Chinese Weather Men

With China's decade-long transformation from a hard-line communist regime into a kind of atomic-age mutation of hyper-capitalism, it's had a hard time finding a place in the global consciousness. There's nothing shady and sinister about a nation-wide plan to open as many Wal-Marts as humanly possible. But hopefully their mad scientists will fix all that, as they're currently experimenting with weather manipulation technology to ensure a crystal clear opening day for this August's Olympic Games. Since China's Olympic stadium was constructed without a roof, this is kind of a high priority. They claim to have had success eliminating light rain, but the heavier stuff is still causing some problems. Meanwhile, the country has been crippled by a massive snow storm that's left citizens stranded, freezing, and on the verge of death. China has yet to import the concept of irony. More details here.