August 21
Jamaica continues medal haul at Beijing Olympics.
August 27
First black man nominated for presidency of the USA.
August 28
Hurricane Gustav prowls off Jamaica's coast.

ONCE AGAIN an unwanted visitor has been threatening our well-being. Up to the time of writing, Tropical Storm Gustav was sweeping our way, having messed up Santo Domingo and Haiti. (Poor Haiti! Always getting battered. Next time we moan and groan about our lot, remember them.)

The Met Office promised that Gustav would do his worst along our north coast, thrashing from Portland to St James...That was up to yesterday (at my deadline). What's happening today is another matter, but we can say definitively that by Wednesday afternoon some people had blown the budget in panic-buying, to stockpile emergency rations. We should organise a competition as to what to do with all the canned food and the kerosene, when the storm has passed. and while we're doing so, give a thought to those who couldn't stockpile anything.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE a week makes! Remember last week this time... how we were burning with Beijing fever, how we seemed invincible? The fever has cooled somewhat but we're happy to report that the gleam of the Olympic flame has not died in Jamaican hearts. We haven't celebrated officially yet, but when we do, our torch will blaze again, you can depend on it.

Then, Roger Rabbit or whatever is the name of the benighted IOC chairman who couldn't deal with Usain Bolt and his unique style of celebrating, can send out all the press releases he wants about Jamaicans' capacity for joy - an emotion with which he seems totally unfamiliar. We really have to explain to this man what is meant by "dropping foot" quite different from "dropping hand" which some of us would've liked to have done, were we not so far away and constrained by a determination to appear at our best before the eyes of the world.

As to our uniqueness, ours must be the only country in the world where our Olympic victory is being dangled before criminals as an incentive for them to behave dem wicked selves and "don't colt the game" (in the words of the prime minister), with any more murderation and other assorted acts of villainy. But this is Jamaica - special and difficult, all at the same time. But, to the celebrations...

As we prepare to celebrate, some voices have been calling for Sprint Queen Merlene Ottey to be brought home from Slovenia, her new country of residence, to join in the celebrations. There were calls before for her to have been invited to Beijing to present medals to victorious members of our national team. Even when it was pointed out that such honour was reserved for retired athletes and Ms Ottey was still competing, there were voices which still hoped for her participation. There is no evidence that Ms Ottey is either aware or involved in the drive to have her return for the Jamaican ceremonies, but the insistence of the calls for her to be honoured along with the 08 team, shows that she still has a devoted following here.

As much as I admire Ms Ottey, I will have to be pardoned for saying, however, that I think this is not the opportune time to invite her back to share the spotlight. The celebration belongs to her "heirs and successors", the new generation who has put its own stamp on Jamaica's athletics history. They deserve the full spotlight.

As to how the team is to be honoured, the government-appointed committee has not brought in its report as yet, but of course I have a view. (As an old Jamaican proverb says: "If is egg, me inna di red"). Apart from whatever individual recognition is given to each athlete, I'm hoping for a wider vision to benefit the society at large, especially the upcoming generation.

So, I'd like to see the GC Foster College of Physical Education upgraded and better equipped to train more PE teachers, to be put to work in schools and communities, urban and rural. Very likely, there are many other Usains and Veronicas and other little replicas of all our stars of today, running around with no one recognising their talent or investing in their future. Let's create scholarships and support programmes to unearth and train our next Olympic champions.

Then, I'd like to see the establishment of the long-proposed Museum of Sports, which would display records of our country's prowess from as far back as we can go, in all the sports where we've excelled internationally and nationally.
Instal a Hall of Fame to feature the outstanding achievers, the ones who've really put us on the map. Display all the memorabilia we can find from all the great performers. Does George Headley's bat still exist? Do we have the spikes of Arthur Wint, Herb McKenley, Les Laing, George Rhoden and the other trailblazers in our varied areas of sporting endeavours?

As to the individual athletes, some will never know want from now on, if their resources from contracts are handled properly. At age 22, Usain Bolt is now a man of considerable substance. Asafa is not poor either. But there will be some others who may never get another glory day. Let's devise a scheme to assist them, not with charity but with dignity. If we could achieve just those things, I personally, as dem sey, would be more than happy.

POLITICS Democrats-style: Did you follow the playing out of the US Democratic Party convention this week? As a soap opera, it could sweep the ratings. Will the handsome hero win the hearts, trembling at the thought of a Dark Stranger in a White House? Of course, you know already I'm a pushover for tall, dark and handsome.

Seriously though, do we get it? A century and a half since the abolition of slavery, half a century since the Civil Rights Movement, the first man of colour on August 27, 2008 became a nominee for the presidency of the superpower United States of America. What did Martin Luther King say about a dream?

- gloudonb@yahoo.com

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