Simply Amazing

Believe it or not, there were other things happening in the world on Sunday other than the AFC and NFC Championship Games, but not much.  Amazingly enough, the games themselves went pretty much as I had predicted last weekend with the Denver Broncos dominating the New England Patriots in Denver.  The game was not as close as the final score indicates as the Patriots did not score their first Touchdown until desperation time half way through the fourth quarter.  By then it was too little, too late as Peyton Manning and the Broncos prevailed over Tom Brady and the Patriots 26-16.  This perhaps puts to rest forever the persistent rumor that Tom Brady is 'the second coming of Christ in cleats'.  Meanwhile in the late game, the Seattle Seahawks did their duty is dispatching the despised San Francisco Forty-Niners in a more closely contested game.  In fact, Seattle was down 10-3 at the half before out scoring the Forty-Niners in the second half on the strength of 3 Colin Kaepernick turnovers.  The last turnover came with just 22 seconds left in the game on an interception in the End Zone to preserve the victory for the Seahawks 23-17.  This sets up Super Bowl XLVIII in New York on February 2 although everyone and their brother knows that the game will actually be played in New York's red headed stepchild across the river in New Jersey.  I do not expect sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seahawks to out play Peyton Manning and the Broncos in the big game.  I am hoping for a Peyton Manning/Denver Broncos victory to cap off the amazing season that they have had. 

While waiting for game time, I spent some quality time with my news feeds and on You Tube where I found some pretty amazing things.  Let's begin with this amazing letter by Gay Dad Rob Watson writing in the Huffington Post in response to Utah Right Wing Nut Trestin Meacham's latest childish outburat of homophobia.  You will remember Meacham as the man who is another one of those brainwashed Mormon zealots went on a hunger strike to protest the striking down of the Gay Marriage ban in Utah.  As long as we are talking rabid homophobia, the sour note of the weekend was played by Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Putin was offering more new assurances to gay athletes and fans attending the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics next month. Yet he defended Russia's anti-gay law by equating gays with pedophiles and said Russia needs to "cleanse" itself of homosexuality if it wants to increase its birth rate.  How is torturing and killing its LGBT citizens going to make Russian heterosexuals increase the rate of their fucking to procreate?  His statement was amazing in its utter stupidity.

Oh, yes, it is Martin Luther King, Jr day here in the US today, honoring the lasting contribution to Civil Rights by Dr King.  On this day celebrating Dr King, the Huffington Post also wanted to acknowledge some under-appreciated activists who also sacrificed their lives for the causes they so vehemently believed in who are now gone but not forgotten.

Leaving the printed word for the world of video on You Tube, I found some pretty amazing things going on there.  Let's start with a heartwarming and touching performance at a recent Christian Praise-fest in New Hampshire.  I know that a lot of you around the world are not of the Christian faith, however this is an amazing performance by 10 year old Christopher Duffley.  Christopher was born blind and autistic, yet his simple faith was beautifully expressed in his performance of one of my favorite contemporary Christian anthems, Open the Eyes of My Heart.  Embedding of the video has been disabled so you will have to listen to Christopher on You Tube by clicking on the link above.  

Then I found this amazing and devastating three part TSN Documentary on Homophobia in Pro Sports as presented on ESPN's Sports Center entitled ReOrientation.  It is not that long, but well worth the listen:

Traveling down under, I found that in the 2013 edition of the Australian Version of The X Factor, 14 year old Jai Waetford was amazing all season long. In his audition after singing his selection, Judge Ronan Keating asked him to sing one of his own compositions. He sang 'Don't Let Me Go' and blew the judges and the audience away. He sang it again in the final round which is the first song here. The other song presented here is also from the final round and is a song written specifically for him as what would be his debut single on Sony Records if he were to win the X Factor, 'Your Eyes'.  Unfortunately, Jai did not win the competition, but I think we shall be hearing more from this amazing young man in the near future.  Take a listen:

Then in another touching and heartwarming video,  it is once again proven that one person's trash is another person's treasure.  This video tells the story of one of the poorest slums in Paraguay which is built on a land fill.  The people in Cateura recycle the things found in the landfill then sell them to supplement their income.  One man who does that one day found the body of a violin which he then reclaimed and refurbished, giving it to a child who wanted to learn to play it.  Thus was born the La armonía del vertedero - Orquesta de Instrumentos Reciclados de Cateura, known more simply in English as the Landfillharmonic Orchestra.  The video is in Spanish with English Subtitles and will amaze and inspire you.  

This week on Monday With Mozart features Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216 recorded live by the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel, conductor and featuring Hilary Hahn as the Violin Soloist.  A glimpse into the audience reveals what appears to be the Pope in attendance.  You can also find Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 1 in B flat major, KV 207 with a performance by the  Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, Eduardo Marturet, conducting featuring Emmy Verhey as the Violin Soloist posted on my tumblr.

Finally on this day of amazing finds on the Internet is this stunning collection of marvelously muscly men in their finest Monday's Undies lounging about the page below for your visual appreciation.  You can also cruise over to my tumblr where you will find the Hottie of the Day!.  Thanks for sharing a part of this amazing day with me, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!