Sunday, April 15, 2007

Fix You Cover

This blog post could very well be the saddest thing I have ever seen and yet it is one of the most beautiful musical expressions I have ever seen as well. Read the story and then watch the video.

Monday, April 02, 2007

Favorite/Least favorite commercials of the moment

Favorite



The guy who plays the old man is hilarious. Plus I grew up on a street named after Millard Fillmore so in a weird way it brings me home.

Least Favorite

The stupid chevy commercials with the John Cougar Mellencamp song "This is our Country" that plays over and over. It won't go away. Yesterday in church we were talking about subversion and asking "What is subverting our country?" We wanted to recognize the conversation in the media and in culture about America's ideals and what we view as an enemy to those ideals. My neighbor was bold and wise enough to mention "immigrants" as something that Americans think are subverting our country. For whatever reason at that very moment this stupid song popped into my head. Talk about subliminal! I even mentioned it during the service, that this song, probably not intentionally, but it is saying it nonetheless, "This is our country! Not yours! Get out and don't ever come back!"

Have you seen any immigrants in a chevy commercial lately? Me either. Just a bunch of white cowboys.

Here is a better version of the commercial. If this aired it would be my favorite.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

No not Christmas time; to me that is the second most wonderful time of year. For a sports fan, this has to be the most wonderful time of year. The Final Four took place this weekend, with the champion of college basketball being crowned tomorrow night. The NBA playoffs are just around the corner, which in my opinion is the only worth while part of the NBA season. The Masters is also coming up this weekend and should be compelling as always. But most importantly, today is Opening Day for Major League Baseball.



Terrence Mann is right. Baseball is the one constant. It means so much to the history of the United States, and increasingly to the world. I was lucky enough to go to a couple of the World Baseball Classic games last year and was amazed at the scope and reach of such a simple game as baseball. This time of year reminds me of so much of my childhood, and makes me feel like I am 10 years old again, spending every Saturday at the baseball field, staying for hours after my game was over just to watch the other games my friends were playing in. This time of year makes me excited to be a father so I can teach my children about the "National Pastime."

If I were comissioner of Baseball, I would pick two games to be played on opening day every year, one national league and one american league, and rotate who hosts these games every year. I would have the games air on network TV back to back with a 30-40 minute break in between the two to have a pseudo "half time show" in which a highlight reel of the previous season was played as well as the clip above from Field of Dreams, just to get everyone excited about the season. Opening Day really should be something special; a celebration "of all that once was good, and that could be again."