China's Express Bus

Very nice idea via the Chinese braintrust. What you are viewing is an innovation the Chinese plan on constructing next year. The rail bus is designed to go over traffic and essentially help travelers arrive at locations a lot faster than if they were competing in regular traffic. The questions I immediately thought of were, "what about cars that switch lanes -- or would like to for that matter". Perhaps there are kinks to be worked out.

My compadre KT brought out some familiar thoughts in a recent discussion about technology in America as a whole. We have so many capable individuals and resources and we have very few life-changing advancements. Most of the technological advancements come in small implementations and are generally for leisurely purposes, not the enhancement of life. For instance why do we still channel and utilize electricity the same way we did back in the 60's? Why haven't we updated irrigation systems or our transit? I understand things cost money but raising money has never been much of a problem in America. They attempt to appease us with iPhones and 3D televisions...we should be utilizing underwater boats to travel or moving holograms in the air with our fingers for our computers like Tony Starks in IronMan. There is so much more that can be done and they only give us the crumbs. And now my opining has come to an end, don't want my computer keys to jam...

Age ain't nothing but a Number

Just when i was full of zeal about the Olympics they had to give me some controversial news. The news that i am referring to cites the women's Chinese gymnastics team with underage competitors. Some report has one of the gymnast at age 13, the minimum age required to compete is 16. Before this was even an issue i queried in my head, "man why these Chinese girls look so little". And now i have my answer. Just nine months before the Oly's (that's what im callin em, O-lees) the Chinese government's news agency reported He Kexin was 13. Of course Chinese delegates refuted the claim. Sorry China im going with my gut on this one.

China has gone through a lot for these Oly's, after reading reports and listening to accounts of what took place before these games it is clear that China has placed a large amount of pressure on it's athletes to have great showings. China appears to view these games as a chance to show the world how high on the totem pole they really are. That was evident from the opening ceremony, which was stand out material. Journalistic reports have outlined the burden that some of the Chinese gymnasts carry as they are implored to do well and bring back GOLD medals. Im not insinuating that this is the reason they have gone to what i believe to be dubious measures to inch closer to gold, but i will say that it is not a stretch. For instance America values the Oly's but i don't know if we use it to define us as a nation, we just take it for granted that our athletes will do well and nobody is extremely overjoyed when we win because we're supposed to--aside from Phelps who is growing gills day by day.

As brought to my attention by Autumn Jones, mumbling has been going on about China's attempt to mask a lot of things for the Oly's. But that is just part of the process, when the games were in Atlanta efforts were made to remove unwanted street dwellers among other things and present the best possible image. I know China has infamous places like Tiennamen Square which seems to be revered now despite the many executions that took place there. However when any guests comes to your home you want to clean up a bit.

Let's enjoy the Oly's and take it all in. If the ladies used gymnasts slightly below the age suggestion, hey what can you do. We'll just know the next time not to trust them with anything, like i don't know....a WMD.

Hotmail is China's friend

Small piece of information here, Microsoft is not letting potential email users utilize the word "tibet" in their email address. Microsoft insist that this barricade is in existence to prevent users from imitating financial institutions and employ "phishing schemes" or impersonations of that nature. In this case a spokeswoman from Microsoft commented that there is a bank in Florida, TIB Bank and that is why names with "tib" are not accepted.

Now the cynicism begins, just as the Olympics are on schedule to begin tomorrow (unofficially). With China looking to chivy away from all inquiries about their treatment of the Tibetans its awkward timing that this would surface now. Especially when you consider the amount of money the Chinese have lent the American economy (hundreds of billions of dollars), we almost have no money. You wonder why everything says made in China and although many complain we still send everything over to China to be produced, its not only for the cheap labor (I think im going to embark on that dialogue another day). Anyhow its not as if someone with the word "tibet" in their hotmail address is a threat to the freedom of all nationalities everywhere. Maybe Microsoft is being honest but i find this whole thing ironic. Im just imparting the little information i have, from all angles.

America, Spare me please

First and foremost I would like to apologize to the public for my hiatus, but IM BACK! It hurt me just as much as it hurt you, trust me. With no further adieu, lets jump back in the pool, CANNONBALL!!!!

I have to jump on the olympic protest, i.e. the smotherers of the flame. I realize the fact that some nations are more active politically than us Americans and I certainly saw their rationale in creating a ruckus around the olympic torch. However, when the flame hit San Francisco people were trying to act a fool and pretend they are incensed and perturbed about the lack of humanity demonstrated in China. The paucity of social demonstraters in America leads me to believe that this was a bandwagon move. No matter how many times you extinguish the olympic torch, in essence you will accomplish nothing. The flame WILL eventually make it to Beijing, I can assure you. I empathize with the idea that some attention needs to be paid to the issue that exists but... where was the anger before the olympics. Perhaps it was there it just wasn't reported over here in America? Perhaps because we all know how American media likes to show meaningless news stories.

Now the ancillary issue is the notion of protesting the olympics altogether. What!? If you refuse to have your athletes compete in sporting events in Beijing how is that going to reform their practices? Many of these athletes have been training for years for their opportunity to participate in the olympics; to spring this on them at the doorstep of the event is pretty ridiculous. It's not as if you can miss the olympics and then go next month. It won't be back for another four years for crying out loud. And that effectively eliminates a whole lot of people and their dreams. From an American perspective, how about you stop taking so many imports from China. Maybe not have so many of your factories over there. I think China would feel that a little more than the absence of your athletes. I mean these are only ideas if youre serious about the issue and not just playing the public protest game. Don't have one foot in and one foot out. American could help itself and increase the value of the dollar among other things if they were really sympathetic to what is going on in China.

Blowing hot air won't get you anywhere, cause you can't float over to China in a hot air balloon.