Morning guys and gals. I realise this topic isn't to everyone's taste, but since they are here I think there is a good opportunity to comment. I was prompted to start this because I was thinking that with my current employment situation (i.e. lack of), I would not be considered for a job with one of the Olympics-related organisations due to my lack of "relevant experience" etc. On the other hand, I do know what the North Korean flag looks like! It occurs to me that in true modern industry style, the boss of whoever made that mistake is also likely to get whatever bonus is going if anything in their team/division goes right, but will find some lowly employee to blame for this huge cock-up and fail to take responsibility. Seriously though, I can't think of a much more stupid mistake to make and if you're going to get one country in the world wrong, I can't think of a worse country to get wrong!
Short answer: It's the way of the World unfortunately. I must admit I find it ridiculous that G4S and other employers for the Olympics are still trying to fill vacancies when there's so many unemployed who I'm sure could do the job with the right training. Unfortunately, despite all the talk of legacy, with so much spent on the big party tonight and other nonsense, no one seems to be able to afford/want to train up the thousands of jobseekers that would love an opportunity to get back into work. Anyway, is anyone going to the Olympics/Paralympics? I didn't get any tickets that I went for so I decided to go to the Paralympics instead of some obscure sport doesn't make any sense to me, plus this way I get to go to the proper stadium before West Ham ruin it.
Employment is just ****ed in general in this country. I do interviews occasionally, but only after the candidate has got through 1 screening process. Then number of people we get who are just incapable is amazing. I know there are people out there who can do the job, and are jobless. I meet them through friends occasionallly but they must be screening the decent people out for some reason. Vimhawk, i don't know you but i'd rank you above some of the people we get through. You can write for 1 Anyway, off to team GB on sunday. Only ticket i managed to get for the olympics. Live a bus journey from the olympic park and couldn't even get a park ticket (for a weekend, no work holiday left)
Getting the North Korea flag wrong with the South Korea flag is unreal. I just hope if Germany win any golds that they put up the right German flag and not the 1935-45 version.
I hope they do! And while they are at it, how about mixing the Israel and Iran flags, India and Pakistan and the US and Canada. Then everyone will be pissed with us!
"!" is the only response to that. Mind you, to the North Koreans, the South Korean flag is probably just as offensive. I think they are still technically at war!
Don't mention the war.......Wouldn't it be brilliant if we got John Cleese to light the olympic flame.
Frankie Boyle on Twitter: Lucky the North Korea team walked off the pitch before the national anthem as Glasgow had cued up the music from the Bodyform advert
The farce hasn't even begun, and already they've pissed off a country with a nuclear arsenal. It's not like their flags are even similar, like in the 2002 World Cup where the South Korean orginisers confused the Irish flag for Italy's... please log in to view this image
I don't normally use clichés, but one I think generally works is "it is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious". The people concerned probably had dozens of manuals that they used to get ISO 9001 certification or something similar, containing explicit and detailed instructions on how to deal with numerous extremely unlikely and complicated scenarios. I'm guessing none of them included something like, "when told to get a flag graphic, ensure that the graphic is the correct flag"... but even then it probably wouldn't have made a difference as the person that compiled the slide probably didn't even know there were two Korean flags!
It's impossible to make things foolproof when fools are in charge of the operation. It's the buck-passing that's notable - they tried to blame G4S for the security fiasco, until it transpired G4S were under instruction to pay £8 an hour, when the national average for that job is £10 an hour. People tried to blame the Scots for the flag cock-up, even though the graphics were from LOCOG themselves. Not sure who they'll blame for spectators at the back of the Aquatics Centre being unable to see due to the concave roof, or for Hampden running out of pies before the Spain/Japan game, but they'll try and blame someone else for that as well...
The designer is actually blaming LOCOG for the roof. "Locog approved the sightline studies and seating layouts over two years ago." - Zaha Hadid And it's too hot in there, so the swimmers are saying. That'll be the sun's fault.
Today's gaffe: what does "unticketed" mean to you? To me, like others who turned up at the archery qualifying at Lords today is that it means tickets are not required. But no, apparently it means that it means tickets are not available and no members of the public are admitted. Anyone think of checking that the word they use could be misinterpreted?
Yeah, terrible wording what was wrong with "closed session", "media access only", or one of hundreds of other wordings that are clearer. Apparently if you called up you might have been told it was a free event just to turn up for too.
Was I the only one watching the ceremony in the pub and occasionally wondering whether people were trying to sneak in the odd fictional country? Nauru? Really? Tuvalu? Are you sure? Vanuatu? No, seriously? Karibati? Now I know you're taking the piss. I'm starting to think that the Aussies and Kiwis are making some of these up to get their mates from the pub into the games. This is from someone who recognised virtually all of the single digit represented nations, by the way. Djibouti, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia... no problem. Palau? Ok, that's a new one, I must admit.
I'm always interested how there can be more teams than members of the UN. Goodness knows what the "unaffiliated" group is for. I've been cynical in this thread, but impressed with opening ceremony. After Beijing I thought we were going for a hiding to nothing trying to do something with a fraction of the manpower and budget but kudos to Danny Boyle.
Who had the bright idea that, for a track and field event, the best idea would be to erect a whacking great flaming cauldron in the middle of the field?
