I'd forgotten how much fun beach volleyball can be!

I also had to work all evening and missed the really outstanding parts of the ceremony. I hope it is available on the internets somewhere, it sounds really cool.

You gotta give 'em credit...the Chinese put on one heck of a show. That was pretty spectacular. I'm still torn as to whether it's the BEST I've ever seen, but it obviously was the most expensive. I loved the LCD on the floor. My heart goes out to those women cheerleaders who had to stand there in that heat for over two hours. Bless 'em. I also loved the footprint "mural" all the athletes made. That was cool.

The torch lighting was phenomenal; I say it's the second best I've ever seen. Barcelona's archer still gets the top spot there.

Lastly, if I never hear bagpipes again, it'll be too soon.

Me too! There's one they have for Panasonic, that has footage of Olympic athletes as kids and I sob every time it comes on. Its brillant.

Between the little boy and the fireworks, I'm sold. Best opening ceremony ever. And I don't even like little boys and I'm not a huge fan of fireworks either.

Bob Costas still sucks, but seeing Jim McKay's name at the end pretty much won me over despite all the inanity I just sat through. A very classy gesture.

Wow, that opening ceremony was INCREDIBLE. I loved so much about it: the synchronized drumming, the rocks that rippled, the Dance Drawing, the mural created by the feet of the athletes, the flying and walking on air before the lighting of the flame. And the fireworks were spectacular. What a great start to the Olympics!

Lin Hao was an adorable kid, and had a really amazing story. I am a little bit in love with Yao Ming right now, and I never realized how freaking tall he is.

There were some really awesome outfits and great hats in the parade of nations, but I can't remember for which countries.

I was a little bit annoyed that NBC kept cutting back to the U.S. team even after they had walked around the stadium and to the middle with all of the other athletes. I didn't need to see multiple shots of Kobe Bryant, thanks. It also would have been nice if the cameras had shown the athletes that the commentators were talking about, so viewers could have an idea what the lesser-known ones looked like.

Pieter van den Hoogenband is competing in the 100m! YAY!!!

That opening ceremony was something... and now onto the games, the only bummer is that it's during most of the morning hours when I am at work. The men's gymnastics , poor chaps pressure is getting to them.

I know! I'm so pleased to have an excuse to sing his name again:

(to the tune of "Camptown Races")

Pieter van den Hoogenband, doo dah, doo dah
Pieter van den Hoogenband, ohh, doo dah day
He will swim all night,
he will swim all day
Pieter van den Hoogenband, ohh doo dah daaaaaay!

*dorks*

You should be able to watch it on line via NBC. (it will want you to put in a zip code -not all zip codes work.) If you search on line you can probably find a number of foreign news sites that offer it. In addition to live feeds. NBC Olympic page offers the opening ceremony video.

The opening ceremony was truly amazing. The Chinese really wanted to show what they can do and I think they did it. It wasn't like they were going to go weak-sauce on this. My husband said, "oh man... London won't be able to top this. I bet they will have a few morris dancers." hah

Watching my tivo of the opening ceremonies and Misty May just lost me forever.

Glad NBC confronted the issues up front. Like the good old days when the Olympics was the gladitorial arena for the Cold War.

I love the Opening Ceremonies. It's one of the best things to watch in the Olympics other than the events.

Beijing clearly pulled out all the stops with their opening ceremony, better than Athens and, hell, even Sydney.

Am I the only one who is shallow enough to notice what every country's athletes were wearing during the Parade of Nations? Because I couldn't help but to notice how sharp the US were in their Ralph Lauren-styled suits and newsboy caps.

No, I definitely watch the parade of nations for the outfits...but I thought the US outfits were boring...I much prefer all the South Pacific Islanders with their outfits...Guam was my favorite!

Agreed on the Pacific Isladers. I think the Marshall Islands were my favorite. The US just raided Thurston Howell III's wardrobe.

I really liked the US outfits. I feel so bad for the poor women from Hungary though. What the hell was that?

*sporfle* I'm going to have to watch swimming just so I can sing the Pieter van den Hoogenband song.

I was bitching about missing most of the opening ceremony and realized just in time that NBC was rebroadcasting it at midnight, so I got to see the whole thing--man, that was cool. It totally looked like a Zhang Yimou production along the lines of Hero and House of Flying Daggers--that man sure knows how to marshall an army of extras and outfit some gorgeous courtesans.

A tribute to skin conditions? The blotches had even spread to the brims of their hats. Do the Fug Girls do an Olympic edition?

I didn't like the USA's white golf caps. Seeing a crowd of people all wearing them just accentuated the dorkiness.