# Just when I thought the Olympics couldn't depress me further....



## Mrs Magpie (Nov 14, 2011)

*Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has told MPs that ground-to-air missiles will be deployed to protect the 2012 Olympic Games in London if deemed operationally necessary.*

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15724639


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## IC3D (Nov 14, 2011)

Not happy about all the ground to air missile operator jobs that will be created, some people.


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## SpookyFrank (Nov 14, 2011)

Well it'll make the Chinese and their silly little firework display look proper tame by comparison.

Who are they expecting to attack this fucking thing anyway? Daleks?


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## MellySingsDoom (Nov 14, 2011)

Oh FFS  Who's going to attack us from the air, then? The Belgians? "Anarchists"? Anjem Choudray's private military air fleet? The late ernestolynch?


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## Maurice Picarda (Nov 14, 2011)

British cheating at javelin has certainly got more cunning since the days of fielding that Fatima Whitbread chap.


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## scifisam (Nov 14, 2011)

I would 'like' that post except for the 'chap' bit.


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## SpookyFrank (Nov 14, 2011)

MellySingsDoom said:


> Oh FFS  Who's going to attack us from the air, then? The Belgians? "Anarchists"? Anjem Choudray's private military air fleet? The late ernestolynch?



Gaddaffi, Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden are regrouping for a big joint attack apparently.


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## scifisam (Nov 14, 2011)

SpookyFrank said:


> Gaddaffi, Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden are regrouping for a big joint attack apparently.



With their army of houris.


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## IC3D (Nov 14, 2011)

What about using unemployed Libyan rebels as a sign of good faith.


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## Santino (Nov 14, 2011)

Maurice Picarda said:


> British cheating at javelin has certainly got more cunning since the days of fielding that Fatima Whitbread chap.


That's beneath you.


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## Deareg (Nov 14, 2011)

Ground to air missiles over a city the size of London? something tells me that they have not thought this one through.


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## William of Walworth (Nov 14, 2011)

This says far more idiotic things about Hammond than about the Olympics per se, no?

Personally I'd replace the word 'Olympics' in Mrs Magpies thread title with 'Tories' ....


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## elbows (Nov 14, 2011)

I laughed when I saw this headline. Especially as an earlier headline said that the US were not happy about the level of security that the UK intended to provide. So I rather took the missile-waving as a pathetic attempt to look tough in the face of these criticisms.


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## geminisnake (Nov 14, 2011)

Not just me then Mrs M? It's getting ridiculous imo!


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## mrs quoad (Nov 15, 2011)

Deareg said:


> Ground to air missiles over a city the size of London? something tells me that they have not thought this one through.


The point is to bring them down over a council estate rather than over the tourists. Flat tourists make TERRIBLE publicity.


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## elbows (Nov 15, 2011)

Its just for show/deterrant, they aren't seriously contemplating firing any missiles over London.


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## gabi (Nov 15, 2011)

MrsM, why do the Olympics depress you (besides bonkers missiles)?


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## grit (Nov 15, 2011)

gabi said:


> MrsM, why do the Olympics depress you (besides bonkers missiles)?



What irritates me most about it, is the turmoil they are going to create in the rental property market.


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## lighterthief (Nov 15, 2011)

grit said:


> What irritates me most about it, is the turmoil they are going to create in the rental property market.


Whilst there will be  people looking to make money out of a three week period, I would guess most landlords would prefer to retain stable, rent-paying tenants for the long-term rather than turf them out for short-term gain.


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## grit (Nov 15, 2011)

lighterthief said:


> Whilst there will be people looking to make money out of a three week period, I would guess most landlords would prefer to retain stable, rent-paying tenants for the long-term rather than turf them out for short-term gain.



You would hope... a year ago when we rented this place (which we are really happy in) the landlord muttered something about it. I just fucking hate looking for a place to live in London, its the most stressful thing,


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## gabi (Nov 15, 2011)

grit said:


> What irritates me most about it, is the turmoil they are going to create in the rental property market.



It's illegal in most london boroughs to rent your property out as a hotel so I dont think that'll be an issue..

I'm lookin forward to the olympics. Dont have a particular interest in any of the sports but it'll be a good party


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## TitanSound (Nov 15, 2011)

gabi said:


> It's illegal in most london boroughs to rent your property out as a hotel so I dont think that'll be an issue..



Most people in Wimbledon should be locked up then.


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## Hocus Eye. (Nov 15, 2011)

According to the BBC news or someone on it, Olympic venues have had ground to air missiles ready to deploy before. I can't see that shooting down an aircraft over the Olympic Stadium or even the surroundings is going to save lives. Don' t forget that the SAS will be hiding in a hidden bunker having been directed there by the road signs we saw in a picture other day. I intend to be nowhere near London while the games are on. I will watch some of it on television and will have some DVDs to hand for when it gets all too much.


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## ViolentPanda (Nov 15, 2011)

Mrs Magpie said:


> *Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has told MPs that ground-to-air missiles will be deployed to protect the 2012 Olympic Games in London if deemed operationally necessary.*
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15724639



Because it makes such good sense to shoot down an airborne invader over a city and have wreckage strewn across miles of property, killing rich and poor alike.
Phil's priorities are showing.


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## ViolentPanda (Nov 15, 2011)

Santino said:


> That's beneath you.



Haven't you realised that for Maurice there's *no* depth too deep to plumb?


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## ViolentPanda (Nov 15, 2011)

elbows said:


> I laughed when I saw this headline. Especially as an earlier headline said that the US were not happy about the level of security that the UK intended to provide. So I rather took the missile-waving as a pathetic attempt to look tough in the face of these criticisms.



Likely Hammond is impotent, and this pronouncement was intended to stir some fire in his loins.


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## ViolentPanda (Nov 15, 2011)

TitanSound said:


> Most people in Wimbledon should be locked up then.



Most people in Wimbledon should be locked up anyway, regardless of whether they sub-let their residences.


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## Hocus Eye. (Nov 15, 2011)

If one of the sporting events is interrupted by the wreckage of an aircraft that has been brought down by a ground to air missile, what are the rules about scoring points for medals in that event?

I just realised that "in that event" has two meanings in that context.


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## shaman75 (Nov 15, 2011)

Paving the way for some fancy shade of red terrorist threat levels which will require extra emergency powers for the police to be able to deal with ticketless protesters imo.


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## 2hats (Nov 15, 2011)

ViolentPanda said:


> Because it makes such good sense to shoot down an airborne invader over a city and have wreckage strewn across miles of property, killing rich and poor alike.
> Phil's priorities are showing.



And it's not like the sky over London is full of planes and there would be any chance of accidentally shooting down one or more unintended 'targets'...

Security theatretastic.


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## Maurice Picarda (Nov 15, 2011)

ViolentPanda said:


> Haven't you realised that for Maurice there's *no* depth too deep to plumb?



Mote, eye, beam. You are Barton to my Beebe here.


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## SaskiaJayne (Nov 15, 2011)

They'll probably be just shoulder launched SAMs anyway. They can hand'em out to the private security guards.


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## stuff_it (Nov 15, 2011)

IC3D said:


> Not happy about all the ground to air missile operator jobs that will be created, some people.


I'm out of work, so do you think I could get a job then?


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## MikeMcc (Nov 16, 2011)

The ground to air threat is bollocks, it's been done once and is now hyped to fuck.  Siomply stepping up sucurity on all in-bound flights for that period would remove the threat.  SAWs simply can't deal with the potential threat, HVM works out to a couple of Km, Rapier out to 5Km. The UK doesn't have Patriot. Even if it did, it couldn't engage in a busy airspace until the last moment.  We have regular airflights into City of London airport, is anyone seriously going to close them down when they can be bringing in a massive amount of business travellers excluivlly for the Olmpics?


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## Johnny Canuck3 (Jan 13, 2012)

So what's the word on ticket sales? Are they still available for any decent events? Are there any hotel rooms left?

My wife would kind of like to go over to take in the Olympics.


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## ymu (Jan 13, 2012)

Each country has its own allocation of tickets - you'll need to check what Canada still has left.

No idea about hotels. I'm guessing not many UK-based urbs will be needing to book one, so you might need to ask elsewhere on that one too.


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## bignose1 (Jan 13, 2012)

Deareg said:


> Ground to air missiles over a city the size of London? something tells me that they have not thought this one through.


I heard especially around the fencing events...so could be seen as just a bit of sabre rattling.................touche'


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## Johnny Canuck3 (Jan 13, 2012)

ymu said:


> No idea about hotels. I'm guessing not many UK-based urbs will be needing to book one, so you might need to ask elsewhere on that one too.


Probably, but there's a good chance that at least some people on here either work in hotels or the hospitality industry, and people in that line of work know about these things. Also, the low hotel vacancy rate made the general news here during the Olympics, as well.


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## grit (Jan 15, 2012)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> So what's the word on ticket sales? Are they still available for any decent events? Are there any hotel rooms left?
> 
> My wife would kind of like to go over to take in the Olympics.



It was done in a lottery format, when we bought some a few months ago.


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## Mrs Magpie (Jan 15, 2012)

gabi said:


> MrsM, why do the Olympics depress you (besides bonkers missiles)?


The cost, the disruption, the association with the tube bombs the day after, what it's meant in a very negative way for local people, particularly the poorer ones in the area and the way young people were meant to be at the heart of it before we won the bid, but were cynically discarded afterwards. Kids were encouraged to take a particular sports qualification so that they could be stewards but that turned out to be a total waste of their time as the goalposts have not only been moved, they've been taken off the pitch.


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## flutterbye (Jan 15, 2012)

why use missiles when you have jeremy clarkson, wouldnt he do this, for england. Ground to air Clarkson, they could show it on top gear.


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 15, 2012)

Mrs Magpie said:


> The cost, the disruption, the association with the tube bombs the day after, what it's meant in a very negative way for local people, particularly the poorer ones in the area and the way young people were meant to be at the heart of it before we won the bid, but were cynically discarded afterwards. Kids were encouraged to take a particular sports qualification so that they could be stewards but that turned out to be a total waste of their time as the goalposts have not only been moved, they've been taken off the pitch.



Best post I've seen here for donks


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## teqniq (May 9, 2012)

Prepare to be even more depressed! We are now entering proper facepalm territory:



> The London 2012 opening ceremony is going to be called Isles of Wonder, but there can be no wonderment more wonderful than the fact that Olympics organizers wanted Keith Moon to perform.
> 
> Moon has been dead for 34 years.
> 
> ...



http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/us-news-blog/2012/apr/13/keith-moon-london-olympics-organisers


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## Hocus Eye. (May 9, 2012)

That's hilarious.


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## Bahnhof Strasse (May 9, 2012)

If Tupac can still get up on stage, don't see why Moon can't make the effort.


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## geminisnake (May 9, 2012)

Oh FFS!!!! Even my 22 yr old son  who lives in his own pc/anime/manga world knows Keith Moon is dead!!


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## Wilf (May 9, 2012)

teqniq said:


> Prepare to be even more depressed! We are now entering proper facepalm territory:
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/us-news-blog/2012/apr/13/keith-moon-london-olympics-organisers


 Keith Moon, John Bonham... maybe we could have an exploding drummers theme for the opening ceremony?


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## teqniq (May 9, 2012)

Yes! Maybe they should hire Spinal Tap, just to reflect their truly awesome level of ineptitude.


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## discokermit (May 9, 2012)

MellySingsDoom said:


> Who's going to attack us from the air, then? ernestolynch?


i so, so want this to happen.


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## Mrs Magpie (May 9, 2012)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> Are they still available for any decent events?


 No.



			
				Johnny Canuck3 said:
			
		

> Are there any hotel rooms left?


 Don't think so but people are being evicted to make way....

http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/tenancies/charity-warns-of-pre-olympic-evictions/6521752.article


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## Wilf (May 9, 2012)

discokermit said:


> i so, so want this to happen.


Give the Make-a-Wish Foundation a bell?  It's usually swimming with dolphins, but worth a try.


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## Johnny Canuck3 (May 9, 2012)

Mrs Magpie said:


> No.
> Don't think so but people are being evicted to make way....
> 
> http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/tenancies/charity-warns-of-pre-olympic-evictions/6521752.article


 
When do the olympics start? It's coming right up, isn't it?

Here, it would take three months to get someone evicted for non-cause reasons [ non payment of rent would be a 'cause' reason]. The whole show would be over.


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## Psychonaut (May 9, 2012)

E2A - nothing


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## toblerone3 (May 10, 2012)

Olympic flame is lit today from a parabola in Greece. Part of a tradition first introduced at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.


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## Pickman's model (May 10, 2012)

toblerone3 said:


> Olympic flame is lit today from a parabola in Greece. Part of a tradition first introduced at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.


I think what you're driving at is it's a nazi tradition


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## Mrs Magpie (May 10, 2012)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> When do the olympics start? It's coming right up, isn't it?
> 
> Here, it would take three months to get someone evicted for non-cause reasons [ non payment of rent would be a 'cause' reason]. The whole show would be over.


There's been an awful lot of de-regulation in the UK. The housing situation is a national disgrace.


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## likesfish (May 10, 2012)

its tony Blairs Revenge for the millenium dome.
  On a truly epic scale
  God knows what dave will bid for in the next few years to beat it.

the Missiles are mostly there  to stop the yanks insisting they bring there own or some other arse hattery.
 If we have to have missiles around the games I'd rather it was bored cloud punchers rather tthan slackwater or cletus with his finger on a patriot or he,s swtiched it to automatic and it starts shooting jets down by mistakke.


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## Mrs Magpie (May 10, 2012)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> Here, it would take three months to get someone evicted for non-cause reasons


Just to give a flavour of what's happening, housing-wise in London.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/may/09/london-landlords-desperate-tenants


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## Streathamite (May 10, 2012)

Mrs Magpie said:


> The cost, the disruption, the association with the tube bombs the day after, what it's meant in a very negative way for local people, particularly the poorer ones in the area and the way young people were meant to be at the heart of it before we won the bid, but were cynically discarded afterwards. Kids were encouraged to take a particular sports qualification so that they could be stewards but that turned out to be a total waste of their time as the goalposts have not only been moved, they've been taken off the pitch.


yep, agreed, and imagine what it's like when they're right on your bloody doorstep


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## jusali (May 10, 2012)

Mrs Magpie said:


> Just to give a flavour of what's happening, housing-wise in London.
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/may/09/london-landlords-desperate-tenants


Sounds like London's getting it's very own slums only these cost 550PCM it's fucking outrageous!
However if the demand is there, people will exploit it.


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## 2hats (May 10, 2012)

(Tip off from R4) Royal Mint London 2012 Gold series of coins.







Featuring the gods of Olympia: Mercury, Diana, Neptune. Who are, er, the Roman variants.


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## gosub (May 10, 2012)

2hats said:


> (Tip off from R4) Royal Mint London 2012 Gold series of coins.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Romans used planet names.. Eta you know that


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## ymu (May 10, 2012)

Mrs Magpie said:


> No.
> Don't think so but people are being evicted to make way....
> 
> http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/tenancies/charity-warns-of-pre-olympic-evictions/6521752.article


Seen a lot about this the last few days. Also, British Waterways has commandeered a load of visitor moorings in London to charge outrageous rents for.

Thing is, last I heard, they'd sold almost none of these, and I'm not sure the landlords are going to make as much of a killing as they think. Overall visitor numbers to Olympic cities don't tend to change much, because those who would come for other reasons stay away. It's not at all clear that the hotels in London and places with good transport links to London will leave much overspill for over-priced housing lets.

I do hope that the landlords evicting people find themselves with an Olympic-sized void followed by a dramatic fall in rents as they all put their place back on the market at the same time.


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## Johnny Canuck3 (May 10, 2012)

Mrs Magpie said:


> Just to give a flavour of what's happening, housing-wise in London.
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/may/09/london-landlords-desperate-tenants


 
It could be worse, I suppose: how many thousands of poor peoples' homes did they bulldoze in prepping for the Beijing Olympics?


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## Mrs Magpie (May 10, 2012)

True


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## gabi (May 10, 2012)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> It could be worse, I suppose: how many thousands of poor peoples' homes did they bulldoze in prepping for the Beijing Olympics?


 
*Slight* difference in the two situations. Just slight though


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## Johnny Canuck3 (May 11, 2012)

gabi said:


> *Slight* difference in the two situations. Just slight though


 
I'd call it a major difference. Thousands weren't evicted from their homes in London in order to bulldoze them and build a 'bird's nest'.


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## Hocus Eye. (May 11, 2012)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> I'd call it a major difference. Thousands weren't evicted from their homes in London in order to bulldoze them and build a 'bird's nest'.


The trouble with bird's nests is that the the birds come home to roost at some time. That may be the similarity with the Chinese Olympics.


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## Hocus Eye. (May 11, 2012)

gosub said:


> Romans used planet names.. Eta you know that


The Greek equivalents were Hermes Artemis and Poseidon. They would be more appropriate for the Olympic Games. This is a bit of a blunder from the Olympic organisers.#

Or perhaps it was a deliberate snub to the Greeks about their position in the Euro. I am not sure that the Romans (Italy today) deserve less of a snub.


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## biggus dickus (May 11, 2012)

The Romans aren't Italy, Italy are House of Savoy. The Romans are the Vatican

A completely unimportant point, but one I felt the need to mention


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## gosub (May 11, 2012)

biggus dickus said:


> The Romans aren't Italy, Italy are House of Savoy. The Romans are the Vatican
> 
> A completely unimportant point, but one I felt the need to mention


Didn't constentine take religious bit of the empire when he moved to Istanbul


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## gosub (May 11, 2012)

Hocus Eye. said:


> The Greek equivalents were Hermes Artemis and Poseidon. They would be more appropriate for the Olympic Games. This is a bit of a blunder from the Olympic organisers.#
> 
> Or perhaps it was a deliberate snub to the Greeks about their position in the Euro. I am not sure that the Romans (Italy today) deserve less of a snub.


Having done classics at school was only Artemis didn't know from memory. I had misread the post


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## likesfish (May 11, 2012)

i cant wait for a landlord  post olympic complaining they didnt get paid or the flat got trashed by vistors etc etc.
servethe greedy fuckers right.


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## ymu (May 11, 2012)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> It could be worse, I suppose: how many thousands of poor peoples' homes did they bulldoze in prepping for the Beijing Olympics?


The BBC were reporting on that during the Beijing Olympics just as the possession orders were going out here. I don't know what how the numbers and compensation arrangements compare, but it's not right to say that homes weren't bulldozed. They were.

According to this (p26) it was the "largest ever compulsory land acquisition programme in England."



> In order to progress the plans for redeveloping the Lower Lea Valley, the LDA has been
> negotiating relocation options with residents and businesses currently located in the area.
> The LDA argued that the Olympic Games will bring much needed regeneration to the
> area, which would “far outweigh the effect upon those who own property or live in the
> ...


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## grit (May 11, 2012)

ymu said:


> I do hope that the landlords evicting people find themselves with an Olympic-sized void followed by a dramatic fall in rents as they all put their place back on the market at the same time.


 
If only... I really dont think its going to put a dent in rates.

However I do definitely agree that this fantasy of people making big money doing short term lets is not going to materialize. The only exception being people who own very high value property, the 6 bedroom houses in notting hill sort of stuff.


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## Bahnhof Strasse (May 11, 2012)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> I'd call it a major difference. Thousands weren't evicted from their homes in London in order to bulldoze them and build a 'bird's nest'.


 
Loads of businesses in London were forced out of their premises.

And shit loads of decent squat party venues demolished too


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## Mrs Magpie (May 11, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Loads of businesses in London were forced out of their premises.
> 
> And shit loads of decent squat party venues demolished too


tbf, I don't much care (actually not at all) about the latter but I do, very much, about the former. Some businesses had been there for generations


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## Bristly Pioneer (May 13, 2012)

You know if you have issues with the olympics, you should really apply now for tickets to the "Official London 2012 Olympics Protests" as sanctioned by the Space Hijackers (Official Protesters for the London 2012 Olympic Games).

http://www.protestlondon2012.com/


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## 8115 (May 13, 2012)

Just when _I_ thought the Olympics couldn't depress me any more.  According to the Sunday Times (I think), on the IOCC's first trip to London, they were in cars with a magical GPS that turned all the traffic lights green to make the capitals transport system look better.  So much for fair play and all that.  What a crock.


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## biggus dickus (May 14, 2012)

There was a thing about a new sonic weapon for the Olympics in the Guardian. Missiles and high tech weaponry, that's what the event is all about


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## teqniq (May 14, 2012)

Of course, how silly of me. Why didn't I see it before? How very innovative of our glorious leaders. Combine the Olympic games with an arms fair, mustn't waste the opportunity eh?


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## Streathamite (May 14, 2012)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> My wife would kind of like to go over to take in the Olympics.


she wouldn't find the locality congenial. trust me on this one.


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## Johnny Canuck3 (May 14, 2012)

Streathamite said:


> she wouldn't find the locality congenial. trust me on this one.


 
Why not?


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## sim667 (May 15, 2012)

2hats said:


> (Tip off from R4) Royal Mint London 2012 Gold series of coins.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
I just dont know if there are enough facepalms.


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## Streathamite (May 16, 2012)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> Why not?


because very few do; trhe place - olympics or no - is a complete toilet (I live v near, I should explain)


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## stethoscope (May 16, 2012)

Streathamite said:


> because very few do; trhe place - olympics or no - is a complete toilet (I live v near, I should explain)


 
Oi, shut it you! 

The Olympics isn't the sort of 'injection of money'/'regeneration' that this place really needs for the longer term and for the benefit of everyone who lives here. Its short-termism, covering over the cracks. You only have to walk a little way down to Maryland or my way (towards Canning Town) to see the lack of real beneficial 'legacy' the Olympics will bring.


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## Streathamite (May 16, 2012)

steph said:


> Oi, shut it you!
> 
> The Olympics isn't the sort of 'injection of money'/'regeneration' that this place really needs for the longer term and for the benefit of everyone who lives here. Its short-termism, covering over the cracks. You only have to walk a little way down to Maryland or my way (towards Canning Town) to see the lack of real beneficial 'legacy' the Olympics will bring.


 absolutely spot-on
(and apols )


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## Johnny Canuck3 (May 16, 2012)

steph said:


> Oi, shut it you!
> 
> The Olympics isn't the sort of 'injection of money'/'regeneration' that this place really needs for the longer term and for the benefit of everyone who lives here. Its short-termism, covering over the cracks. You only have to walk a little way down to Maryland or my way (towards Canning Town) to see the lack of real beneficial 'legacy' the Olympics will bring.


 
I suppose every place is different, but the Olympics held in Vancouver left many noticeable legacies, including a number of new, larger and more comprehensive community/sports centers, major changes to the transit infrastructure including a new subway line, and road repair and construction that seems to be continuing to this day, with residual money. There was a huge cash infusion into local business both via Olympic spending, and spending by the many visitors to the Games. It's pretty difficult to say that the Olympics here did not leave a positive legacy. They didn't correct every problem - but that would take a magic wand. I think the better question is, is the place better off in at least some ways, without major negative effects? The answer here was 'yes'.


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## Bristly Pioneer (May 17, 2012)

From The Space Hijackers latest project:






10 reasons why the Olympics is worth protesting
http://www.protestlondon2012.com/10reasons.html


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## Mrs Magpie (May 19, 2012)

More about landlords and the Olympics 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/may/18/east-end-tenants-eviction-olympics


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## stuff_it (May 19, 2012)

elbows said:


> Its just for show/deterrant, they aren't seriously contemplating firing any missiles over London.


 
What about _at _London? Perhaps they are expecting a zombie plague?


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## claphamboy (May 19, 2012)

Mrs Magpie said:


> More about landlords and the Olympics
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/may/18/east-end-tenants-eviction-olympics


 
How depressing.


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## shaman75 (May 21, 2012)

Olympic Torch sells for £153K (for charity)







http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18142358


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## shaman75 (May 21, 2012)

People have so far bid £1,240 for a PHOTO of the Olympic torch...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/London-20...=UK_Sports_Memorabilia_ET&hash=item4d01686880


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## ska invita (Jun 6, 2012)

*Police given powers to enter homes and tear down anti-Olympics posters during 2012 Games*http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-homes-tear-anti-Olympics-posters-Games.html


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## DaveCinzano (Jun 6, 2012)

ska invita said:


> *Police given powers to enter homes and tear down anti-Olympics posters during 2012 Games*http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-homes-tear-anti-Olympics-posters-Games.html


 
Have you been copying links off FB?

*UPDATED:* 18:36, 21 July 2009


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## ska invita (Jun 6, 2012)

DaveCinzano said:


> Have you been copying links off FB?
> 
> *UPDATED:* 18:36, 21 July 2009


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## TitanSound (Jul 3, 2012)

Missile sites confirmed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18690861


----------



## Mrs Magpie (Jul 3, 2012)

Yes, residents are not happy at all


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 3, 2012)

Despite marches, protests and a petition of over 1000 signatures, Philip Hammond claims that "overall the community are broadly supportive" of the proposals. Classic Government doublespeak.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

A young lad on his bike gets too close to the 'security bubble' - the MET react! 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18756050


----------



## kenny g (Jul 8, 2012)

Mr.Bishie said:


> A young lad on his bike gets too close to the 'security bubble' - the MET react!
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18756050


 
Very politely done. Looks like it has been trained for.

This is THE OLYMPICS after all.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 8, 2012)

Mr.Bishie said:


> A young lad on his bike gets too close to the 'security bubble' - the MET react!
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18756050


 
There was no way that the security could know that it wasn't a terrorist attack until after they'd brought the kid down.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 8, 2012)

Mr.Bishie said:


> A young lad on his bike gets too close to the 'security bubble' - the MET react!
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18756050


 
He seems to just be cycling alongside those walking, until he was dragged in front of the car.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

Apparently, he fell off his bike


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> There was no way that the security could know that it wasn't a terrorist attack until after they'd *gunned* the kid down.


----------



## Greebo (Jul 8, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> There was no way that the security could know that it wasn't a terrorist attack until after they'd brought the kid down.


You know you're getting old when a "terrorist" looks that young and harmless, sweetie.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

kenny g said:


> Very politely done. Looks like it has been trained for.


 
An 'excuse me, you're too close to our security bubble, move away please' would have sufficed, no?


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

Greebo said:


> You know you're getting old when a "terrorist" looks that young and harmless...


 
There were definitely wires protruding from his cycle tyres.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 8, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> There was no way that the security could know that it wasn't a terrorist attack until after they'd brought the kid down.


 
On another thread someone suggested it was time for a certain Captain F cep lm to be promoted to Major  F cep lm , can I suggest L&L is given the vacant position?


----------



## Greebo (Jul 8, 2012)

Mr.Bishie said:


> There were definitely wires protruding from his cycle tyres.


Not to mention between the handlebars and forks...


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 8, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> He seems to just be cycling alongside those walking, until he was dragged in front of the car.


...and put in a neck lock, then pinned to the ground.

The police statement that he "fell off his bike" is laughable: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18756050


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jul 8, 2012)

I wonder whether PC Chris Dainty - one of the violent plain clothes TSG snatch squads active at the N9 student demo - was one of the gravity-assisting officers involved in this incident, now that he is working at the Torch Security Squad?

http://www.fitwatch.org.uk/2012/05/22/n9-plain-clothes-cops-identified/


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 8, 2012)

There's also a protect going on today about the closure of the Lea towpath, which is a major pain in the arse for local cyclists, walkers, residents etc. The towpath was supposed to remain open during the Olympics, but a last minute decision was taken to close it for "security reasons" from now until September...even though there is an 8 foot £80m security fence protecting the Olympic site! Soldiers are now stationed at either end of the path to prevent access. Fuck this corporate Olympics shit.

http://openourtowpath.wordpress.com 

https://twitter.com/OpenOurTowpath

Though if you pay £45, you can take a canal boat alongside the towpath....because people with £45 are obviously not a security risk


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 8, 2012)

DaveCinzano said:


> I wonder whether PC Chris Dainty - one of the violent plain clothes TSG snatch squads active at the N9 student demo - was one of the gravity-assisting officers involved in this incident, now that he is working at the Torch Security Squad?
> 
> http://www.fitwatch.org.uk/2012/05/22/n9-plain-clothes-cops-identified/


Hard to tell from those pictures...but to be on the torch security team you definitely need to be fond of getting stuck in first and asking questions later.  This police attiude is the reason Harwood is up for manslaughter at the moment. Let's hope the kid doesnt have some sort of liver disease...


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Fuck this corporate Olympics shit.
> 
> Though if you pay £45, you can take a canal boat alongside the towpath....because people with £45 are obviously not a security risk


 
Aye, load of fucking bollocks. I suspect that 45 quid may rise quite a bit come the opening of this crock of shit.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 8, 2012)

Mr.Bishie said:


> Aye, load of fucking bollocks. I suspect that 45 quid may rise quite a bit come the opening of this crock of shit.


Actually you're right....the BBC were reporting a £95 charge!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18050472

http://www.water-chariots.co.uk/


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

Spacehijackers tweeting security pics - G4S boat, electric fences, etc, & the latest tow path bullshit.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 8, 2012)

Military police "patrolling" London's Leicester Square last night in desert camoflage 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/08/olympics-london-militarised-zone?fb=native


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 8, 2012)

Mr.Bishie said:


> An 'excuse me, you're too close to our security bubble, move away please' would have sufficed, no?


 
Yeah sure. And if he had been a suicide bomber?


----------



## harpo (Jul 8, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> Yeah sure. And if he had been a suicide bomber?


What if everyone's a suicide bomber?  Best if we all stay home.

He looked just like a 12 year old lad on his pushbike to me, all excited like.  Was there really any reason to take him down like that?


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 8, 2012)

harpo said:


> What if everyone's a suicide bomber? Best if we all stay home.
> 
> He looked just like a 12 year old lad on his pushbike to me, all excited like. Was there really any reason to take him down like that?


 
As far as I could see he came up suddenly from behind the security guard. How much time do you expect security guards to lose while asing for age and identity before tackling a potential threat?


----------



## harpo (Jul 8, 2012)

No.  Best to be as over the top as possible.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

An excited kid on his bike from where i'm sitting.

And i'm not going to argue for one minute whether he may have been a suicide bomber. 

It's a worrying factor that the MET are feeling the paranoia they are so early on, when a kid on his bike gets rag dolled to the ground during the torch relay - there's still a bitter taste in the mouth with what happened to Charles De Menezes.


----------



## Greebo (Jul 8, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Military police "patrolling" London's Leicester Square last night in desert camoflage
> 
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/08/olympics-london-militarised-zone?fb=native


It's not enough that terrorism is prevented, it must be seen to be prevented.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 8, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> Yeah sure. And if he had been a suicide bomber?


then it would have been too late already. In fact, by pulling the boy off the bike towards the middle of the road and away from the side of the bus, more people (plus the torchbearer) would have been killed when his bomb went off.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

BREAKING: Morris Dancers from across UK are drafted in by Government to hide scale of Olympic security.


----------



## ddraig (Jul 8, 2012)

the copper totally failed by dragging him in front of the car/bus, the other one was a shit ditherer too!
and they have the front and cheek to say he fell off his bike and got back on under the video we can see with our own eyes!!!


----------



## kenny g (Jul 8, 2012)

Hasn't anyone anything positive to say about the games? if so I haven't heard anything for weeks.


----------



## ddraig (Jul 8, 2012)

like what? 
oooh nice range of tat in ____ shop this year?


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

kenny g said:


> Hasn't anyone anything positive to say about the games? if so I haven't heard anything for weeks.


 
Start a thread on Olympic positives?


----------



## kenny g (Jul 8, 2012)

Mr.Bishie said:


> Start a thread on Olympic positives?


 You get me wrong kind sir, I haven't got anything positive to say either.

Not really surprised about the securitat response. Wonder what it will be like once the east end gets to welcome the torch.


----------



## harpo (Jul 8, 2012)

kenny g said:


> Hasn't anyone anything positive to say about the games? if so I haven't heard anything for weeks.


I might be seconded to an office much nearer where I live, therefore avoiding daily drenchings by the rain and saving myself money.

That is as positive as it gets.  Which tbf is quite positive.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

kenny g said:


> You get me wrong kind sir, I haven't got anything positive to say either.


 
Not even the mens synchronised gymnastics?


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jul 8, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Military police "patrolling" London's Leicester Square last night in desert camoflage
> 
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/08/olympics-london-militarised-zone?fb=native



Last weekend, actually - plenty on twitter about that.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 8, 2012)

Good article from stopthewar on it.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 8, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> As far as I could see he came up suddenly from behind the security guard. How much time do you expect security guards to lose while asing for age and identity before tackling a potential threat?


 
The security guards/police could always use their eyes and engage their brains within a split second to determine the risk situation.

Oh, hang-on, we're talking about 'security guards/police' here, I think I've spotted a flaw in my reasoning.


----------



## grit (Jul 8, 2012)

kenny g said:


> Hasn't anyone anything positive to say about the games? if so I haven't heard anything for weeks.


 
Two words.

Beach volleyball.

It will be worth it.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 8, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> As far as I could see he came up suddenly from behind the security guard.


 
I've just watched it over & over again, the kid never came up suddenly behind the security guard that took him down, in fact that security guard suddenly appeared from nowhere, from amongst the crowd the boy was cycling along with.

I suggest first thing in the morning you get on the phone and book yourself an appointment down at Specsavers.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 8, 2012)

grit said:


> Two words.
> 
> Beach volleyball.
> 
> It will be worth it.


 
Actually it's three words.

Women's Beach Volleyball.


----------



## grit (Jul 8, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Actually it's three words.
> 
> Women's Beach Volleyball.


 
Is there any other kind?


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 8, 2012)

grit said:


> Is there any other kind?


 
Well, apart from the men's, no.


----------



## grit (Jul 8, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Well, apart from the men's, no.


 


I should have had a smiley in that one


----------



## Blagsta (Jul 8, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> There was no way that the security could know that it wasn't a terrorist attack until after they'd brought the kid down.


 
don't be fucking daft


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 8, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> don't be fucking daft


 
I'm glad the Olympics won't have you in charge of security.


----------



## Blagsta (Jul 8, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I'm glad the Olympics won't have you in charge of security.


 
I'm glad you're not in charge of fuck all.  My kids wouldn't be safe.


----------



## Deareg (Jul 8, 2012)

Mr.Bishie said:


> A young lad on his bike gets too close to the 'security bubble' - the MET react!
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18756050


What a bullying bastard.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 8, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> I'm glad you're not in charge of fuck all. My kids wouldn't be safe.


 
Yet another child.


----------



## Blagsta (Jul 8, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> Yet another child.



That's no reason to pull me off my bike, you cunt.


----------



## doddles (Jul 8, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I'm glad the Olympics won't have you in charge of security.


Quite aside from the complete over-reaction by the security guy in question, what a pissweak way to tackle a terrorist*. Instead of putting himself between the target and the terrorist, he gets behind the terrorist and then swings him around to a place even closer to the target. Any half-decent Sunday league rubgy player wouldn't make such a cockup of a tackle (try time anyone?). Quite aside from that, as far as I can tell from the video, virtually none of the security guards are actually looking backwards. Well I guess that's because everyone knows that terrorists will never attack from behind.

*by terrorist what I actually mean is 12 year old schoolboy


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 9, 2012)

So, to recap, we currently have planned or in place:

Surface to Air missiles in a ring around London.
A Type 45 destroyer to be moored on the Thames.
RAF Typhoons to be based at Northolt.
Various helicopters belonging to the army around London.
A massive 17km fence with night vision cameras and 5,000 volts going through it.
Random stop and search powers if the Protection of Freedoms bill goes through in time.
Military and Navy Police on patrol in Central London.
Unmanned surveillance drones.
Numberplate reading cameras, facial recognition, retina and fingerprint scanners for "security".

Anything I've missed?


----------



## harpo (Jul 9, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> So, to recap, we currently have planned or in place:
> 
> Surface to Air missiles in a ring around London.
> A Type 45 destroyer to be moored on the Thames.
> ...


Yeah gestapo tactics on small boys cycling excitedly.


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 9, 2012)

I meant about the "security" arrangements in London but fair point


----------



## treelover (Jul 9, 2012)

When it(the torch) came to my home town, it was a great atmosphere but I couldn't believe how aggressive some of the PCSO's were in attempting to maintain a corridor for it, screaming 'get back, get back' like the crowd of mums, kids, and students were a football mob or protesters, it was quite bizarre


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

treelover said:


> When it(the torch) came to my home town, it was a great atmosphere but I couldn't believe how aggressive some of the PCSO's were in attempting to maintain a corridor for it, screaming 'get back, get back' like the crowd of mums, kids, and students were a football mob or protesters, it was quite bizarre


 
I don't like it any more than anyone else, but in these days of sucide bombers not all mums, students or even kids can be assumed to be only that.


----------



## 5t3IIa (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I don't like it any more than anyone else, but in these days of sucide bombers not all mums, students or even kids can be assumed to be only that.


 
You poor man


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 9, 2012)

Suicide bombers are so last year. It's all about poison drones now 

http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/poison-drones-new-threat-for-london-olympics_773575.html


----------



## co-op (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I don't like it any more than anyone else, but in these days of sucide bombers not all mums, students or even kids can be assumed to be only that.


 
I know, I know. We tried ignoring it but look where we ended up - suicide bombings a daily occurrence. There's no going back now. We just have to accept absolutely every single security measure ever suggested, by anyone ever or else it will be back to the everyday mayhem we experienced again and again. I don't like it but there it is. The only people who object to it have got something to hide. And they call islam a religion of peace? Don't make me laugh. Heard about those somalis who live in a mansion in Hampstead? (etc etc until I fall off my barstool dead drunk).


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

co-op said:


> - suicide bombings a daily occurrence.


 
Your reply lost all meaning once you'd said this.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

5t3IIa said:


> You poor man


 
I take that you disagree, but are not able to put your disagreement into sensible words.


----------



## 5t3IIa (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I take that you disagree, but are not able to put your disagreement into sensible words.


 
It's pity. It needs no words.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

5t3IIa said:


> It's pity. It needs no words.


 
Major fail.


----------



## co-op (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> Your reply lost all meaning once you'd said this.


 
I think that means we're on the same wavelength.


*taps nose*


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I don't like it any more than anyone else, but in these days of sucide bombers not all mums, students or even kids can be assumed to be only that.


 
Jesus Christ, you have seriously lost the plot.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jul 9, 2012)

I for one cannot wait for the day that L&L becomes radicalised. Then primed and detonated in short order.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Jesus Christ, you have seriously lost the plot.


 
I am not and never will be a security guard. I am not responsible for how security guards think. I'm simply saying that that is how they do think.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

DaveCinzano said:


> I for one cannot wait for the day that L&L becomes radicalised. Then primed and detonated in short order.


 
Another half-wit wishing for my death.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I am not and never will be a security guard. I am not responsible for how security guards think. I'm simply saying that that is how they do think.


 
The point is that they don't actually 'think', they tend to be mindless morons that enjoy dishing out violence against innocent members of the public, and that's the major part of the bloody problem.

The other part of the problem is those halfwits that attempt to defend and justify their actions, which seems to be what you're trying to do.


----------



## likesfish (Jul 9, 2012)

I think you might find the people getting shouty have spent rather too long attempting to get people to move back after 40 minutes the urge to start shouting


----------



## grit (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock and light, There is no threat


----------



## trashpony (Jul 9, 2012)

On a totally different note, one of my colleagues is dancing in the opening ceremony and is involved in lots of rehearsals. They have also been rehearsing with the sheep, cows and chickens


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> The other part of the problem is those halfwits that attempt to defend and justify their actions, which seems to be what you're trying to do.


 
I simply prefer to see the world as it actually is rather than as I would like it to be.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

grit said:


> Lock and light, There is no threat


 
Did you also say that the day before 7/7?


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> Did you also say that the day before 7/7?


i'm sure other urbanites would chip in a quid or two with me to pay for continuous travel for you on the tube for the next few weeks.


----------



## Blagsta (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I don't like it any more than anyone else, but in these days of sucide bombers not all mums, students or even kids can be assumed to be only that.


 
How many female or child suicide bombers have we had in this country?


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I simply prefer to see the world as it actually is rather than as I would like it to be.


 
Bollocks you do.

You totally fail to even see what's on the screen in front of you, you claimed earlier the kid came up behind the security guard from nowhere, whereas the footage clearly shows it was the security guard that came from nowhere to attack the kid, who was just riding alongside the crowd, and drag him into the path of a moving car. 

If you can't even see that, it's no wonder that you have been making such totally bonkers posts, and making a complete tit of yourself into the bargain.


----------



## co-op (Jul 9, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> How many female or child suicide bombers have we had in this country?


 
Literally thousands. Thanks to yooman rights


----------



## Deareg (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> Major fail.


It's not, honest.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> How many female or child suicide bombers have we had in this country?


 
How many of any description were there before the first?


----------



## goldenecitrone (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> How many of any description were there before the first?


 
That's true. Trust nobody. Ever.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

goldenecitrone said:


> That's true. Trust nobody. Ever.


 
Why feel the need to be silly?


----------



## goldenecitrone (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> Why feel the need to be silly?


 
You tell me.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

goldenecitrone said:


> You tell me.


 
I find I have to tell you to grow up.


----------



## goldenecitrone (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I find I have to tell you to grow up.


 
Grow up and stop being silly. Are the two mutually exclusive?


----------



## 2hats (Jul 9, 2012)

Going to be an entertaining summer then...


----------



## Blagsta (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> How many of any description were there before the first?



You haven't answered my question.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> You haven't answered my question.


 
That's true.


----------



## Blagsta (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> That's true.


Well?


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> Well?


 
Well what?


----------



## Blagsta (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> Well what?


Answer my question.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> Answer my question.


 
What would be the point?


----------



## Blagsta (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> What would be the point?


Hopefully make you realise what a twat you are?


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 9, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> Hopefully make you realise what a twat you are?


 
I'm not going to play your little games, Blagsta. Look for someone on your own level.


----------



## Blagsta (Jul 9, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I'm not going to play your little games, Blagsta. Look for someone on your own level.


 
I knew it was a vain hope


----------



## co-op (Jul 9, 2012)

goldenecitrone said:


> That's true. Trust nobody. Ever.


 
Especially yourself. Because the ones you've REALLY got to be scared of are the ones you least suspect.


----------



## co-op (Jul 9, 2012)

They walk among us.


----------



## souljacker (Jul 10, 2012)

So the torch comes to Reading tonight and what's this? Council people cleaning the streets, nice hanging baskets appearing everywhere. Why can't we show the town as it really is? What's the point in papering over all the cracks?


----------



## ddraig (Jul 10, 2012)

they did that here too, bet they've done it everywhere!
would be an interesting comparison for someone to take pics of...blasted bits where torch went and dirty stinking bits where it didn't
all for the cameras "moment to shine" puke


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 10, 2012)

The torch passed through Henley earlier...


----------



## barney_pig (Jul 10, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> The torch passed through Henley earlier...
> 
> View attachment 20967


another suicide bomber?


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 10, 2012)

barney_pig said:


> another suicide bomber?


 
By all accounts he had a massive weapon of destruction.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 10, 2012)

barney_pig said:


> another suicide bomber?


 
It would actually make security control easier if nudity at public gatherings were to be made compulsory.


----------



## goldenecitrone (Jul 10, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> It would actually make security control easier if nudity at public gatherings were to be made compulsory.


 
Grow up.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 10, 2012)

goldenecitrone said:


> Grow up.


 
Do you not allow jokes, child.


----------



## shagnasty (Jul 10, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> It would actually make security control easier if nudity at public gatherings were to be made compulsory.


You could also anally store a knife


----------



## elbows (Jul 11, 2012)

Team GB willing to go to extreme lengths to secure gold medals - let us win or we'll blow the whole place to kingdom come.


----------



## doddles (Jul 11, 2012)

souljacker said:


> So the torch comes to Reading tonight and what's this? Council people cleaning the streets, nice hanging baskets appearing everywhere. Why can't we show the town as it really is? What's the point in papering over all the cracks?


Yeah, well this morning in Caversham they even brought out the *sun*. Great. They're happy for us peasants to wallow in rainful misery all year long, but bring out the sun for the bloody torch relay. I'm sure they'll be pretty quick in covering the sun back up as soon as the Olympic circus leaves town.


----------



## goldenecitrone (Jul 11, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> Do you not allow jokes, child.


 
Hypocrite.


----------



## souljacker (Jul 11, 2012)

doddles said:


> Yeah, well this morning in Caversham they even brought out the *sun*. Great. They're happy for us peasants to wallow in rainful misery all year long, but bring out the sun for the bloody torch relay. I'm sure they'll be pretty quick in covering the sun back up as soon as the Olympic circus leaves town.


 
It was nice wasnt't it? Bit of a let down though. I went down with my little girl, stood in Caversham Court for 20 mins, and then saw a man with an oversized lighter walk past me. Pretty much the whole crowd turned to each other and said, is that it?

If it had rained I'd have been in a filthy mood.


----------



## doddles (Jul 11, 2012)

Best thing was seeing all the folks from around Caversham turn up. Reminded me of the snow storm a few years ago when the roads were closed for a few days and everyone was walking everywhere. The torch relay itself? Very meh.


----------



## co-op (Jul 11, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> It would actually make security control easier if nudity at public gatherings were to be made compulsory.


 
It's only this kind of blue-skies thinking that can save us from the muslamic terrorists now.


----------



## gabi (Jul 11, 2012)

came into heathrow tomorrow. wish i'd taken a picture of the scene that greeted me. a queue in the hundreds waiting to clear immigration. with two people manning the desks.

right next to them...? 6 desks for the 'Games Family'. all manned. with no people waiting. excellent stuff. i then saw a news piece when i did make it home with a government minister saying there were no queues at heathrow..


----------



## 2hats (Jul 11, 2012)

gabi said:


> a queue in the hundreds waiting to clear immigration


 
Heathrow immigration queue slow hand-clapped.


----------



## gabi (Jul 11, 2012)

2hats said:


> Heathrow immigration queue slow hand-clapped.


 
I must admit I was on the verge of giving them shit. I've never seen it so bad. By the time i got through they were closing up my flight's baggage reclaim belt. only just got my bag in time.

thing is - you cant give those cunts shit, and they know it.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 11, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> So, to recap, we currently have planned or in place:
> 
> Surface to Air missiles in a ring around London.
> A Type 45 destroyer to be moored on the Thames.
> ...


Also:
 - A no fly zone over central London
 - Closure of the greenway path / cycle track
 - Closure of the Lea towpath running near the site (even though there's an £80m 8 foot fence)
 - Closure of various bits of canal and forbidden entry to some locks on the canals, causing huge headache for people living on boats
 - Olympic ZIL lanes
 - A ban on protests
 - etc etc...


----------



## gosub (Jul 11, 2012)

http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/politics/2012/july/the-censorship-olympics


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 11, 2012)

gosub said:


> http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/politics/2012/july/the-censorship-olympics


 


> The Olympics may just 16 days away but will the spectators be able to find chips? The shocking picture above shows the real effect of the Censorship Olympics. Thanks to a lucrative sponsorship deal with McDonalds, all other catering teams are forbidden from serving chips anywhere within the area of London categorized as Olympic Park — unless they come with fish.


 
FFS - McDonalds don't even sell real chips.


----------



## souljacker (Jul 11, 2012)

Hold on a second. They've banned chips? What?

They have crossed the line. I'm now prepared to take up arms against them and their so called 'Olympics'.


----------



## 2hats (Jul 11, 2012)

gabi said:


> thing is - you cant give those cunts shit, and they know it.


 
There's more on the farce (lot's of volunteer staff being put on over the summer who sound like they are several geography lessons short of being qualified) on R4 PM right now.


----------



## teqniq (Jul 11, 2012)

gabi said:


> came into heathrow tomorrow. wish i'd taken a picture of the scene that greeted me. a queue in the hundreds waiting to clear immigration. with two people manning the desks.
> 
> right next to them...? 6 desks for the 'Games Family'. all manned. with no people waiting. excellent stuff. i then saw a news piece when i did make it home with a government minister saying there were no queues at heathrow..


 
Are you a time traveler or something?


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 11, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Also:
> - A no fly zone over central London
> - Closure of the greenway path / cycle track
> - Closure of the Lea towpath running near the site (even though there's an £80m 8 foot fence)
> ...


Not to mention the fact that sponsors, athletes and other corporates involved in the games won't pay any tax between now and November, due to special IOC rules you *have* to agree to in order to get the games.

The army has also been asked to put another 3,500 troops (in addition to the 13,500 already put forward) on standby due to shortages in security guards.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 11, 2012)

souljacker said:


> Hold on a second. They've banned chips? What?


All the sponsors have special deals. For example, Visa are a sponsor, so that's the only payment card taken on site. Don't have a Visa card? Well you better take enough cash then.


----------



## 2hats (Jul 11, 2012)

For your entertainment - what you are and aren't allowed to take into some venues.

Sounds like it would be less hassle to endure airport security.


----------



## likesfish (Jul 11, 2012)

Even with unpaid "volunteers"  G4s  has completely ballsed up its £234 million security contract  thats now being covered wih happy smiley squaddies not.
 G4s of course isnt paying any penality for being utterly crap.


----------



## elbows (Jul 11, 2012)

Is there an official olympic sponsor for the security? Will McDonalds complain if they fry terrorists with missiles?


----------



## likesfish (Jul 11, 2012)

Squaddies  having there holidays/ training fucked over to do bone tasks because G4s are going to make great ambassadors for the olympics 
  I suggest seb coe makes sure hes got minders.
      The guided missie troop had the smart idea 6 weeks of skiving sorry cant check bags pick up litter count doors.
 Got to defend the olympics for terriorism.


----------



## elbows (Jul 11, 2012)

G4S are so shit that they couldnt even rebrand properly when they became a joke in the UK in the 1990's.


----------



## souljacker (Jul 11, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> All the sponsors have special deals. For example, Visa are a sponsor, so that's the only payment card taken on site. Don't have a Visa card? Well you better take enough cash then.


 
I understand the sponsorship thing, but banning chips threatens the very fabric of British life. People will riot over this shit.


----------



## taffboy gwyrdd (Jul 11, 2012)

Corruption Alert!​
G4S Olympic contract: £300 000 000 ​
Supplying 10 400 people (which they ballsed up anyway)​
= £28 846.15 per person.​


----------



## gosub (Jul 11, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> All the sponsors have special deals. For example, Visa are a sponsor, so that's the only payment card taken on site. Don't have a Visa card? Well you better take enough cash then.


If you don't have a Visa card you couldn't be there in the first place, all ticketing done souly on visa. I But chips though that's almost a national dish


----------



## ferrelhadley (Jul 11, 2012)

> When it comes to the games i think we've been labouring under a misapprehension: We thought we were hosts like the queen is at a posh garden party, when actually we're hosts in the way that John Hurt is in Alien.


Link 

Critical mass must be surely odds on for the kettle.


----------



## elbows (Jul 12, 2012)

taffboy gwyrdd said:


> Corruption Alert!​
> G4S Olympic contract: £300 000 000 ​
> Supplying 10 400 people (which they ballsed up anyway)​
> = £28 846.15 per person.​


 
I blame the landlords who have bumped up the price of staff sleeping under a bridge.


----------



## taffboy gwyrdd (Jul 12, 2012)

The virtually omnipresent coke advertising is the closest thing to Stalinist propaganda I've seen in this country. Oh hang on, that was the jubilee.Oh hang on again...I was able to ignore a lot of that.


----------



## pinkmonkey (Jul 12, 2012)

taffboy gwyrdd said:


> Corruption Alert!​
> G4S Olympic contract: £300 000 000 ​
> Supplying 10 400 people (which they ballsed up anyway)​
> = £28 846.15 per person.​


Relative of ours (soldier, usually based in Germany) is coming over to do a 3 week stint, starting next week.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 12, 2012)

ferrelhadley said:


> Link
> 
> Critical mass must be surely odds on for the kettle.


Yeah I reckon so.....there's a critical mass on the last Friday of every month, so the next one will be on Friday 27 July, the very day the Olympics start. There's bound to be a lot of police interest...and I can't imagine there not being a mass occupation of a "games lane"...so it could be fun!


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 12, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Yeah I reckon so.....there's a critical mass on the last Friday of every month, so the next one will be on Friday 27 July, the very day the Olympics start. There's bound to be a lot of police interest...and I can't imagine there not being a mass occupation of a "games lane"...so it could be fun!


 
I'd be very disappointed if there wasn't.


----------



## pinkmonkey (Jul 12, 2012)

souljacker said:


> I understand the sponsorship thing, but banning chips threatens the very fabric of British life. People will riot over this shit.


I'd like to see some slightly twee properly British direct action over this.  Grannies staging a guerilla chip shop chip eating protest inside the stadium would be cool.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 12, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> I'd be very disappointed if there wasn't.


Kettling 500 cyclists in a games lane would defeat the point of the games lane, surely!!


----------



## pissflaps (Jul 12, 2012)

i don't know of any cyclists who are going to give a two-penny fuck about these soviet-era games lanes regardless of what day of the week it is. green games my arse.


----------



## MikeMcc (Jul 12, 2012)

pinkmonkey said:


> Relative of ours (soldier, usually based in Germany) is coming over to do a 3 week stint, starting next week.


I'm going through the training package at the moment, next week is going to be mental!


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 12, 2012)

pissflaps said:


> i don't know of any cyclists who are going to give a two-penny fuck about these soviet-era games lanes regardless of what day of the week it is. green games my arse.


The games lanes will be mainly empty and will make great cycle lanes. I imagine loads of cyclists will simply use them...


----------



## pissflaps (Jul 12, 2012)

i imagine and sincerely hope they will. quite how they intend to enforce their alleged policy of fining riders and impounding their bikes is going to be interesting, tho that didn't stop a G4S boot-boy pushing me off my bike when they shut the Mall for no good reason about a month ago. luckily for him his guvnor arrived on the scene moments later and smoothed things over.


----------



## taffboy gwyrdd (Jul 12, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Kettling 500 cyclists in a games lane would defeat the point of the games lane, surely!!



Sounds like a new event. Is there time to include it?


----------



## taffboy gwyrdd (Jul 12, 2012)

MikeMcc said:


> I'm going through the training package at the moment, next week is going to be mental!


 
Hi. Without neccessarily disclosing your own earnings (perhaps you don't mind doing so) How does the £28.6k per person strike you as the contract price paid to G4S?


----------



## pinkmonkey (Jul 12, 2012)

the sky is full of helicopters, I'm getting mightily sick of it.


----------



## purenarcotic (Jul 12, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> I don't like it any more than anyone else, but in these days of sucide bombers not all mums, students or even kids can be assumed to be only that.


 
Your life must be so fucking miserable if you look at every passing individual in the street and suspect them of some awful alterior motive.  Do you change seats on the tube if you're opposite somebody with a rucksack?


----------



## ddraig (Jul 12, 2012)

the fuckers have even started here in Cardiff 
i know the first event is here and some countries are staying/training down here
this morning there was a fenced off area with a posh gazebo in it outside the hilton hotel which meant cutting off most of a path for pedestrians and cyclists on an already dodgy corner.
there were 2 semi lowkey coppers on the junction in a hire can and what looked like a huge old outdoor broadcasting lorry in dark green blocking the main road with its hazards on 

on way home there were a few G4S security moping about and some suits with laminated passes.


----------



## harpo (Jul 12, 2012)

pinkmonkey said:


> the sky is full of helicopters, I'm getting mightily sick of it.


 

Same here, for days now.


----------



## IC3D (Jul 12, 2012)

The London news tonight followed a G4S recruit who seemed to be given a pass and uniform before she had been security cleared, and then told they would call her at some point  I would prefer a National Gendarmerie over this bunch, at least some proper jobs in it.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 12, 2012)

pinkmonkey said:


> the sky is full of helicopters, I'm getting mightily sick of it.


 
Wanna borrow the RPG?


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 12, 2012)

IC3D said:


> The London news tonight followed a G4S recruit who seemed to be given a pass and uniform before she had been security cleared, and then told they would call her at some point  I would prefer a National Gendarmerie over this bunch, at least some proper jobs in it.


 
It really is a piss poor performance, it has to be said.

_*Let the games....begin!!!*_


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jul 12, 2012)

It's all a great advert for how much better the private sector can do the things for which our cosseted public sector is so overpaid, etc.


----------



## temper_tantrum (Jul 12, 2012)

For anyone considering participating in any protest direct action, I encourage you to look at the court and legal arrangements before getting stuck in.


----------



## MikeMcc (Jul 12, 2012)

taffboy gwyrdd said:


> Hi. Without neccessarily disclosing your own earnings (perhaps you don't mind doing so) How does the £28.6k per person strike you as the contract price paid to G4S?


I'm there as TA, called up as part of the original tranche of personnel that was expected, not the new bunch.

Not to defend G4S, but 28k / person is also lumping in admin, training, and insurance costs and all of the hardware - mirrors, x-ray machines, explosive detectors, walk-through and hand-held metal detectors, CCTV, thermal imagers, tentage, barriers, and a fair portion of the accomodation and feeding at Hainhault Park, and probably a whole stack of other bits.


----------



## dylanredefined (Jul 12, 2012)

G4S fucked it up royally and the Army has been called in left it too late to call up more TA.Who were being told up until last week they called up too many already lol.


----------



## weltweit (Jul 12, 2012)

What of the 2012 Olympics are you actually going to watch?

I will probably watch the mens 100m on TV ... apart from that I am not really bothered.


----------



## Greebo (Jul 12, 2012)

weltweit said:


> What of the 2012 Olympics are you actually going to watch?<snip>


Probably none of it - other things need doing and the Olympics are one less distraction.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 13, 2012)

purenarcotic said:


> Your life must be so fucking miserable if you look at every passing individual in the street and suspect them of some awful alterior motive. Do you change seats on the tube if you're opposite somebody with a rucksack?


 
You seem to have missed a few crucial facts. The main one being that I'm not a security guard.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 13, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> You seem to have missed a few crucial facts. The main one being that I'm not a security guard.


 
You should apply, they would love you.


----------



## goldenecitrone (Jul 13, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> You should apply, they would love you.


 
G4S need some help.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 13, 2012)

weltweit said:


> What of the 2012 Olympics are you actually going to watch?


 
If I can help it, fuck all.


----------



## Greebo (Jul 13, 2012)

goldenecitrone said:


> G4S need some help.


In more senses than one.


----------



## Prince Rhyus (Jul 13, 2012)

"London Olympic committee says you're only allowed to link to their site if you have nice things to say"​ 
No - really.

And that's just one of many things that's gone wrong with the Olympics


----------



## souljacker (Jul 13, 2012)

weltweit said:


> What of the 2012 Olympics are you actually going to watch?
> 
> I will probably watch the mens 100m on TV ... apart from that I am not really bothered.


 
Loads of it. The sport aspect I haven't got a problem with. It's all the corporate, media, zil lanes, flag waving, chips stealing, missile launching bollocks that goes with it I find abhorrent.

I am seriously looking forward to the Cycling in particular.


----------



## treelover (Jul 14, 2012)

DaveCinzano said:


> It's all a great advert for how much better the private sector can do the things for which our cosseted public sector is so overpaid, etc.


 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/14/nick-buckles-g4s-chief-leadership?newsfeed=true

Seems the hapless trendy Nick Buckles with his collar length hair, G4S CEO is a Thatcher lover and is a regular Glasto goer, bit of a contrast, eh, hides the ugly side of the company, workfare globally, etc...


----------



## treelover (Jul 14, 2012)

Btw, I wonder if the G4S logistics plan was based on recruiting lots of workfare slaves, maybe that's why they are in such disarray?

another indication of neo-liberalism/privatisation unravelling...


----------



## treelover (Jul 14, 2012)

'My father applied to work with this firm over the Olympic's period, here are a few clues as to why the company has failed to provide staff:
1) The infamous "zero hours contract", this means they do not guarantee ANY hours. You are on call at a whim with no notice and it could be for a day or for 2 months. They don't know. So if you're unemployed this causes huge problems with the job centre, you sign off only having to start the whole process of reapplying for benefits a week later. Zero hours contracts are a disgrace they are totally loaded in favour of the company at the expense of the employee.
2) The so called interview was with a guy who had no answer to any of my father's basic questions - when will I work, where will I work, how many days will I work, what training is provided, what role do you have in mind for me (some roles may not be suitable), he didn't have a clue
3) Reputation - my father knows of many people who work for G4S and they do not have good employment reputation. There was no organisation, no planning. Long after my dad told them he is not interested in taking the job he is still getting emails from them telling him he is due to have his uniform fitted, the date of his training day, the dates he is available to work....all several weeks after he told them not to take it further.
This is a shoddy company. They are "cost effective" because they are cheaper than public sector. But there is a reason why they are cheaper, some of which is highlighted above.'

From CIF poster..

G4S's working practices that laid back Nick has developed:


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 14, 2012)

Prince Rhyus said:


> "London Olympic committee says you're only allowed to link to their site if you have nice things to say"​


 
I think they'll fuck the whole thing up nicely  http://www.london2012.com/about-us/the-people-delivering-the-games/locog/


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 14, 2012)

Zero hours contracts are a disgrace, should be outlawed.

Was offered one for a retail assistant position years back, wasn't impressed with that plus they said I had to sign up a minimum of two people per week to the storecard (full-timers had to do 4). How I was supposed to do that when I may not have working that week seemed to pass them by...


----------



## ayatollah (Jul 14, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> Zero hours contracts are a disgrace, should be outlawed.
> 
> Was offered one for a retail assistant position years back, wasn't impressed with that plus they said I had to sign up a minimum of two people per week to the storecard (full-timers had to do 4). How I was supposed to do that when I may not have working that week seemed to pass them by...


 
Now you are making me guilty about sneering "  A Storecard at 29% interest -- do I look like I've got MUG printed across my forehead ?" to some unfortunate assistant in Argos the other day. I thought he might be upset when he pointed out the "Special Offer of the day" was "a rectally inserted PP9 battery pack". Tempting though at £3.99.....


----------



## Hollis (Jul 14, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> Zero hours contracts are a disgrace, should be outlawed.
> 
> Was offered one for a retail assistant position years back, wasn't impressed with that plus they said I had to sign up a minimum of two people per week to the storecard (full-timers had to do 4). How I was supposed to do that when I may not have working that week seemed to pass them by...


 
Surely they can be used and abused.  Isn't the benefit that as opposed to 'casual labour' the person gets employment rights, such as they are?


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 14, 2012)

ayatollah said:


> Now you are making me guilty about sneering " A Storecard at 29% interest -- do I look like I've got MUG printed across my forehead ?" to some unfortunate assistant in Argos the other day. I thought he might be upset when he pointed out the "Special Offer of the day" was "a rectally inserted PP9 battery pack". Tempting though at £3.99.....


Don't sneer at the shop staff, they don't want to offer storecards either. They do want to hold onto their jobs though. A polite no thank-you with a smile is sufficient.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 14, 2012)

Hollis said:


> Surely they can be used and abused. Isn't the benefit that as opposed to 'casual labour' the person gets employment rights, such as they are?


It means greater flexibility to the employer, so yes, used and abused.


----------



## Greebo (Jul 14, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> Don't sneer at the shop staff, they don't want to offer storecards either. They do want to hold onto their jobs though. A polite no thank-you with a smile is sufficient.


Agreed.  I usually thank them, say no, and then comment that I realise they have to ask me anyway.


----------



## ayatollah (Jul 14, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> Don't sneer at the shop staff, they don't want to offer storecards either. They do want to hold onto their jobs though. A polite no thank-you with a smile is sufficient.


 
So I suppose you also think dragging the unfortunate assistant half way over the paypoint till to make the point with spittle sprayed venom was a bit out of order too ?


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 14, 2012)

ayatollah said:


> So I suppose you also think dragging the unfortunate assistant half way over the paypoint till to make the point with spittle sprayed venom was a bit out of order too ?


A tad


----------



## teqniq (Jul 15, 2012)

Olympic security? We've got it covered.​


----------



## rorymac (Jul 15, 2012)

We gotta realise what British management/politicians are like


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 15, 2012)

purenarcotic said:


> Your life must be so fucking miserable if you look at every passing individual in the street and suspect them of some awful alterior motive. Do you change seats on the tube if you're opposite somebody with a rucksack?


 
He doesn't even live in the UK.  He sits there, over the North Sea, wafting his pontifications like stale farts at us from Holland.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 15, 2012)

From the e-fag thread....



og ogilby said:


> I just got an email telling me my order from heavens gift has been cancelled and I've been given a refund.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 

WTF is going on?


----------



## two sheds (Jul 16, 2012)

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...brand-police-to-protect-sponsors-7945436.html



> Olympics organisers have warned businesses that during London 2012 their advertising should not include a list of banned words, including "gold", "silver" and "bronze", "summer", "sponsors" and "London".
> 
> Publicans have been advised that blackboards advertising live TV coverage must not refer to beer brands or brewers without an Olympics deal, while caterers and restaurateurs have been told not to advertise dishes that could be construed as having an association with the event.
> 
> At the 40 Olympics venues, 800 retailers have been banned from serving chips to avoid infringing fast-food rights secured by McDonald's.


 
So 'Hasn't summer been shit in London' is right out in case people confuse it with an official Olympic message.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jul 16, 2012)

What if you've got a business which is based in London and sells gold? What if you're sponsoring something other than the olympics? What right have these cunts got to tell people which words they are allowed to use?

I'd love to boycott all these olympic sponsors but to the best of my knowledge I never use any of their products anyway. Does it not occur to these companies that endless newspaper articles about sponsors banning chips and proscribing large chunks of the English language might actually be bad for their public image? At the moment it seems like they're paying a shitload of money just to make everyone think they're arseholes.

Then again it's probably the tax breaks they're after rather than the publicity.


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 16, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> Then again it's probably the tax breaks they're after rather than the publicity.


 
The three main sponsors have a parade of vehicles before the Olympic flame. So I think they're looking for both.


----------



## dylanredefined (Jul 16, 2012)

They are allowing other outlets to serve chips.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 16, 2012)

dylanredefined said:


> They are allowing other outlets to serve chips.


 
What about lasagne?


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> From the e-fag thread....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
From China or elsewhere in the sultry East?

If so (had an issue with some electronics components I ordered from a retailer in HK), it's not a problem their end. China Post have apparently been at pains to point out that it's Customs this end are the problem, and that anything non-prioritised for clearance (i.e. athlete's jockstraps etc) is getting cleared weeks after it arrives here, so rather than Chinese retailers getting it in the neck for something that isn't in their gift to change, a lot of them have just stopped shipping until the five-ring-circus is over. This appears to be the case with other states besides China too, and (obviously) those that trans-ship through China.

HTH


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> What if you've got a business which is based in London and sells gold? What if you're sponsoring something other than the olympics? What right have these cunts got to tell people which words they are allowed to use?


 
They haven't. In effect, this is about using the weight of the state to enforce supposed infringements of "intellectual property" laws that aren't on the statute books.
Aren't you pleased that your government are so eager to facilitate the smooth running of big business?


----------



## treelover (Jul 16, 2012)

Apparently the cleaners have been shipped in from abroad, why, there are plenty of people in London who could do the work

Oh, and according to media reports, they are living in crap conditions,

maybe answered my own question..


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 16, 2012)

We're a travel agency, might stick this in the window...


----------



## treelover (Jul 16, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> The three main sponsors have a parade of vehicles before the Olympic flame. So I think they're looking for both.


 

yes, the coca cola one is crass, the others not so bad...


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 16, 2012)

treelover said:


> Apparently the cleaners have been shipped in from abroad, why, there are plenty of people in London who could do the work
> 
> Oh, and according to media reports, they are living in crap conditions,
> 
> maybe answered my own question..


 
Source?


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 16, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> We're a travel agency, might stick this in the window...


 
That's perfectly legit though (as long as you're not creating an association with the Games) 

You are obviously just taking advantage of the Greek economic crisis and telling people to go to Greece


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 16, 2012)

FOUR HOURS from Heathrow to the Olympic Park for the Australian and American teams  

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ol...s-get-lost-from-Heathrow-to-Olympic-Park.html

(sorry if it's been posted already)


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 16, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> FOUR HOURS from Heathrow to the Olympic Park for the Australian and American teams
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ol...s-get-lost-from-Heathrow-to-Olympic-Park.html
> 
> (sorry if it's been posted already)


 
I really, really, really hope this carries on throughout the games.


----------



## treelover (Jul 16, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> Source?


 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...people-Inside-slum-camp-Olympic-cleaners.html


----------



## Jimathon (Jul 16, 2012)

*Britain flooded with 'brand police' to protect sponsors *


----------



## weltweit (Jul 16, 2012)

Hmm....

Something they forgot in the Olympic stadium?

A Roof!!


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 16, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> I really, really, really hope this carries on throughout the games.


 
The UK may suffer such an embarrassment they'll withdraw from any future proposals to host the Olympics 

Doubt it though


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 16, 2012)

ViolentPanda said:


> From China or elsewhere in the sultry East?
> 
> If so (had an issue with some electronics components I ordered from a retailer in HK), it's not a problem their end. China Post have apparently been at pains to point out that it's Customs this end are the problem, and that anything non-prioritised for clearance (i.e. athlete's jockstraps etc) is getting cleared weeks after it arrives here, so rather than Chinese retailers getting it in the neck for something that isn't in their gift to change, a lot of them have just stopped shipping until the five-ring-circus is over. This appears to be the case with other states besides China too, and (obviously) those that trans-ship through China.
> 
> HTH


 
Yeah, I got the impression it was a problem this end, not the fault of Heavens Gifts/China Post, I was just bemused that the Olympics was even going to impact on international postal services, it's not like they haven't had years to ensure Customs could continue to work at their usual speed whilst, as you say, this five-ring-circus is happening.

Makes you wonder just how many other 'at arms length'/'totally unconnected' services are getting buggered-up because of all this nonsense.


----------



## Garek (Jul 16, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> I really, really, really hope this carries on throughout the games.


 
*puts money on the Blackwall tunnel*

EDIT: Oh, there's already road chaos.


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 16, 2012)

treelover said:


> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...people-Inside-slum-camp-Olympic-cleaners.html


 
That's fucked


----------



## 8ball (Jul 16, 2012)

The Olympics seems to be approaching a tipping point from depressing to amusing.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jul 16, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> FOUR HOURS from Heathrow to the Olympic Park for the Australian and American teams
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ol...s-get-lost-from-Heathrow-to-Olympic-Park.html
> 
> (sorry if it's been posted already)


 
Didn't something remarkably simillar happen on twenty twelve?


----------



## magneze (Jul 16, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> Didn't something remarkably simillar happen on twenty twelve?


Yep, they even reference it in the article with a clip.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Yeah, I got the impression it was a problem this end, not the fault of Heavens Gifts/China Post, I was just bemused that the Olympics was even going to impact on international postal services, it's not like they haven't had years to ensure Customs could continue to work at their usual speed whilst, as you say, this five-ring-circus is happening.


 
From what I can make out from friends who still work inside "the machine of state", HMRC didn't even take on extra inspectors/clearers, they just re-tasked several dozen from other duties. Apparently, due to staff cuts, very few people wanted the duty! 



> Makes you wonder just how many other 'at arms length'/'totally unconnected' services are getting buggered-up because of all this nonsense.


 
Well, supposedly the bonded warehouses and clearance depots were already chock-a-block by mid-June (so, even more of a "Thieves' Paradise" than usual, then!), so it's not just retail customers who buy from abroad being affected, it's also businesses who, if they purchase on a J.I.T. basis, will be looking to recoup losses through the consequential loss clause on their shipping insurance. That means a mega-bustup between insurers and HMRC somewhere down the line. Poor Gideon, eh?


----------



## goldenecitrone (Jul 16, 2012)

8ball said:


> The Olympics seems to be approaching a tipping point from depressing to amusing.


 
I'm hoping it's a complete fiasco from start to finish. Another nail in the coffin of this shambolic coalition government.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

goldenecitrone said:


> I'm hoping it's a complete fiasco from start to finish. Another nail in the coffin of this shambolic coalition government.


 
Which they'll no doubt try and blame on "the previous government".


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 16, 2012)

goldenecitrone said:


> I'm hoping it's a complete fiasco from start to finish. Another nail in the coffin of this shambolic coalition government.


 
As much as that pleases me, most of this was planned under the last Government.

That's even more depressing though as no matter what shower we have in power, we're fucked.


----------



## 8ball (Jul 16, 2012)

goldenecitrone said:


> I'm hoping it's a complete fiasco from start to finish. Another nail in the coffin of this shambolic coalition government.


 
Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing Usain Bolt doing the 100m Surprise Breaststroke.


----------



## magneze (Jul 16, 2012)

You can start to see why Cameron was so keen to keep Jeremy Hunt on. He's basically set up as the fall guy for it all.


----------



## Garek (Jul 16, 2012)

treelover said:


> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...people-Inside-slum-camp-Olympic-cleaners.html


 
wow


----------



## 8ball (Jul 16, 2012)

Garek said:


> wow


 
Why does the DM have such a downer on the Olympics?


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 16, 2012)

And they have to pay for the privilege. That's the fucked up part.


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 16, 2012)

8ball said:


> Why does the DM have such a downer on the Olympics?


 
Because it means a load more foreigners on our shores.


----------



## 8ball (Jul 16, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> Because it means a load more foreigners on our shores.


 
I thought they were grumbling about the foreigners having shitty living conditions in that article.
And the other one was about corporate censorship.


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 16, 2012)

8ball said:


> I thought they were grumbling about the foreigners having shitty living conditions in that article.
> And the other one was about corporate censorship.


 
Yes but it's the Daily Mail, they're true agenda in that article is to create outrage that local people aren't getting the jobs.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

Garek said:


> wow


 
There's the real "Olympic Village", an image that *should* be seared* into the memories of everyone participating in this shambolic _faux_-sporting clusterfuck of capitalism.

*preferably with a red-hot poker.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jul 16, 2012)

treelover said:


> Apparently the cleaners have been shipped in from abroad, why, there are plenty of people in London who could do the work
> 
> Oh, and according to media reports, they are living in crap conditions,
> 
> maybe answered my own question..


 
I don't understand this. Surely it would be cheaper to hire staff in London, as they wouldn't have to provide any accomodation at all. The only reason I can think of to draft in foreign workers is if they're paying considerably less than minimum wage and/or taking transport and accomodation costs out of the workers' pay packets. The latter seems more likely, give them a few portakabins and charge them through the nose for them.

e2a: Just read the article again, and it seems I was right. £18 a day, three hours' wages, for accomodation. And some people have been staying there for weeks with no work at all, so that they'll probably be going home with practically nothing. Disgraceful.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jul 16, 2012)

8ball said:


> Why does the DM have such a downer on the Olympics?


 
Maybe because they read the papers.


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 16, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> I don't understand this. Surely it would be cheaper to hire staff in London, as they wouldn't have to provide any accomodation at all.


 
How dare you try and apply logic! This is the Olympics we're talking about!


----------



## Delroy Booth (Jul 16, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> I don't understand this. Surely it would be cheaper to hire staff in London, as they wouldn't have to provide any accomodation at all. The only reason I can think of to draft in foreign workers is if they're paying considerably less than minimum wage and/or taking transport and accomodation costs out of the workers' pay packets. The latter seems more likely, give them a few portakabins and charge them through the nose for them.
> 
> e2a: Just read the article again, and it seems I was right. £18 a day, three hours' wages, for accomodation. And some people have been staying there for weeks with no work at all, so that they'll probably be going home with practically nothing. Disgraceful.


 
Also, these workers are probably far less likely to cause trouble, or join a union, than those who are from london.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

Delroy Booth said:


> Also, these workers are probably far less likely to cause trouble, or join a union, than those who are from london.


 
Not least because they're in effect unlawfully detained in that "barracks" of site cabins.


----------



## 8ball (Jul 16, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> Maybe because they read the papers.


 
What, the _Daily Mail_?


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 16, 2012)

Right now im PISSED OFF, if i want to go to the gym i have to pass secuirty to get into the hotel just to use the gym, this can take 10-20 mins if it's busy i have been told.... time to fuck the gym off for good i think.


----------



## ddraig (Jul 16, 2012)

yeah, seen the scanners!


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 16, 2012)

Just been in to cancle and tell them why, fuck going through that shit every day, belt off empty ya pockets, they xray your pants and daps, then you get swiped over with a fucking metal detector.... 

Theres 50 secuirty guards working days at the Hilton and 47 on nights.... WTF?!?


----------



## marty21 (Jul 16, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> What if you've got a business which is based in London and sells gold? What if you're sponsoring something other than the olympics? What right have these cunts got to tell people which words they are allowed to use?
> 
> .


 
I know a Silversmith in London actually, I don't know if he advertises though - they've been on Chancery Lane for decades so I guess if you are into silver you'd know about them


----------



## ska invita (Jul 16, 2012)

G4S Olympics staff failed to arrive for security work
Only 17 of an expected 56 G4S staff turned up for work at an Olympic team hotel in Salford, Greater Manchester Police Authority has said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18856922


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 16, 2012)

ska invita said:


> G4S Olympics staff failed to arrive for security work
> Only 17 of an expected 56 G4S staff turned up for work at an Olympic team hotel in Salford, Greater Manchester Police Authority has said.
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18856922


good to see so much absenteeism so early in proceedings.


----------



## treelover (Jul 16, 2012)

B0B2oo9 said:


> Just been in to cancle and tell them why, fuck going through that shit every day, belt off empty ya pockets, they xray your pants and daps, then you get swiped over with a fucking metal detector....
> 
> Theres 50 secuirty guards working days at the Hilton and 47 on nights.... WTF?!?


 
Your gym is in the London Hilton!


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 16, 2012)

I use G4S and there fucking shit, they can NEVER bring anyone decent to the table when i need staff... soon as the contract is up they are out.


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 16, 2012)

treelover said:


> Your gym is in the London Hilton!


 
We have the football on here in Wales.


----------



## marty21 (Jul 16, 2012)

B0B2oo9 said:


> I use G4S and there fucking shit, they can NEVER bring anyone decent to the table when i need staff... soon as the contract is up they are out.


 You can hire me and Badgers as your personal security entourage then


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 16, 2012)

marty21 said:


> You can hire me and Badgers as your personal security entourage then


you'd cow them with rhyme


----------



## girasol (Jul 16, 2012)

It would all be very funny if it wasn't so fucking expensive... Whoever writes 'Twenty Twelve' has some serious insider information, last week's episode was about security AND traffic. Very topical.

Ok, it's all sort of funny, and expensive, and depressing... All at once.

At least I managed to get some not extortionately expensive tickets to watch the volleyball (no, not beach volleyball, you perverts)

(and no, I haven't read this whole thread!)


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 16, 2012)




----------



## SpookyFrank (Jul 16, 2012)

girasol said:


> Whoever writes 'Twenty Twelve' has some serious insider information, last week's episode was about security AND traffic. Very topical.


 
The fact that the private sector in this country could not organise a piss up in a urinal is not insider information.


----------



## marty21 (Jul 16, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> you'd cow them with rhyme


 Oi, you terrorist type
do not touch Bob
it'll earn you a swipe
for that is my job


I thank you, I'm here all week


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 16, 2012)

marty21 said:


> I thank you, I'm here all week


 
Try the fish?


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jul 16, 2012)

treelover said:


> Your gym is in the London Hilton!


 
TBH I used to go to the local Hilton hotel gym when I was a student, but only because our university gym had been sold off to a private company who were such miserable price gouging fuckers that membership at the Hilton was actually a fair bit cheaper. That and one didn't have to associate with the lycra-clad, lager-fuelled australopithecans from the university rowing team.


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 16, 2012)

Hilton is £32 a month, it's not all bad tho i just blagged free membership to the Park Plaza instead


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jul 16, 2012)

B0B2oo9 said:


> Hilton is £32 a month, it's not all bad tho i just blagged free membership to the Park Plaza instead


 
I go to the YMCA these days. 

Not to use the gym, just to sleep


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 16, 2012)

they have wifi tho yeah?


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jul 16, 2012)

Jimathon said:


> *Britain flooded with 'brand police' to protect sponsors *


 
More evidence in favour of the idea that some jobs are so inherently cuntish and pointless that being unemployed and claiming a few quid in benefits instead of doing one of them would be far better for society.


----------



## magneze (Jul 16, 2012)

ska invita said:


> G4S Olympics staff failed to arrive for security work
> Only 17 of an expected 56 G4S staff turned up for work at an Olympic team hotel in Salford, Greater Manchester Police Authority has said.
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18856922


Also, from that:


> In her statement to MPs, Mrs May denied ministers had attended meetings on the matter before last week.


 
Utterly incompetent then.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> you'd cow them with rhyme


 
And rhyme them with cow.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> The fact that the private sector in this country could not organise a piss up in a urinal is not insider information.


 
They're not there to organise your ablutions, Frank. 

They're there to charge you for use of their urinal and sewerage facilities.


----------



## Jimathon (Jul 16, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> More evidence in favour of the idea that some jobs are so inherently cuntish and pointless that being unemployed and claiming a few quid in benefits instead of doing one of them would be far better for society.


 
Agreed. More on the absolutely twattish nature of G4S - and the whole 'Workfare' bullshite - in this great New Statesman op piece. Crucial bit:



> Another interesting debate, however, is to be had on the potential link between G4S’s failure and the scandal surrounding the deployment of "workfare" staff around the Queen’s Jubilee. The news of unpaid jobless being sent by coach from Bristol and made to spend the night under London Bridge was met with outcry. It is almost impossible to dismiss the collapse of such schemes under the weight of public opinion and the sudden G4S realisation that they will not be able to have the numbers promised, as mere coincidence.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 16, 2012)

Local police forces now being drafted in to help out the Olympics in the wake of securitygate:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobil...yde-police-drafted-in-to-fill-gaps.1342442362

I would hope that the Strathclyde police offices will be involved in policing the football events here in Glasgow but I'm not putting any money on that outcome.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 16, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> Local police forces now being drafted in to help out the Olympics in the wake of securitygate:
> 
> http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobil...yde-police-drafted-in-to-fill-gaps.1342442362
> 
> I would hope that the Strathclyde police offices will be involved in policing the football events here in Glasgow but I'm not putting any money on that outcome.


 
It'll be like the riots all over again and spot the Heddlu vans


----------



## scifisam (Jul 16, 2012)

Teresa May's response to G4S not turning up was to increase the security budget. Does it occur to no-one in govert that they should pay G4S _less_ after fucking up?


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 16, 2012)

scifisam said:


> Teresa May's response to G4S not turning up was to increase the security budget. Does it occur to no-one in govert that they should pay G4S _less_ after fucking up?


No. It does not, the fuckwits.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 16, 2012)

scifisam said:


> Teresa May's response to G4S not turning up was to increase the security budget. Does it occur to no-one in govert that they should pay G4S _less_ after fucking up?


 
Not sure where you got that from, G4S are paying all costs involved in extra police & troops being called in, which is why it's estimated they will now lose something like £50m on the contract, that figure is likely to increase as the cock-up rolls on.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Not sure where you got that from, G4S are paying all costs involved in extra police & troops being called in, which is why it's estimated they will now lose something like £50m on the contract,


 
I heard that too.

Bet you a fiver it's disingenuous bollocks.


----------



## scifisam (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Not sure where you got that from, G4S are paying all costs involved in extra police & troops being called in, which is why it's estimated they will now lose something like £50m on the contract, that figure is likely to increase as the cock-up rolls on.



I got it directly from teresa may, on the news answering a question in parliament and specifically saying that one of the ways they'd responded to this cock-up was to increase the budget. So I'm pretty sure...


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 16, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> I heard that too.
> 
> Bet you a fiver it's disingenuous bollocks.


 
Not sure about that, G4S's Chairman seems somewhat pissed-off with his senior managers, and the company's share price has dropped almost 9% today. 



> G4S chairman John Connolly has said senior managers could lose their jobs over the fiasco.
> Chief executive Nick Buckles has already waived his bonus for this year, and has said he considered — but ruled out — resigning.
> The company said Monday its loss on the contract would range between 35 million pounds and 50 million pounds ($54 million-$78 million) in this financial year.
> A loss of 50 million pounds works out to about 12-13 percent of the company's annual profit, analysts calculated.
> ...


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 16, 2012)

scifisam said:


> I got it directly from teresa may, on the news answering a question in parliament and specifically saying that one of the ways they'd responded to this cock-up was to increase the budget. So I'm pretty sure...


 
I think you, if you excuse the pun, may have got the wrong end of the stick there, the only thing I've heard about increasing the security budget was in respect of what they did last year after a review of the security arrangements, long before this cock-up came about.

Every report is saying that G4S will be footing the bill for their cock-up, hence why their share prices has fallen so far today, and heads are about to roll. 

G4S is certainly NOT getting paid anything more, that is for sure.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

scifisam said:


> Teresa May's response to G4S not turning up was to increase the security budget. Does it occur to no-one in govert that they should pay G4S _less_ after fucking up?


 
Poor naive people, thinking this is about anything other than the current bunch of neoliberals in power doing the same as their Labour predecessors, and shovelling public money into private pockets.


----------



## scifisam (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> I think you, if you excuse the pun, may have got the wrong end of the stick there, the only thing I've heard about increasing the security budget was in respect of what they did last year after a review of the security arrangements, long before this cock-up came about.
> 
> Every report is saying that G4S will be footing the bill for their cock-up, hence why their share prices has fallen so far today, and heads are about to roll.
> 
> G4S is certainly NOT getting paid anything more, that is for sure.



No, it was on the news an hour ago and it was a response to a question in parliament today.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 16, 2012)

scifisam said:


> No, it was on the news an hour ago and it was a response to a question in parliament today.


 
But May said...



> May confirmed to MPs that G4S has promised to meet all the extra policeand military costs including the bill for sending officers to cover for G4S staff failing to turn up for work.
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/j...shoot-olympic-staff-theresa-may?newsfeed=true


 
Nothing in that suggests the government is paying G4S anything more as you have suggested, in fact the total opposite - G4S is footing the bill for the cock-up.


----------



## scifisam (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> But May said...
> 
> 
> 
> Nothing in that suggests the government is paying G4S anything more as you have suggested, in fact the total opposite - G4S is footing the bill for the cock-up.


 
Why are you so insistent on this? Do you think I hallucinated a news report or something?


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 16, 2012)

I reckon all these security guards have got a secret website and they're all planning a strike unless they get a £500 bonus in line with transport staff


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 16, 2012)

scifisam said:


> Why are you so insistent on this? Do you think I hallucinated a news report or something?


 
Because every news resource is saying G4S will be paying the cost for their cock-up, not the government, May has said exactly the same, I've already provided 2 links to support this, there's dozens more if you do a google news search.

If you are so sure you are right, and all these TV stations & newspapers are wrong, feel free to provide a link to support your claim.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 16, 2012)

It wouldn't surprise me one fucking bit if we end up paying for it, we're paying for everything fucking else - some with their lives.

Apparently the torch & security bubble are passing through Brighton this evening, staying over night, then fucking off somewhere else. Hopefully straight up Lord Coe's arse.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Not sure about that, G4S's Chairman seems somewhat pissed-off with his senior managers, and the company's share price has dropped almost 9% today.


 
Let's see, share price is just the vultures doing their evil shit. I suspect the 'loss' will turn out to be a loss of profit on the contract, rather than G4S writing Gideon a cheque for £50m, and when the dust settles there'll still be a handsome profit to be trousered.

I'd be more than happy to be proved very wrong on this though, obviously.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Because every news resource is saying G4S will be paying the cost for their cock-up, not the government, May has said exactly the same,


 
Which is exactly why they won't really be paying for it.

Come on mate, you're you been on the anti-cynicism pills again?


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Because every news resource is saying G4S will be paying the cost for their cock-up, not the government, May has said exactly the same, I've already provided 2 links to support this, there's dozens more if you do a google news search.
> 
> If you are so sure you are right, and all these TV stations & newspapers are wrong, feel free to provide a link to support your claim.


 
I think that the pair of you are talking at cross-purposes here.
G4S are being fined and picking up the extra security tab. Current estimates put that at about £50 million.
The value of the G4S contract is north of £250 million.
£50 million deducted from £250 million+ still leaves £200 million+ of turnover (albeit a lot less clear profit than they'd have liked).


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 16, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Which is exactly why they won't really be paying for it.
> 
> Come on mate, you're you been on the anti-cynicism pills again?


 
As I've said, that is what is being reported everywhere, the only person I've heard claiming exactly the opposite is scifisam, and I can see no reason why the government would not take up G4S's offer to pay this extra bill, because they are in breach of contract, the terms of which includes penalties for any failure in delivering on the contract.

FFS, G4S has left the government with egg on their faces, WTF would the government want to let them off the hook?

There's plenty to laugh about over this situation, without getting the facts of the matter wrong and then making up possible outcomes that don't make any sense at all.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

Mr.Bishie said:


> It wouldn't surprise me one fucking bit if we end up paying for it, we're paying for everything fucking else - some with their lives.
> 
> Apparently the torch & security bubble are passing through Brighton this evening, staying over night, then fucking off somewhere else. Hopefully straight up Lord Coe's arse.


 
The "payment" is notional. The goverment will simply not remit the amount of money that constitutes the fine and the security costs when they pay up the overall contract. G4S don't lose, because the actual money was never in their bank to be repaid, so they don't need to show it on their accounts, and the government don't lose because people think that they acted tough, and business knows they didn't.
Trebles all round for the ruling classes, and shit sandwiches yet again for us plebs?

Good call on a final resting place for theOlympic torch, Bish!!


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 16, 2012)

ViolentPanda said:


> I think that the pair of you are talking at cross-purposes here.
> G4S are being fined and picking up the extra security tab. Current estimates put that at about £50 million.
> The value of the G4S contract is north of £250 million.
> £50 million deducted from £250 million+ still leaves £200 million+ of turnover (albeit a lot less clear profit than they'd have liked).


 
Nope, that's exactly what I've been saying, scifisam claimed the government has increased the security budget & suggested they are paying G4S more, when in fact they will be paying them less, because it's G4S that's picking up the extra tab. 



scifisam said:


> Teresa May's response to G4S not turning up was to increase the security budget. Does it occur to no-one in govert that they should pay G4S _less_ after fucking up?


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 16, 2012)

ViolentPanda said:


> The "payment" is notional. The goverment will simply not remit the amount of money that constitutes the fine and the security costs when they pay up the overall contract. *G4S don't lose, because the actual money was never in their bank to be repaid, so they don't need to show it on their accounts*, and the government don't lose because people think that they acted tough, and business knows they didn't.
> Trebles all round for the ruling classes, and shit sandwiches yet again for us plebs?
> 
> Good call on a final resting place for theOlympic torch, Bish!!


 
True to a point, but the figures were already in their forecasts for the year, and will now be taken out, so basically they do lose out, especially because the cost of covering for police & troops will be far higher than if they had actually provided 'cheap' security staff.

But, more importantly, not only do they lose in monetary terms, but in PR terms- from a triumph to a complete fucking disaster.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Which is exactly why they won't really be paying for it.
> 
> Come on mate, you're you been on the anti-cynicism pills again?


 
That or he's a bit flustered after *accidentally* seeing his teenage neighbour undressing in her bedroom while cleaning his binoculars.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Nope, that's exactly what I've been saying, scifisam claimed the government has increased the security budget & suggested they are paying G4S more, when in fact they will be paying them less, because it's G4S that's picking up the extra tab.


 
Well, notionally they *have* increased the budget, but only by diverting money from one contractor to another.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 16, 2012)

ViolentPanda said:


> Well, notionally they *have* increased the budget, but only by diverting money from one contractor to another.


 
No, the overall budget remains the same.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> True to a point, but the figures were already in their forecasts for the year, and will now be taken out, so basically they do lose out, especially because the cost of covering for police & troops will be far higher than if they had actually provided 'cheap' security staff.
> 
> But, more importantly, not only do they lose in monetary terms, but in PR terms- from a triumph to a complete fucking disaster.


 
I'm not so sure that the monetary loss will be anything more than transient, and while bad PR is bad, the stock market will judge them on performance, once this fiasco is out of the public eye.

We need to introduce stocks for corporate criminals.

And gallows, so Si can enjoy himself.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> No, the overall budget remains the same.


 
Note the word "notionally". They've played it to people so it sounded like they're "beefing up" rather than just substituting one type of security for another.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 16, 2012)

For a bit of light relief, check out these reviews of the olympic mascot toys from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-rev...?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar


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## Captain Hurrah (Jul 16, 2012)




----------



## DaveCinzano (Jul 16, 2012)

treelover said:


> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...people-Inside-slum-camp-Olympic-cleaners.html


 
That's Spotless Facility Services (Uxbridge) Ltd, part of a big, multi-million (if not billion) dollar wedge of Australian service companies run by Andre Carstens, Josef Peter Farnik, Colin Patrick Caulfield and Michael Nathan Givoni, with Craig Lovett their London point man.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 16, 2012)

ViolentPanda said:


> We need to introduce stocks for corporate criminals.
> 
> And gallows, so Si can enjoy himself.


 



Neither a body to kick, nor a soul to damn.

The very reason for the existence of the corporation.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 16, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Neither a body to kick, nor a soul to damn.
> 
> The very reason for the existence of the corporation.


 
Unfortunately true.


----------



## scifisam (Jul 16, 2012)

I don't have a link to something said on TV, no. But if you're so desperate to defend the govt then I'll happily say that I must have hallucinated the six o' clock news rather than continue this stupid argument.


----------



## two sheds (Jul 16, 2012)

Ha well having read several versions of this story I can tell you that you're _both_ wrong.


----------



## scifisam (Jul 16, 2012)

I can't be wrong, really - I know what I heard - and the govt's statements in claphamboy's links are pretty definite too. Govt in contradictory statements shocka!


----------



## marty21 (Jul 16, 2012)

I'm assuming a bit here - but surely G4S has full-time staff who have all been trained and vetted, etc - surely it would have made more sense to use these staff for the Olympic security, and hire temp staff to cover for them in less sensitive jobs?


----------



## weltweit (Jul 16, 2012)

Well it seems the army is everywhere. Probably a good thing.


----------



## marty21 (Jul 16, 2012)

I saw a coach full of soldiers in Hackney on Sunday - I assume it's to do with the Olympics


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 16, 2012)

marty21 said:


> I'm assuming a bit here - but surely G4S has full-time staff who have all been trained and vetted, etc - surely it would have made more sense to use these staff for the Olympic security, and hire temp staff to cover for them in less sensitive jobs?



There full time staff are just as shIt as temps, trust me


----------



## marty21 (Jul 16, 2012)

B0B2oo9 said:


> There full time staff are just as shIt as temps, trust me


they should just hire me and Badgers then


----------



## audiotech (Jul 16, 2012)

It gets worse, with '"slum camp" for Olympic cleaners - ten to a room and one shower for 75 people':

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...people-Inside-slum-camp-Olympic-cleaners.html


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 16, 2012)

audiotech said:


> It gets worse, with slum camp for Olympic cleaners - ten to a room and one shower for 75 people:
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...people-Inside-slum-camp-Olympic-cleaners.html


it was supposed to be part of the opening ceremony showcasing modern britain, including the migrants who live in conditions akin to those found in dickensian times.


----------



## marty21 (Jul 16, 2012)

audiotech said:


> It gets worse, with '"slum camp" for Olympic cleaners - ten to a room and one shower for 75 people':
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...people-Inside-slum-camp-Olympic-cleaners.html


amazing that the Daily Mail broke  that story


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 16, 2012)

marty21 said:


> they should just hire me and Badgers then


hurrah!  p45s all round!


----------



## discokermit (Jul 17, 2012)

that landing rail isn't legal, some of the panels have been missed out making it unsafe. the balusters have all been made to take panels though, as they have the lugs attached. even for a temporary structure i doubt it's legal.


----------



## ddraig (Jul 17, 2012)

and of course the "undesirables" must be cleared away incase any visitors see them! 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-18855536
even tho there is NO evidence of any increase


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 17, 2012)

The security shambles continues: the police are saying that only 20 out of a promised 300 G4S olympic security staff turned up this morning at Box Hill, the Olympic cycling venue. Hardly surprising, given the shit deal they've been offered.

The security is one thing. I've also heard stories about poor organisation of unpaid games volunteers - 90,000 of them are expected....


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 17, 2012)

audiotech said:


> It gets worse, with '"slum camp" for Olympic cleaners - ten to a room and one shower for 75 people':
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...people-Inside-slum-camp-Olympic-cleaners.html


 
Cunts! 
This is the sort of exploitation we thought that we'd done away with during the 20th century, but yet again the fucking Tories drag us back to the Victorian era. 

I'm also annoyed that so many of those cunts in the Westminster Pigsty had a pop at rioters in London, and out in the UK generally, for dragging the country's rep and the capital's rep through the mud in 2010 and 2011, yet there's hardly a fucking peep from them about these money-loving cunts ruining the same reputations. Must be okay, as long as you've got someone in Parliament on a retainer. Cunts!!!


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 17, 2012)

The militant cabbies are holding a demo in Parliament Square today at 2pm, against the Olympic Lanes

http://ucg-london.co.uk/2012/07/17/ucg-parliament-sq-demonstration/


----------



## weltweit (Jul 17, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> The militant cabbies are holding a demo in Parliament Square today at 2pm, against the Olympic Lanes
> http://ucg-london.co.uk/2012/07/17/ucg-parliament-sq-demonstration/


Erm, no not quite, they are not objecting against the Olympic lanes, they are objecting that they are not permitted to use them themselves!


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 17, 2012)

weltweit said:


> Erm, no not quite, they are not objecting against the Olympic lanes, they are objecting that they are not permitted to use them themselves!


Well yes, they want to use them.


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 17, 2012)

ddraig said:


> and of course the "undesirables" must be cleared away incase any visitors see them!
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-18855536
> even tho there is NO evidence of any increase


 
I have seen no increase at all....


----------



## weltweit (Jul 17, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Well yes, they want to use them.


Perhaps a compromise, when a taxi is taking an athelete somewhere then they can use the lanes


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 17, 2012)

weltweit said:


> Perhaps a compromise, when a taxi is taking an athelete somewhere then they can use the lanes


We are all athletes  .


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> The militant cabbies are holding a demo in Parliament Square today at 2pm, against the Olympic Lanes
> 
> http://ucg-london.co.uk/2012/07/17/ucg-parliament-sq-demonstration/


 


> Due to the sensitive location of the demonstration it is wise to remain in your cabs.


 
Is that so they're not photographed/beaten up by the police?


----------



## weltweit (Jul 17, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> We are all athletes  .


 speak for yourself ....


----------



## weltweit (Jul 17, 2012)

It is all very well these Olympic lanes, but once everyone has been transported to the village surely they are pretty much going to be empty until the rush back to the airport again - no?


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 17, 2012)

weltweit said:


> It is all very well these Olympic lanes, but once everyone has been transported to the village surely they are pretty much going to be empty until the rush back to the airport again - no?


VIPs and sponsors get to use them too.

So people like Bob Diamond and the Head of Coca Cola can avoid the plebs on public transport


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 17, 2012)

weltweit said:


> It is all very well these Olympic lanes, but once everyone has been transported to the village surely they are pretty much going to be empty until the rush back to the airport again - no?


 
As BH said it's not just the athletes. But it still amazes me that they effectively choke the traffic in central London from 6:00am to 12:00am. 18 hours of the day these cunts get to swan around in BMW 3 series whilst the populace of the city that paid for the games get treated like second class citizens.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jul 17, 2012)

I really hope the whole thing descends into an utter farce that will crush the last vestiges of British national pride forever. Let the whole world see what the last few decades of unrestrained corporate cronyism and shameless greed have reduced us to. Let the smouldering remains of our dignity be a warning to others of what happens when a nation is willing to sell out as completely as we have.


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 17, 2012)

An insider in LOCOG states the obvious:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18853874


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 17, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> As BH said it's not just the athletes. *But it still amazes me* that they effectively choke the traffic in central London from 6:00am to 12:00am. 18 hours of the day these cunts get to swan around in BMW 3 series whilst the populace of the city that paid for the games get treated like second class citizens.


 
Does it really amaze you? Is this not the zenith that UK PLC has been building up to ever since Thatcher learned to read?


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 17, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Does it really amaze you? Is this not the zenith that UK PLC has been building up to ever since Thatcher learned to read?


 
Yes, it does. Because if I let the full reality of it get to me then I'll probably top myself.


----------



## Buddy Bradley (Jul 17, 2012)

The BBC lunchtime news just said that 400,000 tickets haven't even gone on sale yet.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

Buddy Bradley said:


> The BBC lunchtime news just said that 400,000 tickets haven't even gone on sale yet.


 
That'll please my friend I was talking to last night who didn't manage to get any tickets so has decided to take herself off to France for the whole duration of the Olympics


----------



## two sheds (Jul 17, 2012)

This is a 'good news/bad news' story isn't it? Bad news is that that the tickets are all for synchronized swimming and tiddlywinks.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 17, 2012)

Buddy Bradley said:


> The BBC lunchtime news just said that 400,000 tickets haven't even gone on sale yet.


I strongly suspect that's because they were originally intended for sale to sponsors/corporates, rather than the public. It sounds like sponsor take-up of tickets has been much worse than anticipated and therefore the tickets have been re-offered for sale to the general public. I think this is why Seb Coe was so obstructive when asked to state the proportion of tickets going to corporate sponsors versus the public - he flatly refused to answer the question, despite being pressed on it for over two hours at the GLA. (He said his staff were 'too busy' to work out the figures.)


----------



## happie chappie (Jul 17, 2012)

ViolentPanda said:


> They haven't. In effect, this is about using the weight of the state to enforce supposed infringements of "intellectual property" laws that aren't on the statute book.


 
Actually, they do have the weight of Statute:

http://www.london2012.com/about-us/our-brand/using-the-brand/#what legal protection

Arguably more scary than not having it.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 17, 2012)

As someone who works in intellectual property, I think these laws are being interpreted more strictly than usual, and I think it's reflecting badly on LOCOG. I can only hope that the 2014 Commonwealth Games people here in Glasgow are watching and taking notes on how not to do things.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 17, 2012)

happie chappie said:


> Actually, they do have the weight of Statute:
> 
> http://www.london2012.com/about-us/our-brand/using-the-brand/#what legal protection
> 
> Arguably more scary than not having it.


 
"Special laws" 

You're right! *Much* more scary!!


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 17, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> An insider in LOCOG states the obvious:
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18853874


 
Nah, he didn't state the obvious. Nowhere in the article did he say "Lord Coe must die!".


----------



## marty21 (Jul 17, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> The security is one thing. I've also heard stories about poor organisation of unpaid games volunteers - 90,000 of them are expected....


 
One of my work mates is volunteering - he will be in Greenwich for the Equestrian events - he seems pretty pleased with the organisation tbf - he's taking 3 weeks annual leave to get involved -

fuck that - if work gave me the time off I might have been tempted

I suspect the turnout of the volunteers will be better than the turnout of G4S


----------



## Ted Striker (Jul 17, 2012)

Just tried to book tickets (yes, I know, v late, I did try first time so was hoping to get tickets when they went back on sale....) online, and the sheer cuntfuckery involved in procuring them, whilst is insignificant compared to the G4S bollocks, but grinds my gears as being such an unnecessarily downright stupid procedure, it can only be designed by 5 years olds.

You can search, select, and choose your tickets, and only at the checkout does it tell you "btw, we're ain't got no (bargainous) £40 tickets, here's your bill for 4 x £1,500 for the best seats at the Beach Volleyball".

No wonder the cunts haven't sold them all. 

And I was genuinely really trying to be positive about it all.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 17, 2012)

marty21 said:


> One of my work mates is volunteering - he will be in Greenwich for the Equestrian events - he seems pretty pleased with the organisation tbf - he's taking 3 weeks annual leave to get involved -
> 
> fuck that - if work gave me the time off I might have been tempted
> 
> I suspect the turnout of the volunteers will be better than the turnout of G4S


yep, I think you're right.


----------



## UrbaneFox (Jul 17, 2012)

Buddy Bradley said:


> The BBC lunchtime news just said that 400,000 tickets haven't even gone on sale yet.


 
Mainly football. I'm so glad that I bet on David Beckham being recalled to the England team. Well, everybody else is raking it in so why shouldn't I?

Interviewed by Martha Kearney on BBC Radio 4 at lunchtime today, Sebastian Coe was cheery about the fact that there were still chances to buy tickets (18 minutes in).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ks536

He was followed by Tessa Jowell, who said that the number of unsold tickets was disppointing, and that they had always worried about events that were a long way from London. She had tried to buy tickets but only hockey was available where she lives.


----------



## marty21 (Jul 17, 2012)

UrbaneFox said:


> Mainly football. I'm so glad that I bet on David Beckham being recalled to the England team. Well, everybody else is raking it in so why shouldn't I?


 It's a Great Britain team - so it wasn't about being recalled, he's never played for them before, and never will as Psycho didn't pick him.


----------



## UrbaneFox (Jul 17, 2012)

Bums on seats, lovey, that's what it's all about, bums on seats.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 17, 2012)

UrbaneFox said:


> Mainly football. I'm so glad that I bet on David Beckham being recalled to the England team. Well, everybody else is raking it in so why shouldn't I?
> 
> Interviewed by Martha Kearney on BBC Radio 4 at lunchtime today, Sebastian Coe was cheery about the fact that there were still chances to buy tickets (18 minutes in).
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ks536
> ...


So what are they now doing? They're withdrawing 500,000 (yes half a million tickets) football tickets. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18869911


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jul 17, 2012)

UrbaneFox said:


> Bums on seats, lovey, that's what it's all about, bums on seats.


 
Whereas Atlanta was bombs under seats.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> So what are they now doing? They're withdrawing 500,000 (yes half a million tickets) football tickets.
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18869911


 
Why don't they give them away free to schools/football academies etc.?  Fine, plenty of kids aren't interested in football, but at least they'll be able to say they got to go to the Olympics


----------



## ddraig (Jul 17, 2012)

can't tell he's a tory can you!



> Lord Coe said the remaining tickets would be sold "by hook or by crook".


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 17, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Why don't they give them away free to schools/football academies etc.? Fine, plenty of kids aren't interested in football, but at least they'll be able to say they got to go to the Olympics


There was talk of them doing that, but I don't know if they actually did or what conditions were attached to them.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> There was talk of them doing that, but I don't know if they actually did or what conditions were attached to them.


 
Maybe the kids have to turn up with a can of coke in their hands, the appropriate sponsor's footwear etc.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 17, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Maybe the kids have to turn up with a can of coke in their hands, the appropriate sponsor's footwear etc.


Or not allowed in, if they turn up with Irn Bru.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> Or not allowed in, if they turn up with Irn Bru.


 
Too far for the Scottish


----------



## UrbaneFox (Jul 17, 2012)

No way will they be able to enforce the 'no chips' policy.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

UrbaneFox said:


> No way will they be able to enforce the 'no chips' policy.


 
I thought they'd done away with that or do they still have to be served with fish?


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 17, 2012)

Good to see the G4S Chief Executive eating humble pie before the select committee today, saying he regrets signing the contract and admitting that it's been a "humiliating shambles", and also saying the company is no longer bidding for the security contracts for the next football World Cup and the next Olympics, both in Brazil. 

Of course, he also confirmed the company will be picking-up the bills from the various police forces and the forces for supplying cover for their failure in delivering the required numbers of security staff, as per the news yesterday. 



scifisam said:


> I don't have a link to something said on TV, no. But if you're so desperate to defend the govt then I'll happily say that I must have hallucinated the six o' clock news rather than continue this stupid argument.


 
I am not defending the government you idiot, I just pointed out that you got the wrong end of the stick, the government is not paying G4S more as you suggested, they are taking money off G4S to cover the extra costs of both the police and the troops required to cover G4S's cock-up.

That is the fact of the matter, as demonstrated by the links I provided, and the continuing unfolding story today, there is no 'stupid' argument at all, you got it wrong, it's that simple.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> There was talk of them doing that, but I don't know if they actually did or what conditions were attached to them.


 
Just been on the news that they gave away 150,000 for the football


----------



## audiotech (Jul 17, 2012)

'Securicor cares, Securicor scares the shit out of you. Do you wanna come closer?'


----------



## weltweit (Jul 17, 2012)

400,000 tickets yet to go on sale and 300,000 further not sold. Football venues to run at reduced capacity. This does not sound slick.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 17, 2012)

I am not a football fan myself, but I would have thought football would have sold out easily.


----------



## gabi (Jul 17, 2012)

Nope. It's basically under 23 football (they're only allowed 3 players older than that)

Makes it less interesting. It's exhibition football.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

The Olympics upset this Chinese athlete so much, he moved to Germany 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_sports/view/1214025/1/.html

Okay, that was a lie.  It was the cold weather


----------



## tufty79 (Jul 17, 2012)

two sheds said:


> http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...brand-police-to-protect-sponsors-7945436.html
> Olympics organisers have warned businesses that during London 2012 their advertising should not include a list of banned words, including "gold", "silver" and "bronze", "summer", "sponsors" and "London".
> 
> Publicans have been advised that blackboards advertising live TV coverage must not refer to beer brands or brewers without an Olympics deal, while caterers and restaurateurs have been told not to advertise dishes that could be construed as having an association with the event.
> ...


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

tufty79 said:


> View attachment 21204


 
Wankers is allowed though isn't it?


----------



## tufty79 (Jul 17, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Wankers is allowed though isn't it?


as long as it's not wankers


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

tufty79 said:


> as long as it's not wankers


 


I don't know why people are taking notice of this. Surely if the whole country just went mad putting up all these banned words/pictures/logos etc. the brand police would just seize up with overwork

An act of mass disobedience is needed


----------



## ddraig (Jul 17, 2012)

B0B2oo9 said:


> Right now im PISSED OFF, if i want to go to the gym i have to pass secuirty to get into the hotel just to use the gym, this can take 10-20 mins if it's busy i have been told.... time to fuck the gym off for good i think.


and today they've got a MASSIVE banner outside saying "business as usual"  
as if! how can they claim that if you and your stuff have to go through a scanner etc


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

ddraig said:


> and today they've got a MASSIVE banner outside saying "business as usual"
> as if! how can they claim that if you and your stuff have to go through a scanner etc


 
pull them on it and say you want to be compensated for the stress


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 17, 2012)

There will be no real ale or real cider at the Olympics.

This really is the final straw


----------



## two sheds (Jul 17, 2012)

"Let them drink coke" ... Seb Coe.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 17, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> There will be no real ale or real cider at the Olympics.
> 
> This really is the final straw


 
I have visions of athletes sprawling across the track giggling whilst drinking Chucklehead Cider


----------



## newbie (Jul 17, 2012)

did you really expect real anything?


----------



## 8ball (Jul 17, 2012)

newbie said:


> did you really expect real anything?


 
Nandrolone.


----------



## scifisam (Jul 18, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Good to see the G4S Chief Executive eating humble pie before the select committee today, saying he regrets signing the contract and admitting that it's been a "humiliating shambles", and also saying the company is no longer bidding for the security contracts for the next football World Cup and the next Olympics, both in Brazil.
> 
> Of course, he also confirmed the company will be picking-up the bills from the various police forces and the forces for supplying cover for their failure in delivering the required numbers of security staff, as per the news yesterday.
> 
> ...



You're being a bit annoying now. Fine, I hallucinated the news report. Will you stop now?


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 18, 2012)

newbie said:


> did you really expect real anything?


Sadly, no.


----------



## The Octagon (Jul 18, 2012)

And already the Egham bypass was a fucking nightmare this morning.

Bike time for the next few weeks I think, can I cycle in the Olympic lanes?


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 18, 2012)

The Octagon said:


> And already the Egham bypass was a fucking nightmare this morning.
> 
> Bike time for the next few weeks I think, can I cycle in the Olympic lanes?


try it and see


----------



## The Octagon (Jul 18, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> try it and see


 
I can't afford the fine if I'm wrong


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 18, 2012)

The Octagon said:


> And already the Egham bypass was a fucking nightmare this morning.
> 
> Bike time for the next few weeks I think, can I cycle in the Olympic lanes?


 
Nope!


----------



## Garek (Jul 18, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> Nope!


 
I am not sure how they could fine you though.


----------



## The Octagon (Jul 18, 2012)

Garek said:


> I am not sure how they could fine you though.


 
Ridiculous amounts of coppers in cars, on bikes and sat in speed vans here at the moment.

Royal Holloway (which is housing the rowers) has armed police patrolling the campus, mental.


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 18, 2012)

Garek said:


> I am not sure how they could fine you though.


 
Granted, they will have to catch you in the act. But don't be surprised to find a lot of people watching out for this exact thing. It's all revenue collection. They are banking on people using them so they can fine them.


----------



## Garek (Jul 18, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> Granted, they will have to catch you in the act. But don't be surprised to find a lot of people watching out for this exact thing. It's all revenue collection. They are banking on people using them so they can fine them.


 
I can understand if you have a number plate but how do cyclist get fined? They arrest you? If not then surely you can refuse to give your name and address?


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 18, 2012)

Garek said:


> I can understand if you have a number plate but how do cyclist get fined? They arrest you? If not then surely you can refuse to give your name and address?


 
I'm not sure of the legality of it all, but I've seen cyclists being pulled for running red lights or riding on the pavement. They regularly have coppers around the junctions in Kings Cross and Angel for this exact reason.

If you refuse to give your name, I suppose you could be done for something or the other? No idea so cannot really comment on it. I'm sure someone can though.


----------



## marty21 (Jul 18, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> I have visions of athletes sprawling across the track giggling whilst drinking Chucklehead Cider


 this would be worth watching


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 18, 2012)

£130 fine apparently for going in the lanes. If you're a cyclist you just need to keep your wits about you. You should be able to outrun/out cycle a copper on foot, and if you see coppers in cars, best route of esacpe would probably be to use the pavement and go in the opposite direction, making it hard for them to chase you. Or use paths/alleyways they cant get down.


----------



## girasol (Jul 18, 2012)

you get a £50 fine for going on pavement so better make sure you don't get caught at all!  Otherwise you're already £180 worse off


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 18, 2012)

Confirmed patrols on the games lanes:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18882051


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 18, 2012)

Given that bus lanes are being removed for the games lanes, the safest places for cyclists is probably on the outside of the traffic, cycling ON the line dividing the lanes... I wonder how stringent the pigs will be on that?


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jul 18, 2012)

'More than thirty' retired graffiti artists pulled in by Met in Olympics-linked per-emptive arrests:

http://www.thelondonvandal.com/2012...n-as-police-sanitise-city-ready-for-olympics/



> It’s not uncommon for us to be contacted by respected ex-graffiti writers. That said, we certainly weren’t expecting the late night phone calls that we received from some past artists last night, who got in touch to tell us that they had been raided by the police yesterday (17th July). While graffiti writer’s homes being raided by the police is not a rare phenomenon, this series of raids came as quite a shock to many of the artists as most had given up painting illegal graffiti some 15 years ago...
> 
> ...These men have told us that they are not currently involved in painting illegal graffiti.  These men are living law-abiding lives, but can no longer travel on public transport or enter large areas of London due to harsh bail conditions. In addition, laptops, mobile phones and other devices were taken into evidence by police. How these men are supposed to work and look after their families under these conditions, they are not sure.


----------



## fractionMan (Jul 18, 2012)

DaveCinzano said:


> 'More than thirty' retired graffiti artists pulled in by Met in Olympics-linked per-emptive arrests:
> 
> http://www.thelondonvandal.com/2012...n-as-police-sanitise-city-ready-for-olympics/


 
thread here: http://www.urban75.net/forums/threa...me-they-came-for-the-graffiti-writers.296426/


----------



## Treacle Toes (Jul 18, 2012)

Thank god I recently had my bike fitted with wings and a back up hover jetpack for when I get tired of flapping. :/


----------



## bignose1 (Jul 18, 2012)

DaveCinzano said:


> 'More than thirty' retired graffiti artists pulled in by Met in Olympics-linked per-emptive arrests:
> 
> http://www.thelondonvandal.com/2012...n-as-police-sanitise-city-ready-for-olympics/


 The writing was already on the wall....


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 18, 2012)

What the fuck, pre-emptive arrests again. Presumably by the mets precog division.

Anyway, 'pre-emptive arrest' sounds awfuly like illegal detainment to me. Why not stick em in long kesh ffs


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 18, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> What the fuck, pre-emptive arrests again. Presumably by the mets precog division.
> 
> Anyway, 'pre-emptive arrest' sounds awfuly like illegal detainment to me. Why not stick em in long kesh ffs


they'd need to order new nissen huts


----------



## magneze (Jul 18, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> What the fuck, pre-emptive arrests again. Presumably by the mets precog division.
> 
> Anyway, 'pre-emptive arrest' sounds awfuly like illegal detainment to me. Why not stick em in long kesh ffs


Is this actually legal at all?


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 18, 2012)

I can't be certain but theres probably something that makes it so in the anti-terror legislation.

anyone know?


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 18, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> I can't be certain but theres probably something that makes it so in the anti-terror legislation.
> 
> anyone know?


 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18882126


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 18, 2012)

cheers tits- thats high court. I wonder if any involved in this latest round will take the ball to europe, cos its an olympic sized cunt-off to be nicked for something on the grounds that you might do it again, 10 years later and at an embarrasing moment for the est.


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 18, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> cheers tits- thats high court. I wonder if any involved in this latest round will take the ball to europe, cos its an olympic sized cunt-off to be nicked for something on the grounds that you might do it again, 10 years later and at an embarrasing moment for the est.


 
Damn right. It starts to get scary when they arrest and impose conditions on you for something you may or may not do. Especially that it might be as harmless as a peaceful protest.


----------



## two sheds (Jul 20, 2012)

Fucking hell, the government's gone too far this time.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...rder-to-get-to-games-on-the-tube-7960143.html

they're making Cabinet Ministers travel on the tube with the plebs.  I can't think when I've seen tories so angry.



> But the strict procedures have infuriated some senior Government figures who claim that the "hair shirt rules" have put them in such a bad mood that the last thing they feel like is being nice to their official guest.
> 
> One Cabinet minister told _The Independent_: "This has caused a lot of ill-feeling and frankly some of us would rather not be going to anything at all.
> 
> ...


 
How can ministers enjoy themselves and give visitors a good time if they have to mix with the likes of us?

There's one ray of light, though ...



> The edict is expected to extend to all levels of government and David Cameron yesterday confirmed he would travel to the Games opening ceremony on public transport.


 
Ooooo i'd so like to travel in the same carriage as him. At the very least you'd expect good Youtube videos of whole carriages full of people collapsing in "tosser" and "arsehole" coughing fits.


----------



## Cid (Jul 20, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> cheers tits- thats high court. I wonder if any involved in this latest round will take the ball to europe, cos its an olympic sized cunt-off to be nicked for something on the grounds that you might do it again, 10 years later and at an embarrasing moment for the est.


 
Court of Appeal and potentially Supreme court first. High Court can't really rule on important points of law... Depends what they were arrested for I suppose.


----------



## MikeMcc (Jul 20, 2012)

I'm working on security for one of the entrances to Olympic Park, we've been told precisely nothing about any rules about brands.  There are limits on the volumes of liquids that can be brought in - 100ml in general, 200ml for medicines and suncream, media and LOCOG get to carry 1L because they're special...

For folks entering on foot the average processing time is supposed to be 11s, there's not a hope in hell of that, so expect queues. Set off early to be sure of getting in on time.  The processing is pretty much what you get at an airport.  The more you take out of your pockets and put through the x-ray the less likely you are to need to be physically searched. The less cluttered the bags, the chance of needing a physical bag search is reduced.  The view of the searchers (particularly the Army ones) is that we don't care if the queues are long (not totally true, we don't want to piss people off), we just don't want an incident like the one in Atlanta.


----------



## weltweit (Jul 20, 2012)

MikeMcc said:


> I'm working on security for one of the entrances to Olympic Park, ...........


Are you G4S MikeMcc or some other kind of animal?


----------



## likesfish (Jul 20, 2012)

Must be depressing you've got all the offical terrorist threats including the scary muslims then add radom nutters As well


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 20, 2012)

two sheds said:


> There's one ray of light, though ...


 


> The edict is expected to extend to all levels of government and David Cameron yesterday confirmed he would travel to the Games opening ceremony on public transport


 
Bet you a pound to a pinch of shit he don't travel back home on public transport though.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 20, 2012)

weltweit said:


> Are you G4S MikeMcc or some other kind of animal?


 
He's military.


----------



## souljacker (Jul 20, 2012)




----------



## magneze (Jul 20, 2012)

^ Brilliant


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 20, 2012)

souljacker said:


>





I love that bloke. His gove/yacht rant is particularly vintage 'THEY"RE TAKING THE FUCKING PISS!'


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 20, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Bet you a pound to a pinch of shit he don't travel back home on public transport though.


"Public transport" also includes taxis....I expect most of them will be in taxis, including the PM. Or they will all suddenly become aware of risks to their security at the last minute and have to use the Govt Car Service.

It's fucking funny the MPs/Cabinet Ministers are so pissed about not being able to use the lanes/their Govt cars - now they know how the rest of the country is fucking feeling!

Mental that they've spent nearly a million quid on tickets, including over £26k (more than the national average wage IIRC) just on beach volleyball tickets, the dirty fuckers.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 20, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> I love that bloke. His gove/yacht rant is particularly vintage 'THEY"RE TAKING THE FUCKING PISS!'


Yeah he's prolific - does about two or three videos a day. All high quality rants. I first saw one of his films for the strike in March last year, a proper hilarious rant that had me laughing so much my stomach muscles hurt for hours. He's called The Artist Taxi Driver / @ChunkyMark on Twitter and he's worth a follow.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 20, 2012)

6 Olympic protestors arrested by 25-strong cop team for spilling green custard on the pavement:

http://www.greenwashgold.org/index.php/blog/30-olympic-protesters-arrested-for-spilling-custard

"criminal damage" apparently.

fucking laughable!


----------



## al (Jul 21, 2012)

Artist arrested and told not to go near Olympics or on any tubes/trains because, well honestly I haven't a fucking clue..... 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18927228


----------



## two sheds (Jul 21, 2012)

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...anding-my-rules-are-being-abused-7962593.html

*London has gone too far, says man who brought sponsors to the Games*



> "The public do get it. They do understand that Coca-Cola has paid, Pepsi hasn't, so Coca-Cola should be entitled to provide the soft drinks, but what's that got to do with a flaming torch baguette in a café?"
> 
> As the world's media descend on London for the Games, several international outlets have pointed out that London does not seem in a party mood. And it's not only down to the weather. For the Diamond Jubilee the streets and shop windows were covered in Union Jacks, Will and Kate mugs, tea towels and the like. This time round "you don't see any references to the Games in shop windows or on the streets – people are too scared", one small business owner was reported as saying by The New York Times.
> 
> ...


 
Showing the world what money-obsessed miserable bastards the British government are.


----------



## weltweit (Jul 21, 2012)

> Yesterday, Evan Davis, presenter of the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, challenged Lord Coe, the Olympics supremo, on whether he would be allowed to turn up to an event in a Pepsi T-shirt. Lord Coe told him: "No, you probably wouldn't be walking in with a Pepsi T-shirt because Coca-Cola are our sponsors ...


That is ridiculous, the sponsors may have paid to sponsor the games themselves but they paid nothing to the tee shirt wearer who should be able to wear whatever they want. Lunacy. The Tee shirt wearer does not have a contract with Coke.


----------



## teqniq (Jul 21, 2012)

Not that I'm going but if i was this t-shirt looks appealing:


----------



## ddraig (Jul 23, 2012)

more depressing shit in Cardiff 
the retail partnership want the streets 'cleansed' of homeless people!!  using the vagrancy act

good to see most of the comments are by humans, for a change!


> *Police urged to rid Cardiff's streets of homeless in time for Olympics*
> 
> Cardiff Retail Partnership wants officers to utilise the 1824 Vagrancy Act so that visitors to the city are not given the wrong impression of the Welsh capital.
> The law, which was introduced as a measure to deal with the rising numbers of rough sleepers following the Napoleonic Wars, makes it a crime to sleep on the streets.
> ...


 
the security, fencing and road closures are a LOT more of an eysore and inconvenience for any visitors


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 23, 2012)

David Hughes-Lewis can suck my small fat one.....


----------



## souljacker (Jul 23, 2012)

ddraig said:


> more depressing shit in Cardiff
> the retail partnership want the streets 'cleansed' of homeless people!!  using the vagrancy act
> 
> good to see most of the comments are by humans, for a change!
> ...


 
Whats Cardiff got? Football? No fuckers going to watch that anyway are they? Maybe they should put the homeless dudes into the stadium, make it look like a few more people actually bothered going.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 23, 2012)

ddraig said:


> more depressing shit in Cardiff
> the retail partnership want the streets 'cleansed' of homeless people!!  using the vagrancy act
> 
> good to see most of the comments are by humans, for a change!
> ...





B0B2oo9 said:


> David Hughes-Lewis can suck my small fat one.....


 
if you want to get in touch with mr david wayne hughes lewis, why not try writing to him at 15 Pwll Y Myn Crescent, Peterston Super Ely, Cardiff CF5 6LR

he's 65 this year though so he might be leaving his company directorships at cardiff city retail partnership ltd and walthams reliability ltd


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 23, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> if you want to get in touch with mr david wayne hughes lewis, why not try writing to him at 15 Pwll Y Myn Crescent, Peterston Super Ely, Cardiff CF5 6LR


 
I have his number, the guys a bellend, he always looks for a reason to move the homeless out of Cardiff, this is just another time that he can get the message out.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 23, 2012)

B0B2oo9 said:


> I have his number, the guys a bellend, he always looks for a reason to move the homeless out of Cardiff, this is just another time that he can get the message out.


and now you have his addresss


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 23, 2012)

I might get a load of homeless people and pay the £10 each to sleep outside his house for the night....

unless i loose my job in this meeting in 27 mins with HR then im going to be sleeping outside his house....


----------



## marty21 (Jul 23, 2012)

http://saveleytonmarsh.wordpress.com/


> *Save Leyton Marsh faces outright political and financial intimidation, yet again!*
> 
> Today a member of our group, Matt, was contacted by the lawyer of the ODA about our judicial review of the decision to construct the basketball facilities at the last minute on the protected land of Porter’s Field Meadow (Leyton Marsh). Despite the case being against WF Council (who are claiming over £4000 costs), the ODA have taken on the case and are also seeking over £20,000 of costs against our small group, despite the ODA having a legal budget of over £40m. At a hearing of the application we were not even informed about, the judge threw out our JR and has issued a court order for the full costs against us


 

The temporary basketball arena is hidden away behind the Ice Rink on Lea Bridge Road - the campaign was to stop this - there was a protest camp near the Ice Rink , now ODA are trying to get £20k costs off about 4 people who happened to be the signatories of the campaign group's bank account - I was speaking to them on Sunday , they can't afford to pay the costs and weren't given the opportunity of arguing against this in court.


----------



## magneze (Jul 23, 2012)

Postbox is closed until Friday this week due to the torch.


----------



## purenarcotic (Jul 23, 2012)

Dear god. On midlands today lunch time news, calls to join a mass bell ring at 8.12 on friday to ring in the olympics. You can een download a tone to play on your mobile. Spare us ffs


----------



## fractionMan (Jul 23, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> 6 Olympic protestors arrested by 25-strong cop team for spilling green custard on the pavement:
> 
> http://www.greenwashgold.org/index.php/blog/30-olympic-protesters-arrested-for-spilling-custard
> 
> ...


 
fucking hell


----------



## frogwoman (Jul 23, 2012)

purenarcotic said:


> Dear god. On midlands today lunch time news, calls to join a mass bell ring at 8.12 on friday to ring in the olympics. You can een download a tone to play on your mobile. Spare us ffs


 
Isn't this technically blasphemy? you could get them on that ffs


----------



## pissflaps (Jul 23, 2012)

http://www.b3tards.com/v/461e2b70a51750873986/oilmyi.jpg


----------



## fractionMan (Jul 23, 2012)




----------



## purenarcotic (Jul 23, 2012)

Jaques Rogge on being questioned in a BBC interview about some people feeling like he failed to live in the real world, especially in regard to staying in five star hotels: 'yes well we need accommodation'


----------



## barney_pig (Jul 24, 2012)

Albert square, the only place the Olympic torch passed without a corporate megaescort.


----------



## extra dry (Jul 24, 2012)




----------



## extra dry (Jul 24, 2012)

will this be seen as an infringement of the logo?


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 24, 2012)

extra dry said:


>


Obviously those aren't crop circles: they're crap circles


----------



## souljacker (Jul 24, 2012)

More bollocks from the corporate cunts:

http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/...c-organisers/story-16523268-detail/story.html


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 24, 2012)

souljacker said:


> More bollocks from the corporate cunts:
> 
> http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/...c-organisers/story-16523268-detail/story.html


----------



## two sheds (Jul 24, 2012)

All a group of terrorists will need to do to create havoc will be to hand out loads of Pepsi t-shirts to people.

The police will be so busy clustered round offenders to eject them for a breach of the peace that A-Q could drive a nuclear weapon into the arena unnoticed.


----------



## extra dry (Jul 24, 2012)

I wonder what is next...we did not hear of any of this during China Olympics, where the noodle venders forced out?


----------



## killer b (Jul 24, 2012)

Apparently they're trialling the Olympic lanes today- one of my colleagues took 4 hours to drive the 70 miles to London as a result.


----------



## teqniq (Jul 24, 2012)




----------



## pissflaps (Jul 24, 2012)

oh verr droll. got the date wrong tho.
/fucking vandals.


----------



## teqniq (Jul 24, 2012)

I hadn't noticed, they did indeed but it's the thought that counts.


----------



## cesare (Jul 24, 2012)

pissflaps said:


> oh verr droll. got the date wrong tho.
> /fucking vandals.



Depends which way you look at it.


----------



## teqniq (Jul 24, 2012)

LOL  this is very true!


----------



## teqniq (Jul 24, 2012)

The Iranian news agency Fars gets in on the act with condoms instead of Olympic rings:






if the link expires it can be seen here

http://twitpic.com/ab68lm/full


----------



## pissflaps (Jul 24, 2012)

all this banksy-esque graffiti is just all so... shit. trite, unsubtle, sophomoric stabs at pre-packaged, easily digestible controversy masquerading as social satire that appeals largely to the kind of irony-proof bulbs who buy prints of the shit to hang up in their 2-bed flats in clapham. just fuck off and stop daubing walls that aren't yours with your sub student-uni-bar-come-chucking-out-time-level witterings.


----------



## teqniq (Jul 24, 2012)

lol


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 24, 2012)

pissflaps said:


> all this banksy-esque graffiti is just all so... shit. trite, unsubtle, sophomoric stabs at pre-packaged, easily digestible controversy masquerading as social satire that appeals largely to the kind of irony-proof bulbs who buy prints of the shit to hang up in their 2-bed flats in clapham. just fuck off and stop daubing walls that aren't yours with your sub student-uni-bar-come-chucking-out-time-level witterings.


 

yeah, but on the other hand OB started it *dons che t-shirt* give me freedom or give me non-branded uncopratised events! or something


----------



## Ted Striker (Jul 24, 2012)

Turns out there's uproar about the Phillips Idowu chap hasn't gone to Portugal for the Team GB training camp.

Portugal


----------



## peterkro (Jul 24, 2012)

pissflaps said:


> all this banksy-esque graffiti is just all so... shit. trite, unsubtle, sophomoric stabs at pre-packaged, easily digestible controversy masquerading as social satire that appeals largely to the kind of irony-proof bulbs who buy prints of the shit to hang up in their 2-bed flats in clapham. just fuck off and stop daubing walls that aren't yours with your sub student-uni-bar-come-chucking-out-time-level witterings.


Did you just chuck a bunch of words in a blender?


----------



## pissflaps (Jul 24, 2012)

im sorry, i'll use smaller words next time.


----------



## TitanSound (Jul 24, 2012)

"I'll explain and I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand, you warthog faced buffoon."


----------



## pissflaps (Jul 24, 2012)

slackbladder?

ah wait! princess bride.

/stop rhyming and i meant it!


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 24, 2012)

pissflaps said:


> all this banksy-esque graffiti is just all so... shit. trite, unsubtle, sophomoric stabs at pre-packaged, easily digestible controversy masquerading as social satire that appeals largely to the kind of irony-proof bulbs who buy prints of the shit to hang up in their 2-bed flats in clapham. just fuck off and stop daubing walls that aren't yours with your sub student-uni-bar-come-chucking-out-time-level witterings.


 
Art elitist!


----------



## barney_pig (Jul 24, 2012)

BBC report that Nissan hut accomodation for police at weymouth sailing has no planning permission and the construction has done severe damage to a site of natural beauty.


----------



## barney_pig (Jul 24, 2012)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-18965054
Link took a while to find. Hidden behind a morass of BBC happy bollocks.


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 24, 2012)

This thread is hilarious - Urban the 0.0001% that isn't going to enjoy the Olympics.  What a wonderful couple of weeks it's going to be for Urban!!


----------



## ddraig (Jul 24, 2012)

0.0001%/10


----------



## weltweit (Jul 24, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> This thread is hilarious - Urban the 0.0001% that isn't going to enjoy the Olympics. What a wonderful couple of weeks it's going to be for Urban!!


So, you got decent tickets did you !!


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 24, 2012)

Equals quite a big number

That'll be the percentage of people that will enjoy the Olympics


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 24, 2012)

Here are some stories to cheer you all up

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18976453

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18977404


----------



## 8ball (Jul 24, 2012)

I'm planning on enjoying the Olympics.

I'm especially looking forward to the strikes by the immigration and border staff.
That and the running.  I'm hoping Usain Bolt wins because he's so definitely not on drugs.  Drugs are bad, m'kay?


----------



## weltweit (Jul 24, 2012)

8ball said:


> ... I'm especially looking forward to the strikes by the immigration and border staff. ...


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18973127


----------



## 8ball (Jul 24, 2012)

weltweit said:


> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18973127


 
Dammit - are they going to cancel the running too? 

I was really looking forward to seeing a man who isn't on drugs run at 40mph. 

Please tell me the train drivers are still striking and that the synchronised swimming is still on!!


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 24, 2012)

It's a bit fucking rich for clegg minor to say strikes are fucking up the olympics for everyone when as far as i'm concerned they've been fucked up by this govt and its predecessor, and the foul creature johnson and his predecessor. I've nothing against a decent festival of sport: but these shitty games have fucked up london, thet've fuck all to do with the love of sport and rather more to do with the love of mammon.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 24, 2012)

8ball said:


> Dammit - are they going to cancel the running too?
> 
> I was really looking forward to seeing a man who isn't on drugs run at 40mph.
> 
> Please tell me the train drivers are still striking and that the synchronised swimming is still on!!


Sadly my preferred event - synchronised striking - has been removed as a demonstration sport


----------



## 8ball (Jul 24, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> Sadly my preferred event - synchronised striking - has been removed as a demonstration sport


 
I'm hoping they bung in a few unscheduled amateur events.


----------



## two sheds (Jul 24, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> This thread is hilarious - Urban the 0.0001% that isn't going to enjoy the Olympics. What a wonderful couple of weeks it's going to be for Urban!!


 
There's always some miserable git comes along spoils your enjoyment of things.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 24, 2012)

8ball said:


> I'm hoping they bung in a few unscheduled amateur events.


Yes. It would be good to have some spontaneity in these faux pagan games


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 24, 2012)

two sheds said:


> There's always some miserable git comes along spoils your enjoyment of things.


Mostly it's that unspeakable shyster, sebastian newbold coe, kbe


----------



## UrbaneFox (Jul 24, 2012)

8ball said:


> I'm hoping they bung in a few unscheduled amateur events.


 

Yes, what's happening on the Fringe Olympics?

Olympic Rings un-knotting and hoop-la
Synchronised spitting
Marathon NOT Snickers Sit-in


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 24, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> Here are some stories to cheer you all up
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18976453


 


> Team GB athletes have been welcomed to the athletes village at Olympic Park in a ceremony that opened with a rendition of Queen's "Bicycle Race".


 
Cycling's banned within the Olympic park


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 24, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Cycling's banned within the Olympic park


at least they've got one thing  right


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 24, 2012)

I am surprised there's been so little said about the totalitarian stakhanovite notions of a 'norm' of medals to be fulfilled


----------



## 8ball (Jul 24, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> I am surprised there's been so little said about the totalitarian stakhanovite notions of a 'norm' of medals to be fulfilled


 
U75 'Use Of 'Stakhanovite' Trophy Achieved.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 25, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> This thread is hilarious - Urban the 0.0001% that isn't going to enjoy the Olympics. What a wonderful couple of weeks it's going to be for Urban!!


 
That's right, no-mark. This thread is representative of Urban. 

You thick twat.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 25, 2012)

8ball said:


> I'm hoping they bung in a few unscheduled amateur events.


 
The 200 metres chase-the-politician dash, for example.


----------



## 8ball (Jul 25, 2012)

ViolentPanda said:


> The 200 metres chase-the-politician dash, for example.


 
Target javelin. 
Using bankers.


----------



## weltweit (Jul 25, 2012)

PCS Strike is called off
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18982453


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 25, 2012)

weltweit said:


> PCS Strike is called off
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18982453


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 25, 2012)

god damn it, so close


----------



## frogwoman (Jul 25, 2012)

my nan will be happy, she was going on the other day about how they were all traitors who should be put in the tower of london


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 25, 2012)

frogwoman said:


> my nan will be happy, she was going on the other day about how they were all traitors who should be put in the tower of london


then she'll be pleased by this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18957632


----------



## frogwoman (Jul 25, 2012)

traitors who should be hung apparently. For the fucking olympics  fuck my life


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 25, 2012)

frogwoman said:


> traitors who should be hung apparently. For the fucking olympics  fuck my life


bit late for that in't it?


----------



## Kippa (Jul 25, 2012)

First fuck up of the olypmics.  Apparently the south korean flag was used instead of the north korean one in the womens football game.  The team walked off the pitch.


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 25, 2012)

Kippa said:


> First fuck up of the olypmics. Apparently the south korean flag was used instead of the north korean one in the womens football game. The team walked off the pitch.


 
As said previously, should have told them to stay off too.


----------



## CyberRose (Jul 25, 2012)

Kippa said:


> First fuck up of the olypmics. Apparently the south korean flag was used instead of the north korean one in the womens football game. The team walked off the pitch.


And it was for such an eventuality that missile defence systems were put in place all around London. Bet those who protested the missiles feel preeeeeety silly right now....


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 25, 2012)

Kippa said:


> First fuck up of the olypmics. Apparently the south korean flag was used instead of the north korean one in the womens football game. The team walked off the pitch.









Here's the BBC article in full:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18991619

They stayed off the pitch for over an hour. Honestly, how hard is it to get a final check done? Really? There's even a few Korean businesses in the area if wikipedia was proving too difficult to use. Not enough facepalms in the world...


----------



## teqniq (Jul 26, 2012)

Heh.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 26, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> As said previously, should have told them to stay off too.


 
Why?


----------



## ddraig (Jul 26, 2012)

cos they're dirty coamunests obv!!!


----------



## Ted Striker (Jul 26, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> Here's the BBC article in full:
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18991619
> 
> They stayed off the pitch for over an hour. Honestly, how hard is it to get a final check done? Really? There's even a few Korean businesses in the area if wikipedia was proving too difficult to use. Not enough facepalms in the world...


 
If they had any lol's in 'em they would have just turned round to the nearest local head organiser honcho and started "You bloody English idiots..."


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 26, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Why?


 
Because he's an ignorant fuckwit.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 26, 2012)

Pretty offensive thing to do. Compounded with the apology calling the two countries North and South Korea too.

Good work.


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 26, 2012)

It was a mistake.  Would any other country have stamped its feet like that? 

If you refuse to play you should forfeit the match

Just get on with it like adults.


----------



## ddraig (Jul 26, 2012)

fuck off
try this if you can - imagine if they'd put up the Argentinian flag instead of the english one, would that offend you?


----------



## Captain Hurrah (Jul 26, 2012)

Not really.


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 26, 2012)

its fair enough to have the right hump. Not like 'dishouner to my people' or any of that- at the sheer laziness displayed 'I thought this was supposed to be a world class event  '


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 26, 2012)

ddraig said:


> fuck off
> try this if you can - imagine if they'd put up the Argentinian flag instead of the english one, would that offend you?


 
Would the English team walk off and refuse to play?  Errr no!!


----------



## 8ball (Jul 26, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> its fair enough to have the right hump. Not like 'dishouner to my people' or any of that- at the sheer laziness displayed 'I thought this was supposed to be a world class event  '


 
Yes, some biting sarcasm might have been more appropriate.


----------



## Bahnhof Strasse (Jul 26, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> It was a mistake. Would any other country have stamped its feet like that?


 
Try introducing the Israeli team with Iran's flag, or vice versa.


----------



## Ted Striker (Jul 26, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> Would the English team walk off and refuse to play? Errr no!!


 
They probably wouldn't realise it was the wrong one


----------



## scifisam (Jul 26, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> Would the English team walk off and refuse to play? Errr no!!


----------



## 8ball (Jul 26, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Try introducing the Israeli team with Iran's flag, or vice versa.


 
That would be so cool.


----------



## Wilf (Jul 26, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> Would the English team walk off and refuse to play? Errr no!!


 Ashley Cole might hump the flagpole


----------



## ddraig (Jul 26, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> Would the English team walk off and refuse to play? Errr no!!


 how can you even begin to claim that? 
or are you just of the "and football is the winner here" mentality?


----------



## Nylock (Jul 26, 2012)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Try introducing the Israeli team with Iran's flag, or vice versa.


You'd make more progress talking to the wall tbh. The guy's an utter tool and will smugly wallow in his ignorance regardless of how rationally you make your point...


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 26, 2012)

ddraig said:


> how can you even begin to claim that?
> or are you just of the "and football is the winner here" mentality?


 
You think the English team would walk off in a similar situation?  Of course, they would.

Anyway guys - don't forget to enjoy the opening ceremony.  Im reliably informed that it's very good from those that saw it yesterday.


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 26, 2012)

I'm going to compare and contrast it with the opening ceremony performed by our cousins in the PRC. And I know theres will still piss on ours from a great height


----------



## twistedAM (Jul 26, 2012)

Ted Striker said:


> If they had any lol's in 'em they would have just turned round to the nearest local head organiser honcho and started "You bloody Scottish idiots..."


 
edited


----------



## 2hats (Jul 26, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> It was a mistake. Would any other country have stamped its feet like that?


 
One or two others, perhaps. Shame they couldn't do their research first or at least find someone who isn't a complete fuckwit to edit the video packages. The North Koreans are highly sensitive about their national symbols, calling DPRK 'North Korea', etc.


----------



## Lord Camomile (Jul 26, 2012)

I'm not sure English players would have had the balls to walk off. Wouldn't want to upset the sponsors.

Wow, that was cynical, even for me.


----------



## prunus (Jul 26, 2012)

Nylock said:


> You'd make more progress talking to the wall tbh. The guy's an utter tool and will smugly wallow in his ignorance regardless of how rationally you make your point...


 
And this covers the other 7%.  Job done.


----------



## Nylock (Jul 26, 2012)




----------



## elbows (Jul 26, 2012)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18997912


> *The London 2012 Olympics will show the world "beyond doubt that Britain can deliver", the prime minister has said.*
> "Look at what we're capable of ... even at a difficult economic time," he said, after US presidential candidate Mitt Romney raised doubts about the Games.





> He added: "In terms of the country coming together, I think the torch relay really demonstrates that this is not a London Games, this is not an England Games, this is a United Kingdom Games.
> "I think we'll show the whole world not just that we've come together as a United Kingdom, but also we're extremely good at welcoming people from across the world."


Yes we know, the whole thing is a marketing opportunity.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18988181


> What is being called the "British Business Embassy" is a chance for the UK to show off what it has to offer to investors.
> It will run throughout the Olympics. It has started with the Global Investment Conference, opened by the prime minister.
> It is a sea of smart cars and smarter suits. Snazzy pamphlets and snazzier videos.
> The speeches and discussions are thoughtful and detailed. In short, they amount to this: yes, things are pretty rough economically, but Britain is very much open for business.
> ...





> But speaking at the Global Investment Conference on Thursday, Mr Cameron said: "We've taken bold decisions to sort out our public finances and earn credibility with the markets.
> "Be in no doubt: we will go on and finish the job. We will deal with the deficit. We will keep UK interest rates low.
> "And we will continue to take the tough decisions that are necessary for business leaders and investors to have confidence in the long-term future of the British economy.
> "My message today is very simple: Britain is back open for business."


----------



## weltweit (Jul 26, 2012)

Its funny, I would have thought the time for such speeches would be after the games have passed without terrorist incident or widespread doping of elite atheletes. Making such a statement now, "look what we have delivered" seems a bit silly since we have actually not delivered anything yet.


----------



## prunus (Jul 26, 2012)

weltweit said:


> Its funny, I would have thought the time for such speeches would be after the games have passed without terrorist incident or widespread doping of elite atheletes. Making such a statement now, "look what we have delivered" seems a bit silly since we have actually not delivered anything yet.


 
Yes, it is a hostage to fortune rather 

But then again, he is a twat.


----------



## pogofish (Jul 26, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> It was a mistake. Would any other country have stamped its feet like that?


 
Thing is, I would imagine the team would be feeling a bit stuck between a rock and a hard place here.  North Korean politicians have a fair bit of previous for coming down hard on sports people whom they feel let the side down abroad.  This has included hours of televised ritual humiliation and having managers and key players sent off to labour camps!

I could well imagine that this might be a consideration behind their response?


----------



## elbows (Jul 26, 2012)

Maybe he meant to say 'look at the missile launcher we have delivered to the roof of some flats. I will take personal responsibility for security by operating them using an app someone wrote for my iPad, since Im a bit bored of fruit ninja now and George says we cant afford to get me a Galaxy Nexus unless I really impress some rich business gods at the investment conference.'


----------



## a bigoted woman (Jul 26, 2012)

twistedAM said:


> edited


 
I thought getting it wrong was the point?


----------



## Captain Hurrah (Jul 26, 2012)

2hats said:


> One or two others, perhaps. Shame they couldn't do their research first or at least find someone who isn't a complete fuckwit to edit the video packages. The North Koreans are highly sensitive about their national symbols, calling DPRK 'North Korea', etc.


 
Yes, I agree.  But the name is also from outdated Comintern formulations to crudely define a specific kind of socio-economic and therefore 'political' development.  Something that was revived during and after WWII to justify the 'liberation' then Soviet domination of eastern Europe, creatively interpreted later in Asia by the Koreans and the also-partitioned Vietnamese, by also incorporating Mao's take on it. So its association is with something that's now redundant and which the regime has now pretty much jettisoned. Maybe they should change it.


----------



## Captain Hurrah (Jul 26, 2012)

pogofish said:


> Thing is, I would imagine the team would be feeling a bit stuck between a rock and a hard place here. North Korean politicians have a fair bit of previous for coming down hard on sports people whom they feel let the side down abroad. This has included hours of televised ritual humiliation and having managers and key players sent off to labour camps!
> 
> I could well imagine that this might be a consideration behind their response?


 
Among other things, a six hour public bollocking for the football team knocked out of the last world cup, wasn't it?


----------



## a bigoted woman (Jul 26, 2012)

Captain Hurrah said:


> Yes, I agree. But the name is also from outdated Comintern formulations to crudely define a specific kind of socio-economic and therefore 'political' development. Something that was revived during and after WWII to justify the 'liberation' then Soviet domination of eastern Europe, creatively interpreted later in Asia by the Koreans and the also-partitioned Vietnamese, by also incorporating Mao's take on it. So its association is with something that's now redundant and which the regime has now pretty much jettisoned. Maybe they should change it.


 
"Team GB" is rather inaccurate


----------



## Captain Hurrah (Jul 26, 2012)

Witty.


----------



## a bigoted woman (Jul 26, 2012)

Not really.


----------



## Captain Hurrah (Jul 26, 2012)

Like, whatever.


----------



## 2hats (Jul 26, 2012)

Captain Hurrah said:


> Maybe they should change it.


 
Maybe they will. But only if the _Brilliant Comrade_ tells them to. In the meantime calling them North Koreans to their faces is only going to put barriers in the way of communication. Might as well call them whatever they want in order to make progress. When there we used the full "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" in every conversation and savoured the sweet irony. It keeps them happy and yourself sane, I think.

I doubt anyone associated with the Olympic team will cop it for this episode. Several hours of self-criticism in public in front of relatives, friends and co-workers, at worse.

But as for getting the flag wrong... Anyway, I've noticed the correct one is flying along various streets around London. Might cheer them up a tad.


----------



## twistedAM (Jul 26, 2012)

a bigoted woman said:


> I thought getting it wrong was the point?


perhaps.  wasn't sure. that's what there's a smilie


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 26, 2012)

Cameron's response? 'It was an honest mistake, honestly made': http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18995657

a) I do not have enough facepalms to adequately express how I feel
b) He is a fucking twat
c) He wouldn't know what honest was if his life depended on it
d) He really is a clueless buffoon, really fucking clueless.

This is akin to displaying a swastika against the German team's pictures and introducing them as members of the East German football squad. It's a really offensive thing to do and required less than 5 minutes of google time to verify. Absolutely zero excuse in the internet age.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 26, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> It was a mistake. Would any other country have stamped its feet like that?
> 
> If you refuse to play you should forfeit the match
> 
> Just get on with it like adults.


 
Jesus, you're one thick fucker.


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Jul 26, 2012)

Well, it can't get any more depressing. The cauldron didn't go BOOM, & Boris wasn't sniped when giving his speech in Hyde Park 

Fingers crossed things pick up this evening & for the opening ceremony. Alan Hansen is a prized target surely?


----------



## ddraig (Jul 26, 2012)

been going good in Cardiff so far


----------



## ddraig (Jul 26, 2012)

even the olympians are loving it
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-19003635
GB team women joining in with the public







> Rachel Brown, goalkeeper, said the players had been made to feel "special" and were enjoying being based in the city centre.
> She added: "It's been lovely being asked for photographs. We feel like proper Olympians and that's even more special.
> "You need to detach yourself sometimes mentally and get out of the hotel.
> "The city centre is on your doorstep and you can get out and do a bit of shopping. We've been enjoying the friendliness if the Cardiff people."


----------



## two sheds (Jul 26, 2012)

Fewer of the inappropriate posts, please. 

I'm hoping the North/South Korean flag thing is going to turn into a sort of running joke by the organizers. Might even provoke a war out of this  .


----------



## elbows (Jul 26, 2012)

two sheds said:


> Fewer of the inappropriate posts, please.
> 
> I'm hoping the North/South Korean flag thing is going to turn into a sort of running joke by the organizers. Might even provoke a war out of this  .


 
When Yulia Tymoshenko's face appears on the Ukrainian flag we'll know that foreign office funny business is underway.


----------



## ddraig (Jul 26, 2012)

fair point! e2a to two sheds
hope seb foe has a g4s person that won't let them past and he misses something and his silly head pops off! and other things apart from a bored trigger finger army type accidentally firing a missile somewhere in the east end


----------



## UrbaneFox (Jul 26, 2012)

Fecking torch is outside. I'm going to bed.

Bastards.


----------



## CyberRose (Jul 26, 2012)

Some quality comments on the BBC North Korean flag debacle article...



> You can say a lot of things about the Brits (wonky teeth, fat etc.), but we don't take ourselves too seriously (unlike most Europeans) and we can laugh at our mistakes. Give it a few days and the Taiwanese will calm down, see the funny side of it, maybe thank us for cheering them up


 


> The problem was confusion I think and this is understandable considering that there are three Korea's
> 
> 
> North Korea
> ...


----------



## pesh (Jul 26, 2012)

weltweit said:


> Its funny, I would have thought the time for such speeches would be after the games have passed without terrorist incident or widespread doping of elite atheletes. Making such a statement now, "look what we have delivered" seems a bit silly since we have actually not delivered anything yet.


it was his Mission Accomplished moment


----------



## CyberRose (Jul 26, 2012)

Not been mentioned on N Korean propaganda news, which suggests they might not actually be that bothered about it after all. I suspect the team went off the pitch and refused to come out might not be so much to do with them giving a shit about being insulted but what they think might have awaited them back home had they not kicked up a fuss...


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 26, 2012)

ddraig said:


> fuck off
> try this if you can - imagine if they'd put up the Argentinian flag instead of the english one, would that offend you?


 
Or the Union flag instead of the Republic of Ireland one


----------



## CyberRose (Jul 26, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Or the Union flag instead of the Republic of Ireland one


Or an English flag instead of a Welsh flag!...oh, wait...

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


----------



## ddraig (Jul 26, 2012)

and this! ffs




http://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-07-25/british-olympic-association-congratulates-englands-women/
typ-i-cal


----------



## two sheds (Jul 26, 2012)

hehe well if we'd lost they'd have commiserated with the Welsh.


----------



## twistedAM (Jul 26, 2012)

Don;t worry, the Olympics will all have been worthwhile cos on the penultimate day, Cameron and Beckham are hosting a Hunger Summit to put the world to right.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19003895


----------



## CyberRose (Jul 26, 2012)

two sheds said:


> hehe well if we'd lost they'd have commiserated with the Welsh.


Doubt it they only have two non-English women in the team, both Scottish


----------



## CyberRose (Jul 26, 2012)

Right, own up, which one of you lot is Mitt Romney?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ol...ether-Britain-is-ready-for-Olympic-Games.html


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 26, 2012)

CyberRose said:


> Right, own up, which one of you lot is Mitt Romney?
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ol...ether-Britain-is-ready-for-Olympic-Games.html


 
That's out of date now.  He's made a statement since


----------



## CyberRose (Jul 26, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> That's out of date now. He's made a statement since


Cameron apologised for offending the South Koreans by putting the North Korean flag next to their players photos, still happened tho!!


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 26, 2012)

CyberRose said:


> Cameron apologised for offending the South Koreans by putting the North Korean flag next to their players photos, still happened tho!!


 
Oh I know, I'm not defending Romney.  I enjoyed watching him almost apologise


----------



## CyberRose (Jul 26, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Oh I know, I'm not defending Romney. I enjoyed watching him almost apologise


No need to defend Romney (could there ever be a need?!) he's saying what we all think! Well, he was saying wait and see, everyone else is just waiting for the next fuck up! (There is something quintessentially British about celebrating failure and knocking winners, so maybe in that respect the Olympics has brought the nation together!!)


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 26, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Jesus, you're one thick fucker.


 
Really

Does anyone really care what North Korea, DPRK or Kim Dumb Song really thinks?


----------



## ddraig (Jul 26, 2012)

0.00000000000000001%/10
yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 26, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> Really
> 
> Does anyone really care what North Korea, DPRK or Kim Dumb Song really thinks?


yes


----------



## twistedAM (Jul 26, 2012)

Great British Sporting achievements:

1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/3/newsid_4216000/4216143.stm


----------



## 2hats (Jul 26, 2012)

CyberRose said:


> Not been mentioned on N Korean propaganda news, which suggests they might not actually be that bothered about it after all.


 
More likely they don't want to disturb the internal illusion of their country and leaders being held in the highest regard.


> I suspect the team went off the pitch and refused to come out might not be so much to do with them giving a shit about being insulted but what they think might have awaited them back home had they not kicked up a fuss...


 
Little need for them to put on a show of outrage. They will most definitely have been upset and offended. The cult of the Kims, their story and recent history of the country is, in many respects, a religion. Less a mix up, closer to a blasphemy in their eyes, I should think. Anything that reminds them of the division of Korea doesn't go down well.


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 26, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> Really
> 
> Does anyone really care what North Korea, DPRK or Kim Dumb Song really thinks?


 
its always nice to be be nice to the man who has nuclear weapons and the swivel eyed temptation to use them.


----------



## Lock&Light (Jul 26, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> yes


 
Why on Earth would you?


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 26, 2012)

Lock&Light said:


> Why on Earth would you?


you wouldn't understand, as it requires more than the single brain cell you possess to comprehend the reasons behind my statement.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jul 26, 2012)

CyberRose said:


> Right, own up, which one of you lot is Mitt Romney?
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ol...ether-Britain-is-ready-for-Olympic-Games.html


 
I have better things to do than concern myself with the opinions of a man named after a thing for getting hot dishes out of the oven.


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 26, 2012)

SpookyFrank said:


> I have better things to do than concern myself with the opinions of a man named after a thing for getting hot dishes out of the oven.


and someone named after the manufacturers of kendal mint cake


----------



## miktheword (Jul 27, 2012)

sorry for long c and p, but it's too funny to edit; from last Wednesday

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/18/london-2012-medal-ceremony-flag-fear


*Niccy Halifax, who is organising the victory ceremonies at the London Olympics, insists the prospect of such horrors, and the grovelling apologies which follow, does not keep her awake at night. "It just isn't going to happen. It's not. It's not," she says, with conviction.*
*Halifax's confidence comes from the Olympic Games organisers' ultra-safe, hopefully foolproof approach to avoiding embarrassment at medal ceremonies. As well as protocol officers, those on the watch for mistaken anthems or upside-down flags will include the hugely experienced audio and video production staff overseeing the ceremonies and teams of highly drilled flagbearers from the army, navy and RAF.*
*Even the Games Makers volunteers at the ceremonies have been issued with booklets showing more than 200 national flags and instructions to memorise them – work that will doubtless make them invaluable at pub quizzes for years to come.*
*The work began by sitting down for a very long time to analyse how mistakes happened in the past, Halifax says. "Like with everything, this can happen as soon as you get humans involved."*
*To avoid this, London 2012's ceremonies will involve as many humans as possible cross-checking everything, all using the most simple of systems*.


----------



## ddraig (Jul 27, 2012)

and again









> *Cridlyn* ‏@*cridlyn*
> O dudalen yr Express ¦ The Express match report #*noteamgb*


----------



## ddraig (Jul 27, 2012)

and from that article, again 


> With their tails up and the crowd behind them, *England* began to assert their authority, and despite not seriously testing Ousmane Mane, opened the scoring after 20 minutes.


warning! express link
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view...s-men-suffer-an-early-setback-in-the-Olympics


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 27, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> you wouldn't understand, as it requires more than the single brain cell you possess to comprehend the reasons behind my statement.


 
Could have been worse.

We could have replaced the flag with synchronised wailing.

At the end of the day, good giggle had all round.  Serious stuff starts tomorrow

Except for the 0.0001%


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 27, 2012)

To cheer you all up

Look, everyone else is enjoying it!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19003185


----------



## Captain Hurrah (Jul 27, 2012)

2hats said:


> When there we used the full "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" in every conversation and savoured the sweet irony. It keeps them happy and yourself sane, I think.


 
It rather depends on the differing conceptions of 'democracy.'  And irony in such matters can be put to good use here in the UK.


----------



## 2hats (Jul 27, 2012)

Captain Hurrah said:


> It rather depends on the differing conceptions of 'democracy.' And irony in such matters can be put to good use here in the UK.


 
Absolutely.


----------



## Captain Hurrah (Jul 27, 2012)

I recently enjoyed B.R. Myers' book on DPRK society, although have reservations. He disregards Juche as an interpretation of Marxism-Leninism converging with a Confucianist Korean national culture, and instead points to Japanese colonialism and the racial myths of superiority exported by Japanese nationalists pre-1945 (fascism is still a contested definition for the 1930s) as having a significant influence in shaping DPRK national politics.

Myers is a specialist in DPRK literature, so his novel view involves approaching popular culture in DPRK (both books and film) and what the regime officially sanctions for mass consumption inside the country, rather than the stilted pronouncements the elite make to the outside world. Andrei Lankov is yer man, though, for the specifically M-L side of things.


----------



## weltweit (Jul 27, 2012)

Wonder if Little Chef are still serving their Olympic Breakfast?


----------



## extra dry (Jul 27, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> It was a mistake. Would any other country have stamped its feet like that?
> 
> If you refuse to play you should forfeit the match
> 
> Just get on with it like adults.


 
A mistake like that in North Korea could see not only the person who made the mistake go to a work/death camp, but most of their family too, so no wonder the players took it so seriously, it is a grave insult to them.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 27, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> This thread is hilarious - Urban the 0.0001% that isn't going to enjoy the Olympics. What a wonderful couple of weeks it's going to be for Urban!!


I actually enjoy the athletics - it's all the corporate shit, OTT security and branding rules that fucks me off. And it's the same for many I guess.



a bigoted woman said:


> "Team GB" is rather inaccurate


Why are we not Team UK?? Northern Irish athletes compete for 'Team GB' don't they?


----------



## Garek (Jul 27, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> I actually enjoy the athletics - it's all the corporate shit, OTT security and branding rules that fucks me off. And it's the same for many I guess.
> 
> 
> Why are we not Team UK?? Northern Irish athletes compete for 'Team GB' don't they?


 
Some compete as part of GB and some compete as part of Ireland. So UK can be considered inaccurate.


----------



## Brixton Hatter (Jul 27, 2012)

Garek said:


> Some compete as part of GB and some compete as part of Ireland. So UK can be considered inaccurate.


Interesting - is that the official reason? Team GB is still inaccurate if NI athletes are part of the team. (Team Ireland is also inaccurate as well then!!)


----------



## Garek (Jul 27, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Interesting - is that the official reason? Team GB is still inaccurate if NI athletes are part of the team. (Team Ireland is also inaccurate as well then!!)


 
Team Ireland is not inaccurate as it recognises the island of Ireland.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 27, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Jesus, you're one thick fucker.


 
And he's not Jesus, either.


----------



## extra dry (Jul 27, 2012)

Next Olympics 'Team Mcdonalds?'


----------



## youngian (Jul 27, 2012)

The latest Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney demonstrating how utterly crap he is, he caused me line up behind Boris.

And no I'm not depressed about the Olympics, I watched the torch go by, the local children were going nuts and their enthuiasm is infectious. Perhaps I'm a bit too old to want to be the coolest teenager in the room by slagging it all off.


----------



## treelover (Jul 27, 2012)

Rumours are for the opening ceremony the 800 NHS Nurses will be doing a dancing routine!, tbh, i would have preferred to see them marching, more dignified...


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 27, 2012)

treelover said:


> Rumours are for the opening ceremony the 800 NHS Nurses will be doing a dancing routine!, tbh, i would have preferred to see them marching, more dignified...


i don't know, i've seen nurses dance before and it's always worth a look.


----------



## treelover (Jul 27, 2012)

the to


youngian said:


> The latest Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney demonstrating how utterly crap he is, he caused me line up behind Boris.
> 
> And no I'm not depressed about the Olympics, I watched the torch go by, the local children were going nuts and their enthuiasm is infectious. Perhaps I'm a bit too old to want to be the coolest teenager in the room by slagging it all off.


 
the torch relay is something I think we can be proud off, except for the ridiculous coca- cola(tm) vehicles with sound systems, such a simple thing, but it was in its own way very moving seeing millions come out to wave it on, I saw it and am glad i did..


----------



## Pickman's model (Jul 27, 2012)

youngian said:


> The latest Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney demonstrating how utterly crap he is, he caused me line up behind Boris.
> 
> And no I'm not depressed about the Olympics, I watched the torch go by, the local children were going nuts and their enthuiasm is infectious. Perhaps I'm a bit too old to want to be the coolest teenager in the room by slagging it all off.


yes, instead of trying to be cool you've lined up behind an old etonian member of the bullingdon club.


----------



## treelover (Jul 27, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> i don't know, i've seen nurses dance before and it's always worth a look.


 
ah, i was expecting that...

btw, the criticisms, disparaging, moaning about the 'Lympics' is even more pronounced on Guardian CIf, all the left posters are at it, bit much really..


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jul 27, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> Jesus, you're one thick fucker.


 
Truly the Christ-cock is a miracle!

And that is why we celebrate His girthday every year.


----------



## treelover (Jul 27, 2012)

Btw, what would happen if a certain Ex Pm left this earth at the same time as the olympics?


----------



## Meltingpot (Jul 27, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Oh I know, I'm not defending Romney. I enjoyed watching him almost apologise


 
"We're at a point here where we have two different roads we can go down," he said on Wednesday. "One leads to Europe. The other leads to the kind of dynamism and prosperity which has always characterised America."

Mr. Romney, what planet are you living on? There are people sleeping in cars in supermarket car parks in your "prosperous" country because they lost their jobs and couldn't keep up the house payments. Other people in the US go bankropt when they can't afford their medical bills. And you think THAT'S a model we should follow in Europe?


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 27, 2012)

treelover said:


> Btw, what would happen if a certain Ex Pm left this earth at the same time as the olympics?


 
Mayb they would stick her in that giant bowl of fire they have


----------



## 8ball (Jul 27, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> Mayb they would stick her in that giant bowl of fire they have


 
It would get me in the party spirit.


----------



## harpo (Jul 27, 2012)

treelover said:


> Btw, what would happen if a certain Ex Pm left this earth at the same time as the olympics?


*they* would most likely keep it a secret until after the Olympics, for fear of 'alternative' celebrations on a world stage.


----------



## treelover (Jul 27, 2012)

*'Carl Lewis on Mitt Romney: 'some Americans shouldn't leave the country'*
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/27/carl-lewis-mitt-romney-olympics

latest


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 27, 2012)

harpo said:


> *they* would most likely keep it a secret until after the Olympics, for fear of 'alternative' celebrations on a world stage.


 

or keep her on life support till the glorified sports day is over


----------



## youngian (Jul 27, 2012)

treelover said:


> *'Carl Lewis on Mitt Romney: 'some Americans shouldn't leave the country'*
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/27/carl-lewis-mitt-romney-olympics
> 
> latest


 
Romney's reamarks weren't that extreme, its just his foolish unstatesman-like bumbling that has attracted the full piss take.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 27, 2012)

It's not the sports I'm finding depressing, it's the corporate hoopla, ridiculous rules and stupid mistakes that depresses me. All these restrictions over what people can bring into the events, even how they can pay (not by mastercard) - at Hampden, the Irn-Bru corporate sponsorship was covered up by coca-cola signage and the usual catering was removed. It's horrendous.

I'm not trying to be cool by 'slagging off' the Olympics, it angers me that after all this time and expenditure this great sporting event is marred by stupid errors and unhealthy corporate sponsors.


----------



## 8ball (Jul 27, 2012)

I don't find the stupid mistakes depressing.  Every one does a teeny bit of damage to the coalition.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 27, 2012)

8ball said:


> I don't find the stupid mistakes depressing. Every one does a teeny bit of damage to the coalition.


The rest of the world doesn't care about the coalition though, mistakes make us look like a bunch of fuckwits who can't organise a piss-up in a brewery.


----------



## 8ball (Jul 27, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> The rest of the world doesn't care about the coalition though, mistakes make us look like a bunch of fuckwits who can't organise a piss-up in a brewery.


 
I have no issue with the Emperor's clothes falling off once in a while.

And there is no 'us'.  This is nothing to do with me.


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 27, 2012)

8ball said:


> I have no issue with the Emperor's clothes falling off once in a while.
> 
> And there is no 'us'. This is nothing to do with me.


us as in the whole of Britain.


----------



## UrbaneFox (Jul 27, 2012)

There is supposed to be 45 minutes of news on R4 at lunchtime. I don't know why they bothered today, as apart from the boy being sentenced to 30 years for murdering an Indian student, there was no news apart from the Olympic games opening tonight. They even had Jeffrey Archer* reminiscing about his past athletics triumphs, and pretending to joke with Ming Campbell.

I don't think I can stand Eddie Mair tonight. They were all so excited about the mystery celebrity who will star in the ceremony.

I am betting on Jeremy Bentham or, if he can't make it, The Turin Shroud. I don't see why the dead should not have a voice.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l1g5r
* At 18.30, Archer managed to cock it up by claiming that flag muddling is not an issue. "These things happen. Get out and celebrate. Let London celebrate".

At least Ming knew otherwise, and saw such things as a tighrope over a minefield, and thinks that diplomacy is immensely important. Phew.


----------



## 8ball (Jul 27, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> us as in the whole of Britain.


 
I don't blame the whole of America for the shit their idiot Government gets up to.

I could organise a sports day, but no one asked me.  Not my problem.


----------



## two sheds (Jul 27, 2012)

Yes indeed there's no criticism that I've seen of the competitors, good luck to them all (I particularly enjoyed Senegal's spirited performance the other night).

It's cynical promotion of unhealthy companies - McDonalds & Coca Cola ffs getting centre stage on the world's highest-profile event supposedly promoting fitness and good health, and BP using it to promote their 'green' credentials. The games as done this time are actually making things worse, and it is our patriotic duty to take the piss. Give us an event that gets back to the 'Olympic ideals' that all this is supposed to represent and I for one will fawn over it unthinkingly.

More miserable gits, aren't we allowed some clean healthy fun?


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 27, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> I actually enjoy the athletics - it's all the corporate shit, OTT security and branding rules that fucks me off. And it's the same for many I guess.
> 
> 
> Why are we not Team UK?? Northern Irish athletes compete for 'Team GB' don't they?


 
Rather strangely, I believe athletes in Norethern Ireland have a choice whether to compete for Ireland or Great Britain.  I'm not sure why.


----------



## 2hats (Jul 27, 2012)

Captain Hurrah said:


> I recently enjoyed B.R. Myers' book on DPRK society, although have reservations. He disregards Juche as an interpretation of Marxism-Leninism converging with a Confucianist Korean national culture, and instead points to Japanese colonialism and the racial myths of superiority exported by Japanese nationalists pre-1945 (fascism is still a contested definition for the 1930s) as having a significant influence in shaping DPRK national politics.


 
Quite likely.

If there is one country they hate as much or arguably more than the US, it's Japan. Experiences at the hands of Japanese obviously influenced a lot of KIS' thinking and clearly they have seen Japan as their main regional competitor/threat. However the last ~20 years of KJI have focussed heavily on weaving a creation myth around the father, the son (and the holy spirit, Kim Jong-suk) and building a personality cult that's pretty much second to none (Turkmenbashi wasn't even close, as lunatic as he was).

PS The book - nice spot. Must read a copy.


----------



## 2hats (Jul 27, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> Rather strangely, I believe athletes in Norethern Ireland have a choice whether to compete for Ireland or Great Britain. I'm not sure why.


 
On a practical level, because they can apply for Irish passports?


----------



## equationgirl (Jul 27, 2012)

Latest mishaps:



> Lord's cricket ground has turned away spectators trying to get in to watch archery amid confusion over ticketing. The London 2012 website advertised the event's preliminary rounds as "unticketed", which some people interpreted as open to the public;
> 
> Ticketing delays at St James' Park in Newcastle, which meant some fans missed a men's football match on Thursday, were unacceptable, a senior 2012 official has said;
> 
> ...


 
from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19008471


----------



## grit (Jul 27, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> The rest of the world doesn't care about the coalition though, mistakes make us look like a bunch of fuckwits who can't organise a piss-up in a brewery.


 
The rest of the world already thinks that


----------



## ayatollah (Jul 27, 2012)

Don't miss the hapless Jeremy Hunt on BBC News Website, ringing ceremonial handbell, whilst posing about on HMS Belfast, until the bell flies off the handle  , narrowly missing removing an onlooker's head ! There's something very "Arnold Rimmer ish" about that man.


----------



## 8ball (Jul 27, 2012)

Hope no one dies in any of these fuck ups.

Aside from Government ministers.


----------



## pissflaps (Jul 27, 2012)

too far man... too far.


----------



## pinkmonkey (Jul 27, 2012)

Just back from doing weekly shop at Edmonton Green shopping centre and indoor market.  Thanks to LOCOG, you wouldn't know the Olympics is on, no Olympic themed anything, anywhere, just a small Coke poster outside ASDA.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 27, 2012)

gunneradt said:


> Rather strangely, I believe athletes in Norethern Ireland have a choice whether to compete for Ireland or Great Britain. *I'm not sure why.*


 
That'll be because you're a fucking eejit.


----------



## discokermit (Jul 27, 2012)

ayatollah said:


> Don't miss the hapless Jeremy Hunt on BBC News Website, ringing ceremonial handbell, whilst posing about on HMS Belfast, until the bell flies off the handle , narrowly missing removing an onlooker's head ! There's something very "Arnold Rimmer ish" about that man.


 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19010230


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 27, 2012)

equationgirl said:


> The rest of the world doesn't care about the coalition though, mistakes make us look like a bunch of fuckwits who can't organise a piss-up in a brewery.


 
I doubt most of the rest of the world will be paying any attention to these minor cocks-up, that our media are bigging-up, it's mildly amusing, but any event of this scale is going to have minor cock-ups.

I doubt anything major will go wrong and overall the games will be seen as a success.


----------



## 8ball (Jul 27, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> I doubt most of the rest of the world will be paying any attention to these minor cocks-up, that our media are bigging-up, it's mildly amusing, but any event of this scale is going to have minor cock-ups.
> 
> I doubt anything major will go wrong and overall the games will be seen as a success.


 
Yeah, that seems most likely.

Though if we don't get a shitload of medals I'll settle for a devastating series of wildcat strikes.


----------



## shagnasty (Jul 27, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> Mayb they would stick her in that giant bowl of fire they have


A cremation of the highest order


----------



## Barking_Mad (Jul 27, 2012)

i love the Guardian headline  

"Jeremy Hunt almost hits woman with Olympic bell end"


----------



## Captain Hurrah (Jul 27, 2012)

2hats said:


> Quite likely.
> 
> If there is one country they hate as much or arguably more than the US, it's Japan. Experiences at the hands of Japanese obviously influenced a lot of KIS' thinking and clearly they have seen Japan as their main regional competitor/threat. However the last ~20 years of KJI have focussed heavily on weaving a creation myth around the father, the son (and the holy spirit, Kim Jong-suk) and building a personality cult that's pretty much second to none (Turkmenbashi wasn't even close, as lunatic as he was).
> 
> PS The book - nice spot. Must read a copy.


 
Nah, not so much in being a wartime adversary, but the absorbing of colonial influence inside the country. Leaving aside the Soviet Koreans (Koryo-saram) who later came into the country to join the new government, Kim Il-Sung was the leader of one of two Communist factions that were external to the country and his was favoured and later installed by the Soviet army. Nevertheless, while impressive in fighting the Japanese outside of Korea, his 'guerilla faction' was the most politically unsophisticated in matters of Marxism-Leninism, the other external Korean faction being more capable, but roughly split into intellectual and soldier groups and more connected to the Chinese Communist Party from the days of the Long March and Yan'an.

There was also a 'domestic' faction inside the country weakened by earlier repressions and physically split by the 1945 partition. All other factions were thoroughly purged in the 1960s by the former guerillas. Due to personnel shortages, Myer's argument goes that in the early years, the new authorities to the north of the parallel had to rely on people inside the country more influenced by years of Japanese colonialism and the later militarised emperor cult. He thinks that although Juche has a Stalinist 'form,' it departs from a Confucianist Korean national culture, not converges with it, and has firmer roots in the Japanese presence.


----------



## teqniq (Jul 27, 2012)




----------



## CyberRose (Jul 27, 2012)

Why have we recreated the fire pits of Isengard for the opening ceremony? There's even the five rings of power in the sky!


----------



## teqniq (Jul 27, 2012)

OK so I didn't actually watch it (am now looking at excerpts on Newsnight) but some of the comments on Twitter were funny. This one especially:



> @currybet: Awesome. Actual Tory MP complaining on Twitter ceremony is too leftie. WE HAVE ALL WON ALL THE BINGO THINGS!


 

E2A it looks like it must have been this bloke:



> @AidanBurleyMP: Thank God the athletes have arrived Now we can move on from leftie multi-cultural crap


----------



## Gingerman (Jul 27, 2012)

teqniq said:


> OK so I didn't actually watch it (am now looking at excerpts on Newsnight) but some of the comments on Twitter were funny. This one especially:
> 
> 
> 
> E2A it looks like it must have been this bloke:


http://www.metro.co.uk/news/884557-conservative-mp-aidan-burley-under-fire-over-nazi-stag-party
Cunt should stick to hanging out with Nazis


----------



## Mungy (Jul 27, 2012)

celebrating the NHS


----------



## goldenecitrone (Jul 27, 2012)

teqniq said:


> @AidanBurleyMP: Thank God the athletes have arrived Now we can move on from leftie multi-cultural crap


 
Wait till he sees Mo Farah. He'll choke on his own bile.


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 28, 2012)

claphamboy said:


> That'll be because you're a fucking eejit.


 
Oh right, silly me - English obviously not your strong point!


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 28, 2012)

2hats said:


> On a practical level, because they can apply for Irish passports?


 
Not sure that's it


----------



## Kippa (Jul 28, 2012)

I'm just glad the opening cerimony went without any big problems.


----------



## ice-is-forming (Jul 28, 2012)




----------



## Citizen66 (Jul 28, 2012)

ddraig said:
			
		

> fuck off
> try this if you can - imagine if they'd put up the Argentinian flag instead of the english one, would that offend you?



Wouldn't offend me but can't speak for the many. Wasn't there 'fury' when someone didn't sing the national anthem?


----------



## ayatollah (Jul 28, 2012)

I don't know what other fellow Leftie posters thought of the opening ceremony, but I grudgingly have to admit that , waste of money as the whole bloody Olympics bollocks is, the opening ceremony, with its blatant celebration of the NHS as one of "our" core values and achievements , its surreal, Pythonesque, piss-taking overall flavour , was imo, a basically subversive "Left of Centre" toned celebration  -- which must have caused many a Tory watching to  think "how did this disgraceful , disrespectful,  Leftie, multicultural, propaganda get commissioned !"   A truly "British" humour event that must have left the rest of the world completely bemused ! Mitt Romney must now be saying "see , I told you these Brits were a bunch of Pinko , Commie, Faggots !"


----------



## dennisr (Jul 28, 2012)

ayatollah said:


> I don't know what other fellow Leftie posters thought of the opening ceremony, but I grudgingly have to admit that , waste of money as the whole bloody Olympics bollocks is, the opening ceremony, with its blatant celebration of the NHS as one of "our" core values and achievements , its surreal, Pythonesque, piss-taking overall flavour , was imo, a basically subversive "Left of Centre" toned celebration -- which must have caused many a Tory watching to think "how did this disgraceful , disrespectful, Leftie, multicultural, propaganda get commissioned !" A truly "British" humour event that must have left the rest of the world completely bemused ! Mitt Romney must now be saying "see , I told you these Brits were a bunch of Pinko , Commie, Faggots !"


 
And sponsored by ATOS and co as well


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 28, 2012)

ayatollah said:


> I don't know what other fellow Leftie posters thought of the opening ceremony, but I grudgingly have to admit that , waste of money as the whole bloody Olympics bollocks is, the opening ceremony, with its blatant celebration of the NHS as one of "our" core values and achievements , its surreal, Pythonesque, piss-taking overall flavour , was imo, a basically subversive "Left of Centre" toned celebration -- *which must have caused many a Tory watching to think "how did this disgraceful , disrespectful, Leftie, multicultural, propaganda get commissioned !"* A truly "British" humour event that must have left the rest of the world completely bemused ! Mitt Romney must now be saying "see , I told you these Brits were a bunch of Pinko , Commie, Faggots !"


 
Like this MP...

Aidan Burley MP ‏@AidanBurleyMP
The most leftie opening ceremony I have ever seen - more than Beijing, the capital of a communist state! Welfare tribute next?

Aidan Burley MP‏@AidanBurleyMP
Thank God the athletes have arrived! Now we can move on from leftie multi-cultural crap. Bring back red arrows, Shakespeare and the Stones!


----------



## nino_savatte (Jul 28, 2012)

Check out some of the comments on this blog
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/j...burley-takes-gold-for-political-misjudgement/


----------



## dylans (Jul 28, 2012)

ayatollah said:


> I don't know what other fellow Leftie posters thought of the opening ceremony, but I grudgingly have to admit that , waste of money as the whole bloody Olympics bollocks is, the opening ceremony, with its blatant celebration of the NHS as one of "our" core values and achievements , its surreal, Pythonesque, piss-taking overall flavour , was imo, a basically subversive "Left of Centre" toned celebration -- which must have caused many a Tory watching to think "how did this disgraceful , disrespectful, Leftie, multicultural, propaganda get commissioned !" A truly "British" humour event that must have left the rest of the world completely bemused ! Mitt Romney must now be saying "see , I told you these Brits were a bunch of Pinko , Commie, Faggots !"


 
i have to agree. Doreen Lawrence carrying the Olympic flag was a nice touch. The NHS celebrated centre stage was a not so subtle two fingers up to Cameron and his privatising NHS hating gang. West Indian immigration celebrated. It was obviously a personal view of what Britain means to Boyle and on the whole I agree with his values.  It could have been so different. It could have been military marching bands, celebrations of Empire and Royal pomp, which is what the "pc gorne mad" brigade wanted. Just take a look at the Telegraph or Mail blogs, they are almost exploding with rage, which must mean he did something right.

 The Tim Berners Lee part was good too but I think he could have built up to that with more of a celebration of science in general. Newton, Rutherford, Fleming, Darwin etc are all Brits and  could have been in there. Perhaps an appearance by Stephen Hawking or Peter Higgs too.


----------



## TremulousTetra (Jul 28, 2012)

that's good news Dylan.

Some more good news?


> Dear Jason,
> 
> *McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Adidas, VISA... In the last couple of weeks we’ve taken on some of the most powerful companies in the world - and won!* Together, we’ve forced them to pay their fair share of tax during the Olympics. All of the companies we targeted have now said they won’t be using the tax break open to Olympic sponsors. [1]
> 
> ...


I am aware of a lot of the criticism of 38°, and in theory I agree with it.  However, is this bad news?


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 28, 2012)

ayatollah said:


> Don't miss the hapless Jeremy Hunt on BBC News Website, ringing ceremonial handbell, whilst posing about on HMS Belfast, until the bell flies off the handle , narrowly missing removing an onlooker's head ! There's something very "Arnold Rimmer ish" about that man.


 
I bet Hunt's middle name is Judas, too.


----------



## BigTom (Jul 28, 2012)

dylans said:


> i have to agree. Doreen Lawrence carrying the Olympic flag was a nice touch. The NHS celebrated centre stage was a not so subtle two fingers up to Cameron and his privatising NHS hating gang. West Indian immigration celebrated. It was obviously a personal view of what Britain means to Boyle and on the whole I agree with his values. It could have been so different. It could have been military marching bands, celebrations of Empire and Royal pomp, which is what the "pc gorne mad" brigade wanted. Just take a look at the Telegraph or Mail blogs, they are almost exploding with rage, which must mean he did something right.


 
agree with this - I was expecting something horrible about "England's green and pleasant lands" and it wasn't that, even if it wasn't a radical view of history, it was a fuck load better than it could have been.  Also as a show/spectacle it was rather good after the first few minutes.  The rings were superb, would have loved to have tech'd that bit of the show.



> The Tim Berners Lee part was good too but I think he could have built up to that with more of a celebration of science in general. Newton, Rutherford, Fleming, Darwin etc are all Brits and could have been in there. Perhaps an appearance by Stephen Hawking or Peter Higgs too.


 

Given that bit was about technology/internet my first thought was that Babbage and Turing should have been (represented) there alongside Tim Berners-Lee.


----------



## Gingerman (Jul 28, 2012)

nino_savatte said:


> Check out some of the comments on this blog
> http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/j...burley-takes-gold-for-political-misjudgement/


Ah the Torygraph comments section....home for those who thought Hitler was a bit soft


----------



## wayward bob (Jul 28, 2012)

> *Billy Bragg*
> *Verified*‏​* Follow*​@*AidanBurleyMP* You Tory toe-rags had the Jubilee, we lefties are having the Olympics#*openingceremony*. Thank you Danny Boyle


----------



## Idris2002 (Jul 28, 2012)

Some Olympic themed humour:

http://www.trappedinnorthernireland.com/?p=1779


----------



## nino_savatte (Jul 28, 2012)

Gingerman said:


> Ah the Torygraph comments section....home for those who thought Hitler was a bit soft


Innit.


----------



## UrbaneFox (Jul 29, 2012)

It's pissing down in west London, But will that spoil the great Olympic atmosphere?


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 29, 2012)

I wonder if Gunner enjoyed the ceremony, he was so looking forward to it.


----------



## ddraig (Jul 29, 2012)

still spitting probably!


----------



## Apathy (Jul 29, 2012)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ercome-Olympic-mania-trying-swim-America.html


----------



## gunneradt (Jul 29, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> I wonder if Gunner enjoyed the ceremony, he was so looking forward to it.


 
I enjoyed it a lot.

I really don't have the prejudices you lot think.  My enjoyment is more winding others up.

I honestly thought the ceremony was excellent.  The Olympics has been brilliant so far apart from Mark Cavendish missing out.  Did opt for the darts this evening however.


----------



## claphamboy (Jul 30, 2012)

Apathy said:


> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ercome-Olympic-mania-trying-swim-America.html


 
What a twat.


----------



## gosub (Jul 30, 2012)

Apathy said:


> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ercome-Olympic-mania-trying-swim-America.html


Bloody French trying to crush a man's Olympic dream, presumably still upset London got the olympics instead of Paris


----------



## Kaka Tim (Jul 31, 2012)

Highlights from the telegraph comments section.



> It was a hymn to ethnic minorities and socialism that made me want to vomit. I have flushed more impressive things down my lavatory. I shall now lock myself in the cupboard under the stairs and wait for the secret police to come knocking


 



> So why didn't they try to get more white British volunteers to make the show more representative of Britain?


 


> You never really assimilate racially alien genes. Assimilation of the 20% of foreignness that is in England today would already comprise a genocide - a gene-killing - for us.


 



> For those who were classically educated and proud of our British magnificent culture, music, science, literature etc. Which spread democratic and Christian ideals around the world, which founded many leading democratic countries like the USA, Canada and Australia.
> The opening ceremony was but a shadow of what it should have been, and we feel that again our heritage has been ignored by the leftist propaganda machine. As we had a far superior culture, music and dare I say it even a far superior class of citizenry? Before we suffered the bane of liberalism and its ensuing enrichment from the third world which it unilaterally enforced on us


 
(like the bit about Britain 'founding democracy in the USA' )


----------



## 8ball (Jul 31, 2012)

Genocide? wtf?


----------



## SpookyFrank (Jul 31, 2012)

> _You never really assimilate racially alien genes. Assimilation of the 20% of foreignness that is in England today would already comprise a genocide - a gene-killing - for us._


 
That's got to be a new world record for the most wrong you can possibly be in two sentences.


----------



## DotCommunist (Jul 31, 2012)

these people only say the shit that would get them slapped if they said it in normal company- just the same as BBC comments


----------



## souljacker (Jul 31, 2012)

I know I shouldn't laugh but:

A spectator at the Olympic rowing events at Eton Dorney Lake was injured when a seat broke in the grandstand.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19063223


----------



## teqniq (Aug 5, 2012)

> Adidas exploitation projection at Olympic park #*notOKanywhere*


 






https://twitter.com/WarOnWant/status/232232870016589824/photo/1


----------



## Pickman's model (Aug 5, 2012)

teqniq said:


> https://twitter.com/WarOnWant/status/232232870016589824/photo/1


i think that's adidas projecting something about how seriously they view people exploiting their logos and that


----------



## teqniq (Aug 5, 2012)

Heh, you could be right at that.


----------



## savoloysam (Aug 5, 2012)

But they are happy to exploit the Olypimcs to sell their horeshit


----------



## teqniq (Aug 6, 2012)




----------



## barney_pig (Aug 6, 2012)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19149278
 the bottle, I am glad to say, appears to have been a Heiniken one, a therefore there was no infringement of sponsors rights


----------



## Pickman's model (Aug 6, 2012)

teqniq said:


>


i am glad that armalite didn't sponsor the olympics

http://www.armalite.com/


----------



## pogofish (Aug 6, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> i am glad that armalite didn't sponsor the olympics


 
However Dow Chemicals *are* Olympic Sponsors.

So that's the Olympics, brought to you by the makers of Napam, Agent Orange and other chemical weapons (incl Iraq's) The Bhopal disaster (Dow now own Union Carbide), rupturing breast implants and the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant.


----------



## Pickman's model (Aug 6, 2012)

But you can still purchase Armalite weapons safe in the knowledge you are making an ethically sound choice.


----------



## pogofish (Aug 6, 2012)

Compared to Dow, Armalite are ethical sweeties!


----------



## pogofish (Aug 6, 2012)

Then we could start on General Electric (incl subsidiaries Raytheon and General Dynamics) and their range of nuclear and conventional weapons involvement!


----------



## Mr.Bishie (Aug 8, 2012)

https://twitter.com/johnthelutheran/status/233110719309168640/photo/1/large

What the fucking fuck? The smile police?


----------



## maldwyn (Aug 8, 2012)

Just 4 more days and it's over ...


----------



## Wilf (Aug 8, 2012)

Mr.Bishie said:


> https://twitter.com/johnthelutheran/status/233110719309168640/photo/1/large
> 
> What the fucking fuck? The smile police?


Now in the grauniad (man with Parkinsons arrested for not smiling and not having the right clothes). What have we come to. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/08/olympics-spectator-parkinsons-arrest-smiling


----------



## gabi (Aug 8, 2012)

lol


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## Greebo (Aug 8, 2012)

maldwyn said:


> Just 4 more days and it's over ...


Then there's the paralympics.


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## maldwyn (Aug 8, 2012)

Greebo said:


> Then there's the paralympics.


But I don't mind those.


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## Greebo (Aug 8, 2012)

maldwyn said:


> But I don't mind those.


You say that now,  but they'll cause just as much disruption.


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## Pickman's model (Aug 8, 2012)

maldwyn said:


> But I don't mind those.


not yet. but you will.


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## Mr.Bishie (Aug 8, 2012)

With a spot of good fortune all the athletes will boycott in disgust at Atos, join forces with the DPAC protests, & raze the stadium to the ground.


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## Wilf (Aug 8, 2012)

Anybody heard anything from disable sports people or sporting orgs about atos being involved (as opposed to the obviousprotests from disabled groups more generally)?  Maybe the disable athletes who are actually in the games might have other things on their mind, but the wider disabled sporting scene?


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## Zabo (Aug 8, 2012)

Wilf said:


> Now in the grauniad (man with Parkinsons arrested for not smiling and not having the right clothes). What have we come to.
> 
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/08/olympics-spectator-parkinsons-arrest-smiling


 
Expect to see mass arrests at the Paralympic games by people pulling strange faces and making unusual body movements which may give rise to a threat of terrorism or acute embarrassment to the sponsors.

Now where's that Constable Savage video?


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## Pickman's model (Aug 8, 2012)

Zabo said:


> Expect to see mass arrests at the Paralympic games by people pulling strange faces and making unusual body movements which may give rise to a threat of terrorism or acute embarrassment to the sponsors.


so no races or games will occur then


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## Zabo (Aug 8, 2012)

Be an optimist Pickman. Hope that the Surrey police have been on a rapid disability awareness training.

I wish it had been rubber ducks in his pocket and not a rubber knife.

Is it an offence to carry a rubber knife?

Is it an offence to grimace when constipated?


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## Pickman's model (Aug 8, 2012)

Zabo said:


> Be an optimist Pickman. Hope that the Surrey police have been on a rapid disability awareness training.
> 
> I wish it had been rubber ducks in his pocket and not a rubber knife.


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## Pickman's model (Aug 8, 2012)




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## ViolentPanda (Aug 8, 2012)

Zabo said:


> Expect to see mass arrests at the Paralympic games by people pulling strange faces and making unusual body movements which may give rise to a threat of terrorism or acute embarrassment to the sponsors.


 
Let's hope that no teams of body-poppers go to watch any Olympic events!


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## Wilf (Aug 8, 2012)

Zabo said:


> Is it an offence to grimace when constipated?


 Fisting thread >>>>>>


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## Pickman's model (Aug 8, 2012)

this is what surrey police like doing to dogs






so i would be concerned what they will do to disabled people


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## ViolentPanda (Aug 8, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


>


 
Pig looks like Tony Parsons' fatter, stupider younger brother.


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## Pickman's model (Aug 8, 2012)

ViolentPanda said:


> Pig looks like Tony Parsons' fatter, stupider younger brother.


yer man's one of the more intelligent members of surrey police.


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## ViolentPanda (Aug 8, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> this is what surrey police like doing to dogs
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Actually, if you posted a pic of what Surrey OB like doing to dogs, you could end up at the Bailey.


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## ViolentPanda (Aug 8, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> yer man's one of the more intelligent members of surrey police.


 
A member of Surrey F.I.T. no doubt.


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## bolshiebhoy (Aug 8, 2012)

On a brighter note Cameron booed by British and Irish boxing fans today. Should have gone to the Dressage instead.


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## Zabo (Aug 8, 2012)

" ...The man was positioned close to a small group of protesters and based on his manner, his state of dress..."

I trust their will be new legislation in the next queen's speech informing us all what is the appropriate and legal attire for being out in public. No doubt their will be clauses stipulating what is suitable for (a) Public Parks (b) Shopping Centres (d) Discos-Raves (e) Veterinary Waiting Rooms etc.


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## Roadkill (Aug 8, 2012)

Mr.Bishie said:


> https://twitter.com/johnthelutheran/status/233110719309168640/photo/1/large
> 
> What the fucking fuck? The smile police?


 
Blimey.  I spent the last few weeks in Greenwich mostly wearing an irritated scowl at all the grandstands, fences, tents, cameras, body-scanners, official cars, security guards and latterly squaddies that the place filled up with in the run-up to the games.  Perhaps I should have been arrested for not walking around with a fixed grin. 

I'm so bloody glad I'm not in London.  Aside from a few BT bus adverts and posters at the station, and a bit of breathless coverage in the local paper about that boxer from here who's apparently done quite well, Hull is refreshingly free of Olympics nonsense.


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## Pickman's model (Aug 8, 2012)

Roadkill said:


> Blimey. I spent the last few weeks in Greenwich mostly wearing an irritated scowl at all the grandstands, fences, tents, cameras, body-scanners, official cars, security guards and latterly squaddies that the place filled up with in the run-up to the games. Perhaps I should have been arrested for not walking around with a fixed grin.
> 
> I'm so bloody glad I'm not in London. Aside from a few BT bus adverts and posters at the station, and a bit of breathless coverage in the local paper about that boxer from here who's apparently done quite well, Hull is refreshingly free of Olympics nonsense.


hull ain't a bad place to be


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## Wilf (Aug 8, 2012)

ViolentPanda said:


> Actually, if you posted a pic of what Surrey OB like doing to dogs, you could end up at the Bailey.


 Again, Fisting Thread >>>>>>>>>>


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## likesfish (Aug 8, 2012)

Pickman's model said:


> hull ain't a bad place to be


 I,m on the highway to hull


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## Wilf (Aug 8, 2012)

bolshiebhoy said:


> On a brighter note Cameron booed by British and Irish boxing fans today. Should have gone to the Dressage instead.


Nah, should have gone to the shooting, when Dick Cheyney was on for the United States.


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## Mr.Bishie (Aug 8, 2012)

Trampled to death by posh dressage horses taking his last breath. Far more fitting. Far more British!


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## geminisnake (Aug 8, 2012)

"The man was positioned close to a small group of protesters and based on his manner, his state of dress and his proximity to the course, officers made an arrest to prevent a possible breach of the peace," Surrey police said in a statement.

So the feckers are clairvoyant now are they?? FFS!!


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## 8ball (Aug 8, 2012)

geminisnake said:


> "The man was positioned close to a small group of protesters and based on his manner, his state of dress and his proximity to the course, officers made an arrest to prevent a possible breach of the peace," Surrey police said in a statement.
> 
> So the feckers are clairvoyant now are they?? FFS!!


 
A mate of mine is a copper and they had this 'observation' round at a pub quiz we did like in the old Krypton Factor and he was amazing at it. The cops probably saw something matching a 'suspicious' profile but this one was obv a false positive. It's all about spotting differences from 'normal' patterns - that just goes a bit wrong sometimes.


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## dylanredefined (Aug 9, 2012)

The absence of the normal and presence of the abnormal. Was the term we had drilled into us so a non smiling man would trip lots of switches. Should have been able to clear it up pretty quickly though.


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## Mrs Magpie (Aug 18, 2012)

...and on another note entirely.....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19292821


> A petition demanding refunds for traders at a "disastrous" Olympic food market has attracted 5,000 signatures.
> Local traders invested about £20,000 each for stalls on the new Olympia Market in Leyton, east London.
> One trader said they had been "sold a lie" that 80,000 people would pass through it daily when hardly any did.


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## DotCommunist (Aug 18, 2012)

8ball said:


> *A mate of mine is a copper* and they had this 'observation' round at a pub quiz we did like in the old Krypton Factor and he was amazing at it. The cops probably saw something matching a 'suspicious' profile but this one was obv a false positive. It's all about spotting differences from 'normal' patterns - that just goes a bit wrong sometimes.


 

cards marked


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## Mrs Magpie (Aug 18, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> cards marked


Mark mine then, too.


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## 8ball (Aug 23, 2012)

Ok, bit of a bump of an understandably dead thread, but I just popped round the corner to the offy for a couple of beers and noticed the price of beer has dropped again, when it only dropped about a week ago.

The shopkeeper said this was down to the Olympics ending, that the Olympics had been great for big companies but had put a strain on a lot of smaller companies and now it was over the wholesale price has dropped so he could pass the savings onto his customers.

That was a bit of the 'Olympic legacy' that I definitely didn't see coming - not that I'm complaining.


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