From "The Guardian," a UK newspaper (formerly "The Manchester Guardian," a reputable newspaper of record):

"A recent editorial in the conservative New York Sun kicked off the fuss by citing a report from the Catholic News Service asserting that the Chinese government would bar athletes from bringing Bibles to the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games...

"The ... Catholic News Service ... strongly and convincingly denied ever running such a story ... then went on to say in detail that there was no substance to the story about a Bible ban...

"The facts, by the way, are that Bibles circulate freely in China, despite the Chinese government's bad record on religion and human rights. An official Chinese government statement said that it would prefer that athletes bring Bibles for personal use only, but stopped well short of a ban.

"In fact, Olympic organisers in China said there would be no restrictions on Bibles in the Olympic village. Later, the reporter for the Italian newspaper [a sports tabloid] unconvincingly defended his story by asserting that a ban on 'pamphlets and materials used for any religious or political activity or display' meant Bibles, even after the Chinese issued a clarification changing the banned category to 'promotional materials'."

Everybody who responded to the call to get your underwear in a bunch, please rearrange your dainties.

Hear that Doug? Fix yer britches.

And for once I thought China did something right.

I would just ban the rest of the world, if I was running China, then we'd be certain to win.

It worked wonders for the host country in '80 and '84.

John

I don't like China cuz they kill tigers and bears.....what'cha gotta say about that Mr. Ross???

We kill Bears here in the US as well as wolves, mountain lions, deer, elk, cougars, lynx, badgers, ducks, grouse, geese, pheasants, quail, innumerable species of fish, and pretty much any other animal you can name. Not to mention all the domesticated animals we send to the abitoire. The only reason we don't kill tigers is we haven't got any.

I didn't say I was a big old warm fuzzy fan of China ... I said that yet another internet uproar turned out to be based on rumor instead of fact.

And they don't have a decent blue water Navy!

Crap. Need to find another hooha. It's not the veracity of the story it's the followup wrangling. All I do is post the story so all the kiddies can play with it...what a dull lead free world it would be without bad China stories...or tales of wildlife management...

You gotta admit that hose animals had it coming. They made the decision to be delicious, and have the gall not to move into the ocean so we could build our houses without fear of getting mauled by a quail.
And those fish poop in our drinking water.

And really Payne, regarding Santa's comment, it's not like any of our animals are even close to being extinct. Hell, they have several acres where dozens of mountain lions can hang out together (Like a happy family).

Hose animals had it coming

Did they all move to Canada? Sorry couldn't help Myself. Now I'm sure I wish I had.

Oh dear the problems religion causes unfortunately. People can never just let people bee and do there own thing. Im not religous but I'd never scourn someone who was, and deny there promotional attitude towards there beleifs. Unless of course they was forcing there views upon others.

About the US killing animals... it doesn't stop at animals lol

Poor Tigers.

?

[quote]On 2007-11-13 00:16, Magnus Eisengrim wrote:


Actually no one was banned from the 1980, or 1984 Olympics. In 80 the United States decided to boycott the Olympics due to Russia being in Afghanistan. The Russians in 84 then Boycotted the L.A. games in response.

Acutaly no one was banned from the 1980, or 1984 games. The U.S boycotted the 1980 games due to Russia being in Afghanistan. The Russians boycotted the 84 games in responce.

Crud! Sorry didn't know I had messed up and posted twice

A list of extinct Animals in the good ol' US and North America since 1500

Puerto Rican Shrew Nesophontes edithae
Puerto Rican Long-nosed Bat
Puerto Rican Long-tongued Bat
Guam Flying Fox Pteropus tokudae
Lesser Puerto Rican Ground Sloth,
Penasco Chipmunk
Sherman's Pocket Gopher
Goff's Pocket Gopher Geomys pinetis goffi
Tacoma Pocket Gopher Thomomys mazama tacomensis
Chadwick Beach Cottonmouth Mouse,
Giant Deer Mouse
Pallid Beach Mouse Peromyscus polionotus decoloratus
Gull Island Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus nesophilus
Louisiana Vole
Puerto Rican Hutia
Puerto Rican Paca
Lesser Puerto Rican Agouti
Greater Puerto Rican Agouti
Southern California Kit Fox Vulpes macrotis macrotis
Sea Mink Mustela macrodon
Caribbean Monk Seal
Steller's Sea Cow
Badlands Bighorn Sheep
Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit
Arizona Wapiti
Oregon Bison
Eastern Woodland Bison
Colorado Hog-nosed Skunk
Big Thicket Hog-nosed Skunk
Glacier Bay Water Shrew
Smith Island Cottontail
Allen's Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
Hidden Forest Chipmunk
Banks Island Wolf Canis lupus bernardi, 1920
Cascade Mountains Wolf Canis lupus fuscus, 1940
Antillean Giant Rice Rat
Dwarf Hutia
Bering Canada Goose,
Labrador Duck,
Heath Hen,
Spectacled Cormorant,
Laysan Crake,
Hawaiian Crake,
Wake Island Rail,
Eskimo Curlew,
Virgin Islands Screech-Owl,
Mauge's Parakeet,
Carolina Parakeet, Conuropsis carolinensis
Louisiana Parakeet,
Passenger Pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius
Laysan Millerbird,
Great Auk,
Guam Flycatcher,
Lanai Thrush,
Hawaiian Thrush,
Oahu Thrush,
Molokai Thrush,
Bachman's Warbler,
Dusky Seaside Sparrow,
Kona Grosbeak,
Greater Koa-Finch,
Lesser Koa-Finch,
Oahu 'Akialoa,
Maui Nui 'Akialoa,
Kauai 'Akialoa,
Kioea,
Ula-'ai-hawane,
Black Mamo,
Hawai'i Mamo,
Lana'i Hookbill,
Oahu Nukupu'u,
Greater 'Amakihi,
Laysan Honeycreeper,
Oahu 'Akepa,
Po'o-uli,
Molokai Creeper,
Lana'i Creeper,
Guadeloupe Burrowing Owl, Speotyto cunicularia guadeloupensis
Guadeloupe Parakeet, Aratinga labati (18th Century)
Guadeloupe Parrot, Amazona violacea (1779)
Lesser Antillean Macaw, Ara guadeloupensis (1760)
Martinique House Wren, Troglodytes aedon martinicensis
Martinique Parrot, Amazona martinicana (1779)
Imperial Woodpecker, Campephilus imperialis
Slender-billed Grackle, Quiscalus palustris
Navassa Curly-tailed Lizard,
Navassa Iguana,
Navassa Island Dwarf Boa,
Sulcate Blind Snake,
Saint Croix Racer,
Martinique Giant Ameiva, Ameiva major
Martinique Lizard, Leiocephalus herminieri (1830s)
Ameiva cineracea
Vegas Valley Leopard Frog,
Catahoula Salamander,
Golden Toad,
Longjaw Cisco,
Deepwater Cisco,
Lake Ontario Kiyi,
Blackfin Cisco,
Yellowfin Cutthroat Trout,
Alvord Cutthroat Trout,
Silver Trout,
Maravillas Red Shiner,
Independence Valley Tui Chub,
Thicktail Chub,
Pahranagat Spinedace,
Phantom Shiner,
Bluntnose Shiner,
Las Vegas Dace,
Grass Valley Speckled Dace,
Clear Lake Splittail,
Snake River Sucker,
Harelip Sucker,
Tecopa Pupfish,
Shoshone Pupfish,
Raycraft Ranch Killifish,
Pahrump Ranch Killifish,
Ash Meadows Killifish,
Amistad Gambusia,
San Marcos Gambusia,
Blue Walleye,
Maryland darter,
Utah Lake Sculpin
Pecatonica River Mayfly,
Robert's Stonefly,
Fort Ross Weevil,
Mono Lake Diving Beetle,
Xerces Blue,
Palos Verdes Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis),
Poko Noctuid Moth,
Midway Noctuid Moth,
Kerr's Noctuid Moth,
Laysan Noctuid Moth,
Noctuid Moth,
Procellaris Noctuid Noth,
Chestnut Ermine Moth,
American Chestnut Moth,
Phleophaga Chestnut Moth,
Central Valley Grasshopper,
Rocky Mountain Locust,
Antioch Dunes Shieldback Katydid,
Kona Giant Looper Moth,
Caribbean Monk Seal Nasal Mite,
Nevada Water Mite,
Passenger Pigeon Mite,
Coosa elktoe,
Carolina elktoe,
Ochlockonee arcmussel,
Recovery pearly mussel,
Arc-form pearly mussel,
Acorn pearly mussel,
Lewis pearly mussel,
Nearby pearly mussel,
Sampson's pearly mussel,
Steward's pearly mussel,
Turgid-blossom pearly mussel,
Shoal sprite,
Cahaba pebblesnail,
Umbilicate pebblesnail,
Mount Matafao different snail,
Short-spired elimia,
Closed elimia,
Fusiform elimia,
High-spired elimia,
Constricted elimia,
Hearty elimia,
Ribbed elimia,
Rough-lined elimia,
Pupa elimia,
Pygmy elimia,
Cobble elimia,
Puzzle elimia,
Excised slitshell,
Striate slitshell,
Pagoda slitshell,
Ribbed slitshell,
Pyramid slitshell,
Round slitshell,
Lined pocketbook,
Eelgrass limpet,
Amphicyclotulus guadeloupensis (Guadeloupe)
Incerticyclus cinereus (Martinique)
Incerticyclus martinicensis (Martinique)
Oleacina guadeloupensis (Guadeloupe)
Pleurodonte desidens (Martinique)

Mmmmmmmm......slitshells...... what the heck was up with Guadeloupe?

I know that, but the gag is ruined by too many words. Yes, making it politically unpleasant for other countries to come makes it easier for the host country to win lots of medals is more accurate, but less fun.

John

John...leave the gags to the pros. Your stuffed shirt persona I've been so carefully grooming is at stake...












:)