Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony
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Hachimitsu
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Well I found this site from cbc : http://www.cbc.ca/sports/ just click on the video on demand and click clip #7. It's just highlights (with a bit more on the Canadian team coming in then was necessary) but at least it is something. (does not have the printing press.)
I couldn’t find any video of it, except a few clips taken outside the stadium on YouTube. Here’s a link to the official website that has some pictures, although the pictures don’t do it justice.
I thought it was really spectacular, especially the movable type segment, which I was convinced was done by computer. The precision was just amazing.
Of course, I was particularly interested in the architecture, and the National Stadium, or Bird’s Nest was just awesome in so many ways. The building was not just a backdrop, it was one of the main performers in the show, from the lighting to the pyrotechnics to the unbelievable video screen that ran around the fascia of the open roof. The scene that made the entire roof opening look like a giant waterfall was amazing.
Usually I tend to prefer contemporary design over traditional design for new buildings, but some of the new amorphous blob type stuff (and yes, “blob” is considered to be a “style” of architecture today) really bothers me. Generally speaking, I think that architecture ought to seek order out of chaos, not the other way around, which is why I like Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, because it manages to be organic while still being highly structured. I was worried that the irregular structure of the Bird’s Nest would be too much, but I have to say that after watching the opening ceremony that it’s really not. One of the commentators said that the building was actually designed to fit the opening ceremony, and in that respect I think it succeeded spectacularly!
As for the Olympics themselves, well, since I do not possess a sports gene I can't get too excited about them. I guess it’s fun to see how your country’s teams are doing, and there is some entertainment in the some of the more offbeat sports, although I really can’t believe badminton is an Olympic sport. What’s next? Croquet? I do like some of the more offbeat events, like sailing and shooting and table tennis. I really miss barrel jumping from the Winter games.
But, I have absolutely zero interest in baseball or basketball, and soccer quite simply bores me to tears.
I do have at least one tiny little connection to this years games though, although it has nothing to do with sports. A local artist named Jon Hair was selected to do a sculpture for the Beijing International Sculpture Park. His piece, titled “Lucky 8" (which I finally understand the significance of after seeing last night's ceremony) will be permanently displayed in the park. It wouldn’t be a big deal, except not only is he from the town where I work, but I designed the building his studio is in.
I thought it was really spectacular, especially the movable type segment, which I was convinced was done by computer. The precision was just amazing.
Of course, I was particularly interested in the architecture, and the National Stadium, or Bird’s Nest was just awesome in so many ways. The building was not just a backdrop, it was one of the main performers in the show, from the lighting to the pyrotechnics to the unbelievable video screen that ran around the fascia of the open roof. The scene that made the entire roof opening look like a giant waterfall was amazing.
Usually I tend to prefer contemporary design over traditional design for new buildings, but some of the new amorphous blob type stuff (and yes, “blob” is considered to be a “style” of architecture today) really bothers me. Generally speaking, I think that architecture ought to seek order out of chaos, not the other way around, which is why I like Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, because it manages to be organic while still being highly structured. I was worried that the irregular structure of the Bird’s Nest would be too much, but I have to say that after watching the opening ceremony that it’s really not. One of the commentators said that the building was actually designed to fit the opening ceremony, and in that respect I think it succeeded spectacularly!
As for the Olympics themselves, well, since I do not possess a sports gene I can't get too excited about them. I guess it’s fun to see how your country’s teams are doing, and there is some entertainment in the some of the more offbeat sports, although I really can’t believe badminton is an Olympic sport. What’s next? Croquet? I do like some of the more offbeat events, like sailing and shooting and table tennis. I really miss barrel jumping from the Winter games.
But, I have absolutely zero interest in baseball or basketball, and soccer quite simply bores me to tears.I do have at least one tiny little connection to this years games though, although it has nothing to do with sports. A local artist named Jon Hair was selected to do a sculpture for the Beijing International Sculpture Park. His piece, titled “Lucky 8" (which I finally understand the significance of after seeing last night's ceremony) will be permanently displayed in the park. It wouldn’t be a big deal, except not only is he from the town where I work, but I designed the building his studio is in.
I wonder if the commentator would have said that about American cheerleader squads, or even Army drill teams. But when its the commie Chinese, its "intimidating"Primula Baggins wrote: But the commentator who said the intensity and precision were also a little intimidating—he was right about that.
(No reflection on you Prim, just the tendency of the press to view as threatening anything not American.)
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
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ArathornJax
- Aldrig nogen sinde Kvitte
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I know Voronwë is into African Drumming but I found this image from the Beijing Opening Ceremony and thought of him. So, to all those drummers out there:
Fou Drums:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picture ... l?image=20
For the history of the Fou . . .
http://www.chinalyst.net/node/44347
I had this over at Bag End and found the thread here, so I deleted that one and moved it here.
Fou Drums:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picture ... l?image=20
For the history of the Fou . . .
http://www.chinalyst.net/node/44347
I had this over at Bag End and found the thread here, so I deleted that one and moved it here.
1. " . . . (we are ) too engrossed in thinking of everything as a preparation or training or making one fit -- for what? At any minute it is what we are and are doing, not what we plan to be and do that counts."
J.R.R. Tolkien in his 6 October 1940 letter to his son Michael Tolkien.
2. We have many ways using technology to be in touch, yet the larger question is are we really connected or are we simply more in touch? There is a difference.
J.R.R. Tolkien in his 6 October 1940 letter to his son Michael Tolkien.
2. We have many ways using technology to be in touch, yet the larger question is are we really connected or are we simply more in touch? There is a difference.
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Primula Baggins
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How thoughtful of you, AJ! Thanks.
If it ever comes up again, one of us can simply move the post for you, also.
If it ever comes up again, one of us can simply move the post for you, also.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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Voronwë the Faithful
- At the intersection of here and now
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[rant]
I only want to watch track, anyway. Swimming? So Phelps wants 8 medals? Absurd. Not that he isn't a great athlete, he is, of course. An amazing kid.
But let's imagine the swimming philosophy extended to running: we'd have Hopping On One Foot for 50, 100, and 400 metres, plus a relay. Then we'd have Jumping on Both Feet for 50, 100, and 400 metres, plus a relay. Then we'd have Backwards Running for 50, 100, and 400 metres, plus a relay. Then Regular Running, etc., plus a relay.
Any human being who wants to go fast through the water will FreeStyle (what they used to call the Australian Crawl, isn't it?). Who would voluntarily Butterfly?
The Olympic movement has gone mad. I truly believe that almost NO event that isn't either timed or measured by distance should be there. No judged events like synchronized swimming or diving or gymastics or such nonsense. Team sports should be limited to sports that real athletes really play and no jiggly crap like "beach volleyball", for the luvva pete. Hundreds of millions of people play baseball, softball, soccer, tennis and golf, and yet some of those sports are being reconsidered so they can be replaced by "sexier" ones.
But that's just me. I know all the athletes are amazing people and wonderful and all that, but it's just too much. The ones that go should all be given the same uniform and given their medals as individuals, and no national anthems should be played nor flags raised.
Yeah, whatever.
[/rant]
I only want to watch track, anyway. Swimming? So Phelps wants 8 medals? Absurd. Not that he isn't a great athlete, he is, of course. An amazing kid.
But let's imagine the swimming philosophy extended to running: we'd have Hopping On One Foot for 50, 100, and 400 metres, plus a relay. Then we'd have Jumping on Both Feet for 50, 100, and 400 metres, plus a relay. Then we'd have Backwards Running for 50, 100, and 400 metres, plus a relay. Then Regular Running, etc., plus a relay.
Any human being who wants to go fast through the water will FreeStyle (what they used to call the Australian Crawl, isn't it?). Who would voluntarily Butterfly?
The Olympic movement has gone mad. I truly believe that almost NO event that isn't either timed or measured by distance should be there. No judged events like synchronized swimming or diving or gymastics or such nonsense. Team sports should be limited to sports that real athletes really play and no jiggly crap like "beach volleyball", for the luvva pete. Hundreds of millions of people play baseball, softball, soccer, tennis and golf, and yet some of those sports are being reconsidered so they can be replaced by "sexier" ones.
But that's just me. I know all the athletes are amazing people and wonderful and all that, but it's just too much. The ones that go should all be given the same uniform and given their medals as individuals, and no national anthems should be played nor flags raised.
Yeah, whatever.
[/rant]
Dig deeper.
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Primula Baggins
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The American commentators were beginning to get punchy about two hours into the parade of nations, and at one point one of them came up with a bit of Olympic trivia: the longest match in Olympic history. Apparently it was a Greco-Roman wrestling match in 1896, where the two men went on for more than eleven hours. One of them said, "And that record will probably stand until cricket is added as an Olympic sport."
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
You know, I was all ready to disagree with vison (yeah, I know, but it was bound to happen sooner or later), because I actually like the subjective sports like gymnastics and diving. I think the routines they do are mind boggling, and you can’t tell me they are not athletes - they are some of the most physically fit people in the world. But then I saw ... team diving, technically called “synchronized diving”. Now don’t get me wrong, I like diving just fine, but team diving? Can someone please explain what, exactly, is team oriented about diving? I mean, synchronized swimming is more legitimately a team sport then diving - at least the swimmers have to work together. But diving? I just don’t get it. Is this of case of not having enough diving events to satisfy people, so they had to start making stuff up? Seriously?
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Primula Baggins
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I've had the same thought, tinwë. In fact, during the last Olympics Mr. Prim and I invented the sport of Synchronized Pommel Horse. But really any similar skill could be done as a synchronized sport, giving some less stellar athletes a chance to go to the Games.
As far as I can see, that would be the only point—and the Games are loaded down already with obscure but legitimate sports.
As far as I can see, that would be the only point—and the Games are loaded down already with obscure but legitimate sports.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
I am reading a book about the ancient Olympics right now, actually.
But that was a very different time and place, as we all know. Naked men all oiled up and wrasslin', and anyway ordinary women weren't allowed to watch. Only some professional ladies were allowed near the place, and not in the actual stadia, etc.
I just hate all that crap, to be perfectly honest, the synchronized diving and the endless variations of swimming, variations both of style and distance. I haven't got the patience for it. Have a few distance variations for swimmers, ditch the diving and synchronized junk, and I'll be a happier camper. Like anyone cares.
I like to watch the runners, and that's about it. Leaving aside the probability that most of them are severely juiced, it's still a beautiful sight.
But that was a very different time and place, as we all know.
Naked men all oiled up and wrasslin', and anyway ordinary women weren't allowed to watch. Only some professional ladies were allowed near the place, and not in the actual stadia, etc.I just hate all that crap, to be perfectly honest, the synchronized diving and the endless variations of swimming, variations both of style and distance. I haven't got the patience for it. Have a few distance variations for swimmers, ditch the diving and synchronized junk, and I'll be a happier camper. Like anyone cares.
I like to watch the runners, and that's about it. Leaving aside the probability that most of them are severely juiced, it's still a beautiful sight.
Dig deeper.
You know, I think Prim is on to something. Maybe they could have synchronized badminton! Or even synchronized synchronized swimming, where two teams of synchronized swimmers perform the same routine at the same time! Preferably in separate pools.
Actually, I don’t mean to belittle any of the games. As I said earlier, I’m not a sports fan. I guess you have like sports in order to truly dislike some aspects of sports, and for me I just don’t care enough either way. But I’m quite certain that every athlete there has worked hard for the opportunity to compete, even the badminton players, so who am I to criticize them? It’s just that I really don’t understand synchronized diving. As a sport it doesn’t make any sense to me. Synchronized swimming does, believe it or not. Group rhythmic gymnastics does. Soccer and baseball and yes, even badminton all make sense as team sports. But diving? I just don’t get it.
Actually, I don’t mean to belittle any of the games. As I said earlier, I’m not a sports fan. I guess you have like sports in order to truly dislike some aspects of sports, and for me I just don’t care enough either way. But I’m quite certain that every athlete there has worked hard for the opportunity to compete, even the badminton players, so who am I to criticize them? It’s just that I really don’t understand synchronized diving. As a sport it doesn’t make any sense to me. Synchronized swimming does, believe it or not. Group rhythmic gymnastics does. Soccer and baseball and yes, even badminton all make sense as team sports. But diving? I just don’t get it.
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Primula Baggins
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Those 2008-person synchronized production numbers were pretty astonishing, and most people enjoy watching chorus lines, etc. But that's just it: it's not sport, it's entertainment. "Oh, wow, look at that!" Whereas un-synchronized diving and pommel horse, both of which I do enjoy, are striving to perfect something, the synchronized versions add this layer of tinsel, the perfection of something that isn't important except as spectacle.
Or maybe it's this: they're not about individual achievement, because more than one person is involved; but they aren't about teamwork either, with people working together to achieve something as in a relay race or a soccer game. They're not working together. They're working in parallel. The sum of their efforts is actually less than each individual's effort, because all they can do is lessen each other's perfection; nothing one synchronized diver does is going to improve her teammate's performance.
Or maybe it's this: they're not about individual achievement, because more than one person is involved; but they aren't about teamwork either, with people working together to achieve something as in a relay race or a soccer game. They're not working together. They're working in parallel. The sum of their efforts is actually less than each individual's effort, because all they can do is lessen each other's perfection; nothing one synchronized diver does is going to improve her teammate's performance.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
I've got to say I am huge sports fan!
Anybody watch Yao Ming/China play againts the USA "Redeem Team", I really thought that the Chinese are going to be a contender in the first 15 mins. I just love seeing Lebron James, Kobe, Kidd, Bosch etc... and George Bush
! I wish I was a fly on the wall at that game.
The best part of the opening ceremonies for me was the torch lighting, man, I thought the Barcelona 92(?) archer was the best I've seen so far but this one was the best so far. I just love how the Chinese incorporated their flying martial arts film technique to the lighting. Man, I didn't see that coming! It was wicked!
I love it when Yao Ming entered the stadium with this little kid who saved his classmates in the earthquake. It was a very memorable sight for me. Wow!!!
I love the giant stamp pad wherein the athletes walk on it then step on a canvas, gotta love that. That is one work of art whoever thought of that should be given a medal.
I love watching basketball, soccer, swimming, athletics, volleyball, tennis and beach volleyball. Yes, I love those "sexy sports". Misty May - Treanor (beach volleyball) of the USA
The Canadian ladies in the women soccer team are good looking, too. The Australian female swimmers are not bad as well. Hehehehehe! 
Let's not forget the Chinese women handing out the medals, too. I just like looking at pretty women, no harm in that!
Princess and I were arguing about synchronized "diving" today. I keep telling her it's the execution and the "less splash" when they go in the water is how the mark it. (No splash at all.) She wanted the German team to win. I keep telling her, yeah, the execution was good, too much splash when they got in the water. I feel sorry for the USA team, I think they were good.
We watched gymnastics as well, today. I feel sorry for Nastsha Luikin's fall on the uneven bars, it was nasty! I can't believe her dad/coach reacted that way, he was clearly upset and it was caught on camera. (Man, I wouldn't have recovered if I saw my dad reacted like that in say one of my hockey games when I was a kid.) I just felt her pain! Her dad should have just walked out of there and yell in the washroom or something. (He did walk off after.) It ain't helping! She was such a professional, it didn't affect her performance in the balance beam at all after that incident.
What's this contraversy with regards to the Chinese gymnasts? A few people say they look like 12 year olds not 16.
IMHO having been in Southeast Asia a few times esp. Hong Kong, Asian kids just look younger than Caucasians.
I'm looking forward to the tennis match hopefully Federer and Nadal get into the finals again.
I volunteered for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, looking forward to that! I got a letter in my e-mail already that I have to undergo security clearance, stuff like that. That's the first step. I will be crashing at a friend's basement for the games if I will be assigned in Vancouver. If I am assigned in Whistler I will be using my own money to book a hotel room. (Saving up for the latter, hopefully I'll get Vancouver.) I'm just glad I've been to Whistler already before the Olympics cause my friend said it looks very different now.
I heard Chicago is bidding for the 2016 games. IMHO, they might get it. If that happens I'm scrapping my 2012 plans to watch it in London and just go to Chicago which is a lot cheaper for me logistically and I can just stay at my Uncle's place in the city (Brown Line subway). There goes my kids' university fund.
Anybody watch Yao Ming/China play againts the USA "Redeem Team", I really thought that the Chinese are going to be a contender in the first 15 mins. I just love seeing Lebron James, Kobe, Kidd, Bosch etc... and George Bush
! I wish I was a fly on the wall at that game. The best part of the opening ceremonies for me was the torch lighting, man, I thought the Barcelona 92(?) archer was the best I've seen so far but this one was the best so far. I just love how the Chinese incorporated their flying martial arts film technique to the lighting. Man, I didn't see that coming! It was wicked!
I love it when Yao Ming entered the stadium with this little kid who saved his classmates in the earthquake. It was a very memorable sight for me. Wow!!!
I love the giant stamp pad wherein the athletes walk on it then step on a canvas, gotta love that. That is one work of art whoever thought of that should be given a medal.
I love watching basketball, soccer, swimming, athletics, volleyball, tennis and beach volleyball. Yes, I love those "sexy sports". Misty May - Treanor (beach volleyball) of the USA
The Canadian ladies in the women soccer team are good looking, too. The Australian female swimmers are not bad as well. Hehehehehe! Let's not forget the Chinese women handing out the medals, too. I just like looking at pretty women, no harm in that! Princess and I were arguing about synchronized "diving" today. I keep telling her it's the execution and the "less splash" when they go in the water is how the mark it. (No splash at all.) She wanted the German team to win. I keep telling her, yeah, the execution was good, too much splash when they got in the water. I feel sorry for the USA team, I think they were good.
We watched gymnastics as well, today. I feel sorry for Nastsha Luikin's fall on the uneven bars, it was nasty! I can't believe her dad/coach reacted that way, he was clearly upset and it was caught on camera. (Man, I wouldn't have recovered if I saw my dad reacted like that in say one of my hockey games when I was a kid.) I just felt her pain! Her dad should have just walked out of there and yell in the washroom or something. (He did walk off after.) It ain't helping! She was such a professional, it didn't affect her performance in the balance beam at all after that incident.
What's this contraversy with regards to the Chinese gymnasts? A few people say they look like 12 year olds not 16.
IMHO having been in Southeast Asia a few times esp. Hong Kong, Asian kids just look younger than Caucasians. I'm looking forward to the tennis match hopefully Federer and Nadal get into the finals again.
I volunteered for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, looking forward to that! I got a letter in my e-mail already that I have to undergo security clearance, stuff like that. That's the first step. I will be crashing at a friend's basement for the games if I will be assigned in Vancouver. If I am assigned in Whistler I will be using my own money to book a hotel room. (Saving up for the latter, hopefully I'll get Vancouver.) I'm just glad I've been to Whistler already before the Olympics cause my friend said it looks very different now.
I heard Chicago is bidding for the 2016 games. IMHO, they might get it. If that happens I'm scrapping my 2012 plans to watch it in London and just go to Chicago which is a lot cheaper for me logistically and I can just stay at my Uncle's place in the city (Brown Line subway). There goes my kids' university fund.
“Lawyers are the only persons in whom ignorance of the law is not punished.” - Jeremy Bentham (1748 - 1832)
tinwë, having played against good amateur Badminton players, I can testify to the skill required. In fact, I'd argue that Badminton is at least as physically demanding and skillful as Tennis, if not more so. There's no bounce, no recovery from a properly executed smash. Those guys are fit I can tell you. I can only imagine how good the pro's are.
And if you knock Badminton, would you be as quick to diss Table Tennis?
That said, I do agree about the synchronised games. That becomes about the spectator, not the athlete, which defeats the purpose.
And if you knock Badminton, would you be as quick to diss Table Tennis?
That said, I do agree about the synchronised games. That becomes about the spectator, not the athlete, which defeats the purpose.
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End