The Olympics are here, the Olympics are here!

I thought I'd try my hand live-blogging the Olympics opening ceremony.  It is ridiculous on my part to think that anyone would want to read what I have to say, minute by minute, but guess what: it's my blog!  And I'll liveblog if I want to.*

7:30 -- "The footprints and their histories stretch back 5,000 years...China is welcoming the world, but the question is, who will they  be when this is over?"

  Intro: cool visuals, loaded commentary.

7:30 -- I begged my dad to take me to China when he went once.  He refused, even though I offered to pay my way and work for free.  Watching the footage, I realize that I AM STILL BITTER.

7:31 -- First Karolyi sighting!

7:31 -- Philadelphian or no, I have no use for Kobe Bryant.

7:32 -- Beach volleyball player whose name may be Misty: "To get the chance to defend my gold medal?  I couldn't write a better story."  Really?  What if you wrote about being sucked into beach quicksand in the midst of your comeback game, only to be pulled out by your long-lost coach/father, who is tragically sucked into the quicksand himself, his last words: "Get the gold for me, Misty."  

7:34 -- Intro officially over.

7:34 -- The announcer says "Bob Costas."  Greg cheers from his position flat on his back on the couch.

7:39 -- Tom Brokaw tells us about how important the games are for the Chinese people.

7:40 -- Tom mentions Tiananmen Square.  I remember being in elementary school, the moment when the young revolutionary stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen square.  My mom said, "You'll be able to say you remember when this happened."  

7:41 -- Ping pong diplomacy!  Run, Forrest, run!

7:42 --  The earthquake footage is wrenching.

7:44 -- The whole 8/8/08 thing reminds me of when I was young, driving with my family through Malaysia.  When the house numbers got to 88, they started repeating 88 1/4, 88 1/2, etc.

7:48 -- Matt Lauer is bald!  Perhaps if I watched The Today Show I would know this.

7:49 -- So excited that Zhang Yimou is directing the ceremonies.  I've only seen The Road Home and Happy Times, but I really like his work.  Note to self: put House of Flying Daggers on Netflix list.

7:51 -- The beach volleyballers are talking, revealing that I misidentified the one speaking earlier--it was Kerry, not Misty.

7:52 -- BOO, KOBE.  

7:57 -- Say what you will about Bush, I think it is the right call that he's here.

8:00 -- If I were in grad school mode, I would talk about the semiotics of the human technology of the drums, but luckily school has been out for weeks and my brain is officially mush.  I will say this: it is neato.

8:03 -- I was wondering why they weren't doing the countdown in Chinese numbers, but then they did both once they got to 10-9-8.  So cool.

8:03 -- That aerial view of the stadium looks like something...I just can't put my finger on it.

8:06 -- The predominant colors during this performance are silver and gold--methinks there's a double meaning in that.

[[This live blogging thing is tiring.  Time for a chips and salsa break.]]

8:48 -- Mmm, salsa.  Meanwhile, floating LED screens, and Greg's irritation that the commenter who is not Bob Costas points out that the performers are evoking China's naval history figurally, not literally.

8:51 -- Not to be make light of China's famous pianist, but Lang Lang's demeanor and hair are a little odd.  The 7-year-old sitting next to him doesn't help.

8:54 -- Oooh, I want a light-costume.

8:55 -- Scratch that, I want to float through the stadium pulled by a kite in pigtails and pink dress.

9:03 -- The perfect circles made by the tai chi practitioners are unbelievable.  

9:12 -- Sarah Brightman looks like a corpse.  Greg: "Where's Bjork?"

9:16 -- Parade of nations is next!  I'm going to sign off.  Well done, all involved.

*Not really a liveblog since I am watching a recording.  But who cares.