With the 2010 Winter Olympic Games scheduled for Vancouver, the Canadian Olympic Committee has set the goal of “owning the podium.” Today the Olympic Committee took the first step toward another form of ownership – language. Industry Minister Maxime Bernier introduced Bill C-47, the Olympic and Paralympic Marks Act, legislation that provides the Vancouver Olympic organizers with remarkable power over the language and symbols associated with the Olympics.
The expressions include: winter, gold, silver, bronze, sponsor, Vancouver, Whistler, 2010, tenth, medals, and games. While this looks like a recipe for abuse, the Olympic organizers have assured the public that it “is committed to applying the proposed legislation in a disciplined, sensitive, fair and transparent manner.”
Heck, I never really understood how they got a trademark on the word “olympics,” considering it has been in common use for more than a few millennia to describe sporting competitions. These guys have actually managed to be worse than the NFL in this regard.
Where did you find that picture? Are there any more?
1. “Where did you find that picture? Are there any more?”
You can buy the calendar here.
“Looks like a recipe for abuse”? Looks liike a demonstration of terminal megalomania. What kind of morons actually believe they have the right to coöpt common words for their exclusive use?
Oh, well, at least it seems the US isn’t the only country being taken over by deluded fools.
What a bunch of f**knuts
Nice chick collection on:
http://www.newlin-deschler.com/Pictures/dvorak/
5. “Nice chick collection on”
Oh yeah, my favorite is the poll dancers. But don’t forget this nice rack!
If the liberal creeps can’t censor our expression, they will censor us word-at-a-time. And if we use alternate words, how will that be found by search engines? And if the alternate becomes popular, they can copyright that, too, and force all past expressions using it off the internet.
I think I’ll copyright the word “the.” I would charge a modest sum for its use and exercise control where it can be used.
Well the they have already been going after places like Olympic Pizza, which uses the 5 rings, last year. The Pizza place has been in business for ages. No way was he going to bow down to them. Prior use. As far as I know he won his case.
I think we should make a motion to copyright the letter “E”. If they can do it with commonplace words, why not just go after specific letters too?
By the way, the letter E is the most commonly used letter in the English language. Just for those that didn’t know.
#8 – is that a Canadian sense of the word “liberal”? If so, is it different from the term in the U.S., poisoned by the reich-wingers, that originally implied progressive, tolerant, compassionate and future-aware?
‘Cause if you mean that endangered species, the U.S. liberal, I can’t see them trying to control what people can say. That’s the other side’s tactic.
so, what does Vancouver WASHINGTON do? Will they rename to not cause problems or futher confusion?
11,
Regarding number 8, no that is a pure Americana expression of the word. In Canada we have a much richer political dialog. Since we have many parties participating in federal elections you can’t just have black and white. New Democratic Party (social leanings), Bloc Quebecois (Seperatists / nationalist (not negatively) party), Conservative Party (from a centrist slow moving government actions to the original Neo-Con (thanks Brian Mulroney) and now the new-Neo-Con under Harper but moving back to the Centre for certain politically expedient issues) and the Liberal Party – once a laissez faire government, they moved to a centrist platform with government controlling certain fundamental aspects under Trudeu. Like the energy plan that Alberta hated.
So, when you call someone a Liberal up here, its a party affiliation. We’re pretty happy to have such a rich system let me tell you. And minority governments are very good at certain times since you can have the underdogs turned into King Makers. Recently, the NDP was put in that position. The conservatives needed to pass a law, but the NDP was holding the key to the success. So they tried to force the ruling party to make the changes in accordance with their platform. Of course, if the conservatives refuse, they just throw their votes in opposition and the bill is defeated.
Anyhoo, the Olympic committee is probably one of the most corrupt organization I can think of. When the Olympics were cancelled after 2000 years due to politics and corruption, the new Olympics have managed to do the same in 50 years. Except it hasn’t been canceled yet.
13 – That’s what I thought – a parliamentary system where interests are allowed to jostle and bargain a little more openly than in the U.S. So it remains a mystery why someone accused a “liberal” (whatever that means now) of censorship. Huh. Really ridiculous.
I’d guess politics is more interesting and maybe less hate-driven in a more nuanced system like yours. Whereas in the U.S.:
“Joe, I don’t do nuance.”
–George w. Bush, 02/15/2004, to Sen. Joseph Biden, as quoted in Time
14,
A classic example of Canadian politics. During a federal leadership debate at election time, a question from the public asked why a party like the Bloc Quebecois was allowed to run since they had mandated separation. It was the member from the Liberal party that answered! The answer was something to the effect that Canada allows for differing political opinions and its up to the public to choose the party.
Hell, corporations can now own various lifeforms and genetic DNA sequences. We let them own public water supplies, so I’m guessing next they’ll buy the air. Some people say that they should own everything, but the question is….who will they buy it from and who will they pay?