August 2009 Archives

For better or worse, probably worse, the 2009 Spawn:

Brady,Tom QB NE $35.00
Stewart,Jonathan RB CAR $4.00
Coffee,Glenn RB SF $1.00
Portis,Clinton RB WAS $23.00
Williams,DeAngelo RB CAR $35.00
Morris,Sammy RB NE $2.00
McGahee,Willis RB BAL $3.00
Graham,Earnest RB TB $2.00
Harvin,Percy WR MIN $3.00
Stokley,Brandon WR DEN $1.00
Wayne,Reggie WR IND $21.00
Chambers,Chris WR SD $1.00
Gates,Antonio TE SD $12.00
Kasay,John PK CAR $1.00
Eagles,Philadelpha DF/ST PHI $1.00

This team does not look like a good bet to repeat as champions. I noticed at the end of the auction that I only had one quarterback and way too many running backs. Was not my intention. I usually want two QBs and five RBs. I'll release one of the RBs and pick up a QB after the season starts. Not sure where my mind was yesterday. I paid $15 for Willie Parker last week in my other league. I let someone else have him for $7 yesterday at a time when I still needed running backs. No one went for Michael Vick. How the rest of the auction shook out.

10 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

It's August, it's football, and the Saints look tremendous. I'm dreaming, so shut up because I'm not listening.

Ralph Malbrough, WWLTV.com

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Brett Favre - The QB who is probably the most overvalued this year. He doesn't have the receivers in Minnesota, they will run the ball more than any offense he's played in, and he's just not that good anymore. He's being drafted right in the middle of the QB2s while he is barely a QB2 in my mind."

Not sure I agree with him but perhaps my actions speak louder than my words. I didn't bid on him in either league. -Rob

The Saints are generating a little too much excitement with their lopsided preseason wins. I'd still like to see more of a pass rush from their down linemen and I'd like for them to line up correctly once in a while but it's hard not to be pleased with the way they look now. Start the season already, please. That "not enough men on the line" penalty is quite tiresome already and, apparently, the NFL is all over that one this year. This game got ugly fast. The worst loss in Raiders preseason history is a 48-0 shutout to the Chiefs in 1967. The Raiders went 13-1 that year and lost the Super Bowl to the Packers. I doubt this Raiders team will be in the Super Bowl and if the Saints hated them even 1% as much as the Chiefs did in 67, that record would have fallen.

I have a fantasy football auction today. Last one of the season. Looking forward to it.

Speaking of tiresome, tales and images of the CrabAppleLane Hummingbird flock is a rather common theme on this site but I NEVER get tired of them. Hadn't done one here in a while. Was overdue. Below is one of the many sweet little female Ruby-throated hummingbirds that visit the CrabAppleLane feeders regularly. Can you see her beautiful wings?

CrabAppleLane Hummingbird - August 30, 2009

11 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

The defense didn't stop giving up points until the Saints led 45-0.

David White, San Francisco Chronicle

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Last week in 20 -21 loss to the Niners, I was thinking yards doesn't matter as long as the opposing team doesn't score. Against the Saints that's all they did was score."

It's been four years now. What I was doing up until 6:26AM that day. I replay in my mind what I did before, during, and after "the storm" a little less now than I used to but it still occupies too many of my thoughts. I wouldn't change any of the before or during but the after would have certainly been done differently.

The QOTD articulates a tiresome sentiment to most Louisianians. Extended stays tend to wear out their welcome. I think that's natural. If the sentiment was stated that way, it would be understandable and acceptable. Of course, that's not what's said most of the time. The prevailing sentiment we hear is that those communities that accepted Katrina evacuees generously opened their arms to their fellow Americans and all they got in return was a drain on their resources and an increase in crime and traffic. There's some truth to that but the all they got part of their lament needs some improvement.

Those communities were and are very generous and we are thankful for that. The influx of people did and continues to present many challenges for them and we regret that. However, the vast, overwhelming majority of people who moved away are "essential workers" *, doctors, teachers, trade professionals of every kind, and merchants. Most of the ones that stayed away are contributing members of their current communities in more ways than one. They not only started their lives over, they did so without bringing much with them. They bought or rented houses, rented apartments, or stayed in hotels/motels in their new communities. They bought food, new furniture, new appliances, new clothes, new cars and trucks. They paid local sales taxes and school tuition. They spent large chunks of their insurance settlements, FEMA money, and life's savings in their new communities. Those communities tend to emphasize the drain and their generosity but they rarely mention the gigantic growth spurt and economic boost they got and continue to get. That's not fair. Besides, many, probably most, Louisiana citizens did move back but they left a little something behind. We can tell that by the Florida, Georgia, and Texas license plates on their new vehicles.

* "Essential workers" is the current euphemism for minimum wage workers and the dearth of them in the economy here is crippling the recovery, if you believe local businesses.

12 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Houston is a great place to live; the only problem is that Katrina has worn out her welcome.

Shuttle Driver - Houston, Texas

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The author, Robert Lindsay, an independent journalist and blogger, claims that the deathtoll related to Katrina could be as high as over four thousand people. The guy appears to be a bit wacko, but I get what he's trying to say. In the months following the storm, the obituaries of the Times Picayune were multiplied by at least 4 on a daily basis until December 2005."

Interesting to see that Robert Plant won five Grammy Awards with Alison Krauss. He only won one with Led Zeppelin and that was a "Lifetime Achievement" award. The Grammy Awards and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are both a big joke. Speaking of Plant and Krauss, one of their concerts was broadcast not long ago with interviews of the two interspersed throughout. They covered some Led Zeppelin tunes and some tunes Krauss did with Union Station along with songs off of their record together. Just fantastic even though I thought the lead guitarist tried a little too hard.

QOTD inspired by The Nightfly. FWIW, I have five versions of Romeo and Juliet in my iTunes library. It is on Making Movies, Alchemy, On The Night, Real Live Roadrunning, and I also have a live version from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville that I downloaded. The last one is my favorite. When I saw him, he played it on that famous National Steel Guitar shown on the Brothers In Arms Album Cover. It's his signature song now. He plays it at every show.

13 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

And I can't do the talk
Like they talking on the tv
And I can't do a love song
Like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything
But I'll do anything for you
And I can't do anything
Except be in love with you

Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits, Romeo and Juliet

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Two million people watched the Grammy Awards on Feb. 8. And then, a lot of them ran out and bought music immediately afterward."

Saw two signs on yesterday evening's bike ride that I thought I'd share. The "NO Newspaper" one really intrigues me. I have no idea what it means.

Sign near CrabAppleLane - Bush, LA - August 26, 2009

Sign near CrabAppleLane - Bush, LA - August 26, 2009

Today's QOTD is a comment on a London Times article about the Italian Prime Minister's marriage and sex issues.

14 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

It's very cultural specific. Silvo is just like most italians. For my sins I'm married to one and the only time he doen't want sex (`make love' as he puts it) is when he's making himself an expresso. Thank God he is addicted to coffee otherwise I'd be in real trouble. But frankly I wouldn't have it any other way. He is gorgous! I have two children and with him, it makes it three children! Voila! That's how they are! BTW he also calls his mother every other day! That annoys me more than anything else!

Memosa Spring, Comment on London Times article

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "New sign in Albuquerque."

Asphalt - August 25, 2009I suppose the repairs have kept the road from disintegrating completely but I think a road called Churchill Downs Drive deserves better. It's no fun to ride on. Every one of those black repair lines is like a mini speed bump. This is in Grand Hills Estates about a mile from CrabAppleLane. It's considered Covington rather than Bush. All of the roads here are named after famous racehorses and racetracks. There are also roads named after Affirmed, Seattle Slew, Whirlaway, Belmont, and Secretariat.


Asphalt - August 25, 2009There's something about the way an asphalt driveway looks that has always appealed to me. I kinda regret that my contractor used concrete instead. Concrete will probably last longer and looks OK when it's straight and edged but it is not as harmonious in a country setting as smooth and winding asphalt.

I stumbled across today's QOTD while I was looking for a different quote this morning. My question is who are they going to get to play Secretariat? As magnificent horses go, Secretariat is in a class all by himself. Apparently, someone thinks a horse can be found, though.

15 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

A Walt Disney Pictures film titled Secretariat is currently in pre-production and is scheduled to be released in 2010. From a screenplay by Mike Rich, it is being directed by Randall Wallace and will star Diane Lane as Secretariat's owner, Penny Chenery.

Wikipedia

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "It's August, the bird bans are lifted so its time to gird your loins and venture onto the more adventurous parts of Gogarth."

I kinda like out of context sentences like this one. Would you know what he's talking about without looking? -Rob

The only thing this Saints fan can say about this week's trip to Oakland to play the Raiders is that I hope none of that gets on them. A meddling owner coupled with a squabbling, back stabbing, and fist fighting coaching staff, and a roster with a generous sprinkling of misfits sounds to me like they've returned to "Raider 'Just win, baby" football" and that somehow worked for them in the 60s and 70s. That formula doesn't work so much in today's NFL but there is talent out there. They'll win games this year.

Below is a picture I took during last night's bike ride. It's rare when I get on the bike in August so I've never seen those blooms. I have no idea what they are but they're quite lovely. There were quite a few of them along the road. Looks like bicycle weather will continue for at least one more night.

Wild bloom - Bush, LA off of Bob Baxter Road - August 24, 2009

16 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Last year, a Rasmussen poll found that only twenty-nine percent of likely voters rated the U.S. health-care system good or excellent. Yet when Americans were asked the very same question last month, forty-eight per cent rated it that highly. The American health-care system didn't suddenly improve over the past eleven months. People just feel it's working better because they're being asked to contemplate changing it.

James Surowiecki, The New Yorker

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Allthewhile, Raiders number one pick Heyward-Bey continues to struggle in practice. Heyward-Bey dropped 3 more passes in practice on Tuesday. The young rookie who only made 42 receptions in his final year at Maryland has yet to establish himself in the Raiders passing game."

Good thing I'm not counting on him this season. He's on my team as a wildcard that might help me later this season. -Rob

It was really nice to be able to get out on the bike yesterday evening even for just a short ride. The weather was gorgeous. My arthritic left knee is not up for longer rides right now but it feels much better this morning for having made the effort yesterday. Hope to do it again this evening.

Here's another image from yesterday's short bike ride.

Bush Fire Station #2 Antenna - Bush, LA - August 23, 2009

17 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Well I'm a rock and roll preacher
Not a sunday school teacher
You aint no shady lady
But I love the way you strut your stuff

Deep Purple, High Ball Shooter

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "And if you, like most rational people, have not been able to sit through most of the games, try watching each one in less than five minutes (how long all preseason games should be!)."

A little sunset fishing - Whippoorwill Grove in Bush, LA - August 23, 2009

I wish Congress would enact a cash-for-clunkers program on furniture. Just saying ...

Any older fan of the Saints remembers the gondola in the Superdome. It was a structure of large TV screens suspended from the ceiling. It was at eye level for those who sat in the Terrace (The nosebleed section). It was thought that it would not interfere with play and would provide better views and instant replays for the fans watching the ants players down on the turf. The broadcast was awful. With every light in the Superdome on, you could only barely make out what was being shown on the screens and only if you had a seat directly opposite one of them. A year after the Superdome opened, Raider punter Ray Guy hit it with one of his sky-scraping punts during a game.

To this day, that's the thing I get asked about most. More than the Super Bowls, more than the Pro Bowls, more than anything I did in football. People want to talk about the time I hit the scoreboard at the Superdome.

Later, during the miserable 1-15 1980 season, Saints punter Russell Erxleben hit it during a Monday night game. It was the highlight of the evening and the only worthwhile thing that bum ever did while he was here. That was the end of the gondola. It was decommissioned and was raised as high as it could go. Might even still be there ... waiting to fall but I do think it's out of the play area. It was a colossal failure and waste of money. Didn't take that long for the same thing to happen in The House That Jerry Built. If you're wondering why the NFL didn't step in during construction and say, "We've done this before. It's a problem.", well, so am I ... but I'm also neck-deep in schadenfreude. Update: Jerry the Jackass now contends that the video board need not be raised. I'll offer the following ground rule: If a Cowboy punter hits the screen, the visiting team gets the ball on the Cowboy 40. If the visiting team's punter hits it, it's a first down.

I have two main concerns about the Saints after last night's game with the Texans. The defense is not generating much of a pass rush and the offensive line is allowing too many hits on the quarterbacks. I like what I'm seeing on defense otherwise. The corners are all over the receivers and Darren Sharper is playing much better at free safety than those two bums they had last year. They're also getting/creating turnovers. Mark Brunell and Joey Harrington are both playing well in their backup roles but we need Drew Brees to stay healthy for this team to get to play in January. He's not going to stay healthy if they don't protect him better.

The QOTD is comparing the Saints-Texans game experience last night to a Jonas Brothers Concert experience. She's doing it from a Texans fan's point of view.

I offer two images from the CrabAppleLane Yard today. Quite unseasonably cool outside here. Might have to get on the bike.

CrabAppleLane Bottle Brush Bush - August 23, 2009

CrabAppleLane Front Yard - August 23, 2009

18 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

GAHHHHHHHH!!!!! The extended boy band version of Sweet Caroline, no less. A certain violation of the Geneva Convention. And how OLD do the Jonas Brothers and their producers think we are? I didn't know whether to be more horrified at how awful that cover was or that they thought that this was something that parents enjoy. Even my parents wouldn't think that's cool to "rock out" to.

Stephanie Stradley, Houston Chronicle

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The Saints scored on a 14-yard touchdown run by sixth-string running back Herb Donaldson, putting them up 31-14 with 7:41 left and sending many fans to the exit aisles."

For better or worse, probably worse, the 2009 edition of Death on Two Legs, one of my fantasy football teams. In case you didn't know, Death on Two Legs is one of my favorite Queen songs.

QB-Roethlisberger,Ben PIT $4 - Have had him a few times - Steady
QB-Cassel,Matt KC $6 - Projected opening day starter - No idea what to expect
RB-Morris,Sammy NE $3 - Backup
RB-Graham,Earnest TB $1 - Backup
RB-Parker,Willie PIT $15 - Third RB
RB-Westbrook,Brian PHI $32 - Projected opening day starter - Never have had him. Probably past his prime
RB-Addai,Joseph IND $27 - Projected opening day starter - Need him to have a good year
WR-HeywardBey,Darrius OAK $1 - No idea what to expect
WR-Berrian,Bernard MIN $4 - 3rd WR
WR-Colston,Marques NO $24 - Projected opening day starter - Needs to have a good year
WR-Wayne,Reggie IND $25 - Projected opening day starter - Rock solid, usually
TE-King,Jeff CAR $1 - Backup
TE-Miller,Heath PIT $3 - Projected opening day starter - Not expecting much
PK-Brown,Kris HOU S1 - Projected opening day starter - Afterthought
D/ST-Bucs,TB $1 - Projected opening day starter - Afterthought

How the auction shook out.

19 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Kill joy
Bad guy
Big talking
Small fry
You're just an old barrow boy
Have you found a new toy?
To replace me?
Can you face me?
But now you can kiss ... my ass goodbye

Queen, Death on Two Legs

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "In the end, they always hit the nail on the head. But oh, the painful process towards the end."

Bingo. -Rob

It's Fantasy Football Auction day. Ya Boys is a keeper league. Owners can name a franchise player and two transition players. Prices for franchise players are based on the average price of the top five at each position from the year before. Transition prices are based on the top ten. Bidding on those players start at his designated price. In the case of a franchise player, an owner can keep him at his franchise price or let him go and apply the excess to his salary cap. In the case of transition players, the owner has the right to match the final bidding price and keep the player. It makes for an interesting auction and an interesting league.

As I'm working on this blog entry and drinking way too much coffee, I am also thinking about my salary cap, how I want to make up my team, and how I want the auction to go. It's a grand exercise in futility but I do it every year. I didn't do well in this league last season despite the one moment of YEAH in the QOTD and I haven't made the playoffs since 2005. That terrible streak ends this year.

GEAUX Death on Two Legs.

I offer an image for this auction day. As I was heading to the kitchen for yet another cup of coffee, I spotted these two gray foxes in the back yard.

CrabAppleLane Gray Foxes - August 21, 2009The one to the left has just spotted me. He/she is quite a bit larger than the one on the right. Not sure if he's the male and the other is his mate or if she's the mother of the one on the right. I tend to lean toward the latter.

20 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Taylor TO Shiancoe??? WTF????

Hyde

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "pea ham soup"

Photo blog, I think. Love pea soup with homemade garlic butter croutons. -Rob

So a blogger that I never heard of called a model that I never heard of a "skank" and a "ho". I have mixed feelings about anonymity and how it's used on the internet but something about the courts forcing Google to give up a blogger's name in a civil defamation suit bothers me. The judge in the case ruled that the blogger presented those descriptions as fact, not opinion. How she reached that conclusion is probably what bothers me. From another article about the case:

New York Justice Joan Madden pointed out in her decision that the blogger used the derogatory words ho and skank as factual definitions of Cohen, not an opinion. Madden wrote, "The statements clearly refer to Cohen?. It explicitly states Cohen's name as well as a picture of her. Cohen's full name, first name and picture were used throughout the postings. There can be no doubt that the defamatory statements were made about Cohen."

My questions on it: Is that really defamation and was the "no doubt" portion of Justice Madden's statement ever in doubt? How did she determine that it wasn't opinion? Is everyone that's been called a skank or ho on the internet going to now start suing? Still, a fake person taking pot shots at a real person doesn't get a lot of sympathy from me. You're on your own, pal. One thing I noticed in my momentary research into this matter: One article said the model was Canadian, the other said she was AUSTRALIAN in all caps. Another defamation suit?

About today's QOTD: It's from a Gail Collins Op-Ed in the New York Times my mom sent me. Good advice, I suppose. The piece is a nice read and it's free now but I don't know for how long before it goes to the Times' version of Pay-Per-View. She even made me look up "anhedonia".

21 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

When you start to die, don't.

Frank Buckles, 108

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Liskula Cohen Is Not a Skank!"

The headlines on one of the sidebars of a single article I read yesterday:

1. Favre back in NFL, practicing with Vikings
2. Video: Vikings are 'the perfect fit,' Favre says
3. Video: 'I didn't want to say 'What if' '
4. Curran: Win-win for Favre and Vikings
5. Celizic: Worst flip-flopper in sports history
6. Favre's arrival disappoints Jackson, Rosenfels
7. PFT: Favre to start preseason game Friday
8. Newsweek: Let's give Favre a break
9. Live vote: How will Vikings do with Favre
10. Live vote: Does this hurt Favre's legacy?
11. Packers not shocked by Favre's move
12. Slide show: Tracking QBs who couldn't quit
13. Timeline of Favre's career | Slide show
14. Fantasy impact: Favre not a huge get
15. Vote: Top star in Minnesota sports history?

There's not much to say that hasn't already been said. If it works, it's a great move. If it doesn't, it was dumb. Ask me in about 4 months which it was. History doesn't work for anyone. I can't think of a single time when a team thought they were one piece away from completing the puzzle, got the piece, and it worked. At least two teams, Eagles and Vikings, are banking on changing that history. I like the Vikings chances better than the Eagles. This will be an interesting season, particularly in the NFC.

22 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

It's been said that if Jeffrey Dahmer ran a 4.4 40, NFL folks would have said he had an eating disorder.

Tom E. Curran, MSNBCSports

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Tuesday was a big day at the box office for the Vikings. By yesterday afternoon, the team had sold 6,000 single game tickets and 2,000 season tickets. Just what the Wilfs wanted."

I bought a water filter (Left) less than a month ago to see if it would alleviate the problem we have with shower heads clogging up with metal deposits. The problem is that the filter gets so heavy with water that it puts a lot of stress on the nut that attaches to the shower pipe. I noticed it was leaking Sunday night when I was in there. I tried to tighten it and it just snapped off in my hand. I'm glad I wasn't facing it when that happened. The shower head hit the wall with considerable force.

I picked up the one to the right last night. It's heavy, too, but there's no offset so I think it will hold up better. Well, better than three weeks, anyway. I really don't want to keep working on this thing. I've replaced the pipe coming out of the wall once. Don't want to do that any more, either. A leak there would be completely hidden for a long time. The problem we have is iron deposits. The shower head would get clogged with deposits over the course of a year but since we had to drill a new well two years ago, it seems to be every six months now.

23 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

It's hard for an Aggie to compliment a Longhorn, so it means a lot.

Houston Texans Defensive Tackle Frank Okam, a UT grad, on praise by coach Gary Kubiak, an A&M grad

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The Texans' practices against the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday and Thursday will provide an opportunity for players from both teams to break up the monotony of facing their teammates for weeks on end, and Saints coaches and players are looking forward to it, per the New Orleans Times-Picayune."

Woodstock turned 40 this past week. I was 12 and had been to a few concerts but, even then, I didn't much care for outdoor concerts. Still don't. The long lines, the inadequate facilities, the heat, the rain, the terrible sound, the high ticket price ($8 per day), and only a handful of bands that I'd want to see all add up to Woodstock not being my cup of tea. About the bands: Alvin Lee, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Credence Clearwater Revival, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, yes. Richie Havens, Ravi Shankar, and The Grateful Dead, not so much. Also, $8 doesn't seem like much but most outdoor concerts then were free. I was paying $2 for concert tickets to see two or three bands at The Warehouse in the early 70s. Unlike most of the attendees, I would have had to have a ticket. I would have never climbed a fence or crashed a gate. Besides, 4 or 5 hours of loud rock music, with 30-40 minutes between acts, is pretty much my limit. All day for $8 is no bargain. Pretty good movie and album, though.

24 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

I'm going on down to Yasgur's farm
I'm going to join in a rock n roll band
I'm going to camp out on the land
I'm going to try and get my soul free

Joni Mitchell, Woodstock

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "40 Anos do Woodstock"

Some famous pictures from Woodstock. Nice to see again. -Rob

Today is Fantasy Football research day at CrabAppleLane. My first fantasy football auction for 2009 is this Friday, August 21. The goal is to identify the starters on every NFL team at the key fantasy football positions (Quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end). After that, I try to identify a few notable players who aren't listed as starters and, finally, I try to identify any rookies who might contribute this year in a big way. I always try to have at least two rookies on my team. This information will be recorded into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that can be printed on a single sheet of paper. I'll tweak it all week as I hear about injuries, suspensions, etc. I replaced buying a book with this process 7-8 years ago and the GM usually does a pretty good job with it. I don't have much confidence in my head coach, though.

I offer four images from the CrabAppleLane yard that were taken yesterday. It started raining just as I finished up the yard work and it stopped just after I showered and got dressed. That is my very favorite time to be in the yard ... just after a rain just after it's been cut.

CrabAppleLane Blue Butterfly - August 15, 2009I was originally pointing at something else when this little butterfly fluttered by. He was testing his new wings and I watched him flit and float for a few minutes when he came to a stop right here. He then turned ever so slightly and said, "How's that?". I said "Perfect" and took his picture.

CrabAppleLane Trails - August 15, 2009 - Part of The Clearing Project

CrabAppleLane Trail - August 15, 2009

CrabAppleLane Trail - August 15, 2009

Today's QOTD is about the prospect of Michael Vick signing with the Steelers.

25 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Dan Rooney may reside in Ireland, but he has not lost his mind.

Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "But this is the first time religious practitioners and prostitutes have been included among the most trustworthy social groups. Religious workers aside, sex workers being listed among the most trustworthy is quite shocking. In Chinese culture, a prostitute is viewed as being "shameless" and without affections."

A date with the yard awaits me when I push myself away from the computer. It's overdue.

Figured I'd post the video below because I think the Hubble Telescope is just the pinnacle of what Science can be. Worth a few minutes of anyone's time.

Hardly saw any of the Saints-Bengals last night. What I did see didn't impress me or concern me. I will say this about the Bengals Carson Palmer. He's a good quarterback but he's also a rather slow and statuesque target for defenses that like to rush the passer, much like Drew Bledsoe was.

Today's QOTD is about Michael Vick and it's from a Philadelphia Eagles fan. I didn't think Vick would ever play in the NFL again but not because I didn't think he could or that some people wouldn't soften their stance on him. I thought that because I expected the reaction the QOTD gave would be about the same from so many fans that I didn't think any team would be brave enough or stupid enough to risk that kind of alienation. Personally, I'm OK with redemption and second chances but I also don't think the punishment in Vick's case fit the crime. I'm glad he's somewhere else. The Saints play the Eagles in Week Two at the Linc but I'd be surprised if he is allowed to play yet. The more interesting game, of course, is the December 6 game at the Georgia Dome against the Falcons.

26 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Now he represents Philadelphia. It's disgusting.

Jackie Cioci, 18

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "As you are aware, the Eagles confirmed last evening that we have signed Michael Vick to the team. You are our most valued customers and we understand that this decision may result in some personal soul searching for you, along with some public debate in the coming days and weeks. We do not want this to distract from the relationship we have with you, and we remain fully committed to putting the highest quality product on the field and delivering wins to Eagles fans."

Part of a letter sent yesterday by the Eagles to their suiteholders and premium ticketholders. -Rob

Just Cause happens to be on one of the movie channels right now. I wanted to see it because of one of the comments Marie made about it recently. It features a star-studded cast, including a very young Scarlett Johansson. The movie is set in modern times but no one seems to use their air conditioning in the Florida summer heat. I suppose fans tell a better story or convey a mood the director wanted. Film makers do that with movies set in Louisiana, too. Aside from that bit of silliness, I liked it OK while I was watching it. It doesn't hold up well to reflection, though. I know Hollywood can't make a big budget movie that doesn't have a happy ending but this one shouldn't have. Spoiler below the jump. The film was OK but it could have been a lot better with that fantastic cast. It wasn't their fault. They did the best they could. Ed Harris, Laurence Fishburne, and Blair Underwood did good turns. Ruby Dee was overpowering in her few scenes as the devoted, dignified grandmother.

The Saints take on the Cincinnati Bengals tonight in their preseason opener. I'll watch a little bit of it but I won't be as attentive as I would for a regular season game. I'm in preseason mode, too. Caught the tail end of the Steelers-Cardinals game last night. Tyler Palko, who did a stint with the Saints, was in for the Cards in late mop up duty. He's a run first, throw second, left-hander that will probably not make it in the NFL. Fun to watch, though.

27 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

I tried telling 'em there ain't no formula for people like me. What we are dealing with here is just predisposition for an appetite. Good parents, bad parents. No cause and effect. It's just appetite.

Blair Sullivan, Just Cause

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Roy Williams signed a $750,000 contract for one season. Paying $266 for a 42 inch screen television is a big deal?"

I'm giving McDonald's credit for a sense of humor but I think my Dutch friend who posted it is probably appalled by it.

The Saints worked out two linebackers yesterday. One, Derek Smith, is 34 and the other, Derrick Brooks, is 36. The guy they'd be replacing is backup Mark Simoneau, 32. Not sure what the thinking is in regards to at least two of the three participants in this. 1) If the Saints thought either of them had enough left in their tank to compete for a starting spot, they'd have been signed immediately after their workout. They must not. I suppose they're looking for experienced insurance but the defense really needs to get younger, not older. 2) I can't imagine why Brooks, a sure Hall-of-Famer, would want to come back for a season on the bench with another team. 3) I don't know anything about Smith except that he doesn't have the career behind him that Brooks has so I suppose he's just trying to make a team.

About the QOTD: When someone threatens to jump off of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, a call goes out to ironworkers, who are voluntarily on call. That short newspaper piece is a great read. A tip of the cap to those volunteers.

28 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

That's a nice watch. If you're going to jump, can I have it?

San Francisco Chronicle

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Well, I am very pleased to announce that I have been dubbed "Miss Sunflower 2008." Yes, this photo that Moses Pendleton took of me last year has been superimposed onto a sunflower somehow and I don't think I've ever seen a more flattering likeness. I love having stamen all over my face - it really becomes me."

Add men battering women to list of the things I am tired of reading about. What's wrong with you guys? I'd like to see a comparison of restraining orders that have worked versus restraining orders that have failed. The failures are usually spectacular and sometimes deadly. I'm just wondering if there's a success rate, too.

Not sure if I'm running MT this morning under "FastCGI" or not. I think I followed the instructions correctly but I'll just have to wait and see if the blogs are performing any faster. If it gets wonky today, I can go back to the previous working version fairly quickly. (Update: Seems to be a little different although my jury is still out) (Update to the Update: Still not noticing any difference)

The QOTD is about a documentary that I kinda want to see now.

29 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

All the tension broke when Jimmy, instead of answering one of Edge's questions, stepped back behind a chair, picked up a guitar and started to play, 'Whole Lotta Love.' You could see on Jack and Edge's face they were blown away.

Davis Guggenheim, It Might Get Loud

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Mark Knopfler's upcoming album Get Lucky is scheduled to be released on September 15."

Tip from CrabAppleLane for what it's worth: If you insist on insulting or berating the sales representative, who is trying to help you, or insist on loudly and repeatedly trashing their product, do so after they've told you how much it's going to cost ... but even this is inadvisable. Use your blog instead.

A phrase I never thought I'd read: the Islamic punk movement in North America.

230 MPG????? People will line up for that at just about any price.

30 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

It crawls on his back, it won't ever let him be
Stares at the walls until the cinder blocks can breathe
His eyes have gone away, escaping over time
He rules a crowded nation inside his mind

10,000 Maniacs, I'm Not The Man

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I usually hate the format of a fisking, but this piece needs a fine-toothed comb to capture all the stupid."

Helter Skelter is a rather dry read of a bone-chilling series of events. I read Vincent Bugliosi's first two books. I didn't think much of him as a writer but the subject matter in Helter Skelter was such that a great writer wasn't needed. It's been 40 years since those events and what was then the "trial of the century". The actors in that drama will start dying off soon. Wonder if it will still be in the national consciousness when they're all gone. Do you remember it?

CrabAppleLane's host server must be under an enormous strain this morning. Everything is operating a little too ssssslllllooooooooowwwwwww ... Hopefully, they'll have that cleared up soon.

There's an old joke that floated around our workplace many years ago. The difference between minor surgery and major surgery? When I have it, it's major surgery. When you have it, it's minor surgery. The same can be said of the difference between dissent and whining.

Happy to see first round pick, Malcolm Jenkins, finally headed to Saints camp. Sad to see Drew Brees leave camp but I expect he'll be back soon enough. His mother and he had a tragic falling out but families deal with things the best way they can. The Saints first preseason game is Friday night and I don't care if he plays at all in that one.

31 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Get back JoJo

The Beatles, Get Back

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The idea to develop the software came from the growing use of social network sites like Facebook and Web programs like Google Apps. These types of sites raise questions about who owns the data stored on these sites and how can you ensure deletion of the data."

Appaloosa is another gritty western that seems to be coming out every few years. Ed Harris wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Appaloosa, based on a Robert B Parker novel that I haven't read. Harris has come a long way since I first saw him as John Glenn in The Right Stuff. He's one of the best actors in film today. He's excellent as the somewhat-less-than-benevolent city marshal and he assembled a mostly-terrific cast. Viggo Mortensen is fantastic as the always loyal deputy and sometime narrator of the story. Jeremy Irons is an always reliable bad guy and Bob Harris, Ed's father, does a terrific job in a relatively small role as a judge. Renée Zellweger didn't belong, though. She almost always bothers me and is not, in my opinion, the same caliber of actor as Harris, Mortensen, or Irons. Just about any one of the girls that appeared in Deadwood would have been better-suited to this film. As a fan of westerns, I enjoyed Appaloosa a lot despite that one casting quibble. It gave us fans everything we wanted. It had shootouts, a bar fight, a chase, a final confrontation, and even a cowboy riding off into the sunset. What else is there? It is very much worth your time.

Do you know anyone who has a Kindle? They seem to be all the rage but I haven't actually seen one yet. I wonder if they're easy on your eyes. I wonder why anyone would pay so much for one and then pay additional charges for content. The one pictured is the DX $499 model but the more popular Kindle is $299. I wonder why anyone would want to read a book, a magazine, or a newspaper like this. I wonder if it could ever be like turning the pages in a good book, an essential life experience in my view. Does this thing appeal to anyone but gadget lovers? I'll pass until the device and the content gets considerably more affordable but I'll especially want Amazon to stop deleting content from Kindles without their owner's consent before I even consider taking the plunge.

Very sad to hear of an old friend's passing last night. David Owens was a good friend of mine and we hung out together quite a bit in the 70s. His sister came across the foosball page and dropped me a line. He died a few days after Hurricane Katrina. I didn't know. When foosball died down, we both went on to other things and drifted apart as we got older as people sometimes do. That's two friends that I've heard about in the last month or so. Been a bad few weeks here. R.I.P., David.

I offer one from the CrabAppleLane backyard on this overcast and dreary Sunday. Any idea when they turn to lemony yellow?

CrabAppleLane Lemon Tree - August 9, 2009

32 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

No, it doesn't, and mostly innocent people don't get busted up, and if they do, it's because of who Virgil Cole is and what he is, and you hired him to be Virgil Cole.

Everett Hitch, Appaloosa

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "There's not much to the story. And in an era of revisionist westerns, this is a throwback to a style that offers little more than cowboy posturing and quicksilver gunplay. It's Harris's movie, and he does his usual solid stuff, while Viggo sits back on cruise control. Both are a pleasure to watch. But Zellweger's role is so underwritten you wonder what she's doing in the movie."

From Former Governor Sarah Palin:

"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care."

I think that's a mite strong and, admittedly, this is part of the health care debate that mystifies me. Setting aside my objection to that term, I would ask her whose 'death panel' would she prefer her loved ones stand in front of?

The QOTD reminds us of how unpredictable the weather, particularly in the area of hurricane forecast, is. Why does anyone watch weather reports again?

33 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

WITH NO NAMED STORMS so far this hurricane season, NOAA lowered its Atlantic hurricane outlook on Thursday.

Jennifer Kay, Hattiesburg American

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "What do the Wiggles and the New Jersey Nets have to do with reading?"

I admit it. I have a fickle relationship with onions. I want them on some things but not others. I want them on some things on some days but not others. I like them cooked sometimes and raw other times. I do have some rules about them, though. Here are a few:

• First and foremost, I have a very low threshold for them. You can easily put too many of them on or in anything I eat.
• On a burger, they can be raw or grilled but they have to be chopped. Sliced into rings won't do. Not always, though. Sometimes, I just hold the onions. On a Lee's hamburger, I want mustard and onions only. Love them on Castle/Krystal burgers, too.
• Onion rings, lightly-battered and freshly-cooked, are excellent. Once they cool down and the batter starts sliding off of the onion, I'm done. I cannot finish an order by myself.
• Cooked in most dishes, they're fine and hard to overdo. Hamburger steak with onions gives me fierce heartburn but just try to keep me from eating it. Dishes like red beans and rice, beef or chicken stew, and crawfish pie can't be done without them.
• Potato salad, on the other hand, is just fine without onions, thankyouverymuch. I have grown into the ability to take or leave potato salad with onions but I still prefer mine without. There were with and without factions in the Ferrara house growing up. "You won't even know they're in there" was always responded to with "Then why put them in there at all?" It was hopeless. Mom and Dad started making two batches.

Got any rules of your own about onions? Do others in your household share them?

School, and its heavier traffic, starts today here locally. I don't ever remember it starting this early. The Catholic schools I went to always started earlier than the public schools but we always started in late August. Will need to allow for a few extra minutes drive time.

Louisiana is offering a state sales tax free weekend starting today. State sales tax in Louisiana is 4%. Municipal taxes still apply and the exemption only applies to "retail" sales so it won't apply to a "sale" item in most cases but there are savings to be had this weekend if you have money. Gotta have money to save money, I suppose. It's a nice reprieve for residents of Louisiana but I doubt it has much economic impact.

Mark Knopfler's We Can Get Wild was playing on the stereo at the restaurant where I picked up our dinner last night. Don't think I've ever heard any of his solo music anywhere unless Patsy or I was playing it. Doubt it was radio. Kudos to ZEA Rotisserie and Grill. Oh, and the food was excellent, too.

34 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

We'll be on our own
Billy Fury on the gramophone
Take you to the pictures and a dance
Me in my drainpipe pants

Mark Knopfler, We Can Get Wild

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I'm still a bit anti-social but because of the different people I have met, I have become more open-minded... : )"

The Feds found $90k in William Jefferson's freezer in 2005. To this day, he has never explained it. Looked up an entry from the time to refresh my memory of the details. That's one of the things I like about having this blog. In spite of that, his constituents voted him back into office in 2006. Incumbents are difficult to beat, but it's not impossible. They did vote him out in 2008.

Today's QOTD is about Eli Manning, not his MVP brother, Peyton. I'd agree that he's a good football player and the money involved testifies to the importance teams place on quarterback play. My guess is that better quarterbacks, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees will reach new contract heights in the next couple of years. What recession?

35 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

He is a franchise quarterback. He has done everything we asked him to do. He has come in, taken a lot of flak from you guys [the media] and he just keeps going. He does what we ask him on the field and he does what we ask him to do off the field. He is a good football player.

Jerry Reese, New York Giants General Manager

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Roller Derby. Stop laughing. I have a perfect Roller Derby name. "Becky Sharks." And how rad would I be? Stop laughing or I will punch you."

Fantasy Football season is upon me so it was time to load up my newsreader and make my annual forage through usenet. Once a year is enough for me. The newsgroups have a handful of meaningful messages amongst the pΦrn, the spam, and the flames but not much more than that and the number was dwindling every year. I had never transferred my newsreader from my XP machine to my current Vista machine and newsgroups are not nearly important enough to me to install it and see if it would work on Vista so I figured I'd just use Windows Mail, which is already loaded on this machine. I went to my ISP's home page to see what the newsgroup account settings were and, lo and behold, they (AT&T) no longer offer newsgroups. Paraphrasing them, they said I should subscribe to a 3rd party newsgroup provider, which will probably charge me a subscription fee. Fat chance of that. I'll do just fine without, thankyouverymuch.

Saints first round draft pick, Malcolm Jenkins, is still unsigned and a glance at the list will tell you why. He was drafted 14th. Number 13 got $20 million for 5 years and Number 15 got $14 million for 5 years. The slot usually isn't that wide. That's a $6 million differential the team and the rookie are squabbling over. About slotting: It apparently doesn't apply to quarterbacks. Josh Freeman at 17 got $36 million for 5 years.

The QOTD is about the "cash-for-clunkers" program. I agree with it.

36 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

It's good for consumers. It's good for dealers and auto manufacturers. It's good for our energy security and our environment.

Robert Gibbs, WhiteHouse Spokesman

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "It's a cool place and all, but the base we were sent to is located smack in the middle of NOWHERE! Seriously, the town around the base has a few restaurants and a Super Wal-Mart, which we called "the mall.""

The New York Times talks about "When Auto Plants Close". Communities have ordinances against residential blight. I don't know why it shouldn't apply to commercial property. If the owners are not maintaining the building, the windows are broken and the weeds are overgrown, and it's becoming a hazard and eyesore, clean it up or demolish it if it's been unoccupied too long and charge the owner or add it to his tax bill. If the owner can't or won't pay it, it goes to into the courthouse records where it will be paid at point of sale by the buyer or seller ... with interest. If the bill is still unresolved over a period of time, seize it. Not particularly business-friendly, I know, but blight is not community-friendly.

It Might Get Loud is due out in theaters August 27. IMDb describes it as "A documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three significant rock musicians: the Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White." Pretty sure those aren't the three I would have chosen but I'm not going to quibble about that. The trailer has been out on TV for about a week now. Despite the cool title, this film looks like a typical low-key documentary. I don't think it will have much of a theater run.

About today's QOTD: Knothole gangs are one of the most endearing legacies of baseball's rich history. What a lovely way to pay tribute.

37 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

In loving memory of my mother, who loved to watch from her seat with the Knothole Gang at Sportsman's Park.

Jeanne Timmermann, Stan Musial's Baseball-Reference.com Page's Sponsor

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Upon its Spring release I read a less than flattering review of the Emmylou Harris/Mark Knopfler duets album All The Roadrunning. If I could remember the source of the review I would link it here for your perusal. Thank ye gods I listened my gut and not the critic, as it's about as good an album as I expected it to be."

Been seeing these databases at just about every online newspaper. I know government salaries are a matter of public record but shouldn't a person have to at least put in a request and have a reason to see how much his neighbor makes? Something really prurient about making that information so readily and easily available for the general public, don't you think? I can save you the trouble if you're inclined. Very, very few of them make as much as they might in the private sector.

If you're a baseball fan and can't get enough of the Red Sox and Yankees, this is your week. They open a four game series Thursday night at Yankee Stadium. There are four tickets available for the Friday night matchup of Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett on the first base side for only $3938.00/ea. Better act fast, though. I'm not sure how they arrived at that asking price. Why not $3950.00 or $4000.00? To be sure, you can find tickets to any of those games cheaper than that but none of them will be cheap. I tend to think this rivalry is sometimes over-hyped but not this time. They're in first and second place and it's August.

About the QOTD: I had Kevin Costner on the mind today. Field of Dreams was on the other night and I sat through it again. Always, always gets misty in our house about 5 minutes from the end. Not sure why. Ray Kinsella was on my mind along with Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy. Quotes were NOT hard to come by.

38 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

I'm saying? What's in it for me?

Ray Kinsella, Field of Dreams

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I have decided to become a bitch. You read that right. Some of you are wondering, "But why, Sue? You're so nice and everything!" The rest of you are laughing at the first bunch."

Mark Knopfler's Get Lucky is set to be released September 15. At one time, it was not unusual for artists to release an album of original material almost every year. Led Zeppelin released 7 albums from 1968 to 1977 and were pretty much done. Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, The Who, Rolling Stones, and Dire Straits, Knopfler's former band, did pretty much the same during their heyday. Very few artists, if any, are still doing that these days but Knopfler is putting them out about every other year and that's fine by his fans. We don't have to wait 4-5-6+ years for new offerings. I put it on order Friday. I don't need to hear any samples from his CDs before purchasing. He hasn't disappointed yet.

Went to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yesterday afternoon. Matinee tickets were $7/ea + $3 service charge for online purchase. We get the Number 2 concession special, which is a bucket of popcorn and two large drinks. With tax, that was $16+. A matinee for two with concessions used to be about $10. We're out $33 before we sit down these days. Enough of that. The first movie wasn't as good as its book counterpart. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th movies were actually better than their books in my opinion. Spoiler info below the jump. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is next, will be in two parts, and will have to be unbelievable to live up to the expectations it has.

We get free samples of various products in the mail. They come to us unsolicited. One of the more common samples we get is deodorant. I don't know what they're trying to tell me but I will tell my four readers here that I have that part of my life covered. I don't mind giving these products a whirl on nights or weekends when I'm not working. There are some on the market that burn my armpits but only about an hour after the application. That's about how long it takes to fully absorb. It's unpleasant when that happens and I don't ever want to experience that reaction when I'm stuck at work where I'd have limited options to deal with it. Anyway, I received a sample of Degree Men Cool Rush in the mail a couple of weeks ago and I've been using it at night and on weekends. I really like it and Patsy really likes it. They have a new customer. Score one for junk mail.

A couple of fights broke out yesterday, Day 2, at Saints training camp. It's hot, it's physical, and those guys are competing for jobs that pay very well. Fights are expected but it usually takes a little longer than two days. Three, at least.

About today's QOTD: It reminded me of Kem's lovely tribute to The C. F. Martin Guitar Company.

I offer one from the yard on this rainy CrabAppleLane Sunday.

CrabAppleLane Sunday - August 2, 2009 - ½" of rain

39 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

One day there was this Fender Stratocaster in the window, and it was just a thing of magic. It was literally nose to the window. I think I was still in short trousers, and that's it, a little boy coming home from school, being completely fascinated by it. I still cross the road now to look into a guitar shop.

Mark Knopfler

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Get ready for the last of Harry Potter."

R.I.P., Corazon Aquino. Ferdinand Marcos or one of that thug's henchman once said she was "just a woman" who belongs in the bedroom. The quote below is hers and I couldn't agree more.

It is not I who have been consigned to the bedroom of history.

Plan to do yard work and see Harry Potter some time this weekend. Got some house reorganization to do, too.

Today's QOTD is about the latest names popping up from an "anonymous" list of baseball players who tested positive in a drug survey MLB conducted in 2003. I wonder if anyone on the list who hasn't been named yet thinks he'll remain anonymous for the rest of his current career and the entirety of his post career. See, there's this bridge I know ...

40 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

At this point, the only person I'm entirely certain never used steroids is my hero, Duane Kuiper, who hit one home run in his lengthy career, and that one homer was wind-blown.

Joe Posnanski, Sports Illustrated

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's 2003 "survey" testing according to the New York Times' Michael Schmidt."