THE JEFF’S 38 COUNTDOWN
#1 – “How You Remind Me” by Nickelback: For the third consecutive year, the countdown wraps up with Nickelback on top. And each year the gap between this song and the other contenders is getting bigger. Next month I’ll be attending my first ever Nickelback concert, so I will look forward to hearing this song live for the first time. I dedicate this song to my daughter Allison who reminds me of me more and more every year. To those of you who have followed this countdown since it kicked off 38 days ago, I thank you, and hope that you have enjoyed it. Here is one final treat for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URVfBgRKyuA The Jeff’s Countdown now goes on a 326 day break. See you next January 12!!!
#2 – “Piano Man” by
Billy Joel: After dropping to #4
last year, Billy Joel makes a mini-comeback to land at #2 this year. This song had a long run at #1 in the Jeff’s
Countdown, 11 of 12 years from Jeff’s 24 through Jeff’s 35, but descended from
that lofty perch to #3 in Jeff’s 36, then to #4 this year. A big part of the comeback into prominence
for me was the time I spent in northern
#3 – “Photograph” by
Nickelback: This song gives Nickelback,
an already decorated artist in the Jeff’s Countdown, further distinction as
they become the first artist to have 2 different songs reach to the Top 3 in
the countdown. Their other song to break
the Top 3 of course is defending countdown champion, “How You Remind Me.” The 4 spot move for “Photograph,” also means
that John Melloncamp is no longer the only artist to
send 2 songs to the Top 5. Melloncamp saw “Jack and Diane” reach #2 in Jeff’s 23, and
“Pink Houses” reach #5 that same year. I
dedicate this song to my co-worker Kathy Gatch. A few months ago Kathy asked me permission to
take what I thought would be a single picture at the Oak Ridge Plant. Taking pictures in the manufacturing areas of
our plants is generally frowned upon, but I thought one picture wouldn’t
hurt. A day later Kathy came back with
about 500 pictures (no exaggeration) taken from all over the plant. Fortunately I didn’t get into too much trouble
for that, and it did give us a lasting record of what life was like in
#4 – “Beverly Hills”
by Weezer: After
rocketing up the countdown ranks, all the way up to #2 in just its third year
in the countdown, this song drops a couple of spots in its fourth year. Still a favorite, but not yet a #1 as some
may have predicted. I dedicate this song
to Taniece Redden.
Taniece is a second grader on my first and
second grade YMCA basketball team, the “Thundercats.” Last Friday night, Taniece
put up 20 points in our 24-11 victory over “the light blue team.” To give that performance some perspective, Taniece scored 83% of her team’s points. Compare that to Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point
game where he scored only 59% of his team’s points. Taniece may never
make it to
#5 – “Blurry” by Puddle of Mudd: The Top 5 kicks off with this perennially high ranked Jeff’s Countdown classic. It entered the countdown at #8 in Jeff’s 32, and then quickly rose to #6 the following year. In Jeff’s 34 it broke into the Top 5, and it hasn’t left since. I dedicate this one to former NFL quarterback, at least former for now that is, Brett Favre. The former Green Bay Packer has exhibited some blurry decision making both on the field an off. On the field, that blurry decision making has made him the NFL all-time leader in interceptions. Off the field he has retired and changed his mind several times. His initial decision to retire led the Packers to draft 2 quarterbacks in the 2008 draft, and promote the best young quarterback in the game today, Aaron Rodgers. So when the Packers traded Favre rather than given him his job back, I didn’t feel sorry for him. And when he led a late season implosion of the Jets that rivaled that of the Mets, I didn’t feel sorry for him then either. So now Favre has retired again. I hope for his sake that he doesn’t further tarnish his legacy by coming out of retirement again. Click here to view the video to this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGmrL2h8lrE
#6 – “Collide” by Howie Day: Howie continues his assault on this
countdown by moving up 8 spaces from last year’s #14 position. This song debuted at #20 in Jeff’s 35, and
steadily climbed each subsequent year, to 17, to 14, and now it cracks the Top
10. I dedicate this song to the families
and friends of the five students who died in the tragic events at
#7 – “Harder to Breathe” by Maroon 5: This song drops 2 spots to fall out of the Top 5. It debuted at #16 in Jeff’s 33, and then rocketed into the Top 10, to #9 the following year. After 2 years at #4, it dropped to #5 last year and now to #7 this year. I dedicate this one to Alex Rodriguez. If you are a baseball fan you likely know that earlier in the week a story came out in Sports Illustrated linking Rodriguez to steroid use earlier this decade. A day or two later he admitted to taking steroids during a three year period beginning in 2001. My feelings are mixed on this subject. If you look at his power numbers over those three years, you do see significant increases in home runs. However, there were no rules against performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball at that time, and in my opinion, hitting a baseball is the toughest thing to do in sports, and no amount of steroids can help you hit the ball. It may help you hit the ball farther, but you still have to hit the ball. Anyway, as I continue to ponder this subject, please check out the video to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkrwTfEBOvA
#8 – “Hate Me” by Blue October: In its third countdown year, “Hate Me” continues its slow and steady ascent up the countdown ranks. I dedicate this song to Michael Emerson who portrays Benjamin Linus on the television show Lost. Ben is the character everyone loves to hate… Take for instance last night’s episode when the typically tranquil Sun drew a gun on him. Lost has dropped to being my second favorite show, but now that the Oceanic Six are preparing to return to the island, I think it will get interesting again. To view the video to this song, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOziJi-1hHE
#9 – “Plush” by
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZouvJPA2ng
#10 – “Best of Times”
by
#11 – “What Goes Around… Comes Around” by Justin Timberlake: Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag. I am now on record as a Justin Timberlake fan. This is just one of the many JT songs I like, and it is my favorite. It became the first Timberlake song to break into the Jeff’s Countdown when it debuted at #17 last year. I dedicate this one to Robert Gaus. Robert is the son of my friend Doug Gaus. I played poker with the two of them a couple of weekends ago along with a few others. Playing no limit Texas Hold’em, Robert got the best of me on several early hands, then promptly began telling me how I should have played the hands I lost to him. Robert built himself a big chip lead, and even finished in third place in the early game. In the second game Robert again built a huge chip lead, and once again began talking to the rest of the table like he was Phil Helmuth or something. But what went around, came around, as Robert’s stack slowly disintegrated, he found himself out of the money in game 2, and was sent to bed prior to game 3. That’s when I took over. After some good lay-downs to keep me in the game, I launched a big comeback in the final game to finish with a first place. On the night I finished +15 while Robert finished -5. That’s me coming around Robert. And here is JT coming around: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKXm3Qg7sBo
#12 – “The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats: This is one of just two songs to have appeared in every edition of the countdown from Jeff’s 21 through Jeff’s 38. This is its fifth year in the #12 position, its most common countdown position through the years. It falls 4 spots from its #8 position last year. I dedicate this one to Jim Sullivan. I recently learned that Jim and I will be working at the same plant again after a few years of being apart. This could result in an “unsafe” condition for our co-workers. To view the video for this song, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcOZ6xFxJqg
#13 – “Pretty Vegas”
by INXS: Since Vegas in unlucky for
most folks (or else the casinos wouldn’t stay in business) it’s appropriate
that this song clocks in at unlucky #13 for a second straight year. It debuted at #34 in Jeff’s 35, then jetted up
the countdown to number 16 in Jeff’s 36.
The pace slowed last year when inched up to #13. I dedicate this song to
#14 – “The Distance” by Cake: Since being introduced to this song on March 23, 2006 by Chris Bowen, it has really grown on me. It has been in my regular rotation for 3 years now and I never get tired of it. Every time I hear this song, it makes me think of my favorite sport, cycling, and how I push myself to go the distance each time I ride. I know the song is about race car driving, and a metaphor at that, but in my world, it’s all about cycling. This is why I dedicate it to the greatest American cyclist of all time, Lance Armstrong, to honor his return to cycling this season. Not only is he returning to the sport, he is riding in more events this season than he ever participated in before his retirement. He already completed the Tour Down Under last month, and will ride in the Tour of California this month. To watch Cake go the distance, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__PU5CVSegg
#15 – “Meant To Live” by Switchfoot: After 3 year run in the Top Ten this song drop 9 spots in its fifth countdown year. I dedicate this song to Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden. The 82 year old Paterno has 383 total victories as a college football coach. The 79 year old Bowden has 382 victories. I am convinced that both coaches have forgone retirement simply because they want to outlast the other and become the all-time record holder. Now I am the most competitive person I know, but come on man… weren’t you guys meant to live for something more? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72FkCoJfhgU
#16 – “Whatever It Takes” by Lifehouse: This is a debut entry in the countdown for Lifehouse. They have had several “countdown contenders” over the years, but never quite broke through until this year. Past contenders included songs such as “Hanging by a Moment,” “You and Me,” and “First Time.” Perhaps the reason they finally broke through this year with “Whatever It Takes” is because the song has such special meaning to me. The song became popular around Easter time last year and coincided with a disagreement I had with my wife Cindy on Easter weekend. Due to my travel for work, we were apart for almost a week following that fight. I heard the song on the radio several times during that week, and each time I heard it I couldn’t help but think I would do whatever it takes to repair our relationship. In the end we did work out our differences, and now when I hear the song I think about last Easter and think to myself I’ll do whatever it takes not to repeat those circumstances. So I dedicate this song to Cindy. I will try my best to do whatever it takes to keep our relationship strong (not necessarily including driving you to see your mother this summer). Click here to see the implosion of several household items: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iawro7IfoCM
#17 – “It’s Not Over”
by Daughtry: Here
is the second and final entry in the countdown by a former American Idol
contestant. This song is in its second
year after debuting at #19 last year. I
like the original version of this song which is what led me to include it in
last year’s countdown. But I also like
the acoustic version of this song which led me to bring it back for a second
year. I dedicate it to Keifer Sutherland, star of 24, one of my favorite television shows. With Keifer’s
character, Jack Bauer, it is truly never over.
No matter how many times he is fired at, how many times he is taken
hostage, or how many car accidents he is involved in, he always seems to
survive. He’s been through quite a lot
in only 6 ½ days. Even though the show
isn’t what it once was in my opinion, I still have to watch it to see the fate
of Jack Bauer. I have to believe that
eventually the producers of the show are going to have Jack die, most likely in
a season finale. I just can’t believe he
can escape death that many times and remain alive when the series
concludes. I have to believe the show’s
writers and producers are going to legitimize things before the show ends. But then again, we don’t yet know because…
“it’s not over.” Click here to see the
video to the acoustic version of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHXJBJZBezI
#18 – “When I’m Gone”
by 3 Doors Down: The fact that this
song has been in the Jeff’s Countdown now for six years means that the current
conflict in Iraq has gone on now for nearly seven years. The song debuted in Jeff’s 33, in 2004,
almost a year after the start of the second Gulf War. I do support the
#19 – “American Boy”
by Estelle featuring Kayne West: Okay – before my sexuality comes into
question, let me just say up front that I like this song much more than any
straight man ever should. I mean I love
this song. I love to hear it and I love
to sing it – both the Kayne parts and the Estelle
parts. It’s a good thing I’m on hiatus
from Karaoke, or else I’d be embarrassing myself all over
#20 – “If Everyone Cared” by Nickelback: I like this song on several levels, but one reason I like it is because it really makes me wonder what life would be like if everyone really did care, if everyone really did love and if nobody lied. Would the world really be a better place? Or would it be boring? This song debuted at #21 last year, and this year it moves up just one tiny spot. I dedicate it to Anna Torv who plays the character Olivia Dunham in my new favorite television show, Fringe. Olivia is a very caring character which is one of the reasons the stories on the show are so compelling. Another compelling reason to watch of course is all the blood and guts. Fringe has recently replaced Lost as my current favorite show. I’m still a big fan of Lost, but I was a little disappointed with the season debut episode. Most of the people I talk to on a regular basis don’t watch Fringe which is too bad because it’s a really interesting and entertainingly show. And bonus – it only contains six minutes of commercials per episode! That’s less than twice the length of this song which you can listen to by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r_nbi_wgk4 (forgive the spelling errors…)
#21 – “Inside Out” by
Eve 6: Last year this song
celebrated 10 years in the countdown by moving into the #10 position in the All-Time Cumulative
Rankings for the Jeff’s Countdown.
With another year in the countdown it will move even higher in those
rankings, although it is losing a bit of momentum, as it slides into its lowest
ever countdown position at #21. I
dedicate this song to Alison Becker. As
the host of one of my favorite television shows, VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown, Alison knew the recording artists on
her show inside and out. I almost
stopped watching the show when former host Rachel Perry was replaced by Matt
“pinhead” Pinfield some 2+ years ago, but fortunately
VH1 execs must have realized how horrible Pinfield
was, as soon after they replaced him with Becker which brought me back to the
show. Now Becker has recently been
replaced by a new host Jim Shearer. So
far he has been okay, certainly better than Pinfield,
although even Tom Xu would probably be better than Pinfield. At this
time I would like to dedicate this song to Ms. Becker as a member of her
listening audience in thanks for her service on the show. You can watch the YouTube video to this song
by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2EE511FWsQ
#22 – “Nothing Left
to Lose” by Mat
#23 – “Original
Prankster” by Offspring: Here is a
song which has been a stalwart in the Jeff’s Countdown for the past 9
years. It debuted in Jeff’s 30 at #10, and
spent each of its first 7 years in the Top 10, peaking at #3 in Jeff’s 35. This year it drops 7 spots into its lowest
ever position. I dedicate this song to
the late John Ritter, who died unexpectantly 5 years
ago this past September. He was made famous
by the television show Three’s Company
in the late 70’s / early 80’s. It was
one of my favorite television shows as a child, and for a long time he was one
of my favorite actors. So mosey on down
to the Regale Beagle, have a drink in John’s memory, and watch the video clip
for this song on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5NAQBn7N_k
#24 – “Psycho” by
Puddle of Mudd: This song didn’t get
much air play on the stations I typically listen to, but I did happen upon it
while on one of my many trips in the car between Elkton, MD, and
#25 – "When It’s
Over" by Sugar Ray: It’s
finally over. The streak of 25 years
without a major sports championship, over 100 seasons among the 4
#26 – "Figured
You Out" by Nickelback: With
the #26 song, Nickelback becomes the first repeat artist in this year’s
countdown. It moves up one spot from its
#27 debut position last year. I dedicate
this one to Vincent Jackson of the San Diego Chargers. Going into Week 14 of the ESFFL season,
#27 – "Makes Me
Wonder" by Maroon 5: At this
time of the year two years ago, I was really wavering on my feeling about
Maroon 5. They hadn’t yet put out a
follow up album to their 2002 debut album, and I pretty much assumed they had
left the scene. But then in May of 2007
they finally released a second studio album, and with it came this song, which
quickly became one of my favorites. This
year, it moves up 2 spots from its #29 debut position in Jeff’s 37. I dedicate this song to former Tampa Bay
Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden. First of all I thank Gruden
for having his team ill-prepared to face the lowly Oakland Raiders in Week 17
of this past NFL season. By losing to
the Raiders, the Bucs lost the opportunity to make
the NFL playoffs. The opportunity was
seized by my favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles. As it turns out, it wasn’t a Superbowl season
for the Eagles, but at least the Bucs loss to the
Raiders gave Eagles fans a pretty interesting three game ride. The Bucs loss also
makes me wonder if Gruden really wanted to be fired
so he could get out of
#28 – "Dani
#29 – "No
Air" by Jordin Sparks featuring Chris Brown: With this debut entry, Jordin
Sparks becomes just the second former American Idol contestant to reach the
Jeff’s Countdown, following Chris Daughtry who
charted two singles in last year’s countdown.
I really like this song, and this artist, but is it just me or did she
just flip flop from being a New York Giants fan to an Arizona Cardinals
fan. Did anyone else notice this? Last year, as the daughter of former Giant Phillipe Sparks, she sang the National Anthem at the
Superbowl, and this year, as a resident of
#30 –
"Stolen" by Dashboard Confessional: Here is another sophomore song in the
countdown. This one moves up just one
spot from its debut position of a year ago.
I know this is a love song about a guy who had his heart stolen by a
girl, but for the purposes of telling a good story, I dedicate this song to
Jennifer Derrig, whose life was threatened over a few
stolen paper cups. The story begins
nearly two years ago, when W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., the company for
which I work, acquired another company, the company formerly known as Amesil,
in
#31 – "Rockstar" by Nickelback: Last year, Nickelback made Jeff’s Countdown
history by becoming the first artist to chart 5 different songs in one
countdown year. This year they are off
to another strong start with the return of “Rockstar,”
which moves up 2 spots from its debut last year. I am a big fan of the video for this song
which includes cameos from several celebrities, including Grant Hill, Wayne
Gretzky, and Nelly Furtado. I dedicate this song to Susan Sidoriak on her
birthday. Unfortunately the video has
been banned by YouTube. However, you can
still listen to the song by clicking here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRM2XgfSybI
#32 – "Wonderwall" by Oasis: After debuting in the Jeff’s Countdown in 1997 in the Jeff’s 26 Countdown, this song went on a 9 year hiatus before finally re-surfacing in the Jeff’s 35 Countdown. That was the year that “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day was popular, and I had planned on including that song in the countdown until I heard a remix of “Oasis vs. Green Day” (which you can hear by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXSMcmnDlwY). After hearing that remix I changed my mind and brought “Wonderwall” back into the countdown rather than give Green Day their breakthrough into the Jeff’s Countdown. “Wonderwall” gained momentum after that and is now in its fourth straight countdown, and fifth overall. I dedicate this song to Lisa Rizzo on her birthday, exactly one month prior to mine. Happy Birthday, Lisa! Enjoy the “Oasis only” version of this song by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAPtTS0TYtU
#33 – "Peace
Frog" by The Doors: One of the
most gratifying aspects of the Jeff’s Countdown for me is that I have been able
to pass this tradition onto my three daughters.
Each of them, ages 8, 6, and 2, conduct countdowns of their own each
year. It is rare when a song crosses
over from my countdown into one of their countdowns. One exception occurred a few years ago when I
went through my Avril Lavigne phase. A more recent exception occurred last year
when the song “Peace Frog” found its way into Courtney’s 6 Countdown, squarely
in between #3, “Irreplaceable” by Beyonce, and #1,
“Apologize” by
#34 – "Crazy" by Seal: This year marks the tenth anniversary for this song in the Jeff’s Countdown. It debuted at #23 in Jeff’s 29, and although it never climbed any higher than its debut position, it has been included in every countdown since then, and its longevity has earned “Crazy” a Top 20 position on the All-Time Cumulative Rankings for the Jeff’s Countdown. I dedicate this song to Kip Sturgill. Kip is a fellow member of the Greater Oxford Poker Tour, where we battle monthly for the coveted GOPT bracelet. At a recent GOPT event, Kip completed one of the most crazy-good poker moves I have ever witnessed when he talked an opponent into showing his hand before he officially made a call. After seeing he was beat, Kip coolly folded his hand and survived to play another round. After a few more hands he had completed an astonishing comeback to win the tournament. He did not win the bracelet that evening, but regardless he accomplished perhaps the best, and perhaps most controversial, poker move I ever witnessed. Here is a live rendition of “Crazy” for your viewing and listening pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBnz8l5uw7o&feature=related
#35 – "Here it Goes Again" by OK GO: In its third year in the countdown this song slips 15 spots from its #20 position of a year ago. Despite the fall, it remains one of my favorites if for no other reason than the creativity of the video. If you have never seen the video, you have to check it out by clicking on the link below. When you see the video for the first time you’ll ask yourself why no one ever thought of this idea before. Dancing on treadmills, what a concept! I dedicate this song to my good friend Ted Sidoriak in recognition of his fantasy football team, the collegeville house-of-pain, winning their 2nd ESFFL championship this past season. I must admit I’m a little bit jealous of the house-of-pain, since this championship leaves my team, the cecilcounty bayfoxes, as the only one of the three original ESFFL teams, which began play in 1994, to have not won multiple championships. The bayfoxes’ only championship came in 2002, although they have reached the finals on two other occasions. But Ted is very deserving so I must give him the props he deserves. Click here to watch OKGO on treadmills: http://geocities.com/cjrogers2002/blog.html?p=203#comment
#36 – "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay: Even though I’ve been caught humming “Clocks” and “Speed of Sound” many times over the past few years, this oddly enough is Coldplay’s breakthrough song in the Jeff’s Countdown. It was released during the Spring of last year and almost instantly became a favorite of mine. I dedicate this one to Plaxico Burress of the New York Football Giants. Plaxico, or as I like to call him Plaxicon, was viva-ing the vida a little too buena a few weeks ago when he got into a little trouble at a Manhattan Night Club. A comedy of indiscretions began when he procured himself a gun and failed to register it. He then decided he would carry it with him in a concealed fashion without a permit. Despite a big intradivisional game in just two days, Plaxicon decided to visit a night club. On top of all this, he chose to wear sweat pants – a serious fashion faux pas yes – but also not the optimum means for holstering a gun. Yes, that’s right; our buddy Plaxicon holstered his gun in the drawstring of his sweatpants. Later in the evening, when the drawstrings were stretched, presumably as a tent was pitched a little lower down in his pants, the gun slipped out of the drawstrings and fired as he tried to grab it. This resulted in a gun shot wound to his own thigh. Rather than call 911, he, his Giant buddies, and their team trainer tried to cover up the incident. Key word in that sentence was “try”. Within a few days police uncovered the whole story, and Plaxico was soon on Joan Rivers’ worst dressed list, not to mention suspended by the Giants for the remainder of the season. Burress now awaits a trial this winter and is expected to see some jail time, where he can trade in his sweat pants for an orange jump suit. Careful when you bend over in that thing Plaxicon. So to conclude this entry, I would just like to thank Plaxicon for these moments of indiscretion. It was the beginning of the end of the Giants’ 2008 season, and the incident coupled with Eli Manning’s inability to through a spiral last Sunday has allowed my beloved Eagles to move into the NFC Championship game where they will face the Arizona Cardinals next week. I am hopeful the Eagles will move onto the Superbowl this weekend, but even if they don’t, my season was already made the moment Plaxicon tightened the drawstrings around his piece. Now back to the music – you can view the video to this great song by Coldplay by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5TNK-TvIcI
#37 – "Civil War" by Guns N’ Roses: It’s been 15 years since Axl Rose last made an appearance in the Jeff’s Countdown. Back then it was “November Rain” from the Use Your Illusion album, which occupied the #10 position in Jeff’s 23. The new Guns N’ Roses album, “The Chinese Democracy”, released just a few weeks ago, has brought Axl back into the forefront of my thoughts. Nothing on the new album has grown on me quite enough to be included in the countdown, but the fervor caused by the release of the new album had me digging into my GNR archives. “Civil War” has always been one of my favorites, and it’s getting some airplay on radio stations as Guns N’ Roses once again become relevant. I dedicate this one to the late Paul Newman, who played Lucas Jackson, Prisoner #37, in one of my favorite movies of all-time, “Cool Hand Luke.” The movie and this song both share the same phrase, “what we’ve got here is failure to communicate….” Check out the video to this song (with a special “Breakdown” intro) by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9VhD4SccSE
#38 – "It’s the End of the World as we know it and I Feel Fine" by R.E.M.: It took a total meltdown of our country’s financial system to bring this song back into the countdown. After a 13-year run in the countdown from Jeff’s 21 to Jeff’s 33, this song has been absent for the past four years. It returns this year in the wake of a collapsed real estate market, financial institutions limping by on the aid of the federal government, rising unemployment, large companies begging for governmental assistance, and average Joe’s everywhere cashing out their 401(k) accounts and stuffing the cash in their mattresses fearing the next great depression. Yes, it really is the end of the world as many once knew it. Here’s my opinion on all of this: An ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure… Had people not overextended themselves by purchasing houses they couldn’t afford and by taking on credit card debt they couldn’t repay, the real estate market wouldn’t have collapsed and the country’s financial institutions wouldn’t have been damaged as they have. Who is at fault for all of this? The lenders or the borrowers? I say both. The banks should not have given loans to people who were not in the financial position to repay them, and people should not have taken on loans they couldn’t repay. Living beyond one’s means is what caused all of this – and then panic set in which made it even worse. I dedicate this song to my late father, Claude Rogers, and thank him for instilling in me the values to live within my means. Banks would have given me a much bigger loan 8 years ago when I purchased our current house, and real estate agents only wanted to show me much more expensive houses than the price range I gave them. But, my family and I choose a smaller house within our means. We keep our credit card debt down and our savings up, and now, in the wake of all this chaos, I can proudly say, “I feel fine.” Sure, my 401(k) is down, but at this point in my life, I’m still a buyer, so I consider the shares of stock I’m buying now a bargain. My father was born during the Great Depression and lived the first several years of his life with only enough food to barely survive. When people compare our current situation to the Great Depression, it makes me wish my father were still alive so he could explain to those people what the Great Depression was really like. There is still food in grocery stores, is there not? As far as the song goes, it’s about accepting fate with a smile, which is the way I try to approach every day. Click here to view the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGqroT1FZ5Y