December 2010 Archives

As time winds down on another year, I once again find myself pondering the expression, "don't have the time" and its brother, "can't find the time". Did so quite similarly last year, also in 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, and 2003. Everyone says it. Have you thought about what the person you're saying it to thinks about it? Standard Annual CrabAppleLane Disclaimer: Do not expect any profound conclusions or Earth-shattering insight in this post because 1) my ruminations here never reach that level and 2) I still have no position on it.

About the time: A 91-year old person shouldn't take on a 35-year project with hopes of finishing it. He/she probably doesn't have the time. There are also instances where an arbitrary deadline is imposed. Someone called and is coming over in an hour. "I don't have time" to cut the grass before they get here ... even on my John Deere.

Where age or deadline is not a factor, is it really true when someone says that? If so, wouldn't the person you're telling it to know it? There are 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, etc, etc ... (If you get less than that, you're exempt from these foolish thoughts). So, what you're really saying is, "I don't wish to use my time that way". To say it that way, of course, is kind of rude so we say, "I don't have the time" instead.

A task could/should be done and both of us are capable of doing it. I tell you, "I don't have the time". How should you react to that? Is my time more valuable than yours? Am I implying that you DO have the time? Am I simply saying I don't want to do it? Am I over-analyzing? Yes, absolutely, to at least two of those questions.

I always plan to add considerably more thought to this essentially self-plagiarized (Auto-plagiarized?) entry after having another whole year to think about it but I have somewhere to go in a few minutes and ...

I don't have time to do it now

Have a Happy and Safe New Year

AllTheBest,
CrabAppleLane

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Lover's Leap - Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - Live At The Quick
2. Found Out About You - Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience
3. Word On A Wing - David Bowie - Station To Station
4. Blue Collar - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - The Anthology
5. Your Time Is Gonna Come - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I

Quote of the Day

In keeping with the Vikings’ newfound knack for rescheduling, this game will be played at dawn on Wednesday. It will be televised on the HDTV network as part of the Sunrise Earth series, complete with illegibly faint on-screen captions describing the action. (“A solitary loon preens on Upper Pettibone Lake as Ndamukong Suh grabs a facemask.”) Brett Favre’s status for this game and beyond is endlessly speculated upon, completely indeterminable, and frankly uninteresting.

New York Times Fifth Down Blog

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "As the final seconds ticked off the clock in the Georgia Dome you could hear the hearts of every Tampa Bay Buccaneer break. They knew that with New Orleans' win over the much-ballyhooed Falcons, their chances of playing in the postseason took a dramatic and possibly fatal hit."

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I did not know there were any WWI veterans still alive. His cause seems worthy to me. We should have memorials to all of our wars. They are reminders of the cost. Good Luck, Corporal Buckles.

Oddsmakers aren't buying Lovie Smith's claim that his Bears will be playing to win this Sunday at Lambeau. They've installed the Packers as 10pt favorites. I think they'd normally be 3 or 4pt favorites. The Bears will probably know before kickoff if they have any chance to improve their playoff position. If the NFL was serious about teams not going all out, they would "flex" ALL relevant games to the same time on the final weekend or even the final two weekends. 5 of 16 games this week have no playoff implications whatsoever. Play those 5 games early and let everyone else play late. Having the Rams and Seahawks play last is appropriate because that IS a playoff game.

About today's QOTD: I think "fighting for relevancy in the growing mutant world of psychotic political commentators" is one of the funniest true things I've read in a while.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Keep On - Shawn Phillips - Second Contribution
2. Rock 'n Roll With Me - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
3. The Hands Of Small Children - Marilyn Manson - Smells Like Children
4. Day Of The Eagle - Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs
5. I Believe - Tears For Fears - Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92)

Quote of the Day

If you missed it, Carlson — fighting for relevancy in the growing mutant world of psychotic political commentators — called for the execution of Michael Vick this week for crimes against past Labradors, never mind the 23 months he already spent in prison and the loss of 27 gazillion dollars. I think it pretty much confirms Vick is not on Carlson’s Fantasy League team.

Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Last night’s MNF game was entertaining to say the least, but did little to help the Buccaneers make the playoffs."

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The Town has an all star cast, a fabulous trailer, and a couple of plots winding through it. There wasn't much suspense, though. A busy, machine gun wielding, bank robbing crew can't just meld into the landscape forever. The film and director Ben Affleck both recognize that and it moves right along. On the way to its inevitable conclusion, it turns in a pretty good movie. The performances overwhelm the story. That's almost always the case with this kind of cast. Too bad. I think they had the ingredients here to make an unforgettable film. You know those films you've seen many times and still think about? The Town won't be one of those.

A tip of the cap to the Minnesota Vikings on a surprising effort last night. They didn't look like they had any life in them last week against the Bears but they slapped a very good Eagles team around last night at the Linc in Philadelphia. I don't know that Joe Webb is their long term answer at quarterback but he pretty much put Tarvaris Jackson out of business in Minnesota. As for the Eagles, I cannot get over how they laid such a big egg with so much at stake. They had a very good shot at a bye. Gone now. They'll very likely have to play the Packers, who beat them at the Linc way back in Week 1.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Live And Let Die - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I
2. So Many Things to Say - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
3. Fade To Black - Dire Straits - On Every Street
4. All The King's Men - Tom Cochrane - Mad Mad World
5. Country Girl: Whiskey Boot Hill/Down, Down, Down/Country Girl (I Think You're Pretty) - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu

Quote of the Day

This is the not fucking around crew so get me something that looks like a print because this not fucking around thing is about to go both ways.

FBI Special Agent Adam Frawley, The Town

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "What remains to be seen is whether the Saints go for broke and play all their starters for the duration of Sunday's game."

I think they will. -Rob

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Looks like the Saints can still play on the big stage. It wasn't pretty. Well, that's not entirely true. The last two Saints drives were very pretty. They were a 90-yard drive for the touchdown to go ahead and a 3-minute drive to kill the clock. They still have a lot to work on but it was a good win. To borrow a popular current movie title, the Saints have True Grit. They didn't play all that well but still beat one of the best teams in the NFL at their place. Next time and I really think there will be a next time, I'd like to see how well the Falcons handle the Saints without so much help FROM the Saints. They played fairly stupid in both games against the Falcons this year and they still coulda shoulda woulda won both of them. They can play much better than they did last night and that can't be too comforting to the Falcons.

Drew Brees v Matt Ryan: There have been a lot of comparisons made between the two quarterbacks in the last few weeks. Brees tries to make plays and the bar is set very high on him. It's been difficult to watch this year because he's made some terrible mistakes. He made one last night. Ryan's sole function is to not make mistakes and the bar on him is set much lower. To be fair, he usually doesn't make mistakes. He doesn't throw into tight coverage. If his receivers are not wide open, he doesn't throw to them. I'm sure that's the directive from his head coach and he's very good at what he does. When the game was on the line last night, though, Drew made plays. Matt didn't.

I agree with today's QOTD. The Saints will see more of the blitz. They've seen more than their share of exotic defenses this year. Can't wait to see how the other playoff teams fare when they start seeing them in about two weeks. :)

I'll probably watch some Tuesday Night Football tonight ... because I never have. I was not born the last time the NFL played a Tuesday Night game. The Eagles are a potential playoff opponent for the Saints.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Almost Seems (Too Late To Turn) - Clannad - Macalla
2. Swayin' To The Music (Slow Dancin') - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers Anthology: 1964-1977
3. Under My Wheels - Alice Cooper - Killer
4. Going To California - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
5. The Lemon Song - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Quote of the Day

The Saints won and Brees delivered when it mattered most, so you can't say Atlanta's blitz-happy defensive strategy was a total success. But I'm sure opposing defenses would rather take their chances with New Orleans having to throw 49 times to generate just 17 points, believing they'll eventually force Brees into some game-changing mistakes.

Don Banks, Sports Illustrated

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "This had all the hallmarks of heartbreak. A team at home against a hated divisional rival, playoff implications abounding and an inexplicable implosion that makes fans grind their teeth into a fine powder. And you know what? That sucks. I'm not going to drench it in a glaze made of fairy giggles and unicorn joy."

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The Saints take on the Falcons tonight in a game that is much bigger for the Saints than the Falcons. A Falcons win tonight will wrap up the division and the top seed and they could then rest their starters next week. A Saints win tonight will wrap up a #5 wildcard seed, keep them alive for the division and the top seed, and force the Falcons to play their starters next week against Carolina at least for a little while. The #5 seed is the considerably more desirable wildcard berth. The #5 seed will end up in St Louis or Seattle. The #6 seed will end up in Philadelphia or Chicago.

Now, for the game ...

When the Falcons are on offense, they are the most patient, most deliberate team in the NFL. They're the kind of team that drive other fans crazy. They run, throw short passes, convert third downs, and they keep moving the chains and eating the clock. They'll take a few shots downfield to keep defenses honest but they're mostly a grind-it-out sort of team. The Saints defense will have opportunities to get them off of the field on third down. They'll have to step up and do it. A few turnovers wouldn't hurt.

When the Saints are on offense, they pose problems for the Falcons all over the field. The Saints stopped themselves in the last game with turnovers and stupid penalties. They still should have won. The Saints have been pretty quiet all week. I'm hoping all of this talk about the the Falcons Matt Ryan being better than Drew Brees this year is having the effect I think it's having. I'm expecting a big night out of Drew. If they take care of the ball, they WILL take care of the Falcons.

One other thing: The Georgia Dome may be home to the Falcons but there will be a lot of Saints fans there tonight. It is a great night for football. Oh, and

Another one bites the dust. Today's QOTD is about the fired 49ers head coach, Mike Singletary. I think he might have been a better head coach had his opportunity come up later in his career. He wasn't ready.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Althea - Robin Trower - Essential
2. Dried Up, Tied And Dead To The World - Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
3. Planet Of New Orleans - Dire Straits - On Every Street
4. Last Kiss - J. Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers - AM Gold: The Mid-'60s
5. Before You Accuse Me - Eric Clapton - Unplugged

Quote of the Day

What everybody saw was Singletary getting in another heated argument with his quarterback, this time engaging with Troy Smith a few series before he benched him in favor of Alex Smith in the fourth quarter.

David White, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Matt Ryan should have time to throw the ball against the Saints so he should have success throwing the ball down the field. Roddy White, Michael Jenkins & Tony Gonzalez should be able to make some plays against the Saints’ secondary."

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About the CrabAppleLane Sunday image: What you see is the CrabAppleLane Bike Carrier and License Plate Bracket. We were going places and riding bikes. Mostly just me but Patsy sometimes, too. It is not that tedious to install and uninstall the carrier but I'm lazy and just left it installed. When installed, it blocks the view of the license plate. It's illegal but most people just take their chances. Not me. I paid $30+ for a bracket that not only relocates the license plate to make it visible during the day, it is lighted to make it visible at night. It came apart last night on my way to or from our family gathering. It was very windy. Several things surprise me about this. 1) I didn't get stopped even though the license plate was blowing all around dangling on the two wires. 2) The two wires held and I still have a license plate this morning. 3) The light still works.

The Vikings-Eagles game has been postponed to Tuesday. I think the Vikings are entering into uncharted waters when we start talking about seasons of high expectations going awry. I think their bizarre 2010 season tops the Saints 2005 Katrina season. We have a new lead standard. Sorry, Viking fans.

About today's QOTD: It disturbs privacy advocates that the police were able to find that guy using their CCTV. It might have saved his life, though, and don't we want the police to be able to find people they're looking for? Yeah, the big brother aspect of it bothers me, too, but if that was my dad ...

CrabAppleLane Bike Carrier and License Plate Bracket - December 26, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. You Make Loving Fun - Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
2. Scotch & Chocolate - Nickel Creek - Why Should The Fire Die?
3. Woodstock - Joni Mitchell - Ladies Of The Canyon
4. The Becoming - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
5. Pieces Of The Night - Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience

Quote of the Day

A grandfather who fell victim to the airport snow chaos while trying to take his wife to catch a Christmas holiday flight, spent three days driving around the M4 motorway trying to find his way home.

Daily Mail

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Hanging up mistletoe is a practice that dates as far back as the time of the ancient druids"

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Merry Christmas
From CrabAppleLane

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

1. On Every Street - Dire Straits - On The Night (LIVE) - 7 plays
2. Speedway At Nazareth - Mark Knopfler - Live From The Ryman - 8 plays
3. Small Town Saturday Night - Hal Ketchum - Past The Point Of Rescue - 9 plays
4. Fall Down - Toad the Wet Sprocket - Dulcinea - 36 plays
5. Get Lucky - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky - 9 plays

Quote of the Day

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

Francis Pharcellus Church, New York Sun

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "1. Apparently Santa Claus is already done delivering presents in Asia, and is over Prague -- check NORAD's streaming Santa tracker. He's only spending two minutes in Prague before he hits Lublin, Poland. I'm hoping the New START Treaty does not impair NORAD's ability to monitor Santa. I can't imagine it would have passed if it compromised our utilization of critical Santa-tracking technology."

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As Time Goes By is one of those warm and subtle British comedies that Patsy and I both love and that only the Brits seem to be able to do. We caught it one night on our local PBS station and we were instantly hooked. I had no idea what season we were in when we jumped in and our PBS station has been rather erratic about showing it so, for me, getting the complete set was the way to go. I thought it was a bargain when I pulled the trigger on the purchase and watching the very first episode last night confirmed it. Watching it in order whenever we want is going to be fun. This is outstanding television. Highly recommended.

I'm now in the market for a new computer monitor. My 17" flat screen went out this morning. I plugged in my 15" flat screen and it will get me through the weekend but my old eyes need a bigger screen these days. I have to sit way back from the computer to be able to focus on the text on this smaller monitor at my preferred 1024 X 768 resolution. I've been using the 17" at home and a 20" at work. I'll be getting a 20". Would like to go even bigger but 24" and above are still too expensive.

The spectacular winter weather at CrabAppleLane continues. Roofie is still here. She's a female Rufous Hummingbird and is still very skittish. She never perches on the feeder. I offer two from this Christmas Eve morning and the last one is from this afternoon. Hard to tell from any of the photos I took of the fox squirrel but it is about twice the size of the gray squirrels and it thoroughly dominates them. It is faster and can jump higher and farther. They give it a wide berth.

Roofie - Christmas Eve 2010

CrabAppleLane Backyard - Christmas Eve 2010 - Got rake?

CrabAppleLane Fox Squirrel - December 24, 2010

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

1. The Shape I'm In - The Band - The Best Of The Band - 7 plays
2. I Think It's Going To Rain Today - Bette Midler - Beaches - 7 plays
3. Little Green Bag - George Baker Selection - Little Green Bag - 9 plays
4. Til I Hear It From You - Gin Blossoms - Empire Records Soundtrack - 6 plays
5. All Mixed Up - The Cars - The Cars - 6 plays

Quote of the Day

How many statement games must one team play? Well, here’s one more. Falcons win and cover 2½.

Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Mayor Kasim Reed was at practice on Thursday, drumming up support for a pep rally the City of Atlanta will host at 12 noon Monday in the Atrium of City Hall, 55 Trinity Avenue, S.W."

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Here's the thing about constantly trying to attract attention to yourself. You tend to get it. I have not seen Rex and Michelle Ryan's foot fetish video and don't care to see it. What consenting adults do is their own business ... until it ends up on the WORLD WIDE WEB. Saying it's a "personal matter" is not ever going to make it go away. Even though some may have a personal ick factor about such things, I say you should just embrace it, Rex, ... for foot fetishists everywhere. :)

From the I Just Dropped In From Mars Department:

Overheard at the local Sonic Drive-In Tuesday:

Order Taker: Hi, may I help you?
Martian: I'd like a cheeseburger, please.
Order Taker: Would you like mayonnaise, mustard, or both?
Martian: Just a little lettuce but no onions.
Order Taker: Would you like mayonnaise, mustard, or both?
Martian: And french fries.
Order Taker: Would you like mayonnaise, mustard, or both on your cheeseburger?
Martian: Oh, both.
5 minutes later: Order is delivered.
Order Taker: Hi, may I help you?
Martian: There's nothing on my cheeseburger.
Order Taker: I have a cheeseburger with lettuce, mayonnaise, and mustard. Is that correct?
Martian: There are no tomatoes or pickles?
Order Taker: None were ordered but we'll be happy to put some on it for you.
Martian: I thought they came with it.
Order Taker: We'll take care of it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Diamonds And Rust [Live] - Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
2. Lily Of The Valley - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
3. Custard Pie - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
4. Not Responsible - Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
5. Mary's Kitchen - O.C.M.S. - Tennessee Pusher

Quote of the Day

No chance in hell the Aints come into the dome and win once trent dilfer

Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Falcons are a team that will bore you, and if you aren’t a fan, their games are tough to watch. But just wait and watch, they are a team that will bore you to a Super Bowl berth in Dallas and they are a team that has a realistic shot at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy."

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About today's QOTD: Try to wrap your head around that number. $90 billion. If they were to distribute that bonus money evenly, they could hand out $1 million bonuses to 90,000 employees, $2 million bonuses to 45,000 employees, or even $3 million bonuses to 30,000 employees. They don't distribute the bonus money evenly, I'm sure, but I'm also pretty sure they don't have that many employees. As you're looking at your bonus check this year, please remember that no matter how tough the economy is in your industry, it could be a lot tougher if you had to work for one of those banks and suffer with one of those bonus checks.

Another quote from Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The Saints lost in Baltimore on Sunday, solidifying the season-long belief that the reigning champs are indeed last year’s team.

Awesome. On deck for the Atlanta Falcons this Monday Night: Last year's team.

And the last quote is from Wilson Rothman about "net neutrality":

I don't mean to present some dystopian pay-for-play future where we'll all walk around with virtual taxi meters on our heads. I think that for the most part, the regulation — and the lack of regulation — will manifest itself in new services. It's like cable TV. First there was a basic subscription, then there were premiums, now there are 30,000 options, all listed with nickel-and-dime rates or in shiny bundles. We complain about the increasing cost of cable, and some (though not many) of us jump ship. But we do get more than before.

I think we're moving closer to "virtual taxi meters" than he thinks. It will surely not be sold as that but it will resemble it once you cut through their bullshit rhetoric. If you're not exactly sure what "net neutrality" is, you're not alone. I think confusion over it and ignorance of it is keeping what I call standard outrage in check. I define standard outrage as the outrage that always erupts when anything is announced. I only have a basic understanding of net neutrality and how it will affect me. I am certainly not the goto guy on it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Car Was The One - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky
2. Perfect Crime - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion
3. Born To Lose - UFO - Obsession
4. The Shape I'm In - The Band - The Best Of The Band
5. Crazy Life - Toad The Wet Sprocket - Empire Records Soundtrack

Quote of the Day

Wall Street's five biggest banks had a banner year in 2010, racking up their second-highest revenues on record, and to celebrate they put aside some $90 billion for year-end bonuses. But an informal poll suggests that more than half of the people receiving those bonuses feel they aren't getting enough.

Daniel Tencer, The Raw Story

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Minutes after Saints kicker Garrett Hartley missed a potential winning 29-yard field goal attempt in overtime, Bryant booted a 46-yard field goal to lift Atlanta to the victory. Ryan passed for 228 yards and touchdown passes to White and Gonzalez and Turner rushed for 114 yards and a score to hand the Saints their first loss of the season."

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More from the I Had To Walk Five Miles To School Uphill Both Ways Barefoot In The Snow Department: Another day, another stop. There are several school bus stops along my route to work. I mentioned what constitutes a bus stop last week. There are at least two stops I catch once in a while where the same kids are escorted to the bus by the same adults and it's always like the very first day of kindergarten. See kid onto bus, wave and wave and wave all the way to seat, and then wave and wave and wave until bus is out of sight. One of the kids looks to be 2nd or 3rd grade and the other is maybe 5th or 6th grade and their accompanying adults have been going through this ritual every school day for at least the two years I've been using this route. There is nothing wrong about this but compare it to this kid in North Dakota. I linked that story a couple of years ago. She may be the only kid anywhere who can actually top the I Had To Walk Five Miles To School Uphill Both Ways Barefoot In The Snow silliness.

From the That Must've Hurt Department: Did you see Brett Favre get slammed to the ground last night? I laud his effort to try to help his team despite the horrendous playing conditions last night and despite his career condition. He had nothing to gain by playing last night and his team had nothing to gain by winning. One other thing: Whoever the Vikes bring in next season to quarterback won't be able to do much unless they improve their pass protection.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Emigration Tunes - Loreena McKennitt - The Wind That Shakes the Barley
2. Love Needs A Heart - Jackson Browne - Running On Empty
3. Budapest - Jethro Tull - Crest Of A Knave
4. A Kiss To Build A Dream On - Louis Armstrong - Closer You Get, The - Soundtrack
5. One Chance - Eric Clapton - Pilgrim

Quote of the Day

Lawyers for Julian Assange are "angry" and "concerned" that someone leaked confidential Swedish police files detailing the rape allegations against the WikiLeaks founder, according to a report citing conversations with his legal team, and the team intends to launch a formal complaint with the Swedish authorities.

The Register

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The problem all started a couple of weeks ago when I accidentally bit the inside of my lip. I naturally then proceeded to bite the exact same place over and over again, creating a rather nasty canker sore. (I just took my sexy level up a whole other notch right there, didn’t I?)"

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First things first. Congratulations to my niece, Brianne.

The Saints lost a tough one yesterday in Baltimore. They couldn't stop Ray Rice at critical times. No excuses. They were beaten. However, the Falcons win in Seattle rendered this game moot anyway. They now need a miracle to win the division. They'll have to beat the Falcons next Monday night and the Bucs the following week but the miracle will have to come in the form of the Falcons losing the following week at home to Carolina. Not likely. The only thing left for their regular season now is to go to Atlanta, wrap up the #5 seed, slap the Falcons around a little bit, and make them play their starters against Carolina. Just do it, guys. Go into the postseason this time with a little momentum.

From Mike Florio at PFT:

With all due respect to the four other NFC teams that will qualify for the playoffs, it’s hard not to root to see Vick return to the Georgia Dome in a conference title game.

For the record, I will not have any difficulty doing exactly that.

I'm really curious to see how the field holds up tonight at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and how the players hold up as the temps drop and the field hardens even more. I'll surely check in on it but I won't watch it in its entirety. I'm obviously not an engineer or a safety expert but I wonder why they didn't just stabilize the roof and play the game in the Metrodome with the rips and tears. I wonder if this is the first time a team played two Monday night games in a row. .

I love today's QOTD. How does a pretty decent team give up 4 touchdowns in less than half of one quarter? It should be noted that Andy Reid and the Eagles fought on late in the 4th quarter even though they were down by three touchdowns. Last year, with a similar amount of time left also down by three touchdowns, Bill Belichick and the Patriots raised a white flag.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Green Grass And High Tides - The Outlaws - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs
2. A Hole To Hide In - Foghat - Foghat
3. Down To The River To Pray - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
4. Anyone's Daughter - Deep Purple - Fireball
5. Going Home [Theme of the Local Hero] - Mark Knopfler - Local Hero

Quote of the Day

With a few minutes left in the game and the Giants leading by three touchdowns, I decided to pick up a few things at the pharmacy, assuming the game was over and assuming a Giant victory. I just returned from the pharmacy. I now must make a second trip to pick up some vodka.

Job from Princeton, N.J.

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We said goodbye to "Aunt Louise", to Rob Schulte's sister and to the greatest hurricane expert that ever lived, Mr. Nash Roberts."

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Today figures to be a tough game for the Saints. I know the Baltimore Ravens pretty much by reputation only. I don't get to see them that much. I watched some of their game Monday night versus the Texans. The Ravens defense did not live up to their reputation in that game. I expect them to revert to form today but they're going to see a Saints offense who can do everything the Texans did and I expect they'll try to do just that. They'll play up tempo, run personnel groups in and out, and make the Ravens pass rush a lot and chase receivers, tight ends, and running backs all over the field. It figures to be a slugfest but if the Saints take care of the ball, they'll take care of the Ravens. Just one more thing

I offer one from the backyard today. Hope it's this nice where you are, especially if you're in Baltimore. :)

CrabAppleLane Backyard - December 19, 2010

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

1. Natural Thing - UFO - No Heavy Petting
2. Never Gonna Change - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
3. New Slang - The Shins - Oh, Inverted World
4. No Easy Road - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
5. Not Fragile - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile

Quote of the Day

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "When the Ravens have the ball: The Ravens don’t likely want to engage in a shootout with the Saints. With that in mind, I think they are going to come out running the ball with Ray Rice & Willis McGahee this Sunday. The Saints only have 9 interceptions so far this year so Joe Flacco should have plenty of time to throw the ball. Flacco will likely take some shots down the field to Anquan Boldin, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Derrick Mason."

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Microsoft Word is probably the worst HTML editor ever. Here's what I've been doing most of the morning and afternoon: I like to save some web pages from the fantasy football league from year to year for posterity. Most web pages these days are not static HTML any more. They're created with XML, JAVA, PHP or by some other dynamic means. If you save one of those pages, you get all of the links and ads that are on the page. With my old HTML editor (That doesn't work on Vista), I could eliminate most of the links with a couple of keystrokes. With Word, I have tried every trick I know and I just cannot figure out a way to do anything like that. I have to go to each and every link, click on a very specific pixel, right-click, and "remove hyperlink". We're not talking about a handful of links here. Every instance of every team and team owner is linked. That's several hundred links per page on some pages ... three clicks each. Update: I have figured out a way to reduce the number of clicks but it is still way too many. My future carpal tunnel is not going to like this. This page took over an hour and I had to quit and come back to it a few times. I'm OK with the way it turned out but, man, I wish there was another way.

About today's QOTD: If that's true, I'm not sure if that's an exciting discovery or a sad one.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Fireball - Deep Purple - Fireball
2. Mister Superstar - Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
3. Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Nancy Sinatra - Kill Bill, Vol. 1
4. Sunday Will Never Be The Same - Spanky & Our Gang - Super Hits 1967
5. Happy Together - The Turtles - Super Hits 1967

Quote of the Day

There's even a chance the bones could be genetically linked to Earhart. Other artifacts found on the island — including bits of rouge, a broken mirror from a woman's compact and bottles with melted bottoms — support the view that Earhart and Noonan could have lived there for a while as castaways.

MSNBC Photoblog

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It is better to blitz and get burned, then to sit back and let Brees carve up the secondary, much like the Matt Schaub did on Monday Night."

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Happy Birthday, Grandpa Ferrara. He'd be 100 today. He gave me my first job.

The USA Today Headline reads:

WikiLeaks founder charges 'smear campaign' against him

The guy is turning into an imbecile. He's been poking a hornet's nest with a stick. Did he not think he was going to get stung?

About today's QOTD: The Saints will be in Baltimore Sunday to take on the Ravens. The Ravens have a very good team but I'm not as concerned about that as I am about my own gut feeling about this game. What the Ravens have struggled with all season are the things the Saints do very well. Trying not to be too confident because that never works for me but the Saints offense should present a lot of problems to their defense.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. I Just Want To Make Love To You - Foghat - Live
2. Should, Woulda, Coulda - Wishbone Ash - Bona Fide
3. Lazy [Live] - Deep Purple - Made In Japan
4. Lonesome Town - Ricky Nelson - Pulp Fiction
5. The Fish (Shindleria Praematurus) - Yes - Fragile

Quote of the Day

The defense was over-cooked in Houston and now must deal with an even better passing game when the New Orleans Saints arrive Sunday.

Ken Murray, Baltimore Sun

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I’ve heard from people in Ravens’ headquarters that the building staff members who aren’t near the top of the food chain at The Castle are not respected by ball coach and his condescending attitude is beginning to wear on them."

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Catchy post title, huh? No need to go into what you might have been thinking. I'm sure it was light bulbs. So, I'm at the home improvement superstore the other night and I'm looking for a 3 way light bulb. I thought they were still fairly popular and common. Apparently, they aren't. I digress. So, imagine rows and rows of bulbs that look somewhat like the one to the left. The store has a whole aisle devoted to light bulbs. GE and other light bulb manufacturers must know that.

And, now, imagine about 12 inches of space on one shelf devoted to 3 way bulbs packaged like the product pictured on the right. When I'm looking for a 3 way light bulb, I'm looking for and hoping for the 3 way part to be displayed rather prominently. I didn't find that to be the case here. I think it's part of their marketing strategy. It's so you can't go directly to the product you want. They'd rather you look at just about every single product they have. Annoying. By the way, I did ask for assistance. The person who was stocking the shelves didn't know what a 3 way light bulb was. I wasn't sure whether I should be embarrassed for myself or for him.

R.I.P., Rapid Robert. Sorry I never got to see you pitch.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Gemini Dream - The Moody Blues - Long Distance Voyager
2. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer - George Thorogood & The Destroyers - George Thorogood & The Destroyers
3. Lovers Or Friends - Cowboy Mouth - Mercyland
4. Catch My Fall - Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
5. Think About Me - Sister Hazel - ...Somewhere More Familiar

Quote of the Day

Bob was one of the first Major Leaguers to enlist following Pearl Harbor and served our country for nearly four years during the prime of his career. Bob Feller was a great pitcher, but he was first and foremost a great American.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "again with the mathematics… just consider this a refreshment course"

Love those refreshment courses. :) -Rob

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From The Columbus Dispatch

Not wild about this windy 25º weather. I should say my house doesn't like this cold, windy weather. I, personally, don't mind it too much. We wrap pipes and run water at CrabAppleLane. Having pipes freeze and burst is one of the more unpleasant things that have happened to us ... more than once. I don't recommend it.

They're working around the clock to get the University of Minnesota Stadium ready for the Monday Night game between the Vikings and Bears because of the Metrodome's roof collapse. I'm wondering how tickets will translate. If your ticket is for Section 8, Row 13, Seat 5 in the Metrodome, where does that put you in the U's Stadium? It's all fascinating to me and I'm wondering who is in charge of and who is picking up the tab for this very cold logistical nightmare.

The Saints had that problem after Hurricane Katrina and her aftermath destroyed the SuperDome in 2005. There are many aspects to suddenly relocating games and I'm not sure how they handled all of them then. In 2005, the Saints first "home" game was in New York against the New York Giants. I still think the NFL owes the Saints one for that. They also played home games at the AlamoDome in San Antonio and at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Refunds or credits were offered to those who wanted them but I still don't know how the seats for one stadium translated to the seats in another for those who chose to keep their tickets. It fascinates me now but not then. I had my own Hurricane Katrina issues at the time and wasn't really paying attention. Doesn't fascinate me enough to look into it, though. :)

Today's QOTD is from Terrell Owens of the Cincinnati Bengals on why the team has lost 10 games in a row. I'm guessing he'll be looking for yet another team next season. To be fair, he's absolutely right but the players bear some responsibility, too.

One last thing and it's about the concept of separate fees for everything. Congress is kind of down on airlines about all of the fees they charge. Those fees are all about collecting more money from consumers and that concept is not new. Look at any phone bill, any hospital bill, any house or auto closing paper mountain. Congress is calling for more transparency from the airlines. No mention of the other industries that do the same thing. Transparency won't help because the issue isn't whether the fees are hidden or not. It's about the fees, themselves. They need to consolidate some of them and eliminate some of them and, apparently, they need to be encouraged to do so. Who has the time and energy to question every line item on every single bill? Encourage those industries that use this practice.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey - Escape
2. 19th Nervous Breakdown - The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks, 1964-1971
3. Royal Orleans - Led Zeppelin - Presence
4. Piggy - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
5. The Mist Covered Mountains - Mark Knopfler - Local Hero

Quote of the Day

You start with the owner, you start with the coaches

Terrell Owens, Cincinnati Bengals

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Morning take: I like moving Marshal Yanda to guard. But I didn't like the performance of the offensive line as a whole against Houston. This group needs to play much better against New Orleans."

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Can't say I saw that coming. I haven't been keeping up but I thought the Rangers and Yankees were the only clubs in the running for star pitcher, Cliff Lee. Putting Lee on the staff with Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, and Roy Halladay gives the Phillies four aces. In poker, four aces is not unbeatable but it's pretty good. Same in baseball. Doesn't quite solve their Giants problem, though. The Giants not only eliminated the Phillies last year, they beat Lee twice in the World Series. There's your two favorites in the National League. When is spring training?

Didn't get to see any of the Vikings-Giants game last night. It wasn't shown here. Dave has a summary from a Viking fan perspective. There are a few storylines to the game but the main one will be the rather unceremonious end to Brett Favre's most famous record (297 consecutive games started) and, quite possibly, his career. There is no reason for him to play now. The Vikings are eliminated from postseason contention and they need to start looking for some answers for the future. Brett cannot be in their future. I like Brett and I'll remember him as the battered and bloodied warrior from last year's NFC Championship game. Unfortunately, this normally forgettable season will be remembered for all of the wrong reasons: The Childress firing, the Randy Moss trade and release, and the Sterger mess. Vikings fans deserved better.

Didn't see much of the Ravens-Texans game last night. The Saints travel to Baltimore this Sunday to take on the Ravens. I'm encouraged that the vaunted Ravens defense gave up 28 points and almost 500 yards. Still figures to be a tough game. Bring the wood, Saints.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. C'mon Everybody - Humble Pie - Smokin'
2. The "In" Crowd - Ramsey Lewis Trio - AM Gold 1965
3. Storm Of Worry-(w Eric Clapton) - Sonny Landreth - From The Reach
4. Shotgun In My Soul - Cowboy Mouth - Mercyland
5. We Hide & Seek - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live

Quote of the Day

If ya got a lady and ya want her gone
But you aint got the guts
She keeps naggin at ya night and day
Enough to drive you nuts
Pick up the phone
Leave her alone
It's time you made a stand
For a fee
I'm happy to be
Your back door man

Ac/DC, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It's going to be an intense week in Owings Mills with the New Orleans Saints coming to town. I don't see how the Ravens defense is going to slow down Drew Brees, and all the balls the Texans were dropping in the first half, the Saints will likely be catching next week."

I'd like to think that, too, but the Saints have had their share of drops and Drew is throwing untimely interceptions. They'll need to play better this week. -Rob

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What a classy organization the New York Jets are. From the New York Times:

The Post’s Brian Lewis said he tried to talk with Alosi after the game, but security intervened.

Alosi tripped a player from the other team that was running past the Jet sideline and the team's first reaction was to circle the wagons? Yeah, that'll play well.

Sam Bradford looks like a guy the Rams can build around. He made some mistakes yesterday but so did the much more experienced Drew Brees. I'm glad to see Brees and the Saints overcoming their turnovers but I'd much rather see the turnovers eliminated or at least reduced. His first interception was just an awful pass. The team they play next week, the Ravens, in Baltimore won't be nearly as forgiving. I talked a little bit yesterday about Steven Jackson. Seeing him yesterday didn't change one thing in my eyes. The guy can play. What struck me, though, was his very short stride when he runs the ball. It's kind of surprising for such a big man and I had never noticed it before. For contrast, the smaller Adrian Peterson has a much longer stride. He practically gallops. I don't think it's good or bad, just unusual.

Today's QOTD is about the Cowboys' Tashard Choice getting the Eagles' Michael Vick to sign his glove after the Eagles had just beaten the Cowboys. I have to let everything about that roll about in my skull for a while before I undoubtedly say nothing about it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Hey Baby - Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
2. Cluck Old Hen - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
3. I Do Not Want This - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
4. Rock 'N Roll Widow - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
5. Bring It On Home - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Quote of the Day

The autograph, according to Choice, was for a young family member who is a big fan of Vick.

Tim McMahon, ESPN

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Ravens should dismantle the Texans and while their offense is too good to shut down, they should be able to outscore them and wear them down in the latter stages of the game to a point that a last minute comeback is out of the question. A win will keep them firmly in the hunt of the playoff race and within striking distance of the AFC North division leading Steelers."

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I'm convinced that the only difference between me and professional mechanics, aside from the knowledge, training, and experience, is that they always know where their tools are and I don't. I spent a good 20 minutes today looking for my grease gun. Speaking of grease guns, the manual has pretty explicit step-by-step instructions for how to load the grease gun for the first time but no instructions whatsoever for how to replace the old cartridge.

I offer two images from the job. The axle shaft in the first image should be straight.

Old - December 12, 2010

New - December 12, 2010

About today's QOTD: The Giants-Vikings game was already under duress because the Minneapolis weather had shut down air travel. The Giants were diverted to Kansas City yesterday. Now, because of the Metrodome's roof failure this morning, they will play this week's game in Detroit ... assuming the Vikings can get out of Minneapolis. It will be a road game for both teams. I'm wondering what kind of attendance it will generate. I doubt it will be much of a home crowd for the Vikes or a hostile crowd for the Giants. If you don't mind an short ad, FoxSports has some quite remarkable footage of the collapse.

I tend to agree with Chicago Bear Quarterback Jay Cutler and you won't often hear me say that. Normally, I think he's a big baby. Soldier Field in Chicago has the worst playing surface in the NFL.

The Saints and I get our first good look at Sam Bradford in a Rams uniform today. Still not sure why this game was scheduled for 3PM instead of noon. St Louis and New Orleans are both on Central Standard Time. I hope the Saints are not taking the Rams lightly. Steven Jackson is a great player by any standard and would probably be a Hall of Fame candidate had he been playing somewhere else for his entire career. They'll have to contain him at least a little and get the Rams in some 3rd and long situations. I'd like to see 60 minutes of football out of the Saints today. It would be a first for 2010. Broken record time. If they take care of the ball, they'll take care of the Rams. And one more thing:

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Everywhere I Go - Lissie - Catching a Tiger
2. Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience
3. Yukon Railroad - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy
4. Run Baby Run - Garbage - Bleed Like Me
5. The Sounds Of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

Shortly after 5 a.m. [Sunday] it appears that three panels of the Teflon roof gave way to the pressure

Roy Terwilliger, Head of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "On Sunday, December 12, the Minnesota Vikings will square off with the New York Giants. The Minnesota Vikings are coming off of a 38-14 win over the Buffalo Bills and have won 2 straight."

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When Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi aka the Lockerbie bomber dies, he'll do so in the comfort of a hospital in his own country surrounded by his loved ones due to a "compassionate release". He may also have imparted his knowledge to the next generation of murderers. Sorry, but I think he should have died alone in the prison infirmary. My compassion is reserved for his 270 victims and their families. I have none for him although I suppose I am glad he'll get the burial he and his family wants. I'm not all that glad that he'll get what he wants but I don't mind too much that he'll get it soon.

About today's QOTD: I plan to change the blades for the first time on my finish mower today if I can. I had never heard of a spanner. I thought it was a tool that I've always called an open end wrench. The reason I thought that was a possibility is because English is quite obviously NOT the first language of the person who wrote the owner's manual. A spanner is not an open end wrench and I'm so very glad the place I went to last night didn't have those sizes in open end wrenches. They would have been useless to me and I would have had to return them. I hate it when that happens. In any event, I will probably be on the road soon to find two spanners but I think I'm going to confirm that I need them and then call around first. I could probably borrow them from mechanic friends but I prefer to buy tools I know I'll need again ... unless they're outrageously expensive, of course. :-D

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. It’s Money That Matters - Randy Newman & Mark Knopfler - Land of Dreams
2. War Pigs/Luke's Wall - Black Sabbath - Paranoid
3. Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy
4. Sanctified - Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
5. Spinning Wheel - Blood, Sweat & Tears - AM Gold: The '60s Generation

Quote of the Day

Hold the shaft firm with a 30mm spanner and loosen the nut with a 27mm spanner

Caroni Finish Mower Owner's Manual

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "And… finally, if you know of anyone who would make an outstanding movie, if only they had this one piece of paper, then give it to them. Pass this on to the people you believe it will inspire."

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I'm a big fan of Justified. Their latest promo for the upcoming season featured a song I liked but I had no idea who sang it. Patsy went online and found it almost instantly. It's called Little Lovin' and it's by Lissie. The one below is called Wedding Bells. I like it. I'm not up on current music. If she's not a star now, she should be.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Yummy, Yummy, Yummy - The Ohio Express - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
2. Turn Up The Radio - Autograph - Sign in Please
3. Song For Sonny Liston - Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La
4. Lady Love - Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs
5. Dust N' Bones - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I

Quote of the Day

Its hard to say what it is I see in you
Wonder if I'll always be with you
Words can't say, I can't do
Enough to prove it's all for you

Sister Hazel, All For You

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Lissie has been nominated in the category of Best Breakthrough Artist at this years Q Awards!!"

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I had never heard of Bob Lamey until yesterday although I have heard some snippets of his broadcasts. He is the Indianapolis Colts play-by-play man. Just about every show NFL Films puts together uses the team's own broadcast team's remarks on the soundtrack. They're never named and I hardly ever know who they are. They are employed by the various teams and their broadcasts belong to the teams and the NFL. Any show featuring the Colts or Colts players will have the Colts broadcast team on the soundtrack. There is one call of Lamey's that I've heard more than a few times. It is today's QOTD from Super Bowl XLIV on the Pierre Thomas touchdown. ENTIRELY is emphasized because that's how he said it.

Lamey is in a little hot water today because he made some extremely disparaging remarks about Peyton Manning. He has apologized to Manning but I'm not sure that will be enough. What he said is out there. More of the story here, if you're interested. Basically, he said the league has figured Manning out, that the Colts should bench him in favor of his backup, Curtis Painter, for the remainder of the season, and that the Colts should draft his replacement next year. WOW ... where to start. Not only was that dumb to say out loud, it's dumb to even think. Peyton is still the star of the show in Indy. This isn't his best year but the Colts have a lot of problems. They have a terrible offensive line, no running game, and limited options in the passing game but their biggest problem is that they have become overly dependent on spectacular play from him. The league hasn't figured out Peyton Manning as was suggested, they have figured out the 2010 Colts. Make sure your resumè is up to date, Lamey. I think your days are numbered.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Time - David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
2. Carouselambra - Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door
3. I Don't Need No Doctor - Humble Pie - Rockin' The Filmore
4. I'm A Believer - The Monkees - AM Gold 1966
5. Under My Wheels - Alice Cooper - Killer

Quote of the Day

We're not tackling. We're not doing anything right now and the Colts are behind for the first time and this game has swung ENTIRELY to the New Orleans Saints.

Bob Lamey, Super Bowl XLIV

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Sure, like everyone else I know in the Colts organization, Bob gets red-faced and mad at me whenever I write anything critical of the team. Bob is fiercely loyal to the blue shoe, and he's as much of a Colts homer as any Colts fan who goes out there with blue paint on their bare chest and cheers for the defense on Sundays."

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From the She Deserved Better Department: R.I.P., Elizabeth Edwards.

From the I Should Have Said Something Department: R.I.P., Dandy Don Meredith. Meredith is the reason most people tuned into Monday Night Football in the early days. He was, by far, the most entertaining analyst I had ever heard in his first stint with Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell. NFL broadcasts were very serious then. MNF was different. He left the show for awhile and came back but he was consistently unprepared in that second stint. Again, R.I.P.

From the I Had To Walk Five Miles To School Uphill Both Ways Barefoot In The Snow Department: I pass a few "bus stops" on my way to work. When I say "bus stop", I mean the end of the driveway where the kid lives. I got behind one of the school buses yesterday that I often get behind. When he made his stop, junior got out of mom's car and walked the 10 feet to the bus. His mom had loaded him up in the family car and driven the 25 feet to the end of the driveway where they waited for the bus in the warm car. It was about 40º outside.

From the Rock Ape Department in New Zealand: A comment from a person calling himself "Rock Ape" at the New Zealand Herald made the observation below. I'm glad to see a non-American make that point even though he feels the need to qualify it by saying he's "no great supporter of the Yanks". I guess you can't be a good European/Australian/Kiwi/Whatever if you don't throw that out there?

I may be in the minority here, but I think that Wikileaks has become something of a bore. Very little that they have released is more than idle tittle-tattle, the majority of which is no more than most of us believed anyway. They have switched from being a whistle-blower on real acts of inhumanity and subversion to inexplicably waging a very personal vendetta against America. I'm no great supporter of the Yanks, but Julian, get a grip. There are far bigger villains out there.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Too Hot To Handle - UFO - Essential UFO
2. Stone Cold Crazy - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
3. Into Money - Robin Trower - Essential
4. Have A Cigar - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
5. Helpless Dancer - The Who - Quadrophenia

Quote of the Day

My son has come forward of his own free will to face the charges against him and they have put him in the ring with his hands tied behind his back.

Christine Assange

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "But as more scanners are installed and people are forced to choose between body scans and pat-downs, the public is likely to become more infuriated with the TSA."

His argument has a hole in it, too. A substantial portion of "the public" never or almost never flies. This member of the public hasn't flown in almost seven years. -Rob

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First things first. Sad anniversary today. 69 years. The youngest WWII veterans are in their mid-80s now.

That brings today's QOTD into focus. The saying then was Loose Lips Sink Ships. It was a different time and I don't think we need to strike that ominous tone in regards to these leaks. Assange was arrested on charges unrelated to his Wikileaks website but I don't think this would have come to pass had he not called so much attention to himself, particularly the attention of people who decided to see what he, personally, had in his own leaky closet.

We all have to come to grips with something. By all, I mean governments, companies big and small, private citizens, and any other entity that creates, stores, or transfers information. There are people who want some or all of that information and they have efficient, sometimes anonymous, and sometimes lawful means to gather it. It can be financial information or records of words said or deeds done. It can be sensitive and/or embarrassing. It can also be inaccurate and/or incomplete. If your information flows from A to B, you need to concern yourself with A. Once it gets to B, anything can happen. Wikileaks is also B and I don't think it can or even should be shut down. We need to work on A.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Madona - Era - Celtic Myst 3
2. She Was Waitin' For Her Mother At The Station In Torino And You Know I Love You Baby But It's Getting Too Heavy To Laugh - Shawn Phillips - Second Contribution
3. The Pony Man - Gordon Lightfoot - Gord's Gold Volume II
4. It's A Plain Shame - Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive!
5. Father And Son - Mark Knopfler - Cal

Quote of the Day

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested

MSNBC Headline

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "And so the Descent began"

The comments mention Indiana Jones. That's exactly what that fantastic image conjured up in my mind, too. -Rob

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After watching parts of the Ravens-Steelers game last night, I would say that both teams are living more on reputation than skill. Good quarterbacks can throw the ball easily against both of those vaunted, over-hyped defenses.

The Pats-Jets game tonight looks like fun. Doubt I'll see much of it.

My fantasy teams are pretty much done except for consolation tournaments. One will finish at 4-9 and the other could still win tonight to go 6-7 if the Jets D/ST can get me four points somehow.

My Saints won a squeaker yesterday but they can't be happy with the way they're playing. I like that they're still finding ways to win. Not so crazy about the way they're creating those opportunities. They're doing so by not finishing off their opponents. They've done it that way the last two weeks and that's like playing with fire. Good to see that they can do it but it's time to put that back in their bag of tricks and store it for later use against the better teams. If they hadn't set the bar so high last year, it would be noted here that the Bengals and Cowboys both have more talent than their records indicate and that their problems mainly reside between their ears. As close as the Saints were to those guys, I'm hoping stupid football is not contagious. The Saints are showing those symptoms, though. It's time to quit fooling around, guys.

I like this quote from Sports Illustrated's Peter King:

Drew Brees is very good at the No-Brainer Freeze. Pat Sims is not.

The No-Brainer Freeze is a play the Saints run on 4th down. They line up like they're going for the first down but they have no intention of snapping the ball. They go through the whole exercise for the sole purpose of drawing the other team offsides. Drew does it very well but that's not why it works. It works and has worked several times in the last five years for one reason and one reason only: Sean Payton's aggressive reputation. There is always the chance that they actually are going for it.

In more important news, I love ordering pizza online and I love picking it up on my way home. I also love being able to pay for it online. I do not like having to sign a credit card receipt that has a line for a tip. All they're doing is turning around, locating my order, and handing it to me. That does not rate a tip in my opinion but you'll get a dirty look if you don't give one. I have started to put just $1 on that line regardless of the amount of the order but I'd rather not see or sign anything.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Little Lovin' - Lissie - Catching a Tiger
2. The Jack - AC/DC - High Voltage
3. Stay - David Bowie - Station To Station
4. Love Is Here And Now You're Gone - The Supremes - The Ultimate Collection
5. Shining In The Light - Page & Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale

Quote of the Day

Are we in first place? I don't know. We've got New Orleans on Sunday.

Steve Spagnuolo, St Louis Rams Head Coach

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Rams won this game on guts. Fortunes turned on the Cardinals this season, but, as expected, Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt had them ready to make a stand. Arizona's defense, in particular, played tough, physical football, defending the bunker with the ferocity you might expect from a last garrison. The Rams were tougher."

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Man, I must be old: When I started working and I first had to see someone's driver's license, I remember thinking this person is "really old". He had a 4-digit Louisiana license number. I had a low 7-digit Louisiana license number at the time so the number of people that got their license between him and I was in the low seven digits. I thought that to be a fairly good indicator of age. I saw a high 8-digit Louisiana license number the other day. I don't care to think about it any more.

New discovery: Stopped at the local Winn-Dixie grocery store yesterday to pick up some ham and turkey for po-boys for lunch. When I asked for a pound and a half of smoked turkey, the nice lady at their deli counter asked me if I'd like to try their in-store rotisserie turkey. Sure, why not? I have always loved to make sandwiches with leftover turkey. It was the best part of Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas dinner. Store-bought sliced turkey is just not as good. This rotisserie turkey is. Thank you, Winn-Dixie deli lady.

NCAA: Congratulations to the Auburn Tigers for their SEC Championship. I expect them to take care of Oregon, too. TCU at 12-0 is odd Horned Frog out. They did everything they could do and it wasn't enough. Nothing fair about it and, once again, the NCAA and BCS will have to explain themselves. That part is good.

NFL: Saints are in Cincinnati today battling the Bengals AND the elements. Expecting wind, bitter cold, and snow flurries. Advantage: Bengals.

Images: I offer two from the backyard. One was taken this morning and the other was taken about 8 months ago. That bright green grass you see in the garden is rye grass. I haven't planted rye grass in many, many years. It typically doesn't come back on its own in this area. I think tilling the garden in the spring for tomato planting protects the rye seeds from the hot Bush summer sun.

After - CrabAppleLane Backyard - December 5, 2010

Before - CrabAppleLane Vegetable Garden - April 3, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Ballad of Dwight Fry - Alice Cooper - Love It to Death
2. Feelin' Bad Blues - Ry Cooder - Crossroads
3. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window - Joe Cocker - Joe Cocker!
4. Bargain - The Who - Who's Next
5. Come Sail Away - Styx - The Grand Illusion

Quote of the Day

I think I lost some weight there
And I'm sure I need some rest
Sleeping don't come very easy
In a straight white vest

Alice Cooper, Ballad of Dwight Fry

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "When Portland designer, filmmaker, and photographer Lubosh Cech was ready to build his own chicken coop, he wanted it to be a work of art."

The blog features about 1001 ways to build a chicken coup ... with pictures. Awesome. -Rob

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Looks like Julian Assange has called a lot of unwanted attention to himself and his Wikileaks website when he leaked all of those secret US diplomatic memos last week. He's supposedly hiding from Interpol in Great Britain for other alleged sins. I'm not very comfortable with the thought of charging him with espionage but I'm not in the least bit sympathetic to his predicament, either. Imagine being a US diplomat and your counterparts now knew exactly what you, your colleagues, and your government thought of them, their colleagues, and their government. Not a job I'd want, even with the cool immunity. :) You're on your own, Assange.

About today's QOTD: I wonder if A) the Economic Cycle Research Institute is one of those donut-eating focus groups Denis Leary talks about in those Ford commercials and B) How do I get in on one of those? I like donuts. :)

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Word On A Wing - David Bowie - Station To Station
2. Summer Rain - Johnny Rivers - Realization
3. Diddley Daddy - Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World
4. Bang Bang - Cher - AM Gold 1966
5. Heidschi Bumbeidschi - Joemy Wilson - Dulcimer Lullabies

Quote of the Day

There is a limit. Workers do start to push back but business managers don't hire because they're nice guys or girls, they hire because they're scared that they'll lose business to someone else. That'll be what gets hiring done.

Lakshman Achuthan, Managing Director of Economic Cycle Research Institute

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Empire State Building, worker signaling on high beam. 1930"

Check that picture out. Imagine being the job foreman and saying, "Hey, I need you to get up there and signal us down here". -Rob

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Terriers concluded their first season Wednesday night. The show spent the first half of this first season establishing the characters and the landscape. They spent the second half of the season on one big storyline. What I thought about the show a few weeks ago still stands. The characters and landscape are fantastic. It's set in San Diego and the characters look like real people, not movie stars. It's very gritty, modern noir. The storylines are still just OK, though. If the show makes it back next year, I'm in. Life was a better version of Terriers. Had one big storyline running throughout but also a weekly story with conclusion. I'd like Terriers to adopt that concept. Mystery/cop/PI dramas are better-suited for the USA Network or FX than they are for the big 4, who are almost entirely devoted to fake reality TV these days.

About today's QOTD: Something tells me that family will get by.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Getting In Tune - The Who - Who's Next
2. True Love Will Never Fade - Mark Knopfler - Kill To Get Crimson
3. What A Shame - Foghat - Rock & Roll
4. Never Make Me Cry - Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
5. I Got A Line On You - Spirit - Rock: The Train Kept A Rollin'

Quote of the Day

Corkett, who lives in a $1 million home with his wife and daughter in Huntington, N.Y., also has scaled back his lifestyle. He and his wife have stopped taking vacations, rarely go out to dinner and have replaced theater outings with movie rentals.

Paul Davidson, USA TODAY

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Are you a Saints or Bengals fan that has direct knowledge of the Who dat/Who dey controversy? If so leave a comment and tell us why you think your team deserves the credit."

Give it to the Bengals, please. I never liked it. -Rob

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USA Today's Barbara De Lollis asks:

If you had your choice of hotel cars, which car would you pick to be chauffeured around the city?

Rolls Royce Phantom
Bentley Musanne
Lincoln Town Car
Maserati Quattroporte
Maybach
Cadillac Escalade
BMW 7 Series

I've only been in an Escalade and a Town Car but they weren't 2010 or 2011 models. If I'm going to be "chauffeured", I want to be comfortable. Both of those fit the bill. If I get to drive it, though, that's like a whole other country (State of Texas promo). That Maserati Quattroporte looks downright awesome. I don't even need to see the others. Where do I sign up?

And, now, for something completely different: Self-promotion works in the NFL. A fairly ordinary wide receiver gets paid superstar money mainly because he's so well-known. The guy was a pretty good player at one time but that time is long past.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Bird On A Wire - Joe Cocker - Joe Cocker!
2. South Of I-10 - Sonny Landreth - South Of I-10
3. City To City - Gerry Rafferty - City To City
4. Eli's Coming - Three Dog Night - Captured Live At The Forum
5. Changin' Times - Nazareth - Hair Of The Dog

Quote of the Day

You could win a poker game with all the chips on these guys’ shoulders.

Taylor McGraw, NFL Blog Blitz

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Saints are scoring points and winning games with a group of nobodies and has-beens."

They're unknown mostly because they play in New Orleans, not Dallas or New York. -Rob

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From the I Hate To Keep Beating This Dead Horse Department: Ever have a day where you can't get something done because nothing is working? The website server locks up or the phones are down and it just turns 30-second tasks into 2-hour ordeals. What's that about?

From the I'll Believe It When I See It Department: The Saints' Pierre Thomas might play this week. His injury has been a mystery since it happened 8-9-10 weeks ago. It's an ankle problem but no one seems to know or no one is willing to state for the record what it is and speculation has run rampant from sprain/tear to malingering to contract issue. He is a fan favorite and this fan would like to see him on the field and under a long-term contract.

From the I Picked A Bad Time To Stop Drinking Department: Today's QOTD comes from a very sobering piece at The New Yorker. Could have grabbed several of the disturbing statements it contained. The sentence that preceded the QOTD was this:

We still harbor the illusion that many of our conversations are private or ephemeral, but the company that now owns my very first ISP could have fifteen years of my e-mail on its servers; my instant messages are all logged; my voice-mail messages are now audio files that can be forwarded and archived; my photographs and even my word-processing documents are moving into the cloud.

Thing is ... I knew that. I was once a BBS sysop, which is the forerunner to ISPs. If I was interested, I could have read, copied, stopped, or set aside absolutely anything that went from my users' computer through mine. That experience colors everything I do online. Here's the dirty secret: Today's ISPs can do that, too, and probably a lot more efficiently than I could have and they have much, much more of your personal and financial information at their disposal than I ever had.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Pictures Of Matchstick Men - Status Quo - The British Invasion: The History Of British Rock, Vol. 8
2. You Got To Me - Neil Diamond - Classics: The Early Years
3. The Lighthouse's Tale - Nickel Creek - Nickel Creek
4. Mister Superstar - Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
5. Nothing Is True - Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor

Quote of the Day

It may be harder today to guarantee that you are having a private conversation than it was in the Soviet Union.

Blake Eskin, The New Yorker

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Need some forum categories and I will be pretty happy with how the site is setup. Picking topics is a bit like picking what local conferences I want to put on a BBS. Whatever subjects you create with the conference list can really have an impact on what conversations occur."

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