The vilification of Ye Shiwen by the British media

I don't normally write about sports, but this has been irritating me since yesterday that I just had to put it down in writing. It's about the shocking treatment laid against 16 year old Chinese swimming sensation Ye Shiwen by the British media. Ye broke her personal best record at 400m medley event, winning gold as a result. She did it in such a way that American and British media started to raise an eyebrow or two - not quite the same reaction they gave to Michael Phelps when he first caught the eyes of mainstream sports journos, age 15.

Instead of congratulating her and recognising her talents, without thinking, insinuations started to appear in the media (both on air and in print) which appears to infer that Ye was doping, starting with BBC's Clare Balding and then sour grape of the year John Leonard, as if that was the only explanation to her incredible performance. Questions were asked and fingers were pointed at China's past doping offenses. Never mind that some British and American athletes has an illustrious history of getting caught doping as well, or that the rule of innocent before proven guilty should be adhered.

She's a female and she's Chinese, so she definitely must be guilty of something. How dare she swim faster than an American male! Not that she did, she just happened to be faster on the last leg than one man - of which four other men were quicker than her - something the British media failed to point out in their desire to cherry pick evidence against her. UK papers can't wait to queue up articles about how China 'manufacturer' their athletes. The whole thing reeks of rancid and the British media's treatment towards Ye is tantamount to bullying, almost on a xenophobic level.

This morning the chief of British Olympic Association has come out to defend Ye Shiwen, confirming that she has been tested and that she is clean. And yet nearly an hour after the news broke, the BBC has a massive picture of Ye Shiwen next to another equally massive headline "We will catch Games cheat", implying that sooner or later Ye would be caught cheating - this after confirmation that tests has cleared Ye!

As a BBC TV license payer, I expected their journalistic level to be slightly above tabloid-grade but alas during events like the Olympics, it is near impossible to get unbiased coverage. Nationalistic feelings always rise during world events like this and it is almost the single reason why my (already average) enthusiasm for the Olympics drops as the games progress. Now, instead of celebrating what a great athlete she is, the media is still attempting to undermine her win with more jingoism nonsense.

Ruta Meilutyte, age 15, who Clare Balding describes as her favourite none-British story of the games, improved her personal best by 4% in the past year and nobody called her a cheat - and rightly so. Rebecca Adlington herself swam the final 50m of a freestyle race clocking in 28.91 seconds, faster than Ryan Lochte did at this Olympics, and again nobody called her a cheat, again rightly so.

Michael Phelps and Michael Johnson broke records and were considered super humans. Not once did we doubt them and there were no reason to as long as they pass their drug tests. Ye passed hers, countless of times. We recognise athletes like Phelps and Johnson for their brilliance and talent, and we should do the same for Ye Shiwen.

Ye sounds like an incredible talented swimmer and I wish her all the best. If there is a single Olympic event I would like to attend it would be the 200m medley event where I can cheer her on amongst the droning British media (sadly this won't happen as the chances of getting a ticket is fuck-all - thanks for nothing Seb Coe). I hope she breaks more records and wins more gold medals at this and future Olympics.

tit for tat

To the Tibetans mobs: stop attacking and killing innocent people. You are not helping your cause.
To the Chinese government: stop attacking and killing innocent people. Just give the country back.

Same thing applies to Palestine/Israel and many other stupid conflicts.

Prophet teddy bear on eBay

Please help this fugitive bear. While he may not be the same bear that is being prosecuted in Sudan, he shares the same name, therefore could be charged for impersonating a prophet. If he is caught I am sure the crazy Sudanese will burn him at the stake. Such is mob mentality. And all he did wrong was a common name. The poor soft cute innocent cuddly bear...

Sightings of the real fugitive bear in question ought to be reported to:

Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan
3 Cleveland Row
St. James’s
London
SW1A 1DD

Telephone: +44 207 839 8080

And while you are at it kindly remind your shameless government about Darfur. And to repel any archaic blasphemy laws.

An archbishop who makes sense

Nobel peace price winner South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu has criticised the Anglican Church and particularly Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams as being obsessed with the issue of homosexuals.

He attacked the homophobic culture of the Anglican church and mentioned that he would be ashamed if of his church if membership is based on sexual orientation. As a man of faith, Desmond Tutu has demonstrated more rationality than any other religious or political leaders in modern time. His attitude against conservatism and bigotry is welcomed in an increasingly intolerant and hateful world. It is truly an eye opener that such a speech can come from a religious being.

Herr Thio Li-ann

Professor of Law Thio Li-ann yesterday gave a rousing homophobic speech at Singapore's parliament against homosexuals, which would have made a dead guy (whom shall remain nameless to prevent the invoking of Godwin's Law) very proud. As a straight guy I was appalled to read her tantrums, laced with name calling and insults towards homosexuals, and feel disgusted at the way she labelled my gay friends.

But I am not surprised by her diatribe. Singapore is a country that actually prides itself to be backward thinking and until today, was illegal to have oral sex even among consenting heterosexuals. I mean people were actually applauding her nauseating rhetoric, which to me, contains absolutely no valid arguments whatsoever that homosexuality is detrimental to society.

Her "because I am right" ramblings include some kind of assertions to protecting human rights, but at the same time she contradicts herself by supporting a law that criminalised homosexual behaviours between consenting adults. In the same speech she also made reference to the bible and koran, believing that by decriminalising homosexuality would be the same as criminalising the two scriptures of yore. And yet she made no mention of other religions such as Buddhism, which gives no opinion on what sexual orientation humans should choose to participate in. But I will let her views on religion slide as I am pretty biassed on the subject...

There are comedy moments of course, like any speech condoning hatred. Her comparing conservatives to environmental conservation was a highlight LOL moment. Another one is her ironic belief that sodomy is a dirty act and yet she did not come out against the legalisation of anal sex between heterosexuals. Plus her "there are no ex-blacks, but there are ex-gays" statement was just so nonsensical it is actually hilarious. There are after all African American 'honorary-whites' during the Apartheid. And who can forget Michael Jackson?

Nobody was asking her to give homosexuals special rights. They were just asking for their activities to be decriminalised. I just find it so sad that a law professor can stoop this low giving a speech that a ten year old racist red neck could have written.

Anyway, five quid bet here that Thio Li-ann may be secretly in the closet. It will certainly go a long way in explaining her weird behaviour.

Hiding Behind Rhetoric: A Rebuttal of Thio Li-Ann

Badger culling

I find it strange that badgers are now being made a scapegoat for the spread of bovine TB among livestocks by farmers and DEFRA. Not really strange, but rather disgusting actually, mainly because bovine TB is a cattle disease that begins with poor agricultural practice by the farmers themselves. This whole killing to solve problems attitude is silly and pointless as I am sure badgers and other mammals like deer, foxes and wild boar exist in Europe mainland. And they do not have a problem with TB. Or Foot and Mouth. Or any major disease problems with their livestocks. And here I thought we are living in the 21st century where inoculation should not be a problem.

*sigh*

Next thing we will be culling humans. We after all probably carry and pass more diseases than these poor creatures and probably not as useful too. But I vote that any culling should begin with inept farmers and the people who runs DEFRA. And especially that "chief scientist".

Justice served

First time this year we watched a Formula One race, well the last eight laps of it anyway. Glad that Lewis Hamilton lost. Would not be able to stand the gloating by the British press if he had won especially when his team was found to have cheated. Even if he had no knowledge of it, he still benefited from it directly. The media will as usual over-analysis the recent sporting failures in tomorrow's papers.

Now if only FIA and Mosley do the sensible thing and strip him and Alonso of their winnings and points...

In other news, holiday plan to Switzerland cancelled. F*** 'em.

UK floods are god's judgement on society, says religious nutter

The recent floodings in this little island are caused by god's wrath due to increased homosexual acceptance in this country, says a senior Church of England bishop.

Never mind blaming a six month old videogame over a couple of murders that happened years ago, Rt Rev Graham Dow, Bishop of Carlisle decided to go further, beating his fellow CoE colleagues for insanity drivel, by arguing that part of the reason that people here are drowning is because god is pretty pissed off with us.

God, you see, is one moody bloke, granting us much summer warmth back in Springy April but has now decided that maybe it would be better to punish us folks because the sensible parliament here has giving greater rights to gays. Pro-gay rights are the cause of the Atlantic's high-pressure and Britain's low-pressure, thus causing me to cancel my Wimbledon plans (and pissing me off stupid evening hailstorm) - that was what loony Dow meant. Really.

I can already picture the headline for tomorrow's Daily Mail:

Muslims, homos and socialists: responsible for flooding!

The only way to escape death (at least for now) is easy folks. Read that bible of yours and repent. Then you do not have to worry about any natural disasters, like ever.

Oh, wait.

Via Richard and Anorax

Britain's terror hype

Incompetent jihadists tried to distrup London and, bizarrely of all places, Glasgow. Right wing hacks trying to pump up the fear factor over the failed attacks by these ineptitude "terrorists". I say terrorists because while they failed their mission, the paranoid and hysterical media seems content with pumping up the terror alert.

It's like Madeleine McCann all over again (or in the Harry Potter world, Voldermort - fear the name yet, eh???). Joining the paedos are now the Muslims of Britain. And I thought with Teflon Tony gone we would have it so much better.

Are they forgetting that London has gone through much worst during the IRA bombing campaign and the Battle of Britain? I remember being in London in 1996 (as a tourist) when there was an IRA bomb. I was also 300 yards away when the Real IRA planted a bomb in West London midnight six years ago. The media didn't over hype the terror alert back then. (note: unlike today when jihadists are often termed Islamists or Muslim terrorists, back then nobody called the IRA 'Catholic bombers')

All these when the country is gripped with terrible weather, houses being flooded because of incompetent flood defences and people actually dying because of incompetent flood defences (I just had to).

Still these so-called terrorists pisses me off as it caused delays outside Gatwick on Sunday.

Smoking ban

Smoking ban starts today. Woo-hoo!

I apologise to my friends who do smoke, because really I do support your right to smoke if you want to, but unfortunately not all smokers are as considerate as you - therefore I am supporting the public ban. When I dine out I do not want some idiot diner lighting up a fag just because he or she thinks it would enhance the flavour of my food. I do not want to walk up the high street when someone puffs his or her disgusting ashes at me. Smoking revellers is the main reason I do not go out to the clubs and pubs as often as I would like to. I hate returning from a night out smelling like a hobo. It is frustrating and it pisses me off.

So yeah, despite the smoking ban eradicating the rights of smokers, I welcome it.