Unauthorized

Ian Reid responds to my article on my surprise that the NDP will keep Carole James as the leader for the next provincial election by attacking me personally, saying “When a middle-aged, schlumpy and just average comedian complains about a woman’s lack of charisma, my first thought is, there’s a guy who’s not getting a lot of dates.”

Yet, in a recent blog post he says: “Some people say that the antipathy to Carole James is based in sexism – that many guys can’t relate to her because she’s a woman.  I’m not going to make that claim.  It’s too easy and too simple.” So I hope he remembers to add an asterisk to that sentence. *unless, of course, I'm talking about Lalo Espejo.

If I called Carole James, or any female schlumpy and unable to get a date, I'd be the biggest dick in the world, and yet this his first line of defence? (although I do understand that the truth is the best defence against libel: Okay I'm schlumpy, so sue me)

 One of these days, and I look forward to it, we're going to think about the fact that the torch relay began as Nazi propoganda.

Sure, we have a new line to the airport, and I bet it plays well in the Peoria that's in the tourists hearts,  but I can think of at least six NEW routes in the city we could have used, and more frequent service on the ones we do have.

But hey, who cares about the people who actually live here?

Other transit service has been cut to for the sake of the Canada Line. We should have called it the PPTL - the Peter to Paul transfer line. That leaves a lot of people still getting in their cars in this green wannabe city.

It seems every city endures a fiasco in order to host the halfpipe and men-only ski jumping, which is particularly galling in the snow-white games.

It's incredible how the leaders of host cities have a dip in intelligence when hypnotized by the trademarked rings - they're so precious. 

Dave Zirin is a rare animal indeed, and a bit of a shit disturber. He's a "political" sports writer who isn't willing to let sports off the hook for it's potential leadership role in bringing social issues into the spotlight. What excites him about the Vancouver Olympics is that it's the first time there will be a 'convergence' of protesters, a la WTO in Seattle.

People who want to avoid any uncomfortable displays of protestation at sports events usually invoke "The purity of sport," making it sound as if sports is the sole bastion of the Aryan nation. One thing is for sure about the Winter Olympics - it's definitely a white affair. And in the history of protest at the Olympics, he reminded the audience of what was perhaps the pinnacle moment: Tommy Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in the Black Power salute on the podium to receive their Gold and Bronze medals at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Every day there seems to be a new needle in our eye. The latest is the Cypress Moutain closure.  The slopes of Cypress were not meant to be in  Olympic' hands until February 1st.  If they close two weeks early at the behest of the iron rings then surely there was a clause for compensation. We'll  never know, though, because the venue use agreement is private.  Just add it to Vancouver's tab. We're good for it, right?

The sum total of security zones,  grafitti cleansing,  homeless cleansing, and asking artists to volunteer so that contingency funds can be paid sucks. But I still want the Canadian Hockey teams to win gold.

While there are many of us who voted "no" to the Olympics, that doesn't mean we don't want Canadians to win a medal in the luge. Nothing could make me prouder than snowshoeing gold, and the pride of saying, "Suck on it, Latvia!"

Team pride and a desire not to be tasered aren't mutually exclusive.