Winter Olympics...protests in Vancouver over costs and value for buck!

Usually, when there are attempted boycotts of the Olympics, the major thrust of the criticim tends to be political in nature.

Leading up to - and during the Beijing games - there were a number of passionate outcries over Human Rights Violations, for instance (with one aspect of the protest focusing on oppression in Tibet).

Curiously, protests which have sprung up in Vancouver (B.C.) on the eve of the Winter Olympics, have sought to toss the glare of the spotlight on the cost of the games, value for the dollar, and corporate greed.

While my fellow Canucks tend to be a relatively peaceful lot (except for a little rough-housing that breaks out on Hockey Night in Canada)  - when push comes to shove - residents of the great White North are capable of being quite the sh** disturbers, too (no problem!).

Even still, a cool reserve normally prevails.

A case in point? 

Anti-Olympic protests are being organized for venues expected to attract heavy traffic in a low-key fashion without much fanfare or hysteria.

Politicans and business owners are expected  to raise red flags over the exhorbitant costs, potential damage to the breathtaking Pacific Northwest territory, and traffic congestion that will take its toll during the two-week event (and the residual effects thereafter).

The goal, according to a resistance group rep, is to make it clear to the world (and to other residents in Canada) that the Olympics are not all they'e hyped up to be and to highlight the increasing number of Canadians who  believe the games have a lot more of a  negative impact than a positive  one.

In response, Mary McNeil (Minister of the State for the olympics)  noted that on the upside, there were undeniable benefits for Vancouver and that seizing the day (putting in a successful bid for the games) was a smart move.

"For us to be welcoming a quarter-of-a-million people to our lower mainland - that's very very exciting and is good for the economy."

In addition, McNeil pointed out that there were rewards not easily calculated in dollars and cents.

"There's also the other benefit,and that is having the athletes in the community, so your local athletes can see and aspire and be motivated."

The resistant group intend to kick-start the uprising with workshops on Wednesday and Thursday.

On the day of the Opening Ceremonies a - "Take back our City" - demonstration  is slated with the specific aim of shaking up officials and athletes alike.

Meanwhile, the protests at Whistler - one of the most picturesque Olympic venues - will focus on the loss of trees and displaced wild life  - arising from the construction of a  four-lane highway installed to accommodate  increased traffic flow to the mountain resort.

One  Whistler resident put it quite succinctly.

"You grow up with the idea that the Olympics are a wonderful thing, you watch it on TV, and you think it's all about the athletes and the world coming together."

"But the reality is it's become more of a corporate creation whose primary motive is greed. And the people that need the most support are the people that get trampled on when things like big corporate sporting events come to town."

Whistler Ski Resort

Michael Phelps...documentary on U.S hero! Borres Productions tracks Olympic Gold Medalist...

Swimming stud - Michael Phelps - chose Borres Productions of Bridgeport to produce a documentary on his childhood years and rise to fame as an Olympic Gold Medalist at the Beijing games.

“The Michael Phelps Story: The Making of a Swimming Icon”  boasts the talents of award-winning Frank Borres of Borres Productions (who has written, co-produced and narrated the documentary).

Phelps has won 14 Olympic gold medals (including 8 at the Beijing 2008 games as millions of fans cheered the U.S. born swimmer on from the frenzied sidelines around the globe via satellite broadcast).”

This  is not Phelps' first collaboration with Borres Productions, however.

The creative team at Borres created  graphics and marketing productions for Octagon (who represents Michael Phelps).

The Phelps video chronicles the life & times of the remarkable swimmer and includes  interviews with people that influenced the young athlete (coach Bob Bowman; mother Debbie; sisters Whitney and Hilary; his supportive agent Peter Carlisle; and journalists such as Bob Costas and Paul McMullen)

No word on whether the insightful bio-doc will also explore the swimmer's recent brush with the law in respect to two D.U.I.'s and confessions about recreational use of marijuana which caused a bit of an uproar a few months ago in the glare of the sports arena and around the Nation.

Walmart has entered into a contract agreement to sell the video in their outlets and online at their site Walmart.com

http://www.julianayrs.com/

Beijing...fudged on smog data! Faces scorn of world...

A week ago - I reported on Beijing's last-ditch efforts to curb smog in anticipation of the upcoming Olympics - by shutting-down factories, limiting the number of vehicles on the road, and so forth and so on.

But, the surge forward to clean up the environment has been to no avail, according to reports out of Beijing over the past forty-eight hours.

A huge cloud of smog still hangs thick and ominous over the horizon - obscuring the dazzling new superstructures built to impress the world - and posing a potential threat to Athletes due next week to participate in the games.

In fact, Olympic Officials have expressed their concerns that the quality of air is less than standard and may be a hazard to the health.

A Greenpeace Campaign Director - Lo Sze Ping - blamed the bad air on what he characterized as a - "develop first, clean up later" - approach by the Chinese Government which has obviously backfired.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, it was reported that smog around the Stadium is "unhealthful for sensitive groups".

The Chinese Government - which won the games on the provisio the environment would be "cleaned up" for the Olympic Festivities - has issued a statement in which they flatly allege they have reached their commitment to make sure the air quality is satisfactory for the Games.

Beijing Environmental protection official (Du Shaozhong) asserted to the press in recent days that seventy-percent of the days were able to boast acceptable levels of pollution or an improvement over last year's figures by twenty percent.

However, some are pointing fingers at the data, and accusing Chinese Officials of fudging the figures.

For instance, Steve Q. Andrews - a U.S. Environmental Consultant (who analyzed Beijing's figures) - alleges that two air monitoring stations in congested parts of the downtown sector were dropped from the Government's calculations for the air pollution index and substituted for monitors in the outskirts of the city.

Notwithstanding this kind of obvious skullduggery, those in-the-know claim that China does not even measure ground-level ozone levels which are a major component of smog, according to scientists in the field.

Andrews got a little ballsy and griped,

"They are manipulating the way they measure and what they measure so much that you cannot say the air quality is improving."

As athletes vow to wear masks during the games, China has been forced to look into novel ways to clear the air. For one, they are exploring the idea of artificially inducing rainstorms to dissipate the smog.

In the final analysis, it all appears to boil down to Karma, in my estimation.

Until China stops violating "Human Rights" and denying Monks "Freedom of Speech", and being "negligent" about the environment, their country will continue to face the wrath of God by virtue of floods, famine, earthquakes, poison air, and the like.

China must commence with a spiritual cleansing now - and pray, ultimately, for forgiveness - or face continued ongoing hardships to her detriment and well-being as a Nation.

What do they say?

Confession is good for the soul!

Mia Farrow...laments George Bush plans to attend Beijing Olympic Ceremonies!

Mamma Mia...tireless supporter of Human Rights!


Well, I didn't think much of the way Mia Farrow handled her divorce from film director, Woody Allen, but her efforts to raise awareness about Human Rights in Darfur and Tibet are admirable.

In particular, I applaud her criticism of George Bush in that regard.

It's a no-brainer, really!

When George Bush announced his intention to attend the opening ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics, the haughty Texan defended his position by arguing that he sees the Olympics as a way to cheer up the athletes.

Frankly, I didn't know they needed a boost!

And, on the grounds that the Chinese will be "watching very carefully" to determine what decisions are being made by World Leaders, Bush took a giant leap and asserted that "not to go" would be an affront to the Chinese people.

Well, tough ti**y, George.

Is a civilized society supposed to look the other way when Human Rights are being violated and religious freedom is being denied?

What the "offenders" and "evil-doers" think is irrelevant!

George, you have your priorities misplaced.

On the other hand, Ms. Farrow's stance on the issues makes a lot of sense.

In a feature in the "OPINION" section of the Los Angeles Times today, Ms. Farrow - rightly so - notes that Bush's decision to attend the ceremonies was out-of-step for having come at a time when U.S. and International politicians took a stand by eschewing the opening ceremonies (the only component of the games not geared toward celebrating the athletes; but rather, towards the burnishing of the Beijing Regime's political image).

In sum, it appears that George W. Bush is thumbing his nose at a handful of respected leaders (British PM Gordon Brown; Canadian PM Stephen Harper; German Chancellor Angela Merkel; European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering) who understand (unlike Mr. Bush) the complexity of the issues - and hence - have chosen not to attend for good reason.

According to Ms. Farrow, President Bush squandered an enormous opportunity.

Especially when one considers that Beijing was notoriously indifferent to diplomatic pressure until the "Olympic Games" were at stake.

Indeed, as Ms. Farrow points out, a presidential boycott of the opening ceremonies may have proved to be a "powerful additional point of leverage" with an otherwise intractable regime. Likewise, a boycott limited to the opening ceremonies would have had the advantage of not targeting the athletes.

I agree with her conclusion that such action would have sent a strong symbolic message to Beijing with little substantive cost to U.S.-China relations.

In the final analysis, Bush's dim-witted stance - which goes against the grain - thwarted what could have been an opportunity to express solidarity to Chinese citizens whose human rights are being denied, demonstrate moral leadership, and underscore the importance of adhering to values and principles this great Nation was founded on.

Heck, Bush doesn't care. In the New Year, he's out on his sorry a**.

I expect he's going to grab all the party invitations he can before he high-tails it out of the White House.

After all, this time next year, he won't be on any A-list!


Dal, We'll meditate on it...