China's Olympic Wonders Dazzle—at First

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  For nearly a decade, the Chinese Communist Party has made the Olympics the nation's first political priority, writes Jim Yardley in the New York Times. Hopes that the international spotlight would lead to democratization and human-rights reforms in China didn't materialize, as the triumph of the Games instead underscored the strength of the party. "They have earned a tremendous amount of face because of the Olympics," said one Beijing media exec. "They are going to ride on that for a while." More »

• Wanjiru 1st Kenyan to Win Olympic Men's Marathon

  Aug 23, 08 10:12 PM CDT
  Samuel Wanjiru pulled away over the final few kilometers to become the first Kenyan in the storied running history of that nation to win an Olympic marathon. The 21-year-old negotiated the 26.2-mile course through Beijing streets in bright Sunday morning sunshine in an Olympic record of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 32 seconds. This was just the third marathon for Wanjiru, who twice broke the world half-marathon record last year. More »

• Olympics Fervor Prompts Beijing Tattoo Craze

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  Beijing tattoo artists have had a steady stream of customers seeking permanent Olympic souvenirs in recent weeks, the New York Times reports. Tattoo parlors were rare in China a decade ago, but hundreds have sprouted as taboos have begun to fall. American influence is strong, but artists are seeking to create their own Chinese tattoo culture.
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• Bird's Nest Stadium: Your Corporate Logo Here

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  For a low, low price in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Beijing’s $500-million National Stadium, known as the “Bird’s Nest,” is peddling 30-year naming rights, courting six multinational corporations for logo privileges and other partnerships, the Wall Street Journal reports. The “Water Cube” Aquatics Center is also selling partnership rights, though only inside. More »

• Twitter Helps Chinese Blogger Tell His Story

  Aug 14, 08 8:06 PM CDT
  Twitter gets a bad rap for its often less-than-substantive musings, but every now and then the service proves its "true potential" as an Internet tool, writes Mathew Ingram in the Toronto Globe and Mail. Case in point: When a Chinese citizen journalist recently traveled to Beijing, the authorities hustled him out of the city on false pretenses. Fellow Twitterers picked up his story and translated his posts.
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