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Beijing Opening Ceremony

Discussion in 'Lounge' started by Miamian, Aug 11, 2008.

  1. Miamian

    Miamian Senior Member

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    Does anyone have a link to the opening ceremony? I wasn't able to watch because I don't have cable anymore and I was too busy cleaning my apartment to find a place.

    I tried finding it on youtube without success.
     
  2. Regan21286

    Regan21286 MCAT's, EMT's, AMCAS, ugh

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  3. Miamian

    Miamian Senior Member

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    Thanks, but that's not what I'm looking for.

    Here's the first part. Hopefully the rest will be added later.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIZmWTdDIgU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIZmWTdDIgU[/ame]
     
  4. Kanye West

    Kanye West 'Parcells' Guy

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    Go to Hulu.com I think that is NBC's Youtube. NBC has the Olympics on 24/7 so it should be on there.
     
  5. Kanye West

    Kanye West 'Parcells' Guy

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  6. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    Would recommend it if you can find it all, was pretty spectacular.

    Have to say the singular greatest opening ceremony moment was in 92 Madrid where the guy shot the flaming arrow to light the cauldron, that was cool. As a whole though, the Beijing one was really really well done. Just a bit of trivia, the Chinese ceremony leaders instructed the drummers to smile more before the actual ceremony at their last rehersal to make them seem less intimidating!
     
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  7. gunn34

    gunn34 I miss Don & Dan

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    The blocks were my favorite. I thought it was computer generated the way they moved. Unbelievable there were people doing that.
     
  8. finswin56

    finswin56 Get a mop

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    Same here. I thought is was some kind of hydraulic system. Watched with a friend and I said, "I want to see the system moving those blocks."
    He said, "It's a bunch of kids!" Then at the end we could actually see their legs. I though he was kidding.
    Now what I really want to know is how they kept their timing so accurate for such a lengthy performance.
     
  9. sking29

    sking29 What it takes to be cool

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    Aren't there rumors that NBC did touch up some of the opening ceremony to make it look more impressive?
     
  10. Coral Reefer

    Coral Reefer Premium Member

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    I think it's because China puts so much into their "child labor" training.

    Most professional groups of toddlers on the globe.

    My only question is how did they get Kathy Lee Gifford's manufacturing plant to give all those kids a night off to work the Olympics :lol:
     
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  11. Regan21286

    Regan21286 MCAT's, EMT's, AMCAS, ugh

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    If there's one thing about Chinese people, it's a culture that aims to train people hard to succeed. A needed philosophy I guess with so many of them.
     
  12. DrAstroZoom

    DrAstroZoom Canary in a Coal Mine Luxury Box

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    PMZQ, azfinfanmang and sking29 like this.
  13. Regan21286

    Regan21286 MCAT's, EMT's, AMCAS, ugh

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  14. sking29

    sking29 What it takes to be cool

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  15. calphin

    calphin deadly at 250 yards!!

  16. azfinfanmang

    azfinfanmang Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Anyone want to bet that those drums also had Lead-Based paint on them....just saying.....
     
  17. Miamian

    Miamian Senior Member

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  18. Motion

    Motion New Member

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    I saw an interview with the organizer of the whole thing. They practiced the block part for 4 months, 8+ hours a day.
     
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  19. HardKoreXXX

    HardKoreXXX Insensitive to the Touch

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    Last edited: Aug 13, 2008
  20. Coral Reefer

    Coral Reefer Premium Member

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  21. PMZQ

    PMZQ Banned

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    It was outstanding in many ways, but a story came out today that is very scary & typical of the Chinese government.

    I think a lot of people forget, because of the seeming capitolistic society the Chinese have these days, that the people still in power are the one party state, the Communist Party. In the Miami Herald it was reported this morning that the little girl supposedly singing, was not really singing, or more accurately it was not her voice we were all hearing, but that of another little girl.

    The one lip synching at the Opening Ceremony has the looks the government wanted, and the girl whose voice we heard has the voice but not the looks the communist government wanted. So unbenownst to anyone, they just started using the other girls voice while the little girl in the ceremony was lip synching.

    Don't you find it creepy that a government would do something like that.....it was important that the little girl sounded one way and looked one way, and if they didn't exist in one little girl, then they would use two.

    I mean why be so paranoid about something like that ? The looks of a little girl ? Are they that insecure ?

    Weird.....:pity:
     
  22. PMZQ

    PMZQ Banned

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    Looks like my post was a little late......Doc don't you find it creepy that they are that insecure as to do that with a little girl ? I mean she would be seen as cutsie no matter what....just very strange.
     
  23. Regan21286

    Regan21286 MCAT's, EMT's, AMCAS, ugh

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    There's a lot of things that go into why they did it. There's a lot of emphasis on image in Chinese cultural beliefs as well as hard work. That's pretty much the umbrella over everything they're doing right now. Some of it stems from humiliation from the past in how China's been unable to prevent foreign occupation, etc. Essentially just trying to make face and impress people because they haven't really impressed much on the global scene.
     
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  24. finswin56

    finswin56 Get a mop

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    Someone posted this pic in the Lounge, but I think it speaks to the issue of appearances.

    EDIT: never mind. Can't get the pic to upload
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2008
  25. PMZQ

    PMZQ Banned

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    I guess I can accept some of that as part of it, but you know they are a "grown up" country now, and not be so insecure about their image. People are going to kiss up to them now just because they are so powerful.
     
  26. Regan21286

    Regan21286 MCAT's, EMT's, AMCAS, ugh

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    I think they're still budding. And all the flak they get (deservedly so) for Sudan and Tibet just causes them to shirk back a bit. Shame is probably the worst thing culturally that can happen to a Chinese person. I've felt that experience and it's almost worse than dying.
     
  27. PMZQ

    PMZQ Banned

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    I wonder what would happen if it was proved those little girls on the Chinese gymnastics team are below 16 yrs of age. There was a published report last year that one of the girls was 13, and some newspaper guys printed the webpage and went with a story. Now it seems the webpage is no longer accessible. The shame that would bring I would fear how the government would react to that.
     
  28. DrAstroZoom

    DrAstroZoom Canary in a Coal Mine Luxury Box

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    Aside from the fact that they would have lied to get around the rules, I'm not sure this is a big deal. The age limitation is specific to this sport, and it's not like they're cheating by playing older players in a Little League game, for example.
     
  29. Regan21286

    Regan21286 MCAT's, EMT's, AMCAS, ugh

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    Heads will roll. May or may not be literally. :wink2:

    Honestly, I don't think there's anything we can do for now. But I hope in the future, there are better arrangements in terms of verification or just get rid of the age limit to begin with.
     
  30. PMZQ

    PMZQ Banned

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    I fear what is coming because of the advances in science. Soon they are supposed to have the ability to alter someone genetically in the womb. Can you imagine a government breeding little girls who are genetically perfect for gymnastics, and making them live lives with no family and basically being slaves of the State.

    It creeps me out bro. :pity: This is really serious and might happen in the next 20 years or so. Maybe less. :no:
     
  31. Regan21286

    Regan21286 MCAT's, EMT's, AMCAS, ugh

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    They're essentially slaves of the State anyways and living lives with no family...
     
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  32. PMZQ

    PMZQ Banned

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    Think about this too.....if they can genetically engineer gymnasts they could do the same for an army....genetically altered men who are stronger, faster, and then trained from birth to be nothing but soldiers. No life, no thoughts of their own.....:no:

    I think people forget the Chinese government is still one of the most repressive regimes on Earth, and are still technically a one-party state, with that party being the Communist Party.

    These people will stoop to anything to gain an advantage.
     
  33. PMZQ

    PMZQ Banned

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    That's true.....and think of the future when they start manufacturing humans genetically altered....amazon women, and superior strength men that can and will be used to fight wars, and dominate the Earth.

    It sounds like hogwash now, but cloning was considered a farout idea 30 years ago, and now its done everyday.
     
  34. Regan21286

    Regan21286 MCAT's, EMT's, AMCAS, ugh

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    It's the competitive edge I guess. Heck, I'm even acknowledging the African-American members of my family so I can avoid being tossed into the Asian pile when it comes to applications.
     
  35. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    I'm hoping they start genetically altering beautiful future models to be turned on by rabid Dolphins fans. Of course I have a slightly differing view from mainstream science but I think its doable
     

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