October 2010 Archives

Happy Halloween

Got plans? You might think mine involve the game tonight. You'd be right. :)

Steelers (5-1) v Saints (4-3) tonight in the SuperDome. Turnovers will be the key tonight like they almost always are for the Saints. When they take care of the ball, they win. When they don't, they usually lose. Turnovers killed them in all three of their losses. The opponent doesn't much matter. Every single team the Saints have faced this season has had some fire in their belly. They need to return fire tonight. I'd like the Saints chances better if they were healthier but no excuses, no quarter. Play your game, Saints. Take care of the ball and you'll take care of the Steelers.

As of this writing, the Jaguars are up on the Cowboys, 28-3, in Dallas. Big Trouble brewing in Big D. Someone may get fired DURING that game.

I offer three from the CrabAppleLane Backyard. If you're keeping score, it goes no maintenance, maintenance, no maintenance. The maintenance is the bent axle. It needs to be replaced. I always bend the right front axle on the finish mower. This is the third time I've done it. It happens when I don't lift the mower when I'm cutting near my driveway. You ever try to merge onto the interstate when they're resurfacing and the interstate is higher? Finish mowers aren't built for that sort of thing.

CrabAppleLane Blue Ginger - October 31, 2010

CrabAppleLane Required Maintenance - October 31, 2010

CrabAppleLane Trail Flowers - October 31, 2010

About today's QOTD: If you've ever read anything about Vlad the Impaler, you will know he is much scarier than the Dracula in Bram Stoker's novel. Bram Stoker's Dracula is very loosely based on Vlad. For what it's worth, Dracula is my all-time favorite book. Love it. There is a passage in that novel that still sends shivers down my spine. Anyone who has read the book knows the exact passage I'm talking about.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Only Happy When It Rains - Garbage - Garbage
2. Til I Hear It From You - Gin Blossoms - Empire Records
3. Wind Up - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
4. Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits - Alchemy
5. All Mixed Up - The Cars - The Cars

Quote of the Day

I think it's really clever to bring tourists in with the Dracula myth. But it's our duty to share real stories with tourists.

Mark Tudose, Transylvania

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Saints are thin at running back and banged up in the secondary while the Steelers are banged up on the defensive line. Both teams can be really dangerous on offense and through the air. The Saints certainly miss what Reggie Bush adds to the offense and Brees has played very un-Brees like thus far in 2010. I think you could see some high scoring in this game and quite a few big plays. I think the Steelers are the deeper of the two teams still and are better coached as well. Steelers get a late defensive or special teams touchdown to win this one. Final Score: Steelers 34 Saints 31"

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We try to make it to the Columbia Street Block Party in Old Covington at least once a year. It's held on the last Friday of every month from March until October. After a delightful dinner at New Orleans Food & Spirits a few blocks away, we went to the block party last night. The shops along Columbia Street stay open later and hold a sort of open house. It's a real throwback event. One website describes it this way:

Street Festival - Classic Car Display - 200 thru 500 block Columbia St. - 6:30pm-9:30pm - FREE FAMILY EVENT

Close enough. Lots of people dressed in their Halloween costumes last night. It was really fun. I have been in H J Smith & Sons General Store a few times but never with the camera. The store is a museum now. It's next to the hardware store of the same name and it has been run by the Smith family since 1876, I think. I have leftovers from last night calling to me now but I'll give a little rundown of the pics below: The fire truck with its wooden ladders is all kinds of awesome but the Coca-Cola delivery truck somehow tops it in my mind. Love the guy in the trench coat but I'm not sure who he is supposed to represent. Is he you going out in the middle of the night for fuses or is he the bad guy who sees your house in the dark?

H J Smith & Sons General Store Museum - October 29, 2010

H J Smith & Sons General Store Museum - October 29, 2010

H J Smith & Sons General Store Museum - October 29, 2010

H J Smith & Sons General Store Museum - October 29, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Wishbone Ash playlist:

1. Ballad of the Beacon - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
2. Throw Down The Sword - Wishbone Ash - Argus
3. No Easy Road - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
4. Baby What You Want Me To Do - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates [1973]
5. Jail Bait - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates [1973]

Quote of the Day

Watch me join the circus
Watch me steal the show
There aint no easy money
There aint No Easy Road

Wishbone Ash, No Easy Road

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Sunday night in New Orleans the past two Super Bowl champs go at it, and the Steelers have a shot to move to 6-1 on the year against a Saints team that is soul searching after a bad home loss to the Browns last week. The Steelers are coming off a 23-22 win over the Dolphins last week, and are hoping to continue their run as what many think is the best team in the AFC and the NFL."

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Patsy and I were on the phone with each other when the sirens started wailing. The Citizens Bank mentioned is about halfway between where she works and where I work. That they took off and headed towards where were live is kind of exhilarating ... now that they're caught and no one was hurt. :)

About today's QOTD: Best excuse evah ... :)

And about today's BOTD: Too much schadenfreude is unhealthy except when it comes to the Cowboys or Yankees ... :)

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist starting with "G”:

1. Get Lucky - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky
2. Golden Heart - Mark Knopfler - Golden Heart
3. Going Home - Theme From 'Local Hero' - Dire Straits - Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
4. Green Grass And High Tides - The Outlaws - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs
5. Gold Dust Woman - Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

Quote of the Day

Maybe this explains the Rangers' shoddy play in the field during Game 1: A haze of marijuana coming from the stands.

Tom Benning, The Dallas Morning News

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The fans and alums of "America's Team" hoped to see the hometown Cowboys in the Super Bowl this year -- to be played in Dallas -- but instead might have to settle for a different big "D" -- as in a high draft pick."

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There was a time when Bill Cosby was just a stand-up comedian. I had some of his records, including the one the cut above was taken from. It has always been my favorite. Something reminded me of this bit the other day and I absolutely cannot remember what it was.

Game 1 to the Giants. Both ace pitchers struggled last night and it looks like both teams brought the lumber for the series. I like that. Some of the Giants hitters are really dialed in. The hottest one provides today's QOTD. When you're going like that, the next at bat can't come soon enough. I like how the Rangers kept fighting even when they were way down. Those three runs they put up in the ninth didn't help them much last night but I think it will help them tonight. This World Series figures to be fun.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Limelight - Rush - Chronicles
2. Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream - The Cream Of Clapton
3. Slipstream - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
4. Temptation Eyes - The Grass Roots - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Grass Roots
5. The Clown - Status Quo - STATUS QUO The Collection

Quote of the Day

I think it's just baseball. That's the only thing you can say. This is a crazy game.

Freddy Sanchez, San Francisco Giants

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Italian roots in Clerkenwell go back to the early 1800’s. In the early days, the Italian ‘colony’ in this area was mainly employed in trades such as organ grinding, knife grinding, mosaic and terrazzo craftsmanship. From these early days, the Italian community spread into catering and ice cream selling. Italian restaurants, cafes and shops are now a firmly established part of current London."

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The World Series gets underway tonight with Cliff Lee pitching against Tim Lincecum. Excellent pitchers both. When the playoffs started, I'm guessing not many people figured the last two standing would be the Rangers and Giants. This baseball fan likes seeing a different set of teams in the Series now and again. MLB and The Fox Network would prefer at least one of the teams to be the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, or Dodgers. I expect this World Series to deliver on the drama. Both teams are fighters and they seem evenly matched. I like the Giants in seven.

About today's QOTD: I know the names of a handful of assistant coaches around the NFL. I know Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer because his son, Adam, coached for the Saints and because his wife, Vicki, died suddenly last year and it was in the news. When his wife died, he continued to coach that week and was awarded the game ball when the Bengals beat the Ravens. The NFL Network aired that moment on their Sound FX show. When he took the game ball and told his players that his wife loved all of them, it was pretty special. In the QOTD, he's talking about Bobby Petrino, the former head coach for the Atlanta Falcons and his former boss, who walked off the job in the middle of his first season and took the head coaching position at Arkansas. Didn't breathe a word of it to his staff or his players. You assemble a staff and a team, ask them to leave their jobs or pass up other opportunities, ask them to believe in you and your methods, and then abandon them a few weeks in because you don't like it any more? Yeah, that's gutless.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Telegraph Road - Mark Knopfler - Live From The Ryman
2. I'm Still Standing - Elton John - Greatest Hits 1970-2002
3. I Shot The Sheriff - Eric Clapton - The Cream Of Clapton
4. Day After Day - Badfinger - The Very Best Of Badfinger
5. Lions - Dire Straits - Dire Straits

Quote of the Day

He's a gutless bastard. Quote that.

Mike Zimmer, Cincinnati Enquirer

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "During the American League Championship Series games in New York between the Yankees and Rangers, fans were extremely rude to Kristen Lee, spitting and throwing beer in her direction and shouting obscenities."

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I saw one scene from Deception while channel-surfing a few nights ago and decided to record it the next time it came on. As I've probably told you a million times, it's one of the wondrous features of a DVR. As a rule, I don't care for my absurdity in small doses. If I'm going to have it, I'd prefer to immerse myself in it. Deception has too much absurdity to be a top notch thriller and not enough to be top notch CME. We have the patsy, Ewan McGregor. He's an auditor for a high-priced accounting firm and that's his whole life. We have the hustler, Hugh Jackman, who lures him into the world of sex clubs for executives. We're to believe that the hustler can move around in that world of high finance and know about various slush funds the company keeps in deeply hidden sub-accounts even though he doesn't have access to them. That last part is why he needs the patsy. Then, we're to believe that he can open an account in Madrid in his patsy's name, blackmail his patsy into wiring $20 million to that account from those various slush funds, and close the account and withdraw the $20 million in cash a week later. See, he plans to kill the patsy and steal his identity. Finally, we're also to believe that a shot could ring out in a Madrid park and no police would come running and no citizens would run away. Sorry, but these kinds of activities would have called a lot of more attention to themselves in real life than they did in the movie. Deception was better than a poke in the eye but that's about it.

Thankyou, Jason Witten. Good game for my team. It was a total team effort to overcome that monster game Kenny Brit had.

About today's QOTD: Love the lyrics in that song. Love the song, too.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) - Pink Floyd - The Wall
2. The Real Me - The Who - Quadrophenia
3. Knocking At Your Back Door - Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
4. Tunnel Of Love - Dire Straits - Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
5. Ballroom Blitz - The Sweet - Desolation Boulevard

Quote of the Day

Back in the thirties when the dust bowl dried
And the woods in Alabama didn't see no light
My Daddy played poker by a hard wood fire
Squeezing all his luck from a hot copper wire

Drive-By Truckers, Where The Devil Don't Stay

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "At the beginning of 1923 postwar adjustments seemed to be over and the outlook was bright. By the end of the year, however, a dark cloud of depression hung once more over the industry. This time it lasted for a long period: 1925 and 1927 were two of the worst years in the history of American woolens."

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Pretty lousy day for the Saints and their fans yesterday. A tip of the cap to the Cleveland Browns for a great win. The encouraging thing I keep telling myself is that the problem with the Saints is the offense. They're not taking care of the ball. The defense is playing winning football. Colt McCoy was held to 74 yards passing. The Browns had 125 yards rushing but 68 of them came on a fake punt the Saints were somehow unprepared for. The special teams are below average but they haven't been an overwhelming factor. The Browns had two big plays on special teams that resulted in 10 points but that shouldn't have been enough to win this game. Two of the three losses (Cardinals and Browns) are totally on the offense. They're not playing smart and they just make too many killer mistakes. The only reason I can see to be encouraged is that we know the Saints offense will eventually figure things out. There is too much talent there. How they're going to stay close to the pack in the meantime is the big question.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Im A Doun - Meav - Méav
2. Long Distance Runaround - Yes - Fragile
3. On Every Street - Dire Straits - On The Night
4. A Light In The Black - Rainbow - Rising
5. 20th Century Boy - Placebo - Velvet Goldmine

Quote of the Day

thank you guys for your continued support...we're being tested right now as a team, we're going to fight through and come out better for it.

Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans Saints

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Just win. That's all that matters in the National Football League. The Pittsburgh Steelers did just that in Week 7 with a 23-22 victory against the Miami Dolphins in a highly entertaining and tightly-contested game."

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So much for what I think. LSU was lucky to be in that game at all. Cam Newton had his way with the LSU defense. He ran on them and he passed on them. LSU had no answer for him. Nothing fancy about it, either. They had good defenses called most of the time. He just broke the tackles. He's this year's Heisman Trophy winner. They can start engraving his name now.

Congratulations to the

On their way to World Series to face the Texas Rangers. The networks weep. Good. :)

Oh, and Ryan Howard, how do you not swing at that pitch? Down to your last strike for the season, you have to protect the plate. I don't think it was a strike, either, but the "swing at anything close with two strikes" philosophy applies to the big leagues, too.

On paper, the Saints-Browns game today in the SuperDome should be no contest. They don't play the game on paper, though. The Saints will be playing without their two starting cornerbacks and their two starting running backs. They'll be OK at running back because of Chris Ivory. Don't know what to expect at cornerback (Update: It has already cost the Saints a touchdown). The Browns play decent defense and I'm not sure what to expect out of Colt McCoy. Last year's Saints players, Scott Fujita and Mike Bell, will be on the field today for the Browns. I hope they get a warm reception. They contributed their share to the Super Bowl team last year. As usual ... if the Saints take care of the ball, they'll take care of the Browns (Saints are down, 0-10 already. I hate slow starts.).

I offer one on this mild CrabAppleLane Sunday.

CrabAppleLane Grilling - October 24, 2010

About today's QOTD: Are the photos now going to be compared to the ... oh, never mind. There's no way this isn't going to be a distraction for him or his football team. It may have had a chance to go away at one time but not now.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Poison - Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper Classicks
2. Live Wire - Starz - Starz
3. My Parties - Dire Straits - On Every Street
4. Because The Night - 10,000 Maniacs - MTV Unplugged
5. Already Gone - The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

Brett Favre admitted to the NFL this week that he did leave voicemails for Jenn Sterger, but denied sending the former sideline hostess any lewd photographs when he was a member of the New York Jets, Fox Sports reported Sunday.

ESPN

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "They estimate that 66 million pounds of sheep’s cheeses are imported to this country every year, yet very little sheep cheese is produced in the United States."

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ALL eyes here on LSU-Auburn this afternoon. This has turned into a pretty good SEC rivalry. The Tigers of LSU have talent out the wazoo at every position except quarterback. They've been very inconsistent there. The Tigers/Plainsmen/War Eagles of Auburn have talent out the wazoo at quarterback in Heisman favorite, Cam Newton, but I think they're suspect everywhere else. If LSU completes enough passes to keep the Auburn defense honest, they'll have the edge. If they can't and they get behind by more than one score, the edge swings to Auburn. I don't think Newton is going to have his way with the LSU defense the way he did with the Arkansas defense last week. If Arkansas quarterback, Ryan Mallett, hadn't gotten hurt last week, that game might have ended up in a 105-105 tie. There was no defense on the field at all.

About today's BOTD: I have never heard The Corn Dog Story. I'm thinking it's a little too clever to come from Auburn, though. They probably got it from Vanderbilt. :) And for what it's worth, there's not an ounce of truth to it. Corn dogs are county fair food. Louisiana doesn't have counties. We have parishes. :)

Finally, congratulations to the

On their way to their first ever World Series.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Never Gonna Change - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
2. The Load-Out - Jackson Browne - Running On Empty
3. Music Box Dancer - The London Pops Orchestra - 14 Fantastic Hits Of The 70's
4. Green Grass And High Tides - The Outlaws - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs
5. Clocks - Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Quote of the Day

My doctor put me on
Milk, cream, and alcohol, alcohol
My doctor put me a description, wrote me a prescription
Johnny, get milk, cream, and alcohol, alcohol, alcohol

John Lee Hooker, Serves Me Right To Suffer

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I think this may be why a lot of fans get beaten up by LSU fans. If you attend a game in Baton Rouge, try to avoid telling them that they smell like corn dogs. Say something else instead. Like, "Wow, LSU sure does have a great team this year. This is going to be a great SEC game.""

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About the QOTD: I couldn't agree more. Whatever happened to great nicknames? Surely, they can't have all been used up. Baseball always had the best ones. Smokey Joe, Shoeless Joe, and Joltin' Joe, The Babe, The Splendid Splinter, Dizzy Dean, The Say Hey Kid, Hammerin' Hank, The Candy Man, The Wizard of Oz, Goose Gossage, Spaceman Lee, The Bird, etc...

What's your favorite nickname?

Speaking of baseball, Dan excerpts a passage from The Southpaw that would stir any baseball fan's imagination.

Here nor there: The QOTD article is a rather funny diatribe about the life of fantasy football players.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. American Pie - Don McLean - AM Gold 1970-1974
2. Going Home - Theme From 'Local Hero' - Dire Straits - Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
3. Burnin' For You - Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
4. On The Turning Away - Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
5. Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull - Aqualung

Quote of the Day

My alma mater, Indiana University, got run over by Shoelace Robinson. (Side note: why are people still calling this guy "Denard?" We've been given the gift of a glorious nickname. I suggest, nay, demand everyone begin employing it immediately.)

Dave Dameshek, Special to NFL.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "One thing I have grown to dislike as a user of the Internet, software, and computers in general is how many sites and software think they are great enough to be alone in their own walled garden. Or silo."

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I saw a small blurb a few weeks ago about a new TV show on the FX network called Terriers. They were advertising the pilot and it looked interesting. The pilot was good enough to get me to stick with it for at least another week. That was six weeks ago. I've seen every episode. The characters do not all look like movie stars. It also looks kinda low budget but I think that's intentional to give the show its gritty feel. The two main characters are unlicensed private investigators. One is a recovering alcoholic ex-cop and the other is a somewhat reformed thief. Yeah, it's a buddy show and that idea is not original. The stories, so far, have only been OK but I'm hoping that's because they're concentrating so much on establishing the characters first. If it survives the first season, it will do so on the strength of those characters. I like it so I give it little chance. Its blog is today's BOTD.

Today's QOTD is about Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns quarterback.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Crazy On You - Heart - Dreamboat Annie
2. Red Staggerwing - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning
3. Lick Your Fingers Clean - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
4. Alegria - Cirque du Soleil - Alegria
5. The Saints Are Coming - Green Day & U2 - Saints-Falcons Pre-Game Show

Quote of the Day

Colt's a nice kid with a hot girlfriend and a bright future. Makes me sick. ;)

ESPN comment from Ravenous128

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Before you go thinking we have gone all mushy on you, there’s an investigative scene that has our boys showing up on the doorstep of a suspect, who just happens to have a ton of piercings. When asked about the ring, he starts pointing to different pieces of jewelry speared through his skin… and then he does the thing you really hope he’s not going to do… drop his pants. Yeah, turns out not to be the ring in question."

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Congratulations to Drew and Brittany Brees. The New Orleans Royal Family has a new member. :)

At 10:20AM and 10:20PM today, it will be 10:20 10/20 2010. At 8:10PM tonight, you can go military and it will be 20:10 20/10 2010. Pretty cool. I like tens and twenties. I don't get to see nearly enough of them. :)

My neighbor read on the blog that I was having trouble finding Brussel sprouts plants and seeds the other day. In our mailbox yesterday was a pack of Brussel sprouts seeds. No idea where they found them but I am eternally grateful. Hopefully, the rabbits will leave them alone. I am optimistic on that because they have left the lone surviving Brussel sprout plant untouched. They devoured the broccoli and cauliflower plants. Thanks again, neighbor. :)

What I know about Major League Baseball: Going into the playoffs, I thought the Texas Rangers were the least imposing of the four American League teams. They got by the Rays in a close series, which was kind of surprising but not that surprising. They are just mauling the Yankees and I don't think anyone saw that coming. Crazy things can happen in baseball and teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit but the Rangers and Yankees I saw last night are heading in opposite directions. I think only one team will be heading back to Texas tonight ( NTTAWWT:) ) .

The talk of the NFL this week is the league's get tough policy on what they call "devastating hits". There were four hits that were deemed "devastating" this week, two by James Harrison and one each by Dunta Robinson and Brandon Meriweather. All of the players were fined. I've seen all of the hits. In my view, only the Meriweather hit deserved a fine. The others looked clean to me or, at least, unintentional. And, then, there is this. What a twit.

A little background is in order for today's QOTD: NFL Films saw fit to rank the top 100 football players of all time. Naturally, such a list is highly subjective. Deion Sanders is miffed at his ranking. I think it's about right. I digress. In a letter to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, Joe F from Canton, Ohio mentions another list. I couldn't find the list that he mentions and its rules for inclusion. Since it was compiled last year according to him, I will guess that they only considered players that were retired a certain number of years. I can't imagine a top all-time list in the NFL that doesn't include Jerry Rice. He's probably the best football player I ever saw. He made touchdowns.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Enter Sandman - Metallica - Black Album
2. For Your Love - The Yardbirds - Heart Full Of Soul And Other Hits
3. Temptation Eyes - The Grass Roots - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Grass Roots
4. Wind Up - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
5. Piper To The End - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky

Quote of the Day

The Canton (Ohio) Repository did a good job last year ranking its top 50 Hall of Famers of all-time, and while Deion would not have been eligible for that list (neither would Jerry Rice and some others), I would have a hard time putting Deion in the top 40.

Joe F - Canton, Ohio

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Obviously, it’s a bit too soon to anoint rookie Colt McCoy as the long-awaited quarterback messiah for the Cleveland Browns, but man did he turn in a promising debut on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers."

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Next time you find yourself saying something like "he drives like an old lady", keep this in mind.

Not usually a big fan of remakes of good films but remaking True Grit sounds interesting. The original film was only OK to me. There are better actors and, undoubtedly, it will be quite a bit darker this time. ALL modern westerns seem darker to me except for the kinda silly Silverado.

I flipped to the Jaguars-Titans game last night with about 7 minutes left. I had no interest in the game except that I needed a fantasy football player of mine to have a bigger night than he's ever had in his life. Didn't happen. I digress. The Jags were down, 23-3, and they were at the Titans 7yd line. They ran the ball on two successive downs for minimal or no gain and huddled after each play. No urgency whatsoever except maybe to hit the showers. Down by 3 scores, they ran over 2 of the remaining 7 minutes off the clock on those two idiotic calls. The handful of Jaguars fans left booed. I would have, too. Somehow, that team is 3-3, which includes a victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Last year at this time, the Vikings, Saints, and Colts were taking over the NFL. Nothing like that is happening this year.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Let's Live For Today - The Grass Roots - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Grass Roots
2. Killer Queen - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
3. (Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
4. New Slang - The Shins - Oh, Inverted World
5. The King Will Come - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates

Quote of the Day

She says, 'Daddy has a boo boo, but God and the doctors are making Daddy's boo boo all better

Dallas C. Wiens

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We keep hearing Mangini talking about how close this team is to turning the corner. He references the Patriot teams he coached. Sometime's all you need is a domino to fall in the right direction. Something to set off that chain reaction."

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I would surely like to see more of yesterday's New Orleans Saints and a whole lot less of last Sunday's New Orleans Saints. They didn't play a great game yesterday but it was a whole lot better than their performances since the season opener, which is very underrated by Saints fans but I think they'll learn to appreciate it more as the season wears on. The best thing about yesterday's win was the way the offensive line played. I still think they can do even better. Part of their performance, of course, was due to the play of Tampa's defensive line. They were severely overmatched.

Today's QOTD is about a play that happened late in the game and that is the only reason it came up. Jenkins hit Tampa QB Josh Freeman low and out of bounds. He was committed to making the tackle before Freeman stepped out of bounds. It was stupid but it wasn't dirty and it didn't look to me like he was intentionally trying to hurt him. Freeman and some other Bucs thought otherwise and took exception to it but they did so mainly because it was hot and they were getting blown out. Jenkins will be fined by the league but some of those Bucs should be, too. They have a rule in the NHL about "third man in". Not sure what the penalty is. Basically, the issue was between Jenkins and Freeman. The third man and any subsequent man that joins in receives an automatic penalty/fine/ejection/whatever. ALL major sports should have that rule.

NFL players don't like low tackling like the one described above. They also don't like high tackling like this one. It's a difficult thing to deal with in professional tackle football. If you don't hit a professional ball carrier hard, you won't tackle him. There is talk of suspending defensive players for those kinds of hits. Not sure that's fair. When a 200lb defensive back puts his helmet and shoulder pads into the chest of a 200lb wide receiver, it's a penalty and a fine. When a 270lb running back puts his helmet and shoulder pads into the chest of a 200lb defensive back, nothing. They can't eliminate hard hitting. I think the league needs to have former players review film every week for the express purpose of judging intent. No one knows better than the players whether someone was intentionally trying to hurt someone or whether it could have been avoided while still trying to make the play.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Working Man - Rush - Rush
2. Mad Russian's Christmas (Instrumental) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra -Christmas Eve And Other Stories
3. Sad Lisa - Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman
4. Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks, 1964-1971 [Disc 2]
5. Burn - Deep Purple - Burn

Quote of the Day

They said I punched somebody. I just know I got rushed by about seven people and pushed somebody off me, and they threw another flag on me. So I don't know. ... I've never seen anybody get a 30-yard penalty.

Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans Saints

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The truth is that Tampa Bay is a good, young team with strong leadership and plenty of playmakers."

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Yet another pissing match between a network affiliate and a cable company with the viewers/customers stuck right in the middle. There is no doubt that cable and satellite companies would like to bypass local affiliates. They'd like to find agreeable affiliates somewhere, anywhere and transmit their network broadcasts nationwide. By law, they can't. There is a good reason for this. Local affiliates, along with the local news and other local programming, would die. There is also no doubt that your local affiliates know the law protects them and that gives them a bargaining advantage. The loss of viewership in the market doesn't seem to bother either side much. Until the two sides have equal positions and equal motivation for a resolution of differences, we can all expect more contentious negotiations. Coming to a market near you ... .

Much like last week, I don't know what to expect from the Saints in today's Saints-Bucs game. The Saints offense has yet to put up a big game. There is no reason for them to be playing the way they are. They're dropping passes, they're turning the ball over, they're not blocking very well. They're just not playing smart. They absolutely can play better. The defense is playing OK. They're not the problem. Tampa is playing well, though. If the Saints play their C game today, they're going to come home with a loss. Time to pick it up, guys.

About today's BOTD: The only thing I care to say is Good Job, Tim. I'm no lip reader but there are times I can make out what someone is saying. After the umpire called a ball on yet another pitch Lincecum wanted, the camera zoomed in just in time to see him mouthing, "Ball, my f@cking a$$". I like that kid. :) I'm pretty sure the Fox cameraman will have different instructions for his next start. :)

CrabAppleLane is in the midst of a drought. One of the by-products is succulent broccoli plants are vulnerable to disease. The two images below offer evidence of the almost always fatal disease known as rabbititus. Don't think we're going to have a successful fall garden here.

CrabAppleLane Broccoli plant - October 17, 2010

CrabAppleLane Broccoli plant - October 17, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who - Who's Next
2. Back On The Road Again - REO Speedwagon - Arch Allies: Live at Riverport
3. Christmas Canon Rock - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve
4. Smoke On The Water [Live] - Deep Purple - Made In Japan [Disc 1] [Live]
5. Rock Bottom - UFO - Phenomenon

Quote of the Day

I am impatient because the world is not getting better fast enough, or for enough people.

Melinda Gates

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We expect nothing less, Phillie fans. Now, don't you have preteen girls to vomit on?"

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There is a movement afoot to move Trick-or-Treat in New Orleans to October 30 so as to not compete/conflict with the Saints/Steelers game on Halloween night. It's a ridiculous idea. The game starts at 7:20PM or so. If you must be home in time for the kickoff, why can't you have your Halloween activities with your kids completed by then? Naturally, there is some opposition to moving it.

Opposition to moving Trick-or-Treat is equally ridiculous. Where is the harm? Here's one of those rare occasions where people can have their cake candy and eat it, too. The kids don't care about tradition. All they care about is wearing their costume ... and the CANDY. Here's an idea: Take your kids out on both nights and let them wear their costumes two nights in a row. Double Trick-or-Treat. Hit the movers on Saturday night and hit the traditionalists on Sunday night. If people who don't want to be disturbed during the game are "ruining" Halloween for you, it is you who is screwed up, not them. I don't get Trick-or-Treaters at CrabAppleLane but, if I did, I would have candy available both nights. It is really not that big a deal one way or the other.

The QOTD refers to tonight's National League Championship Series Game 1. It's Giants v Phillies and Tim Lincecum v Roy Halladay. You will not find a better pitching matchup than that in the postseason. If those guys are on their game, runs will be scarce tonight.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Happy Home - Garbage - Bleed Like Me
2. Stealin' - Uriah Heap - Sweet Freedom
3. Down To The River To Pray - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live [Disc 2]
4. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
5. Long Hard Road Out Of Hell - Marilyn Manson & The Sneaker Pimps - Spawn

Quote of the Day

The Halladay-Lincecum matchup is the marquee pitching duel in a series that features a handful of aces.

ESPN Preview

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "At long last, and after an initial “no”, North Korea has agreed to a concession. Members of families that have been torn apart during the Korean War will be allowed to meet. Undoubtedly, the capitalistic and therefore inhuman regime of the South, where according to the North pauperism and exploitation prevails, will have to pay dearly for the humanitarian gesture. As you know, the People’s Republic needs money more than it does additional doses of Marx - or Whiskey for the “Dear Leader”. That is because you cannot buy or generate food with Marx. But for dollars –may they be cursed if in the pocket of others- you sure can."

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Accountability Behind the Plate? If the steady wailing on umpires this season brings a bigger role for instant replay to the game, it will have served a useful purpose. Instant replay can make a wrong call right and I'm for getting it right these days mainly because it can be done without a major disruption to the game. I'm not for trashing umpires to bring it about, though. Most umpires do their job better than anyone on the field or in the dugout does theirs and they do it for a fraction of the salary. Most of them get 99% of their calls exactly right. What's your batting average, A-Rod?

About today's QOTD: It's about last year's playoff game between the Vikings and Cowboys. If you've forgotten what happened or don't know, you can read more about it at the link. The thing that I really enjoy about it still is that everyone is right. The Cowboys are right in that the Vikings DID run up the score and the Vikings are right by telling the Cowboys to quit whining about it. This aint Little League.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Silvertown Blues - Mark Knopfler - Sailing To Philadelphia
2. Flick Of The Wrist - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
3. Because The Night - 10,000 Maniacs - MTV Unplugged
4. Pigs (Three Different Ones) - Pink Floyd - Animals
5. Day Of The Eagle - Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs

Quote of the Day

That's all we're trying to do is get a first down. We happened to score. It would probably be a good idea to cover the guy. Generally on defense you have to cover the deep plays.

Brad Childress, Minnesota Vikings Head Coach

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "But for all that, I say this. Give me the win, but you can keep the rest of that nonsense."

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Today's QOTD comes from an article in the Tampa Tribune. Neither of the area's professional sports franchises can fill their stadiums. That wasn't the only quote that caught my eye. Here's another:

The league blames it foremost on the economy, he said. But the growth of fantasy football is having an impact, too, because many fans are more interested in what happens to the players on their fantasy teams — who could be on any of the 32 teams — than on their home team.

It's unclear to me who is saying this, the NFL or the reporter. Whoever it is knows nothing about fantasy football, though. I've been playing fantasy football a long time. It has zero impact on attendance. "I'd go to the game today but my fantasy football team needs my attention?" No, that's not even a blip in this discussion. Assuming there is a decent product as is the case in Tampa Bay, it's the other factors that are keeping people away ... ticket prices, concession prices, and parking prices, which the league rightly blames on the economy. The NFL is built for good times and a robust economy. Taking a cheap shot at an activity that has no bearing on the matter serves no purpose.

About the quote from today's BOTD: I just cannot quite wrap my head around "featuring an overwhelming multitude of choices, along with pre-set dishes that remove stress for the chronically indecisive."

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Running On Faith - Eric Clapton - Unplugged
2. Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor - Greatest Hits
3. House Of Love - Page & Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale
4. Let It Ride - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - The Anthology [Disc 1]
5. Don't Damn Me - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I

Quote of the Day

I don't think you can shame residents into spending their unemployment checks on watching Price pitch.

Vince Gennaro, Columbia University

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Not so at Fresh. Here, cereal is just one part of a greater formula involving sandwiches and salads, featuring an overwhelming multitude of choices, along with pre-set dishes that remove stress for the chronically indecisive."

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Interior Wall At Deanies in New Orleans

I love that wall.

I'd like to think the new optimism expressed by some NFL owners for a collective bargaining agreement is real and not just posturing but we're talking about NFL owners here. They'd like to be seen in a positive light even while threatening a lockout. The players have been getting some mileage out of that. If negotiations aren't completed and next season is at risk, will it really matter who is right in the eyes of fans? A few months ago, I was worried about that. I'm not any more. The owners have already lost. They should just go back to the table and take the best deal they can get. Season ticket renewals go out at about the same time as the CBA expires in March. Think we might get to see how that uncertainty in these tough economic times affects ticket sales? The whole house of cards is built on fan interest and fan interest is directly tied to the games. The games must go on.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Phoenix (Live) - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates [Disc 1]
2. Cursum Perficio - Enya - Watermark [Bonus Track]
3. Destinations - Al Reingold - After Erasmus
4. Machinehead - Bush - Sixteen Stone
5. Where the Devil Don't Stay - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South

Quote of the Day

Where I call to the Lord with all of my soul
I can hear him rattling the chains on the door
He couldn't get in I could see he tried
Through the shadows of the cage around the forty watt light

Drive-By Truckers, Where The Devil Don't Stay

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Drugs, desperation, suicide, Alabama-born bed-time stories, and quirky southern character studies — a little bit country and a whole lot of rock ‘n roll. In other words, a Drive-By Truckers album."

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Sad anniversary today.

This is no longer just a story in Major League Baseball. It is THE story. It is why baseball's showcase events are languishing on a cable channel (TBS). If the business side of baseball was only a fraction as beautiful as the game ...

About today's QOTD: I'm happy for her but I wonder why she waited so long. I might have to include her story in my annual Time Running Out screed. :)

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Red Staggerwing - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning
2. Me & Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin - Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits
3. The King Will Come - Wishbone Ash - Argus
4. Can't Complain - Nickel Creek - Why Should The Fire Die?
5. The Jean Genie - David Bowie - Aladdin Sane

Quote of the Day

Eulalia Garcia Maturey has outlived two husbands, her two children and decades of bygone immigration laws. At 101, Maturey will become a U.S. citizen on the 101st anniversary of her crossing into the United States from Mexico.

Ed Lavandera, CNN

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "If you aren't familiar with this album, I suggest taking a listen to the Broadway-ready epic that is "Bat Out of Hell" or the clever and catchy "Two out of three ain't bad". But seriously, this whole album is a delight. I have thought "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" was funny since I was 7...totally holds up."

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Horrible, stupid, well-deserved loss yesterday for the Saints in Arizona. This one is on the offense. They're turning the ball over and they're not finishing drives. The offensive line is struggling in the running game and the passing game. Drew is getting hurried when he drops back to pass and the line is getting pushed into the backfield almost every time they try to run. Receivers are not getting open and Brees is making some uncharacteristic bad throws. The oft-maligned defense is playing good enough to win. They are not the problem. It's not time to panic yet but I think they need to get a little angry about what's going on. They can absolutely play better than they played yesterday.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Love Ain't for Keeping - The Who - Who's Next
2. Animal Instinct - The Cranberries - Bury The Hatchet
3. Summer Wine - Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - Nancy & Lee
4. Hall Of Mirrors - Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - Live At The Quick
5. Doom - Danny Elfman - The Frighteners

Quote of the Day

It was terrible. You know, it was terrible. It's going to get you beat every time.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints Quarterback

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Yippee!!!! This is fun."

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It was about 12:45 this afternoon and I hadn't eaten yet when I decided to take a short ride on the Tammany Trace. The Trace is an old rail line and there are residences whose property lines are within a few feet/yards of it. I rode through backyard barbecue aroma for about five of the six miles I rode today.

Visited five more places yesterday in search of Brussels sprouts. No luck. Planted some broccoli and cauliflower today, though. Still have lots of room.

Tammany Trace Trumpet Vines - October 10, 2010

Tammany Trace - October 10, 2010

CrabAppleLane Fall Garden - October 10, 2010

Today's date is pretty cool: 10/10/10

Great win for the LSU Tigers against Florida last night in The Swamp. Wild finishes have become commonplace for the Tigers. They are not boring. I may have been wrong about them. Last night, both Tiger quarterbacks made plays when they had to. That's been the missing ingredient all season. They have a good SEC defense. They have a great running game. They have terrific wide receivers that are a mismatch against just about everyone. What they have lacked is a quarterback who can get them the ball enough to keep defenses honest. They also have Head Coach Les Miles. There is not a soul anywhere that knows what's going on in his head. It makes opponents crazy. It makes LSU fans crazy, too. He's consistent. :)

It's not surprising that the Yankees won their series over the Twins. What is surprising is how easily they did it. I don't think the Rangers or the Rays can beat them right now, either, but I'll be rooting for one of them next week. Now that the Twins are gone, I'm rooting FOR the Phillies and AGAINST the Yankees.

Would like to say I captured the image below as it was happening. Would also like to be able to say it is what it looks like. I did ... almost. It's not what it looks like. The leaf was not falling to the ground. It was suspended by an unseen spider web.

Going down?

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Transformer Man - Neil Young - Trans
2. Iron Hand - Dire Straits - On Every Street
3. So I Need You - 3 Doors Down - The Better Life
4. Helpless Dancer - The Who - Quadrophenia [Disc 1]
5. That Evening Sun - Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher

Quote of the Day

Logic dictates that the Saints should win this game. But something in the gut tells me the Cardinals are going to pull the upset.

Kent Somers, The Arizona Republic

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Brees and the Saints offense hasn't looked the same as their magical 2009 team, but remains deadly nonetheless."

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I went to four garden centers seeking out Brussels sprouts plants or seeds yesterday. There are none to be found. I put down 18 plants two weeks ago. I watered those plants only. I had lots of room left and wanted to plant more so I didn't want to water the whole garden. I would have sprinkled the whole garden until it was thoroughly soaked. The next day was hot and dry. Since the ground hadn't been saturated, all but one or two of the plants shriveled up and died. I haven't been able to replace them because no one has any more. The search continues today as soon as I push away from the computer.

Today's QOTD is about the NFL's NFC West division.

The video below was inspired by a post from The Great White Shank a few days ago. Enya and a few others do a version of this song. To me, this is a song that is better when it's bigger. The bigger the orchestra and the bigger the chorus, the better it sounds. Enjoy.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas - AM Gold 1970-1974
2. One Of These Days [Live] - Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound Of Thunder [Disc 2]
3. The Secret Is To Know When To Stop - Tom Cochrane - Mad Mad World
4. (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts - Bee Gees - Super Hits 1967
5. Hold On - Deep Purple - Stormbringer

Quote of the Day

The division winner should get a participation trophy and a free Italian ice coupon instead of a playoff berth.

Mike Tanier, Fifth Down Blog

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I hadn’t seen this."

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I don't think publishing a "draft" offers much insight. By definition, a draft is unfinished. I'm also not wild about posthumous publishing of any kind unless the work is finished and there is clear evidence the author intended to publish it. I suppose I might feel differently if I was a fan of Ted Hughes or Sylvia Plath. Then again, probably not. I don't buy "new releases" of Jimi Hendrix music and I am a Hendrix fan.

Afraid the Rays and Twins are done although the Twins have a little fight in them. I think they both had to at least grab a split at home. The Rays can't score runs and the Twins just can't seem to beat the Yankees. Looking more and more to me like this year's World Series will look a lot like last year's World Series ... right down to the two teams involved. I think there will be a different result this time, though. The Phillies look stronger with their three great pitchers.

About today's QOTD: She's referring to when she and actor Tim Robbins broke up. Get over yourself, Susan. The nation didn't mourn.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Snake Eyes And Sissies - Marilyn Manson - Portrait Of An American Family
2. Daydream - The Lovin' Spoonful - AM Gold 1966
3. A Song For Jeffrey - Jethro Tull - The Anniversary Collection [Disc 1]
4. Tenderloin - Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
5. Baba O'Riley - The Who - Who's Next

Quote of the Day

The nation mourned

Susan Sarandon

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Of course, I don’t know why she would - sources also claim that she got an amazing $400 million divorce settlement. Four. Hundred. Million. Did you know that Morgan had that kind of money?"

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Memorable sports day yesterday.

First, the Major League Baseball playoffs got underway yesterday afternoon with the Rangers slapping the Rays around pretty good.

We also had some sporting events between Minnesota and New York get underway yesterday. Part One has the Yankees and Twins playing this week in baseball. Part Two has the Vikings and Jets playing Monday night in football. The Twins lost yet another heartbreaker to the Yankees last night even with the benefit of an extra out in the ninth inning. The Vikings completed a blockbuster trade for Randy Moss yesterday morning to enliven an already lively matchup for Monday night.

All of that aside, this memorable evening belonged to Roy Halladay, who tossed a spectacular no-hitter. Because of the odd starting time and baseball's decision to put the game on TBS, not nearly enough people got to see that historic performance in his first-ever playoff appearance. I only made it home for the last two innings. Watching it was a treat and it's a shame more people didn't get to see it at all. It should have been on one of the networks instead of a cable station. It was pure baseball magic. It gave a very good Phillies team a lift and some momentum in a series they were already expected to win handily. It's only one game but it sure seemed like more than that to me. The Reds are fighting uphill now. There are a lot of quotes to choose from this morning. Thanks, Roy. The one below from Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the QOTD are my favorites.

If a no-hitter in his playoff debut is what Roy Halladay was saving up all those years when he missed out on the postseason, then it seems as if the postseason has been missing out on a lot too.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
2. You're The One - Maire Brennan & Shane McGowan - Circle of Friends Soundtrack
3. Fever - Peggy Lee - iTunes Download
4. Working Man - Rush - Rush
5. '39 - Queen - A Night At The Opera

Quote of the Day

That was great managing

Charlie Manuel, Philadelphia Phillies Manager

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The man puts together one for the record books, with the use of his right arm, and all he can think about is the guy behind the plate putting down the fingers. It not only makes him a fantastic pitcher, but also gives a lesson in how to be the perfect teammate."

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Baseball playoffs start today. Wish I could watch all of them. Clearly, the marquee matchup is Twins-Yankees. I think the winner of this one will take the pennant. I'm a Twins fan and a Yankee hater. GEAUX Twins.

In the other American League series, I think the Rays will handle the Rangers in five. In the National League, I like the Giants over the Braves in seven and the Phillies over the Reds in five. Overall, I think the Phillies are the team to beat.

About today's QOTD: With the ingredient they're about to add to an already volatile mix, the Vikings will land in the Super Bowl or on the moon. Assuming they make the trade today with the Patriots, signing Randy Moss to a gigantic contract beyond this season just doesn't make any sense to me. I think he'll play for Brett Favre and Brad Childress this season but will he play for Tavaris Jackson, a rookie draft pick, or some other NFL journeyman retread and maybe even a new head coach next season? He's a great player when he's on a great team that's doing well. He's a cancer on a team that is struggling.

In unrelated matters, don't you hate when you see a mistake you can correct ... if only the internet was working?

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Four Star (Out of five) playlist:

1. Time - Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
2. Station To Station - David Bowie - Station To Station
3. Ailein Duinn (Dark Alan) - Meav - Méav
4. All For You - Sister Hazel - ...Somewhere More Familiar
5. Mistreated - Deep Purple - Burn

Quote of the Day

Moss would be the absolute perfect fit

Mark Craig, Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "While surfing youtube for Twins commercials, I came across some classic spots for the 1991 team. These are so early-nineties and just too unintentionally hilarious not to share, and since that season ended pretty well, I thought they might provide some inspiration for our boys."

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I've purchased three different sets of shower knobs from my local Lowe's. None of them have worked. Won't bore you with the details of why. Standardization anyone? Do we really need something as simple as this to be so complicated?

About today's QOTD: It describes a game developed by a 23-year-old German student. There is also a video of it if you go to that link. He has the backing of his university. They consider it a teaching tool. I think that's a bit of a stretch. I don't see that value and I'd be surprised if people who play that game do. My guess is the players will simply try to win the game and not give it a moment's thought. Bang, bang, shoot-em-up video games are just that. Games. Getting all worked up about it will only make it more desirable. Don't do it. Besides, everyone knows loud rock music is the true evil.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Top 25 Most Played playlist:

1. Soldier Of Fortune - Deep Purple - Stormbringer - 5 plays
2. Piper To The End - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky - 14 plays
3. Heartless - Adrien Reju - A Million Hearts - 7 plays
4. Silvertown Blues - Mark Knopfler - Sailing To Philadelphia - 6 plays
5. On Every Street - Dire Straits - On The Night (LIVE) - 5 plays

Quote of the Day

The game asks players to play either as an East German trying to escape the country by crossing the area known as the "death strip" or play as a guard tasked with gunning down all would-be escapees.

Winda Benedetti, Technolog

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "At least he came with a sense of humor in reference to using the Wildcat."

I never need to see the wildcat again. -Rob

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Last year at this time, the closest anyone came to the Saints in any game was 14 points. This year, there is only a 7-point difference for all four games. As a Saints fan, I am less concerned this morning about four straight close games than I am about the injuries that are beginning to mount. Their starting strong safety was out yesterday and they lost two to injury during the game but their fourth-stringer probably made the play of the game dropping DeAngelo Williams for a loss when all the Panthers needed was a yard or two to try a makeable game-winning field goal. The Saints have yet to play a game that resembles any of their big wins from last season but they're staying close to the leaders in the division and the conference. They're finding other ways to win. There is time to get on track to becoming a great team again ... if they can get and stay healthy. Wouldn't hurt to stop turning the ball over, though.

The QOTD offers one observation. I'll offer another.

No team in the NFL looks very good yet. There is something wrong with all of them.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Torn Apart - Stabbing Westward & Wink - Spawn
2. Prospero's Speech - Loreena McKennitt - The Mask & The Mirror
3. Cotton Needs Pickin' - Ry Cooder - Crossroads
4. One More Time (Same Old Habits) - Tom Cochrane & Red Rider - Tom Cochrane And Red Rider
5. Fundamentally Loathsome - Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals

Quote of the Day

Something's wrong with the Saints.

Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Given the closeness of this one and the number of nice things the Panthers did in defeat, I'm modifying my normal "5 things I didn't like" blog today to make it "5 things I didn't like and 3 I did." (Also, I wrote my column about this game on Jimmy Clausen's up-and-down afternoon and also a story about DeAngelo Williams living and dying by the cutback run.)"

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The LSU Tigers are 5-0 this morning after a bizarre game in Tiger Stadium yesterday. Despite lopsided statistics in LSU's favor, I think Tennessee outplayed them. The Tigers will probably move up in the polls but they are frauds. The Tigers have fantastic athletes all over the field and that has made up for horribly undisciplined play at times. It has also made up for very poor play at quarterback. The meat of their schedule is here now and that won't continue. The calls for Les Miles' head are getting louder every week. The SEC is loaded with great athletes and great coaches. One or the other is not enough. If LSU wants to contend, they need both. They have the athletes.

No turnovers the first two weeks: Two wins. Three turnovers last week: Loss. The Panthers have never been an easy out for the Saints. They have been in the same division since the Panthers came into the league. There is a lot of history to draw from. Both Saints starting running backs, Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, and Saints strong safety, Roman Harper, are out for this afternoon's game. Even as short-handed as they are, there is no way Carolina should beat the Saints today without generous help ... from the Saints. Don't be so generous this time. Take care of the ball, take care of the Panthers.

I don't give much of a darn about the Ryder Cup but it did make for a spectacular image.

I offer two from the back deck on this gorgeous autumn CrabAppleLane Sunday.

CrabAppleLane - October 3, 2010

CrabAppleLane Backyard - October 3, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Music Box - Phillip Glass - Candyman
2. Not That Funny - Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
3. Love Is All Around - The Troggs - The British Invasion: The History Of British Rock, Vol. 8
4. Sea And Sand - The Who - Quadrophenia [Disc 2]
5. The Courier - Randy Edelman - The Last Of The Mohicans

Quote of the Day

May the undertaker bury you, your table and your body, which has soiled the world.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It's times like this the Panthers has risen up in their history to take an opponent by storm. Will it be today?"

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Crispin is on top of Casey in the picture above. We're not sure who took this picture or how this situation came to be for long enough for someone to get a camera. Having Crispin on top of her like this is not something she would have liked. The date on the photo is December 9, 1996. You can barely make it out in the lower right hand corner. Crispin is 2 months old and Casey is 3 years old here. Casey is gone now and Crispin turned 14 today. We're not sure when his birthday really is but this is the date we gave him based on how old we think he was when we got him. It's also Patsy's niece's birthday. That's why the day was chosen. Happy Birthday, Lisa and Crispin. :)

About today's QOTD: Good Luck with that.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. On Every Street - Dire Straits - On Every Street
2. Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On
3. Megalomania - Black Sabbath - Sabotage (Remaster)
4. How Many More Times - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I
5. Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell - Ladies Of The Canyon (Remastered)

Quote of the Day

The Social Network,” directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, rushes through a coruscating series of exhilarations and desolations, triumphs and betrayals, and ends with what feels like darkness closing in on an isolated soul.

David Denby, The New Yorker

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "In my opinion, the response to two players essentially cheating should not be, “This is why we need replay” but instead should be, “This is why we need Jesus and a radical renewal of our minds in regards to sports.”"

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I can't imagine how Disney's new movie, Secretariat, can improve my memory of the horse so I doubt I'll ever see it. There are some things in my memory that are simply perfect the way they are. My fond memory of Secretariat is like that. If you never saw him race in 1973, you should probably see the movie ... and if you come away from it thinking they portrayed him as bigger than life and too good to be true, they got it right.

Today's QOTD sums up Secretariat's performance in the 1973 Belmont Stakes about as well as words can.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Til I Hear It From You - Gin Blossoms - Empire Records
2. Love To Love - UFO - Essential UFO
3. Miss Misery - Nazareth - Hair Of The Dog
4. Speedway At Nazareth - Mark Knopfler - Live From The Ryman
5. Classical Gas - Mason Williams - Am Gold 1968

Quote of the Day

SECRETARIAT, sent up along the inside to vie for the early lead with SHAM to the backstretch, disposed of that one after three-quarters, drew off at will rounding the far turn and was under a hand ride from Turcotte to establish a record in a tremendous performance.

Official notes made by the Chart Caller for the Daily Racing Form

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "With John Malkovich in all his quirkiness portraying trainer Lucien Laurin, and Diane Lane as Penny Chennery, "Secretariat" captures all the thrill of horse racing, and is a movie to be enjoyed whether you are part of the horse racing world, or a novice to this sport where horses reign supreme."

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