Free Talk Live

LONDON – Heading to the London Olympics? London organizers have published a list of items prohibited at venues for the July 27-Aug. 12 Olympic Games.

List evidently includes bottled water, too much food, flags and political t-shirts.

The London Olympics are fast taking on the appearance and tone of a full-scale land, sea and air military operation rather than an international sporting event.

With surface-to-air missiles stationed on top of residential apartment blocks, Royal Navy battleships on alert and Royal Air Force fighter jets and helicopters patrolling the skies over Britain’s capital there is a foreboding sense of a nation at war instead of an occasion of internationalist fraternity that the ancient Games are supposed to embody.

London 2012 will see the UK's biggest mobilisation of military and security forces since the second world war and the effects will linger long after the athletes have left

Saudi Arabia will let its female athletes compete in the Olympics for the first time, its embassy in London said. Until now, Saudi Arabia was one of three countries that did not allow women to participate in the games. The other two -- Qatar and Brunei -- also reversed course this year and said they will send female athletes to the London games, which begin July 27.

"...Oscar Pistorius made history on Saturday when he became the first double amputee to compete in an athletics event at the Olympics."

This is Bull S. "Pistorius said exhaustive tests had proved that running on blades gave him no advantage." To which I say "keep in mind that while Figures don't lie, but liars sometimes figure." If not this time, then they will sometime in the future.

Before you imagine that these are all overreactions, consider this: there is BC legislation waiting to be passed that could mean a 10,000 fine and/or jail time for anyone putting up an anti-Olympics sign in the window of his/her own house, under which law police will have the right to enter your home and remove it.

Saudi Arabia will send two female athletes to the London Olympics, ending the ultraconservative Muslim country's record of sending only all-male teams to the games.

While in previous Games, men have been able to wear shorts and singlets, the women will almost certainly have to compete with their heads, legs and arms covered - and most likely in leggings.

Bitcoin Conference London 2012

15-16 September, London

Call For Papers is now open: email proposals to genjix@bitcoin2012.com

After months of planning we are glad to announce we will be holding the Bitcoin Conference in London. The first conference was held by Mitchell Bourne in association with us. He set an amazing standard, showed us the ropes and bestowed us with considerable experience. This year he will be taking a diminished role as we take over the chariot. We hope to live up to the high standard he set last year.

Don't think you need a government? London police are instructed to keep an eye on you. A brief sent out from the Westminster Counter-Terrorist Focus Desk this week contains this gem: “Anarchism is a political philosophy which considers the state undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, and instead promotes a stateless society, or anarchy. Any information relating to anarchists should be reported to your local Police.”