Eye Opener

David;

My wife's employer is shutting down the office for two weeks during the Olympic event because customers are afraid to drive to town; afraid to find parking and are now canceling appointments en mass.

This means the practice will be closed and the 6 employees including the owner will not be paid wages, yet rent is still due and bills must be paid.


This means our family will not have holidays this year, nor will we be able to afford such niceties as swimming lessons for the children.

Our family are not the only ones affected.

So when those many politicians take taxpayer paid for tickets to watch a taxpayer paid for event, think of the thousands of taxpayers who have been negatively affected by the games.

Does VANOC have a conscience at all; does Furlong give a damn? Does Gordo?

Olympic Update

1) Of course, many cities and municipalities are spending tax dollars on tickets for their councillors, employees, friends and family members.

Of course, this is wrong.

Read the story here.

2) Don't know how to smile?

No problem.

Vancouver has produced a 128-page etiquette guide.

Hahahahaha...

The world's coldest, most unfriendly city is going to huggy-bear, kissy-face up overnight with a Warmth for Dummies manual.

Hahahaha...

Someone worked for months on this idiocy.

Someone paid for it.

You!

On Monday, I smiled at a woman who was standing on a corner in my neighbourhood and daringly said, "Good morning."

She glared at me, as she was obviously assaulted by an unsolicited greeting.

Look it up in the criminal code.

Violation 32B11-14.

I added as I passed, "I am truly sorry for saying good morning."

She probably wrote the guide.

3) A friend told me yesterday that she knows someone who is being paid by VANOC to be a sort of traffic cop in BC Place.

Ready for the wage?

$45/hour.

Yes, that's correct.

$45/hour.

Multiply that by a few zillion employees and you'll begin to understand why the Games are so expensive.

The amateur sporting games.

Oh, there is more.

Just because BC Place isn't quite ready for the throngs just yet, don't think that our friend's friend is not being paid.

She is.

She is now being paid $45/hr. to stand by.

4) And finally, the good news.

A friend has forwarded the following:

See below for a list of free or low cost events and exciting venues to check out.

LiveCity Yaletown LiveCity Downtown Richmond's Ozone Canada Pavilion "Streets to Watch" Granville Island "French Quarter" Bombardier Streetcar Heineken House (Richmond) Alberta House Saskatchewan Pavilion Ontario Pavilion Atlantic Canada House Laser Waterworks Show Nightly Medal Ceremony Vectorial Elevation

Robson Square/GE Plaza Bell Ice Cube Vancouver Art Gallery Four Host Nations Pavilion Sochi House Vancouver City Hall Surrey 2010 Celebration Olympic Torch Relay West Vancouver Spirit Square Quebec House CentrePlace Manitoba New Westminster (Keep the Dream Alive) Abbotsford Live Site Canada Line BC Hydro Power Smart Village

Contributors

I cannot find the photo on the Globe's website.

Thus, all I can do is report what I saw this morning.

On page S3 in the Globe BC section, the paper is carrying a story about how Vancouver police will not be rushing to arrest too many people for smoking marijuana during the famous Games.

O.K.

But was it truly necessary to run a half-page photo of someone smoking a joint?

No doubt this is highly amusing and knowing for everyone.

It is also irresponsible and destructive.

Ha ha ...pot is so cute, so benign, so acceptable.

Heck for many it is a cause and a life's devotion and they are seen as cultural heroes.

This half-page photo is simply a small and thoughtless part of the whole ugly drug story.

Dodge City

Poetic irony.

Who knew that drug smugglers had such a deep literary understanding and sophisticated taste. Maybe they all hail from Burnham Wood?

Some geniuses just sent a tombstone from Iran to Vancouver.

The stone was hollow and it contained many, many kilos of opium.

They fools were caught.

Not to worry.

Their lawyers will get them off on a technicality and they will be awarded a national Comedy prize.

Acquisitions & Mergers

Warren Buffet, eat your heart out.

I've just bought Saab and I'm bringing the whole operation to Burquitlam.

There are 12,000 jobs up for grabs and if you're a former bureaucrat or Cambodian refugee, come see me.

So many of my friends and family have asked me, "But why, Dave?" "Why, Dad?"

Simple.

I like a car company with feeling built right into the name.

"Hey, Dave, what's your ride these days?"

"Thanks for asking, Buddy. It's...it's...huh, ah huh, ah huh, oh...it's just Saaaaaaaaaaab."