Mountain West Microbrew: Chit chat and irrelevancy

[s.p.hansen]

Moving this here:

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Depends on how much you're willing to spend. The IOC is only playing lip service to making the Olympics more affordable for host cities and I expect that $5B or so is the absolute minimum that any Winter Olympics will cost with Summer being about twice that. Sochi and Beijing are the new standards of excess and payouts to the IOC that are expected.

24-year old facilities will not be tolerated in the gilded age of the Olympiad.

I don't think so. It's already an embarrassment to the IOC that literally all the other countries except China and Kazakhstan dropped their bids for 2022. Beijing is the first city to get both Summer and Winter Olympics and it isn't because they wanted it to happen...

Things are changing in the world. This website is a great snapshot for that. We've seen the emerging world become a place for mega projects and skyscrapers and we've seen them fall for spending way too much to try and show the developed world that they've arrived. Outside of India things are not looking so good for emerging markets.

In developed countries you have rising costs across the board in healthcare and other social programs mixed with pretty lack luster GDP in Europe even by the best in class like the UK and surprisingly Spain.

Now lets couple that with the fact that the USA is extraditing FIFA top brass on corruption charges where we can see trails of corruption bread crumbs leading to the decisions to send the World Cups to the BRICs and then the current situation and the challenges moving forward for these organizations becomes a lot more clear.

I think the best thing the IOC could do to show good faith in turning this Titanic away from an iceberg would be to showcase how a city could do an Olympics with great infrastructure and facilities, protection and respect for LGBT and multicultural athletes with as little money expended as possible.

Even if SLC rebuilt every facility it constructed in 2002 and remodeled every facility it remodeled for 2002 it wouldn't cost over 2 billion. There hasn't been THAT much inflation since 2002!

I think if the IOC doesn't fix their shit, we're gonna see alternatives break through (Does anyone care about the World's Fair anymore?). The PAN AM games that just took place in Toronto have arguably been a new benchmark in the event's prestige. Even the FIFA Women's Soccer in Canada which has been treated like a joke by FIFA, blew up everyone's low expectations with how well it was received and watched on TV.

The world is changing but with events that don't happen for 7 years there tends to be a bit of a lag.


Also, I'd like to add that the reason we're talking about this right now is because Boston withdrew their bid from the Summer Olypmics which of course ups the odds of the US Olympic Committee allowing a Winter Olympic bid. But this is also a sign of the times. This is a major city who had to withdraw because of a lack of support from its citizens for a Summer Olympics. I think my former argument stands that austerity and slim budgets for building highways and healthcare is a real mood killer for hosting Olympics, but I also think the brand has taken a major beating because of their event location choices. Did you read about how Brazil wants athletes to swim in the Ocean outside of Rio where two teaspoons of water when ingested will more than likely cause illness because of the high concentration of sewage? Boston knows they're better than that.

[bunt_q]

I certainly lost my appetite for a Denver bid in 2026, knowing we'd be following on the heels of another $50 billion Chinese ego-fest. No thanks. Kazakhstan would've been a better choice, exactly because they might have botched it somewhat.

[Cirrus]

The Olympics need to adapt, and go the way of the World Cup: Have countries host, instead of cities.

[TakeFive]

AWESOME: The Colorado River

Credit: Wolfgang Staudt/Flickr via PRI

CAP is why the Valley of the Sun has a better, more secure water supply than the Denver Front Range.

Fortunately the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project is now in the Federal permitting process with hopes of starting construction about the same time as CDOT starts on the I-70 project through Denver.

[s.p.hansen]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

The Olympics need to adapt, and go the way of the World Cup: Have countries host, instead of cities.

That's a really good point. Imagine the Supremacy of a Winter Olympics across the United States, all the different events at all the different beautiful resort areas.


2022 Winter Olympics To Be Held On Mountains Where It Doesn't Snow



http://unofficialnetworks.com/2015/0...it-doesnt-snow

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

The Olympics need to adapt, and go the way of the World Cup: Have countries host, instead of cities.

Plus there's even more opportunity for graft. Though it's difficult to argue that the Olympics aren't national affairs right now. Sure, one city is playing host. But, it's really a national effort that is undertaken to win the nomination. Really, it's the Western World that's behind the times in not putting massive amounts of federal funding behind a cities proposal.

The IOC absurdity isn't going to end as long as the developing world is willing to play this game and there's plenty of dupes willing to spend tens of billions to do so.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

[SIZE="4"]
CAP is why the Valley of the Sun has a better, more secure water supply than the Denver Front Range.

Hopefully Obama's Clean Power Plan sees the awful Navajo Generating Station, with the thousands of people that it's killed during it's operational lifespan, shut down soon and the CAP turn to renewable energy sources to ensure that Arizona continues to get it's water.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Hopefully Obama's Clean Power Plan sees the awful Navajo Generating Station, with the thousands of people that it's killed during it's operational lifespan, shut down soon and the CAP turn to renewable energy sources to ensure that Arizona continues to get it's water.

Aug 3, 2015 by Eric Jay Toll, Phoenix Business Journal

Salt River Project, which operates Navajo Generating Station on Navajo tribal lands, is concerned about what the new rules will do to an agreement hammered out between SRP and the EPA to reduce emissions at NGS.

A spokesman for SRP said in an email that in previous rulemaking, EPA recognized unique conditions in areas of Indian country, and the initial targets for the Navajo Nation in the proposed rule supported the progress already underway to reduce emissions from NGS and Four Corners Power Plant.

"However, the new targets announced today appear significantly lower than those in the proposed rule," said Scott Harelson, SRP’s director of communications. "SRP will need to conduct a thorough analysis of the new targets to determine how they might impact NGS."

Sandy Bahr, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter director, said the new rules showed the EPA listened.

"Arizona’s standards changed significantly," she said. "The proposed 52 percent (pounds per hour) reduction was lowered to 34 percent."

[s.p.hansen]

Originally Posted by s.p.hansen

Moving this here:



I don't think so. It's already an embarrassment to the IOC that literally all the other countries except China and Kazakhstan dropped their bids for 2022. Beijing is the first city to get both Summer and Winter Olympics and it isn't because they wanted it to happen...

Things are changing in the world. This website is a great snapshot for that. We've seen the emerging world become a place for mega projects and skyscrapers and we've seen them fall for spending way too much to try and show the developed world that they've arrived. Outside of India things are not looking so good for emerging markets.

In developed countries you have rising costs across the board in healthcare and other social programs mixed with pretty lack luster GDP in Europe even by the best in class like the UK and surprisingly Spain.

Now lets couple that with the fact that the USA is extraditing FIFA top brass on corruption charges where we can see trails of corruption bread crumbs leading to the decisions to send the World Cups to the BRICs and then the current situation and the challenges moving forward for these organizations becomes a lot more clear.

I think the best thing the IOC could do to show good faith in turning this Titanic away from an iceberg would be to showcase how a city could do an Olympics with great infrastructure and facilities, protection and respect for LGBT and multicultural athletes with as little money expended as possible.

Even if SLC rebuilt every facility it constructed in 2002 and remodeled every facility it remodeled for 2002 it wouldn't cost over 2 billion. There hasn't been THAT much inflation since 2002!

I think if the IOC doesn't fix their shit, we're gonna see alternatives break through (Does anyone care about the World's Fair anymore?). The PAN AM games that just took place in Toronto have arguably been a new benchmark in the event's prestige. Even the FIFA Women's Soccer in Canada which has been treated like a joke by FIFA, blew up everyone's low expectations with how well it was received and watched on TV.

The world is changing but with events that don't happen for 7 years there tends to be a bit of a lag.


Also, I'd like to add that the reason we're talking about this right now is because Boston withdrew their bid from the Summer Olypmics which of course ups the odds of the US Olympic Committee allowing a Winter Olympic bid. But this is also a sign of the times. This is a major city who had to withdraw because of a lack of support from its citizens for a Summer Olympics. I think my former argument stands that austerity and slim budgets for building highways and healthcare is a real mood killer for hosting Olympics, but I also think the brand has taken a major beating because of their event location choices. Did you read about how Brazil wants athletes to swim in the Ocean outside of Rio where two teaspoons of water when ingested will more than likely cause illness because of the high concentration of sewage? Boston knows they're better than that.

Looks like somone at CNBC just read my response here. Okay, the person didn't mention Salt Lake City, but close enough.

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/07/the-w...ants-them.html

[TakeFive]

Need a sure-fire way to boost tourism?
Try duty-free nose and boob jobs.

South Korea is taking duty-free shopping to a whole new level, with plans to exclude face lifts, breast enlargements and liposuction from value-added tax for tourists.

August 17, 2015 by Cynthia Kim and Myungshin Cho. Bloomberg Business

[Brainpathology]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Need a sure-fire way to boost tourism?
Try duty-free nose and boob jobs.


August 17, 2015 by Cynthia Kim and Myungshin Cho. Bloomberg Business

Do people outside of the us besides Kim Jong Un actually need liposuction/face lifts or is this just a shameless ploy to increase wealthy American tourism?? (or are they trying to lure Un so they can do something nefarious? -queue forshadowy music-)

Edit: And why does Siri 100% of the time change us to U.S. and U.S. to us????????? I'm leaving it there just for the sheer brilliance of how stupid Apple's tech has become. Sometimes we DO type exactly what we want Time!!!
Edit2: Tim to Time. SMFH

[seventwenty]

Originally Posted by Brainpathology

Do people outside of the us besides Kim Jong Un actually need liposuction/face lifts or is this just a shameless ploy to increase wealthy American tourism??

SK has the highest per capita rate of plastic surgery (by some measures).

This ad was popular over there a few years back:



Source

[Brainpathology]

HAHAHA Brilliant ad! Also damn... 42 years old and still learning every day.

[s.p.hansen]

Right column middle row; is that a trans male to female one?

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by s.p.hansen

Right column middle row; is that a trans male to female one?

Interesting question.

[TakeFive]

"Colorado Tried Methane Caps on Drillers, And They Worked"
August 18, 2015 by Christine Buurma and Bradley Olson, Bloomberg Business

For an idea of how the U.S. government’s proposed methane rules will affect drillers, look no further than Colorado.

“Methane is a product we sell, so it’s in our business interest as well as in our general interest as environmental stewards to make sure every molecule goes into the sales line,” John Christiansen, a spokesman for Anadarko Petroleum Corp., said by phone Tuesday.

[ToysNoiz]

I visited Boston earlier this summer. I opened a photo thread if any are interested in seeing some photos. I will continue to update.

Link: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=218787

[s.p.hansen]

Originally Posted by ToysNoiz

I visited Boston earlier this summer. I opened a photo thread if any are interested in seeing some photos. I will continue to update.

Link: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=218787

Very cool textures on those buildings. I can't wait to tour the wasteland version of Boston in Fallout 4 in a couple months!

[Sawtooth]

Beware if you are ever on a JetBlue flight along with an Oregonian who is obviously into watersports.

Man pees on passengers aboard Portland-bound flight, police say


http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/2015/...-say/72097802/


PORTLAND, Ore. – A red-eye turned into a nightmare for several passengers on a flight from Alaska to Portland.

A Gresham man was arrested after police said he awoke on the overnight flight from Anchorage and urinated on the surrounding passengers and luggage.

According to the Port of Portland police report, witnesses said Jeff Rubin was asleep for most of the flight, but about 30 minutes before the JetBlue flight was scheduled to land, he stood up and started peeing through the crack of the seats onto the people sitting in front of him.

As he continued to relieve himself, Rubin lost his balance, causing him to fall backward and pee upward. The report said the people sitting around Rubin, along with some of their belongings, were covered in urine.

[s.p.hansen]

I need to know, have any of you Denverites had this? And is it something I need to try when I visit Denver in a coming year? Apparently it was really well liked by the late Elvis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fool%27s_Gold_Loaf