as simple as fortune cookie.

Check out this historic tidbit, dated 20-Oct-2005: “China’s dominance of the vitamin C market was confirmed last week as DSM halted all production of the bulk vitamin in the US, making its Dalry plant in Scotland the only remaining major plant outside of Asia.”

Vitamin C prices have spiked. China controls 80 percent of the market.

Two years later July, 2007 the news (Christian Science Monitor) gets more grim: “A sharp rise in the international price of vitamin C is focusing fresh attention on the risks of the world’s growing dependence on China for essential food supplies and additives.”

Big market: A poster advertises one brand of Vitamin C. Prices for the key additive have risen sharply in 2007.

Tim Johnson/Newscom

“China, which exports more than 80 percent of the world’s ascorbic acid – also known as vitamin C and a key food preservative – appears to have cut production over the past several months, pushing prices up by more than 200 percent to a four-year high. ” Vitamin C Imports from China to US: Historic Prices (kilograms).”

Notice how far the prices dipped only to rise:

year 2000: $5.00

year 2001: $3.25

year 2003: $3.50 to $6.75

year 2005: $3.50

2007: (Jan-June):$3.40 to $11

Leo Hepner, a London-based management consultant to the food and pharmaceutical industry, says, “The Chinese have virtually captured the lot, unbeknown to most people. It puts us in a very difficult situation if, say, they stopped making it.”

Leo Hepner, the soothsayer, is what we should call him. Beause that’s exactly what the Chinese did—Stop making it: They halted factories during the Olympics, including the Paralympics which will run through mid September.

August 4, 2008 Desert News, Salt Lake City: “The only remaining producer of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) outside China is Netherlands-based DSM. Its plant in Scotland is running at capacity and still cannot meet world demand, said DSM’s Martijn Adorf.

“China’s near-monopoly opened the door to huge price increases,” Her Hepner added, “and sparked an ongoing antitrust lawsuit. Much like a pole vaulter, ascorbic acid prices shot up from $3.50 a kilogram last year to $22 today.”

Hepner, the London-based food and nutrition soothsayer, went on to remind us that the Chinese in recent years had dumped ascorbic acid on the world market, and sold it for much less than it had cost to produce, which, in turn drove out most of the competition. He blames Western producers for taking advantage of China’s bargain-basement prices.

Why didn’t Western producers of Vitamin C see this coming? Weren’t they taking enough Vitamin C for normal brain function?

I don’t know, folks, but they weren’t the only dull ones.

According to Hispanicbusiness.com, factories in Beijing produce 70 percent of the world’s umbrellas, 60 percent of all buttons, 72 percent of shoes worn in the United States and 80 percent of U.S. toys.

But, but, but, how will we keep warm? Stay dry? What happens when all our shoes wear out? Will Santa have enough toys for the good little girls and boys?

These are questions we should think about now, folks. Check your clothing labels, your electronics devices, your furniture your anything….we don’t need a soothsayer to see the handwriting on the Great Wall.

Come to think of it, why not let me be your soothsayer? There’s a window right now, folks. For more information about sendoutcards and other marketing opportunities, call Chris (530 925-2845).

Happy tales,

Laura signing off.

“Condom, Condom!”: Download Free Ringtone!

By on Saturday, August 30th, 2008 | No Comments

I know, I know, folks, the Beijing days are long gone, but did you know about the immensely popular sport that got absolutely zero publicity? It’s called S E X. Not an acronym, folks.

We’re talking about 100,000 condoms handed out to 10,500 athletes of the Olympic Village, along with leaflets and videos in a variety of languages. By my calculations, that makes 9.532805328053280… condoms apiece, although I don’t advise what that decimal suggests, i.e. halving them.

Since it takes 2 (two) to use one condom, each athlete was able to have SEX 18 times with a remainder of 550 for the more gifted performers. Was that enough, I wonder?

Lest you think this is a new thing, free condoms have been handed out to Olympic athletes since ‘92, Barcelona.

You’ve really got to applaud the Chinese for seizing another manufacturing opportunity, though. True to form, the condoms were made in China by the China Reproductive Health Industry Association.

Moving on. In keeping with the spirit of free condoms, here’s something I know you’ll enjoy: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has funded a ‘condom condom’ ringtone designed to introduce the youth of India to the humble condom. Statistics for HIV in India put the disease at almost 2.5 million, but to speak of AIDS is taboo. Not surprisingly, the use of any penis covering device is also taboo.

“We’ve made a conscious effort to move the concept of the condom away from negative association, like HIV and sex work,” said Yvonne MacPherson, country director of BBC World Service Trust India.

The ‘condom, condom!’ ringtone which can be downloaded for free features a 55 second, rousing, musical rendition of the word “condom” sung a capella by enthusiastic men in five part harmony. What are you waiting for, folks? Get your butts over to condomcondom.org!

And now for something completely different from the online newspaper China Daily:

Mother shocked to find condom in schoolbag

Updated: 2007-08-15 14:07

A mother surnamed Liu is seeking advice after finding a condom in her teenage daughter’s schoolbag in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province.

Liu said she did not know what to do when she found the condom inside a pencil case.

She’s been advised to have a heart-to-heart talk with her 15-year-old daughter, try to know what she is thinking, and tell her of the harm to her health and studies if she dates or has sex as a young teen.

Experts said Liu’s daughter is just one of the growing number of high school students who have begun dating and having sexual experiences in Changsha.

Happy Tales,

Laura signing off.

p.s. Chris Tatro for President!! A free SENDOUTCARD in Every Box!!! The candidate himself will supply you with more information about sendoutcards, the business opportunity.

Obama’s Dream: Son of a Kenyan Man and Kansas White Woman

By on Friday, August 29th, 2008 | No Comments

Mount Shasta sunrise sans smoke by Chris Tatro (www.sendoutcards.com/site)

Good morning, one and all, from the slopes of Mt Shasta, your friendly, active, neighborhood volcano in Northern California. It is a sendoutcards kind of day: The atmosphere here is crystalline, with an inspiring AQI (Air Quality Index). Let me just say that this is the sky of which dreams are made.

If you’ll bear with me for a bit more politics, compliments of the People’s Daily Online, I would be most honored. Those Asian types may not know their English, but that doesn’t stop them from turning a phrase, not to mention a victorious moment.

The victorious moment of which I’m speaking happened last night at the Democratic National Convertion, where Barack Obama was hailed by many as one of the greatest orators of our time. Even the critical Pat Buchanan, “right from the beginning”, looked shellshocked. This former presidental candidate called Obama’s acceptance speech the best and most important political convention speech he had ever heard, going back 48 years.

You can decide for yourself, though. For Barack Obama’s speech on video along with the complete text, follow this link to The Huffington Post. You can also get the lowdown on McCain’s VP pick( Sarah Palin).

Who is Sarah Palin, you might ask: She’s “the former point guard and captain of the Wasilla (Alaska) High School Warriors who went on to become Miss Wasilla 1984 before working as a local news sports reporter who then served as city councilwoman and mayor of the town of about 9,000 before being elected governor of her home state just two years ago. Here, a look back at the woman who failed to become Miss Alaska, but could be a heartbeat away from being President of the United States of America. ” For more photos….

Enough of this bold nonsence, folks! Back to my favorite no-nonsence Chinese newspaper. As you can see, I am shouting the finale of today’s blog, ’cause I don’t know how to get rid of this bold type. Here, therefore, in the bold italics of their own words is how the People’s Daily decided to play out the closing ceremony of the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

“On Aug. 28, 1963, U.S. civil right activist Martin Luther King Jr. brought Americans into a dreamland with the resounding “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington D.C. As Dr. King foresaw before he was assassinated in 1968, the country now has accepted a person of color to be the presidential nominee. The son of a Kenyan man and Kansas white woman is fighting for his way.

On his journey to the White House, the Illinois senator kept appealing to Americans, in rural cottages or in urban stadiums. It did not take too much time to convince young people inspired by his underdog stories and upbeat speech.

Now, Obama is supposed to become more fearless since Joe Biden joined his fight for the White House.

There could not be a better time for Republicans to flex their muscles in foreign and national security areas.

Despite a national convention that was filled with calls for party unity, it remains an unfinished mission to Obama to woo those voters who used to support Hillary Rodham Clinton but now are considering helping McCain.

And just what pic was chosen by the People’s Daily to represent Obama in his glory moment? Hmmm…Can those foreigners possibly be insinuating that Barack has two sides of his mouth from which to speak? I don’t think they like him much. But you be the judge.

People's Daily: English version---Obama talking out one side of his mouth

Happy tales,

Laura signing off

p.s. Chris Tatro For President!!! A SendOutCard in every mailbox!

Speaking of the Beijing Olympics…

By on Sunday, August 24th, 2008 | No Comments

(Left to right) Silver winner Nastia Liukin of the United States, gold medal winner He Kexin of China and bronze medal winner Yang Yilin of China stand on the podium during the medal ceremony for the women's uneven bars final.

According to the Times Online there is now proof that China used underage gymnasts—thanks to the free part of the internet, that is.

A U.S. hacker used his chop-chops to uncover Chinese Government documents proving that He Kexin and Yang Yilin are only 14.

According to the People’s Daily Online, the “Golden Gymnasts” are not fazed by such allegations: “My real age,” said He Kexin, ” is 16 and what others say does not affect me. ”

Honorable Head coach, Lu Shanzhen, attributed the Chinese team’s rebound from the 2004 medal-less Olympics to a “series of reforms”: “While choosing the roster for the finals, we took into consideration all the accidents that may happen,” Shanzhen said.

This is not going to have a pretty ending, folks.

Speaking of endings, I’m just another new blog, now. Starting all over in blog world feels like death. This morning I woke up contemplating blogger hari kari, or at least I thought so, till Wikipedia told me how grisly it can be. Plus, I don’t have the guts for it. You’ve got to plunge a malicious worm into your hard drive and move it left to right in a slicing motion.

Speaking of left to right, back to the picture: From left to right, we have silver medalist Nastia of the U.S., gold medalist He of China and bronze medalist Yang of China posing on the podium during the awards ceremony for the women’s uneven bars. I wonder how devastated these Chinese girls will feel if their medals are stripped away. Would they ever be allowed to compete again?

Speaking of competitions, there’s the men’s basketball finals to ruminate upon: Our Lithuanian friends lost to Argentina 87-75. But what of the U.S.? Did the Super 12 avoid devastation? Well, it was too close at the end and Coach K, due to his West Point background, was sweating bullets, I’m sure.

The fact is, his boys/our boys only led their boys by 4 points with 2.5 minutes left to play. So I’ll whisper the final score….. Not that it matters, ’cause Google has sandboxed me for changing three letters of my domain name (o u t to i n g). Oh crap, now I’m back to that hari kari stuff. All of a sudden Suck it Up has new meaning.

Sucking it up: Last night I saw a Bob Costas interview with Jacques Rogge (feeble head of the International Olympic Committee). Hot on a trail, Costas could not disguise the lust in his eyes, while Jacques countered with an already dead look in his. Jacques the rogue my have sold his soul for plenty big yuan, but this controversy about the underage gymnasts is not over, folks, as there may be as many as 6 (yes six) Chinese children who shouldn’t have been prancing about on the floor of the Bird’s Nest Stadium.

Not to worry, the International Gymnastics Federation or FIG is looking into the problem, gathering documentation, such as passports, identity cards and family booklets.

All booklets aside, folks, if the gold medal looks almost as big as the face, then what does that tell you?

Prosperity to All and to All a Good Night! Ba Ba Ba

By on Sunday, August 24th, 2008 | 2 Comments

Three Clicks to Prosperity

auspicious sunset 8/8/08

Beijing air got tested the good old fashioned way—by the marathon runners. Of all the athletes, everyone agreed that they were the ones most likely to keel over dead from exposure to Carbon Monoxide and small particle pollutants. Marathon runners breathe more times than the normal person, plus they need a ton more oxygen in their cells to keep those legs a-pumping.

Speaking of pollution, the Chinese lucked out. Happy to say, those three number 8’s (8/8/08) conjured up a few clear rays on the Beijing Olympics just like they were supposed to. A midnight storm washed the dirt out of Sunday’s morning air, just in time for the Men’s Marathon. The fact is, Beijing air was clean enough for an Olympic record: Sammy Wansiru of Kenya finished in two hours 6.32 minutes.

Rumors have it that the world record holder Haile Gebrselassie wished he could have been there. The Ethiopian legend withdrew in March because he feared that his lungs might suffer permanent damage and at the time this cast quite a pallor on the competition.

Mengzhi (China Daily Online) was one of the many who commented on Gebrselassie’s decision to boycott their Olympics: China is a free country . Anyone chooses NOT to come or run is going to miss out . China regrets such silly scams but cannot do anything about it . We respect all points of views and stands. Less world beaters , more medals for China . Who is missing out then ?

Not the Chinese divers, they’re going 8 for 8 in the gold medal department: He, Guo, Chen, Wang, Wang, Wu, Xin and Lin. (Yes there are two Wangs.) And I’ll lay odds these Chinese boys and girls are all believers in the power of Ba (8).

I’ll also bet they didn’t have to be pushed off the 10 meter diving platform, either, like little Tom Daley did. Tom, Tom, Mr. Daley’s son is that darling, fourteen-year-old Olympic diver from Great Britain, you know the one that all the little girls are swooning over. “… there will be no serious girlfriends until after the Games,” he says.

Back to pushing little kids off high places: Sad to say, I did use that word, but it’s not mine. According to our informative Olympic host, Bob Costas, most of the divers, including Tom Daley, had to be pushed off that high thirty+foot platform the first 8 or 10 times. And, oh yea, did I mention that they were in tears. Bob Costas went on to say that this practice is not uncommon, but Thomas Finchum, the American diver, didn’t have to be pushed.

Gee, it’s nice to know there are adults all over the world who will push scared little kids off a three-story platform. You just have to be pretty optimistic about their chances, I guess.

Speaking of pessimists, some experts way back when were saying that folks who competed outdoors in the Olympics were gonna die. They obviously didn’t believe in the power of Ba. But I’ll tell you who really believes…Michael Phelps. At this point, folks, he more than believes and so do we. Happy to say, this phenom (soon to be on cereal boxes) walked away with eight golds. Phelps is a god, though. We need help.

So I’ve hatched a plan for the rest of us mortals to attain the luck of the three 8’s. I advise all to return to this posting on the eighth day of every month for the remainder of 2008 and click three times to auspicious prosperity while repeating Ba Ba Ba.

Happy 8’s,

Laura signing off.

p.s. Check out what Chris says about the daily 8’s.

Speaking of fateful!

Are Pole Dancers Underdogs?

By on Friday, August 22nd, 2008 | No Comments

Bad news, folks: Lietuva, my favorite men’s basketball team, fell to Espana in the semi-finals 91-86. It was close for most of the game, but Spain inched by and now plays for Gold against the U.S..

Must I root for my own country? Pulling for ten NBA ringers just goes against my grain. Be my guest, though, call me whatever you want; but it’s not like I wasn’t rooting for Laura Wilkinson with all my might. I thought she deserved to end her body-pounding career in 10.0 style. When it boils down to it, I’m probably just exercising my need to root for the underdog.

Like all civil-minded creatures, my daddy believed that the underdog deserved full support nine times out of ten. He used to say so with tears in his eyes. In keeping, therefore, with tradition, I have found the perfect underdogs for my rooting purposes, plus I think they’ll be around for a long time. If you’ll please bare with me, whilst I lead you to the same conclusion.

First of all, what makes-up the archetypal underdog? There are so many combinations, but one jumps right out for me: First, the underdog needs to be female; second, it should be raised in a society of male maniacs; third, it ought to hail from one of the misunderstood Middle Eastern countries; fourth, it’s best seen on the World stage in a costume that hampers motion; and lastly, the underdog must proclaim to the World that repression makes it empowered.

Add these up and what do you get, folks? Muslim women from Mid-Eastern countries competing in the Olympics wearing the Hijab, while declaring to the world that this head garb liberates them. All of which brings me to a prime example—Roqaya al-Gassra, world class sprinter from Bahrain.

Now I have to admit, folks, when I saw this poor female line up on that sticky, red-hot Beijing track, smothered from forehead to toe in clothing designed to hide her gender, I was offended. Yes, very much offended. Not by her, mind you, but by those Muslim men who made her wear the garb. ‘Cause let’s face it, folks, they make her cover up so they won’t feel a stirring in their hairy loins. Speaking of which, why is al-Gassra racing between those men? Or are they women? Perhaps someone can fill me in.

Aleksandra Fedoriva of Russia, Roqaya Al-Gassra of Bahrain and Susanthika Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka Moving on. Roqaya Al-Gassra says her outfit is a “personal choice. Wearing the hijab shows that there are no obstacles,” she explained. “I’ve set my best times wearing the hijab.”

Lest we feel too bad, al-Gassra’s head gear is quite up to date—clingy and stretchable with a sponsor’s trademark(Nike).

Hmmm…..clingy and stretchable? Sounds awfully like a synthetic fabric. And given the 95% humidity of Beijing, wouldn’t that be especially torturous? “For me it’s liberating,” added al-Gassra, whose close-fitting running veils were proudly designed by the women of her village to be aero-dynamic and light weight. Plus they come come in red or white, the Bahraini colors.

Wearing a white one, al-Gassra raced her way to a preliminary victory through a sea of accented crotches and bare midriffs at the Bird’s Nest last Friday (August 15th). That darker midriff behind al-Gassra (see picture) could have done with some covering, in my opinion. Is that massive protrusion an outie or just another navel trying desperately to beat al-Gassra to the finish line?

Speaking of finish lines, Al-Gassra has been there before. In the Summer Games of 2004, she ran first and fastest of the women from Arab and Muslim countries.

Which now brings me to a Muslim runner who doesn’t choose to wear the hijab—Dana Hussein: Amazingly enough, she gets shot at for her choice and literally has to dodge bullets while training. According to All Things Considered, “May 1, 2008, Hussein is the only Iraqi who trained for the Beijing Olympics inside the war-torn country of no sponsorship. She only had worn out running shoes. “If I leave this sport,” Dana said, “I think life will stop. Life must continue… I love this sport too much.”

Iraqi sprinter Dana Hussein

The weed-choked track at Baghdad University.

Here’s the irony of it all, folks: The woman on the left gets shot at for not wearing her head scarf, while the women below, modeling those tight-fitting dresses, are the accepted form of female . Tell me I’ve got a dirty mind, but one of those girls looks like a pole dancer. For a link to Muslim International Matrimonial, click here.

So there you have it. Everything boils down to a simple choice for Muslim female athletes: Don’t follow the rules of dress and risk getting shot in the back by a frustrated Muslim boy; wear the prescribed uniform and you won’t be a target. Speaking of which, I have to say, that a Muslim woman target-shooter gives me hope.

Happy tales,

Laura signing off

p.s. Chris has a sendoutcards site and a blog. They only tell how to make money, though.

Did You Ever Have One of Those Days…

By on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 | No Comments

…when everything goes wrong and you want to curl up and die? How much control do we have over each day? —that is the question.

Yesterday was a doozy. The power, as in electrical, personal and corporate, went on the rampage. My body feels slammed, spirit included.

Waves of electrical Surges (compliments of Pacific Power) came and went every two minutes for a couple of hours. Before I could get a handle on what was happening, our garage door had fried its brains out, along with the main computer. To tell the truth, I’m afraid to test anything else.

That was only the beginning, though. Before yesterday was over, corporations got into the power act too: The domain name, talesofsendoutcards, violates company policy, Chris was told. So now I’m trying to get into the swing of transfering all my old posts to a new blog with a new name—talesofsendingcards.com. To tell the truth, I like that name better.

Also on the up side, Chris put out an invitation on elance for ‘tech-heads’ from all over the world to bid on the project. Wow! Ain’t the web grand! Offers are pouring in—from India, Pakistan, Great Britain, Borneo (a Joke).

And the last unpowerful thing that happened yesterday needs a little background to be fully appreciated, so here goes: We are all sensitive, most of us more than we like to admit; but here in the New Age Vortex of Mount Shasta, people pride themselves on their high levels of sensitivity. They go on for hours.

I guess it’s partially true, though: Human Beings are composed of molecules and molecules vibrate to all the different beats of the universe. Heck, we’re mostly water and look what the earth’s gravity does to the ocean.

All of which pulls me to this point: Depending on where you live, your body vibrates differently. For an obvious comparison, there’s the hustle-bustle city life and the quiet country life. Take me, for example: I live in the shadow of an active volcano (Mount Shasta). Click the link and take a 3-D tour. You’ll see how there’s some barely contained stuff happening underground day and night. This movement is definitely different from the dynamic pulsing of the ocean, or the competitive energy of a sparse dessert where all plants and animals vie with each other for water and food.

Now I’m getting bored. To make a long story short…yesterday, I spoke with an energy counselor on the phone for half an hour. Her intention was to travel to the source of all my human weaknesses (a tall order) and make me “stand in my own power”. OK, I admit, I’m not much for New Age metaphors, so maybe that’s why everything kind of backfired on me—instead of standing, I pretty much sat down and stewed in my own powerlessness and that’s where I’ve been ever since.

Mostly I’m angry at myself, but I’m discouraged over what she told me, too. According to this energy person, who shall remain nameless, I’m on the wrong track, with the wrong guy, pursuing the wrong career that’s a total waste of my time.

Unless discouraged is a powerful state, I’m not feeling that powerful, folks; not to mention the fate of my hard drive is still in question. To tell the truth, I’ve been obsessing all morning: Am I on the wrong track? Am I really with the wrong guy. We’ve been together over twenty years. It’s true we’ve had some deep valleys, but the peaks have been good. And besides, the best is yet to come. Isn’t it? At least it is in my opinion—a humble one, I admit from where I’m sitting.

Then I remembered how this past weekend at the sendoutcards convention, Thurl Bailey spoke. For those who don’t know about Thurl, he was a successful NBA Basketball star for many years (7th overall in the Draft). But he started his career with some pretty impressive failures. Thurl Bailey told us a sad story about him as an impressionable adolescent not making the basketball team two years in a row. One coach even told this 6′7″ guy that he should give it up entirely, that he would never would be basketball material. Thurl was devastated but didn’t listen. And the rest is history.

So that’s the only thing I’m trying to do today, folks—keep going in spite of how discouraged I feel. Maybe later I’ll post a proper blog.

Happy tales,

Laura signing off from the vortex

“A vortex is a mass of energy that moves in a rotary or whirling motion, causing a depression or vacuum at the center…. These powerful eddies of pure Earth power manifest as spiral-like coagulations of energy that are either electric, magnetic, or electromagnetic qualities of life force.” Page Bryant, Terravision: A Traveler’s Guide to the Living Planet Earth

And the Beat Goes On…

By on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 | No Comments

Here’s a rub or two: The young 19 year old woman (Nastia Liukin) on the left received second-place-silver, while thirteen year old (He Kexin) on the right got the Gold. Both had the same scores, but the built-in tiebreaker did its nasty thing, giving first place to an underage gymnast. How could this happen? I’ve always thought the reason you have rules is to make the playing field equal and fair to all who participate. Does winning mean as much when you cheat? I guess that’s a personal question. But the Olympics shouldn’t personal when it comes to rules or fairness. Why is China allowed to get away with cheating?I don’t know the answers to these questions. I only know, folks, that in order to compete in the Olympics, gymnasts
have to turn 16 by the end of this year. some records list He Kexin’s birthday as Jan. 1, 1992.

It was the New York Times that first broke this unsavory news publicly along with convincing proof that He
is underage: The Times found two official online registration records that list He’s birthday as Jan. 1, 1994. Sad to say, folks, that date differs by two years from the birth date of Jan. 1, 1992, listed on He’s passport,
conviently issued Feb. 14, 2008.

Bela Karolyi, the world’s undisputed expert on female gymnastics, had this to say about the Chinese age falsification: “These people think we are stupid…We are in the business of gymnastics. We know what a kid of 14 or 15 or 16 looks like. What kind of slap in the face is this? They are 12, 14 years old and they get
lined up and the government backs them and the federation runs away. There is

an age limit and it can’t be controlled.”

Here’s what it all boils down to. There are no ifs, ands or buts, folks—He Kexin should not have competed in the Olympics. The Chinese Gymnasts should not have won Team Gold. That little girl should have never walked into the Bird’s Nest in a team uniform, much less stood on the podium.

What I’m wondering is, what will happen to the International Olympics if one country is allowed to cheat? This thought bothers me. I like a venue where all are treated equally. I like fair play.

Speaking of which, Huang Quing (council member of the China Foundation of International Studies) reports in China Daily that he also prefers to play fair. Huang indicates that not everybody likes to, though, but the spirit of the Olympics is rubbing off on the nation and its people as a whole. And I quote from Huang’s article, “Olympic Spirit of Fair Play Changing Attitudes”:

The Beijing Olympic Games helps the spirit of fair and just competition win broad recognition and spread across the country. I like to play the game of chess online but used to find my opponents resorting to “dirty tricks” when their games were doomed. Maybe someone wrote a program for such “rogue” players. Recently, however, I have noticed a marked improvement in the way the game is played. People are now playing fair and honest, win or lose, and no more dirty tricks.

Fair and just competition is the core ethos of the Olympic movement and one of the core elements of the Olympic spirit. It maintains that competition must be based on equality and absolutely adheres to the principle of “no discrimination”. And it strives to create the perfect arena for competitors to do their best.

Just competition, meanwhile, stands for following the Olympic goal and rules in conducting contests of physique, skill and intelligence with utmost honesty. Without principles and values such as “just competition” sporting activities will most likely turn into a stage for all kinds of dirty tricks and bad behavior, or a pitch for gang fights.

The unique charm of a game lives on only when it is played the right way. That’s why the Olympics is so great, because it convinces people to do the right thing, quite like a purifier cleaning up the air.

That’s a funny metaphor, folks, since the Beijing chief environmental chief is calling the Olympic air just a ‘funny mist’ . I can’t help but think that Huang is giving the Chinese government, along with those who like to win at any cost, a slap in the face.

That’s funny, don’t you think?

Happy Tales,

Laura signing off, but but but Chris is always ready with your questions about business opportunities.

Promptings, Nothing More Than Promptings

By on Monday, August 18th, 2008 | No Comments

Liu Xianghui (L) and his grandma Xiao Xincui gesture as people take photos of them in Beijing on August 6, 2008. [Rednet.cn]

I don’t know about you, folks, maybe it’s my age, but when I look at that so-called gesture, I see ‘Peace’.

Moving on. Ninety-eight year old Xiao Xincui has now fulfilled a lifelong dream—thanks to her devoted grandson, that is. It took Liu Xianghui five weeks to pedal his tricycle all the way from Henan Province, 1491 miles—just in time for Grandma to witness history making at the Olympic Badminton Tournament.

Women’s singles champion, Zhang Ning (33 year old veteran) won the Gold. Ironically, the oldest woman to ever win Olympic Gold in Badminton was watched by the oldest Olympic fan.

To add even more irony to the fire, Chinese Badminton Officianados had written Zhang Ning off as a contender for any medal: And I quote… “China’s prospects for the Olympic Games 2008 in Beijing are promising, although the Chinese Badminton Association has rather modest expectations according to an official announcement. It expects to secure only two gold medals in the men’s…” Any serious competition from Zhang Ning is far from sight.

Far from the sight of the Chinese Badminton Association, that is, but well within Zhang Ning’s sight.

Let this be a lesson, folks—follow your own dreams, your own promptings * Zhang Ning did just that, and look how perfect things turned out for her.

Zhang Ning of China celebrates after defeating Maria Kristin Yulianti of Indonesia in the women’s singles semi-final badminton match of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium in Beijing, on August 15, 2008. Zhang beat her compatriot Xie Xingfang in an all-Chinese final. [Agencies]

I think the beautiful picture of Zhang giving thanks says it all. Can you believe that the Chinese crowd was not behind her in the beginning? It’s true. According to Taiwan News, the people wanted Xie to win, partly because her boyfriend was ‘Super Dan’.

Lin Dan, Badminton hero and officer in the People’s Liberation Army, came through for his people with a smart salute and a gold medal on Sunday. Then he is reported to have gone wild, throwing his racket and shoes into the crowd in a moment of sheer abandon.

He was supposed to win, though. I have included the following take about Zhang’s victory from China Daily, because stories about people winning in the face of huge odds are more interesting to me:

Zhang won the title by beating the world No. 1 and her teammate Xie Xingfang 21-12, 10-21, 21-18.

It is a duel of will and courage instead of skills as both were on the verge of exhaustion following days of fierce fights against the world’s top players.

Zhang intensified attacks while Xie made wrong judgments after the two reached 5-5 in the first game, ending the first game 21-12. Xie revenged in the second game and achieved a good start at 5-0. She had since taking the lead until the game ended.

In the decisive game, both used rackets to support the bodies amid intervals of the competition, which was a sign of limits of physical energy. They were 16-16 at one time, but Zhang was more persistent afterwards.

Zhang burst into tears as the last returning shuttlecock from Xie touched the net and fell to the ground of Xie’s half.

“I thought once that I might not make it when Xie was keeping up with me in the third game. I was so tired,” said Zhang. She said earlier that she wanted to have a second Olympic gold. “So I can have some sweet memories for myself.”

“Zhang and Xie presented the world a most wonderful match,” said Li Yongbo, head coach of the Chinese national badminton team.

“It is a really a miracle for Zhang Ning to retain the Olympic gold. Her entrance to the Beijing Olympic Games was even in doubt two months ago,” Li said. “Maybe this is the beauty of Olympiad.”

Here’s what I have to say to Chinese head coach Yongbo: Drop the “maybe”, dude.

Happy tales,

Laura signing off

*p.s. “promptings”, a new word I learned at the SendOutCards Convention last weekend. Founder, Kody Bateman, is a great believer in acting on your own promptings. If you want to see Kody follow his prompting to perform a sendoutcards rap, click here. If you’re having a prompting to find out more about sendoutcards, click for Chris.

Peace, brothers and sisters.

Xiao Xincui, 98, gestures with a Beijing Olympic ticket while sitting on her
tricycle in Beijing on August 6, 2008.

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