Fencer Mariel Zagunis chosen to carry U.S. flag at Opening Ceremony

By Maggie Hendricks

Two-time Olympic gold medal-winning fencer Mariel Zagunis will get the honor of carrying in the United States flag during Friday's Olympic Opening Ceremony. 

She was chosen by her Team USA teammates. 

Previous flag bearers have included runner Lopez Lomong, wrestler Bruce Baumgartner and decathlete Rafer Johnson.

"I'm extremely humbled by this incredible privilege," said Zagunis in a statement. "As an athlete, I can't imagine a higher honor than to lead Team USA into the Olympic Games, which are the pinnacle of sport and a platform for world peace. I am tremendously proud to represent my sport, our team and, most importantly, the United States of America."

Let's JUDGE the President

Most Americans judge a President based on his promises and his results. They measure the success of the nation in part by the question Ronald Reagan asked voters in 1980. Reagan simply said,“Are you better off today than you were four years ago?”

For Barack Obama,this question is deadly. Obama promised big results,but he has failed to deliver. For example,look at these four promises and his results.

Obama’s 825 billion dollar stimulus failed to keep unemployment below 8 percent as Obama promised. Since President Obama’s stimulus passed,America has lost 1.1 million jobs. If you count people who have become discouraged and are no longer seeking jobs,some economists believe that real unemployment rate is above twenty percent.


Obama called his health care package one of his major accomplishments. He told CBS’Steve Kroft he was “putting in place a system in which we’re going to start lowering health care costs.”Yet it has failed to make health insurance more affordable. According to the fact watchdog website FactCheck.org,ObamaCare is actually making health care “less affordable.”Workers paid an average of $132 more for family coverage just this year.

Obama predicted his investments in green energy would create 5 million jobs,but the Wall Street Journal reports:“The green jobs subsidy story gets more embarrassing by the day. Three years ago President Obama promised that by the end of the decade,America would have five million green jobs,but so far,some $90 billion in government spending has delivered very few.”

A Bit of an Irish Joke

Three Irishmen are sitting in the pub window seat, watching the front door of the brothel across the road.


The local Methodist vicar appears, and quickly goes inside.

"Will you look at that", says the first Irishman, "and didn't I always say what a bunch of lying hypocrites they are".

No sooner are the words out of his mouth than a Rabbi also goes inside.

"There's another bunch who try to fool everyone with their pious preaching and funny little hats", says the second Irishman.

They continue drinking their beer and roundly condemning the vicar and the rabbi when they see their Catholic Priest knock on the door and go inside.

"Oh, how sad!", says the third Irishman, "One of the girls must have died!"