America is great and we all have to be willing to serve....better to be willing when you're actually being forced.

Jury duty...that civic responsibility so mundane in its execution, but essential to the liberties our forefathers and mothers asked for and received back in the 1700s.

A jury of our peers to decide our fate...what an awesome system.

Last night, while shooting our show, a woman was standing in the crowd, holding this baby. I took a picture. Many others did too... this baby represents the youth of this country... steeped in history but young in capitalism and open society. There is innocence to all the people in China. They are very gracious and optimistic, patient and hopeful. 

That baby says it all to me. I've tried to explain it.

I am currently waiting for Phelps at the side door to the “Water Cube”... an interview is my quest. The great thing about covering the Olympics, if you want to do it right, is you have to be willing to run, sweat, linger by a door, hustle and bump. We're doing that and you're all watching.

Thanks.

I am inside and watching the Mens' gymnastics finals and the U.S. team, massively the underdog, is doing well. We’re in the middle of rotation #4 out of 6; the U.S. Team is 2nd. China just passed them. Our guys are performing nearly flawlessly.  

The Chinese are loud and proud. This guy next to me (see photo) is so loud my eardrum nearly popped a minute ago.

"China! China!"… That's how it goes... not very complex, but solid enough.

China is expected to win. Maybe I'll have a "Zelig" moment and run out there on the mat mid Chinese routine... to sacrifice for country... maybe not.

These guys all have the same bodies. It’s amazing. Stout, buff, compact. Gluteus muscles that could crack walnuts. Sorry... stream of conscience here.

Go USA!!

The opening of the opening ceremony is nothing short of spectacular. The technological prowess is mind numbing.
Over an hour in, there was a message of global warming..."Ice caps are melting," etc...the odd thing is nowhere is pollution worse than right here in Beijing it seems. The sky above me every day is daunting.

Sorry, it's the truth. It had to be said, now moving on.

Two hours and 40 minutes into the ceremony, a USA athlete was escorted out of the building. Maybe he had to go to the bathroom. He returned about 25 mins later.

The parade of nations is seemingly endless.

We are two hours early for the opening ceremony here in Beijing. Rob Silverstein, our Executive Producer, and I are sweating like two Greco-Roman wrestlers in a sauna.

That said, our shirts are off and faces are painted....I kid.

 

The "Bird's Nest" is massive in size. The flags of the 205 countries participating in the Beijing games hang breezelessly limp but proud.

 

The idea that some 160,000 some odd people will in some capacity fill this stadium at the peak is almost unthinkable.

Beijing Bushy is on the ground at the Olympic games. We shot all day today around this massive city of 17.4 million people.

First, we went to the "dirt market," which is now tiled, and haggled with vendors selling their wares. That may sound aggressive, but truly, they will sell their items as high as you'll allow. For example, I bought an eyeball watch to hang around my neck for 60 RMB – or, about 8 bucks. It was originally offered at 450 RMB. I quickly became a force with which to be reckoned.

The laughs were plenty.

We then went to the Summer Palace, built in 1750 as a leisure home for emperors and the like. A man-made lake, with a beautiful landscape, Chinese families strolled around, floated around in paddle boats... it was peaceful... and intensely humid.

Next, we hit the "night market," where street vendors hawk exotic meats, innards, bugs etc… on sticks.  I tasted sheep’s testicles. Anything for the camera, I guess. The vendors bark out their "delicacies" with gusto. One of our producers, weak of stomach, ran across the street and up-chucked. It was a character building experience.

Our Access team of 16 is fun, creative and ready for adventure.

The people in China are sweet, kind and helpful. There is no request too much... they want to show the world their home and they are proud.

Tomorrow.... The Great Wall of China, where I will host Access Hollywood. Wow, never thought I'd say that.

The earthquake yesterday was scary. For a moment, I felt a tremor of fear like in the aftermath of 9/11...an awful feeling like you don't know what's next.

 

We were taping the nightly Access show out on the balcony at KNBC-LA. 

Many guys were under an overhang, I was out further...I couldn't help but think, "What if this balcony gave way?"

As I head off for the long weekend, having finished up my radio show for tonight's broadcast, I can't believe how far we've come. "The Billy Bush Show" is exactly what we promised to stations:  a news breaking, celeb packed, opinionated, informative show with excellent music all the way through.

As far as content, I've had over 60 guests in a month from Mariah to Madonna, Julia Roberts, Jack Nicholson, Trump, Eva, Sarah Jessica, on and on.

Here's a recap of just last night (easiest to remember):

"Idol" winner David Cook in studio... spoke about the moment he won, his brother's ordeal and the bracelets he wears for him, a little girl with leukemia and others, why he cried... really good.

Denise Richards... refuting Charlie Sheen's attacks on her about an alleged email he says she sent him "asking him for his seed" (gross, but news handled gently).

Eva Longoria Parker calling in from Malibu where she and Tony are meeting with inspectors at the new house they just bought. She says Tony wants babies now and so she's going with it (actively trying to get pregnant - big).

I was just 3 feet away from the Jack Nicholson of horse racing.  Maybe I should say the Emile Hirsch of racing as the aura is vast but the experience is not.    "Big Brown" is as big a stud (Colt really) and a star as there is here in Louisville, Kentucky...after only 3 big races, he's favored to win the Kentucky Derby 3 to 1.

 

Sam Flood, the NBC Sports producer running the show out here for the network took me back to the stables.  Multi-million dollar training stables, one after the other, it was impressive.  But around "Big Brown" was crime scene tape and major security which now makes him the Angelina Jolie of horse racing. 

 

I was star struck.  The trainers let us in close enough to watch “Big Brown” walk in a slow circle around the stables...he had just gotten a bath and needed to air dry. Seriously.

I'm watching “Dancing With The Stars” and I'm sure of one thing...Derek Hough and Shannon Elizabeth are either intimately involved or totally consumed by the thought of intimacy. 

 

Her level of interest is not as assured as his. He cannot keep his hands off her...I remember him being the most touchy feely guy last year, but this year he seems like an adolescent boy discovering his hormones for the first time.

 

He kind of reminds me of Jason Biggs' high school character who falls for Shannon in “American Pie”.  She flashed Biggs.  The Hougher is raging.