CrabAppleLane Blog III

CrabAppleLane Wildlife- May 19, 2013

CrabAppleLane Spring Garden - May 19, 2013

CrabAppleLane Wildlife- May 19, 2013

The Brown Thrasher normally likes to run around right at the edge of the woods.  Captured this particularly brave one about four feet out.  Picked our first tomato today.  Very small for a Celebrity tomato.  It should be the first of many, many.  Green always looks digitized to me.  Saw the turtle from my tractor yesterday as I was cutting grass.  When he didn't move after the fourth or fifth pass, I got off and went to see if he was OK.  In retrospect, that was a pretty dumb idea.  I have no idea what I might have done had I determined that he was not OK.  His shell and all of his limbs are intact and he gave me a look to let me know he didn't like being held.  That was enough for me to put him down and leave him alone.  Found him this morning sunning himself.

Tried a White Pizza for the first time last night.  Not bad.  Like all pizzas, it was much better today.  Reheated is always better.     

109 days until football season ...

5 song iTunes shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Stone Cold Crazy - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack - 1974
2. Let It Roll - UFO - Force It - 1979
3. Mad Russian's Christmas (Instrumental) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve And Other Stories - 1996
4. Limelight - Rush - Moving Pictures - 1981
5. Blowin' Free - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates - 1973

Quote of the Day

The two were killed early Friday by a Nassau County police officer who fired eight shots at the masked man, hitting him seven times but also accidentally hitting Rebello once in the head, Nassau County homicide squad Lt. John Azzata said Saturday.

CBSnews.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "She meant ravioli pizza. As in ricotta ravioli baked on top of pizza. As in cheese-stuffed carbs, placed on top of carbs, covered in more cheese, topped with some extra cheese for good measure. Oh, and then baked."

Ravioli pizza is now on my bucket list. -Rob

Congratulations to Skip Bertman.  The field at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge was named after him last night.  It was entirely appropriate.  I've talked about Skip many times here.  He took over the LSU baseball program, which was the 4th or 5th best in the State of Louisiana, turned it into the very best baseball program in the entire country, turned it into a revenue stream for the school, won five national championships, and was the driving force behind the new state-of-the-art Alex Box Stadium.  Most NCAA baseball teams average a couple of hundred fans per game in paid attendance.  The LSU baseball team averages over 10,000 in paid attendance.  The snowball is rolling downhill for the Tigers now but it was Skip Bertman who pushed that thing up the hill.

Saturday Night Live says a certain goodbye to Bill Hader, and probable goodbyes to Fred Armisen, Jason Sudeikis, and Seth Meyers tonight.  They don't leave the cupboard entirely bare but they don't leave much.  Taran Killam, Vanessa Bayer, and Kate McKinnon are fairly strong players but the rest are pretty ordinary.  Hader will be missed the most.  He's very funny even though he has trouble keeping a straight face.  Love Stefon.

Says here Orb will will win the Preakness today handily.  He's a heavy favorite in the race for a good reason.  He thoroughly outclassed his rivals two weeks ago in the Kentucky Derby.   

110 days until football season ...  

5 song iTunes shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Stubborn Love - The Lumineers - The Lumineers - 2012
2. Only You Can Rock Me - UFO - Essential UFO - 1978
3. Teacher - Jethro Tull - The Anniversary Collection - 1972
4. Waitin' for the Bus - ZZ Top - The Best of ZZ Top - 1977
5. The Real Me - The Who - Quadrophenia - 1973

Quote of the Day

Hey man, what's the plan, what was that you said?
Sun-tanned, drink in hand, lying there in bed.
I try to socialize but I can't seem to find
What I was looking for, got something on my mind.

Jethro Tull, Teacher

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Yes, Bill is leaving SNL. Saturday is the season finale and also his final episode. Everyone watch to support Bill and pray we get to see Stefon one last time."

Financial issues put a strain on a marriage.  I knew that first hand.  Financial contentment is no cure, though.  Good thing the wife and I haven't fallen for that one.  Divorce is a growth industry if ever there was such a thing.

About today's QOTD:  Wonder when Melanie started using her last name.  She's listed as Melanie Safka now.  She was just Melanie when she made that song famous.

RIP, Chuck Muncie.  Oh, what might have been.  Ability out the wazoo but zero drive when he was young.  It's too bad his off-field issues derailed his on-field career.  By most accounts, including mine, he'd be in the Hall-of-Fame.  His off-field career turned out pretty good, though, and I suppose that's what's important now.  Knew very well about his time in New Orleans and San Diego but didn't know he made a short stop in Minnesota.   

113 days until football season ...

5 song iTunes shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Recently Purchased Playlist:

1. Disappear - Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo - The Revival Tour 2012 Collections
2. Me and You and a Dog Named Boo - Lobo - I'd Love You to Want Me
3. Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma - Melanie - Beautiful People: The Greatest Hits of Melanie
4. Nutbush City Limits - Ike And Tina Turner - All the Best - The Hits
5. Mountain Sound - Of Monsters and Men - My Head Is An Animal

Quote of the Day

But maybe it'll all be all right, Ma
Maybe it'll all be OK
Well, if the people are buying tears
I'll be rich some day, Ma
Look what they've done to my song

Melanie, Look What They've Done To My Song

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Don’t try to expand to encompass what others think you need for your business. You can’t cover all the bases."

Happy Anniversary, Patsy
Love,
Rob
Hope the next 32 are as grand as the first

 119 days until football season ...

5 song iTunes shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair) - Scott McKenzie - AM Gold: The '60s Generation
2. Icarus (Borne on Wings of Steel) - Kansas - Masque
3. Red Barchetta - Rush - Moving Pictures
4. The Needle And The Damage Done - Neil Young - Harvest
5. Waitin' for the Bus - ZZ Top - The Best of ZZ Top

Quote of the Day

This photo is haunting me all the time. If the people responsible don’t receive the highest level of punishment, we will see this type of tragedy again. There will be no relief from these horrific feelings. I’ve felt a tremendous pressure and pain over the past two weeks surrounded by dead bodies. As a witness to this cruelty, I feel the urge to share this pain with everyone. That’s why I want this photo to be seen.

Taslima Akhter, Bangladeshi photographer

Quote from said blog: "FBI thinks they don’t need warrants to spy on email, Facebook and other electronic communication"

Web Mojitos today on me

Once again, Kem White was correct.  After I saw Zero Dark Thirty, I wondered how Jennifer Lawrence beat out Jessica Chastain for best actress.  They both put in powerhouse performances but I'd have given it to Lawrence, too, based on good, subtle comedy being harder to pull off than good drama.  Silver Linings Playbook is a fun film.  It's standard RomCom but elevated because it is so well done and quite a bit of that is due to Jennifer Lawrence.  I've seen her in four films now.  She has been excellent in all of them.  She's 22.  The sky is the limit.

Just finished a long overdue plumbing job.  If it doesn't solve our plumbing problem (Leaking shower head or leaking drain), we'll use our other bathroom for a time and call in the professionals for some estimates.   

The CrabAppleLane pick for yesterday's Kentucky Derby, Revolutionary, finished third and continued a string of Louisiana Derby winners going back almost 100 years who couldn't win the big one.  It's entirely my fault.  Congratulations to Orb.  Anyone who saw his finish yesterday has to believe he is a serious Triple Crown contender.

Had a new visitor to our backyard feeders today.  Not sure what he/she is yet.  Suggestions are always welcome. :)

CrabAppleLane Wildlife - May 5, 2013

CrabAppleLane Wildlife - May 5, 2013

CrabAppleLane Wildlife - May 5, 2013

CrabAppleLane Wildlife Closeup - May 5, 2013

CrabAppleLane Garden - May 5, 2013

Today's QOTD is about Google Glass, the latest "must have" gadget.  If you're a little dismayed at what it is and what it does, you're not alone.

123 days until football season ...

5 song iTunes shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Wind Up - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
2. That's The Way I've Always Heard - Carly Simon - Carly Simon
3. Windy - The Association - Super Hits 1967
4. Heartless - Adrien Reju - A Million Hearts
5. Crimson And Clover - Tommy James & The Shondells - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969

Quote of the Day

But the fact that the thing can record video and take pictures wherever you look makes the demand for a Google Glass etiquette high, even in infancy. How should Glass wearers treat others? And how should others behave around these so-called "Gla**holes"?

Rosa Golijan, NBC News

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "He singled out Silver Linings Playbook, in which Jennifer Lawrence portrays Tiffany, a young widow suffering from depression. (She took home an Academy Award for Best Actress for her trouble.)"

The Run for the Roses is today.  Going with the Louisiana connection.  Calvin Borel is a Louisiana native and his mount, Revolutionary, won the Louisiana Derby.  I'm pretty sure he'll be the first Louisiana Derby winner to win the Kentucky Derby since Black Gold did it in 1924 ... if he wins.  Black Gold is a legend at the New Orleans Fairgrounds.  His picture is displayed prominently in the clubhouse.  Revolutionary is the choice here by two lengths.  You won't get much for him.  He'll be the 2nd or 3rd choice of the bettors.  Will try to stop at the offtrack betting parlor sometime this afternoon to make my almost annual donation.  As always, bet any house you have to lose.

About today's QOTD:  Nice cast.

124 days until football season ...

5 song iTunes shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Top 25 Most Played Playlist:

1. Fields of June (feat. Frank Turner) - Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo - Fields of June - 35 plays
2. Incense and Peppermints - Strawberry Alarm Clock - Incense & Peppermints - 14 plays
3. Wayfaring Stranger - Red Horse - Red Horse - 19 plays
4. Diamond Dogs - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs - 15 plays
5. Back from the Grave - Chromatics - Kill for Love - 19 plays

Quote of the Day

Throw!

The Daily Irrelevant

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Kentucky Derby 2013 Contenders"

The Americans is a television series that just finished its first season.  Back in February, I expressed concern over the line the show was straddling.  I ended up watching every episode.  Neither side is particularly likeable.  I sort of thought the show was going to equalize them because they were mostly telling the story from the Soviet side of the Cold War.  The two central characters are Soviet operatives posing as a married couple.  An FBI agent and his family live across the street and they are neighborly with each other. 

The Soviet couple has killed a private security guard and an FBI agent.  Both were threats to their mission but not to them.  Their FBI neighbor killed a Soviet Embassy employee as pure retalliation for the death of the FBI agent.  Others on both sides have been killed and both sides are absolutely ruthless.  I don't know how much of the show is based on reality although I would say a lot of it could have been deduced from some personal accounts and imagined how it must have been.  It's good television but kind of disturbing because of its perspective.           

About today's QOTD: Kinda like my grammar school history better than the modern versions. Really didn't need to see the word "almost" in that quote.

125 days until football season ...

5 song iTunes shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Gone, Gone, Gone - Bad Company - Desolation Angels
2. Jail Bait - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates [1973]
3. Eli's Coming - Three Dog Night - Captured Live At The Forum
4. The Rover - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
5. Easy Livin' - Uriah Heep - The Best Of Uriah Heep

Quote of the Day

She was almost certainly dead when she was cannibalized. The way the cuts are configured on the skull points to the fact that she was dead. if she was not, there would have been more signs of a struggle, and the marks would have been more irregular.

Jim Horn, Colonial Williamsburg's vice president of research and historical interpretation

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I have felt so good this past week that I’ve been a cleaning maniac – which may bite me in the end but I’m making hay while the sun shines so to speak."