Monica Devi, the only weightlifter chosen to represent India for the Beijing Olympics will not be in Beijing at all. Rather, she will be cooling her heels back home, after she failed a drug test (Hat Tip: Tony via email) and tested positive for “anabolic salt”.

Anonymous sources told PTI that the drug test was conducted on June 29 and was revealed hours before the squad was to leave for Beijing.

She has proven to be a winner and her three medals (one silver and two bronze) in the Asian Championship earlier this year clinched India an Olympic berth. But in the Olympic trials, she was outshone by another weightlifter in her category and yet was chosen (link).

A silver medal winner in the 69kg category at the 2006 Commonwealth Games [Images] in Melbourne, Monika Devi had been unanimously selected by the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) ahead of Shailaja Pujari for Beijing.
The IWF had then said that her selection was based on a trial in Bangalore, resting all allegations of bribery in the selection.

While the failed drug test and the subsequent withdrawal does evoke much sadness, one is unable to comprehend why and how the results of a drug test could be available only a month or more after the test, specifically considering that the event for which the test is pertinent happens a week later. One also fails to comprehend the need for a trial if the choice is going to be unanimous regardless of performance in the said trial.

Sad are the happenings in Indian sport.

Update: Glenn Beck, the conservative loudmouth on CNN, apparently think Californians hate America.

I think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today.

Conservative loudmouths have a history of wishing ill on California.
Bill O’Reilly for instance:

“If al-Qaida comes in here and blows you up, we’re not going to do anything about it. We’re going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead,”

Original Post:
As wildfires in Southern California are forcing the evacuations of close to a million people, it is but natural that the problem hits closer to home given the large number of desis living in California.

Imagine seeing that through your bedroom window
img: via LA Times

While damage to residence and material possessions has been extensive, the positive news is that the loss of life has been relatively low in numbers (3 dead at the time of posting this article). Qualcomm Stadium, showcase of LT2 and the San Diego Chargers is being used as a relief center.

Among the evacuess there are the residents of a large apartment complex in Rancho Bernardo, CA, which houses software engineers from India, who work for Sony, were among the evacuees at Qualcomm Stadium.

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