Olympic opening is a stunner!

[MichiganVote]

[thepurpose]

1. The Chinese goverment may in fact suck. But the people. OMG the people are awesome.

[MichiganVote]

2. Yes they are. I am amazed by this opening. So beautiful.

[malaise]

21. Breathtakingly beautiful

Have they reached the torch lighting yet?

[derby378]

30. Not yet - the athletes are parading now

We're up to Ukraine at this point. Lots of Ukrainians competing this year.

[malaise]

34. Then you ain't see nuthin yet

Do not miss it. Remember they're using the Chinese alphabet so U has little meaning. :D

[derby378]

41. No problem - I got a heads-up on the parade order earlier this morning

It's all good. We only do this once every two years, so it's always special.

[Threedifferentones]

108. There is no Chinese alphabet

[proud patriot]

3. Doesn't start here on the west coast for awhile yet

:hi:

[MichiganVote]

5. Be sure to catch it if you can. Fascinating.

[thepurpose]

17. Please don't miss it. Just amazing.

[proud patriot]

114. Indeed it was

I especially liked those drummers at the beginning of the Ceremony

[smoogatz]

4. Yep.

China's going to be the world's pre-eminent power within a generation--no doubt about it. An awesome display.

[MichiganVote]

6. I'm certain that is what they are declaring to the world.

[Mojorabbit]

29. My husband watched

the tai chi and said, "they could crush us like a bug, couldn't they". I said ayup. The whole opening was just breathtaking.

[glowing]

37. That's what I said.. They could really F.. us up!! or anyone for that matter.

Why oh why did people think it a good idea to owe them money?

[Codeine]

58. Fuck us up? How?

Stop sending $30 DVD players? :shrug:

[iconicgnom]

84. "Why oh why did people think it a good idea to owe them money?"

A. Because they had the money to lend. Or rather - to buy US treasury bonds and stocks in natural resources with. You betcha they've gone for the natural resources!!

Q. How did they get all that extra money?
A. By selling us the goods that we buy, making a profit on each sale.

Q. Why are they making the goods that we buy, rather than ourselves?
A. Because they are what's now called a "corporate state", the ultimate realization of Milton Friedman's economic politics, the economic politics that the US has pushed for decades now. Just think "no unions" and "no freedom for the worker", and you've got the first part of the equation, then think "outsourcing of the US economy" to fill in the second part. The result is a situation where corporations that are ostensibly "western" are in fact international, and from the point of view of pure profitability it's better for them to bet on China than the US, to set up their industries in China than the US - and this'll be the case for as long as the people of the US allow themselves to be bled.

[screembloodymurder]

70. USA reaction ... fear.

The Empire strikes back!

[Mojorabbit]

75. For me it wasn't fear

It was a feeling of inevitability. The discipline was amazing. Part of me thinks our "great leaders" are looking at the state run capitalism authoritarian type govt they have and are working to turn this country into a clone of their system.

[glowing]

100. I have that feeling too.

Let's hope that at some point 1.3 billion people rise and say NO MORE!!!! This kind of rule goes against the laws of free will and human nature. I don't think it is inevitable for the human species to live in perpetual slavery. I'm hoping not.

[Codeine]

111. Thank you

for summing up my thoughts better than I have been able to. :applause: :applause: :hi:

[JerseygirlCT]

7. It has been just gorgeous! nt

[mr_hat]

8. Just don't look behind the curtain.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

102. Definately not!

[Subdivisions]

9. Absolutely magnificent. An emotional and visual masterpiece! n/t

[MichiganVote]

10. This is one time when I do envy the people who are there.

[dsc]

11. It is amazing

but NBC is so galling. Why on earth we can't see the entire ceremony instead of missing stuff while commercials run. They are showing us this on tape for pete's sake at the least they could show us all of it.

[MichiganVote]

12. Agree. Their commentary is pretty pedestrian anyway.

[malaise]

35. We had no cuts for commercials - all three hours and

forty minutes - just the stupid small ads on screen.

[MichiganVote]

38. jealous :)

[malaise]

39. Get the Canadian feed next time

We had Caribbean broadcasting corporation which was linked to the Canada feed.

[supernova]

20. Yes, and their incessant babbling over it!

I couldn't care less what inanities Matt Lauer feels compelled to utter.

[MichiganVote]

28. Matt L. annoys me too.

[fishwax]

93. no kidding

:wtf:

[BeyondGeography]

13. Indeed...lots of pics here

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/08/08/sports/0808-CEREMONY_index.html

[MichiganVote]

15. Very cool.

[dddem]

45. wow!

Thanks for sharing!

[otohara]

77. My Satellite Kept Going Out

due to a much needed rain storm - I gave up. These are gorgeous - thanks for posting

[flamingdem]

14. Go China! n/t

[kwassa]

16. I have wierd memories of massive Mao rallies, though

Giant numbers of people marching in precision

[MichiganVote]

18. God he was a real nut.

[jwirr]

22. With red flags. This was a beautiful site though and they deserve

congrats.

[Codeine]

89. Yeah, they have a bit of practice in that area.

Kim Jong Il's folks aren't too bad at it themselves. I suppose North Korea will be owning us as well.

[sellitman]

19. I am not watching.

Nope...not one second of it.

Got enough hypocrisy in this country to last a lifetime.

[MichiganVote]

25. Well if you wait for hypocrisy to end and deny yourself the pleasure of viewing Art

you'll be missing a lot in life. But suit yourself.

[Codeine]

59. No more Art

than Leni Reifenstahl was art. Fascism and Groupthink is ugly in any circumstance.

[DainBramaged]

23. And how many of our poor does it feed????

I am being a prick about the Olympics. I will not watch one second of them, and for that reason will not be exposed to the commercialism that has poisoned the Olympics (So long ago).

The last time I watched our hockey team beat the Russians.

[MichiganVote]

26. This is thread about the olympic opening not feeding the poor. Think you could stick w/that?

[DainBramaged]

65. NO, China is a worse violator of human rights than we are

And their implicit destruction of the environment makes them complicit with Booshe in being outside the family of Nations.


Enjoy your games.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

106. So what?

In 1936 the Olympics were hosted by Hitler. And what is remembered about those Olympics far above and beyond anything else? Jesse Owens winning four gold medals. It doesn't matter where the games are held. One fifth of the world's population lives in China. They shouldn't be deprived of this just because their government is shit.

[thepurpose]

33. I honestly don't know, but must say, watching a beautiful opening ceremony that will

very hard to top. Then watching the parade of nations with all the just simply gorgeous young people of all shades from countries all over the world, I have to ask. What the hell are we fighting about again?

[MichiganVote]

36. Oh the usual, money , territory, shelf space...where's Helen when you need her anyway? :)

[itsrobert]

24. Yes, I'm stunned! Millions of people in China/Asia starving and they are spending Millions on a

parade.

[MichiganVote]

27. Like I said to another person, this thread is about the visuals of the opening.

Open your own thread about poverty and starvation in China please.

[malaise]

31. Here's the song for Beiijing 2008

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/08/09/you-and-me-beijing-2008-olympic-games-theme-song-music-video-and-lyric-by-sarah-brightman-and-liu-huan/

BBC has beautiful pix as well.

The ceremony was fabulous. I watched it live this morning and hubby and I will watch it in a few minutes when our station replays.

[itsrobert]

44. I'm talking how that correlates to the visual of people starving

My post is most appropriate here. Feel free to post on Chinese government run Internet sites/blogs if you want to keep opinions suppressed.

[malaise]

46. Then start your own thread

How did the 1984 song correlate with the homeless in LA.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

103. That's what I was going to say

People who live in countries with massive inequalities shouldn't throw stones.

Isn't L.A. the place documented in Michael Moore's Sicko where hospitals dumped sick people on Skid Row?

[MichiganVote]

47. I understand. My point is that this thread is about the Olympics Opening, not politics.

This isn't GD:C

Sorry, I feel as you do about the Chinese and poverty. But this thread is not about that. If you feel suppressed, please open a topic on that. I'm sure others are interested.

[GeorgeGist]

32. Absolutely Brilliant ...

bullshit. They've learned well.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

40. I bet the planners for London 2012 are

holding their heads and groaning, "How the hell do we top that?"

[MichiganVote]

43. Probably have to dust off some of the Queen's jewels.

[malaise]

48. They can't

That won't be topped.

[thepurpose]

50. Does any other country even come close to the history?

[MichiganVote]

56. Not that I'm aware of. The Mayans were an amazing culture tho'.

[malaise]

61. That'a a great question which requires

deep thought. They sure own fireworks.

[MichiganVote]

62. My fav. fireworks were those of the French at the millenium.

[malaise]

63. Was that at the Eiffel tower

I seem to remember that. Australia was great as well.

[MichiganVote]

64. Yes and yes.

[BeyondGeography]

54. Ditto

[ronnykmarshall]

42. Tell that shit to the families that had homes destroyed.

Fuck China.

[MichiganVote]

49. Yeah well...most of us poor folks are merely enjoying the visuals.

Better luck for discussion of these important issues on your own post.

[ronnykmarshall]

52. ok ....

Yeah .... I'm one of the "Rich folk".

Oh I'll tell ya ... being a big ol' queen I'll like watching all the glitter and shit.

[itsrobert]

51. Fuck China

I agree. Do a little tap dance and the masses are dazzled and appeased.

[Codeine]

53. Agreed; fuck China.

And Free Tibet, too!

[derby378]

55. POLAND!

My people!

Okay, I'm only half-Polish, but good on 'em! The rest of me is Celtic, English, maybe some German and Dutch.

[MichiganVote]

57. Someone once told me that if your ancestry is European, you're a natural born hybrid.

[derby378]

60. Hell, every single human being on this planet has African blood

The oldest surviving bloodline that I know of is the Saan bushmen - their DNA is the pool from which modern human stock descended, IIRC.

[screembloodymurder]

72. Talk about a homogeneous population.

I there a black person in China?

[AnnieBW]

66. The little boy walking with Yao Ming was the topper for me.

Survived the earthquake that killed 20 out of 30 of his classmates. Dug himself out, then went back in to rescue two of his classmates - because he was a hall monitor and it was his job. Amazing.

[MichiganVote]

67. Despite the nationalist feel to this presentation-that story is a tear jerker.

[Kaylee]

68. Damn, even the torch lighting is stunning!

[Subdivisions]

69. I can't even imagine what it must be like to see that live. Simply INCREDIBLE! n/t

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

71. That was the most astonishing piece of stagecraft

I have ever seen. Breathtaking and spectacular. The torch lighting gave me the chills, and there was not one thing political about anything I saw. This was done in real time by real people, and I doubt that the most gifted computer graphics wizards in Hollywood could even begin to outdo it.

[Kaylee]

73. I swore the Chinese blocks were computer timed machines....

amazing!

[MichiganVote]

74. Truly.

[malaise]

96. The torch lighting was out of this world fantastic

A really fabulous opening ceremony. The blend of human talent and computer technology was stunning.
China gets a gold for the opening ceremony.

Beauty is beauty and denial is denial. We can't change that.

[Frank Booth]

76. Zhang Yimou's amazing.

His movies are incredible, but he outdid himself here.

[Kaylee]

78. That was a heck of a vision he had..

[Codeine]

79. Leni Riefenstahl wasn't too bad herself. nt

[Frank Booth]

82. Good job stereotypin'

[Codeine]

83. Please.

"Triumph of the Will"-style fascist choreography is all the same beast, be it in Berlin '36, Los Angeles '84, or Beijing '08. Groupthink and human robots don't impress me.

[Frank Booth]

87. How narrow-minded of you.

[Codeine]

88. "Narrow-minded?"

Because I am unimpressed by fancy choreography? Human beings are individuals, not machines to caper in groups for our amusement.

[Frank Booth]

95. Someone had to have the talent and vision to create that show, which was truly stunning.

Many of the participants were also very skilled. Collective effort to create works of beauty isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

91. I respectfully disagree

I've seen Olympiad (which did not strike me as a propaganda film as Riefenstahl openly acknowledged the great feats of Jesse Owens) and Triumph of the Will. I've also read Riefenstahl's autobiography with a healthy skepticism. There are some people, and she was one of them, who are so blinded by their own artistic vision that they are willing to accommodate the wishes of those who are willing to subsidize them in order to see their visions realized.

It's also a largely German thing. The arch-Lutheran J.S. Bach wrote some of the greatest Masses in the history of Catholic music. That doesn't make Bach a counter-reformationist. He, like Riefenstahl, was a visionary artist willing to compromise principles in order to fulfill a vision of the art they carried in their heads (and it cannot be denied that Riefenstahl was one of the most extraordinary and influential filmmakers who has ever lived - just look at the end of Star Wars Pt 4 to see a perfect Riefenstahlian image).

Leni Riefenstahl was a fascinating and flawed artist. Her greatest flaw was that she chose to make her moral compromises with one of the greatest criminals of the 20th Century. At most, that makes her a selfish and blinded enabler, not a war criminal. I look at the Beijing opening ceremony the same way - the vision and creativity that went into it deserve praise on their own merits, and it was a considerably less politicized presentation than the '36 Olympics. I don't remember anything particularly objectionable about the LA Olympics, though the years have fuzzed many memories.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

104. Just a note about Bach

Lutherans in that period had nothing against the Mass, except that they didn't believe in transubstantiation, and while Luther believed that services and the Bible should be in the language of the people, Latin remained the language of education and culture for centuries afterward. When Bach was young, he went to a boarding school where the students were required to speak Latin at all times.

The Lutheran and Episcopal services still follow the basic outline of the Roman Catholic mass.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled flame war.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

107. Thanks, Lydia!

:)

[bridgit]

80. I'm enjoying the promenade of nations, but the intro was one of the more gaudy things I've ever seen

The government of China is really stinking these games up imo denying nations the right to carry their flag, pulling athlete's visa' for having a contrary opinion on Darfur, demanding apologies from athletes that choose to wear a protective mask against the pollution of Beijing, etc, not good

[Codeine]

85. But it was all so pretty!

They are going to own us now because they can put on a big show and stuff! :eyes:

[bridgit]

90. China has exhibited the very 'what it is' that American oligarchs have been clamoring for...

for years now: a gaudy spectacle of cheap labor combined with Nationalistic Precision Corporate Dogma...hey! Maybe they can include that in the next games ;) 'sides...

China already underwrites our debt, they own more of us and our meaningless little relationship to individualism than we think they do :headbang:

[gblady]

81. west coast here....

the opening was breathtaking...
an amazing spectacle!

[FrenchieCat]

86. It was a beaut! Although I could have done without most of the commentary.

That part was nerve wracking.

[malaise]

98. Watching BBC sports

Mihir Bose says it will take 50 years for any other country to top that. He's quoting athletes. 5,000 years of history. The most touching moment was of course the little boy who survived the earthquake. In summary, Bose says it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Bose is BBC Sports Editor and author of several books including his classic, A History of Indian cricket.

[JeffR]

92. I hear the opening ceremonies in '36 were killer, too. n/t

[Arnold Judas Rimmer]

94. I'm pretty much disgusted by the GE/NBC announcers.

Working in some BULLSHIT about Iran's non existent "nuclear weapons program" after cheering the Iraq puppet team, and then showing that goddamned criminal chimp every 5 minutes.

Can't they give the warmongering a rest?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

105. Pretty inane, but I will give them credit for one thing

In past years, they would show only the "important countries" marching in and cut away to commercials for the others.

This time they provided at least a couple of seconds of footage of the countries who came in during the commercial, and they also identified the flag bearer for each team.

Now that a lot of immigrants to the U.S. come from "unimportant" countries, I'm sure NBC felt pressure to show all the participants, not just the ones from the big countries.

[Whisp]

97. I caught only a part of it and had mixed feelings...

I couldn't help but naturally react to it like a kid at disneyland, but also cringed at the thought of the expense of it all and what that all that glittering eye candy was really covering up.

[RNdaSilva]

99. It WAS stunning.

No adequate superlative adjectives to describe.

Fantastic.

To those wearing blinders, or making like an ostrich, tis sad.

[Codeine]

113. The only people in blinders

and making like ostriches are those of you bamboozled by the circus. Cleita said it best: The Borg.

[panhead1961]

101. NBC camera work SUCKED

all the cool shots while the human ocean undulated were on the floor.

[proud patriot]

115. My husband had the same complaint

it was meant to be seen from above and they kept
showing individuals running . x(

[malaise]

109. Watch the first section of BBCs Nightline

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_4670000/newsid_4679900/4679986.stm?bw=nb&mp=wm&news=1&nol_storyid=4679986&bbcws=1

Nice analysis.

[live love laugh]

110. I missed it. Anybody know where I can view it or buy a DVD? n/t

[Subdivisions]

112. Might try the NBC website. I won't link to them though. Good luck. n/t