China Ends Olympics with Giant Corncob

I've never been so glad to see the end of an Olympics come about. China has understandably been very proud and happy to host the 2008 Olympics but for the last six months it has been rammed down our throats to a degree that was, at times, unbearable. I thought nothing could be worse than living in a state with a lottery and millions of advertising dollars to promote it. But I've had the Beijing Olympics symbols burned into my eyeballs and now I'm seeing Fuwa (those irritating little mascots) in my dreams.

The closing ceremony last night was an appropriate climax to the Games. The centerpiece was a giant structure resembling a corncob with aphids running all over it. The show was kind of a cross between 2001: A Space Odyssey and Peewee's Playhouse. There were giant drums, people floating in air, opera singers, goose-stepping soldiers, and pop bands. The Communist Party officials looked on enigmatically - as if faced with eating a plate full of cheese. It didn't make any sense - but that was the best part.