Um, I’m really not into the Olympics. Sorry.

Yeah, I get it, nations get together and compete to show that their differences aren’t all that big after all, blah blah blah. The truth of the matter is, sports has never brought nations together. Maybe they can put their differences aside for a few minutes for the sake of the cameras (and to try for that gold medal), but the moment they leave the venue, the world is back to the way it was.

But, hey, I do like dessert. So, to honor the Beijing Olympics in the only way I know how, I propose a making delicious Chinese dessert: deep fried watermelon. Yes, it’s fried, but, hey, at least it’s fruit!

Happy sporting!

What You’ll Need

1 10 pound watermelon
2 beaten egg whites
11 tablespoons of flour
7 tablespoons of cornstarch
3 cups of vegetable oil Read More »

[Want to be part of the liveblogging extravaganza? IM CollegeCandy27 and tell us what you think…we’ll put the best comments up!]

Everyone’s been talking about Beijing’s Olympic Opening ceremony; it’s futuristic, the best we’ve ever seen, full of spectacle…blah blah blah. Not to be a dick, but how interesting can this sort of thing really be? A bunch of people marching around carrying flags, fireworks, George W…it sounds kind of like the Fourth of July, except slightly more boring, because nobody can be drunk.

Since my social calender has a big gaping hole where tonight’s plans should be, I’ve decided to sit in front of the TV (with or without my face covered in a homemade facial…I’m not telling) and liveblog through this so-called fantastic futuristic mind blowingly awesome ceremony.

Let’s see how badass China really is, shall we?

7:58pm — Matt Lauer and some guy are talking…President Bush is coming down the aisle…he looks slightly awkward.

8:00pm — holy f*ck there are a lot of drummers…in wizard garb.

8:05pm — I think my retnas just exploded from the lights. Read More »

One of my best buddies said to me the other day, “You know, I’m so American that I don’t even care about the Olympics.” I laughed, because these are the kinds of things that she says to me fairly frequently. At the time, I wasn’t all that excited about the Olympics. It wasn’t that I wasn’t looking forward to them; it was just that I had a hell of a lot more on my plate.

Still, as we get closer by leaps and bounds (only hours away!) to the Summer 2008 Olympics, I guess I am kind of excited. I’m sure I’m not as psyched as lots of die hard sports fans who will be watching the Games like a hawk. But I am looking forward to seeing that torch lit. Just…not for reasons that I think resonate with the majority of Olympics viewers.

Love Those Losers: My grandmother and I started the tradition about ten years ago of watching the Olympics and rooting for the country with the least chance of winning. I’ve always had a thing for underdogs; I don’t know if it’s because they’re so utterly pathetic (really, you should watch just to see their, “Well, I saw that coming,” expressions when they fail horrendously) or because of how awesome it is when the team no one thought would even place gets the gold. Either way, I’ll be keeping a semi-close eye on the teams that the rest of the viewers and participants could care less about. (But I won’t be making any bets. I always lose those.)

Summer Olympics are HOT: I know you know it. Gawker knows it. We know it. This summer there is a delicious smorgasbord across several of the sports, and I do not just mean the competitive spirit. Two of my favorites are USA softball girl Jennie Finch and Australian diving boy Matthew Mitcham. Too bad I’m pretty certain Finch is straight and I know for certain that Mitcham is gay, so I’ve got no chance with either of them. Still, I can gawk and unfairly root for them. Read More »

It’s the news with Kandy Korrespondent!

Yesterday saw a climactic end to the democratic presidential race. Superdelegates rushed to throw their support behind Obama which in addition to his victory in Montana placed him solidly past the requisite delegate count with 2,152. He claimed the nomination in his victory speech to supporters in Minnesota.

Although Clinton failed to concede the nomination, a growing number of moves by her campaign seem to indicate that she is preparing to withdraw from the contest. Most notably, on Tuesday she reportedly told supporters that she would be open to being Obama’s running mate.

In Other News:

Senator Kennedy is recovering well following brain surgery on Monday to remove a malignant brain tumor. He is expected to begin chemotherapy and radiation treatment in the near future. His cancer diagnosis has rekindled talk of the so-called “Kennedy Curse”. Read More »

It’s time for the news with Kandy Korrespondent!

For those of you who may have thought this year’s presidential race couldn’t get any crazier: Meet Mr. Bob Barr! Former Republican congressman, Bob Barr said on Monday that he would run for President as part of the libertarian ticket. He was part of the Republican Revolution in 1995 and gained notoriety for his role in the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton. He left the Republican party in 2004 and became a Libertarian in 2005 as a result of his growing disillusionment with the civil liberties-eroding Patriot Act. His entrance into the race as a third party candidate may siphon off extreme right-wingers from the McCain platform.

Also on Monday, President Bush told the BBC that the US has plans to strengthen Lebanon’s army to enable it to disarm Hezbollah. At least 60 have died in clashes around Beirut this past week. Read More »

It’s news time with your Kandy Korrespondent!

The US Military carried out an Air-strike on the central Somali town of Dusamareb on Wednesday Night killing al-Qaeda’s ‘top-commander in Somalia’. According to US officials Al-Shabab leader, Aden Hashi Ayro was inside the house leveled by the strike along with at least one of his top commanders.

A doctor at Dusamareb Hospital told the BBC that he was treating eight civilians, both women and children, for burns and shrapnel wounds. One of these women has since died.

According to the BBC, Al-Shabab, is a military wing of the Somali Sharia courts movement aka the Union of Islamic Courts. They were in power within Somalia until 2006 when they were overthrown by Ethiopian troops. Since then, the group has led the guerilla fight against the new Ethiopian-backed Somali government.

Over this past weekend, the two sides of the conflict engaged in heavy fighting, killing at least 81, and wounding 119 within the Somali capital of Mogadisu. According to Sudan Ali Ahmed, chairman of Elman Human Rights,

“The casualties … were caused by Ethiopians using heavy artillery and tank shells in residential areas of the war-torn capital.”

This attack is fifth known US strike against so-called operatives inside of Somalia. Past attacks have drawn heat from the international community, warning that the US is involving itself in a bloody internal civil war. These strikes have killed “terrorists” and civilians.
For more information on Somalia, check out my article on the Somalian civil war (ongoing since 1991) and my other article on pirates in Somalia.

In Other News: Read More »

In several previous posts I discussed the intense controversy surrounding the upcoming Beijing Olympics. In recent weeks the traditional international journey of the Olympic Torch has served as a flash point for clashes between supporters and protesters.

Ironically, this torch relay was supposed to be the largest in Olympic history—a showcase of international cooperation and sport. Instead, it has become a testament to international outrage over China’s human rights abuses, especially over Tibet.

March 31: A huge carefully scripted ceremony at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square sent the torch off across the globe

April 3: In Istanbul, Turkey, the Uighur expat community staged demonstrations against Chinese persecution of their “brother” expats in Xinjiang. In February 2007, for example, an Uigur activist named Ismail Semed, was executed on the shaky grounds of attempting to “split the motherland” and possessing explosives.

April 6: Massive clashes occurred between Free Tibet protesters and police during the London relay. Thirty-seven protesters were arrested including a man who tried to snatch the torch away from one of the runners. Another tried to put out the torch with a fire extinguisher. Read More »

Free Tibet!

The slogan is everywhere, from T-shirts to bumper stickers, splashed across skater mags and on backpack patches. As protests this past weekend in Tibet once again highlight this cause, it seems clearer than ever that the only way a Free Tibet will ever occur is if China itself is freed from its’ totalitarian, anti-human rights, repressive regime.

Last week, on the anniversary of the 1959 uprising against Chinese rule, Tibetan monks held a series of peaceful protests to draw attention to their concerns.

On March 14 (Friday morning), the police decided to crack down, prompting Tibetans to riot.

According to the Economist’s correspondent in Tibet,

“The violence was fuelled by rumours of killings, beatings and detention of Buddhist monks by security forces in Lhasa this week. Access to the city’s big three monasteries has been blocked by police since the beginning of the week when hundreds of monks staged protests coinciding with the March 10th anniversary of the 1959 revolt. Dozens of them, residents believe, have been arrested. On Friday morning, rumours spread that monks had been shot dead outside the Jokhang temple, the holiest shrine of Tibetan Buddhism in the heart of the Tibetan quarter. A couple of monks outside another temple were said to have been beaten by police.” Read More »

In my last two articles, I have been examining China’s Human Rights record. In the first, I discussed China’s human rights abuses leading up to July 14, 2001, when the Olympic Committee agreed to have Beijing be the sight for the 2008 Summer Olympics. In the second, I detailed the negative impact that this decision is having upon the already stringent human rights of the Chinese populace.

Steven Spielberg withdrew from his position as an artistic adviser at the Beijing Olympics citing China’s record on Darfur. His decision received both praise and criticism.

In reaction to the resignation, Milan Zever, sports minister of Slovenia, the current presiding country of the European Union stated,

“Sports is too important. It is too important to use it as a political instrument.”

Really now? More important than a genocide? Read More »

In my last article I discussed China’s legacy of human rights abuses up to on July 14, 2001, when the Olympic Committee agreed to have Beijing be the sight for the 2008 Summer Olympics

Following that decision, German Interior Minister Otto Schily stated, “I am convinced that the Olympic games will have a positive effect on China’s democratic development.”

My dearest Otto, sorry to disappoint you, if anything, preparations for the Olympics are only increasing human rights violations in China.

In my last article, I introduced Freedom House’s measures of democratic freedom as a tool of comparative politics. (based on a 7 point scale with 7 being totalitarian and 1 signifying fully democratic) This measure is also a helpful tool when looking at a single state’s record over the course of several years.

China’s Freedom House ranking in 2001, was 7 for Political Rights and 6 for Civil Liberties, in 2008 it remains the same.

In 2007, moreover, in an effort to stabilize Chinese society, the country’s restrictions against media were tightened and human rights activists, civil rights lawyers, and other dissidents were detained. Read More »