I’m A Club Penguin Newbie

My little sister, 10, came home from school this Friday really excited. She said that all her friends at school were talking about this cool thing called “Club Penguin,” where you get to choose a penguin and play games, dress it up, and just have fun. Now she wants to be part of the crowd and wanted to join as soon as possible. I told her and my dad to wait just a second before whipping out that credit card.

I first heard of Club Penguin on the news when Disney acquired the site, and later I learned that my friend’s little sister is on it, too. All I was aware of was that Club Penguin was a great, safe online environment for kids. So great, in fact, that Disney has already spent $350 million on acquiring it, and is planning to spend another $350 million if “specific targets are met by 2009.” [source] I have been doing some research on the site, not because I want to spoil the fun and burst my sister’s bubble, but becuase I just really want to check this thing out and see if it really is safe, what with all of those sexual predators online and whatnot (I watch Dateline NBC too much).

Here’s what I found out…

Let the Games Begin!

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China Have Begun

Today (as in here  in the US, becuase it’s already tomorrow in China) the Olympics have begun! Watch the opening ceremony tonight on NBC! Let’s hope the US take home most of the medals, even though the Hamm brothers had to drop out, and a boxer collapsed, the US can totally take the gold!

I’ll update after I watch the Opening Ceremony.

UPDATE: Watch videos, see pics, and read storeis on Olympic events for free online at www.NBCOlympics.com.

I Can’t Stop Playing “Dizzy Bee!”

I just got this new application for my iPhone called Dizzy Bee (Free) and it is SO much fun. The object of the game is to help the little Dizzy Bee rescue his fruit friends by using your iPhone or iPod touch and tilting and turning it. The graphics are pretty good and the gameplay is fun but challenging. I downloaded a few days ago, and I just synced it to my iPhone and I played it for the first time today and I couldn’t put it down. It’s just too entertaining. Yup. You should check out the trailer on YouTube, and if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, go download it for free!

US Olympic Cyclists Apologize, but Why?

US Olympic Cyclist Michael Friedman arrived in Beijing wearing a face mask.

When four American cyclists (Michael Friedman, Sarah Hammer, Bobby Lea and Jennie Reed) arrived in Beijing this week, they got off their planes with respiratory masks on for concern of the air quality in the city. The air quality in Beijing has been improving due to the government’s strict new anti-pollution measures that were introduced on July 20, a last-minute attempt by the Chinese government to have clear, blue skies for the Olympic games.

Today, those same four American cyclists are apologizing to the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee for wearing those masks. Bobby Lea went on to say the following:

We didn’t realize the impact that wearing the masks would have… From our standpoint it was to take care of a perceived health risk. In reality it came across as offensive. We don’t want to insult BOCOG or the Chinese public.

In my honest opinion apologizing to the Chinese for trying to keep healthy in a country where smog is ten times worse than the US is ridiculous. Those athletes can do whatever they want to try and keep their bodies healthy so that they can perform well in the Olympic games. Anyone else with me?

Three Days Left

The National Staidum in Beijing, China.

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing are set to begin this Friday and I just stumbled upon something really, really interesting. Since the Olympics will take plave during China’s rainy season, Chinese scientists are going to use new technology and some crazy chemicals to stop rain from reaching the Olympic Stadium. According to an interactve graphic on Portfolio.com, Chinese scientists will launch silver iodide into the air as soon as they spot a rain cloud. Craziness. Check out the interactive graphic and see for yourself.