Haven't heard or read about ANYONE wanting a fall election in Canada. That's in a national newspaper and on the radio, and in conversation.
ThePM even says that there will be a minority government after a fall election, so WHY in the world should Canadian taxpayers pay close to $700 million dollars to run an election? And why would parties want to spend their donated money to get the same sort of government?
Until this government, it was said that minority governments in Canada produce some of the best legislation possible. That is because, until the Conservatives got into their current position, the previous PMs were willing, able and committed to governing. THIS PM does not know what "negotiate" or "compromise" mean.
He is a "my way or the highway" person; or "I'll take my ball and go home if you don't play my rules."
Most of us learn how to play on the schoolground, and we make an effort to get along with our peers.
This man refuses to be "nice," to try to work with the other parties. The word "leader" does not apply to him. He's a bossy, mean man.
So, here's a short (but getting longer) list of his disgraceful decisions.
1. Cutting arts funding and supposedly giving it to athletes. Now that's a move that the artistic community hates, and one that athletes can see through, so there will be no votes from athletes in this.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Michael Phelps is NOT the Greatest Olympian
BEIJING -- Could everyone please stop hyperventilating about Michael Phelps?Yes, he now has won more gold medals than anyone in Olympic history.
Your Vote
Who is the greatest athlete in the history of the Summer Olympics?
1.3 %
Birgit Fischer-Schmidt, Germany, kayak
2.2 %
Larisa Latynina, Soviet Union, gymnastics
24.7 %
Carl Lewis, U.S., track and field
3.9 %
Paavo Nurmi, Finland, track and field
3.8 %
Steven Redgrave, United Kingdom, rowing
50.1 %
Michael Phelps, United States, swimming
14.2 %
An athlete not listed here
7238 total responses
Ahead of him?1. Carl Lewis, U.S., track and field.2. Paavo Nurmi, Finland, track and field.3. Larisa Latynina, Soviet Union, gymnastics.4. Birgit Fischer-Schmidt, Germany, kayak.5. Steven Redgrave, United Kingdom, rowing.Why is Phelps sixth?It is easy to win multiple medals in swimming.The sport is far more forgiving on the body than track or gymnastics.And Phelps does not yet have the long-term record of the others.
Lewis won nine gold medals, four in the 1984 Olympics and four straight in one event, the long jump.Nurmi won nine gold medals at distances from 1,500 to 10,000 meters over three Olympics. He likely would have won more had he not been declared ineligible after 1928 under rules that demanded Olympians be amateurs.Latynina won nine gold medals and 18 total medals over three Olympics.Fischer-Schmidt won her first of eight gold medals in 1980 and her last 24 years later as a 42-year-old mother of two. She won three for the old East Germany and five for the unified Germany. She won in singles, doubles and fours. She also won four silvers.Redgrave won gold medals in five consecutive Olympics while rowing in three different boat types.I asked Phelps on Thursday if winning the most golds makes him the greatest of all time, and he sounded like a man wisely focused on the present."I have no idea," he said. "I just get in the water and swim. That's the only thing I think about."I asked Olympic historian David Wallechinsky the same question, and he ranked Nurmi and Lewis as co-leaders."I think Phelps needs one more Olympics to join them," Wallechinsky said.
Over 12 years, Lewis won two gold medals in the 100 meters, one in the 200, two on the sprint relay and an unprecedented four straight in the long jump, an event in which the impact on the body of the run-up and takeoff has been likened to falling off a truck at 25 mph."What Lewis did is extraordinary. He is No. 1," said France's Marie-Jose Perec, one of three runners to win the 200 and 400 meters in the same Olympics."You can't compare track and swimming. In swimming, you can recover. You can do five races in a day and get world records in all of them. That's impossible in our sport."Don't try to argue that Phelps has been part of world-record performances in his first five events.New pool and suit technology have made swimming's world records meaningless, with 18 record performances through Thursday in the Olympics alone.
Just four world records have fallen in track and field all year.Swimming allows an athlete to race two finals in 29 minutes, as U.S. Olympian Ryan Lochte planned Friday morning.Track and field is so much more physically demanding that neither Allyson Felix nor Sanya Richards dared a 200-400 double after the Olympic schedule put the second round of the 200 within three hours of the 400 final."Swimming is pressure off your body, where we are pounding on it," Felix said.Swimming offers three relays with the risk of a false start minimal. Some sprinters run both of track's longer relays, the 400 and 1,600, but the exchanges on the sprint relay are so dicey Lewis lost a certain medal in 1988 when other U.S. runners botched a baton pass in a preliminary round.If Olympic track had an 800-meter relay, an event in which Lewis was part of a world-record performance, he probably would have won at least two more gold medals.Three of swimming's four strokes -- everything but the breaststroke -- might as well be the same. Otherwise, how could backstroker Matt Grevers say he barely trained that stroke before winning an Olympic silver medal in the 100? Nearly every good freestyler can be a good butterflyer, and vice-versa.
You don't see any 100-meter runners in the mile, or any milers in the long jump.Don't get the wrong idea. Track athletes have great respect for what Phelps has accomplished."It's inspiring to watch in amazement at everything he's doing," Felix said.But he's not the most amazing Olympian ever.
Hersh covers the Olympics for The Times and the Chicago Tribune.
Your Vote
Who is the greatest athlete in the history of the Summer Olympics?
1.3 %
Birgit Fischer-Schmidt, Germany, kayak
2.2 %
Larisa Latynina, Soviet Union, gymnastics
24.7 %
Carl Lewis, U.S., track and field
3.9 %
Paavo Nurmi, Finland, track and field
3.8 %
Steven Redgrave, United Kingdom, rowing
50.1 %
Michael Phelps, United States, swimming
14.2 %
An athlete not listed here
7238 total responses
Ahead of him?1. Carl Lewis, U.S., track and field.2. Paavo Nurmi, Finland, track and field.3. Larisa Latynina, Soviet Union, gymnastics.4. Birgit Fischer-Schmidt, Germany, kayak.5. Steven Redgrave, United Kingdom, rowing.Why is Phelps sixth?It is easy to win multiple medals in swimming.The sport is far more forgiving on the body than track or gymnastics.And Phelps does not yet have the long-term record of the others.
Lewis won nine gold medals, four in the 1984 Olympics and four straight in one event, the long jump.Nurmi won nine gold medals at distances from 1,500 to 10,000 meters over three Olympics. He likely would have won more had he not been declared ineligible after 1928 under rules that demanded Olympians be amateurs.Latynina won nine gold medals and 18 total medals over three Olympics.Fischer-Schmidt won her first of eight gold medals in 1980 and her last 24 years later as a 42-year-old mother of two. She won three for the old East Germany and five for the unified Germany. She won in singles, doubles and fours. She also won four silvers.Redgrave won gold medals in five consecutive Olympics while rowing in three different boat types.I asked Phelps on Thursday if winning the most golds makes him the greatest of all time, and he sounded like a man wisely focused on the present."I have no idea," he said. "I just get in the water and swim. That's the only thing I think about."I asked Olympic historian David Wallechinsky the same question, and he ranked Nurmi and Lewis as co-leaders."I think Phelps needs one more Olympics to join them," Wallechinsky said.
Over 12 years, Lewis won two gold medals in the 100 meters, one in the 200, two on the sprint relay and an unprecedented four straight in the long jump, an event in which the impact on the body of the run-up and takeoff has been likened to falling off a truck at 25 mph."What Lewis did is extraordinary. He is No. 1," said France's Marie-Jose Perec, one of three runners to win the 200 and 400 meters in the same Olympics."You can't compare track and swimming. In swimming, you can recover. You can do five races in a day and get world records in all of them. That's impossible in our sport."Don't try to argue that Phelps has been part of world-record performances in his first five events.New pool and suit technology have made swimming's world records meaningless, with 18 record performances through Thursday in the Olympics alone.
Just four world records have fallen in track and field all year.Swimming allows an athlete to race two finals in 29 minutes, as U.S. Olympian Ryan Lochte planned Friday morning.Track and field is so much more physically demanding that neither Allyson Felix nor Sanya Richards dared a 200-400 double after the Olympic schedule put the second round of the 200 within three hours of the 400 final."Swimming is pressure off your body, where we are pounding on it," Felix said.Swimming offers three relays with the risk of a false start minimal. Some sprinters run both of track's longer relays, the 400 and 1,600, but the exchanges on the sprint relay are so dicey Lewis lost a certain medal in 1988 when other U.S. runners botched a baton pass in a preliminary round.If Olympic track had an 800-meter relay, an event in which Lewis was part of a world-record performance, he probably would have won at least two more gold medals.Three of swimming's four strokes -- everything but the breaststroke -- might as well be the same. Otherwise, how could backstroker Matt Grevers say he barely trained that stroke before winning an Olympic silver medal in the 100? Nearly every good freestyler can be a good butterflyer, and vice-versa.
You don't see any 100-meter runners in the mile, or any milers in the long jump.Don't get the wrong idea. Track athletes have great respect for what Phelps has accomplished."It's inspiring to watch in amazement at everything he's doing," Felix said.But he's not the most amazing Olympian ever.
Hersh covers the Olympics for The Times and the Chicago Tribune.
Friday, August 08, 2008
No Harper, and No Minister of Sport (We Don't Even HAVE One). Canada sure is a Loser
IOC President to meet with world leaders
On the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, IOC President Jacques Rogge is to meet with some of the world’s major leaders, who are visiting Beijing for the opening ceremony. Among the leaders Rogge will be meeting are Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Brazillian President Luiz Lula da Silva.
More world leaders – more than 100 sovereigns, heads of state and heads of government - will be attending the Beijing Olympic Games, as well as 170 Ministers of Sport.
As well as discussing the Beijing Games, Rogge will be using the meetings as an opportunity to raise issues of concern to the Olympic movement – the fight against doping, and the role of sport in education and in improving public health.
Sport’s role in improving health outcomes “It is essential that we promote the central role of sport in modern society,” said Rogge today. “Everyday sport can deliver substantial social, environmental and economic benefits by reducing obesity and cardiac disease and creating a healthy society. The IOC wants governments to support elite sport and the Olympic movement – that’s essential – but we also want them to invest in public sports facilities.”
Just as vital is that the IOC and governments collaborate in the fight against doping by providing consistent funding for WADA, enabling co-operation between law enforcement and doping authorities; and application of the World Anti-Doping Code. This may require legislative change.
Doping – a problem to be tackled together Doping, and particularly steroid abuse, is a public health issue – it is not simply a matter for elite sport – it reaches down into amateur sports clubs, universities and high schools and causes physical and psychological damage to the user. This trickle-down effect is what should worry everyone. Moreover, steroid use and crime are inextricably linked – many acts of violent crime in society are thought to be connected to steroid use.”
President Rogge will continue to promote these issues, through both the IOC and collaboration with other Olympic organisations, in his regular schedule of visits and consultations with world leaders regarding their national sport agenda.
[This is an IOC News Release, dated August 8, 2008]
On the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, IOC President Jacques Rogge is to meet with some of the world’s major leaders, who are visiting Beijing for the opening ceremony. Among the leaders Rogge will be meeting are Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Brazillian President Luiz Lula da Silva.
More world leaders – more than 100 sovereigns, heads of state and heads of government - will be attending the Beijing Olympic Games, as well as 170 Ministers of Sport.
As well as discussing the Beijing Games, Rogge will be using the meetings as an opportunity to raise issues of concern to the Olympic movement – the fight against doping, and the role of sport in education and in improving public health.
Sport’s role in improving health outcomes “It is essential that we promote the central role of sport in modern society,” said Rogge today. “Everyday sport can deliver substantial social, environmental and economic benefits by reducing obesity and cardiac disease and creating a healthy society. The IOC wants governments to support elite sport and the Olympic movement – that’s essential – but we also want them to invest in public sports facilities.”
Just as vital is that the IOC and governments collaborate in the fight against doping by providing consistent funding for WADA, enabling co-operation between law enforcement and doping authorities; and application of the World Anti-Doping Code. This may require legislative change.
Doping – a problem to be tackled together Doping, and particularly steroid abuse, is a public health issue – it is not simply a matter for elite sport – it reaches down into amateur sports clubs, universities and high schools and causes physical and psychological damage to the user. This trickle-down effect is what should worry everyone. Moreover, steroid use and crime are inextricably linked – many acts of violent crime in society are thought to be connected to steroid use.”
President Rogge will continue to promote these issues, through both the IOC and collaboration with other Olympic organisations, in his regular schedule of visits and consultations with world leaders regarding their national sport agenda.
[This is an IOC News Release, dated August 8, 2008]
"Last Minute Harper" and He's Still Staying Home. Probably a Good Thing.
Harper backing city's Pan Am bid
McGuinty off to China to lobby sports officials at Olympics to boost Toronto area's chances
Aug 08, 2008 04:30 AM
Be the first to comment on this article... Robert Benzie Queen's Park Bureau Chief
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is backing Toronto's $1.77 billion bid for the 2015 Pan Am Games.
Harper yesterday gave Ottawa's endorsement of efforts to host the international sports event in Toronto and a dozen other Golden Horseshoe municipalities.
"It's very positive. It's a boost for the entire region," federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told the Star last night.
"Toronto hasn't had a major sporting event in many, many years," said Flaherty, who is Harper's Greater Toronto Area minister.
He added that in difficult economic times, the Pan Am Games would "create jobs and construction activity" and leave behind an infrastructure legacy in the GTA and beyond.
Flaherty emphasized that Ottawa's funding commitment is still being finalized because security costs are being calculated with the OPP, the RCMP and other agencies.
Ottawa's move, which came months earlier than expected, led Premier Dalton McGuinty to start packing to fly to China to lobby sports officials at the Olympics.
"The premier will be taking the important next step of going to Beijing Aug. 13 to 15 to speak with key national Olympic committee chairs, to make sure Ontario has the best opportunity to make a winning case," said press secretary Jane Almeida.
"Moving forward, we will be working closely with the federal government and municipalities."
McGuinty had been gearing up for the lobbying trip. "I am ready and raring to go," the premier told reporters on July 23.
"To say I'm really, really, really keen on this is a gross understatement," Michael Chambers, the Canadian Olympic Committee president, told the Star's Jim Byers in Beijing. "I really believe we can do this and that it's not a shot in the dark. It's a bid we can win.
"We'll have tremendous games and it will be a building block for what we're seeing here in China."
Chambers said the southern Ontario bid will be officially presented to Pan American Sports Organization officials at Canada Olympic House in Beijing on Aug. 14.
The Pan Am Games, open to 42 nations in the Americas, are held every four years. They were held in Rio de Janeiro last year and will be in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2011.
Other cities expected to bid for the 2015 Games are Bogota, Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; and Lima, Peru, but insiders say Toronto – one of the largest media markets in North or South America – has a great shot at hosting them. The winner will be chosen next year.
There had been concerns that Ottawa would not have completed its study of the bid before the Pan American Sports Organization's general meeting in October.
While the municipalities, the province and Ottawa will each be on the hook for about $620 million, Queen's Park has agreed to cover any overruns to the expected $1.77 billion tab.
McGuinty off to China to lobby sports officials at Olympics to boost Toronto area's chances
Aug 08, 2008 04:30 AM
Be the first to comment on this article... Robert Benzie Queen's Park Bureau Chief
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is backing Toronto's $1.77 billion bid for the 2015 Pan Am Games.
Harper yesterday gave Ottawa's endorsement of efforts to host the international sports event in Toronto and a dozen other Golden Horseshoe municipalities.
"It's very positive. It's a boost for the entire region," federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told the Star last night.
"Toronto hasn't had a major sporting event in many, many years," said Flaherty, who is Harper's Greater Toronto Area minister.
He added that in difficult economic times, the Pan Am Games would "create jobs and construction activity" and leave behind an infrastructure legacy in the GTA and beyond.
Flaherty emphasized that Ottawa's funding commitment is still being finalized because security costs are being calculated with the OPP, the RCMP and other agencies.
Ottawa's move, which came months earlier than expected, led Premier Dalton McGuinty to start packing to fly to China to lobby sports officials at the Olympics.
"The premier will be taking the important next step of going to Beijing Aug. 13 to 15 to speak with key national Olympic committee chairs, to make sure Ontario has the best opportunity to make a winning case," said press secretary Jane Almeida.
"Moving forward, we will be working closely with the federal government and municipalities."
McGuinty had been gearing up for the lobbying trip. "I am ready and raring to go," the premier told reporters on July 23.
"To say I'm really, really, really keen on this is a gross understatement," Michael Chambers, the Canadian Olympic Committee president, told the Star's Jim Byers in Beijing. "I really believe we can do this and that it's not a shot in the dark. It's a bid we can win.
"We'll have tremendous games and it will be a building block for what we're seeing here in China."
Chambers said the southern Ontario bid will be officially presented to Pan American Sports Organization officials at Canada Olympic House in Beijing on Aug. 14.
The Pan Am Games, open to 42 nations in the Americas, are held every four years. They were held in Rio de Janeiro last year and will be in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2011.
Other cities expected to bid for the 2015 Games are Bogota, Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; and Lima, Peru, but insiders say Toronto – one of the largest media markets in North or South America – has a great shot at hosting them. The winner will be chosen next year.
There had been concerns that Ottawa would not have completed its study of the bid before the Pan American Sports Organization's general meeting in October.
While the municipalities, the province and Ottawa will each be on the hook for about $620 million, Queen's Park has agreed to cover any overruns to the expected $1.77 billion tab.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Beijing, Echos of Cuba
On Monday night, Pastor Mansbridge began his National News program from Beijing.
There he was, smog and all behind him, but no teleprompter.
He had a segment about security in China, noting the neighbourhood community watches that have been set up. These are citizens who have volunteered (and recieved a little red band for their left arm) to keep watch on their own neighbourhood, and report anyone or anything suspicious.
There was even a shot of two women fanning themselves, sitting on pots or something, "looking out" for their neighbourhood.
How it took me back. In 1990-1991 when we made trips to Cuba in preparation for the Pan American Games, we saw and knew that locals would "report" on their neighbours. We saw the grandmothers out for their morning exercises, calesthenics actually, then they would disperse, and go about their business. Part of that business was ratting on their neighbours.
This is the way Castro keeps the population in check: have spies who report up the ladder.
Castro reigns not through the love of his people, but by fear. Do something wrong, say something about the government or a "leader" and find yourself in the clink.
The Cuban people are an amazing lot to have survived with so little, without contact with the outside world, and living in constant fear. It becomes a way of life.
So little "freedom" in China and Cuba.
How fortunate Canadians are.
There he was, smog and all behind him, but no teleprompter.
He had a segment about security in China, noting the neighbourhood community watches that have been set up. These are citizens who have volunteered (and recieved a little red band for their left arm) to keep watch on their own neighbourhood, and report anyone or anything suspicious.
There was even a shot of two women fanning themselves, sitting on pots or something, "looking out" for their neighbourhood.
How it took me back. In 1990-1991 when we made trips to Cuba in preparation for the Pan American Games, we saw and knew that locals would "report" on their neighbours. We saw the grandmothers out for their morning exercises, calesthenics actually, then they would disperse, and go about their business. Part of that business was ratting on their neighbours.
This is the way Castro keeps the population in check: have spies who report up the ladder.
Castro reigns not through the love of his people, but by fear. Do something wrong, say something about the government or a "leader" and find yourself in the clink.
The Cuban people are an amazing lot to have survived with so little, without contact with the outside world, and living in constant fear. It becomes a way of life.
So little "freedom" in China and Cuba.
How fortunate Canadians are.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Trouble on the Horizon and Lying
Trouble on the China borders as well as protests in Beijing that are quelled by rounding up the people and herding them into a paddy-wagon, foreshadow a stressful Olympics and serious trouble during the Games.
If anyone in the world still thinks that China is a fair and honourable nation, they must have been snoozing while the media reports on the third athlete whose age is in doubt. I hope that reporters don't let this one go. These female gymnasts are under-age, as their earlier documents show. The docs they submitted to the Organizing Committee were "doctored" to have these young girls able to compete in Beijing. FIG instigated the age rule for a reason...to stop medal-hungry nations from overtraining girls and putting their lives in jeopardy.
The Chinese are lying. Getting those medals ahead of the USA is the most important thing, except of course spending $35 billion on these Games, China's "coming out party."
China shames the Olympic Movement, and countries let them get away with this stuff.
Shame, Mr Rogge.
If anyone in the world still thinks that China is a fair and honourable nation, they must have been snoozing while the media reports on the third athlete whose age is in doubt. I hope that reporters don't let this one go. These female gymnasts are under-age, as their earlier documents show. The docs they submitted to the Organizing Committee were "doctored" to have these young girls able to compete in Beijing. FIG instigated the age rule for a reason...to stop medal-hungry nations from overtraining girls and putting their lives in jeopardy.
The Chinese are lying. Getting those medals ahead of the USA is the most important thing, except of course spending $35 billion on these Games, China's "coming out party."
China shames the Olympic Movement, and countries let them get away with this stuff.
Shame, Mr Rogge.
Some Beijing Stuff
With the Olympics just 3+ days away, we hear that Mr Emerson will lead a delegation to Beijing. Not the Prime Minister.
When talk of an Olympic boycott started several months agao, the PM said he would not be going to Beijing. Supposedly boycotting, although he said that wasn't the reason.
So, when Mr Emerson gets to Beijing, and is asked why the Prime Minister didn't go, which of the following will he answer?
1. He is too busy.
2. He is boycotting China because of its human rights record.
3. He had a vacation planned.
4. He didn't feel like travelling all that way.
5. His medical shots aren't up-to-date.
6. He is worried about the food (one reporter noted "Donkey Pot Pie" on a menu in Beijing)
7. He just didn't think it was important.
8. He's not good at "small talk."
9. He didn't want to have to answer questions about the federal government's dallying about and not being able to make a decision about support for the 2015 Pan Am Games.
10. None of the above.
Canadians are embarassed that he is not going. Once again, he demonstrates his disregard for Canada's international reputation, his contempt for the Canadian people, and his arrogance.
Let's get to the polls in the fall, and get rid of this government and this Prime Minister.
When talk of an Olympic boycott started several months agao, the PM said he would not be going to Beijing. Supposedly boycotting, although he said that wasn't the reason.
So, when Mr Emerson gets to Beijing, and is asked why the Prime Minister didn't go, which of the following will he answer?
1. He is too busy.
2. He is boycotting China because of its human rights record.
3. He had a vacation planned.
4. He didn't feel like travelling all that way.
5. His medical shots aren't up-to-date.
6. He is worried about the food (one reporter noted "Donkey Pot Pie" on a menu in Beijing)
7. He just didn't think it was important.
8. He's not good at "small talk."
9. He didn't want to have to answer questions about the federal government's dallying about and not being able to make a decision about support for the 2015 Pan Am Games.
10. None of the above.
Canadians are embarassed that he is not going. Once again, he demonstrates his disregard for Canada's international reputation, his contempt for the Canadian people, and his arrogance.
Let's get to the polls in the fall, and get rid of this government and this Prime Minister.
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Globe & Mail and the 21st Century
It's hard to believe, but check this...The Globe does a nice story about swimmer Julia Wilkinson breaking her own Canadian record, set 3 weeks ago at the Olympic Trials.
BUT, along side the good-news story, they run a photo of a MALE swimmer competing in the 200m fly. And it doesn't even say that he won his event!
How far have women come????
Better still, how far has The Globe come?
BUT, along side the good-news story, they run a photo of a MALE swimmer competing in the 200m fly. And it doesn't even say that he won his event!
How far have women come????
Better still, how far has The Globe come?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The Heat of the Moment
Sometimes when people get wound up, they get carried away, and say things that listeners cannot figure out.
Such was the case on Tuesday evening during a long, unfocussed discussion about an aquatic facility in Kingston. Background...city staff suggested continuing to explore details for a new aquatic facility. Their recommendation was quite clear: spend the money already agreed to in the current budget to get some answers to questions that were arising (this was Commissioner Beach's remark).
Nearing the end of the rambling, unfocussed discussion about the recommendation, Councillor Hutchison remarked "We are trying to hit a home run and we haven't even got to first base."
Does he know what he said? If so, what does this mean? A player hits a home run from the plate, not first base. What a comment.
On more than one occasion, the mayor (to his credit) reminded council what the proposal actually was...the one agreed to many moons ago, and described in the council materials: an aquatic facility that would be comprised of one long pool that could be divided into two 25m pools PLUS another 25m pool that would have a number of leisure features incorporated into it. He rightly commented that a long pool, the 50m pool, would not be adequate for competitions (major or minor) because there would be no warm-up pool.
On this he is absolutely correct. Proponants of a new aquatic facility support the location at the Invista Centre, and they support a complex that would be suitable for major competitions (in all 4 Olympic sports). This is in agreement with current practice around the world: if one expects to hold any kind of elite compeition, a warm-up pool is mandatory.
Let's hope that councillors read and understand the material that they have been given.
Councillor Osanic's frustration at the process (going over the same, already-decided material repeatedly) is I am sure felt by other councillors who have kept up with the debate, read their material, talked to people who know what they are talking about. And it surely must be frustrating for Commissioner Beach and her colleagues on staff, to have to find answers to questions that have already been answered, or worse, answers to questions that can only be answered when additional study has been done. [one councillor suggested that a Murtha pool was best, having just heard Councillor Gerretsen say "we are not experts in this." ]
Patience is the order for this day, this month, and for the last 2 years. One must admire the patience of Commissioner Beach who is carrying this project.
My patience is wearing thin.
Such was the case on Tuesday evening during a long, unfocussed discussion about an aquatic facility in Kingston. Background...city staff suggested continuing to explore details for a new aquatic facility. Their recommendation was quite clear: spend the money already agreed to in the current budget to get some answers to questions that were arising (this was Commissioner Beach's remark).
Nearing the end of the rambling, unfocussed discussion about the recommendation, Councillor Hutchison remarked "We are trying to hit a home run and we haven't even got to first base."
Does he know what he said? If so, what does this mean? A player hits a home run from the plate, not first base. What a comment.
On more than one occasion, the mayor (to his credit) reminded council what the proposal actually was...the one agreed to many moons ago, and described in the council materials: an aquatic facility that would be comprised of one long pool that could be divided into two 25m pools PLUS another 25m pool that would have a number of leisure features incorporated into it. He rightly commented that a long pool, the 50m pool, would not be adequate for competitions (major or minor) because there would be no warm-up pool.
On this he is absolutely correct. Proponants of a new aquatic facility support the location at the Invista Centre, and they support a complex that would be suitable for major competitions (in all 4 Olympic sports). This is in agreement with current practice around the world: if one expects to hold any kind of elite compeition, a warm-up pool is mandatory.
Let's hope that councillors read and understand the material that they have been given.
Councillor Osanic's frustration at the process (going over the same, already-decided material repeatedly) is I am sure felt by other councillors who have kept up with the debate, read their material, talked to people who know what they are talking about. And it surely must be frustrating for Commissioner Beach and her colleagues on staff, to have to find answers to questions that have already been answered, or worse, answers to questions that can only be answered when additional study has been done. [one councillor suggested that a Murtha pool was best, having just heard Councillor Gerretsen say "we are not experts in this." ]
Patience is the order for this day, this month, and for the last 2 years. One must admire the patience of Commissioner Beach who is carrying this project.
My patience is wearing thin.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Support A Progressive Community!
At the city council meeting tomorrow evening, councillors will consider whether or not to continue investigating the feasibility of a fine aquatic centre for Kingston.
Let's hope that this city council demonstrates what so many citizens want: a council that is progressive, that leads, and that isn't satisfied with just plodding along, but rather, wants to raise the bar for this community.
Eastern Ontario will use an aquatic facility full-tilt if they build it and then hire a creative, experienced programmer for it. This has the potential for being the hub of activity for this city, but it will take progressive councillors to make this happen.
No city in this country has even thought about building a 25m pool that could be expanded. Expanded? What is that...a miracle happening?
With the Olympics barely 26 days away, city council can take a lesson from athletes. Not one of them got to the Olympics by saying "I can't do it. I'm not good enough." Every one got there by believing they COULD do it, and then getting busy making it happen. And not one of them is going there planning to be second or third or down the pack. Every one is going there to win, to be first, to bust their buns. If they can do it, why can't Kingston?
Kingston can be a leader. It can be proactive. It can plan for today and the future. Let's hope it does.
Let's hope that this city council demonstrates what so many citizens want: a council that is progressive, that leads, and that isn't satisfied with just plodding along, but rather, wants to raise the bar for this community.
Eastern Ontario will use an aquatic facility full-tilt if they build it and then hire a creative, experienced programmer for it. This has the potential for being the hub of activity for this city, but it will take progressive councillors to make this happen.
No city in this country has even thought about building a 25m pool that could be expanded. Expanded? What is that...a miracle happening?
With the Olympics barely 26 days away, city council can take a lesson from athletes. Not one of them got to the Olympics by saying "I can't do it. I'm not good enough." Every one got there by believing they COULD do it, and then getting busy making it happen. And not one of them is going there planning to be second or third or down the pack. Every one is going there to win, to be first, to bust their buns. If they can do it, why can't Kingston?
Kingston can be a leader. It can be proactive. It can plan for today and the future. Let's hope it does.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Stop Stabbing Your Finger At Me!
Stop Stabbing Your Finger at Me!!!
One of these days, "important" people are going to figure out that we hate being pointed at and finger-stabbed at!
Look at this photo of Steve Harper, on July 6th.
http://www.thestar.com/news
Stop pointing!!!!
He's probably taken a lesson from that awful George Stroumboulopoulis on the CBC. He points to the camera, the fans, everyone all the time. No wonder we aren't watching his show. Or Obama or Clinton.
Do they think we like this? Someone tell them we don't!!!
Give them presentation lessons, quickly!
help!!!
One of these days, "important" people are going to figure out that we hate being pointed at and finger-stabbed at!
Look at this photo of Steve Harper, on July 6th.
http://www.thestar.com/news
Stop pointing!!!!
He's probably taken a lesson from that awful George Stroumboulopoulis on the CBC. He points to the camera, the fans, everyone all the time. No wonder we aren't watching his show. Or Obama or Clinton.
Do they think we like this? Someone tell them we don't!!!
Give them presentation lessons, quickly!
help!!!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
As for the Olympics, don't you dare mention the B-word
Printed in The Kingston Whig Standard, July 2, 2008.
By Diana Davis Duerkop
Parents spend a lot of time helping their offspring understand the consequences of their behaviour. If you leave your clothes on the bedroom floor, one day, you won’t have any clean clothes to wear. If you don’t lock your bike securely, someone may steal it. If you drive a vehicle after drinking, you could be in an accident and cause tremendous harm to yourself and others
Young people aren’t the only ones that have to learn about consequences. Organizations, including governments, also need to understand the consequences of their decisions.
Talk of a Canadian boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games has thankfully dropped to a whisper. The consequences of boycotting are now apparent not only to athletes, but also to the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and to the government of Canada. Many people do not realize that the decision about whether or not to go will be made by the COC, not the government. It is in this context that the undeniable link between sports and politics is demonstrated once again.
Let’s look at a few of the negatives of missing these Olympics. It costs the COC a lot of money to send a team composed of athletes, mission staff and medical support. The money doesn’t come from the federal government because the COC is a private, not-for-profit organization responsible for Canada’s participation in the Olympics. The COC raises money through sponsorships, licensing goods and services, and donations. Interestingly, when the COC wilted under the federal government’s pressure not to go to Moscow in April 1980, the compensation package was about $3.2 million in 2008 dollars. Given that costs have increased and there are more athletes and support staff, it will cost around $5 million to send this team to Beijing. Much of this money has already been spent.
All the International Federations that organize sports on the Olympic program hold elections of executive and committees in the host city prior to the games. Key decisions about the sport are made at these meetings. If Canadians do not attend these meetings, they won’t have a voice or get elected, and Canada’s representation and ability to influence international sports will be greatly diminished. Election to these positions requires years of politicking; if missing this time, it is doubtful that Canadians will be elected even at the next meetings in 2012. Our ability to lead and influence in the international arena is therefore compromised.
If we didn’t attend the games, Canada’s reputation would suffer tremendously, not only in the sport community but in the social, economic, education and political spheres. A few illustrations. Canada is, for example, investing $13 billion in the Port of Prince Rupert and railway lines leading to it, to develop a transpacific trade corridor. The city is to become the gateway to Pacific nations from mid-America. Any uncertainty around Canada’s support for China, a significant trading partner, would be disastrous economically.
One other illustration. Since 2001, Canada has signalled its interest in once again holding one of the non-permanent seats on the United Nation’s Security Council. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to think that China, a permanent member, would not welcome Canada at the table if it boycotts their games, and might actively campaign against Canada.
All this is not to ignore the people for whom the games are organized. Rather, it is intended to illustrate the interrelationship of sport and politics, and importance of being aware of some of the less obvious consequences of boycotting Beijing.
The biggest impact a boycott would have would be on the athletes. The road to the Olympics is long, difficult, and rewarding. One has only to follow the process to understand that few Canadians actually get to an Olympic Games. Canada’s men’s basketball team is in the final stages of preparation for the last opportunity to qualify for Beijing. Only 20 players in all of Canada were even invited to try-out for the team. The team must place in the top three at the conclusion of the July tournament to get to Beijing. This is a monumental task, and one that head coach Leo Rautins relishes. You see, he was a player on the men’s basketball team that didn’t go to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He knows the meaning of a boycott because he was one of the disappointed athletes. And just what did that boycott accomplish?
Let’s not even whisper of boycotts. They do more harm than good.
-30-
Diana Davis Duerkop is a former Vice-President of the Canadian Olympic Committee. She is a board member of the Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame and Sport Kingston, and lives in Kingston.
By Diana Davis Duerkop
Parents spend a lot of time helping their offspring understand the consequences of their behaviour. If you leave your clothes on the bedroom floor, one day, you won’t have any clean clothes to wear. If you don’t lock your bike securely, someone may steal it. If you drive a vehicle after drinking, you could be in an accident and cause tremendous harm to yourself and others
Young people aren’t the only ones that have to learn about consequences. Organizations, including governments, also need to understand the consequences of their decisions.
Talk of a Canadian boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games has thankfully dropped to a whisper. The consequences of boycotting are now apparent not only to athletes, but also to the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and to the government of Canada. Many people do not realize that the decision about whether or not to go will be made by the COC, not the government. It is in this context that the undeniable link between sports and politics is demonstrated once again.
Let’s look at a few of the negatives of missing these Olympics. It costs the COC a lot of money to send a team composed of athletes, mission staff and medical support. The money doesn’t come from the federal government because the COC is a private, not-for-profit organization responsible for Canada’s participation in the Olympics. The COC raises money through sponsorships, licensing goods and services, and donations. Interestingly, when the COC wilted under the federal government’s pressure not to go to Moscow in April 1980, the compensation package was about $3.2 million in 2008 dollars. Given that costs have increased and there are more athletes and support staff, it will cost around $5 million to send this team to Beijing. Much of this money has already been spent.
All the International Federations that organize sports on the Olympic program hold elections of executive and committees in the host city prior to the games. Key decisions about the sport are made at these meetings. If Canadians do not attend these meetings, they won’t have a voice or get elected, and Canada’s representation and ability to influence international sports will be greatly diminished. Election to these positions requires years of politicking; if missing this time, it is doubtful that Canadians will be elected even at the next meetings in 2012. Our ability to lead and influence in the international arena is therefore compromised.
If we didn’t attend the games, Canada’s reputation would suffer tremendously, not only in the sport community but in the social, economic, education and political spheres. A few illustrations. Canada is, for example, investing $13 billion in the Port of Prince Rupert and railway lines leading to it, to develop a transpacific trade corridor. The city is to become the gateway to Pacific nations from mid-America. Any uncertainty around Canada’s support for China, a significant trading partner, would be disastrous economically.
One other illustration. Since 2001, Canada has signalled its interest in once again holding one of the non-permanent seats on the United Nation’s Security Council. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to think that China, a permanent member, would not welcome Canada at the table if it boycotts their games, and might actively campaign against Canada.
All this is not to ignore the people for whom the games are organized. Rather, it is intended to illustrate the interrelationship of sport and politics, and importance of being aware of some of the less obvious consequences of boycotting Beijing.
The biggest impact a boycott would have would be on the athletes. The road to the Olympics is long, difficult, and rewarding. One has only to follow the process to understand that few Canadians actually get to an Olympic Games. Canada’s men’s basketball team is in the final stages of preparation for the last opportunity to qualify for Beijing. Only 20 players in all of Canada were even invited to try-out for the team. The team must place in the top three at the conclusion of the July tournament to get to Beijing. This is a monumental task, and one that head coach Leo Rautins relishes. You see, he was a player on the men’s basketball team that didn’t go to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He knows the meaning of a boycott because he was one of the disappointed athletes. And just what did that boycott accomplish?
Let’s not even whisper of boycotts. They do more harm than good.
-30-
Diana Davis Duerkop is a former Vice-President of the Canadian Olympic Committee. She is a board member of the Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame and Sport Kingston, and lives in Kingston.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Nearly Olympics Time!
Yeserday in a local grocery store, a couple of clerks were decked out in red and white to celebrate Canada day today.
One woman wore the Team Canada T-shirt and pants (aka pyjamas), which she said were very comfortable. [Get them at The Bay, and support the team. Remember, there is NO government money in getting the team to Beijing, keeping it fed and accomodated there, and getting it home. Not even unis .]
Apparently they weren't made for Canadian men: they are, shall we say, binding. A team meembr had tried theem on, and turned thumbs down.
Sure is going to be tough on the eyes, if they wear that outfit as the Parade outfit at the Opening Ceremony. Which I doubt. Athletes have several outfits, one of which is spiffy and is to be worn at the Opening.
One woman wore the Team Canada T-shirt and pants (aka pyjamas), which she said were very comfortable. [Get them at The Bay, and support the team. Remember, there is NO government money in getting the team to Beijing, keeping it fed and accomodated there, and getting it home. Not even unis .]
Apparently they weren't made for Canadian men: they are, shall we say, binding. A team meembr had tried theem on, and turned thumbs down.
Sure is going to be tough on the eyes, if they wear that outfit as the Parade outfit at the Opening Ceremony. Which I doubt. Athletes have several outfits, one of which is spiffy and is to be worn at the Opening.
No one Thought About the Equipment?
Thanks to all for your comments. Too bad the anonymous notes (left by those who just bitch and have no particular reason to be anyoymous) are left by people who are not prepared to stand by their opinions. That's why The Whig won't publish your letters: they only publish letters written by those who have the guts to sign their names.....
And, in follow-up to the comments about the generators.....keep checking the tenders on the city's website, and the line items in the dreadful reports of the LVEC operations that are sent to council. Soon, there will be calls for tenders for, not one, but TWO more generators for the LVEC. Yes that's right. The power supply was so inadequate for at least 2 of the shows that came through Kingston since the opening on February 12, that management has said that more power is needed, and two generators will be ordered. Probably when that can be done under cloak of darkness! ha ha.
For at least 2 shows, auxillary generators had to be "rented" in order to supply suffieient power.
Just keep watching for this....
And for those who enter downtown via Place d'Armes, 2-3 weeks of Ontario Street only should cause a few headaches. It's not really funny, particularly for fire truck drivers and ambulance drivers. If you have seen fire trucks travelling north on Ontario Street, screeching to a manageable speed at Fort Frontenac, you will have much appreciation for them. Especially when they are carrying a full load of water....2000 lbs. They don't really like it at all.
And, in follow-up to the comments about the generators.....keep checking the tenders on the city's website, and the line items in the dreadful reports of the LVEC operations that are sent to council. Soon, there will be calls for tenders for, not one, but TWO more generators for the LVEC. Yes that's right. The power supply was so inadequate for at least 2 of the shows that came through Kingston since the opening on February 12, that management has said that more power is needed, and two generators will be ordered. Probably when that can be done under cloak of darkness! ha ha.
For at least 2 shows, auxillary generators had to be "rented" in order to supply suffieient power.
Just keep watching for this....
And for those who enter downtown via Place d'Armes, 2-3 weeks of Ontario Street only should cause a few headaches. It's not really funny, particularly for fire truck drivers and ambulance drivers. If you have seen fire trucks travelling north on Ontario Street, screeching to a manageable speed at Fort Frontenac, you will have much appreciation for them. Especially when they are carrying a full load of water....2000 lbs. They don't really like it at all.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Where Will the Feds Place Their (Our!) Money?
Looks as if a bit of a problem is on the horizon fro Canadian sport, and the federal government.
The Golden Horseshoe is interested in bidding for the 2017 Pam Am Games.
Canadian University Sport (CIS) is thinking of bidding for the FISU (summer games).
And the Commonwealth Games Federation (Canada) would like to have a Canadian bid for the 2015 Commonwealth Games.
Time to dust off that Federal Hosting Policy!
The Golden Horseshoe is interested in bidding for the 2017 Pam Am Games.
Canadian University Sport (CIS) is thinking of bidding for the FISU (summer games).
And the Commonwealth Games Federation (Canada) would like to have a Canadian bid for the 2015 Commonwealth Games.
Time to dust off that Federal Hosting Policy!
IOC in fear of Beijing crackdown
by Paul Kelso, the Guardian
June 7, 2008 at 1.37pm.
The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic games is just 62 days away, and across the Chinese capital clocks count the days. Among International Olympic Committee executives and members gathered in Athens this week they are counting the hours to a different landmark: "Everyone is counting the days to the opening ceremony," said one senior figure. "Me? I'm looking forward to reaching the closing ceremony on August 24 and getting on the plane home."
Publicly the IOC expresses complete confidence in China's preparations, but behind the optimism lie deep anxieties about the most politically-charged and culturally challenging games in Olympic history.
Many of the senior officials in Athens this week arrived direct from Beijing where they held a series of crisis talks with the authorities following the imposition of a huge security clampdown and a new level of government-led bureaucracy that threatens to disrupt the smooth running of the games.
As well as concerns over making the games work, there are genuine fears that athletes who choose to speak out against the Chinese regime, critical media and any individuals daring to protest publicly could prompt a huge backlash from the authorities and the general public.
At the heart of the IOC's concerns is the political fallout from events of the last three months. Riots in Lahsa, Tibet in March prompted a global wave of anti-Chinese protests which found a convenient focal point in the hapless Beijing Olympic torch relay. What Beijing hoped would be a triumph degenerated into a tawdry public relations fiasco that damaged both China and the IOC.
The response in Beijing has been dramatic. Shaken by events, the Chinese authorities have ordered a huge security clampdown on Olympic sites that threatened to disrupt basic games operations.
According to seasoned Sinophiles in the Olympic movement there has also been a tangible hardening of the public and official mood too. The attacks on the torch relay came as a genuine shock to many Chinese, who feel their country has been unfairly traduced. There is bemusement too at the actions of NGOs including Amnesty that have called on athletes to speak out against the Beijing government. The Chinese code of hospitality does not include insulting your host, and the reaction of the authorities and public to anyone who does criticise China is the great unknown of this Olympiad.
The collision of 20,000 journalists, 10,000 athletes and thousands of foreign spectators with the Chinese is causing acute unease within the IOC, and some influential figures fear that any backlash could be damaging to both the games and the Olympic movement.
Most sensitive is the issue of athletes speaking out. The IOC charter prohibits "propaganda and demonstrations", and the IOC has promised to apply "common sense" when assessing whether the line has been crossed by, for example, the wearing of a Free Tibet T-shirt or an inflammatory press-conference comment.
There are no such guarantees from the elaborate Chinese security apparatus, however, and the current mood in Beijing gives little cause of optimism that they will be indulgent of dissent.
There are technical fears, too. The Chinese central government has taken a tighter grip on the project in the wake of Lhasa, restricting the ability of the Beijing organising committee (Bocog), with which the IOC has worked for seven years, to take meaningful decisions.
New security arrangements have been imposed at many venues, and the IOC fear that the three-cordon procedure proposed by Beijing could prevent athletes, officials and media - the three categories prioritised by the IOC - from being able to smoothly attend venues.
Broadcasters already setting up operations in the city have also experienced difficulties, encountering restricted vehicle access to stadia and finding that permits for filming outside venues are currently taking 21 days to process. With the games lasting just 17 days, the drawbacks are obvious.
The IOC's task in trying to resolve some of these issues has been made harder by the introduction of a new level of bureaucracy, only revealed today. A two-tier command structure has been imposed, with central government officials leading the top tier and Bocog officials and the mayor dealing with day-to-day operations. With decisions usually having to be taken swiftly, the structure poses a major challenge to the smooth running of the games.
Hein Verbruggen, the chairman of the IOC coordination commission that has steered the Beijing games since 2001, acknowledges the challenge. "The biggest challenge that we face is bureaucracy," he said this week. "The Chinese way is to plan everything to the finest detail so there are a lot of procedures in place. But the hospitality and friendliness of the people will be spectacular, and I am absolutely certain the games will leave an incredible legacy for the country."
IOC president Jacques Rogge also expressed confidence that the games would proceed smoothly, and that security arrangements would not ultimately prove overbearing. "We have asked the Chinese to try and find the right balance between security and operations, and I have confidence that they will do so," he said today.
For all the outward confidence, it would be no surprise if Rogge was among those breathing a sigh of relief on August 25.
Doha rejection exposes weakness of the Olympics
When Rogge and his executive board gathered in Athens this week, they knew the agenda was likely to be dominated by the race to host the 2016 games.
What they may not have expected was that a contest likely to be dominated by marquee cities Rio de Janeiro, Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid would be swamped in controversy surrounding the ejection of a small Gulf state with more money than genuine prospects of success.
That is what happened however after Doha, the Qatari capital and the first middle-eastern city to bid to host the games, was thrown out of the race on Wednesday evening.
The decision may ultimately have proved correct - there are many reasons why you might consider the tiny desert state an inappropriate venue for the games, starting with the role of women and the treatment of migrant workers - but the cack-handed execution and the subsequent row reveals some deep-seated insecurities in the Olympic movement.
Officially Doha was junked from the race because its request to stage the games in October 2016, thus avoiding the searing summer temperatures of the IOC's preferred window between July 15 and August 31, was rejected.According to bid insiders, Doha had been assured that the dates were no barrier to inclusion in the race, and proceeded with a bid that on technical merits was ranked above Rio and level with Chicago.
Rogge denies that the IOC misled the city, claiming that the decision was made with the interests of athletes in mind. Doha's expulsion still represented a wholesale rejection of the recommendations of the IOC's technical committee, setting a precedent the movement may come to regret.
In the wake of the Salt Lake City scandal that exposed corruption in the bidding process, Rogge oversaw a change in procedure that placed technical merit above the political and personal whims of IOC members. In Doha's case that approach appears to have been set aside, ironically to help prevent a return to the culture of graft that characterised old-school bidding.
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Rogge and the executive committee blocked Doha because they did not trust the full IOC membership to make the correct decision in an open vote. The IOC membership is capricious and unpredictable, and had Doha made it on to the short list the full weight of its petro-dollar fortune would have been unleashed on the membership. For an organisation desperate to remove the perception that its members' votes might be for sale, that could have been disastrous.
Perhaps more seriously for the long-term health of the games, the decision exposes the relative weakness of Olympic sport in the international market. An Olympics in October would pitch the games directly against the European football leagues and the NFL and major league baseball in the US. The IOC leadership know that with track-and-field at its lowest ebb, discredited by drug scandals and pushed to the margins as a consequence, the games would be crushed by a humiliating lack of interest.
Simply, the Olympic movement's only chance of sustaining interest and, crucially, broadcast revenue is to sit in a summer window that avoids competition. With the all-important TV negotiations for 2016 that will secure the IOC's medium-term future yet to begin, Rogge was not prepared to allow even the remotest prospect that broadcasters would be asked to pay billions for an autumn games in the desert.
June 7, 2008 at 1.37pm.
The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic games is just 62 days away, and across the Chinese capital clocks count the days. Among International Olympic Committee executives and members gathered in Athens this week they are counting the hours to a different landmark: "Everyone is counting the days to the opening ceremony," said one senior figure. "Me? I'm looking forward to reaching the closing ceremony on August 24 and getting on the plane home."
Publicly the IOC expresses complete confidence in China's preparations, but behind the optimism lie deep anxieties about the most politically-charged and culturally challenging games in Olympic history.
Many of the senior officials in Athens this week arrived direct from Beijing where they held a series of crisis talks with the authorities following the imposition of a huge security clampdown and a new level of government-led bureaucracy that threatens to disrupt the smooth running of the games.
As well as concerns over making the games work, there are genuine fears that athletes who choose to speak out against the Chinese regime, critical media and any individuals daring to protest publicly could prompt a huge backlash from the authorities and the general public.
At the heart of the IOC's concerns is the political fallout from events of the last three months. Riots in Lahsa, Tibet in March prompted a global wave of anti-Chinese protests which found a convenient focal point in the hapless Beijing Olympic torch relay. What Beijing hoped would be a triumph degenerated into a tawdry public relations fiasco that damaged both China and the IOC.
The response in Beijing has been dramatic. Shaken by events, the Chinese authorities have ordered a huge security clampdown on Olympic sites that threatened to disrupt basic games operations.
According to seasoned Sinophiles in the Olympic movement there has also been a tangible hardening of the public and official mood too. The attacks on the torch relay came as a genuine shock to many Chinese, who feel their country has been unfairly traduced. There is bemusement too at the actions of NGOs including Amnesty that have called on athletes to speak out against the Beijing government. The Chinese code of hospitality does not include insulting your host, and the reaction of the authorities and public to anyone who does criticise China is the great unknown of this Olympiad.
The collision of 20,000 journalists, 10,000 athletes and thousands of foreign spectators with the Chinese is causing acute unease within the IOC, and some influential figures fear that any backlash could be damaging to both the games and the Olympic movement.
Most sensitive is the issue of athletes speaking out. The IOC charter prohibits "propaganda and demonstrations", and the IOC has promised to apply "common sense" when assessing whether the line has been crossed by, for example, the wearing of a Free Tibet T-shirt or an inflammatory press-conference comment.
There are no such guarantees from the elaborate Chinese security apparatus, however, and the current mood in Beijing gives little cause of optimism that they will be indulgent of dissent.
There are technical fears, too. The Chinese central government has taken a tighter grip on the project in the wake of Lhasa, restricting the ability of the Beijing organising committee (Bocog), with which the IOC has worked for seven years, to take meaningful decisions.
New security arrangements have been imposed at many venues, and the IOC fear that the three-cordon procedure proposed by Beijing could prevent athletes, officials and media - the three categories prioritised by the IOC - from being able to smoothly attend venues.
Broadcasters already setting up operations in the city have also experienced difficulties, encountering restricted vehicle access to stadia and finding that permits for filming outside venues are currently taking 21 days to process. With the games lasting just 17 days, the drawbacks are obvious.
The IOC's task in trying to resolve some of these issues has been made harder by the introduction of a new level of bureaucracy, only revealed today. A two-tier command structure has been imposed, with central government officials leading the top tier and Bocog officials and the mayor dealing with day-to-day operations. With decisions usually having to be taken swiftly, the structure poses a major challenge to the smooth running of the games.
Hein Verbruggen, the chairman of the IOC coordination commission that has steered the Beijing games since 2001, acknowledges the challenge. "The biggest challenge that we face is bureaucracy," he said this week. "The Chinese way is to plan everything to the finest detail so there are a lot of procedures in place. But the hospitality and friendliness of the people will be spectacular, and I am absolutely certain the games will leave an incredible legacy for the country."
IOC president Jacques Rogge also expressed confidence that the games would proceed smoothly, and that security arrangements would not ultimately prove overbearing. "We have asked the Chinese to try and find the right balance between security and operations, and I have confidence that they will do so," he said today.
For all the outward confidence, it would be no surprise if Rogge was among those breathing a sigh of relief on August 25.
Doha rejection exposes weakness of the Olympics
When Rogge and his executive board gathered in Athens this week, they knew the agenda was likely to be dominated by the race to host the 2016 games.
What they may not have expected was that a contest likely to be dominated by marquee cities Rio de Janeiro, Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid would be swamped in controversy surrounding the ejection of a small Gulf state with more money than genuine prospects of success.
That is what happened however after Doha, the Qatari capital and the first middle-eastern city to bid to host the games, was thrown out of the race on Wednesday evening.
The decision may ultimately have proved correct - there are many reasons why you might consider the tiny desert state an inappropriate venue for the games, starting with the role of women and the treatment of migrant workers - but the cack-handed execution and the subsequent row reveals some deep-seated insecurities in the Olympic movement.
Officially Doha was junked from the race because its request to stage the games in October 2016, thus avoiding the searing summer temperatures of the IOC's preferred window between July 15 and August 31, was rejected.According to bid insiders, Doha had been assured that the dates were no barrier to inclusion in the race, and proceeded with a bid that on technical merits was ranked above Rio and level with Chicago.
Rogge denies that the IOC misled the city, claiming that the decision was made with the interests of athletes in mind. Doha's expulsion still represented a wholesale rejection of the recommendations of the IOC's technical committee, setting a precedent the movement may come to regret.
In the wake of the Salt Lake City scandal that exposed corruption in the bidding process, Rogge oversaw a change in procedure that placed technical merit above the political and personal whims of IOC members. In Doha's case that approach appears to have been set aside, ironically to help prevent a return to the culture of graft that characterised old-school bidding.
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Rogge and the executive committee blocked Doha because they did not trust the full IOC membership to make the correct decision in an open vote. The IOC membership is capricious and unpredictable, and had Doha made it on to the short list the full weight of its petro-dollar fortune would have been unleashed on the membership. For an organisation desperate to remove the perception that its members' votes might be for sale, that could have been disastrous.
Perhaps more seriously for the long-term health of the games, the decision exposes the relative weakness of Olympic sport in the international market. An Olympics in October would pitch the games directly against the European football leagues and the NFL and major league baseball in the US. The IOC leadership know that with track-and-field at its lowest ebb, discredited by drug scandals and pushed to the margins as a consequence, the games would be crushed by a humiliating lack of interest.
Simply, the Olympic movement's only chance of sustaining interest and, crucially, broadcast revenue is to sit in a summer window that avoids competition. With the all-important TV negotiations for 2016 that will secure the IOC's medium-term future yet to begin, Rogge was not prepared to allow even the remotest prospect that broadcasters would be asked to pay billions for an autumn games in the desert.
2015 Pan Am Games Possibility in Ontario
Jun 07, 2008 04:30 AM
by Rob Ferguson Queen's Park Bureau, Toronto Star
The Ontario government is backing a $1.77 billion local bid to host the PanAm Games in 2015, seeing it as an audition for the Olympics, the Toronto Star has learned.
Now it's up to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government to decide whether to get on board with Ontario, Toronto and about a dozen municipalities in the Golden Horseshoe in pushing for the summer games.
"We like what we've seen," a senior provincial government source said yesterday after officials finished poring over the business plan for the bid, which will now be sent to Ottawa for review.
The bid envisions "four to six" new Olympic-sized pools for the games that would be held in cities stretching from Niagara, around Lake Ontario to Durham and north to the Barrie area.
"That's just the tip of the iceberg," added the source. "There are all sorts of facilities that would have to be built or refurbished."
They could include Hamilton's Ivor Wynne Stadium, home to the Tiger-Cats of the CFL.
One government official put the number of venues required to host the games at 70 or more, such as Rogers Centre, BMO Field on the CNE grounds and dozens of others for sports ranging from track and field to swimming to basketball.
"It will be a benefit to the economy of the Golden Horseshoe and it could leave a lasting legacy of recreational sports facilities," the provincial source said, estimating the financial impact during the games alone at $45 million from an estimated 10,000 athletes and 250,000 visitors from 42 countries.
The PanAm Games, open to countries in the Americas, are held every four years.
The last was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2007 and the next will be in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2011.
While no money needs to be put on the table yet, Ontario government sources said a cost-sharing plan would see the province and the federal government each put up 35 per cent, or $619.5 million.
Toronto and the other municipalities hoping to host some of the 300 sporting events would pay 30 per cent or $531 million, likely with help from the private sector.
The bid budget covers both capital costs to repair and replace worn-out sports venues as well as operating costs for running the games, which last came to Canada in 1999 when Winnipeg was the host city.
Cost will undoubtedly be a delicate point as the economy slows and government revenues are squeezed. City Hall sources warned earlier this spring that Toronto is willing to sign on as a main bidder providing Queen's Park picks up most of the tab.
But a spokesperson for Mayor David Miller said yesterday that winning federal approval for the games is the immediate goal.
"At this point talking about the funding is premature," said Don Wanagas.
"We're waiting to hear a response from the federal government. Once we see the business case that everybody's ready to get together on this we can talk about financing."
Federal officials could not immediately be reached for comment. The provincial source warned municipalities would have to make "firm commitments for the projects that they want."
At $1.77 billion, the bid value is well within the $1.5 to $2 billion originally estimated by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), which will only support the bid if all levels of government are behind it, the provincial source said.
COC chief executive Chris Rudge told the Star in March that the Golden Horseshoe is its preferred site for the PanAm Games because southern Ontario has one-third of Canada's population but is "dramatically underserviced as far as sports facilities and infrastructure."
Winning the PanAm Games would be a psychological boost for the area given Toronto's two previous failed Olympic bids and Hamilton's failure to win the Commonwealth Games.
The last major, international multi-sport event held in the area was the 1930 British Empire (now Commonwealth) Games, staged in Hamilton, a provincial source said.
Other cities believed to bidding for the 2015 PanAm Games are Lima, Peru; Bogota, Colombia; and Caracas, Venezuela.
by Rob Ferguson Queen's Park Bureau, Toronto Star
The Ontario government is backing a $1.77 billion local bid to host the PanAm Games in 2015, seeing it as an audition for the Olympics, the Toronto Star has learned.
Now it's up to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government to decide whether to get on board with Ontario, Toronto and about a dozen municipalities in the Golden Horseshoe in pushing for the summer games.
"We like what we've seen," a senior provincial government source said yesterday after officials finished poring over the business plan for the bid, which will now be sent to Ottawa for review.
The bid envisions "four to six" new Olympic-sized pools for the games that would be held in cities stretching from Niagara, around Lake Ontario to Durham and north to the Barrie area.
"That's just the tip of the iceberg," added the source. "There are all sorts of facilities that would have to be built or refurbished."
They could include Hamilton's Ivor Wynne Stadium, home to the Tiger-Cats of the CFL.
One government official put the number of venues required to host the games at 70 or more, such as Rogers Centre, BMO Field on the CNE grounds and dozens of others for sports ranging from track and field to swimming to basketball.
"It will be a benefit to the economy of the Golden Horseshoe and it could leave a lasting legacy of recreational sports facilities," the provincial source said, estimating the financial impact during the games alone at $45 million from an estimated 10,000 athletes and 250,000 visitors from 42 countries.
The PanAm Games, open to countries in the Americas, are held every four years.
The last was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2007 and the next will be in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2011.
While no money needs to be put on the table yet, Ontario government sources said a cost-sharing plan would see the province and the federal government each put up 35 per cent, or $619.5 million.
Toronto and the other municipalities hoping to host some of the 300 sporting events would pay 30 per cent or $531 million, likely with help from the private sector.
The bid budget covers both capital costs to repair and replace worn-out sports venues as well as operating costs for running the games, which last came to Canada in 1999 when Winnipeg was the host city.
Cost will undoubtedly be a delicate point as the economy slows and government revenues are squeezed. City Hall sources warned earlier this spring that Toronto is willing to sign on as a main bidder providing Queen's Park picks up most of the tab.
But a spokesperson for Mayor David Miller said yesterday that winning federal approval for the games is the immediate goal.
"At this point talking about the funding is premature," said Don Wanagas.
"We're waiting to hear a response from the federal government. Once we see the business case that everybody's ready to get together on this we can talk about financing."
Federal officials could not immediately be reached for comment. The provincial source warned municipalities would have to make "firm commitments for the projects that they want."
At $1.77 billion, the bid value is well within the $1.5 to $2 billion originally estimated by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), which will only support the bid if all levels of government are behind it, the provincial source said.
COC chief executive Chris Rudge told the Star in March that the Golden Horseshoe is its preferred site for the PanAm Games because southern Ontario has one-third of Canada's population but is "dramatically underserviced as far as sports facilities and infrastructure."
Winning the PanAm Games would be a psychological boost for the area given Toronto's two previous failed Olympic bids and Hamilton's failure to win the Commonwealth Games.
The last major, international multi-sport event held in the area was the 1930 British Empire (now Commonwealth) Games, staged in Hamilton, a provincial source said.
Other cities believed to bidding for the 2015 PanAm Games are Lima, Peru; Bogota, Colombia; and Caracas, Venezuela.
Winnipeg Peregrine Falcons Die
The 3 newly-hatched Peregrine Falcons that were in a nest at the Radisson Hotel in Winnipeg, died June 6th as a result of too much rain pouring into their nest, really extreme cold and water.
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/falcon/
A very sad story.
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/falcon/
A very sad story.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
And Besides.....
The new KINGSTON AQUATICS CENTRE would have many amenities:
One of the amenities would be 2, 25m swimming pools.
Another amenity would be a warm, gradual depth pool that is perfect for children to play in.
Another amenity would be diving boards.
Another amenity would be a nice outdoor patio where visiting families can get a cool drink while their children are playing in the pools.
Another amenity would be lots of light and windows.
What other amenities would YOU like in YOUR new AQUATICS CENTRE? It's YOURs. Have a say!!
One of the amenities would be 2, 25m swimming pools.
Another amenity would be a warm, gradual depth pool that is perfect for children to play in.
Another amenity would be diving boards.
Another amenity would be a nice outdoor patio where visiting families can get a cool drink while their children are playing in the pools.
Another amenity would be lots of light and windows.
What other amenities would YOU like in YOUR new AQUATICS CENTRE? It's YOURs. Have a say!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)