"And let the (XXIV Winter) Games Beijing!" A frosty beginning; lots at play here...Part 1

Intro - depth, breadth, take a breath: So much to cover, comment, post, I had to start now, six months in advance (of the projected February 12th, 2022 start date), as hundreds of athletes sans their fans have just departed from Tokyo, and many others have yet to arrive, for the August 24-September5th Paralympics (which are now held consecutive to the traditional Olympic Games in most of the same venues, scheduled consecutively since the Seoul, Korea 1988 Summer Olympics). The range of actual athletic events which I anticipate with my usual degree of high enthusiasm, soaring expectations (as in the Yanqing mountain range, a venue which may only sport the average two inches of natural snow😟) is at this moment eclipsed by interest in what's happening 'in and around' the city and country that vied for these Games some time ago (beating out Almaty, Kazakhstan by four votes on 7-31-15 at the 128th session of the IOC in Lumpur, Malaysia for you geography/Jeopardy aficionados), which eventuated in Beijing becoming the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic games -- not only in and around the actual city but throughout the vast country, which contains (detains?) a citizenry which ranges from densely populated cities (at last count there were at least six cities boasting, bursting over ten million individuals) to rural, mountainous regions...also featuring, of course a Great Wall which not only spans about 21,200k (13,171 miles) but many centuries (traced back as far as the 5th century BC) and "Dynasties" (a key word in China's storied history)...as well as the uneasy, queasy relationships between the host country and others near (e.g. Hong Kong and Taiwan) and far ("US", Canada, Australia...). In this series, not only will I feature the normal, expected fare of athletic aspirations, achievements, thrill, and spills (certainly there will be some examples of the 'twisties' with all the aerials involving skis, snowboards, etc.), but will also, without a doubt, be bringing to you some important, in-the-moment issues that, while related to the current pandemic, both predate COVID-19 and will persist  in this nation, as well as  between this nation and the world, in many years to come...way past the time the athletes and media leave, are 'ushered' out. So, here's the line-up, the topics, categories, and Olympic events to be covered here, as of 8-15-21:

A Frosty Reception: Uneasy, queasy "Welcome"...bubbling over from Tokyo

Snowed Under, (UN) Naturally

Rarefied, Verified Air: Thick with controversy, an eerie reverie 

Detection, Deflection: a Masked Profile in Political Posturing

Distant Thunder, quite a wonder: Bamboozled!

Railing to and from, Injustice

...Athletic Events

Subject to Change: Not only will the conditions under which these Games are held, but the foregoing topics may be changed in order and combination, at the whims of this blogger, in the true spirit of these particular Games, as well as mirroring that of the CDC, IOC, NBC, and BOCOG ("Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games")...many 'twisties' and turns yet to be experienced on the way to (and from!) Beijing in about six months, give or take, plus or minus...

       In any case, come on back, it's going to be a really big shew (see August 10th😄)!