Just some observations on the 2008 Olympics:

1. The opening ceremony was incredible. Missed the beginning part but tuned in during the parade of nations. For those who were not aware, the opening day 8-08-08 is a lucky number. Who would have thought that 30 years, or even 20 years ago, that China would be mentioned in the same sentence along with the United States as a world “superpower”. Not an understatement from one of the NBC host who said, “This is the biggest event in modern Chinese history.”

2. Li Ning, the final torch bearer,  running in the air around the stadium walls (his shoes didn’t really touch the walls, but the effect was to simulate) while suspended on wires was amazing.

3. If you have a plasma or LCD TV capable of High Definition television, definitely get the HD service from your provider if you can afford the extra $10 a month. Watching the Olympics in HD makes the experience so much better. A cheaper solution? Get a digital antenna to receive over-the-air HD programming for free. Major stations like NBC/ABC/CBS has been broadcasting over-the-air HD for a while now.

4. DVR is great. The Chinatown Blogger understands all these expenses add up, but if you can afford the extra money for the DVR service, the Olympic events can be recorded at 2:30am and watched the next day. (The Chinatown Blogger uses Verizon FIOS with HD/DVR service and running on a 46″ 1080p LCD. The surround sound system is curently disabled due to a neighbor complaining of excessive noise during the Celtics playoff run.)

5. Hidden humor in the interview between NBC’s Bob Costas and George Bush. If you look in the background, there is a portrait of Mao Zedong overlooking the plaza. At certain angles, American audiences saw Costas, Bush and Mao.

6. Jonathan Horton was clutch. Too bad U.S. team couldn’t hold onto lead for silver, especially when his teammates were pulling in 12 and 13 points and the team needed an average of 15 to win silver.

That’s it. Enjoy the Olympics and the few weeks left in the summer!