I'm thinking of renting an isolated cottage in Scotland or Wales for the whole of the Olympics, with my laptop, books and DVDs, copious amounts of pasta, soup and real ale to keep me company. I'm not interested whatsoever in any of it.

I was a keen sportsman at school and university but I suppose now that I don't do much of that anymore I'm not that interested, other than football. Why watch porn when you can do the real thing?

It's going to be bollocks this year and total disaster but BBC will say it's great and was a huge success. They predicting GB will finish 5th place well we have still lost same if we came second we still lost. I wonder how many drug/sex scandals will be published to we all know that most are illegal drugs and still keep their medals.

Boycott the whole thing I am only watching the opening ceremony as Danny Boyle is involved. Even Lord Coe doesn't know much about the sports involved. And what the about the sports we are good at they are either team or sports that no other country plays as they have sense.

having lived through the Sydney 2000 ones I think you may find it's not too bad and you may get caught up in the 'excitement'.

Oddly traffic and likewise was far better than usual as the planning is so good that for 2 weeks you probably won't encounter a traffic jam and may even find the tube runs on time.

Of course London may stuff it up but I doubt it.

As for the actual games-they leave me fairly cold except some like swimming, diving etc but I think the opening and closing ceremonies will be amazing !!!

still an appaling waste of money and one thing annoyed me afterwards...all those bloody pensioners who were volunteers wearing their frigging Olympic hats around as though they had been through the Great War !!

steveimp wrote:
I'm thinking of renting an isolated cottage in Scotland or Wales for the whole of the Olympics

Good News, Steve !

Only 150 days to go ( .... till its all over.....)

and then another 159 years paying for it.

Am I the only person who thinks it will be a huge success, make loads of money, boost tourism and be thoroughly entertaining for those who like that sort of thing (not me)?

I've calculated JK that the 2 weeks of the Olympics will be enough time for me to finalise catch up with The West Wing. Result I think!

JK2006 wrote:
Am I the only person who thinks it will be a huge success, make loads of money, boost tourism and be thoroughly entertaining for those who like that sort of thing (not me)?

no, Boris agrees with you

certainly boost tourism for 2 weeks..long term..doubt it in today's short term memory cycle. Do you go to Greece or Seattle because the Olympics were there?

It is of course, another giant rort where public monies are handed over to private corporations to build infrastructure probably not needed.

And as I predicted hours before it happened...those bloody pink pensioner hats will be everywhere..you just wait..old biddies proudly wearing them for months after the games....you will feel like cramming one down their heads

Throats, Veritas?

The negativity surrounding the Olympic games doesn't surprise me. If there was a medal for cynicism around major events then the UK would surely win gold. The Brits are becoming world class champion moaning minnies and I guess its why some people choose to emigrate.

It's easy to not get bored of the Olympics. I just don't even think about them. When the time comes I will be hoping the British do well, but for the time being they hardly ever enter by mind.

Why shoot clay pigeons when you can hunt, why watch show jumping when you can win high bets with Channel 4 ?

JK2006 wrote:
Throats, Veritas?

mark my words..they'll be all over the place..in Westfield..shopping in Queensway..at Sainsbury picking through the fruit wearing those ghastly pink outfits for months after..little old biddies and grinning OAPs ..as though they have been into battle..even worse they give the buggers a medal which many will wear.

I wouldn't , of course, ram one of their frightful hats down their throat as I don't want to throttle an OAP ...but after Sydney2000 I had an urge to sneak up and grab the rim of their ghastly gold & green hat and pull it right down over their silly head.

veritas wrote:
certainly boost tourism for 2 weeks.

All experts agree, veritas that is displaces tourism ... the ones who would have come tend to stay away - it is certainly NOT a boost.

angel wrote:
The negativity surrounding the Olympic games doesn't surprise me.

Its because it was forced on us angel.

I didn't want it - I dont know anyone who does wants it Certainly not the British public (2.6 million "expressed interest" in tickets - but only 1.9 million bought - thats about 2% (and half of them will be touts !)

It will be forced down our throats night and day ... in between Euro 2012 / tennis / and let's not forget the Mong Games !!!!

In The Know wrote:
angel wrote:
The negativity surrounding the Olympic games doesn't surprise me.


It will be forced down our throats night and day ...and let's not forget the Mong Games !!!!

Itk, dont watch it, buy a dvd, book, go out of one of your nice walks. Its not obligatory! Mong Games??? That is so inappropriate but why did it make me laugh out loud?

In The Know wrote:
angel wrote:
The negativity surrounding the Olympic games doesn't surprise me.

Its because it was forced on us angel.

I didn't want it - I dont know anyone who does wants it Certainly not the British public (2.6 million "expressed interest" in tickets - but only 1.9 million bought - thats about 2% (and half of them will be touts !)

It will be forced down our throats night and day ... in between Euro 2012 / tennis / and let's not forget the Mong Games !!!!

1.9 million tickets must be an amazing success and the biggest selling event in the world and clearly shows the games are hugely successful, considering most of them will be also broadcast to billions around the world.

also indicates that the 'displaced' tourists will be replaced by far more.

half of them touts ?..not credible since you (or touts) cannot buy tickets for prescribed events and take what you get and since there are still tickets available..who needs touts? (but the government may as well take their money)

I have no problem with the games themselves (apart from my desire that they should revert to original format and have lusty nude men running marathons )..just the OAC which is a vast corrupt organisation hoovering up public money.

veritas wrote:
1.9 million tickets must be an amazing success and the biggest selling event in the world and clearly shows the games are hugely successful.

Not so veritas.
The overwhelming vast majority of the UK didnt want them - the official figures PROVE that !

Pass ANY travel agent in the UK veritas and the windows are full of adverts trying to flog the tickets ... if there was a demand they would have sold out ages ago.

Further disruption to be inflicted upon us -

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17419351

angel wrote:
Itk, dont watch it, buy a dvd, book, go out of one of your nice walks. Its not obligatory!

Actually, I'm looking forward to this summer ... I think the countryside could be relatively "free"

Mong Games??? That is so inappropriate but why did it make me laugh out loud?

... because you and I both know its true !
(If you didn't recognise the description - how would you have know what I was talking about?)

obviously the majority of Brits haven't bought tickets but you could say that about every event !!

veritas wrote:
obviously the majority of Brits haven't bought tickets but you could say that about every event !!

... and you could say that any event where 98% of the population couldn't care less about tickets was a complete failure !