San Francisco - "The City that Knows How" (?)

HA!
LONDON couldn't handle it!
PARIS couldn't handle it!

But good 'ol SAN FRAN (as boyfriend calls it), the town that gave the world Martinis and Shanghaing sailors, is now the home of the "Great Dissappearing Torch Trick"!

BREAKING NEWS: "Torch leaves San Francisco after surprise route designed to thwart protesters"
Olympic Torch Switcheroo Leaves Some Fuming (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/09/MNDS102IIM.DTL&tsp=1)

The editorial board isn't too pleased though....Torch relay turns into keep-away game Run ... for cover (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/09/EDLM102JJD.DTL&tsp=1)

Well, at least yesterday we had Desmond Tutu and Richard Gere making speaches for the Dalai Lama. Who said the 80's were dead?

(This small cartoon clip is not yet on youtube)


Burning out - by Mark Fiore (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/04/09/fioretorch.DTL&tsp=1)

... is not the only place where I've lost a trick

I hear they had to hold a ceremony on an expressway bridge as it was the only safe place...

It's difficult to explain the layout of "McCovey Cove" withought a picture. The area, now a park by the new ballpark, was an old shipping canal with a drawbridge. The opening ceremony was on one side of the bridge and the torch was supposed to cross the bridge which was lined with police. The ceremony wasn't "on" the bridge but near the bridge.

Part of the torch run was on a causeway that approaches the Golden gate Bridge but there was no ceremony there.

The closing "ceremony" was on the airport tarmac. :thumbright:

Hey, everyone knows the whole thing is only for the TV camers, right?

I see that Gordon Brown has already re-iterated he will not be "waving to mom" on TV at the opening ceremonies (sorta like BG did down under).

Way to go, Brits! :-)

[dave_tf-old]

Brits are far too restrained to indulge in such depravities as actually waving.

Well, what's with that Queen Elizabeth wave? Is that some royal tradition, or a personal affectation? Perhaps a holdover from Victorian times when it was unseemely to show one's naked palm--even when gloved? Or is she actually waving to herself--herself being the royal person and representing those she would otherwise be waving to?

Anyway, I thought he said he wasn't going to the opening ceremony?

Yes, and I, too, said Mr. Brown was NOT going to the opening ceremony.

I was speaking about George Bush who seems to have, in one of his telephone conversations to the Chinese Communist Party dictator (regarding supposedly asking China to talk to the Dalai Lama) said he was planning to attend the opening ceremonies. This was a surprise to a lot of people. It is not usual that heads of state attend opening ceremonies, from what I understand. He's been asked and has stated indirectly that, well, the whole issue is still open, and though he still may be planning to attend he could decide otherwise, but we'll have to wait and see. I can't understand why a President who just awarded a person a Medal of Honor would sit there with his head in the sand about all this direct accusations of the recipient as an infidel terrorist (it's the farmers in America who benefit from China - that's why George does this!). Athletes shouldn't be asked to make decisions like this but Presidents are free to assume what the athletes would want and act in their behalf? It's complete hypocricy, of course. Politicians are elected to make moral decisions at times, and the Olympics ARE politicized, and GB does not represent me and most other Americans and should not legitamative foreign governments that deny human rights, genocide, and to come to thinnk of it the Olympics shouldn't have done this either. It's downright wrong.

I think George saw Bill Gates wave and smirk from the Sydney Olympics. That thrill is about all Bush seeks here.

I'm happy to see that your British PMs have a lot more class than American presidents.

Invalid Session. Please resubmit the form.