Olympic Torch Song

Photoshop Phriday this week had as its theme "One Letter Off" 2, posters for movies where one letter in the title has been changed. The epic story of the Spartan War, MOO, was a bit disturbing, but this summer's hit MANCOCK has possibilities. Joe Bob says "check it out."

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I've seen only the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympiad, but I already have my first Olympic hero: Lin Hao who walked beside Yao Ming and the Chinese flag.

The 9-year-old was buried in the wreckage during the earthquake in Sichuan province that killed 20 of his 30 classmates, but he dug himself free before going back to dig two other students out. When asked why he did it, he claimed that he was one of the class leaders so it was his responsibility.

I don't know what to make of the Chinese people in general, but this is one brave, dutiful boy.

I enjoyed watching all the teams parade by, but I was a bit creeped out by the show that preceded it. The rolling scroll/video screen was impressive, as was the sheer scale of the show, but I kept thinking how grotesque it was to spend so much money on this in a nation where so many people live in relative squalor.

No wonder there's so much poverty, though, in a nation where the people get hungry an hour after they eat.

It was bittersweet for me to watch the Austrian team walk by though. My mother was not a big fan of any sport, but she watched the Olympics faithfully every two years to see her native Austria compete. And she'd always cry a bit when they marched by during the opening ceremony, and it struck me that this is the first Olympiad since her death.

So I teared up a bit on her behalf.