Thoughts on the Olympic Opening Ceremony

Observations, bullet-style:

• The sheer number of people involved powering all of the spectacles in the "history of China" is awe-inspiring. Who needs fancy technology when you can train people to supply your power?
• It's kind of neat to be reminded of the scope of China's ancient history and all the contributions to the world in the areas of culture, technology, etc.
  
• There are a lot of countries that I don't even recognize in the parade...
• "Chinese Taipei"?
• Yao walking in with the little boy who not only survived the Szechuan earthquake but saved the lives of a few of his classmates... that's a heartwarming story. If an athlete can be a significant public figure to drive change or be a symbol in a nation (like Muhammad Ali in the US), I think Yao is a good candidate for China.
• These fireworks probably aren't going to help the air quality...
• That was a pretty inventive torch lighting. Although, the whole way I was thinking for the guy, "Don't drop the torch... don't drop the torch..."