sebastien1214

It looks like a disposable e-cigarette.

"Drill, baby, drill" - Donald J. Trump

I was a little lazy when I woke up this morning to take the screenshot, but here it is.

https://x.com/Birdyword/status/1909066198785913244

But the curiosity factor among Americans played a big role in 1994. Many Americans filled the stands. Don't forget the Spanish-speaking, first- and second-generation immigrants from football-loving countries. And in terms of stadium capacity, there were also more seats available than at other World Cups. It was much cheaper to travel to the United States in 1994 than it is today, for the average European (who will always represent the majority of foreign contingents) budget. And it was also much easier to obtain a visa to go to the United States. If foreigners only represent 20-25% of spectators, it would be a failure in my opinion. What makes the World Cups so special is the fact that the entire world literally comes together in one country to celebrate sport for a month, even more so than the Olympic Games in my opinion (because you don't have these parades of tens of thousands of fans in the streets of the host cities before each match, with all these neighborhoods literally transforming into "mini-countries").

In fact, FIFA is already "filling the gap" because of... the Club World Cup fiasco (which no one cares about), or to sell off tickets for this competition, they're also giving away tickets for the real World Cup. Still, fans will also be looking at hotel prices, food prices, transportation prices... not just ticket prices. And on the one hand, the price of these things will increase in the United States (beyond inflation, we must add, for example, the price of energy, since the US imports some of its electricity from Canada, which will have an impact on transportation and factories, and therefore on manufactured and agri-food products; we can also wonder about the price of airline tickets, which is also likely to increase). And on the other hand, since the United States plays a major role in the global economy, the risk of recession is felt by all countries around the world. I think the stadiums will be full, and to be honest, I don't have the slightest concern about that. But I think that proportionally, the share of foreign fans will be much lower than in previous editions. Anyway, as long as FIFA sells its tickets and makes money, it's fine with them, regardless of the nationality of the person buying the ticket.

Some news from the 2030 Olympics, with the first tensions erupting since the creation of the OCOG, linked once again to the major organizational problem (the involvement of two regions). - The transformation of the Allianz Riviera in Nice into a temporary ice hockey arena is estimated at several tens of millions of euros, which in a context of budgetary restraint is a lot. And they just realized that cooling a stadium with lots of air conditioners to prevent the ice from melting could cause a slight ecological problem... - The AURA region is pushing for a plan B at the LDLC Arena, near Lyon, to host these ice hockey events. The problem: the bid deal between the two regions is 50-50, and Muselier, the president of the PACA region, absolutely refuses to hear about removing hockey from Nice. - And the AURA region also postponed the vote on a €500,000 grant for OCOG 2030. This was a way to put pressure on, but also to show their dissatisfaction on certain points. For example, in both regions, some are criticizing the omnipresence of Edgar Grospiron's wife, who even traveled to Greece and appeared in numerous official photos. (The grant will eventually be voted on, so no worries there.) As you can see, things aren't looking as calm as 2024...

There will be far fewer foreign tourists in 2026 anyway, because prices will explode compared to 2018 and even 2022. It's already expensive to pay for a trip to the United States for an average European, so for an event in a country that is causing the prices of tickets to concerts and major events to explode, with the coming inflation, I don't dare imagine the price it will cost.

But at the same time, US inflation is likely to rise again, pushing up prices again; so in the end, the advantage that foreign citizens will have will be, in a sense, "cancelled." For me, the main risk that could affect the security of the 2026 World Cup (and the 2028 Olympics) would be if Musk continues his work of destroying federal agencies, and thus of disorganizing all security services (or at least those under the control of the federal state, starting with the intelligence agencies).

So, how much is the tarifs on % for tickets for Los Angeles 2028?

Well, I think we already know who else won't be able to open the 2030 Games? (She can technically appeal the immediate application; I doubt it will be granted, and in any case, if it is, the appeal on the merits will likely take place before 2027, and I can't see the court invalidating the ineligibility on appeal.)

I know they're no longer volunteers if they're paid: what I'm saying is simply that we need to stop this volunteer system. I find it quite ridiculous that we've all normalized and accepted the fact that this system exists. since when have there been social benefits in the United States for the workers?

In fact, it's been a good five years since the PCC "abandoned" the initial ambitions it had in football in the early 2010s. They added a lot of restrictions to transfers in their leagues, clubs found themselves in serious difficulties, and all training programs saw their budgets considerably reduced, if not closed.

Hoping he's back:

Yes, I'm sure that all the other cities have already done it (I hope?); it was more a slightly funny way of saying that we never get tired of ceremonies in France and that we have collectively decided to stay stuck in 2024 (mind you, it's not a bad idea at the moment)

"Giving back" : Money ? Maybe start by paying these people and stop this disgraceful status of volunteers when without them, there would be no Olympics? (not a criticism specific to LA, everyone does it and I made the same criticism in Paris)

I note that we learn in the article that there will be a "celebration" on July 26, 2025, which is therefore added to the July 14 parade organized by Thomas Jolly & Thierry Reboul. It seems that we had not innovated and created enough things during the Olympics, since even after the Olympics we continue to innovate with this concept of post-Olympic ceremonies.

All that's missing is the first American president born in the Southern Hemisphere. (But good luck finding someone from American Samoa who ends up becoming president.)

What could be more logical for a president stuck in centuries past than to want to join an organization based on a legacy from centuries past, which he would also have to get rid of?

It's not a competition to see who has the most posts on this forum, you know.

To be honest: isn't this also due, and perhaps even the main reason, to the growing emergence of social networks (I'm thinking of Reddit, for example, in the English-speaking world) which have gradually replaced forums as a discussion space? (Forums which themselves had replaced IRC spaces in the 90's/early 2000's) At least, this is what I've seen here in France, where I was a regular user of several phpBB forums in the 2010s, but all of them ended up declining and failing, having not migrated to social networks.

*that someone is from Africa is finally elected/get a high position

lol Yes, I know she's African by her nationality. I deliberately used this provocative turn of phrase to provoke a reaction and spoiler: it didn't miss. But if you didn't understand (but I know very well that you understood) why I said that: I'm annoyed when 80% of media headlines are about "the first African woman elected" (that's the case here in my country, anyway), since the implication is "look! Africa is finally represented! Africa finally has important responsibilities!" whereas: - the idea of being happy that someone is from Africa refers to the fact that for a long time, Africa was sidelined in circles of power, was sidelined economically and socially for decades and centuries, and that being happy to have an African woman as IOC president is also a way—perhaps symbolic—of saying, "Times are changing, we're finally giving Africa its rightful place, Africans can also have the same opportunities as Europeans, Asians..." - except that because of Coventry's heritage, her lifestyle, and her parents, she is not "socially" African, in the sense that she has never suffered from her social status, her economic status, and because of her colonial family heritage, she is actually socially much closer to a European than to an African. She has never experienced all the injustices and hardships that 99% of Africans have experienced. - that consequently, no, it is not a "victory" for Africa (if the media presents it in this way), it is just hypocritical to make headlines about "first African woman elected to the IOC". Except for the imbeciles and the ignorant who voluntarily want to stop at the nationality written on one of her passports.

Well, she's a descendant of colonialists, raised in a purely Western way of life, before leaving the country to pursue a career elsewhere once she could. She's as African as Elon Musk. I'm still waiting to see the first African IOC president.

What a humiliation for Coe.