Going for the Gold!!!!

Hey hey hey!!!!  The 29th Olympiad began tonight!!!  The opening ceremonies were amazingly beautiful.  I know there are several controversies surrounding this year’s games.  For example Beijing’s air quality, relations with Tibet, relations with Sudan, and other issues.  However, despite these things the work put in by the Chinese people resulted in a stunning display of technology and art.  Also at one point I was just overwhelmed.  I am very good with geography, but actually seeing people representing many of the countries of the world made me realize just how many of us there are.  Also how different we are, but still so much the same.  It hit me hard…yes I teared a little.  Also there are hott guys in so many different countries, what’s a girl to do?  VISIT ALL OF THEM!!!  OK, but seriously humans are so great, I mean I people watch…alot so if you ever catch me staring at you in public its not because I’m stalking you, I just like to look at people.  I seriously try to look at random people and find the little things that make them each pleasing.  See I’m not as superficial as everyone (including myself) likes to think.

Also as a student at the University of Illinois, I happen to have met an Olympian.  Deron Williams.  He was on our school’s basketball team, and I’ve rubbed shoulders (or rather my shoulders rubbed their waists, I’m pretty short) with some of the guys.  So that’s pretty cool, its like a real Olympic connection!!!  Also Michael Phelps and I have the EXACT same birthday down to the year baby, June 30, 1985 the day champions were made.  Jealous?  I would be too if I wasn’t me.

So, also I was thinking.  Archery.  I’m pretty good at it.  Weird huh?  Yeah, I know.  So what if, and this is a big IF I practiced.  Then tried out for the Olympics.  Who knows, it could happen.

Last thing.  Chicago the new Gotham City, and hopefully the next home to the Summer Olympics in 2016.  Maybe by then I’ll be there.

The Dark Knight

Ok, so I saw The Dark Knight this morning, the midnight show, and I loved it.  However, for those who have failed to see it as of yet, I’ll try not to give too much away.

I thought everyone did a great job in the film acting wise, and yes I’m still afraid of Christian Bale, its his mouth is soo weird especially when he’s in full on Batman head gear, his teeth are so sharp and there are so many…shivers.  However my favorite actress in the film was Chicago.  She did a great job as Gotham City.  Our city is absolutely beautiful, the shots they got, especially the ones over the Chicago River, were delicious. I think Chicago made much more of an appearance in this film than in Batman Begins.  This time around it seems Nolan was less concerned with making it obvious that it was Chicago.  If you’ve ever even seen Chicago you could easily tell it was her.  I could even make out streets that I know well enough, like when Batman’s on his cycle in the daytime, I was like “ohhh I park my car there sometimes”  Amazing.  Really for me that was the best part.  Seeing a city I know and love inside and out come to life on screen as another city, Gotham, loved by millions, and to see the beauty of Chicago, the architecture, the lights, combined with this awesome film felt really good, it made it more real for me.

However, while most critics have hailed this film as great, with wonderful plot, visuals, and action some have lent their voices of dissent.  Most of these nay-sayers are also from NYC…jealous are we?  You call yourselves Gotham, yet I didn’t see your city in the film.  Anyway some critics (from New York Magazine, New York Press, and the New Yorker to name a few) are calling it grim, sadistic, jumbled, and noisy.  Ok? And their point is?  Duh.  Its Batman, when has it ever not been grim?  Its called DARK KNIGHT for more than the fact Bale is in a black bat suit.  Besides the world itself is sadistic, jumbled, and noisy too.  What do they want Batman: The Happy Sappy Musical?  WTF is going on in their minds?  To make it real and not cartoonish they made it close to reality which can be really ugly a lot, no most of the time.  Think about terrorists, they don’t just stop what they’re doing and say: “Oh this is sadistic, grim, oops, we’re being noisy, people are upset…crap.”  That’s what they want.  The Joker is the harbinger of the doom Gotham faces in this film.  He’s a terrorist for terror’s sake and nothing more, someone like him in the real world would not stop, would not relent would not make it happy for us.  So why would the film?  Sure its pretend, but it should lull us into suspended belief for those 2 hours.  And to the critic from the New York Press, who couldn’t see the morality behind the film.  We betray, backstab, use, and abuse our heroes.  When they can shine the sun from their assess we bask in it, but when they do something we don’t automatically like, or when they don’t make our salvation easy for us, we kick them to the curb.  A real hero still stands by those he has saved, he is committed to saving them, even when they hate him.  Because sometimes hating him is what will save us in the end.   Ohhh…wait, didn’t we do that to Jesus?  Oh yeah, we crucified him.  This critics need to get over themselves instead of bashing this film.  I guess so many people like it, they were just afraid of being called sheep and go along with the herd.  I hate the herd.  But I loved this film its good on its own merits.  Sure its dark, but what world isn’t?  Ours certanly is…look at gas prices.

So yes, Go see Dark Knight, if you have not already or see it again.  All the actors brought life into their roles, Heath’s Joker was a ruthless force of chaos, and enjoy the Skyline of Chicago, because Chicago is my kind of town, and its obviously Batman’s too.