Sochi 2014

[alanschu]

I almost always wear jeans, including in the snow.  If it's super cold, I'll toss on some thermal underwear underneath.  I find they don't get too wet in the snow, to be honest, especially when compared to the rain.

[exodiark]

Much negativity, even though it's a rare event where countries actually fight on fair arena. I thought the redecorated Sochi is quite good, certainly not the worst. Although I think they spread too thin with those 51 billions, not counting the corruptions.

I do think the gay stuff is overblown anyway, to the point of Hitler insults. It's not like homosexuality is 100% accepted in the West, some states in US doesn't even legalize same sex marriage but you don't find people equating them with Hitler's Germany. 

Edited February 7, 2014 by exodiark

[BruceVC]

Much negativity, even though it's a rare event where countries actually fight on fair arena. I thought the redecorated Sochi is quite good, certainly not the worst.

 

I do think the gay stuff is overblown anyway, to the point of Hitler insults. It's not like homosexuality is 100% accepted in the West, some states in US doesn't even legalize same sex marriage but you don't find people equating them with Hitler's Germany. 

 

Correct, homophobia still exits in some Western countries but its generally not legalised and institutionalised . That's the issue most people have got with Russia, we know there are people who will always discriminate against minority groups but its a step backward when a government openly supports it

[exodiark]

I have no problems about gay activists voicing their complaints, it's understandable.
But the overblown reaction is just not needed IMO, and it sets negative tone to most news I read about Sochi, when I just want to read something light about the Olympics. God forbids Olympics to be a happy occasion, I remember the same thing happened to China Olympics.

Edited February 7, 2014 by exodiark

[BruceVC]

I have no problems about gay activists voicing their complaints, it's understandable.

But the overblown reaction is just not needed IMO, and it sets negative tone to most news I read about Sochi, when I just want to read something light about the Olympics. God forbids Olympics to be a happy occasion, I remember the same thing happened to China Olympics.

 

I hear you, I also want the Olympics to be a success.  There are loads of people who have nothing to do with the politics that are involved and we also want an Olympics that doesn't have any terrorist attacks

[Tagaziel]

I have no problems about gay activists voicing their complaints, it's understandable.

But the overblown reaction is just not needed IMO, and it sets negative tone to most news I read about Sochi, when I just want to read something light about the Olympics. God forbids Olympics to be a happy occasion, I remember the same thing happened to China Olympics.

While Cracked is an edutainment website, their latest article on Sochi is a decent summary of what's wrong with Sochi. It's not just institutionalized homophobia affecting the games.

 

I particularly like the comparison between Beijing 2008 and Sochi 2014. Summer Olympics, bigger by a factor of three, cost about 80% of Sochi's budget. And you can't say China is a frugal spender either.

 

I find it amusing that the budget of Sochi is the entire GDP of Guatemala or Bulgaria.

[Zoraptor]

I almost always wear jeans, including in the snow.  If it's super cold, I'll toss on some thermal underwear underneath.  I find they don't get too wet in the snow, to be honest, especially when compared to the rain.

Heh, here it's drilled into us not to do anything around snow in jeans.

 

Of course, we don't actually have snow sitting around populated areas much so you're far more likely to be tramping or skiing when encountering snow here.

[Tagaziel]

Good lord, this reminds me of that one time I went skiing in jeans, rather than proper skiing gear I had.

 

Worst. Idea. Ever. Good thing I didn't wear pneumonia.

[BruceVC]

 

I have no problems about gay activists voicing their complaints, it's understandable.

But the overblown reaction is just not needed IMO, and it sets negative tone to most news I read about Sochi, when I just want to read something light about the Olympics. God forbids Olympics to be a happy occasion, I remember the same thing happened to China Olympics.

While Cracked is an edutainment website, their latest article on Sochi is a decent summary of what's wrong with Sochi. It's not just institutionalized homophobia affecting the games.

 

I particularly like the comparison between Beijing 2008 and Sochi 2014. Summer Olympics, bigger by a factor of three, cost about 80% of Sochi's budget. And you can't say China is a frugal spender either.

 

I find it amusing that the budget of Sochi is the entire GDP of Guatemala or Bulgaria.

 

 

That's some scary statistics...there does seem to serious budget bloat around Sochi

[Mor]

While Cracked is an edutainment website, their latest article on Sochi is a decent summary of what's wrong with Sochi. It's not just institutionalized homophobia affecting the games.

Interesting. The "Sochi's Mayor Says the City Is Magically Gay-Free" sounds like the Soviet when before the party parades cities where made free of undesirables, who were forcibly institutionalized and some in cases those who dared resit were "treated" in a way which is now described as crime against humanity.

 

Also I just checked the location of sochi and was surprised its on the Black Sea, I though it would be further east.

 

 

Those are some really impractical boots.  Yet I see ladies wearing them here too, boggling.

Yeah, it also usually a one way ticket to late life medical issues.

[exodiark]

 

I have no problems about gay activists voicing their complaints, it's understandable.

But the overblown reaction is just not needed IMO, and it sets negative tone to most news I read about Sochi, when I just want to read something light about the Olympics. God forbids Olympics to be a happy occasion, I remember the same thing happened to China Olympics.

While Cracked is an edutainment website, their latest article on Sochi is a decent summary of what's wrong with Sochi. It's not just institutionalized homophobia affecting the games.

 

I particularly like the comparison between Beijing 2008 and Sochi 2014. Summer Olympics, bigger by a factor of three, cost about 80% of Sochi's budget. And you can't say China is a frugal spender either.

 

I find it amusing that the budget of Sochi is the entire GDP of Guatemala or Bulgaria.

Well, even though it's seedy as ****, it's still their money, if they can afford to spend money on some relatively-harmless-event-on-international scale, why should other countries care? There are worse spendings.

 

Other points are horrible though, but still in "meh news" limit. You don't see people in the West freak out when Abe visited Yasukuni or pose with plane number "731," so a douchebag mayor is relatively tame. The territory expansion is "temporary" and it's too soon to tell, and besides it's only security zone. I don't really care about animals, so meh. Evicted families are the worst thing though.

Edited February 7, 2014 by exodiark

[Tagaziel]

Well, it's their money, if they can afford to spend money on somme harmless event, why should other countries care? There are worse spendings.

You're talking as if Russia was an actual democracy where people had a vote as to what happens with their money. It's also a country that institutionalized homophobia and yet hosts an international sporting event supposed to stand for equality and fairness, not personal bigotry of a de facto dictator.

[BruceVC]

I think those jeans are completely impractical, she should take them off and just wear boots

[exodiark]

 

Well, it's their money, if they can afford to spend money on somme harmless event, why should other countries care? There are worse spendings.

You're talking as if Russia was an actual democracy where people had a vote as to what happens with their money. It's also a country that institutionalized homophobia and yet hosts an international sporting event supposed to stand for equality and fairness, not personal bigotry of a de facto dictator.

True, ideally, I think Olympics should be hosted on some remote island over and over again, maintained by the committee. It's the most "neutral" and budget friendly way to do it.

 

But then again, countries wouldn't pay the Committee as much as today, since it doesn't promote their tourism sector.

 

Even with democracy, a person can't really decide their country's spendings, especially if the country is as big as Russia. Majority of US citizens sure as hell don't want to fund NSA citizen spying program, but there it is. IMO, a country shouldn't meddle in other countries' business if it has nothing to do with them.

Edited February 7, 2014 by exodiark

[Keyrock]

Man, that course for slopestyle is beefy.  They put some monster jumps in there.

[Enoch]

Maybe I'm juvenile, or just generally disinterested in sports and nationalistic ****-waving, but this is probably the most entertainment I will get out of something related to the 2014 Games:

 

(Marginally Not Work Safe, so Spoiler'd)

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2014 by Enoch

[Keyrock]

Maybe I'm juvenile, or just generally disinterested in sports and nationalistic ****-waving, but this is probably the most entertainment I will get out of something related to the 2014 Games:

 

(Marginally Not Work Safe, so Spoiler'd)

 

 

 

LOL, that's almost as much fun as when newscaster have to say "grape drank" or "sizzurp".

[Malcador]

Opening ceremony was pretty cool.

[Labadal]

It's really funny seeing only one athlete from some countries.

[Bartimaeus]

 

Well, it's their money, if they can afford to spend money on somme harmless event, why should other countries care? There are worse spendings.

You're talking as if Russia was an actual democracy where people had a vote as to what happens with their money. It's also a country that institutionalized homophobia and yet hosts an international sporting event supposed to stand for equality and fairness, not personal bigotry of a de facto dictator.

 

 

You're talking as if democracies have it so that people can actually vote as to what happens with their money...

[Malcador]

It's really funny seeing only one athlete from some countries.

 

The Venezuelan guy was really happy.

[IndiraLightfoot]

Yay! I just saw Russia in the inaugural parade, and they wore santa coats. Kudos to them for that warm and fuzzy holiday feeling!

[Tagaziel]

You're talking as if democracies have it so that people can actually vote as to what happens with their money...

Representative democracy means they vote indirectly. If people vote in corrupt people repeatedly, that means they suck as voters, not that the system is broken.

[Malcador]

If the corrupt people aren't expunged then the system's broken though as it has to rely on periodic elections as its only corrective measure.

Edited February 7, 2014 by Malcador

[Bartimaeus]

 

You're talking as if democracies have it so that people can actually vote as to what happens with their money...

Representative democracy means they vote indirectly. If people vote in corrupt people repeatedly, that means they suck as voters, not that the system is broken.

 

Not when said voters [effectively] don't decide the candidates available to choose from to begin with...although I admit this is kind of blurry to me, as we [uSians] really *do* have the power to choose who we want, outside of the two usual candidates...we just never exercise that right, and probably never will, as we've basically been brainwashed not to. Pah.