Glasgow 2014, the Commonwealth Games

[Heid the Ba]

The Commie Games are in Glasgow this summer, so guess what my hometown are doing for the Opening Ceremony? Blowing stuff up! They say it will be the largest controlled explosion in Europe, it makes me so proud. I should be there to see and hear it, hopefully safely far away.

[Arneb]

Blowing stuff up is always a great idea if you want to make a symbolic gesture for peace, fairness, tolerance, and mutual understanding.

You'll make a great EU member state.

[Lianachan]

I haven't made my mind up about how I feel about this yet. My gut reaction is that it just doesn't feel appropriate.

[Heid the Ba]

But loud! With dust! And 'splosions! The blurb is that it is to make a statement about Glasgow renewing itself. I reckon we don't have the budget to compete with the Olympic opening ceremony so someone said "Fuck it, what would make an impact?".

[Lianachan]

Yeah, 'splosions are almost always good, and the buildings were due to come down at some stage anyway. I suspect you're right about the reason, too - mixed in with a little two-birds-with-one-stone-ism.

[MM_Dandy]

Just make sure the buildings go down safely. A failed implosion isn't good for anything, but especially not for reputation.

[Enzo]

Hey, offer it as target practice for the Dakota National Air Guard. And um... back off the bystanders a mite.

[Lianachan]

Minds have changed. So, no big ka-blammo in the opening ceremony.

[Heid the Ba]

Yep, they wimped out because people were whining about it.

[Lianachan]

Some of my more bearded and lefty friends were quite annoyed about it, signing petitions and whatnot. I couldn't really bring myself to give much of a shite one way or the other.

[Heid the Ba]

Being a card carrying beardie lefty I really couldn't see much sense about the complaints. Every tower block that gets blown up draws a crowd and ends up on the telly anyway.

[Lianachan]

Indeed, and they're all due to come down at some point anyway.

[MM_Dandy]

That's a shame, you could have named them after former nations of the empire: Oh, look! There goes India!

[Arneb]

The firstest and bestest to go being the US, of course.

[tubeswell]

That means NZ would still be standing for several more decades then.

[Heid the Ba]

Not exactly a towerblock like India or the US, more of a small croft on Lewis.

[Lianachan]

That's a shame, you could have named them after former nations of the empire: Oh, look! There goes India!

That would be fantastic, alas - there are not nearly enough tower blocks due to come down to do this proper justice.

[Arneb]

That would be fantastic, alas - there are not nearly enough tower blocks due to come down to do this proper justice.

I don't know. Maybe to associate separation from Her Majesty's Empire with explosive collapse and demolotion is not the message you want to get across. Sounds more like what other interested parties would want to tell the public.

[tubeswell]

Not exactly a towerblock like India or the US, more of a small croft on Lewis.

Well I suppose we wouldn't want any of those blown up

[tubeswell]

Speaking of commonwealth games in Scotland, will they have he caber again this time? (I know which sports team I'd support for that)

[Heid the Ba]

Opening ceremony tonight, it will finish late, FSM knows why, unless it is to have some darkness for fireworks. I know someone who was at the rehearsal and he said it was spectacular.

[Heid the Ba]

Opening ceremony was by turns funny, moving, crass, boring and mildly embarrassing. Very Scottish in other words. It was claimed a billion people watched it but that seems high and a surprisingly round number. I'd be curious to know what percentage turned off after the gay kiss.

As at 1622 today: we're third, KLA2's lot are 5th, followed by Tubes's merry band and Mactep's adopted nation in 7th.

[tubeswell]

I missed it sorry chaps.

[Heid the Ba]

The Commies rumble on, marred only by the volunteers who are a complete waste of space. Day one at Hampden there were problems getting in and they disappeared rather than try to sort things out or explain what was going on. Once in one complained that people were turning up later than expected, I left her in no doubt what I thought of her and the organisation.

Typical interactions:
Volunteer: Keep going, you're nearly there!
Me: I know, I have been going to Hampden for more than 40 years.

Volunteer (in an English accent): Not far now!
Me: Yes, I can see Hampden, it is the big sports arena shaped thing 100m behind you.

Volunteer: Wooooooooo high five!
Me: Why?

Volunteer (obviously not from Scotland): Do you know where you are sitting?
Me: Yes, we're in the Rangers End.*
Volunteer: Wha . . .
Me: The Rangers End, the end the Rangers fans always go to.
Volunteer: Wha . . .

Other than getting in my way and pissing me off I don't think they serve any function.

*traditionally the ends of the stadium are known as the Rangers End and the Celtic End. Before redevelopment our end had a roof and theirs' didn't. Who says they were persecuted?

[Heid the Ba]

Volunteer: Get off the road!
Me: Are you a police officer?
Volunteer: No.
Me: Then why should I listen to you?

Unrelatedly, is this young lady any relation to Llama Leader? The photo doesn't do her justice she really is quite fetching in real life. Athletics, one of the few places where a middle aged man can watch scantily dressed young women through binoculars and be regarded as normal.