I just decided to post this because it’s a pretty sweet cover of The Band’s ‘The Weight” by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings with The Old Crow Medicine Show, one of my favorite bands, from a BBC broadcast from a couple years ago.
I hope you enjoy.
“The Weight,” smothered and covered
Posted in Music with tags "The Weight", BBC, David Rawlings, Gillian Welch, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Band on December 11, 2009 by macmysteryI triple-dog dare you
Posted in Humor, Odd with tags A Christmas Story, Christmas, Sunday School on December 9, 2009 by macmysteryThis is ironic because, somehow, we managed to discuss this particular scene from the greatest Christmas movie ever — A Christmas Story — in Sunday school class this past weekend.
And now, once again this year, someone has put the tongue-to-flagpole theory to the test, only to find themselves stuck.
Read here.
Jimmy V
Posted in Sports, Uncategorized with tags Arthur Ashe, Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award, Basketball, cancer, ESPN, Jim Valvano, N.C. State, The ESPYs on December 9, 2009 by macmysteryIf you watch ESPN at all, you would have had to have been under a rock the past week and a half to miss the replay of this speech. Every year at this time, it becomes a nightly ritual on the network during the Jimmy V Classic.
On March 3, 1993, former N.C. State basketball coach and ESPN basketball analyst Jim Valvano gave this speech at the ESPYs after receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award. His body was riddled with cancer and he knew his time was short.
And his speech was magnificent. It’s one of those television moments I never grow tired of seeing. I’m sure the people I work with don’t feel the same way. I’m sure they get tired of me turning the TV up every night to hear the speech when ESPN plays it. I don’t care.
In the speech, Valvano said he hoped to survive long enough to present the Ashe award the next year, but it didn’t happen. He fell victim to his cancer April 28, 1993.
Though he didn’t live much longer, there are two themes in his speech that have endured.
First, he very poignantly suggested how one could ensure they live each day to the fullest:
“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”
Then he closed the speech with this:
“Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever. I thank you and God bless you all.”
(Many mistakenly believe that his famous quote, “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up,” came in this speech. It did not. It came two weeks earlier, February 21, 1993, at N.C. State’s celebration of the 10th anniversary of Valvano’s 1983 NCAA Championship squad.)
Valvano’s entire speech can be found in a text version here.
I hope that should I ever be unfortunate enough to face an unforgiving disease like cancer, that I might have the grace and class that Valvano did.
Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award
The next Dick Weber
Posted in Family, Sports with tags bowling, Dick Weber, Dylan, Grandpa Bill, Loganville Ga., Oasis of Loganville, Sonic on October 19, 2009 by macmysteryI took Dylan on a long-promised bowling trip tonight with Grandpa Bill at the Oasis of Loganville, Ga.
He had a blast, bowling three games and even breaking the century mark (102) in the third game.
Of course, he had rails, but he’s 6 and he gets it. After an 80 and a 75 in the first two games, I told him his goal was an 80 in the third game.
He was easily on pace, with a 69 through eight frames, when he hit a strike — with no help from the rails, I might add — in the ninth frame, which brought cheers from the bowlers three lanes down.
Then he opened the 10th with a nine, and I knew if he got a spare, he would break 100. When he picked up the 10 pin, he got high fives from one of the girls from three lanes down.
Of course, after the strike and the awesome spare, he closed with an anti-climactic 3 in his final roll.
(Not that it matters, but I bowled a 117, cursed my shoes, removed the left one and finished with a 203 and a 188 wearing only one shoe.)
Dylan spent $1 on some ski-mobile spy-action video game, which was quite entertaining to watch, especially when he repeatedly ran into gates, trees, walls, buildings, etc. Then I took him to Sonic for an orange slush and popcorn chicken.
A great night.
Like your turkey organic?
Posted in Uncategorized with tags Clemson, Clemson Poultry Science Club, George Bush, Thanksgiving, turkey on October 19, 2009 by macmystery
Quick quiz: Who's the turkey in this picture?
The Clemson Poultry Science Club is offering 50 organic turkeys for sale this Thanksgiving.
Want to know more? Read here.
Raising Two Americans 