... so they flashed both of Janet jacksons boobs? o_O *shrug* those damn clever asians!

I didn't watch it. Partly because I was watching Russian tanks rolling into Georgia instead, and partly because I don't think a country with such an appalling human rights record as China should be allowed to host an Olympic Games. This is Berlin 1936 and Moscow 1980 all over again.

So we should punish the entire population for it's opressive government? You cannot honestly tell me that every single Chinese preformer or Chinese athelete agrees with everything their government does.

America has had it's share of opression of blacks and women, and even today, even if not openly violent still socially oppresses people. An atheist cant get elected president in America and cant openly run for office in most places.

If you are looking for a utopia for the world, you wont find it. This continuing event allows some sort of connection, no matter how breif that puts issues aside. It allows for the chance that that common ground can break the ice in the future.

Chinese people are still human beings and I don't think the entire population should be punished because we don't like what the government does.

Why cherry pick? We should also bann Saudi Arabia because they don't allow female atheletes.

 

That would be great, but i think nuclear war is much more likely.

 

And yea i'm downloading the opening ceremonie right now, but those 27gb will take some time to download

I think you've misinterpreted what I was saying. I think America's human rights record is pretty squalid too, I don't think they should have an Olympics either quite frankly. The problem is that it legitimises the regime. It legitimised Hitler in 1936. From the point of view of the Chinese government it is seen as the International community giving them the green light to continue as they are. No matter what pressures hypocrites like Bush put on them to reform, the fact that they are being given an Olympic Games means that even despite the abuse of human rights China is a respected global power.

I would certainly hope not. 

I thought it was cool how organized and diligent the people involved were; but beyond that, I didn't care much for the show itself. Seemed like a disingenuous attempt at public relations work to boost their tourism income. They were definitely trying to go a single day without a generally negative view from the press.

...and how were those countries' sitting governments doing ten years on?  Seems to me if you want to topple a regime, let them host the Olympics.

China vexes me. On one hand, the innovation, raw intelligence and willingness for sacrifice of Chinese people astounds me. Their work ethics, demeanor, thoroughness, IQ... it's enough to stun me from time to time.

On the other hand... Why the Hell can't they find good leadership? It's not like their pool of people with excellent characteristics is shallow. I mean, look at Tank Man:

Seriously. That was just some average Chinese dude, and after everything that had happened, he had the cajones to stand in front of four 60-some ton tanks on his way home from grocery shopping and say, 'You're fucking up my neighborhood. Get the fuck out.'

If you guys would just switch-out your administrators, you'd be one of the world's best places to live. Hopefully you do it before I jump over there to teach English.

I can easily find better pictures/video online. No olympic sports are interesting. Give me football, NASCAR or hockey. Or baseball for listening on the radio. Before I had a computer I fucking hated the olympics because they preempted shows I watched.

It was nice, but i just have one big problem with that:

"Beijing Olympics to cost China 44 billion dollars"

 

For fsake, few more billions and we could have sent a manned mission to mars. Which would be worth every penny, not like that expensive nonsense.

Boring ???

Oh man, I'm really enjoying it, as usual.

This one has been the best since Australia.

Watch this race! I watched it live and then another 10 -12 times since. Love it!

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0811_hd_swb_hl_l0194&channelcode=sportsw

 Of course, part of what made this so great was the french team saying they were going to 'smash' the American team in this race...

And this is just one of a thousand great moments so far. Plus NBC is doing a good job of exploring Chinese culture a bit along the way.

 

 

They were real.

 

It is just that a very small part of what was broadcast was simulating what you were able to actually see because they didn't think they'd be able to capture the scene from the air in the way that they wanted it to appear.

i suppose not mentioning the cultural revolution at all is better than whitewashing it like we do "manifest destiny."  and do you think the USA would mention the trail of tears.

besides, the cultural revolution is overblown.  it only really affected members of the ccp and public officials.  it was mao's way of establishing absolute control.  the real tragedy was the great leap forward.

and mao referenced confucius quite often in his published works.  he often looked on him disparagingly, but he also cited him as supporting evidence many times as well.

one thing you must remember, though: as horrible as he and his cronies were, china would more than likely not be at the level of development it is today had it not been for mao.  had it stayed in the hands of chiang kai shek and the kuomintang, it would have continued being a backward, quaint little holiday area for british and american bourgeoisie.  i'm not saying this justifies mao's actions, but it's something to think about.

This reminded me of something the japanese shogun ordered.  You have to maintain 2 residences...one in my capital and your own in your domain.  The diamyo (sp?) or whatever also had to leave his family in the residence in the shogun's capital when he went back to his property to administer it. 

 

That expense could bankrupt a diamyo (sp?).

 

So...potentially, the expense of hosting the olympics could bankrupt a country. 

 

Iirc, didn't the US boycott the russian olympics and then the russians boycotted the next olympics in the US.  It was bad for the economy iirc.

 

So, not only are the Chinese having a great financial investment, they have a significant 'ego investment' in these olympics.

 

Btw, did anyone see the part where walls were built to hide the delapadated neighborhoods so that the guests couldn't see them? 

 

China is trying to put it's best face forward...hence the little girl singing the chinese national anthem was actually lip-sinking.  The girl who was actually singing was considered too ugly (not pretty enough). 

 

This is still a country that is allowing only one child per family and then forcing the females to get sterilized.  They are practicing, to some unknown level, female infanticide (gender selection/abortion), because only boy children will grow up to take care of their dear old mom and pop.  Unfortunately, if only boys are being born, who will they marry and have children with in the future? (kind of short sighted but this kind of cultural bias runs deep in China).

Yes, I know it was more of a hostage thing in japan, but the expense could still be exorbitant...bad crops, inept administration during your year in Kyoto,  etc.  The shogun has a bad day and you and your family are eliminated...shogun takes over your fiefdom...check and mate.

 

The 'point' was that hosting the olympics can be an expensive 'investment' if all variables are considered.  The Chinese hope to make their money back and be able to reuse the facilities for hosting other events in the future.  It's a gamble.  Sometimes it works out and your olympic event isn't boycotted.  Sometimes it doesn't and you don't even break even on the expenditure to rennovate the city the olympics were held in.

 

 

I believe the women's volleyball uniforms will consist of nipple tassells and thongs next time.  If it were practical, swimming events might be held in the nude.  Of course, there's no point in getting cynical about it, if Kevin (or any of you) is doing just that.  I find the Olympics to be a refreshing reminder that the world is indeed divided into countries that have their best interests and only their best interests at heart.  The unity and the peace the Olympics celebrates and that China is touting is, of course, only that of nations brought together in the spirit of showing-off and outdoing each other sans warfare (at the games at least).  And isn't that a wonderful analogy for what the athletes, who spend years and various amounts of exorbitant private and public money, do for the few weeks that they're brought together?  But far from only being analogous to the nature of the Olympics, the athletes are the focus and are the most important part for it is under their guise that this show is pulled off to delight and distract most of the world.  And it did that, didn't it?  Important events have been, and are yet, overshadowed by the games.  But this should not be a source of anxiety, nor should the matter of who is currently hosting the games.  Historically those facts have proved inconsequential.  Given the games China delighted and distracted and true to the challenge China has done those better than any nation every has and, I'm tempted to say, ever will.  But time will tell and if many of us remembers anything other than that the opening ceremony was truly awesome, a magnificent spectacle and a marvel of achievement, and how many and which athletes were caught out for 'cheating' I will be amazed.  If many of us remembers that other things were happening in the world in the meantime I will be more amazed.  I absolutely adore the Olympics and I have my favourite sports.  They may be blinders to a great deal of people, but I maintain my peripheral vision; I was delighted, but I'm never distracted.

the penis could create some drag.... speaking of women's volleyball - misty may is clearly aware of how attractive she is.  last night she started leaving the sand on her tummy rather than brushing it off as she has the past few nights.  as lovely as i find this soft core porn on primetime though, they are talented athletically as well - my apologies for neglecting to metion that previously.

Interesting point: hepatitis B infection predisposes women to bear boys due to increased miscarriage of female fetuses in infected mothers.  The hep B infection rate in China is something like 10-15%, which is huge (actually, hep B is endemic throughout continental Asia).  You actually see this same sort of imbalance in any country with a high hep B infection rate but a low immunization rate.

Yes, there is cultural preference towards male children in much of Asia, but this is working in tandem with a biological cause of a live birth gender imbalance, not the sole cause of the "more men than women" problem.

However, it's going to be a very interesting (in the "egads, that's probably not good" meaning of interesting) place in about 20 years due to such a large gender disparity.  Once scarcity of females starts becoming an actual social problem, what bizarre effects will there be?  Inflation in the costs of prostitution?

I didn't know about the predisposition of women infected with hepB in relation to progeny.  That is interesting. 

I have read (some scientific journal in a doctor's office) that female children born after a male child are more likely to die younger (as opposed to a first born female or any female born after a female with no intervening male births); have fewer children themselves; and have more health related issues in general.  (I believe it was a norwegian study) 

Since on average females live longer than males (birth order not withstanding) IMO I would want a female child to take care of me in my old age.

But we are getting off the subject of the thread...perhaps another time.

 

 

yeah, it is, especially if you ignore the historic fact of two distinct classes living in tight spaces.  Taiwan is a country with capitalism run wild, just like chiang kai shek wanted it. corporate interests are primary there, and if you don't get with the program, you're pretty much screwed.

 

good point about them being our mall. People complain about all the cheap goods coming from India and China, but they ignore the fact Taiwan was where big businesses learned how to screw everyone over, thanks to the policies of Chiang and his followers.