Signed - maybe if I'd sponsored the Olympics then HMRC wouldn't be sending me threatening letters for £102 that they claim I owe from 2005 - they don't even have the integrity to explain how they came to that figure or why I owe it, in fact their correspondence is no more than an ugly extortion campaign against self employed and previously self employed people like myself, dredging the bottom of the sea for the sorts of amounts that they couldn't be d even reminding you about in the good times.

Some intersting views here: www.standard.co.uk/comment/only- ... 52868.html What a sick irony it'll be if we get a huge, negative Olympic tourist premium. Also, we were supposed to be showcasing London and Britain - the world has seen the security shambles, 4 hour journey's from the airport, etc. Got a bit of work to do yet to sell the country.

Some intersting views here: www.standard.co.uk/comment/only- ... 52868.html What a sick irony it'll be if we get a huge, negative Olympic tourist premium. Also, we were supposed to be showcasing London and Britain - the world has seen the security shambles, 4 hour journey's from the airport, etc. Got a bit of work to do yet to sell the country.

[url=http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mark-steel/mark-steel-i-love-the-olympics--but-not-here-7953428.htmlThis would be more pleasant than armed soldiers patrolling the event, and other security measures such as placing surface-to-air missiles on council estate roofs. If the Palestinians do that they get screamed at for using civilians as a "human shield", but we're doing it to protect the 200 metres backstroke.[/url

That is a superb comment.

[url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ministers-line-up-to-lobby-for-olympic-billions-7953433.htmlThat Olympic economic boost? Well, it's not about creating jobs in this country.[/url

Will the armed forces be compelled to wear Adidas branded uniforms?

[url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/9821083.print/Because the kids at the opening ceremony are being told to[/url

I have reached the conclusion that Locog would fellate a mile-long corporate cock

ordinarily that would be statute barred as its a 'debt' older than 6 years. Unfortunately the taxman is exempted from the limitation act. They did this to me this year seeking over a grand from 2003. When I rang to query how they knew I owed it they didnt, as they didnt have any records going back that far and dropped it. The hard part will be getting through to the useless buggers and you'll probably have to go into the tax office which has a direct line to the dept in question

[url=http://www.thelondonvandal.com/2012/07/graffiti-raids-across-london-as-police-sanitise-city-ready-for-olympics/And this is fun too.[/url

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jul/17/nick-buckles-g4s-olympic-chaos?INTCMP=SRCHAnd some very funny sketch writing.[/url

Thanks Mintball.
I did watch it live and I was shocked how blasé he seemed to be about it all.
I did actually laugh when he stated that he found out who hadn't turned up at 9PM on the evening when is was to late to do anything about it.
A point that isn't mentioned is that Vaz asked him that seeing how they had signed a contract for 10,400 exactly how many they had tried to employ for the job his reply with no sign of it being a problem was '10,400'...............Yes that is right they expected that EVERY single person contracted wouldn't get injured or ill in over 2 months.
Clueless doesn't come close.

Also they have said they can deliver 7,000 security now do we trust that figure?
If as seems to be the norm only 1/3 turn up then there is going to be a shortfall of around 4,500 and if that happens who the hell are going to fill those places in the short term?
Long term the forces will cover as those on leave are recalled but that can't happen overnight so I have a sneaking feeling that the police are going to have to fill the void however big it is.
Which leaves me to ask if that is the case exactly who is going to police the country/capital?
Are we going to have to hope that certain rather nasty groups will not just find a none olympic area and go nuts there?

Back on the "kid's shoes" case.

As someone on twitter pointed out, it's seems entirely reasonable for Adidas to force kids to wear their trainers in the opening ceremony, after all they force kids to make the damn things

Its no coincidence that Cameron is in Afghanistan today - they flew out there in a Hercules and will be trying to bring back as many Security Accredited troops as possible, "Have you ever done any door jobs while you've been home on leave and fancied a bit of extra cash ?" answer yes and you're on the plane.

I went for a job interview many moons ago when they were in the early stages of handling outsourcing work with the prisons back when it was Group 4. They re-branded after the bad press they get with that and it's inevitable that another re-branding will follow. A friend of mine was working in their HR department (I think she still may be there as it was earlier this year). If I see her again soon I'll ask her if there's any gossip. Wouldn't surprise me if she's been shunted down there to help out because they expect a lot from their middle management professionals, probably too much.

It's gonna get mighty embarassing if the squaddies [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18798792get their weapons pickpocketed[/url

[url=http://thevoluptuousmanifesto.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/grumbling-for-britain.html?spref=tw'What do you mean, I can't use those words to promote anything for the next umpteen weeks?'[/url

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... nt_count=1 A sort-of-legal protest and comment.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... nt_count=1 A sort-of-legal protest and comment.

Been taken down mate

From the front line:

[i[u@combatcameraman

After an 18 hr shift, this is where the lads are sleeping. These boys are securing the Olympics for you![/u[/i




No doubt Mr Buckles's sleeping conditions will be somewhat different

Good article on the Olypmic effect: www.standard.co.uk/comment/only- ... rnalSearch

Good article on the Olypmic effect: www.standard.co.uk/comment/only- ... rnalSearch

For someone who works day in day out with Intellectual Property you grasp of how the trademark system works is shocking.

I look forward to your attempts to set up a Microsoft sandwich bar or a Tesco hairdressers.

Touchy, BG.

Well done for missing the context/mood etc.

Your determined defence of corporate power is noted.

I'm just glad none of those gleefully filling this thread with laughable links have had anything to do with the Olympics.

Yes, the G4S shambles is just that, a shambles. They've held their hands up and admitted as much. But find a solution, throw the book at G4S, kick them in the financials and get on with it. Or alternatively we could fill the media with negativity, moaning, enquiries so we can shake our heads and tut disapprovingly - just as we seem to do with everything these days.

So cleaners are sleeping in temporary portacabins? Wow, big deal. What do you expect - a cleaner's village alongside the athlete's village? Hotels? (have you seen the prices??) Christ, they're only there a few weeks to do a job and it's all over.

So big corporates demand exclusivity on the event - how dare they, when they only front up billions of pounds for the right. How dare they protect their massive investment. You don't hear this sort of whinging during the football or RU World Cups, or other similar events. In fact, one suspects it's because they aren't the big names certain people approve of, and it doesn't fit the nicey-nicey image of the Olympics. "What! McDonalds and Coke sponsoring the Olympics! Dammit, that doesn't fit my perception of slim, healthy, happy young athletes competing in the glorious sunshine."

So kids are told to wear Adidas or unbranded trainers. How dare Adidas insist on exclusivity just because they paid a rumoured £100m. How dare they insist theirs should be the only brand on display where possible.

So there won't be a massive economic boost from the games? What? Are people surprised by this? The recession won't be halted by 2 weeks of sporting events and neither will a few more people flying in & out of the country. Numbers of visitors will probably be up but will also be countered by business and some leisure travellers avoiding the travel chaos and staying at home over a 3-4 week period.

So there's going to be some inconvenience during the games. What? This is also a surprise? One of the largest events on the planet might cause some disruption? Who'da thought, eh?

And with that, we have the perfect reminder that this is nothing whatsoever to do with sport or host communities or people or a 'legacy', but is about big bucks for already massively profitable companies.

And some people are apparently entirely happy with that situation, and entirely ready to defend stupidity and censorship and loss of civil liberties and goodness knows what else – just so McCrappyDonalds can make a few more bucks.

When things get as downright silly as 'summer' and 'bronze' (planning on getting a seasonal tan, anyone?) having to be used 'carefully' when 'promoting' anything, then we're into the realms of things seriously needing to be ridiculed.

What was that? I thought I heard a whooshing noise of olympic proportions.

Mind you, the woman who employed a dyslexic tattooist and has now got "Oylmpic Torch Bearer" tattooed on her probably had a lucky escape from a law suit.