The London 2012 Olympics: Current affairs discussion

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

your the one who has just brought politics into it. I just said I feel its a waste of money.

The problem with all that you listed is its all spent in london. What has been built and so forth will not be permanent, and there is football clubs currently fighting over the olympic stadium.

All spent in a corner of London that happens to be just about the most deprived district of anywhere in the entire UK. While I'm the first to shout that infrastructure spending elsewhere in the UK needs to keep up with London, the capital city does have its own legitimate social issues. And the Olympic Games can only be held where the IOC agrees to hold them. Manchester tried, and failed.

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

However when I leave leics I do notice just about everyone I see is white, so I also know leics is not representative of the country as a whole. Also even in leicester I rarely see mixed race couples. So yes some people are racist, but also that the bbc are noticebly trying too hard to support mixed races.

London is also a multicultural area, especially East London. All the major cities have this to an extent so it's not exactly uncommon to have a couple who are not both of the same race. Let's be clear here, this was not throughout the entirety of the Opening Ceremony, it was one couple in the segment. This isn't 'trying too hard to support mixed races'.

This really is an absurd discussion at this point.

[Russ]

Whilst I agree this 'issue' has been given far more attention than required the 'one couple in the segment' was part of the ceremony that dealt with British family life. As you rightly say it is representative of many cities throughout the country, but for smaller and more rural areas it stood out more as being a lot less.

Not to the point where anyone should have felt the need to 'complain' though.

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

your the one who has just brought politics into it. I just said I feel its a waste of money.

The problem with all that you listed is its all spent in london. What has been built and so forth will not be permanent, and there is football clubs currently fighting over the olympic stadium.

A lot of it will be permanent (not to mention the housing, retail and transport improvements made as a result). The Velodrome is staying to be part of a new cycling complex and will bid to have UCI World Track Championships. The Olympic Stadium will also host the 2017 World Athletics championships. The Aquatics Centre will remain and likely be at the center of future bids as it will become the main aquatic centre for London. The Hockey Centre will host the 2015 European Hockey Championships.

It will also be a 'tech city' (offices and such replacing the media center and other temporary buildings). The Athletes village will be turned into homes. The area will be a 'urban park'. All in all it's going to be a nice place in London combining three new and large sporting centre-pieces, homes and businesses in a green and pleasant area of London.

Originally Posted by Damien

A lot of it will be permanent (not to mention the housing, retail and transport improvements made as a result). The Velodrome is staying to be part of a new cycling complex and will bid to have UCI World Track Championships. The Olympic Stadium will also host the 2017 World Athletics championships. The Aquatics Centre will remain and likely be at the center of future bids as it will become the main aquatic centre for London. The Hockey Centre will host the 2015 European Hockey Championships.

It will also be a 'tech city' (offices and such replacing the media center and other temporary buildings). The Athletes village will be turned into homes. The area will be a 'urban park'. All in all it's going to be a nice place in London combining three new and large sporting centre-pieces, homes and businesses in a green and pleasant area of London.

And all of the above would NEVER have happened without us winning the bid.

Originally Posted by Maggy J

And all of the above would NEVER have happened without us winning the bid.

Nope, the facilities wouldn't have been there.

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

your the one who has just brought politics into it. I just said I feel its a waste of money.

The problem with all that you listed is its all spent in london. What has been built and so forth will not be permanent, and there is football clubs currently fighting over the olympic stadium.

No you started by complaining about the waste of money and by anyone's judgement you were making a political statement.

The Olympic Park is really nice by the way. I recommend that people try to view it if you get the chance.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by LSainsbury

I think you got completely confused!

Not really. I know they're sampled at the given 44100khz I just thought it was also 128k too.

---------- Post added at 17:50 ---------- Previous post was at 17:47 ----------

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

.. but also that the bbc are noticebly trying too hard to support mixed races.

Which has nothing to do with the Ceremony either. The BBC aren't even the host broadcaster.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Two channels, 16 bits each sample. You do the maths.

Urgh - Pointless Americanisms. You'll be telling us about 'cell' phones next. Corrected it for you anyway.

Originally Posted by carlwaring

Not really. I know they're sampled at the given 44100khz I just thought it was also 128k too.

---------- Post added at 17:50 ---------- Previous post was at 17:47 ----------


Which has nothing to do with the Ceremony either. The BBC aren't even the host broadcaster.

Interesting, I didn't even know OBS (Olympic Broadcasting Services) existed until I went Googling just now.

I wonder how many BBC Broadcast staff are subcontracted to it though. OBS can't have its own army of cameramen and other assorted production crew ready to deploy once every 2 years.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by Russ

You'll be telling us about 'cell' phones next.

Actually, given that they are based on signals received from cell towers, it's a perfectly accurate description

[Russ]

Originally Posted by carlwaring

Actually, given that they are based on signals received from cell towers, it's a perfectly accurate description

And as the phones are used on the move, 'mobile' is equally accurate - my bugbear is when people use Americanisms when our own words are more than adequate.

Anyway, on with the topic.

This was the song that was played during the lighting of the Olympic Flame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mec8GZkEpD4

The lyrics are this I think:

And the rain passed above us, In the garden of the world
But a flame arrives to guide us, Past the gold between the anvils of the stars
Watching over all the children in the rain, And the streets where I remember
Where the fire that lights a candle soars again

A flaring flame, Hear it call
Through the darkness, hear it call to us all
And start again, It's beating heart comes again

And the light drive out our fears, And the joy drive out our pain
And the nations come to greet us, waving open arms of waves of golden corn
Ever hear us, Oh the spirit of the world
May your light be ever near us, Always lead us from the dark,
Though we may fall, We will fly
And with love, Hear the call

Incidentally the title of the song is called Caliban's Dream. It was a speech from Caliban in The Tempest which was quoted at the start of the Industrial revolution segment of the Opening Ceremony.

Very cool.

[Gary L]

That sounds like the one with the whistling in it. if it isn't what's that one called?

the whistling's just come in!

someone should make that into a dance track. take out the singing and just leave the whistling in.