<p>The bikini comment was tongue in cheek. Maybe we should start a list of sports for which the athletes should never wear bikinis!</p>
<p>weightlifting</p>
<p>Sumo (Missy didn’t say “Olympic Sports”)</p>
<p>SPOILER WARNING::</p>
<p>Found a grainy but visible video of the torch-lighting, since I won’t be home to see it in prime time. PM me if you want the link–</p>
<p>oops-- forgot I won’t be here to send the link. Its on a website called fliiby.com for those of you who want to see it. There is a specific clip of the lighting of the flame. There are also some really cool photos on the UK Telegraph website, the msnbc site, and a cirque du soleil-looking acrobatics team (really incredible-- and all painted in gold) on youtube. Sorry, not allowed to post a link. Also nifty stuff on huffingtonpost.com. I am not posting the direct links as some might get upset. So for those of you interested, it’ll take a few extra steps!</p>
<p>I’m not usually too excited about Olympic ceremonies but that drumming thing was seriously cool. It’s moments like this I’m glad we have HD.</p>
<p>The whole opening ceremony is amazing and forward looking. To think where they were fifty years ago…</p>
<p>Well done to the Chinese. </p>
<p>Pity poor London!</p>
<p>I’m watching the ceremony right now too (started lil more than an hour ago) and I’m so amazed. </p>
<p><em>a little bit of a spoiler for what goes on</em>
the blocks thing? handled by people?! amazing!!</p>
<p>The blocks were amazing. The whole thing is stunning. I can’t get over the absolutely gorgeous costumes and makeup - for 15,000 performers. We can see it on TV, but they can’t even see the details in the stadium.</p>
<p>This whole ceremony is SOOOO cool… I’m seriously impressed. And entertained.</p>
<p>(Now I’m remembering Atlanta and the chrome pickup trucks… how embarrassing).</p>
<p>The blocks, the calligraphy, the drummers. I bet the people in the stands are glad not to have all these commercials.</p>
<p>
I dunno - a bikini (that covers up the butt cheeks) might be an improvement on what they wear.</p>
<p>But the ceremony is very very cool. I loved the men in the green suits doing the dove and then the birds nest stadium.</p>
<p>Poor London indeed. I am worried about whether they will get done on time let alone do a show like this. Wembley Stadium ran almost a year late.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No kidding! So glad I was able to see it virtually uninterrupted this morning on CBC, not to mention without the almost constant narrating by commentators.</p>
<p>the tai-chi (sp?) was pretty awesome too. </p>
<p>WOW. the whole thing was very impressive. What discipline and precision. I hope all the other 1.X billion Chinese get to see it…</p>
<p>Agree that tai-chi performance was awesome. Loved the little smiley the kids put on the painting (and that whole painting-dance!!). While narration is annoying, I did learn a couple things- there were no marks on the floor which means the almost perfect circle they did was completely self-memorized. So precise too- when one guy came late I noticed immediately just because everyone else was spot on.</p>
<p>Wow, those blocks were amazing! I really did think it was done with hydraulics. When I found out that was done using people, I was much more amazed.</p>
<p>The whole opening was spectacular on a grand scale. </p>
<p>The globe at the end with the children’s faces on the scrim was moving.</p>
<p>And yes, the people in the blocks was amazing, thinking it had been hydraulics while it was going on.</p>
<p>I am trying to watch it now…from the hotel room…
How can they be having technical difficulties if the whole show has been pre-recorded???The blocks, the calligraphy, the drummers. I bet the people in the stands are glad not to have all these commercials.</p>
<p>
Agree, but I need them tonight to make my phone calls 
LOL</p>
<p>I found something I don’t like: those irritating girls in the white skirts. Remind me of the Kilgore Rangerettes, only less precise. For those of you who aren’t Texans, it’s worth the Google!</p>
<p>Oh, and I don’t mean to offend any Rangerettes out there, but they are just seem way out of place.</p>
<p>Oh, and I don’t like the way the announcers haven’t been able to identify key athletes in each country’s contingent.</p>
<p>Geez, NBC, Canada has 350+ athletes there and your little commentary is that Canada will be paying athletes for medals this year(something other countries have done for decades!)? Surely you could have thought of something a little more interesting to say.</p>
<p>Well, it turns out that those “technical difficulties” are in Denver area only…
Lot’s of thunderstorms…</p>