So sad. I actually have friends who have been planning and saving for years to attend the games in China with their three kids, and they just decided to forego the trip due to unrest in China, especially over the Olympics. This is most decidedly NOT what the Olympics are supposed to be about.

Yes, and we're trying to get the Olympics in Chicago and it's just a nasty fight here about whether we want the Olympics, who profits from them, what the city will have to do to accommodate them, whether the Olympic committee wants the Olympics in the Bad Old U.S. of A., etc.

It's just gross, and I really almost wish we could just assign the Olympics to the dustbin.

That said, I talked to some people in Sydney who said having the Olympics there was just nothing but a terrific party. They remember it very fondly.

But boy, this China version is really bad; unless it has the effect of drawing the world's attention to pollution and human rights abuses, in which case maybe it's all a good thing.

But so far it seems like an Excedrin headache.

My friends from Sydney also told me that the Olympics were an awesome experience for the city. I'm hoping that we get the Olympics in Chicago, if only because it's the only way we're guaranteed to upgrade the entire public transit infrastructure.

Rumor is we're not high on the list of candidate cities, though. Apparently, someplace in Azerbaijan has a better chance of winning the Games than Chicago does.

Olympics in Australia were recalled as a great party...Olympics in China will be recalled for lead-based paint.