September 2009 Archives

From USA Today about Toyota's gas pedal and safety problems:

The button must be depressed at least three seconds for the engine to shut off, an eternity if your car is barreling down the highway with the gas pedal jammed wide open.

I think Toyota is getting a pass here from the media and consumers that American car manufacturers don't get.

I think it's interesting that American newspaper websites have a section called "Sports" while overseas newspaper websites have a section called "Sport". I have numerous American newspaper websites bookmarked but I also read The London Times, The Guardian, and The New Zealand Herald. The latter three have a Sport section.

We like NCIS here at CrabAppleLane because of the superb ensemble cast. Not big fans of NCIS: Los Angeles. After two episodes, it seems to me that LL Cool J gets two lines per week. One of them is some variation of "I was a SEAL" that he gets to say 4-5 times.

Quote of the Day

Bill Safire was anything but a nattering nabob of negativity. He had none of the vile and vitriol of today's howling pack of conservative pundits: Limbaugh, Beck, Coulter and Malkin.

Maureen Dowd, New York Times

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "6 -- JETS (3-0) -- They continue to chat away, especially former Ravens LB Bart Scott, but that's acceptable as long as they keep backing it up. But don't think for a second many folks around the league will mind much if Brees and Co. serve up a helping of blackened Jets Sunday."

From USA Today about bank overdraft fees:

Banks have done this by covering debit card transactions as small as $1 and charging a fee as high as $35. Some also charge fees before consumers overdraw by deducting a purchase when it's made, instead of when it clears. And they've processed transactions from highest to lowest dollar amount -- which empties consumers' accounts quicker and triggers more overdrafts.

I don't think most consumers mind the fee so much but they should only be able to charge it per day, not per transaction. If you've got 4 transactions getting to the bank today for $30, $10, $10, and $10 but only have a balance of $32, they shouldn't be allowed to post the $30 transaction and then a $35 fee for each of the $10 transactions that are overdrawn. There are a lot of people living on the edge right now. These practices keep them there.

Cellphones should be banned or their signals jammed from theaters, restaurants, automobiles, and maybe a few other places that I haven't thought of. If you cannot bear the thought of parting company with your cellphone, you'll just have to do without those places. More times than not, the way most people use their cellphones is beyond rude.

A little too far-fetched. Not buying it.

About today's QOTD: He's talking about Buffalo Bills Head Coach Dick Jauron. With his team behind, 17-7, and a little over 7 minutes left in the game, he elected to punt on 4th down rather than try to pick up the first down. I agree totally with Sullivan. It was tantamount to a white flag.

Quote of the Day

Jauron stands by and lets it happen, willing to think small. He sees a 10-point deficit as something to be protected. The thing about losing respectably, of course, is you're still a loser.

Jerry Sullivan, The Buffalo News

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The Jets won this game with smoke and mirrors yesterday."

A different and encouraging kind of Saints win yesterday. The offense struggled for a good portion of the game but the defense stepped up. I like a lot of what I see so far. The Saints have not trailed in any game yet this season. The defense is giving up a few plays but they're not giving up the leads like they've done the last two years and the Saints have owned the 4th quarter. Good early season matchup next week with the very hot Jets in the SuperDome.

Unless Jason Witten has a tight end game for the ages tonight, my two fantasy football teams are keeping up with the Saints at 3-0. I could get used to this.

LSU moved up to Number 4 in the polls. They didn't move up so much as a lot of other teams moved down. They're not playing like a Number 4 team. They're not even playing like a top ten team. They're traveling to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs this Saturday. If they don't pick up their game this week, they'll be moving down, too.

Quote of the Day

I'd like to say that this is exactly what I predicted, but we played three outstanding football teams. We're 3-0 right here. Maybe that says something about us.

Rex Ryan, New York Jets Head Coach

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The Jets were in blue and gold Titans uniforms while the Titans were in white and Blue Oilers togs as the NFL continued its stupid tricks, throwback uniform escapade for another week. Older fans were overheard to say, "what the ...?""

Yeah, I didn't care for the Tennessee Titans playing in Houston Oilers uniforms yesterday. They didn't make the Kansas City Chiefs play in Dallas Texans uniforms last week, did they? -Rob

We'd been wanting to see Sunshine Cleaning since we saw the trailer on HDNet's Nothing But Trailers. The scene depicted in the image is hysterical. Amy Adams (35) doesn't look old enough, to me, to be Emily Blunt's (26) older sister and she certainly doesn't look old enough to be Steve Zahn's (41) high school sweetheart. She pulls it off by being more grown up around her sister and more vulnerable around her lover. Amy Adams has "superstar" written all over her. I've seen her in 4 or 5 things now and she is excellent in all of them. Emily Blunt is also a star in the making. The movie meanders a bit too much for my tastes but I just loved those two sister characters. Those two women made the film worth watching.

Starting today, the Saints take on the State of New York's football teams. They're in Buffalo to take on the Bills today, have the Jets in the SuperDome next week, and then the Giants in the SuperDome after their Week 5 bye. The Jets and Giants both play in New Jersey and the Bills want to play in Toronto but that's a story for another day. Not sure why the NFL decided to play this game at 3PM local time instead of the usual noon kickoff. I prefer noon. The formula is so basic that it's boring. It is this:

Saints take care of the ball, they take care of the Bills.

I offer a few from the CrabAppleLane garden. In the second image, you can see my little friend to the lower right. They smear the windows at night with their little fat suction cup bellies but the trade-off is worth it. Looks like he's bagged his share of mosquitoes.

CrabAppleLane Shampoo Ginger - September 27, 2009

CrabAppleLane Blue Ginger - September 27, 2009

CrabAppleLane Frog - September 27, 2009

Quote of the Day

Now I'm rambling through this meadow
Happy as a man can be
Think I'll just lay me down
Under this old tree
On and on we go
Through this old world of shuffling
If you've got a truffle dog
You can go truffling
But you might get lucky now and then

Mark Knopfler, Get Lucky

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "New Orleans called former Missouri standout QB Chase Daniel up from the practice squad."

News to me. Didn't know there was a 3rd QB anywhere on the rosters. -Rob

We had a moment out on errands today. The plan was to stop at the vet first to pick up the various medicines we need for the cats. The vet closes at noon on Saturday and it was well after 11AM when we left the house. I had made up a bank deposit that we would drop off afterward at the branch near the clinic and I had tucked it under my visor. The thing we like about our bank is they have branches everywhere. We made pretty good time on the drive in so we decided to drop off the deposit at the branch on the way TO the vet. We did and got to the vet in plenty of time. They were swamped and even though Patsy called in her order and it should have been ready, we were there a solid 20 minutes. They did not seem capable of getting finished with anyone. We finally got out of there and ... you might have guessed ... we headed to the bank to make the deposit. It wasn't under the visor, it wasn't on the floor, the door was locked, we stopped the car and searched everywhere. As we were about to head back to the vet to look in the parking lot, it dawned on me that we had already made the deposit. It's a little sobering that neither one of us can reprogram on the fly any more ... and a little funny. We got a good laugh out of it.

Today's QOTD is about the last of the Turkish Ottomans.

Quote of the Day

They described Osman as a polyglot Renaissance man with a passion for politics and opera and a taste for evening cocktails.

Ivan Watson and Yesim Comert, CNN

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Big defensive stops and turnovers will decide the game here. Since the Bills had that in Week 2, they get the nod. Bills 35 - Saints 34"

Did anyone else watch the premier of FlashForward last night? I think they call this kind of show "scripted television" now. The premise is pretty cool bordering on CME. Everyone on Earth passes out, has dreams or visions of a time 6 months in the future, and then wakes up unless, of course, they were in a moving car, a flying airplane, or an operating table when everyone passed out. The story moves along, every character tells their vision to someone, tells what they think it means or whether they want it to come true, and I'm starting to look at the clock. If this is it, I'm kinda bored already. Five minutes from the end, they show the hook. Not bad. Bought them another week. Note: Some are comparing it to Lost, which I've never seen. Don't know if that bodes well or not.

Quote of the Day

The duo wakes up in the middle of the city street, which resembles nothing short of a war zone. Chaos rules. Buildings are on fire, cars overturned, and planes have crashed.

Nix on FlashForward

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "What would you do if you were given a glimpse of the future? Would you accept what you saw and live life to its fullest, or would you do everything in your power to change your destiny?"

From The London Times:

India coach encourages sex before matches

Further in from the same article:

Graeme Swann described the idea of more sex as "the kind of forward thinking the game needs".

Alrighty then. So when we see great performances on the field ...

From the Detroit News' Bob Wojnowski:

From muddy shoes to a big nasty Horseshoe in Columbus, the Big Ten is a reliable rock of round-shouldered sameness. Someone has to win it -- Penn State will -- and someone has to look sort of good without really proving it. Time to haul out the size 13s and lace 'em up, and may the least-mediocre team prevail!

The Big Ten deserves some of that kind of derision but I find it coming from someone in Michigan to be a bit more interesting.

About today's QOTD: He's talking about Steve McNair. A Halloween themed park will have displays featuring McNair's death along with the deaths of Ted Kennedy, Heath Ledger, and Ed McMahon. No thanks.

Quote of the Day

Our event does not open until Friday. We meant him no disrespect.

Don Helbig, Kings Island's Halloween Haunt

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "So one day, you're hid away in your room, playing guitar, trying to make sounds like thunder and rainfall and birdsong all at once, when boom! Your amplifier suddenly explodes, falls over, and keeps exploding."

We're starting to lose some of the great long-time baseball play-by-play announcers. There aren't too many guys looking to stay in that business with one team for any length of time. They're all looking to move upwards and onwards these days and, soon, they either make it big like Joe Buck, or they disappear altogether but there was a time when guys could make it on the strength of their ability and not so much on how they looked on camera. In the last few years, we've lost father and son Harry and Skip Caray, Jack Buck (Joe's dad), Harry Kalas, and now, Ernie Harwell is battling incurable cancer. None of those guys were/are particularly photogenic but they knew their stuff. These guys, who have called 150-160+ games per year for 30-40-50 years, are under-appreciated for what they do. Somehow, they manage to fill 3-4 hours of air time with fresh insight, humor, and fantastic stories almost every night. Those broadcasting jobs are easily the best ones around but only the best announcers can do it. AllTheBest, Ernie.

On the other end of the class spectrum, we have The Buffalo News giving Terrell Owens the full-bore coddle treatment. They have a section on the front page of their Buffalo Bills section called "T.O. Today". The first headline there is

DiCesare: Bills can't let T.O. lose patience, or they'll lose him

In other news from western New York, aspirin sales are way up. No explanation offered.

Quote of the Day

There's been too much attention paid to me, and people get tired of reading about an old guy. My mom used to say, 'Don't wear out your welcome.' And I don't want to wear out my welcome

Ernie Harwell

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The Bills showed a lot of heart in bouncing back from last week's loss to the Patriots improving to 1-1 on the season."

The CNN headline read:

Tyra Banks likes to be naked

I did not see that revelation anywhere in the article nor did I reach that same conclusion. Bait and switch? Nahhhh...

Dumb. It's a team game. Can't trash an individual for the shortcomings of the team. Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, and Warren Moon were better quarterbacks than Mark Rypien on most days. I think Drew Brees can be in the conversation with Kelly, Marino, and Moon without being too pretentious but I'd surely like him to get the ring in New Orleans. He'd never buy another meal here again.

Quote of the Day

They pull out her cables and hack off her hatches
Too poor to be wasteful with pity or time
They swarm on her carcass with torches and axes
Like a whale on a bloody shoreline

Mark Knopfler, So Far From The Clyde

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Research confirms that drinking gives you the same benefits yoga does"

Funniest blog I've seen in a while. -Rob

The LSU Tigers' win over Washington in Seattle a few weeks ago looks a whole lot better now that USC couldn't do the same.

The Tigers are ranked 7th this morning. Fortunately or not, three of the six teams ahead of them are on their schedule later this year, road games at #3 Alabama and #4 Ole Miss and a home game with #1 Florida still to come. They're not ready for any of those teams yet.

I have two 2-0 fantasy football teams for the first time ever, my entry in the Signs of the Apocalypse Sweepstakes.

The Eagles had quite a bit of success in their Wildcat offense yesterday but I think the use of it displays a lack of confidence in the quarterback more than it shows any offensive creativity. In New Orleans, Drew Brees hands off and throws better than any of the running backs and wide receivers on his team so I'd prefer they keep the Wildcat on the shelf. It's a cute gimmick, though. The QOTD tends to agree with me, I think.

On to Buffalo and the Bills' no-huddle offense. As gimmicky offenses go, I like the no-huddle the best but I'm still not wild about them. Up-tempo-get-up-to-the-line quickly and no-huddle when you catch the defense in a favorable personnel group or making massive substitutions is good stuff but using it for the majority of the game doesn't appeal to me. Wears out both teams about equally.

Quote of the Day

Garcia must be the type who would prefer a boring old win to a brilliant, innovative loss. Some people just don't get it.

Phil Sheridan, Philadelphia Inquirer

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "There used to be a time that you could rely on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense to be this all-consuming, blitzing machine."

Ghost Town is a fairly standard, formulaic romantic comedy that we watched last night. The only thing that saves it from being a complete waste of time is the comedic ability of Ricky Gervais, who has made the guy in the uncomfortable situation his own. If you've ever seen the brilliant Extras, you know what I mean. Unfortunately, Ghost Town is not nearly as good as that. Téa Leoni is wonderful but, as usual, she was underused. The rest of the cast is largely forgettable and the movie, itself, is rather predictable. I'm disappointed in the endings in most Hollywood "rom-coms" these days. Seems they have a decent idea and some likable characters but just don't know how to finish the stories. This one falls in that category, too.

Two "All-Times" are up for election to the NFL Hall-of-Fame in Canton. Jerry Rice, the all-time leading receiver in catches, yards, and touchdowns and Emmitt Smith, the all-time leading rushing leader are both up for election. These guys are both first ballot selections. The Saints were in the 49ers division when Rice played and I got to see him much more than I would have liked. The YAC (Yards after catch) is a stat that football fanatics like to talk about. I don't know if that stat is adequate to measure Rice's greatness but it's the one closest. Rice routinely turned 5-yard slants into 75-yard touchdowns. He is the best offensive player I ever saw. Emmitt Smith was the monster fantasy football player when I first started playing. Fantasy football geeks like players who rack up yards and touchdowns. Smith did both for a good number of years.

I hate it when the Saints play the Eagles. The Saints have had some success against them the last few years, including today, but they make me squirm more than any other team. Glad this one is behind them.

I offer two staples of CrabAppleLane imagery this Sunday:

CrabAppleLane Blue Ginger - September 20, 2009

CrabAppleLane Hummingbird - September 20, 2009

Today's QOTD is from the lyrics of my favorite song (So far) on the new CD. The link has the song and a nice video. Enjoy.

Quote of the Day

When I leave this world behind me
To another I will go
And if there are no pipes in heaven
I'll be going down below

Mark Knopfler, Piper To The End

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I attached my coffee to this mail. not sure which one you'd want, since my mug is enjoyable from both sides. and if you want to know what the coffee is, it's an eggnog latte from starbucks. if you just wanted normal coffee, lemme know. I can do that, too."

Pass on the coffee but like the image. -Rob

Mark Knopfler's Get Lucky arrived here yesterday. Except for the bluesy, jazzy third track You Can't Beat The House, this release has a great Celtic flavor to it. I'm particularly fond of the last track, Piper To The End. It reminds me a great deal of his music from Local Hero. I hope to have a listen on the living room stereo this afternoon. The computer speakers and the truck stereo both do a decent job but this CD deserves better. After one pass-through, I'm pretty excited about what I've heard. I hope three or four of the songs from this CD find their way into his live show permanently. It's one of his best.

For my friend, Dave, and ALL of my Minnesota cousins:

GEAUX Twins

About today's QOTD: Some day, I might understand why sportswriters still bother to talk to football coaches.

Quote of the Day

If Kevin starts the game, then he's our quarterback.

Marty Mornhinweg, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "He may have lost interest in pop songwriting, but Knopfler's muse hasn't abandoned him. Always one of rock's sharper yarn-spinners, he's deepened and refined his storytelling since kicking off his solo career with 1996's Golden Heart; as he's drained his arrangements of what little flash they ever had, he's introduced his listeners to an ever-more interesting cast of characters, training his focus on everyone from McDonald's founder Ray Kroc to an organ grinder along the way."

If you haven't seen the Phillies' fan who caught the foul ball, you may be the only one. I've seen it a few times now. Lovely and sweet. Nothing at all like the Phillies/Eagles fans I've come to know over the years. May have to soften my stance on them ... after Sunday's Saints/Eagles game.

The BOTD is from the UK. Very interesting and refreshing take on the NFL. He has a point about the Saints' Reggie Bush. Bush is a unique player in the NFL. He's a game changer. Unfortunately for him and us Saints fans, there are 10-15 so-so plays and a bad play for every one of those highlights. He's starting to hear the criticism from fans and the media and maybe realizing what it will cost him if he doesn't pick it up. He seemed pretty down after his poor performance last Sunday. His contract will be up soon. If he wants the big bucks ...

Quote of the Day

I just wanted her to know it was OK.

Steve Monforto, Phillies fan

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Bush was booed by Saints fans as his contribution consisted of seven runs for 14 yards and two lost fumbles. I know Bush has been working hard this week to make amends for that display, but I cannot see him playing a larger role in the immediate future."

Celebrating the 24th anniversary today of the night I quit smoking. Not sure why the date still sticks in my mind but there it is. For what it's worth, I smoked Marlborough. Aside from the health risks, it's a rather expensive habit these days.

I offer a couple of images from my bike ride yesterday evening.

Whippoorwill Grove - Bush, LA - September 16, 2009This subdivision across the street from CrabAppleLane offers pretty cool vistas. This is one of them at sunset.

Crabapple Lane - Bush, LA - September 16, 2009Crabapple Lane starts pretty much where I stood for this shot. It's about 2/10ths of a mile to my garage from here. No matter how tired I get on the bike, all I have to do is reach the spot where I stood to take this picture. If I can reach that spot, I can coast home without adding another pedal stroke.

The QOTD is from the London Times. There is an amazing picture there that he took of a bat.

Quote of the Day

In all my time working as a wildlife photographer I don't think anyone has ever tried to do this. I am very pleased with the results.

Kim Taylor, Wildlife photographer

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Drew Brees is a class act. Make no mistake, he wants nothing more than to destroy the Philadelphia Eagles defense on Sunday and give his franchise a huge win and a 2-0 start for this turn-around season for the Saints. But Brees also understands how hard it is to play through injuries in the NFL, and he wishes the best for McNabb."

The quote below is from John M. McCardell, Jr. of CNN.com.

A drinking age minimum of 21 has not changed the reality. It's time to try something different.

He's absolutely right. You can make the minimum drinking age anything you want. It won't stop it. Offer free rides to anyone who needs them. Let taxicabs get reimbursed by the city/state/feds. That would cost society only a fraction of what it's costing us now. Do a better job of discouraging what some of these kids are doing; binge drinking to the point of alcohol poisoning. One now-deceased LSU student had a blood alcohol level of .588. He had poured rum directly into his stomach somehow. There can't be any fun in that. The problem is on the demand side, not the supply side.

Reminiscent of Incredible Journey, one of my favorite Disney films.

Tennessee is a 29-point underdog at The Swamp in Florida this weekend. Further, Tennessee Head Coach Lane Kiffin made disparaging remarks about Number One Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer's recruiting practices earlier this year. Meyer has a nasty streak in him very similar to former Florida Head Coach Steve Spurrier's. He has no qualms about running up a score on a defenseless opponent when inclined. He's inclined this week. CrabAppleLane says don't take the 29.

Hurricane Ivan was five years ago. First-hand account from tree hugging sister.

Very, very uncool, Bills fans. Get a grip.

Quote of the Day

I'm gonna give him a pass. As a longtime fat guy, it's easier getting a cruise liner to make a sudden stop. I almost killed our dog once when he bolted in front of me during a midnight-snack run to the fridge.'

Eagletarian, Philadelphia Inquirer

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I have no idea if Kolb has what it takes to run the offense for an entire game. I have no idea if he can hack the pressure being heaped upon him. I have no idea if he's capable of going toe-to-toe with the likes of Drew Brees."

Great article in USA Today about the current bout of incivility making the news. Back-to-back-to-back incidents by Joe Wilson, Kanye West, and Serena Williams made it inevitable. All have made tepid initial apologies. When they discovered that wasn't enough, Williams and West both made more formal apologies but I think both were made more for their own benefit than for those they offended.

R.I.P., Patrick Swayze.

First fantasy football Tuesday. Had to sweat Tom Brady and Stephen Gostkowski last night. Brady had two chances to make a two-point conversion at the end of the game and missed both. If either had been converted or if they had just let Gostkowski kick the extra points, I would have lost. The Pats had no business winning that game. They were outplayed. I feel your pain, Bills fans. I know your pain. The first Tuesday 8 years ago.

Quote of the Day

Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Johnny Castle, Dirty Dancing

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "One phrase will be repeated over and over throughout this fine Tuesday morning in the wake of the Buffalo Bills' 25-24 heart-wrenching loss to the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football: "We had 'em.""

Sloppy win for the Saints yesterday. You can't discount a W in the NFL and they were in command most of the game but they can surely play better than they did against the Lions. Turnovers and special teams breakdowns have got to stop. Anxious to see how Drew Brees will do against the Eagles more talented and aggressive defense next week in Philadelphia. The one time the Lions got to him, it was late. Cost them 15 yards.

Around the horn: From Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones:

The comments were made in an effort to assist a fellow NFL owner and his team's pursuit of bringing a new stadium to the fans of the Twin Cities.

Whether they want one or not, I suppose. He also hinted at revenue sharing being reduced or eliminated.

It's unthinkable to think that the market you've got here, with 3.5 million people, and have teams like Kansas City and Green Bay subsidizing this market.

He didn't really mean Kansas City or Green Bay. He meant Dallas. I hope he's wrong about revenue sharing but I fear he isn't.

I suppose the Lions' Matthew Stafford, who I saw play yesterday against the Saints, will always be compared to the Jets' Mark Sanchez, who had a spectacular debut against the Texans. Both are highly-drafted rookies. Sanchez has a little more football savvy right now and a much better supporting cast but I think Stafford will be better over time. He's got a great arm and gets rid of the ball quickly. Those are huge assets at that position in the NFL. He's not anything like Joey Harrington or the other bums they've brought in over the years.

Todays QOTD provided a good laugh for me. FWIW, the Saints have it in their package, too.

Quote of the Day

Speaking of penalties, why is the false start still part of the Lions' red-zone package?

Steve Schrader, Detroit Free Press

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I'll try not to descend too deeply into mopery, but an awful lot of positive things now get overshadowed by one potentially serious injury."

The last time the Saints opened the season in the Superdome against a team that had a new head coach and a top-pick-of-the-draft rookie quarterback, they kept the ball for 44 minutes en-route to a 28-0 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. I was there. Troy Aikman and Jimmy Johnson were never heard from a again. Well, almost. Troy was hammered that day by a pretty good Saints defense but he'd get right up and try to make the next play. Battered and bloodied, he went down swinging. If you don't like that in a quarterback, you don't like football.

Today, it's Matthew Stafford and Jim Schwartz's turn. The Detroit Free Press is writing about the similarities, too. I expect a similar result. This Saints team is not as good as the 89 team on defense but they're quite a bit better on offense. As for the Lions, over half of the team has been turned over (The Lions have 31 new faces). No one knows what to expect out of them. They've lost 17 straight games. The record is 26 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and it ended in New Orleans. I don't expect them to get to 26 but I do think they'll get to 18.

I offer two from my CrabAppleLane Sunday morning. The first one is the image I least wanted to see this morning. Due to the heavy thunderstorm underway outside, I've lost my satellite signal and had to reboot. Hopefully, the rain will subside soon and I won't have to watch the Saints from the internet. The second image shows some of the rain but also the tallest blue ginger I've ever had here.

CrabAppleLane - September 13, 2009

CrabAppleLane Blue Ginger - September 13, 2009

Quote of the Day

What we show in the preseason may or may not be what we're going to do down in the Superdome. He doesn't have a good beat exactly on what we're going to do, so maybe that's a little bit of an advantage for us.

Jim Schwartz, Detroit Lions Head Coach

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "To get ready for Sunday's game I exchanged five questions with Canal Street Chronicles, SB Nation's Saints blog."

A headline from The New Zealand Herald:

Labtests' latest balls up - woman gets wrong results

I don't know if headlines like that would save failing American newspapers but If nothing else is working ...

Tracey has a game going this week involving the Women's US Open in tennis and American movies. Pretty cool even if I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing. She calls it "the best thing ever".

Supposed to rain all weekend here at CrabAppleLane. With the NFL cranking up tomorrow, I am OK with staying in Sunday but I hope to get out this afternoon or evening for some fun.

I think Joe Wilson's "I will not be muzzled." was/is kinda cute. I think the only ones who want him muzzled are the ones who agree with him. I think the ones who don't agree with him would be happy to see him right out front and center.

Quote of the Day

Think of it as a hobby. Something you do to relax. You're an assassination enthusiast.

Jim Byrd, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "you search yourself your whole life because of that one part of you that's missing. just when you thought you've found the truth about you, it turns out to be a lie. yeah, that's happened to me too many times too."

It's been 8 years. There is footage of the events in New York at the The Camera Planet Archive among other places on the web. There is no shortage of video. Like most Americans, I've seen my share of them. I watch them once in a while, especially on special occasions like today. There's nothing on the video portions that shocks or surprises me any more. I know what happened. Sometimes, though, the audio gets me. A turn of phrase expresses a thought or a detail that hadn't occurred to me and the hand reaches in and tears my insides out. The QOTD did that this morning. The world is a sadder place today and it's an angrier place. Ring a bell, observe a moment, or say a prayer.

Quote of the Day

This shit came from over there.

Over There

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "This update points out sites and stories that deal one way or the other with September 11, 2001 and illustrate the width of the coverage and initiatives."

NFL football is finally here. We get a pretty good taste of the season tonight with the Titans and Steelers. Last year, the Titans beat the Steelers fairly handily in Nashville on their way to the top record in the AFC. That was last season. This year, the game is in Pittsburgh, the Titans don't have Albert Haynesworth any more, and Kerry Collins is one year closer to turning back into a pumpkin. The Steelers are the fashionable choice to repeat as Super Bowl Champions and are 6-point favorites at home. Never been one too much for fashion here at CrabAppleLane. I like the Titans tonight and I don't see the Steelers repeating although they'll surely be in the mix with ¼ of their schedule being against the Bengals and Browns.

Quote of the Day

Remember, the Titans are the last team to beat the Steelers.

David Climer, The Tennessean

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "It's not clear if the Steelers offensive line will be any better than they were in 2008 when they allowed Big Ben to take a beating all year round."

I recorded Charlie Wilson's War a few weeks ago. Just finally sat down and watched it on Labor Day. It's got the dreaded "Based on a true story" declaration in the opening credits. I suppose the purpose of that declaration is to make the story more compelling than it otherwise would be. I think it's unnecessary. The film is a lot of fun but has some serious overtones and a message, too. Written by Aaron Sorkin (West Wing), the dialogue delivers. The fun is mostly between Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The two of them are fabulous and their performances, alone, are worth your time.

1 day until football season ...

Quote of the Day

You know you've reached rock bottom when you're told you have character flaws by a man who hanged his predecessor in a military coup.

Charlie Wilson, Charlie Wilson's War

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I would urge you to see the movie; it is done well and is entertaining. Tom Hanks plays Congressman Wilson, and Julia Roberts is the socialite Joanne Herring. The story itself is based on a true story, and since Wilson, Herring, and Avrakotos all cooperated with the filmmakers, I assume that it is a pretty good representation of how they saw themselves, warts and all."

The article in The Guardian has too many delicious elements not to comment on it. First, you have a rock concert tour sponsored by, promoted by, and financed by Guinness Beer. I think the Black Eyed Peas are rockers. I'm not even sure. Then, you have a tour stop where you're not allowed to sell or promote your product where the overwhelming majority of the population is not allowed by law to consume it anyway. Then, you have a country forbidding the concert to be attended by the majority of the population on religious grounds but then deciding it will be OK because they need/want the money. And, finally, you have the lady lumps. No story is complete without lady lumps, I say.

2 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

The Malaysian government seem to have rediscovered its affection for Black Eyed Peas, reversing a ban on Muslims attending the group's forthcoming concert. Officials did not give the reason for their change of heart.

Sean Michaels, The Guardian

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The Black Eyed Peas will be performing a FREE show as part of the NFL Kickoff celebration in Pittsburgh, PA Thursday Sept 10th, 2009 in Point State Park!"

Cool spider web I noticed while I was grilling. Can you smell that fabulous smoke? You can see the strand in the first image. You can also see the strand if you look hard enough in the second image. That strand starts at the far end (Lower left) of the deck railing and ends up high in the tree on the far right ... or vice versa.

CrabAppleLane Labor Day - September 7, 2009

CrabAppleLane Labor Day - September 7, 2009

CrabAppleLane Labor Day - September 7, 2009 - Latest in The Clearing Project series

Got plans?

Caught Queen plus Paul Rodgers last night on an HD Network concert. Rodgers handles the Queen songs OK but he isn't the entertainer Freddie Mercury was. Not particularly fair to him, I know, because who is? It was a good show but not a keeper. Too bad that some of the greatest bands of my generation spent so much effort avoiding live recordings of all kinds. The conventional wisdom then was that people would pay premium ticket prices if the only way to see them live was to buy tickets. The conventional wisdom was wrong. Unfortunately, there is precious little footage of Queen, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc in their prime. Most of today's bands are making that effort. Below is Queen with Freddie. Those guys could rock any house. Saw them twice, myself. Lyrics provide the QOTD although Freddie changed them somewhat for this performance. Enjoy.

3 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

I was just a skinny lad
Never knew no good from bad
But I knew life before I left my nursery
Left alone with big fat fanny
She was such a naughty nanny
Heap big woman
You made a bad boy out of me

Queen, Fat Bottomed Girls

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "It appears that singer Paul Rodgers has amicably parted ways with Queen. At least, that's the way it's been reported on Brian May's official website."

Time for football.

No real surprises on the Saints cuts yesterday. Joey Harrington had to go. He reverted to his former basket-case self in the last preseason game. Skyler Green, former LSU Tiger who I was rooting for, didn't distinguish himself on a roster full of quality receivers and punt returners so he was let go, too. I like them going out and trading for tight end David Thomas of the Patriots after they lost tight end Billy Miller for the season. I don't know anything about him but it looks like the guy can play and they didn't give up much for him. Time to start this thing up.

About the Tigers-Huskies game last night that didn't get over until after midnight local time: Mission accomplished but there is a lot of work to be done before they're ready to take on the SEC. The Tigers seem to be more balanced on defense this season, so far, if one game is any indication. They couldn't stop the pass last year. This year, they can't seem to stop the run OR the pass. Granted, this was an inspired and pretty well-coached Huskies team but LSU should have simply overwhelmed them with speed and talent, particularly in their passing game. The Husky secondary was no match for the LSU receivers. They didn't go to them nearly enough. Oh, and ESPN broadcasts SUCK. They break away from the game too much. They talk too much. They use way too many STUPID camera angles. And, the biggest one, the biggest one ... they miss the live action entirely too much. I missed a touchdown because they were showing a talking head back at the studio. They didn't show a replay until AFTER the commercial and then, only the tail end of the play ... from a skycam. On a play that was reviewed where the Husky QB's knee touched the ground, I saw his knee touch on the first replay but the knee was blocked from view on the next two or three replays because of that toolbar ESPN runs at the bottom of their broadcasts. Horrible. I wish the SEC would go back to CBS.

I had a few errands to run yesterday afternoon. Stop at the bank and make a night deposit, pick up some Midnight Bold coffee at Joe Muggs, and then stop somewhere and go for a walk. I chose the St Tammany Trace area in Abita Springs. Quite lovely at sunset. More pics below the jump.

Abita Springs Water Tower - Abita Springs, LA - September 5, 2009

4 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

In the cool cool cool of the evening
I'm hitched up and ready to ride
Gonna truck all night
Gonna truck all night night long

Bachman Turner Overdrive, Stayed Awake All Night

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "This is really funny. Mad TV presents "Coffee twins" Hope you enjoy it and have a laugh."

Whitney National Bank - Hwy 190 - Covington, LA - September 5, 2009This wasn't as totally an unexpected sight as you would normally think. I've seen him before. Not sure if he was guarding the bank or just wanted to be first in line for the free toaster. I know what you're thinking. CrabAppleLane must be further out in the country than you thought. Well, no, we're only about AS far out as you think. The bank is on a main thoroughfare in Covington. Mr Cogburn is undoubtedly an escapee from one of the residential backyards behind the bank.

Purple and Gold versus Purple and Gold at Husky Stadium in Seattle tonight. I'm talking LSU Tigers v Washington Huskies.

About the QOTD and the "We don't think about that stuff" line: Nonsense. They DO think about that stuff. Otherwise, there would be no need to "flop" players around at all.

5 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Holt further explained that the line is flopped "according to (play) calls'' and schemes, etc. However, he said it is not flopped to try to line up a specific player against another specific player. "We don't think about that stuff,'' he said.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "A few weeks ago, on one of the really nice summer nights we were having in August, a reporter mused to Sarkisian it would be cool to have that setting for the LSU game. Sarkisian shook his head and said no, he'd rather it be a little stormy and rainy, what I think he said he'd heard was "Husky weather.''"

Trying to score some Trans-Siberian Orchestra tickets for when they're here in December. Early ticket sales went on sale for TSO club members but, so far, the only seats they're making available do not appeal to us. Floor tickets don't interest us in the least. Who wants to sit in a folding chair for three hours? When I was younger, I didn't mind standing for all of the shows at the warehouse in New Orleans for hours while several bands came and went. Those days are over. TSO/Ticketmaster is also making lower section seats available but only on the sidelines so far. We don't care for those either because you have to keep your neck turned at an awkward angle for three hours. I don't know if the ticket sites started offering the seats with the best viewing angles and worked their way around toward the stage or if they started closest to the stage and are working their way out. We really want to go this year because it's in mid-December instead of early November but we don't want to be uncomfortable all night. New Orleans has gotten the western touring TSO lineup the last two years, which features the husband and wife team of Al Pitrelli and Jane Mangini. Pitrelli is the best guitarist in TSO but Mangini is the real workhorse of the show. They are phenomenal. Their signature song/video below:

Since I was able to do the yard work Wednesday, I plan to use the whole three-day weekend to hang out in the yard, ride the bike, watch football, grill, and maybe catch a movie or two. I have some work to do inside so it won't be all leisure but it will be about as close to that as I ever get.

Well, the goal of getting through the preseason in one piece didn't work out. The Saints lost tight end Billy Miller last night to injury. He couldn't put any weight on one leg and had to be carted to the locker room so that can't be good. That leaves them with the rather brittle Jeremy Shockey as the starter and two unknowns as the second and third. They'll be scouring the castoff tight ends tomorrow when everyone has to reduce their roster to the league limit.

6 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

This night
We pray
Our lives
Will Show
This dream
He had
Each child
Still Knows

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Christmas Canon Rock

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "My family has a ranch that is absolutely in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming - it is 30 minutes by dirt road from a town of 2,000. The USPS delivers mail to a box 3 miles away from the ranch, and does it 3 days a week. The USPS will not deliver overnight mail. UPS delivers 6 days a week right to our door, including overnight mail."

The goal for the Saints in the last preseason game is to get out of it in one piece. They play the Dolphins tonight and I'm sure Dolphins fans are thinking the same thing. To make things worse from a viewing standpoint, the two teams play each other in Miami in a few weeks so both teams figure to hold a lot back. Most of the starters will play very little, if at all. Coach Rob would plant Drew Brees on the bench tonight but Coach Payton is going to let him play a series or two. Don't get me wrong. I love to watch him play but there are guys playing tonight that are desperate to make a team while other guys have their team made. It's a dangerous mix. No accidents, please. The BOTD has a different take.

Today's QOTD inspired by Fi a Kiwifruit. It is a song that was not in my Dire Straits or Mark Knopfler collection. It was on one of Dire Straits greatest hits CDs but I picked it up at iTunes by itself the other day because I had all of the rest of the songs. That seems to be a growing trend. Greatest hits albums used to be great for people that only had a passing interest in the artist. They used to include only previously released material that devoted fans already had. Now, greatest hits CDs include new or previously unreleased original material in order to lure their devoted fans into buying them. Yay for iTunes.

7 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Yeah, were gonna be so neat
Dance to the eurobeat
Yeah, were gonna be so cool
Twisting by the pool

Dire Straits, Twisting by the Pool

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "A lot of casual football fans feel that the preseason is meaningless. These same fans probably feel like the fourth preseason game is a total waste of time and not worth watching."

Near CrabAppleLane - September 1, 2009

Hey diddle diddle
The cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed to see such sport
And the dish ran away with the spoon

I think this cow could probably clear the oak tree but I think it needs more of a running start to jump over the moon. For the sake of this image, I kinda wish how now brown cow was a Holstein. Probably would have turned out better.

Today's couldn't pass up tidbit is from the Associated Press via the San Francisco Chronicle:

Under the watchful eye of team officials, star athletes are often banned from dating or marrying until a certain age, restricted in endorsement contracts and sometimes have a large percentage of their winnings taken away.

It's a rather short jaw-dropping piece on China's sports programs.

Today's QOTD is from Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park. I started watching it last night. It's a film I can watch every 10 years or so. Robert Redford and Mildred Natwick are delightful.

8 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

It's not that kind of a club. It's a locker room and a handball court. To sleep over, I'd have to keep winning the serve.

Paul Bratter (Robert Redford), Barefoot in the Park

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "[in love]"

Ford's MyKey; Not sure about it. Aside from their questionable usefulness, my guess is those keys will get lost and be so expensive and difficult to replace that the adult keys will end up in the teenager's hands. I don't think technology just for teens will solve the problem of teen auto fatality anyway. And if it is that good, why not impose it on everyone? The article says that teens comprise 12% of the auto fatalities. Where's the love for the other 88%?

CrabAppleLane Advice For The Day: If you're going to name drop because you think it will earn you some extra goodies, make sure you know the names.

9 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Most teens don't drive new vehicles; they drive more affordable, used vehicles. And not many parents, especially in this day and age, are able to buy a new car with this technology.

John Nepomuceno, Research administrator with State Farm Insurance

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Loving it that the oldsters, now known in polite society as the politically correct "seniors," are finding their voice."