Yao: Give me a timpani comrade!

Headline: Pro basketball player Yao Ming host of SARS telethon

Where's Ed McMahon when you need him?

I couldn't help but let out a chuckle when I read this. I can just picture the 7 foot six inch tall Yao standing on a very drab stage with a handrun toteboard appealing to the billion other chinese to give money to help fight SARS.

Last I checked China was a communist country...why should people donate, doesn't the government own everything? Isn't this the same country that built a hospital (BUILT mind you...from scratch) in 8 days?

Now they are asking for donations? Maybe things are even worse than we thought.

Anyway, my favorite part of the article is: "Yao had a little help. Chinese national soccer player Qi Hong and women's national soccer team captain Sun Wen made appearances, and NBA players and former stars including Shaquille O'Neal and Magic Johnson appeared in videotaped messages. 'I love you, xie xie, peace,' O'Neal said, using the Chinese word for thank you."

Shaq loves the Chinese, eh? Maybe John Ashcroft should have a little talk with Shaq about his allegiance to the United States of America? ... And, what the hell is Shaq thanking them for? Thanks for finding a way to transmit an animal disease to humans which is extremely contagious, kills 15% of the people who get it, and seems to have no cure?

Yeah, thanks China...what a great gift to the world you've given us.

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