Let the Olympic Games Begin !!!!

[isawlogs]

 I am watching for the second time the opening ceromonies of the Olympic games in Pekin China ... man those are the most enjoyable that I have seen yet . A whole different culture with so much history behind it .
Amazing all the choreography that is involved just mind boggling...     8) 8) 8) 8)

[Toolman]

China reported yesterday that their air quality index was 96. The World Health Organization standards are below 50 as acceptable standards. Then 3 independent firms came up consistantly with over 300!! Those tests were conducted the same day as Chinese governments tests.  ??? ??? Let the..couph..couph.. games..couph..couph begin!!! :D :D :D

Go USA!!!

[Tom]

I wonder what those numbers represent?

[isawlogs]

I have no idea Tom , all's I know is that the athetes are there and ready to compete against one another .   Being one of the participants there is in my book a winner !!! 

[Cedarman]

I am one of those few people that couldn't care less about the olympics.  The events I would want to watch, shooting, track and field are not shown.  Plus I want to see the events, don't care much about those participating.  Thumb your noses at me if you like. :D :D  For those of you who love to watch, feast away and have a good time.  Luckily I'll be in Florida checking out some wet caves for the next week.

[Tom]

Please be careful, Cedarman.  I've lost friends in those caves who got turned around or broke a string.

[Cedarman]

So far I have made it out of everyone I have went into.  Hope to see you in a few days.

[Dave Shepard]

They really need a sawmilling event at the Olympic Games. Maybe the 50 meter slab relay.


Dave

[WDH]

I am the alter-Cedarman.  I love the Olympics and the competition.  I try to overlook the politics.

[asy]

Watched the swimming today, a young American boy won his event and they chopped the beginning and end off the Star Spangled Banner. George Bush was in the stand watching and just kept waving his flags. The winner stood on the daias laughing.

I had visions of a whole bank of pentagon workers running around madly getting all the footage from the Atlanta games to make sure the Chinese national anthem was never curtailed to ensure it WAS just an accident, not a 'payback'.  :D

It's OK, though. I was singing along, and I finished it for ya's. 

asy :D

PS: AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE--- OI -OI-  OI!!! 

[Tom]

I got to watch the USA Oarers and the Australian Oarers, oaring this afternoon. 

[asy]

Was that the four-boy-oarers?

Our ozzieboys did really well! I just saw a bit on the news. They broke the world record. I hope they can repeat the feat in the finals!

Steph and I love it when the Aussies win, and when the USA wins (but only if they weren't competing with the aussies ;) ) We sing both anthems. One for us and one for the FF guys!  Even she looked stunned yesterday and said "Hey, they forgot the "Oh say can you see" bit!!! 

She's gettin' ready for her visit, methinks... 

asy :D

[Dave Shepard]

I like the anthem sung best with the least amount of warbling. I heard it sung so badly one time I thought either she was lip-syncing to a skipping record or she had a five pound pigeon stuck in her throat. :

I don't get to watch the Olympics, no TV here.


Dave

[Tom]

I saw the womens shells with 2 oarers and the men's shells with 2 oarers and the mens shells with 4 oarers.  Australia was really hauling it.   Turns out the race was left for third and fourth place.
It was a real photo finish!!!

[DanG]

I ain't all that familiar with oaring.  I take it the first one to the oar-house is the winner? ;D

[Tom]

You should have seen it, Dan.  It was exciting.  And, in the background, on the sidewalk there were a bunch of guys on bicycles peddling it.

[DanG]

Peddling what? ???

[Tom]

Why......  peddlin' there cycles you nut.  Just what are you thinkin'? :D

I know that the rowing and cycles racing are fun, but my heart is still into Track and field when it comes to the olympics.  Well, that, boxing and wrestling.

I like to watch javelin, shotput, long jumps, foot races, pole vaulting and even marathons.  I can hardly wait.  8)

[DanG]

Well I didn't know. :   They coulda been peddlin' nuts.  How much are cycles bringing over there these days, if a feller was to peddle them on the sidewalk?

[Tom]

I was watching them peddlin' it down the sidewalk and it was all they could do to stay up with the oarers. :P

[DanG]

I saw some stuff on teevee today too.  There was these people rowing these skinny little boats, and it looked like they was racing one another!  All I could figger was that there was a really good bream bed on the other side of that pond and they was trying to get there first.  They was in such a hurry, they was still in their underwear!

[Radar67]

DanG, I think somebody pulled the plug on them things just as they pushed them off the pier. They was haulin tail to keep from sinking (did you see how low they was to the water?) and being how someone strapped their feet in, they couldn't get to the hole. And them boys a peddling was counting on one of em sinking so they could dive in and save em on international TV.

[Dodgy Loner]

Did anybody see the men's 4 x 100 freestyle relay??? That was by far, the most excting Olympic event I've ever witnessed.  By the end I was jumping up and down and pumping my fists like a madman.  If you haven't watched it, you most definitely need to YouTube it!

[Jeff]

Did anybody see the men's 4 x 100 freestyle relay??? That was by far, the most excting Olympic event I've ever witnessed.  By the end I was jumping up and down and pumping my fists like a madman.  If you haven't watched it, you most definitely need to YouTube it!

I saw it and was excited too.

I love the Olympics. The love of watching the games is one of the few things my Dad and I had in common and growing up, they were always an event in our house. My memories began at 11 years old with the 72 Munich Olympics and the terrors that caused the deaths of the Israeli Athletes. I also remember Mark Spitz and how he made watching Olympic swimming one of my favorite events.

The Summer of 1976 I was working on restoring an old Thompson runabout wood boat and was only 15. My plan was to have the Bicentennial emblem emblazoned on the front deck. That never came to pass, but I remember scrapping the old finish on the hull while watching a portable black and white T.V. Boxing was another thing that Dad and I enjoyed and that was the summer of Sugar Ray Leonard and getting hooked on watching Gymnastics spurred by the perfection of Nadia Comaneci.

In 1980 Tammy and I were married on August 1st so the loss of watching the Olympics due to the US Boycott was greatly lessened.

In 1984 I started at Billsby Lumber and watch Mary Lou Retton and her smile become a part of my indelible memories.

In 1988 Greg Louganis was the star of the Seoul games and 1992, who can forget the Olympic flame being ignited by the flaming arrow?

In 1996 Kerri Strug stole all of our hearts with the one foot landing off the vault. That has to be the most dramatic event of my memories and one that still can well tears when I see it. The thing I remember most though is that it was the first Olympics I was unable to share with my Dad.

In 2000 I don't have any memories of the Olympics. That was the summer I was on the Tree of Hope committee and maybe my time was consumed by that. Maybe its was something else. I've thought and thought but cannot remember any events noteworthy of that time.

In 2004 we were introduced to Michael Phelps.

This past Friday evening I was up at the cabin by myself. Not feeling good, I turned the T.V. on instead of going out and working til dark like I usually do. I watched the opening ceremonies and was mesmerized and at the same time, almost frightened. It was a display that I don't see ever being matched by another opening ceremony. This Olympics is shaping up to be one that will be one of the more memorable for me.

[Tom]

2000 didn't hold much memorable for the USA.  It was the Olympics where Gold was taken back for the use of forbidden substances.  Pretty much an embarrassment, I'd say.  It only takes one bad apple to spoil a barrel and this was an example.  It's unfortunate for the other hard-working American athletes who attended and gave their all.