Snit roundup

Ok, to sum up what I could be whinging about at this very moment so we don't have to do this the long-winded way: my neck still hurts, I need to sleep more, I hate winter (although it doesn't seem to be bothering the deer much, as evidenced by the tracks in the yard), and I'd like to thank CTV for making me not give a flying rat's bum about the Vancouver Olympics.

Oh, wait. Let's elaborate on that last one for a bit.

I'm not saying I would have been full of Olympic fever anyway, to start with. The winter Olympics don't thrill me for the most part because I'm not really into any winter sports. Well, all right, I'll watch hockey. And things like luge and skeleton because I think those people are completely nuts. And, ok, maybe I'll watch a bit of speed skating as well. But that's about it for me and sports that involve cold. So you can imagine that those few things in themselves weren't exactly going to make me wait with fish breath (erm... baited, that would be) for the start of a whole big winter sports to-do.

Now let's add in the CTV factor.

CTV, I know that you paid big money for the rights to broadcast the games. I also understand that you need to let people know that you're Canada's home for the Winter Olympics (or whatever). However, that doesn't mean that it was a great move to beat it into our heads for the last two years that THIS IS WHERE WE'LL FIND THE OLYMPICS. All those exhortations to believe -- over and over and over again -- don't make someone like me want to cheer on our athletes. It makes someone like me (and I can't be the only one) want to tell you where to stuff it.

And now that the games are nearly here things haven't gotten much better. Over-coverage of the world's longest and most pointless torch relay? Lovely for those involved, I suppose, but not exactly getting me all worked up. And I won't even tell you where to stick those bloody red mittens. I know, I know, it's for a good cause. But it's completely annoying to see the commercials. And see the commercials. And see the commercials.

And veering away from CTV-brand overexposure for a moment: whose bright idea do you suppose it was to have mascots for a Canada-hosted Olympics that look so... I dunno... anime? Makes about as much sense as choosing the well-known Vancouver inukshuk as your games symbol. I mean, I like inukshuks. Really I do. But they have absolutely nothing to do with Vancouver.

I dunno. I'd like to be excited about all of this. I would. But at this point my brain is so sick of hearing about it that I've already hit just get it over with. And I don't even live in Vancouver. I can ignore the whole thing if I choose to. How big do you suppose the dent in my forehead would be by now if I was in the thick of the annoyance and inconvenience?




Erm, yeah. Good on the patriotism, I guess, Dee. Um... go team?

I refuse to use that stupid "official" cheer. What is it, something like Eh! O! Canada Go!, right? Good lord. If they wanted it to sound fake stereotypical Canadian they should have just used Go, eh. That would have done it.







And just in the interest of full disclosure because there are a few of you out there who know my preferences and may call me on them after this needless rant, I'll say YES. Yes, ok. I may just have increased my snititude ever so slightly seeing as the Winter Olympics give me no opportunity to watch the Men's Eight win more medals...