1) U.S. role in Georgia/Russia war: Al Jazeera interviews Jon Sawyer

For the Cinema YouTube Video of the Day, Click here>>

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What would the Olympics be without controversy…?

I’m not talking about Beijing pollution, media control and the vast human rights issues – from Darfur genocide to Tibet’s destruction to Spielberg’s exit to British journalist persecution – but about the athletes and their performances.

Gone, it appears, are the swimming false starts (and normal swim suits), the track and field drug exposes, the simpler gymnastics’ scoring that revealed individual nationalistic biases. However, the biggest controversy so far has been the age-doping.

Jon Stewart has some “athlete-producing sweatshops” fun below.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

Ocean Dead Zone Getting Bigger by Wendy Cohen

Top 10 Ways to Green Up Your Kids by Martin Musatov

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Nicole Hughes:

2008 Olympic Games: Top 10 Stories from TakePart

Happy Meals: 5 More Organic Alternatives to Fast Food

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Andy Kondrat:

China’s Pollution Affects Alaska’s Air Quality

JetBlue CEO Cuts His Pay In Half

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Jon Popham:

Yet Another Reason to Get Off Oil…Russia

Detroit Home Sells for $1

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Gina Telaroli:

Synchronized Swimming Gets Olympic Treatment in “Sync Or Swim”

Parting the Murky Waters of Race in the Swimming Pool

McDonald’s is all over this year’s Olympic games, despite the fact that I guarentee you that no athlete is eating anything from the fast food giant. I have friend’s who are serious athletes nowhere near the level of the Olympians and their diet is so specific it sometimes scares me. Nonetheless, the millions upon millions of folks watching these athletes compete are being told to make their way to the golden arches. It is on that note that we at TakePart give you the Top 5 Organic Fast Food Alternatives.

Because let’s be honest, athlete or no athlete, sometimes we’re in a hurry and we still need to eat. Let me know if I’ve missed any and takepart to learn how you can support a film that is working to explore the ins and outs of organic food.

1) Whole Foods Organic To Go Meals:

Whole Foods is always a great alternative to greasy burgers and fries. They’ve almost all got amazing salad bars, cold bars, hot bars and even a pizza bar for when you’re feeling naughty. But if you don’t have time to make a salad or wait in a line they also have pre-packaged (in the store, not in a factory) Organic To-Go meals. They’re fresh, yummy and feature a variety of foods to work with whatever craving you may be having.

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Abhinav Bindra is why I love the Olympics. I should probably first explain that my favorite part of the games has always been the parade of nations. Seeing all the different countries, many that we seldom hear of, walking proudly in support of their people is a pretty amazing thing. The sad part about the parade of nations is that, as the annoying announcers told me 50+ times on Friday night, most of teams have not and will never win a medal.

And while Bindra’s team of India has won medals, they’ve never won an individual gold. That all changed this morning when Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal in the men’s 10- meter air rifle event and India’s national anthem played for all to hear.

More than that, he wasn’t the favorite to win by a longshot:

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“War has started” declared Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin referring to the commencement of bombing and a land invasion on the neighboring Republic of Georgia.  Russian forces are responding to a recent offensive by Georgian troops in the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia, whose population are majority pro-Russia.  Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said he had mobilized Georgia’s military reserves.

Although no reports are in as to who has taken control of the capital of South Ossetia, it seems doubtful the small Georgian Republic - population 4.6 million - will be able to hold back Russian troops.  Russia’s foreign policy stance has become increasingly emboldened and nationalistic since the ascension of Putin into the high leadership of the formerly communist country.  Buoyed by sky-high oil prices, a commodity which Russia now ranks as the number two producer of worldwide, behind only Saudi Arabia, the Russian leadership has more and more frequently stoked nationalist sentiment as it has tightened its grip on power.  Given how today’s military action serves little to no strategic purpose whatsoever, one would assume the point is to play to emotions of the Russian people, making them feel that through flexing its military muscles on a weaker neighbor, Russia has once again returned to the world stage - and all this on the opening day of the Olympics. 

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Olympics Olympics Olympics! We love the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between when it comes to the 2008 Beijing Olympics here at TakePart.  It’s reason enough not to miss our Top 10 Stories about the Olympic Games, which we’ve been reporting on in the months leading up to now. Catch the best in TakePart Olympic news below:

1) 2008 Olympic Torch Relay Will Create 11 Million Pounds of CO2 by Nicole Hughes

The 2008 Olympic torch relay hasn’t galvanized a lot of warm fuzzy feelings and hand holding this year. Opposition to China’s treatment of Tibet has inspired international protests, with some dissenters even managing to snuff out the torch and delay the tour… [click here for the full story]

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Olympic fever is in the air. All around the world folks will be gathering in front of television screens to watch this year’s Olympic games, cheer on their athletes and exhibit their national pride. One of my favorite things about the Olympic is getting to hear all the different National Anthems when different countries win medals.  There’s actually a lot behind anthems, did you know for example that

there are basically two categories of national anthems — the hymn, which usually has to do with “God save our country, or our ruler,” and a type that’s more martial and combative. [NPR]

China and France’s anthem as it turns out are of the violent variety.

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Everything I learned about pollution in Beijing, I learned on YouTube…sort of. Sure I’ve read about it - but it’s one thing to peruse an article and it’s another to see rivers of toxic waste streaming out of a factory and killing all vegetation within a two-foot radius. Sadly, many people in China are forced to use this untreated toxic water for drinking and watering crops, and pollution has made cancer the number one cause of death in the country.

Government does little if anything to regulate factory emissions and waste, and in fact, Chinese environmental advocates live under constant fear of arrest. The video below is a startling first hand depiction of the social effects of pollution in China:

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

35 Million Tons of Toxic Stew by Wendy Cohen

“Waterboard Thrill Ride” Opens At Coney Island by Blair Golson

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Nicole Hughes:

Green Summer Music Tours Not To Be Missed

Eat Your Veggies: Quit Composting in the Fridge

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Andy Kondrat:

Almost Half of Earth’s Primates In Danger of Extinction

Beijing’s Pollution Not Gone, Just Moved Outside of Town

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Jon Popham:

GOP: Drill More Oil Or We’ll Shut Down the Government

Global Warming’s “Sausage Fest” Effect

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Gina Telaroli:

Olympic Flag Bearer for the US: A Champion of  Darfur

Time to Act: Sexual Assault and Women in the Military