BEIJING 2008 -- ON 08-08-2008 AND MICHAEL PHELPS WINS 8 GOLD MEDALS TO BECOME AN OLYMPIC LEGEND

BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AUSPICIOUS NUMBER 8

THE NUMBER "8" IN CANTONESE MEANS "PROSPERITY" OR "TO PROSPER". AND WHAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER IT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE FOR GIFTED AMERICAN SWIMMER MICHAEL PHELPS WHO WON 8 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS TO BECOME THE GREATEST OLYMPIAN EVER!

JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THE CHINESE WERE RIGHT IN CHOOSING SUCH AN AUSPICIOUS DATE FOR OPENING THE BEIJING 2008 GAMES AND HAVING IT BE ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OLYMPIC GAMES EVER!

THE WORLD AUDIENCE IS MORE MEDIA AND INTERNET SAVVY THAN EVER BEFORE AND THE AWARENESS OF THE OLYMPICS GAMES IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH. THE WORLD IS TRULY MORE GLOBALIZED THAN ANYONE THOUGHT IT EVER WAS!

BEIJING HAZE -- PERHAPS CHINA SHOULD REALIZE INDONESIA MIGHT BE EXACERBATING THE PROBLEM...

ONE THING I HAVE TO ADMIT IS THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS PUT IN AN IMPRESSIVE AND ADMIRABLE EFFORT TO MINIMIZE THE POLLUTION THAT HAS AFFECTED BEIJING FOR SO LONG SO THAT THE AIR WILL BE BETTER DURING THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS GAMES.

CHINA DESERVES PRAISE FOR ITS GREAT AND MIGHTY EFFORTS.

BUT PERHAPS, JUST PERHAPS, IT SHOULD HAVE GIVEN SOUTH EAST ASIA A KEENER GLANCE AS ONE OF THE FACTORS AND CULPRITS AGGRAVATING CHINA'S HAZE PROBLEM. THE CALLOUS BURNING OF FORESTS IN INDONESIA, ESPECIALLY, MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE BEIJING HAZE TO LINGER LONGER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE. IN FACT IT IS STILL LINGERING IN BEIJING AND CHINA SHOULD PUT ITS FOOT DOWN HARD AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT ENVIRONMENTALLY DEGRADING ACTS BY OTHER INSIGNIFICANT COUNTRIES THAT AFFECT BEIJING'S AIR QUALITY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

JAMAICAN THUNDER-BOLT!!!!!!!

A GOD AMONGST MEN

ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT IF LIL RICHARD HAD BEEN WATCHING THE 100 METERS ATHLETICS OF THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES, HE WOULD HAVE JUMPED OUT OF HIS CHAIR AND SCREAMED "GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY!" AT THE SUPERHUMAN FEAT OF USAIN BOLT OF JAMAICA WHO SPED TO THE FINISH LINE IN FANTASTIC TIME!

I KNOW WE ALL DID - JUMP OUT OF OUR SEATS IN AMAZEMENT AT THIS SUPERMAN'S SPEED! USAIN IS SPLENDID AND DESERVES THE TAG FASTEST MAN ON EARTH! BRAVO!

FOR FACT FANS, HERE'RE THE DETAILS: USAIN FINISHED THE 100M DASH IN 9.69 SECONDS (STRIDE RATE, ACCORDING TO THE UK'S THE INDEPENDENT: 41 OVER 100M!!!!!!!!!!) -- BREAKING THE WORLD RECORD, WHICH HE HIMSELF SET EARLIER.

THE THING THAT IS GOING THROUGH EVERYONE'S MIND NOW IS THAT IF USAIN DID NOT SLOW DOWN AS HE REACHED NEAR THE FINISH LINE, WHAT WOULD HIS TIME HAVE BEEN?

AS THEY WOULD BE SAYING IN JAMAICA NOW: THAT IS FANTASTIC MON!

ALL PHOTOS FROM NEW YORK TIMES.