<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[shattersnipe: malcontent &amp; rainbows]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://fozmeadows.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[fozmeadows]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://fozmeadows.wordpress.com/author/fozmeadows/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[The Weirdness Of&nbsp;Beijing]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>Things I&#8217;ve been puzzled by during the current Olympiad:</p>
<p>1. <a href="http://werribee.yourguide.com.au/news/national/national/sport/backyard-bmx-hope-gets-a-jump-on-his-beijing-rivals/1226274.aspx">There is an Australian BMX rider called Kamikaze</a>. Not Joe Kamikaze, Joe &#8216;Kamikaze&#8217; Blogs or even Kamikaze Blogs. Just Kamikaze: one word, no waiting. Since when could Olympians make like rappers or the Pope and get by with just a handle?</p>
<p>2. <a href="http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/01082008/58/beijing-2008-politician-represent-latvia.html">A Latvian politician has represented his country in the heavy weightlifting</a>. I&#8217;m not quite sure how to respond to this. Awe? Sarcasm? Laughter? A socio-political diatribe on the consequences of an elected official missing most sessions of parliament in order to lift weights? I just don&#8217;t know.</p>
<p>OK, so maybe it&#8217;s only those two things. But they&#8217;re an intriguing two, dammit!</p>
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