NASCAR RACISTS!

I now have a part time job vending drinks and snacks at sporting events. A little over a week ago I did a Cleveland Browns preseason game and I did the Michigan 400 Nascar Race. The Browns game was a lot of fun but the Nascar race was one of the weirdest experiences in my life. Turns out the people that hired me never bothered to say that it was so loud you went deaf after just a few laps. They also did not tell me that Nascar is the only major sporting event where you can bring your own food and alcohol in. Turns out the guy selling you beer and hot dogs at the ball game is only making tips and commission. Remember kids, as you tip on Earth so shall you be tipped in Heaven.

With all the bus riding and prep work I ended up spending about 17 1/2 hours of my life on this Nascar race. I sure didn't make enough to justify all of my life that was spent at what was basically a festival celebrating gasoline.

If you like car racing I'm not trying to diss what you like but for me it felt like I was in Hell with 350,000 people that were paying to be there. Certainly Hell is a lonesome place but if I had to go I'd rather be alone than with people who were constantly cheering all of the flames and whatnot.

All this brings me up to today's song. As car racing is our most southern sport the Drive By Truckers are our most southern band. Here's their race car song:

Drive By Truckers--Daddy's Cup Mp3

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The Thous!

Here are a couple of versions of wonderful hymns that you may not have heard.

There is nobody that the blogosphere loves more than Sufjan Stevens and this is from his unreleased but not that hard to find Christmas record (although it's not thought of as a Christmas song). But I have to hand it to Sufjan because this is just the 2nd Christmas record I have, the first being John Denver and the Muppets. Actually I also have the cassette soundtrack to "The Muppet Christmas Carol". So I guess Sufjan made the first non-muppet Christmas record I have.

Sufjan Stevens--Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing Mp3

The 2nd one is from Pedro The Lion's "The Only Reason I Feel Secure" which is not a Christmas album. "Be Thou My Vision" might be my favorite hymn ever. It is from a traditional Irish melody and a version of the lyric has been traced back to the 8th century. I remember a discussion with a church musician and he said that modern Christian music was written with a planned obsolescence, that they would be so poppy that they would sound dated within 5 years. It seems a little counterintuitive to write disposable songs about an eternal God.

Pedro The Lion--Be Thou My Vision Mp3

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Both of these artists work is available on emusic.com which is how I buy 90% of my music. Click the sidebar for a free trial and they will send me $6! It's a great service and far and away the cheapest way to get music without stealing it.