Comments on the opening ceremony...

[HalloweenJack]

and how many `muslim` countries had female flag carriers AND not wearing headscarves!

notice how the BBC went really really quiet when syria came on

lots of comments from americans going on and on about `it was them who invented the internet` - well yes , but sir tim invented HTTP and thus teh web as we know it , apparantly that small difference is lost on them.....

and sadly yes they couldnt keep the cauldron in the middle - the odd field sprt might want to use the space

[HalloweenJack]

How does a girl who's lost her phone find it by using a phone

app called `wheres my droid` or `find my iphone`

[stevie lee]

the only disapointment for me was when the queen arrived. the least she could have done was wear a backpack with a chute stuck out the back, then casually unhook it just as entering, then go and sit down with a 'what, i do this all the time' look on her face.

that would've been super magical.

other than that.

[pp05]

I thought it was a good show we put on.

It doesn't always have to be 1billion euros on fireworks to be considered good.

[Barry]

[j.o.s.h.1408]

It was watchable.....thats all.

If they wanted a true Britain, they shouldve just give 500 teenagers balaclava's and let them tag things then burn them.
(or got 1000 single teenage mums to dance around their Aldis shopping bags)

Theirs always one..

[TAKTAK]

I'm the odd one out then as it didn't stir much in me at all, beyond the ladies and gents from the armed forces raising the flag it all felt too much of a mish mash of old England and "look at us we're hip and trendy". Admittedly I missed the beginning, which I'm reliably informed featured most of the things I've said I'd have found more appropriate than Dizee Rascal and texting references.. Maybe I'm being a grouch but most of it felt a bit off tone to me.

How does a girl who's lost her phone find it by using a phone and what does that have to do with being British? Why couldn't we find room for a proper Mini in the budget rather than a BMW? Why make a big deal of the punk era but not muster the testicular fortitude to play "God save the queen"? I hate that track but if you're going to use the Sex Pistols music for an opening ceremony in London (which is kinda like a Pizza Hut displaying an F from the health inspector as good advertising) at least grow a pair... And having a celebration of the NHS on the world stage while the current government is cutting the service to the bone? That just felt wrong.

Maybe I'm odd but my national pride wasn't stirred a great deal like it obviously was for others. I'd be more proud of a country that spends more feeding and housing its troops than it does the Royals, that can look after its economy or one that hadn't erected surface to air missile stations in public places under the pretence of what (and I'm sorry if anyone's offended by this) to me looked like a school play on LSD for the most part.

IIRC they did play God Save the Queen, but in an earlier part when following the Thames from source and flying through London Bridge
A little disappointed that there wasn't a tip of the hat to the metal scene that Britain certainly helped form.

Other than that, it was brilliant in my book, I found the whole texting thing a bit annoying and unnesecary, plus the use of a new mini rather than a classic...
And I was expecting to see Michael Caine somewhere

But the Queen was truly inspired, Bond strolling along with lolloping corgis bounding after him and rolling around.
That whole "Nah, she's not... She wouldn't... That would be silly... Wait would she? Noooo... SHE DID !!" moment was brilliant, and then followed up with the whole helicopter scene, just inspired
Then the Chariots of fire with Rowen was always going to be a laugh.
Add to that the brilliant history lesson transforming the set from green pastures into an industrial machine through the usage of hard workers. Musical score featuring the likes of Bowie and the Eurythmics to celebrate GB music.
Plus GOSH and NHS tributes. With everything followed up rather suddenly by bringing everyone right down off their high by the remembrance of the 7/7 bombing victims.
And then back up again wondering what was going to happen with the torch. (I was convinced that they were going to set the tree on fire )

I didn't give a damn about the Olympics... I really couldn't care less...

However, Danny Boyle instilled everything that was good about the country, providing a sense of national pride, at the perfect time of when I'm leaving the country for nearly a month.
I wonder just how much foreign viewers would understand though... Or if it just all seemed like one big in-joke?...

[HalloweenJack]

4chan full of ` but WE invented the internet` emo`ness...... and yes you did but it was sir tim who invented the web as we all use it which runs ontop of the internet......

[directhex]

Some people were complaining that the XXX Olympiad lacks any XXX.

They were not paying attention.

[peterb]

How does a girl who's lost her phone find it by using a phone and what does that have to do with being British?

Because much of the research into cellular_phone technology was done in the UK in the early 1980s, and most of the software for SMS was developed by Logica, a British company.

Why couldn't we find room for a proper Mini in the budget rather than a BMW?

The original Mini that inspired its successor was designed in Britain. The current Mini is built in Britain, at Cowley, where the original Mini was built, and BMW have a large engine plant that supplies engines for both the mini and the series 1, again in Britain.

[rob4001]

The NHS is a fantastic organisation but also over bureaucratic and needs sorting out you could treble the NHS budget and it would be gobbled up with very little going to improve patient care. It should be streamlined but how you do that I'm not sure but overpaid NHS manages would be a start!

[HalloweenJack]

too many chief`s and not enough indians.....

[colincliff]

If they wanted a true Britain, they shouldve just give 500 teenagers balaclava's and let them tag things then burn them.

Hang on - wasnt teenagers setting fire to things the centre piece of the whole event??

[Demonwar]

Also, I don't recall other opening ceremonies having cut away to pre-recorded bits as much as ours has, I did think it was well done for the entrance of the Queen but aside from that I felt like it was over done. Has anyone else noticed this or am I just imagining it?

Bet we didn't digitally enhance/impose the fireworks like the Chinese did, I think it was done well and there was massive screens for the stadium to see it all as well.

[Knoxville]

Because much of the research into cellular_phone technology was done in the UK in the early 1980s, and most of the software for SMS was developed by Logica, a British company.

Fair enough, I learn something new every day round here, it's why I come back

But, that said, did we do it to pay tribute or did we do it to look cool? Because there were plenty of Facebook style overlays thrown in during the same section as the text messaging and I'm pretty sure Mr Zuckerberg's got very little to do with the UK.

The original Mini that inspired its successor was designed in Britain. The current Mini is built in Britain, at Cowley, where the original Mini was built, and BMW have a large engine plant that supplies engines for both the mini and the series 1, again in Britain.

Honda, Nissan and Toyota all make cars and engines over here, it doesn't make them any more British. The Mini is without doubt one of the most iconic cars of all time, a true design classic, but not that one. It's almost the antithesis of it's namesake in terms of design, longer than a VW bus and damn near the same wheelbase as a classic Range Rover. It felt like a bit of free advertising for an Olympic partner rather than the right choice and while the decision can be justified it doesn't make it right either in my opinion.

[Blitzen]

Theirs always one..

That cannot spell, and it's normally you.
If you are going to have a dig, at least make sure it's delivered better than a 5 year old could do.