China Vows to Stop the Rain

Since the Olympic stadium doesn't have a roof, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau has been given the task of making sure the games remain dry. According to Zhang Qian, head of weather manipulation (best title to have on a business card ever) at the bureau, they've had success with light rain but heavy rain remains tough to control. I see a hurricane cannon in some lucky country's future.

Rain's better than smog

[randyest]

I think I'd prefer to get wet or use an umbrella than breathe the horrible smog [guardian.co.uk] that blankets Beijing. In fact, the rain is often the only thing that reduces the smog and air pollution for a shirt while.

NPR had a story about how they're forcing 1/3 of the cars to stay off the road and shutting down a bunch of factories to try to reduce the air pollution for the olympics. Maybe just letting (or making) it rain, instead of stopping it from raining, would do even more good.

Re:What in the hell?

[Lulfas]

It's ugly and weird and scary :(

Re:What in the hell?

[croddy]

holy hell man this is the ugliest theme i have ever seen. make it stop!!!

Re:What in the hell?

[Anonymous Coward]

Exactly my thoughts. First the retarded comment system, now this. Looks like Sourceforge Inc is desperately trying to save on server costs by losing visitors.

Re:What in the hell?

[Thelasko]

Eyes... Burning...Must... Make it stop!
*smashes monitor*

Re:What in the hell?

[AmaDaden]

Yeah. They were clearly designed to be on a white background. If the background of the actual story was white I would not have a problem with this layout it. Well besides the initial "What happened to my Slashdot!" factor and a few small size issues.

Ha ha. Okay, China. . , you're scaring me.

[Fantastic Lad]

I don't like to rustle up fear where none is needed, but you can start wars with that kind of imperial over-confidence.

Seriously. After having had a long discussion with a very propagandized Chinese student who was filled to the brim with all kinds of English-hating, One-China, Taiwan-is-ours, imperialistic lunacy which is being fed wholesale to the half billion horney and doomed-never-to-have-wives young male population, I got a bunch of the bad chills and had to change my prosaic views on what China was all about.

This weather manipulation thing is almost certainly propaganda for its own people designed to instill even further levels of insane national pride.

-FL

Re:What in the hell?

[Anonymous Coward]

well this is a nice pile of crap the slash guys have created "idle"