Athens

Thursday August 19, 2004

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday August 19, 2004 IOC has zero tolerance for enhancing drugs (2 year old story originally for 2002 Commonwealth Games - cartoon from July 27, 2002 - adapted for 2004 Summer Olympics)Ê The opening ceremonies of the 17th Commonwealth Games will be a chance for host city Manchester to shed its image as a down-on-its-luck industrial city and breed a reputation as a sophisticated sports town that knows how to have a good time.Over 5,000 athletes from 72 Commonwealth countries will march into the new 38,000-seat City of Manchester Stadium tonight to usher in the 17th Commonwealth Games. The opening ceremonies are expected to be a sellout and Mancunians have been advised to allow for at least two hours to get to the stadium and get through security. Since the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on Sept. 11, large-scale sporting events have been subject to massive security measures and these Games are no different. Manchester was the victim of an Irish Republican Army bombing six years ago in which no one was killed, but about 200 were injured. Multi-sport Games and the days leading into them often breed doping controversies and political intrigue in addition to stellar athletic performances. Two members of the Scottish weightlifting team withdrew yesterday amidst doping allegations. English pole vaulter Janine Whitlock, considered a medal contender, was suspended by UK athletics for testing positive for anabolic steroids and will not compete here. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Athens, Greece, Olympics, doping, nandrolone, ephedrine, tribestan, Creatine, methoxibol, tribolan, xenadrine, chromium picolinate, drug, enhancing, IOC

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 19, 2004

Doping Buffet

(2 year old story originally for 2002 Commonwealth Games – cartoon from July 27, 2002 – adapted for 2004 Summer Olympics) 

The opening ceremonies of the 17th Commonwealth Games will be a chance for host city Manchester to shed its image as a down-on-its-luck industrial city and breed a reputation as a sophisticated sports town that knows how to have a good time.Over 5,000 athletes from 72 Commonwealth countries will march into the new 38,000-seat City of Manchester Stadium tonight to usher in the 17th Commonwealth Games.

The opening ceremonies are expected to be a sellout and Mancunians have been advised to allow for at least two hours to get to the stadium and get through security.

Since the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on Sept. 11, large-scale sporting events have been subject to massive security measures and these Games are no different. Manchester was the victim of an Irish Republican Army bombing six years ago in which no one was killed, but about 200 were injured.

Multi-sport Games and the days leading into them often breed doping controversies and political intrigue in addition to stellar athletic performances.

Two members of the Scottish weightlifting team withdrew yesterday amidst doping allegations.

English pole vaulter Janine Whitlock, considered a medal contender, was suspended by UK athletics for testing positive for anabolic steroids and will not compete here. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Thursday August 12, 2004

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday August 12, 2004 IOC has zero tolerance for enhancing drugs Athletics fans are hoping that this year's Olympic Games will not be dogged by drugs controversies. Ever since Ben Johnson stormed to a drug-fuelled success in Seoul in 1988, worries over the use of illegal substances have become part and parcel of the Olympics. Recent scandals involving a number of athletes associated with banned steroid THG have only increased concerns. Many have been banned after testing positive for THG, including British sprinter Dwain Chambers. Other top athletes have not tested positive, but suspicion still surrounds them as they work hard to clear their names. As the drugs become more sophisticated, so do the tests designed to catch those using them. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Athens, Greece, Olympics, doping, nandrolone, ephedrine, tribestan, drug, enhancing, IOC

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 12, 2004

IOC has zero tolerance for enhancing drugs

Athletics fans are hoping that this year’s Olympic Games will not be dogged by drugs controversies.

Ever since Ben Johnson stormed to a drug-fuelled success in Seoul in 1988, worries over the use of illegal substances have become part and parcel of the Olympics.

Recent scandals involving a number of athletes associated with banned steroid THG have only increased concerns.

Many have been banned after testing positive for THG, including British sprinter Dwain Chambers.

Other top athletes have not tested positive, but suspicion still surrounds them as they work hard to clear their names.

As the drugs become more sophisticated, so do the tests designed to catch those using them. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Thursday August 5, 2004

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday August 5, 2004 Union Bribery Just Before Olympics Start Hotel workers in and around this Greek capital staged a strike Wednesday to demand double wages and an Olympic bonus as has been promised to security personnel for this month's games, Xinhua reports. It was the sixth strike in the past month by the union, which includes cleaning staff and kitchen personnel.Ê The hotel workers' union is demanding that monthly minimum pay rise for workers in hotels to compensate longer working hours and shorter holidays. The government has already promised bonuses to other personnel providing security for the Aug 13-29 Olympic Games. Despite the Olympics, tourism in Greece has dropped sharply, prompting government officials to call for an overhaul of vital services. The government, however, is trying to keep costs down as Olympic spending has skyrocketed. A total of 14,670 hotel workers are employed in greater Athens. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Athens, Greece, Olympics, ancient, greek, urn, vase, history, pentathlon, javelin, discus, labour, strike, union

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 5, 2004

Union Bribery Just Before Olympics Start

Hotel workers in and around this Greek capital staged a strike Wednesday to demand double wages and an Olympic bonus as has been promised to security personnel for this month’s games, Xinhua reports. It was the sixth strike in the past month by the union, which includes cleaning staff and kitchen personnel.

The hotel workers’ union is demanding that monthly minimum pay rise for workers in hotels to compensate longer working hours and shorter holidays. The government has already promised bonuses to other personnel providing security for the Aug 13-29 Olympic Games.

Despite the Olympics, tourism in Greece has dropped sharply, prompting government officials to call for an overhaul of vital services.

The government, however, is trying to keep costs down as Olympic spending has skyrocketed.

A total of 14,670 hotel workers are employed in greater Athens. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Saturday February 23, 2002

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Saturday February 23, 2002 Asymptotic Analysis with CBC's Brian Williams If you have been watching the Olympics in the evenings these last few weeks -- or if you have ever watched CBC's telecast in your entire life -- then you have probably become well acquainted with Brian Williams, master of the time zone, Mr. TimeAndDate himself. After spending quite some time practicing analyzing the runtime of algorithms while listening to Brian Williams relate the time in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Greenwich and Turin I was feeling a little timed out and last night finally went over the edge: The nightmares came all last night in anticipation of today's midterm, Brian Williams teaching algorithm runtime analysis. For every question, not only having to compute the runtime in Waterloo, but then translating that into Pacific, Central Standard, Greenwich Mean, and Mountain Standard times. Now, I know what you must be asking, what should be of more worry: dreaming about algorithmic analysis or about Brian Williams. Now, I'll tell you my opinion. Given the choice, I'd want to dream about big-Oh over old Brian every day of the week. My peaceful night sleep can do without him telling me "there's more to come", and that he'll have the runtime for me in a minute. Then giving me a disapproving look, while he leans forward and taps his pencil on the paper, telling me that in fact if the runtime is O(n) in Waterloo, then in Sydney it's O(n-14h). Can you imagine if after years with CBC sports Brian Williams deciding that he was in dire need of a career change and going into teaching. Although he would be good at consoling you after a failed test -- having had much experience interviewing athletes after bitter defeat, asking uncomfortable questions and forcing them to relive the entire ordeal in detail -- having to memorize the time conversions for every time zone and how they related to each asymptotic order would be worse t

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday February 23, 2002

Asymptotic Analysis with CBC’s Brian Williams

If you have been watching the Olympics in the evenings these last few weeks — or if you have ever watched CBC’s telecast in your entire life — then you have probably become well acquainted with Brian Williams, master of the time zone, Mr. TimeAndDate himself. After spending quite some time practicing analyzing the runtime of algorithms while listening to Brian Williams relate the time in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Greenwich and Turin I was feeling a little timed out and last night finally went over the edge:

The nightmares came all last night in anticipation of today’s midterm, Brian Williams teaching algorithm runtime analysis. For every question, not only having to compute the runtime in Waterloo, but then translating that into Pacific, Central Standard, Greenwich Mean, and Mountain Standard times. Now, I know what you must be asking, what should be of more worry: dreaming about algorithmic analysis or about Brian Williams. Now, I’ll tell you my opinion. Given the choice, I’d want to dream about big-Oh over old Brian every day of the week. My peaceful night sleep can do without him telling me “there’s more to come”, and that he’ll have the runtime for me in a minute. Then giving me a disapproving look, while he leans forward and taps his pencil on the paper, telling me that in fact if the runtime is O(n) in Waterloo, then in Sydney it’s O(n-14h).

Can you imagine if after years with CBC sports Brian Williams deciding that he was in dire need of a career change and going into teaching. Although he would be good at consoling you after a failed test — having had much experience interviewing athletes after bitter defeat, asking uncomfortable questions and forcing them to relive the entire ordeal in detail — having to memorize the time conversions for every time zone and how they related to each asymptotic order would be worse than dreaming of nothing but Brian Williams for a year. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)