Blackout Hits Athens Month Before Olympics

[MallRat]

Blackout Hits Athens Month Before Olympics
By PATRICK QUINN, Associated Press Writer

ATHENS, Greece - The worst blackout in more than a decade hit Athens and southern Greece on Monday, leaving millions sweltering in a heat wave and raising concerns about whether the lights will go out at next month's Olympics.

The government blamed the outage on "mismanagement" of the electricity grid. Still, officials promised the network was ready to handle the Aug. 13-29 Olympics.

But it was yet another hurdle in Athens' attempt to convince the world it is ready to host well-run and safe games. Olympics preparations have come under criticism because of construction delays and concerns over security arrangements to stop terror attacks.

The blackout knocked out air conditioners as afternoon temperatures soared to 104 degrees Monday. The power failure created enormous traffic jams from failed traffic signals and stalled electric trolleys. Hundreds of passengers on the Athens subway were forced to leave trains and walk, and the fire department received hundreds of calls about people trapped in elevators.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=4&u=/ap/20040712/ap_on_re_eu/greece_blackout


Am I the only one with a terrible feeling about the Olympics?

-MR

[geek tragedy]

1. A better question is whether anyone thinks that everything will go well

for these Olympics.

[Malva Zebrina]

2. I used to really enjoy watching the Olympics

I was an athlete in my early years and won many medals in competitions as a teen.

For some reason, I am turned off to the Olympics this year.

It seems less than important than what has happened to my country under Bush's coup and it seems to me that the TV productions are getting more and more oriented toward advertisement than the actual contests.

I am jaded on the Olympics but might tune in intermittantly.

It means little to me now.

[FlemingsGhost]

4. The ancient games were held under a truce ...

Long ago, warring city-states would put aside their differences and send athletes to compete in the Games. The display of athletic prowess and appreciation for the human form trumped any battlefield heroism.

Imagine the possibilities ... If we could all be civil to one another for two weeks, dare we dream to make it permanent? When the IOC can broker a worldwide truce, I'll give a shit about the Olympic Games.

(on edit: typo)

[chookie]

3. Bleak auguries

I wish them all the best, but all indications are that the games in Greece will go very badly.

[0007]

5. I have the same feeling, hope I'm wrong.

[sleipnir]

6. A Trainwreck that you just can't help but watch...

That's how I'd sum up the games. The more the Host Country fucks it up the more it will make the news. It's in NBC's interest to have a really confused, messed up Games. Wouldn't you watch to see if our guy could make it in time to participate in the High Jump? Who knows if traffic will keep out the top runner? That's drama! The race must go on, but the decathlon team is missing, they got stuck in traffic!

Disasters (planned and unplanned) create amazing news, attention and thus ratings.

I predict that we will be more interested in the failures of the games than the actual events themselves. Americans love this stuff, just look at the recent line-ups of disaster-laden reality TV.

[aneerkoinos]

7. I'm positive these will be the best games ever

Couple minor glitches here and there just to make things more exciting, but the same Hellenic Spirit that gave the Greek Football team the amazing victory at the European Championship Games will enlighten the games that are held under the piercing Attican light the most memorabe Olympic games ever! :)

[Gothmog]

8. These games are going to be a disaster

All of the venues are not completed and the infrastructure is not in place. Even if there are no terror related incidents, these games are going to have problems.