Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Boris Says "Go By Tube"
I am amused to read that Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is urging Olympic chiefs to take the Tube during London 2012
Quote:
"To all members of the International Olympic Committee, I urge them to do the right thing - get on the Jubilee Line because they'll love it."
There is even a new website showing hotspots on London's underground system.
Great!
One small problem, has Boris not heard that Comrade Crow has rejected the £500 bribe offered to Tube workers for doing their normal job?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
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Monday, 30 January 2012
Tube Workers Reject £500 - The Olympics Gravytrain
It seems that our downtrodden and hard working Tube drivers feel a tad hard done by wrt the offer made by London Underground of a £500 bonus for shift working during the Olympics.
The RMT has rejected the £500 bonus, saying that the money was not an adequate reward for being on duty during the event.
RMT general secretary comrade Bob Crow is quoted by the BBC:
"It is well-documented that transport will be the biggest logistical challenge throughout the Olympics period.
Given that the Tube drivers do not feel up to the job of doing what they are paid to do, the solution to this problem is simple; install driverless trains and remove the drivers altogether.
Problem solved!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
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Friday, 27 January 2012
The Isles of Wonder
It has been announced that the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics, on 27th July, will be called "Isles of Wonder".
I find the theme to be somewhat limited:
- Did these islands not have a history before industrialisation?
- Not all of the British Isles were "poisoned" by industrialisation.
Apparently the largest ringing bell in Europe, which will hang at one end of the stadium, will sound at the opening of the Games.
It will be inscribed with a quote by Caliban from Shakespeare's The Tempest:
"Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises".
Caliban is forced into servitude on an island ruled by Prospero, because Caliban attempted to rape Propsero's daughter.
The pre opening ceremony will start at 20:12 BST, and last until 21:00 when the bell tolls.
Approximately 20,000 performers will be used for the opening and closing ceremonies of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
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Lord Coe Gets His Figures Wrong
Lord Coe is quoted on Bettor speaking about the Olympics "budget":
"We will maintain a balanced budget to the completion of the project and the infrastructure will be delivered within the budget that has already been agreed by government.
Occasionally some things are slightly more than you expect. On a lot of occasions they’re slightly less than you expect, but overall those changes have taken place within that £9.3bn envelope.”
Aside from the fact that the original "budget" when the UK tendered for this leviathan was under £3BN, Lord Coe is mistaken about the current "budget" for the games.
When the running costs of over £2BN are included, the actual cost of the games will be £12BN.
I wonder why Locog et al keep "forgetting" to mention these running costs?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
"We will maintain a balanced budget to the completion of the project and the infrastructure will be delivered within the budget that has already been agreed by government.
Occasionally some things are slightly more than you expect. On a lot of occasions they’re slightly less than you expect, but overall those changes have taken place within that £9.3bn envelope.”
Aside from the fact that the original "budget" when the UK tendered for this leviathan was under £3BN, Lord Coe is mistaken about the current "budget" for the games.
When the running costs of over £2BN are included, the actual cost of the games will be £12BN.
I wonder why Locog et al keep "forgetting" to mention these running costs?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Monday, 23 January 2012
Mascot Problems
Locog are investigating allegations that soft toy versions of the London 2012 mascots (Wenlock and Mandeville) are being made by poorly paid workers in a Chinese factory.
Golden Bear, based in Telford, has a licence to produce them. However, an inquiry has been launched after media reports about the pay and conditions of the workers making the toys at a factory in China.
AFP reports that Golden Bear and the London organisers, LOCOG, said they were taking "seriously" the allegations that workers making the mascots were working for more than 11 hours a day for as little as 26 pence an hour.
Locog are quoted:
"We have asked our independent monitor to carry out a comprehensive investigation and review of these allegations.
The outcome of this investigation will be made public as soon as it is concluded.
We have contacted all of our licensees to reiterate to them the importance we place on the sustainable sourcing code they have each signed up to."
Golden Bear said it was also conducting an immediate investigation, but confirmed that the factory in question had passed inspections by the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI).
Golden Bear are quoted:
"Golden Bear is extremely concerned about recent reports that a factory involved in a small amount of the production of the company's Olympic product could be in breach of workers' rights.
We are a family-run business that takes these issues very seriously indeed and has in place certificates of compliance at all factories used to produce our products.
We are therefore in the process of conducting an immediate investigation and will be able to comment on these findings as soon as they are known to us."
In March 2010 I wrote the following:
"Olympic chiefs are keen to emphasise the legacy of the London Olympics 2012.
What they haven't specified until now is exactly which country's legacy they mean.
This question has now been answered, it is China's economic legacy that is being underpinned by the London Olympics.
That at least is the conclusion to be drawn from the announcement that a Chinese company has been picked to make special lapel pins for the 2012 games, British companies claim that they were denied the chance to even bid."
It is a pity that Locog did not heed this warning, had it done so it might have saved itself some embarrassment.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Golden Bear, based in Telford, has a licence to produce them. However, an inquiry has been launched after media reports about the pay and conditions of the workers making the toys at a factory in China.
AFP reports that Golden Bear and the London organisers, LOCOG, said they were taking "seriously" the allegations that workers making the mascots were working for more than 11 hours a day for as little as 26 pence an hour.
Locog are quoted:
"We have asked our independent monitor to carry out a comprehensive investigation and review of these allegations.
The outcome of this investigation will be made public as soon as it is concluded.
We have contacted all of our licensees to reiterate to them the importance we place on the sustainable sourcing code they have each signed up to."
Golden Bear said it was also conducting an immediate investigation, but confirmed that the factory in question had passed inspections by the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI).
Golden Bear are quoted:
"Golden Bear is extremely concerned about recent reports that a factory involved in a small amount of the production of the company's Olympic product could be in breach of workers' rights.
We are a family-run business that takes these issues very seriously indeed and has in place certificates of compliance at all factories used to produce our products.
We are therefore in the process of conducting an immediate investigation and will be able to comment on these findings as soon as they are known to us."
In March 2010 I wrote the following:
"Olympic chiefs are keen to emphasise the legacy of the London Olympics 2012.
What they haven't specified until now is exactly which country's legacy they mean.
This question has now been answered, it is China's economic legacy that is being underpinned by the London Olympics.
That at least is the conclusion to be drawn from the announcement that a Chinese company has been picked to make special lapel pins for the 2012 games, British companies claim that they were denied the chance to even bid."
It is a pity that Locog did not heed this warning, had it done so it might have saved itself some embarrassment.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Friday, 20 January 2012
The Olympics Home Guard
Burger van workers and other licensed mobile traders are being offered free counter-terrorism training to help them spot suspects who might be reconnoitring potential targets in the months leading up the London 2012 Olympics.
The courses are being offered by the Metropolitan police and Westminster council.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
The courses are being offered by the Metropolitan police and Westminster council.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Jubilee To Outshine The Olympics
I am amused to see that the Queen's Diamond Jubilee this year is set to outshine the London 2012 Olympics, in terms of popularity and spectacle.
On Sunday, June 3, the Jubilee weekend will climax with a seven-mile flotilla of 1,000 boats making up the biggest gathering on the Thames in 350 years.
People are far more supportive and enthusiastic about the Jubilee, than they are about the Olympics.
This is hardly surprising given that the Jubilee will cost a lot less than the £12BN being wasted on the Olympics, and will cause far less disruption.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
On Sunday, June 3, the Jubilee weekend will climax with a seven-mile flotilla of 1,000 boats making up the biggest gathering on the Thames in 350 years.
People are far more supportive and enthusiastic about the Jubilee, than they are about the Olympics.
This is hardly surprising given that the Jubilee will cost a lot less than the £12BN being wasted on the Olympics, and will cause far less disruption.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Olympics Ticket Site Live Again
Locog have restrated the Olympics ticket site again, after is crashed last week.
However, it will not work as a live ticket exchange. Locog have offered to pay for any unwanted Olympic tickets until 3 Feb, but will not offer them for immediate resale.
Prospective purchasers will have to wait until April before they can attempt to secure the tickets.
Not at all impressive!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
However, it will not work as a live ticket exchange. Locog have offered to pay for any unwanted Olympic tickets until 3 Feb, but will not offer them for immediate resale.
Prospective purchasers will have to wait until April before they can attempt to secure the tickets.
Not at all impressive!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Friday, 13 January 2012
Olympics Ticketing Shambles Continues
Last Friday I wrote the following about the Olympics online ticket system crashing:
"Locog has been forced to suspend part of the Olympics ticket resale process this morning, after the website crashed because of the high volumes of users seeking to sell or buy Games tickets.
Sellers of tickets, that they do not want, have been unable to upload their tickets to the site.
Locog do not know why this problem has arisen.
The system is meant to be back on line, and working properly, this afternoon.
Is it?"
One week on, and in answer to my own question, the site is still not working!
"We're working night and day to sort it out" and "apologise for the frustration that people feel.
We're going to get it right and make sure we get as many people as possible to the Games."
Not very impressive!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
"Locog has been forced to suspend part of the Olympics ticket resale process this morning, after the website crashed because of the high volumes of users seeking to sell or buy Games tickets.
Sellers of tickets, that they do not want, have been unable to upload their tickets to the site.
Locog do not know why this problem has arisen.
The system is meant to be back on line, and working properly, this afternoon.
Is it?"
One week on, and in answer to my own question, the site is still not working!
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been forced to apologise for the shambles.
He is quoted by the BBC:
We're going to get it right and make sure we get as many people as possible to the Games."
Not very impressive!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Beware The Ticket Touts
Selling tickets on the open market without permission from the Olympic authorities is a criminal offence in the UK under the London Olympic and Paralympic Games Act 2006.
However, the BBC reports that unofficial (and therefore illegal) ticket sellers have been appearing in Google sponsored adverts:
"Liz, who declined to give her full name, contacted the 5 live Investigates team.
"Me and my sisters decided to club together to buy our mum and dad some Olympic tickets," said Liz, who is from Solihull. "So we typed into Google 'Olympic tickets' and at the very, very top of the page was a link to a company called LiveOlympicTickets.
"It was a sponsored ad at the top of the page, so we presumed it was a trusted official site, and we spent £750 on two tickets for my mum and dad to see the 1500m, which is what my dad really wanted."
The advert Liz clicked on was one placed by Google's own AdWords advertising service - one of the company's main sources of income.
However, after placing her order, Liz received an email from the company informing her that they could not complete the sale until she faxed over a copy of her signature.
"That's when alarm bells began ringing," said Liz.
LiveOlympicTickets is not an officially recognised 2012 Olympic ticket reseller.
A family member of Liz's wrote to Google, and received this reply: "While Google AdWords provides a platform for companies to advertise their services, we are not responsible for, nor are we able to monitor the actions of each company."
Promoting ticket touts The Metropolitan Police, which is dedicated to stopping crime associated with the 2012 games through Operation Podium, said it is aware of LiveOlympicTickets and that the company is breaking the law.
However, as the company is registered overseas, it may be difficult to prosecute as it is outside the UK's jurisdiction.
The maximum penalty fine for reselling Olympic tickets without authorisation from the Olympic authorities was raised last year from £5,000 to £20,000.
Despite this, Google has placed adverts for unofficial ticket resellers which are breaking the law by selling London 2012 tickets to customers in the UK.
In this case, LiveOlympicTickets was Google's top sponsored link for 2012 tickets - and remained so for more than a week even after the Metropolitan Police had asked the search engine to remove the advertisement.
The company link was finally removed after 5 live Investigates contacted Google."
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
However, the BBC reports that unofficial (and therefore illegal) ticket sellers have been appearing in Google sponsored adverts:
"Liz, who declined to give her full name, contacted the 5 live Investigates team.
"Me and my sisters decided to club together to buy our mum and dad some Olympic tickets," said Liz, who is from Solihull. "So we typed into Google 'Olympic tickets' and at the very, very top of the page was a link to a company called LiveOlympicTickets.
"It was a sponsored ad at the top of the page, so we presumed it was a trusted official site, and we spent £750 on two tickets for my mum and dad to see the 1500m, which is what my dad really wanted."
The advert Liz clicked on was one placed by Google's own AdWords advertising service - one of the company's main sources of income.
However, after placing her order, Liz received an email from the company informing her that they could not complete the sale until she faxed over a copy of her signature.
"That's when alarm bells began ringing," said Liz.
LiveOlympicTickets is not an officially recognised 2012 Olympic ticket reseller.
A family member of Liz's wrote to Google, and received this reply: "While Google AdWords provides a platform for companies to advertise their services, we are not responsible for, nor are we able to monitor the actions of each company."
Promoting ticket touts The Metropolitan Police, which is dedicated to stopping crime associated with the 2012 games through Operation Podium, said it is aware of LiveOlympicTickets and that the company is breaking the law.
However, as the company is registered overseas, it may be difficult to prosecute as it is outside the UK's jurisdiction.
The maximum penalty fine for reselling Olympic tickets without authorisation from the Olympic authorities was raised last year from £5,000 to £20,000.
Despite this, Google has placed adverts for unofficial ticket resellers which are breaking the law by selling London 2012 tickets to customers in the UK.
In this case, LiveOlympicTickets was Google's top sponsored link for 2012 tickets - and remained so for more than a week even after the Metropolitan Police had asked the search engine to remove the advertisement.
The company link was finally removed after 5 live Investigates contacted Google."
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Monday, 9 January 2012
Olympics Censorship
Locog have banned the 70,000 volunteers for the London Olympics from getting into detailed discussions online about the Games.
Good luck policing that then!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Good luck policing that then!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Friday, 6 January 2012
Olympics Ticket Site Crashes
Locog has been forced to suspend part of the Olympics ticket resale process this morning, after the website crashed because of the high volumes of users seeking to sell or buy Games tickets.
Sellers of tickets, that they do not want, have been unable to upload their tickets to the site.
Locog do not know why this problem has arisen.
The system is meant to be back on line, and working properly, this afternoon.
Is it?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Sellers of tickets, that they do not want, have been unable to upload their tickets to the site.
Locog do not know why this problem has arisen.
The system is meant to be back on line, and working properly, this afternoon.
Is it?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Boris Fails To Walk on Water
The Olympics has been used as an excuse and target for many politicians and organisations to push for their pet projects to be funded, completed and be publicised.
Sadly for Boris Johnson his plan for a £60M floating "River Park" (which should have been opened in time for the Olympics) has been blocked by the Port of London Authority (PLA).
The public park would have included eight linked pavilions on pontoons, running along the north bank for more than half a mile from the Millennium Bridge to the Tower of London, along with a lido and a new jetty for Thames ferry services.Sadly for Boris Johnson his plan for a £60M floating "River Park" (which should have been opened in time for the Olympics) has been blocked by the Port of London Authority (PLA).
The PLA believes that this would have created a navigation hazard, and as such the City of London Corporation are now reviewing the scheme.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Not The Austerity Games!
Despite the fact that the UK (and indeed the global economy) faces a financially bleak 2012, the government, in the guise of the Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, is determined to "keep our spirits up".
What better way to do so, than to spend £12BN of our money on the 2012 Olympics?
Hunt has emphasised that the 2012 London Olympics will not be the "austerity games", and that the economic downturn meant the event's opportunities must be "harnessed".
Hunt is of the view that the voters would not forgive the government if it failed to make the most of the Games.
So there you are then!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
What better way to do so, than to spend £12BN of our money on the 2012 Olympics?
Hunt has emphasised that the 2012 London Olympics will not be the "austerity games", and that the economic downturn meant the event's opportunities must be "harnessed".
Hunt is of the view that the voters would not forgive the government if it failed to make the most of the Games.
So there you are then!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
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