IN MY OPINION FUNNY
THE VLOG
Review my videoblog at Mefeedia My Favorite Video Blogs Rocketboom New on My
(with the hope that everyone in my family will think about making a similar list before their birthdays and/or Christmas roll around!) |
AND SO IT BEGINS... 12 February 2006 Walt was watching the MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour during the start of the Olympics opening ceremonies, so I sat here at my computer and typed my thoughts as I watched the festivities on my little office TV. I didn't think too much of the red opening of the events (somehow it seemed less rehearsed than previous Olympics, but I suspect that was just because of the camera close-ups), but when they switched to the Alps scene, with all those "riccola" guys playing the Alpine horns it was great.
I don't know who all the older women in native
garb were, but they looked like they were having the time of their lives.
As for the little girl who sang...boy, if ever
there was a "stage mother bursting with pride" moment that was it. Billions of
people world wide looking at your little darling standing in a spotlight, singing the
national anthem in that huge stadium. Even I got goosebumps. And she did a nice job. Now the march of nations. Always such a fun
moment. All those guys, so hopeful, so happy, so proud! All led by women wearing
mountains on their lower bodies. Weird. How come these athletes are not only in
great physical shape but they are all so good-looking too? Aren't there any ugly athletes? I wonder how many vlogs of Olympic opening ceremonies are going to be posted tomorrow... * Mongolia wins the prize for most memorable
hats!
Very strange assortment of music for these athletes to march into. Slovakia is marching in to Y.M.C.A.! * And there is Laura Bush looking very proudly
maternal as the US Team marches in. I wonder if there is some significance to the
fact that the US is marching in to "Freedom." And, of course, there is a
US athlete talking on her cell phone. It had to happen. OK--back to the show. Choreographed flag waving. Very colorful. I like the choreographed dance with the Olympic flags to O Solo Mio (among other things!) Oh and now we have Venus on the half shell. They say it's freezing in the stadium. This gal's goosebumps must have goosebumps. But it's a lovely visual. The big balloons are fun--they look like giant puffer fish. I guess they are representing the sun and the moon. Oh my--the ballet is very interesting, with Roberto Bolle in this strange get-up and orange mowhawk...
...and what looks like a bunch of "Mother Marshmallows" (from The Nutcracker) running around behind him.
This is followed by a fire red Ferrari racing onto the stage and doing a bunch of tight circles while fireworks exploded. Now THAT was spectacular.
Oh cool--look at all those beautiful women carrying in the flag--Sophia Loren, Susan Sarandon, Isabel Allende... I can never hear the Grand March from Aida without singing the old Golden Grain Commercial: "...we will live happily, eating our Golden Grain; simply boil and drain, who can complain?"
Were those arial guys supposed to look like flocks of spiders spinning webs? Oh cool...they've formed themselves into a big dove. Wow. I didn't expect that.
Yoko Ono is reading about Peace. I have turned the closed captioning on the TV in this room, because I'm getting the sound from the TV from the next room and the captioner spelled it "piece." The lighting of the Olympic torch didn't have quite the same emotional impact as it has had in years past, but is always dramatic anyway. The evening was capped off by (what else?) Luciano Pavarotti lip-synching his signature Nessun Dorma...
Vincero! Let the games begin! |
|
PHOTO OF THE DAY
|
||
|
||
|
Journal home | bio | cast | archive | links | awards | Flickr | Bev's Home Page
|
2/12/06
The fire guys racing around on
rollerblades are really cool (perhaps a contradiction). Seeing that tail of fire trailing
out behind their helmets was really neat. Loved the cut-away to Shaun White, the
snowboarder with the red hair ("The Flying Tomato") in the audience, whose mouth
hung open watching it all. One thing about the Olympics that I love is the sheer joy of
all the athletes--especially the athletes who probably have no chance of winning, but are
just thrilled to BE here, and whose goal is, perhaps, to achieve a personal best, even if
it falls far short of the top three.
