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Murdoch quits US newspaper fight ... /> At eight minutes past eight, on the eighth day, of the eighth month of 2008, the greatest show on earth kicks off.
Well not quite, because although that time heralds the start of this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, there is still one more painful hurdle to overcome before we get to the real action.
We're talking about the opening ceremony.
This time, early signs are that the carefully choreographed showpiece will aim to cram in 5,000 years of Chinese history as the world's most populous nation trumpets its arrival on the international stage.
Hopefully for spectators, the Bird's Nest has been decked out with comfy seats as this trumpeting will go on for around three and a half hours.
Alternative ceremony
Love them or loathe them, what would the Olympics be without this mind numbing spectacle? And here at My Games, the BBC's interactive fan based show, we want to celebrate this traditional opening with an alternative, fan based ceremony of our own.
This will be shown to herald the beginning of our series on BBC World News and at www.bbc.com/olympics
If you have a webcam, a camera that can record video or even a mobile phone and want to take part, simply email us at mygames@bbc.co.uk. Or use the form below explaining which country you're from and we'll tell you all you need to know to take part.
My Games will be broadcast live on BBC World News throughout the Olympics. We will be on air at 12.45 GMT on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Each show will feature contributions from people all over the globe speaking live about the Olympic issues that matter to them using webcams.
If you would like to take part, please fill in the form below telling us what country you're from and how we can contact you.
You can also send your pictures and video of anything related to the Olympics to:
yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here.Click here to see terms and conditions
At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws.
(BBC)
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