London goes crazy
This is the last thing I plan on posting about London for a while (at least I hope), but this needs to be said. London is frankly going crazy, and (once the people I care about are safely out of the way) I think it's hilarious. For decades they've wagged a condescending finger at us Americans. They called us bigoted, simple-minded racists... saying we, more than any other nation, didn't know how to deal intelligently with other cultures. Now, after the poop has hit THEIR fans... and it's not IRA bombings, it's not people who "look like them"... now we see how they're reacting. A Brazilian man who probably had nothing to do with the attacks was gunned down by police. There have been anti-Muslim protests... because obviously all Muslims are to blame. Do you see what happens when people get scared? We're not a culture of bigots, we're just scared. We've been scared for a long time... ever since World War II ended with all our young boys dead, and we entered an extended period of isolationism... we have stayed under the covers of nationalism with the soft blanket of isolation pulled up to our eyes. And when people scared us, we lashed out. Now the same exact thing is happening in England, and I look forward to seeing what (if any) backlash occurs over the new-found British insanity.
Like I've said in the past, no nation has had to embrace so many different peoples and ideas as the United States. As such, it's been a lot easier for "hate" to breed here in between different peoples with different ideas (because there are so many). I will be interested to see what happens in the homogeneous countries of Europe like England. Yes, I think I can say with some sense of authority that England is homogeneous. Europe, which thinks itself so liberal and forward thinking and modern, has never had to deal with embracing other cultures. The British stay in England, the French stay in France, the Germans... you know where I'm going with this. But my point is still valid, I think. While those countries may have to deal with each other's vacationers... they haven't had to live with each other. Their biases have grown and festered for centuries... to the point where you see what happens when Europe tried to unite? Some countries had nothing to lose and were for it, other countries said to phuk off. Imagine, if you would, a United Europe where each country was merely a state in the union. Now Americans don't look so bigoted, do we?

From that, to this... with as little segue as possible.
Armstrong Wins Seventh Straight Tour
Lance Armstrong won his seventh straight Tour de France today, sparking an intellectual sports question the kind which I love to ask: Is Lance the greatest American athlete ever? I've heard arguments that he is, I've heard arguments that he isn't... but basically the arguments that he isn't are missing the point. All the arguments that he isn't the greatest are about him riding a bicycle... that the bicycle is more of the athlete than he is. Everyone who knows me knows I've had some arguments about "sports" the masquerade as sports... but I don't think bicycling is one of them. I think fake sports include things where the human isn't doing anything physical (hint: auto racing and anything with horses [EAT it, Randi]). Lance's endurance is incredible... that cannot be doubted. What we should be talking about is this: The Tour de France is only one race. It would be as if we called Pete Sampras America's greatest athlete if Wimbledon was the only major tennis tournament played. Lance is good at mountains. Would Lance be able to beat everyone if the cycling was on flat, level pavement? Who knows? But I do know we can't proclaim him the greatest American athlete of all time if the only thing he's done is win the same race a bunch of times in a row (how about Jim Brown? Jim Thorpe? Jim Shilander? Was the last one a stretch? Thought so).

Bears Camp
Speaking of sports, today is opening day of the Chicago Bears Training Camp. I have no doubt the Bears will be better than last year (as long as there are no major injuries), but they will not be better than any of the other teams in the NFC North. On pure talent alone (just looking at the rosters), they're the worst team in the Division... it'll take luck, injuries, and luck for them to surpass anyone in the NFC North. Although you never know with the NFL... that's one of the reasons I like the league so much. As long as the Patriots suck (and the Vikings collapse), I'll be happy.