Organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games are having to move the canoe slalom events from the Spitalbrook site to a new venue, probably between Waltham Cross and Tebaldi Grove stations six miles away, because of contamination.
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) says that initial reports indicate that it would cost too much to clean up the Spitalbrook site.
ODA head, David Higgins is quoted by the BBC:
"Although investigations are still continuing, the initial results indicate that the cost of cleaning up the land for this venue would be prohibitive given budget and time restrictions.
Venue designs continue to be developed so that a planning application can be submitted once the site discussions are completed. We are on track to complete the venue for test events in 2011."
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
Monday, 8 October 2007
Olympics Organisers Ban Olympics
In the farce that is the London Olympics 2012, one truth remains self evident; namely that the Olympics are not about sport, but about money.
Nothing demonstrates this point more clearly than the fuss that the London Olympics organisers have caused over a science fiction book by Robert Ronson.
Mr Ronson's crime?
The title he used for his book was "Olympic Mind Games".
The "good people" of the London Olympics decided that this could be viewed as a breach of copyright. In order to squeeze every last drop of money out of the games words such as "Olympics" and "2012" are copyrighted. Therefore, in theory, this site breaches also the copyright, as it liberally uses the word "Olympics".
The organising committee were so angst ridden about Mr Ronson's book, that they sent him an email asking that he desist from using the word "Olympic" and expressions such as "London 2012, or 2012 etc" in the title.
Seemingly the committee has the power to do so under statutes passed in 1995 and 2006. Nonetheless some common sense prevailed in the minds of the Olympic organisers as Ronson refused to kowtow, doubtless fearful of looking totally ridiculous, they have decided that it would be "disproportionate" to prosecute.
It is of course quite ridiculous to attempt to ban the use of words that are listed in dictionaries. Not that it stopped "Big Brother" from doing just that in Orwell's "1984".
Here is a list of banned words for you to savour:
-Olympics
-Olympic
-2012
-London 2012
Enjoy them whist you can, the thought police will be coming soon to stop you reading them; unless of course a nice fat fee has been paid first!
Nothing demonstrates this point more clearly than the fuss that the London Olympics organisers have caused over a science fiction book by Robert Ronson.
Mr Ronson's crime?
The title he used for his book was "Olympic Mind Games".
The "good people" of the London Olympics decided that this could be viewed as a breach of copyright. In order to squeeze every last drop of money out of the games words such as "Olympics" and "2012" are copyrighted. Therefore, in theory, this site breaches also the copyright, as it liberally uses the word "Olympics".
The organising committee were so angst ridden about Mr Ronson's book, that they sent him an email asking that he desist from using the word "Olympic" and expressions such as "London 2012, or 2012 etc" in the title.
Seemingly the committee has the power to do so under statutes passed in 1995 and 2006. Nonetheless some common sense prevailed in the minds of the Olympic organisers as Ronson refused to kowtow, doubtless fearful of looking totally ridiculous, they have decided that it would be "disproportionate" to prosecute.
It is of course quite ridiculous to attempt to ban the use of words that are listed in dictionaries. Not that it stopped "Big Brother" from doing just that in Orwell's "1984".
Here is a list of banned words for you to savour:
-Olympics
-Olympic
-2012
-London 2012
Enjoy them whist you can, the thought police will be coming soon to stop you reading them; unless of course a nice fat fee has been paid first!
Friday, 5 October 2007
Dope
US athlete Marion Jones has admitted that she used steroids as she prepared for the 2000 Olympics.
Jones plans to plead guilty tomorrow on two counts of lying to federal agents about her drug use, and an unrelated financial matter.
This means that she could be stripped of the three gold medals and two bronzes that she won in Sydney seven years ago.
Jones plans to plead guilty tomorrow on two counts of lying to federal agents about her drug use, and an unrelated financial matter.
This means that she could be stripped of the three gold medals and two bronzes that she won in Sydney seven years ago.
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Number 10 Denies Red Arrows Ban
This was posted on the 10 Downing Street website yesterday, in response to the Red Arrows petition:
"The Prime Minister's Office has responded early to a petition on its website declaring "untrue" rumours that the Red Arrows had been banned from the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics.
The petition claimed that "The Department of Culture, Media and Sport have deemed the RAF Red Arrows as Unsuitable for the 2012 Olympics because they are too British," but the response to the petition, posted ahead of the closing date, makes clear that the Red Arrows have not been banned from the opening ceremony for 2012 and that no decision on the ceremony has actually been made.
The organising committee of London 2012 will decide what to include in the Opening Ceremony and other celebrations - but with almost five years to go, decisions are yet to be made on what these will look like.
Speaking on the issue, Red Arrows spokesman Rachel Huxford said:
"We have had no discussions about the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics whatsoever. We are still planning our 2008 season at this stage and that is a long way off.
"We understand that no decision has yet been made about the ceremony. We performed when London won its Olympic bid in 2005 after we received a standard request from the Olympic organisers."
Any bets as to what the final decision will be though?
"The Prime Minister's Office has responded early to a petition on its website declaring "untrue" rumours that the Red Arrows had been banned from the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics.
The petition claimed that "The Department of Culture, Media and Sport have deemed the RAF Red Arrows as Unsuitable for the 2012 Olympics because they are too British," but the response to the petition, posted ahead of the closing date, makes clear that the Red Arrows have not been banned from the opening ceremony for 2012 and that no decision on the ceremony has actually been made.
The organising committee of London 2012 will decide what to include in the Opening Ceremony and other celebrations - but with almost five years to go, decisions are yet to be made on what these will look like.
Speaking on the issue, Red Arrows spokesman Rachel Huxford said:
"We have had no discussions about the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics whatsoever. We are still planning our 2008 season at this stage and that is a long way off.
"We understand that no decision has yet been made about the ceremony. We performed when London won its Olympic bid in 2005 after we received a standard request from the Olympic organisers."
Any bets as to what the final decision will be though?
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Erection Problems?
The Olympics is never about sport, it's really about money. Those organising the London 2012 Olympics have found this to their cost this week.
Steel erectors will be able to demand astronomical wages for Olympic related work, if the sector standard National Engineering Construction Industry Association (NAECI) agreement is not used on London 2012 work.
That at least is the conclusion of Contract Journal.
The costs of these games simply keep rising and rising!
Steel erectors will be able to demand astronomical wages for Olympic related work, if the sector standard National Engineering Construction Industry Association (NAECI) agreement is not used on London 2012 work.
That at least is the conclusion of Contract Journal.
The costs of these games simply keep rising and rising!
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Olympic Park Green Light
London's Olympic Park, a 500 acre site in Stratford, has received permission to be built from the Government Office for London and the Greater London Authority.
The park will be home to the Olympic stadium, aquatics center, velodrome, fencing, field hockey, handball and basketball arenas.
It is expected that around 180,000 spectators will enter the Olympic Park every day, during the games in 2012.
The park will be home to the Olympic stadium, aquatics center, velodrome, fencing, field hockey, handball and basketball arenas.
It is expected that around 180,000 spectators will enter the Olympic Park every day, during the games in 2012.
Monday, 1 October 2007
Fake Off!
Beware the conmen and scammers who congregate around the Olympics, like flies around shit.
Police in southern China have arrested a man for running a fake Beijing 2008 Olympics website, that scammed people by running bogus contests.
Computer engineer Liao Peigui made $53K after persuading "winners" to first transfer a deposit equal to 10-20% of the promised prize money into a bank account that he owned.
Liao had "cloned" the official website of the Beijing Olympic organising committee, known as BOCOG; thus it appeared genuine to the unsuspecting.
Scamming is endemic on the web, as this site demonstrates www.stupidpunts.net
Police in southern China have arrested a man for running a fake Beijing 2008 Olympics website, that scammed people by running bogus contests.
Computer engineer Liao Peigui made $53K after persuading "winners" to first transfer a deposit equal to 10-20% of the promised prize money into a bank account that he owned.
Liao had "cloned" the official website of the Beijing Olympic organising committee, known as BOCOG; thus it appeared genuine to the unsuspecting.
Scamming is endemic on the web, as this site demonstrates www.stupidpunts.net
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