Great Sports? and Gandhi

The Sports section of The Wall Street Journal (that's an oxymoron!) highlights a fantastically written article about three spotlight-hogging athletes:  Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez and Calvin Borel??  More than likely, you have heard of at least two, but if not, here's a reminder:

Kobe Bryant, L.A. Laker NBA star, whose career was almost derailed by a sexual assault allegation (surprise); A. Rod, a famous NY Yankee ball player earning $275 Mil a year (that's in Millions) former Texas Ranger, boo hiss; and Calvin Borel, the Cajun horse jockey who has now won two of the three most famous and watched horse races every year, on two different horses.  

The crux of the story highlights the success of Calvin Borel, a 42-year old daredevil.  In humorous fashion, Jason Gay, the writer provides a look into crazed Americans who all of a  sudden have noticed and swoon over Calvin.  He states that Calvin could probably get Simon Cowell to remove his muscle shirt if Calvin merely stepped on stage and sang "Superfreak."   Race analysts and Americans also made a big deal about the "filly" he rode to the finish. Everybody treated her as if it was Princess Di on her wedding day.  She is beautiful, but reel it back in everyone.  As Gay put it, "She's a world-class racehorse.  She's not going out for Cosmopolitans in four Jimmy Choos."  That is now my favorite quote!

What I really want to know though, is why did he switch horses??  But then again, are we still wondering why A. Rod left Texas for the Yankees?

Now for Gandhi, that's Sonia Gandhi I'm referring to.  She is an Italian-born 62-year old woman of high intelligence who has a "shaky command of Hindi," according to The New York Times.  To some, she is a modern day political genius who has managed to stay out of the limelight until now.  You could equate Sonia to Karl Rove, the guy who has been described as "W"'s puppeteer.  But I wouldn't want to do that since "W" was not the brightest star in the sky in terms of Presidents.  Sonia is the President of India's Congress Party headquartered in New Delhi.  

And why should we care way over here in the far West (or East depending on what side of India you are looking from)?  Remember that these are the people we talk to when we have failed miserably at getting our Internet connected or forgot to pay the electric bill.  It is people like Sonia Gandhi, her husband, who was assassinated, her father-in-law, and now her son, who have been successful in making India a better place.  We need India and India needs America.  We need countries with a population of 1.13 billion (soon to surpass China) that is full of bright colors, curry, techies and people that will make our Jimmy Choos.  (Hee hee, just a joke folks.) Specifically, we should care about the people Sonia Gandhi gets elected since it loosens the control of the communist parties in India, and creates a country we can be friends with. 

Below is a link to the The New York Times article about the success in India's recent election.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/world/asia/18india.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&exprod=myyahoo

(You may have to cut and paste the URL above.)

And just a quick note, "Jimmy Choo" is a designer of outrageously expensive shoes that only the Filly that won the Preakness can afford! 

Last, for fun, check out the link to the most famous oxymorons added to my website links.  

Cynthia