Michel Monday: Nineh Cherry – Feel It

[Michel Mondays were instantiated and explained here.]

Another play-world from Gondry.

I’ve actually never heard this song. In fact, since I’m posting this from a restaurant, I still haven’t heard it… Hope it’s good.

10 most historically innacurate movies

Here.

With no fewer than three Mel Gibson films… and it’s probably just out of kindness that they left off The Passion of the Christ.

(HT: Joe Carter)

Thesis

Kermit the Frog is the only beloved straight-man in the history of comedy.

Hillary didn’t lie

Abe Greenwald over at Commentary makes a good case that Hilary didn’t lie when she recounted her harrowing tale of visiting Bosnia. Here’s a snippet:

Just consider the mental hocus-pocus that goes into concocting a story such as this one. Hillary would never have made this story up if she realized that it could be so easily disproved. Given that her landing in Bosnia was attended by her teenage daughter, a few celebrities, and many members of the media, the only way for her to have gone through with this fabrication was to somehow believe it. Anything short of that full commitment would have allowed her to see that the narrative would be instantly discredited.

(HT:  Keith Burgess-Jackson)

Generosity, selfishness and goodness

In his 33 Things post this week, Joe Carter linked to this story indicating that money can buy happiness… as long as it’s spent on other people.

My question for you, dear readers, is this: If a person reads this story and decides to become more generous to become more happy, is that generosity in any way tainted by the selfish concerns? Put another way, is it an equivalent good to unwitting generosity?

Michel Monday: Cibo Matto – Sugar Water

[Michel Mondays were instantiated and explained here.]

This is possibly my favorite music video of all time (the best competition is coming up in a couple of months).

Another attack ad

(HT:  Joe Carter… no, not that Joe Carter)

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

Spenser’s take:

Sonnet LXVIII

Most glorious Lord of lyfe that on this day,
Didst make thy triumph over death and sin:
And having harrowd hell didst bring away,
Captivity thence captive us to win.
This joyous day, deare Lord, with joy begin,
And grant that we for whom thou didest dye
Being with thy deare blood clene washt from sin,
May live for ever in felicity.
And that thy love we weighing worthily,
May likewise love thee for the same againe:
And for thy sake that all lyke deare didst buy,
With love may one another entertayne.

So let us love, deare love, lyke as we ought,
Love is the lesson which the Lord us taught.

Incredible Knockout

Normally I enjoy women’s boxing about as well as I enjoy… well, women’s basketball. But this is maybe the most amazing knockout I’ve ever seen. Period.

PS: If you’re wondering what this has to do with Easter weekend, remember your Carman.

Victory

Abraham Piper is the son of legendary Presbyterian minister John Piper. He (Abraham that is) has a wonderful blog called 22 Words, all of the posts of which are twenty-two words or less.

Today he has posted one of the most beautiful poems I’ve read in quite a while (and I’ve been reading through Spenser’s sonnet series!). The verse refers to his daughter, Felicity, who apparently died the day she was born, September 22, 2007. Here is a reproduction of Abraham’s post:

6 months gone at Easter time

Empty hangers, empty closet, empty clothes.
Empty crib, empty bath.
Empty bottles, empty breasts.
Empty lungs, empty blood, empty heart.
Empty grave.

Thesis/Question

Thesis: If someone could find a halfway decent script, a solid lead actor and a director who wasn’t afraid to crib straight from Leone, they could make HUGE wads of money in brown paper bags by putting together a spaghetti western.

Question(s): Who would be best to direct and to play the lead?

Tarantino’s done the closest thing to a spaghetti western in recent memory with the second half of Kill Bill. However, he could never make a straight up genre picture. And no fair saying “Clint Eastwood” for the lead. He’s too old and I doubt he’d ever do it.

Completely speechless

Utterly, totally and ridiculously without speech. None. Whatsoever.

Top Five: Songs for St. Patrick’s Day

Happy Feast of St. Patrick to you all!

Let me encourage you not to celebrate by wearing buttons with flashing lights, drinking green beer or by running around willy-nilly sticking apostrophes after your O’s. Have some dignity man! Have a pint (or four) of the black stuff, get together with some friends and find some live Irish musicians to support with generous tips. (And if you’re in Nashville, make sure to go to Mulligan’s Irish Pub and Restaurant on 2nd… but get there early!)

And for heaven’s sake, when you find a good pub with good music do not request Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, and definitely never ever request The Unicorn Song. These are not Irish songs no matter how many Celtic bands have cashed in on them.

Instead, unashamedly and unironically request these five classic pub songs:

1. Whiskey In The Jar

Sure Metallica recorded it, and sure every drunk guy who’s been to a pub before will request it, but who cares? It’s Paddy’s day and there’s no truer drinking song and no better song to let loose and sing wildly with a bunch of strangers.

2. Danny Boy

This song is a cliche for a reason as there are few ballads more lovely. Though I find it interesting that this is the song that Americans identify with the Irish, but many emigres don’t learn it until they get to America (though this is probably less true now than a couple of decades ago).

3. Fields Of Athenry

A song about the famine, Athenry is to the Irish what Americans think Danny Boy is to the Irish.

4. The Wild Rover

If Whiskey InThe Jar is the ultimate rowdy, dance-about drinking song, then The Wild Rover is the ultimate glass-swayer.

5. Finnegan’s Wake

And one more raucous number to go out on. Possibly the most famous funeral this side of Good Friday (well, technically it would have been Saturday I s’pose), based on the work of Ireland’s leading literary light. Does it get any better? I submit that it does not.

Michel Monday: Björk – Hyper-Ballad

 [Michel Mondays were instantiated and explained here.]

More fantastic oddness from Michel and Björk.

More Paddy’s Preparation: The Raggle Taggle Gypsy by Planxty

One day left. Get yourself ready.