Oh Canada...

[OzzyKP]

I'd be quite happy if Sarah Palin, Jerry Falwell, Kim Jong Il and plenty of others didn't have a global platform to get their message out either. But they are newsworthy, so the press covers them. Often they will even quote them and discuss their ideas.

These protesters are also newsworthy (or there wouldn't be news articles about them, and we wouldn't be discussing them) so why are they deliberately silenced?

If their message is some incoherent mash-up of various anti-capitalism, anti-globalism causes, then fine. What are you guys afraid of by putting a quote or two of some incoherent socialist babble? Doesn't seem like a threat to me.

I have spent very, very little time seeking out information about this because I don't really care, but I did stumble across this Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=vancouver&init=quick#!/pages/1-MILLION-AGAINST-THE-VANCOUVER-2010-OLYMPICS/301457070773?ref=mf

According to that page:

When the games were first initially mentioned there were promises that if they happened the government would build housing for the homeless people of Vancouver amongst alot of other promises so Vancouver residents went out to vote - note that only Vancouver residents got to vote not all of BC even though all of BC will be paying for this - that right there set some alarm bells off people started protesting then already. But we got the olympics with the price of roughly $1billion today they are tallying it up at $7 billion. Homelessness has doubled in Vancouver but homelessness is not the only issue while the world hit a economic meltdown our government turned around and cut funding to every sector that our taxes pay for health care , education, social services, etc you name it it the funding has been cut.

And yes those cuts are to be expected with the economy the way it is but to tell your tax payers there is no money and to turn around and keep giving that non money to a two week sporting event while your own people are suffering is wrong.

I'm sure there is more to the story than that, but isn't that the media's job? To look into the story?

If not much is going on and it isn't newsworthy, then don't cover it. That's fine. But they ARE covering it, so it IS newsworthy. They are just doing a shameful job of it.

(again the only press I've seen about it has been in this thread, maybe it is just that one paper Asher keeps quoting)

[Ecofarm]

**** ***


**FGSDHC

***

*panda fkn apple*

/endplz

[notyoueither]

I'm not defending the protesters, just attacking the "journalists". If they don't even mention who these people are or what they are complaining about it is a pretty worthless article.

"a bunch of random people did naughty things in Vancouver today" isn't a news story.

Especially since, according to the articles at least, it started peacefully, and most of it was peaceful. But even the violent bits, people deserve to know who and why. The media has a responsibility to provide that information so people can make up their own minds.

Again, not because I necessarily am gung-ho about whatever these people are protesting, but I've just never seen such shoddy, pointless journalism.

Why is it good journalism to turn over space to promote causes that are fringe and use violence and other unlawful activity to say 'look at me?'

Greenpeace occupies an industrial site, is it required to say Greenpeace, or let 'envitronmental protesters' suffice?

Why should the media go along with fund raising efforts of the lunatic fringe through illegal and violent behaviour?

[Ecofarm]

Why should the media go along with fund raising efforts of the lunatic fringe through illegal and violent behaviour?

Go ELF

[Asher]

I'd be quite happy if Sarah Palin, Jerry Falwell, Kim Jong Il and plenty of others didn't have a global platform to get their message out either. But they are newsworthy, so the press covers them. Often they will even quote them and discuss their ideas.

These protesters are also newsworthy (or there wouldn't be news articles about them, and we wouldn't be discussing them) so why are they deliberately silenced?

If their message is some incoherent mash-up of various anti-capitalism, anti-globalism causes, then fine. What are you guys afraid of by putting a quote or two of some incoherent socialist babble? Doesn't seem like a threat to me.

I have spent very, very little time seeking out information about this because I don't really care, but I did stumble across this Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=vancouver&init=quick#!/pages/1-MILLION-AGAINST-THE-VANCOUVER-2010-OLYMPICS/301457070773?ref=mf

According to that page:


I'm sure there is more to the story than that, but isn't that the media's job? To look into the story?

If not much is going on and it isn't newsworthy, then don't cover it. That's fine. But they ARE covering it, so it IS newsworthy. They are just doing a shameful job of it.

The problem is there IS no coherent message or group behind it. There IS no story aside from a bunch of *******s acting like *******s.

The "news story" about homelessness in Vancouver has been done to ****ing death for years in Canada, and they are not "protesting homelessness", they are not "protesting the Olympics", they are not "protesting Capitalism". It's a bunch of disparate groups smashing **** and being angry with the world.

This is a news story, but not their message. If they wanted their message to be the story, they need to have a message. What they're doing now is just acts of violence...which is a news story.

The fact that you are unable to find out their actual message (aside from that ridiculous facebook quote from one group which has recently distanced themselves from the protesters smashing **** in Vancouver) really says it all. There's nothing being said.

[Flubber]

The fact that you are unable to find out their actual message (aside from that ridiculous facebook quote from one group which has recently distanced themselves from the protesters smashing **** in Vancouver) really says it all. There's nothing being said.

This is often the case. Or if anything is being said it is so disjointed and contradictory that there is nothing coherent

Sp protesters break crap and cost the government money-- I'm betting some of them travelled to Vancouver at great cost-- If they donated money instead they could actually make a difference

[Flubber]

ozzy

I don't agree with giving a platform to anyone that demands or expects one through violence. To me, that is rewarding a bad behavior. My six and three year olds are learning that lesson-- perhaps the protesters need a reminder-- If you throw a tantrum, that doesn't get you what you want

[Asher]

So Vancouver's having more epic fails. They bought cheap Olympia ice-cleaning machines instead of Zamboni, and it keeps failing. Nearly postponed the Men's 500m long-track speedskating today.

Don't worry, though. Vancouver pleaded to Calgary for help, and Calgary will save the day.

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/speed-skating/news/newsid=43070.html?cid=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Zamboni airlift to rescue Oval ice

RICHMOND, B.C. -- The pressure of the Games has gotten to many an athlete over the years, but so far at the Richmond Olympic Oval, it's the Olympia ice-resurfacing machines that are struggling to perform on the big stage.

Problems with the lever that lowers the blade to resurface the ice and leave it smooth nearly derailed the men's 500-metre event Monday, the second consecutive day problems delayed long-track speedskating competition at the Vancouver Games.

Maybe, Canadian Kyle Parrott suggested, they should have gone with a Zamboni.

"Zambonis work," Parrott told The Canadian Press.

Indeed, in a late-day announcement Monday, the Vancouver organizing committee known as VANOC declared they would be doing exactly that. A Zamboni ice resurfacer from Calgary was to be on the ice by Tuesday, they said.

In an effort to preserve the carbon-neutral goal of the 2010 Games, organizers originally went with the Olympia machines, which run on electricity. By day's end Monday, they were clearly rethinking that decision.

"I realize they wanted to make a green Games ... but Zambonis in the past have worked for years and years and years," Parrott said.

"I don't know why they didn't stick with them, especially when we've had problems with (the Olympias) in training here in the past. From my experience, they've been nothing but problems, but we'll see if they keep them or if they use them in the next Games."

With one machine already out of commission after dumping snow and water about 20 metres from the inner lane's finish line Sunday, a second unit did the same thing Monday during a scheduled resurfacing after 10 pairs had raced in the first of two men's 500 races.

This time, the machine had to be pulled out of commission for some frantic repairs while a third unit, looking stark naked in plain white without the Olympic markings of its counterparts, was hauled out for an emergency flood.

Instead, it butchered the ice, prompting the Dutch team to suggest postponing the race, a notion rejected by International Skating Union officials, including president Ottavio Cinquanta.

Eventually, the secondary unit was repaired, and after three separate turns around the oval, each with chief ice-maker Mark Messer at the helm, the ice was smoothed out and skating allowed to resume after a 70-minute delay.

"I tried with those involved, with the referee and so on, to take the final decision to complete the competition," said Cinquanta, a 71-year-old Italian who has led the skating union for the last 16 years.

"We prefer to stay with the original program because we considered the interest of television viewers and the organization of the rest of the skaters and so on. In sport, in technology, something can happen. The organization is doing the utmost."

The decision was taken after a meeting with officials from several countries in the oval's infield. Beforehand, Dutch national team coach Wopke de Vegt and American counterpart Ryan Shimabukuro repeatedly skated around the ice, shaking their heads in frustration. Speed Skating Canada's Olympic program director Brian Rahill also piped in as he stood in the infield.

The Dutch eventually accepted the decision to resume.

"We've looked at the ice, it looks all right," said Dutch team leader Arie Koops.

"If it's not well prepared, then the top 10 skaters will not be in the top 10," Koops said of the ice. "Then we'll also have an awful race. Those guys are preparing for 10 years for such a race."

[SlowwHand]

I don't think their profit margin is going to be what they had hoped.

[Ben Kenobi]

Look, Ozzy, you are fighting a losing battle. Don't chain your organisation to this garbage.

[ZEE]

you would know about garbage, eh punk?

[Drake Tungsten]

This Olympics just keeps getting better and better...

Concert barricade collapse at Olympics leaves 19 people injured

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- A surging crowd of Olympic partygoers caused a barricade to collapse during a free concert, leaving 19 people injured.

Nine people were taken to a hospital for further evaluation, none with serious injuries, Vancouver's City Manager Penny Ballem said in a statement Wednesday.

A section of barricade in front of the stage collapsed Tuesday night during a set by the Canadian band Alexisonfire at Vancouver's David Lam Park. The band stopped playing immediately and asked the crowd to step back, Ballem said. The rest of the concert at Live City Yaletown and a fireworks display were called off.

The city said the barricade will be replaced and the site will reopen Wednesday.

"We sincerely regret that individuals were injured," Ballem said. "The city is gratified that the response was quick and professional, and relieved that the injuries are not serious."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/olympics/2010/02/17/concert.ap/index.html?eref=sihp#ixzz0focKZUzq

[DaShi]

This is just another example of the West showing its bigotry and racism toward the Chines. . .Canadians.

[DinoDoc]

Has Canada done anything right with these Games?

[Drake Tungsten]

Why are you blaming Canada? Calgary held the best Winter Olympics ever...