Paris is burning, yet again.

[Shapley]

Olympic Torch Relay Interrupted By Protests In Paris, Celebration Halted

I honestly think Parisians just look for an excuse to riot...

[BigJon@Work]

You don't have to stop at the borders of Paris. It seems all of France is ready to protest and riot at the drop of an franc.

[Shapley]

You don't have to stop at the borders of Paris. It seems all of France is ready to protest and riot at the drop of an franc.

Wouldn't that be the 'drop of a Euro'? I thought they'd dropped the Franc.

[BigJon@Work]

I'm gonna riot to protest you . . .

[jamiebk]

Just wait until it gets to San Francisco! They already had some protesters up on the Golden Gate bridge today hanging banners. They were later arrested and the banners removed. There is a huge rally of 100,000 people planned for the torch route with the idea being to wrest it away from the carrier to extinguish it.

For me, I think China has a long way to go to demonstrate to the world that it is ready to be seated with the adults. I am not sure that destroying the olympic torch tradition is the way to deal with that. If people were so concerned about China's behavior, the Olympics should not have been awarded in the first place. Hopefully the games will work to pry open China's dirty little secrets and force them to adopt human rights standards that the rest of the developed world has.

[Shapley]

I see the torch arrived in San Francisco. That's a pretty quick trip from Paris to Frisco. I thought it was supposed to meander its a way to China, not jet around the world.

[jamiebk]

I see the torch arrived in San Francisco. That's a pretty quick trip from Paris to Frisco. I thought it was supposed to meander its a way to China, not jet around the world.

Yeah...I know...me too

I heard a snippet on the radio this AM that the thing that arrived isn't the actual "torch" but rather the "flame" to light (or keep lit) the torch. Get this...it "flys" in it's own special container so as to allow it to stay lit, but not be a danger aboard an airplane etc. There are 200 people that have to accompany it (God knows why), and "it" has its own hotel room...where ever that may be.

Can you spell boondoggle?

[Shapley]

Prometheus would be proud.

I believe in previous Olympics they 'bounced' the flame off a satelite to light the flame holder on another continent. I guess that wasn't acceptable this time around.

Was the plane called the 'Chariot of Fire"?

Perhaps the 200 attendants are the "Creatures Of Prometheus".

[Haggis@wk]

Prometheus would be proud.

I believe in previous Olympics they 'bounced' the flame off a satelite to light the flame holder on another continent. I guess that wasn't acceptable this time around.

Was the plane called the 'Chariot of Fire"?

Perhaps the 200 attendants are the "Creatures Of Prometheus".

The origins of the flame from Greece to the Olympic venue was devised by a German during the 1936 Olympics and was primarily based on the paganism so popular in Nazi German at the time. The idea was that 3,000 youths, examples of "Aryan purity," would carry the torch from Greece 3,000KM to Berlin.

Not an origin to be proud of.

[Shapley]

I wasn't aware of that.

[dai bread]

For some time now, the Olympics have been a propaganda extravaganza loosely hung around a display of top-notch athletics. I'll be giving most of it a miss.

I still get annoyed at the recitation of the mantra "the important thing is not to have won, but to have taken part". Who remembers the also-rans? Or even the second place-getters?

My high school headmaster was very fond of that mantra. Every Monday morning, he read out the deeds of the First XV (rugby) or the First XI (cricket) according to the season. Occasionally the Seconds were mentioned, about twice I think in 5 years, and nobody else's efforts were ever acknowledged.

[Shapley]

According to Wikipedia, this will be the longest torch relay yet, with the flame traveling 137,000 miles (mostly by air), and employing nearl 22,000 torch-bearers. Even if it had been born of noble birth, it's certainly become an absurd custom.

[jamiebk]

The custom may well stop as a result of the protests. San Francisco is braced for chaos today as the torch relay begins (around 1:00PM, I think). There are protests all over the city and lots of streets are blocked off today. I can see (from my office) AT&T park where the festivities begin. Interviews of protesters indicate that their objective will be to tackle the runners and extinguish the flame.

I have never stood in the way of anyone's right to protest, but that's the wrong way to do it and hopefully violence will be avoided...or at least stopped.

Gavin Newsom (Mayor) indicates that the city has many plans to avoid confrontation inlcuding changing-up on the route at the last minute. There was also an idea to hold the relay inside of AT&T park where crowds could be controlled. Last report was that the Chinese were considering cancelling the rest of the torch relay.

Wondering what my commute home through the city will be like tonight....

[Serenity]

Strike a torch and run home to protest the protests and wear a Tibetan shirt.

[Haggis@wk]

The custom may well stop as a result of the protests. San Francisco is braced for chaos today as the torch relay begins (around 1:00PM, I think). There are protests all over the city and lots of streets are blocked off today. I can see (from my office) AT&T park where the festivities begin. Interviews of protesters indicate that their objective will be to tackle the runners and extinguish the flame.

I have never stood in the way of anyone's right to protest, but that's the wrong way to do it and hopefully violence will be avoided...or at least stopped.

Gavin Newsom (Mayor) indicates that the city has many plans to avoid confrontation inlcuding changing-up on the route at the last minute. There was also an idea to hold the relay inside of AT&T park where crowds could be controlled. Last report was that the Chinese were considering cancelling the rest of the torch relay.

Wondering what my commute home through the city will be like tonight....

Two thoughts

1. That's...soooo San Francisco-ish

2. BIC lighter, Beijing, flick

(Ed. "Right, they can start a new tradition, mailing a BIC lighter from Greece to the venue, China can get them a good deal on BIC's wholesale")

[Serenity]

Just saw a headline that "Oh-mama" was urging Bush to boycott the Olympics. What Olympic event is GWB going to be participating in? I didn't know he was in training! I have new respect for George now. Could it be "pooh-flinging" (a natural primate ability)?

[Shapley]

Fishermen Clash With Paris Police

Mr. Sarkozy is forging ahead with economic reforms, despite protest from French unions.

[Serenity]

Bridgette Bardot alleges muslims are destroying France by slaughtering sheep during the feast of Aid el-Kebir. (she is more of an animal rights activist than "muslim activist")...hmm, we need a turban-wearin' emoticon.

http://www.charter.net/news/news_reader ... feedid=241

[Haggis@wk]

hmm, we need a turban-wearin' emoticon.

Bit of a risk taker aren't you?

[Shapley]