Still Trying to Make That One Person Smile

As I predicted, ONE of you didn’t smile at the last video post. So, let’s try again today. After all, it is the Lord’s Day and He created it for us. So, relax, prop your feet up, watch this video. And, yes, smile!

A Penny for Your Thoughts

Okay…time to laugh…this is just funny!

I expect to see a smile on all of your faces, well, not all, I know one person who reads my blog that won’t find it funny. But, I fully expect to hear laughs from everyone else!

Don’t Forget Your Turn Signal

A 35-year-old Texas woman has been jailed after police say she made her 12-year-old daughter drive her to a bar. Notice. The mother made her 12-year-old daughter drive her TO the bar! Not home from the bar. Not to a hospital because an emergency. Not to church. But TO a bar!

Police in Longview, Texas, say they watched a minivan turn into a driveway without signaling on Wednesday and bump into the home at a low speed. They say the car was driven by Jennifer Lynn Rosenberg’s daughter.

Police say the girl told an officer she had just dropped her mother off at a bar. They say they found Rosenburg at the bar and that she admitted having her daughter drive her there.

Rosenburg remains in the Gregg County Jail on a $2,500 bond.

Could she be waiting on her daughter to bail her out? Did the police take the keys away from the girl so she can’t go to the bank to get the bond money? Is the girl not authorized to sign her checks so she can’t bail her out?

I’ve heard of designated drivers; but, I always thought that was for people LEAVING a bar, not driving to it. Then again, if she allowed her 12-year-old to drive her to a bar, maybe she was already plastered!

Don’t Forget Your Turn Signal

A 35-year-old Texas woman has been jailed after police say she made her 12-year-old daughter drive her to a bar. Notice. The mother made her 12-year-old daughter drive her TO the bar! Not home from the bar. Not to a hospital because an emergency. Not to church. But TO a bar!

Police in Longview, Texas, say they watched a minivan turn into a driveway without signaling on Wednesday and bump into the home at a low speed. They say the car was driven by Jennifer Lynn Rosenberg’s daughter.

Police say the girl told an officer she had just dropped her mother off at a bar. They say they found Rosenburg at the bar and that she admitted having her daughter drive her there.

Rosenburg remains in the Gregg County Jail on a $2,500 bond.

Could she be waiting on her daughter to bail her out? Did the police take the keys away from the girl so she can’t go to the bank to get the bond money? Is the girl not authorized to sign her checks so she can’t bail her out?

I’ve heard of designated drivers; but, I always thought that was for people LEAVING a bar, not driving to it. Then again, if she allowed her 12-year-old to drive her to a bar, maybe she was already plastered!

Don’t Forget Your Turn Signal

A 35-year-old Texas woman has been jailed after police say she made her 12-year-old daughter drive her to a bar. Notice. The mother made her 12-year-old daughter drive her TO the bar! Not home from the bar. Not to a hospital because an emergency. Not to church. But TO a bar!

Police in Longview, Texas, say they watched a minivan turn into a driveway without signaling on Wednesday and bump into the home at a low speed. They say the car was driven by Jennifer Lynn Rosenberg’s daughter.

Police say the girl told an officer she had just dropped her mother off at a bar. They say they found Rosenburg at the bar and that she admitted having her daughter drive her there.

Rosenburg remains in the Gregg County Jail on a $2,500 bond.

Could she be waiting on her daughter to bail her out? Did the police take the keys away from the girl so she can’t go to the bank to get the bond money? Is the girl not authorized to sign her checks so she can’t bail her out?

I’ve heard of designated drivers; but, I always thought that was for people LEAVING a bar, not driving to it. Then again, if she allowed her 12-year-old to drive her to a bar, maybe she was already plastered!

Don’t Forget Your Turn Signal

A 35-year-old Texas woman has been jailed after police say she made her 12-year-old daughter drive her to a bar. Notice. The mother made her 12-year-old daughter drive her TO the bar! Not home from the bar. Not to a hospital because an emergency. Not to church. But TO a bar!

Police in Longview, Texas, say they watched a minivan turn into a driveway without signaling on Wednesday and bump into the home at a low speed. They say the car was driven by Jennifer Lynn Rosenberg’s daughter.

Police say the girl told an officer she had just dropped her mother off at a bar. They say they found Rosenburg at the bar and that she admitted having her daughter drive her there.

Rosenburg remains in the Gregg County Jail on a $2,500 bond.

Could she be waiting on her daughter to bail her out? Did the police take the keys away from the girl so she can’t go to the bank to get the bond money? Is the girl not authorized to sign her checks so she can’t bail her out?

I’ve heard of designated drivers; but, I always thought that was for people LEAVING a bar, not driving to it. Then again, if she allowed her 12-year-old to drive her to a bar, maybe she was already plastered!

Hi Ho Hi Ho It’s Off to Jail We Go!

“Hey kids! Want to go to Disneyland?”

“YES!”

“Let’s go!”

Fast forward to arriving at Disneyland. This is what you see when you step out of the car:
Cinderella, Snow White, and Tinkerbell being handcuffed, frisked, and loaded into police vans at the culmination of a labor protest that brought a touch of reality to the Happiest Place on Earth.

The arrest of the 32 protesters, many of whom wore costumes representing famous Disney characters, came at the end of an hour-long march to Disneyland’s gates from one of three Disney-owned hotels at the center of a labor dispute.

Those who were arrested sat in a circle on a busy intersection outside the park holding hands until they were placed in plastic handcuffs and led to two police vans while hundreds of hotel workers cheered and chanted.

The dispute involves about 2,300 maids, bell hops, cooks, and dishwashers at three Disney-owned hotels: the Paradise Pier, the Grand Californian and the Disneyland Hotel.
The workers’ contract expired in February and their union says Disney’s latest proposal makes health care unaffordable for hundreds of employees and creates an unfair two-tier wage system. The union also says Disney wants to create a new category of part-time employees who would receive greatly reduced benefits.

Disney spokeswoman Lisa Haines said Disney and the union are in negotiations and nothing has been finalized. She said workers have protested 14 times but sat down to negotiate only 11 times in the past six months.

“Clearly we’re disappointed that Unite Here Local 681 has spent more time protesting,” she said. “Publicity stunts are not productive and are extremely disruptive to the resort district.”

Before the arrests, the picketers marched and chanted outside Paradise Pier, holding signs that read, “Disney is unfaithful,” and “Mickey, shame on you.” They were joined by community activists and religious leaders from local churches.

What do you think? Should they have protested? Or, should they have been at the negotiation table?

Alabama isn’t a huge union state, so my experience with unions is very limited. So, I’d love to hear your comments, from your knowledge of unions and whether or not this was the proper thing to do.

Also, how would you explain seeing Cinderella being handcuffed and hauled off to jail?

Hi Ho Hi Ho It’s Off to Jail We Go!

“Hey kids! Want to go to Disneyland?”

“YES!”

“Let’s go!”

Fast forward to arriving at Disneyland. This is what you see when you step out of the car:
Cinderella, Snow White, and Tinkerbell being handcuffed, frisked, and loaded into police vans at the culmination of a labor protest that brought a touch of reality to the Happiest Place on Earth.

The arrest of the 32 protesters, many of whom wore costumes representing famous Disney characters, came at the end of an hour-long march to Disneyland’s gates from one of three Disney-owned hotels at the center of a labor dispute.

Those who were arrested sat in a circle on a busy intersection outside the park holding hands until they were placed in plastic handcuffs and led to two police vans while hundreds of hotel workers cheered and chanted.

The dispute involves about 2,300 maids, bell hops, cooks, and dishwashers at three Disney-owned hotels: the Paradise Pier, the Grand Californian and the Disneyland Hotel.
The workers’ contract expired in February and their union says Disney’s latest proposal makes health care unaffordable for hundreds of employees and creates an unfair two-tier wage system. The union also says Disney wants to create a new category of part-time employees who would receive greatly reduced benefits.

Disney spokeswoman Lisa Haines said Disney and the union are in negotiations and nothing has been finalized. She said workers have protested 14 times but sat down to negotiate only 11 times in the past six months.

“Clearly we’re disappointed that Unite Here Local 681 has spent more time protesting,” she said. “Publicity stunts are not productive and are extremely disruptive to the resort district.”

Before the arrests, the picketers marched and chanted outside Paradise Pier, holding signs that read, “Disney is unfaithful,” and “Mickey, shame on you.” They were joined by community activists and religious leaders from local churches.

What do you think? Should they have protested? Or, should they have been at the negotiation table?

Alabama isn’t a huge union state, so my experience with unions is very limited. So, I’d love to hear your comments, from your knowledge of unions and whether or not this was the proper thing to do.

Also, how would you explain seeing Cinderella being handcuffed and hauled off to jail?

Hi Ho Hi Ho It’s Off to Jail We Go!

“Hey kids! Want to go to Disneyland?”

“YES!”

“Let’s go!”

Fast forward to arriving at Disneyland. This is what you see when you step out of the car:
Cinderella, Snow White, and Tinkerbell being handcuffed, frisked, and loaded into police vans at the culmination of a labor protest that brought a touch of reality to the Happiest Place on Earth.

The arrest of the 32 protesters, many of whom wore costumes representing famous Disney characters, came at the end of an hour-long march to Disneyland’s gates from one of three Disney-owned hotels at the center of a labor dispute.

Those who were arrested sat in a circle on a busy intersection outside the park holding hands until they were placed in plastic handcuffs and led to two police vans while hundreds of hotel workers cheered and chanted.

The dispute involves about 2,300 maids, bell hops, cooks, and dishwashers at three Disney-owned hotels: the Paradise Pier, the Grand Californian and the Disneyland Hotel.
The workers’ contract expired in February and their union says Disney’s latest proposal makes health care unaffordable for hundreds of employees and creates an unfair two-tier wage system. The union also says Disney wants to create a new category of part-time employees who would receive greatly reduced benefits.

Disney spokeswoman Lisa Haines said Disney and the union are in negotiations and nothing has been finalized. She said workers have protested 14 times but sat down to negotiate only 11 times in the past six months.

“Clearly we’re disappointed that Unite Here Local 681 has spent more time protesting,” she said. “Publicity stunts are not productive and are extremely disruptive to the resort district.”

Before the arrests, the picketers marched and chanted outside Paradise Pier, holding signs that read, “Disney is unfaithful,” and “Mickey, shame on you.” They were joined by community activists and religious leaders from local churches.

What do you think? Should they have protested? Or, should they have been at the negotiation table?

Alabama isn’t a huge union state, so my experience with unions is very limited. So, I’d love to hear your comments, from your knowledge of unions and whether or not this was the proper thing to do.

Also, how would you explain seeing Cinderella being handcuffed and hauled off to jail?

Hi Ho Hi Ho It’s Off to Jail We Go!

“Hey kids! Want to go to Disneyland?”

“YES!”

“Let’s go!”

Fast forward to arriving at Disneyland. This is what you see when you step out of the car:
Cinderella, Snow White, and Tinkerbell being handcuffed, frisked, and loaded into police vans at the culmination of a labor protest that brought a touch of reality to the Happiest Place on Earth.

The arrest of the 32 protesters, many of whom wore costumes representing famous Disney characters, came at the end of an hour-long march to Disneyland’s gates from one of three Disney-owned hotels at the center of a labor dispute.

Those who were arrested sat in a circle on a busy intersection outside the park holding hands until they were placed in plastic handcuffs and led to two police vans while hundreds of hotel workers cheered and chanted.

The dispute involves about 2,300 maids, bell hops, cooks, and dishwashers at three Disney-owned hotels: the Paradise Pier, the Grand Californian and the Disneyland Hotel.
The workers’ contract expired in February and their union says Disney’s latest proposal makes health care unaffordable for hundreds of employees and creates an unfair two-tier wage system. The union also says Disney wants to create a new category of part-time employees who would receive greatly reduced benefits.

Disney spokeswoman Lisa Haines said Disney and the union are in negotiations and nothing has been finalized. She said workers have protested 14 times but sat down to negotiate only 11 times in the past six months.

“Clearly we’re disappointed that Unite Here Local 681 has spent more time protesting,” she said. “Publicity stunts are not productive and are extremely disruptive to the resort district.”

Before the arrests, the picketers marched and chanted outside Paradise Pier, holding signs that read, “Disney is unfaithful,” and “Mickey, shame on you.” They were joined by community activists and religious leaders from local churches.

What do you think? Should they have protested? Or, should they have been at the negotiation table?

Alabama isn’t a huge union state, so my experience with unions is very limited. So, I’d love to hear your comments, from your knowledge of unions and whether or not this was the proper thing to do.

Also, how would you explain seeing Cinderella being handcuffed and hauled off to jail?

We ID Anyone Appearing to Be Under 21

Just nine months before the Beijing Olympic Games, the Chinese government’s news agency, Xinhua, reported that gymnast He Kexin was 13. At the age of 13, He would have been ineligible to be on the team that won a gold medal this week.

In its report on November 3, 2007, Xinhua identified He as one of “10 big new stars” who made a splash at China’s Cities Games. It gave her age as 13 and reported that she beat Yang Yilin on the uneven bars at those games.

The Associated Press found the Xinhua report on the site Thursday morning and saved a copy of the page. Later that afternoon, the Web site was still working but the page was no longer accessible. Sports editors at the state-run news agency would not comment for publication.

If the age reported by Xinhua was correct, that would have meant He was too young to be on the Chinese team that beat the United States on Wednesday and clinched China’s first women’s team Olympic gold in gymnastics. He is also a favorite for gold in Monday’s uneven bars final.

Yang was also on Wednesday’s winning team. Questions have also been raised about her age and that of a third team member, Jiang Yuyuan.

Gymnasts have to be 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible for the games. He’s birthday is listed as January 1, 1992.

Chinese authorities insist that all three are old enough to compete. He herself told reporters after Wednesday’s final that “my real age is 16. I don’t pay any attention to what everyone says.”

Zhang Hongliang, an official with China’s gymnastics delegation at the games, said Thursday the differing ages which have appeared in Chinese media reports had not been checked in advance with the gymnastics federation.

Asked whether the federation had changed their ages to make them eligible, Zhang said: “We are a sports department. How would we have the ability to do that?”

Well, Zhang, that brings up a couple of interesting questions for me.

First, how would you have the ability to do that? Let me ask you this: How would you have the capability to use computer generated fireworks to make the opening ceremonies look even better? Oh, and play it off as “real” fireworks until caught red-handed, yes, pun intended.

Secondly, how would you have the ability to do that? Let me ask you this: How would you have the capability or nerve to not allow a seven-year-old child not to sing on national TV simply because it wasn’t in your nation’s best interest? All because she wasn’t pretty enough? Red-handed again.

Now, a third issue comes up, this time for all the other nations completing in the gymnastic competition. Let’s say the girls are too young—they sure look 10-12 years old—how in the world were you beaten by such young children?

In my opinion, if they are too young, they should be disqualified from the competition, their medals returned, and China should face some kind of sanctions for future meets. However, come on. Letting children beat you?

One Chinese official, when asked about the gymnastics being too young, used this as his defense: well, how can you go by looks and say our athletics are too young. If you use that same standard, and apply that to the Americans and others, then you might have to say they look older because of the growth hormones they are on!”

What a great defense there! Ours may be too young, but yours are on drugs!

Not sure I would have expected anything less from the Chinese government! Sounds like they are caught red-handed again.

Stop Searching! I’ve Found It!

Bigfoot may have been found.

At least, that’s what is being told! And, Friday, we’ll have proof…or at least what they claim to be proof. We’ll see.

Two Northern California men and two Georgians say they’ve got a body, a photo, and DNA evidence pertaining to the elusive forest-dwelling man-ape—and that they’ll reveal all at a press conference in Palo Alto, Calif., on Friday.

Robert Barrows of Redwood City, California said, “I think you’ll find that this is the real deal.”

Matthew Whitton, a cop in Clayton County, Georgia, and his friend Rick Dyer, a former corrections officer, say they recently found the body in the woods of northern Georgia.

Veteran Bigfoot tracker Tom Biscardi said he’s examined the body, and that scientists will get their chance soon.

Sure reminds me of another story from a few months ago, about aliens being seen in Denver. That story ran for a day or so and then disappeared.

Wonder how long this story will make the headlines?

Stop Searching! I’ve Found It!

Bigfoot may have been found.

At least, that’s what is being told! And, Friday, we’ll have proof…or at least what they claim to be proof. We’ll see.

Two Northern California men and two Georgians say they’ve got a body, a photo, and DNA evidence pertaining to the elusive forest-dwelling man-ape—and that they’ll reveal all at a press conference in Palo Alto, Calif., on Friday.

Robert Barrows of Redwood City, California said, “I think you’ll find that this is the real deal.”

Matthew Whitton, a cop in Clayton County, Georgia, and his friend Rick Dyer, a former corrections officer, say they recently found the body in the woods of northern Georgia.

Veteran Bigfoot tracker Tom Biscardi said he’s examined the body, and that scientists will get their chance soon.

Sure reminds me of another story from a few months ago, about aliens being seen in Denver. That story ran for a day or so and then disappeared.

Wonder how long this story will make the headlines?

Stop Searching! I’ve Found It!

Bigfoot may have been found.

At least, that’s what is being told! And, Friday, we’ll have proof…or at least what they claim to be proof. We’ll see.

Two Northern California men and two Georgians say they’ve got a body, a photo, and DNA evidence pertaining to the elusive forest-dwelling man-ape—and that they’ll reveal all at a press conference in Palo Alto, Calif., on Friday.

Robert Barrows of Redwood City, California said, “I think you’ll find that this is the real deal.”

Matthew Whitton, a cop in Clayton County, Georgia, and his friend Rick Dyer, a former corrections officer, say they recently found the body in the woods of northern Georgia.

Veteran Bigfoot tracker Tom Biscardi said he’s examined the body, and that scientists will get their chance soon.

Sure reminds me of another story from a few months ago, about aliens being seen in Denver. That story ran for a day or so and then disappeared.

Wonder how long this story will make the headlines?

Stop Searching! I’ve Found It!

Bigfoot may have been found.

At least, that’s what is being told! And, Friday, we’ll have proof…or at least what they claim to be proof. We’ll see.

Two Northern California men and two Georgians say they’ve got a body, a photo, and DNA evidence pertaining to the elusive forest-dwelling man-ape—and that they’ll reveal all at a press conference in Palo Alto, Calif., on Friday.

Robert Barrows of Redwood City, California said, “I think you’ll find that this is the real deal.”

Matthew Whitton, a cop in Clayton County, Georgia, and his friend Rick Dyer, a former corrections officer, say they recently found the body in the woods of northern Georgia.

Veteran Bigfoot tracker Tom Biscardi said he’s examined the body, and that scientists will get their chance soon.

Sure reminds me of another story from a few months ago, about aliens being seen in Denver. That story ran for a day or so and then disappeared.

Wonder how long this story will make the headlines?

Having It Your Way!

Xenia, Ohio, calls itself the “City of Hospitality.” But, even in this very friendly city, one resident’s actions may have gone too far. It seems that some restaurant workers at the local Burger King are in hot water after one of them took a bubble bath at a Burger King. And, of course, in this day of YouTube and the Internet, someone posted the bath online.

I haven’t seen the video (thankfully). But, the article about it said that the employee was bathing nude in a stainless steel sink while other employees and a store manager continued to work.

The health department is investigating and says it plans to talk with prosecutors to see if any criminal charges can be filed.

To be honest, I don’t really care whether or not criminal charges are filed. I would just hope the health department would shut them down! At least, until the sink has been cleaned out.

Burger King responded quickly to this story: All of the employees involved were fired. Burger King’s corporate office released the following statement: “Burger King Corp. was just notified of this incident and is cooperating fully with the health department. We have sanitized the sink and have disposed of all other kitchen tools and utensils that were used during the incident. We have also taken appropriate corrective action on the employees that were involved in this video. Additionally, the remaining staff at this restaurant is being retrained in health and sanitation procedures.” Good answer!

I’ve known people in the restaurant business. To the person, most of them will say, “You really don’t want to know what goes on in the kitchen!” Maybe they are right. I know after eating many times in New Orleans restaurants, I was EXTREMELY thankful that I couldn’t see the kitchen—because if the restaurant looked as bad as it did, the public area, I can only imagine what the more private kitchen area looked like!

In Alabama, the health department assigns a grade to restaurants, from 1–100. The sign is to be posted near the front entrance so you can see it as you enter. Call me paranoid, but I always check the sign! And, if the sign shows a score below 85, I’m back out the door!

Any bad experiences with restaurants in your area that you want to share? I’m sure my blogger buddy Rick can curl our toes with some stories from his early career. Rick, feel free to share!

Blowing in the Wind

A 6-foot-tall, 250-pound letter carrier is campaigning for the right to take off his pants.

Dean Peterson wants the U.S. Postal Service to add kilts as a uniform option for men. Yes. You read that right. He wants to wear a kilt as he delivers mail.

The idea was soundly defeated in July at a convention of his union, the 220,000-member National Letter Carriers’ Association, so Peterson knows convincing management will be an uphill struggle, but at least he’ll be comfortable in his kilt, or Male Unbifurcated Garment, as he likes to call it.

Peterson said it all comes down to one word: “Comfort.”

Now, Peterson isn’t Scottish. Far from it! Peterson, 48, has Finnish and Norwegian ancestry but not Scottish. He began wearing kilts a couple years ago when his wife brought one back from a trip to Scotland. Now he wears them everywhere—to one son’s football games, the other son’s concerts, shopping, and even while gardening.

Before the convention in Boston, Peterson spent his family’s $1,800 economic stimulus tax rebate to mail about 1,000 letters and photographs of him wearing a prototype Postal Service kilt to union branches in every state, Guam and Puerto Rico. [Was that the best use of his stimulus rebate?]

The union’s executive committee recommended disapproval, saying there was not enough demand for kilts to be worth the bother of the resolution, and delegates agreed by a large margin. But Peterson said there are plenty of approved uniform items that very few mail carriers wear, including a cardigan sweater, vest, and (my personal favorite) pith helmet.

So gang, what do you think?

Should your local mail carrier be able to wear a kilt if he or she wants to? Am I being judgmental is I don’t think they should be able to wear one?

Better yet, would you wear one? Or want your husband to wear one?

Seeing Isn’t Always Believing

Apparently, the Chinese government decided to go to any lengths to make their opening ceremony the best the world had ever seen!

Even if that meant faking what the public was seeing, in the stands and on TV.

Do you remember seeing the seven-year-old Chinese girl singing the song “Ode to the Motherland?” Well, seeing wasn’t believing. Apparently, the girl who was singing the song wasn’t good-looking enough for the Olympics opening ceremony, so another little girl with a pixie smile lip-synched the song!

In the latest example of the lengths Beijing took for a perfect start to the Summer Games, a member of China’s Politburo asked for the last-minute change to match one girl’s face with another’s voice, the ceremony’s chief music director said in an interview with Beijing Radio.

“The audience will understand that it’s in the national interest,” Chen Qigang said in a video of the interview posted online Sunday night.

This news follows reports that some footage of the fireworks exploding across China’s capital during the ceremony was digitally inserted into television coverage, apparently over concerns that not all of the 29 blasts could be captured on camera.

I’m wondering now if the Chinese government wishes they had some way to digitally enhance their swimmers so that one of them could actually beat Michael Phelps!

To me, and this is me speaking, these flubs may just be the most exciting thing to come out of the Olympic Games to date! I can hardly wait to see what else was created for the audience that really didn’t happen…or that was good for their national interest!

Seeing Isn’t Always Believing

Apparently, the Chinese government decided to go to any lengths to make their opening ceremony the best the world had ever seen!

Even if that meant faking what the public was seeing, in the stands and on TV.

Do you remember seeing the seven-year-old Chinese girl singing the song “Ode to the Motherland?” Well, seeing wasn’t believing. Apparently, the girl who was singing the song wasn’t good-looking enough for the Olympics opening ceremony, so another little girl with a pixie smile lip-synched the song!

In the latest example of the lengths Beijing took for a perfect start to the Summer Games, a member of China’s Politburo asked for the last-minute change to match one girl’s face with another’s voice, the ceremony’s chief music director said in an interview with Beijing Radio.

“The audience will understand that it’s in the national interest,” Chen Qigang said in a video of the interview posted online Sunday night.

This news follows reports that some footage of the fireworks exploding across China’s capital during the ceremony was digitally inserted into television coverage, apparently over concerns that not all of the 29 blasts could be captured on camera.

I’m wondering now if the Chinese government wishes they had some way to digitally enhance their swimmers so that one of them could actually beat Michael Phelps!

To me, and this is me speaking, these flubs may just be the most exciting thing to come out of the Olympic Games to date! I can hardly wait to see what else was created for the audience that really didn’t happen…or that was good for their national interest!

Seeing Isn’t Always Believing

Apparently, the Chinese government decided to go to any lengths to make their opening ceremony the best the world had ever seen!

Even if that meant faking what the public was seeing, in the stands and on TV.

Do you remember seeing the seven-year-old Chinese girl singing the song “Ode to the Motherland?” Well, seeing wasn’t believing. Apparently, the girl who was singing the song wasn’t good-looking enough for the Olympics opening ceremony, so another little girl with a pixie smile lip-synched the song!

In the latest example of the lengths Beijing took for a perfect start to the Summer Games, a member of China’s Politburo asked for the last-minute change to match one girl’s face with another’s voice, the ceremony’s chief music director said in an interview with Beijing Radio.

“The audience will understand that it’s in the national interest,” Chen Qigang said in a video of the interview posted online Sunday night.

This news follows reports that some footage of the fireworks exploding across China’s capital during the ceremony was digitally inserted into television coverage, apparently over concerns that not all of the 29 blasts could be captured on camera.

I’m wondering now if the Chinese government wishes they had some way to digitally enhance their swimmers so that one of them could actually beat Michael Phelps!

To me, and this is me speaking, these flubs may just be the most exciting thing to come out of the Olympic Games to date! I can hardly wait to see what else was created for the audience that really didn’t happen…or that was good for their national interest!