ON AN OLYMPIAN KICK-OFF

THEY'RE OFF!

Unlike two billion of the planet's 6.8 billion people earlier today (WSJ), I did not catch the live opening of the Beijing Olympics.  As the New York Times piece on this gala event informs us:

"An ecstatic China, an ancient nation so determined to be a modern power, finally got its Olympic moment on Friday night.

With world leaders watching from inside the latticed shell of the National Stadium, the 2008 Beijing Olympics began with an opening ceremony of soaring fireworks, lavish spectacle and a celebration of Chinese culture and international good will.

At 8 p.m. on the eighth day of the eighth month in the year 2008 — eight being a lucky number in China — the world looked toward Beijing and the 91,000 people inside the National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest.

The global television audience was estimated to surpass four billion viewers, though in the United States, the opening ceremonies were not carried live. NBC, which has rights to the Games, will broadcast the footage during prime-time Friday evening, when it expects the most viewers."

I have Tivo'ed the NBC broadcast tonight due to a travel schedule, and hope to watch it later this weekend. 

But going through the pictures both on the NY Times site and the Wall Street Journal's, it looks like the Chinese got a spectacular spectacle for their money.  Looking at pictures like the one above with it's Close Encounters echoes, I can't but help look forward to getting one of the many inevitable coffee table books on the opening ceremonies. 

Not to mention the Blu-Ray DVD disc with extra goodies. 

May the games begin.  Here's a handy interactive calendar from the NY Times, or you can follow along using just plain old Google on your mobile.  Way to go, Google.