First of all, I realized today that my blog is over 2 years old... wow. I've been doing this since 11th January 2007 so the blog's official 2nd birthday passed without comment / celebration. Two years. AND it's flown by. Sheesh.
I've woken up with a head cold this morning. (No, not a man cold as so many women seem to find funny calling it - idiots) ... just kiddin, I love ALL women, ALL the laydeez, ALL the bitc... ALL the nice female people.
Anyway, yes, woke up with a head cold this morning - my body feels fine, I don't feel tired, or achy, or anything but my nose is blocked and stuffy, and my voice has that horrible blocked up sound.
And the main subject of my post this morning? The London 2012 Olympics. I have a feeling this is a subject that has divided a nation. On the one hand you have people who can't wait for it to get here, who are excited about it, who think it will be a massive benefit to our country and London in particular. Then you have the other side, who can't see the benefits it will have for them in particular, who are annoyed at how much it's costing them personally through taxes, who can see nothing but traffic chaos, over crowding and a great big fat failure to host anything worth being proud of. Can you guess which camp I'm in?
It seems as though whenever you hear reports on the news about the London 2012 Olympics (which from now on will be referred to as the ShitLympics) we are expected to feel a massive sense of national pride and excitement at how fantastic it's all going to be. Why? Will the ShitLympics help me with my financial debts? No. Will it help me lose weight and be a happier person? No. Will I get any benefits from the new facilities all the way over on the other side of London? No. The only 'plus' I can think of is it will be possible to go and watch some of the events live. Not the good ones, like the 100m mens final, or the female gymnastics (hhmmm... leotards) because they will be a) too expensive and b) given over to corporate seats and friends of the organizing committee. But the smaller, crappier events will be available to be seen live. Which is kinda cool I guess. But for the rest of the events, we'll be watching them on TV, so they could be all the way round the other side of the world and we'd still see them. I'm not going to go a far as to say that I wish London hadn't won the bid, or that London shouldn't be hosting them - but I do not buy in to the general feeling of "this is going to be brilliant, London and the UK will be so much better off because of it, rah rah rah aren't we special" nonsense that I think we're expected to feel. So there.
Soundtrack of the day: "Frog Stomp" by Silverchair... (yes, inspired by you Mr. Dawson). Peace.
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This blog represents my own thoughts and opinions, and is not meant to cause offense. Any similarity to persons or events, living or dead, is entirely co-incidental.
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4 comments:
I've only just finished posting my morning routine and you've put another one up. Wha-PISH. Very well, must add 2c cos I'm an opinionated bigot.
I think your opinion of the matter is that of a practical person. Very often a practical/realistic opinion is seen as negative but usually its just based on fact.
I was in London when they won the bid and it was like the papers were transformed! Stickers on tubes, stupid Lisa Simpson bl*wjob logos, hype hype hype being thrown around etc but no one seemed to run with it.
Everyone was just thinking shit, i wonder how this will turn out! Especially because ALL the venues are to be built fresh, there is no infrastructure at all apart from Wembley which was what, 5 years late?
At that time I think it was just too far away for the average bob to care about. Yes it needs years of planning but if you aren't involved, is it possible to stay excited for 5 straight years?
Get it built, tick some boxes, show Londoners it can be done, then say see.....its gunna be good!
Appreciate your thinking of me mate, crank up 'Findaway' and don't sing too loud.
Already been told to shush from singing Pure Massacre too loud
I'm in the 'quite proud of us hosting it but a tad worry about going over budget' camp. It's a fait accompli now, so just sit back and enjoy the ride, try and take Jake to at least one of the events so he can tell his kids "yeah I was there in 2012".
My Dad still talks proudly about the 1948 Olympics, he was working as a messenger boy at Wembley Stadium for the Post Office. He got to see a lot of the events including the relay where a Jamaican guy called Arthur Wint (the Usain Bolt of his day) pulled up short with a hamstring injury. Apparently the entire stadium descended in a hush as Wint pulled up - he'd already won two medals and was expected to get a third in the relay.
Of course, that was in a different era, where it was truly an amateur event, not ruined by commercialism & politicians trying to get their mugs on TV.
My opinion, I think, mirrors that of the nation. I was kinda pleased we won it, but didn't really know why.
All the points you make about it being the other side of London and not being able to see the "main events" are true. Its not going to benefit me directly so why should I get excited.
Having said all that, my cousin is becoming a very good swimmer and recently won the girls 14/15 100m backstroke national title, so if she carries on succeeding and improving, then I think she may well be there in London 2012 and I would have no excuse not to go and support her.
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