It is Olympic opening night. I am having a hard time keeping an open mind on it as I am basically an Olympic curmudgeon. I find them troubling as I think they are badly off track. We are bombarded with the Believe mantra, as if it has become Holy Grail. It seems to me that this is an artificial faith that is coming from a network that is going to lose millions, a bank, a hamburger company, and a sugared beverage company, not to mention the single credit card.

CTV has lost so much credibility as a news organization in my view, as they have shilled the games over the last year. It is one thing to advertise the games. but to make it part of the news and almost news, is a bit much.

The Olympic Games in 2010 have become a symbol of excess, extreme consumption, and misplaced and inappropriate nationalism. My upcoming surgery has forced me, in still a limited way, to focus on what is important. What is on my list? Love, Fellowship, Kindness, Cooperation, Frugality, Respect for Others, Respect for the Environment, God’s Will, Life Itself …. I see none of this with my eyes nor hear any of it with my soul in the buildup to these games …. so far. But I am trying to keep and open mind, the opening ceremonies have not happened yet and I will come back after them and see where my head is then.

Thoughts as I watch the opening....

Opening few minutes are a bit rusty; I guess the Four First Nation Heads of State were late. The RCMP marching in the flag was shaky and the singing of Oh Canada was dreadful, dreadful, dreadful.
First Nations Opening nice, very nice, and very right.
March of the Nations a bit rushed but I suppose they cannot toddle slowly.
The Prime Minister looks ecstatic.
The entry of the Georgian Team - the first classy event to the night.
Latvia does not get bumped totally, but Lithuania does so that one of our Olympians can extol the health benefits of the Egg McMuffin. I always feel for the bumped.
And in comes Canada – Why is Shaun White carrying our flag? Oh, it is Clara Hughes …. Okay that was a cheap shot. I have to lose this negative thinking.
I think, as we CTV / NBC flip, I like NBC but CTV has better picture.
The Hymn of the North played out is pretty cool and the Big Bear Puppet and the Breaking Ice are well done.
Orcas swimming well done
Orcas turn into salmon – of course if I were cynical I would say two dying species
And then we have a sacred grove of trees as Sarah McLaughlin chantuses.
And the Alberta Ballet dances and the forest falls, the rain falls, and some float off into heaven, the autumn comes, a guy in a devil hat in a canoe floats in and the leaves fall. Lots of colour and then it is dozens and dozens of fiddlers and dancers. Nice tattoos.
And then it is the Tap Dance Challenge. Grunge Celtic – it shall raise the dead of Cape Breton . Ashley McIsaac - all is forgiven.
Who Has Seen the Wind – Peter Pan in the Prairies. Very good use of the flying harness and wheat field projections. Is that Krall singing “Both Sides Now”?
A thunder storm rolls in that turns into a blizzard!!!
And then a mountain comes out of the floor and skiers come out of the roof – very cool.
And skaters now skate around the mountain.. Skaters that light up!!
We Are More – a little speech on Canada. Maybe a little too puffy and self congratulatory. Way too self congratulatory. Not the time or place. Embarrassing. Lousy way to finish an excellent segment.
Nodar Kumaritashvili’s death is acknowledged as well as it can be as the official opening starts.
John Furlong does an okay, slightly long winded speech.
The Governor General looks bored.
CTV does not see it fit to translate Jacques Rogge when he speaks in French. Neither does NBC.
The Governor General declares the Games open
kd lang sings Leonard Cohen Hallelujah. Nice song, nice singer, but here and now?
It is way past my bedtime but we still have to do the flag and the flame – I will guess 99 Gretzky or my wild card Pelltier and Sale (the skaters – it would be a wonderful poke in the eye)
The flag carriers are good - Betty Fox is one – does that knock her out as a flame person?
A minute of silence for Nodar Kumaritashvili. It is a real silence.
The Olympic oaths
Another song – it is getting late.
And the flame person is - everybody . The torch thing doesn’t really work but it ends up okay. Nancy Green, Rick Hansen, Steve Nash, Catriona Le May Doan are all lighters – a Canadian Compromise. Wayne lights the outside torch.
It is late – it was a good night.