Olympinonsense

[Anna]

Perhaps we could invite more interesting/thrilling/amusing continuations of this passage.'...a hopelessly exaggerated sense of his abilities and a concomitant belief - possibly more justified - in the gullibility of politicians and civil servants'

Very good Northender! I'm sure there will be very good suggestions.

However, thinking back to the interview on Today, Mr. Buckles was repeatedly asked if anyone from Locog had phoned up to enquire 'Everything alright? Are we all good?' and (from memory) he said Yes, Locog were in the loop. Looking now at the various transcripts of the interview in the newspapers the name of Locog seems to not be featured. Surely they in effect sub-contracted this to G4S and therefore had overall responsibility for the ensuing shambles?

Seb Coe is saying more troops will be needed. However, today I have learnt that the Welsh Cavalry and our 1st Rifles are now on standby to be brought in!! Londoners - you can sleep easy in your beds knowing that the Games will be guarded by the Welsh

[Lateralthinking1]

What do we know of Nick Buckles? Well, he has been the group chief executive of G4S since July 2005. This is not the first time he has cost G4S money after the company failed in a costly bid he put in place to take over cleaning giant ISS. Despite this setback he took home £5.3m last year, although he lost his bonus.

The son of a dinner lady and a policeman, Buckles was lured into a graduate scheme at Securicor - which later merged into G4S - by the offer of a company Ford Escort. According to various interviews he has given, he is a marathon-running West Ham fan whose favourite film is Sexy Beast, but admits: "I can't say I have ever read a book." His favourite music is Van de Graaf Generator.

In 2010 he said he had never wanted to work for anyone other than G4S. Perhaps he'll now have to seek a new employer?

Interesting. When I heard that the chief executive of G4S was called Nick Buckles, I realised immediately that had I been asked beforehand to guess what the name of the chief executive of G4S was, I would have said Nick Buckles.

I now realise that had I been asked to write a pen picture of an individual unknown to me called Nick Buckles who was the chief executive of G4S, it would have been, word for word, identical to the actual pen picture of Nick Buckles above.

I know that he has been interviewed on every news programme. Can we be sure that he exists in reality?

(But to play your game Anna, add fluffy dice, a shell suit, a real van der graaf generator and a meat cleaver)

[Petrushka]

Any sports events ... that needs 27500 assorted security staff and some ground to air missiles is a nonsense.

Oh how I agree with this! Has the world gone completely bonkers?

[Frances_iom]

maybe 1st Para are also available - excellent with crowds apparently

[Lateralthinking1]

Oh how I agree with this! Has the world gone completely bonkers?

Yes. I recommend David Starkey's comments - actually, rant - on Any Questions.

Kenley Airfield is ten minutes from here. It is in eye direction beyond the houses opposite and a steep slope downwards to a valley road, then a steep wooded slope upwards from the valley on the other side and just behind the trees on the horizon.

The Croydon newspapers informed us in February that it was likely to be turned into, quote, an "anti-terror base" for the Olympics with a defence radar positioned there to detect incoming terrorists' aircraft. No mention was made of surface to air missiles. We were left to wonder whether they would simply be on the roofs of assorted London tower blocks or stationed there too.

Since then, silence in the press and nothing from Boris or the Council. However, The Skywaves.Net, a local amateur site, says

"23 June 2012 - KAFG/RAFA RAF Kenley Airfield CatRad SES GX0SCP/Palso".

It then explains in crystal clear terms (not!) that, quote:

'Due to the Ofcom 2012 London Olympic Games Frequency Restrictions GB7CIP/GB7CR Node Port 432.625MHz and 432.675MHz GB7CP Node Port 432.625MHz link to GB7CIP which cover Surrey and London Home Counties have had to be switched off to comply with these regulations. If you are now unable to access GB7CIP network services via Wireless, from the 2metre and 70cm frequencies. G4APL apologies for any inconvenience caused, which are outside our control."

It also explains that on 19 August 2012 there will be a commemoration of Kenley Airfield's Hardest Day, 18 August 1940, (to date??) so it really is anyone's guess. Assume we will just have to wait to see which bits of transport crash through the loft.

What with that, recent excavation work by neighbours and all the talk of the Aylesbury Estate and the Shard, I had a nightmare two nights ago. I opened the curtains and couldn't see beyond the houses across the road. Instead our road had been replaced by a 50 foot crater and in the gardens immediately behind the houses opposite were rockets about 300 feet high like tower blocks all ready to fire aircraft out of the sky. I suppose I expect a peaceful games but it doesn't half feel like the coming of war.

[Anna]

Yes. I recommend David Starkey's comments - actually, rant - on Any Questions.
I suppose I expect a peaceful games but it doesn't half feel like the coming of war.

I must catch up with Any Questions although D. Starkey does go OTT at the slightest push of his buttons. Going out early this morning, all the talk was about the G4S fiasco and how everyone here really expected the worse, that London would get a terrorist hit and that the whole structure of the games was slowly unravelling ...... I really hope that's not true and that it will be a success not least because it would be such an embarrassment to be British and involved in such a fiasco. I now see the beds in the Olympic Village are only 5'8" long and so the American athletes are staying at London hotels ....... what more can go wrong? Who, actually, is in charge of The Greatest Show on Earth?

[Lateralthinking1]

Who, actually, is in charge of The Greatest Show on Earth?

Jeremy, Tessa, Boris and Sebastian.

Can't help feeling that Wayne, Doris, Bert and Leroy would have done it better.

[Serial_Apologist]

Jeremy, Tessa, Boris and Sebastian.

Can't help feeling that Wayne, Doris, Bert and Leroy would have done it better.

Ah, so it's the anti-Hunt saboteurs that all this security is for, then...

[Northender]

I must catch up with Any Questions although D. Starkey does go OTT at the slightest push of his buttons. Going out early this morning, all the talk was about the G4S fiasco and how everyone here really expected the worse, that London would get a terrorist hit and that the whole structure of the games was slowly unravelling ...... I really hope that's not true and that it will be a success not least because it would be such an embarrassment to be British and involved in such a fiasco. I now see the beds in the Olympic Village are only 5'8" long and so the American athletes are staying at London hotels ....... what more can go wrong? Who, actually, is in charge of The Greatest Show on Earth?

The mice, of course ... just ask Messrs Dent and Prefect - or Marvin the Paranoid Android, if he's managed to get those diodes down his left side fixed.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That'll do, Slartibartfast: you can go now!

[Northender]

There's an infinite probability the whole thing will end up costing a Trillion.

[Osborn]

However, today I have learnt that the Welsh Cavalry and our 1st Rifles are now on standby to be brought in!! Londoners - you can sleep easy in your beds knowing that the Games will be guarded by the Welsh...

...threatening people with leeks and throwing daffodils at suspected terrorists and interrogating them with non stop chatter? Now if you'd said you were sending the Pontypool front row...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

There's an infinite probability the whole thing will end up costing a Trillion.

[handsomefortune]

I recommend David Starkey's comments - actually, rant - on Any Questions.

i heard that too..iirc starkey will 'rejoice' if the 'erection' that now inhabits greenwich park, in preparation for the olympic equestrian events, 'buggers the whole olympics'.......

this went down surprisingly well with the aq audience. presumably, not least because it mirrored levels of frustration, sheer disgust generally. though as usual, starkey was just grandstanding, but it was pleasant just to experience dimblebee in compromised ditheriness. later, utterly predictably, starkey was an utter disgrace, poo poohing the leveson inquiry etc. his florid descriptions used to illustrate his 'reasons to rejoice', were in marked contrast to the dad who phoned up aa later, to complain about his qualified/trained daughter receiving no reply whatsoever from g4s, on applying for a vacancy. unfortunately, dad let slip a 'crap' during his frustrated telephone call. he was instantly admonished by the annoying new woman chairing aa. having thoroughly checked the latest tweets, she cooed 'but i can tell you next week's guests' as though this routine info were 'top secret', and she was doing us all a huge, special favour. where does the beeb find these patronising sychophants ...or do they train them up especially? (as ever, dimblbee had already concluded aq, as he always does, with next week's venue info and guests)!

the woman who mentioned that 'the olympics were 'thoroughly worthwhile' in line with jeremy chunt's thoughts, initially sounded as though she had the perfect ace up her sleeve. only for listeners to feel thoroughly crest fallen and typically excluded by that old favourite, the generational chasm: the olympics are allegedly 'good for primary schools'. children apparently get to learn about geography, and 'people from other places'. all well and good, if there was a scarcity of 'people from other places'. but coupled with the basics of northender's 'trillion prediction', as regards the olympinonsense cost, a trillion pounds invested into education would improve primary age geography, and understanding of 'other' cultures enormously. ....... so, imv her rationale was actually just the usual divisive sop, that long since ceases to impress. but it may look good on her cv.

I suppose I expect a peaceful games but it doesn't half feel like the coming of war.

well that's only to be expected as we've had more than a decade of war of course. but imv the olympics are now being presented to us in the very context of war, rather than a sporting competition.

this strategy is presumably because the threat of war cancels all sense of democracy, order, and sponsorship of fizzy drinks and burgers. a handy distraction, especially if you have employed a very disordered bunch of 'thrifty' amateurs to organise olympic 'safety'. imv olympinonsense media 'news' ricochets between various types of chaos: real and fake terrorfication threats..and the news of new migrant participation on the cheap + tabloid land. readers will doubtless put 17 and 3 together, and arrive at a thoroughly displaced & offended trillion. nevertheless, evidence of this strategy's success was that it obviously worked remarkably well on the obligatory fragile gran that phoned in, suggesting she'd 'like the army in charge'. she might not be disappointed on that one, as (what's left of it) might well be 'in charge', along with g4s... and permanently. what fragile gran doesn't realise is that, due to shortages, she might well be a recruit herself. so, don't worry about things 'crashing through the loft' lat - that worry only plays into g4s's hands, not to mention those who employed them!

[Lateralthinking1]

I recommend David Starkey's comments - actually, rant - on Any Questions.

i heard that too..iirc starkey will 'rejoice' if the 'erection' that now inhabits greenwich park, in preparation for the olympic equestrian events, 'buggers the whole olympics'.......

this went down surprisingly well with the aq audience. presumably, not least because it mirrored levels of frustration, sheer disgust generally. though as usual, starkey was just grandstanding, but it was pleasant just to experience dimblebee in compromised ditheriness. later, utterly predictably, starkey was an utter disgrace, poo poohing the leveson inquiry etc. his florid descriptions used to illustrate his 'reasons to rejoice', were in marked contrast to the dad who phoned up aa later, to complain about his qualified/trained daughter receiving no reply whatsoever from g4s, on applying for a vacancy. unfortunately, dad let slip a 'crap' during his frustrated telephone call. he was instantly admonished by the annoying new woman chairing aa. having thoroughly checked the latest tweets, she cooed 'but i can tell you next week's guests' as though this routine info were 'top secret', and she was doing us all a huge, special favour. where does the beeb find these patronising sychophants ...or do they train them up especially? (as ever, dimblbee had already concluded aq, as he always does, with next week's venue info and guests)!

the woman who mentioned that 'the olympics were 'thoroughly worthwhile' in line with jeremy chunt's thoughts, initially sounded as though she had the perfect ace up her sleeve. only for listeners to feel thoroughly crest fallen and typically excluded by that old favourite, the generational chasm: the olympics are allegedly 'good for primary schools'. children apparently get to learn about geography, and 'people from other places'. all well and good, if there was a scarcity of 'people from other places'. but coupled with the basics of northender's 'trillion prediction', as regards the olympinonsense cost, a trillion pounds invested into education would improve primary age geography, and understanding of 'other' cultures enormously. ....... so, imv her rationale was actually just the usual divisive sop, that long since ceases to impress. but it may look good on her cv.

I suppose I expect a peaceful games but it doesn't half feel like the coming of war.

well that's only to be expected as we've had more than a decade of war of course. but imv the olympics are now being presented to us in the very context of war, rather than a sporting competition.

this strategy is presumably because the threat of war cancels all sense of democracy, order, and sponsorship of fizzy drinks and burgers. a handy distraction, especially if you have employed a very disordered bunch of 'thrifty' amateurs to organise olympic 'safety'. imv olympinonsense media 'news' ricochets between various types of chaos: real and fake terrorfication threats..and the news of new migrant participation on the cheap + tabloid land. readers will doubtless put 17 and 3 together, and arrive at a thoroughly displaced & offended trillion. nevertheless, evidence of this strategy's success was that it obviously worked remarkably well on the obligatory fragile gran that phoned in, suggesting she'd 'like the army in charge'. she might not be disappointed on that one, as (what's left of it) might well be 'in charge', along with g4s... and permanently. what fragile gran doesn't realise is that, due to shortages, she might well be a recruit herself. so, don't worry about things 'crashing through the loft' lat - that worry only plays into g4s's hands, not to mention those who employed them!

Excellent post hf. I really enjoyed it as it vividly brought the programmes to life again and many of our feelings coincided.

Following my complaints to the authorities, they have now finally done something. Under the Rights of the Elderly to Work Act, Fragile Gran has been positioned in a stealth bomber just above my guttering. My security will only now be an issue on 5 August when she will be in London enjoying the synchronised swimming.