It’s been shark week at my house. No, I have not been collecting on any debts that I have with people who owe me money… because no one owes me any money. I don’t think I could ever be the sea worthy predator that loans money to people. I like people too much. And to you Discovery Channel viewers who are contemplating writing me to call me a liar, I did say at my house. My visit to the library this past week scored a copy of a Shark Week DVD. I’ve always missed it in the past. So the opportunity to spend a few hours in front of the television to watch and learn about sharks, well, that’s just pretty damn cool.
Something happened though, when I put the DVD in. I don’t mean that the DVD loaded and started as normal. Ok, it did that, but what I am referring to is the commercial for the Discovery Channel that started playing after the DVD loaded. I wasn’t expecting that… sigh. Fine, I suppose that if I had really thought about it then I would have expected it. The ad/commercial thingy was what got to me though. It was my first time seeing this ad, and I just loved it. Here, check it out:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5BxymuiAxQ]
Click here if video did not load.
Was it the cute little jingle, or the eclectic images and people singing? Sure those things help. It think it’s the statement at the end is what sums up what I love most about the ad, which is, “The world is just… awesome.” Plus, I got to see Stephen Hawking singing “boom-de-ah-da” through his voice synthesizer in a lecture hall. That alone makes me tingle in my bulbous area, and I’m not sure what the hell that even means. All I know for certain, it just makes me happy!
Oh! I just noticed the time… it’s officially Valentine’s Day, the day of love. Unless your pagan then its about the interaction of one’s naughty bits with another individual’s naughty bits… which can definitely be part of the present day celebration, but the focus is more on the love as opposed to the loving of the lover. The present day celebration is not as, say, communal, as the pagan celebration originally was either.
Before the spread of Christianity, an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia took place every February 15. The festival honored Juno, the Roman goddess of women and marriage, and Pan, the god of nature. The Romans celebrated their feast of Lupercalia as a lovers’ festival for young people. Young men and women chose partners for the festival by drawing names from a box.
After the spread of Christianity, churchmen tried to give Christian meaning to the pagan festival. In 496, Pope Gelasius changed the Lupercalia festival of February 15 to Saint Valentine’s Day February 14. But the sentimental meaning of the old festival has remained to the present time. This is all according to the Valentine’s Day section in a 1966 World Book Encyclopedia. Why the hell am I sharing Valentine’s Day history with you from a 1966 World Book Encyclopedia? Makes me wish I had a damn good answer. Let’s go with, I didn’t have a 1969 “Summer of Love” edition so I went with the next closed year I could get… and it’s what the site I found referenced as its source when I Googled it.
Sure Valentines Day is a day of, for, and about lovers, but it’s also a day of love. A day where we remember the love we have for others. I don’t mean romantic love here, but a love for the people in your life that you really do love and that make life worth loving. And in juxtaposition with that, as the song goes, “I love the whole world. It’s such a brilliant place.”
Happy Valentine’s Day, I love you all… and in the words of the great Steven Wright, “It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it.” Cheers.
What do you think about today?
Image Sources:
Google Images, key words: world, Valentine’s Day, and love you all.
This ad is awesome!!!!! I luv it! =D
One more time as a brazilian portuguese speaker, I didn’t understand the part about sharks and money. HAHAHAHAHA!!!
Living and learning.
So… What do I think about valentine’s day?… The valentine’s day in BR is in another month. So we don’t have this celebration in February. Here is Carnaval! And for many people means getting drunk, make out to as many people as they possibly can and listening to awful songs. For me it means a week off from work, chilling and meeting very good friends in bbq parties.
Well in that case have a grand Carnival and enjoy Valentine’s Day once you get to it. 🙂
Hmm…Valentines Day…well, it started off with cold and with a slight dusting of snow, which is great because it meant I could build a fire. Midday the fire roars and our master living room is cozy and ripe for something special to brew. My Daughter is on the floor with me playing with her favorite toy-a rattle bell thingy that in all honesty looks like a…er, well a penis. I have told the wife about this and she thinks I am just old and perverted, which is partially true but it a totally different way. Anyway, on the tip of this *bell* are four little multi-colored balls which frankly looks a lot like herpes or warts. This has nothing to do with my V-day story, but someone, other than me, must get on board with this thing. There are children out there being advocated for naughty things long before their time. For those of you interested, I can put a photo on my Facebook and let you decide for yourself.
So, the baby goes down for the count around noon-her normal time to count sheep-and I await the wife by the fire. I wait for a time and follow this exercise with another round of waiting. The wife emerges from the bedroom with our child in arm and very much awake. So, to say that this is not just a day for romance but a day of observance for Love is true, because there is nothing more loving than the gentle smile and embrace of my Daughter. That being said, children are the reapers of romance so get it out of your system before tossing that bread in the oven.
🙂
Valentines day is now about commercialism and making as much money as you can from selling stupid cards, flowers, balloons and teddies – and NO I didn’t get any!
I love you buddy!
That is one of my favorite commercials. Then again, the discovery channel is also one of my favorites. But you already knew that.
/bow
Thank you. Thank you.
/blows kisses
/takes another bow