Jessica Savitch

I'm not a YouTube addict (really, I swear!) but it's amazing what you can find there. Something got me thinking about the famous NBC News update where anchor Jessica Savitch went on the air while under the influence of drugs. I searched and found the clip, although 19 seconds have been edited out. (Interestingly, the YouTube clip linked at the end of this Savitch bio has been pulled.)

She was a talented anchor considered a "superstar," but she battled personal demons which affected her career. Her story is kind of fascinating, and sad, and this clip is eerily fascinating, and sad. Savitch died tragically in a car accident, unrelated to her drug use, a few weeks after her infamous broadcast. She was the subject of a Lifetime movie in 1995.

Geico

This commercial has been out for a while, but for some reason I can't get the jingle out of my head today! The brilliance of Burt Bacharach, even in a parody.

I didn't want to dwell, but...

Yeah, I know. I said in my previous post that I didn't want to dwell on the events of 9/11. But with the 5th anniversary, I've been thinking a lot about that day and the subsequent weeks. It sticks with me. And I don't think that's a bad thing.

For the music fans out there, here are a couple videos I found that remind me of the days and weeks following 9/11.

The first one is a video of Bruce Springsteen singing his powerful song, "My City of Ruins." This version is actually a live duet with Sam Moore of "Sam & Dave" fame. There are other versions on YouTube (including some post-Katrina versions, another event for which this song became an anthem), but I like the raw energy and soul displayed here.

The entire Springsteen album, "The Rising," draws from 9/11, and it's one heck of an album. This song in particular, for me, simultaneously captures the anguish and the hope of the days following the tragedy. Sam Moore and Bruce Springsteen, Asbury Convention Hall, 12/7/2003:



Another video I'll always associate with 9/11 is Maxwell's "Lifetime." After the 11th, MTV halted regular programming for a few weeks, and returned to its roots by almost exclusively airing music videos. One video in heavy rotation was this great neo-soul song from Maxwell. I don't know if it's the song's slow groove, thoughtful and optimistic lyrics, or the video's blurred images of NYC, but this one made an impression. I always think of the strange tepidity of September 2001 when I hear or see it. A favorite of mine.

Another HC Clip

This one isn't sports-related, but I thought it was sort of interesting nevertheless. Someone shot video at this year's Commencement ceremony at the College and posted it to the web. The lyrics in the background song aren't 100% clean, but it's not a vulgar song in my opinion. Sounds like the Fugees.

HC Hockey Video

Here's a YouTube video of the HC hockey team's AHA title game victory over Bentley from this past spring. This win sent them on to the NCAA's where history was made! (That just doesn't get old.)