I'm clearly stupid, every time I organise tickets for an event I have the plainly deluded idea that if you sell tickets, then wheither or not people make the show then these tickets are sold.

My clue for this, I've got their money.

Seems fairly simple.

But not the Olympics, does this make sense to anyone, as a simple explination would be appreciated.

"Troops, students and teachers are being drafted in to help end the embarrassing spectacle of empty seats at Olympic venues.

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe today revealed that servicemen were being brought in at the last minute to fill the gaps in stadia.

Invitations have also been given to students and teachers from London schools, he added.

The desperate measure was announced as photographs showed Games venues with large swathes of empty seats for the second day in a row.
He said: ‘It’s not easy to ask people (in the accredited Olympic family) at the beginning of the Games to ask people exactly how, where and when they’re going to be in those seats.

‘This morning was a very good example, we looked at gymnastics, we could see at this moment there are empty seats in the accredited area – the rest of the venue is looking pretty good this morning, there’s a good atmosphere.

‘So we were able to move those troops from – I’m not quite sure whether they were on a rest period or whether it was a transition from work through to a rest period – but they’re sitting there enjoying the gymnastics.

‘We can and we have moved them in there.

‘Yesterday, we got pre-accredited students and teachers from the local boroughs. We were able to put 115, 120 into a venue.’"

http://zen-haven.dk/troops-are ... o-venues-left-half-empty/

In another story (can't bother to find it in English) it was explained that 8% of all tickets have been given (or sold) to IOC persons and sponsors. This is obviously completely normal behaviour on any big sporting event. They are talking about these tickets. Empty seats look bad in tv.

I'd have been fine with the opening ceremony if it was preceded with

"What will now follow is a party political broadcast for the Labour Party"

The only reason you don't hear so many complaints is because everyone is so goddam fearful of the backlash. Emporer's new clothes anyone? Feels like we are in the USSR at times with how the media is portraying the whole thing. They need to be reminded the Guadianista who make up most of twitter... are not representative of the whole of the UK. Biggest controversy is some empty seats, I'd like to know where they've found £20bn from... and why it was so much higher than the initial budget.

If it were me I would have had giant statues pissing everyone's money up against a wall while eating a big mac because that's what this whole exercise really is. I'd have also had Derek and Clive playing to demonstrate real British humour, not Mr ****ing Bean. Actually that invokes quite a disturbing image

and this #proudtobebritish nonsense... criinngggeee. thought us brits were above that sorta thing... clearly not.

You really are a miserable knob Intrepid.

The only place I've seen mass discontent amongst Brits with the ceremony was on the Daily Mail website comments section, of which I'm sure you frequent. Only there could what we saw be interpreted as "left wing nonsense" Bunch of narrow minded miserable bastards who really should leave Britain, as all of your ilk ever do is moan about our country.

It was a great ceremony. Not perfect, but very British indeed. Quirky, funny, at times chaotic. Visually very impressive. Told the story of many things Britain is rightly very proud of.

It's not often I'm proud to be British these days, but that ceremony certainly reminded me of why we should indeed be proud.

You can cringe, piss and moan as much as you like. I'm delighted your not happy with your taxes being spent on this wonderful festival of sport.

Quote from Intrepid :

I'd have also had Derek and Clive playing to demonstrate real British humour, not Mr ****ing Bean.

As much as I love Derek and Clive and loath Mr Bean I do at least have the common sense to realise that Derek and Clive were hardly appropriate for such a ceremony and Mr Bean is recognised and hugely popular world wide. Not my cup of tea, but the perfect choice for a world wide audience in that sort of show.

Mr Bean is as much "real British humour" as anything. Silly slapstick humour is as British as it gets.

Quote from deggis :

In another story (can't bother to find it in English) it was explained that 8% of all tickets have been given (or sold) to IOC persons and sponsors. This is obviously completely normal behaviour on any big sporting event. They are talking about these tickets. Empty seats look bad in tv.

Sounds right, 8% of the seats, venue is 40% empty.

But if their sold, then why the need to draft in your 50 thousand troops to fill the empty seats.

Or do the VIPs know that staying away is a good idea ?

Quote from The Moose :

You really are a miserable knob Intrepid.

The only place I've seen mass discontent amongst Brits with the ceremony was on the Daily Mail website comments section, of which I'm sure you frequent. Only there could what we saw be interpreted as "left wing nonsense" Bunch of narrow minded miserable bastards who really should leave Britain, as all of your ilk ever do is moan about our country.

It was a great ceremony. Not perfect, but very British indeed. Quirky, funny, at times chaotic. Visually very impressive. Told the story of many things Britain is rightly very proud of.

It's not often I'm proud to be British these days, but that ceremony certainly reminded me of why we should indeed be proud.

You can cringe, piss and moan as much as you like. I'm delighted your not happy with your taxes being spent on this wonderful festival of sport.



As much as I love Derek and Clive and loath Mr Bean I do at least have the common sense to realise that Derek and Clive were hardly appropriate for such a ceremony and Mr Bean is recognised and hugely popular world wide. Not my cup of tea, but the perfect choice for a world wide audience in that sort of show.

I actually thought that the opening ceremony was very impressive, very subversive and a real eye opener.

Shades of trainspotting. And the awesome way that James prevented those evil terrorists from attacking the opening was brilliant.
And he nearly kicked a corgi !

Let's hope he's on duty for the whole Time.

Anything that pisses hrh off that much must be good.

Anyone else get the Lord of the Rings remake thing ?

" one ring to rule them all,
and in the darkness bind them "

Which was also a play on the bell.

And the countries flags are placed in the shire, check the hill and lotr for bagend, nearly identical.

Glad you enjoyed it Racer It seems most of the world did.

I see a few Americans were a bit confused, so we must have done something right (though to be fair to them, having seen some of the coverage from NBC I'm not surprised they were confused. With all the stuff they cut out of it, and the amount of advert breaks inserted into it, along with some complete arseholes presenting the show, it was a complete mess. Nothing like what actually happened. NBC, you're a disgrace)


Our dear Queen is an oddball. On one hand she amazingly agrees to take part in a very funny sketch, on the other hand she looked like the most miserable old bag I've ever seen. I have visions of Intrepid pulling the same miserable face all the way through the ceremony.

Quote from Racer X NZ :

Sounds right, 8% of the seats, venue is 40% empty.

But if their sold, then why the need to draft in your 50 thousand troops to fill the empty seats.

Or do the VIPs know that staying away is a good idea ?

It's not the sponsors (at least that's what the sponsors are saying) - it's the "Olympic Family" not turning up to events, i.e. athletes/coaches/support staff watching other events in their own discipline. By agreement in the bid a certain % of seats have to be left free for these people.

Quote from The Moose :

Mr Bean is as much "real British humour" as anything. Silly slapstick humour is as British as it gets.

I really wish that - instead of having Tim Berners-Lee sitting at a computer in that house - they'd had Terry Jones naked at a piano.

I was also a bit ****ed off that they had people like Ban Ki Moon and Shami Chakrabarti carrying the olympic flag, only to hand it over to 8 military officers. What message was that supposed to send?

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I really wish that - instead of having Tim Berners-Lee sitting at a computer in that house - they'd had Terry Jones naked at a piano.

Brilliant!

Looking at the Queen and singing "sit on my face and tell me that you love me..."

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I really wish that - instead of having Tim Berners-Lee sitting at a computer in that house - they'd had Terry Jones naked at a piano.

I was also a bit ****ed off that they had people like Ban Ki Moon and Shami Chakrabarti carrying the olympic flag, only to hand it over to 8 military officers. What message was that supposed to send?

Terrorists are everywhere and only the military can keep you safe ?

Quote from The Moose :

Brilliant!

Looking at the Queen and singing "sit on my face and tell me that you love me..."

I was thinking more of, long pause, "it's........"

queen.gif (too big for img tags)

Quote from The Moose :

You really are a miserable knob Intrepid.

The only place I've seen mass discontent amongst Brits with the ceremony was on the Daily Mail website comments section, of which I'm sure you frequent. Only there could what we saw be interpreted as "left wing nonsense" Bunch of narrow minded miserable bastards who really should leave Britain, as all of your ilk ever do is moan about our country.

It was a great ceremony. Not perfect, but very British indeed. Quirky, funny, at times chaotic. Visually very impressive. Told the story of many things Britain is rightly very proud of.

It's not often I'm proud to be British these days, but that ceremony certainly reminded me of why we should indeed be proud.

You can cringe, piss and moan as much as you like. I'm delighted your not happy with your taxes being spent on this wonderful festival of sport.

It isn't my taxes that are being spent on this 'wonderful festival of sport' (how many drug cheats?) it is the taxes of people that haven't been born yet. It's taxation without representation, and it's morally repugnant. Basically for our own pleasure, we a billing future generations. I'd rather be miserable than selfish. I love sport and watching the best sportsman is wonderful, but at this cost... it's bullshit.

But really it isn't anything to do with being 'miserable', it's about being a realist. Sorry if I think the economy going down the shitter, and kids finding themselves in greater and greater poverty being ever-so-slightly more important issue than a bunch of millionaire sportsman parading around as if what they do is somehow important. I feel sad for you that you think orherwise.

Had the Olympics come in at the original budget (2-3Bn), you know what, it wouldn't bother me so much. I like watching the Olympics, despite my views on display here.... BUT.... right now the country is in the shit, broke, bankrupt, and like a bunch of gullible morons we're being fooled by a bunch of politicians and over-rated directors saying.. oh look we're closing hospitals and shit.... but look at the lovely fireworks and here, have a big mac. Are we seriously THAT gullible in this country? Or do you look at greece and think "oh, wasn't the Athens Olympics a GREAT idea for that country"...

Any serious discussion is being suppressed. For example, if my memory serves me correct the LA Olympics model sounds quite good. Lesser reliance on public funds, and TV and sponsorship stumped up most of the cash. For sure, there is an arguement beyond pure economics. A fair few people like watching the games and so on, I get that. but where's the discussion?

Quote :

As much as I love Derek and Clive and loath Mr Bean I do at least have the common sense to realise that Derek and Clive were hardly appropriate for such a ceremony and Mr Bean is recognised and hugely popular world wide. Not my cup of tea, but the perfect choice for a world wide audience in that sort of show.

Mr Bean is as much "real British humour" as anything. Silly slapstick humour is as British as it gets.

Derek and Clive would have been ****ing brilliant and entirely appropriate ... you stupid c*nt...

Quote from deggis :

queen.gif (too big for img tags)

The plebs are finally on to us.......

Beam me up Scotty

Quote from Intrepid :

Derek and Clive would have been ****ing brilliant and entirely appropriate ... you stupid c*nt...

I'll give you 8 out of 10 for making me laugh with that bit

LOL @ this, about NBC's coverage of the opening ceremony:

Quote :

There was also criticism of the apparent belief of Today Show hosts and commentators Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira that the Queen had, in person, jumped out of a helicopter. There was also an indication that Vieira did not know who Sir Tim Berners-Lee was, stating during commentary to the television audience, "If you haven't heard of him, we haven't either", before co-host Matt Lauer told the audience to Google the inventor of the World Wide Web.

so I guess NBC classifies James Bond films as documentary too? Silly people

still waiting for some german medals, our boulevard press already talks about "disgrace" ....

I thought the opening was pretty boring . I mean, I liked the history part of it and all, but I thought it was lack-luster the majority of the time. I loved the cauldron and the "creation" of the rings and the "shire" type beginning (The whole thing reminded me of the Lord of the Rings to a degree ), but other than those (and the fireworks) it was just lacking I thought. Maybe because I missed a half an hour of it twice.. Oh well, I never was a big fan of the opening ceremony anyways... give me short track ice racing from the winter games and I'll watch that. That's about my favorite sport from the games other than curling . I don't really know why I like to watch that... but I do

Quote from TFalke55 :

German broadcasters must have watched too much NASCAR on FOX. Just that their mascot is a beagle instead of the Digger. And no, it is not Snoopy but an ordanary one.

Surely they didn't hire Darrel Waltrip . At least you'll see the games decently well (just mute the audio and you have decent coverage again.. don't worry )

Rūta Meilutytė - London 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist from LITHUANIA! How about that? And... It's just the beginning.

Quote from seniecka :

Rūta Meilutytė - London 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist from LITHUANIA! How about that? And... It's just the beginning.

Wonder how long before Team GBR try to nab her.

Quote from Intrepid :

Wonder how long before Team GBR try to nab her.

Hehe. I hope that time never comes But yeah... Thanks guys for settin' her up for the victories Your UK swimming courses work fine.

Lithuania doesn't have any olympic level swimming pool for sportsmen to train on, all of them are much shorter. I guess she's just fast. Either that, or some recently discovered drugs lol.

Quote from KiRmelius :

Lithuania doesn't have any olympic level swimming pool for sportsmen to train on, all of them are much shorter. I guess she's just fast. Either that, or some recently discovered drugs lol.

Imagine the scandal that a 15 year-old olympic gold medalist using drugs would bring.

Quote from Intrepid :

Wonder how long before Team GBR try to nab her.

Might as well... Lithuania dont deserve her. Yeah I said it...

Speaking of Lithuania, what a nice Lithuanian fan at the Basketball giving a black security guard the Nazi salute. Terrific.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new ... stewards-Nazi-salute.html

Daily Mail yes, but the pictures speak for themselves really.

Also lol@ Twitter and Tom Daley today. Got a big laugh out of all of that rubbish. The boy that said what he said is a massive ****, but the mass reaction has been funny. When will teenage girls and mangirls on twitter realize that the more they do that kind of thing to a person like that, the more the person gets what they want?

Also, Daley failing made me pretty happy anyway. Too much hype for an annoying cock. Wonder if he will fail in the individual too...