Mike Campbell was talking about this on his show a couple weeks ago. Numbers like that, quoted as "Olympic spending" and thrown about as evidence of "wasted money", are including things like the Canada Line and Sea to Sky upgrades... things that needed to be done/were being done anyway, regardless of the Olympics. Those are just two examples, of course; there are lots of other costs that the detractors factor in as being "Olympic spending" that have NO, or only coincidental, relationship to the Olympics.

Exactly right!

I was out at 41st and Nanaimo today, to watch a friend run his stint as a torch bearer (kinda cool, too - first time I've seen him in about 15 years and I could barely get close enough to say hi :)) More than half an hour before the torch arrived, both sides of 41st and for three blocks either side of Nanaimo were lined with people in red and white, 90% of them kids, waving flags, cheering, and breaking into spontaneous choruses of O Canada. They cheered for the cars driving part with flags and honking, they cheered for the bike and motorcycle cops, they cheered for the whole "torch entourage", and they went nuts for the torch itself.

Talking to others in the crowd, I learned most of these kids were out of school, and some had walked down from 33rd Ave. and beyond to be there. Most importantly, the vast majority of the people there were Asians and East Indians - most of the kids were probably born here, but I expect most of the adults were immigrants... and they all came out to cheer and sing for Canada. It sounds so cliche, but that torch has shown an amazing power to bring people together in praise or our country, if only for a few minutes at a time.

So when I hear these self-righteous protesters planning to disrupt this sort of gathering to promote their own agendas... damn straight I'm tempted to violence. If I saw one person try to interfere, I swear I'd punch him right in the head, and I don't care that there are a dozen cops around. How unbelievably selfish are they?

My only consolation is that all their efforts are ultimately self-defeating - I heard one on the radio saying that even if they couldn't stop the torch or games this time, they hoped their actions would have an effect on decisions made the next time. Yeah, you know what effect it will have? MORE money will be spent on security to keep YOUR whiny ass away. You know what other effect it will have? A whole bunch of kids will carry that forward in life as their only memory of what was supposed to be a positive event. Way to encourage the younger generation to grow up caring for their fellow man.

No laws were changed regarding what signs were allowed; no "rights" were suspended. What was changed, was the long, arduous process cities and municipalities would normally have to go through to get those signs removed - a process that could normally take weeks or months; they were instead given the temporary authority to deal with those signs immediately.

It's nothing to do with anti-Olympic signs (much as I'm sure VANOC would have loved that), it's for signs breaking existing laws.

I went to Nelson Elementary and Lord Roberts annex and King George, among others. (no I did not get transferred because I was a troublemaker, it was because my parents moved around)

I have very fond memories of Woodwards, Army & Navy, and the dollar meat store, among other things, and back then 25+ years ago, it didn't seem quite as bad as it is now. Maybe it was, but my mom just wasn't scared.. I don't know. There are a few people who I remember pushing karts around the west end in the early 80's that are still doing so today.

Anyways, over the years I've seen acquaintances wind up living in that area and falling into the lifestyle, and I've met people who used to live there too and are now doing better. So I know there's more to it than just addicts. I also have a good idea of what it takes to get out of there.

Yeah, but it's not actually throwing money directly at the DTES, it's more provincial social funding that should be available to people outside the DTES as well, such as the problem areas in other cities, that you mentioned.

I'm at UBC right now, taking pictures of the protests going on. There's about 50 or so silly hippies trying to march against the torch.

More when I get home. I've been in the rain all day, soaking wet and I need to warm up a bit.

LOL the protesters got shoved to the side and forgotten by the huge WAVE of students (such as myself) with backpacks and umbrellas.

Were there any protesters protesting against protesting the Olympics?

^ There was one guy on the bus or skytrain who protested against the protesters protesting haha. It was on the news but I didnt catch all of it.

They had all kinds of fruity chants like "This is what democracy looks like!" and garbage like that.

There were maybe 50 of them, mostly hippies and weirdos. One guy that was taking all this too seriously told a reporter "No comment." to everything...he had aviators and a drawn on moustache.

But yeah, they were mostly drowned out by the huge crowd celebrating and booing them.

I agree, and the majority wins! I'm sure there are more ppl going for the olympics than against. Therefore this is what democracy looks like, 2010 olympics. :D

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Gues...438/story.html

There was one called to Bill Good the other day, said he voted against it in the referendum, but when he lost that, he hopped right on board and decided to enjoy it for all it was worth. I give that guy WAY more respect that all these sore losers!

That the right way to think about it. I don't know what all these cretins are thinking. You're not going to stop the Olympics a day away from the opening. You're not even going to slow it down.

I listened to CBC Radio One this morning and Rick Cluff had on the spokeswoman for the anti-2010 group and Jason Dussault (sp?) who's leading the pro-2010 group at the Art Gallery this afternoon.

Dussault is not the most articulate guy, but I found it pretty funny when he gave the woman flowers. I might drop by the Art Gallery myself later just to check out the respective crowds.

Silly hippies at UBC

http://www.ededition.com/blogpics/protest/protest-1.jpg

http://www.ededition.com/blogpics/protest/protest-2.jpg

http://www.ededition.com/blogpics/protest/protest-3.jpg

http://www.ededition.com/blogpics/protest/protest-4.jpg

http://www.ededition.com/blogpics/protest/protest-5.jpg

http://www.ededition.com/blogpics/protest/protest-6.jpg

http://www.ededition.com/blogpics/protest/protest-7.jpg

saw those tards yesterday haha

Posted this on another board this afternoon:

Professional protesters. Assholes who have nothing better to do than disrupt other people's lives under the guise of some holier-than-thou "cause". And torch-run protesters in particular... like the ones who forced the run to detour away from the veterans who had gathered at the Victory Square cenotaph on Cambie this morning to celebrate the games... and later from groups of kids at 1st and Commercial.

(Following copied from an earlier rant on FB)
I was listening to NW when they played the live report, of the torchbearer who brought her torch back to 1st and Commercial, so all the kids waiting there could get their pictures taken with it... only to be interrupted by the protesters forcing the police to whisk the torchbearer away again. Can you imagine what must be going through those kids' minds? Twice disappointed by these clowns - once in learning that the torch would be taking a different route (one caller said he could see it approaching when they made their detour)... then being so close on its return only to have the opportunity ripped away again.

Now imagine someone tells them that these people are protesting "for the homeless"... all those kids will see is that their day was ruined "by the homeless people." When they grow up and pass through the DTES, all they'll see is that "these are the people who took away my once-in-a-lifetime experience."

The one who are suffering the most for this are the kids. They know nothing of the politics and the issues. All they see is the chance of a lifetime, something exciting that they've been looking forward to, being ripped away from them by a bunch of big babies with their panties in a knot. All it will inspire them to do in the future is to give less time and thought to the presumed "causes" that the protesters are on about.

And what a slap in the face to the veterans, who put their lives on the line to protect these people's freedom to speak their minds... only to have that freedom abused.

Attenton whores can go fuck themselves.

Ahhhnuld should've gone terminator all over the protesters' asses.

It's truly sad that the protesters are behaving in this manner, but that is what the organizers of the protest want. I have never in my life protested against anything. Shit happens and there's nothing one can do about most things. Like the HST, you can voice your opinion and that's about it. It's going to happen no matter what.

Anyway, that's how retarded our society is. It's par for the course. Nobody sees the bigger picture.

What's with the bin ladin'ish style vid:

http://grind365.com/sme/sports/polic...as-games-open/

LOL that guy in the canada shirt went to my HS

Don't fucking insult the hippies. Those aren't fucking hippies. Get the term right. Hippies were like 60's.

Those people are like from the loser/fail generation that has no identity. LOL

Do me a favor and go punch him in the face, wouldja?

Nah, they were smart enough not to pull this shit anywhere near him.