Beijing -- The e-mail said Amanda Beard - the often-provocative American swimmer - had been scheduled for one of those anti-fur publicity stunts by PETA, which on this day I took to mean People for the Ethical Treatment of Amanda. The e-mail from PETA's Asian Pacific branch said Beard was supposed to shed her clothes and denounce the wearing of fur, but why anyone would wear fur in the summertime in Beijing is beyond me. The spectacle was to take place at the ultra-swanky Pangu 7 Star Hotel across the street from the Water Cube swimming venue. When I arrived,...