China Faked The Olympics Opening Ceremonies

“During the opening ceremonies, the most beautiful voice could be heard coming from little LinMiaoke, a 9 year-old girl who sang her heart out for all the Olympic attendees.

LinMiaoke became an overnight hero in China and across the world, but she quickly fell from her new found fame when it was learned that she was not actually singing at all.

The real singer was YangPeiYi, a 7 year-old from Beijing.

Apparently YangPeiYi’s beautiful voice wasn’t enough to earn her a spot on stage at the Olympics celebration.

ZhangYiMou, the director, thought that YangPeiYi was not pretty enough to perform because of her chubby face and crooked teeth.

They recorded her voice so the 9 year-old could lip sync during the opening ceremonies.

The Chinese government claimed it was better for the image of China.” via Weird Asia News

Online social networking sites are hacker playgrounds

LAS VEGAS (AFP) - Computer security researchers on Thursday warned that online social networking websites are playgrounds for hackers who can easily take advantage of people’s trust.

Opportunities for mischief abound as users place intimate details of their lives on profile pages and install mini-applications made by strangers that don’t always have their privacy at heart.

“I can’t necessarily attack Facebook or MySpace, but I can attack their users all day long,” Moyer told AFP. “Don’t put anything on a Facebook account that you don’t consider public.”

People are prone to place faith in social networking widgets and links from friends, said Idea Information Security consultant Nathan Hamiel.

Fake postings on comment boards advising people to update software are ways to trick social network users into downloading malicious software that can commandeer control of machines, Hamiel said.” via Yahoo

Making waves in Beijing

“While performance-enhancing substances too often play a part, the biggest contributor to athletic success these days comes from technology rather than dope. Take the high-tech shoes worn by track stars. The soles are contoured to the user’s feet, with the stiffness and flexibility of the foot gear matched to the individual’s running style, so as to maximise the mechanical energy at the ankle. The spikes are also tailored to the user’s running style, with the elastic energy built up as the spikes bend under load helping to catapult the runner forward. The difference between gold and silver in a 100-metre sprint is often less than a hundredth of a second, making such incremental engineering improvements crucial.

But technology matters even more in the swimming pool. The body suits worn by swimmers today reduce drag through the water—especially after a start and following a turn—by as much as 10% compared with suits worn at the last Olympics.

The most popular body suit this year—the $550 Speedo LZR Racer—is credited with some 46 world records since it was introduced just six months ago. Comparable bodysuits have since been rushed out by Arena, Adidas and Mizuno in time for the Beijing games.” via the economist

World’s oldest joke traced back to 1900 BC

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - The world’s oldest recorded joke has been traced back to 1900 BC and suggests that toilet humor was as popular with the ancients as it is today.

 It is a saying of the Sumerians, who lived in what is now southern Iraq and goes: “Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap.” via Yahoo

Dining Chains Shut Doors

“After filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the parent company of national chains Bennigan’s and Steak and Ale on Tuesday shut hundreds of restaurants, putting thousands of employees out of work.

About 200 restaurants were closed immediately, including all of the remaining 50 or so Steak and Ales. The filing eliminates full and part-time jobs for more than 9,200 employees, many of those in Texas, Florida and Illinois, three people familiar with the matter said.

High ingredient and labor costs are eating into profits, and several years of rapid expansion by bar and grill chains has left a glut of locations in the market. Pressures such as high gasoline prices and dwindling home values have prompted consumers to eat out less often or switch to cheaper fast-food meals.” via WSJ