Here is a quick summary of where I stand with my 30 year goal.
- 114 shifts
- 41471 Contacts at the National Air and Space Museum
- 14088 Contacts at the National Zoo
- 23 Zoo Tours
- 427 Hours
- 55559 total contacts (Should add up if Excel 2008 works.)
Review: Batman Dark Knight (Spoilers)
Some background first…… I think I saw the original Batman on TV at some point, but currently own and saw in the theatre, Batman Begins. It is one of my favorite movies. Batman fans will probably agree that I was foolish to buy the original 4 movies having really enjoyed Batman Begins. I tend to like more believable movies and not really into cartoons or animation.
After seeing Indiana Jones at a sold out Saturday showing at the AMC Uptown in Cleveland Park, I knew that Batman, if it came to the Uptown, being a single screen theatre decisions by management are necessary, would be another one to see on the huge screen. In fact, the IMAX theatre at the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, VA is and has been sold out since opening with only 11 PM showings available this week. There is a sold out showing at 5:30 PM on Sunday! Perhaps that is because tickets are only $12.50, or that the 5 story movie screen is a little bigger than the screen at the local Regal Cinema.
Oh, but best part about the Uptown…..people are actually courteous? WOW, no cell phone conversations or rude patrons talking throughout the show. I was totally amazed and happy. The Uptown is definitely the movie theatre to go to!
Here come the spoilers……
Apparently Wayne mansion is not completed yet and Wayne tower seems to have a new look. Gotham has been cleaned up with no graffiti to be found. The new base for Batman is lacking bats, but the new toys are cool. The coolest was probably a cell phone sonar device which allows them to listen in on calls and actually see through walls to locate people.
Most of the main characters exist in the movie with their original actors and actresses. I thought that Rachael Dawes had packed on a few pounds in her face, but it was actually a different actress, Maggie Gyllenhaal instead of Katie Holmes. Heath Ledger did a great job as the Joker. I have seen him in a few movies, and he is an amazing actor. I had no idea he had a dark side to him. Jack Nicholson on the other hand, I could see as the Joker. He definitely as a mean streak as I saw in A Few Good Men.
I was a little surprised to see that Rachael had a boyfriend and was not holding out for Bruce. She probably thought that Bruce would always be needed as Batman and that would keep them apart. Hmm…sounds like Spiderman, Superman. Why cannot people be superheros and have wives? LOL.
When it came down to splitting up and saving Rachael and the new Commissioner, I was a little shocked that Batman chose to save the Commissioner. This was probably because the Commissioner was the good guy that Gotham needed to replace Batman so that Bruce could live a normal life and get the girl 🙂 I am glad that Alfred burned up the note which was to be given to Bruce that she had decided to stay with the Commissioner and was hurtful by stating that Bruce would always need Batman. Ouch. I think that was just way to say that she liked Aaron Eckhart more than Christian Bale.
Amazing CGI
Did I mention that the CGI was amazing?! Unlike the Mummy where the “being’ is regenerating as he is eating up those who woke him which I actually could stomach to look at, the CGI on Two Face was almost sickening! Getting his face half burned while being rescued by Batman while Rachael dies in the other building, he refused skin grafts and basically you see his eyeball and teeth and inside his closed mouth. The liquid spilling out. I am glad that was brief!
The Sequel
Just when you think Batman is ready to hang up the towel, by burning any and all evidence in the wall furnace…hmm..a little odd to have one of those in there along with all the modern technology I would have suspected a quadruple pass diamond cut shredder or some kind of particle demoleculizer since charred paper is still readable. Guess the effect would not be the same.
With the Batmobile destroyed…what will be next? Perhaps a flying vehicle? For now the motorcycle should suffice, but seems to be a little more dangerous and less armored than his previous mode of transport.
With Two Face dead, I was half suspecting him to be the villain in the next movie, and the Joker potentially in custody, what is next? Hmm…guess we will just have to wait for a copy of the script to leak out.
Impression
While I do think that Batman Begins is still my favorite of the 2, this movie was excellent. I did think the movie was over before it was which means my ADHD attention span was exhausted, but Titanic still has me for that. Checking my watch every few minutes to see if it was over yet! At 2.5 hours, it was long, but was very engaging the entire time and did not give me a chance to get that beverage refill or go to the boys room for fear I would miss an integral part in the movie.
Waiting inline for 2 hours in front of the smelly dumpster was worth it. After the first few breezes past the dumpster, either the smell went away, or my nose got used to it. I am hoping it was the first. Mind you, my nose is usually plugged from allergies, so my ability to smell the dumpster meant it was really a BAD smell.
VIP Tour at National Zoo
This past weekend I had the honor and privilege to assist Mr. John Berry, Director of the Smithsonian National Zoo with a VIP tour involving a very generous donor, Whole Foods who provides food and beverages to many of the Zoo fundraisers.
There were 4 adults and 5 children which I was pretty much responsible for as they had different interests and attention spans than the adults. I brought along a few interpretive objects to assist with Mr Barry’s tour one of which was panda poop. Surprisingly, none of the kids wanted to hold it.
It was an honor in itself to have Mr. Barry lead the tour, but these VIPs were in for a treat. They were able to go behind the scenes and feed the animals. I could not resist and asked Mr. Barry if I could participate as well. It is not every day you get to feed or touch an animal.
I was able to touch the trunk of an Asian Elephant, toss a carrot into the 3 ton herbivore Nile Hippo, and meal worms to a Sloth Bear! We were able to convince most of the parents and kids to do everything except feed the Sloth Bear. It must have had to do with the food they were being fed, meal worms! Yummy! Actually, as a child I did not like them either, but got used to it. My brother and I had turtles and fed meal worms to them regularly as a supplement to lettuce.
I hope to get an opportunity to help again as I was truly honored by the opportunity to help out.
That being said, FONZ (Friends of the National ZOO), which is celebrating 50 years this year, provides free tours given by volunteers such as myself for those who are not prominent donors to the National Zoo. Give a call to request one, but be warned, tours are not advertised on the Zoo website because we get so many requests without publicizing. They are free and private, so get your family together, join FONZ to get free parking, and visit the best zoo in the Nation!
Nice Ride….Less than 11 minutes home!
I have been cycling for a few months now and I seem to have a “need for speed.” Last night on the commute home it took me 10 minutes and 52 seconds to go 2.69 miles with an average speed of 14.9 mph with a top speed of 26.6 mph.
Over my first 643 miles I have cleaned my chain twice, I have two fewer undershirts now, and replaced 2 rear tubes. Everything is working fine and I am so happy with my bike! I am still acquiring biking clothes and supplies such as gloves, glasses, those things I never really thought of before.
I am a member of Waba, a preferred customer at Hudson Trail Outfitters and Performance Bicycle (As of last night). Bike supplies seem to be expensive and the memberships basically paid for themselves on my first purchase. I am excited to have gotten what seems to be a really good deal on some thorn proof tubes from Performance Bicycle hoping that will prevent so many flats between GU and Friendship Heights on my way to work. They say to be 4 times thicker, will have to see. For those avid cyclists concerned with speed, the extra weight would be unacceptable, but for me, the commuter, a little extra weight in exchange for getting to work on time…well worth it 🙂
My cycling inventory (Reason to keep 2 jobs too)
- Helmet – Giro Ionos (I run hot, so need all the air flow I can get)
- Glasses – Coming in the mail..but they are cool ones that automatically tint.
- Gloves – Louis Garneau Gel Carbon (Hmm..something about “Carbon” in the name that sucked me in)
- Shoes – Shimano SH-M122B (Shoes I Can Walk in)
- Petals – Crank Brothers Quattro (They looked cool)
- Socks – My usual Hanes….have not splurged on the socks yet and perhaps won’t.
- Shorts – Louis Garneau Ergotex 2 (Sweet waffle pattern and they don’t feel like spandex!)
- Nickers – Pearl Izumi (Deal on Chainlove, are spandex and will have to get used to the suspenders! – Cool day riding)
- Rain Gear – Performance Bicycle jacket and pants (They are so waterproof they make me sweat just having them on…now that I change at work, may not use them and just enjoy the acid rain 🙂 )
- Jerseys – Mixture of Pearl Izumi, DeMarchi, Oakley, and Giordana (I think I have about 7 now which is enough. They seem to stink really bad and the running of the washing machine just for a jersey or 2 was inefficient so, now I have a weeks worth since I ride daily)
- Lock – Bulldog (Super Heavy with cable for the front wheel. I leave my bike inside when I can and leave the lock at home)
- Computer – Wireless Cateye (Basic Model..now that I know about cadence, probably want to upgrade and get one with temperature on it. Not sure I will go for GPS, but elevation would be cool. I think I have a watch somewhere…though it got a little wet and I think is done 🙁 )
- Maintenance – Multitool, Blackburn AirTower 2, CO2 inflator, tire levers.
Anyone have suggestions for any other supplies I need or anything that works really well for you? I am especially curious on Jerseys….since there seem to be 10,000 of them out there all saying many different cool sounding things. I don’t care the price, but I do tend to run a little hot and want to be as cool as I can!