wow...you miss one day...and LOOK!...Now why, I wonder, do those committees not think to post their plans HERE before they dig themselves into such holes! This sensible group would have advised them as to a reasonable course of action!

..There is almost no graceful way out now..I'm sure Australia did not need LOTS of American & Japanese bands to have a nice ceremony...(for some reason, the phrase.."76 Digeridoos led the big parade" is echoing in my head)...but someone sure needs to figure out how to appease the kids who raised that money!

It is an unfortunate truism that the wonderful people of ANY country, including Australia, the U.S., Japan..etc., are at the mercy of whatever clutch of political types happen to be running things at the moment...and after the hassles we had in Atlanta, I do not envy Oz next year...it will be grand, but also tedious.

Sure hope someone finds a reasonably gentle way to resolve it all....