The Feel-Good Story of the Year from the Utah Jazz...

If you are a Utah Jazz fan, you have already heard of Sundiata Gaines. In fact, if you are a basketball fan, you should have heard of Sundiata Gaines. If you watch ESPN or any other sports station or highlight show, you most definitely have heard of or seen Sundiata Gaines. You've all seen the shot (and if you haven't, you'll get to, just hang with me for a second). But there is more to the story than a rookie dropping a three-point bomb on King James and his Cavs. Let me help you feel good about the world in which we live, at least for a little bit.

First, watch this:


Now, watch this (and feel free to jump up, scream, cheer, whatever):


Great story kid. Way to be. I'm sure your mom is proud of you. Heck, I'm proud of you and I don't even know you. I guess that is why we love sports. What can I say? Sign the kid to a contract. He is the most exciting thing that the Jazz have going this year. Go get 'em rookie!

Further Proof of BYU's Extreme Class

BYU crushes the Air Force Academy nearly every time we face the Falcons in a major NCAA sport but, when we crush them, we do it with love and hearts full of resepct:



Thanks Air Force! We love and appreciate you guys. When it comes to sports, we want BYU to win. When it comes to real fights and battles, we want you to be victorious with little or no harm to yourselves and/or your families and loved ones.

For Classy BYU Fans...

Who needs words when a picture will suffice:



Don't worry Max. We are classy, we will stay classy, and we will always be classy. It is who we are.

A Politically Correct Christmas...

I would attribute this but I don't know who to attribute it to. I have found it on numerous websites and various message boards. As an employment attorney, I found the the union/organized labor references and the equal employment references particularly entertaining.

-------

Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves",
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.
And labor conditions at the North Pole,
were alleged by the union, to stifle the soul.

Four reindeer had vanished without much propriety,
released to the wilds, by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear,
that Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his beautiful sleigh,
because the ruts were deemed dangerous by the EPA,
And millions of people were calling the Cops,
when they heard sled noises upon their roof tops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe, had his workers quite frightened,
and his fur trimmed red suit was called "unenlightened".

To show you the strangeness of today's ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose.
He went to Geraldo, in front of the Nation,
demanding millions in over-due workers compensation.

So...half of the reindeer were gone, and his wife
who suddenly said she'd had enough of this life,
joined a self help group, packed and left in a whiz,
demanding from now on that her title was Ms.

And as for gifts...why, he'd never had the notion
that making a choice could cause such commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur...
Which meant nothing for him or nothing for her.
Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot,
Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls and nothing for just boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific,
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacifistic.

No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish upon the truth.
And fairy tales...while not yet forbidden,
were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden,
for they raised the hackles of those psychological,
who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.

No baseball, no football...someone might get hurt,
besides - playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist and should be passe.
and Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.

So Santa just stood there, disheveled and perplexed,
he just couldn't figure out what to do next?
He tried to be merry he tried to be gay,
but you must have to be careful with that word today
His sack was quite empty, it was flat on the ground,
nothing fully acceptable was anywhere to be found.

Something special was needed, a gift that he might,
give to us all, without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy - with no indecision,
each group of people in every religion.
Every race, every hue,
everyone, everywhere...even you!
So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...

"MAY YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES, ENJOY PEACE ON EARTH"


Cartoon Credit: Glenn Foden, CultureAndMediaInstitue.org. Archive available [HERE]

Max Weinberg's Mormon Song

Conan O'Brien is awesome. It's true. I'll provide proof. You may have heard the Orrin Hatch recently released a Hanukkah song. Senator Hatch has released several full length albums and I think that that Hanukkah song was an excellent idea (the song itself is absolutely horrible -- but the idea of the song was a good idea).

Conan O'Brien, being the fine Irish Catholic that he is, got together with Max Weinberg, his Jewish bandleader, and they came up with a Mormon Christmas song to thank Senator Hatch for his Hanukkah song. And the catchy tune goes something like this:



Catchy no? I didn't know that Ziggy was Mormon. But I do have to say, well done. This clip will be watched millions of times in the State of Utah over the coming weeks.

Dear Max Hall - All Is Forgiven!

It is so nice to be on the winning side of the Holy War. I love the stuff that is coming out. It seems like every other email I get has a great picture or video included. Here is another one for your viewing pleasure.



It's true. It is all true. Especially the part about Gordon Monson (in my opinion at least). I'll tell you what. I can get used to a year of this. Thank you Andrew George!

Let the Poster Contest Begin!

As BYU fans, we've been starved for the last 365 days. Finally, we have the opportunity to let our creative sides come out in gentle mockery of our friends who happen to be Ute fans:



Feels good doesn't it? Here's to 363 days of more of the same.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Quick installment tonight. We are in the process of setting up Christmas and it is fun. I love Christmas. I really love Christmas lights. We have several new additions to our light parade this year. I don't have an excellent video yet but I wanted to give everyone a quick taste, so here you go:



Notice the awesome snowman on the porch (a birthday present to me from Sara's parents). Then we've got the candy-cane sticks that actually glow red (it is hard to see them because it was still light outside when I took the video) and the cool snowflakes that have all sorts of different patterns and display settings. Of course, we have icicle lights all over the house as usual. We'll be sure to post more of our awesome Christmas decorations as we polish them off.

And So It Begins...

BYU Fans For Utah...

For the first time this year, our porch was graced with competing flags. Our neighbors across the street, the Wrights, have been stalwart BYU-flag fliers all year. Admittedly, I missed a couple of early weeks but, after several other neighbors asked me where the BYU flag went, I've been more diligent. I got my flag out bright and early today. Then, when I wasn't looking, Sara got her flag out too (it was classic because Kyle Wright, our neighbor across the street, got his flag out while Sara wasn't looking, which frustrated her because I think she was hoping that they might have forgotten):


Note that Sara's flag is much bigger than mine. Anyway, there are a lot of split families and friends when it comes to the BYU / Utah rivalry. Prior to getting geared up for the next two weeks of rival bashing, Doug Robinson, from the Deseret News, was trying to answer a preliminary question: Can BYU football fans root for (ick) Utah Utes?

The answer is, of course, yes. But not very often. But that is beside the point. Robinson's column is focused on whether it was okay to root for Utah over TCU (it is moot now since TCU rolled Utah just like TCU rolled BYU). I say yes; if Utah beat TCU then BYU would win the MWC championship (because, of course, BYU will beat Utah). In setting up this question, Robinson penned the following, which I found to be hilarious:

The question you face is this: For whom do you cheer — TCU or (ahem, ahem, gag, cough, spit) Utah?

Welcome to "Sophie's Choice Comes to Provo."

Who do you like this weekend — the Frogs or your dreaded, detested, sick-of-'em Utes?

For BYU Fan, this is a difficult weekend. It must be like choosing between Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid, Michael Moore or the swine flu, the firing squad or hanging, the BCS or the ACLU.

One of the three biggest lies in Utah County is about to be put to the test:

The first lie: I don't vote for the party, I vote for the person.

The second lie: I'm not going to get married until I finish school.

The third lie: I cheer for the Utes when they're not playing BYU.

Good stuff Mr. Robinson. Good stuff indeed. And just so you know: (1) I don't vote for the party, I vote against Curt Bramble; (2) I didn't get married until I finished school, twice; and (3) Ummmm... 5th Amendment please.