Olympics 2008, Beijing

[Aoie_Emesai]

Originally Posted by Vexx

A good example of sensationalistic journalism is this article:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-b...0080806a1.html

The headline and the first few paragraphs sound super awful.. .then you read the REST of the article where the context is explained, the police apologized, offered to pay for the equipment, etc.

The local arms of the police are obviously a bit amateurish and unprofessional letting their stress in that situation overwhelm logic. But it is nothing like what the headline implies. On the other hand, we're getting *repeated* reports via credible news organizations (BBC, PBS, etc) of journalists being tailed, asked for papers, and instructed to leave while doing their job.

There has been more than a few example of this correct, Vexx? I do believe there's been like 2 or 3 more than has been up on the news, right?

[Vexx]

There's been at least a couple of reports each night on the Lehrer News Hour (PBS) that ended with the reporters saying "we were cut short and sent away when police officers arrived, checked our papers and insisted we leave."

Its like the memo never makes it from the top down to the front line guys.....

[Sun Shine]

I hope none of the protests even get mentioned anymore, who cares about all that? Not even bothered about censorship as long all the events get coverage. I have no respect for the snoopy reporters who look at the affairs in China when they are supposed to be there reporting on the olympics. It should be all about the games tomorrow and not about the moronic monks trying to hinder it.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Vexx

There's been at least a couple of reports each night on the Lehrer News Hour (PBS) that ended with the reporters saying "we were cut short and sent away when police officers arrived, checked our papers and insisted we leave."

Its like the memo never makes it from the top down to the front line guys.....

you are probably more correct then you think. The police is control by the local politicians while the guys who wrote the memos are form the national government in beijing. The local guys have ther own way of interperting these memos.

Corruption in the local level is the biggest issues in china right now. the national guys will issue laws and rulings and locla guys will interpert it thier own way.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Sun Shine

I hope none of the protests even get mentioned anymore, who cares about all that?

Obviously, many more people than you?

Not even bothered about censorship as long all the events get coverage. I have no respect for the snoopy reporters who look at the affairs in China when they are supposed to be there reporting on the olympics.

Not every reporter is in China to cover the Olympics. A reporter's job is to cover their assignments and any newsworthy event. You obviously don't understand that. Without "snoopy reporters", all governments (not just China) have carte blanche to misuse their authority. The reporter is the single line of defense between government abuse and fairness. It doesn't sound like you understand the historical context of the press and government in the world.

It should be all about the games tomorrow and not about the moronic monks trying to hinder it.

I agree that the general focus of news coverage should be about the opening ceremonies and how hard people have worked on it. That doesn't mean that every reporter on the planet is obliged to drop their normal duties (foreign affairs, government watchdog, local events, etc) for it.

[X10A_Freedom]

The opening ceremony just finished. It was simply unreal.

Absolutely fantastic. I've never thought China would pull it off but it reminded me of the China which I had forgotten.

[Kinny Riddle]

Now that was quite an opening ceremony.

When the last Torch Bearer got lifted up by wires and ran around the walls in order to light the Flame with no safety support beneath him, I held my breath as this really is something really audacious to do.

Saw quite a few familiar athletes, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Kobe Bryant, and Lindsey Davenport to name a few.

It was hard trying to keep track of the countries as they did not come out by the Roman alphabetical order, but by the number of the strokes in the first Chinese character of each country's Chinese translation name.

Greece traditionally starts first, and then the countries with few strokes in their first characters, like India, Malaysia and Japan, USA had 9 strokes so they came in the middle, while Germany and Australia didn't come in till very late as they had 15 and 16 strokes. The last is of course the host nation, China.

[OMchan]

Wow, that was stunning. Li Ning suspended in the air was absolutely breathtaking.

[Jer]

After watching the opening ceremony, I could only describe it with one word, EPIC! From the directing to the choreography of each of the performances, they were magnificent.
It kinda makes me proud to be a Chinese.

[Meirin]

Wow, that was a stunning opening ceremony... definite the best in recent memory!

The ceremony kicked off with a drumming performance display the official countdown in both Chinese characters and roman numerals.

I love the cultural themes incorporated into the setting and performances. The use of the giant plasma screens for creating the scroll painting, movable-type printing screen and the Silk Road display was a brilliant idea. The Beijing Opera/puppetry and Tai chi chuan performances were impressive too.

To me there were also many moving moments in the ceremony: Lang Lang and the blind girl's piano performane, children of the 56 Chinese ethnic groups singing the Olympic atheme, the kite-flying girl in red, the audience doing the dove hand-motions, the final Torch Bearer Li Ning's running flight to light the Olympic flame.

The best part was the massive group performances with tens of thousands of drummers, acrobats, martial artists and dancers. Over 16000 people took part during the performances! O_O The court scene with many different dynasties' traditional costumes and huge red pillars was just gorgeous.

The teams later entered by Chinese character stroke order, another first!

I'm so glad that the ceremony went fantastically. I've definitely caught the olympic fever and am looking forward to the rest of the Games.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Great show. Beijing has done China proud. Now, the show belongs to the athletes, and the rest of the world.

To bad for Singapore, I'm afraid this ceremony will overshadow our National Day celebrations today (9 Aug).

[SoldierOfDarkness]

Wow they set the bar so high for the opening ceremonies. Everyone else after them better do a good job as well.

[2H-Dragon]

Who was the girl who was walking up front (while holding the flag) when like 8 people where holding the olympic flag? She should be a current Chinese athlete. She was fine. =o

[Vexx]

Crap... I hope its scheduled for rebroadcast in my timezone tonight....

[grey_moon]

What an absolutely amazing opening, kinda feel sorry for UK they really have such a hard thing to beat.

[monir]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Crap... I hope its scheduled for rebroadcast in my timezone tonight....

Ditto that! I was at work, and the bits and pieces of glimpses I've got thus far of this opening ceremony, I wish I called for leave.

[AnimeFangirl]

Looks like I'm the only one who found the opening ceremony dreadfully boring and completely lacking in proper direction. Yes it was fancy, yes it was obviously expensive, yes there were a lot of people doing things and fireworks going up, but "pretty" and "interesting" are not the same thing. After 30 minutes I went back to my computer. After 1 hour I got up and turned the TV off.

But hey, I still have the gymnastics to look forward to. That's the only thing I watch the Olympics for anyway.

[Vexx]

NBC appears to be airing the opening ceremonies in the US tonight at 7:30pm-12midnight in the Pacific Time Zone.

[Autumn Demon]

anywhere on the internet where i can watch the opening ceremonies? couldn't find anything on youtube.

[grey_moon]

How do those cheer leaders with their little white booties do it? They must be bleeping knackered!