Jerusalem has boasted of creating the world's largest flag. Can we call this a human endeavour of significance? It is only wasteful expenditure in midst of large scale poverty and hunger.Creating a record for the sake of publicity should not be eulogised.Human endeavours which will benefit the humanity alone should be glorified. Guinness Book of world records should be restrained from entertaining such useless activities as a matter of great significance.Otherwise the Guinness Book of world records will become a laughing stock!

not nearly as much money wasted on this flag as suicide bombers spend on explosives. Much more money is also wasted by the gw propaganda machine. Address these issues before being concerned about a country making a big flag for whatever reasons.

Runner: Whilst you may desire every discussion to be about terrorism and global warming propaganda, there are other issues in the world that people would like to discuss. Please try to contribute to the topic rather than being antagonistic for no apparent reason.

Everyone else: I don’t visit OLO much and don’t know whether Runner makes this sort of comment specifically to get a reaction. Sorry if I just fed the resident troll.

Ezhil: I’ve just got a few thoughts on the issue.

Firstly - ‘Guinness World Records’ has never restrained from ‘presenting useless activities as a matter of great significance’. On their website, the first record mentioned in ‘amazing feats’ is “Heaviest Weight Dangled from a Swallowed Sword”. The first record mentioned in ‘sports’ is “Most Consecutive Skateboard Frontside Ollies”. The first record mentioned in ‘human body’ is “Most Tattooed Person”.

If they’re worried about becoming a laughing stock, they have many records to remove before they get to “world’s largest flag”.

Secondly - you state that the flag was constructed specifically for publicity. This is not the case. It was funded by a Filipino entrepreneur who wished to create a symbol representing the lasting peace between Israel and the Philippines (there a matching Philippines’ flag).
The power of symbols should not be underestimated. These flags may play a role in continued peace between the two nations.

Thirdly - you say this is a waste of money given the poverty and starvation in the region.
Whilst it would be nice if all rich people limited their spending to pursuits that would reduce poverty and hunger, it is unrealistic to expect. In comparison to the spending habits of other rich people, this symbol of peace is very noble. And, in reality, the creation of the flag worked toward reducing short-term unemployment; as it provided 31,000 people with work.

Thanks for bringing this flag to our attention. I would never have seen it if I hadn’t read your post. I must admit I am quite impressed with the scale of the feat and the peace it symbolises

Edit: the flag didn't create work for 31,000 people.

I had a little issue with reading comprehension there. The stat was that there are 31,000 Filipinos in Israel.

I'm not sure how many jobs were created by the construction of the flag.

Regardless, for a private venture, I think the creation of such a large scale symbol of peace is very impressive.

"Guinness Book of world records should be restrained from entertaining such useless activities as a matter of great significance.Otherwise the Guinness Book of world records will become a laughing stock!"

The Guiness book of records contains many fanciful and light hearted "records". I see no point in pretending record breaking events should be restricted to the serious.

Who should have the authority to "restrain" the GBR of anything? -

Some sour faced old fart with no sense of humour?

I for one will never cast my vote in support of such an arbiter.

Bring on more facile and fatuous records - they help to enlighten our days.

Maybe I should try for one... he who can stuff the most peas up a nostril

What about the most references to Margaret Thatcher in a forum Col!

Ezhil,

What do you think about fireworks?....

Stand back everyone! Umbrellas ready!

Because we are wasting money already on many things we need not continue to do the same. There may be some logic in this arguement but it lacks reasoning. Symbols are there mostly to see.Children and the common man learn from living examples and not from symbols which cast a temporary feeling if at all. The world needs serious people more than those who want to enjoy life unmindful of the serious aberrations that continue to occur.
The word "Records" is a serious word which should be used judiciously to keep its original meaning.It is only we who give meaning to words.Let us not dilute the honour the words have! Calling trivial things as records is a mockery of the words and the language!

For heavens sake Ezhil, go get a life. The only thing any of us owe to any other is to allow them the right to do their own thing, provided this is not achieved at a direct cost to another.

It is not up to me to even try to correct the lives of others. I don't have to do anything to please you, & I expect nothing of you, except that you do your own thing, NOT AT MY EXPENSE.

I have held a Bathurst lap record since 1967. As the track has changed, I will hold it for ever. Big deal. I have no interest in your opinion of that record, & it will not be deminished, or augmented by any number of peas up Cols nose, or not up Cols nose.

It was not effected by my mates mother who thought that racing was some idiot, trying to get back to where he started from, before a whole bunch of fools.

It will also not be effected by some pipsqueaks idea of what others should, or should not do, with their life. As I said, why don't you go get one, for your self.

Let us not forget that no country or individual is a separate entity unto themselves or himself . Our life will be miserable without other's help.This simple truth we all must understand.There is , therefore , nothing like an individual or a country doing his own or its own business.The whole world is now described as a global village because of the fact that all are interdependent. It is my firm opinion that civilised people should get perturbed by what is happenig around.Let us all elevate ourselves from the basal level to a higher plane!

Given that the inspiration behind the Guinness Book of Records was a pub argument about whether or not the golden plover was the fastest game bird in Europe, I'd say it is entitled to collect useless information and share it with idle minds. I'm sure the flagmakers are very proud of their efforts, so why not recognise their work? We mere mortals are unlikely to break sporting records or to donate the biggest sum to charity or break other 'worthy' records - but recognising big efforts can't really harm anyone, can it?

Anyway, I'm not sure how running 100m really fast benefits humanity. Should we take that record out as well?

Houlli “What about the most references to Margaret Thatcher in a forum Col!”

but be fair… I make more references to Lenin than anyone else too, H… but happy to accept the combined record :- )

Ezhil “Because we are wasting money already on many things we need not continue to do the same”

People make private choices to buy books like the GBR. It is their money to spend as they see fit.

I would rather individuals dispose of their private disposable income than be taxed by some officious government and politicians pork barrel and squander what was previously disposable income on stupid and pointless exercises - like a Carbon Emissions Tax or other “Socialism By Stealth” jerk-offs.

As for “Let us not forget that no country or individual is a separate entity unto themselves or himself .”
And no innovation, idea, invention or development was ever produced by a committee.

The GBR is subject to the market forces of those who choose to read it and not to Ezhil’s or his “committee’s” command.

The market is driven by dishonest ambitions, everyone knows.The other name for "cheating" is "business".If anybody wants to do business and make huge money, let them do it on commodities sought by people and not on things like education and the like. Let us not convert eveything into a business. Certainly "records" should not come under the purview of business.
Records from sports arena is also an aberration.Sports and games were stared to improve physical fitness and as a means of recreation.Certainly they were not meant for creating records.Initially some incentives were given to encourage people to take to sports so that the physical fitness of society can be improved. But subsequently misguided people in the sports field and the business minded converted it into a fircely competitive exercise and now it often leads to fitness problems quite contrary to its objectives.Conducting fitness camps for cricketers before the start of test matches is beyond comprehension.

"Conducting fitness camps for cricketers before the start of test matches is beyond comprehension."

It's not really beyond comprehension to me. Teams want to win. In order to win, they want their players to be fit. Consequently, they conduct fitness camps. I'm pretty sure that teams wanted their players to win even when cricket was an amateur sport. Fitness camps may not have been so popular, of course, because the players had to do their day jobs before heading off to play cricket. Yes, there is big money in cricket, but that hasn't always been so; the desire to win, however, has always been there.

Records have been kept for as long as sport has been organised. They are a matter of pride and, perhaps, were even more important before big money came into play. In the time when Olympians were amateurs, all they took home from the Games would be a medal and the pride of saying they were the best in the world. Suggesting that sporting records are an aberration suggests that their efforts are not worthwhile. Certainly running or swimming 100m really fast isn't going to feed the poor, but it boosts morale and pride. I have a friend (well, more of a casual acquaintance) who has held several swimming world records. Has this improved my life? No. But when I see her on the starting blocks, my chest swells with pride, as do the chests of many Australians who don't even know her. What harm is done by recording her achievements?

As for the commodification of records, let's keep in mind:
a) in most cases, records can't be bought or sold. They have to be achieved.
b) the Guinness Book of Records doesn't own, buy or sell records. It simply puts them in a book and sells that book. The same information can be found in several other places, usually free of charge.

Ezhil “The market is driven by dishonest ambitions, everyone knows. The other name for "cheating" is "business".”

Maybe Ezhil will elaborate on what he would use

and how anyone would get to eat or find clothes for themselves or basically “live” whilst enjoying the “economies of scale” from what is a "community of specialists" -

without a the intercession of some form of “market” or "business"

Playing is for improving one's physical fitness. Keeping fit to play is something quite paradoxical and strange! How can playing be one's career? Converting playing as a lucrative avocation is absurd and fraught with danger.

Actually, when I used to participate in competitive sport, I always thought the primary object of 'playing' was to have fun. Silly me!

As for Guiness Records, are any of them actually "useful" beyond bragging rights or providing an objective for the obsessives?

Ezhil “Playing is for improving one's physical fitness. Keeping fit to play is something quite paradoxical and strange! How can playing be one's career? Converting playing as a lucrative avocation is absurd and fraught with danger.”

Ah good rational choices…

However, they completely ignore the “emotional choices” which most people live for and give priority to.

Now, what does Ezhil see as the best way of ensuring we all make only “rational” and “objective” choices?

"Now, what does Ezhil see as the best way of ensuring we all make only “rational” and “objective” choices?"

it seems Ezhil can criticise what other people freely choose to do but has no suggestions to how to pursuade them to make only rational and objective choices.....

Such a silence suggests ezhil is more an "envious, leftie troll", full of opinions and directives but no pursuasive arguments, than a genuine "thinking" opinion poster.