By: Lincoln 7 - 29th January 2012 at 10:48
John Green. I agree, I have a very goodfriend, salt of the Earth chap who is dying, he could live a while longer, but our wonderful leaders state they cannot afford the £2.50 pill that would give him more time albeit perchance little, to be with his wife and family. But we can afford things that will only be remembered by the winners of a particular event. As somewon once said, “People only ever remember who came first”.
Yes, there are a lot of more important things the money could be spent on.
What about holding the Olympic Games where they were originaly held hundreds of years ago, every time they roll round, at least everything would be there, ie the stadium, accommodation, rail etc.
Just think how much money all the different Countries would save,
Another thing, is that the games they participate in now, are not what they used to compete in, in the original games, It’s far too commercial these days.
The wages some footballers get just to kick a ball around for 90 mins amazes me, same with F1, but they do put their lives on the line, on the track.
Seen how much top flight golfers win.
I could go on,but it’s about time we got our priorities right.
Oh, yes, I do like the Olympic games, and am not against them, but lets get them into perspective.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: John Green - 28th January 2012 at 21:10
Are these overpaid, overvalued Olympic athlete prima donnas really worth so much shot and ammunition ? I doubt it. Does it really matter, apart that is to the individual, that one hundredth of a second is knocked off the time for the hundred yard dash ? Or, the time for the mile or 1500 meters is bettered by five seconds ?
The modern Olympics have become just like many other activities associated with big money and consequently they all have lost their way, their original purpose, their essential amateurism where ‘amateur’ means unpaid being long lost.
The original Greek Olympic ideal was summarised by the participants meeting in unpaid fellowship for the purpose of freely engaging in competitive sport merely for the honour and glory of representation and the winning of the laurel.
The Olympics have now became a spectacle with each country vying with each other to outdo the others in terms of visually cheap, flamboyant and colourfully tawdry so-called ceremonies. The cost is ever more monumental, the imagination required to outdo the others evermore unattainable. Beijing was bad enough but London threatens to exceed the excessive. Enough is enough. Let us divert these huge sums away from these ‘Bread and Circus’ diversions and spend instead on projects and causes that have lasting value and merit.
John Green
By: Lincoln 7 - 28th January 2012 at 12:55
repcobrab. I do not and never will support ANY party, I have lived through too many recessions to realise they are in Government for their own gain.
If I were to vote, then I would vote for the 1st Candidate who would swear on the bible, (Metaphoricaly speaking, so I dont upset any ethnic members here), never to tell a lie, so I guess I will never cast a vote.
I hate Politics, so this is the end of this discussion.Anything else you wish to talk about, feel free.
“The games afoot” 😉
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: Arabella-Cox - 28th January 2012 at 12:16
[QUOTE=Lincoln 7;1850255]
Who says that the landlords are all British? As a tenant, who pays rent, a landlord can ask me to vacate, but he can’t force me out.
Regarding your earlier, political, swipe at the present government, it seems to have slipped your mind that all of the contractual arrangements were made by the previous administration.
Funny how there’s all this concentration on the so-called rip-off merchants, who’ll (allegedly) make a fortune, when a recent report said that hoteliers on the south coast, overlooking the sailing events, are saying that their advance bookings are down this year, because their regular customers have been frightened away.Well, if we renege on them, at this late stage, it will prove that you can’t trust the word of the British, and that will really see us in our (what you seem to believe) rightful place as also-rans
A landlord CAN ask you to vacate for a number of reasons, why, most make spot visits to see what condition their properrty is in, well they do round our way.and if they want somewon out, there is always the smalll print.
If you say they are not all Brit landlords, who are the others, and don’t dont come up with the B/S they are doing it for the benefit of their current tennants, they are doing it to make loads of money from the visitors who will pay the most.As regards the sailing, I can understand that, it’s not realy a spectator sport to watch sailing boats half a mile out to sea, also bad weather can cancell a lot, so what would the spectators do then?. No, sooner watch sport in the stadium.I would imagine the so called regulars are not booking this year, as the hotels have bumped their prices up.
As regards renaging on the games now, are you telling me the previous government didn’t know that would happen when the .S.,H,T,F, when they were negotiating the deal.We are not all that stupid, to realise we couldn’t afford it.who ever was in power.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
Ah a good staunch Cameron /Clegg supporter a true blue ,how much more will Labour be blamed for ? this goverment could have pulled the plug well before, at the end of the day these games will cost more then revenue earned ,( whats the security bill going to be?) and a few fat cats will have trousered a nice bonus , Cameron and co are total “heads in the clouds” individuals with no grasp of true reality
By: Lincoln 7 - 28th January 2012 at 02:22
[QUOTE=Edgar Brooks;1850158]Who says that the landlords are all British? As a tenant, who pays rent, a landlord can ask me to vacate, but he can’t force me out.
Regarding your earlier, political, swipe at the present government, it seems to have slipped your mind that all of the contractual arrangements were made by the previous administration.
Funny how there’s all this concentration on the so-called rip-off merchants, who’ll (allegedly) make a fortune, when a recent report said that hoteliers on the south coast, overlooking the sailing events, are saying that their advance bookings are down this year, because their regular customers have been frightened away.
Well, if we renege on them, at this late stage, it will prove that you can’t trust the word of the British, and that will really see us in our (what you seem to believe) rightful place as also-rans
A landlord CAN ask you to vacate for a number of reasons, why, most make spot visits to see what condition their properrty is in, well they do round our way.and if they want somewon out, there is always the smalll print.
If you say they are not all Brit landlords, who are the others, and don’t dont come up with the B/S they are doing it for the benefit of their current tennants, they are doing it to make loads of money from the visitors who will pay the most.As regards the sailing, I can understand that, it’s not realy a spectator sport to watch sailing boats half a mile out to sea, also bad weather can cancell a lot, so what would the spectators do then?. No, sooner watch sport in the stadium.I would imagine the so called regulars are not booking this year, as the hotels have bumped their prices up.
As regards renaging on the games now, are you telling me the previous government didn’t know that would happen when the .S.,H,T,F, when they were negotiating the deal.We are not all that stupid, to realise we couldn’t afford it.who ever was in power.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: Bomberboy - 28th January 2012 at 00:59
Blimey ! 27 million for the opening ceremony ? Is that all ? Cheap as chips! Bit of an improvement on the 81 GBP quoted. John Green
Blimey, I wish i’d milked it more than I did having spent a year and a half managing on one of the new build sporting venues. :diablo:
I’m disappointed in myself!! :rolleyes:
By: ppp - 27th January 2012 at 23:25
Sure, benefits have come about because of spending on the Olympics, this is obvious, nobody disputes this, if you spend billions on stuff in a city there will likely be benefits. The question is could the money have had a greater effect invested in something else? Could it have been put to greater effect by helping SMEs by for example lowering the cost of fuel?
I understand that Landlords are asking the folks who are renting their properties in the surrounding area to vacate their properties ASAP, as the landlords can hire out the properties for exhorbitant prices due to overseas visitors to the games.
Makes you proud to be a Brit don’t it ?.Jim.
Lincoln .7
I’ve heard this too, there’s also the special treatment for the Olympic family… maybe they will have separate drinking fountains, toilets, and you will have to move to let them sit down on the bus too? 😎
By: Edgar Brooks - 27th January 2012 at 23:05
I understand that Landlords are asking the folks who are renting their properties in the surrounding area to vacate their properties ASAP, as the landlords can hire out the properties for exhorbitant prices due to overseas visitors to the games.
Makes you proud to be a Brit don’t it ?.
Who says that the landlords are all British? As a tenant, who pays rent, a landlord can ask me to vacate, but he can’t force me out.
Regarding your earlier, political, swipe at the present government, it seems to have slipped your mind that all of the contractual arrangements were made by the previous administration.
Funny how there’s all this concentration on the so-called rip-off merchants, who’ll (allegedly) make a fortune, when a recent report said that hoteliers on the south coast, overlooking the sailing events, are saying that their advance bookings are down this year, because their regular customers have been frightened away.
And also, exactly what do they prove?.
Well, if we renege on them, at this late stage, it will prove that you can’t trust the word of the British, and that will really see us in our (what you seem to believe) rightful place as also-rans.
By: Lincoln 7 - 27th January 2012 at 22:41
I understand that Landlords are asking the folks who are renting their properties in the surrounding area to vacate their properties ASAP, as the landlords can hire out the properties for exhorbitant prices due to overseas visitors to the games.
Makes you proud to be a Brit don’t it ?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: Arthur Pewtey - 27th January 2012 at 21:45
I detect a bit of wriggling now whereas a simple apology or retraction would have done. 🙂
Your second paragraph has, and not for the first time degenerated into rather insulting generalizations.
The money for the Olympics has been spent – deal with it.
By: John Green - 27th January 2012 at 21:14
Blimey ! 27 million for the opening ceremony ? Is that all ? Cheap as chips! Bit of an improvement on the 81 GBP quoted. But if that quote is unreliable, perhaps it places some doubt on your particular quotes.
I think that many of us would rather have seen the monumental Olympic budget – what is the total at the moment, 10 billion ? put into properly training nurses to look after the elderly and teaching our school leavers to be numerate and literate rather than enabling them to access porno via their computer skills.
John Green
By: Arthur Pewtey - 27th January 2012 at 20:53
£81m? – if only it was true. I don’t how much apples are on your planet though?
The first paragraph from the BBC article “Europe’s largest bell will ring to start a £27m Olympic opening ceremony”
I guess £81m sounds better to make your point I suppose.
As one of the comments on the BBC webs site said.
– Practically all tickets sold on day 1. Some events massively oversubscribed.
– Construction ahead of schedule and on budget.
– Employment for thousands of people over the last 5 years.
– Affordable accommodation.
– Regeneration of a run down area.
– Major boost for UK tourism.
What will it take to stop people moaning, be positive and start taking pride in the nation’s achievements?
Indeed.
By: John Green - 27th January 2012 at 20:32
Its just been reported on the 6 o’clock BBC News that the opening ceremony of the Olympics will cost the taxpayer 81 million GBP. I reckon that’s a bargain. What do you think Arthur? You couldn’t buy a barrowfull of apples for that !
John Green
By: J Boyle - 27th January 2012 at 02:22
I can see a country spending huge bucks to host an Olympics in order to let the world know a city /region is a world class place or that it’s come back from a war or something (Tokyo 1964).
But London is well, London..one of the greatest and best known cities on Earth.
I can’t imagine they need more tourists.
Oh well, the money’s been spent, have fun and make the best of it.
By: ppp - 27th January 2012 at 00:37
@Arthur Pewtey
But still a very inefficient way to regenerate an area.
By: Arthur Pewtey - 26th January 2012 at 23:42
Your point number 2 is a great idea. Maybe some large capital project would be in order involving perhaps regeneration of some derelict areas of a big city ( you see where this going don’t you)……
It is all irrelevant anyway, the Olympics were planned before the economic crisis broke and there was no going back.
By: ppp - 26th January 2012 at 22:57
@Arthur Pewtey
Nope, you are trying to mix my two comments, which are about two quite different things.
1. Free sports facilities are a better choice for the health and fitness of British people than Olympic parks for the worlds athletes.
2. Olympics may inspire some a new British generation, but if you want to inspire something with taxpayers money, how about inspiring business and R&D to fix the economic mess.
Seems quite clear to me.
By: Arthur Pewtey - 26th January 2012 at 22:14
#9
Arthur. Looks like you’re in a minority of one – so far !
John Green
I’ve never been afraid to go against the flow and fortunately this forum isn’t particularly representative of the UK population.
I guess what the Olympics means to some is just something else to whine about rather than the government, the weather or whatever. I, for one, am looking forward to it and if Britain’s athletes perform as they did in Beijing then it should be something to for some of us at least to be proud of. The rest of you can hide in your sheds until it’s over. Suits me.
By: John Green - 26th January 2012 at 22:01
#14
Inkworm.
Spot on !
John Green
By: inkworm - 26th January 2012 at 21:54
It’s just another way of regenerating parts of London at the expense of everyone else in the UK…
As I understand it most of the bill is being footed by private sponsors and the London tax payer, it is billed as the London Olympics so if I can avoid the beeb and this forum mostly remains on topic it should be manageable to avoid the event.
As for kids taking being inspired to take up sport, I think that generally a more sustained exposure to a sport than some coverage once every four years is more likely to inspire and motivate them.
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January 26, 2012 at 1:32 pm