♫ yes, even stars break

edit BELOW!

hrmm
i love the cover of newsweek!
but the article, not so much :/

it was kinda confusing....
while i agree that a western/foreign point of view makes it hard to understand the importance of the games to the Chinese people, i disagree with the writer's assumptions about younger generations of Chinese and his reasoning behind why everyone should lay off.

while clearly pointing out China's weaker times in history, and consequently, making america look like the big dumb bullies, he argues that China has built itself upon it's past failures. "saving face" has always been a big deal in asian culture so i guess it makes sense. clearly, it has built itself up and "regained [its] national greatness" but only to be met with opposition. whyyy, world :(
i suppose we can't all win?

now, the writer says that he expects the post-mao generation to be "exempt from the China-as-victim syndrome." supposedly, this generation was never exposed to the hardships their elders experienced, so therefore, this should not concern them? mebe it's different in the western world, but it's not too easy to forgive and forget. to be honest, i don't think my parents will ever forget what there grandparents, their parents, what they went through. uhm and i'm quite sure my parents are not "brainwashed" by the party, thanks. afterall, they have spent a considerable amount of time in the amazing! country of america. in the end, in addition to the failures, or not, i think that the people thrive on the fact that although China has been humiliated and defeated so many times, there's no doubt it's risen past public expectations.
and besides, we all know about asian pride and our inability to forget (different from forgive) the past....which is why we (chinese, koreans, japanese, etc.) can't always get along :( but that's a different issue....

"now is not the time to provoke them further and impede their progress toward a new, more equal and self-assured sense of nationhood."
so is there is ever an appropriate time to provoke a country and impede their progress toward a new, more equal and self-assured sense of nationhood?
aish, humanity :/
lol i think in the end he just ends up saying that China's sensitive to its past and this has affected the way it's looked at the world. and the leaders and people are "old-fashioned" so don't provoke them -__-
weak.
WE'VE GOTTEN THIS FAR HAVEN'T WE??? a little late to try playing the good guy.
honestly, i think america just fears losing it's "playground bully" reputation. not that it's a good one. but america seems to enjoy it :D

i was talking about this article with my mother and she asked me "so...is it pro-China?" and i thought about it. and i decided, not really.it's just trying to...fix the anti. amongst the extremely biased news coverage, (but really, what isn't) i suppose...i appreciate this attempt to be slightly more objective (or mebe i'm reading this entire thing completely wrong).

"with an estimated 30,000 rainmakers, a $100 million budged and more hardware (like those launchers) than it has pointed at Taiwan, China has the largest weather-modification program in the world."
THAT MADE ME LOL. anyways, i hope the ceremonies don't get rained on :/

"[phelps] might have a better shot this time, especially with australian ian thorpe now safely retired."
THAT ALSO MADE ME LOL. that's right phelps, only bcus the mighty thorpedo is gone.

so i was wondering if so much negative press would continue after the olympics? to be honest, it's kinda funny that the tibet issue only surfaced NOW. if yous gonna bash, do it better -_-
i'm also wondering if beijing will continue it's efforts after the olympics, to be come less polluted and stuff. i doubt it, sadly, but it's a nice thought, to think that they'd continue....

anyways, WATCH THE GAMES, it's a big deal to us. and if it's not to YOU, watch it for the atheletes!!! i.e. WATCH LIU XIANG COMPLETELY BURN DAYRON ROBLES AUGUST 21!
....he better.
jay chou will also be at the opening ceremony. def worth watching :D

today, i got my physical and two shots and my arms hurt a lot.
does race ever have to do with BMIs?? apparently it does....whatever, BMI is inaccurate anyways bcus it doesn't take into account muscle mass :/ bcus i'm so buff that it matters to me.
i also went out to eat pho for lunch with my mother, which was good. then i stalked soompi (i spend too much time on that forum) watching users rage and whine at each other for being racist bigots. hilarious :D
WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST BE FRIENDS??

i also started watching this jdrama that mai told me about a while ago. i actually know the whole plot before i started watching so it's not surprise but it's mega cute! it's called absolute boyfriend, hah i want the ideal boyfriend, tenjo night. well no, i guess in the end, we're supposed to realize we want soushi. right?

i never realized that blake lively was in the sisterhood.....

edit:
i made the important discovery that purchasers of clean and clear products also receive complimentary purple headphones.
also, i was curious as to what the national costume of america was in the miss universe competition so i looked it up.
http://content.missuniverse.com/delegates/2008/images/costume/US.jpg
....snowflake bikini, interesting :D
/edit

sometimes,
i wonder why God made the world so complicated.