On the way home last night, I attended a lecture in Vanderbilt’s new Martha Rivers Ingram Center for the Performing Arts by author and UCLA professor Jared Diamond, winner of a history Pulitzer for Guns, Germs & Steel. Diamond also is an entertaining, witty lecturer with a stereotypically disheveled professorial appearance. He didn’t cover much new ground for those who have read his book, but did present an enjoyable 45-minute recap of the 13,000 years it covers. I’m a fan of the book and now of the author. And of the new 600-seat concert hall for Nashville.

I’ve attended only one Super Bowl. The Wall Street Journal today has an article about that very same Super Bowl. It’s a “where are they now” story about all the dot.com companies who ran advertisements during the game. Since I attended the game in person, I missed all those commercials. Super Bowl XXXIV is regarded as one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever. I know that evening must have been exciting for those advertisers, as well. Today, many of them are regretting that evening as much as Kevin Dyson.

Since the WSJ article today does not mention who played in the Super Bowl with all the dot.com ads, I thought I would supplement their coverage with a “where are they now” update on the two teams.

Where Are The Super Bowl XXXIV Teams Now?”

The Saint Louis Rams

The Tennessee Titans

I’ll watch Sunday’s game for the commercials. I’m waiting until next season before watching any more football.

While working on a writing project regarding the State of the Union Address, I ran across this piece in today’s Wall Street Journal by Peggy Noonan, who wrote the book on what makes a good speech. Not surprisingly, the former Reagan and Bush I speech-writing virtuoso, liked W’s message the other evening:

Quote:

In the old days elite opinion held that Mr. Bush was a scripted trust-fund dullard whose rise was greased by luck and birth. Those were the days. Those of us who stood with Mr. Bush then were a small and hardy band of criticized contrarians. It was fun. We had secret handshakes and everything. Now everyone’s in on the act.

It is not, in general, good for presidents to be so universally praised. Politicians are made dizzy by love. They lose their edge, their purpose, and coast. But Mr. Bush has earned this support, and in any case wartime is a good time to unify behind a president–particularly this war, particularly this president.