RA's blog

Ten things that we'll remember about the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games.

CBC News has just released results from an opinion poll taken midway through the 2010 Olympic Games. The poll, conducted by Environics, asked people two questions.

One of the things I was told, on applying for media accreditation as videographer at the 2010 Olympics, was that there are strict rules about where you can film. Basically, as an independent journalist, there are very few places that you can film: the Olympics Opening Ceremony? Most definitely not. Live sports events? Sorry, no. Fans partying? That would depend on what area they are in...

Biked down with baby on board to Concord Place to catch some of the Olympic spirit yesterday. Crowds were out enjoying this February heat wave, but few diversions at the Canadian houses.

This flash mob dance event was being promoted before the Olympics on the hush, hush. Word seemed to have travelled far and wide, and as you can see there are thousands taking part.

I wasn't at Saturday's Vancouver 2010 "Heart Attack" which saw police clashing with "protesters", but I saw that local digital media consultant Kris Krug, who I know through using Drupal (this web site is built on it), got caught in the cross-fire when he was taking photographs.

As the Olympic torch made its way across Canada, one of the, er, running jokes in Vancouver was that the torch looked like a huge, poorly rolled joint. Wags were commenting that it was full of the famously strong "BC bud" that is grown in large quantities across this fecund province, and hence whereever it went people would chase it deliriously trying to catch a little puff.

I didn't see much of the 2010 Olympics Opening ceremony on Friday, apart from a few snatches caught on the web - punk fiddler Ashley Macissac showing his virtuosity, K.D. Laing's stirring rendition of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, and lots of smiling, waving Olympians in their team uniforms.

Vancouver Olympics opening day is here and the Olympic torch is doing its rounds in the city. The torch was meant to go down Commercial Drive, but it was re-routed due to a protest. I talked to one of the protestors about his reasons for being there.

"This time it's different." Four words that should instill dread in even the most bullish investor.