China's Shock and Awe

I was completely blown away by the opening ceremonies last night. I really don't have anything to say about it other than I will never forget what I saw last night on my TV. I believe it will be remembered in such a way as to become an instant reference point in people's lives. "I remember watching the opening of the Beijing Olympics at..."

The organizers of the London Olympics in 2012 have to be shaking their heads as they attempt to contemplate what their opening ceremonies will be like.

From a strictly technical standpoint the show was awe inspiring. I can't even begin to imagine how many projectors, lights, and LED's they used to pull that show off. It was done on such an unbelievable scale. I am sure just the platform they used on top of the stadium's turf and track was world record breaking. One of my favorite set piece had to be the boxes that rose up and down. We had a debate as to whether their were people in the boxes and in the end when they popped out of the top we all stood up and clapped! The whole evening was full of beauty, power, and inventiveness. It was truly a sight to behold.

My hope is that this Olympics goes amazingly well from an organizational and programmatic point of view. China has worked hard and invested so much and they deserve for it to go well. But I also want the USA to win the medal count. It's going to be tough, but I think we will succeed.