Going totally crackers
<p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="Zhang">Zhang</span> <span word="Yimou">Yimou</span> <span word="conceived">conceived</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="opening">opening</span> <span word="gala">gala</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> 2008 <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span> <span word="Olympics">Olympics</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="intended">intended</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="fireworks">fireworks</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="show">show</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> "<span word="four">four</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="inventions">inventions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="China">China</span>". <span word="His">His</span> <span word="plan">plan</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="sidetracked">sidetracked</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="because">because</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="supervising">supervising</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="focus">focus</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="gunpowder">gunpowder</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="presumably">presumably</span> <span word="lead">lead</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="unwanted">unwanted</span> <span word="associations">associations</span>, <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="cannonballs">cannonballs</span>.</p><p><span word="Even">Even</span> <span word="so">so</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="dazzling">dazzling</span> <span word="fireworks">fireworks</span> <span word="show">show</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> - <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="concur">concur</span> - <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Zhang">Zhang</span>-<span word="directed">directed</span> <span word="opening">opening</span> <span word="ceremony">ceremony</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="spectacular">spectacular</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="artistic">artistic</span>. <span word="Designed">Designed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Cai">Cai</span> <span word="Guoqiang">Guoqiang</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="catapult">catapult</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="event">event</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="crescendo">crescendo</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="usual">usual</span> <span word="function">function</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="acted">acted</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="audio">audio</span>-<span word="visual">visual</span> <span word="orchestra">orchestra</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="percussion">percussion</span> <span word="section">section</span>, <span word="giving">giving</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="show">show</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="rhythm">rhythm</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="vitality">vitality</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="giant">giant</span> <span word="footprints">footprints</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="smiley">smiley</span> <span word="faces">faces</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="waterfalls">waterfalls</span> - <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="simulations">simulations</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="concrete">concrete</span> <span word="objects">objects</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="juxtaposed">juxtaposed</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="patterns">patterns</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="forms">forms</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="pleased">pleased</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="heightened">heightened</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="senses">senses</span>.</p><p><span word="Barely">Barely</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="month">month</span> <span word="passed">passed</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="witness">witness</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ramifications">ramifications</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="this">this</span> "<span word="greatest">greatest</span> <span word="show">show</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="earth">earth</span>". <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Hohhot">Hohhot</span> <span word="attending">attending</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trade">trade</span> <span word="fair">fair</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="eve">eve</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="televised">televised</span> <span word="gala">gala</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="held">held</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="stadium">stadium</span>. <span word="It">It</span>, <span word="too">too</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="punctuated">punctuated</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="pyrotechnics">pyrotechnics</span> - <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="smaller">smaller</span> <span word="scale">scale</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="fancy">fancy</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="aghast">aghast</span>: <span word="How">How</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="event">event</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="spendthrift">spendthrift</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="imitate">imitate</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Olympics">Olympics</span> <span word="celebration">celebration</span>? <span word="How">How</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="taxpayers">taxpayers</span>? (<span word="Such">Such</span> <span word="events">events</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="State">State</span>-<span word="sponsored">sponsored</span>.)</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wannabes">wannabes</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="who">who</span>, <span word="though">though</span> <span word="deficient">deficient</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="originality">originality</span>, <span word="were">were</span> <span word="quick">quick</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="learn">learn</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="master">master</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="festooned">festooned</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="official">official</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="functions">functions</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Olympic">Olympic</span>-<span word="styled">styled</span> <span word="firework">firework</span> <span word="spectacles">spectacles</span>.</p>
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