General Chat

It was there when I went to My Threads, gone a few seconds later when I clicked on it.

If you'd care to email me the gist of what was said after I posted ... I'll send you the URL it was about.

I have just spent a good 20 minutes typing a reply to a thread about why people should not post family history questions on Chat. Excellent argument, pertinently put prose, and thought provoking information.

Clicked submit and got this

Oops!
There has been an error, please try again #622G66

All gone. What is happening on this site tonight. The reply button don't work, it's jumping all over the place and now it's oopsing.

Edit. Ah ha. Said thread is gone. No more. Whooshed. Originator must have had intuitive flash of the imminent appearance of my perfect argument for the affirmative.

Opening Ceremony is tomorrow ......... that's Friday here. Starts at 4pm


................. I think so that it can be shown at peak viewing time on the East Coast of the US (3 hours ahead of us!).


I'll watch it and the Closing Ceremony on TV, and some events during the 2 weeks ....... and keep well away from downtown or any of the other venues!

That's right JC you're more in the middle aren't you??!!

OK fire it over to Sylvianic. The woman has the gift of the flying fingers as well. Might make a name for herself prettying up wikki.

Is it tonight. Oh aren't you excited!! ???!!

yep


and Stephen arrived 3 hours later to meet with the people who were allegedly locked inside the building :)))

Hmm ... surely you're describing the Beijing Olympics. ;)

Did you catch Libby Davies and the POS from the PMO on Evan Solomon last night? All those poor children and seniors and veterans locked up inside some building by demonstrators ... as police merrily came and went through the other three exits. If there ever was a chain on any door in the first place (he can apparently only provide photos of a taped door), and as if police didn't have bit cutty tools at hand at all times ...

Downtown East Side related, if not Olympic related (for the foreigners). Harper is once again trying to shut down InSite, the safe-injection site in Vancouver. The community, supported by its NDP MP Libby Davies (an out lesbian, just for colour commentary), was objecting.

well, how do you think one feels actually living in this province?


about 13,000 police and armed forces on the ground, in the air and under the water

wire fences all over the place ..... at least, they aren't barbed wire fences (not yet anyway!)

Told how to behave ........... both VANOC and the city have issued documents telling the "citizens" how to be friendly (and look friendly), and dress, for visitors

Forbidden to post signs that are anti Olympic and/or any Olympic sponsor .......... that soon died a death when the Vancouver police refused to even consider entering private property to remove said signs and/or arrest people. Such posters, or signs advertising non-Olympic sponsors, are still banned on major routes along which Olympic sponsors might be driven, but not on side streets. That caused some trouble for shops that sold, eg, Pepsi, and had the machines close to the window.

However, it does not appear that Starbucks, Bean Around the World, Tim Hortons etc, have been told to cover their signs :)))))


An attempt to ban all demonstrations against the Olympics outside venues ................. until the Vancouver police came (quickly) to their senses and refused to do anything against civil rights. They have set up demonstration sites ................ but no-one will be forced to only demonstrate in such a site as long as a demonstration remains peaceful.

Forbidden to take water or juice and food into inside Olympic venues .... have to buy what is sold inside EXCEPT that one will be allowed to take in infant food and a small amount of food if you have dietary restrictions. Water allowed at outside venues.

Small folding umbrellas allowed in case you have to wait in line for a couple of hours ....... but it must fit beneath your seat.

Only small bags allowed into venues.


and on and on and on

The entire thing is actually making one rather unhappy about being Canadian, unfortunately.

No can do that job at wiki AuntyS. I've never even been to BC!

Thnaks for that AuntyS



how about this one re the Olympics


Vancouver poet laureate Brad Cran has announced he will not participate in the 2010 Cultural Olympiad because of rules that he claims muzzle artists.

Cran is referring to the contract that artists must sign before participating in the cultural celebrations commissioned by the 2010 Olympic organizing committee (VANOC).

The contract includes the clause: "The artist shall at all times refrain from making any negative or derogatory remarks respecting VANOC, the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Olympic movement generally, Bell and/or other sponsors associated with VANOC."

Cran is the author of Hope in the Shadows, about Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and the poetry collection The Good Life, editor of anthology Hammer & Tongs and a contributor to Geist. He was named Vancouver poet laureate in May.

He says VANOC invited him to read poetry at literary events during the Cultural Olympiad, but he did not believe they would enjoy the only Olympic poem he has created, In Praise of Female Athletes Who Were Told No: For the 14 female ski jumpers petitioning to be included in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Cran declined the invitation, arguing the rules as set out interfere with freedom of speech.

"It says that artists who are participating are not allowed to criticize VANOC, the Olympics or any sponsors," he told CBC News on Wednesday.

"And this is something that, for instance, wasn't in the Cultural Olympiad in Salt Lake City. It's all sort of added up to the fact that there was a perfect storm of things that wouldn't allow my participation."

VANOC told CBC News Thursday it had no comment on the poet laureate's stance.





sylvia

If I tell you the name of the team I will have to wash my mouth out.

I'll do it really quickly and then shut down the computer and run away.

Port Adelaide Magpies

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/port-adelaide-magpies-face-extinction/story-e6frg7mf-1225828706143


I think some affluent devotee has come forward with a paper bag of cash to remedy??? the situation. Damn!

TTFN

oh

which footie team???




at least they haven't moved too many people out from Downtown Eastside, although the streets and alleys are a bit cleaner than they were last week!

Hey Janey. There's a challenge for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Eastside

The site is asking for assistance in rewriting the articles on that page. In particular the one a bit further down.

Hmmmm. Right up, or down your alley I would imagine!!

Hey you have the same TV channels we have. Isn't that ab fab, all away across the globe and we are all suffering from the same media overhype.

In our case we have to pay an additional $50 in order to enjoy every event in which any Australian has a part. I think, no I know we will be content with what the free to air channels will offer.

As I said previously ad nauseum no doubt. The average Australian does not know these sports, does not play these sports, does not compete in these sports and it's probably true to say is not terribly interested.

Our big sporting story here at present is the possibility that one of our football teams with a hundred years of tradition in the game may be forced to close because of financial considerations. I say it couldn't deserve a better fate, however their absence from the competition will leave us with no one to hate.

Makes you wonder what the 22nd bobsled team in the world is thinking right now. Will we challenge for the 22nd place. And the 25th team are already plotting their next move.

oh, now the international meida is highlighting the rather free use of mryjuana in the streets, and the Gay Pride "Olympic houses" in both Whistler and Vancouver

:)))

BC Budget Day is March 2


will Gordon lay out ALL the bad news?


or will he bury his head in the sand and try to hoodwink us all?


Oh ........ and we have Stephen speaking in the Legislature today. First time a PM has ever attended a BC Leg. Will he be allowed to speak????



announced this morning, at least 30 athletes failed pre-Games drug tests and have been banned from arriving at the Games. I think this means that the failures came before they left their countries. No names or countries announced.


How many sudden "injuries" have been announced??




That bobsled deal is a funny one. Women's 2-man bobsled, maximum of 20 teams allowed. Ireland won the 20th spot. One team from Austria then announced it couldn't come, so a Japanese team was awarded the "new" 20th spot because it was the top team in Asia. At which point Australia went to court saying they deserved a spot as they were the top team in Oceania.

Court agreed, and said that they had to allow 21 teams.



sylvia

"Skeleton" is what you will be if you wipe out on one of those things at the speed they go! A stripped-down kid's sled basically.

Don't you think Vancouver is far behind India in all that.

The Downtown East Side was supposed to get all sorts of benefits out of all this, i.e. housing in particular. Looks like all anybody's getting is a lot of snow being moved around, and even less housing.

Google

"downtown east side" vancouver olympics

and you'll get a taste. Actually, do it at google news, is best.

Btw, "do you believe??" has been rammed into our eyes and ears by CTV, the network that has the rights, for the last 6 months, and my household at least is ready to put a boot through the TV next time it's seen/heard, at this point.

http://www.metronews.ca/edmonton/comment/article/447327--what-is-there-to-believe-in-when-it-comes-to-the-olympics

--------------------------------------------

With three days to go, the Olympic propaganda machine is popping more than a few bolts to get everyone to “Believe.”

“Believe” means something like: Forget that these games are billions over budget and will put British Columbia in a deep hole for generations. Concentrate instead on winning the gold medal in hockey, and make all the bad feelings go away.

Under the circumstances, “Believe” comes perilously close to “Drink the Kool-Aid.” I already have a hangover and the party hasn’t even officially begun. Looking back, it’s hard not to believe that Vancouver would have been better off if the games had gone to PyeongChang, South Korea, after all.

... 3) The entire world now knows our dirty little secret: The best city on Earth has one of the poorest neighborhoods on Earth – the Downtown East Side. Imagine what it would look like if we spent $6 billion on housing the homeless, treating the addicted and providing care for the kids? Here, kid, want a cute, cuddly Sasquatch?

And no they did not draw names. This is how they must have chosen them.

Do you have what it takes!
The Australian Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association is looking for talented athletes to represent Australia in bobsleigh and skeleton. If you feel that you have what it takes to represent Australia then find out more.

http://www.bobsleigh.com.au/


And I don't even know what "skeleton" is!!!

At least the news from BC has not been as disturbing as what is reported from Delhi India which is preparing for the Commonwealth Games.

In an effort to "clean up" the city and make it "presentable" to foreign visitors the government has introduced a new beggars prison system. Anyone found begging, soliciting, or stepping out of line on the streets is offered a holiday inside one of the governments establishments. As there are hundreds of thousands of potential inmates, will be interesting to see what impact these squads have on a way of life which has existed forever.

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2010/s2791118.htm

gives a short update on the situation and there is plenty more to read on google.

So, like, Australia just drew names from a hat for its team? ;)


It all starts tomorrow. Finally. We get to see how the forces of order (as they call 'em in French) handle demonstrations and such.

I wonder whether BC will declare bankruptcy immediately after the opening ceremonies, or wait until after the closing?

Oh yay. At last a piece of bureaucratic intelligence. Commonsense prevailing. Now we have the problem of which team will take the gold medal, Australia or Ireland. Perhaps they could arrange a tie and share the medal. 'Twould be a perfect ending.

"Olympics officials have agreed to allow both Ireland and Australia to participate in this months Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

Australia had challenged Ireland's inclusion and not theirs in this years Olympics.

They argued that the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation failed to correctly apply it's qualification system leaving Oceania without a representative.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport recommended that both countries be allowed compete for the bobsleigh event expanding it from 20 to 21 teams. On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee approved the Court of Arbitration's recommendation and have agreed to allow both countries to participate in the competition."

By the way... one linguistic sporting event in which all Australians take great delight is to encourage New Zealanders to say "fish and chips" and "six".