Olympics Archive

  • frog

    Russel and Spanky from RDU talk Tug-o-War - by frog



    There’s a nice little interview here on Scoop where the RDU’s Spanky talks to Russel about the polls, MMP, ‘Sustainability’ Labour, open source and free software and the need for tug of war at the 2012 London Olympics. Photo credit: Here be Dragons read more
    August 30, 2008 8:36 am - 6 Comments
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    From different corners of the internet - by frog



    Food Democracy covers a new European study, published by the Food Commission, claims that the heavy use of antibiotics in livestock farming is the cause of many superbugs, including salmonella, campylobacter and E.coli. worldchanging.com shows how two views of the same data on climate change can lead to very different solutions. In one set of [...] read more
    August 14, 2008 8:16 am - No Comments
  • frog

    The Olympics start today - by frog



    And I’ll be watching them avidly – especially Kimberly Smith and Mahe Drysdale.  But that doesn’t mean they are not also a political event. What a great opportunity for the world to talk about human rights, democracy and justice. Image Credit: sha3bi1Beijing read more
    August 8, 2008 8:11 am - 6 Comments
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    Getting ready for the Olympics - by frog



    Keith Locke will be resuming his familiar position tomorrow lunch time, outside of Parliament, to draw attention to human rights abuses in China in the lead up to the Olympics. Tomorrow was also supposed to be the first day of the Chinese Government’s trial of Ni Yulan, the prominent human rights activist and defender of the rights [...] read more
    August 4, 2008 4:04 pm - 10 Comments
  • frog

    The real Tibet - by frog



    It seems, according to a Chinese delegation here in NZ this week, that we were mistaken about state violence in Tibet earlier this year: Delegation leader Shes-rab-nyi-ma, vice-president of Beijing’s Central University for Nationalities, said they wanted to correct erroneous reports of a violent crackdown on Tibet. The delegates wanted to show “the real picture” [...] read more
    July 29, 2008 10:39 am - 16 Comments
  • frog

    Packing the plane - by frog



    The front page of the Dominion Post this morning is one of those ‘only in Wellington’ moments.  It seems the New Zealand Olympic team is taking a barista with them to Beijing. I imagine the conversation at the New Zealand Olympic Planning Cmmittee went something like this: Athletes? Check Coaches? Check Physiotherapists? Check Masseuses? Check [...] read more
    July 23, 2008 8:27 am - 7 Comments
  • frog

    Olympic torch protests – An overseas holiday with a difference - by frog



    Sadly for sports fans the Olympic Torch isn’t coming to our shores. And after seeing all the fun in London, Paris and San Francisco you might be feeling like you are missing out on all the fun. Fear not; Gridskipper presents Google’s Guide to Protesting the Olympic Torch. The nearest destination you can travel to [...] read more
    April 10, 2008 10:21 am - No Comments
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    Chaotic protests at London Olympic torch relay - by frog



    It seems kind of strange that people in London are going to such lengths to highlight the moral issue of taking a torch to China where people will be running around in circles, jumping up and down, or throwing pointy sticks.  Meanwhile, here in New Zealand our government doesn’t see any moral quandary in choosing [...] read more
    April 7, 2008 10:34 am - 25 Comments
  • frog

    Vigil for Tibetans - by frog



    Click to enlarge the poster. read more
    March 17, 2008 8:04 pm - 22 Comments
  • frog

    Rugby fatigue - by frog



    According to this survey yesterday New Zealanders are ‘losing interest’ in rugby this year. No surprise really when the media’s sports coverage is so full of rugby this and rugby that. You get a brief respite during summer when all the rugby players have a short holiday but other than that it is now continuous [...] read more
    February 21, 2008 8:56 am - 19 Comments
  • frog

    Trading basic rights for trade - by frog



    I’m not one to give the sports section more than a casual glance. I prefer to get the score and move on rather than get bogged down in the gossip columns. Today, however, was an exception. Richard Boock wrote an excellent piece in today’s Sunday Star Times on how NZ has just won the “gagging” [...] read more
    February 17, 2008 5:30 pm - 11 Comments
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    Mixing politics and sport - by frog



    Athletics fans will remember this image well: At the 1994 Commonwealth Games, Cathy Freeman won the 400 meters and then ran her victory lap with the Aboriginal flag draped over her shoulders. That was the first public proclamation of Aboriginal rights and, as a political statement, on par with the clenched fist salute with which [...] read more
    February 13, 2008 5:44 pm - 28 Comments