Wow, I just finished watching the opening ceremony (recorded) which was absolutely spectacular. It was fun to see the Birds Nest having just been there a few months ago, though I just missed getting a tour of the insdie by having to leave a few days before it was open for visits.
China’s presentation went off flawlessly and in super spectacular fashion with a historically unprecedented, stunning and breathtaking blend of technology, humans, and history. Wow.
Joe Duck 
I’d like to get a copy of the opening ceremony as I missed the first hour or so. Can you help me?
NBC seems to be more concerned about blocking broadcasts from other countries, not because of their right, but to avoid Americans seeing the editing that NBC took the liberty of doing to the Opening Ceremony.
After comparing with the BBC broadcast, it is clear NBC discarded certain images of the artistic presentation of the event. At least one of those images was clearly political. The delayed broadcast on Friday night, a blatant act of commercialism, outraged thousands of Americans. However, should this broadcasting company be made to answer about the censorship it imposed on 260 million Americans?
The Olympics are a legitimate news event. Should we expect the same altering of the Closing Ceremonies?
Lightbulb what were the images you are talking about?
China’s Olympic production team does impress. And the few Orwellian aspects (faked scenes, simulation, protests, censorship etc) might indeed add to the entertainment value. It’s just that the usual Americun moralist, links oder rechts, cannot help but think of Red China, Mao, human rights and so forth.
This idiot’s daily blather embodies the knee-jerk reaction of the American yokel to the Olympics. As with most of the emo-crats screaming for protests, bans, blocking coverage, etc. byronia seems to think those old demons of the GOP arranged it all. That’s a load of scheisse: the Olympics committee has always been traditionally liberal, if not nearly socialist. Individual politicians have little influence in terms of deciding where the Olympics will be staged. China, still mostly socialist, is not exactly a close ally of the USA anyway.
One may not care for Bush administration policies—-tho’ most were agreed to by Dems–yet Bush’s attendance at the ceremonies should not be automatically assumed to be some disregard of the human rights issues. Putin also attended, as did many world leaders. Bush may have been representing, as they say; indeed, the President showed some spine by making an appearance, and I wager the American athletes wanted him there. Not that any of that bothers the hysteria-driven, pseudo-liberal rat such as byronia and his ilk.
Now for some high-powered badminton.
Bill: Opening ceremony is available at NBC.com
Horatiox: Agree that the politics are anything but straightforward. As one of the few venues where the nations come together in mostly good will and peace, I lean towards the idea that although it’s appropriate for people to openly talk about politics and the Olympics, I don’t think countries should boycott them or people should sabotage them for political reasons. I say this more on practical grounds than ideological ones – without the few peaceful venues I think we lose ground even on issues like Tibet, where China should probably create an autonomous region something like Hong Kong.
I would like to purchase a copy of 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony. Who should I get in touch with?
Jerry I think you can just download a copy from NBC.com.
For rights issues you’d need to contact NBC Sports – they own all the rights I think.