4/08/2008

About the Olympics

When the BC Olympic Comittee first announced a bid for the Olympics in 2010 for Whistler I was ecstatic. Whistler is not too far away and it may be a good thing.
In my younger years I was a competitive skiier, and I loved the sport with a passion. Still do, but the bones won't take the hammering anymore. My competitive career ended in 1961 with a bad fall. And it wasn't even related to a race. Just a dumb move skiing where there was no snow.
So I looked forward to maybe volunteering as a groom. That might give me a free ringside seat for the GS or the Downhill which were my specialties. All these volunteering thoughts came about as I was getting ready to retire and I knew the money would be tight.
But being a person who is interested in many social and political issues I started taking a second look at the volunteer thing. I didn't like what I saw with the Homeless situation and the way this government wanted to treat them. Just sweep them under the carpet and pretend they didn't exist. Then the way they have been pouring taxpayers' money into projects like the Convention center and calling things P3 projects (partnerships) that give companies absolute freedom to do things their way with no interference from any quarter. And all this with little or no financial output. Bridges that are going to be built with toll booths. And roads as well. And they say that the tolls will be temporary. Thirty years maybe. What a crock of shit. Just look at the Coquihalla. They will never lift the toll off that JOKE.
So, recently I have seen a lot of people saying Boycott the Olympics and some columnists saying "Olympics? Why not boycott China?" Or in other cases "Boycott McDonalds" Well as far as McDonalds goes they have been on my boycott list since they sold 8 million burgers. As far as boycotting the olympics goes I am doing just that for 2010. I will not be volunteering, what-so-ever. For this year I may read a few items but I don't have TV so I won't be put in the position of having to watch them.
Things are so much simpler without TV. Without it you can eliminate much of the spin by the big networks.Or the advertising every 11 minutes or whatever.

4 comments:

kootcoot said...

Dear Mr G. E.,

I was pleased to see your new blog up and happening and was all fired up to add a link and perhaps a mention on my blog, House of Infamy.

Then I noticed that not only had you taken and used MY version of the Gordo Mug Shot (I added that Caption in PhotoShop) but hadn't even shown me the courtesy of providing a link to the House. I might mention that the House was THE first blog specializing in issues related to the Legislature Raids, yes, even pre-dating Mary's which is quite deservedly considered THE FLAGSHIP blog.

Mary hosts the most comprehensive and fair minded publication/blog on the entire issue, bar NONE. Consider the House to be more of the seasoning of a bit of attitude to help digest the meat and potatoes of the grusome facts over at
The Legislature Raids


So for now, while I will be following your postings, I'm holding off on the link, etc.

Gary E said...

Dear Kootcoot

Thanks for visiting my blog. You are concerned about that photo and I will remove it forthwith. I had copied that photo (I guess from The House of Infamy) some time ago and had forgotten where it came from. I am truly sorry for the error. As far as the link for your site goes, I am still adding links when I come across them. Your sight is very informative and truly has a different perspective on a lot of issues. It deserves a mention. As it says in my masthead, I am new at this and expect to make some mistakes. I am glad you pointed this out to me and it will be corrected immediately. Sorry if I upset you. I assure you it was unintentional.

kootcoot said...

You are totally welcome to use the photo, I don't even need credit, all I did was write a silly caption. The link is plenty of thanks. Also feel free to use anything you find at the house and have any use for. It was the combination of the photo and no link that elevated my heart-rate 1/2 beat per hour.

I will be adding your new digs to my top drawer (Blogs that Care About the Raids) posthaste. I think we all need to strap ourselves in, it's beginning to look like "rough sledding" for the Gordo dudes.

BC Mary said...

Gary E,

Here's a Letter to the Editor of Times Colonist which you may like (and I would have added "money laundering" to Mr Hansen's list (3rd paragraph) of what a gambling environment includes):



Gambling article ignored dark side

Times Colonist - Friday, April 11, 2008


Re: "Gambling creates 16,400 jobs in province," April 9.

The article about gambling could be seen as encouraging the spread of gambling and suggesting that more is a win-win gamble for Canada and B.C.

The article is unbalanced and avoids the ugly face of gambling.

The gambling environment includes loan sharks, pimps, criminals, gambling addicts, drugs, prostitution. It results in the destruction of individuals and families and loss of jobs.

The politicians seek gambling funds to pay for their campaigns.

Gambling's claimed 16,400 jobs -- even if true -- are a drop in the bucket when compared with the lives destroyed and the suffering of forlorn family members affected by compulsive gamblers. The pathological compulsive gamblers accounts for five to six per cent of all players, but provide a much larger share of all casino and lottery profits.

Canadians should not be proud of living off the mentally ill.

Governments were not established to corrupt citizens and destroy lives. That's the bottom line of the $15.3 billion extracted as taxes from Canadian citizens.

What will the future be like with expanded gambling and expanded addicted, compulsive gamblers, when today's teenagers grow up -- your sons and daughters.

Paul M. Hansen
Saanichton

__________________________________

There are SO many troubling issues these days with the BC government, it will be a relief to have a web-site specializing in commentaries like these.

At least, I hope that's your specialty. Please let me know if you do like to receive tips and/or contributions; if so, what kind, and how to send them to you.

Best wishes from

BC Mary
The Legislature Raids
http://bctrialofbasi-virk.blogspot.com/

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