Courtesy of Macedonian State Television we can watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony live here through this video box on Machine Nation. It starts at 13:00 our time.

Watch live video from Macedonian TV Channels on Justin.tv

That gives us 25 minutes to make sangwiches and tea.

Commentary in German? Doesn't bother me but does anybody else find it annoying?

The stadium has just exploded

Fairly spectacular so far.

Indeed, I want to take up tai chi now.

Slim Buddha wrote:

Commentary in German? Doesn't bother me but does anybody else find it annoying?

Was the best I could do - RTE don't let you embed.

I have to say I thought the opening pageant was absolutely fantastic and the Chinese people should be very proud of themselves for putting it on. I think during a ceremony like this you must give the people the limelight and refrain from criticism of many other areas of their country.

I was watching Jon Sopel on BBC News 24 reporting from just outside the stadium and when he got them to swing the camera around to show the military police line that had just moved in, the picture just vanished.
"We seem to have lost...eh..... Jon... there"

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

I was watching Jon Sopel on BBC News 24 reporting from just outside the stadium and when he got them to swing the camera around to show the military police line that had just moved in, the picture just vanished.
"We seem to have lost...eh..... Jon... there"

The military police in China are absolutely fucking terrifying - and I can say this from (not personal but observational) experience.

I didn't watch the ceremony. I'm mortified that Brian Cowen got 9,000 postcards from Amnesty calling on him to make a public statement calling on China to end the death penalty, end 're-education through labour', lift the internet ban and release those in prison for using the Internet, allow independent observers into Tibet and allow peaceful human rights action in the country and still he couldn't bring himself to the level of George Bush.

Kate P wrote:

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

I was watching Jon Sopel on BBC News 24 reporting from just outside the stadium and when he got them to swing the camera around to show the military police line that had just moved in, the picture just vanished.
"We seem to have lost...eh..... Jon... there"

The military police in China are absolutely fucking terrifying - and I can say this from (not personal but observational) experience.

I didn't watch the ceremony. I'm mortified that Brian Cowen got 9,000 postcards from Amnesty calling on him to make a public statement calling on China to end the death penalty, end 're-education through labour', lift the internet ban and release those in prison for using the Internet, allow independent observers into Tibet and allow peaceful human rights action in the country and still he couldn't bring himself to the level of George Bush.

I imagine they wouldn't take too much lip.

Go raibh maith agat as ucht d'fháiltiú ar ais Kate P.

Damn I missed it

I'd say they are pretty scary. Then again I find that the police in alot of countries can be fairly scary.

We have 51 athletes and the BBC wish us all the best.

johnfás wrote:

I'd say they are pretty scary. Then again I find that the police in alot of countries can be fairly scary.

I found the Chinese police very "purposeful" when I was in China 2 months ago. I got them impression that they could cut up pretty rough if they were pissed off at you for some reason. So I didn't do anything to piss them off.

That was a wise move, Slim Buddha.

I got the impression that it would be spectacularly easy to piss them off... certainly from watching the way they treated other people.

Was it worth $100,000,000 for the opening ceremony?

Or $40.000,000,000 on the games themselves? Source:BBc News

Now there is a boy running around the top of the stadium on a wire with the torch.

I wonder what America thinks of this show. Outdisneyed by China

There's no business like show business

Could the Chinese censor Sue barker and Colin Jackson? please

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

I wonder what America thinks of this show. Outdisneyed by China

Yeah, they really put on a spectacular, well-choreographed and dramatic show. London 2012 has some act to follow.

I thought it was SEPCTACULAR!

cookiemonster wrote:

I thought it was SEPCTACULAR!

Is that typo intentional, cookie?

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

I thought it was SEPCTACULAR!

Is that typo intentional, cookie?

No, I may have been drinking. Mmmmm, wine.

Beautiful ceremony, but nationalist and not universal at all.