That's right, it's Chinese New Year, a.k.a. Asian New Year, a.k.a. Lunar New Year. No matter how you slice it, it starts today. And if the Chinese Zodiac is to be believed, it's the Year of the Ox.
Today I'll post on a topic that several people seem to be talking about (meant to post about it yesterday when it would have been truly topical, but didn't get the chance). That topic being: some of these Chinese "women" gymnasts appear to be pre-pubescent.
I might buy that some of these (supremely, amazingly, stunningly talented) athletes are 16, but take a look at Deng Linlin:
I understand that there are cultural and genetic elements at play here, but if she's had a period, I've had one too.
The Olympic Committee (and the international community) claims that its hands are tied with this, because they have passports that show them to be 16.
Really, folks: how many 16-yrs olds have just lost a baby tooth?
I can't be the only one who's wondering, though, if there's a reluctance to pursue this question with more vigor because no one wants the, um, inconvenience of follow-up questions about child labor in general, particularly in the Host Nation of the Olympics...
Those are the questions really worth asking, of course. The life of an 11-yr-old Olympic gymnast, while demanding in ways I can only imagine, has to come out ahead of the life of an 11-yr-old in a shoe factory in all kinds of ways. What with the gold medals and all.
You've heard of greenwashing, yes? This tendency to make a company, industry, government, etc. appear environmentally friendly by using a small percentage of green materials and/or paying lipservice to energy concers, while pretty much keeping up the same destructive processes.
Well, they've taken it to a new level. Laoshu mountain in yunnan, china was looking pretty grim: it had been quarried heavily, and the trees weren't making it. So naturally the local authorities took action: by spray painting the mountain green.
Yup. They sure did. Evidently residents of a new government building now have a better view. Or something.
Read all about it in this article.
In other news, britney spears got a haircut.
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