It seems that much of the construction work, in preparing Athens for the forthcoming Olympic Games, is showing signs of being finished on time.
However, one area of Athens is taking its preparations close to the wire.
It is reported that in Maroussi (a suburb of Athens), there is much left to be done; as its streets are dug up, and replaced with cobbles. The centre of the town still, according to reports, resembles a construction site.
The rationale for this face change comes from the local council, who wish to "pedestrianise" the centre.
The trouble is, apart from the work being behind schedule, it seems that no one bothered to ask the 70000 local inhabitants what they thought of the idea.
The nickname of the area was paradise, residents are now mourning "paradise lost".
Saturday, July 17, 2004
Friday, July 16, 2004
Doing It Large
The organisers of the Olympics 2004, which are being held in Athens in less than a month, are taking the security threat seriously.
It is reported that NATO's entire Mediterranean naval fleet will be assigned to protect the Olympics.
The NATO fleet will work alongside the Greek navy, to keep an eye on the Greek coastline and sealanes during the Games.
More than 12 frigates, destroyers and other assorted vessels will be deployed.
It is reported that NATO's entire Mediterranean naval fleet will be assigned to protect the Olympics.
The NATO fleet will work alongside the Greek navy, to keep an eye on the Greek coastline and sealanes during the Games.
More than 12 frigates, destroyers and other assorted vessels will be deployed.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Dog Day Afternoon
It seems that the Olympics 2004, which are being held in Athens, may not be universally popular.
It is reported that 15000 stray dogs may be poisoned, before the start of the Olympic Games on the 13th of August.
The reason for this mass poisoning is one of aesthetics. It appears that the Greek authorities don't want visitors to see stray dogs befouling the immaculate city of Athens.
The rationale, according to reports, is that the authorities wish to portray Greece as a civilised place.
In my view, a measure of a society's civilisation is how that society treats its fellow living creatures. Poisoning them en masse, does not seem to me to be terribly civilised.
It is reported that 15000 stray dogs may be poisoned, before the start of the Olympic Games on the 13th of August.
The reason for this mass poisoning is one of aesthetics. It appears that the Greek authorities don't want visitors to see stray dogs befouling the immaculate city of Athens.
The rationale, according to reports, is that the authorities wish to portray Greece as a civilised place.
In my view, a measure of a society's civilisation is how that society treats its fellow living creatures. Poisoning them en masse, does not seem to me to be terribly civilised.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Power Down
Athens, which will host the Olympics 2004 in August, suffered an enormous power blackout yesterday.
Needless to say it caused chaos as far as the eye could see.
Although the power came back on in Athens about 20 minutes after it went down, other parts of Greece were blacked out for 4 hours. The minister for transport experienced the blackout first hand, as he was testing the new rail link between the airport and Athens.
The main theory is that excess demand caused the outage.
The question is, will the system cope with the demand during the Olympic Games?
Needless to say it caused chaos as far as the eye could see.
Although the power came back on in Athens about 20 minutes after it went down, other parts of Greece were blacked out for 4 hours. The minister for transport experienced the blackout first hand, as he was testing the new rail link between the airport and Athens.
The main theory is that excess demand caused the outage.
The question is, will the system cope with the demand during the Olympic Games?
Monday, July 12, 2004
Megalomania
In a splendidly absurd example of megalomania, the Olympic organisers have issued a decree that prohibits groups of people attending the forthcoming Olympic Games in Athens if they wear T shirts and other clothing bearing the logos of companies or organisations that are not sponsoring the event.
The theory is that they want to keep the Games clear of advertising.
Umm...a few points here guys (addressed to the Olympic organisers), just to clarify my understanding of the rules:
1 What constitutes a group? 20 people sitting together, or 20 people sitting apart?
2 Why can people wearing the logos of the sponsors attend the Games en masse? This constitutes advertising does it not?
3 What gives you the right to dictate to people what they will wear?
4 Define non sponsor; eg does the wearing of a T shirt with an NGO logo constitute a breach of the rules?
5 There are 3 million unsold tickets for the Games, does this restriction help the sales of tickets?
The Games organisers claim to be protecting the Games from commercialisation. I suspect that the reality is that one or more of the official sponsors, fearful of a poor turnout for these Games, have "strongarmed" the organisers and forced them into issuing this absurd ruling.
My advice to people attending the Games is to go along wearing identical T shirts, hats, bags anything you can find that does not have an official sponsor logo; to show how absurd the ruling is.
The theory is that they want to keep the Games clear of advertising.
Umm...a few points here guys (addressed to the Olympic organisers), just to clarify my understanding of the rules:
1 What constitutes a group? 20 people sitting together, or 20 people sitting apart?
2 Why can people wearing the logos of the sponsors attend the Games en masse? This constitutes advertising does it not?
3 What gives you the right to dictate to people what they will wear?
4 Define non sponsor; eg does the wearing of a T shirt with an NGO logo constitute a breach of the rules?
5 There are 3 million unsold tickets for the Games, does this restriction help the sales of tickets?
The Games organisers claim to be protecting the Games from commercialisation. I suspect that the reality is that one or more of the official sponsors, fearful of a poor turnout for these Games, have "strongarmed" the organisers and forced them into issuing this absurd ruling.
My advice to people attending the Games is to go along wearing identical T shirts, hats, bags anything you can find that does not have an official sponsor logo; to show how absurd the ruling is.
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Banquo's Ghost
Oh dear, some people refuse to move on.
It is reported that Ben Johnson, the sprinter who was kicked out of the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988, claims that everybody was on drugs at those Olympics.
He blames his country, Canada, for not supporting him. In his view everyone else was "doing it", and their countries knew full well what was going on.
Whether the allegation is true or not, those Games were 16 years ago; it is time to move on and get on with your life Ben.
However, it may now be time for the International Olympic Committee to consider mandatory drug testing for all the athletes competing in the Olympic Games. The Games will only survive if their reputation is beyond reproach. Accusations such as this, do much harm to the reputation of the Games and the athletes competing.
It is reported that Ben Johnson, the sprinter who was kicked out of the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988, claims that everybody was on drugs at those Olympics.
He blames his country, Canada, for not supporting him. In his view everyone else was "doing it", and their countries knew full well what was going on.
Whether the allegation is true or not, those Games were 16 years ago; it is time to move on and get on with your life Ben.
However, it may now be time for the International Olympic Committee to consider mandatory drug testing for all the athletes competing in the Olympic Games. The Games will only survive if their reputation is beyond reproach. Accusations such as this, do much harm to the reputation of the Games and the athletes competing.
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