Olympic Failure! Chicago Out in First Round of Voting

[guido911]

Drudge is all over this, as most probably know.

[Townsend]

What's going on? 

Is there something bigger than the mayoral race coming up?

Guido and Cubs came out from under their hoods at the same time to start posting again.

[Conan71]

I googled "oympic fail".  Turns out China has their own Paul Tay

[Conan71]

Yet another howler:

[Moderator]

I removed off-topic personal banter.  Please PM each other if you feel the need to blather back and forth.

- Moderator

[guido911]

CNN in shock:

[we vs us]

Drudge is all over this, as most probably know.

You're happy Chicago lost, then?

[USRufnex]

Yep, and he'd love to advance the story that it's all Obama's fault.
I'm sure he's not being a hypocrite...... I'm sure he blamed Bush when NYC's olympic bid fell short.   

[sgrizzle]

CNN in shock:

This is what happens when "assuming the facts" prevails over "finding the facts." The very clear statement is made that goes against his assumptions, and he turns into babbling moron.

[guido911]

You're happy Chicago lost, then?

Chicago is arguably the most corrupt and violent city in this country, and I honestly believe that had the Olympics went there politicians and union bosses would have benefited the most. So, in that regard, I am happy. Sucks for the country as a whole though.

Incidentally, Chicagoans were evenly split on whether they wanted the games there.

I think we have, to borrow a phrase from Obama, a "teachable moment", that being hubris and celebrity is not a good thing.

[Breadburner]

[joiei]

Chicago is arguably the most corrupt and violent city in this country, and I honestly believe that had the Olympics went there politicians and union bosses would have benefited the most. So, in that regard, I am happy. Sucks for the country as a whole though.

Incidentally, Chicagoans were evenly split on whether they wanted the games there.

I think we have, to borrow a phrase from Obama, a "teachable moment", that being hubris and celebrity is not a good thing.

So Chicago is the most crime ridden city in the USA.   This is what the State Department says about Rio

CRIME:  Crime throughout Brazil has reached very high levels.  The Brazilian police and the Brazilian press report that the rate of crime continues to rise, especially in the major urban centers – though it is also spreading in rural areas.  Brazil's murder rate is more than four times higher than that of the U.S.  Rates for other crimes are similarly high.  The majority of crimes are not solved.  There were rapes reported by American citizens in 2008.

Street crime remains a problem for visitors and local residents alike, especially in the evenings and late at night. Foreign tourists are often targets of crime and Americans are not exempt. This targeting occurs in all tourist areas but is especially problematic in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Recife.

Caution is advised with regard to nighttime travel through more rural areas and satellite cities due to reported incidents of roadside robberies that randomly target passing vehicles.  Robbery and "quicknapping" outside of banks and ATM machines are common.  In a "quicknapping," criminals abduct victims for a short time in order to receive a quick payoff from the family, business or the victim's ATM card.  Some victims have been beaten and/or raped.

The incidence of crime against tourists is greater in areas surrounding beaches, hotels, discotheques, bars, nightclubs, and other similar establishments that cater to visitors.  This type of crime is especially prevalent prior to and during Carnaval (Brazilian Mardi Gras), but takes place throughout the year.  While the risk is greater at dusk and during the evening hours, street crime can occur both day and night, and even safer areas of cities are not immune.  Incidents of theft on city buses are frequent.  Several Brazilian cities have established specialized tourist police units to patrol areas frequented by tourists.  In Rio de Janeiro, crime continues to plague the major tourist areas (see separate section on Rio de Janeiro).

At airports, hotel lobbies, bus stations and other public places, incidents of pick pocketing, theft of hand carried luggage, and laptop computers are common.  Travelers should "dress down" when outside and avoid carrying valuables or wearing jewelry or expensive watches.  "Good Samaritan" scams are common.  If a tourist looks lost or seems to be having trouble communicating, a seemingly innocent bystander offering help may victimize them.  Care should be taken at and around banks and internationally connected automatic teller machines that take U.S. credit or debit cards.  Very poor neighborhoods known as "favelas" are found throughout Brazil.  These areas are sites of uncontrolled criminal activity and are often not patrolled by police.  U.S. citizens are advised to avoid these unsafe areas.  Carjacking is on the increase in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife and other cities.

Travelers using personal ATMs or credit cards sometimes receive billing statements with non-authorized charges after returning from a visit to Brazil. The Embassy and Consulates have received numerous reports from both official Americans and tourists who have had their cards cloned or duplicated without their knowledge. Those using such payment methods should carefully monitor their banking online for the duration of their visit.

While the ability of Brazilian police to help recover stolen property is limited, it is nevertheless strongly advised to obtain a "boletim de ocorrencia" (police report) at a "delegacia" (police station) whenever any possessions are lost or stolen.  This will facilitate the traveler's exit from Brazil and insurance claims.

Do you really really want to send our athletes over there?  Or did you think this far?

Quick question,  according to Forbes,

In Depth: America's Most Dangerous Cities

Detroit was followed closely on the list by the greater Memphis, Tenn., and Miami, Fla., metropolitan areas. Those three were the only large cities in America with more than 950 violent crimes committed per 100,000 people.

This was taken from this list of 2009 http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/23/most-dangerous-cities-lifestyle-real-estate-dangerous-american-cities.html

Funny, I don't see Chicago listed.  Did they forget to look there or something? 

[HazMatCFO]

My regret is the locals who think Tulsa has a snowball's chance in hell of getting the 2020 Olympics are now energized by Chicago's loss and will try to con the city council out of money. This will be fun to watch but not as fun as the Simpsons.

MONORAIL!

[Wilbur]

It's no wonder Chicago lost if anyone went over there with the attitude like ABC News.

In their reporting yesterday, they said the Olympic Committee is an "old white mans club who thinks they're royalty."  If the US goes into these types of things with this type of attitude, they should finish last.

Rio only had to show a world map of where the Olympics have been held ever since they started...  with none ever being held in South America.  Slam dunk!

[guido911]

My regret is the locals who think Tulsa has a snowball's chance in hell of getting the 2020 Olympics are now energized by Chicago's loss and will try to con the city council out of money. This will be fun to watch but not as fun as the Simpsons.

MONORAIL!

That was a classic episode.


Here's another clip of the shock and awe of news folks after hearing about the Olympic fail:

http://www.breitbart.tv/pandemonium-in-the-broadcast-center-chicago-loses-olympics-bid/