Gothamist: Lavish Start to the 2008 Olympics

johnnye

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:34:18 -0500

I am watching the opening ceremonies right now on the Canadian channel and those Chinese women are quite awesome! As for online viewing, do a search: Olympics online. There are tons of sites out there.

babyhitler

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:21:00 -0500

what's the difference between China and the NYPD on critical Mass?

NannyState

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:57:31 -0500

No live executions during this ceremony? What is the I.O.C.paying for? Between the athletes, many of whom are professionals, their use of performance enhancing drugs, their sketchy "nationalities" and the host country which is fulfilling some sort of Mid 20th Century ideal, you have all the makings of the death of the Olympic Movement. Nobody can believe anything these athletes say or do and nobody can reconcile the I.O.C.'s love affair with authoritarian regimes that are willing to spend a chunk of their GDP on whatever the I.O.C. desires and all those "high-minded Olympian ideals". The whole thing is a sickening spectacle and it has dark 1930's undertones.

babyhitler

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:39:12 -0500

#26 - yes it's my first day here *snicker*

EastRiver

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:42:06 -0500

i like how everyone is dissing China but not America and bush's Iraq policies. America is supposed to be better right? Is this your first day here? The comments on easily a third of the stories every day turn into a Bush rant.

nomnomnom

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:29:58 -0500

I'm personally very excited for the Olympics. Sure, China has a less than ideal record on just about everything, but I'm excited for all the sporting events. It's a great showcase of world class athletes.

petebfd

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:16:16 -0500

except for the beautiful, wealthy ones, which judging by most of your comments are your definition of "people"

petebfd

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:15:23 -0500

@eyekantspel i agree, the russian gov't sucks as does the american. i can also differentiate between the chinese people and the chinese gov't. and the gov't are the only ones who stand to truly benefit from the games. the people meanwhile have been swept out of beijing or hidden behind walls, and silenced for months leading up to the games.

Shinobi Shaw

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:04:33 -0500

Keep it up, Finger! I find your comments hilarious!

babyhitler

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:56:43 -0500

i like how everyone is dissing China but not America and bush's Iraq policies. America is supposed to be better right?

Shinobi Shaw

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:43:15 -0500

A lot of jealousy being spouted here! While no one cannot deny that China's authoritarian capitalist hybrid society has a plethora of problems, that does not mean one cannot deny its rich culture and exquisite beauty. The INTERNATIONAL ELITE however are all there today in some shape or form and *that* cannot be denied.

eyekantspel

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:30:48 -0500

China's government sucks. Russia just invaded Georgia. Our own government isn't winning any beauty contests these days. I can differentiate between the government and the governed, and I hope that the Chinese people, many of whom have difficult lives because of factors outside their control, have a successful Olympics.

drewo

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:25 -0500

It's about the athletes. Most of whom have spent much of their entire lives preparing for these games. I'm psyched.

petebfd

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:40:46 -0500

yes, all support to the chinese state! with your authoritarian ruling elite, your basic disregard for human rights, your willingness to let nothing stand in the way of economic progress, and your insistance that anything you can physically stop from being reported in the mainstream media didn't really happen, you are really setting the bar for what the state will be in the 21st century. so fuck the haters indeed.

Kojak

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:27:55 -0500

I can't wait for the Phlegm spitting competition. I hear the Chinese are favorites to win, but lets see if those boys in Vietnam have what it takes to make an upset!

eyekantspel

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:18:46 -0500

Good luck China. Fuck the haters.

Politburo

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:06:59 -0500

"anybody know if the ceremony can be seen online in high quality?" Officially, only if you have Windows Vista. Unofficially, if you know where to look it's probably already online from one of the countries that aired it live.

fakenewyorker

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:05:18 -0500

fuck bush, fuck kobe, and fuck ralph lauren's pony

thenamesdave

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:02:00 -0500

I am clearly the only New Yorker who is jealous of this. The Olympics will never come here. I can pretty much guarantee it.

mocanlagunas

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:57:46 -0500

Oh, and fuck NBC also...

mocanlagunas

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:56:54 -0500

And don't forget all of us that want our stuff cheap... Go China... Fuck the government... I should be learning chinese...

djwerdna

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:53:44 -0500

The US government and these multi-national corporations don't really care what China does, as long as they can make money. Jerks.

djwerdna

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:52:15 -0500

anybody know if the ceremony can be seen online in high quality?

petebfd

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:48:58 -0500

fuck china

Jen Chung

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:48:13 -0500

@fugothamist, well, the highlights.

fugothamist

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:44:43 -0500

please dont tell me you guys are gonna cover this propaganda for the next two weeks....

Outter Burrougher

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:44:04 -0500

the times article calls it the greatest yet of the Olympics, but at least you can take comfort knowing that the US athletes avoiding saluting Hitler (as per the headline)

Outter Burrougher

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:42:26 -0500

Toby: http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50C15FF3C59167B93C0A91783D85F428385F9&scp=7&sq=1936%20opening%20ceremonies%20berlin&st=cse

Toby von Meistersinger

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:37:59 -0500

I am sure that the Times called the opening ceremonies of the 1936 Berlin games "a lavish spectacle and a celebration of German culture and international good will."