It looks as though there will be trouble as the Olympic torch is carried around the world, in the run up to the Beijing Olympics this August.
Anti China protesters evaded tight security and managed to disrupt yesterday's Olympic torch ceremony, this guarantees that the flame's procession through London in a fortnight's time will be disrupted.
Tenzin Dorjee, a Tibetan activist who was briefly detained during the protest, said:
"Later we will do protests in London and Paris."
Scotland Yard will allocate 2,000 officers and staff, including river, airborne and mounted police, to protect the Olympic flame's journey from Wembley Stadium to Greenwich on April 6.
Human rights activists, supporters of an independent Tibet and critics of China's support for Darfur and Burma are preparing demonstrations along the 31 mile route.
Are the Olympics really worth all this trouble?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
It's The Money Stupid
Dana Perino, presidential spokeswoman, asked whether President Bush would rethink his plans to go to this summer's Olympics after the recent riot in Tibet said that Bush's position is "that this should be about the athletes and not necessarily about politics.
Wrong!
The Olympics is about money, as the sponsors and athletes know full well.
Wrong!
The Olympics is about money, as the sponsors and athletes know full well.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Toilets
One aspect of the forthcoming Olympics to be held in Beijing later this year that has received scant attention, up until now, is that of toilets.
China is now rushing to install Western sit-down toilets for the expected 500,000 foreign Olympics visitors, having been prodded into action by complaints about Asian-style squat toilets.
Yao Hui, deputy head of venue management, said:
"A lot of parties have raised the question of toilets... We have told the venues to improve on this.
Most of the Chinese people are used to the squat toilet, but nowadays more and more people demand sit-down toilets.
However, it will take some time for this transition."
China is now rushing to install Western sit-down toilets for the expected 500,000 foreign Olympics visitors, having been prodded into action by complaints about Asian-style squat toilets.
Yao Hui, deputy head of venue management, said:
"A lot of parties have raised the question of toilets... We have told the venues to improve on this.
Most of the Chinese people are used to the squat toilet, but nowadays more and more people demand sit-down toilets.
However, it will take some time for this transition."
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Olympic Database
The British police are developing the first national database of mugshots, in order to use face recognition technology to match CCTV images with details of offenders.
The system is being developed as a pilot scheme involving the Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Merseyside police. It has already generated a database of more than 750,000 facial images over the past 18 months.
Are there really that many criminals in that part of the UK?
Peter Neyroud, the chief executive of the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA), wants the system up and running in time for the 2012 London Olympics.
The system will enable officers on the beat to be equipped with advanced "second-generation" hand-held computers which can take and transmit fingerprints, download mugshots and details from the police national computer, and access images from local CCTV cameras.
Funny how the Olympics are being used as an excuse/deadline for increased surveillance!
The system is being developed as a pilot scheme involving the Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Merseyside police. It has already generated a database of more than 750,000 facial images over the past 18 months.
Are there really that many criminals in that part of the UK?
Peter Neyroud, the chief executive of the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA), wants the system up and running in time for the 2012 London Olympics.
The system will enable officers on the beat to be equipped with advanced "second-generation" hand-held computers which can take and transmit fingerprints, download mugshots and details from the police national computer, and access images from local CCTV cameras.
Funny how the Olympics are being used as an excuse/deadline for increased surveillance!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Shooting Themeselves in The Foot
Locog, the organisers of the London 2012 Olympics, have a propensity to waste taxpayers' money on their plans for self aggrandisement.
A particularly good example of their waste is the £26M that they intend to spend on the Olympics shooting range at Woolwich.
British Shooting want the range to be sited at Dartford. This is a 178-acre site which, post-2012, would leave shooting with an up to date facility; ie it would leave a legacy.
Locog are trying to concentrate the Games in one very small area of London, and have opted for Woolwich at a cost of £26M.
The chairman of British Shooting, Phil Boakes, said:
"An enormous amount of money is going to be squandered by Locog. The £26 million it is going to cost is made up of £18.6 million to build the facilities and £4million to demolish after the Games (plus VAT) and there will be virtually no legacy for the sport."
In other words, Locog are spending £26M for a three week event.
Money down the toilet.
Why should Locog care, it's only taxpayers' money!
A particularly good example of their waste is the £26M that they intend to spend on the Olympics shooting range at Woolwich.
British Shooting want the range to be sited at Dartford. This is a 178-acre site which, post-2012, would leave shooting with an up to date facility; ie it would leave a legacy.
Locog are trying to concentrate the Games in one very small area of London, and have opted for Woolwich at a cost of £26M.
The chairman of British Shooting, Phil Boakes, said:
"An enormous amount of money is going to be squandered by Locog. The £26 million it is going to cost is made up of £18.6 million to build the facilities and £4million to demolish after the Games (plus VAT) and there will be virtually no legacy for the sport."
In other words, Locog are spending £26M for a three week event.
Money down the toilet.
Why should Locog care, it's only taxpayers' money!
Monday, March 17, 2008
The Shrill Voices
Those who are shrilly calling for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics, in response to the current unrest in Tibet, should heed the words of the Dalai Lama.
"The Olympics should not be called off.
The Chinese people... need to feel proud of it. China deserves to be a host of the Olympic Games."
Source The Times.
"The Olympics should not be called off.
The Chinese people... need to feel proud of it. China deserves to be a host of the Olympic Games."
Source The Times.
Friday, March 14, 2008
A Cock Up of Olympic Proportions
Congratulations yet again to the organisers and bureaucrats attempting to "run" the London Olympics 2012, for another cock up.
One of the fundamental planks of the "Olympic strategy" (I wasn't aware that we had one) was that holding the games in London would earn billions from tourism. The government and the Olympics organisers have deluded themselves that the mere existence of the games will encourage thousands of people to come to Britain and spend billions on tourist attractions et al.
Using decidedly dodgy data, that overestimated growth, the government decided that the tourism industry could more or less take care of itself and cut tourism funding by approximately 20%.
The cock up relates to data in the Olympic tourism strategy, which was published in September 2007. This claimed that tourism and leisure grew 4.7% in 2005, compared with growth of 1.1% in the general economy. The government used that figure to justify its claim that a 2004 target to create a £100BN tourism industry by 2010 was achievable.
Needless to say, the figures were fantasy.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) publicised its autumn performance report three months later, this stated that the actual 2005 figure was a mere 0.4% (8% of the overstated figure).
Unfortunately this revelation was too late to save Visit Britain, the national tourism agency, from being savaged by the government. It has had its budget cut from £55.1M to £45.8M.
Will the government please explain as to why the tourism data was so inaccurate?
These games are going to be a shambles, and the taxpayer will end up footing the bill for many years afterwards.
One of the fundamental planks of the "Olympic strategy" (I wasn't aware that we had one) was that holding the games in London would earn billions from tourism. The government and the Olympics organisers have deluded themselves that the mere existence of the games will encourage thousands of people to come to Britain and spend billions on tourist attractions et al.
Using decidedly dodgy data, that overestimated growth, the government decided that the tourism industry could more or less take care of itself and cut tourism funding by approximately 20%.
The cock up relates to data in the Olympic tourism strategy, which was published in September 2007. This claimed that tourism and leisure grew 4.7% in 2005, compared with growth of 1.1% in the general economy. The government used that figure to justify its claim that a 2004 target to create a £100BN tourism industry by 2010 was achievable.
Needless to say, the figures were fantasy.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) publicised its autumn performance report three months later, this stated that the actual 2005 figure was a mere 0.4% (8% of the overstated figure).
Unfortunately this revelation was too late to save Visit Britain, the national tourism agency, from being savaged by the government. It has had its budget cut from £55.1M to £45.8M.
Will the government please explain as to why the tourism data was so inaccurate?
These games are going to be a shambles, and the taxpayer will end up footing the bill for many years afterwards.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Irony
Without the faintest hint, or recognition of, irony the minister responsible for presiding over the London Olympics budget (that has ballooned from £3BN to £12BN) has accused the borough of Southwark of not adequately planning for the Olympics.
Tessa Jowell, who features regularly on this site, has castigated Southwark's lack of planning for the 2012 Games and warned that it could miss out on millions of pounds.
Seemingly Southwark council has not yet released its Olympic Vision statement that in theory would provide a strategy to attract the tourists, teams and sponsorship that Jowell claims will flood London.
Ms Jowell said:
"What the council is doing is basically giving away the opportunity that the Olympics will bring to Southwark.
Southwark has been left behind if you compare the planning that Lambeth and Lewisham has put in. It's almost impossible to get any information from the council and the people in Southwark are right behind the Games.
The borough has a massive tourist and commercial potential and if the planning is not put in then it could lose out on millions of pounds."
Given that the games are in East London, I am forced to ask why would the tourists trek all the way down to Southwark?
Quite rightly Sothwark council (which annoys Jowell by not being Labour) fired a well aimed riposte at Jowell. Council leader Councillor Nick Stanton said:
"Southwark council is focused on achieving its ambitious regeneration programme, which will change the lives of thousands of local people.
Because of the Government's decision to cut the council's funding we are focusing on achieving these goals. We are more interested in creating our vision for Southwark than writing a vision statement for the Government."
The Olympics 2012 is the government's vanity project, aside from lining the pockets of those directly involved with the games, it will do nothing to enhance the lives and prosperity of the citizens of Britain.
Tessa Jowell, who features regularly on this site, has castigated Southwark's lack of planning for the 2012 Games and warned that it could miss out on millions of pounds.
Seemingly Southwark council has not yet released its Olympic Vision statement that in theory would provide a strategy to attract the tourists, teams and sponsorship that Jowell claims will flood London.
Ms Jowell said:
"What the council is doing is basically giving away the opportunity that the Olympics will bring to Southwark.
Southwark has been left behind if you compare the planning that Lambeth and Lewisham has put in. It's almost impossible to get any information from the council and the people in Southwark are right behind the Games.
The borough has a massive tourist and commercial potential and if the planning is not put in then it could lose out on millions of pounds."
Given that the games are in East London, I am forced to ask why would the tourists trek all the way down to Southwark?
Quite rightly Sothwark council (which annoys Jowell by not being Labour) fired a well aimed riposte at Jowell. Council leader Councillor Nick Stanton said:
"Southwark council is focused on achieving its ambitious regeneration programme, which will change the lives of thousands of local people.
Because of the Government's decision to cut the council's funding we are focusing on achieving these goals. We are more interested in creating our vision for Southwark than writing a vision statement for the Government."
The Olympics 2012 is the government's vanity project, aside from lining the pockets of those directly involved with the games, it will do nothing to enhance the lives and prosperity of the citizens of Britain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)