Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

[tzarinna]

The flame's been lit and the torch is on the move.

131 Days Left to go.

http://www.olympic.org/uk/index_uk.asp
http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/beijing/index_uk.asp
http://en.beijing2008.cn/

Torch Route

March 24 Lighting Ceremony at Olympia
March 24--29 Torch Relay in Greece
March 30 Greece Hand-over Ceremony
March 31 Beijing
April 1 Heading to Almaty
April 2 Almaty
April 3 Istanbul
April 5 St. Petersburg
April 6 London
April 7 Paris
April 9 San Francisco
April 11 Buenos Aires
April 13 Dar es Salaam

Schedule


I'm looking forward to Cycling, Fencing and Gymnastics. I'll probably watch a few other events.

 

[04nbod]

its the best prepared games ever, their stadium was built before the athens games started! However with how the country has been behaving it would be a good sign if no foreigners went

 

[E. Nygma]

USA hoops better win gold, thats all i care about

 

[tzarinna]

Yeah, with all the controversy going on behind this should make it quite interesting. I also heard athletes are concerned about the poor air quality affecting their performance.

I've checked accomodations and found some hostels available, I'm just not willing to shell out over $2K to go. I can make the sacrifice in stay at a hostel to see the summer games.

 

[Kelly]

Boycotting.......won't be shown on my TV.....



Not that that matters to anyone but me......but in my apartment.....I matter.....*wink*

 

[BlackLantern]

all it takes is one student protest to go wrong and suddenly the world is watching China shoot protesters again....I don't understand how China got the Olympics anyway...

 

[Addendum]

The IOC selected them back in 2001.

 

[BlackLantern]

The IOC selected them back in 2001.

******s....

 

[Banshee]

Couple of my friends who I used to swim with in high school are looking to qualify in the 200 back and distance free events. Should be cool to see people I used to beat have a bid at the olympics.

 

[BlackLantern]

Couple of my friends who I used to swim with in high school are looking to qualify in the 200 back and distance free events. Should be cool to see people I used to beat have a bid at the olympics.

well you're here on the Hype and they have a shot at the Olympics....seems about fair....

 

[Spidey-Bat]

I wish the US would boycott it. Not only do I believe Tibet should be an independent nation but I don't want to go a month without Conan.

 

[Kelly]

*sighs*....yeah, US boycotting would be great....BUT one thing I also understand is that, since we have opened up a solid trade network with them....they have come a long way in the human rights area.......they have a long way to go...............but they have made grand steps.....I would hate for our boycotting the Olympics there to hurt that relationship.

I actually wish that the Olympic Committee had been smarter in their choice of city.

 

[Ahura Mazda]

We are a long way from a boycott.

 

[BlackLantern]

so twice now the Olympic Torch has had to be snuffed and the torchbearer escorted out of an area by security due to mass protests....this is not a good start to things.

 

[rdh007]

The pollution thing should be fun to watch.

"It looks like the Americans won, Bob; but I just can't see for sure since we're 100 yards away."

 

[ray243]

I wish the US would boycott it. Not only do I believe Tibet should be an independent nation but I don't want to go a month without Conan.

Great, so you are perfectly fine if the CSA formally break away from the USA then?

Do you know what kind of ****hole Tibet is? Having slavery in the 20th century until the communist take away their precious system.

And bear in mind that the MAJORITY of the people living in tibet does not want indepedence?

And in regards to pollution? China will be turning off their factory for the olympics...

 

[Matt]

so twice now the Olympic Torch has had to be snuffed and the torchbearer escorted out of an area by security due to mass protests....this is not a good start to things.

I think it is a shame. The Olympics should be about putting aside our differences and coming together. No protests, no fights, just for once, every 4 years, the world is unified.

 

[Shifty]

*sighs*....yeah, US boycotting would be great....BUT one thing I also understand is that, since we have opened up a solid trade network with them....they have come a long way in the human rights area.......they have a long way to go...............but they have made grand steps.....I would hate for our boycotting the Olympics there to hurt that relationship.

I actually wish that the Olympic Committee had been smarter in their choice of city.

As do I.

2008 Host City Election — ballot results
City Country (NOC) Round 1 Round 2

Beijing China 44 56
Toronto Canada 20 22
Paris France 15 18
Istanbul Turkey 17 9
Osaka Japan 6 —

 

[Alex The Great]

And the Torch was ALMOST burnt out. oy...china....really?

 

[BlackLantern]

I think it is a shame. The Olympics should be about putting aside our differences and coming together. No protests, no fights, just for once, every 4 years, the world is unified.

Matt...do me a favor...I want you to stop, take a deep breath and pull your head out of your ***....the world we live in thrives on conflict, to think we would put our own nature aside for the sake of "unity" is a bit naive...

 

[ray243]

Matt...do me a favor...I want you to stop, take a deep breath and pull your head out of your ***....the world we live in thrives on conflict, to think we would put our own nature aside for the sake of "unity" is a bit naive...

Hmm...somehow I doubt that previous olympic games have THAT much politcial influence...

 

[Odin's Lapdog]

these games are going to be overshadowed by the actual politics behind them.

it's a shame for all the people competing. Those are the ones who suffer the most....

from that as well as the polution...

 

[ray243]

these games are going to be overshadowed by the actual politics behind them.

it's a shame for all the people competing. Those are the ones who suffer the most....

from that as well as the polution...

In regards to pollution, I think u should check out this rather recent article.

US isn't much better than china in terms of pollution.

Just where is all that global warming pollution coming from?
The Northeast pumps out an awful lot of carbon dioxide, but the Southeast, Midwest and Southern California are also responsible for voluminous pollution that billows out each day.
The precise sources of carbon dioxide have now been mapped, with 100 times more detail than was previously available, by Vulcan project researchers at Purdue University.
The high-resolution, interactive maps combine emissions data from power plants, factories and vehicles, and produces maps and movies that compare the relative contribution of pollution from various parts of the country on an hourly basis. One of the most striking things one sees when watching the animations is the day-night "breathing" cycle of our pollution, with a long exhale of pollution all day, followed by a sharp decline each night. Seasonal spikes – such as those when hot days prompt millions of Americans to turn up their air conditioners – are also evident.
The maps also highlight an important political reality: While states in the Northeast, upper Midwest and West have agreed to state-level compacts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the nation's pollution won't be significantly cut until the South joins in. Depending on the estimate, the U.S. is the world's biggest, or second-biggest (next to China) producer of greenhouse gas emissions; it produces 25% of the world's carbon dioxide pollution, the key ingredient in atmospheric change fueling global warming.
"Before now the only thing policy-makers could do was take a big blunt tool and bang the U.S. economy with it," said Kevin Gurney, an assistant professor of earth and atmospheric science at Purdue University and leader of the project. "Now we have more quantifiable information about what is happening in neighborhoods, on roads and in industrial areas, and track the CO2 by the hour. This offers policy-makers something akin to a scalpel instead."

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/carbon-sources-47040802?kw=ist



When US pollution level is comparable to china, yet the US is supposed to be a developed country as compared to a developing country...

I don't think pollution should be a issue for americans in regards to the pollution in china.

Take a look at the backyard first.

 

[The Riddler]

I wish the US would boycott it. Not only do I believe Tibet should be an independent nation but I don't want to go a month without Conan.

how do you justify tibet being an independent nation?

 

[BlackLantern]

The torch relay is scheduled to start its us leg in San Francisco tomorrow....the public reaction may dictate the Olympic commission deciding to suspend the rest of the torch relay...