I am totally in love with Canada as a country and their national identity after watching the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Olympic Games. And also, I want to send the public speaking textbooks that my friend Rebekah sent me to John Furlong, who gave perhaps the worst large-scale public speech I have ever seen. Totally check out the transcript. Some beauts from it:
You are role models for our children – heroes – giants–human champions – the best ever.You are living proof that men and women everywhere are capable of doing great good.
(Doesn’t he mean grood?)And tonight the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history ends in this Stadium after an epic, unforgettable journey of discovery – across a land visually blessed – rich in history — and profoundly human.
(Visually blessed? Profoundly human?)And my favorite, invoking Harry Potter #4: As the Olympic Cauldron is lit – the unique magic of the Olympic Games will be released upon us. Magic so rare that it cannot be controlled by borders – The kind of magic that invades the human heart.
Seriously dude. Did you not have anyone double check your speech before you read it? Oh well. The rest of the opening ceremony was fucking awesome. Some guy doing aerial dancing to Joni Mitchell singing that Judy Collins song “Both Sides Now.” A bunch of punk kids doing riverdance. k.d. fucking lang singing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Wayne Gretzky. And some other crazy shit that I probably forget now. Plus every famous Canadian ever, except for Celine Dion, who evidently was in a hospital trying to get fertilized. Oh, and maple leaves. A metric shit-ton of maple leaves. Hooray for the Olympics!
Tags: olympics
