Smokin Joe
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
The Olympic flame.....what's all that about?????
- Thread starter slowmotion
- Start date
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MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
when it came through Lancaster it was absolutely pi$$ing it down.... the route was lined with hundreds of junior school kids, some of whom arrived a good 90 minutes before the torch did, the poor things. I however stood in a nice dry office, watching everybody else get drenched... I was fun I guess. We didn't get much work done.
what was utterly disappointing was just how short a distance some of the 'runners' carried the torch for. There was a handover outside my office and the next handover was about 200 meters down the road, where the torch 'stopped for a rest'!!
what was utterly disappointing was just how short a distance some of the 'runners' carried the torch for. There was a handover outside my office and the next handover was about 200 meters down the road, where the torch 'stopped for a rest'!!
Night Train
Maker of Things
- Location
- Greater Manchester
We had our own 'torch' moment today.
I needed a couple of kitchen items...
And ended up with this....
I needed a couple of kitchen items...
And ended up with this....
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
I love Matt!
I'm pretty cynical about it all myself, but that didn't stop me detouring a couple of hundred yards on the way to work the morning it left York in order to see it outside the Minster. I saw it, but was more impressed by the fact that the Minster Carrillon bells were playing the theme from Chariots of Fire.
My sister took my nephews to see it, and they had an exciting time waving flags. I don't suppose they had any idea what was going on, they just had fun, like they did at the jubilee street party they went to. We just need more times to have fun like that, carnivals and so on. There doesn't have to be a reason, apart from getting people together.
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
Oh dear, if I'd known I was going to pose like that, I'd have worn my skinnier jeans and teeshirt! Honestly, I look spherical. And I'm not, only a little ovoid.
Fnaar
Smutmaster General
- Location
- Thumberland
Another way to re-create the torch experience is to set fire to a cheese grater and run down the road. People will stare, and enter into the spirit. Maybe.
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Andrew_Culture
Internet Marketing bod
- Location
- The People's Republic Of Suffolk.
Replace the cheese grater for a can of tenants super and the flame with a Rothams and that's a standard foot passenger on my street. Nobody stares.
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
I saw a kid the other day walking home, with a torch he'd made at school, a cone of gold paper with tissue paper strip 'flames' stuck to the top.
He was parrying it like a light sabre
He was parrying it like a light sabre
TonyEnjoyD
Guru
- Location
- Newcastle upon Tyne
I suppose it's about perspective.
Personally I am totally underwhelmed with the Lympics and the likes of Will.i.am carrying is a total bloody farce.
My neice, however, was given the opportunity to carry the torch for 500 metres in Newcatle.
She's a straight A's student and on course to train as a doctor. Unfortunately at 17 she had a brain bleed causing a stroke and facial & left hand side paralysis.
She spent 5 months in a rehab unit to learn to walk and attain sufficient dexterity and still has to continually work hard to regain full mobility.
She also had multiple operations to replace facial muscle and nerve to be able to smile again.
She was chosen as young person of he year by he stroke assoc. and through that was nominated to carry the olympic torch. She saw this as the icing on the cake of her recovery.
She is re-sitting her a-levels as she only got a B+ and an A in two of her crucial subjects to get into medical school.
To be involved in the Olympic torch relay is something that has given her the Focus and determination to drive herself to achieve her goals.
So...there is some good coming of this in my eyes.
Personally I am totally underwhelmed with the Lympics and the likes of Will.i.am carrying is a total bloody farce.
My neice, however, was given the opportunity to carry the torch for 500 metres in Newcatle.
She's a straight A's student and on course to train as a doctor. Unfortunately at 17 she had a brain bleed causing a stroke and facial & left hand side paralysis.
She spent 5 months in a rehab unit to learn to walk and attain sufficient dexterity and still has to continually work hard to regain full mobility.
She also had multiple operations to replace facial muscle and nerve to be able to smile again.
She was chosen as young person of he year by he stroke assoc. and through that was nominated to carry the olympic torch. She saw this as the icing on the cake of her recovery.
She is re-sitting her a-levels as she only got a B+ and an A in two of her crucial subjects to get into medical school.
To be involved in the Olympic torch relay is something that has given her the Focus and determination to drive herself to achieve her goals.
So...there is some good coming of this in my eyes.
Beebo
Firm and Fruity
- Location
- Hexleybeef
[QUOTE 1944216, member: 45"]I share your confusion.
The torch is kept lit in a number (4 I think) of miner's lamps, to give redundancy if one or two go out.What would happen if the bloke responsible for carrying the box of lamps woke up to find they'd all gone out? No-one in their right mind would own up. They'd just get a lighter out wouldn't they?[/quote]
In Barcelona they went through the process of getting the flame from Greece and trailing it round spain, only for the archer to overshoot the target and the flame was lit by remote control.
The torch is kept lit in a number (4 I think) of miner's lamps, to give redundancy if one or two go out.What would happen if the bloke responsible for carrying the box of lamps woke up to find they'd all gone out? No-one in their right mind would own up. They'd just get a lighter out wouldn't they?[/quote]
In Barcelona they went through the process of getting the flame from Greece and trailing it round spain, only for the archer to overshoot the target and the flame was lit by remote control.
what's all that about?????
There is an old Norwegian saying which is something like "a cow does not remember it ever was a calf". The question raised above reminds me about someone here not remembering they were kids some years/decades/a century ago. For kids and the open minded with kids like curiosity and ability to look at the world with open eyes (yes, not all of them are detained in hospitals under to the Mental Health Act), the Olympic flame thing has been brilliant and will be one of the best memories from their childhood. A large percentage of the Brits are children and children-like. Good memories they will live on for the rest of their lives and which will carry them through all the tragedies adulthood will bring them. All of us has been through our tragedies. For example; loosing our parents. Parents which were holding the kids hands when the Olympic flame passed through their village and towns. The Olympic flame is all about creating memories. The kids will remember the Olympic flame passing through the street some meter from them, but not remember Victoria Pendleton winning Olympic gold one month later.
And btw. Cows does remember they were calves. That's why they sometimes dances around like calves. Not with particular grace, it has to be said.
There is an old Norwegian saying which is something like "a cow does not remember it ever was a calf". The question raised above reminds me about someone here not remembering they were kids some years/decades/a century ago. For kids and the open minded with kids like curiosity and ability to look at the world with open eyes (yes, not all of them are detained in hospitals under to the Mental Health Act), the Olympic flame thing has been brilliant and will be one of the best memories from their childhood. A large percentage of the Brits are children and children-like. Good memories they will live on for the rest of their lives and which will carry them through all the tragedies adulthood will bring them. All of us has been through our tragedies. For example; loosing our parents. Parents which were holding the kids hands when the Olympic flame passed through their village and towns. The Olympic flame is all about creating memories. The kids will remember the Olympic flame passing through the street some meter from them, but not remember Victoria Pendleton winning Olympic gold one month later.
And btw. Cows does remember they were calves. That's why they sometimes dances around like calves. Not with particular grace, it has to be said.
soulful dog
Veteran
- Location
- Glasgow
Pretty much sums it up... how many people knew or cared about a torch relay at the Olympics before this year?
However, while I think it's a load of rubbish, find it bizarre that people like Will.i.am are torch bearers and think the fact that it's not a single torch that is being carried around and instead everyone gets one to keep (and consequently loads of people have been selling them and their Olympic torch bearer tracksuits on ebay), it is worth remembering that for some people to be involved as a torch bearer, it's a great thing. As TonyEnjoyD's post shows.
[QUOTE 1945569, member: 76"]I think it's very disappointing that so many people are knocking the flame and the Olympics being in the UK. It's a marvellous thing.
I don't seem to hear complaints of the Cycling World Champs being in the UK. The whole nonsense around the cost, a lot of you doubters are very clever people, you all know that the money would not simply be diverted elsewhere if not into the Olympics. Does anyone think that the country would be awash with nurses, policemen, and new schools and hospitals if we were not hosting the games? Of course not.
As for the whole sponsorship garbage, how many of you 'we must not have sponsorship, it's the Devils own money' spouters are going to turn their backs on the first British Tour winner? After all he is sponsored entirely by big business, Sky, Pinarello, Oakley, Gatorade etc etc Of course none of you are!
Maybe you should just all be thankful that the games coming to London has given you something else to moan about. Now, why not get behind the athletes, of all nations, and let's have a fortnight celebrating success and outstanding sporting achievement.[/quote]
Montreal was paying back the debts for the 1976 Olympics from it's general taxation pool and special taxes on tobacco and other products.until 2006.
The Olympics are a massive loss from the start, especially as they do not include roads, infrastructure etc.
So the present Olympic budget may not be diverted form Hospitals and Police etc, but the debt payments for the next 30 years will have to be found from somewhere!
THe sad fact is that in some way you will be subsidising this from your pockets for at least the next 30 years
I don't seem to hear complaints of the Cycling World Champs being in the UK. The whole nonsense around the cost, a lot of you doubters are very clever people, you all know that the money would not simply be diverted elsewhere if not into the Olympics. Does anyone think that the country would be awash with nurses, policemen, and new schools and hospitals if we were not hosting the games? Of course not.
As for the whole sponsorship garbage, how many of you 'we must not have sponsorship, it's the Devils own money' spouters are going to turn their backs on the first British Tour winner? After all he is sponsored entirely by big business, Sky, Pinarello, Oakley, Gatorade etc etc Of course none of you are!
Maybe you should just all be thankful that the games coming to London has given you something else to moan about. Now, why not get behind the athletes, of all nations, and let's have a fortnight celebrating success and outstanding sporting achievement.[/quote]
Montreal was paying back the debts for the 1976 Olympics from it's general taxation pool and special taxes on tobacco and other products.until 2006.
The Olympics are a massive loss from the start, especially as they do not include roads, infrastructure etc.
So the present Olympic budget may not be diverted form Hospitals and Police etc, but the debt payments for the next 30 years will have to be found from somewhere!
THe sad fact is that in some way you will be subsidising this from your pockets for at least the next 30 years
But all the more reason why Will.i.am et al have tarnished the event
