X-Actly

The camera was closing in on Cherie as she took her first step up the ladder to the diving board. She kept her poise, as each step passed into history. She knew that eyes were watching her around the world, some more than others. She nervously stepped up to the diving board.

The sportscasters speculated on Cherie’s potential. “Well, Chuck, I think Cherie is almost prepped for her first 10-meter event. As she approaches the springboard, there are those who remember her aerial pyrotechnics in her earlier synchronized diving event….”

“Yes Frank,” the other sportscaster broke in. “Considering that Cherie has never stepped outside of the San Fernando Valley — and doesn’t know where Switzerland is — it’s quite something to see her at this level. I would compare her to China’s own Fu Mingxia – and I expect her to make her run right in Beijing…”

“There she goes Chuck… she’s off the board and making a sensational dive, a musical crescendo that could make a splash without the water...”

“Yes, she was perfect, Frank!”

“It will be interesting to see how the judges score.”

“The numbers are starting to come out, oh look at this near-perfect scores all around – except for one?”

“Yes, Frank, it seems her own mother scored her a 4.2?”

“Oh dear, this is going to cause some upset in the crowd….”

“Chuck, I just got word that Cherie’s mother scored her low because she was smiling at the cameras, in the direction of her dad…”

“Oh yes, I think her mother is extremely upset that her ex-husband forced his way into his daughter’s competition by supplying the new X10 Four-Camera surveillance kit, with software that lets him watch his daughter’s dive from his office through an Internet connection.”

“Oh yes, can you believe that X10 sells this complete kit for just $299?”

“But, hey, but that doesn’t include the cost of our play-by-play….”

“Hey are those security guards trying to drag us out of here?”

“Say good night, Chuck!”