Olympics with the Brits: Opening Ceremomy

The opening ceremony is the most anticipated portion of the Olympics from all around. The national anthem of the host, the uniting of the Olympic Rings, to the running of the torch. It is the main portion of the olympics that glues audiences to TVs and radios worldwide.  The 2008 Opening Ceremony in Bejing, China set the tone for opening ceremonies to come.  Olympic enthusiasts everywhere were waiting to be disappointed by the opening ceremony following the spectacular service of the Chinese.

The British did not disappoint with the uniting of the rings.  Coming out of the gates with the smoke stacks was a bit confusing, the historical tie-in was notable, but it didn't have much to do with the Olympic Games or the UK.  The creative midsection of the Opening Ceremony offered an intriguing routine by British doctors, nurses, and children honoring the health care of the United Kingdom, followed by a more familiar aspect by the general public: the popular British literature. With special appearances by Voldemort from the Harry Potter Series, the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Captain Hook from Peter Pan, and Cruella de Ville of 101 Dalmations. This portion of the Opening Ceremony was specifically dear to the hearts of children everywhere, especially the aspiring Olympic athletes.

The following highlight was familiarized by all ages with the segment of "Frankie and June say 'Thanks Tim,'" staring teenagers during the evolution technology starting from the mid 1900's to present day. The teenagers traveled through the decades with the changing of music and garb that all audiences can relate to. The segment's goal was to honor Britain's own, Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the world wide web.

Comic relief was a specialty of the creative-mind behind the opening ceremony, Danny Boyle - the director of popular film, Slumdog Millionaire. During the orchestra's performance of Chariots of Fire, the familiar face of Rowan Atkison, better known as Mr. Bean to the Americans, acted as keyboardist before transitioning into a small film which displayed Mr. Bean's classic humor.  Another display of comedy was definitely seen in the Queen of England through her entrance to the ceremony, accompanied by Daniel Craig as the infamous James Bond. The duo entered the stadium in the form of skydiving. The Queen did not disappoint her public.

Another notable face was the one and only Paul McCartney

The Peachtree Is Not Just For Peaches

IN honor of yesterday's Peachtree Road Race, I shall write on the news of the event.

Fourty-two years the AJC Peachtree Road Race has offered Fourth of July fun to contestants from all over Atlanta, Georgia, America, and now the world.  Yesterday's victor is a 24-year old Kenyan named Peter Kirul (24:37).  Non-American natives are easily spotted throughout the Top 100.  The Top 12 are strictly Kenyans and Ethiopians.  In fact, the first Georgian to place is Gainesville native Ty McCormack (30:30).  He placed 26th out of the 60,000 that run the race.  It is indeed impressive that McCormack placed in the Top 30.  What is more impressive is that a small footrace that began from 110 Atlantians in the parking lot of Sears on the corner of Peachtree and Roswell Rd has turned into a world wide runner's destination.

The foreign runners are not so infamous in the younger and older age groups.  The 46 - 70+ year old competitors are mainly Americans, and most of those are Georgians.  Once Georgians get a taste of the Peachtree at an early age they cannot leave the excitement of the environment of the race. Starting from the packed Marta cars getting to the race, to walking around the beautiful landscape of Atlanta, to the energized start waves.

The Peachtree Road Race has more than just a race to offer. It is a business opportunity for the businesses along the course.  It is a volunteer opportunity for teenagers needing hours for college

Congrats to the Peachtree Road Race, not even 50 years of racing across Atlanta and it has attracted world wide acclaim and 60,000 people to celebrate the birthday of America.

All information was received from the AJC and Peachtree Road Race website. 

This is the 2012 Peachtree Road Race t-shirt design by Rachel Campbell, a co-founder of LogosAtlanta.

Students Askewed

this is a high school student...

this is a 23 year old playing a junior in high school... 

I think there is a problem with this picture.  High schoolers are watching movies starring the latter of these two and makes that the ideal girl in high school. When teenage boys see the first walking in the halls... there becomes a problem. 

this is a 27 year old man... who plays a senior in high school. 

this is an actual 18 year old, senior in high school. 

And parents wonder why their daughters are going for college guys, it is because they see the more mature as the more attractive. 

The teenagers of today's day and age wish to look older than they are in order to be desirable to the everyday eye.  Movies need to begin hiring actual teenagers to play teenagers to help with teens self-asteem. 

Of the Home

There are some elements in the world that evoke the feeling of home, and happiness, and memories. Whether they are smells, sights, tastes, phrases, colors, sounds, or a sense that we are unaware of, they mentally take us away from where we currently are and where we wish we were or remember where we were.

For me, a lot of those are evoked by food. A nice warm batch of buttermilk fried pickles, a tall cold glass of 40% sugar 50% tea 10% ice, plain rice with butter - a little gross but it was my childhood, chocolate pound cake, chicken pot pie, cheese grits, cheese toast, a chocolate fudge sundae from Bruster's after a long hard day of first grade.

There are some tastes I will never forget no matter how long it has been.

Emotional Music

Music is the expression of emotion through sounds that are not our own.  Real music is not music that people want to hear, it is the release of emotion effectively.  Something you cannot say but rather something you must show. That is music.

A Work in Progress

A work in progress, becoming better at everything every single day. That is what I am, that is who I am, that is what I will be.