I’m a huge fan of the Olympics for so many reasons- there is really nothing like it in the world.  In its simple, yet powerful idealism lies the belief that we are all connected, and the people of the world have so much more in common than the differences that keep us apart.

Symbolism, or reality?

The five intertwined rings of the Olympics logo symbolize the unity of the five inhabited continents. The Olympics invites the people of the world to gather together to represent their nation and compete peacefully on equal ground, and the colors of the Olympic logo were chosen such that each nation has at least one color in its national flag represented inside it.  And the Olympic motto: Citius Altius Fortius – Faster, Higher, Stronger’ encourages all of humanity to strive for and recognize the best in ourselves.

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
– the Olympic Creed

Another reason I’m inspired by the Olympics is that I believe, maybe naively,  that these ideals remind the wold’s leaders that their nation’s best interests lie in supporting the dreams and aspirations of their citizens. And maybe most importantly, when we watch some of these dreams become real right before our eyes, we start to believe that anything is possible… giving us the inspiration, and the courage, to dream ourselves.

Some great pictures and stories

1. Amazing pictures from the best opening ceremony in Olympic history!
2. Photo slideshow of opening ceremonies through the years
3. Interactive display of how the Olympic torches have changed over time
4. Top 10 new sports tech that will change the Olympics forever
5. Map of the country’s medal counts in previous Olympics
6. List of resources to watch the Olympics online (NBC’s site is probably the best, but here’s another link that looks promising)
7. What will the Olympics do for the future of China?
8. Did invisible hands turn China’s flag upside down?
9. What are the odds of this? Twin babies born 8/8/08 at 8:08; 8 lbs., 8 oz.
   
10. Lastly, here are some of the Opening ceremonies on YouTube… but I highly recommend downloading this torrent to see the whole thing (you’ll need to have a program like Utorrent installed to open this file and download the MKV video.)

Some more staple websites for Olympics fans

• NBC, ESPN, & BBC‘s Olympics website
• Wikipedia‘s entry on the Olympics and its history
• Official websites of the International and US Olympic Committees
• Official 2008 Olympics website with this year’s overall medal standings & results, list of sports, and schedule of events