Posts Tagged ‘Torch’
Friday, March 27th, 2009
Well that’s the news of the day – in light of the fiasco that was the 2008 Olympic International Torch Relay, the International Olympic Committee has just announced that there aint going to any more of those anytime soon. So, it’s going to be host-country relays only. Per the New York Times:
“The I.O.C. hopes to avoid the ugly scenes that erupted in San Francisco, Paris and London last year.”
O.K. then. Here’s how the torch relay on the Streets of San Francisco looked last year, when official torch bearer Andrew Michael, seen seated in a wheelchair below, managed to get some attention by displaying a Tibetan flag:
But, OMG, he signed a contract saying he wouldn’t express hisself like that. OMG, HE SIGNED A CONTRACT with Coca Cola or somebody and then when against it. Can you imagine? If only the Sacred Flame Protection Squad had been at full force that day, they could have pushed over his wheelchair, or given him a beatdown, or manhandled him the way they did with fellow torchbearer Majora Carter…
Anyway, there’s your Chinese Olympic Legacy.
Tags: 2008, Andrew Michael, bearer, beijing, China, chinese, Comité International Olympique, committee, international, Majora Carter, Olympic, Olympics, protests, relay, San Francisco, SFPD, sport, Tibet, Torch, torchbearer, van ness, wall street journal, wsj
Posted in sports | 2 Comments »
Saturday, April 12th, 2008
Government-sponsored? Propaganda? Read on and then you make the call. As has been reported, coming Saturday, April 12, to San Francisco is “‘Beijing, Are You Ready,’ a newly-released series by Oakland’s D3 Production, Inc that’s officially approved by the Beijing Organizing Committee.”
Right now, not many people in San Francisco have seen this production yet, but some are already wondering if it’s going to be just more Olympic propaganda.
As a clue, consider a similar production from D3 Productions from a few years back called Tibet Diary, where some Americans specifically chosen for not knowing much about Tibet are taken there and videotaped.
Take a look at looking at this video starting at 5:24 for about three minutes.
Wow. Those clips are called the money shots. Of course, the opinions expressed might very well be genuine. But after looking at the connections between party run media in China and the people behind Tibet Diary, you could be forgiven for thinking that this video is an example of government-supported propaganda.
Will Beijing, Are You Ready be a similar kind of production? See for yourself at the Main Public Library at 2:00 PM.
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Tags: 2008, Are You Ready, beijing, China, Chinese Center, Coca Cola, Coke, D3 Production, Duffy Wang, lenovo, library, Mary Windishar, Nicole Pang, Northern California Chinese Culture Athletic Federation, Olympics, protest, samsung, San Francisco, Tibet, Torch, Yang Zhou
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, April 11th, 2008
This is no mere ribbon cutting ceremony to open a new $429 million section of freeway approaching the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge. Oh no.
The last step to opening this short but vital stretch of superslab involved Governor Schwarzenegger, cowboy boots, sunglasses and a big blow torch.
[Update: or welding torch, or cutting torch (based upon the O2 trigger) - Arnie's tool is an oxy-fuel welder of some kind, as commenter Doc helpfully points out. Arnie's sunglasses actually are sunglasses, but you could say that they were being used as goggles. The light coming from chain didn't seem all that bright compared to arc welding or whatever. FYI]
Enjoy your new freeway, San Francisco!
Higher rez version after the jump.
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Tags: 101, Arnold, Arnold Schwarzenegger, blow, blowtorch, bridge, CalTrans, Conan, freeway, Gavin, Newsom, ron dellums, San Francisco, Schwarzenegger, sparks, Terminator, Torch, west approach
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Thursday, April 10th, 2008
Tags: 2008, Aung San Suu Kyi, beijing, burma, burmese, Golden Gate Bridge, monks, myanmar, Olympics, protest, San Francisco, Torch, walk
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, April 10th, 2008
The Flame Protection Squad was at it again yesterday. Elements of the People’s Armed Police Force (PAP) didn’t cotton to Olympic torchbearer Majora Carter when they saw her express herself, as you can see on this San Francisco Chronicle video here.
Another torchbearer, Andrew Michael, managed to get some attention as well.
Media pool photo, Carlos Avila Gonzalez
It seems the duties of a torch protector are being pretty broadly defined by the PAP.
Tags: Andrew Michael, Flame Protection Squad, Majora Carter, Olympic, pap, San Francisco, Torch
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
It was a quite a scene yesterday as thousands turned out for anti-government of China protests preceding the controversial China Olympic torch relay.
Click on to see photos of the day.
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Tags: 2008, beijing, China, civic center, consulate, Olympics, San Francisco, Tibet, Torch
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
Normally, airplanes and fires don’t mix, but this Airbus A330 and the Olympic Flame seem to be making their Journey of Harmony well enough.
Departs tomorrow from SFO
Phonalanji via Flickr
Tags: A330-200, A330-243, Airbus A330 330, Journey of Harmony, Olympic, San Francisco, SFO, Torch
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Monday, April 7th, 2008
Read all about today’s protest at KPIX / CBS 5 (along with Eye on Blogs from Brittney Gilbert). Are there really two women in this photo, as alleged here? [Update: No, just one, that makes more sense.] See the mise-en-scene from a good angle here.
Local updates as they happen on the -ist network’s San Francisco website. Up-and-coming San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly has a few thoughts about these Olympics. And sexy train rider Elaine Santore writes in her CrackBerry Chronicles that she is bracing for Wednesday, when the Olympic Torch makes it only visit to North America. It looks like it’s going to be a humdinger of a day.
Beijing, Are You Ready for this? It’s hard to say. Word on the street today is that the planned route for the relay is now history.
Finally, check out hard working Frederic Larson as he once again provides great photos to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The protest people look down as some bridge workers come up:
This dude’s on his cell phone:
Things looked a little shaky at first, before the banners and flags were unfurled:
Helmet-cam? Sure, why not.
See higher resolution photos after the jump!
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Tags: China, Chris daly, CrackBerry Chronicles, Elaine Santore, Golden Gate Bridge, Olympics, San Francisco, san francisco citizen, sf citizen, sfcitizen, Tibet, Torch
Posted in Uncategorized | 12 Comments »
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
Coming Saturday, April 12, is “Beijing, Are You Ready,” a newly-released series by Oakland’s D3 Production, Inc.
Officially approved by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic games, this special series features Chinese athletes in training, the construction of the bird’s nest (Beijing national stadium) and much more behind the scenes with rare access to key people and places. Viewers also will experience the variety of ways that China’s capital city is preparing to host the 2008 Olympic games – the first ever Olympics held on Chinese soil. Film producer Duffy Wang and others will be available for discussion. Cosponsored by the Chinese Center.
Well, if it’s “officially approved by the Beijing Organizing Committee”, it must be good, right?
Let’s get some early reviews, how about from national state television, a sub-ministry of People’s Republic of China’s central government within the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and as such it does not have any editorial independence from the PRC government.
“Beijing is counting down to the 2008 Olympic Games!”
“And the people of Beijing are busy preparing for this international sports event with great enthusiasm!”
Meanwhile, back on the planet Earth, the authorities in Beijing are “absolutely wetting their pants” over the possibility of protests at torch events around the world. And those corporate sponsors of the torch relay are getting a little nervous, it seems:
“What started off as a small number of organizations threatening to create some disruption has escalated significantly,” said Dan Parr, the head of Asia-Pacific for brandRapport, a marketing consulting agency. “This must be taking some of the gloss off for some of these sponsors.”
Now let’s hear from Steven Spielberg:
“I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue with business as usual. At this point, my time and energy must be spent not on Olympic ceremonies, but on doing all I can to help bring an end to the unspeakable crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in Darfur.”
Mmm. It’s almost like there’s a chance that the Olympics can backfire on a host nation.
Beijing, are you ready?
Tags: 2008, Are You Ready, beijing, cable car, China, Coca Cola, Coke, D3 Production, Darfur, lenovo, Olympics, protest, samsung, San Francisco, Tibet, Torch
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
