The Olympics

[Johnuk123]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/train-drivers-plan-olympics-strikes-100312200.html

Oh dear.

 

[LE Greys]

Because when we agreed to do the games we weren't in the middle of the biggest recession since the 1930s? People go on about how the games are a waste of money when we're in a time of belt tightening but that's clouded totally by the advantage of hindsight. Back in 2005 it would have been very hard to predict that the economic situation of 2012 would have been as bad as it is.

I believe that Ming Campbell and Vince Cable made some surprisingly accurate predictions about government debt becoming too high, which were of course ignored completely. Being right too soon is usually not good.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/train-drivers-plan-olympics-strikes-100312200.html

Oh dear.

Well, they found a good, accurate image anyway.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

I believe that Ming Campbell and Vince Cable made some surprisingly accurate predictions about government debt becoming too high, which were of course ignored completely. Being right too soon is usually not good.

My point exactly. The thing is, before the Olympics was chosen for London, we were still a billion pounds in debt anyway. I certainly wouldn't want to buy something on my credit card if I was a billion pounds under so I can't see why they can throw it away. I keep hearing about them wanting to 'wipe off the debt', well get off and do it then ffs so we can get on!

 

[Schnellzug]

rather an amusing piece in the local Paper today about how our friends at LOCOG aren't at all ripping anybody off, no. If you'd paid £55 for a Premium ticket to watch the Olympic Sailing Events, what might you expect? You'd expect a grandstand, wouldn't you? You'd expect covered seating, or at least some seating at all? Priority entrance to avoid the queues? No. What LOCOG have apparently instructed people who've bought Tickets is that they should bring a 'small blanket', and one small bottle of water and plastic container of Food. Ample refreshments are available at the venue (from, it seems, £2.50 for a Tea cake to £8 for Cod & chips). We regret that folding Chairs are not permitted owing to reasons of healthiness & safety. Oh, and 'please allow time for Security checks'.
LOCOG: providing value for money.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

What gets me is you get people like Kelly Holmes constantly on the t.v. telling everybody that childrens lives are going to be changed.

A running and jumping competititon that lasts a fortnight will not make kids give up Facebook and computers and get down the park.

The ones that might be slightly interested will be the ones that already are.

What amuses me most of all is that Lord Coe and LOCOG come out with all this pious talk about "Inspiring a Generation" to get fit and healthy and similar guff, and, er, what are the main Official Olympic Partners? That's right, maccyD's and coca-Cola. Think fit and Healthy. think maccyD's.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Several Chinese athletes after experiencing a couple of days of London weather have relocated their training camp from Tottenham to Germany. They claim to have experienced breathing problems from the cold and the wet.

Yes, China is renowned for the purity of its air and freedom from atmospheric pollution, isn't it.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

We are as well placed as anyone to host sporting events. And I need to remind you all once again, this is not the 'Britsih' nor 'English' Olympic games.

This is the LONDON Olympic games 2012. Amazing how some of you seem to forget this.

Oh, if only it was. But then, if it was, there wouldn't be such a plentiful source of amusement in the local paper about LOCOG taking everyone for a ride.

 

[jon0844]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/s...ning-even-more-than-usual.html?_r=4&ref=world

It's a bit depressing, but hardly untrue.

I have to say that if it was the NYC Games, everyone would be proudly talking it up and playing down all problems.

The only positive is that we all love to moan, but not to be accused of moaning by 'outsiders'. The above article, and others like it, will almost certainly mean people now go on the defensive and start to say 'no, we're not really moaning' and get behind the games! Perhaps the article was planted by Lord Coe!!

 

[SS4]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/s...ning-even-more-than-usual.html?_r=4&ref=world

It's a bit depressing, but hardly untrue.

I have to say that if it was the NYC Games, everyone would be proudly talking it up and playing down all problems.

The only positive is that we all love to moan, but not to be accused of moaning by 'outsiders'. The above article, and others like it, will almost certainly mean people now go on the defensive and start to say 'no, we're not really moaning' and get behind the games! Perhaps the article was planted by Lord Coe!!

To be fair an outsider looking in at our media coverage would be forgiven for thinking everyone in Britain was behind it in the same way that all Syrians support the rebels [who can do no wrong]

I'd hazard a guess there'd be a fair few people in NYC that wouldn't like it or be apathetic, but like many over here who feel the same their voices aren't heard offline.

 

[sprinterguy]

Perhaps this has already been posted, but this news item has provided a table that gives a fairly detailed and interesting breakdown of the various elements of the three Olympic Games’ to have been held in England:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18782392

It certainly makes the amount of money that is being hurled at the present games look truly ridiculous! Although I’m not at all sure what the price of a pint of beer (Right at the bottom of the table) has got to do with any of it

 

[jon0844]

If you're going to compare the price of a pint, you need to show what the old prices would be today - or else it's rather pointless!

 

[Mojo]

I'm getting very excited now; only a few days to go! Looking forward to watching the Opening Ceremony on Friday night, and wish I could attend a few more things. Going to the Olympic Park in August and got our tickets through the other day.

 

[gazthomas]

After the original lottery last year I wasn't too enthusiastic, but having got plenty of tickets via France's Olympic association web site I am really looking forward to it now.

 

[LE Greys]

If you're going to compare the price of a pint, you need to show what the old prices would be today - or else it's rather pointless!

2d in 1908 = 79p
6d in 1948 = 77p

Inflation calculator

1908 costs are (from the BBC 'allowing for inflation' figures middle case) £3,267:81 per athlete and £302,272:73 per event
1948 costs are (from the BBC 'allowing for inflation' figures) £451:33 per athlete and £108,823:53 per event
2012 projected costs are £886,558:63 per athlete and £357,692,307:69 per event
No figure was given for total spectator numbers or audience numbers listening/watching at home.

Either somehow inflation doesn't work the way they say it does (I'd never have abandoned the RPI, but it can't make that much difference) or something really weird has happened to costs at high levels.

 

[43167]

My photograph (hopefully attached) shows the Olympic Torch on the A26 at Tunbridge Wells today passing under the Spa Valley Railway with Jinty 47493 parked on the bridge.
I wonder how many other preserved railways the torch passed under or over. I am aware that the Severn Valley Railway was involved several weeks ago.

Worth Valley at Ingrow when it came to Keighley the other week.

 

[jon0844]

Either somehow inflation doesn't work the way they say it does (I'd never have abandoned the RPI, but it can't make that much difference) or something really weird has happened to costs at high levels.

Perhaps Network Rail quoted for the cost of materials?

 

[Deerfold]

Worth Valley at Ingrow when it came to Keighley the other week.

It passed there "in convoy" (in the back of a van/minibus) though didn't it? The runners started at South Street.

 

[valenta]

A slight faux pas before the women's football match between North Korea and Columbia. A screen at Hampden park displayed information about the North Korea team next to a South Korean flag - not what you want to do.

 

[Johnuk123]

A slight faux pas before the women's football match between North Korea and Columbia. A screen at Hampden park displayed information about the North Korea team next to a South Korean flag - not what you want to do.

No not really as the 2 countries hate each other.

 

[SS4]

A slight faux pas before the women's football match between North Korea and Columbia. A screen at Hampden park displayed information about the North Korea team next to a South Korean flag - not what you want to do.

If there was an understatement prediction league you'd be top of it

 

[valenta]

If there was an understatement prediction league you'd be top of it

Well, it would be nice to come first for once!
Obviously, it's just about the biggest mistake you could make considering the history between the two. It makes you wonder who was in charge of checking this.

 

[Butts]

Perhaps this has already been posted, but this news item has provided a table that gives a fairly detailed and interesting breakdown of the various elements of the three Olympic Games’ to have been held in England:

Kerching .....another vote for the SNP :roll:

 

[ainsworth74]

Kerching .....another vote for the SNP

How so? They're the London Olympics not the UK Olympics, so surely it's logical that any out of London events would be held at locations where it's fairly convenient to get to/from London? I don't understand how having the events in England would translate to a vote for the SNP?

 

[jon0844]

It's amazing how many people don't realise it is the London Olympics, and there are simply some events held outside where facilities didn't exist in town, or weren't suitable.

Even 'proper' journalists have been making the mistake, and obviously Facebook and Twitter is full of people moaning about the London-centric games. Well, duh!

 

[Butts]

How so? They're the London Olympics not the UK Olympics, so surely it's logical that any out of London events would be held at locations where it's fairly convenient to get to/from London? I don't understand how having the events in England would translate to a vote for the SNP?

Whilst I agree the Olympics should be held in London as it is the Capital City of both England and the UK, and more importantly has the infrastructure to cope with all the visitors, it would be nice to refer to it is the UK Olympics in the context of a Country.

To SNP zealots (not me) it will look like the old chestnut as referring to The UK as England - ie they are one and the same.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

To be fair I think the SNP would have to rely on things like this for votes, bearing in mind that if you looked at their policies, no-one in their right mind would vote for them!

 

[Butts]

To be fair I think the SNP would have to rely on things like this for votes, bearing in mind that if you looked at their policies, no-one in their right mind would vote for them!

True, however they are basically left of centre and a lot of their domestic policies would be popular "down south"

Getting back to the Olympics I visited the site on Tuesday during a stopover enroute to Luxembourg. Although you could not get right up close due to Security I got a good view of The Stadium and Village and that "Sculpture Thing" it all looked quite impressive.

Had no problems at Heathrow either in our out - cleared UK Border Check in two minutes on the way in last night and no big q's at security on any of the legs.

Now the proud posessor of 3900 Benson and Hedges Gold legally imported from Luxembourg where they retail at half the UK price with Lux Duty Paid.Taking out the travel and Hotel costs I am a monkey up

 

[MidnightFlyer]

... And their chief goal would destroy Scotland a million times over. Also, I doubt they would be - in Northern England and cities maybe, however a lot of rural areas and the South are quite Conservative!

 

[LE Greys]

Well, it would be nice to come first for once!
Obviously, it's just about the biggest mistake you could make considering the history between the two. It makes you wonder who was in charge of checking this.

I hope that it's just a mistake, not a deliberate attempt to wind them up, something like the person who referred to Taiwan as 'the Republic of China' right in front of the Chinese (People's Republic of) ambassador.

 

[telstarbox]

In the last few days Google Maps has been updated with new satellite imagery and mapping of the Olympic Park! Also some of the surrounding roads have been re-done on Street View, although I was disappointed that they haven't done the inside of the Park itself - this has been done at other places such as Legoland.

 

[Michael.Y]

Going well isn't it!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18997930

Olympic organisers are facing another embarrassing gaffe after describing Welsh midfielder Joe Allen as English in the official Team GB programme.

Allen, 22, is set to feature for Great Britain on Thursday in their opening match against Senegal at Old Trafford.

The mistake follows the humiliating episode at Hampden Park when the South Korea flag was shown next to North Korea's women footballers.

Games organisers Locog have been asked for a response to the latest blunder.

Allen, a fluent Welsh speaker from Pembrokeshire, is one of five Welshman selected in the men's football squad. But under the title 'Nationality' in the official programme, the Swansea City midfielder is listed as English.

Compatriots Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy, Aaron Ramsey and Neil Taylor have all correctly been identified as Welsh in the official programme.

 

[Butts]

Going well isn't it!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18997930

Olympic organisers are facing another embarrassing gaffe after describing Welsh midfielder Joe Allen as English in the official Team GB programme.

Allen, 22, is set to feature for Great Britain on Thursday in their opening match against Senegal at Old Trafford.

The mistake follows the humiliating episode at Hampden Park when the South Korea flag was shown next to North Korea's women footballers.

Games organisers Locog have been asked for a response to the latest blunder.

Allen, a fluent Welsh speaker from Pembrokeshire, is one of five Welshman selected in the men's football squad. But under the title 'Nationality' in the official programme, the Swansea City midfielder is listed as English.

Compatriots Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy, Aaron Ramsey and Neil Taylor have all correctly been identified as Welsh in the official programme.

Perhaps it would have been easier if they had just described them all as British which they are ....it's hardly a huge faux pas :roll:

 

[jon0844]

The BBC regularly has typos on its website so mistakes happen. Hardly a big deal for an event of this scale.

Okay, the Korean flag was quite a big deal, but this isn't. It's desperate.