Blast from the Past: the Ultimate Levi's 501 Jeans Trailer

For all you former Newboldians, this commercial deserves another look. It came out in theaters during my year there, 1990-91, and it was soooo cool.

Later, during the Newbold Talent Show, Gunther and I spoofed this commercial. Gunther came riding into Assembly Hall riding a moped we had borrowed. Andrew Cox was at the front of the hall, wearing a Newbold Business Club sweatshirt and trying to pick up Suzanne Jean-Baptiste.

Gunther rides up, wearing his sunglasses and looking cool, pulls a Newbold Student Association sweatshirt out of his leather jacket, and gives it to Suzanne. She casts a scornfull look back at Andrew and got on the back of Gunther's moped.

Classic!

Good times, folks. Now those were good times, weren't they?

Blog Recommendation

I usually only link to friends' blogs, but there's one I'd encourage you to check out. Amar C. Bakshi has a new blog with the Washington Post called "How The World Sees America."

Having lived overseas for an extended period--and therefore caring very much that my country is a positive influence in the world (unlike the current administration), I find Bakshi's comments fascinating. Currently he's in Britain on the first leg of a trip that will take him back to his ancestral home of India (via Pakistan, no less).

So far, he has found a Manchesterian who admits he used to pretend to be an American sailor just to pick up girls in his home town (wouldn't work now, he admits). Bakshi also finds a group of drama students practicing their American accents (with mixed results).

In an interview with Prospect Magazine founder David Goodhart, Bakshi learns that the current anti-Americanism is temporary:

“This sentiment will disappear in five seconds,” [Goodhart] says, "when American leadership changes hands. "Come Obama, everything changes."

One can only hope! Even so, Obama, quickly come!

News Update

It's graduation season, so I don't have a lot of time to write.

I wanted to let you know that Jenny's brother, Johnathan, is now recuperating at home in Clinton, Tennessee. By all accounts, he has healed well, and he continues with his medication to allow his body to accept the new liver.

He stayed at our house the weekend before he went home. He has a huge scar across the top of his tummy--about 25 inches long. It's almost as wide as the grin on his face, I like to say. I'll include a picture of the George siblings to let you see the happy family for yourself.

U2 and Green Day for Comparison

This is the video of the original song--Jonah's version is below.

I just love this video. The song is great, and it tweaks the United States for its misguided priorities. What if National Guard and defense units had been on hand to bring relief to New Orleans in 2005? We'll never know.

As the closing scene states, "Not as seen on TV."

The Saints are Coming Jonah Style

We have this song on my "U218" CD, and Jonah just started singing it one night in the bathtub. I'll let you enjoy his version for yourself.