Androids to have their own Olympics in China in 2010.

Officially, we are in the future!

China is planning to hold a robot Olympics in 2010.

The international event will be held in the city of Harbin and will see robots take part in 16 different events.

Robots will be able to compete in familiar Olympic sports such as athletics as well as those more suited to machines such as cleaning.

Entry to the competition will be restricted to robots resembling humans. They must possess two arms and legs. Wheels are banned.

The organisers of the games expect from more than 100 universities from around the world to send competitors to the event.

Harbin has been picked as the venue because the city's Institute of Technology is the home of a robot football research group that manages a very successful team of soccer playing humanoids.

Professor Hong Rongbing, from the Harbin Institute of Technology, said the idea of the competition was to drive innovation and produce robots that are more flexible and helpful.

No specific date has been set for the games as its organisers are still rounding up sponsors to help pay for it.

The Chinese event will face competition from the RoboGames that also stages sports events for robots. The 2010 RoboGames will take in California in April.

The Harbin robot games will be one among an increasingly crowded calendar for robot sports and other competitive events. One event, Roboexotica, is for robots that can mix cocktails, light cigarettes and chat with bar patrons.

Robots already have their own world cup. The 2009 competition saw entries from 400 teams that hailed from 35 separate nations. The 2010 event will be held in June in Singapore. A rival event is run by the Federation of International Robot-Soccer Associations.

Photo - Getty Images

Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Summer Olympics

In a stunning victory, Rio De Janeiro in Brazil, won the bid to become the first South American city to host the XXXI Summer Olympic Games in 2016. Rio triumphed over other cities like Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo, who also had bids for the 2016 games. Rio was the shoo-in favorite as already North America has hosted the Olympics 6 times (1904-St Louis-USA/ 1932-Los Angeles-USA/ 1968-Mexico City-Mexico/ 1976-Montreal-Canada/ 1984-Los Angeles-USA/ 1996-Atlanta-USA), Europe has done it 13 times (1896-Athens-Greece/ 1900-Paris-France/ 1908-London-UK/ 1920-Antwerp-Belgium/ 1924-Paris-France/ 1928-Amsterdam-Netherlands/ 1936-Berlin-Germany/ 1948-London-UK/ 1960-Rome-Italy/ 1972-Munich-West Germany/ 1980-Moscow-USSR/ 1992-Barcelona-Spain/ 2004-Athens-Greece) and will host the next one (2012-London-UK) and Asia has done it 3 times (1964-Tokyo-Japan/ 1988-Seoul-South Korea/ 2008-Beijing-China)

The only other continent that has not hosted the Summer Olympiad, apart from Antartica (Humm...Winter Olympics?), is Africa. Maybe Cairo, Nairobi or Johannesburg in 2020? Who knows?

¡¡¡Parabéns Brasil!!! See you in 2016...if I have the money!

More Olympic deaths!!!!

We expect the Chinese government to be less than forthcoming.

But, the U.S. government is being a little shady too!

According to a new report, the death of a U.S. volleyball coach's father-in-law wasn't the only American death at the Beijing games.

A woman from Chicago died first.

Twenty-five-year old Ann DeWaters was killed in Beijing on August 4 in an incident that went unannounced and is still 'officially' unexplained by both U.S. and Chinese authorities and the American relief organization she was working for.

DeWaters was working at the Olympics through a Florida human services organization that deployed 160 volunteers to the China games.

The organization's director would not reveal how DeWaters died, calling it "an unfortunate incident."

In D.C., state department officials refused to say what killed her. American diplomats in Beijing said it was an apparent accident.

Illinois congressman Don Manzullo is the only official who has shed some light on the death.

DeWaters worked for him as an intern in 2006. A Manzullo spokesman revealed, she was, "walking down a Beijing street returning to her hotel . . . when she fell through an open manhole and hit her head."

Manhole cover thefts in China are a deadly public safety problem; 24,000 covers were stolen from Beijing streets in 2004, according to official news agency reports.

Most were sold to scrap metal dealers trying to meet increased demand during the Olympic building boom.

This summer, Chinese officials ordered crews to begin bolting down the city's 840,000 sewer covers to prevent thievery and stop people from falling in and dying. It wasn't soon enough for DeWaters.

And, get this…

On one blog, one Olympic volunteer last week posted details of what happened to DeWaters. Within a few hours, it was replaced with a much more 'benign statement' that the volunteer's father says was written by someone else, possibly an embarrassed Chinese government official. Now, even that posting has been taken down.

If this is all true, it seems irresponsible for the U.S. and Chinese governments to not have spoken out truthfully about it.

Plus, do they really think the truth wouldn't come out???!

Makes both governments look like such big assholes!

Fake Olympics Part Deux!

You may have already heard about this item in other places, but I'm also placing it here, just to remind you how fake the Olympics have become!

China Olympic ceremony star mimed
By Michael Bristow
BBC News, Beijing

A pretty girl who won national fame after singing at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games was only miming.

Wearing a red dress and pigtails, Lin Miaoke charmed a worldwide audience with a rendition of "Ode to the Motherland".

But the singer was Yang Peiyi, who was not allowed to appear because she is not as "flawless" as nine-year-old Lin.

The show's musical director said Lin was used because it was in the best interests of the country.

The revelation follows news that a fireworks display used during the opening ceremony was apparently faked.

Speaking on Beijing Radio station, musical director Chen Qigang said the organisers needed a girl with both a good image and a good voice.

They faced a dilemma because although Lin was prettier, seven-year-old Yang had the better voice, Mr Chen said.

"After several tests, we decided to put Lin Miaoke on the live picture, while using Yang Peiyi's voice," he told the radio station.

"The reason for this is that we must put our country's interest first," he added.

"The girl appearing on the picture must be flawless in terms of her facial expression and the great feeling she can give to people."

Singer Lin, who is being called the "smiling angel", has already become a media celebrity because of her performance.

She told state-run China Daily that she felt "beautiful" in the red dress she wore during the performance.

Her dad told the newspaper that she already had fans all over the country.

According to Chinese news reports, Yang said she did not regret the decision, saying she was satisfied to have had her voice featured in the opening ceremony.

This is the second "fake" story about the opening ceremony

Viewers around the world saw a display in which 29 firework "footprints" travelled across Beijing from south to north.

But a senior official from the Beijing organising committee (Bocog) confirmed on Tuesday that footage of the display had been produced before the big night.

This was provided to broadcasters for "convenience and theatrical effects", according to Wang Wei, Bocog's executive vice-president.

"Because of poor visibility, some previously recorded footage may have been used," he told

Screw the Chinese and screw their fake Olympics! It's all propaganda anyway!

Our Commander in Chief at work!

As you may (or may not) know, Resident...oops, President George W. Bush was in Beijing for the opening of the summer Olympic games. What you may not have seen was the unguarded moments the press caught the President making an ass out of himself! In the photos he's mocking the people in front of him, and in the other he's patting the back side of one of the female vollyball players of the US team.
It's actually really funny, but it makes me shiver that this guy is in charge and has the codes to launch nuclear weapons!
I hope Cheney has him on a short leash!

Fake Olympics?

An unbalanced Olympic coverage favoring USA? No...it can be!!!! Read on...

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The glow of NBC's Olympic ratings victory threatens to be sullied by reports that the Beijing Olympic Committee and the network have been less-than-scrupulous in their presentation of the Summer Games.

Organizers are accused of mixing in fake CGI fireworks during Friday night's opening ceremony, while NBC is said to have added a bogus "Live" stamp to tape-delayed West Coast feed of competition coverage this weekend, and edited the "parade of nations" segment of the opening ceremony to delay the entrance of the U.S. Olympic Team.

A look at each report, along with a response from NBC Sports:

Accusation: Viewers were misled by the use of computer-generated fireworks during a sweeping helicopter shot leading up to the Bird's Nest. Organizers note the fireworks were there, but the footage was created in advance due to the danger of shooting live from a nearby helicopter.

NBC Response: An NBC Sports spokesperson says U.S. viewers were informed of the manipulation. Commentators Matt Lauer and Bob Costas said the fireworks were a digital effect. From the opening ceremony transcript during the fireworks in question:

Lauer: "You're looking at a cinematic device employed by Zhang Yimou here. This is actually almost animation. A footstep a second, 29 in all, to signify the 29 Olympiads."

Costas: "We said earlier that aspects of this Opening Ceremony are almost like cinema in real time. Well this is quite literally cinematic."

Analysis: Mixing real and CGI fireworks during an Olympic event is visually misleading, though NBC did try to address the issue. The question is, during a spectacular-looking shot, do the phrases "cinematic device" and "almost animation" really convey that the image wasn't real? It seems more to hint that something about it wasn't quite literal, while coming shy of saying -- in far more clear and simple terms -- "this is a digitally manufactured shot to represent what's happening right now outside the stadium."

Accusation: NBC is time stamping West Coast feeds of competition coverage with a "Live" tag even though the coverage is not live.

NBC Response: A spokesperson points out the constant "Live" tag is accompanied by twice-per-hour time stamps that inform West Coast viewers that the event was only live on the East Coast (ex. "10:05 ET").

"The audience makeup of the Olympics is very much like that of 'American Idol' and 'Dancing with the Stars' which have 'live' season finales presented in much the same way," an NBC Sports spokesperson says. "You assume there's a large amount of intelligence in the viewing audience, so when they see those twice-an-hour time stamps they'll understand what is being presented."

Analysis: If a sporting event's feed isn't live, a broadcaster should avoid using an omnipresent "live" tag. The best reason to have this tag on a West Coast feed (and to not put a clear "tape delayed" notice) is for the same reason some are incensed -- it gives viewers an impression of live urgency that isn't quite there. Like with the fireworks, the original complaint is mollified by the facts, to a degree: to a casual viewer the coverage shows one thing, while to somebody paying close attention, it shows something slightly less exciting.

Accusation: NBC edited the "parade of nations" from the original order to delay the entrance of U.S. athletes.

NBC Response: An NBC Sports spokesman says the order was unchanged.

Analysis: Editing a sporting event like a reality show to save the most eagerly awaited moments for the conclusion would be an issue -- if it were true. As it is, online reports have provided no real evidence.

Fake Olympics!!!! That's why they didn't show Puerto Rico in the ceremony. They edited it out!!!! That's why I'm watching the war between Russia and Georgia. It's real and much more entertaining!

While we were asleep...

All this events happened...

Russia invaded the nation of Georgia yesterday, attacking their capital of Tbilisi with their air force and army. All of this because of the breakaway territory of South Ossetia, and defending their troops staying there.

President Bush called for Russia to pull out of Georgia and to respect it's sovereignty. Right...like HE did on Iraq.



The Olympics started underway in Beijing, China. 15,000 dancers and actors participated...nice but...BORING!!!!

But...

An American tourist has been killed in Beijing in what appears to have been a random attack in the center of the city.

A Chinese man pounced on two US citizens and their Chinese guide as they visited the Drum Tower monument in downtown Beijing today.

One of the US tourists was killed. The second tourist and the Chinese guide, both women, were injured.

The attacker, Tang Yongming, 47, of the eastern city of Hangzhou, then killed himself by jumping off the second story of the monument.

It comes just a day after the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Drum Tower, a major tourist site in central Beijing, has been sealed off and uniformed police are standing guard.

Murder and sports...a fitting tradition.


And late word that comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from pneumonia in Chicago. He was 50 years old. He was well known from movies like "The Kings of Comedy" and the "Ocean's Eleven" trilogy of films and "The Bernie Mac Show" on TV.

A very funny man. He will be missed!

24 hours before the Olympics...

Our Olympic team arrived in Beijing and put up the flag on the Olympic village. This year our delegation consists of only 22 athletes and about 32 officials. The cost...10 million dollars! They better bring a medal, at least bronze!
It's good that only 22 athletes are competing, instead of the hundred plus 'tourists' that we sent in years before. No medals, just visiting and having fun on our dime.
Good luck! They're going to need it!

A crappy start to the Olympics!

Ok boys and girls, hold your noses on this one.

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Two-time Olympic discus champion Virgilijus Alekna encountered an unusual problem at a final pre-Beijing training session in Lithuania at the weekend -- his practice venue was covered in dog poo.

"Dogs were doing what animals usually do, defecating and peeing," the professional bodyguard told Lithuanian daily Lietuvos zinios after the stadium he was using to train was used for a dog show on Sunday.

"There were lots of dogs and they have left lots of things behind ... and nobody even tried to collect them."

"I have no idea how can I train in such conditions ... and who would clean the discus after every throw."

Alekna said he was looking for another training ground, probably in Kaunas, about 100 km from the capital Vilnius.

The 36-year-old won the discus at Sydney in 2000 and Athens four years ago.

Hey! That could make the Olympics interesting! Dog poo throwing!!!!

Don't do it! I said DON'T DO IT!!!

The Chinese are going wild with their prohibitions before the Olympics start next week. Take a gander at the stuff they are prohibiting.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Do not sleep outdoors to save money at the Olympics. It is banned to "maintain public hygiene and the cultured image of cities."

Do not let the stifling summer heat tempt you into streaking, do not get drunk nor set off fireworks nor wave "insulting banners."

Anyone with mental illnesses or sexually transmitted diseases is banned. Smoking is not allowed at Olympic venues.

The rules on the organizers' official website say it all:

"Foreigners must respect Chinese laws while in China and must not harm China's national security or damage social order."

The security-obsessed authorities are taking no chances with the 500,000 tourists set to hit Beijing for the Games.

A battery of surface-to-air missile launchers are being deployed around the showpiece sites.

No detail is too trivial.

Lighters have been banned on domestic flights. Commuters are being asked to take a swig from water bottles on the subway to ensure they do not contain suspicious substances.

All public swimming pools in Shanghai will check shampoos and body wash.

Authorities have promised "civilized and convenient" security checks but have been accused of obsessive stage management -- visa restrictions have been tightened for visitors and Beijing is being rid of petitioners, the homeless and migrant workers.

Up to 1,000 Chinese families are opening up their homes to Olympic visitors, a move that would have been unheard of before the reform and opening up of China in the 1980s.

But the hosts could still be in for a culture shock.

Retired school teacher Yuan Xioaoqing, who is opening up her home, said "Foreign students like to stay out all night on the weekend. But in more intellectual and traditional Chinese households there is no way the kids would go out like that."

Beijing has learnt a lesson from the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Dog meat is off the menu in the Chinese capital during the Olympics in case animal rights groups are offended.

Exotic names and alarming translations abound in Chinese restaurants which are being given a linguistic makeover, though only in select restaurants.

Out goes the traditionally named "husband and wife's lung slice" appetizer which is being replaced by the more linguistically correct "beef and ox tripe in chili sauce."

But no mention was made of the many popular establishments that have donkey on the menu.

The authorities have also worked hard to eliminate "Chinglish" from road signs and menus in the run-up to the Olympics, even if efforts have been a little hit and miss.

Gone is the infamous "Racist Park" signpost for the Ethnic Minorities Park.

Anyone hoping to scoop up a bagful of cheap pirate movies or music could be in for a disappointment. The city has announced a round-the-clock drive to stamp out bootleg sellers, but pirated DVDs are still available if you know where to look.

Yet however much they are obsessed by security and a burning desire to portray the squeaky clean image of a well ordered society, the Chinese insist the welcome will be warm.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said: "China is a safe place. Please be assured. China is a nation with great hospitality and courtesy."

Yup...as safe as the old Soviet Russia!
Photo courtesy of Manifesto.com.cn

China retires dogs from it's menu due to the Olympics!

WTF! What? No scrumptious dogs to eat while we compete in the Olympics? Well it looks that the Chinese will have to settle their taste by eating pandas for a while!
Read the story here, courtesy of El Nuevo Dia and AP. (In Spanish).

And please, Don't look at spot like that!