I Gotta: The Olympic Torch

The Journey of Harmony

Courtesy of Wikipedia: (the torch) Commemorates the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, when a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics.

I heard someone who reports on the IOC that _everyone_ knew this was going to be a fiasco when Beijing got the Olympics in 2001. What are you going to focus your protests on? Not buying products made in China? Embargoing Chinese freighters? Or giving the sad torch bearers physical grief?

The IOC is like the UN. It's not a country. It's worldwide headquarters are in Norway, and every country has its own IOC -- like the Chinese IOC who paid a special visit to SF Mayor Gavin Newsome the other day for some reason.

The International Olympic Committee is a giant organization. But surely, somewhere in there heard in 2001 the cries of "Oh god. This is a terrible, terrible idea."

I should mention that I'm a total softy for the Olympics. But the Torch being put out repeatedly by protesters, and then sent to San Fancisco at 3AM somehow dampens my Olympic spirit for some reason.

But I'm sure it'll all work out. Even though we're just talking about the torch part of the Olympics. And they've only got sixteen cities to go.

Oh yeah, those guys inside the phalanx of cops in blue and white jumpsuits in SF last week? They were Chinese paramilitary guards.

It's not rain. It's Prometheus' tears.