Not With A Bang ...

" … Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses "
(Juvenal, Satire 10.77–81)

Words Fail Me

Fortunately, one pic (however fuzzy it converted to video) is worth ...

Attention ... All personnel ... Incoming Wounded ...

Oh, hello, Hawkeye, hello, Trapper, sure, I'll have one, I shouldn't, but what's the difference now, huh? ...

What? That wasn't M*A*S*H* I somehow dropped into?
No no, just a visit to RCH emerg. Heavens to Murgatroyd, patients everywhere, I mean in stretchers, beds, chairs, sick and injured everywhere, and one doctor and a couple of nurses trying to be everywhere and help everyone.
Endless money for the Olympic boondoggle, but an extra doc or a couple more nurses in the ERs?
Not a priority like pumping up the real estate profits of Poole et al.
Or do you still doubt that's what its all about?
http://www.straight.com/article-93176/developers-are-the-games-real-winners

The True Olympic Ideal

More money more more money

If you happen to be one of those simple souls who really buy into the Olympic sales pitch (most of you are too intelligent, but there are apparently some), you want to check out Ed Willes' column in the October 6, 2008, Vancouver Province:

"As bad as VANOC looks in the Right To Play story which broke last week, there are further details which make it look even worse. If that’s possible. For the uninformed, VANOC and Right To Play — a humanitarian organization which promotes play and sports for kids in underdeveloped countries — severed associations because of a sponsorship conflict.

Right To Play has a three-year deal with Mitsubishi worth about $1.5 million Cdn. General Motors signed up with VANOC to the tune of $67 million and, in the eyes of both VANOC and GM, Right To Play’s presence in the Athletes Village, where they’ve been a fixture in past Olympics, represents a rights infringement.

OK, if you’ve observed the International Olympic Committee for more than five minutes, you’re aware this kind of pettiness isn’t exactly unprecedented.

But that’s only part of the story. When they started negotiations with Right To Play, VANOC told RTP they’d have to drop their deal with Mitsubishi as a precondition to a partnership for 2010.

RTP then went to Mitsubishi and asked if they could be released from the final two years of their contract.

Mitsubishi agreed but, according to Right To Play, VANOC started making more demands. RTP sponsorships couldn’t conflict with VANOC’s Canadian sponsorships through 2012.

Their international sponsorships couldn’t conflict with VANOC through 2010. In the labyrinthine world of the global economy, this would have crippled RTP in Canada and severely limited its ability to raise money internationally.

At that point, RTP bowed out of discussions with VANOC, then had to go back to Mitsubishi hat in hand and asked if they could revive their partnership. The Japanese automaker agreed about three weeks ago. Then the spit hit the fan. We’re now left to wonder what VANOC and GM could have possibly been thinking. A million bucks, which represents the last two years of Mitsubishi’s sponsorship deal with RTP, means everything to some of the neediest children in our world. That was put at grave risk by VANOC's greed.
Remember this the next time someone from VANOC gets all moony about the Olympic ideal.
Remember, also, GM’s role in this and how Mitsubishi conducted itself."

VANOC and the IOC grubbing up a few more bucks at the expense of the poorest children in the world.
Truly, they have no shame.

Our Time To Shine

Shine up your gelt, BC. Our part of 2010 is to pay and keep out of the way.

Remember when we were first getting conned into ponying up for this olympic boondoggle?
It was going to be BC's "time to shine".
Montreal had their turn.
Calgary had theirs.
Now it could be our turn to not only get in on all the good, clean, drug-free fun and profit (oh yes, profit, so good for the economy) but really show ourselves off to the world.

So, let me see:
The Irishman in charge just loves the Inuit logo the lady from Mexico came up with as do the lady from toronto who's producing the tv, the Aussie who's doing the ceremonies, the little girl from ontario and the ice fisherpersons she was "singing" (allegedly) to ....
Dig the pattern emerging?
BC has been elbowed aside at what was supposed to be our party.

Furlong no sooner got stuck in than we began getting fed this "all of canerduh's games" guff.

Unlike Calgary.
Sure as hell unlike Montreal.
So, what's different this time?

Oh, right, we have a Premier, Gordie Campbell, who is ottawa's lickspittle regardless of what political stripe their government wears. From pine beetles to the Fraser trap to the RAV, no wait, let's call it the canerduh line, Gordie never misses a chance to suck up and sell BC out.
Almost forgot for a moment there.