Kraggh's Works ♫♪

This is the first year I've ever bothered to watch the Academy Awards Ceremony.  Part of this is because I have been following Spielberg's Lincoln for quite some time.  I have a great reverence for Spielberg, and to anticipate him doing a biopic of one of the greatest presidents with Daniel Day-Lewis was a worthy wait.  Then I saw the advertisements, and I instantly knew that it was going to be a powerhouse performance.  I watched the movie, and it was the first time in a while that I have been blown away by a recent performance.
 
With that said, I'd vote for Day-Lewis for Best Actor.  This would be an unprecedented third win, but he earned it.  It was that good.  It's the obvious choice, which might annoy some, but Day-Lewis's skill can more or less be summed up in an advertisement for the ceremonies where Seth MacFarlane said "I'm Seth MacFarlane and I will be hosting the 85th Academy Awards.  Except I'm not Seth MacFarlane.  I'm Daniel Day-Lewis.  I'm that good."
 
I thought it was funny, because Day-Lewis blended so well into a role so recognizable, it was a real big achievement.  Not to mention the role, Abraham Lincoln, has a presence and a sense of gravitas that, combined with great talent, leads to an unlikely performance with the exact kind of impression that makes for an Oscar.
 
Of the other nominees, there's also Jackman as Valjean, and as much as I'd like to see my namesake win for Best Actor, I wasn't impressed by Jackman's performance.  Unfortunately, I haven't seen the other actors.  They might actually have a chance, if only because Day-Lewis has two Oscars already and his performance will be legendary already.
 
For actresses, I'm not really a fan of any of the nominees, even though many of them are talented.  Also, I haven't seen any of their performances.  From what I hear, the one I want to win is Quvenzhané Wallis.  Everything about her performance sounds cool.  The other that stands out to me, from what I know of the performance, is Emmanuelle Riva.
 
For best movie, Lincoln was my favorite film of 2012, but I heard good things about Argo, including from my exceptionally picky uncle, so I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt and hope that it wins.  Besides, Lincoln already has the claim to 12 nominations, the most of any movie this year, just as I knew it would.  I thought that Les Miserables was good, but I'm not rooting for it.  I wouldn't mind seeing Amour, The Life of Pie, and Beasts of the Southern Wild winning.  For best director, the only ones I really see winning are Stephen Spielberg and Ang Lee.
 
What else is there before the Oscars officially start in a few seconds?  Oh yes, I want "Suddenly" from Les Miserables to win for Best Original Song.
 
Well, that's it, guys!  See you all soon!

24601

Dear Blog,
It just occurred to me that my sister celebrates her golden birthday tomorrow, which officially makes her a preteen and separates her from the tragic events surrounding her birth by more than a decade.  September 11, 2001 is today a day a mixed feelings for me.  While thousands of people died, my mother was in the hospital pushing a new life into the world with all her might.  In all this, I was in my aunt's custody, being told to watch the news for homework.

I knew then just as much as I know now that it was a day I would never forget, and the circumstances for my family especially were unique.  I knew that celebrating my sister's birthday would conflict with the need to mourn the lost, and that the mourning would feel strange as I reminded myself that there was reason to be happy.  Ten years later, on the Tin Anniversary of the attacks, I could say that I appreciated the feeling and all its complexities more so than I had originally conceived them to be, but from the start I was still on the right track.

Every time September 11 rolls around, the alienating bittersweet feeling captivates me for the entire day.  I always write a journal entry about my feelings.  I always stop by a half-raised flag and hold my hand over my heart for a minute in solemn silence.  I contemplate on the loss, but then I remind myself that here in America, as is the case with my sister, there is always hope, even in the darkest of days.  After all, the smoke rising from the World Trade Center couldn't blot out the rays of the sun.  Then, usually, I cry.

This is my sister's day.  That's a fundamental relationship.  So is the relationship between man and country.  On September 11, I find myself at my most human.  Everything I stand for, everything I believe in comes to a halt, as if time stood still for 24 hours just to state me in the face, and so I can stare back.  Time doesn't say anything to me; it just looks knowingly at me, nods its head, and continues on before the silence becomes awkward.  All the goods and evils of the world - the things that I live for and the things that I fight for - pull at me in opposite ends and stretch me out.  Then the most important element of my humanity rises, where I am pulled in a third direction to rediscover my relationship as a man with God.  I'm a believer in that perfect plan of his, whatever it may be, and I believe that he can hit seventy times seven birds with one stone and that these confusing events were all somehow meant just for me.  Somehow the craziness of the world is meant to help me grow as a person and call me to a higher destiny.

In its own subtle ways, September 11 helped to define me.  It's not on a daily basis, but I recall being an eight-year-old boy and thinking that I wanted to serve my country.  Normal men grow up to fight for small things, like impressing a loved one, but they are capable of so much more.  As it happens, I too live for loved ones, such as my sister.  She is indeed a very special person and with living for, yet she is also a symbol of this country and its needs.  I can't celebrate her birth without also thinking of my obligations to my larger family, my entire country, and the day it needed the love of its children the most.  Maybe this is my calling.

Tomorrow I wear white.  Johnny Cash was right when up front there should be someone in black, and I respect the fine young men of this country who cry with those who weep.  This country deserves BZP Lovers who remember the poor and downtrodden and come down to them.  Tomorrow is time for that.  Meanwhile I, for very similar reasons, will wear white.  I wear white out of hope that we will see brighter days.  I wear white to remind myself that there is comfort even in sadness.  I wear white because my humanity depends on it.  I wear white because Johnny Cash wears black for me, but most importantly I wear white because all I have is prayer.  I pray for the lost and the lonely who suffer from September 11, 2001, whose lives are eternally filled with an empty seat at the table, and I pray for my sister.  Happy birthday.

Sincerely,
Monosmith

Holy Jenner!  They ran the race in under 41 seconds, and Jenner's reaction was priceless.  She pulled off a Usain Bolt and celebrated before reaching the finish line because she knew they had not only broke but smashed the world record.  It looked awesome when she was pointing at the sign, too, because it gave me a good look at her arms.  She's an Amazon!  Well duh, I mean, she's in the Olympics after all, but her arms are more muscular than most men.

Meanwhile, I also just watched the 1500 meter race, and I really wanted to see Abeba Aregawi win.  Her husband is Swedish and Sweden has become her adopted country.  She was going to run for Sweden, but her home country of Ethiopia forced her to run for them.  The impression I got was that she was forced into it and her running now is really more of a form of protest.  That's too bad.  Unfortunately, she got snuffed out of a medal right at the end.  It looks like she gave up after a couple of people passed her up.  I feel sympathetic for her.

Brazil is facing off against Italy in the men's indoor volleyball.  I'm happy, because I want Brazil to win and they're in the lead.  However, the Italians are more fun to watch.  Why?  Because when they get into their little group therapy sessions in the middle of the game, they're talking in their fast Italian accents, and it's so funny.  I always thought that the stereotypical Italian accent was just that, a stereotype.  You know, where all I have to do is shout fast and flowing but clipped gibberish (A bipidi bopidi beepidi boo!  Te-lugi-gubiachi-teminini-gulimuchi-niminiccizziazzi!), make dramatic gestures and all that, and basically I'd be speaking Italian.  It was too over the top for me to actually believe, but the Italians in that team actually sounded like that!  It was hilarious!

Actually, everything about the game was hilarious.  In the stands were spectators dressed in costumes.  Queen Elizabeth's doppelganger sat on her own.  Spiderman sat next to Captain America.  Superman sat next to a gorilla and he had a parrot as a hand puppet.  It was like some sort of dream where all sorts of familiar faces are thrown in at random, but it makes sense.

As I was writing this, Brazil actually won.  Way to go Brazil!  I hope all you guys remember this moment for the rest of your life.  It shouldn't be too hard, considering all of the Italian accents and Superman with a neon parrot.

This may seem cruel of me, but I always root for Argentina to get silver.  That's why one day I hope that the Argentinians face off against Team USA in the final round instead of the semi-final round in basketball.  Anyway, I hope they beat Spain and at least get bronze.

Congratulations to Aly Raisman for winning gold on the floor.  She also won bronze on the balance beam thanks to a wonderful connection of pirouettes, but that was nothing compared to her floor routine.  Right at the very beginning, it had the grace and the power necessary to win, and her execution was flawless.  As they say in gymnastics, she stuck it.  It's really nice to see a spotless performance without any noticeable flaws.  Congratulations, Aly, you just delivered the greatest floor routine in the world.

I have a hunch that the star-spangled leotard had something to do with it.

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It's a very inspirational look, don't you think?

This is the end of an era.

Merida

My favorite gymnast going in was Aly Reysman.  Of course, I wanted Gabby Douglas to win the gold medal because she she was, after all, the best and she deserved it, but I payed more attention to Aly.  To me she was more interesting because she exhibited this supreme air of confidence before ever routine.  There was just this commanding, almost relaxed look on her face, with a slight smile as if the Olympics didn't pressure her one bit but was rather a way to show off.

Then Gabby won gold in the all-around, and I began to really like her.  This is an historic first for America, winning both the team gymnastics medal and the individual all-around in one Olympics, but what really stood out to me was when Gabby Douglas when interviewed for her reaction her first thought was to thank God.  Sometimes I need a role model to remind me of what's truly important in life, so I must thank her, and thank her also for being a role model for many others.

Speaking of which, I hope that America doesn't forget its traditional values.  Family, faith, and expecting the best out of ourselves and others.  I know the stereotypical American today has a teenager's mentality, but looking at Gabby, I know she's grown beyond that.  Maybe we can maintain our legacy of raising brave and noble children.

Merida

(P.S.  Michael Phelps won another gold medal since my last entry.  I'll probably repost my praise of him with a few edits.)

Congratulations, Michael!  21 Olympic medals, 17 Olympic gold medals, 2 threepeats, and many more world records later, I'm not done cheering for you.  Now there's only one more race to go.  Here's hoping that you tie the previous maximum medal count with your golds alone.

It will be strange once you're gone, though.  Your name has become synonymous with swimming, and there are still moments when your name comes up on screen and I think "Hey, that guy's name is 'fish'!  Isn't that convenient?"  Then I remember that a Phelps is not a type of fish, or so your blood tests have confirmed.  After my brain corrects itself, I still think of the entire race as the Phelps Event, because no matter what it's your race, win or lose, because you're the greatest.  When you're not in the event, you still weigh on my mind, because the Olympic pool is your kingdom.

So that is why it will be so strange when you are done.  For my entire active memory, he has competed in the Olympics.  He has been my reality.  I have not known any less success in the support.  The history of the sport has seen its stars, but never its kings.  In Rio, I will watch a sport forever changed, where your legacy will swim in the pool but you won't.  It's just not the same.

Which is why I consider it a blessing to have grown up with you, so that I could watch your journey unfold in the present and allow it to inspire me.  You're my hero.

Merida

A special was on during the Olympics covering some of the behind-the-scenes history to the Magnificent Seven's success, with Kerri Strug being the narrative focus.  My goodness, her journey and growth of spirit and all those complex emotions brewing underneath were breathtaking.  And it's not melodrama because this was something that really happened, and we have a pretty good idea of how she was doing because her expressions, captured on live cameras broadcasting around the world, were so real.

Yeah, if they were to make a movie out of her story I'd watch it.  It would make for one of those great American inspirational films.

Merida