Olympics 2012 - 16

CONDOM GATE

There has been much written about the “must use” only Olympic sponsors items at the Olympics, though judging by the number of luminous yellow NIKE shoes one sees the athletes running in on the track Adidas have right to be a little miffed. Now comes fresh news of trouble with the “Official Olympic Condom”

Don’t mess with the official condom of the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

That’s essentially the message being sent by LOCOG, the organizing committee of these games, after a bucket of unauthorized condoms was discovered in the Olympic Village.

Condom-gate came to light when Australian BMX cyclist Caroline Buchanan posted a photo of the bucket on her Twitter account, according to The Guardian newspaper.

The bucket was adorned with a sign bearing the message, “Kangaroos condoms, for the gland downunder," and a photo of a boxing kangaroo.

Organizers of the London Games, following a tradition started in Barcelona in 1992 and backed by the IOC, placed 150,000 free Durex condoms in dispensers for the more than 10,000 athletes competing this summer. Durex paid for the right to supply the condoms.

LOCOG officials are trying to determine how the Kangaroo condoms got into the athletes village, a spokeswoman told The Guardian. The condoms apparently came from Durex rivals Ansell Ltd., an Australian company, and Pasante, a private British firm.

The number of condoms supplied at London broke the record of 100,000 offered in Beijing four years ago. Organizers of the 2000 Sydney Games had to pull out an additional 20,000 condoms after the athletes worked their way through the initial allocation of 70,000.

Those who watched the women's vault final on Sunday probably saw American gymnastMcKayla Maroney visibly less than enthused about grabbing the silver medal in the competition. (We need not look further than Maroney appearing to snub a Russian competitor's congratulatory hug, which many interpreted as intentional.) Maroney is the defending world champion on the apparatus and was the favorite coming into the event following her seemingly flawless vault in the team final, so her dismay was understandable.

Now a meme involving a photo of Maroney on the medal stand that night with a begrudging look on her face is making inroads in the online humor community. It's even spawned its own Tumblr page. Here are some of our favorites of "McKayla is Not Impressed":

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Olympics 2012 - 15

From the Bronte's to the Brownlee's

As I spent my time at the Olympic stadium on Tuesday enjoying an atmosphere that seemed ready to irrupt into frenzy of British pride for the smallest reason, .just enjoying the wave of pride and emotion that is covering my country right now.

It was almost beyond my comprehension as the tidal wave of ran through the people like an giant Mexican wave through the stadium, around the surrounding venues, walk ways ad parks where hundreds of thousands cheered every event and athlete. Smiling faces of every age and from all 204 surrounding countries covered in flags of every nation fill a transport system that whizzes you to your Olympic destination seemingly before you can say “gold medal”.

Not just the audience are enjoying them selves, the picture of the athletes parting after their events fill the papers, Cameroon has seven athletes that have disappeared, seemingly wanting to stay in Britain.

In the velodrome the cycling completed with “team GB” as it is known winning more gold I every event except three events. Even in those three events two medals and a disqualification (while leading) showed British cyclist superiority. France (always the French) have winged about secret motors inside and the fact that Britain have specials “extra round wheels”... There was an article in the paper on Monday when something strange happened in the velodrome as another countries anthem was played instead of the of “God Save the Queen”, not by mistake but just for the first time in so many events GB had not won the gold.

Yorkshire is a large county in the North of England, home of Charlotte Bronte, location for Wothering Heights etc, sometimes called “Gods Own Country”. It is at no little pride for those living there that if that one county was a country they alone have one more gold medals than the countries such as Australia, France and Spain.

In amongst the success, there are a few athletes that have tried to compete while injured only to fail. The support I was witness to of a Mexican athlete in the woman's 5000mtrs receiving as the padded round the track way behind the rest of the field, like a rolling wave of thunder following in her around the track showing the encouragement that every watcher is seemingly there to provide.

In the final of the team horse show jumping a Brazilian rider had the seemingly every fence down, even a fence where one of the poles was knocked off by the wind he went on to almost demolish the rest of the fence.

Yesterday I was one of the crowd enjoying the quarter finals of the men's basketball, in a different location to my previous visitiation and another full of the nations from all part sof the world, where several of the planned thousand used basketballs were being slammed and dunked.

While the closing ceremony plans are well underway, based on London, and the history of British music with stars such as The Who and even the “Spice Girls” scheduled to appear (did I say stars) there is a sad note to type about. The scheduled reunion of “Take That” might now not take place after singer Gary Barlow might well not appear. Earlier this week, his expected fourth child was sadly “still born” something that obviously might be more important than appearing in the closing ceremony.

I have said before this whole Olympics is just making my so proud to be British, the trips to the stadium or what I have seen on the TV have only gone to fill my heart with this pride and overflowing exuberance for my homeland.

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dr

Olympics 2012 - 7

It isn't just Chris De Burgh who is going on about a "Lady In Red" it seems the Indian contingent in the Olympic parade are also crating a flap about "a lady in red".

It would seem that during the parade a lady wearing a red top which stood out in contrast to the Indian team's yellow saris or blue blazers, joined the parade and walked next to India's flag-bearer, wrestler Sushil Kumar.

It now turns out the woman who appeared in India's Olympic contingent in the opening ceremony was a cast member in the event, London 2012's

Seb Coe stated.

"She was a cast member who got "slightly over-excited".

Criticism has erupted as seats at the Olympic Games have been left empty and athletes have performed in front of less than capacity crowds from the first day of competition.

It tuns out most of these are down to sponsors and Olympic officials not turning up and the Olympic committee are following up to make some of these tickets available for the many who are still trying to attend an event.

Not that "scalpers" are making a profit. A German man and a Slovakian woman were charged Saturday by British police over alleged attempts to illegally resell tickets to the Olympic opening ceremony, while 16 others have been arrested in the last two days over similar offenses.

Scotland Yard said it had also detained 11 men on Saturday over suspected ticket fraud — two have been bailed while inquiries continue, one has been freed and eight are being questioned.

"My team has been working tirelessly to clamp down on ticket touts. We have been, and will continue to seek out and take robust action," Det. Supt. Nick Downing said.

"Ticket touting is illegal and is a clear exploitation of those who genuinely wish to experience the games first-hand," he said.

As CHRIS DE BURGH

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

The Dangers of a Public Library

This last week a very interesting article appeared "Across the Pond" which made me think exactly how dangerous can a "Public Library" be?

Camden Council in North London has apologized after a woman was refused the loan of a pair of scissors in a library because she might "stab a member of staff".

Lorna Watts, 26, a self-employed dressmaker, was turned down at "Holborn Library" in central London.

She said: "It's ridiculous - public libraries are supposed to be supportive of small businesses."

A spokeswoman for Camden Council, which runs the library, has apologized and said it would investigate the incident.

Ms Watts, said: "I asked why I couldn't borrow a pair of scissors and she said, 'they are sharp, you might stab me'.

"I then asked to borrow a guillotine to cut up my leaflets but she refused again - because she said I could hit her over the head with it!"

She added: "It's absurd - there are plenty of heavy books I could have hit her with if I wanted to."

"I hardly look very threatening - it's really sad she could not make a commonsense judgement."

This lady then visited another three libraries in North London only to have her request rejected in each of them.

A government Health and Safety Executive said there was no policy in place on lending sharp implements.

"People know their own workplaces and must carry out their own risk assessments", she said.

"But we do ask workplaces to take a common sense approach.

"This could be a case of someone misinterpreting the rules."

A Camden Council spokeswoman said: "We are sorry we have not reached our usual high standards. We will investigate fully as soon as possible."

So hand out the plastic scissors, take away the sharp pencils, and hide all the heavy books. It would seem at least in one part on London library's are dangerous places.

I wonder what would have happened if she'd have asked for a "glue gun"?

Barry





BARRY EVA (Storyheart)

Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
"Across the Pond"

STORYHEART SUNDAY UK BLOG

During this last week some announcements have been made regarding the Olympics so I thought I'd touch on some sporting events, as well and add some information about another UK phrase.

For those of you who do not know, the next Olympic Games will be held in London, well England, but the main arena's will be in London.

I hope to be able to attend taking as they are all within tube (Subway) ride from my family's house.

This this week it was announced that "Women’s Boxing is in the 2012 Olympic Games".
Let's hope they manage to sort out some of the "wonderful" scoring decisions before then.

At the same time it was announced that Golf and Rugby 7's will be in the 2016 games.

While I had doubts when tennis came back into the games, I also have the same feelings re Golf. It is not a team sport, and I can not see some of the golfers turning down a multimillion event, just so they can play at the Olympics. But we will see, the Ryder Cup manages it, so perhaps the Olympics will do the same.

I am however, really pleased to see the rugby 7's... not to be mistaken with the normal 15 a side game. The sport is already has a world wide tournament, with an atmosphere more like a circus. A little like the Beach Volley Ball with the music, but with people in the crowd dressing up and having fun. Currently teams from every continent taking part in the World 7's Tournaments, it is very exciting game and if you get a chance try to catch it on TV (Sentanta) if you get a chance.


This by the way is the 2012 Emblem.



Of course the USA are a little down that Softball and Baseball are out of the games, bun honestly... are they really "world sports"? And I mean world as in Globe not as in "World Series".

If you want to find out more about the 2012 games, check out

http://www.london2012.com


ENGLISH PHRASE:

The phrase 'daft as a brush' is used more so in the North of England than the south and describes "someone who is known to do and say silly things".

But where does it come from?

It seems that children were first used as sweeps since the skilled child was small and could easily work his way vertically through the confined space, clearing blockages and removing the build up of soot by hand. While in training the apprentice was sometimes dropped head first down the chimney which caused severe cerebral damage.




Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
Across the Pond
http://acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com/
http://across-t-pond.com


OTHER SUNDAY UK BLOGSABOUT

THE GRAND NATIONAL
WHY UK DRIVES ON THE LEFT
MOTHERS DAY ACROSS THE POND
ABOUT THE UNION JACK
ENGLISHMANS VIEW ON BASEBALL
WHAT IS BOXING DAY
BRITISH TV TRANSPLANTS
WHO WAS SAINT GEORGE?
BOBS YOUR UNCLE
SWEET FANNY ADAMS
EUROPE'S GOT TALENT - WELL PERHAPS
GOBSMACKED, BOBBIES AND AN ARM AND A LEG
BIG BEN... OR IS IT?
THE USA NEEDS A CITIZENS CHARTER
FROM CHARIOTS TO NASCAR
WHAT IS FATHERS DAY?

Storyhearts Sunday UK Blog - Big Ben... or is it?

Big Ben: London's Clock Tower

The 320 foot high Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is one of London's most popular monuments for any tourist or visitor. The nickname "BIG BEN" is often used to refer to the clock and the clock tower clock itself.

The name though actually relates to the main bell, officially known as the Great Bell, is the largest bell in the tower is better known by the nickname "Big Ben". The bell weighs over 13 tons, and was cast in 1858 at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in East London. To this day one of the largest bells they have ever cast. Big Ben was the largest bell in the British Isles until "Great Paul", a 17 tonne bell currently hung in St. Paul's Cathedral, was cast in 1881.

The original clock tower was built at Westminster in 1288. The present tower was raised as a part of Charles Barry's design for a new palace, after the old Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire on the night of 22 October 1834. Just two months later, Big Ben cracked. A lighter hammer was fitted and the bell rotated to present an undamaged section to the hammer.

The clock tower looks spectacular at night when the four clock faces are illuminated.
• Each dial is 23 feet square (2.13 square metres)
• Big Ben's minute hands are 14 feet long (4.26 metres)
• The figures on the face of Big Ben are two feet high (0.6 metres)

A special light above the clock faces is also illuminated, letting the public know when parliament is in session.

During the Second World War, the Palace of Westminster was hit by German bombing, on 10 May 1941, a bombing raid damaged two of the clockfaces and sections of the tower's stepped roof and destroyed the House of Commons chamber. Despite the heavy bombing the clock ran accurately and chimed throughout the Blitz.

The idiom of putting a penny on, with the meaning of slowing down, sprang from the method of fine-tuning the clock's pendulum.[11] On top of the pendulum is a small stack of old penny coins; these are to adjust the time of the clock. Adding or subtracting coins has the effect of minutely altering the position of the pendulum's center of mass, the effective length of the pendulum rod and hence the rate at which the pendulum swings. Adding or removing a penny will change the clock's speed by 0.4 second per day.

The chimes of Big Ben are known throughout the world, were first broadcast by the BBC on 31 December 1923, a tradition that continues to this day.





Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
Across the Pond
http://acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com/
http://across-t-pond.com


OTHER SUNDAY UK BLOGSABOUT

THE GRAND NATIONAL
WHY UK DRIVES ON THE LEFT
MOTHERS DAY ACROSS THE POND
ABOUT THE UNION JACK
ENGLISHMANS VIEW ON BASEBALL
WHAT IS BOXING DAY
BRITISH TV TRANSPLANTS
WHO WAS SAINT GEORGE?
BOBS YOUR UNCLE
SWEET FANNY ADAMS
EUROPE'S GOT TALENT - WELL PERHAPS
GOBSMACKED, BOBBIES AND AN ARM AND A LEG