Sochi Winter Olympics 2014

[Jolie Rouge]

Gays May Be Prosecuted at 2014 Olympics
KIRIT RADIA 5 hours ago

MOSCOW -- In Russia it is now illegal to even speak about homosexuality around minors, much less openly display gay pride. Technically the ban is against "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" around minors, but the implication for openly gay individuals is clear. Public displays of affection by gays, including holding hands or displaying symbols like a rainbow flag, are now banned. Violators face steep fines and jail time; foreigners face similar penalties plus deportation.

So what will happen to openly gay athletes and fans, as well as any vocal supporters or protestors, when Russia hosts the Winter Olympics next year in Sochi?

This week, comments by a lawmaker from St. Petersburg set off a firestorm online when he said that fans and athletes would not be immune from prosecution during the games.

Vitaly Milonov, who sponsored legislation in St. Petersburg last year that became the basis for a national law signed by President Vladimir Putin in June, was quoted telling the Interfax news agency that the law will remain in place during the Olympics and will be applied to foreigners.

"If a law has been approved by the federal legislature and signed by the president, then the government has no right to suspend it. It doesn't have the authority," he reportedly said, stressing that he has not heard anything different from Russian officials.

It is worth noting, however, that Milonov is only a regional lawmaker and is not a member of the federal government or the national legislature. But he has been on the forefront of Russia's war against homosexuality. Last summer he threatened to fine pop star Madonna for violating the law after she spoke out against it from the stage during a concert in St. Petersburg.

The International Olympic Committee appears only cautiously optimistic that the games will be safe for gay athletes and fans, noting that it has sought assurances from Russian authorities. "This legislation has just been passed into law and it remains to be seen whether and how it will be implemented, particularly as regards the Games in Sochi," the IOC said in an emailed statement to ABC News.

"The IOC has received assurances from the highest level of government in Russia that the legislation will not affect those attending or taking part in the Games," the statement continued.

The IOC said it continues to urge that the games "take place without discrimination against athletes, officials, spectators and the media."

The committee recently sent a letter to American athletes warning them about the law, but stressing, "We do not know how and to what extent they will be enforced during the Olympic and Paralympic Games."

The USOC says they are doing what they can to ensure the safety of all Americans at the Games.

"We are aware of these laws and are engaged in active discussions with the International Olympic Committee and the US State Department about how we can ensure that every American in Sochi, especially our athletes, are safe and secure," the letter continues.

At least one athlete, openly gay New Zealand speed skater Blake Skjellerup, has already pledged to wear a rainbow pin during the games.

Anti-gay sentiment runs high in Russia, where homosexuality was illegal during the Soviet Union and only decriminalized in 1993. A law that sent homosexuals to psychiatric wards wasn't annulled until 1999. Petitions for gay pride parades in Moscow have been rejected and unsanctioned rallies are often met by egg-throwing Russian Orthodox believers as well as physical violence. Police are often seen ignoring the attacks, and they often detain the gay rights activists.

In recent months, a new trend of attacks has gained popularity on Russian social media. Groups lure gay men online into meeting them in person, then humiliate and attack them on camera. They post the images and videos online under a hashtag that translates as "Occupy Pedophilia."

The U.S. has not yet issued any specific warning to gay Americans traveling to Russia. The State Department's informational page about Russia, however, notes the law and the dangers faced by those who are openly gay in Russia.

"Discrimination based on sexual orientation is widespread in Russia. Harassment, threats, and acts of violence targeting LGBT individuals have occurred," the page notes. "Public actions (including dissemination of information, statements, displays, or perceived conspicuous behavior) contradicting or appearing to contradict such laws may lead to arrest, prosecution, and the imposition of a fine."

The concern about discrimination against foreigners attending the Olympics comes amid a renewed effort abroad to pressure Russia about the new anti-gay law, including calls for boycott of the games as well as of Russian products.

Influential gay activist Dan Savage last week called on supporters to stop buying Stolichnaya and Russian Standard, two major Russian vodka labels, and to urge bars and restaurants to do the same, coining the hashtag #DumpStoli.

Leading Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev, however, said he did not think the vodka ban will be effective since Stolichnaya consumed overseas is both bottled and based outside Russia.

"To be honest, I don't see the point in boycotting the Russian vodka," he said, according to Gay Star News.

"It will impact anyone except the companies involved a little bit. The effect will die out very fast, it will not last forever," Alexeyev said.

Stolichnaya is produced by a Russian company for domestic consumption and by Luxembourg-based SPI Group for sale in more than 100 countries abroad. The overseas product is made from Russian ingredients, but bottled in Latvia.

In response, the company's website has highlighted its longstanding support for gay rights, including a banner image on its Facebook page stating "Stolichnaya Premium Vodka stands strong & proud with the global LGBT community against the attitude & actions of the Russian government."

Calls for a full boycott of the games have been few thus far, but some activists, including the group Human Rights Campaign, are urging NBC, which will air the games in the United States, to include stories about the anti-gay law in its coverage.

Mark Lazarus, the head of NBC Sports, has promised that if the law impacts any part of the Winter Games, "we will make sure we are acknowledging it and recognizing it," according to the Guardian.

http://news.yahoo.com/gays-may-prosecuted-2014-olympics-214050049--abc-news-topstories.html

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/s403x403/970890_725249720837817_1045358447_n.jpg

[Jolie Rouge]

Russian TV Presenter Comes Out on Air, Gets Fired
Anton Kraskovsky came out on his government-backed cable network and was fired within hours.
BY Michelle Garcia ~ August 14 2013 2:22 PM ET

Russian television anchor Anton Kraskovsky has been fired from his job after coming out on the air.

"I'm gay, and I'm just the same person as you, my dear audience, as President Putin, as Prime Minister Medvedev and the deputies of our Duma," he said, according to an interview with Snob.ru. He was reportedly fired from KontrTV, a government-backed cable network that he helped launch, and the footage of his announcement was quickly deleted from KontrTV's website and YouTube.

Kraskovsky also spoke to CNN from Lisbon and said he knew he would lose his job for coming out.

"Somebody should do it," he said. "I decided it's time to be open for me. That's it."

He told Snob.ru that he felt like a hypocrite after covering the so-called gay propaganda law on a show.

"The meaning of this whole story we are discussing now is that throughout my whole life, I've been struggling with myself," Kraskovsky said. "And this — as you call it — coming out is just another battle with myself, with my own hypocrisy, my own lies, and my own cowardice."

He said after making the announcement at the end of the show, Angry Guyzzz, the audience and the crew applauded. He said he then went into his dressing rom and cried for 20 minutes before being fired a few hours later.

"They immediately blocked all my corporative accounts, my email. Literally immediately, overnight," Kraskovsky said. "They deleted not only my face from the website, but also all of my TV shows, as if I’d never really existed. The next day I wrote to [network head Sergey] Minaev that I was totally shocked. Because it takes them half a day to put up a banner when I ask them to, and here we had such efficiency. One could say they can when they want to. Now they’ve put everything back, but you couldn’t say why, really."

http://www.advocate.com/politics/media/2013/08/14/russian-tv-presenter-comes-out-air-gets-fired

[Jolie Rouge]

Nick Symmonds blasts Russia on gay rights at Moscow track championship
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN --August 15, 2013

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(CNN) -- U.S. runner Nick Symmonds took a swipe at Russia's anti-gay propaganda law after winning a silver medal in the 800-meter competition at the World Track & Field Championships in Moscow, according to state-run media.

Symmonds became the first athlete to openly criticize the law on Russian soil Tuesday when, after registering a time of one minute, 43.55 seconds, he dedicated his second-place finish to all his gay friends back home, RIA Novosti reported.

"As much as I can speak out about it, I believe that all humans deserve equality as however God made them," he told the news outlet at Luzhniki Stadium. "Whether you're gay, straight, black, white, we all deserve the same rights. If there's anything I can do to champion the cause and further it, I will, shy of getting arrested."

Symmonds, 29, who appeared in a February ad for the gender-equality group, NOH8, went on record with his sentiments earlier this month in a blog post for Runner's World magazine.

A dangerous time to be gay in Russia
In it, he flatly stated his support for LGBT rights -- and his disagreement with the Russian law -- but promised not to raise the subject in Russia because "the playing field is not a place for politics."

"I say this not out of fear of prosecution by the Russian government, but out of respect for the fact that I will be a guest in the host nation. Just as I would not accept a dinner invite to a friend's house and then lecture them on how to raise their kids, neither will I lecture the Russian government on how to govern their people," he wrote.

Russia insists the law, which was signed in June and bans "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations around minors," is intended to protect children. It bars discussion of gay rights and relationships within earshot of children.

International rights groups have called the legislation highly discriminatory, as anti-gay attacks are on the rise in Russia and are sometimes perpetrated by the police themselves.

There have been widespread calls for boycotts and protests -- including a vodka-dumping demonstration in Los Angeles -- casting a pall over the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The gay rights group, All Out, has delivered a petition with hundreds of thousands of signatures denouncing Russia's stance on gay rights.

The International Olympic Committee says it has "received assurances from the highest level of government in Russia that the legislation will not affect those attending or taking part in the Games."

The committee told All Out representatives last week that it would pursue a stronger, written statement from the government, All Out spokesman Guillaume Bonnet said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/15/world/europe/russia-nick-symmonds-gay-rights/index.html

[Jolie Rouge]

Sochi Olympics: George Takei backs petition to move Games to Vancouver
Russian anti-gay law backlash widens.
By: Kim Nursall The Canadian Press, Published on Wed Aug 07 2013

VANCOUVER—Activist and actor George Takei, best known as helmsman Lt. Sulu in the original Star Trek television series, is calling for the Games to move to Vancouver from Sochi to protest Russia’s anti-gay laws.


He’s the latest celebrity to weigh in on the Olympic controversy, endorsing a petition at Change.org that has already garnered over 45,000 supporters.

Russia “intends to enforce its laws against visiting LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) athletes, trainers and fans, meaning anyone even so much as waving a rainbow flag (and I presume many men enthusiastically watching and dramatically commenting on figure skating) would be arrested, held for weeks and then deported,” he writes in a blog post last week. “Given this position, the (International Olympic Committee) must do the right thing, protect its athletes and the fans, and move the 2014 Winter Olympics out of Russia.”

Takei notes Vancouver’s facilities are still in good condition and the city would be the easiest of possible alternatives. Moving the Games, he says, would be much better than a boycott — one of the options touted by some activists. “A boycott of the games would punish athletes who have trained for years to participate, and a boycott of Russian vodka isn’t going to effect the kind of change needed,” he writes.


Takei says Russia’s ban on “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” and its imposition of heavy fines directly contravenes the IOC’s fundamental principals, and he argues such intolerance wouldn’t be accepted if it were aimed at Jews, Roman Catholics or Muslims.


Takei says moving the Games wouldn’t seem like an outlandish proposal if the discrimination was faced by those groups.

Thousands of Takei’s followers have already weighed in on the proposal. “Don’t go to Russia and be beat by Putin, come to Canada to eat some poutine!” one poster, Kevin Dutrisac, writes on Facebook.


Although most commentators seem to be supportive, some question whether moving the Games will have the biggest impact. “The best thing would be to expose the Russians’ outlandish laws by massive demonstrations. Entire national teams should march in and out of the ceremonies with rainbow pins,” writes Thomas McGowan in the comments section of Takei’s blog post.

British actor and writer Stephen Fry also called Wednesday for the Olympics to be moved in a letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron and IOC executives, asking them not to give Russian President Vladimir Putin “the approval of the civilized world.”

“It is simply not enough to say that gay Olympians may or may not be safe in their village. The IOC absolutely must take a firm stance on behalf of the shared humanity it is supposed to represent against the barbaric, fascist law that Putin has pushed through the Duma,” he writes in the letter, which he has since posted online. “Let us not forget that Olympic events used not only to be athletic, they used to include cultural competitions. Let us realize that in fact, sport is cultural. It does not exist in a bubble outside society or politics.”

http://www.thestar.com/sports/amateur/2013/08/07/sochi_olympics_george_takei_backs_petition_to_move _games_to_vancouver.html

[Jolie Rouge]

George Takei posted : If you missed this news, "Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller responded to an invitation to a Russian film festival by coming out publicly as gay, saying "Thanks, but no thanks, Russia." Bravo to him! And yes, ladies, sorry, he's ours now.

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[Jolie Rouge]

George Takei posted : If you missed this news, "Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller responded to an invitation to a Russian film festival by coming out publicly as gay, saying "Thanks, but no thanks, Russia." Bravo to him! And yes, ladies, sorry, he's ours now.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/p235x165/558836_733816273314495_194032381_n.jpg

If you missed "Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller's powerful statement against Russia's anti-LGBT laws--and his coming-out--here it is in his own words.

Coming out is never an easy process, and it is all the more challenging when the eyes of the world are upon you as a public figure. I commend Mr. Miller for his stance and his courage.



Watch An Actor Come Out Of The Closet AND Pick A Fight With A Homophobic President At The Same Time




Not sure if you heard, but Russia's new horrible anti-gay laws are starting to attract media attention, with athletes, celebrities and everyone else speaking out on a regular basis. Russia's President, Vladamir Putin has banned pro-gay protests in Russia. Coincidentally, Wentworth Miller, the star of the series "Prison Break", was invited to go to a Russian film festival. So he took advantage of the moment to kill two birds with one stone, coming out of the closet AND declining to visit them until they change their laws.
http://www.upworthy.com/watch-an-actor-come-out-of-the-closet-and-pick-a-fight-with-a-homophobic-president-at-the-same-time?c=gt1

[Jolie Rouge]

Russia Raids Gay People's Homes
Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev's home was among the latest to be raided by prosecutors.
BY Michelle Garcia ~ August 28 2013 3:36 PM ET

The Russian government's new law condemning so-called gay propaganda has now encouraged people to report their LGBT neighbors to local authorities.

A notice allegedly from the government says any person who suspects that a neighbor or tenant disseminates "homosexual propaganda" should contact the police immediately, Gay Star News and O-Blog-Dee-O-Blog-Da report.

"Increase your vigilance when you talk to your neighbors, when you are checking your mail and in elevators," the notice says, according to a translation. "You can easily become a target of homosexual propaganda. There is one step from being homosexual and to start propaganda of homosexualism and molesting decent people."

Russian prosecutors reportedly raided the home of activist and lawyer Nikolai Alexeyev. According to Reuters, officials ransacked Alexeyev's home and removed several pieces of electronic equipment.

"Do you think this is all legal?" Alexeyev said to reporters inside his apartment after the raid. "What if they now start raiding flats every day, for instance?

The raid was spurred by a Russian parliament member who lodged a complaint against Alexeyev.

http://www.advocate.com/news/world-news/2013/08/28/russia-raids-gay-peoples-homes

[Jolie Rouge]

Putin's notorious riot police, the OMOH, are best viewed standing near mirrors.

https://sphotos-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s403x403/1001437_740278029334986_1049808935_n.jpg

Hat Tip : George Takei

[Jolie Rouge]

Three Time US Champion Weir won't skate at Sochi
Updated Sep 17, 2013 6:17 PM ET

Johnny Weir won't be going to the Sochi Olympics.

At least, not as a skater.

U.S. Figure Skating confirmed Tuesday that the two-time Olympian did not register for the qualifiers for the national championships, where the Sochi team will be selected. The deadline to register was Sept. 1. The three-time U.S. champion can't get a free pass to nationals, either. According to U.S. Figure Skating rules, only skaters who placed in the top five at last year's nationals or who won medals at the most recent Olympics or world championships are eligible for byes.

Weir has not competed since withdrawing from last year's Rostelecom Cup, his first major event since finishing sixth at the Vancouver Olympics. He did not return a text message asking for comment.

Two other former U.S. champions, Rachael Flatt and Alissa Czisny, are registered for the qualifiers. Flatt, the 2010 U.S. champion, and Czisny, who won in 2009 and 2011, missed last year's nationals because of injuries. They would have to place in the top four at both their regional and sectional competitions to earn spots at the U.S. championships, which begin Jan. 9 in Boston.

Though Weir had raised the possibility of competing in Sochi in recent interviews, his decision to sit out the season and likely bring an end to his amateur career is not a surprise. He turned 29 in July, old by elite skating standards, and the sport has only gotten more demanding since the last Olympics. The top men in the world are now packing their free skates with three quads, and the time and training required to perfect those four-revolution jumps can take a toll.

Weir also is married and has a budding design career, and would be a natural fit for broadcasting. He's always been delightfully refreshing, on and off the ice, and is one of the few skaters who spoke his mind — even when he knew it would get him in trouble with judges and federation officials. He could also be counted on for thoughtful answers on a variety of topics, and has been an outspoken and very public critic of Russia's new "anti-gay" law.

His colorfulness is part of his massive appeal, and he remains one of skating's most popular figures, particularly in Japan and Russia.

In addition to his three U.S. titles, Weir was the bronze medalist at the 2008 world championships.

http://msn.foxsports.com/ice_skating/story/figure-skater-johnny-weir-out-of-2014-sochi-games-after-not-registering-for-season-091713?ocid=ansfox11

Johnny Weir, Gay Olympic Skater, Won't Skate At 2014 Sochi Olympics
The Huffington Post | By James Nichols Posted: 09/18/2013 12:34 pm EDT

U.S. Figure Skating announced yesterday that three-time champion Johnny Weir won't compete in the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games, likely marking the end of his career as an Olympian.

The organization confirmed that Weir did not register for qualifiers for the national championships where the Olympic team will be selected, and the deadline for registration was Sept. 1.

The Associated Press reported: "Though Weir had raised the possibility of competing in Sochi in recent interviews, his decision to sit out the season and likely bring an end to his amateur career is not a surprise. He turned 29 in July, old by elite skating standards, and the sport has only gotten more demanding since the last Olympics ... Weir also is married and has a budding design career."

Weir has remained staunchly opposed to calls for an Olympic boycott, despite international sentiment regarding the country's treatment of LGBT individuals. Russia has come under fire as of late for institutionalized homophobia, enabled through its anti-gay "propaganda" law and a proposed bill that would take away LGBT children from their parents. This legislation has shaped and perpetuated a culture of fear and violence for LGBT Russians, and allegedly subjected many citizens to acts of torture and public humiliation.

In response, a polarizing debate of whether or not to boycott the 2014 Sochi Olympics has activist groups petitioning and protesting in an effort to have the international community not attend the 2014 Sochi Olympics. While some prominent Western LGBT figures have responded affirmatively, Weir has remind rigidly opposed to any sort of boycott of the games.

Weir had perviously said that he was willing to be arrested if he attended the 2014 Olympics, stating, "If it takes me getting arrested for people to pay attention and for people to lobby against this law, then I'm willing to take it." The skater also recently appeared on "Olbermann" in a Russian military uniform, continuing the defend his unwavering opposition to a 2014 Olympic boycott to host Keith Olbermann.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/johnny-weir-gay-olympic-sochi_n_3948524.html

[Jolie Rouge]

No actual Germans were hurt in the filming of this monologue.


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[Jolie Rouge]

Conditions at the Sochi Olympics are bad/hilarious (32 Photos)

February 6, 2014

I happen to have a spare door handle...well not really spare. I just don't think the Olympian next door has use for it...This stuff is crazy and an embarrsment! Does the Olympic Committee not have a responsibility to ensure a Country meets necessary requirements?

http://thechive.com/2014/02/06/conditions-at-the-sochi-olympics-are-badhilarious-32-photos/

http://thechive.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/sochi-olympics-21.jpg?w=1014&h=1202

OK - I understand some of these ... no peeing in toilet, no vomiting, no squatting ( ?? ), no FISHING ( ???? ) .... but what is the last pictogram ??

[3lilpigs]

.................. but what is the last pictogram ??


Humping the toilet???

:lol

[Eddie]

In the lead up to the games, till now, the western mainstream media has been desperate to make Russia look bad at every opportunity.

Everything from trying to generate terrorism fears about made up toothpaste bombs, NBC caught faking stories about Sochi being cyber attacked and spreading disinfo about Russia’s stance on homosexuality, here is the the reality on that issue you won’t see the media cover and even non stop coverage about the toilets.

But ever notice how the western mainstream media won’t cover real stories like how Russia is looking to completely ban GMO food?

It seems the western media will cover everything about Sochi except the games themselves.

Clearly Russia, although not perfect by any means, is not going along with the New World Order plan as was seen with Putin stopping WW3 from occuring. While John Kerry, Obama, UK’s David Cameron and others were looking for an imediate strike on Syria, Putin called out the evidence of chemical weapons as having no validity which later turned out that Putin was correct.

Even people in the US like Ron Paul and Pat Buchanan called out the attacks as a false flag, also later proven to be correct. Ron Paul even asking the question why the US is arming and funding al Qaeda to take down the Assad government in Syria.

Either way, whatever happens at the Sochi games you can be sure that if it can be spun to make Russia look bad the dying mainstream media will pounce all over it with their propaganda.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UPFcdPIgz8k

http://www.hangthebankers.com/msm-desperate-to-make-russia-look-bad-during-sochi-olympics/

[Jolie Rouge]

http://img.ifcdn.com/images/e65caaf6e72d08bffdf6c6fbbfe1e1725954c9075b23ff7f72 a907289291c2b4_1.jpg

Hosting the Olympics in Sochi Russia = $51 BILLION

Going to Mars = $2.5 Billion

[Jolie Rouge]

http://img.ifcdn.com/images/35ac9ac3f5a2b5488f39892f7839d29f6a8ad48b4abdb8e7c5 5314b08d8203fb_1.jpg

[Jolie Rouge]

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[Jolie Rouge]

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[Jolie Rouge]

http://img.ifcdn.com/images/ef9919b8b275a6c99439bfd3176a2036ade0e9fd2d755bc592 ac0c463ac48a3b_1.jpg

Did not see this event ... must find a video

[Jolie Rouge]

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[Jolie Rouge]

‘Leave Bode alone’: Obnoxious interviewer scores another #NBCFail
Posted at 10:11 pm on February 16, 2014 by Twitchy Staff


Alicia Findley @Aleesh18

Hey NBC, Leave Bode Miller alone. He's obviously emotional about losing his brother. Stop. #BodeMiller #Sochi2014

8:54 PM - 16 Feb 2014


Sumer Dahl @LadyDahl87

Ok news lady, leave Bode Miller ALONE! Dude just got a medal in his last Olympics and you gotta make him cry over the loss of his brother?

8:58 PM - 16 Feb 2014

American Olympic skier Bode Miller won the bronze medal in the Super-G event at Sochi this weekend. It was an emotional moment for the veteran athlete, who has been grieving the loss of his younger brother, snowboarder Chelone, who died last year after an apparent seizure. Miller broke down in tears.


SportsCenter ✔ @SportsCenter

Bode Miller overcome with emotion after winning Bronze in Men's Alpine Skiing Super-G; his 6th career Olympic medal.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BgpPQnVCAAIFa3a.jpg

9:00 PM - 16 Feb 2014


Bode Miller ✔ @MillerBode

Thanks for all the support, today was one of the most emotional days of my life. I miss my brother.

3:17 AM - 16 Feb 2014

Not content to leave well enough alone, reporters pressed Miller after his victory. And many viewers think one NBC interviewer, Christin Cooper, went too far.


TimKarr @TimKarr

NBC reporter repeatedly badgering a teary-eyed #Bode Miller about his dead brother was a media low for the #Olympics

8:56 PM - 16 Feb 2014


Ed Werder ✔ @Edwerderespn

Lot of public backlash about the propriety of @MillerBode interview. NBC apparently had no misgivings since it was taped hours before airing

9:23 PM - 16 Feb 2014


Coach Allison Beebe @CoachAllisonB

The only thing worse than Kristen Cooper's interview with Bode Miller
is the fact that NBC had hours to edit/remove it
& chose not to do so.

9:21 PM - 16 Feb 2014 from Sugar Land, TX, United States


Nick Shepkowski @Shep670

That Bode Miller interview was uncomfortable as hell. There's journalism and there's being an insensitive a$$wipe. NBC was the later.

9:07 PM - 16 Feb 2014


Conor @conormcasey

#nbcolympics you owe Bode Miller an apology. That was terrible. While you're at it why not kill some puppies.

9:05 PM - 16 Feb 2014 from Manhattan, NY, United States


Will & Deni Media @macfoto

No respect for Christin Cooper for badgering Bode Miller to a breakdown,
and none for NBC for re-airing her schlocky roughness. #Sochi2014

9:15 PM - 16 Feb 2014

Journalists who still have a shred of decency were mortified.



Carina MacKenzie ✔ @cadlymack

Christin Cooper @ NBC Sports is the absolute worst. There was no journalism in that interview w/ Bode Miller, just badgering & scrounging.

9:03 PM - 16 Feb 2014


Devon Vorse @TheRealDevonV

Maybe the athletes should ice Christin Cooper out of further interviews since NBC can't seem to handle it? @NBCOlympics @USOlympic

9:20 PM - 16 Feb 2014


Matt Borst @borstmatt

Some announcers need to learn to just shut up. Leave Bode Miller alone and let him deal with things with his wife.

8:58 PM - 16 Feb 2014


Jamie Kellner @jbk_ltd

@NBCOlympics Really shameful Bode Miller post-race interview. Inconsiderate, disrespectful, exploiting personal pain for ratings.

9:03 PM - 16 Feb 2014


Alan Robinson ✔ @arobinson_Trib

Thought questioning of obviously emotional Bode Miller way over the line. Who do you think he was pointing to? Let picture tell the story.

9:03 PM - 16 Feb 2014 from Pine, PA, United States



Josh Bush @digitalBush

Search on twitter reveals that there are a lot of people pissed about the @MillerBode interview. Shame on you @NBCOlympics.

9:07 PM - 16 Feb 2014

http://twitchy.com/2014/02/16/leave-bode-alone-obnoxious-interviewer-scores-another-nbcfail/

[Jolie Rouge]

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[Jolie Rouge]

NBC: 23-Year-Old Olympic Freestyle Skier With Wife, Kid Living 'Alternative Lifestyle'
By Matthew Balan | February 19, 2014 | 16:10

NBC can't seem to keep its left-leaning slant out of its coverage of the Winter Olympics. One day after playing up Stalin's "palace for the people" in Moscow's metro system http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kyle-drennen/2014/02/17/nbc-moscows-subway-system-stalins-palace-people the Big Three network's spotlighted how an American freestyle skier is living an "alternative lifestyle" – for being married at 23 and having a young daughter.

Correspondent Skyler Wilder underlined how David Wise, who won the gold medal in the half pipe on Tuesday, is "mature far beyond his years....At such a young age, Wise has the lifestyle of an adult. He wears a Baby Bjorn baby carrier around the house." Twenty-three is "such a young age?" Perhaps the network is following ObamaCare's definition of "children", which includes those aged 18 to 26. https://www.healthcare.gov/can-i-keep-my-child-on-my-insurance-until-age-26/

Wilder used his "mature" label of Wise three times in first four sentences of his article on the skier, "David Wise's alternative lifestyle leads to Olympic gold:" http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/david-wises-alternative-lifestyle-leads-olympic-gold?ctx=olympic-journey


"Hey, Nayeli," he said peering into the camera. "Daddy loves you!"

Those were the words of David Wise, the freestyle skiing halfpipe gold medalist Tuesday night after he won his event's first-ever Olympic medal.

David Wise is at the top of his sport. He's always smiling among his friends and competitors, however, he's not like the rest of the field. He is mature.

Not to say the rest of the freestyle skiers of halfpipe are not mature, but Wise is mature far beyond his years. At only twenty-three years old, he has a wife, Alexander (sic), who was waiting patiently in the crowd, and together they have a two-year-old daughter waiting for them to return to their home in Reno, Nevada.

The NBC sports writer continued with his "lifestyle of an adult" description of Wise, and added that "he [Wise] also attends church regularly and says he could see himself becoming a pastor a little later down the road. Not exactly the picture you had in mind while watching him nail two double corks wearing baggy pants."

Despite his post-modern language in the beginning, Wilder painted a very positive picture of Wise during the remainder of his piece:

...Wise is, well, wise. He knows where his head should be at all time, focused on being the best father and husband he can be. Then comes skiing.

"I think my lifestyle — the fact that I have a little girl to take care of and a wife — really takes the pressure off of my skiing, because first and foremost I have to be a good husband and father."

...While the rest of his competitors are hanging with their friends, traveling the world searching for endless winter, hitting the party scenes accustom to their action sports lifestyles, Wise is hurrying home for quality time with the family. That is what sets his mental game apart from his competition. He likely has the most stable life of them all....

Well, now that the gold is in the bag and Team USA can add another one to their overall medal count...Wise can get back to his other life, and back to the Baby Bjorn.

On Wednesday, Mollie Hemingway at The Federalist website http://thefederalist.com/2014/02/19/being-married-with-kids-and-young-now-deemed-alternative-lifestyle/ called out NBC for its characterization of the Olympic skiier: "[I]sn't it fascinating that NBC views a man taking care of his wife and daughter as an alternative lifestyle? I'm glad David Wise won gold, but if this is any indication of media views on normalcy, our society is pretty much doomed."

By contrast, the Bleacher Report website on Tuesday heralded how Wise "busts freestyle skiing stereotypes," and noted that "Wise is a husband and father of a young daughter, Nayeli. He is a devout Christian who met his wife Lexi at a youth church camp and has said in many interviews that it is his faith and family that motivate him." http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1964795-team-usas-david-wise-busts-freestyle-skiing-sterotypes-wins-gold-in-halfpipe

Columnist Joe Menzer also pointed out that "he [Wise] enjoys many of the same things his fellow competitors do—like driving fast, performing outlandish tricks in the halfpipe or just joking around...but being a husband and a father has also kept him grounded and brought about a maturity that forces him to take seriously the things which are meant to be taken seriously."

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2014/02/19/nbc-23-year-old-olympic-freestyle-skier-wife-kid-living-alternative-l#ixzz2tuDWOKcJ

[Jolie Rouge]

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1/p75x225/1970567_625905897458368_780233333_n.jpg

Canada VERSUS USA
Friday 2014

Loser has to keep Bieber

[Jolie Rouge]

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https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/8076087808/hF4BBAA7B/

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/8076177920/h41171C04/

[Jolie Rouge]

Sochi: Two weeks in two minutes
Memorable Moments Winter Olympics | 2:31 mins

Martin Rogers gives you the quick complete rundown of everything that happened at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

http://sports.yahoo.com/video/sochi-two-weeks-two-minutes-151809588.html

[Jolie Rouge]

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[Jolie Rouge]

http://img.ifcdn.com/images/e65caaf6e72d08bffdf6c6fbbfe1e1725954c9075b23ff7f72 a907289291c2b4_1.jpg

Hosting the Olympics in Sochi Russia = $51 BILLION

Going to Mars = $2.5 Billion

Wag the dog.... The news is full of coverage about 1 missing plane and nothing is being said about how Russia decided to use all that money they made on the Olympics for war.