London Opening Ceremonies

Today marks the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics. Technically, the Olympics started two days ago with some opening group matches in women's soccer but no one is really paying attention to that. As far as everyone is concerned, everything kicks off today.

There's been a little bit of strife going on as several London unions (cabbies and police most notably) have gone on mini-strikes or threatened to because of how bad the conditions have turned with the influx of people to London for the games. A large segment of the British army has been brought in to London to aid the police in security. There have also been several arrests recently on terrorism charges (bomb making mostly) that may have included plans for the Olympics (authorities won't say).

Adding to this was Mr. Romney's comment that he wasn't sure if London was ready for the games. Mr. Romney has experience in these matters due to his running of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, but it likely would have been more tactful to not say anything. The British authorities are already stressed out that they don't need a bit of needling from someone who has already done the job.

I certainly hope that it will be a good games and an entertaining Opening Ceremony. I don't know if it's the bad vibes from the stuff mentioned above or what, but I can't help but shake the feeling that something bad might happen, if not tonight, then at some point in the games, much like the 1972 Munich games forty years ago. We shall see.