Jim, I didn't see the whole thing, but what I saw was impressive, and more than a glimpse of how they see themselves, and how they want to project their image worldwide. I feel I understand them better, and yet, like you, I know that the Spin is not the thing.
I didn't see it .. but of course China wanted the Olympics for a forum to promote themselves. Hopefully this is not just one step forward preceeding two steps backwards ... if that is the phrase.
On an olympic note, watching today I heard my cousin's kid was leading the pack of bikers at the moment. She was one place short of a bronze in Athens 4 years ago .. I figured she was too old at 38. I haven't seen her since she was 3.
in her spare time she became an arthritis doctor ... darn overachievers ... that's why I don't go to the family reunions ... what did you do Bill ... "well, I saved the world once by praying and keeping the communists from attacking West Virginia"
I dont recall anything about slavery, the Civil war, the burning of the city, or racism during the opening of the 96 Atlanta Olympics either, if thats what you're asking.
The opening is a grand welcome to the entire world whicch imo they did incredibly well
I watched the whole thing and was amazed at the scope and precision
FWIW I know it was a 'show' but I was very impressed. It would have made the ancient Egyptians envious.
My recurring thought while watching was that this country will be ruling the world soon..
in her spare time she became an arthritis doctor ... darn overachievers ... that's why I don't go to the family reunions ... what did you do Bill ... "well, I saved the world once by praying and keeping the communists from attacking West Virginia"
Hahahahahaha! We WOWs in Wheeling were guarding the state from the north while you were protecting it from the south.
I hope your cousin's daughter does well this year (or did well, if her event is already over).
I just noticed this year that badminton is an olympic sport. How long has that been the case? What's next, tiddly winks? :)
My recurring thought while watching was that this country will be ruling the world soon..
Soon? They already have us on a leash. We as a nation just don't know it yet because we haven't tried to run past it's length yet. China has been more or less the same nation for thousands of years, with various rises and falls of different governments, but the people all know who they are. Communism has been a short blip, which they have been coming out of for a while now.
Hahahahahaha! We WOWs in Wheeling were guarding the state from the north while you were protecting it from the south.
I hope your cousin's daughter does well this year (or did well, if her event is already over).
I just noticed this year that badminton is an olympic sport. How long has that been the case? What's next, tiddly winks? :)
Yes ... we had WV covered :) Briit Lyynn showed up the next year to cover ... he said he would have pulled us out of Bluefield ... that probably would have been wise ... the town was united against us ... little did they know we saved them from commies ... :o
Christine finished with the pack, which was 20 seconds or whatever back of the top 7 or so. I'm not sure if there are other events, she is better in the time trials I guess.
Badminton has been in since 1992, if my brief read of wikipedia is correct ... it seems like a sport ... there were some other weird things they were talking of adding ... I'm waiting for something with beer involved ... curling in winter olympics ... I bet those guys are drinking for most of their practices at least ...
I'm not so sure China will rule the world ... but we've certainly opened some doors for them ... didn't the Clintons both take money from China? And Obama is a citizen of the world ... oh well ...
China's has some of our debt P-Mosh ... but they still depend on US consumers at the same time. Do they have enough oil or food or infrastructure? ... don't count US out. But while we refuse to drill, Russia and China are buying up every natural resource they can find. Russia wants the north pole, China is grabbing African farm land ... Thanks Nancy ... <_< Lets depend on hot air turbines ...
WTF? ( and just what is it that we should drill WITH?)
Well, that nonsense notwithstanding, yeah, China IS the up and comer AGAIN. I think it likely, that IF there is a world in another 50 years, it will have a decidely more eastern flavor.
But the whole "communism" schtick is pretty much over. China is a first-rate, no-fooling, Fascist regime like we've never seen before. We'd best play our cards right or we'll end up like Great Britain (as in "not so great")...
WTF? ( and just what is it that we should drill WITH?)
Well, that nonsense notwithstanding,
Drill with rigs ... we have some already set up ... more oil from the Destin Dome off FL .. off CA we could get some pretty fast ... it is not the only answer, but a big part of the answer. You've noticed even Obama has shifted ...
Why is drilling for oil here "nonsense" ... it is demanded by the vast majority of Americans.
China is a force ... so is India ... it's a mad mad mad mad world ... ha Any type oppressive regime does harm to their economic outlook. Our economy is still waht floats their boats ...
I think all internet communication is censored and watched at the olympics ...
Well, my understanding (that I made mention of on another thread) is that all the existing drilling rigs are booked for at least the next five years.
If we want to drill more, we first need to build more drilling rigs. (is this something the government should require industry to do, or should we let the "magic" of the free market take over?)
But to get back to Beijing for a minute, I had more fun there (even without the Olympics going on) than should be legal. It's a great town. The government is still pretty scary I guess, but they keep that stuff hidden from the tourists fairly well, I think (though statues and posters of Mao are still all over)...
Yes ... we had WV covered :) Briit Lyynn showed up the next year to cover ... he said he would have pulled us out of Bluefield ... that probably would have been wise ... the town was united against us ... little did they know we saved them from commies ... :o
Christine finished with the pack, which was 20 seconds or whatever back of the top 7 or so. I'm not sure if there are other events, she is better in the time trials I guess.
Badminton has been in since 1992, if my brief read of wikipedia is correct ... it seems like a sport ... there were some other weird things they were talking of adding ... I'm waiting for something with beer involved ... curling in winter olympics ... I bet those guys are drinking for most of their practices at least ...
I'm not so sure China will rule the world ... but we've certainly opened some doors for them ... didn't the Clintons both take money from China? And Obama is a citizen of the world ... oh well ...
China's has some of our debt P-Mosh ... but they still depend on US consumers at the same time. Do they have enough oil or food or infrastructure? ... don't count US out. But while we refuse to drill, Russia and China are buying up every natural resource they can find. Russia wants the north pole, China is grabbing African farm land ... Thanks Nancy ... <_< Lets depend on hot air turbines ...
Hey!!! Nixon was the one who started the relationship with Communist China!
I thought the opening ceremonies were pretty amazing. Hey, when the games were in the US, did we include what we did to our indigenous peoples and minorities? I'm not trying to compare the two countries politically, only to suggest that of course the opening ceremonies is about propaganda. But in spite of the politicking, the Games is still about people working very hard to be their best.
I like the sports ive never seen before, Im watching some strange cross between basketball and soccer right now. I have no idea what it is but Korea is beating Germany.
One thing about the opening ceremonies that spooked me was the number of countries I had never heard of --there was probably 10, maybe more---
.... entering the stadium is the contingent from Tuvalu..and now.... the athletes from Nauru.....followed by Sao Tome and Principe
I can't recall ever seeing handball or field hockey played ... though I knew someone real into handball .. big in Europe I guess.
my cousin's kid ended up way back in the pack, apparently her role was to chase down the break aways or some such strategy, that basically sacrifices her energy to help the team, somehow ...
she has time trials Wednesday, which she is stronger at anyway ...
How exactly do you train for your whole life then FORGET TO SHOW UP for the event?
He thought his he was in a different heat .. seems his coach might have verified the time.
An American got the gold in the cycling time trials Kristn Armstrong ... My cousin's kid got fifth .. (fourth in Athens) She was only three seconds from the bronze in a 35 minute race.
... She has made a great come-back after breaking three ribs early in the season.
But back to the topic ... they are now pointing out several telling things about China ...
are some of those kids really old enough?
some of the fireworks were not live and were digitally enhanced
the kid singing was pulled for not being cute enough, so a cuter kid lip synced
kids are basically captive in these training programs ... when they ask to see their parents, they are not allowed.
Yeah, rhino, even given some delay in development due to training so hard, a couple of those 16 year-old Chinese gymnasts look awfully 11 years old to me.
Using younger gymnasts may give a team an edge, since they may be lighter and have a more even distribution of muscles and fat, but mainly because they have less fear of what they are doing. However, their less-mature judgment makes them more prone to having a catastrophic accident at the top levels. There is also an argument that the younger gymnast has not yet developed the maturity to process the mental pressure in a healthy way.
I'd rather have an athlete win a silver medal safely than kill herself going for the gold.
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anotherDan
Jim, I didn't see the whole thing, but what I saw was impressive, and more than a glimpse of how they see themselves, and how they want to project their image worldwide. I feel I understand them better, and yet, like you, I know that the Spin is not the thing.
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rhino
I didn't see it .. but of course China wanted the Olympics for a forum to promote themselves. Hopefully this is not just one step forward preceeding two steps backwards ... if that is the phrase.
On an olympic note, watching today I heard my cousin's kid was leading the pack of bikers at the moment. She was one place short of a bronze in Athens 4 years ago .. I figured she was too old at 38. I haven't seen her since she was 3.
in her spare time she became an arthritis doctor ... darn overachievers ... that's why I don't go to the family reunions ... what did you do Bill ... "well, I saved the world once by praying and keeping the communists from attacking West Virginia"
Chri* stine Thor .burn ... go girl ...
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mstar1
I dont recall anything about slavery, the Civil war, the burning of the city, or racism during the opening of the 96 Atlanta Olympics either, if thats what you're asking.
The opening is a grand welcome to the entire world whicch imo they did incredibly well
I watched the whole thing and was amazed at the scope and precision
FWIW I know it was a 'show' but I was very impressed. It would have made the ancient Egyptians envious.
My recurring thought while watching was that this country will be ruling the world soon..
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Linda Z
Hahahahahaha! We WOWs in Wheeling were guarding the state from the north while you were protecting it from the south.
I hope your cousin's daughter does well this year (or did well, if her event is already over).
I just noticed this year that badminton is an olympic sport. How long has that been the case? What's next, tiddly winks? :)
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Mister P-Mosh
Soon? They already have us on a leash. We as a nation just don't know it yet because we haven't tried to run past it's length yet. China has been more or less the same nation for thousands of years, with various rises and falls of different governments, but the people all know who they are. Communism has been a short blip, which they have been coming out of for a while now.
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rhino
Yes ... we had WV covered :) Briit Lyynn showed up the next year to cover ... he said he would have pulled us out of Bluefield ... that probably would have been wise ... the town was united against us ... little did they know we saved them from commies ... :o
Christine finished with the pack, which was 20 seconds or whatever back of the top 7 or so. I'm not sure if there are other events, she is better in the time trials I guess.
Badminton has been in since 1992, if my brief read of wikipedia is correct ... it seems like a sport ... there were some other weird things they were talking of adding ... I'm waiting for something with beer involved ... curling in winter olympics ... I bet those guys are drinking for most of their practices at least ...
I'm not so sure China will rule the world ... but we've certainly opened some doors for them ... didn't the Clintons both take money from China? And Obama is a citizen of the world ... oh well ...
China's has some of our debt P-Mosh ... but they still depend on US consumers at the same time. Do they have enough oil or food or infrastructure? ... don't count US out. But while we refuse to drill, Russia and China are buying up every natural resource they can find. Russia wants the north pole, China is grabbing African farm land ... Thanks Nancy ... <_< Lets depend on hot air turbines ...
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George Aar
"Refuse to drill?"
WTF?
( and just what is it that we should drill WITH?)
Well, that nonsense notwithstanding, yeah, China IS the up and comer AGAIN. I think it likely, that IF there is a world in another 50 years, it will have a decidely more eastern flavor.
But the whole "communism" schtick is pretty much over. China is a first-rate, no-fooling, Fascist regime like we've never seen before. We'd best play our cards right or we'll end up like Great Britain (as in "not so great")...
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rhino
Drill with rigs ... we have some already set up ... more oil from the Destin Dome off FL .. off CA we could get some pretty fast ... it is not the only answer, but a big part of the answer. You've noticed even Obama has shifted ...
Why is drilling for oil here "nonsense" ... it is demanded by the vast majority of Americans.
China is a force ... so is India ... it's a mad mad mad mad world ... ha Any type oppressive regime does harm to their economic outlook. Our economy is still waht floats their boats ...
I think all internet communication is censored and watched at the olympics ...
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George Aar
Well, my understanding (that I made mention of on another thread) is that all the existing drilling rigs are booked for at least the next five years.
If we want to drill more, we first need to build more drilling rigs. (is this something the government should require industry to do, or should we let the "magic" of the free market take over?)
But to get back to Beijing for a minute, I had more fun there (even without the Olympics going on) than should be legal. It's a great town. The government is still pretty scary I guess, but they keep that stuff hidden from the tourists fairly well, I think (though statues and posters of Mao are still all over)...
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Rocky
Hey!!! Nixon was the one who started the relationship with Communist China!
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shazdancer
I thought the opening ceremonies were pretty amazing. Hey, when the games were in the US, did we include what we did to our indigenous peoples and minorities? I'm not trying to compare the two countries politically, only to suggest that of course the opening ceremonies is about propaganda. But in spite of the politicking, the Games is still about people working very hard to be their best.
...and women's gymnastics starts tonight, woohoo!
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mstar1
I like the sports ive never seen before, Im watching some strange cross between basketball and soccer right now. I have no idea what it is but Korea is beating Germany.
One thing about the opening ceremonies that spooked me was the number of countries I had never heard of --there was probably 10, maybe more---
.... entering the stadium is the contingent from Tuvalu..and now.... the athletes from Nauru.....followed by Sao Tome and Principe
Wha?
I really gotta get out more
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rhino
I can't recall ever seeing handball or field hockey played ... though I knew someone real into handball .. big in Europe I guess.
my cousin's kid ended up way back in the pack, apparently her role was to chase down the break aways or some such strategy, that basically sacrifices her energy to help the team, somehow ...
she has time trials Wednesday, which she is stronger at anyway ...
USA is doing OK so far I guess ...
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mstar1
Good luck to her!
I just read about THIS GUY.
How exactly do you train for your whole life then FORGET TO SHOW UP for the event?
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rhino
He thought his he was in a different heat .. seems his coach might have verified the time.
An American got the gold in the cycling time trials Kristn Armstrong ... My cousin's kid got fifth .. (fourth in Athens) She was only three seconds from the bronze in a 35 minute race.
But back to the topic ... they are now pointing out several telling things about China ...
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mstar1
I thought this was an interesting picture
seems that some of the poorer neighborhoods in Beijing are literally walled off and these garden scenes put up
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shazdancer
Yeah, rhino, even given some delay in development due to training so hard, a couple of those 16 year-old Chinese gymnasts look awfully 11 years old to me.
Using younger gymnasts may give a team an edge, since they may be lighter and have a more even distribution of muscles and fat, but mainly because they have less fear of what they are doing. However, their less-mature judgment makes them more prone to having a catastrophic accident at the top levels. There is also an argument that the younger gymnast has not yet developed the maturity to process the mental pressure in a healthy way.
I'd rather have an athlete win a silver medal safely than kill herself going for the gold.
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