Beijing Summer Olympics 2008

[Marswolf]

U.S. Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard's PETA advertisement against wearing fur.

Olympic gold medalist swimmer Amanda Beard had to launch her naked, anti-fur campaign poster outside the Athletes' Village on Wednesday after Chinese authorities canceled a planned unveiling, citing safety concerns.

In a poster for the animal rights group PETA, the reigning 200-meter breaststroke champion appears naked in front of the U.S. flag and the slogan "Be comfortable in your own skin. Don't wear fur."

Jason Baker, an Asia-Pacific spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the launch was "a bit more dramatic than we had planned" after Chinese security officials visited a hotel where an official news conference had been scheduled and shut down the event.

"From what I've been told from the hotel, the public security bureau showed up at midnight and told them our specific event had to be canceled for safety reasons, without going into any specifics," Baker said. "When I arrived at 8 a.m., there were public security officials in the press conference room we had booked.

"Amanda didn't want her voice to be silenced, so we went ahead and arranged something else -- we never knew if we were going to be stopped at any point."

Baker said the protest was not against China and did not interfere with the Olympics. Police and security did not interfere with the event outside the village's south gate.

"It was a sexy ad really designed for the U.S. market. It was positive, and it was (supposed) to be done in a private function room," Baker said. "I'm surprised they were so concerned, given we've done similar with Asian celebrities in the past."

The 26-year-old Beard, who has posed nude in men's magazines, said she decided to participate in the PETA campaign because she loved animals and was horrified to see how fur was produced for fashion in some places.

"I have seen a lot of the videos, and (it) brings me to tears," the four-time Olympian was quoted saying in a PETA statement. "What (some people) think is pretty is actually something that's very gruesome and gross."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-amanda-beard-peta-080806-ht,0,5108426.story

[Guest db99wj]

Wow. I like PETA. Well their ads and eating Tasty animals.

[Marswolf]

I saw that ad and got some chicken out of the freezer. I think I'll turn the air conditioning down to 65 and wear my leather jacket while I eat.

[Mike.357]

i honestly try to avoid things made in China. I know it is not reasonably possible to avoid it altogether.

It is reasonably possible to avoid the Olympics altogether though.

With the Chinese record of human rights violations I am still shocked that these games were ever awarded to them.

[Smith]

They gave them to Nazi Germany. You gotta remember to it is a huge undertaking and expense that is years in the making for the Olympics. it's not like they can pack up the tents and move in a month. Plus the IOC is a bunch of Euro liberals anyway.

[Marswolf]

The vote to have the games in Beijing wasn't even close. The Chinese almost got it on the first vote.

I really like the Chinese people. I had a chance to escape my handlers at the hotel in Shanghai and just walk down the dark streets observing people and the culture. Talked to them as much as my vocabulary allowed - which wasn't much. I found a hospital, with people bring in the patients (mostly family) in wheelbarrows. The hospital looked more like a corner garage. A restaurant was one room with a dirt floor and cooking pit. No chairs or tables. I don't know what I ate, but it was delicious.

I'll have to see if I can find my slides. I think I have one slide of demolition of a building just behind my hotel in Shanghai. There is a guy standing on the one brick thick outer wall and kicking off the bricks one by one. Few people in the US know how good they have it.

Going to Beijing and letting that represent China is like going to Detroit and letting that place represent the USA. I hope some of the tourists there for the Games understand that.

Anyway, I'm going to watch and enjoy the Games. If I have a problem with the Olympics, it's not politics. My problem is with letting professional athletes play. But I'm not going to whine about that this time. I'm primarily interested in how well the individual competitors do. The idea of a medal count by country has always seemed odd to me. The country didn't win anything - the competitors did. I'll drink a toast to them.

[deerslayer]

I am also against her wearing fur, or anything else for that matter.

[Marswolf]

Plus the IOC is a bunch of Euro liberals anyway.

There is always a bit of confusion about the IOC members. The basically represent the IOC in their respective countries, not as delegates of their countries to the IOC. A bunch of them are Olympians.

Here is more info.

The IOC Executive Board pretty much runs the show, but are elected by secret ballot. Here are the current members of the Board:

PRESIDENT

Jacques Rogge ............................. Belgium

VICE-PRESIDENT(S)

Gunilla Lindberg ............................. Sweden

Lambis V. Nikolaou ............................. Greece

Chiharu Igaya ............................. Japan

Thomas Bach ............................. Germany

MEMBER(S)

Gerhard Heiberg ............................. Norway

Denis Oswald ............................. Switzerland

Mario Vázquez Raña ............................. Mexico

Ottavio Cinquanta ............................. Italy

Sergey Bubka ............................. Ukraine

Zaiqing Yu ............................. People`s Republic of China

Richard L. Carrión ............................. Porto Rico

Ser Miang Ng ............................. Singapore

Mario Pescante ............................. Italy

Sam Ramsamy ............................. South Africa

Edited August 6, 2008 by Marswolf

[Marswolf]

Less than 5 minutes till the opening ceremony coverage on NBC. Yes, I'm watching.

[Guest bkelm18]

I'm watching as well.

[Guest db99wj]

We are as well.

[Reservoir Dog]

I have been watching, as well. I have to say that the Chinese have put on a great opening ceremony. The giant LED screen and the dancers with all the lights on their costumes were pretty awesome.

[Marswolf]

It only took about an hour-and-a-half to get around to the athletes. Isn't this supposed to be about athletes?

No worse that previous opening ceremonies, I guess.

[Guest bkelm18]

I for one was quite impressed with the opening ceremony. The Chinese knew this was their time to shine and it really shows they took that and ran with it. The technology and planning that went into it must have been phenomenal, not to mention money. Politics aside, China has a rich history and I look forward to seeing some of it through the games.

[Hooker771]

This is unbelievable. 15000 performers.

Jaw dropping

[Guest Ghostrider]

SUMO!!!!

Gotta figure out when it is and tivo it!

[Guest Honest AK]

Looks like they're already throwin' folks out. Check out the pic in this article:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/09/hong.kong.olympics.protest.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Somebody is coppin' a feel!

[Guest Honest AK]

On a much more serious note:

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- An American man was killed and American woman attending the Olympics was wounded in downtown Beijing Saturday by a Chinese man who then killed himself, according to China's official news agency, Xinhua.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/09/olympics.murder/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

[Marswolf]

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

IMHO, during the Olympics is not the time to protest Tibet, human rights policies, or the death penalty in the host country. I've grown tired of narcissistic know-it-all / know-nothing "protesters."

I thought the opening ceremony was entertaining. Since it cost $30M, I guess it should have been. But I'm really more interested in the athletic events.

[strickj]

But I'm really more interested in the athletic events.

I'm getting a real kick out of watching the synchronized sweat moper uppers.

[Marswolf]

Right now, I'm watching various events during the NASCAR yellow flags.

Maybe they will do some live events tonight. Looks like Internet live feeds are the way to go.

I'm still waiting for the bobsled.

[Guest db99wj]

Was on msnbc, found some pics of Bush and Women's beach volleyball, boy is there a joke in there......, here is the link, http://www.nbcolympics.com/beachvolleyball/photos/galleryid=185837.html

Here is the funniest picture of the bunch....

[Marswolf]

Hey, he's not runnin' this time. FU!

[Guest db99wj]

Hey, he's not runnin' this time. FU!

He looks as if he wants to "John Edwards" her!

[strickj]

Good ole George Dub Bush