Usain Bolt! WOW!

First view the videos of Usain Bolt at the World Games in Berlin this week. The first one is in German, but the audio of the race is not important. If you listen to anything, listen to the reaction of the crowds. As Jerry Lee Lewis once said, "Sometimes it's just God-given ability."

http://www.casttv.com/video/6gyxmd1/100m-lauf-mnner-2009-berlin-video

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/20082009/58/lightning-bolt-takes-gold-berlin.html

What a performance in Berlin this week by Usain Bolt! The Jamaican sprinter torched the best sprinters in the world and broke two world records in the process in the Olympic Stadium where Jesse Owens humiliated Adolph Hitler in the 1936 Olympic games. How dominant is Usain Bolt? Well, the second place sprinter in the 100 meter race, the USA's Tyson Gay, broke the US record, running the fastest time EVER, other than those run by Usain Bolt. The third place sprinter was only .01 seconds behind him and is a former world record holder. Like his performances in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he seemed to coast at the end of world record performances. Sprints are events that have separations between competitors of hundredths of seconds. They are over in a flash. Watching these videos, especially in the 200 Meter, no one is in the picture with Bolt. He crosses the finish line with ease, usually looking at the clock. How does he do it? Good question. Surely, there is a rigorous training regimen for an athlete like this. I don't know what his is, but an athlete does not do the things he does without some good, old fashioned hard work. Id like to believe that, but maybe it's jsut like Jerry Lee said, "God-given ability."

Looking at him, you can see that he is taller than his competitors by a significant margin. My friend and colleague Greg Bibb would call him an anomaly. Sprinters are short and compact and generate an enormous amount of power in their lower bodies. Bolt is 6'5" and looks more like a college basketball small forward than a sprinter. He generates plenty of power in his lower body all right, but it is effortless and graceful compared to the other sprinters. His long stride uses that power to eat up yardage much faster than his shorter, more compact competition. Is he unbeatable? Right now, I have to say yes. He may break his own records for a while.

But his records are meant to be broken like most are. Athletes of all kinds are bigger, stronger, faster than ever, and I do not believe that trend will end soon. The next phenom will emerge. Prenatal and neo-natal care are improving by leaps and bounds. Nutrition and training, not mention quality coaching at an early age all make the breaking of these records inevitable - someday.

If you want to talk dominance in sports, you have Tiger, Lance Armstrong before the cancer, Roger Federer, and others, but no one dominates their sport like Usain Bolt. Now view the videos again and marvel at the power and grace of this extraordinary athlete.

Peace, Love, and Rock & Roll

Settling in to my reality as daytime house husband and nighttime childcare provider has left me with a little time for more trivial pursuits. Lately, one of the chief trivial pursuits is taking in all the stuff about the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. To be clear, I was not at Woodstock, nor would I have been had I had the opportunity. First, it was in Upstate New York, but it might as well have been in Tibet. My little world in August of 1969 consisted of Pickens and Oconee Counties in South Carolina, and was soon to include Tampa, Fl. I knew about civil rights, the assassinations of King and Kennedy the year before, and Viet Nam through television. I had an acute sense of the turbulence of the times, but I had not yet begun to travel. Besides, Upstate New York is off the beaten path even today. Ever been to Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame? Cooperstown is "far out" there and you drive by the Woodstock site on the way. By the way, we didn't even stop. Cooperstown was my destination that day. Secondly, while I had my rebellious side, I was never a hippie. I knew hippies, but I wasn't one. Finally, convincing my parents that it was a good idea for me to go to Woodstock, had I even known about it in advance, would have been akin to convincing my grandfather Pop Hayes later that men had actually walked on the moon. He firmly believed that the "walk" had taken place in Arizona or New Mexico. As far as I know he believed that until the day he died.

My viewing has included a Dateline Special on NBC, a documentary on the History Channel, and a concert film in the Palladia TV network in glorious 1080p HD and Surround Sound. I have to say that was my favorite so far. More about that later. I plan to see the movie about Woodstock with Eugene Levy. First, think about it - A Dateline special and a History Channel documentary. For all of the mythology and hype about Woodstock and its effect on the youth of the nation, the idealized notion that everything was peace, love and rock & roll is ludicrous. Sure, the music was great, but the logistical mess was difficult to miss. Food, facilities, medical care, shelter were all in short supply. Drugs of all kinds were not. No doubt that many lives were changed for the worse at Woodstock. It was a financial disaster until now. It was, however, a unique event in American history, and it did have a fromative effect on youth in the midst of the Civil Rights and Anti-War movements. It is also true that some were changed for the better. Two of the stories from Dateline and the History Channel involved couples who met and fell in love at Woodstock. Then they were married and remain married to this day. The social impact was a mixed bag; some profound, some mundane, some good, some bad. Most attendees went on to lead normal lives, while others did not. But it was not the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. Some stayed there figuratively, and at least two literally stayed there and live there today. Don't ask me why. There are a lot of things I don't know, and I don't understand all I know. For me, the musical legacy of Woodstock interests me far more than in the social legacy.

If you love rock & roll, you gotta love the music from Woodstock. The established groups of the 60's were all there and performed (minus the Beatles). John Sebastian, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, the Who, Jimi Hendrix and Janice Joplin were the headliners. Hendrix was as awesome a talent as rock has ever seen, and his rendition of the national anthem is legendary - whether you love it or hate it. Arlo Guthrie (who sang "Amazing Grace"), Richie Havens, and the crystal clear voice of Joan Baez performed from the folk and protest music genre. And think about the breakout performances that happened there. Crosby, Stills, and Nash (no Young yet) performed for the second time ever at Woodstock. Graham Nash once quipped that the Earth would have tilted on its axis if everyone who says they were at Woodstock had actually been there. Sha Na Na, Sly and the Family Stone, the Allman Brothers all electrified the audience and went on to long careers. Far and away, my favorite breakout performance was Santana and "Soul Survivor." That performance lit the festival-goers on fire and left them burning. As great as the music was, its legacy is mixed as well. Many of the artists died young from drug overdose and other risky behaviors, never reaching their full potential. Indeed, both Hendrix and Joplin were dead within a year. Many more battled, and some defeated, addiction as well.

For all of the attention to the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, it remains like other events in American history, subject to interpretation. Some believe it was the height of the protest movement, full of peace, love and beauty. There's an element of thuth to that view. Others believe it was the height of debauchery, ruining lives with drugs and promiscuity. That's true, too. Probably, the reality is somewhere in between.

Just Back From Charleston

As many of you know, Charleston, SC is one of the best cities to visit anywhere. Full of history and charm, it bustles like a larger city and feels like a smaller one because it is so compact. We did no buggy ride, no harbor cruise, and no plantation visits. We did visit the market and we did eat. One of the best things about Charleston is the cuisine. You cannot throw a rock in Charleston without hitting a great restaurant. The Blossom, the Magnolia, Hyman's Seafood, the Wreck, Poogan's Porch, and Sullivan's all come to mind. On our laid-back weekend there, I rediscovered an old favorite and enjoyed a Charleston landmark restaurant for the first time.

The old favorite is the Sweetwater Cafe on Market Street, a half block west of the Meeting Street. Despite its location in the heart of tourist Charleston, Sweetwater is a favorite of local people for breakfast and lunch. I found out about it several years back while on a business trip. It is always full but the waiting is limited most of the time. I've never been for lunch, but I have enjoyed breakfast there on many occasions. The breakfast menu is varied and reasonably priced. While a traditional menu, it offers such delicacies as a shrimp omelet and that Low Country classic shrimp and grits. The shrimp and grits are the finest anywhere, perfectly spiced with a great pepper gravy and succulent shrimp.

The new found landmark would be Jestine's Kitchen on Meeting Street. I have driven or walked by this restaurant probably two dozen times when in Charleston and always said I'd try it sometime. It never worked out because I'm always looking for seafood when there. Jestine's Kitchen is all about Low Country Southern home cooking. If you want something fried, Jestine's is the place to go. It will make you think of you grandma's house, because the food is wonderful and the portions are generous. Carolyn had fried chicken, which she shared, and I had fried shrimp. Both were outstanding, and vegetables menu (including mac and cheese) was excellent too. All of us Oconee folks know the finest fried chicken anywhere can be found at the Walhalla Steakhouse. But let me tell you, Jestine's is not far behind, tender and juicy and full of flavor. When it came time for dessert, the choices were varied and the food was killer good. I recommend the lemon custard pie or the coconut cream pie.

Needless to say, don't think you are going to Jestine's and cut back on calories. It ain't happening. Be prepared to stand in line about anytime you go. It's small, and recent exposure in Southern Living and on Rachel Ray's 40 Dollars a Day television show have raised the national profile of an establishment familiar to native Charlestonians for years. Next time you have the good fortune to visit this jewel of a city, try these two fine culinary establishments. I am confident that you will not be disappointed.

Rays Closing Fast Enough?

I have been a Tampa Bay Rays fan since they started playing baseball in The Trop. At first they were the Devil Rays, but some people thought that was too dark and sinister. Living here in SC, I have still attended probably 25 games at the Trop. We watched them and followed them when a Libertarian had a better chance of being elected president than they did of posting a winning record.

We kept reading about all the young talent in the farm system, but it stayed there. Names like Josh Hamilton, Delmon Young, Elijah Dukes come immediately to mind. When they did make it up to The Show, they all screwed up big time. Now they are somewhere else and a new crop of talent has come up. Last year they made it to the World Series! This year, despite a slow start, the rays are on the move. At this writing, they are 3.5 games behind the Rangers and the Red Sox in the wild card race. They should be able to overtake both and make the playoffs. Let it be known to all concerned that I, Dick Ellenburg, will attend at least one playoff game if they do. Further, be advised that should the Rays make the World Series again, I will be there as well.

Carolyn and I have many memories at the Trop, including but not limited to watching the good teams, the Yankees, Red Sox, Braves; or Carolyn catching a foul ball with her knees holding a double handful of stadium food. I have a vivid memory of seeing another fan eyeing that baseball, then starting to reach for it. By that time it had rolled from her knees toward her crotch. My quick grocery store hands allowed me to get there first, keeping the ball and his hands off her. You can figure out for yourself what my highest motivation was. Both Carolyn and the baseball are safe at home here.

Another great memory involves Carolyn's late mom, Maude. My mother-in-law was a hardcore Rays fan. She watched them on TV every night, but she really loved going to the Trop to watch them in person. She went with us a lot. Whenever the Rays fell behind, as inevitably they would, she would say "It's over now." Whether the deficit was one run or ten, it was always the same. Then she pulled harder for them than I could believe. She lived and died with every pitch. Toward the end of her life, Carolyn's brother Gordon and I had the high honor and distinct privilege of accompanying this remarkable lady to the Trop for her final game. She loved being with us at the games. I think of her whenever I think of the Rays.

So there you have. I am a Rays fan, for better or worse. Last year proved that better is better than worse.