commonwealth open ceremony?

i'm watching the simpsons, and later final days of planet earth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/commonwealth_games/4805592.stm

Looks like you missed out then, Ron...

Snorri xxx

I watched it it was not bad.

I love all this glorify the british empire stuff.

...and that bloody tram-with-wings greeted me as I arrived at work here at the Melbourne Museum this morning - it came straight from the MCG to us last night, along with a heap of other stuff from the opening ceremony.

I have absolutely no love of the Comm Games; I'm holidaying interstate to avoid it as of this afternoon...can't come quick enough.... CTB

i did end up catching some of it. what i saw was quite good.

CTB wrote: ...and that bloody tram-with-wings greeted me as I arrived at work here at the Melbourne Museum this morning...

It was actually a Perth flying tram, did you know that CTB?

Think I caught it home a few times after countryside raves, back in the mid-nineties.

:\pimp3:

The thing that shocked me about it all was how on earth did they convince The Church to turn up and play 'Under the Milky Way' live as ballerinas flew through the air and dirt bike riders blew pyrotechnics across the G?

The sheer wonderment of it all.

:\pimp3:

has anyone worked out what was up with that duck yet?

Found it mostly incomprehensible and pseudo arty farty - the tram was cool though. As for the games itself, the only country who gets excited about it is Australia because they inevitably end up winning the most medals due to the absence of the USA, China etc. Was watching some weightlifting last night and the Aussie commentator was nearly creaming his pants every time an Australian weightlifter came into view - talk about your jingoistic hyperbole.

shot bru wrote:

Was watching some weightlifting last night and the Aussie commentator was nearly creaming his pants every time an Australian weightlifter came into view - talk about your jingoistic hyperbole.

Happens everywhere, from what I've seen on my travels.

:\pimp3:

shot bru wrote: As for the games itself, the only country who gets excited about it is Australia because they inevitably end up winning --- view - talk about your jingoistic hyperbole.

and Canadia/ens. Commonwealth Games build their momentum like the Olympics for anyone not directLy involved. don't know many more extreme trendies can get shattered. whoot- hoo. guess that's what sport can do. the grass- hockey is drop dead fantastic tho.

i'l probably get the spirit sometime next week.

shot bru wrote: As for the games itself, the only country who gets excited about it is Australia because they inevitably end up winning the most medals due to the absence of the USA, China etc.

So the reason we win the most medals in the Commonwealth Games is because of the absence of other unrelated countries? Hmmmm. It's nothing to do with a successful national sporting program?

It's not like we're even in the top five largest countries involved in these Games. As for competing with the likes of US and China, it's not even a fair comparison.

My view is the whole Commonwealth Games thing is a waste of resources. What are we celebrating here anyway? A bunch of arbitrary countries linked solely by the fact that England once colonised them? What's the relevance today? England does nix for us. Any preferential treatment in trade or immigration has long been dumped in favour of the EU. Dismantle the Commonwealth. It's a ceremonial body trading on alleged past glories. As for the Games, even I get tired of seeing us wipe all these tiny, poor countries off the map. Seems desperately unfair.

Still fun to scupper the Poms though. And them Canadians.

:\pimp3:

eh- your sports program is to -- envied-amazing stuff. you lucky loving sod.

that and the abused university system but that's another story all together.

Indeed. You have to weigh up the cost of an elite sporting program.

Although there are benefits in raising international profile and local morale, there are plenty of costs in other sectors (academic, health, etc) that get neglected.

Reminds me of a game of Civilisation.

:\pimp3:

[orange]depthcharge[/orange] wrote: Indeed. You have to weigh up the cost of an elite sporting program.

Although there are benefits in raising international profile and local morale, there are plenty of costs in other sectors (academic, health, etc) that get neglected.

Reminds me of a game of Civilisation.:\pimp3:

how many tables were filled with Civilazation - 7,000 people strong. do believe. really believe that things like shelter, water quality, adequate heating/ healthcare the lot- should get more attewntion before $ are seriously contributed to sport. but for the 'fairly fortunate lot that make up the masses sports are the best way to -say- bring nations together. film / arts/ music -the playing field is too varied.

shouldn't be about internationaL profile -even though it is. for Copmmonwealth- too much history is involved to let the titles go- the Union Jack still gets flown. don't like the exclusive snobbery involved.

[orange]depthcharge[/orange] wrote:

shot bru wrote: As for the games itself, the only country who gets excited about it is Australia because they inevitably end up winning the most medals due to the absence of the USA, China etc.

So the reason we win the most medals in the Commonwealth Games is because of the absence of other unrelated countries? Hmmmm. It's nothing to do with a successful national sporting program?

It's not like we're even in the top five largest countries involved in these Games. As for competing with the likes of US and China, it's not even a fair comparison.:

and that weather to train in..

14 -K wrote:

[orange]depthcharge[/orange] wrote: Indeed. You have to weigh up the cost of an elite sporting program.

Although there are benefits in raising international profile and local morale, there are plenty of costs in other sectors (academic, health, etc) that get neglected.

Reminds me of a game of Civilisation.:\pimp3:

how many tables were filled with Civilazation - 7,000 people strong. do believe. really believe that things like shelter, water quality, adequate heating/ healthcare the lot- should get more attewntion before $ are seriously contributed to sport. but for the 'fairly fortunate lot that make up the masses sports are the best way to -say- bring nations together. film / arts/ music -the playing field is too varied.

shouldn't be about internationaL profile -even though it is. for Copmmonwealth- too much history is involved to let the titles go- the Union Jack still gets flown. don't like the exclusive snobbery involved.

the australian institute of sport got started after australia did really crap at the montreal olypics. from memory they did not win a single gold there. so in a way its canada's fault. :D

Ronald Kirsch wrote:

the australian institute of sport got started after australia did really crap at the montreal olypics. from memory they did not win a single gold there. so in a way its canada's fault. :D

From memory, even NZ trumped our performance in Montreal. That was the last straw.

Chequebooks opened all over Canberra.

:\pimp3:

can't have those pesky kiwis beat the aussies can we.

whoosh - Montréal Olympics. 1976- Pierre Trudeau ((so missed - left/ died 2000 ) was in his stretch Prime Minister and that was his home town-a spectacuLar affair.

classic- Australian sports co-oporation was born and think that the Olympics biLLs have just recentLy been cleared.

the AIS is located right here in canberra, and many of our athletes live study or work here. personally i would have located somewhere where it doesn't get quite so cool in winter. anyone want to come on a tour?