Olympics

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

Up their own arses mostly ! They certainly aren't living in the real world that's for sure, mind you I suppose that goes for them all really !

We its just suprising just what an impact MR ED has had as Labour Leader Dave, only yesterday on the good old BBC the newscaster reported that Labour Leader, David Milliband had.............

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by jaysay

We its just suprising just what an impact MR ED

You mean they've got a talking Horse as a leader ? Usually it's just the horses arse ! My, my, a whole Horse eh ? How times have changed.

Still, whichever farmyard beast is in charge it doesn't detract from the waste of taxpayers money by bidding for & supporting this travesty, these so called "Games". I can't abide athletics & I'm damn sure the money could've been better invested in something worthwhile that'd benefit the whole Country.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

You mean they've got a talking Horse as a leader ? Usually it's just the horses arse ! My, my, a whole Horse eh ? How times have changed.

Still, whichever farmyard beast is in charge it doesn't detract from the waste of taxpayers money by bidding for & supporting this travesty, these so called "Games". I can't abide athletics & I'm damn sure the money could've been better invested in something worthwhile that'd benefit the whole Country.

Ya but just think of the pleasure you'll get when we work it up the Germans Dave

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by jaysay

Ya but just think of the pleasure you'll get when we work it up the Germans Dave

Oh I'm always partial to a bit of a gloat (okay a lot of gloat & insufferable smugness) whenever the English or anyone for that matter does the Germans, it gives me a warm glow & a feeling of up yours ya kraut barsteward, that'll teach ya for hogging all the sunbeds & deckchairs !

But athletics ? Really ? How very tiresome & tedious, endlessly plodding round a track for many a mile, why ? You end up back where you started & the scenery hasn't changed any. Chucking things away from you then padding after them to see how far you've chucked 'em ? Pointless, if you're after chucking it away use the bin !

Absolutely pointless pursuits.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

Oh I'm always partial to a bit of a gloat (okay a lot of gloat & insufferable smugness) whenever the English or anyone for that matter does the Germans, it gives me a warm glow & a feeling of up yours ya kraut barsteward, that'll teach ya for hogging all the sunbeds & deckchairs !

But athletics ? Really ? How very tiresome & tedious, endlessly plodding round a track for many a mile, why ? You end up back where you started & the scenery hasn't changed any. Chucking things away from you then padding after them to see how far you've chucked 'em ? Pointless, if you're after chucking it away use the bin !

Absolutely pointless pursuits.

I take it athletics wasn't your first choice at school then Dave

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by jaysay

I take it athletics wasn't your first choice at school then Dave

Didn't even figure on the list as an option. Footy, Cricket for me with swimming grudgingly thrown in (literally, in the deep end the Barfturds ! Sink or swim or the underwater moon scuttle to the shallow bit) also a bit of gymnasties under duress as part of the curriculum. Did try Rugby once or twice, but having had it explained to me that it wasn't just about piling on & beating your opponents up & that there were rules ..... well, sort of lost its shine.

[susie123]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

Still, whichever farmyard beast is in charge it doesn't detract from the waste of taxpayers money by bidding for & supporting this travesty, these so called "Games". I can't abide athletics & I'm damn sure the money could've been better invested in something worthwhile that'd benefit the whole Country.

Glad to see this is gradually returning to thread - if I might be permitted to give it another gentle nudge in the right direction by mentioning the events of yesterday and today in Morecambe and Accrington, in other words the arrival of the Olympic flame in my present location and my home town...

This event has brought people out and given them something to cheer about. It has also given communities and individuals the opportunity to reward people for achievements and service by nominating them to carry the torch.

However much you may hate athletics Dave there is an equal number who despise football. If the World Cup had come to UK as it so nearly did I'm sure people would have been complaining about the waste of money in staging it. However all sport be it athletics, football or whatever has a role to play in giving people something to get involved in either competitively or behind the scenes or just as a leisure pursuit. Surely that cannot be a bad thing.

It's slightly unfortunate that the Olympics are always referred to by the name of the host city rather than country whereas the World Cup goes by the name of the host country. However I'm sure that London 2012 will have a far greater positive effect on the whole country than it does just on London, even if it's just in the memories of the folk who have seen the Olympic flame pass by. And it won't just be sport but tourism as well.

And to those who are complaining about blanket coverage on TV - it's a once in a lifetime event. I hate tennis but I have to put up with wall to wall Wimbledon for two weeks every year.

[mobertol]

Originally Posted by susie123

And to those who are complaining about blanket coverage on TV - it's a once in a lifetime event. I hate tennis but I have to put up with wall to wall Wimbledon for two weeks every year.

You'll have to put up with for longer this year as the Olympic tennis is coming from there too Sue!

Can't wait, myself. Bring on the players dressed in white, crack open the punnets of strawbs and its Pimms all round!

[DaveinGermany]

The difference being Sue, UK already has many World class Stadia for football & we hosted the European Cup in 1996, extra tax payers money wasn't invested into a grand arena & "Football Village" to accommodate the teams unlike the Olympics.

Several places benefited by the football played at their grounds (Liverpool, Nottingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, London) & the locations where teams stayed usually accompanied by their supporters also received an important financial boost to their economies.

The cost to the Public purse is around 11 Billion, according to the attached report. I can't quite grasp such figures, but I'm pretty sure the return will most definitely not come close. So for me, despite all the trumpeting & drum banging the "Games" are in my view a wasteful squandering of a finite resource that could be better used.

As to the Legacy of the games that is also debatable, what isn't debatable is the huge bill which the tax payer will be picking up & paying for for a long time to come.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/co...ympics-report/

[susie123]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

The cost to the Public purse is around 11 Billion, according to the attached report. I can't quite grasp such figures, but I'm pretty sure the return will most definitely not come close. So for me, despite all the trumpeting & drum banging the "Games" are in my view a wasteful squandering of a finite resource that could be better used.

As to the Legacy of the games that is also debatable, what isn't debatable is the huge bill which the tax payer will be picking up & paying for for a long time to come.

Committee reports on preparations for London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games - News from Parliament - UK Parliament

Eleven billion is probably a drop in the ocean of public finances. I know there are a lot of whingers (Not counting you - you don't whinge!) but I prefer to look on the positive side - something to look forward to, be proud of for our country etc etc. No wonder our athletes struggle to do well when the attitude of some is so negative. We should be talking up our country and proud that it has been chosen to host this event.

Perhaps people would prefer that some of the money be spent on paying benefits to those who complained so loudly about the harsh treatment they received when they were given the opportunity of having a job at the Games.

[susie123]

One thing that has just struck me about the torch relay cavalcade is that despite all the fuss about the Olympic rings being copyright or whatever and shops etc being banned from using them in displays, they were nowhere to be seen in yesterday's display. That is a shame because to most people they are the defining symbol of the Games. The Coca Cola vehicle had stripes in the colours of the rings bit that was about it. To me the rings should be everywhere, just like the Union flag for the jubilee or royal wedding, if only to get people interested.

On the bright side the London 2012 logo wasn't to be seen either!

[Gordon Booth]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

The cost to the Public purse is around 11 Billion,

Originally Posted by susie123

Eleven billion is probably a drop in the ocean of public finances.

Two new aircraft carriers-7 billion pounds. Except we can't afford to modify one and we won't be able to finish the other-it will be mothballed. Neither will have any planes on it,we couldn't afford to run the ones we had and we won't get any more for a long while, if ever. Loss of jobs for sailors, support staff, etc- several thousand.
Tourism bookings for London down by 30%, cost to the economy-?
11 billion may be a drop in the ocean but we're told we ran out of that sort of drop in 2008.
I'm not against the Olympics, not really interested either but when they can spend 27 million pounds turning a new arena into a field for one day you have to wonder how wisely the rest of the 11 billions has been spent.

[MargaretR]

This is a long video - an undercover investigative journalist, who has been employed by the security firm G4S who are responsible for olympic security, exposes what a sham it really is.

Well worth watching

!

...and if you have olympic tickets, you still have time to sell them on.

[Boeing Guy]

Originally Posted by MargaretR

This is a long video - an undercover investigative journalist, who has been employed by the security firm G4S who are responsible for olympic security, exposes what a sham it really is.

Well worth watching

!

...and if you have olympic tickets, you still have time to sell them on.

Interesting Video, full of the usual things 'investigative journalists' are famous for. Intersting to find that Mr Hazeldean does not seem to be avaiable on the usual Freelance Journalist directories. Of course anyone can call themselves a journalist
If all what he says is true, then yes it is alarming, however seeing the same inept organisation run security at several Major UK Airports and international ones, (anyone who has travelled abroad recently will know how petty security is these days), it is amazing that terrorists don't strike every week.

Still it makes a good story, just like all the others

[susie123]

Originally Posted by Boeing Guy

Interesting Video, full of the usual things 'investigative journalists' are famous for. Intersting to find that Mr Hazeldean does not seem to be avaiable on the usual Freelance Journalist directories. Of course anyone can call themselves a journalist
If all what he says is true, then yes it is alarming, however seeing the same inept organisation run security at several Major UK Airports and international ones, (anyone who has travelled abroad recently will know how petty security is these days), it is amazing that terrorists don't strike every week.

Still it makes a good story, just like all the others

Thank you BG for putting my thoughts into words. A truly riveting (not) expose from a self confessed paranoid person (Mr Hazeldean).