more insanity at the ohLIMP-piks

[46zilzal]

Vancouver is experiencing some of the warmest temperatures on record on these dates EVER. It has rained steadily now for two weeks and has washed just about ALL the snow from several local Olympic venues with no change in site with trends expected to continue, at the same 50 degree level until Sunday. Slush anyone?

When you visit a city with which you are unfamiliar, is it best to have some informational guide to help you. Since the oh-LIMP-piks are causing several colleges to suspend classes, and most of these youngsters know the city very well, it would be logical to help these kids out and hire them for that month to help the visitors find out where to go and how. NO THAT IS TOO LOGICAL as the local news reports last night that if you call up the help line here, you will be talking to people (now get this as it's good) in FLORIDA. They really know their way around town!

The gross incompetence is criminal and it is going to be a laugher, that is to all except the people who actually WORK downtown and will have to go through what amounts to a police state each day. Many businesses are offering their employees either the option to work from home, or others are providing breakfast for those who come in very early ahead of the daily onslaught of travellers on our Sky Train.

This thing is becoming more of a disaster by the day.....

[Show Me the Wire]

Seems the citizens of Chicago knew what they were doing by opposing the City's bid for the Olympicgames. Maybe there is something to the wisdom of the crowd concept?

Enjoy Zilly.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Blechhh... that does sound pretty awful...

[rastajenk]

Seems the citizens of Chicago knew what they were doing by opposing the City's bid for the Olympicgames. Maybe there is something to the wisdom of the crowd concept?

Enjoy Zilly.Yeah, but they were just racist reactionaries. The peeps in Vancouver are more internationally savvy than us Yankees, yet somehow they got hoodwinked into hosting this. :rolleyes:

Almost totally unrelated, I lost interest in the spirit of the Olympics when they split the scheduling of the Winters and the Summers; too much Olympic saturation. You'd think they were run by horse-racing people or sumthin'.

[DJofSD]

Yeah, but they were just racist reactionaries. The peeps in Vancouver are more internationally savvy than us Yankees, yet somehow they got hoodwinked into hosting this. :rolleyes:

Almost totally unrelated, I lost interest in the spirit of the Olympics when they split the scheduling of the Winters and the Summers; too much Olympic saturation. You'd think they were run by horse-racing people or sumthin'.
For the traditionalist in all of us, a worthy event to look forward to: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/index.html

[Tom]

Huh?
If classes are suspended, wouldn't the FREE UP all those kids to focus on being guides? Seems like a good thing in that respect. Hard to attend class while driving tourists around town.

The weather? Can't fault anyone for that. Global Warming should have been expected, especially by YOU! :rolleyes: You should have known it would be warm.

So I don't see where the "disaster" comes in here.
Sounds like you're being obstinate here.

[illinoisbred]

Yeah, but they were just racist reactionaries. The peeps in Vancouver are more internationally savvy than us Yankees, yet somehow they got hoodwinked into hosting this. :rolleyes:

Almost totally unrelated, I lost interest in the spirit of the Olympics when they split the scheduling of the Winters and the Summers; too much Olympic saturation. You'd think they were run by horse-racing people or sumthin'.
No, not racist reactionaries. Those opposed just knew The Olympics were something we would be paying for forever. The corrupt nature of contract awarding in the city of Chicago and how this would have impacted everyone's wallet had most sane people scared. And afterall, anything that's good for Daley, Obama, and Winfrey, is bad for any working stiff.

[rastajenk]

There was a little sarcasm there....just a touche' :ThmbUp:

[Show Me the Wire]

I believe being opposed to an Obama plan generated the racism sarcasm comment. After all any opposition to Obama, is motivated by racism, according to many progressive types.

[xtb]

Warmest temperatures on record? Looks like Vancouver is having average or below average temps now and for the next week.


http://weatherbug.excite.com/World/Excite/WorldObservations.aspx?zcode=z4639&

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Vancouver

Only Cypress Mountain is experiencing problems.

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Warm-temperatures-rain-force-closure-of-key-Oly?urn=oly,213176

I don't think the sky is falling just yet zilly.

[Greyfox]

most of these youngsters know the city very well, it would be logical to help these kids out and hire them for that month to help the visitors find out where to go and how. NO THAT IS TOO LOGICAL ..

You and Tom are in agreement on this idea.
I don't think it's logical at all.
Most students know the routes they take to University or college.
They don't know much more.

Secondly there must be tens of thousands of students in Vancouver.
Are you saying that most of them know the city very well?
Doubtful. And how many would you hire? And with who's money?

This idea is a Duck that won't fly.

[Tom]

With God as my witness, I thought ducks could fly! ;)

[46zilzal]

Warmest temperatures on record? Looks like Vancouver is having average or below average temps now and for the next week.


I don't think the sky is falling just yet zilly.
You can quote that AVERAGE in years past stuff all you want, I am here witnessing the warmest January in 35 years as the news is reporting daily You know FIRST HAND and not through some ridiculous averaging?

Much akin to those dolts who average pace times

Students need the money ACTUALLY LIVE here and can reference many many things that a person in Florida would never know even with all the material in front of them.

[46zilzal]

One cannot make up what IS.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/amateur/story/2010/01/13/bc-cypress-mountain-closed-vancouver.html

[Greyfox]

Students need the money ACTUALLY LIVE here and can reference many many things that a person in Florida would never know even with all the material in front of them.

Of course students need money and if they are going to show people around I would presume that they actually live there. :bang:

But your logical suggestion doesn't provide us with

1. the logistics of how many students should be hired.

2. where the money is coming from.

Personally, I've never needed a guide to get around any city in North America or Europe.

[hazzardm]

From the Wiki link ....

The climate of Vancouver, British Columbia is a moderate oceanic climate (Koppen climate classification Cfb) tempered by the warm Japan Current. The city is also sheltered by the mountains of Vancouver Island, to the west. These influences contribute to making Vancouver the second warmest(after Victoria )of Canada's major cities overall, despite the fact summers are cooler than most other major cities.[1]

Sounds like a dumb idea to have Winter Olympics there in the first place ????

[46zilzal]

From the Wiki link ....

Sounds like a dumb idea to have Winter Olympics there in the first place ????
I agree 100% but MOST of the skiing is north and upwards of the almost sea-level community where is it usually, but not this week, much colder. At Whistler Village (about 40 miles up the coast and inland) where the majority of the BIG events will take place it is not so bad, but the local mountains are having the warming trouble.

[rastajenk]

You can quote that AVERAGE in years past stuff all you want, I am here witnessing the warmest January in 35 years as the news is reporting daily You know FIRST HAND and not through some ridiculous averaging? I was under the impression that "some ridiculous averaging" is the basis for the entire global warming claim.

[Steve 'StatMan']

IIRC there were warm weather problems when they held the Winter Olympics in Calgary as well some years ago.

[Tom]

In true GW tradition, zilly routinely adds a few degrees to all his readings. :lol:

[Rookies]

Vancouver is routinely praised as one of the world's top tourist destinations and rates in the Top 5-10 cities of the world. It has incredible natural beauty and an interesting multi cultural mix of people. For those who've never been, I highly recommend it.

BUT NOT DURING THE OLYMPICS !

Vancouverites have huge traffic probs even without the Olympics, which I'm down on. Yes, I don't mind seeing Canada win the Gold Medal in Hockey, but many of the other events leave me cold (figuratively) or are bizaare. The last true Olympics was probably when Jesse Owens humbled the master race in Munich.

Now:

* Who ISN'T on the juice in one way or another ?
* Could it be any more than 25% of the delegates who haven't been paid off for selecting the host site?
* Does every bootlicking politician show up at these things to shake some unctuous hands and get freebies ?
* Al Capone couldn't get more payola for the building, merchandise, housing and travel arrangements .
* And finally, where's Jean Drapeau when you need him ? He of the immortal line: "The Olympics can no more lose money than a man can have a baby. ":lol:

Notwithstanding... when the Chinese Commies got the "nod" over TO for the 2008 Summer Olympics, I was really pissed. I don't live 5km from the proposed Olympic site and had every intention of ca$hing in by renting my house for $10k for the whole thing and leaving town.. :mad:

[rastajenk]

:D Ain't that the 21st Century take on the Olympic Spirit. :D

[Greyfox]

I don't live 5km from the proposed Olympic site and had every intention of ca$hing in by renting my house for $10k for the whole thing and leaving town.. :mad:

If you do rent it, I hope the house is still there when you get home. :D

[bigmack]

Now:

* Who ISN'T on the juice in one way or another ?
* Could it be any more than 25% of the delegates who haven't been paid off for selecting the host site?
* Does every bootlicking politician show up at these things to shake some unctuous hands and get freebies ?
* Al Capone couldn't get more payola for the building, merchandise, housing and travel arrangements .
* And finally, where's Jean Drapeau when you need him ? He of the immortal line: "The Olympics can no more lose money than a man can have a baby.
Not to mention the the sentiments of Bryant Gumble:

"Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don’t like them and won’t watch them ... Because they’re so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. Try not to point out that something’s not really a sport if a pseudo-athlete waits in what’s called a kiss-and-cry area, while some panel of subjective judges decides who won ... So if only to hasten the arrival of the day they’re done, when we can move on to March Madness — for God’s sake, let the games begin."

[Greyfox]

Not to mention the the sentiments of Bryant Gumble:

The Olympics is color blind. Obviously Bryant "Grumble" isn't.
The best athletes at any winter sport go, regardless of race or creed.
Has he never heard of the Jamaican Bob Sled Team?
A movie was even made about them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica_national_bobsled_team

[Rookies]

Not to mention the the sentiments of Bryant Gumble:
THAT Gumble has always been a crusty curmudgeon that I'd decline having a beer with... always made it appear that something was wrong every day on the Today Show...

BUT...

for REAL Olympic spirit, let's get Pat Robertson's take!

I'm sure that despicable scumball subhuman feels that God's wrath should fall on something disastrous in Vancouver !

[Tom]

BUT...

for REAL Olympic spirit, let's get Pat Robertson's take!

I'm sure that despicable scumball subhuman feels that God's wrath should fall on something disastrous in Vancouver !

He says you guys have a snowball's chance in HELL of making any money! :lol:

[chickenhead]

well I do agree with Gumbo in part -- the fabled olympic spirit, imo, doesn't jibe all that well with an entire games whose foundation lies in special geography. Wrasslin, Runnin', Jumpin' and the like are universal, everybody does them. Snow sports just aren't. What's a banana republic without snow to do? It's no wonder who dominates the Winter Olympics, the places that have lots of Winter....

And anything decided solely by a judge doesn't belong, it just isn't the same. It's something, and it may be great and wonderful and awesome, but it isn't the same as a foot race.

all that said, who cares. I like the Winter Olympics. Bring back Alberto Tomba!

[chickenhead]

take a sport like bobsled. Who has ever even seen a bobsled, much less ever tried hurtling down a frozen chute in one? 0.0001% of the human population, maybe? I may be the greatest bobsledder of all-time, some kind of freakish new prototype -- beats me. I KNOW I'm not the fastest runner in the world, or the highest jumper, or the best swimmer.

But curling? Give me a broom and some ice, who knows, I might be a terror. I'll never know. :D

[NJ Stinks]

Gumble nailed it pretty good. Not that I'm a big fan of his anymore. Maybe he's just pissed at NBC still after all these years.

Anyway, I enjoyed the GOP shot! :lol: