Rain, Rain, [Don't?] Go Away

Rain. It's what every bride fears but resolutely accepts it's the one thing she can't control. And while a wedding may not warrant intervening in what may be the last undomesticated act of nature remaining, apparently hosting the Olympics does. As Beijing prepares for next week's Opening Ceremonies, it needs the rain to clear the pollution but also doesn't need it to mess up the fireworks. So, here's what they've done about it, according to a Washington Post article:

"The [New China News A]gency reported that since 2001, when Beijing was awarded the Games, meteorologists have been experimenting with "cloud seeding" -- shooting dry ice into clouds to make the water droplets heavier. That allows meteorologists to squeeze rain out of the clouds early, before they drift over the Bird's Nest [the National Stadium], although the technology is said to work only with light cloud cover."

China really is willing to do just about anything to impress the world.