Thanks for again such a kind reply…… remember what you called Phil? Anyway, off to watch the Games.
I don’t see anything wrong with Oakbrook’s posts. You indicated you were trying to understand “from a more European point of view”, but didn’t state what viewpoint you’re coming from. So it’s a natural question.
Oakbrook knows I’m not European, so I can’t really offer that perspective.
. They want double the price on the Paris Metro!!
How does rainfall cause pollution? I’m confused.
It’s what the water flows through between the cloud and the river. Even an apparently clean city street will have contamination from motor oil, particulats and rubber. At least. Being Paris there is likly lots of doggy-do-do on the streets.
I would say that all in all the ceremony was impressive… Too bad it rained.
I am not sure if it’s the sour grapes talking here but there is no need for such a competition…London too was impressive. 
Rain drops take the pollution out of the air and then drop it on land. Look what happened in Chernobyl.
I don’t think it’s fair to compare the two, they were completely different.
I can see the effort that went into the Paris event but I found it underwhelming and boring considering all the hype there was in the build up to it. There were some good bits but most of it was just meh.
I really feel for my Canadian friends and their embarrassment for their Cheating football coaching staff. FIFAs punishment of deducting 6 points, the equivalent of two wins, is harsh but just. Cheaters should never prosper.
The head coach was barred from any FIFA activity for 1 year meaning she is out of these Olympics. That is too lenient in my view.
There is a small chance they can still advance but they can’t lose a single game.
Same here. Anyway, it was different than everything else I’ve seen - mostly good different, although some moments were very odd.
Great takes from a great account. Might start linking some pieces in the US politics thread as well.
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Could this raise the bar for the opening ceremony of the next Eurovision Song Contest, I ask myself ??
Pollution is a more polite way of saying sewage. 
The sewer infrastructure in Paris is understandably old. When it rains heavily or for an extended period of time, raw sewage can overflow into the Seine. Apparently it’s so dirty that swimming has been banned for a century. The government has spent millions building new, giant storage tanks and upgrading its system, but it’s still not quite enough. The e coli values are not safe for swimming right now.
Still at least the Parisian have profitet. And isn’t it crazy that the government never bothered to get this sorted for their own people but now for a few foreigners to swimm in there for two weeks (and they might even still refuse to do that 
).
So one good thing has come from this monster event, lets hope there will be a few more.
Please no, the next one is in Switzerland.
I think we’ve seen it all (men dropping their underwear on the scene was quite creative) and we can’t be shocked anymore…but never say never… 
I would prefer that this contest would strive for bringing together more talented musicians and good music, not more freak shows, we have enough of those and in some countries it’s on a daily basis.
As to the Maslov’s hierarchy of needs, the France elites might (again) have its moment « Ils n’ont pas de pain ? Qu’ils mangent de la brioche ! » of detachment. Just before the Olympics, thousands of homeless people from Paris were put on buses to other distant cities.
NY Times: France Is Busing Homeless Immigrants Out of Paris Before the Olympics
Does Eurovision have an opening ceremony? Shows how much notice I take as I didn’t know that.
I read an article about how EVERY Olympic Games did cost at least 2-3 times more than planned/expected. If every country would have thought “we need these money for other things” there would have been no Olympic Games anymore.
For some people they don’t represent much, I know.
IMO the most significant, meaningful and solemn ceremony was in Athens (2004), the birth place of this whole thing.
The French wanted to be grandiose and special, quirky, rebellious, whatever. Fine by me, I don’t live there, I have no right to criticise. I am happy that there is one thing, among very few, which is sport, that could bring the whole world together…even for the two-three weeks or so.
Same for the Eurovision Music Contest - this event costs a lot and some people don’t see anything valuable in it. Originally it was about music…much more than about entertainment though.
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Edgy, but not too edgy.
Mocking Christians is always a safe bet.