Recently in Just nothing really Category

My daily routine is changing. Entries here will be posted at different times and not necessarily on a daily basis any more. Life just sometimes gets right in the way of my hobbies.

Boo, Atlanta Journal-Constitution. When I clicked on your link, I was blasted by two very loud ads. I wasn't able to turn the sound down or off on one of them because the buttons don't f%^king work but I was finally able to find the pause button. I couldn't even tell where the other ad was coming from.

About today's QOTD: Not the biggest fan of Warren Sapp but he's exactly right about Ndamukong Suh.

About today's BOTD: It was a nice try on his part but his analysis is a bit faulty. The pick in his illustration was charged to Brees because all interceptions are but that one was on Jimmy Graham. He ran the wrong route. He was supposed to cut in front of the defender who made the interception. Jimmy Graham is a joy to watch. He sometimes runs the wrong route, he drops too many passes, and he occasionally has passes bounce off of him because he isn't looking for the ball. He has very little football experience and he's thinking entirely too much. Despite that, he is the best tight end in football and he's getting better every week. He's also a great kid and his enthusiasm is infectious. Love him.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Waiting For The Day - Gerry Rafferty - City To City
2. Downtown - Petula Clark - AM Gold 1965
3. I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) - The Commitments - The Commitments
4. Eli's Coming - Three Dog Night - Captured Live At The Forum
5. Circus - Eric Clapton - Pilgrim

Quote of the Day

I was like, what are we appealing here? You don’t want to roll that tape again, do you? … That was Thursday. That was Thanksgiving. Moms and grandmas are watching. … You can’t do that.

Warren Sapp, Showtime

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "For this week’s play breakdown, I will show you two plays below -- one where Brees throws it up and ends up throwing a pick, while the other shows a touchdown throw."

I've told the story here a few times. I attended Super Bowl IV in New Orleans. It was the Minnesota Vikings versus the Kansas City Chiefs. Quarterbacking the Vikings was Joe Kapp. He was kind of famous for a jump pass that he used to do. He had a career in the Canadian Football League before he got into the NFL and, apparently, there is still some bad blood between he and some of his former opponents. If you haven't seen this yet, do so. I just love the way everyone gets up slowly and nonchalantly to go break it up. I guess they thought they couldn't hurt each other.

As I mentioned the other day, there's a minor issue with the comment system here that I'm having trouble identifying and resolving. My plan was to seek professional help for it but said help proved to be dramatically a little costlier than I expected. I'll try to work on it this weekend.

Today's QOTD is about this Saturday's LSU-Georgia SEC Championship game. I like it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Dogs Of War - Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound Of Thunder
2. Wond'ring Aloud - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
3. No Bone Movies - Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz
4. Training - A Shot At Glory Soundtrack - Mark Knopfler
5. Great Gulf Wind - Sonny Landreth - South Of I-10

Quote of the Day

I think our defense is just as good as theirs, if not better.

Jarvis Jones, Georgia Bulldogs

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Wrist pain can affect routine activities of day to day living. Many structures present in and around the wrist joint can cause pain. Swelling may be present. Movements may be painful. Different causes are described below."

From USA Today:

NBA player Kris Humphries walking in on wife Kim Kardashian's "nude" yoga class with a naked male instructor may have helped fuel the blowup of the couple's short-lived marriage, according to ABC News.

Just when I was starting to think she was taking herself too seriously ...

If you like zombies ... and who doesn't?

Tuesday Morning Quarterback - Week 12, 2011

Today's QOTD is a strength for New Orleans, not a weakness.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Way It Always Starts - Gerry Rafferty & Mark Knopfler - Local Hero
2. When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You) - Louis Armstrong Sings - Back Through The Years/A Centennial Celebration
3. It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll) - AC/DC - High Voltage
4. Terminal Frost - Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
5. Only Time Will Tell - Asia - Then & Now

Quote of the Day

In a Travel + Leisure survey, New Orleans ranked No. 1 for strangest people. The Crescent City also earned top ranking for bars, wild weekends and people-watching.

Katrina Brown Hunt, Travel + Leisure

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "They're trained doctors whose parents are distinguished writers - yet for 20 years these identical twins have competed with each other in the most disturbing way imaginable. Even now, with preternaturally childish bodies and voices, the young women admit they struggle to make sense of what has happened to their lives."

Max: All of the memories I have took place less than a hundred yards from this very spot.
Christie: Are they good memories?
Max: No ... they're grand.

Yeah, grand. I think we all still look pretty good. :)

The Saints can really help themselves tonight. Hated even thinking it so typing it is just taunting the football gods. Well, praying to them has never helped.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Shes Not Just Another Woman - The 8th Day - 1971
2. Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep - Mac & Katie Kissoon - 1971
3. Smiling Faces Sometimes - Undisputed Truth - 1971
4. Sweet City Woman - Stampeders - 1971
5. I've Found Someone Of My Own - Free Movement - 1971

Quote of the Day

Sweet, sweet city woman
I can see your face, I can hear your voice
I can almost touch you

Stampeders, Sweet City Woman

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "No matter what you do with your blog, abandon it, change your theme, upgrade it, take it more seriously, you can always keep your readers with you in a separate area and still communicate with them."

I've been to a few high school class reunions. I went to reunions 10, 15, and 25. They were all very nice. My freshman class had 240+ students in that all boy school. I don't know how many of those 240+ made it through to graduation 4 years later but it was surely over 200. I got to know some of those guys but none of them all that well. I only still see or communicate with three or four of them. That brings me to last night.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help's 8th Grade Class of 1971 had a reunion last night. It was facilitated through the magic of Facebook and the dedicated effort of a few of my classmates. These were kids I did get to know. I went to kindergarten so I was in school with some of them for 9 years. Many of my classmates lived on my street or one street over and we rode the bus to school together. It was a time when neighborhoods were neighborhoods. Everyone knew everyone. Ours was a class of 60 or so and about half of us were able to attend. I hadn't seen many of them since graduation 40 years ago and I only still see or communicate with three or four of these people, too. Those very nice high school reunions I went to were a 1 compared to last night's 10. I can't begin to explain or describe the sheer joy we all had at seeing and reconnecting with each other. It was an amazing evening.

On another note: Thanks to Kate P for a lovely surprise in our mailbox Friday. The Tastykakes were delicious.

I am finally going to seek professional help. No, for the blog, not the other thing. There are problems with the comment system here that I cannot seem to resolve.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers - 1971
2. She's A Lady - Tom Jones - 1971
3. That's The Way I've Always Heard - Carly Simon - 1971
4. Draggin' The Line - Tommy James & The Shondells - 1971
5. All I Ever Need Is You - Sonny & Cher - 1971

Quote of the Day

Back together again
OLPH
The Class of 71
And the music of 71

WTIX Radio

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Thank you to all OLPH parents, faculty, staff, and parishoners for helping to make OLPH School a shining light of faith in education."

Today's QOTD is about former San Diego Chargers and current New York Jets defensive back, Antonio Cromartie. He has fathered nine children in six states with eight different women. Take a moment to process that. Of course, that was only through January. The numbers 9, 6, and 8 could have all advanced since then.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Cannonball - Supertramp - The Autobiography Of Supertramp
2. Free Ride - The Edgar Winter Group - Hard N' Heavy: 70's Greatest Rock Hits, Vol. 1
3. Bring Out The Gimp/Comanche - Revels - Pulp Fiction
4. I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band) - The Moody Blues - Moody Blues Greatest Hits
5. Animate - Rush - Counterparts

Quote of the Day

As much as the man hates physical contact, it’s surprising that he has that many kids.

CKL

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "One player in particular has racked up quite a fan club in the past couple of years. These fans not only recognize him on the field as a Jets cornerback wearing the number 31, but better as their dad."

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The Penn State tragedy just keeps getting more and more toxic. I don't know who I can believe but I have a long list of people I don't believe and it is getting longer by the day. I don't believe any official or employee at Penn State, including Mike McQueary, and I don't believe the campus police. Basically, I'm not believing anyone who is in imminent danger of prosecution or dismissal.

So much for the small ball the Astros are built for if they have to switch to the American League. For what it's worth, I love everything about National League baseball.

Today's QOTD is a start. The law needs to cover public AND private institutions.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Come Back Home - Chris Pureka - Dryland
2. Games People Play - Lissie - Covered Up With Flowers
3. One More Dollar - Gillian Welch - Revival
4. Caught Up In You - .38 Special - .38 Special: Anthology
5. Past The Point Of Rescue - Hal Ketchum - Past The Point Of Rescue

Quote of the Day

Jindal's order requires anyone working at a public Louisiana college who has witnessed child abuse or neglect to report it to law enforcement within 24 hours.

wwltv.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I've not yet met a person who hasn't been totally floored by Markus Zusak's The Book Thief. It is--in one word--extraordinary, and Amazon customers agree. The novel currently has more the 1,000 five-star reviews."

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Got one of them itises in my shoulder since yesterday. Bursitis, tendonitis, who knows? Dr Rob is a quack. Having some trouble lifting my right arm. Quite annoying since I'm right-handed.  I took a prescription-strength painkiller last night to get to sleep.  I'm a little foggy this morning.

Check for witches and ruby slippers, please. Peckerwood Road? The jokes write themselves. Take your best shot. Kentwood is about 75 miles northwest of CrabAppleLane as the crow flies.

Speaking of The Wizard of Oz, one of the last surviving Munchkins died. See QOTD. R.I.P., Karl.

One of the songs in the iTunes shuffle reminded me of an exchange from Golden Girls.

Rose: You still don't believe Glenn Miller is dead.
Dorothy: MISSING!!! He's MISSING!!!

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Devils Den - Jefferson Starship - At Their Best
2. Moonlight Serenade (Remastered 2002) - Glenn Miller And His Orchestra - The Essential Glenn Miller
3. Tell Me There's A Heaven - Chris Rea - The Road To Hell
4. Let It Fly - Sonny Landreth - From The Reach
5. While You See a Chance - Stevie Winwood - Andrea's Gift Mix

Quote of the Day

In those uninformed days, his father tried witch doctor treatments to make him grow. Knowing Karl and his triumph over his early life, you can't help but celebrate the man at a time like this.

John Fricke

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Gracie sometimes chases chickens."

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We watched Crazy, Stupid, Love yesterday because I owe Patsy a few hundred movies (According to her) for her indulgence on some of the movies I watch. And, now, we're even. CSL has moments. Emma Stone is adorable. All of her scenes are excellent. The problem with most romantic comedies is the film makers simply don't know how to end them. They try to tie up all the little stories into a nice, neat, happy ending for all and it just never works. The formula is broken.

Good win for the Saints yesterday over the rival Falcons. My thoughts, if you're interested.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. What Do You Want From Me - Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
2. War - Bruce Springsteen - Live: 1975-85
3. No One Came - Deep Purple - Fireball
4. So I Need You - 3 Doors Down - The Better Life
5. Summertime Blues - Blue Cheer - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969

Quote of the Day

That'll do it for the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles. Thanks for coming, drive safely, and someone make sure and hit the lights at Lincoln Financial Field.

Don Banks, Sports Illustrated

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Real bodies. Forget the Dove ads."

Not sure what to make of the image. -Rob

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Happy Birthday, Mom

Love,
Rob&Patsy

Picked up a few songs at iTunes last night, including one that Marie and Kim recommended from Marc Cohn. Lissie also has a new album of covers out. Was cheap enough. From her, I love Nothing Else Matters but I think I like Pursuit of Happiness, a new song to me, even better.

Tigers keep rolling. They still have two or, possibly, three tough games ahead, though. They need to focus on them, not on who they might face in a potential BCS Championship game.

Tough game in Atlanta today for the Saints. Kickoff. Will have to finish this entry later. Hogshead cheese and a Saints game await.

Today's QOTD from yet another professional journalist.

I offer a little color from the CrabAppleLane backyard. Very little.

CrabAppleLane Backyard - November 13, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Pursuit of Happiness - Lissie - Covered Up With Flowers
2. Walking In Memphis - Marc Cohn - Marc Cohn
3. Early Bird (Bonus Track) - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky (Bonus Track Version)
4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams (feat. John Gallagher Jr., Rebecca Naomi Jones, Stark Sands & Company) - Green Day - American Idiot (The Original Broadway Cast Recording)
5. Everybody Wants You - Billy Squier - Billy Squier: Absolute Hits

Quote of the Day

When Mike Smith first decided to go for it on fourth-and-inches in overtime, I liked the call. I thought it was gutsy and ambitious. After watching Michael Turner get stuffed, I changed my mind. Smith should have punted and taken his chances with his defense.

Pat Yasinskas, ESPN NFC South Blog

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Prepare yourself for this epic battle of NFC South heavyweights. The team that wins this game will have the early upper hand for the division. As Falcons fans, we do not want to get stuck in this wild card race. This is the first big step toward winning the division, and the Falcons must take care of business as home in divisional games."

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1. Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu
2. I Think I'm Paranoid - Garbage - Version 2.0
3. Pictures Of Matchstick Men - Status Quo - The British Invasion: The History Of British Rock, Vol. 8
4. Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon - Negotiations And Love Songs 1971-1986
5. Nothing Else Matters - Metallica - Black Album

For the first time in 22,638 days — Nov. 19, 1949 — the Penn State Nittany Lions played a football game in which Joe Paterno was neither the head coach nor an assistant.
John Taylor, College Football Talk

Happy Veterans Day - 11/11/11

Joe Pa is gone. Because he had to go. Even with his holier-than-thou persona, I always liked him. Until now. Now, I say good riddance. About his legacy: He'll be remembered for all the right reasons. They'll all be about his dismissal. In another context, he would have been called an enabler. He is the face of Penn State. Unfortunately, that's as true today as it was a few weeks ago and it will be true for quite a while to come. I can't imagine the hurt their students, faculty, and alumni feel but my sympathies lie entirely with the victims and their families. Bye, Joe.

About today's QOTD: Someone tries to kill you and you don't cooperate with police? As Seth Meyer would say, "Really?"

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Hold On - Deep Purple - Stormbringer
2. Alegria - Cirque du Soleil - Download
3. What You Are - Drill - Empire Records
4. My Girl - The Temptations - AM Gold 1965
5. When It Comes To You - John Anderson - Seminole Wind

Quote of the Day

Stafford said there is no suspect description at this time. He said the victim was uncooperative with police.

Associated Press via MSNBC.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Paterno is gone. McQueary has officially been shuffled into the dark background. Sponsors are dropping Penn State. Hell, sponsors are dropping us. The football program, long held up as an example of one of the few redeeming things about college athletics, is now beyond toxic. The game? Penn State's players will most certainly be carried by raw emotion for the first ten minutes of the game. How much is that worth? Can it make up for a week filled with the most unimaginable distractions? The players have had their lives emptied and scattered about the national landscape. They're pledging unity. It's all they have left."

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Inspired by The Great White Shank

Prologue: It was nearly 30 years ago. We were still newlyweds and it was our first apartment. We lived in the tiny middle apartment of a triplex that had paper thin walls. It was a single bedroom at $295 per month that was all we could afford then. The couple in the front apartment had one of those signs on the front door that said "Forget the dog. Beware of owner" along with a picture of a loaded revolver. The guy (I assume it was the guy) snored so loud that it rattled our walls. I could hear his snoring in my bathroom with the door closed. The back apartment had a guy who owned a pit bull. He was away from his apartment for long hours and his poor dog got no attention so she would jump the fence and roam the neighborhood. I think people in the neighborhood were afraid of her and yelled at her or maybe even threw rocks at her. She would cower from us whenever she saw us.

Act I: We had a rodent problem in this middle apartment. My side of the bed faced the kitchen and I opened my eye one night to see a mouse wandering around in there. We called the landlord and reported it. I don't remember if they put out poison or had an exterminator do it but it got done. Here's the thing about that: When rats or mice eat the poison, they die. They're not particular about their final resting place. We had one die under the stove. The only way you know you have a dead rodent in the house is the aroma that's given off when they start to ripen. Did I mention this was a tiny apartment? The aroma was overpowering and disgusting. We finally located it under the stove and was able to get it out with some wire that I had. When I pulled him past the front stove plate, all of his fur was scraped off and I got myself a double dose of an already disgusting odor. Here's the thing: We weren't done.

Act II: I disposed of the rodent and all of his many pieces in a plastic bag inside another plastic bag and put it outside. We sprayed air freshener, mopped the floors, pulled the stove out and cleaned and disinfected. We could still smell it. A little fainter but it was still there. Surely, it will go away by morning. No. By morning, it was stronger. There must be another dead rodent somewhere in the apartment. We look high and low but can't find it. We have to go to work. We can't do anything about it now.

Act III: We get home that evening and the stench is much worse than it was when we left that morning. The smell is strongest in the bathroom. It is stronger still from the cabinets below the vanity. We remove everything. No sign of dead rodent but the smell is powerful. It must have died in the walls. We were pretty desperate to find the source and I had no tools then. What I had was Patsy's bowling ball. I took it and smashed the sheet rock in two places below the vanity. I was appalled somewhat to find zero insulation but I was more appalled to find zero dead rodents. We never did find the source. We kept the bathroom door closed, employed a multitude of air fresheners, and the smell gradually died down but it took about three weeks.

Epilogue: We asked an exterminator about the poison that supposedly makes the rodents seek water. It instructs you to eliminate any water source inside and they'll have to seek it outside. He said that was a myth. The water activates the poison. They can easily get the water outside and then come back inside and die. Unfortunately, poison is the only option in some cases.

About today's QOTD: Not sure I understand why he is still on staff unless authorities believe he told Joe Paterno more than Paterno claims he did. I'm starting to believe that he did.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Led Zeppelin playlist:

1. For Your Life - Led Zeppelin - Presence
2. In The Evening - Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door
3. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
4. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I
5. Black Country Woman - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Quote of the Day

Mike McQueary, one of the central figures in the burgeoning child sex abuse scandal at Penn State, will remain receivers coach Saturday when the Nittany Lions play their final home game of the season.

ESPN.com news services

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Whilst it may be easy to gush about Julio Jones, after his incredible week 9 performance. I want to look at our other offensive rookie that has made a big impact on our offense."

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About today's QOTD: I don't think it's going to fly. If a full grown adult man is in the showers with a 10-year-old boy, you can't just kick the responsibility upstairs and forget about it. There's the rub, though, isn't it? Not only can you do that, you're encouraged to do exactly that. I attended a mandatory harassment seminar once many years ago and it was made abundantly clear that they wanted the first step after an incident to be to contact someone within the company. It seemed to me like they were much more concerned about protecting themselves than they were about protecting me. I'm sure everyone there thought "we fulfilled our responsibilities in this matter". Hearing a lot of that out of Penn State this week, too.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes - Asia - Then & Now
2. Crane/White Lightning - The RZA & Charles Bernstein - Kill Bill, Vol. 1
3. Rattlesnake Shake - Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On
4. Sands Of Nevada - Mark Knopfler - Sailing To Philadelphia
5. The Devil Went Down To Georgia - The Charlie Daniels Band - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs

Quote of the Day

It was obvious that the witness was distraught over what he saw, but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the grand jury report. Regardless, it was clear that the witness saw something inappropriate involving Mr. Sandusky. As Coach Sandusky was retired from our coaching staff at that time, I referred the matter to university administrators.

Joe Paterno, Penn State Head Football Coach

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "So the news broke--not as if we didn't know it was coming, since the grand jury was reported on months ago--about Jerry Sandusky, Tim Curley and Gary Shultz being brought up on charges."

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Finished Page Eight last night. The War on Terror has turned into the same kind of gold mine of material for the film industry that the Cold War was. The problem with this current gold mine is that there is always a question. The question is this: Is this a movie with a message or is it just a movie? When I went to see Three Days of the Condor or Day of the Jackal, I didn't ask myself that. As a movie, it has a fine plot, lots of intrigue, a couple of subplots, fine performances all around, and a fitting end. As a movie with a message, it has a lot of tired assumptions, a pretty good helping of fancy, and just enough realism to add credibility but only if you're inclined to believe the message. I watched it as just a movie and liked it. If you prefer the movie with a message perspective, you'll only like it if you like the message. I will always prefer to watch movies as simple entertainment. It should be playing on your local PBS station in America. See it for yourself.

Today's QOTD is my new favorite expression.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback - Week 9, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Someday Henry Gross - One More Tomorrow - The Best Of Henry Gross
2. Private Investigations - Dire Straits - On The Night (LIVE)
3. We Are The Dead - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
4. Astronomy Domine (Live) - Pink Floyd - Take It Back
5. Crossroads - Cream - The Cream Of Clapton

Quote of the Day

Are you going to throw a wobbly?

Muna Hammami, Page Eight

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "South East London has always seemed to be an after-thought of where to go or live. However in recent times I have heard more and more people getting excited about it, even suggesting that it might be the 'New Hoxton / Shoreditch'."

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Started Page Eight last night but it was too late to finish it. I recorded it because of its stellar cast but I also pretty much a sucker for "Masterpiece anything" on PBS. Page Eight is being presented as Masterpiece Contemporary but it could have just as well been presented as Masterpiece Mystery. I have no idea what the difference is. Maybe the sponsors? No idea when I'll get to finish it. Anyway, just look at that cast. :)

Good weekend for Louisiana football. The LSU Tigers came away from Tuscaloosa with a win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The New Orleans Saints got a much-needed win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday. Former LSU star, Patrick Peterson, won the game for the Arizona Cardinals yesterday with an electrifying punt return for a touchdown in overtime and hometown hero, Eli Manning, led the New York Giants to a great win over the New England Patriots in Foxboro.

Penn State? They should have gotten out in front of that sooner.

Why does the media continue to give a guy like this the prestige he craves?

Love the nonchalance in the QOTD. Is that all?

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Underway - Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On
2. Sweet Thing - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
3. Take It Easy - The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits
4. Train In The Distance - Paul Simon - Negotiations And Love Songs 1971-1986
5. You Didn't Have To Be So Nice - The Lovin' Spoonful - AM Gold 1966

Quote of the Day

Western Kentucky, which is now riding its first five-game winning streak since 2004, heads to Louisiana State next week for an out-of-conference matchup.

Chad Bishop, Bowling Green Daily News

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It's fun to watch LSU out-Saban Saban. You hate offense? Oh, we really hate offense. We hate offense more than you'll ever hate offense, Nick Saban. We hate offense so much we'll put Jordan Jefferson in at quarterback, but first let Jarrett Lee throw two picks just to give you what you want in the form of turnovers, but then take it away with good defense and suffocating your precious run game. We hate offense so much we kill both yours AND ours. That's how much we want to ironically be you, but even better."

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Hard, hard fought game last night in Tuscaloosa. Didn't look like much if you're a fan of pretty football but it looks fine this morning to this Tiger fan.

Saints are up, 17-3, at the half over a tough Tampa team in a pretty chippy game so far. They need to not let up. Update: Saints, 24-9, with 11 minutes remaining.

Think I have everything back to normal here. I think. Everything that was giving me trouble before seems to be working now. We'll see. Your patience is appreciated.

I offer one image of what passes for color changes here at CrabAppleLane. No comparison to what my northern friends get to see.

CrabAppleLane Backyard - November 6, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Tyrant (Live) - Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
2. Armageddon It - Def Leppard - Hysteria
3. Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head - B.J. Thomas - AM Gold 1969
4. All Mixed Up - The Cars - The Cars
5. I Know You're Out There Somewhere - The Moody Blues - Moody Blues Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

LSU still rules. Not because someone said so, but because it came here and took what it wanted.

Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Morning Advocate

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We Need to Talk About Kevin is powerful, visceral cinema. It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to take a nice long, hot shower after coming home."

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The practice of "oversigning". There is a perspective that is getting short shrift in every article I've seen on that matter. How many student-athletes each school signs is a matter of public record. Who they have signed and who they already have on their roster is established. What's being given short shrift is that potential recruits must realistically evaluate their chances before they commit. The usual blame being tossed around is that coaches are not being forthright with the recruits. I'm sure that's partly to blame.

Oversigning is a luxury that only the big time football schools enjoy and it's an understandable evil. You ask kids to commit to your program in February. It's going to be September before you play a game. You're counting on him. In those seven months, the kid flunks a history exam and becomes academically ineligible ... or he has a swimming accident and he can't play ... or he falls in love and decides to go straight to work in the family business.

In other news, I think I've resolved the issues that readers have been encountering here lately. At least, I hope I did. There are still some minor issues I'm having trouble with but, hopefully, they won't affect you.

It's Game Day. If you watch a single college football game this season, LSU-Alabama should be it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. For Your Love - The Yardbirds - Heart Full Of Soul And Other Hits
2. Sing Child - Heart - Dreamboat Annie
3. One More Heartache - Blackhawk - BlackHawk
4. This Girl's In Love With You - Dionne Warwick - AM Gold 1969
5. Don't Cry (Original) - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I

Quote of the Day

I want the players to enjoy the glare and the light of the big stage. I want them to enjoy the opportunity to play for a big victory. Once I've prepared the team and after I feel I've done a quality job, I want the players to play with freedom.

Les Miles, LSU Head Coach

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Much to the chagrin of some, though, there have been very few mentions of “oversigning”. Some have latched on to every single chance to hassle the national media into covering this “crisis”. As the internet’s self appointed defender of oversigning, let’s tackle this once more."

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Looks like Judge William Adams, mentioned here yesterday, is going to have to answer for that video of him beating his daughter. 1,640,034 views on YouTube as of this morning. And this also from YouTube: "12,578 likes, 14,660 dislikes". 12,578? WTF? The QOTD belongs to Judge Adams. The game, set, and match belongs to his daughter.

There is still some unexplained wonkiness here at the CrabAppleLane Blog. Getting mysterious 500 Internal Server errors when people comment sometimes but not always. If you get one, your comment is here. It may or may not be published, though. From CrabAppleLane's host:

I am sorry that you are having troubles with receiving intermittent 500 internal server errors. Our engineering team is aware of the issue and working to resolve it as soon as possible. We do not have actual time frame at this time.

I hope this gets straightened out soon and, again, your patience is greatly appreciated.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Honey Now - Gillian Welch - Hell Among the Yearlings
2. Make Me Your Baby - Barbara Lewis - AM Gold 1965
3. Highway 49 - George Thorogood - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs
4. Mamma Mia - ABBA - Gold
5. Nothing Is True - Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor

Quote of the Day

She's mad because I've ordered her to bring the car back, in a nutshell, but yeah, that's me. I lost my temper. Her mother was there, she wasn't hurt ... it was a long time ago ... I really don't want to get into this right now because as you can see my life's been made very difficult over this child.

Judge William Adams, Aransas County, Texas

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Hillary Adams explained her reasoning for the release to a local news station, saying ““My father’s harassment was getting really bad, so I decided to finally publish the video that I had been sitting on for 7 years.”"

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This rather disturbing video is going viral now. Purportedly, it shows a judge punishing his daughter. I couldn't finish it. It looks real enough that authorities should probably look into it. Spanking and whipping was commonplace when I was growing up. Unfortunately, what the video shows was not very unusual. I remember a girl in our neighborhood that was whipped that severely by her dad. We were all pretty horrified about it then but there was no thought of calling authorities. Views on that kind of discipline have changed and, to me, that is a good thing.

World War II in photos. Every time I sift through a collection of WWII images, I end up seeing something unexpected. Sometimes poignant, sometimes very sad, sometimes mind-boggling. Today, I'm going with mind-boggling. Picture #44 at the link. 25,000 fighter planes in 1944 alone? Germany was being bombed night and day by then.

There is still some unexplained wonkiness here at the CrabAppleLane Blog. Getting mysterious 500 Internal Server errors when people comment sometimes but not always. If you get one, your comment is here. It may or may not be published, though. I'll be checking in regularly to correct those problems until I figure out what's going on. Have taken some additional steps last night and this morning. Your patience is greatly appreciated.

Today's QOTD comes from a New York Times article that also includes one of the coolest terms ever: "Compulsive thinking disorder". You'll have to read the article to see what "harmonized" means. I haven't read the whole thing yet but I will.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Two Hearts - Phil Collins - Hits
2. After Erasmus - Al Reingold - After Erasmus
3. Rock 'N Roll Widow - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
4. Ramblin' Man - The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers And Sisters
5. While You See a Chance - Stevie Winwood - Andrea's Gift Mix

Quote of the Day

Again I was ‘harmonized.

Pi San, Chinese Animator

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "In keeping with a China Blog tradition, I'll sign off with a photo from the bureau window. Only this time there's no snarl of cars to be seen. Amazing how a few tanks (they're practicing today for the Oct. 1 National Day parade) can clear out traffic."

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There is still some unexplained wonkiness here. Getting mysterious 500 Internal Server errors sometimes but not always. If you get one, your comment is here. The error is coming up afterward and only on this blog. Still working on identifying the problem.

DirecTV somehow reached an agreement with Fox yesterday. We also have our local CBS affiliate, WWL, this morning but that could still change. My guess now is the parties are feeling the heat from subscribers on one side and advertisers on the other to reach a deal.

I know we like computers that multitask but do we really want people doing it? Would you want your heart surgeon multitasking? How about your waiter? It is inevitable because the "new normal" is to get by with as little manpower as we can but is it a great thing?

Tuesday Morning Quarterback and Happy 45th Birthday, New Orleans Saints.

Today's QOTD is from Dell Computers. I'm sure everyone got one but I still felt special.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. A Passage To Bangkok - Rush - Chronicles
2. Firefly - Main Theme Song - Joss Whedon - Firefly
3. Watermark - Enya - Watermark
4. Isn't Life Strange - The Moody Blues - Moody Blues Greatest Hits
5. Am I In Love? - Asia - Then & Now

Quote of the Day

Hello beautiful

Dell Mass Email

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "OEM customers are not your usual bunch. They create products on top of Dell’s products, and they are engineers, not IT staff. For OEM customers, Dell’s new Windows tablet is a hot topic, because users are now expecting tablets – thanks to the iPad – even in applications where the iPad is not viable."

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Happy Halloween

Got plans?

Speaking of ghouls, DirecTV subscribers, like me, will know tomorrow if DirecTV's negotiations with BELO and FOX were successful. BELO and FOX have both relentlessly campaigned on air in the hopes subscribers would pressure DirecTV into signing an agreement. Both are demanding considerable increases in broadcast rights fees. They don't mention that. In my view, they're the ghouls. BELO pulled this same power play stunt with local Cox Cable a few years ago. In the end, I think they determined they needed that Cox audience more than that Cox audience needed them. It's the same for DirecTV. Are they expecting subscribers to switch providers? Imagine what Cox subscribers, who switched to DirecTV over this crap a couple of years ago, are thinking today. I'm staying with DirecTV. I'll get some of the programming I'm missing from the internet and do without the rest.

The New Orleans Saints were in fine Halloween form yesterday and turned in a very ghoulish performance. More here, if interested. Don't blame you if you're not.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Leavin' Again ( Again ) - Foghat - Foghat
2. Money - Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
3. Beethoven: Symphony #3 In E Flat, Op. 55, "Eroica" - 1. Allegro Con Brio - Georg Solti: London Symphony Orchestra - Immortal Beloved
4. So Far Away - Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
5. Big Country - Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - Greatest Hits Of The 20th Century

Quote of the Day

Whatever the reason, the Rams (1-6) played with more fire, energy and effort than the Saints (5-3) and outplayed them in every phase. The Rams dominated and deserved to win.

Jeff Duncan, Times-Picayune

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Now Fox broadcasting is taking its DirecTV battle public too. Just like Belo, Fox is facing a possible November 1st cut off date form the service if a deal cannot be reached."

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The Saints were being embarrassed by the Rams, 24-0, when I started this entry. It was hard to watch. Gonna be a long plane ride home. Leave left tackle, Charles Brown, in St Louis, please. Rams win. It's the second time in Sean Payton's tenure that a winless Rams team has beaten them. Neither game was a fluke. Tip of the cap to the Rams for a solid effort. Drew Brees got a garbage TD at the end to keep his streak going of consecutive games with a TD pass so there's that. No one should be happy about this performance. Must win game next week against Tampa.

Gearing up for LSU-Alabama next Saturday. If you're a college football player, coach, or fan, a game like this is what you live for. No excuses, no quarter. Man up, Tide. The Tigers are coming.

I offer one today from the CrabAppleLane hearth. Patsy bought Crispin a new bed. He approves of the new bed and its placement.

Crispin - October 30, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Stealin' - Uriah Heap - Sweet Freedom
2. A Light In The Black - Rainbow - Rising
3. I Hear Them All - Old Crow Medicine Show - Big Iron World
4. I'm Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys - The Warrior's Code
5. Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson - Smells Like Children

Quote of the Day

Fighting
Killin'
Wine and women
Gonna put me to my grave
Runnin' hidin'
losin' cryin'
Nothing left to save
But my life

Uriah Heep, Stealin'

Blog of the day is here.

here">Quote from said blog: "With Footballageddon a mere six days away, perhaps it would be instructive to pick where Alabama and LSU left off a year ago in Baton Rouge as a way of gaining some perspective for this upcoming Saturday."

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A movie about the Three Stooges will most soitenly not measure up to anyone's memory of the original Three Stooges. If done as tribute and if done well, it might bring a new audience to them, though. I'm all for that. Everyone should be well-versed in the classics.

More on exotic animal ownership: The wife of that Ohio loser, who released all of his exotic animals and then killed himself, would like the surviving animals returned to her. If she had any decency ...

Using a cancer case you know nothing about to promote your own agenda just adds to the noise and confusion people with cancer already have to sift through. Wish he hadn't.

See the USA
In your Chevrolet - I remember that campaign but I didn't remember Dinah Shore being part of it. Must have run for a long, long time. My only memories of Dinah are from her variety show. What I remember most is that she looked fabulous well into her 70s.

About today's QOTD: I cannot believe how many people are suggesting a "Suck for Luck" strategy.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Poison Glen - Clannad - Anam
2. Rock 'N Roll Widow - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
3. Train In The Distance - Paul Simon - Negotiations And Love Songs 1971-1986
4. A Warm Place - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
5. Clinch Mountain Backstep - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy

Quote of the Day

If ever there were a player worth playing dead for, it’s Luck. He is the anti-JaMarcus. He has John Elway’s genes without being related to him. Forensic cynics have failed to detect a flaw. His very name suggests good fortune. He could probably get a part-time job as a Wonderlic tutor. If you look up “can’t miss” in your computer’s dictionary program (C’mon, when was the last time you used a book?), it links to an Andrew Luck slide show.

Michael Ventre, MSNBC

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Once again we return to the inexhaustible supply of Three Stooges shorts. Being an October post, we revisit one of the team's many spook/scare comedies and one of this writer's favorites."

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7 Blogging Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs - At one time or another, I have made them all. Number 6 was due to Hurricane Katrina so I'll take a mulligan on that one. I find the whole thing a little ridiculous. If a blog has a stated purpose, I suppose you can try to grade it. Good luck with that. Most blogs are still personal and have no objective stated purpose. A blogger posts something that's on his or her mind. People comment or not. How do you grade a conversation?

About today's BOTD: Love the question for a whole bunch of reasons. Might be a blog post some day.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Back To Tupelo - Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La
2. It's Raining Again - Supertramp - The Autobiography Of Supertramp
3. Indoor - Clannad - Macalla
4. Empty Sky - Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
5. Down To The River To Pray - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live

Quote of the Day

It's true
Just take a look
The cover sometimes makes the book

Styx, Miss America

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Can social media help you manage a crisis?"

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Game 5 to the Rangers, 4-2, or as Zak Schmoll rightly predicted, "There will be a lot of runs scored during this World Series unless strong pitching is able to triumph". Strong pitching. Schmoll is 5 for 5. Cards on the brink and its their own doing. Left too many on base, made too many really bad baserunning decisions, and didn't get nearly enough hitting with men in scoring position. Tip your cap to the Rangers for that. If the Cards lose the Series, they can point to Game 5 for the many opportunities they squandered. I will never understand running with Pujols at the plate. Yeah, it probably will catch most teams by surprise but it's also kinda dumb. When you open up first base, you're taking the bat right out of his hands.

From the My-Wife-Married-A-Dummy Department: Asked her to get me shave cream when she went to the store because I was almost out. She did. It fit nicely next to the unopened can I had that was hiding in plain sight.

Why did Moammar have to be buried in a secret location? Who makes the rules, who has to follow them, and who gets to be outraged?

Tuesday Morning Quarterback

Sad anniversary. 8 years and I still think of him every day.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Just Like This Train - Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark
2. Spaced - Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
3. Space Truckin' - Deep Purple - Machine Head 25th Anniversary Edition
4. Trampled Under Foot - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
5. Drowned - The Who - Quadrophenia

Quote of the Day

A night that exposed the Cardinals' suddenly enigmatic offense underside left the Rangers one win from the first World Series championship in 40 seasons since moving to the Metroplex. The AL champs did so by exploiting their one opportunity to take control of the game after the Cardinals had declined at least five similar chances.

Joe Strauss, St Louis Post-Dispatch

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness."

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Game 4 to the Rangers, 4-0, or as Zak Schmoll rightly predicted, "There will be a lot of runs scored during this World Series unless strong pitching is able to triumph". Strong pitching. Schmoll is 4 for 4. He's psychotic. He has ESPN. Should be another good one tonight.

About today's QOTD: It's true. The hapless Colts were out of this game early in the 2nd quarter. I and most Saints fans felt bad for them. The Saints have been on the other side of that more times than we care to remember and we know exactly what it's like. For what it's worth, the Saints took the second half kickoff in for the score that put the game out of reach and spent the rest of the game just trying to kill the clock. They pulled Drew Brees in the 3rd quarter and started substituting liberally. Chris Collinsworth mentioned that Sproles was still in the game in the 4th quarter but if it wasn't him, it would have been Pierre Thomas or Mark Ingram. The Saints don't have any reserve running backs. They use them all. I disagree with the BOTD, though. The game last night is on the players, not the coaches.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Burn - Deep Purple - Burn
2. Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler - Love Bites: More Romantic Power Ballads
3. The World - Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor
4. Music Box Dancer - The London Pops Orchestra - 14 Fantastic Hits Of The 70's
5. Paranoid - Black Sabbath - Paranoid/li>

Quote of the Day

Man, they scored so much, their fans got tired of cheering

Robert Mathis, Indianapolis Colts

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "After watching tonight however, it seems Caldwell may have finally lost the locker room."

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Game 3 to the Cards, 16-7, or as Zak Schmoll rightly predicted, "There will be a lot of runs scored during this World Series unless strong pitching is able to triumph". A lot of runs. Schmoll is 3 for 3. It was the Albert Pujols Show and baseball fans will be talking about it for years. If you didn't see that first home run he hit, this is it and you don't see many like that. After Game 1, Lance Berkman said he didn't think the Cards wanted to get into a gorilla ball game with the Rangers. The Cards have the biggest, baddest gorilla in baseball. Why not? I see tonight as a must win for the Rangers. If they go down 3-1 and have to face Chris Carpenter in Game 5, it's going to be very tough.

The LSU Tigers dispatched the Auburn Tigers yesterday easily and set up one of the most anticipated games in college football history. This is Nebraska - Oklahoma 1971 or Michigan State - Notre Dame 1966. It is LSU-Alabama. Both teams are 8-0. Both teams have two weeks to prepare. For the fans, the wait will be almost unbearable.

Saints take on the Colts tonight in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIV. The game has no luster without Peyton Manning. It's a shame that Peyton's last chance to play in his hometown will only come if he gets the Colts to the Super Bowl next year. I don't see it. That team is much better when he is quarterbacking them but I don't see them as a Super Bowl contender.

The CrabAppleLane TV will mostly watch the Saints tonight but will also keep an eye on the Cards. This is what a DVR is all about.

About today's QOTD: 26 for 26 is amazing. I don't think many people can go 26 for 26 playing catch in their backyard. Doing it with a pass rush in your face and tacklers being near the receivers is phenomenal. Quite an achievement.

I offer one from the CrabAppleLane backyard.

A little privacy, please?

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Tusk - Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
2. Eagle - ABBA - The Album
3. 2112 - Rush - 2112
4. Caleb Meyer - Gillian Welch - Hell Among The Yearlings
5. Blowin' Free - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates [1973]

Quote of the Day

In one of the more amazing statistical performances you’ll ever see, East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis completed all 26 of his pass attempts for 251 yards in the first half against Navy.

CollegeFootballTalk

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Pontchartrain Beach"

Pontchartrain Beach was a landmark and institution on the New Orleans lakefront for a long time. Cool pictures of Elvis. -Rob

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About football techniques. Shoe polish is acceptable. Charcoal is acceptable. Stickers? NEVER. Not even on cheerleaders.

World Series moves to Arlington tonight.

The Tigers of the SEC play each other in Baton Rouge today. Naturally, we're pulling for the LSU species. Today's QOTD is referring to Auburn not being able to decide whether they're Tigers, Plainsmen, or War Eagles. Got a new one for them. DEAD MEAT.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Polk Salad Annie - Tony Jo White - Download
2. Wind Up - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
3. Warrior - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates [1973]
4. Waitin' for the Bus - ZZ Top - The Best of ZZ Top
5. Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield - Women In Rock, Vol.1: 1953-1971

Quote of the Day

It’s GameTime: LSU vs. Auburn in Tiger Stadium. Having three mascots won’t help them. GEAUX!!! TIGERS!!! #LSUAU

LSU Facebook Page

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Charcoal Project is now officially up and running in Rubaare, Uganda, thanks to the generous contributions from donors who answered our call for support in August!"

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We're doing the relief refinance thing. We didn't really need to and weren't looking into it but the offer was too good to pass up. We're lowering our monthly AND shortening the remaining term. No brainer.

My problem is this: Why do financial institutions insist on person-to-person communication when email, snail mail, or web form can accomplish the exact same thing, only more privately and conveniently to the consumer? This started by mail. Why can't it continue there? Instead of sending me correspondence that says "call me", why not send me correspondence that asks for all of the information you want?

I don't have a private office during working hours. I can't be the only person in that situation. A title company wants to tie me up for 7-10 minutes asking me some routine questions but also some very personal questions. Why does that have to be done by phone or in person? Also, why do financial institutions need documents from me that they should have already? My mortgage company would like a copy of my homeowner's insurance declaration page. They paid the premium out of my escrow account. Didn't they keep a copy?

Game 2 to the Texans, 2-1, or as Zak Schmoll rightly predicted, "There will be a lot of runs scored during this World Series unless strong pitching is able to triumph". Strong pitching again. Schmoll is 2 for 2. It was another well-pitched, well-played game.

Cool collage of World Series moments. I'm disappointed they left out one of the biggest moments I remember from all of the World Series I've seen. It was 1978. I was disinterested in the World Series that year. It was Dodgers-Yankees. Yeah, seeing the Yankees in the World Series was tiresome then, too. Rather than watch the game at home, I went out that night. I had no intention of watching it but I was at a bar and they had the game on. The Yankees were trying to rally in the ninth when Reggie Jackson came to the plate with two outs and two on. OK, that's interesting. Bob Welch was on the mound for the Dodgers. He was a 21-year-old rookie and he was a hard thrower. He threw nothing but fastballs. Even more interesting. When it got to strike 2, Reggie started fouling those fastballs off trying to wear the kid down or hoping he makes a mistake. It was really tense. When Welch blew a high fastball strike 3 past Jackson, he nonchalantly walked toward the dugout as if THAT was routine. The stands erupted so violently that the center field camera focused on Welch was shaking. His ecstatic teammates ran to him. He either didn't know what he had done or he is the world's best actor. It is one of my favorite memories.

Today's QOTD is pretty rich if they are his dying words ... and, if it's true. I have my doubts but I can live with them.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Rock Music - Jefferson Starship - At Their Best
2. Your Latest Trick - Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
3. I Have A Dream - ABBA - Gold
4. Atomic Punk - Van Halen - Van Halen
5. The Beautiful People - Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

Quote of the Day

Do you know right from wrong?

Moammar Gadhafi

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "For whatever reason, some observers seem so focused on counting HARP loans they've paid little attention to the large number of borrowers who have strengthened their household balance sheets and improved their monthly cash flow by refinancing at historically low mortgage rates."

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Game 1 to the Cards, 3-2, or as Zak Schmoll rightly predicted, "There will be a lot of runs scored during this World Series unless strong pitching is able to triumph". Strong pitching.

I hope every state is re-examining their laws and regulations regarding exotic animal ownership after that horrific tragedy in Ohio. Breaks my heart that a lot of frightened and innocent animals had to die because one jackass had a bad day. Exotic animal ownership can go the way of dogfighting and cockfighting as far as I'm concerned. Out of existence. No good ever comes from it. This one is especially sad. Usually, you only see malnourished animals in need of veterinary attention and exercise.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Down In Flames - Blackhawk - BlackHawk
2. High Voltage - AC/DC - High Voltage
3. Solid Rock - Dire Straits - Making Movies
4. Seventh Son - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers - Anthology 1964-1977
5. Beyond My Wildest Dreams - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning

Quote of the Day

Sheriff's deputies shot nearly 50 wild animals — including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions — in a big-game hunt across the state's countryside Wednesday after the owner of an exotic-animal park threw their cages open and committed suicide in what may have been one last act of spite against his neighbors and police.

Andy Brownfield and Kantele Franko, Associated Press

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "You know how, sometimes, when you get to your destination, it takes you a bit to unwind and take it all in?"

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The Rangers are hot and confident. They should be. They rolled over the Rays and Tigers and are back in the Series. The Cards are playing with house money. They don't belong in the World Series. They shouldn't have been in the playoffs at all. The pressure is entirely on the Rangers. No predictions here except that the Cards are going to give those guys a run for their money. What do they have to lose?

About today's QOTD: A professional journalist wrote that.

Saints Tight End Jimmy Graham

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Patty's Place - Danny Elfman - The Frighteners
2. Don't Make Me Dream About You - Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World
3. Walking On The Moon - The Police - The Police Greatest Hits
4. Theme From A Summer Place - Percy Faith - The Ultimate Rock & Roll Collection: The 60's
5. Mood For A Day - Yes - Fragile

Quote of the Day

There will be a lot of runs scored during this World Series unless strong pitching is able to triumph.

Zak Schmoll, Arlington Star-Telegram

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler was philosophical on the Cardinals getting the home-field for the Series (thanks to the NL's win in the All-Star game) instead of a division winner like the Rangers."

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Amazing headline of the day from MSNBC:

Israeli soldier freed after five years in one-for-1,027 swap with Palestinians

There's a prisoner exchange in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and the line was this: "I don't know what was worse - that I was duped by that fat fucking bachelor, or that it took seven of us to replace him." If I'm one of the 1027 ...

There ought to be a sign registry for all protests. That way, we would know which ones are genuine, which ones are plants, and which ones are photoshopped. Just sayin' ...

Tuesday Morning Quarterback - Week 6, 2011

About today's QOTD: WOW, Nolan. Put a little extra pressure in one locker room and a little extra motivation in the other. Excellent.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Dante's Prayer - Loreena McKennitt - The Book Of Secrets
2. I Drink Alone - George Thorogood & The Destroyers - The Baddest Of George Thorogood & The Destroyers
3. That Lucky Old Sun - Louis Armstrong - Back Through The Years
4. Wait A Million Years - The Grass Roots - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Grass Roots
5. Love Under Fire - Tom Cochrane & Red Rider - Tom Cochrane And Red Rider

Quote of the Day

I think we'll get it done in six

Nolan Ryan, Texas Rangers CEO

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "i am not a kid anymore. i make mistakes and learn from them; i decide how to live my life, stand by those decisions and live with the consequences. we all want to change the world, in little ways, big ways; we all want to feel love and be loved; we all want to make a difference."

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Should be a great World Series. The Cards are lined up to have their best pitcher on the mound for Game 1. They are in as good a position as they can be in. Whether it's enough to beat the red hot Rangers remains to be seen. There are some who are sorry to see the Phillies, Tigers, Yankees and all of those golden arms staying home but I'm not one of them. :) Play Ball.

R.I.P., Dan Wheldon.

I'm not taking anything away from the Bucs in their victory over the Saints yesterday because they surely deserved to win but I do wonder what might have been had Head Coach Sean Payton not gotten injured. He is such an integral part of the Saints sideline on game days. Roaming back and forth, talking up his players and coaches, and just taking in the ebb and flow of the game, I'm certain he'd have made a difference. He's having surgery this morning to repair a torn MCL and a broken knee and that hurts just typing it. Good Luck, Sean, and get well soon.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. On The Run - Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
2. Should, Woulda, Coulda - Wishbone Ash - Bona Fide
3. Winter's Come and Gone - Gillian Welch - Hell Among the Yearlings
4. Black Betty - Ram Jam - Hard N' Heavy: 70's Greatest Rock Hits, Vol. 1
5. A Song Simply Remixed - Elijah Bossenbroek - Carpe Lumen

Quote of the Day

Dan Wheldon, the 2011 Indianapolis 500 winner and one of the most popular drivers in open-wheel racing, died Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a horrific multi-car crash on Lap 11 of the IndyCar Series season finale.

ESPN.com news services

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "This one is pretty easy. Of course, I am talking about Bob Gibson and Chris Carpenter."

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More on the banking industry's fee scam scheme schedule from the New York Times:

Customers frustrated by banks’ controversial new fees are finding out what industry insiders have known for years: it is not so easy to disentangle your life from your bank.

It all started when Bank of America announced they'll be charging their customers a $5/month fee for using their debit cards. The notion is they're secure in the knowledge that customers won't leave them because it is too inconvenient to do so. I've got news for those who think that. It's not that hard. I do all of the online stuff with my bank. I bank online, pay bills online, have direct deposit, automatic bill paying, etc. I could change all of that fairly easily. Someone who really knows what they're doing, such as a banker, could do it even easier.

The surest sign yet that ALL banks want to charge these nuisance banking fees is that banks are not offering to make the transition for new customers. Word needs to get out that switching banks is not any harder now than it ever was. Businesses switch banks all the time. As soon as someone offers them greener grass their current bank won't match, they jump. Individual consumers can do the same thing. Word to my bank: I have no reason to switch right now. Don't give me one.

I played neighborhood football in an empty corner lot at 15th and Compromise in Kenner, LA when I was a kid. Easy walking and bike distance from where we all lived. Passed it yesterday. The lot is still empty now some 40+ years later. Someone still cuts the grass, though. Wonder if kids still play football on it, too. I hope so.

Saints have a date with the Bucs this afternoon. I'd like to know why this game had to be scheduled with the late games. Games between Central and Eastern Time Zone teams don't ever need to be late games unless there may be some national interest. I just don't see it here. If the Saints take care of the ball, they'll take care of the Bucs. Halftime Update: They've already turned the ball over three times. This is how they always lose.

LSU and Alabama have one more game next week to get through. Then, they'll each have a bye week. That means they'll both have two weeks to prepare for each other. WOW. The schedule-maker couldn't have done any better. It will easily be the most anticipated college football game of the season.

About today's QOTD: Who didn't see that coming? The first edition of Charlie's Angels was pretty bad in a campy sort of way. At least, it had the camp. The second edition was just pretty bad.

I offer two from CrabAppleLane this afternoon. Bird feeders don't come with squirrels but they might as well. My back deck is still in lazy hurricane mode.

CrabAppleLane Backyard - October 16, 2011

CrabAppleLane Back Deck - October 16, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. 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
2. Tell Me There's A Heaven - Chris Rea - The Road To Hell
3. Time Was - Wishbone Ash - Argus
4. Like The Weather - 10,000 Maniacs - MTV Unplugged
5. Ride The Tiger - Jefferson Starship - At Their Best

Quote of the Day

Sorry, angels. You've been axed.

Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "And did I mention that the Angels are able to find the bad guy's whereabouts because HE TWEETS?"

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My sister, Sue, and I are the two little ones in the 1959 video. We're in the early part of the 1960 video, too. The 1959 video was shot at my grandparents house in Minneapolis. The early part of the 1960 video was shot in Kenner and New Orleans, LA. Sue and I were playing in our new backyard in Kenner. Mom and Grandma are watching us. Those are handmade kites Dad and Grandpa are trying to get off the ground. Those were fantastic kites. There must have been some kind of deal made for me to let Sue play with my fire truck, though. The later scenes are from the first communions of my cousins, Nancy and Beth. They were shot in Minneapolis.

Patsy and I took a trip to the Irish Channel in New Orleans today. Took that second photo with my phone. Parasol's is a vanishing, nearly extinct species: The neighborhood tavern. Slowly, but surely, they're being zoned out of existence. I had been to Parasol's a few times but I had never eaten there. It doesn't look like much but the place is the center of the New Orleans universe on St Patrick's Day. The few times I had been down there was for that celebration. They're known for their roast beef in addition to their green beer on St Patrick's Day so that's what we were there for today. Their reputation is well-deserved. It's a top notch roast beef po-boy. Highly recommended.

Was a little disappointed in the neighborhood, though. Broken glass and trash strewn along the streets and sidewalks. Wasn't like that last time I was down there.

Parasol's - October 13, 2011

Parasol's - October 13, 2011

Irish Channel - October 13, 2011

Irish Channel - October 13, 2011

About today's QOTD: How often are we going to see that headline? One of the best ever.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Are You Ready - Grand Funk Railroad - Live Album
2. Honey Hi - Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
3. Electric Eye - Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
4. The Moment Of Truth - Survivor - Greatest Hits
5. Concede - Sister Hazel - ...Somewhere More Familiar

Quote of the Day

Bhutan's 'Dragon King' marries his commoner bride

MSNBC Headline

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "At New Orleans on Tap I ran into Melanie, who is the brewer at NOLA and she was handing out homemade spent grain dog biscuits. I thought that was a pretty kick ass idea and decided to give it a try. I figured that I have two dogs(Falstaff and Elvira) and I wanted to see if they'd enjoy it."

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Baseball: If any of this is true, it's disgraceful. I suspect ALL of it is. They deserve every bit of criticism they get. See today's QOTD about three of baseball's best pitchers and the BOTD for more, if interested.

Basketball: I don't know how the NBA lockout gets resolved. Unlike their big brother NFL, there actually ARE franchises in the NBA that are losing money or cannot compete. None of the labor disputes that come before the professional sports leagues have much to do with labor. The issues are always big markets versus small markets or new owners versus old owners. You have New York City competing with Kansas City. You have new owners, who bought their teams at a premium, and you have old owners, who inherited their teams. Those are the real issues.

Football: What is the underlying goal of having more NFL games in London, especially since this year's game probably won't sell out? It's a pretty nice payday for the NFL. I get that. It's very hard on the teams involved, though, isn't it? Are they really gauging interest and logistics of placing a team there permanently?

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Blue Jeans - Lana Del Rey - Video Games - EP
2. The Scar [Instrumental] - Carly Simon - Working Girl
3. I Gotta Go - Robert Earl Keen - I Gotta Go
4. Cry Like A Baby - The Box Tops - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
5. Evening Falls - Enya - Watermark

Quote of the Day

The indifference of Beckett, Lester, and Lackey in a time of crisis can be seen in what team sources say became their habit of drinking beer, eating fast-food fried chicken, and playing video games in the clubhouse during games while their teammates tried to salvage a once-promising season.

Bob Hohler, Boston Globe

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "To sum up, according to the article the team's best player in Ellsbury hates them. Yay! Francona was a pill popping recluse. Beckett, Lester, Lackey and to a lesser extent Buchholz are worthless do-nothings who held up in the clubhouse drinking beer, eating ice cream, mainlining lard, and playing stupid video games while the city burned. Tim Wakefield only cares about reaching the team's all time win mark, nothing more, including eating and breathing air. The team took advantage of Francona's trust and John Henry's largess all the while the strength coach occasionally tapped one of the pitchers on the shoulder to say, "Um, excuse me, kind sir, but might I inquire if you've done your conditioning work today?" to which the pitchers replied, "Back off, Dork. Why don't you make like a tree and get out of here or I'll stuff you back into your locker again!""

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Love this:

Elsewhere, poachers are catching on, and have become wary of shooting from the road not only for fear of arrest, but of the embarrassment that comes along with it, said Lt. Bill Bruce of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. His state's decoy was effective for about 10 years, but wasn't deployed last year after it became less useful.

"If somebody gets caught shooting the deer from the road, it ruins their reputation as a hunter," Bruce said. "Their name goes up on the wall of shame among local hunters."

That shame thing might really work.

If I see Albert Pujols in a Yankee uniform next season, I am done with baseball.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback for Week 5, 2011.

Today's QOTD is referring to The Tea Party. As far as the quote goes, I tend to agree with him. The rest of his diatribe was a thinly-veiled attack on Rick Perry. The Tea Party, too, I suppose.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Video Games - Lana Del Rey - Video Games - EP
2. Whatever Happened To Old Fashioned Love - B.J. Thomas - All The Hits
3. Longing For Fire - Scorpions - In Trance
4. Stumptown - Nickel Creek - Why Should The Fire Die?
5. I'll Be The One - Badfinger - The Very Best Of Badfinger

Quote of the Day

It’s hard to impress a movement that only knows what it is against.

Bill Keller, N.Y. Times Op-Ed

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Prefer crispy over steamed? Here’s another form of dumpling, pleasantly perfumed pork with Chinese five spice, wrapped in tofu skin and fried. Dang."

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It's a holiday for some so Happy Columbus Day.

Started watching Harry's Law last year when nothing else was on. It showed some promise but didn't really capture my interest and I didn't think I'd want to stay with it. After watching this past week's episode, I'm firmly committed to not watching it any more. It's a Boston Legal clone. I didn't watch Boston Legal when they were first run. I caught up with them by watching a few "marathons" on one of our local stations. That show was a little preachy and a lot of fun. Harry's Law is not much fun. The courtroom scenes in Harry are identical to the ones in Boston and are a little too romantic. Think I'll watch football instead.

I need two points tonight out of Jay Cutler for my fantasy football team to pull out a win. As long as he doesn't get hurt in the first quarter, I should be OK. If I'd played Ben Roethlisberger ...

Thoughts on yesterday's Saints-Panthers game here.

About today's QOTD: Lots of excitement up there in Detroit for the 4-0 Lions. It's been a long time since their football team brought them any joy and I'm happy for them.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye - Steam - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
2. Does Your Mother Know - ABBA - Gold
3. Who's Your Baby Now - Mark Knopfler - Sailing To Philadelphia
4. Jargon - Kim Novak - Pancake Bellyache
5. I'd Love To Change The World - Alvin Lee - A Space In Time

Quote of the Day

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan will supply 50,000 bright pink towels to fans inside the downtown Detroit stadium for tonight's game.

Associated Press

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Detroit Lions don't play today, but there are still several interesting games on the schedule. Feel free to discuss them here."

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Tough win today for the Saints over a determined Panthers team. Carolina is going to be pretty nasty down the stretch. They're young and have a lot going for them. They just haven't quite learned how to finish. Cam Newton is a terrific young quarterback. Carolina fans should be excited about him. Saints have a lot of work to do. They're winning but they can definitely play better.

My thoughts on Al Davis passing.

I offer one on this typical fall CrabAppleLane Sunday. It is a partial view from my back deck, where I'll probably be grilling in a few minutes while watching the wildlife and the sunset. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

CrabAppleLane Backyard - October 9, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Fox - Nickel Creek - Nickel Creek
2. Candidate (Bonus Track) - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
3. Electric Eye - Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
4. It's Too Late - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers - Anthology 1964-1977
5. O' Come All Ye Faithful - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve

Quote of the Day

Davis' moves opened the gates for what was termed "franchise free agency." The owners were helpless to block the Baltimore Colts from moving to Indianapolis; the Houston Oilers from moving to Nashville, Tenn., and the Cleveland Browns from moving to Baltimore.

Gordon Forbes, USA TODAY

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Well once again the Carolina Panthers got close but couldn’t close the door against the New Orleans Saints as the Panthers lost 30-27. With the loss the Panthers move to 1-4 on the season. The game as a whole wasn’t bad and honestly the Panthers should have probably won this game. They had opportunities but just couldn’t ever put the Saints away."

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Excuses R Us. Prepare for six solid months of finger-pointing, tongue-wagging, prime dinner theater, New York. Won't be as good as the Boston dinner theater this offseason but pretty close. Philadelphia can prepare for it, too, if the Phillies don't win tonight. Sorry, Kate, but GEAUX Cards. :)

Finally finished the database restoration here last night. What a tedious job that was. My backup regimen, which has long been inadequate, has been updated. I don't want to do this again.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Romeo & Juliet - Dire Straits - Making Movies
2. Shattered - The Cranberries - Bury The Hatchet
3. Grandma's Feather Bed - John Denver - Back Home Again
4. Maggie May - Rod Stewart - Unplugged... And Seated (LIVE)
5. Love And Happiness - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning

Quote of the Day

Don't make me kill you again.

Jessica Lange, American Horror Story Promo

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We don’t mind the nudity, violence, dirty language, deviant sex and masturbation that’s depicted in the premiere episode of FX’s “American Horror Story.”"

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R.I.P., Steve Jobs. A true American visionary. It's a sad day.

Of all of the testimonials I've read last night and this morning, I think I like this one best:

There's a hole in every geek's heart tonight.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Megalomania - Black Sabbath - Sabotage
2. Mull Of Kintyre - Paul McCartney & Wings - Celtic Myst 3
3. Bridge Over Troubled Water [Live] - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
4. Venus - Shocking Blue - AM Gold 1970-1974
5. Diamond Meadows - T.Rex - Velvet Goldmine

Quote of the Day

We just wanted to build the best thing we could build

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I got my first Apple product, an iPod nano, in 2006. Ever since, I’ve admired the love and attention to detail that Apple puts into its products. Steve’s DNA is in Apple. Even though he’s gone, the things we loved about him will continue on in Apple’s products, employees, and fans."

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Did you stand in line all night to get the new Apple iPhone 4S? Me, neither. I'll probably upgrade to the 4S when Apple gets to the 7GS. I have totally given up on trying to keep up with the latest technology.

About today's QOTD and BOTD: He'd better hit the next one out of the park.

First extended look at Carolina QB, Cam Newton, this week for the Saints. Unfortunately, I think it will be followed by many, many more. I think he's going to get better.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The First Noel - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve And Other Stories
2. Tall Cool One - Robert Plant - Now And Zen
3. The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
4. I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt - Luck Of The Draw
5. Over, Under, Sideways, Down - The Yardbirds - Rock: The Train Kept A Rollin'

Quote of the Day

This is my first product launch since being named CEO — I'm sure you didn't know that

Apple CEO Tim Cook

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Popular blogs and live-blogging services collapsed under the weight of the public's interest in Apple's new iPhone 4S, driving the "live blogs" to a much more compact platform: Twitter."

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Email has been down here since last night. Very annoying. If you've gotten a 500 Internal Server Error trying to make a comment, I apologize for that as well. Network Solutions, my host, is having all sorts of problems. I am so tired of internet problems. You go with a company that's been around a long time and pay for a service that far exceeds your needs for the sole purpose of NOT having to deal with Mickey Mouse amateur hour screwups but you get Mickey Mouse amateur hour screwups anyway.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback for Week 4, 2011.

About today's QOTD: Is there just any way to stop mentioning American politicians and Hitler in the same breath? No good can come from it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Somebody To Roll - Nazareth - Play 'N' The Game
2. These Eyes - The Guess Who - AM Gold 1969
3. Portland, Oregon - Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
4. Punish The Monkey - Mark Knopfler - Kill To Get Crimson
5. Computer Cowboy (Aka Syscrusher) - Neil Young - Trans

Quote of the Day

That would be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu

Hank Williams Jr

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The one overwhelming thought I do have is how there is absolutely no escaping politics and conflict in these polarized and deeply troubled economic times."

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From the depths of the CrabAppleLane TMI Department: From extensive experience in personal products, I decided some time ago that I will only try new such products on non-work days. Most people come to that conclusion long before I did but that's another matter. For instance, I have found that Pantene shampoo will dry my forehead to the point of cracking, some shave creams make my face itch, and some deodorants will burn my armpits. Very unpleasant if you're out and can't do anything about it. The latest foray into personal product experimentation involves "body wash". For the record, I have long ago given up on keeping up with the times or being contemporary but I see this stuff advertised all the time. I have tried two different varieties now and I'm just not getting it. Admittedly, I have shied away from the $50 per bottle brands and stuck to the $4-$7 brands. The two I have now tried do not lather up as much as most soaps unless you use a significant amount. For now, all I can say for body wash is that it's quite a bit more expensive than soap but not any more pleasant. No adverse reactions, though, so there's that. Maybe the $50 per bottle brands are different but I'll never know.

Slept with windows open Saturday night for the first time this fall. Lovely. Have to remember to put the backyard gossip on mute before we go to bed next time, though. Man, the CrabAppleLane wildlife made a racket yesterday morning at sunrise.

Thoughts on yesterday's rather dull Saints game yesterday here if you're interested.

Entries here from September 9 through September 16 and all of their comments are being restored slowly but surely. 12 entries total. Invest in ibuprofen.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream - The Cream Of Clapton
2. El Nicoya - Santana - Abraxas
3. Lick And A Promise - Aerosmith - Rocks
4. Love Is Stronger Than Justice (The Munificent Seven) - Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales
5. Move Over - Steppenwolf - All Time Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

Did Jesus die for Klingons too?

Christian Weidemann of Germany's Ruhr-University Bochum

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We were given one rule - no turning back. We all finished the hike and were very happy to be able to say we reached the highest peak. It did take about 7 hours total and my muscles are still complaining about it loudly, but it was a great day with some amazing views to enjoy."

Gorgeous. -Rob

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Happy Birthday, Crispin. 15 and still going strong.

Crispin - 15 years old - October 2, 2011

The sun seems to find him wherever he lies in our house. Patsy gave him an oyster treat for his birthday but I'm guessing he's going to want some of my grilled chicken, too.

It's Hyde Week here at CrabAppleLane. Some memorable fantasy football games played between us over the years. By far, the most memorable.

Ran across the video below yesterday on FaceBook. Love everything about it.

Entries here from September 7 through September 16 and all of their comments are being restored slowly but surely. 14 entries total. Invest in ibuprofen.

I'm expecting a tough, physical game in Jacksonville today.

About today's QOTD: It's not just the quarterbacks who are complaining. The fans and head coaches also complain when their quarterbacks don't get the calls. Drew Brees got speared on the ground last week. No call. I don't give a rat's ass how all of these officiating crews call a game as long as they're consistent. They're anything but.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. We Owned the Night - Lady Antebellum - Own the Night
2. This Ol' Cowboy - The Marshall Tucker Band - Greatest Hits
3. Knight In Rusty Armour - Peter & Gordon - The British Invasion: The History Of British Rock, Vol. 8
4. Alabama High-Test - O.C.M.S. - Tennessee Pusher
5. Somewhere In America - Survivor - Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

I mean Tom Brady begging, Michael Vick begging. I mean, you guys have it easier than quarterbacks at any time in the history of the NFL. You get paid more. Just be quiet and play hard.

Mike Mayock

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "WR
Start: Santonio Holmes, Percy Harvin, Lance Moore, Denarius Moore, Sidney Rice
Sit: Nate Washington, Anquan Boldin"

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Marie alerted me to the story of Island Girl this morning. Quite an amazing story and I think it's a real treat that she was spotted on the Illinois Capitol. The tracking map shows a quite amazing journey. If you click on any one of the dates it will show you the coordinates and time of where she was at that moment. UTC time is 5 hours ahead of me here (CDT). You can just copy&paste the coordinates into a Google window and a map will come up showing you where she was if you're not familiar with coordinates. Cool stuff. GEAUX Island Girl.

Terry Francona is one of the good guys in baseball. I suppose it was mutually beneficial for him and the Red Sox to depart the way he did but I think most Sox fans are going to miss him two or three years from now. There is not much difference between the way the Red Sox and Yankees do business any more and that breaks my heart. Francona will land on his feet and he'll get offers to manage again. He was the smallest part of the problem. The Red Sox will have to blow that team up and clean house if they want to avoid seasons like this past one and that's fairly easy to do in Major League Baseball, especially in a place like Boston. All one needs do is open the checkbook.

LSU is off to a slow start against Kentucky this morning. It's 7-0 Tigers at the end of the first quarter. They're favored by 27½. Not watching it. Just kinda following along on the internet while I procrastinate from doing way overdue yardwork.

In today's QOTD, Rob Ryan is stating that the Dallas Cowboys receivers are better than the Lions' Calvin Johnson. Not true but nice of him to say.

Entries here from September 3 through September 16 and all of their comments are being restored slowly but surely. 19 entries total. Invest in ibuprofen.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood & The Destroyers - The Baddest Of George Thorogood & The Destroyers
2. Fly By Night - Rush - Hard N' Heavy: 70's Greatest Rock Hits, Vol. 1
3. Suicide Solution - Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz
4. Come Back When You Grow Up - Bobby Vee - Super Hits 1967
5. Smackwater Jack - Carole King - Tapestry

Quote of the Day

We work against better receivers with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant

Rob Ryan, Dallas Cowboys

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "These are the 10 best movies in which Reese Witherspoon, Renee Zellweger, Sandra Bullock or Holly Hunter appear."

Not true. The Man in the Moon, her first, was the best movie Reese Witherspoon ever did.

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It's Cat Week here at CrabAppleLane. LSU takes on the Kentucky Wildcats and the Saints take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kentucky is seriously in over their heads with the Tigers in Baton Rouge. No NFL team is ever in over their heads but I like the Saints' chances.

Heard another mystery water drip this morning coming from the shower area. Very, very annoying.

Not about religion at all although it doesn't surprise me that some people will see it in those terms.

Today's QOTD was something I ran across this morning again but Dave brought it up yesterday. Many banks also charge for checking. Talked to my bank about another matter and they have stated unequivocally that they will not be doing that ... until they do. I added that last part. This is basically another sales tax. I suppose we could all start using cash. Armed robbers everywhere are rejoicing at the prospect of citizens carrying more cash and merchants handling more cash.

Entries here from September 1 through September 16 and all of their comments are being restored slowly but surely. 21 entries total. Invest in ibuprofen.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Mony Mony - Tommy James & The Shondells - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
2. Sufragette City - David Bowie - David Live
3. What's The Time - Mark Knopfler & Dave Edmunds - The Booze Brothers By Brewers Droop
4. Stockton Gala Days - 10,000 Maniacs - MTV Unplugged
5. You Make Loving Fun - Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

Quote of the Day

Charging fees on debit card use and checking accounts are two ways that banks can make a significant amount of revenue very quickly. And that is what we are starting to see.

Bill Hardekopf, LowCards.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "This Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to start a tradition. They'll apparently be raising a "team flag" before the game and every home game from now on."

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That was playoff baseball last night. Anxious to see how it plays out now with the epic collapses in Boston and Atlanta. Even though both teams lost gigantic wildcard leads in the last month, they also both controlled their own destiny as late as last night. Going to be a very long and very unpleasant offseason for the Red Sox and Braves and they richly deserve it. Go Cards. Place the BOTD firmly in the can-dish-it-out category.

R.I.P., Archbishop Hannan.

Entries here from August 25 through September 16 and all of their comments are being restored slowly but surely. 28 entries total. Invest in ibuprofen.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Your Warm And Tender Love - Chris Rea - The Road To Hell
2. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye - Steam - AM Gold: The '60s Generation
3. Dang Me [Stereo] - Roger Miller - AM Gold: The Mid-'60s
4. Little Blue One - Cowboy Mouth - Mercyland
5. Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull - Aqualung

Quote of the Day

Old Charlie stole the handle
And the train
It won't stop going
No way to slow down

Jethro Tull, Locomotive Breath

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "DRaysBay posters, sorry, but even if you don't mean anything by it, you're kill-on-sight for now."

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Yet another reason I'm thankful I don't watch reality shows.

No way that flag should have been thrown. That was a fabulous play.

Watched five minutes of Two and a Half Men last night. The only person laughing at that show is Charlie Sheen.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback.

Entries here from August 17 through September 16 and all of their comments are being restored slowly but surely. Invest in ibuprofen.

Today's QOTD is powerful stuff from the Catholic Church against Italy's Prime Minister.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Twisted - Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark
2. I Miss My Mary - Hal Ketchum - Past The Point Of Rescue
3. Crazy Life - Toad The Wet Sprocket - Empire Records
4. Thank You - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
5. Miss Clare Remembers - Enya - Watermark

Quote of the Day

It is mortifying to witness behavior that not only goes counter to public decorum but is intrinsically sad and hollow

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It was like the Egyptian obelisk going up in “The 10 Commandments,” only it was a lot faster, and the slaves were replaced by portable hydraulics. Oh, and there was a 32 ft diameter fan at the top."

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Would like to end the month on a good note. A good week is in order. Been a while since I've had one. :)

Curious where this social networking thing is going? Check out one of the latest developments. That's a long way from where we were when Heather Armstrong got "Dooced". What I do for a living, where I do it, and who I do it for or with is for those readers who already know. I don't talk about work here except in the vaguest possible terms. I don't intend to get Dooced.

Hummingbirds are still going strong here but not quite as strong as they were last week.

About the QOTD: I would think the players' locker rooms at a college football stadium should be secure at a college football game. When I say secure, I mean by multiple guards. That's ridiculous.

Entries here from August 15 through September 16 and all of their comments are being restored slowly but surely. Invest in ibuprofen.

Initial thoughts on yesterday's exciting Saints-Texans game here, if you're interested.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Great Wide Open World - Cowboy Mouth - Mercyland
2. Hannah - Robin Trower - Essential
3. Get Back - The Beatles - 1
4. Wond'ring Aloud - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
5. Secret Garden - Secret Garden - Celtic Myst 3

Quote of the Day

Details of the investigation are very sparse. In fairness, we don’t know if this was a West Virginia fan, an LSU fan or even a fan at all — although a very reliable source close to the situation has informed us that the whoever was involved is, indeed, a knucklehead.

Ben Kercheval, College Football Talk

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The surprising? I think, barring some missed assignments (against Devery Henderson) and missed tackles (against Darren Sproles), that it is safe to say that the defense is legitimate. Holding the New Orleans Saints to 10 points in the first half? Limiting Drew Brees to 124 yards, an interception, and a 61.1 quarterback rating? I don't believe anyone would have predicted that kind of performance."

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It would seem to me that a binding, signed consent form should be involved here but its not mentioned anywhere in the piece I read. I am not understanding how this is in court.

Anne Mozingo, of York, contends that the Stanley Medical Research Institute and a man working on its behalf removed her late husband's entire brain without her consent after he died of a brain aneurism in 2000. She said she agreed to donate only small brain tissue samples.

If the company in question did whatever they did without a written consent, they deserve what they get because that would be just plain dumb. If the company has the skills to remove a brain for medical research, it doesn't strike me as dumb so what am I missing?

Some thoughts on Bill Belichick: A Football Life.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Try A Little Tenderness - Three Dog Night - Captured Live At The Forum
2. On The Road Again - Canned Heat - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs
3. The Truth - Coyote Shivers - Shivers, Coyote
4. Road Fever - Foghat - Rock & Roll
5. Tiny Broken Heart - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live

Quote of the Day

I know Dad you don't understand
How a heart so young could conceive a plan
I'm only 7 now but it's just like you say
Daddy some day I'll be a man

Alison Krauss & Union Station, Tiny Broken Heart

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I am the farthest thing from a "morning person" you could ever be. I love sleeping in and although I think my 4 year old is adorable, the fact that she is such a morning person kinda drives me nuts (and makes me feel a wee bit jealous as well)."

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So I'm waiting my turn at the shower Monday morning. Patsy calls down to me that the water pressure is gone. Some time between Sunday night and Monday morning, the pressure switch on the well corroded enough to quit making contact. She was able to get hers in because there was enough hot water in the water heater and enough cold water in the reserve tank to finish. That left me home until the water well repair guys could get here. So I made a video while I was waiting.

About today's QOTD: Exactly. $85??????

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Classical Gas - Mason Williams - The Mason Williams Phonograph Record
2. Victims Of The Fury - Robin Trower - Essential
3. Sinful Love - Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
4. Je Suis De'Sole' - Mark Knopfler - Golden Heart
5. Empty Spaces - Pink Floyd - The Wall

Quote of the Day

Of course, you could always save yourself some money, buy a Venti Americano and just spill it on yourself.

Alexander Smith, MSNBC.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "One person would get lattes while the other would get a macchiato, but when they came in together they got cappuccinos."

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When I logged in here Saturday morning, I noticed the last entries from all of the blogs here was from August 10. See QOTD. Nothing is lost. Everything that had been published between August 10th and September 16th was still on the site but saving them and putting them back in the database with all of their comments will be time-consuming and tedious. It will be done. Nothing will be lost except the timestamps on the comments and I'm thankful for that. The comments, themselves, won't be lost. They'll just be missing until I can't get them all back in. Could probably fix that timestamp thing, too, if I put my mind to it but I'm not going to bother. I have about 75 entries and their comments to recreate. Judging by the 10 or so I've done already, I'm probably not going to finish until the weekend. It will probably be a late night Saturday night.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback a day late.

About today's QOTD: Wish I was in the area.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Ce He Mise le Ulaingt? (The Two Trees) - Loreena McKennitt - The Mask & The Mirror
2. Goodbye Cruel World - Pink Floyd - The Wall
3. Everyone Is Waiting - Cowboy Mouth - Mercyland
4. Dreamboat Annie - Heart - Dreamboat Annie
5. Christmas Bells, Carousels & Time - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve

Quote of the Day

On Saturday evening we detected a storage hardware problem involving a single MYSQL server. We made database repairs overnight to restore data from backups.

Network Solutions

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "There’s an interesting acoustic lineup this Sunday (9.18.11) at La Carafe in downtown Houston that features listenlisten’s Ben Godfrey, Buxton’s Sergio Trevino, Jacob Metcalf (Dallas), and Destry (Boston)."

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Ever wonder how much business is lost and how much time is wasted because people wait until the printer runs out of paper before refilling it? It's not quite the same as waiting until your car runs out of gas before refilling but it's not far off in some cases.

Weekend at Bernie's fans. Wondering if they stiffed their servers. They write themselves ... probably better than the one I wrote, though.

The Tigers beat Mississippi State last night in Starkville. The 19-6 final score is a bit misleading. LSU thoroughly dominated that game. If they continue to practice and get a little better every week, they will be very nasty by year end. There is a lot of big, fast, strong, scary talent on that team, particularly on defense. Most definitely a title contender.

Tough game coming up for the Saints this Sunday. More on that here.

The QOTD is from Charlie Sheen's image restoration campaign tour. Good Luck with that, Charlie.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Uncle Charlie Interview #1 - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy
2. Mr. Bojangles - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy
3. Mony Mony - Tommy James & The Shondells - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
4. Billy's Revenge - Robert Plant - Now And Zen
5. Don't Shoot Shotgun - Def Leppard - Hysteria

Quote of the Day

I thought I could come back like you did.

Charlie Sheen to Jay Leno

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Sheen read my obviously idiotic article and was so impressed at what he saw as an incredibly astute observation, that he reached out to me. He wanted me to ghostwrite a Self-Help book for people looking to imitate his lifestyle, or as he put it in the text he sent me, "u need me to let my nuts flap on your brain until a victory book comes out the other side, and how about that? Chaaaarrrrlieeee.""

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When it rains, it pours

If you don't know how that expression came to be, I envy you. Pretty much had my fill of that phenomenon the last two days.

Excellent article on something I dare not name. Pretty much had my fill of that phenomenon, too.

Thinking about punting here on 3rd down ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Summer House - Better Than Ezra - Deluxe
2. Little Lovin' - Lissie - Catching a Tiger
3. Dance With The Dragon - Jefferson Starship - At Their Best
4. Space Truckin' - Deep Purple - Machine Head 25th Anniversary Edition
5. This Magic Moment - Jay & The Americans - AM Gold 1969

Quote of the Day

Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died

Pink Floyd, Us and them

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "If you’re feeling particularly philosophical (or maybe nostalgic for early 80s pop music), you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”"

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Don't think their image is enhanced based on the few tidbits I read. The angelic one has been tarnished for some time but the decent one was mostly still intact.

But how did they get past security? Never mind.

Now, that mayor is cool. I love his response. Love it.

Pretty rich for Saudis to be talking derisively about the double-dealing governments of the west. Today's QOTD mentions how the west dealt then and now with "Qaddafi's Libya — and even Assad's Syria" along with Mubarak's Egypt but somehow leaves out Abdullah's Saudi Arabia's very own double-dealing with those same tinpot dictators, with whom they used to be very cozy but, now that the wind has changed, they seek "justice".

Tuesday Morning Quarterback.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Indoor - Clannad - Macalla
2. Reprise - Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor
3. Where Have All The Flowers Gone? - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers - Anthology 1964-1977
4. Papa Come Quick (Jody And Chico) - Bonnie Raitt - Luck Of The Draw
5. Under My Wheels - Alice Cooper - Killer

Quote of the Day

Even as they wax lyrical about the virtues of democracy, human rights and all that jazz, they have done everything in their power to undermine those very ideals all these years. Now it turns out it wasn't just the allies in different parts of the world that obliged the West; even the so-called rogue regimes and “sponsors of terror” like that of Qaddafi's Libya — and even Assad's Syria -- actively hobnobbed with the US and UK in this global war on rule of law.

Arab News

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Sometimes nonprofit leaders fear that inexperienced staff or others outside the immediate control of the organization, like volunteers or program clients, will say something inappropriate on their own profiles or on the organization’s. Sometimes they are afraid that people will get the facts wrong, or will word something in a way that others find offensive. Some nonprofits deal with very sensitive and private issues that should never be shared in social media. But what if someone were to share those details?"

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It's 9/11. Please say a prayer, observe a moment of silence, ring a bell, or something else to honor the memory of those lost today 10 years ago. No Saints game today so the day, to me, is mostly about fantasy football and remembrance. More here if you like.

After I refilled the primary CrabAppleLane hummingbird feeder and hung it back out, I was buzzed by 12-15 hummingbirds. They are really swarming right now. They're about to head south. I held out my hand near the feeder and several came by and fanned me. Decided to see if I could capture that image. Thanks, hummingbirds. Today, I needed that kind of joy.

CrabAppleLane Hummingbirds - September 11, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Galician Waltz, Breton Dances - Maggie Sansone - Music In The Great Hall - Instrumental Music From The Ancient Celtic Lands
2. Sweet Lorraine - Uriah Heep - The Best Of Uriah Heep
3. O Can Ye Sew Cushions? - Joemy Wilson - Dulcimer Lullabies
4. Back In The Saddle - Aerosmith - Rocks
5. In The Light - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Quote of the Day

Ten years ago, it was just another morning — a Tuesday, a day when ordinary people did the most ordinary of things: Scrambling to work, hurriedly kissing their families goodbye, running for the train. And then there was the dark gash and the ball of fire high up in one of the buildings, and a few minutes later, a second gash, a second ball of fire and a plume of smoke visible for miles.

James Barron, The New York Times

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It is far above our poor power to say anything that can encompass the events of that day. But in bringing together bloggers from New York, we thought it fitting to provide a place for us to share our writing from that time. This page is linked to the subway stations now closed after the destruction of the World Trade Center."

I started noticing blogs on the internet after 9/11. -Rob

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It was a Tuesday 10 years ago. I had just gotten to work. In my office in New Orleans, I was the only one who had the internet on my computer. One of my co-workers asked me about the plane that crashed into a building in New York. I knew nothing about it at the time. I tried a few different news websites but many of them were absolutely overwhelmed. I know that now. Then, I didn't know about servers getting overpowered by traffic volume. I finally found MSNBC's live coverage and live video and just stayed there for the next two hours or so. Between phone calls and going about my job, I saw the second plane hit, the first tower collapse, and, finally, the second tower collapse. It was live on my computer terminal. Anger would come later and lots of it but the sadness was there right from the beginning. It's still here. The anger has dissipated some but it's still here, too. I won't live long enough for either to pass entirely and I'll never forget. Never.

About today's QOTD: It started here but ended up there. There are people, like the twits at Political Fail Blog, who are predisposed to believe America is and American troops are ALWAYS guilty and they'll base it on any accusation. No evidence required. It just must be. Is anyone else inclined to believe that our troops are evil enough to handcuff children, shoot them in the head, and call in an airstrike to cover it up? If they were, wouldn't they also see to it that evidence of their crime was destroyed by the airstrike? Is there any other way children can be found hand-cuffed and executed in Iraq?

Wikileaks isn't about letting in the sunshine. It's about getting every disgruntled's, every peeping Tom's, and every troublemaker's message out and letting human nature take its course. Wikileaks is about lulz.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Gone, Gone, Gone - Bad Company - Desolation Angels
2. Teenager - Better Than Ezra - Deluxe
3. Tequila Sunrise - The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits
4. Disassociative - Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals
5. Anam - Clannad - Anam

Quote of the Day

But Lawyers Against the War (LAW) says the Canadian government must either bar Bush at the border because of his alleged involvement in torture and other war crimes and crimes against humanity, or order his arrest when he enters Canada both to ensure he is prosecuted here or elsewhere, and to prevent him from returning to safe haven from prosecution in the United States.

Political Fail Blog

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Google set to enter Hulu bidding"

Can any internet website with any original idea resist the urge to be bought by one of the giants? Please? -Rob

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I thought the Packers and Saints put on a great show last night. Congrats to the Pack on a good win. The Saints have some work to do but I think there is hope. More thoughts here if you're interested. Took a while to wind down last night after the game. A little tired this morning.

About today's QOTD and BOTD: I think we have a new definition of "excessive". Go to the QOTD link to see how many calls the woman feels is NOT excessive. In light of the Radium Girls from the other day, can't you see the Radium Dial Co. making the same claim today? In one case, no number is excessive. In the other, any number is excessive.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. I Want To Do Everything For You - Nazareth - Play 'N' The Game
2. Before The Beginning - Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On
3. Kids Wanna Rock - Bryan Adams - Reckless
4. Don't Stand So Close To Me '86 - The Police - The Police Greatest Hits
5. Where You Lead - Carole King - Tapestry

Quote of the Day

Hague prosecution spokeswoman Nicolette Stoel said Thursday the woman argued to judges at a preliminary hearing she had a relationship with the man and the number of calls she placed to him wasn't excessive. The man denied they had a relationship.

Associated Press via WWLTV.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "In a town hall meeting last month, Katschnig appealed to President Obama, “Please don't challenge us with more rules and regulations from Washington D.C. that hinder us.” One concern he notes in the video is a proposed regulation on “particulate matter” (dust)."

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Pretty rich. Vancouver blaming their hockey riots on the NHL instead of themselves. On another blog, a Canadian described why the riot was so alarming by saying hooliganism isn't normally associated with North America. I noted then that she didn't say Canada. She said North America. See, Canadians don't do that. North Americans do. Vancouver and their citizens aren't responsible for their behavior, the NHL is. Not sure why they didn't just come right out and say it. Canadian citizens rioting in a Canadian city is not Canada's fault. It's America's fault. Like everything else.

2 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Eclipse - Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
2. Wilderness - Clannad - Anam
3. The Mystic's Dream - Loreena McKennitt - The Mask & The Mirror
4. That Happy Feeling - Bert Kaempfert - 40 Instrumental Hits (The Big Hits of The 50's Era)
5. Look At Yourself - Uriah Heep - The Best Of Uriah Heep

Quote of the Day

A woman who was captured on video shoplifting two pairs of men’s pants posted a long apology and interview with herself on Sunday, then accused the shamers of going too far.

Lesley Ciarula Taylor, thestar.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "So exactly when did the London riots occur? A few weeks ago? The Vancouver Riots occurred over two months ago and despite 37 people having turned themselves in, no charges have been put forth to Counsel. In Britain, the rioters and looters have already been put thru trial and sentenced. In Vancouver the reason given as to why no charges have yet been laid is because there is too much evidence in photos, videos and eye witnesses. WTF!!!???"

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Got plans?

The dreariest Labor Day weekend in memory continues. It was still raining here at CrabAppleLane up until about an hour ago. Hope we're done for a while. 9.10 inches of rain since Thursday morning (Bush, LA)? Sure seems like a lot more than that. It has been raining steadily here since Friday. Drizzling sometimes, pouring other times. Lee is a tropical depression now heading toward Appalachia. What a nuisance he's been. Good riddance.

Saints fans got some good news today. See QOTD.

3 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Confessin' Midnight - Robin Trower - Essential
2. Man That You Fear - Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
3. Chokin' Kind - Walter "Wolfman" Washington - Sada
4. Found Out About You - Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience
5. Thank God I'm A Country Boy - John Denver - Back Home Again

Quote of the Day

I am very pleased to announce this contract extension today for Sean that will run through the 2015 season. Our goal is to continue to build a TRADITION of winning here in New Orleans and Sean represents that tradition.

Tom Benson, New Orleans Saints Owner

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The world wants to take us to the place where you don't have to use a car eleven times a day, a different arrangement of things on the landscape than what we're currently stuck with in most of the United States."

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This Labor Day weekend may go down as the dreariest of all time. It has not stopped raining here for more than a few minutes since Friday. The ground is thoroughly soaked. Please just do something, Lee. Move through or just go off and die. Just sitting out there is annoying.

About today's QOTD. I have a brother, David, but he does not work for the Press-Register. That David is no relation as far as I know. :)

4 days until football season ...

I offer two from the yard today. The hummingbird feeder is well-protected from interlopers. Last Sunday, he was guarding from the watchtower. This week, he's on the battlefield. The Big Leaf Magnolia is now a No Leaf Magnolia. Lee knocked off the one remaining leaf. Hope that's not the end of it but I think it may be.

CrabAppleLane Hummingbird - September 4, 2011

CrabAppleLane Big Leaf Magnolia - September 4, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Vas Dis - Wishbone Ash - Time Was- The Wishbone Ash Collection
2. Sail Along Silvery Moon - Billy Vaughn - 40 Instrumental Hits (The Big Hits of The 50's Era)
3. It's A Man's Woman's World (Pt. 1) - Irma Thomas - Sweet Soul Queen Of New Orleans: Irma Thomas Collection
4. Baby, Now That I've Found You - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
5. Twilight - The Band - The Best Of The Band

Quote of the Day

The National Weather Service predicted Lee could dump more than a foot of rain in some areas of the northern Gulf Coast.

David Ferrara, Alabama Press-Register

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "At 8:30 a.m. CDT, the center of Tropical Storm Lee was located just South/Southeast of the New Iberia airport in southcentral Louisiana."

Pretty much where it was yesterday at this time. -Rob

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Petty, petty politics has a Presidential address airing on the same night as the Packers-Saints season opener next Thursday. The Republicans didn't like the President asking for Wednesday night because it would conflict with their televised debate so they said no and suggested Thursday night. Petty all around. Petty for the President to choose Wednesday night knowing it would rankle the Republicans and petty for the Republicans to suggest Thursday night knowing it would conflict with the NFL opening night extravaganza. Are these really the only two nights on the calender? What is wrong with these people?

7 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Alien - Bush - Sixteen Stone
2. Little Lovin' - Lissie - Catching a Tiger
3. Snakeskin Cowboys - Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
4. Maybe Tomorrow - Badfinger - The Very Best Of Badfinger
5. Waiting For The Man - Nazareth - Play 'N' The Game

Quote of the Day

Either way, NBC is caught in the middle. If Obama — a Bears fans — opts to try to overshadow the kickoff to the NFL season, and if NBC opts to televise the address to Congress on MSNBC and to proceed with the football game on NBC, the ratings could be phenomenal, given that the NFL would be the only major-network alternative for the millions of folks who have decided that the latest developments in partisan politics no longer need to witnessed live.

Or at all.

Mike Florio, PFT

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "For the first time in its history, the editors at The New Yorker know which articles are being read. And they know who's reading them."

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I don't read political memoirs and I'm not big on politics but I don't totally ignore the world around me. The fallout from Dick Cheney's book doesn't surprise me. There was a time I liked him. Loose cannon, hypocrite, and always funny with his quips. I think he's poisonous now. Poisonous to his party, poisonous to his cause (The war on terror), and poisonous to his former boss. Someone should tell him his service is no longer needed.

8 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Stroke - Billy Squier - Billy Squier: Absolute Hits
2. The Mist Covered Mountains - Mark Knopfler - Local Hero
3. The Road's My Middle Name - Bonnie Raitt - Nick Of Time
4. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Elton John - Greatest Hits 1970-2002
5. Honky Tonk Woman - Humble Pie - A&M Records Classics Vol. 14

Quote of the Day

I adore approaching your website! your exceptional strategy to see things is what keeps me fascinated. Thanks so much!!!!

CrabAppleLane Spam Folder

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It's Shark week! What are you doing? :)"

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The other day, I mentioned that people cleaning up after Hurricane Irene should be very careful because you may not be able to get medical attention if you were to hurt yourself, which is not hard to do in the yard. This was a yard accident not in the affected area but it hurts me just to read it. Worse, look at the X-ray. Imagine not being able to reach an emergency room or an ambulance not being able to reach you. OK, I have to go take some ibuprofen now.

9 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Everybody Wants You - Billy Squier - Billy Squier: Absolute Hits
2. War - Bruce Springsteen - Live: 1975-85
3. Living With Me - Coyote Shivers - Shivers, Coyote
4. Pictures Of Matchstick Men - Status Quo - The British Invasion: The History Of British Rock, Vol. 8 1968
5. Sufragette City (Live) - David Bowie - David Live

Quote of the Day

Readers look to the comics page to reflect the national conversation, and on Sunday, Sept. 11, that's going to be the conversation. I think the impact is going to be profound.

David Colton, USA TODAY

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Football Players who played as a Quarterback"

A little unnerving to me that I know most of those names. -Rob

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6 years ago today, also a Monday. Hurricane Katrina will always be a part of me. It doesn't consume me like it once did and that's a relief. The finger-pointing, the second-guessing, the armchair quarterbacking from those with perfect 20-20 hindsight and the comfort of safe distance, the political blame game, well, all of that is mostly behind me. Those who came in from all over to help are not forgotten, though. They saw people in trouble. The rest of it didn't matter. Thank you to all of them.

Speaking of hurricanes, Irene is just about done but she surely left her mark. There was loss of life and lots of damage. There is a lot of work to do on the eastern seaboard this morning.

10 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Lord Of The Thighs - Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
2. Hold Back The Water - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - The Anthology
3. Dang Me [Stereo] - Roger Miller - AM Gold: The Mid-'60s
4. Lady Double Dealer - Deep Purple - Stormbringer
5. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) - Marvin Gaye - AM Gold: The Mid-'60s

Quote of the Day

Tropical Storm Irene swept through the desolate streets of New York on Sunday, flooding low-lying areas and leaving millions of homes without power along the Eastern Seaboard as it continued on to New England. Most New Yorkers emerged from their makeshift bunkers to find little of the widespread devastation the authorities had feared.

Sam Dolnick, New York Times

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Guitarist Betts, who penned some of the Allman Brothers Band's biggest hits ("Ramblin' Man," for one), presents his current band, Great Southern."

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New DirecTV receiver installed. Sometimes, it goes smoothly. Then, there was today. Sometimes, tech support gives you some insight. Then, there was today. Sometimes, I truly need their help. Then, there was today. I knew this was something simple. Their troubleshooting protocols couldn't find it. I found it but I'm not entirely sure what I did because I did so many things. Normally, that would concern me. Then, there was today. I'm declaring victory.

Glad my friends in Joisey and Philly are OK today. Irene did considerable damage. If you're in that area and you want to start cleaning up, be very careful. If you hurt yourself with a chainsaw, some other power tool, or just manage to cut yourself on something, you may not have a clear path to an emergency room because trees are down in the roadway. Even if you can reach an emergency room, it may be without power, understaffed, and overwhelmed. I recommend you get the immediate debris out of your way and leave the rest of the job for another day or two until things settle down and return to normal. This procrastination advice is no charge to CrabAppleLane readers. Be safe.

The CrabAppleLane Fantasy Football team for 2011. Also my thoughts on tonight's nationally-televised Saints-Raiders game.

I offer one today from the CrabAppleLane Hummingbird flock.

CrabAppleLane Hummingbird - Guarding his feeder from all comers - August 28, 2011

11 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground - The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
2. Head Like A Hole - Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
3. Spawn - Silverchair & Vitro - Spawn
4. American Woman - The Guess Who - AM Gold 1970-1974
5. Killer - Alice Cooper - Killer

Quote of the Day

If you can hear a piano fall
You can hear me coming down the hall
If I can just hear your pretty voice
I don't think I need to see at all
I don't think I need to see at all

The White Stripes, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Saw them at ID Fest on Jones Beach this last weekend, and this song was bonkers."

"Bonkers" is probably not a bad description but I don't mean it the way he does. -Rob

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Gonna be a tough weekend for the east coast. Keep them in your thoughts.

Fantasy Football Auction tonight. Looking forward to it. Go Death on Two Legs.

Today's QOTD is a comment about the Grateful Dead considering another tour. Struck me as funny.

Some chinks in the World Champion armor according to the Green Bay Gazette. I only watched a little of it. What I saw was pretty impressive for a preseason game. Aaron Rodgers was sacked 4 times after I switched channels so maybe the GBG is on to something. This Saints fan hopes so. :)

12 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Mark Knopfler playlist:

1. Stargazer - Mark Knopfler - Local Hero
2. Red Dirt Girl - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Real Live Roadrunning
3. Going Home - Theme From 'Local Hero' - Dire Straits - Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
4. The Scaffolder's Wife - Mark Knopfler - Kill To Get Crimson
5. The Car Was The One - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky

Quote of the Day

Only saw them once ... kinda. My date at the time had a panic attack and her blood pressure fell like a brick. The EMTs asked her what she was on and she replied, 'birth control."

Dennis Smith

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Packers’ pass protection – well, if you want to call it that – in fact the overall play of the offensive line, including run blocking against the Colts Friday night, was nothing short of frightful."

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Very sorry to hear that Steve Jobs resigned yesterday as Apple CEO. Talk about a driving force. When he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer some years ago, I think most people knew this day was coming. They don't have anyone as charismatic waiting in the wings at Apple to replace him. I don't think there IS anyone as charismatic. Obviously, his health is concerning him now and it should. He's earned a rest and his legacy is safe. Apple needs to move on. Best of luck, Steve.

Saw a girl wearing a red Phillies Utley jersey last night. Not something you see every day in Covington, Louisiana.

14 days until football season ...

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

1. I'm Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys - The Warrior's Code - 9 plays
2. Piper To The End - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky - 19 plays
3. Praan - Garry Schyman & Palbasha Siddique - Where The Hell Is Matt? - 23 plays
4. Further On (Up The Road) - Bruce Springsteen - The Rising - 11 plays
5. The Shape I'm In - The Band - The Best Of The Band - 10 plays

Quote of the Day

One of the things Jobs rivals will never be able to stomach is his ability to make his own products obsolete.

Wilson Rothman, MSNBC.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Jobs’ health has been an ongoing issue and it was clear that there would come a day when he couldn’t be CEO. That day apparently came Wednesday."

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As yet another DirecTV receiver went belly up on me (Upstairs), I started thinking about just how many of these things I've been through. We built our house in late October 1994 and moved in February 9, 1995. It was going to be a while before cable was out here and local TV reception was pretty spotty. We were going to need a satellite dish. DirecTV was brand new then ... on the market just a few months. I liked it and we signed up. Speaking of the living room only, the first receiver (1) was replaced just a few months in under warranty. The second receiver (2) was replaced by a Microsoft UltimateTV receiver (3), our first DVR. When UltimateTV failed, I replaced it with a TiVo receiver (4) because UltimateTV was gone. I replaced TiVo with a DirecTV HD-DVR (5). That one was damaged by a lightning strike and was replaced by insurance. The replacement (6) was replaced by another (7) just a few weeks ago when I relocated the dish as part of my service agreement. That's seven receivers in my living room in just over 16 years. I'm up to 6 or 7 upstairs, too. I didn't pay for all of them and some of this was no fault of the receiver's. Still, that's a lot of equipment in a relatively short period of time. My Mitsubishi TV is probably still working somewhere for someone. It was almost 20 years old when I finally gave it away because I wanted to upgrade.

The New Orleans Saints got out of town and headed for Oxnard, California to get away from the weather. It was a good move. The heat and humidity have been totally unmerciful here. I can't imagine working hard outside loaded down with equipment.

What does it say about a government's legitimacy if the leader is afraid to be seen in public?

CrabAppleLane 2011 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

15 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Good Times Bad Times - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I
2. Lady In Black - Uriah Heep - The Best Of Uriah Heep
3. I'm Not Afraid to Die - Gillian Welch - Hell Among the Yearlings
4. Le Clochard - Focus - Moving Waves
5. Don't Fear The Reaper - The Mutton Birds - The Frighteners

Quote of the Day

The rebel force entered the compound Tuesday after fighting for five hours with Gadhafi loyalists, using mortars, heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft guns. They killed some of those who defended the compound and hauled off thousands of rifles, crates of weapons and trucks with guns mounted on the back in a frenzy of looting.

msnbc.com news services

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "TBR Tuesday is a way to talk about the books we own but haven't read, see what other people think about them, and help us decide whether to bump it up our list or knock it off completely."

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About today's QOTD: The fights and other incidents are already a "sad indication of our society", Josh. The reactions to them range from sadder, the cancellation of the series, to the thoroughly obnoxious, 49ers dipstick owner suggesting an 18-game season would help prevent 49er-Raider fan violence. I've seen fan violence outside of a stadium after a game. No idea how it started but it spread into an all out free-for-all and it was frightening. How cancelling the preseason series will prevent these incidents is beyond me and just doesn't make much sense. They can happen for regular season games and playoff games, too. The only real solutions are more security and, unfortunately, less alcohol.

16 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Flick Of The Wrist - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
2. Life Of My Own - 3 Doors Down - The Better Life
3. Statesboro Blues - The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East
4. Telegraph Road - Dire Straits - Love Over Gold
5. Big Man With A Gun - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

Quote of the Day

It's a shame that it has to be that way but, if they need to end it to stop stuff like that, we need to put the price of people's lives and all that ahead of rivalry and what sells tickets. It would be a sad indication of our society if we view the other thing more than we do human life.

Josh McCown, San Francisco 49ers

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Games between the 49ers and Raiders throw together the rougher elements of these teams' fan bases in large numbers, with alcohol readily available. The shooting that marred the Raiders-49ers game Saturday night took the usual fighting to more dangerous levels."

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Hurricane Irene doesn't look like much to me but I now keep my eye on even the smaller ones these days. As usual, concerned hurricane watchers have to sift through overcautious rhetoric. For what it's worth, I've seen much worse on the dire rhetoric. I have no new plans here yet. :)

17 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Make Way For The Lady - Gordon Lightfoot - Gord's Gold Volume II
2. Boys Wanna Fight - Garbage - Bleed Like Me
3. It's So Cruel - Billy Idol - Billy Idol
4. Royale With Cheese - Dialogue - Pulp Fiction
5. First Snow (Instrumental) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve And Other Stories

Quote of the Day

National Hurricane Center wind speed predictions indicated Irene, currently a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson intensity scale, could come close to being a major Category 3 hurricane by the weekend.

msnbc.com staff and news service reports

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "This is a shot of Hiro when he is trying to be friendly. Hiro likes to be among people and kids. He will put on his friendly face whenever someone tries to approach him. How could anyone resist this face! He is such a good actor...lol!"

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From the Communication-Is-A-Wonderful-Thing Department: The Saints-Texans game was broadcast on the NFL Network last night. If you don't get the NFL Network, you missed some first half offense but that's about it. I get the NFL Network on DirecTV. The game was also broadcast on the local Fox affiliate in New Orleans. When someone in the New Orleans viewing area tuned to the NFL Network, though, they got a DirecTV message saying they were not subscribed to this channel, which is a whole different thing than "this broadcast is not available in your area". That "not subscribed" message undoubtedly prompted a ton of unnecessary "Hey, I DO subscribe" phone calls. Why didn't anyone at that multi-billion dollar corporation see that coming?

Got the yard done yesterday but it cost me a lawnmower. It was on its last legs anyway but I wasn't expecting it to throw a rod. Clear through the case. Will be spending less on the next one. My yard just has too many lawnmower booby traps. Big rocks and stumps hidden by tall grass and tree roots, lots of tree roots, are the main culprits. I've gone through three lawnmowers in the last 20 years or so. I really shouldn't complain. It's just that they weren't cheap lawn mowers. A Snapper and two John Deeres.

I offer three from the CrabAppleLane yard on this hot and sunny Sunday. 1) The Big Leaf Magnolia is still alive but is struggling with the Bush summer. I keep a black mesh over it. No more leaves have been burned but growth has also slowed. 2) The hummingbirds have started coming to this feeder because wasps are hovering around the one they prefer. I can't find the wasps' nests. 3) As I was watching the wasps hovering around the other feeder through my camera lens, a terrible racket occurred right in my ear. Startled me (Actually, it scared the hell out of me). A Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly hit the ground with a thud. It was struggling for a moment and then it stopped. I thought a wasp had attacked it. As I approached it, it flew away with something on its back. I was shooting pictures by the CrabAppleLane backyard pond when I heard the same loud racket. It wasn't as close this time but they landed and I got a shot of it. What you see there is Eastern Pondhawks in the "wheel position", which only goes to show what I know. I thought it was dragonfly porn.

CrabAppleLane Big Leaf Magnolia - August 21, 2011

CrabAppleLane Hummingbird - August 21, 2011

CrabAppleLane Dragonflies - August 21, 2011

18 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane "Recently Added" playlist:

1. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green Day - Nimrod
2. Steady As She Goes - The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
3. Bring On the Wonder (feat. Sarah McLachlan) - Susan Enan - Bones (Original Television Soundtrack)
4. Music Box - Phillip Glass - Candyman
5. Broken Boy Soldier - The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

Quote of the Day

Psychologists have often remarked that reality shows tend to attract people who thirst for fame or are otherwise damaged in some way.

Sharon Waxman and Tim Molloy, TheWrap.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Eventually a cartwheeling pair of darners pitched down onto a rotting stump. He was off smartish but she stayed to lay eggs and pose, the first Variable Darner I’ve managed to photograph."

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Have a date with the yard this afternoon. Was looking forward to it earlier today but not so much now. I ate too damn much. :)

Patsy and I finally took the plunge and updated our mobile phones. Patsy had a sweetheart deal that we weren't going to be able to renew so we had to do something. We have the same exact kind now so we'll be able to help each other. I still plan to use mine mostly for emergencies but I will probably use it a little more than I have used any of my previous mobiles ... mainly because it works so much better.

Plan to work on my fantasy football spreadsheet and have it ready by tonight or tomorrow morning. I'll make it available for download for any fantasy football players out there. This season has been more difficult than most because of the lockout, the size of rosters, player movement, and all of the uncertainty that comes with a shortened time frame. If you bought one of the fantasy football magazines from a newsstand or bookstore, I think you totally wasted your money.

Interesting theory about why the Saints didn't honor a non-existent gentleman's agreement last week against the 49ers from the Houston Chronicle. The Saints defense blitzed on almost every play.

Head coaches sometimes speak to one another before a preseason game to discuss how long the starters will play and where the thing goes from there.

When Payton didn’t hear from 49ers rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh, he pretty much told Williams, “Go for it.”

Williams called 18 blitzes in the first half, and his Saints forced two fumbles and got five sacks on their way to a 24-3 victory.

Florio of PFT has the same story. I don't think I buy it. For one thing, I don't think Sean's feathers ruffle that easily. My thinking goes almost the complete opposite, that they DID talk, and Harbaugh asked for the all-out treatment of his new just-installed offense. In the end, it doesn't matter. Both head coaches are tasked with getting their own team ready within the rules. Period. End of story. There are no points for politeness and there are no unwritten rules. To quote one of my favorite movies, "A gentleman's agreement presupposes there's a gentleman involved". If Harbaugh or any other coach is expecting gentlemanly behavior from his opponent, he'd better keep his résumé up to date.

The Saints take on the Texans tonight in Houston. It will be on the NFL Network but I think it will also be on one of our local broadcast stations. It's a game that is a bit tricky for both sides. Normally, teams like to get some work in for their starters in the 2nd and 3rd games of the preseason. These two teams will be playing in Week 3 of the regular season, too, so neither is going to want to show the other too much. More here, if you're interested.

19 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Lonely Days - Bee Gees - 2 Years On
2. Game Of Love - Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders - AM Gold 1965
3. Gerundula - Status Quo - STATUS QUO The Collection
4. Sara - Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
5. Remedial Interruption - Shawn Phillips - Second Contribution

Quote of the Day

"SlutWalks" originated in Toronto, Canada, where they were sparked by a police officer's remark that women could avoid being raped by not dressing like "sluts."

Schalk Van Zuydam, Associated Press via MSNBC

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Because a SlutWalk article pissed me off…"

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Good riddance. The problem around here with Burger King and other fast food restaurants is just about everything. In the early days of fast food, those restaurants had friendly, cheerful, huge staffs. Around here, only Chick-Fil-A still operates that way. The McDonalds, Burger Kings, Taco Bells, Popeyes, and Wendys all suffer from under-staffing. The lines are long and slow, the food is inconsistent, the staff just slogs through the day, and the places are not terribly clean or comfortable. The three nearby Burger Kings have their thermostats turned up way too high for my tastes and the tables never look like they've been wiped recently. If these places would get back to what they used to do, it would cost them a little money. What they're doing now is costing them a lot of money.

Today's QOTD manages to get both sides of the contentious debate.

20 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Women - Def Leppard - Hysteria
2. Tumbling Down - The Venus In Furs - Velvet Goldmine
3. Hard Lovin' Man - Deep Purple - Deep Purple In Rock
4. Caleb Meyer - Gillian Welch - Hell Among The Yearlings
5. Trampled Under Foot - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Quote of the Day

In Channelview, Texas, TheAdventures of Super Diaper Baby, by George Beard, Harold Hutchins and Dav Pilkey, was removed from grade schools after parents complained when their 6-year-old was suspended for calling a classmate "poo-poo head," Maycock says.

Natalie DiBlasio, USA TODAY

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Really, any 1971 discussion of enforcing the US-Mexican border is out of date, especially with it being such a prominent issue these days. People are seeking information. The subtitle and back flap text also indicate we can find something more objective out there. The author mostly wrote scifi/fantasy."

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More articles like this one ... PLEASE. He busts everyone's chops. Unfortunately, many/most people will stop reading when their ox gets gored but the piece is not all anger. His last paragraph sums up my thinking better than I can and I don't find it angry at all. More rationality in the national discourse would be a good thing.

Happy 75th, Robert Redford. I cannot help thinking of that entry whenever I think of Redford. He's a star by any definition.

About today's QOTD: He's not talking about driving a car. He's talking about getting hit by one. :)

23 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Bad Apples - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I
2. Cora - Randy Edelman - The Last Of The Mohicans
3. Slow Ride - Foghat - Live
4. Wedding Song (There Is Love) - Noel Paul Stookey - Giving You The Rest Of My Life
5. Lonely Stranger - Eric Clapton - Unplugged

Quote of the Day

I played four years in Detroit. I can handle a car.

Joey Harrington, Former NFL Quarterback

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "One theory is that the site was built in an area that was sacred to the Inca people. The Inca considered the Urubamba River to be sacred. Machu Picchu is built on a mountain which is circled almost completely by the Urubamba River. The site is also positioned so that the rising and setting of the sun is in alignment with mountains that are religiously significant. This is something that is unique to Machu Picchu."

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This needs to be stopped. From the article:

Police Chief Jim McDonnell has confirmed that detaining photographers for taking pictures "with no apparent esthetic value" is within Long Beach Police Department policy.

Most of my own pictures probably have "no apparent esthetic value". I can be detained for that in Long Beach? If so, the BOTD is in a lot of trouble. Having to explain yourself, your motives, and your activities to an authority is right out of the fascist playbook. I'm sure there are some in Long Beach who believe the old, false adage that "you have nothing to fear if you're doing nothing wrong" but I'm also certain that I'm not the only person who gets uneasy talking to authorities on their terms. Those situations can go sideways pretty quickly if one or both of you is having a bad day or misinterprets a question or an answer. Imagine that happening to you when you really had no reason to be detained in the first place. No, a higher authority needs to step in and tell Long Beach to stop this. What they're doing is un-American.

About today's QOTD: The word "reasonable" just doesn't work for me. "Crying and hysterical" seem perfectly reasonable to me under the circumstances. "Settled" seems unreasonable.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Stone Cold Fever - Humble Pie - A&M Records Classics Vol. 14
2. Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie - Jay & The Techniques - AM Gold: The '60s Generation
3. Handy - Wishbone Ash - Time Was- The Wishbone Ash Collection
4. Can't Stand Losing You - The Police - The Police Greatest Hits
5. Stockton Gala Days - 10,000 Maniacs - MTV Unplugged

Quote of the Day

The young woman was initially "crying and hysterical, but after a time, she became more reasonable and settled and gave the police the note," the court documents said.

Pete Williams, NBC News justice correspondent

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Circle Area Neighborhood
Long Beach California
Shops, Businesses, Homes, Condos and Income Properties"

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The Saints released Jon Stinchcomb yesterday. He's been a fave here for a while now. Jon is a good guy in a tough business. He may have other opportunities this season but I think he'd be better off if he took time off and healed before he pursued any of them. He played through a knee injury last year. He had surgery during the offseason to re-attach his quad muscle and he still doesn't look fully recovered from it. The 49ers ran around him Friday night fairly easily. Good Luck, Jon.

23 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Rocks and the Water - Mark Knopfler - Local Hero
2. Your Latest Trick - Dire Straits - On The Night
3. Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs
4. Lift The Lid - Nazareth - Close Enough For Rock 'N' Roll
5. Eyes Of Fire - Rainbow - Straight Between The Eyes

Quote of the Day

I'm just really appreciative of the experience I had as a Saint, being a part of this organization, this team and getting to be a part of this community

Jon Stinchcomb

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "My brother’s trial for the murder of my parents is scheduled to begin in less than a month, and although there have been rumors of a continuance until Spring, neither side has requested one as I write this. I’ll be there whenever it happens, of course, and I’ve been told it could take three weeks to a month. I don’t know if that is merely for the trial of fact, or whether it includes a hypothetical penalty phase — as I’ve mentioned before, the prosecutors have announced their intention to seek the death penalty."

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Harrison Ford Settles a Feud. Totally viral now. And hilarious. :)

What did Chicago Cubs fans ever do to deserve this knucklehead? Bugs Bunny would call him an ultra-maroon.

29 years? Geez, what's the rush?

I didn't find anything particularly impressive about the Saints as a team last night. The starting defenses for both teams held their offensive counterparts in check. The Saints are a lot deeper than the 49ers and that showed once the starters were gone. A few Saints players looked good, though. More here, if you're interested.

26 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Shape Of My Heart - Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales
2. Sick And Tired - Eric Clapton - Pilgrim
3. Take Me To The River - The Commitments - The Commitments
4. Waiting For Her - Mark Knopfler - Cal
5. Na Laetha Geal M'óige - Enya -Watermark

Quote of the Day

"I'm done with that 'Star Wars' crap and I'm done with you,” Solo shouted as he kicked the Wookiee out of his dressing room.

The Marquee Blog

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Some of the lapses were a result of Saints' blitzes that weren't picked up. Others occurred because individual linemen were beaten, sometimes by the Saints' backups."

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I loved pinball and was a fair player as a kid but there were guys way better than me. They all cheated. :) There is a technique some players developed that we called "biffing". When the ball goes down one of the sides and starts going to the return, a timely bump or biff could put the ball back in play. I was not very good at that. I dropped all my money on pinball more than a few times. Those guys could play on a quarter all night. I had no idea pinball machines have been around for 140 years. Amazing.

The QOTD mystifies me as does most of that industry. Hooray for Hollywood, I suppose. OK, I guess I'll bite. Why can't Corey be the one? Anyone?

Starting tonight, the Saints play 5 games in 27 days. The first four don't count and I don't care if they win any of those. They'll be taking on the 49ers and new head coach, Jim Harbaugh, tonight. More here if you're interested.

27 days until Saints v Packers

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Fade To Black - Dire Straits - On Every Street
2. Paranoid - Grand Funk Railroad - Live Album
3. Nothing Is True - Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor
4. The Grand Finale - Styx - The Grand Illusion
5. Nitty Gritty Mississippi - Ry Cooder - Crossroads

Quote of the Day

There's one person to blame in the death of Corey Haim. And that person happens to be a Hollywood mogul. And that person needs to be exposed, but, unfortunately, I can't be the one to do it.

Corey Feldman

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Forget buying gifts for other people — what should Hollywood fans get for themselves?"

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WOW, just WOW. Amazing on every level.

The QOTD is a bit misleading. I don't think there are significant savings to backyard gardening. I've been doing it for 20 years. I do it for the taste and health benefits and because I enjoy it. My spring garden, including plants and fertilizer, costs me $75-$100 per year. I don't use pesticides. There's no way I would spend that much on those vegetables unless the ones in the stores tasted like my own. Vegetable gardening is worth doing if you have a backyard, some time, and a little patience. Unless you think you can sell your surplus, don't expect to save money. Settle for the much better food.

28 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Cry Like A Baby - The Box Tops - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
2. Garden Of Eden - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I
3. Run Riot - Def Leppard - Hysteria
4. This Christmas - Patti Austin - Music Boulevard 2nd Anniversary Celebration
5. Two Car Garage - B.J. Thomas - All The Hits

Quote of the Day

Growing your own vegetable garden is a hobby that may keep some money in your wallet. However, it is possible to overspend and lose the financial benefits. Engage in it only if you enjoy the work and you may save money on your grocery bill at the same time.

Angie Mohr, Investopedia

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "rabbit..."

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As I was looking out the window eating my lunch yesterday, a man pulled into the Quiznos parking lot. He was holding his mobile phone to his ear. Got out of his SUV, came into the restaurant and got in line, ordered his sandwich, told the attendant what he wanted on it, paid for it, sat down and ate it, and got back in his SUV and left. He did all of that one-handed while he was talking on his phone. He must have done it before. Quite amazing. My self-absorption, pretty substantial at lunchtime, thoroughly pales next to that. I bow to your awesomeness, sir.

29 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks, 1964-1971
2. Drowned - The Who - Quadrophenia
3. Homesick Again - Nazareth - Close Enough For Rock 'N' Roll
4. What's Goin' On Here - Deep Purple - Burn
5. Methamphetamine - O.C.M.S. - Tennessee Pusher

Quote of the Day

Minnesota actually got younger at quarterback by acquiring 34-year-old Donovan McNabb

James Walker, ESPN

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "She was having a horrific cellphone conversation. She continued her phone conversation, at a level that could’ve been heard 20 feet away. And the contents of this call? Definitely should have been Puh-rivate."

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If soccer ever grabs a bigger US audience, I wonder how people will react if a professional team signs an American 7-year-old. Here's the other thing from that story:

a Real Madrid spokesman insisted the team has signed younger players in the past

Younger than 7? I suppose there are degrees of unconscionable. How committed is Real Madrid to that kid? What are they going to do three or four years from now when the pressure starts building on him? Not just him, though. His parents, teachers, and coaches are going to feel that pressure, too. Is Real Madrid going to pay for the therapy? What are they going to do when the other kids start catching up to and maybe even surpassing his abilities? The NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB have rules against this for good reason. A 7-year-old is entirely too young to have his career charted for him. Whatever body governs soccer needs to step up and stop this before we find out just how unconscionable they can get.

30 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Way - Fastball - All the Pain Money Can Buy
2. If I Could - Seal - Seal
3. Not That Funny - Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
4. Dreaming Of You - The Coral - The Coral
5. Jargon - Kim Novak - Pancake Bellyache

Quote of the Day

George Clooney's girlfriends just keep getting younger

Lori Smith, Denver Post

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "A seven-year-old called Leo Angel Coira, has allegedly been signed by Real Madrid if reports on an Argentinian Sports Daily called Ole are to be believed."

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How we should remember General Patton:

It’s advertised as a woodsy blend of lavender, citrus, coconut, cedar, sage, tonka bean, bergamot, lime, and the ad copy says it will “elicit feelings of majestic woodlands and endless horizons.”

Throw out your Hai Karate and Old Spice.

The Best Dancing Groundskeeper in the Majors.

About today's QOTD: "Nick" means "steal" and "trainers" are "running shoes". I love that someone at MSNBC felt the need to translate the UK's English into American English. :) Kinda made my morning. Excellent (Jolly good).

31 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Hungry Daze - Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
2. Mother's Little Helper - The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks, 1964-1971
3. Calling Elvis - Dire Straits - On Every Street
4. Stranglehold - Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
5. Word On A Wing - David Bowie - Station To Station

Quote of the Day

This is quite a small group of people within our community in London who ... are frankly looking for stuff to nick (steal). They are picking particular kinds of stores, whether it's because they want a new set of trainers (running shoes) or whatever.

London's Deputy Mayor Kit Malthouse

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It's very much a 1950's television neighborhood, if you know what I mean....everyone is walking their dogs after work and everyone knows everyone."

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Just a few items on this beautiful, but hot, CrabAppleLane Sunday.

Happy Belated 100th Birthday, Lucy.

My office soft drink machine is out of quarters and gives all nickels and dimes for change. Got a 1936 "Indian Head" nickel the other day. If there's a politically correct way to describe it, consider it described. These were still in circulation when I was a kid as were wooden nickels but both were somewhat rare. Even more rare today. Doubt it's worth much more than a nickel but I'm keeping it.

We've been looking at furniture lately. We're just browsing now but might pull the trigger if something we see is too good to pass up. One of the stores, where we saw stuff we like, has their own credit card and special financing deals on certain selections. I started to apply for it today and was cruising along until I hit the line below.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for Purchases and Balance Transfers 29.99%

Even though everything I was interested in was 0% interest for X number of months, I could never agree to any terms at 30% interest. By the way, that X number of months thing is a trap. If you make the last payment on the day it's due, you'll be over the X number of months and they charge you interest for all X number of months. Pretty severe if X is 24 or 48, like it was on some of the furniture we liked. It's still a good way to get things but you have to be aware of the trap and pay it off a month or two early.

I don't think anyone can ever improve on the original Rolling Stones studio recording of Gimme Shelter but this live version from Grand Funk Railroad's Caught in the Act Album is the best live version I've ever heard. Better than any Stones live version I've heard. Not a big fan of the Stones live. I have Caught in the Act on vinyl and CD. GFR was one of the great live bands of the 70s. Their two live albums are better than any of their studio albums. The QOTD is from The Railroad, one of my faves off of that album.

School starts tomorrow here. Shortest summer ever.

32 days until football season ...

I offer two from the CrabAppleLane yard. The Big Leaf Magnolia suffered its first really hot Bush summer day about a week ago. Burned the leaves a bit. I've since covered it with a black mesh. Seems to be keeping it alive. The backyard is green all over thanks to relentless rain followed by relentless sunshine.

CrabAppleLane Big Leaf Magnolia - August 7, 2011

CrabAppleLane Backyard - August 7, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Railroad - Grand Funk Railroad - Caught In The Act
2. Loco-Motion - Little Eva - The Ultimate Rock & Roll Collection: The 60's
3. Somebody To Roll - Nazareth - Play 'N' The Game
4. Reptile - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
5. How Many More Times - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I

Quote of the Day

Dirt and sweat
Running down my back
Work all day long
Up and down the railroad tracks
I'm a God fearing man
And with many I stand
And with God we've been working
All hand in hand

Grand Funk Railroad, The Railroad

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I really haven’t formed my final opinion on the whole coal port topic. I’m somewhat of an environmentalist when it comes to burning coal but I also see that it can be burned in a friendly manner."

Spectacular photography. -Rob

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Laugh of the morning from Greg Rosenthal. I don't think I'll miss that annual ritual but I think some reporters and pundits will.

It’s just not August in the NFL until some reporter is camping out in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Preparation H for your face. Make your own jokes.

Roseanne for President. And again, make your own jokes.

MLB warns about steroid alternative in deer spray. OK, this one is beyond ridiculous.

About today's QOTD: That's just wrong. A six-run lead is not safe. Stealing with that lead is good baseball.

33 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Stone Cold Crazy - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
2. Steamroller - James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
3. Otto Titsling - Bette Midler - Beaches
4. Dance To The Music - Sly & The Family Stone - iTunes Download
5. Wizards In Winter - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve

Quote of the Day

Tempers flared when Ramirez hit Victorino in the lower back with a pitch, moments after Jimmy Rollins stole second with a six-run lead.

AP via USA Today

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Everyone knows my love of burgers but I also love hot dogs! I'm not ashamed of grabbing a Lucky Dog when I'm in the Quarter and have tried to get my kids and wife to agree to rent a Lucky Dog cart for one of their birthday parties."

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"English, motherfucker. Do you speak it?"

You should know that I'm thinking about people whose first and only language IS English.

Marshall Faulk is one of the good guys in the NFL. Won me a Fantasy Football Championship once, too. Congrats to him on his election to the NFL Hall-of-Fame. He deserves it.

34 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. City To City - Gerry Rafferty - City To City
2. I Second That Emotion - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Super Hits 1967
3. Long Gone - Bryan Adams - Reckless
4. More Today Than Yesterday - The Spiral Starecase - The Ultimate Rock & Roll Collection: The 60's
5. Kilgary Mountain (Whiskey in the Jar) - Roger Whittaker - New World In The Morning: The Encore Collection

Quote of the Day

This is the first baby for the mother, 6-year-old Sandee, and Ryburn said after three exhausting hours of labor, Sandee leaned down and kissed the top of her baby’s head.

Suzanne Le Breton, St Tammany News

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I spent the week with the likes of this machine"

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Just some random thoughts today. I don't know any company that is hiring right now except the NFL ... and that's only temporary. This is no longer a chicken/egg thing. It's a chicken/chicken thing. Who can outlast who? A substantial portion of the populace is unemployed or underemployed. Business is down everywhere. If everyone is waiting on government for encouragement or incentive or if they're waiting on government to create favorable conditions, I think they're going to be waiting a while. Government at all levels is sharply divided. They can hardly do anything. Uncertainty will be there a while. I wonder how many citing government uncertainty now also claim their success came in spite of government. My guess is all of them. :) Government is always an obstacle ... except when it's not.

Please. Not again.

35 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Jelly Jelly - The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers And Sisters
2. Suicide Solution - Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz
3. Kinda I Want To - Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
4. Cold Fire - Rush - Counterparts
5. Stagefright - Def Leppard - Pyromania

Quote of the Day

It’s one more example, he said, of how American political campaigns have gone “back to the future” and to the “pre-Watergate days (of 1972) when Richard Nixon was raising unlimited amounts of money without disclosure.”

Michael Isikoff, MSNBC.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Janet Jackson wants to get in your face"

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Truly surprising story in The New Yorker this week. I haven't read it all yet but I intend to. It's the Bin Laden Raid. The writer, Nicholas Schmidle, is not someone I've read before but he provides a lot of details that have the "ring of truth". I'm inclined to believe everything I've read so far (Page 4). Totally fascinating.

Another bus trip from hell, as if there's another kind.

Today's QOTD is right out of a mystery novel. Glad she's OK and please catch that dweeb.

36 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Southbound - The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers And Sisters
2. Goodbye Says It All - Blackhawk - BlackHawk
3. Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound Of Thunder
4. You're A Better Man Than I - The Yardbirds - Heart Full Of Soul And Other Hits
5. Tyrant - Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

Quote of the Day

The manner in which it was located in proximity to the young lady was such that it has taken us the better part of 10 hours to secure her release

New South Wales state Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Abbottabad Compound"

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I offer the grandest tip of the cap to Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona on her spectacular return to Congress yesterday. I caught it live on the radio on my way home last night. What a moment. Get well soon, Gabby.

Randy Moss announced his retirement yesterday. I'm not totally convinced. He has offers but they're reflective of half-ass Randy, not all-in Randy. More thoughts on that guy here.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. 5:15 - The Who - Quadrophenia
2. 5.15 A.M. - Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La
3. T.N.T. - AC/DC - High Voltage
4. The Eyes Of Truth - Enigma - The Cross Of Changes
5. Big Country - Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - Greatest Hits Of The 20th Century

Quote of the Day

I strongly believe that crossing the aisle for the good of the American people is more important than party politics. I had to be here for this vote. I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy.

Gabrielle Giffords, Arizona

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "As I told the person concerned, I cancel, friends, family, clients, colleagues, when I need to. It’s not nice, I hate doing it and over the years I have worked hard to drop the associated guilt. If people think I am a flake, so be it. Try having young toddlers, living in pain and still smiling."

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I don't find anything particularly romantic about D.B. Cooper and never have. That the FBI might finally catch up with him is OK by me. That said, I hope he's still alive and can tell that story. I remember it. Lots of people say they can disappear and no one will ever find them but very few people actually do it. Hijacking was all the rage in the early 70s. People used to hijack planes to Cuba. Bet most of them would like to hijack one back now. The 911 hijackers changed everything about hijacking.

Best race EVER.

About today's BOTD: The ultimate zombie protection. Wonder if it comes in yellow.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. I Can Learn - The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
2. Nothing at All - Status Quo - STATUS QUO The Collection
3. Cheatin' - Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience
4. Closer To The Heart - Rush - Chronicles
5. Cajun Waltz - Sonny Landreth - South Of I-10

Quote of the Day

The official escape vehicle of the zombie apocalypse

Subaru

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "One of the safest places you could be when the zombies attack is at sea. Zombies will probably not swim very well, but they can probably float. So you need to be careful so they don’t get on to your boat. What you could do is stay safely under the water in a luxury submarine."

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The sun is shining outside my window. I had almost forgotten what that looks like. Got about half the yard cut last night. It doesn't look great but it surely looks better.

About today's BOTD: I try not to read reviews of movies I absolutely want to see before I see them. I only read them afterwards to see if the reviewer was right. I usually only read reviews before I see something if it's a movie I know nothing about or if it's a movie that I need some coaxing to go see. In this case, I am dying to see Cowboys and Aliens at the theater but I'm certain I'll have to go alone. Not Patsy's kind of movie. Maybe I'll take her sister. Tehn, I'll read the review. :)

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Learning To Fly - Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
2. Will You Love Me Tomorrow? - Carole King - Tapestry
3. What's Goin' On Here - Deep Purple - Burn
4. Rock Fever - Rainbow - Straight Between The Eyes
5. Stormy Monday - The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East

Quote of the Day

But I am shocked -- shocked! -- that L'Oreal, the company behind both brands, had the audacity to imply via advertising that its products would achieve a cosmetic effect that might not be 100% guaranteed to make me look like a movie staaah.

Sara Benincasa, Special to CNN

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Gunfight at the OK Portal"

If I still worked in New Orleans, I know where I'd be headed for lunch today. Liuzza's. Very good lasagna there.

Saints report to training camp today. First practice tomorrow, first preseason game in 15 days, first game that counts only six weeks from today ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Maybelline - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers - Anthology 1964-1977
2. Run Baby Run - Garbage - Bleed Like Me
3. 1984 - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
4. All That Matters - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Real Live Roadrunning
5. Black Country Woman - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Quote of the Day

Not only has the process to date not resolved the debt problem, it has been ugly. The American people — indeed, the world — have witnessed one of the most disgraceful, outrageous and juvenile periods in American governance. The federal government has not been this polarized and paralyzed since the years before the Civil War.

Bob Beckel, USA Today

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "In the meantime, I want to know your airport secrets!
Can you bring a turkey on a plane? What about the gravy?"

That struck me as funny. -Rob

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It's kind of unfortunate for Chrysler and the UAW that their management/labor issues come up now, especially if either intended to drum up public support for their side. Coming on the heels of the Wisconsin turmoil and the NFL faux turmoil, I think the sympathy well, not overflowing to begin with in these difficult times, has been tapped dry. Cool comments, though. :)

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Living After Midnight - Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
2. Fireball - Deep Purple - Fireball
3. Most High - Page & Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale
4. Black Math - The White Stripes - Elephant
5. Mustang Sally - The Commitments - The Commitments

Quote of the Day

I don't think there is any limits to the evil in this person's head. We can't take any chance with this person.

Norwegian domestic intelligence chief Janne Kristiansen

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Norway has two fjords on UNESCO'a World Heritage list: Nærøyfjorden and Geirangerfjorden. If you travel with Hurtigruten in the summer season, a visit to Geirangerfjorden is part of the route."

Incredible scenery. -Rob

Ever order a Coke and have the attendant ask you if Pepsi will be OK? Our local theater switched from Coke products to Pepsi products sometime since the last time we were there. Most annoying. It is NOT OK. I prefer Coke. The wife prefers Diet Coke. We do not like Pepsi. That is the precise reason your attendants have to ask before they pour, theater owners. I know Pepsi probably made you a great deal and you'll save some money short term. That concession special you run where we get two large drinks and a large popcorn for $20, where at least $18 of it is profit? It's going to another theater next time.

44 days until Saints v Packers

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Blue Angel-(w Robben Ford & Vince Gill) - Sonny Landreth - From The Reach
2. Goodnight - Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick/In Color/Heaven Tonight (3 Pak)
3. Lord Of The Thighs - Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
4. Don't Make Me Dream About You - Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World
5. Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton - Unplugged

Quote of the Day

Football is back

Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Once more, I will say that the Coca-Cola evolution is admirable and few companies — probably just GE — can claim to have extended their identity heritage across three centuries, but Coca-Cola isn’t perfect and as much as I despise the new Pepsi identity — which in no way am I trying to defend — I believe a fair comparison is in order."

Since the weather wasn't cooperating with my intention of doing lawn work, we went to see the last Harry Potter yesterday ... in 3D. About the 3D: There are enough 3D lollies in the film to make it worth your while and a few extra bucks to see it that way. Someone who remembers the book better than I do could probably point out where the film strayed but I think they maintained the story well enough. I liked it but Harry Potter doesn't quite hold the same magic he had a few years ago. Of course, we had to see it because we read all of the books and had seen all of the movies but this cultural phenomenon was running out of steam. It had a great run, though.

I thought the first book was better than its film. Films 2, 4, 5, and 6 were better than their book. Film 3 and Book 3 were equal. Book 7 was better than these last two films.

For the third weekend in a row, yardwork has been rained out. We were dying for rain just a few weeks ago. If it would stop raining now for the rest of the day, I could probably do something in a couple of hours but I doubt I'll be able to finish. On that note, I offer a few from around the yard today. 1) The garden would have been pulled up today. I'd sink up to my knees in the garden soil if I tried now. 2) Those two crepe myrtles have never bloomed at the same time like this. Never mind the embarrassing clumps of tall Bahia grass you can see. Anyone have a horse they want to feed? 3) The stairway has been exposed to the rain and the relentless southern exposure for 16 years. It needs to be replaced. It's a project I'm going to try but I'll let someone else do it if I'm not happy with my results. I need the weather to cooperate, though. 4) The tallow tree roots have sent up a jillion sprouts, some of them a good 75 feet away. 5) After ten days, one green leaf turned brown but there is growth on the stem. It's still early but it's looking like this is going to be a painfully slow-growing tree.

CrabAppleLane Garden - July 24, 2011

CrabAppleLane Front Yard - July 24, 2011

CrabAppleLane Front Stairway - July 24, 2011

CrabAppleLane Front Yard - July 24, 2011

CrabAppleLane Big Leaf Magnolia - July 24, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Allman Brothers playlist:

1. Trouble No More - The Allman Brothers Band - The Allman Brothers Band
2. Les Brers In A Minor - The Allman Brothers Band - Eat A Peach
3. Ramblin' Man - The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers And Sisters
4. Little Martha - The Allman Brothers Band - Eat A Peach
5. In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed - The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East

Quote of the Day

And his name is Voldemort, so you might as well use it, he's going to try to kill you either way.

Professor McGonagall, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Harry Potter books are done. Should J.K. Rowling write some new books that also involve the world of Harry Potter? Or, in the words of the Beatles, should she Let It Be?"

Let it be. It's over. -Rob

Thoughts and sympathies to ALL of the victims and their families of the bombing and shooting rampage in Norway yesterday. In the coming days and weeks, you will see some trying to blame others for inciting the violence. You will see some blaming others for trying to make political points out of the tragedy. You will see some blaming guns. You will see others defending guns. You will see some say the gunman was simply deranged and it's just a tragedy. If any of them are counting on me to listen, though, they're wasting their breath and their time. I'm sick of all of them. This is almost a word-for-word repost. I was saying the same things back in January. I hope this is the last time but I suspect it won't be.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Do You Close Your Eyes - Rainbow - Rising
2. That's Enough For Me - Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
3. Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Joe Cocker - Joe Cocker
4. Sweet Thing (Reprise) - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
5. Love And Happiness - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning

Quote of the Day

As of now we have 84 dead at Utoeya. In Oslo, with the explosion and the impact it had, we are not yet sure if that number is final. At Utoeya, the water is still being searched for more victims.

Deputy Police Chief Roger Andresen, Norway

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "How could something like this happen here in tiny little PEACEFUL Norway?"

Really cool pictures of the last space shuttle flight as seen from Earth, particularly that first one. Awesome. Today's BOTD belongs to the French astro-photographer who took the photographs. He has a lot of other neat stuff there, too. Well done astro-photography is always spectacular.

Here nor there: From MSNBC:

The argument that increased regulation makes loans more expensive has long been used by the lending industry against new, more stringent rules.

It's probably true but I wouldn't believe them if they told me the sun set in the west. They are professional liars procrastinators. They make excuses for everything. Every closing I've been involved with except one has been a frustrating, infuriating experience. They have almost zero motivation to proceed to a finish and they always have an excuse. If you don't stand on them or nag them incessantly, it will not get done. I have never understood that.

My take on the latest kink in the NFL/NFLPA negotiations.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Hysteria - Def Leppard - Hysteria
2. Heavy Fuel - Dire Straits - On The Night (LIVE)
3. Another Brick In The Wall (Part 1) - Pink Floyd - The Wall
4. Chant Of The Ever Circling Skeletal - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
5. Garden Of Eden - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I

Quote of the Day

We are not scared any more. Your threats to arrest us are meaningless to us as you cannot arrest an idea. Any attempt to do so will make your citizens more angry until they will roar in one gigantic choir. It is our mission to help these people and there is nothing — absolutely nothing — you can possibly to do make us stop.

Hacker groups Anonymous and LulzSec

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "This image might be the last one of a space shuttle in orbit. It has been taken on July 21st 2011 at 08:27:48 UT, just 21 minutes before Atlantis' deorbit burn, from the area of Emden, NW Germany. Transit duration: 0.9s. Distance to observer: 566 km. Speed in orbit: 7.8 km/s. Atlantis appears on 4 images, combined below:"

Abandoned houses should be sold to the highest bidder and the proceeds should go to property taxes and creditors. They should not ever go to just anyone with the gall to move in. The guy is in "adverse possession", essentially a hostile takeover of private property. This is wrong. There should be a clear succession of abandoned property ... owners, creditors, state. That guy didn't trespass? He didn't break any laws whatsoever in Texas to protect property owners?

The BOTD is devoted to ending adverse possession laws.

About today's QOTD: Apparently, they don't need a permit to do that.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Like Crying - Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On
2. Robot Man - Scorpions - In Trance
3. Be Like That - 3 Doors Down - The Better Life
4. How To Save A Life - The Fray - How to Save a Life
5. What A Shame - Foghat - Rock & Roll

Quote of the Day

The girls are now doing chores and yard work to make money.

Associated Press via USA TODAY

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "What I've learned in talking with attorneys about the law (and yes... I've talked to A LOT of attorneys) is that there are basically two types of lawyers out there. Those who are great at knowing the law and reciting cases, and others who are great at thinking logically and are emotionally unbiased. I prefer the latter. We need logic and reason if society is to move forward."

Congratulations to Japan on their World Cup victory yesterday. They never gave up. They were down late in regulation and rallied, down late in overtime and rallied. The American women played hard but didn't capitalize on their opportunities, especially early in the game, and they couldn't defend their lead. This loss will hurt for a while. And, about that hurt: I can't even believe someone felt this needed to be said. Sometimes, the other team wins ... and I wouldn't have it any other way. They maybe could have played better but they surely couldn't have played harder. I'm proud of the US team.

About today's QOTD: Amazing how much a song can get the juices flowing no matter how many times you've heard it. Just thinking about it is doing it for me. Hank Williams Jr deserves all the credit he gets for it.

And, yes, I'm ready for some football. 52 days and counting ...

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Deep Purple playlist:

1. Not Responsible - Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
2. Maybe I'm A Leo - Deep Purple - Machine Head 25th Anniversary Edition
3. Sail Away - Deep Purple - Burn
4. Hard Lovin' Man - Deep Purple - Deep Purple In Rock
5. Space Truckin' [Live] - Deep Purple - Made In Japan

Quote of the Day

There, from the world of country music, stood Hank Williams to ask, "Are you ready for some football?" That's how Hank's now-iconic ditty was born. The place went wild.

Al Michaels, Monday Morning Quarterback

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "This is a daily diary of events spanning his entire career. It will include footage, audio clips, unseen photos, plus previously unreleased tracks, demos and home recordings. There will also be personal anecdotes. But be warned: each entry will be up for just 24 hours and then will permanently removed. There’s to be no archiving."

No archiving? Well, that's just idiotic. -Rob

First things first. Game is about to start here.

Update: It's halftime now and it's a scoreless tie or should I say the score is nil-nil? The US team needs to hit one or two of those shots on goal. The second half just started and the US team missed another opportunity.

Update:

Update to the update: Japan just tied the game. Out until it's over.

Quite anxious to see where Marie's story goes from here. Love the way she writes.

Finished the team-by-team fantasy football review for 2011. Started on players today.

Some story about August Busch IV and the Anheuser-Busch Corporation. I always thought the Busch family was St Louis royalty but, apparently, there is much more to it. WOW.

I picked a watermelon today. It's a Sugar Baby variety and was a bit overripe. As soon as I cut into it, it started breaking up. It's in the refrigerator now ... jes chilling. :)

CrabAppleLane Watermelon - July 17, 2011

CrabAppleLane Watermelon - July 17, 2011

Patsy took the one below a couple of weeks ago at my request. This is a sign at St John's Coffee House in Covington.

St John's Coffee House - Covington, LA

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Led Zeppelin playlist:

1. Ten Years Gone - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
2. In The Evening - Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door
3. Hots On For Nowhere - Led Zeppelin - Presence
4. Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
5. Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I

Quote of the Day

Team Destiny, meet Team Destiny.

Ravi Ubha, ESPN.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Your Friday afternoon dose of cute has arrived..."

Our British friends have serious problems with their media as do we but I think they're far ahead of us on the path. News is now a profit center for every publication. It has to be packaged to sell. Subscriptions, when they can collect them, don't cover expenses any more. To compete for what little advertiser revenue is out there, their circulation and their exposure is everything. Integrity, accuracy, and credibility are way at the back of the bus. Still kinda sorry to see the British tabloid press taking this kind of beating. They need to rein in their excesses in some areas and let fly in others. I mean, where else can you keep up with aliens? They're camera-shy, don't you know?

About today's QOTD: They're calling it "Carmageddon". I love it but I'm guessing a few motorists will have different names for it by this afternoon. :)

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Union Forever - The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
2. Alone and Forsaken - Emmylou Harris & Mark Knopfler - Timeless - Hank Williams Tribute
3. Citizen Cain - Tom Cochrane & Red Rider - Tom Cochrane And Red Rider
4. Back In Black - AC/DC - AC/DC Live
5. Les Boys - Dire Straits - Making Movies

Quote of the Day

Traffic in the in the Los Angeles area is so far moving smoothly, several hours after authorities shut down a 10-mile stretch of one of the busiest U.S. freeways for a massive 53-hour construction project.

Associated Press via USA Today

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "In conclusion, buying a home can be very stressful, yes, but it’s also one of the most amazing experiences. Family and friends come together to celebrate your new home, and you work hard (and have fun) making it just right for you. It’s pretty neat."

One of the reasons I read The Daily Irrelevant is because he finds stuff like this. Watch that short video. Totally mesmerizing.

The hacking scandal in the UK claims the resignation it wanted. That sacrificial lamb won't be enough now, though. They should have gotten out in front of that much sooner. As Black Lab once said:

There's a beast
And I let it run
Now it's running my way

About today's QOTD: I love irreverence.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. One Way Out - The Allman Brothers Band - Eat A Peach
2. Hells Bells - AC/DC - AC/DC Live
3. America - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
4. Long Hard Road Out Of Hell - Marilyn Manson & The Sneaker Pimps - Spawn
5. Welcome to the Machine - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

Quote of the Day

So the tongue-in-cheek atheist applied for a new driver's license in his country with a photo of himself wearing a pasta strainer as headgear. Alm said he was a "pastafarian" and that the headpiece was required by his religion. He is affiliated to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

MSNBC.com news services

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It wasn't a stroke, it is something called Bells palsy which is an inflammation of the 7th cranial nerve (the nerve bundle that controls your facial muscles on the left side)."

CrabAppleLane Big Leaf Magnolia - July 14, 2011

Freshly planted and considerably overpaid.

I'm glad the Women's World Cup final is Sunday. Most Americans will get to see it. Too bad it's on ESPN, though. A lot of American homes still don't have cable or satellite. I wish one of the major networks had the foresight to see some value in this sort of reality TV. I think it would have paid off for them. Best I can figure is kickoff is at 1:45PM CDT.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Burnin' For You - Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
2. Wedding Bells - Lissie - Why You Runnin'
3. Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I
4. Easy Lover - Phil Collins - Hits
5. El Condor Pasa (If I Could) - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

Awesome job US Women, finish it off Sunday now.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "But Wambach rose to meet a Cheney corner kick — she has scored in the past three U.S. games — and then Morgan sealed the victory by slipping behind the defense and chipping the goalkeeper. The goals seemed to bring the tiring Americans to life, and they were soon dancing at midfield in celebration."

"Look, Ma. There's a little midget over there in line. He's cute."

"Little midget" was a man in his late 30s or early 40s.

Apologies to Cole Porter. There are restaurants around here that are losing a lot of business because their dining area is just entirely too hot. People don't like to come in from the blistering heat and eat hot food in a hot restaurant. In some cases, the place is hot because the doors are always opening. In others, they're just setting the thermostat too high. One Chinese restaurant I know leaves the front door open. I do not know how they can work in that. Chick Fil-A has airlock entries on their restaurants to keep their dining areas cool in the summer and warm in the winter and I'm sure that is contributing to their success. The one near me seems to have twice as much walk-in business as the other fast food joints. I have no figures to confirm that. It just looks that way. I'm sure their consistently good food and great service has something to do with their success, too. Because it will probably get up around 100º today, there are a few places that I like that I simply will not consider. I suppose they should be thankful it's not their food keeping me away but I think any reason to keep me away should be eliminated, if possible.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Mark Knopfler playlist:

1. On Every Street - Dire Straits - On Every Street
2. You And Your Friend - Dire Straits - On The Night (LIVE)
3. Romeo And Juliet - Dire Straits - Alchemy
4. Done With Bonaparte - Mark Knopfler - Golden Heart
5. Red Dirt Girl - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Real Live Roadrunning

Quote of the Day

It seemed like it was guy after guy throwing 98

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The question I get asked the most regarding hummingbirds is “How do I keep the bully hummingbird from dominating my feeder?”"

About today's QOTD: It's only a matter of time before every juror's name is known. People, who have no idea what was presented at trial or what the judge instructed the jury to do, will then do their own thing. Vandalism or violence are the usual things. Which will it be this time? We'll have to wait and see. Nancy Grace will, of course, say people are responsible for their own actions. How's that good old civic responsibility sounding now?

Sorry, folks. I'm just not a big fan of yellow journalism and that is what a lot of our media is turning into. It brings in dollars. We get what we deserve.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Little Lovin' - Lissie - Catching a Tiger
2. Great Big White World - Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals
3. La Villa Strangiato - Rush - Chronicles
4. Into The Mystic - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers Anthology: 1964-1977
5. Sunday Will Never Be The Same - Spanky & Our Gang - Super Hits 1967

Quote of the Day

I’d rather go to jail than sit on a jury like this again.

Juror number 12, Casey Anthony jury

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "On Tuesday, a jury found her not guilty of murder, aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse in her daughter Caylee’s death."

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Picked my first homegrown watermelon ever yesterday. In fact, it was this very one. I had no idea what to expect once it was cut into but I suspected it was ready. It was very, very heavy for such a small watermelon. It was most definitely done. I would have liked it a little sweeter but it was very good and I'm pleased with it. I have three more on the vines.

Just ordered a tree online. It's a big leaf magnolia. They're difficult to find in the stores around here so I thought I'd give this a shot. I've been wanting to replace a Bradford Pear tree we lost to Katrina but I wanted to also put it in the exact same spot so I waited while the roots decayed. The site is ready to go now. I've had some success with mail order trees. I ordered some hybrid poplar trees about 25 years ago when we lived in Metairie. Every time I pass our old house, I marvel at how well they're still doing. I also marvel at how ugly they are now but that's another story. :) I tried a big leaf magnolia a few years ago that my sister gave me but it didn't survive. I think that's because I chose too shady a spot. I've since seen a few healthy ones around here in full sun. That's where this one will be going. I'm taking a bit of a chance that it will arrive here viable. There is no guarantee.

I offer one from the CrabAppleLane backyard and one from the CrabAppleLane vegetable garden. The grape tomatoes are still going to town. They're ripening faster than we can eat them. I built a bird feeder with some scrap wood I had in the garage. It doesn't look like much but I find the patrons around here prefer function to form. The pole was already there. The satellite dish used to be on it. The raccoon thinks greasing that mounting pole is dirty pool.

CrabAppleLane Grape Tomatoes - July 10, 2011

CrabAppleLane Homemade Bird Feeder - July 10, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Raised On Robbery - Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark
2. Why Aye Man - Mark Knopfler - Live From The Ryman
3. Never Before - Deep Purple - Machine Head (Roger Glover Remixes)
4. X-Girlfriend - Bush - Sixteen Stone
5. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

Quote of the Day

Quite simply, we lost our way

New of the World Final Editorial

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Our Magnolia macrophylla is in full flower, with its large citrus-scented flowers striking in the evening light."

R.I.P., Dick Williams and John Mackey.

Baseball and football both lost Hall-Of-Famers Thursday. It was a very sad day for both sports.

Dick Williams was a terrific manager. To me, the best baseball managers win with what they have. Williams was one of those. His teams played gorilla ball in Oakland and small ball in Montreal. He gets extra credit from me for putting up with Charlie Finley as long as he did. Finley was easily the most meddlesome owner in professional sports. The Cowboys Jerry Jones and the Yankees deceased George Steinbrenner don't hold a candle to him.

When I was a kid, the Baltimore Colts and St Louis Cardinals played an exhibition game in City Park Stadium in New Orleans. My dad took me and some friends to that game. He wanted to see LSU's Jerry Stovall, who was a cornerback for the Cardinals. We saw a lot of great players that day. Johnny Unitas, Ray Berry, Jimmy Orr, Lenny Moore, and John Mackey of the Colts and Johnny Roland and Larry Smith of the Cardinals. John Mackey was a fantastic tight end and a playmaker back in the days when tight ends were mostly just blockers. That he got in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his last year of eligibility is obscene. From Wikipedia:

It has been speculated that Mackey's actions as a high-ranking member of the players' union may have led to the delay in his election.

I don't know about that. Why would sportswriters care about his union activities? There must have been a non-football reason, though, and I would surely like to talk to some of those selection committee members. If you ever saw that guy play and, presumably, they did, you could never say he wasn't one of the best ever. He could run and break tackles better than the tight ends of today and he played in an era of much better tackling defenses. There is no excuse from any of those sportswriters that I could accept. He should have been voted in the first time his name appeared on the ballot.

About today's QOTD: It would be maybe the coolest thing ever if they did. :)

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. After Erasmus - Al Reingold - After Erasmus
2. Rosealia - Better Than Ezra - Deluxe
3. Going To Work - Martina McBride - The Way That I Am
4. Eyes Without A Face - Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
5. Witchy Woman - The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

It doesn't mean that we're one day going to find a skull with a hole in its head from the stone that David slung at him, but it nevertheless tells that this reflects a cultural milieu that was actually there at the time

Aren Maeir, Bar-Ilan University

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "He is considered by many to be the first truly modern tight end, and by some to be the greatest ever at his position."

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Shuttle Atlantis is ready for liftoff. Photo by NASA. Click on the image for a larger view. Better yet, click here. It will be the last American space flight for some time. The shuttle program never quite made space flight economical, safe, or routine but it surely made steps in that direction. In spite of two horrific tragedies to Challenger and Columbia, I think the effort and the money spent were worthwhile. I don't follow space flights as much as I used to when I was a kid but I never lost the sense of wonder. None of us should. There will always be things we need to spend money on that are closer to home but we need the space program, too. Exploration has to be part of who we are. I will always support NASA.

Update: We have liftoff. GEAUX Atlantis.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Great Gulf Wind (Slight Return) - Sonny Landreth - South Of I-10
2. Please Read The Letter - Page & Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale
3. Astronomy Domine (Live) - Pink Floyd - Take It Back (s)
4. All The Young Dudes - Mott The Hoople - Rock: The Train Kept A Rollin'
5. Too Rolling Stoned - Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs

Quote of the Day

But that stone just keeps on rolling
Bringing me some real bad news
Takers get the honey
Givers sing the blues

Robin Trower, Too Rolling Stoned

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Whoa, Dave Edmunds lays down a deep cut here with "Sabre Dance." This shit is the jam."

That is kind of fun. -Rob

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Field of Dreams 2. Excellent. The making of Field of Dreams 2 is even better. Cool site although I didn't find everything there all that funny. It's today's BOTD.

The NFL season is scheduled to start 9 weeks from today. The league will also want to get in 6 weeks of training camp and preseason don't-call-them-exhibition games. Every team also has a draft class and several free agents to deal with. Like sands through an hourglass ...

63 days until Saints v Packers ... I hope

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
2. Gone Country - Alan Jackson - Who I Am
3. Make It Last - Montrose - Montrose
4. Man That You Fear - Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
5. Coming Back To Life - Pink Floyd - The Division Bell

Quote of the Day

Good thing Charlie got another gig, because there is absoluelty NO WAY he will make a return to Two and a Half Men. Producer Chuck Lorre has made plans to kill off Sheen's character, Charlie Harper.

As for how Ashton Kutcher enters the picture, there's been talk that he buys Charlie's house after Charlie drives off a cliff. This is a huge F you to Sheen, considering he has actually driven 2 cars off a cliff on Mulholland Drive.

Mevio

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The owners are going to need damage control. So why not hire ubiquitous NFL diplomat, Peyton Manning, to be your spokesman?"

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Today's QOTD is from a piece detailing a much larger scandal going on in the UK concerning their tabloid press. That they're willing to pay the police for information doesn't concern me quite as much as that the police are taking money from them for that information. On the other, larger part of the scandal, hacking into a victim's family's phone messages and deleting some to make room for others is just unconscionable. Forget the law, where is the decency? Whatever sells papers, I suppose.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Good Love (B Side) - Nazareth - Play 'N' The Game
2. One World - Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
3. Gave Up - Nine Inch Nails - Broken
4. Mama - B.J. Thomas - All The Hits
5. Lift Him Up - O.C.M.S. - Tennessee Pusher

Quote of the Day

In 2003, Brooks, then editor of The Sun, told a parliamentary committee that her paper paid police for information.

MSNBC

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "But that kind of logic has no place in an artistic community that has been taught their only path to survival comes from constantly advertising how threatened they are, be it from other cultures, changing technology or the disinterest of their own population."

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About that nude cruise. From MSNBC:

(Surprising fact no. 3: Nudists at sea have a dress code. In the formal dining room, clothes must be worn for safety reasons. Trays of scalding coffee and flaming basked Alaska don’t mix with exposed skin aboard rolling decks).

Alrighty then.

If China succeeds in "buying Facebook", I'm outta there. Hanging by a thread as it is.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Bring It On Home - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
2. Fever - Peggy Lee - iTunes Download
3. Come Back When You Grow Up - Bobby Vee - Super Hits 1967
4. Every Picture Tells A Story - Rod Stewart - Unplugged... And Seated
5. Walking Towards Paradise - Robert Plant - Now And Zen

Quote of the Day

So officially, on April 24, 2004, the Chargers at some point had Drew Brees, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers as QBs…..

And the only one they kept is the only one who hasn’t won a Super Bowl.

Tfbuckfutter, PFT

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Forget aperture, shutter, exposure and all the other dials you’ve yet to master on your DSLR! With a light field camera you don’t even have to focus when taking the shot – that you can do afterwards."

That's incredible. -Rob

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Happy Independence Day
From CrabAppleLane

Got plans?

I offer one from the yard. One of the fig trees below is a Brown Turkey Fig and I think the other is a Celeste. I have no idea which one is which any more. No figs on either one but this is only their second season and we're still in a fairly severe drought. They seem to be managing on their own quite well. I've only watered once or twice.

CrabAppleLane Fig Trees - July 4, 2011

The QOTD comes from someone who would like to alter our backyard barbecue routines because we're causing cancer and air pollution and, generally, we're just being less like them. Dave ran across one that was a little nastier a few days ago. O'Donnel is a little more on the preachy side than the condescending side.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Don't You Get It - Mark Knopfler - Golden Heart
2. I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
3. Danko/Manuel - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
4. Bright Lights - Matchbox 20 - Exile On Mainstream
5. Independence Day - Martina McBride - The Way That I Am

Quote of the Day

My guy is one open-minded eater who's eating more plants and whole grains these days, but when he dons that grilling hat, it's all about the meat, baby.

Kim O’Donnel, USA TODAY

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Celebrating the 235th birthday of the United States of America: On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress."

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I'd like to give kudos to Target for using Pictures of Matchstick Men in their ad. Great choice. It is one of my faves since I was a kid. I had it on 45 at one time. I'm sure some of the readers here don't even know what that means.

The hot summer is here. The hydrangeas have given way to the Texas Star Hibiscus and Crepe Myrtles. The red ones below are the Texas Star and the purple ones are Crepe Myrtles.

CrabAppleLane Sunday - July 3, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Lonely You - Badfinger - The Very Best Of Badfinger
2. Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler - Love Bites: More Romantic Power Ballads
3. Pictures Of Matchstick Men - Status Quo - STATUS QUO The Collection
4. The God That Failed - Metallica - Black Album
5. The Gypsy - Deep Purple - Stormbringer

Quote of the Day

Pictures of matchstick men and you
Mirages of matchstick men and you
All I ever see is them and you

Status Quo, Pictures of Matchstick Men and You

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Cherry jam and pound cake ... Makes for a good breakfast."

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Just needed a laugh this morning. The reliable Dave Barry provided it.

The Manning Passing Academy is a wonderful experience for aspiring quarterbacks. Who isn't an aspiring quarterback? What I did not know was that it had such a large economic impact. $1.8 million in accommodations, meals, and doodads. That's a lot of money.

About today's QOTD: R.I.P, Lucky.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah - Alice Cooper - Killer
2. Don't Cha Stop - The Cars - The Cars
3. Takin' Care Of Business - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - The Anthology
4. Waiting For The Day - Gerry Rafferty - City To City
5. The Great Salt Lake - Band of Horses - Everything All the Time

Quote of the Day

A friend and co-worker told me a secret I'd never heard that was seven years old. She'd lost a baby to a rare childhood illness, and would often seek out Lucky when the depths of her sadness were unbearable. "Things just seemed better" after playing with him, she said. "He just seemed to get people, intuit what they needed and purely, simply offered love."

Bob Sullivan, The Red Tape Chronicles

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We are getting settled in our new house. Brutus and I have a nice backyard to play in."

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The jury is back in on Sunday's tomato sauce. I had my first plate of spaghetti and meatballs last night. Patsy had spaghetti squash with some of the tomato sauce. I grilled some garlic bread to go with it. We both thought it was excellent. Hers could not have been as good as mine but that's normal around here. Looking forward to dinner tonight even more than I was last night. I still have a couple of servings and a half loaf of french bread just waiting for my homemade garlic butter. :)

For the record, it went like this:

26 red tomatoes (Enough to fill that pot to the level pictured at the link)
1/4 cup olive oil (About ... I didn't measure)
1 Medium onion - Chopped fine
4 stalks of celery - Chopped fine
4 small carrots - 2 chopped fine
12 cloves garlic - Chopped fine
1 tablespoon salt
Some black pepper
10 leaves basil
1 bell pepper - Chopped fine

Remove skin from tomatoes. Boil for a few seconds. Make sure all of the skin comes in contact with the boiling water. Makes removing the skin much easier. Cut the tomatoes into quarters or so, place them in a food processor, and puree until the mixture looks like soup. Pour them through a strainer into the pot you're going to use (I recommend a ceramic or Magnalite aluminum pot, not cast iron). That removes the seeds and some pulp. Put on low flame.

Saute the chopped ingredients in the olive oil until they're soft (About 10 minutes). Add to the tomatoes and simmer. Add six fresh basil leaves (Whole), add salt, add pepper to taste. Simmer uncovered for 2 hours, stirring regularly. Taste. If bitter, shave carrots into sauce and stir until bitterness diminishes. Simmer uncovered another hour or so until it's the thickness you like. Remove basil leaves. Remove from heat. Chop remaining basil leaves and sprinkle on top. Serve with capellini for best results. Bon appetit.

About today's QOTD: Wonder what that guy is going to think of himself when he's reminiscing about that a few years from now.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Come To Me - Bonnie Raitt - Luck Of The Draw
2. Highway Halo - O.C.M.S. - Tennessee Pusher
3. Easy To Be Hard - Three Dog Night - Captured Live At The Forum
4. I Want To Disappear - Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals
5. Jessica - The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers And Sisters

Quote of the Day

Upon leaving the hospital, Brink refused to return to the squad car and had to be carried by three officers, court documents state. While being lifted to the vehicle, Brink pulled his shorts down and threatened to urinate on the deputies and the car, court documents state.

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Ok, here is the problem. I have a blog called “The Thursday Blog”, which many have hailed as a pure genius idea. It means I only blog once a week, every week and it gives the reader a nice sense of familiarity. Also it protects the blogger from what happens to all bloggers from time to time…….. they forget to blog."

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Spent the early part of yesterday evening confirming my status as the world's worst plumber. The job got done but it takes me a lot longer than it would an average do-it-yourselfer. The work, itself, isn't all that demanding although I pretty much have to relearn the how-tos just about every time. Getting in those tight spots is the part I have trouble doing. Well, that and the constant getting up off of and getting back down on to the floor, too. The job last night involved removing the trap under a bathroom sink. We had a slow drain for about a week that Liquid Plumber didn't help. At the end of that week, or perhaps even before, it developed a leak. There will be a bucket under it for a few days until I know, for sure, that it isn't leaking. That's both confidence and experience.

About today's QOTD: This cellphone hater doesn't think so. Go for it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Solitary Man - Neil Diamond - Classics: The Early Years
2. I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls - Meav - Méav
3. I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
4. Downtown - Petula Clark - AM Gold 1965
5. Bron-Yr-Aur - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Quote of the Day

I think cell phones have ruined pushing people into pools

Domonique Foxworth, Baltimore Ravens - Special to SI.com

Blog of the day via Kate is here.

Quote from said blog: "And that was exactly what I was still echoing through my head an hour later, when Laura and I stopped our shopping carts and stared up in confused, silent awe at a display of enormous metal chickens, made from rusted oil drums."

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A sad day for baseball. I'm certain there is no talk of moving that franchise like there would be if it was happening in Kansas City or Milwaukee.

Classic case of TMI. Say it aint so, Florence, or, better yet, don't say anything.

The QOTD is talking about mob-boss-on-the-run, Whitey Bulger, and his girlfriend. I'm willing to bet everyone who ever came into contact with them is replaying their conversations to see what could have gone wrong.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Eli's Coming - Three Dog Night - The Best Of Three Dog Night
2. Mad Russian's Christmas (Instrumental) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve And Other Stories
3. Ship Of Fools - Robert Plant - Now And Zen
4. Tusk - Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
5. Blowin' Free - Wishbone Ash - Argus

Quote of the Day

I just passed by them frequently and said hello, and we talked about the weather

Montanna Bischoff, 25

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The world's largest retail chain that sells worthless shit from China is now allowed to sell "Weed" What nots?"

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The blogs here have been offline since early Friday morning. My host, Network Solutions, was the victim of a series of DDOS attacks a few days ago and they've been scrambling ever since to put out all the fires. Apparently, the hacker community is pissed off at them or one of their clients. As a result, my host is doing extra maintenance and who knows what else but it’s damned inconvenient to me and thousands of other users. These guys fancy themselves as rebels but they're really not. They're just vandals and what they're doing is not just harmless fun.

Today was time to give tomato sauce another go. Last week, I used a cast iron pot. This week, I used a ceramic-coated one. Patsy and I both think the cast iron pot imparted unwanted flavors into the sauce. I also adjusted the recipe. I cut down on the tomatoes because this week's batch of tomatoes were quite a bit bigger than the ones I used last week. I upped the celery, carrots, garlic, bell pepper, and basil. I also removed all of the sauce from the pot as soon as I was finished. This batch is definitely better. We'll find out how much better tomorrow night or Tuesday night.

26 red tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Medium onion
4 stalks of celery
4 small carrots
12 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon salt
Some black pepper
10 leaves basil
1 bell pepper (I used another orange one from my garden)

CrabAppleLane Tomato Sauce - June 26, 2011

About the quote from today's BOTD: I always thought a botnet was something a cyber-criminal had to create. Apparently, you can rent one from other cyber-criminals. I wonder what they charge.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Warrior - Wishbone Ash - Argus
2. The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo) - Manfred Mann - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968_1969
3. The Way - Fastball - All the Pain Money Can Buy
4. Prairie Wedding - Mark Knopfler - Sailing To Philadelphia
5. Doctor Doctor - UFO - Phenomenon

A suicide bomber in a wheelchair blew himself up at the entrance to a police station north of the capital Baghdad on Sunday, killing three people and wounding 18, officials said.

Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Last week, a DDoS extortionist got arrested for renting a botnet and attempting to blackmail German betting sites during the World Cup."

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After all those months of bluster and posturing, of insisting it was impossible to find agreement on an equitable split of $9 billion — something most fans could have managed over a pizza and a case of beer — there's been so much progress these last three weeks it seems the question is not if a deal gets done, but when.

No, it seems to me the question is if they can make this much progress in three weeks, what have they been doing for the last two years? Indianapolis Colts owner, Jim Irsay, said something similar a few weeks ago when he said he and Jeff Saturday could work it out over lunch but I think maybe now it's just starting to sink in with the owners and players how ludicrous this has been from the start. Opening day is 11 weeks from today and you want to get in six weeks worth of training camp and preseason? Might I suggest you start working at this full time like the working stiffs who are picking up the tab?

77 days until Saints v Packers ... I hope

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Cocaine Habit - Old Crow Medicine Show - Big Iron World
2. Already Gone - The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits
3. El Condor Pasa (If I Could) - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
4. American Pie - Don McLean - AM Gold 1970-1974
5. One More Tomorrow - Henry Gross - Plug Me Into Something

Quote of the Day

There aint no doubt it
It's hard every step of the way
But there aint no doubt without it
Because when you find what you need
One more tomorrow
Aint gonna take that away

Henry Gross, One More Tomorrow

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Using the Falklands issue is a pretty basic ploy in Argentine politics – it seems to make normally sane people foam at the mouth."

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Going to tweak the tomato sauce recipe quite a bit and give it another go this Sunday. It didn't turn out like I'd hoped. It's OK but homemade sauce from these tasty tomatoes I have should be off the charts. It wasn't.

About today's QOTD: I think the Cardinals are going to lose their best and most popular player. Baseball is creating another minor league. They have A, Double A, Triple A, and now, Quad A. The new Quad A league consists of the smaller market teams that can't afford to keep their best players. If it were up to me, I'd put an asterisk next to every team that won the World Series with the highest payroll. If they don't create a salary ceiling and a salary floor like the NFL has, they will continue to alienate fans.

Pretty amazing picture from Omaha, where tornado sirens delayed a College World Series game. The whirlwind that is the SEC is still there, though. 3 of the 6 remaining teams, including both teams still in the winner's bracket are from the SEC. The SEC has won 5 football championships in a row and are well on their way to a 3rd straight baseball championship.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs
2. Wild Theme - Mark Knopfler - Local Hero
3. Fever - Peggy Lee - iTunes Download
4. You Really Got Me - Van Halen - Van Halen
5. The Calm Before - Elijah Bossenbroek - Harmony in Disarray

Quote of the Day

Whatever Albert Pujols’ broken forearm means to the St. Louis Cardinals’ chances of reaching the playoffs this year, consider it one more likely reason he won’t reach the Cubs as a free agent next year.

Gordon Wittenmyer, Chicago Sun-Times

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I figure that with today's requirement of minification and concatination most people have to have some sort of compilation step in their deployment process anyway."

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Near CrabAppleLane - June 21, 2011

The field above is about a mile from my house and I pass this guy every day both to and from work. It's been many, many years since I saw a real one in a field. It brightens my day a little. I don't know what the owner hopes to ward off. I don't think crows care much about watermelon. They're more into roadkill and whole corn around here. Washington Parish, about five miles from here, is famous for watermelons. They're the best I've ever tasted. These are undoubtedly one of those varieties. You'll have to come here to try one. They don't travel well.

I had a colleague once tell me that we want to be the "best of the worst". It appalled me at the time. I think of that every time I see one of these studies.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Red Barchetta - Rush - Moving Pictures
2. Woodstock - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu
3. Temptation Eyes - The Grass Roots - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Grass Roots
4. Gallows Pole - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
5. Rock Bottom - UFO - Phenomenon

Quote of the Day

Summer in the Northern Hemisphere will officially arrive on Tuesday at 1:16 p.m. EDT: the June solstice. At the same time, winter officially begins for the Southern Hemisphere.

Joe Rao, Space on MSNBC

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Often we talk about “good” vs. “bad” customer satisfaction scores. The idea is fairly simple – you want high customer satisfaction scores, because the higher they are the more (likely) you will bring in excess revenue for the company."

Excess revenue? -Rob

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I was very sorry to hear of Clarence Clemons untimely death and more than a little surprised. I thought I had read somewhere that he had no plans to stop touring with the band and I thought that was after his stroke. We are moderate Bruce fans here. Patsy has Born to Run from before we were married. I've bought the live boxed set, Born in the USA, and The Rising since. I still don't know their catalog all that well. Except for a memorable solo on Born to Run and some backing vocals, I don't know what else he contributed to the band. R.I.P., Clarence.

If the runner at second base is relaying which pitch is coming to the batter, he is not "stealing" your signs. He's reading them. Change your signs, dummies.

Interesting cartoon. Not so much if you're traveling abroad for vacation, though.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Child In Time [Live] - Deep Purple - Made In Japan
2. Only You Can Rock Me - UFO Essential - UFO
3. My Sweet Annette - Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day
4. Reach Out Of The Darkness - Friend & Lover - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
5. Dead Horse - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I

Quote of the Day

They are fighting Quakers; they are Quakers with a vengeance.

Ishmael, Moby Dick

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It's a strange but very good feeling to see one of the real, "official" Moby-Dick drawings finally beautifully framed and hanging in someone else's home. I've already sold the handful of alternate illustrations I did, but I've been holding on so tightly to all the of book illustrations for so very long now that, even though I didn't think it would, it feels very good to let them go to new homes now."

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Happy Father's Day

Dad

CrabAppleLane Tomato Sauce - June 19, 2011 - Father's Day

I used about 30 of my reddest tomatoes for today's sauce. Seemed appropriate to cook this today. My sauce uses fresh tomatoes but I doubt it will be as good as my Dad's or my wife's and they don't use fresh tomatoes. Dad was a great cook. So is Patsy. It's now about an hour since that photo was taken. The wonderful aroma is filling the kitchen and spilling out into the rest of the house. I may have gotten it right this time.

Whatever happened to those little three-pack boxes of garlic? All I could find was the two-pound sacks and individual jumbo garlics, which I'm not wild about.

Speaking of cooks, Mr B appears to be a pretty good one. I had a New York Strip last night at one of our favorite restaurants. It wasn't bad but as far as my favorite cuts of steak, it ranks about last. Give me a filet, porterhouse, T-bone, or rib-eye, please, before you give me that lethal injection.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Roll Tide (Includes Hymn 'Eternal Father Strong To Save') - Hans Zimmer - Crimson Tide
2. Father And Son - Mark Knopfler - Cal
3. Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross - Love, Luther
4. My Father's Eyes - Eric Clapton - Pilgrim
5. Father And Son - Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman

Quote of the Day

I will take care of my niece and nephew. I will feed them and take them to day care. I will give them a stable home. I know them. And I love them like no one else can.

Adrian McLemore

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It’s Father’s Day!"

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Remove one of Patsy's favorite trees for several hundred dollars or move the satellite dish for about $50? I have 30+ years of experience in making those decisions. We had the dish relocated yesterday. One of our Bradford pear trees was blocking reception from several of DirecTV's transponders. I have trimmed that tree several times in the past, much to the wife's dismay every time. Hopefully, the new location is its final resting place. Unfortunately, it is now pretty conspicuous in the front yard. I'm considering my landscaping options to make it less conspicuous and less susceptible to wind.

Last night, the temps dropped into the mid 80s here at CrabAppleLane after a day in the high 90s. High 90s expected all weekend. Miserable. The air conditioners are getting a workout. Hope they hold up. Louisiana and Texas are in the midst of a heat wave and a terrible drought. See QOTD and BOTD for more details.

Upgraded Movable Type here this morning. Pretty smooth. I'm having a pretty good run on upgrades and performance issues. I have a new policy in that regard. I now think the best way to deal with the blog gods is to taunt them.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Portland, Oregon - Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
2. Crossroads - Ry Cooder - Crossroads
3. The Sinister Minister - Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - Greatest Hits Of The 20th Century
4. Song For Mr. C - Shawn Phillips - Second Contribution
5. Puttin' People On the Moon - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South

Quote of the Day

The water crisis in Texas, the biggest oil- and gas-producing state in the United States, highlights a continuing debate in North America and Europe over fracking's impact on water supplies. Environmentalists say the method poses a contamination threat, while farmers face growing competition for scarce water.

Joe Carroll, Bloomberg Businessweek via MSNBC

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The drought situation in Texas has reached the critical stage, says a Texas A&M University atmospheric scientist who also serves as climatologist for Texas, and the U.S. Drought Monitor has designated parts of central and eastern Texas as under “exceptional drought” in its latest assessment."

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CrabAppleLane Dinner - June 16, 2011

I don't know if I could be as forgiving as Col. Jack Jacobs. Meeting someone who fought for the other side is one thing. Meeting the person directly responsible for an ambush on your units is something else. If you've forgotten how divisive the Viet Nam war was/is or if you're too young to know, read a handful of the comments.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. New York Mining Disaster 1941 (Have You Seen My Wife, Mr. Jones) - Bee Gees - The British Invasion: The History Of British Rock, Vol. 8
2. Make It Last - Montrose - Montrose
3. It's Only Love - B.J. Thomas - All The Hits
4. Liar - Three Dog Night - The Best Of Three Dog Night
5. The Friendship Theme - Bette Midler - Beaches

Quote of the Day