Please understand that the video clips in today’s post may contain graphic images that are not suitable for all viewers.

In what remains one of the most poignant and respectful advertisements I have ever seen, Budweiser’s Superbowl Commercial following the September 11th attacks doesn’t have a single word spoken and yet it says so very much.

LIVE has always been one of my favorite bands, but the lyrical beauty of "Overcome" and the seemingly undeniable relevance to what happened on that day in September makes me sometimes ashamed to consider myself a writer.  The most ironic part of the song is that it was written before 9/11.  This video was created as a tribute to the emergency workers alongside whom I was blessed enough to work on those tragic days.

I can still remember the first time the numbness wore off for me personally and I was able to cry.  It was when a well-known Canadian singer delivered the most beautiful, reverent, respectful and heartfelt rendition of "God Bless America" I have ever heard.  Celine Dion was subjected to some public outcry for it though to this day I can never understand why.

It is a day that many around the world will never - and should never - forget.  On this day please take a moment to remember and to be thankful.

These three videos represent three such songs and I am certain that you will not be disappointed.

"May He Poop?"

This one has to be at the top of my list because of the sheer creative genius behind the video itself.  YouTube User Ben174 really went above and beyond in translating this Bollywood song and video into easy to understand English.  Of course the translation is not even close to the actual lyrics but that just makes it even more fun to watch!

"With a Little Help from My Friends", Joe Cocker

Joe Cocker (God love him) has one of the most easy to misunderstand voices in the world, so you can imagine how easy it is to poke fun at him when he performed the classic tune "With a Little Help from My Friends" at Woodstock of all places.  I am not implying that Mr. Cocker was partaking of any recreational substances at the time (heaven forbid), but perhaps if he had, we might be able to better comprehend exactly what it was he was trying to say.  Thanks be to YouTuber jakepride for this unforgettable gem.

The Nipple Song

What can I really say about this one other than to warn you that you should not be drinking anything when you watch, otherwise your computer monitor may suffer the consequences of YouTube User woodbulb’s brilliant translation of another Indian song and video.

If you were around and old enough to watch television, it is unlikely that you could ever forget this classic snafu from the 2004 Democratic National Convention where we hear producer / director Don Mischer just trying to get some more damned ballons.  Someone really should have told him his mic was live on CNN at the time…and I mean before he dropped the F-bomb.

This clip is even better though, with the normally stoic Sam Donaldson in Atlanta covering the DNC from 1988.  You just have to watch, I can’t really explain it without giving it all away.

It would of course be number one on the charts.

Here’s a little insider information from Bob Geldof’s web site:

The recording studio gave Band Aid 24 hours free to record and mix the record on 25 November 1984. The recording took place between 11am and 7pm and was filmed to release as the pop video. The first track to be put down was drums by Phil Collins including the memorable opening ‘African Drum’ beat. Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet was the first to record his vocal while a section sung by Status Quo was deemed unusable and replaced with the Paul Weller/Sting/Glen Gregory section. Paul Young has admitted since in a documentary that he knew his opening lines were written for David Bowie who was not able to make the recording but made a contribution to the B-side. Boy George arrived last at 6pm after Geldof woke him up by phone to have have him flown over from New York on Concorde to record his solo part.

Years later - 20 years later to be exact, Band Aid 20 would re-record and release a new version of "Do They Know Its Christmas?" sung once again by hot young artists of the day.  While the song and video did gain some popularity it would never touch the amazing success of the original version.  Still it is worth a watch and a listen, especially for those of us who remember the original so clearly and fondly.

The stars appearing in the USA For Africa "We Are the World" song and video, in order of appearance, are:

• Lionel Richie
• Stevie Wonder
• Paul Simon
• Kenny Rogers
• James Ingram
• Tina Turner
• Billy Joel
• Michael Jackson
• Diana Ross
• Dionne Warwick
• Willie Nelson
• Al Jarreau
• Kenny Loggins
• Steve Perry
• Daryl Hall
• Huey Lewis
• Cyndi Lauper
• Kim Carnes
• Bob Dylan
• Ray Charles
• Quincy Jones (Director)

At the time of his unfortunate death in January of this year he had completed nearly twenty films and played roles on television for over a decade.  At 16 in his native Australia, Ledger acted on a television series called Sweat as a gay cyclist.  Barely eighteen, Heath starred in a short-lived Fox series called Roar.  In this clip you can see just how developed he was as an actor at such a tender age:

Proving his underused vocal chops was no small feat either, but in his first major (American released) film 10 Things I Hate About You, Heath Ledger sings the song "Can’t Take My Eyes Off You" with the help of the high school marching band to the unsuspecting object of his affections:

Here is a short interview for what is largely considered Heath Ledger’s breakout role, playing opposite Mel Gibson in The Patriot:

It was in 2005 though that the world was truly forced to stand up and take note of the actor when he portrayed Ennis Del Mar, a gay rancher in love with a rodeo cowboy in the critically acclaimed Brokeback Mountain.  The movie trailer alone was enough to spark quite a controversy:

In what would be one of his last interviews, Heath Ledger talks about his role as Joker in the current box office smash The Dark Knight:

Happy Sunday everyone, and welcome to this edition of “Today in History” for July 20th.

Happy 61st birthday to rock guitar legend Carlos Augusto Alves Santana who was born on this day in 1947 in Autland, Mexico.  In this clip taken at Woodstock (1969), Santana performs “Soul Sacrifice”:

Actress Natalie Wood, who drowned in 1981, was also born on this date in 1938.  Well known for her starring role in “West Side Story”, her vocals were actually dubbed over and re-recorded by Marni Nixon unbeknownst to Miss Wood at the time.  In this video clip, we get the opportunity to hear some of Natalie Wood’s original vocal tracks before they were edited and replaced:

In 1969, as the world watched breathlessly, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin landed the lunar module Eagle on the moon and took the first steps on the moon.  In this clip from NASA, we are taken through the process from the approach through the first step on the surface when Neil Armstrong first said the now famous words “that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”:

For the first time in America, spectators in 1859 were charged an admission fee to see a baseball game.  Fifty cents got you in to see Brooklyn play New York, and 1500 fans willingly paid the fee.  Today, I’d be happy to get a hot dog for that price!

1940 - Billboard released its first singles chart, with Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra’s "I’ll Never Smile Again" taking the top slot. This video clip includes the music from the 1959 version which remains my favorite to this day.  No one will ever top old blue eyes!

This is not a film for people who want to see the bubblegum pop culture version of the bat, instead Christopher Nolan took things in a much darker and more sinister direction, and one that focused less on Christian Bale’s impeccable second round as Batman and more on Heath Ledger’s  near certain Oscar-worthy performance as Joker.

I can’t help but wonder if the film would have had the same impact had Ledger not died so soon after shooting, but the flick is worth the money nonetheless.

In a continuation of the darkness begun in Nolan’s first directorial attempt in the series, The Dark Knight does succeed as a love story, but not in the way that so many chick flick fans might have hoped.

It should also be noted that the lesser characters in the film, portrayed by Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, should have had more face time though it is not enough of a deal breaker to make me say anything negative whatsoever about the movie.

Also missing for devoted Batman geeks was the usual array of new Bat gadgets, though the few that were present were definitely worth the wait.

All in all The Dark Knight, especially when coupled with the prior entry Batman Begins, shows promise for a renewed strength in the already thriving franchise that should be on the big screen for many years to come.

Have you seen it yet?  Leave a comment with your opinions!

On this day in 1955, the perpetual phenomenon known as Disneyland was opened to the public.

Through the magic of television, the progress of the park’s historic building was revealed to an awe-struck viewing audience.

Who could have imagined the tremendous impact that this park and the Disney company itself for that matter, could have such an amazing impact on the entire world?  It has changed the face of pop culture time and time again and there is little doubt that it will continue to do so well into the future.

Even before the beginnings of Disneyland, Walt Disney was already a regular fixture in front of the American people, as evidenced by this tour through the Disney Studios taken in 1937.

Who could forget the original Mickey Mouse Club?  Well I wasn’t alive at the time but I remember watching the episodes when I was little when they were aired again.  In this one, we learn about the Mousketeers who want to be firemen:

Then of course there was the revival of the MMC that brought us the talents of Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Keri Russell and Ryan Gosling.  Here’s a clip that features Ryan, Justin and Christina singing the eighties song “Faithful�?:

What is your favorite Disney memory?  Is there a video on YouTube that goes along with it?  Leave a comment and share yours with the rest of us so we can all wax nostalgic together!

Now its time to say goodbye to all our company…

M-I-C (see ya real soon!)
K-E-Y (Why?  Because we like you!)
M-O-U-S-E!

MadTV is known for their hilarious looks at regular life and pop culture, and this first example reminds me of so many experiences I’ve personally had that it took me a few minutes to stop laughing long enough to copy the code.

With all the giant sized and super sized meals, MadTV comes to the rescue again with their own idea, this time it is their take on McDonald’s with the new Fat Ass meals:

Proving that no fast food restaurant chain is safe from their spoofs, MadTV once again goes on the offensive, this time targeting none other than the pizza mega mall, Pizza Hut and their “rip and dip�? pizza and breadstick combos:

Even the slowest of the fast food joints can find themselves in the Mad TV cross hairs from time to time, as evidenced by this great spoof of an Olive Garden commercial:

Fast food might not be healthy, but it is fast, cheap and there is no doubt it can be funny!  Big thanks to the folks at Mad TV for keeping it real and telling it like it is!