"I get home 20 hours before the first class. So I'll be in physics at 8:30 a.m," said Virginia Thrasher, the winner of the first gold at the 2016 Games, the 19-year-old having little time to bask in her air rifle gold medal win.

Simone Manuel after winning a gold medal in swimming.

Good morning. It's already Wednesday and this one takes up space on the calendar marked August 24, 2016. I read an article about how the North Koreans were the most efficient team in terms of the number of athletes winning medals at this just completed Olympic games. They sent a very small contingent and won a total of 7 medals. I wondered about their incentives. You know. They live in a country where on any given day at any given time you can be locked up and executed for real or imagined/invented crimes. Their athletes may not want to return home unless they have something to show for their efforts. Compare that to the two most winning countries, the United States and Great Britain. China, with a very repressive governmental system, actually finished third in the total medal count. The two most free nations ended up with the most medals. I'm not saying that is conclusive but it sure sticks out. I'm not sure what the final ratings will show but many of the early reports have indicated a huge falloff since the last summer games in London. We were somewhat slow to make it 'must see' but many of the personal journeys were compelling and the wife and I did end up watching quite a bit of the games. There still exists some of the so-called Olympic spirit and when you see a particular athlete who has sacrificed so much and they win, seeing their tearful response is worth the price of admission. I suppose that means the commercials that pay for it all, but, I typically change the channel when the commercial comes on. It's my own Olympic game of eye, hand coordination.

I notice that online sources are taking a different approach to some of the pop ups they flood your system with. The online Houston Chronicle page now issues pop-up ads that give you the option of shutting them down but they now feature this line: 'No thanks, I'm not interested in saving money right now.' It didn't bother me in the least bit to click that button but I can't remember one with that kind of message. Think about it. They can only get more intrusive as we move forward. 'No thanks, only an idiot like me would ignore such a great deal.' 'No thanks, this once in a lifetime deal which is a no brainer is of no interest to me.' 'No thanks, my children will live to regret what a fool I am.' See what I mean? The first time I read that one about me not wanting to save money it did make me pause. For maybe a fraction of a millisecond. I just wonder how many people will see a pop up like that and it will cause them to check out what they are selling. They might just be offering some used clapper devices that allow you to turn on your lights by clapping your hands. I never got on that bandwagon when they were popular but then again, I suppose I just wasn't interested in saving money back then.

My doctor reminded me to schedule my five-year colonoscopy. That's always something to look forward to.  I called the office of the gastroenterologist that has my records. I was reminded that I first must have a consultation with her. Her first available consultation to talk about talking about the procedure is October 12. There's no way to even guess how long before the next date available for the actual procedure. I hear a lot of forth and back about health care rationing as we move forward. It seems to me, at least in our area, that system is already in place. That is especially true if it involves any type of specialty.  Could it also be that it is because this procedure is covered by the old people insurance we have? Just thinking out loud. That would have to be a part of the mix. As my doctor put it, "In dealing with the elderly, there is the risk-reward that has to be considered." In this case, it could be the profit outcome. But, I will try not to lose any sleep waiting for that particular procedure. It's just interesting when you hear someone describe their ailment and how serious it is and then they say the first available surgical date is four months away. I'm still trying to figure out how I even qualified myself to be included in any discussion of the elderly. My doctor seemed comfortable with it. He certainly didn't know exactly what I was thinking about it. Maybe next time I will share my thoughts with him on the subject. That's right. There's no telling when I might be able to schedule a visit to talk about scheduling a visit for that conversation. I know. You guessed right. Facetious. But, with some underlying angst thrown in for good measure. Take care now. You hear? May God bless us all. Amen. ....More later.