A Web Journal from Bush, Louisiana, USA
Since April 2, 2003
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Incredible story in Cairo. According to that report, the Egyptian Army subjected some female protesters to "virginity tests". I can't get past this quote from an Egyptian Army General:
The girls who were detained were not like your daughter or mine
The cradle of civilization, eh?
I just cannot imagine what causes a college head football coach with a sterling reputation to risk his career and legacy like Jim Tressel did. I'm very sad for the Tressels today.
About today's QOTD: What a depressing thought that is. Glad New Orleans didn't make that sad list.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Small Town Saturday Night - Hal Ketchum - Past The Point Of Rescue
Don't Do It - The Band - The Best Of The Band
Come And Get It - Badfinger - The Very Best Of Badfinger
Prairie Wedding - Mark Knopfler - Sailing To Philadelphia
Happy Alone - Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor
Quote of the Day
Some part of all the cities on this list will be home to high levels of violent crime permanently. And, if the money used to keep police on the streets falls in most of these municipalities, containing the problem to a few neighborhoods will be hard.
Quote from said blog: "I used to read it every year until the internet robbed me of my capacity to read long books. (Really should do something about that.)"
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So much for the 24 hours news cycle. If the headlines are pretty much the same when you login in the morning as they were when you logged off at night, it tells me 24 hour news is a bit of a myth. Most news outlets simply don't have the staff to maintain it.
Picked a small-medium Creole tomato yesterday. First one of the season.
Quote from said blog: "For this hop Sylvia has asked us all to donate our cards to this sweet 10 year old boy named STEPHEN who is trying to collect 180,000 cards to send to the troops!!! That is so amazing!! I can not believe that someone so young can make a difference, he really has me thinking about making some changes in my own life too!! Stephen if you are reading this you are truly an inspiration to us all!!"
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Hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day weekend. It's gorgeous here. Leftover pizza is a perfect lunch. Green onion sausage, black olives, feta cheese, and Canadian bacon from Isabella's Pizzeria. Enjoy the rest of the day and the weekend.
Just offering a few from around the yard today. Started picking grape tomatoes in good numbers yesterday. Still no Creoles ready yet, though. Beginning to believe the pepper plants I bought were in the wrong containers or were mislabeled. One was supposed to be a green bell pepper and the other was supposed to be an Italian pepper. These both look the same and they don't look like they're going to change color. I have no idea what I have.
CrabAppleLane Peppers - May 29, 2011
About today's QOTD. It cost me $70 and change to fill my gas tank the other day at $3.64 per gallon. It's sickening.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes - Elephant
Ballad of Dwight Fry - Alice Cooper - Love It to Death
No Easy Road - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
Wedding Bells - Lissie - Why You Runnin'
No One's Gonna Love You - Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
Quote of the Day
There's less money this summer for hotel rooms, surfboards and bathing suits. It's all going into the gas tank.
From John Morton of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency:
From counterfeit pharmaceuticals and electronics to pirated movies, music, and software, IP thieves undermine the U.S. economy and jeopardize public safety. Our efforts through this operation successfully disrupt the ability of criminals to purvey counterfeit goods and copyrighted materials illegally over the Internet.
That's pretty strong. Anyone who has followed this blog for any length of time knows that I am no fan of piracy. Not a big fan of heavy-handed rhetoric, either. The biggest part of the problem now is that pirates don't see themselves as thieves. They see themselves as rebels.
Speaking of downloads, Patsy and I went on an iTunes binge last night. Love The White Stripes song.
5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane "recently purchased" list:
In the Cold, Cold Night - The White Stripes - Elephant
The Day John Henry Died - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford - Hotdogs, Hits and Happy Days
Black Horse & the Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall - Eye To The Telescope
Rock 'N Roll Widow - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
Quote of the Day
I saw you standing in the corner On the edge of a burning light I saw you standing in the corner Come to me again in the cold, cold night
Louisiana joined the tornado club yesterday afternoon. One hit pretty close to CrabAppleLane. The Five Lakes Campground is four miles from here. We made out fine but we had no power when I got home last night. It was restored at about 7:30PM. Others weren't as lucky. I have friends that have property on both sides of Five Lakes Road but they don't live there. Anxious to see how they fared. I'm glad no one was hurt but a I'm a little mystified as to why some of the affected people had no insurance. Homeowner's insurance has gone up around here since Hurricane Katrina and I suppose that could explain why some chose to go without but you can only go without insurance here if you have no mortgage. Banks and mortgage companies in Louisiana require it on any property they finance. I suppose older citizens on fixed incomes may choose to go without insurance but it doesn't seem wise to me on a home that you own outright. Self-insurance is cheaper but will it be there when you need it?
Sometimes, you see a headline where a person was convicted on all counts. It's usually two to five counts, though. When the number gets higher than that, it's usually not a clean sweep. A New Orleans jury convicted a defendant of ALL 53 counts against him yesterday and it only took a half-day to do it. Dude, you're awful at this corruption business or you have a lousy attorney. Hope your new career as prison inmate works out better for you. Scumbag.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Push It - Garbage - Version 2.0
I Guess You're Right - The Posies - Every Kind of Light
Mustang Sally - The Commitments - The Commitments
White Lightning & Wine - Heart - Dreamboat Annie
Hello Old Friend - Eric Clapton - The Cream Of Clapton
Quote of the Day
For more than two years Mr. St. Pierre had maintained he was innocent. But his castle of lies crashed as former New Orleans technology chief Greg Meffert and others testified how Mr. St. Pierre used credit cards, direct payments and even parties with strippers at his private yacht to thank Mr. Meffert for millions in illicit public contracts.
NFL Coaches are siding with NFL Players as of yesterday. Don't know where all of this is heading yet but, from here, it surely doesn't look like football season. I teeter totter between anger and apathy.
Front Page Headline from MSNBC this morning:
Great Scott! McCreery wins 'American Idol'
Is that really front page news? I feel like Akela. See QOTD.
About today's BOTD: That blog has a very appropriate name.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Calling Elvis - Dire Straits - On Every Street
Last Kiss - J. Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers - AM Gold: The Mid-'60s
Lookin' Up Lookin' Down - Shawn Phillips - Second Contribution
Heading Out To The Highway (Live) - Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler - Love Bites: More Romantic Power Ballads
Quote from said blog: "This blog is a periodical posting of our opinions. Thus, everything here is protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States."
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More deadly tornadoes across the Midwest last night. Just awful.
I'm afraid I'm going to miss the last Oprah.
From yesterday's spam folder:
This is perhaps the most awesome entry I have every read. If everyone read this, there would be half as less disappointments.
There's someone with a serious reading comprehension problem.
About today's QOTD: Something tells me there's more there than meets the eye.
5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:
I Think It's Going To Rain Today - Bette Midler - Beaches
Teacher - Jethro Tull - The Anniversary Collection
Long Hard Road Out Of Hell - Marilyn Manson & The Sneaker Pimps - Spawn
Stargazer - Rainbow - Rising
Wicked Game - Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World
Quote of the Day
A Queens honors student and daughter of a high-level Indian diplomat says she was arrested and suspended from high school for a crime she didn't commit -- cyber-bullying her teachers -- and now she wants $1.5 million and a key to the city to make things right.
Quote from said blog: "This week we'll be celebrating some of our favourite reader submissions for the blog including the best Flickr pictures, guest posts and stories covered on the blog in the past year."
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We started Confessions of a Shopaholic Saturday night and I finished it, alone, Sunday night. It's a fairly predictable, fairly dull romantic comedy. When my wife bails on a romcom, it's not very good. It's notable, to me, mainly for the assembly of whatever-happened-to-them actors. I thought Joan Cusack, John Goodman, Kristen Scott Thomas, John Lithgow, and Julie Hagerty would always be in demand for good movies. It's a real shame that this was also Lynn Redgrave's last movie. From Georgie Girl to this? Kinda makes me wonder what the casting director had on them.
Sporting News has LSU rated as the top team in their 2011 rankings. It's all on QB Jordan Jefferson. If he has improved just slightly in consistency, a National Championship is possible. The team has a ton of talent around him. Anxious to see the opener against #3 Oregon at JerryWorld in Dallas.
5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:
Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show - Old Crow Medicine Show
Mississippi Queen - Mountain - Hard N' Heavy: 70's Greatest Rock Hits, Vol. 1
Robot Man - Scorpions - In Trance
Megalomania - Black Sabbath - Sabotage (Remaster)
Tea For The Tillerman - Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman
Quote of the Day
By the time she was sitting in the passenger seat of his car, her iPhone was practically buzzing out of her lap, teeming with messages of congratulation and requests for interviews. Gordon's now-famous photo of the space shuttle Endeavour soaring through the clouds got her an overwhelming amount of attention -- her 15 minutes of fame, Internet style. It also landed her smack in the middle of an ethical and legal debate that may be as important as the future of the Internet itself.
Quote from said blog: "I left with my bags, and took the twins over to the park. It was a gorgeous day and it gave me some time to ‘think.’ I thought to myself…maybe a text message would make it easier. (I’m reading it off of my phone right now. You are getting this all word for word.)"
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Under the terms of the court orders, the actor and sports star cannot be named, but the orders don’t prevent the naming of the women.
The actor and the sports star took out a "super injunction" to keep from being named in the media. The women didn't. Looks like US-based MSNBC is observing the court order and the court order's hypocrisy:
Editor's note: Msnbc.com was advised by a media lawyer not to publish details of the injunctions as the writer lives in London and is therefore subject to English law.
MSNBC could have and should have handled it differently. If you're going to name the women and injure their privacy, then injure the privacy of the men, too. The idea that a person is entitled to more privacy because he was able to pay a sum of cash to a court is ridiculous and kinda slimy. Twitter is rendering that idea obsolete and irrelevant so filthy rich celebrities will have to figure out some other way to guard their privacy. I don't think it's that difficult. It's not all that interesting, either, though. What can any of these clowns do that some other clown hasn't already done?
Caleb Meyer - Gillian Welch - Hell Among The Yearlings
Both Sides Now - Judy Collins - AM Gold: The '60s Generation
Easy Livin' - Uriah Heep - The Best Of Uriah Heep
Already Gone - The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits
Heavy Fuel - Dire Straits - On The Night (LIVE)
Quote of the Day
The coroners of Newton and Jasper counties were setting up a temporary morgue Sunday night in Joplin. The death toll at 11 p.m. Sunday was 11 people. That number, the coroners said, was expected to grow to more than 100.
Quote from said blog: "The Kansas City Star quotes Kathy Dennis of the American Red Cross as saying, "I would say 75 percent of the town is virtually gone.""
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We are experiencing a pretty substantial drought here at CrabAppleLane. I broke down yesterday and watered the vegetable garden. We're not expecting any rain here until Wednesday or Thursday and even that's only a slight chance. While I was tying tomato bushes yesterday afternoon, it was obvious from the wilted leaves at the tops of the bushes that they were very, very thirsty. Watered at the roots at about 4 in the afternoon but then sprinkled the whole garden for an hour at about 8PM. They've had about 12 hours of soaking up moisture with no sun bearing down on them and they look fantastic this morning. I'm pretty sure we'll be eating bacon-tomato-avocado sandwiches next weekend or very soon afterward. Got quite a few green tomatoes, some of them are getting pretty big. I've been less inattentive this year than years past. It had better pay off. Pictures below the jump.
I offer one from the CrabAppleLane front yard below. The Vitex is next to an oak tree stump and this is its 3rd summer here. The oak tree was lost during Hurricane Katrina. We planted two just over two years ago. Patsy had been seeing them all over town and wanted some. The other one we planted didn't do so well. It really didn't have a chance. I've tried several things in that same location with zero success. The ground is just too hard. I've since transplanted it to another spot in front of the vegetable garden. It looks like it likes that spot much better but it is way behind its yardmate. The green you see is Bahia grass and other assorted weeds. The brown you see is my pitiful centipede grass.
5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:
Centerfield - John Fogerty - Centerfield (Remastered)
Rock 'N Roll Widow - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
White Wedding - Billy Idol - Billy Idol
Temptation Eyes - The Grass Roots - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Grass Roots
The Way - Fastball - All the Pain Money Can Buy
Quote of the Day
The end of the world is nigh — ever notice how the only time anyone ever uses the word "nigh" is in stories about the world ending?
I guess that's because "World Goes Belly Up," "World Outta There," "World Bites the Big One," "World Doesn't Make Playoffs," "World a Goner," "World Takes a Hike," "World Goes Bye Bye," "World: 1 Creek, No Paddle," "World Takes Gas," "Turn Out the Lights, the World is Over," "World Toast" and "World Screwed" sound too informal.
Quote from said blog: "Over at the American Express OPEN Forum, I posted instructions for how to enchant people with Facebook. Please check it out if you want to use Facebook for marketing purposes. If you want to be enchanting in general, check out my new book: Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions."
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Did I miss the Rapture today? Was supposed to hit New Zealand first. Take care, Fi. :) I see no mention of locusts or fire and brimstone in today's entry, which only describes a beautiful autumn day there. In today's QOTD, I'm more than positive Boyle enjoyed writing that second sentence. It's a cheap shot but someone has to take it. :)
MT Geek Stuff - Still waiting for the other shoe to drop concerning this blog. It's been running pretty smoothly for three months now. Back in February, I gave serious consideration to switching over to WordPress. Even started tinkering with it. I also gave some consideration to switching hosts. I was very frustrated. A couple of tweaks here, one in particular, changed everything. Enabling background tasks helped a little but trimming the archives index page was the magic elixir. It was archiving every single entry in addition to the monthly and category archives and it was doing that with each entry posted and each comment posted. That's why it was taking forever and it's what killed the old blog and was killing this one.
5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane "Top 25 Most Played" List:
Firefly - Main Theme Song - Joss Whedon - Firefly - 16 plays
I'm Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys - The Warrior's Code - 9 plays
Little Green Bag - George Baker Selection - Little Green - 12 plays
Heartless - Adrien Reju - A Million Hearts - 8 plays
Lookout Mountain - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South - 8 plays
Quote of the Day
The prediction that the end times would begin in earnest on May 21, 2011, was made years ago by Harold Camping — the preacher who heads Family Radio, a worldwide religious broadcasting concern. His prophecy is based on calculations so kooky that other end-time prophets say he's giving them a bad name.
Still no rain in sight here in Bush, LA. The CrabAppleLane vegetable garden is still doing fine but I'll have to water tonight. I prefer rainwater but Mother Nature is just not cooperating. It's pretty amazing that southeast Louisiana is dealing with high river levels and controlled flooding right now while we're in the middle of a drought.
It aint gonna rain no more no more It aint gonna rain no more How in the heck can I wash my neck If it aint gonna rain no more
5 song iTune shuffle:
The Secret Is To Know When To Stop - Tom Cochrane - Mad Mad World
America - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
Liar - Queen - Queen
Diamond Meadows - T.Rex - Velvet Goldmine
Trouble Child - Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark
Quote of the Day
"Kathy," I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh "Michigan seems like a dream to me now" It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw I've gone to look for America
Quote from said blog: "Apparently the health inspector isn’t all that worried about the overall health of our front yard or our septic system because he hasn’t managed to make time to come inspect the work we had done (that the government insists needs a permit - for our safety dontcha know…)."
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Wonder how the subject even came up. His movie, Melancholia, has nothing to do with NAZI Germany or Hitler as far as I can tell. Anything short of "Hitler was a monster" is not going to be well-received publicly in civilized society. Von Trier was well short of that. Dumb.
The selected quote from the BOTD is correct and its criminal. Baseball has more than its share of purist twits. They're responsible for the fourth ballot nonsense. Killebrew's problem in their eyes was his low (In their eyes) batting average and no gold gloves. I have news for them. There are a lot of one-dimensional players in the HoF. In fact, most of them are. Ozzie Smith isn't in because of his hitting and Hank Aaron isn't in for his fielding. FWIW, Bob Gibson was the only player elected in 1981, Gibson's and Killebrew's first year on the ballot. Gibson was named on 84% of the ballots, which tells me that 16% of the voters were just stupid. Gibson was NOTone-dimensional. He could hit, pitch, and field. Easily one of the best players I ever saw. 16% saw fit not to name him on their ballots.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Your Time Is Gonna Come - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I
Highway Star - Deep Purple - Machine Head 25th Anniversary Edition
The Ragpicker's Dream - Mark Knopfler - The Ragpicker's Dream
Too Far Gone - Neil Young - Freedom
Driving The Last Spike - Genesis - We Can't Dance
Quote of the Day
“Frank House was the catcher. When I came to the plate, he said, ‘Kid, we’re going to throw you a fastball.’ I didn’t know whether to believe him or not. I hit it out. It was one of the longest home runs I ever hit. As I crossed the plate, House said, ‘That’s the last time I ever tell you what pitch is coming.’ ”
Quote from said blog: "One thing that has stuck out to me about Killebrew’s career as that he didn’t get into the Baseball Hall of Fame until his fourth try. I’m left wondering, “How can that be?” He played in a deadball era – at least in modern times – and hit over 500 homers. Doesn’t seem right."
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I'm repeating myself here but I love cemeteries. I like the old, untended ones the best. Spent a few minutes of my lunch time in one yesterday. The one below is not entirely untended. Looks like the families are keeping up their sites but the other sites seem to be on their own. It's not a very big one and it's right in the heart of Covington.
Covington Cemetery - May 17, 2011
Someone dug up and threw a fencepost next to Adline Loyd's marker above. This marker is right on the edge of the cemetery. Not sure what kind of name Adline is. If it's a boy's name, he could be a Civil War veteran. 1843-1918.
Covington Cemetery - May 17, 2011
There are a heartbreaking number of infants buried here. I counted 4 and I was only there for about 10 minutes. See that white flower next to the little marker? An infant is buried there.
Covington Cemetery - May 17, 2011
The marker next to the tree is an infant, too. August to September. I forgot the year but it was early 1900s. Glad we don't see as much of that as we used to.
5 song iTune shuffle:
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - The Band - The Best Of The Band
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - B. J. Thomas & The Triumphs - AM Gold 1966
Lions - Dire Straits - Dire Straits
Live With Me - Humble Pie - Classics, Vol. 14
America - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
Quote from said blog: "But if my story is that good and if I believed in it so much, wouldn’t the strength of my professional reputation shine out regardless of publishing venue? Self-righteous critics will always abound but I’m willing to bet there will be enough people saying, “Sure, Bob Smith wrote this article for (fill in the blank) but who cares? It was a damn fine piece of reporting.”"
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Surely, "respect" and "disrespect" are the two most overused words in sports. The latest example is the New York Yankees Jorge Posada. His manager, Joe Girardi, moved him to the 9 spot in the batting order for Saturday's game with the Red Sox. He's batting .165 and struggling. The move makes perfect baseball sense. Posada didn't think so. He felt it was a sign of disrespect and took himself out of the lineup. Never mind that he "disrespected" every 9 hitter in the game by doing so. Hey Posada, there's no crying in baseball. Want out of the 9 spot? Hit your way out of it. That's what any kid just up from the minors would be told.
The Yankees, of course, turned up the dinner theater. No team in professional sports does it like they do. They had themselves a pow wow with a few execs and team captain, Derek Jeter, and then announced that everyone was on the same page, whatever that means. Those guys are all wimps. The old George Steinbrenner of the 70s and 80s would have fired someone by now. Speaking of Steinbrenners, today's QOTD is from the late George's son. He sounds like his old man there.
5 song iTune shuffle:
The Buford Stick - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
Something's Going on in My Head - Status Quo - STATUS QUO The Collection
The Letter - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - The Anthology
Sunny - Bobby Hebb - AM Gold 1966
Slip Away - The Commitments - The Commitments
Quote of the Day
We've got too much talent to be swept by anybody at Yankee Stadium, even if we're playing the '27 Yankees. It's not acceptable. We need to start doing what I know we can do.
I've been recording House reruns so I have something to watch on Saturday nights. Before I started doing that, I don't think I ever watched a first-run episode from start to finish. It's one of Mom's faves. House is told at least once per episode that he's an ass because, well, he's an ass. He's a needy, selfish, sometimes cruel, and a self-destructive ass. He torments everyone near him but, by far, he torments his best friend, Wilson, the most. I don't understand what either of them get out of that relationship but it's fun to watch. By the way, some of those medical cases must run a million dollars. House is very well done, has a terrific cast, and the Dr Gregory House character, played by Hugh Laurie, is an original.
About today's QOTD: It's a view also shared by Dr House. Hawking's views on that topic are well-known so the quote doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is the rather large number of people that agree with him according to the poll on the same page.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Gone, Gone, Gone - Bad Company - Desolation Angels
Tyrant (Live) - Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
Pieces of a Story - Randy Edelman - The Last Of The Mohicans
That Certain Female - Charlie Feathers - Kill Bill, Vol. 1
Crossroads - Ry Cooder - Crossroads
Quote of the Day
I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.
Quote from said blog: "I have a little something to share about a fun new product with a wonderful company that makes a fabulous little machine that everybody should have to play with!"
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Too pretty a day to let go to waste. Grilling is in order and, then, after lunch, a bike ride. Less blogging from me is probably a good thing for all. You may be eating in a better restaurant today but you aint eatin' better. Patsy and I like pork chops thin and a little on the crispy side. Our cat prefers them a little on the medium rare side. He'll eat crispy, though, and he'll steal it right off of your plate if you take your eyes off of him for a half-second. Before you say soil, sunshine, or genetics are the cause of that hydrangea's unusual purple color, you should know that there are only two blooms on that bush that are purple. The rest are blue. More images below the jump if you're interested. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I have some pork chops calling out to me.
CrabAppleLane Sunday Lunch - May 15, 2011
CrabAppleLane Sunday Lunch - May 15, 2011
CrabAppleLane Hydrangea - May 15, 2011
Today's QOTD is a from a haunting song I heard the other night on Bones. Fever Ray is new to me. Memory comes when memory's old here, too.
Blog geek stuff below the jump ...
5 song iTune shuffle:
Keep The Streets Empty For Me - Fever Ray - Fever Ray
I Will Think of You - Laura Browne Sorenson - Marilyn Drive
The Times They Are A-Changin' - Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin'
Tear My Stillhouse Down - Gillian Welch - Revival
How You Remind Me - Nickelback - Silver Side Up
Quote of the Day
Memory comes when memory's old I am never the first to know Following this stream up north Where do people like us float
Quote from said blog: "Karin Dreijer Andersson and her live band members have written a new track for upcoming film, Red Riding Hood, the new offering from Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke."
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Today's QOTD is about the imminent opening of the Morganza Spillway. There are some breakdowns there that need to be addressed. There are people living in the potential flood areas that were unaware they were in potential flood areas. Many of them were also told they didn't need flood insurance. How do these things happen? When that spillway was built, it was designed to outlet into mostly farmland. Now, there are houses where there was once mostly sugar cane fields. A zoning commissioner or city planner must have given the OK to open up the area to residential construction at some time. Why was there no disclosure when current homeowners bought or built there?
At any house closing, you have to sign or initial 30-40 disclosure forms. They go through each one minimally with you and it's on you to stop them if you're unclear about something or if you object to something. It would seem to me at least one more disclosure form needs to be added. Something like this: Your residence is in the spillway flood path. Without flood insurance, you are assuming all of the risk. Do you understand? Here's a hint about flood insurance: If it's outrageously expensive for you, it is absolutely necessary. It's high because there's a great chance of a claim against the insurance company. If it isn't expensive for you, get it.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Better At Hello - Laura Browne Sorenson - Marilyn Drive
The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
Quote from said blog: "The “trigger” for the spillway opening will be when the flow reaches 1.5 million cubic feet per second at Louisiana’s Red River Landing, which is expected to happen on Saturday, May 14."
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I have a red, itchy, watery eye. It's a little swollen, too. Thought it was just my cat allergy. If I get my face too close to our cat, my eyes will get itchy for a time but it's usually not this bad and it usually goes away in about an hour. This has been with me for a few days now and I also have a red, itchy area on the bridge of my nose and on my cheekbone where my reading glasses usually rest. This is definitely something else. I'm thinking now it spread through contact with my hands and glasses. It doesn't bother me a great deal now but I'll see a doctor if it stays with me much longer or if it gets worse. What I won't be doing is taking Benadryl. Took some the other day at work and I was drowsy the rest of the day. Took some that same night before going to bed and woke up with a splitting sinus headache.
About today's BOTD and the deteriorating relationship between Pakistan and the US: There are large numbers of militants in Pakistan. Those militants are the enemy of civilization. To Pakistan, they're an asset. The mistrust America has for Pakistan is well-earned.
5 song iTune shuffle:
I Will Think of You - Laura Browne Sorenson - Marilyn Drive
Keep The Streets Empty For Me - Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Same Old Song And Dance - Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
Down To You - Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark
The Poison Glen - Clannad - Anam
Quote of the Day
So I will think of you when the rain falls And I'll drink to you when the night calls And I hope you know as I'm letting go That i will think of you
Quote from said blog: "Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani addressed Pakistan’s National Assembly tonight in Islamabad on issues surrounding the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden. His speech, which was in English and began at around 9AM in Washington, was clearly aimed at an American audience. Gilani’s address, with its defensive and nationalist tone, appears to have been significantly influenced by the high military command. He met earlier in the day with Gen. Khalid Shamim Wynne, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee."
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Anyone ever say that to you? I kinda smile inside whenever anyone says that to me. A question takes only as long as it takes to get the words out. Perhaps a person asking that question thinks there's a quick answer to be had? Not really sure but I find it an unusual way to start a conversation. There's a shorter version of that conversation starter, as well. Sometimes they just lead off with "Question". I will venture to say one more thing about this that I've noticed. Only men do it. Women and kids never do.
About today's QOTD: I don't like that. I think there probably is truth in that theory and probably in this case, too. It's about as accurate as any "guilt by association" theory is. I think they should have to prove he committed a crime. This isn't like someone, who actively participated in war crimes, saying "I was just following orders". They didn't prove even that, which makes me wonder what on Earth they've been doing for the last 18 months.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Stage Fright - The Band - The Best Of The Band
Good Thinking Batman - Status Quo - STATUS QUO The Collection
The Road To Hell (Part I) - Chris Rea - The Road To Hell
Where Are You Tonight - Mark Knopfler & Dave Edmunds - The Booze Brothers By Brewers Droop
Mermaiden - Al Reingold - After Erasmus
Quote of the Day
There is no evidence Demjanjuk committed a specific crime. Instead he was charged with accessory to murder for the number of people who died in the time span he was allegedly a Sobibor camp guard on the theory that if he was there, he was a participant — the first time such a legal argument has been made in German courts.
Quote from said blog: "I probably don't have to explain that bathing suits — or rather, exposed skin — have caused their fair share of controversy (and dressing room angst) in the last century."
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So I was on this website yesterday. It's one of those sites where you have to put in some information just to get to the next page. The problem was that I was somewhat interested in the services so I put in my real mobile phone number. When I got to the next page and read more, I wasn't interested any more and didn't continue. Even though I did not continue, I received over 40 phone calls over the next few hours, all long distance numbers I didn't recognize. Lesson learned. I know exactly whose phone number will go into that space the next time I run across such a website.
Got my garden all tied up and fertilized ahead of today's or tomorrow's expected rain. Probably a mistake because at least five of my tomato bushes are as tall as their stakes now. Not sure what I'm going to do about that yet. Start cutting the tops off or get some much taller stakes? It's a good problem. Two corn stalks have silk. I have never gotten this far with corn in my gardens. Watermelons are starting to grow profusely. Everything will grow considerably with a decent rain.
About today's QOTD: I suppose even Neo-NAZIs will set aside their beliefs to make a buck.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Mea Culpa - Enigma - MCMXC a.D.
Little Jeannie - Elton John - Greatest Hits 1970-2002
Mozart: Piano Concerto #23 In A - Mvt. 1 - Vienna Mozart Ensemble - Top 100 Masterpieces Of Classical Music, Vol. 3 (1776-1787)
The Streets Of Your Town - Kathy Mattea - Walking Away A Winner
Hey Joe - Johnny Rivers - Realization
Quote of the Day
He’s a murderous communist but you sell those shirts, and you fund the movement.
Quote from said blog: "I was very dark on white butterflies this morning. Now my philosophy is rather zen or so I try, that is, plant some for the bugs and some for me. But they have no respect for the zen!!!!"
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The Bonnet Carre Spillway was opened yesterday. The Morganza Spillway will undoubtedly open next week although that decision hasn't been made. Fully open, I don't know how much relief they provide but if you saw how large the spillways are, you'd have a new appreciation for Old Man River. The Mississippi moves a lot of water.
I grew up in Kenner, which is about 15 miles down Airline Hwy (US61) from the spillway. We used to ride our bikes there and we used to swim in the spillway when it wasn't open. When the spillway is not open, there is a good amount of Lake Pontchartrain water in it providing a nice swimming and water skiing area.
When the Mississippi River is swollen like it is right now, all of the bayous, lakes, creeks, streams, and swamps are, too. The water comes right up to the edge of Airline Hwy as do the snakes, crawfish, turtles, and alligators. We'd catch snakes and crawfish, while riding our bikes toward the spillway. We weren't the only ones. On weekends when the water is up like it is now, there were cars parked all along Airline Hwy between Kenner and the spillway with people out catching crawfish. Wonder if people still do that. I haven't been that way in a very long time.
An old story I've probably told here before but I can't find it: Our favorite snakes were the mud snakes. They had a smooth skin, didn't bite, and didn't seem to mind being held. I was on my Western Flyer Buzz Bike (Similar to the one at the link but not exact, I hope) when I spotted a mud snake in the water right on the side of the road. That's what they like to do. They like to come right up to the edge of the water because it's sunny there and they like the warmth.
So my friend is a hundred yards or so ahead of me and he has the gig. I didn't want to park the bike and run up to the mud snake. He'd swim into the deeper water and get away. I had an idea. I'll ride the bike into the water, pin him down by the tail and gently hold him in place with the front bike tire until my friend can come grab him with the gig. My plan was executed perfectly. It's not a mud snake, though. It's a water moccasin and he's not happy. I'm now holding the front tire down as hard as I can so he can't get loose and bite me while at the same time holding my legs as far back as I can so he can't bite me while I've got him pinned (I looked quite a bit like Kate does here only a little older and not nearly as cute. :) I think of that day every time I see that picture.). I really didn't want to hold that snake but I didn't want to let him go, either. He lunged and snapped at me relentlessly until he got tired, which takes a lot longer than you might think when your knee is just barely out of his reach and help is a hundred yards away.
Today's QOTD is not talking about the economy or gasoline prices. She's talking about the Mississippi River.
5 song iTune shuffle:
T.N.T. - AC/DC - High Voltage
Privilege (Set Me Free) - The Patti Smith Group - Easter
Bring It On Home To Me - Sam Cooke - The Best Of Sam Cooke
Fire Escape - Fastball - All the Pain Money Can Buy
Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day - Jethro Tull - The Anniversary Collection
Quote from said blog: "They blasted a big Whole in the Mississippi Levee to relieve pressure. The idea is to sacrifice a piece of Missouri to save a chunk of Illinois ."
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Happy Anniversary, Patsy Hope the next 30 are as grand as the last
Love, Rob
5 song iTune shuffle:
Head Over Feet - Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
I Ain't Superstitious - Jeff Beck - Rock: The Train Kept A Rollin'
Little Bit Of Sympathy - Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs
Magic Man - Heart - Dreamboat Annie
Moon River - Louis Armstrong - Sings - Back Through The Years/A Centennial Celebration
Quote of the Day
The Mavericks put a broom to so much more than one team and one season here, clearing the NBA postseason not only of its marquee franchise, but perhaps removing all traces of them for the foreseeable future. They have no coach. They have no bench. They have little money to get better quick.
Quote from said blog: "Well as we noted in another post, we don’t typically mention books, movies, etc. This is the book that made us temporarily suspend that rule."
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I don't know why but the song has been rolling around in my head all week. I didn't hear it on the radio and I don't own it. I'll probably pick it up if it stays around in my head much longer, though. It was one of the big songs around when I was honky tonking back in the day. Unfortunately, Falstaff is no longer available. It was what Dad drank when he drank beer. If you mix it with Wild Turkey, the only thing you're likely to remember is the nasty hangover. I never cared much for Falstaff and, to me, Wild Turkey is only a half-step up from rot gut. Crown Royal or Jack Daniels with a good draft beer for me if I'm looking for trouble ... and the nasty hangover.
Quote from said blog: "It was only a few minutes later when the elevator doors opened again, and I still clearly remember that there was only one single guy in it: Mark Knopfler. It then turned out that we were not the only ones waiting because a few guys near us immediatley were off their seats pushing towards MK, and asked him for autographs. We also got an autograph each, but there was no time for a chat about whatever. At least I got the chance for a picture with MK."
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I've given this year's Kentucky Derby some thought yesterday and today. I'm going with the long shot, Comma To The Top, to take home the roses tomorrow. "Comma To The Top" is urban slang for an apostrophe. The morning line has him at 30-1. As usual, bet any house you have to lose.
Today's QOTD is from William Faulkner. He was a great writer but I'm glad he doesn't cover sports any more. A little too highbrow for me. :)
5 song iTune shuffle:
Just My Imagination - The Cranberries - Bury The Hatchet
March Of The Pigs - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Metal Heart - Garbage - Bleed Like Me
Bad - Cowboy Mouth - Mercyland
Wherever I May Roam - Metallica - Black Album
Quote of the Day
This is the moment, the peak, the pinnacle; after this, all is ebb. We who watched have seen too much; expectation, the glandular pressure, has been too high to long endure; it is evening, not only of the day but the emotional capacity too; Boots and Saddles will sound twice more and condensations of light and movement will go through the motions of horses and jockeys again.
We had to blow the helicopter and that probably woke up a lot of people, including the Pakistanis.
"Including the Pakistanis"? Ya think? They were in Pakistan. An explosion in Pakistan might wake some others, too, but the I think the Pakistanis would be the first to hear it. Cool-looking helicopter. Sorry we lost it.
About today's QOTD: I'm OK with today's planned events but I hope we're near the finish line on this victory lap.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Wedding Bells - Lissie - Why You Runnin'
Animate - Rush - Counterparts
Changing Tracks - Wishbone Ash - Bona Fide
Sheep - Pink Floyd - Animals
Gimme Shelter - Grand Funk Railroad - Caught In The Act
Quote of the Day
The president thinks it's entirely fitting and appropriate to visit the site ... in the wake of this significant and cathartic moment for the American people.
Quote from said blog: "What causes the problem is that it is heavy with bass and this is what rattles everything from pictures on the wall to my brain."
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I knew I was probably a little too old for the forum when the owner, in what I think might have been the first response there to anything I've ever said, welcomed me and the very next responder after the owner suggested the avatar to the left for me to use. Yesterday, I was admonished publicly by one of the plebes for inserting a link back to my site in one of my comments ... like all commenters here are welcome to do. He said the link didn't bother him so much but he thinks I didn't contribute enough to the topic to earn the honor of adding said link. "At least have some content that adds more to the conversation or gives something more substantial than what you’ve just said in your comment." Apparently, one-word responses like "Awesome" and "ha" are fine but asking a couple of questions related to the topic at hand wasn't enough. When another of their users commented that he thought plebe was being a little touchy, plebe then checked my comment history and posted his findings, citing the link again but not one word on the substance of what I said on any of those comments. No big deal. Their house, their rules but, like Detective Murtaugh once said, though, "I'm gettin' too old for this shit".
Wood pellet stove on last night and this morning. I think that may be a first for May at CrabAppleLane.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Run Like Hell - Pink Floyd - Pulse [Live]
About To Begin - Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs
Howlin' Moon-(w Dr. John & Jimmy Buffett) - Sonny Landreth - From The Reach
The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
Quote of the Day
American officials should be clear that they're not abandoning the region, and Sunday's operation should make it clear "we're serious," says Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute. The U.S. should "let them know when what they're doing is anathema to our interests," and the possibility of more unilateral operations on their soil "has to be part of the message," she said.
Osama bin Laden’s presence in an elaborately fortified million-dollar compound “raises questions” about what some Pakistani officials might have known about the al-Qaida leader’s presence prior to Sunday’s raid that killed him, the top White House counterterrorism adviser said Monday.
They had outright knowledge or willful ignorance. Same thing as far as I'm concerned.
One last thing about this: I'm afraid the U.S. will ultimately have to release graphic images and video of Osama bin Laden's body and burial service if the chorus of disbelief grows much louder. I hope it doesn't, though. FWIW, I don't need to see them. I'm convinced.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Cornucopia - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4
Heartbreaker - Grand Funk Railroad - Live Album
Little Things - Bush - Sixteen Stone
Try A Little Tenderness - Three Dog Night - Captured Live At The Forum
Robot Man - Scorpions - In Trance
Quote of the Day
Oh God, please make this news not true ... God curse you, Obama. Oh Americans ... it is still legal for us to cut your necks.
Quote from said blog: "I suppose that someone, somewhere in the United States finds it ethically repugnant that our government hunted down and killed Osama bin Laden. I am not that someone. It is just and necessary that this evil man was finally punished for the mass murders he engineered on September 11, 2001. But I am repelled by the scenes of mindless jubilation, from Times Square to the park in front of the White House, that erupted after President Obama delivered the news in a properly sober tone Sunday night."
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I finally saw The King's Speech last night. I wanted to see it even before it won all its awards and before all of my family and friends recommended it. This part of British history is fairly well known because of Edward's scandalous abdication of the throne to marry a twice-divorced woman, Wallis Simpson from Baltimore. The film portrays "Bertie (Colin Firth)", who became King George VI, as a much more decent man than his father or brother. He was certainly a better man than his brother. The film even suggests that Bertie's stammer was possibly a reaction to his father's and brother's intimidation. The film is mainly about how he overcame his stammer with the help of an Australian speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush. Helena Bonham Carter is excellent as the person I always knew as The Queen Mother and the rest of the cast is portrayed by a who's who of British actors. It's an uplifting film but it doesn't really soar. That's OK by me. It deserves all the awards and praise it gets. It's excellent.
There is other news today, of course. It was announced last night that Osama bin Laden is dead. That's good news here. More on that can be found just about everywhere on the internet.
5 song iTune shuffle:
Can't You See - The Marshall Tucker Band - Greatest Hits
Annabelle - Gillian Welch - Revival
Lakky Lady - Status Quo - STATUS QUO The Collection
Red Sector A - Rush - Chronicles
Last Night I Laid Your Memory To Rest - John Anderson - Seminole Wind
Quote of the Day
Nonviolence is in total variance with the Al-Qaeda ideology … Osama and his men believed in violence … nothing but violence — no reconciliation — no dialogue.
Quote from said blog: "Many people think that the key to voiceover success lies with an agent. Once you get an agent, you just have to sit back and let the lucrative offers come in, right? Ah, if only it were so easy to make money at your microphone!"
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File this under so you want to be a homeowner. I decided to cut down a tree in my front yard that's been bothering me for a while. All homeowners face the same dilemmas so there is no startling revelations here. The main dilemma is do I do it, myself, or do I pay someone else to do it?
The problem with this tree is that the roots were extensive and above ground causing problems. The tree leaned in the direction I wanted it to fall. All I had to do was accommodate it. Halfway through the cut, the chainsaw quit running. While frantically trying to get it started and running again, a north wind came up and pushed the tree back into my garage. No real damage done but, naturally, it was a concern. After borrowing a neighbor's chainsaw and getting the tree off of the garage, I had to bend some flashing on the garage roof back into place and that was a time-consuming and tiresome chore. Would have been easier to replace it, assuming I could find the exact same kind, but it would have taken a long time for the patina on the new flashing to match the rest of the roof. To say I was thoroughly disgusted with myself, the chainsaw, and the homeowner gods is an understatement. I'm still sore this morning from yanking on the chainsaw rope, getting up and down on the two ladders I was using, and from just picking up and moving the mountain of debris aside. Not done with the cleanup yet and I suppose I should be thankful that it wasn't worse. It would have cost $300-$500 to have that tree removed professionally so I guess I'd better fix that chainsaw. I'll have this experience in my bag the next time this comes up so I guess there's that.
Hard for Saints fans to not to be excited by their 2011 draft. They seem to have gotten very good players at positions they needed to improve. They'll be younger this season if there is one and I think they'll be better. More here if you're interested.
I offer one image from the CrabAppleLane Garden from this afternoon, three from yesterday's fiasco, and some time lapse below the jump:
CrabAppleLane Blue Ginger - May 1, 2011
CrabAppleLane Garage - Before - April 30, 2011
CrabAppleLane fiasco - April 30, 2011
CrabAppleLane Garage - After - April 30, 2011
5 song iTune shuffle:
Don't Crash The Ambulance - Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La
Sisters Of The Moon - Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
Hey You - Pink Floyd - The Wall
Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler - Beaches
Sara Lee - Foghat - Foghat
Quote of the Day
Whether that mattress was stuffed with corn-cobs or broken crockery, there is no telling, but I rolled about a good deal, and could not sleep for a long time.
