Live from Beijing: Computer-enhanced fireworks

When watching the four-hour opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, something seemed weird about the grandiose fireworks display. I even turned to my wife Michelle and said, "Don't they almost look digital?" Turns out I was right (which of course caused me to immediately email Michelle chanting, "Holy Shit, I was right! I was right!"). A post by Will Meeker over at Arkitip's Intelligence Report first brought the media coverage to my attention. Meeker's theory is simple: "When you attempt to be something grander than you are, you end up wanting to cheat." While U.S. journalists covering the Olympics in Beijing (pronounced BAY-JING. Attn: Bob Costas and all of NBC. JING, not SHING) have been sensitive about the way they criticize China, most other media outlets have not been sensitive about such issues. Issues like the speculation as to whether China's female gymnists are old enough to compete. Then there's the controversy regarding a lip-synched performance during the opening ceremony. And, oh yeah, there's the the fact that the fireworks display was augmented for television audiences. While lip-synching and digitally-enhanced fireworks are not necessarily capital offenses, it does call into question the Chinese government's honesty. Which, as we all know, is an undercurrent of these games. That's why the potential involvement of underage female gymnists is most troubling, because it speaks to China's dubious record of human rights violations.