Yeah, it's funny.


Nope, you said you're getting no benefit. Enjoyment of the games is a benefit. Even if most of your enjoyment seems to involve complaining about them.


We went through this last time. You think a few weeks of disruption in a relatively small area of the country is the end of the world, devastating swathes of small businesses and leaving the downtrodden in its path. Alternatively, I think a few weeks of disruption is well worth it and the feel-good factor sweeping the nation (apart from a certain few of course!) is almost worth the cost alone - never mind the new and upgraded facilities, the boost to interest in sports, the hundreds of thousands who enjoyed the torch relay, the hundreds of thousands currently enjoying some astounding sporting events, the regenerated area of London, 5,000 new homes, transport improvements, etc. That amazing Saturday night was almost worth it - and if you don't appreciate that, you're missing the point.

I also think anyone who didn't expect a degree of disruption, or for the IOC and LOCOG to jealously protect their intellectual property and their much-needed sponsors, is naive or stupid, or both.

And I assume you have proof the games are having a negative impact economically nationwide? Not just a local market stall, a burger van and a cafe? Yes, traditional tourism is down in London, but anyone with an ounce of knowledge of UK tourism knew that was going to happen. Hotels didn't help by whacking their prices to obscene levels. But again, it's only a short-term effect.

Anyway, don't worry, it'll all be over in a few days.

Cronus is right. I'm sitting less than 5 miles from the Olympic Park at the gateway to that part of East London and you wouldn't know there was an event in. Zero disruption.

I doubt it will have come as a shock to them, this will have been written in their lease agreement as Excel has been a known venue for at least 5 years, were they given a chance to bid for a catering franchise there during the games? It may have been the cost of the lease during the games was too high, that is the problems a small operator faces. I know someone who runs a similar operation at Wembley, they were all given the chance to have their existing pitch before the rest went out to tender.

Why should anyone else pay to move and store their equipment?



Yet you fail to answer the question of who told them they can't open. LOCOG don't have the authority and neither do the local council. It maybe the case that they want deliveries late but that has affected a number of businesses and they have adjusted to cope.

Smirk

[url=http://news.sky.com/story/969426/morrissey-olympic-spirit-like-nazi-germanyMorrissey revels in Olympic fever[/url

I used to think he was a prick, now I know he is...

Irony!! you should read the stuff you have posted on this thread!!

To answer your points - as citizens we get to vote a government in and then we hope they deal with legislation in the correct manner. The Olympics was not put to the electorate like virtually every other government decision - so you input into the OG decision was no different to how much foreign aide we give away or the level of benefits the government decides to dole out - so don't make a fool out of yourself just because you don't agree.

I gave Brailsford as an example - not the only example - are your struggling with comprehension?

Good job they discovered the radio-active otherwise it would still be there - is that really what you wanted?

Are you seriously suggesting we should not have held the games because a burger van trader or a market stall trader has suffered two weeks of disruption!! - you are not serious? you are!!! I bet you never canvassed any of the local businesses near the park to see how they have benefitted - no would not suit your argument!!

If these games inspires some kids to get off their backsides and engage in physical activity rather than playstation activity it will be well worth every penny that has been spent.

As for libraries I struggle to understand your vex, books are cheap to buy especially second hand or download - perhaps we need virtual libraries - oh I forgot you can already download books for your local authority.

More likely they'll be inspired to spend even more time on their backsides trying to achieve greatness via "London 2012" or whatever the playstation game is called.

While drinking a coke and eating a McDonalds take away?

Yes, whilst wearing Adidas track suit bottoms and trainers.

Or Nike?

Whoosh?

Is that a question? You're not sure are you?

It isn't one.

Because I, having been told the story by tb, have not personally (yet) had the chance to interrogate him. I see no reason, however, to suggest that he is a liar.

Locog have far-reaching powers to do all manner of things – like placing the portacabins for the cleaners' accommodation, without any recourse to the local council (although that didn't stop the [iDaily Mail[/i printing lies about the council having approved them).

I don't find it difficult to believe that they have said that they will not allow "unnecessary traffic" in certain areas (his apparent explanation), meaning, in effect, that some businesses are struggling to stay open. In his case, he was told he could open his workshop at 11pm, by which time there is no public transport for his staff to be able to get to work.

This entirely tallies with what I've heard about businesses, from water companies to broadband providers, being told that they can only have limited vehicles on London's roads for the duration – a point specifically suggested by a letter from Virgin saying that any call-outs would be more 'difficult'.

I did fleetingly hear, a couple of weeks ago, of someone who was simply told, along with her colleagues, that they were not to go into work for a fortnight – but I don't know the details of the case.

The point being, it is extremely unlikely that these are unique cases.

So the authority has successfully managed to drive customers away from the capital – custom that will not be made up – and it will impact particularly on small businesses.

And what is this for? Ah yes, a sports event, at which some very rich and powerful companies get an absolutely massive advertising boost, in certain situations, a trading monopoly, and even tax breaks.

That's going to be seriously difficult if this bunch of sociopaths continue cutting funding to schools sports and allowing the sell-off of playing fields (directly against both parties' manifesto pledge). It's also interesting to not that following the Olympics, the host nation's sporting successes tend to reduce rather than increase.



Spoken like a borderline iliterate

It's 'aid', dearie.

Although it becomes clearer as to why you don't appreciate libraries.



Then attempt to post what you actually mean. Obviously, language skills help. So you might find your local library can give you some pointers.



You could ask them if they do courses in basic comprehension skills too. Although, given your previous, it seems that you sometimes read some words and then, without actually working out what they mean, react to what you imagine they mean. Perhaps that's what goes on in "the real world".



Well, with government continuing to sell off playing and sports fields, and with leisure and sports centres charging increasing amounts to use, that'll really help. Still, it's been bumper advertising for McDonalds and Coke.



Yes. It's entirely clear why you wouldn't understand.

Which bit do you diasgree with then.

The analysis which is factually correct



Or the polemic/ headline grabbing



I find the BBC news fascinating at the moment. Since the Olympics started the news has become a Celebration of British sports news. Seems to me to be no different to watching SKY sports.

No coverage of cuts, the effect they are having ,the Tories continued plans for dismantling the welfare state, the NHS and any attempt to maintain a meritocratic education system.

I love the whole debate about sport in schools as well. No one sems to have mentioned that most schools have been cut back so much that many teachers cannot VOLUNTARILY give their time to promote sport. The main criticism seems to be that State schools do not support competitive sport due to namby pamby lefties.

Meanwhile in Co Durham we have had SEVEN sports centres closed or cut to the bone they provide hardly any services. Even Durham constabulary have shut their GYM/ sports centre/ rehab centre.

How many times have you seen Wills and Kate at the olympics. I have seen them at Tennis, Gymnastics, Athletics and Rowing. They must have been very lucky on the ballot for tickets



Nothing like a bit of patriotism to get the brits to fall asleep again and swing behind the " Nation". Still at least the Tories are using the Olympics to make everyone forget. Thatch decided a war was the best way to go. Nice little boost if you were wanting to call a snap election



Still at least Morrisey recognises the Greeks have got it right.



[size=200WAKE UP[/size

here is a bit of news you may have missed www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ma ... r-19151918 allnurses.com/nursing-news/man-d ... 60974.html still who cares about health cuts when we are winning medals. Come on Jess

here is a bit of news you may have missed www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ma ... r-19151918 allnurses.com/nursing-news/man-d ... 60974.html still who cares about health cuts when we are winning medals. Come on Jess

maybe £10 milion pounds per medal is a good price to pay.

"When Great Britain went to Beijing, the team benefited from £235m investment in training programmes in the years running up to the Olympics - that's a fourfold increase on what was spent [in the run up to Athens," says Prof David Forrest, a sports economist at the University of Salford.

"We spent an extra £165m and got 17 more medals, so that's about £10m a medal."

Two points - eBooks are not cheap to download, in fact for some bizarre reason they are more expensive than the paper version - and not many local authorities offer downloadable free library eBooks like Leeds City Council do.

Secondhand books are indeed cheap to buy and the best source of these for me locally is Oxfam, most cities will have a specialist Oxfam books shop and they are quite excellent, however they are still not as numerous as the free public libraries and it would be a real shame to diminish that resource and just leave the commercial sales of books as the only method of reading, in fact I can't think of another single most devastating blow to the nations literacy levels.

Especially if the supermarkets continue to drive business their way, at the expense of local independent bookshops. Even the chain bookstores are feeling the pinch but I have little sympathy for them, if for no other reason than they attempted to do to the independents, what they now complain supermarkets are doing to them. It's bad enough asking someone in Waterstones to point you towards a suitable book, it will be even worse asking a minimum-waged, Tesco employee to do the same.

When I was about 12/13 there was a tiny little secondhand bookshop near where we live, run by a guy on his own working his backside off 6 days a week every week. When I went in he couldn't have been more helpful and knowledgable. He took the time to find out what kind of books I liked and my interests and so sold a shed load of books to me over the next few months through his knowledge of books and what I might like, and it got me onto the Hornblower books which really sparked an interest in history in me. Sadly his shop only lasted a few months as he couldn't compete with Waterstones and the supermarkets on price and also them being open 7 days a week.

On a related note, I used to know a guy who ran his own music shop, until HMV came along.

Did you mean an unemployed person on "work experience" stacking shelves for Tesco's for free?

Quote ="Durham Giant"... No one sems to have mentioned that most schools have been cut back so much that many teachers cannot VOLUNTARILY give their time to promote sport. ..'" They have. There's nothing wrong with a bit of patriotism. It is not a synonym for nationalism and/or jingoism. And since you're on about brands – great avatar: the brand symbol of an anti-semitic, right-wing, anti-worker, anti-union McCarthyite. Quote ="Durham Giant"here is a bit of news you may have missed www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ma ... r-19151918 allnurses.com/nursing-news/man-d ... 60974.html still who cares about health cuts when we are winning medals. Come on Jess '" Obviously this will be difficult for you, but some people can enjoy the sport – and still be aware of and care about these things. We do not all have minds that are incapable of dealing with more than one piece of information at a time. Do you have trouble remembering anything else because you occasionally enjoy a bit of RL and are cheering on your side? If not, why do you presume to pretend that people enjoying the Olympic sports aren't as clever as you? Quote ="JerryChicken"Two points - eBooks are not cheap to download, in fact for some bizarre reason they are more expensive than the paper version - and not many local authorities offer downloadable free library eBooks like Leeds City Council do. Secondhand books are indeed cheap to buy and the best source of these for me locally is Oxfam, most cities will have a specialist Oxfam books shop and they are quite excellent, however they are still not as numerous as the free public libraries and it would be a real shame to diminish that resource and just leave the commercial sales of books as the only method of reading, in fact I can't think of another single most devastating blow to the nations literacy levels.'" And that's without mentioning all the other services that libraries provide. Quote ="cod'ead"Especially if the supermarkets continue to drive business their way, at the expense of local independent bookshops. Even the chain bookstores are feeling the pinch but I have little sympathy for them, if for no other reason than they attempted to do to the independents, what they now complain supermarkets are doing to them. It's bad enough asking someone in Waterstones to point you towards a suitable book, it will be even worse asking a minimum-waged, Tesco employee to do the same.'" It's as though there have been full-frontal lobotomies of people who 'think' that the only thing someone working in a shop is good for is taking their money and putting their purchase in a bag. The things I've discovered and learned over the years from staff in independent book shop and record shops, suggesting things, challenging me to try new things: approaches both dependent on their own knowledge and commitment, qualities that we seem to, in general, value less and less.

Quote ="Durham Giant"... No one sems to have mentioned that most schools have been cut back so much that many teachers cannot VOLUNTARILY give their time to promote sport. ..'" They have. There's nothing wrong with a bit of patriotism. It is not a synonym for nationalism and/or jingoism. And since you're on about brands – great avatar: the brand symbol of an anti-semitic, right-wing, anti-worker, anti-union McCarthyite. Quote ="Durham Giant"here is a bit of news you may have missed www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ma ... r-19151918 allnurses.com/nursing-news/man-d ... 60974.html still who cares about health cuts when we are winning medals. Come on Jess '" Obviously this will be difficult for you, but some people can enjoy the sport – and still be aware of and care about these things. We do not all have minds that are incapable of dealing with more than one piece of information at a time. Do you have trouble remembering anything else because you occasionally enjoy a bit of RL and are cheering on your side? If not, why do you presume to pretend that people enjoying the Olympic sports aren't as clever as you? Quote ="JerryChicken"Two points - eBooks are not cheap to download, in fact for some bizarre reason they are more expensive than the paper version - and not many local authorities offer downloadable free library eBooks like Leeds City Council do. Secondhand books are indeed cheap to buy and the best source of these for me locally is Oxfam, most cities will have a specialist Oxfam books shop and they are quite excellent, however they are still not as numerous as the free public libraries and it would be a real shame to diminish that resource and just leave the commercial sales of books as the only method of reading, in fact I can't think of another single most devastating blow to the nations literacy levels.'" And that's without mentioning all the other services that libraries provide. Quote ="cod'ead"Especially if the supermarkets continue to drive business their way, at the expense of local independent bookshops. Even the chain bookstores are feeling the pinch but I have little sympathy for them, if for no other reason than they attempted to do to the independents, what they now complain supermarkets are doing to them. It's bad enough asking someone in Waterstones to point you towards a suitable book, it will be even worse asking a minimum-waged, Tesco employee to do the same.'" It's as though there have been full-frontal lobotomies of people who 'think' that the only thing someone working in a shop is good for is taking their money and putting their purchase in a bag. The things I've discovered and learned over the years from staff in independent book shop and record shops, suggesting things, challenging me to try new things: approaches both dependent on their own knowledge and commitment, qualities that we seem to, in general, value less and less.

The bit where he fecked off to Rome a few years ago saying England had lost its identity.

The bloke is a knob of the highest order.

:3huy4lsr


When i find a nice one of Liebknecht or Luxembourg i wil be happy to change it ( assuming i have the technical ability to do it.)

But as you mention my avatar now [size=150:3huy4lsreverytime[/size:3huy4lsr you challenge one of my posts i might just keep it as it obviously wind you up so much.


.

It would sem that McF and Littlerich did not make the link then as they were quite hapy to laugh at / criticise Morrissey without thinking about his comments..

I would also guess that millions of other people watching round the clock sports coverage on the news about British sports success maybe have had their minds distracted somewhat.