betED.com - The View from the Couch - by Gavin McDougald!
July 30th, 2008 - Rain, Rain Please Stay
When the 2008 Olympic Games were awarded to China in 2001 by outgoing IOC head crook, his less than excellent, Juan Antonio Samaranch, China promised these games would be the "greatest the world has ever seen."
Except now that they are almost here, seeing them might be a bit of a problem.
For the first time in Olympic history, the prospect of rain for the duration of the games would not be considered a disaster, instead actually hoped for.
It turns out the air quality in the Chinese capital is a bit, um, well, chunky. On Tuesday the skies opened up and knocked tons (and tons) of this grey stuff out of the atmosphere improving the air quality all the way from "lethal" to "seriously toxic."
If the folks running the show in China did pray, they'd be on their knees from now until August 8th asking for a deluge of Biblical proportions.
It's so serious, the business first last and always government is considering pulling 90% of the cars off the road - which in Beijing means about 3-million of them.
How are the athletes in final training preparation coping with the lack of oxygen? They're not. That's because they are not there. Most countries are having their athletes prepare in nearby Korea or Japan so as not to contract emphysema running from here to there. They're going to be airlifted in just before the opening ceremonies, with many elite athletes not arriving until just before their events.
This, of course, was not supposed to happen. In their bid one of the key aspects they focused on was the positive environmental impact they games would have.
They promised these to be the greenest games ever.
Back then Li Lan-Qing, the vice chair of the PRC said, "The winning of the 2008 Olympic bid is an example of the international recognition of ... the healthy life of the Chinese people."
Man, that Lan-Qing! What a kidder!
Last week the official opening of the athletes' village turned out to be a disaster as the uber-funky housing units were barely visible from a few hundred yards.
Upon seeing just how bad it was the Australian Olympic delegation announced that they would not penalize any athlete who chooses to pull out of an event if they are "afraid of causing permanent damage."
In addition, if all that wasn't bad enough, now just over a week from the opening ceremonies, a major cheating scandal has broken out.
Which is the accused country?
China.
Apparently so determined to top the tote board when it comes to medals, they are accused of falsifying the age of some of their wee little girl gymnasts and divers to get them in under the restrictions.
However, they don't want just anybody. Some former gold medal winners were kept off the Chinese national team for political reasons. Tian Liang, nicknamed the "Diver Prince" after winning gold medals on the ten-meter platform at both the Sydney and Athens Olympics won't be allowed to compete because of his non-communist tendencies of having too many commercial endorsements.
Then there are the reports that Beijing bar owners having to sign an agreement "to stop a variety of activities in their establishments, including dancing and serving customers with black skin."
There was that freakish algal bloom that blanketed the Olympic regatta course.
There are stories of visa restrictions, freedom of the press issues, ticket selling corruption and just on Monday morning, at the equestrian site in Hong Kong, Bird frikin' flu!
This however, is the capper.
The major concerns against China being chosen as host in 2001 was their woeful human rights record. When the International Olympic Committee picked them, they stated that the 2008 games would ensure that human rights violations would decrease because of all the international scrutiny the Olympics draws.
Amnesty International released a statement this week saying human rights abuses in China are worse now then they were in 2001. The cause? The Olympics.
China spent $42-billion on these games in what is essentially a massive public relations effort to make the world see them in a better light.
When it rains, it pours.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Bet 2008 Olympics at betED.com now!
July 30th, 2008 - Rain, Rain Please Stay
When the 2008 Olympic Games were awarded to China in 2001 by outgoing IOC head crook, his less than excellent, Juan Antonio Samaranch, China promised these games would be the "greatest the world has ever seen."
Except now that they are almost here, seeing them might be a bit of a problem.
For the first time in Olympic history, the prospect of rain for the duration of the games would not be considered a disaster, instead actually hoped for.
It turns out the air quality in the Chinese capital is a bit, um, well, chunky. On Tuesday the skies opened up and knocked tons (and tons) of this grey stuff out of the atmosphere improving the air quality all the way from "lethal" to "seriously toxic."
If the folks running the show in China did pray, they'd be on their knees from now until August 8th asking for a deluge of Biblical proportions.
It's so serious, the business first last and always government is considering pulling 90% of the cars off the road - which in Beijing means about 3-million of them.
How are the athletes in final training preparation coping with the lack of oxygen? They're not. That's because they are not there. Most countries are having their athletes prepare in nearby Korea or Japan so as not to contract emphysema running from here to there. They're going to be airlifted in just before the opening ceremonies, with many elite athletes not arriving until just before their events.
This, of course, was not supposed to happen. In their bid one of the key aspects they focused on was the positive environmental impact they games would have.
They promised these to be the greenest games ever.
Back then Li Lan-Qing, the vice chair of the PRC said, "The winning of the 2008 Olympic bid is an example of the international recognition of ... the healthy life of the Chinese people."
Man, that Lan-Qing! What a kidder!
Last week the official opening of the athletes' village turned out to be a disaster as the uber-funky housing units were barely visible from a few hundred yards.
Upon seeing just how bad it was the Australian Olympic delegation announced that they would not penalize any athlete who chooses to pull out of an event if they are "afraid of causing permanent damage."
In addition, if all that wasn't bad enough, now just over a week from the opening ceremonies, a major cheating scandal has broken out.
Which is the accused country?
China.
Apparently so determined to top the tote board when it comes to medals, they are accused of falsifying the age of some of their wee little girl gymnasts and divers to get them in under the restrictions.
However, they don't want just anybody. Some former gold medal winners were kept off the Chinese national team for political reasons. Tian Liang, nicknamed the "Diver Prince" after winning gold medals on the ten-meter platform at both the Sydney and Athens Olympics won't be allowed to compete because of his non-communist tendencies of having too many commercial endorsements.
Then there are the reports that Beijing bar owners having to sign an agreement "to stop a variety of activities in their establishments, including dancing and serving customers with black skin."
There was that freakish algal bloom that blanketed the Olympic regatta course.
There are stories of visa restrictions, freedom of the press issues, ticket selling corruption and just on Monday morning, at the equestrian site in Hong Kong, Bird frikin' flu!
This however, is the capper.
The major concerns against China being chosen as host in 2001 was their woeful human rights record. When the International Olympic Committee picked them, they stated that the 2008 games would ensure that human rights violations would decrease because of all the international scrutiny the Olympics draws.
Amnesty International released a statement this week saying human rights abuses in China are worse now then they were in 2001. The cause? The Olympics.
China spent $42-billion on these games in what is essentially a massive public relations effort to make the world see them in a better light.
When it rains, it pours.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Bet 2008 Olympics at betED.com now!
