Don't mention the Olympics London 2012 (discussion of the organisation and logistics

[Mark]

don't mention the Olympics | Herald Scotland
Apparently mentioning Olympics or 'London' or 2012 is verboten.

So in that spirit I would like to say Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics Oympics 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Oympics?

[SGWilko]

Ha ha. We shall be holidaying in the Borders during the Olympic fortnight. The capital city can have it's snarl-ups, olympic lanes, crowded tubes and overpriced everything and keep it to itself while we are enjoying being away from it all!

[Dave B]

I'm looking forward to the games themselves, but the more I read about the bid process and the money being thrown at VIPs and corporate sponsors the more I'm convinced that the whole shebang is a moneyspinning exercise for the few.

Billions are being spent on venues, many of which are to be torn down after a few weeks even though we were promised legacy. Low cost housing has already been sold to the Quatari royal family, despite assurances it would benefit ordinary Londoners. The public will be prohibited from taking their own food and drink, instead being forced to buy from "partners" - for which read companies like Coca-Cola and McDonalds (official restaurant of the Olympics, even though they're the antithesis of healthy eating). VIP lanes throughout the capital will be turned over to those involved while tourists and residents can go hang; the situation at Heathrow will be the same even though the airport is already a national joke. The expenditure runs into billions and yet people are being asked to volunteer for free in the middle of a recession and mass unemployment. Small businesses have been threatened with legal action for acts so innocent as using "2012" in promotional material, others are facing disruption or closure, despite assurances that this would be great for the economy. The police are being augmented by private security, which never ends well, including armed guards for the precious corporate sponsors. Missiles are being situated in residential areas, apparently ready to shoot down planes which pose a threat - presumably some thought has been given as to where all this debris would fall. The ticketing system is complicated and unfair, and requests for transparency have been stonewalled by the organisers.

I'm sure that for the athletes concerned it will indeed be the pinnacle of their careers, and I genuinely look forward to the sporting action, but everything else about the whole process can go hang.

[Big Ben]

I've never followed the Olympic Games too closely but there is one thing I'm really looking forward to... can Usain Bolt beat his records again? (though the first quetsion would be.. will he try?)

[J4MIE]

What Dave said....

[BDunnell]

Best description so far is surely one carried in the Independent a few weeks ago: 'An £11 billion taxpayer-funded advertisement for some of the worst companies in the world'.

[anthonyvop]

Best description so far is surely one carried in the Independent a few weeks ago: 'An £11 billion taxpayer-funded advertisement for some of the worst companies in the world'.

London Olympics Worldwide Partners:

Coca-Cola
Acer
Omega
Dow
GE
Macdonalds
Panasonic
P&G
Atos Origin
Visa
Samsung

Oh those evil watch makers at Omega!

[Dave B]

McDonalds market junk food directly to children, Atos are making millions out of flawed and widely criticised medical assessments of sick and disabled people in the UK, Dow have a terrible record of environmental abuse and refuse to pay out to victims of Bhopal.

As far as I know, Omega make decent watches.

[MrJan]

I agree with Dave...although I'm not looking forward that much to the sport. Athletics is tedious imo (although I'm interested in seeing what Usain Bolt can do), and it's ridiculous that sports like football and basketball can be involved...even road cycling is a bit questionable. To my mind the Olympics should be the pinnacle of any sport, if it isn't then don't bother. Football has the world cup, basketball has the NBA and cycling has the classic tours and world championships (obviously the velodrome stuff is diffierent), so why hold some sidebar at the Olympics? And as for the money that's been wasted on it... And that doesn't even include this ridiculous 'cultural' games or whatever it is, the highly funded arts programme for bull**** stuff to be paraded around.