Mexico Sunsets, 2008
Month: February 2009
Bebo Norman’s Song “Britney”
I remember hearing this song on the radio and thinking it was a catchy tune melody-wise, but the lyrics pack quite a punch – I’ve believed for a long time now that the way we treat our celebrities in Western culture is twisted and often-times cruel (and I’m rarely any better). As a society, we hold these famous people to almost impossible standards, scrutinize their every move, and when we finally grind their sanity down to a thread and they finally snap, we all stand and watch shaking our heads and saying “Tsk, tsk, I guess they just couldn’t handle the pressure.” It takes a remarkable person to survive being famous, and with the advent of the Internet and 24 hour news channels, there’s no place for them to hide from their “fans”. I can’t imagine the isolation and loneliness that most famous people must feel.
Bebo Norman’s song really nails the issue, and some YouTubian has put the song to a collection of video clips and included the words to his song. I defy anyone to watch this and not feel sympathy for Britney Spears.
Shadows and Light
Birds in Flight (And Water)
A Tabletop Sunset in Mexico
Madonna Statue
A Worthwhile Canadian Initiative
“Canada has done more than survive this financial crisis. The country is positively thriving in it. Canadian banks are well capitalized and poised to take advantage of opportunities that American and European banks cannot seize. The Toronto Dominion Bank, for example, was the 15th-largest bank in North America one year ago. Now it is the fifth-largest. It hasn’t grown in size; the others have all shrunk. So what accounts for the genius of the Canadians? Common sense. Over the past 15 years, as the United States and Europe loosened regulations on their financial industries, the Canadians refused to follow suit, seeing the old rules as useful shock absorbers. Canadian banks are typically leveraged at 18 to 1—compared with U.S. banks at 26 to 1 and European banks at a frightening 61 to 1. Partly this reflects Canada’s more risk-averse business culture, but it is also a product of old-fashioned rules on banking.”
– Newsweek Article by Fareed Zakaria
I’ve seen Fareed Zakaria appear on The Daily Show several times, and he always has intelligent opinions worthy of sharing – this article is a great example of that. There are things that frustrate me about our banking system, but it seems that for now at least, our sytem is in better shape than most.
Movies Worth Watching: Fireproof
If you’re married, you should watch the movie Fireproof. If you’re engaged, you should watch Fireproof. If you’re thinking about getting married, you should watch Fireproof. The movie has strong a spiritual message to go alongside the message about marriage, but even if you’re not a Christian or a seeker, there are many great lessons to be learned. Despite being a small independent film, it had strong production and was nearly as high-quality as any major motion picture (well, ok, there were a couple of somewhat dubious actors…). We watched it last night as part of a date night that we hosted with our church, and had over 150 people show up to enjoy a dinner then watch this movie. Definitely a movie I recommend if you want to learn about the importance of marriage, and especially the importance of love not being a simple feeling that comes and goes. Love is a decision; a commitment.
Mexican Fisherman at Dusk
Fantastic T-Mobile Ad: “Life’s For Sharing”
I love how it starts with only a few people then builds to include almost everyone. Brilliant!