March 2006 Archives
From the Here We Go Again Department: Baseball has decided to once again take us down the path of irrelevancy and investigate steroid use from a few years ago. It is entirely symbolic and a colossal waste of time. The best reaction they can hope for if and when their findings are released is a big yawn from the fans. The fans have moved on and simply don’t care about that any more. Truth be told, they didn’t care much about it to begin with. Owners, players, fans, basically everyone, except maybe pitchers, liked when these guys were hitting 500ft home runs. OK, the party’s over. So why pursue this if your best case outcome is no reaction? Furthermore, why stop at this? Why not investigate every greaseball Gaylord Perry ever threw? Or every cut baseball Joe Niekro ever threw? Maybe you can add an asterisk to their strikeout totals. Maybe you could investigate every potential Hall-of-Famer that Ty Cobb mangled with his cleats sliding into second base or every grounder he ever bounced off of one of his own team’s glove for a base hit. There was no rule against leaving your gloves in the field after the side was retired then just as there was no rule against steroid use a few years ago. Free unsolicited and unwanted advice from CrabAppleLane for MLB: JUST LET THIS ONE DIE ALREADY
Quote of the Day
If they find out something that happened (a few years back), what difference is it going to make in today's game?
Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "If I had a blowtorch, I would've turned it on them.”
I’ve been going to City Park in New Orleans on my lunch breaks at least once a week for a while now. It's fairly close to where I work and the weather has been nice and the park is still beautiful, although a bit neglected, to me. I may have to increase the frequency of those visits because it may come to an end soon. It would be a sad day for me and most New Orleanians if the park has to be closed. The New Orleans Museum of Art, located in City Park, will have an Ansel Adams exhibit starting in June. Admission is free for Louisiana residents. I haven’t been inside in many years but I think I'll be a regular visitor for that. Wonder what Adams would think of the explosion of digital photography and self-publishing.
Quote of the Day
All my pictures turn out
Lloyd Burke, Anatomy of a Murder
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "They listed The Real Life Soup Nazi Place, as the best soup in New York. My last day in town was freezing cold and I decided to go check out the soup."
The Vikings and Seahwaks are playing tit for tat poison pill contracts. The poison pill has been around since free agency arrived in the NFL. The Saints used it against the Falcons for Michael Haynes many years ago. Like all professional sports, the NFL owners are their own worst enemies and I don’t have much sympathy for them. It was the owners who developed this system to hinder free agency and it was the owners who also figured out how to beat it. Outgoing commissioner Tagliabue wants to address it so naturally he wants to go to the players. Wrong group, dumba$$.
Quote of the Day
First of all, I think the poison pill business stinks
Mike Holmgren, Seattle Seahawks Head Coach
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Small, heavy words soaked with life. Words you can’t find in a dictionary and couldn’t spell even if you tried."
The LSU women joined the men in the Final Four of their tournament last night. I watched a bit of it. The women’s game is different but not that much. Stanford played a zone defense where all five of their players were no more than 10 feet from the basket. That's not much different than the men. That’s pretty much the same defense Texas used against the LSU men. Both LSU teams like to play inside and both are successful even though the defenses they’ve faced have clearly been trying to stop them from doing so. The LSU guards were dribbling 18 feet from the basket last night and no one from Stanford was within five feet of them. If those guards could just pull up and shoot from there and make a few, we wouldn't be talking about the Lady Tigers chances in the Final Four next week. We'd be talking about their undefeated season.
Some odd news from India:
I thought it was easy to get a divorce in this country. They have us beat by a mile.
There are alternatives to that easy divorce. After an argument with your wife, you could just set fire to yourself.
Quote of the Day
Maybe when things get back to the new normal, a 'normal' normal, they'll sit back and reflect on all of it.
Pokey Chatman, LSU Women's Basketball Coach
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Having LSU and George Mason make the final 4 is fantastic!"
To change the subject quite a bit, I just cannot help but think there's more here than meets the eye.
Quote of the Day
Where the bloody hell have you been? I have gynecologists that call more often.
TJ, The Wedding Date
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Howdy folks, I'm Tommy Lee Jones. You probably know me as an actor."
It was another fun day of basketball yesterday for LSU fans. The Tigers that played this weekend bore little resemblance to the Tigers that played last weekend. The guys who showed up in Atlanta are a contender for the title. The CrabAppleLane March Madness Pool continues today and my entries still have a chance. My best chance is for UCLA to win the whole thing over UCONN. It’s a distinct possibility but I would much rather see LSU beat UCLA next Saturday. I can use the money but some things are more important.
Very brisk morning here at CrabAppleLane. 37º is a little too cool for late March and I was very worried about the tomato plants I put down yesterday. I got up early this morning and sprinkled them. Someone once told me that if you knock the frost off of the leaves before the sun hits them, they won’t burn. Don’t know if it’s true or not but it hasn’t failed me yet. A few images from CrabAppleLane this glorious Sunday morning.
A titmouse takes a brisk morning bath and then, well..................................
He’s a little modest.
The irises are in bloom this morning.
As are the azaleas.
24 tomato plants, 1 Italian basil plant, 1 Italian parsley plant, and 1 stiff shoulder (Not pictured).
Quote of the Day
It feels good to see that trophy standing there. But that's not the one we want.
Glen Davis, LSU Tigers
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "When you get right down to it, simplistically, one could say that most of our life is about time and money."
By the way, Roger Ebert is an idiot. His reviews are so rife with inaccuracies that I wonder what he does when he’s at the movies. Don’t believe me? The next time you watch a movie, go read his review of it while it’s still fresh in your mind. Whether you agree with his review or not doesn’t matter. I read his review of Circle of Friends last night. In it, he quotes from the film: "Young man in confession: "I've had impure thoughts, father." Priest: "Did you entertain them?"". The person who said "I've had impure thoughts, father." was not a young man. It was Minnie Driver, the star of the movie, who is decidedly NOT a young man. I’m not that much of a stickler for detail but how on Earth can he get that wrong?
So I was pulling into the drive-through at Burger King yesterday because I was a little pressed for time and I was flagged down by a man waving an empty coolant container.
Him: “I’m so embarrassed, Mister, but I ran out of gas and I’m broke. Could you give me 3 or 4 dollars for gasoline so I can get home?”.
Me (Very hesitant): “Where do you live?”
Him: “Kenner” - (I grew up in Kenner. $3 or $4 will buy enough gasoline to get him home from the Burger King where we were so I told him to meet me on the other side of the drive-through but I don’t mind saying that I do not like being accosted like that.)
I had about $8 but I needed something to eat and prices and menus at BK change daily in post-Katrina New Orleans. They take credit/debit cards but I will never hand anyone my credit card in a drive-through. I ordered and had about $4 in change left. When I got to the window, my order wasn’t ready. The attendant asked me to pull around and she’d bring it to me. If I don’t, no one else can get through. It’s a single lane drive-through with BK to my left and a tall wooden fence to my right. When I pulled around, there was my assailant. I decided to give him $3 and then I started looking for a place to wait. The parking lot was full so I just drove around for a good 10 minutes waiting on my order. My friend put his container down and went in to BK. When my order came out, my friend came out right behind her with his order. I guess he needed a different kind of fuel. Would have given him $4 had I known that he was just hungry. I’m not really a soft touch in these instances. Sometimes, I do. Sometimes, I don’t. It usually depends on their approach. This guy did it all wrong and I think I regret indulging him. If I hadn’t, though, who would have? The young mother in the mini-van with four kids behind me? The elderly couple behind them?
The CrabAppleLane March Madness Pool continues today and I rejoice that my entries still have a chance.
All eyes on the LSU-Texas basketball game this afternoon. Texas is the defending National Champion in baseball AND football and would like to add the basketball trophy. They’ve got a decent chance to do it but I hope they go no further. Sorry, Kim.
Quote of the Day
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I look like the prow of a ship!
Bennie Hogan, Circle of Friends
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "We see her pack some CDs and some framed pictures, but when she finally leaves, she's carrying only one box. I see this one-box packing a lot in movies and television, and I gotta say it's completely unrealistic for me."
The only thing I can say about last night is what a fun night of basketball for LSU fans. First things first. It is to Duke’s everlasting credit that a win against them is always special and always remembered. This one falls in that category. The LSU Tigers are young, they’re athletic, they’re exuberant, they’re fearless, and they had a few days to let their adrenaline build. By gametime, said adrenaline level was over their eyeballs. They were going to be a handful for Duke. Late in the game, the announcers said the West Virginia and Texas fans were cheering for LSU. They then said, “No one wants to play Duke”. I beg your pardon. The Tigers wanted to. Oh, and one other thing:
The CrabAppleLane March Madness Pool continues today and I rejoice that my entries still have a chance.
Quote of the Day
They didn't go in, but overall, he did a good job of contesting my jump shots, and when I did drive, they had shot-blockers back there.
J.J. Redick, Duke Blue Devils
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Worst case scenario for this game is SheWill picks up early fouls and McRoberts is left alone to deal with the cavalcade of LSU big men…it will be a great game regardless…so fingers are crossed."
I thought LSU was going to work to bring that worst case about. They concentrated on Redick instead. -Rob
All eyes are on the LSU-Duke game tonight in the Georgia Dome. The talk around town is that the Tigers have a chance. They’re a very athletic team and that’s exactly the kind of team that has given Duke trouble this season. It would bust my brackets pretty good if they win tonight but that’s fine by me. Duke is a smart and very well coached team and I expect they’ll play a very deliberate game tonight. The Tigers are going to go inside and try to get Duke in foul trouble, especially if they see Sheldon Williams on Glen Davis. Of course, Duke could shoot the lights out early in the game and the very young Tigers may get down on themselves. I don’t think that will happen, though. They lost by one at UCONN. They know they can play. I’m looking forward to this.
The CrabAppleLane March Madness Pool continues and I rejoice that my entries still have a chance.
Watched Heist last night. The criminals appear to be cool and highly organized and the cops appear to be a bunch of screw-ups led by a kleptomaniac. The thieves are robbing three jewelry stores tomorrow and robbed a bank today to finance it. Actually, they didn’t rob the bank. They robbed the bank robbers. Don’t know how they can get a whole season out of the next 24 hours but it looks kinda fun.
Quote of the Day
Anything after an upset of Duke would be considered gravy.
Pat Forde, ESPN.COM
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Well, here I am. Diving off into something else that I don't have time for. I really don't have any time to spare, but I know that the public is just dying for a peek into my life."
I don't remember the last time I saw ponies in City Park but I surely hope I see them again some day soon. Behind and to the left is one of many massive tents used by relief workers. I think they’re all volunteers. City Park in New Orleans is a treasure.
I saw something I couldn’t explain in an image last week. Turned out to be a smudge on my lens (Hey. At least I took the lens cover off) and I’m glad I didn’t care about that one. Thought that to be the case here but I remembered that an airplane had passed and its contrail is still visible. Love Spanish moss. All of the oak trees in City Park are old and covered with Spanish moss.
Quote of the Day
Every once in a while, and for no particular reason, I try to remember how lucky I am to have been born here, where the possibility of living such an ordinary life is so easily taken for granted.
Anne Applebaum, Washington Post
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I live in a village fifty miles north of London in a one bedroom flat I am in love with. It is full of stuff to do with the jungle (I’m the monkey). Oh *looks around* and exercise bikes, rowing machines and bottles of Evian."
From CNN this morning:
The suggestion by the commission that some areas of the city might not be redeveloped triggered a political firestorm among displaced New Orleans residents.
Most of the areas referred to have hardly been touched by human hands since August 29, 2005. There are houses in the middle of streets. I don't mean the middle of the block. I mean they have floated off of their foundation and been planted by the flood waters in the middle of the street. Some of them are not even on their original street. One of my co-workers has a house in the middle of her street. She has no idea where the house came from. Can you imagine?
I have no objection to letting people build in those flooded areas but they should have to provide proof of flood insurance before receiving a permit and they should bear the entire loss in the event they let the insurance lapse and they get flooded again. If no one will insure them at all or at a price they can afford or are willing to pay, they should sell their property or take whatever buyout is offered.
Quote of the Day
I did hear about cyclones but I didn't think it was going to be that bad.
Rosarie Cullinane, Irish Backpacker in Australia
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "sunset at Snowmass"
Gorgeous. -Rob
It’s the first day of spring according to my calender. CrabAppleLane really doesn’t observe the calender. It’s been spring around here for two weeks. The grass is green and things are blossoming. Still lots of signs of Hurricane Katrina’s damage, though. A lot of our wild gardenias were lost and that’s heartbreaking. They have a delightful scent. I think the honeysuckle and trumpet vine population will be down, too, but I think those will come back over time.
Good to see LeeAnn back. I think it was justifiable homicide.
The CrabAppleLane March Madness Pool continues today and I rejoice that my entries still have a chance.
About today's QOTD: It's about last night's episode of The Sopranos. I didn't think that much of it.
Quote of the Day
Once again, it was a dream full of rich imagery and symbolism that demands repeated viewing and detailed analysis.
Andy Dehnart, MSNBC
Blog of the day via Disarranging Mine is here.
Quote from said blog: "Lewis writes that the expedition still needs one canoe, and he decides to steal it: “as the Clatsops will not sell us one at price which we can afford to give we will take one from them.”"
Amazing. I had no idea. -Rob
Happy St Joseph’s Day
So I was driving to work Friday morning when I started hearing the telltale sound of rain on my windshield. I turn on my wiper and got a nice smear job all through the path of the wiper blades. It wasn’t rain at all. It was gnats. Cool dry air at CrabAppleLane in the spring equals gnats. Entertained the thought of boiling crawfish this weekend even at the $2.19 per pound the local Rouses is asking for them. Glad we chose not to. The gnats are unbearable after a few minutes.
One of the fun scenes goes like this:
Eunice: “Howard? Howard Bannister? Howard, when I ask you to wait for me somewhere, I expect you to stay there until I come back”
Howard: “Yes, Eunice.”
Eunice: “Now, it is difficult enough for me to have to see to all these arrangements myself.”
Howard: “Yes, Eunice.”
Eunice: “It is exactly 6:15. If we reach the hotel in half an hour, we’ll have just enough time to get dressed for the banquet.”
Howard: “Yes, Eunice.”
Eunice to luggage worker: “Put these things in a taxi.”
Luggage worker: “Yes, Eunice.”
I miss Madeline, who played Eunice. This was her very first film and she was already better than anyone else in it.
The Bradford Pear tree in the CrabAppleLane backyard is full of blossoms.
The CrabAppleLane March Madness Pool continues today and I rejoice that my entries still have a chance.
Quote of the Day
Yeah, you know Banister? As in sliding down the.........?
Barbara Streisand, What's Up Doc?
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Five races into the Busch Series season and every race to date has been won by a Nextel Cup regular."
Busch drivers need to learn from Nextel Cup racers but I think the Nextel guys need to curtail their Busch seasons a little. -Rob
The CrabAppleLane March Madness Pool continues today and I rejoice that my entries still have a chance. Congratulations to Northwestern State on their big upset of Iowa yesterday. They're from Natchitoches, LA, and had trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half before rallying to win on a last second three-pointer. Go Demons.
The Dallas Cowboys have a different kind of March Madness. Bill Parcels has a reputation as a no nonsense kind of coach but he manages to sign players that are nothing but nonsense. Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn, and the latest, Terrell Owens, to name three. Maybe it’s just wide receivers he loses his mind about. I include Terry Glenn because Bill didn’t want to draft him while at New England and referred to him as “she or her” most of the time. Yes, Terry earned that reference. When Parcells got to Dallas, they kissed and made up. Terry has straightened himself out and become a reliable, but not particularly special, player. Keyshawn has been overrated his entire career. No one knew that better than Bill when he brought him to the Cowboys after having him in New York. This latest one is the topper, though. I think Parcells must want to go out in a blaze. I don't think it will be the "blaze of glory" variety, though. I think it will be more of the "crash and burn or proper Viking funeral" variety. The Cowboys are gambling on Owens to get them to the Super Bowl. What puzzles me more than the signing is the length of the contract. Three years? I think this is a case where the contract means absolutely nothing. If things don’t work out in Dallas this year, I think Owens will be released and has maybe one more shot in the NFL, probably with the Raiders, and Parcells will retire yet again. If they do work out, Owens will undoubtedly want to renegotiate his what must be a heavily incentive-laden contract or he will recreate the Philadelphia/San Francisco situation. Owens is a TEAM KILLER. When he’s not killing the other team, he’s killing his own.
Quote of the Day
When I shot I fell and I actually looked through the back of the glass to see it go in.
Jermaine Wallace, Northwestern State
Blog of the day via Sheila is here.
Quote from said blog: "I've got a special place in my heart for March Madness."
Erin Go Bragh
March Madness got underway yesterday as did the CrabAppleLane March Madness Pool. My entries didn’t totally tank yet which is a bit of a relief. I’m not good at early round games and there were quite a few upsets. Texas A & M topping Syracuse is the one I am most surprised at and the one with the best consequence for LSU. I was not wild about them playing the hot Orangemen in the second round. Not wild about them playing the Aggies, either, but I like their chances to advance to the Sweet Sixteen more now. If the Tigers could bottle their second half performance last night, they’d go deep into this tournament.
I read ths MSNBC article yesterday and again this morning and I still can’t get over it. These people actually want to profit from their own negligence. When this is thrown out, assuming it IS thrown out, having them only pay court costs seems inadequate to me.
Quote of the Day
The tradition of walking 60 steps from the front door to the side door of the bar on St Patrick's Day will be observed for the first time since the bar was submerged in water during the hurricane last August.
The Irish Independent
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Today I am going to make history by live blogging a traditional St Patrick's Day session direct from the bar at Ron's."
Let sleeping ducks lie..............?
March Madness gets underway today at about 11:15AM local time. Got your brackets figured out? I love the first weekend. It says here that UCONN will cut down the nets in Indianapolis in a few weeks. If you’re looking for a dark horse to take it, CrabAppleLane also likes UCLA to go deep into the tournament. On the women’s side, I like the LSU Lady Tigers to finally do it. They have the best athletes in the tournament and they have great coaching. They get a little exuberant and careless with the ball sometimes, though.
The Saints introduced Drew Brees yesterday as their new quarterback. At the same time, they released Aaron Brooks out the back door. I wish Aaron well. He has all of the physical tools. His problem lies between his ears. He just couldn’t make good, quick decisions much of the time. That said, he endured a lot of dropped passes here and inconsistent play at left tackle turned him into a basket case. Change of scenery should help him.
Quote of the Day
I know this town is craving a winner and you’re going to get one.
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints Quarterback
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Continuing Fly’s support of the exquisite living body of Daedelus, it was time to catch up with our man on a beautiful day on the West Coast."
Well, Drew Brees surprised everyone and signed with the Saints yesterday. Equally surprising was the Dolphins sending a fairly high draft pick to Minnesota for disgruntled and injured Daunte Culpepper. What was surprising about that was Culpepper’s willingness to be a team player in Miami by offering to have his substantial contract restructured to help them with their salary cap issues. In Minnesota, he was asking to restructure his contract in a different way for an entirely different reason. Assuming Culpepper recovers from his knee injury and is willing to play for Nick Saban, he is the better QB of the two. Brees, recovering from shoulder surgery, will give the Saints productivity at that position. Brees doesn’t make as many plays as Culpepper but he also doesn’t make as many mistakes. Bigger risk, bigger reward. I prefer the lower risk these days. Guess I’m getting old. The Vikings probably now enter the Matt Leinert QB derby. Reggie Bush will be the first pick in the draft. The Saints hold that Number 2 draft position and no longer need a QB. I don’t anticipate them holding on to it. Suitors won’t have to bring da house but they’ll need more than flowers and a box of chocolates.
Quote of the Day
Just because she's a thief and a hitter doesn't mean she's not a good woman in all the other departments.
Maerose Prizzi, Prizzi's Honor
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Watch out for dust in an old raincoat."
Been watching this car slide into this canal in New Orleans East since I came back to work in New Orleans. Now wondering if it will first be pulled out by someone or pulled in by the canal.
While we’re celebrating the onset of spring here at CrabAppleLane like most people do this time of year, my cousins in the frozen north are having some weather. And the view of her back deck. They have a lovely place in Corcoran, Minnesota just outside of Minneapolis.
The Saints and Dolphins both want to sign free agent quarterback Drew Brees. From the Miami Herald this morning:
New Orleans is not only dealing with rebuilding after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, but the Saints organization has long been considered one of the worst managed in the NFL because of owner Tom Benson.
That about sums it up but I think I’ll go a step further. They are not “one of”, they are Number One in that area. The Saints are offering more guaranteed money, which all players want, but it may not be enough because of the double whammy above. We should know today.
Edgerrin James to the Arizona Cardinals. His fantasy value goes down a few notches. I'd still take him but not in the first round.
Quote of the Day
But this was the first stop and the last stop because it was the best stop.
Drew Rosenhaus, Sports Agent
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Starting now. Where will I be going? No where. I am unhooking my phone, unplugging my alarm clock, turning off my computer and simply escaping at home."
About The Sopranos: I'll have to admit I thought this was coming but not via that person and certainly not in the first episode.
Immediately after The Sopranos came Big Love. I had no idea what this series was supposed to be about but it had big names in it. I left it on as I was tooling around in here and I could hear it from the other room. Quite a few conversations caught my attention so I backed it up (I love TiVo) and watched it from the beginning. The situations were absurd and the conversations were ones you don’t hear often. I thought it was funny. I’m not certain this is a comedy, though. I think I’m going to have to watch it again. Bill Paxton plays the main character and to say his life is entangled would be understatement.
Curious: From one of the MSNBC.COM blogs:
It seems like everyone tonight is linking to some version of Natalie Portman's performance of a coarse rap parody on Saturday Night Live yesterday (basically safe for work, but you probably wouldn't want to hear your kid singing along).
There’s a link to the performance that has been removed. The link states, “This video has been removed due to copyright infringement.” I didn’t see the performance but Saturday Night Live is an NBC show and MSNBC is a joint venture between Microsoft and NBC so who is violating the copyright?
Quote of the Day
I need someone to show me the things in life that I can’t find
I can’t see the things that make true happiness. I must be blind
Black Sabbath, Paranoid
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "except that they ran out of milk
but that wasn’t our fault
as it said on our badges that
we were Sidesmen"
Almost SpringMarch Madness is upon us. Got your brackets ready? We’ll see where the LSU Tigers land in the March Madness tournament this afternoon. After yesterday’s performance, they should expect a 4th or even 5th seed. They’re not a contender for a national title unless there are a lot of upsets along the way. This team can’t put six good games together in a row and has a lot of trouble with good teams. We’ll see about the LSU Lady Tigers tomorrow. That team is probably a top seed or a second seed at worst and they most definitely can put together a run to the title. I’m anxious to see if they put the Lady Tigers in the same bracket as the Lady Bears of Baylor. There is some bad blood between LSU Head Coach Pokey Chatman and Baylor Head Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson. The Lady Bears beat the Lady Tigers in last year’s final four. Earlier this season, the Lady Tigers trounced them in Baton Rouge and Pokey wouldn’t shake hands with Kim. Rumor has it that it was because of something Kim said to one of the girls both schools were recruiting. Kim played at Louisiana Tech in Ruston and is from Hammond, LA. She will surely recruit girls heavily in Louisiana every year just as Pokey recruits heavily in Texas so this looks like the beginning of a feud. The two schools would be insane not to schedule each other every season. Guaranteed sellouts.
The hummingbird watch is over and the fun season has begun. Spotted this little fellow this morning. He’s on schedule as per my previous watches here at CrabAppleLane and has arrived exactly one year after the first one was spotted in 2005.
Hummingbird
March 14, 2001
March 17, 2002
March 10, 2003
March 20, 2004
March 12, 2005
March 12, 2006
The lovely couple. These two have been nesting in this house for many years. It is the first one I ever built out of cedar. Cedar isn’t as weatherproof as some might have you believe but it’s better than oak, redwood, or pine. It’s had some work done over the years. I put on a new door this year and the roof has been worked on a few times. Even added spikes to try to keep the crows off of it. The crows would land on it and start cawing. When they caw, their whole body goes up and down and it would shake this house pretty violently. Naturally, that worried the little bluebirds inside. The spikes didn’t deter them but they’ve since stopped landing on this house for some unknown reason. Last week, the bluebirds were still squabbling with the chickadees. This week, their nest is pretty much finished. He’s inspecting while she looks on. I would have given $5 for better light this morning. Overcast and dreary here at CrabAppleLane.
The tung nut trees are in bloom this morning. We lost several of these to Hurricane Katrina but there are enough left to have a nice spring.
Quote of the Day
The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded respect in the wizarding world for nearly 10 centuries, and I will not have you besmirching it in one night by acting like a babbling, bumbling bunch of baboons.
Professor Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "So, being film geeks and music nuts, my buddy and I decided to come up with our Top 5."
CrabAppleLane's list would be 1) Mark Knopfler, 2) John Williams, 3) Jerry Goldsmith, 4) Danny Elfman, and 5) Rachel Portman. Go see the Uzz list. -Rob
The truth of the matter is that the manufacturer doesn’t care if you pick up the wrong one. They think you will just have to come back and buy the one you want. Two sales instead of one. Wrong. We just return the open package and exchange it. It’s on the stores to figure out how to deal with this. Free suggestion from CrabAppleLane: When you scan a full-screen title, have a warning come up on your computer screen saying so. Warn the person that he/she is buying a ninny title and that it’s cheaper for a reason. Thanks for your attention in this matter.
The hummingbird watch at CrabAppleLane continues.........
Quote of the Day
Would you like to take
This magic potion with me
On a trip to a cosmic
Playground far beyond
Uriah Heap, Sweet Lorraine
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "My reaction to the case as it has developed, has raised uncomfortable questions in my own mind."
March 10 is the earliest I've seen ruby-throated hummingbirds at CrabAppleLane. Today is March 10 but the hummingbird watch at CrabAppleLane continues.........
Quote of the Day
Dad let go of the wheel and said "You better steer or you're gonna kill the whole family".
Andy Washburn, Taxi
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "A good field commander knows that it's always a fluid battlefield, and sometimes the fluidity is in reverse. I've reversed my field now into the Blogstation, but I did manage to grab the bottle of Lochranza Blended Scotch on the way out with the verbal bullets zinging by and splattering the walls as I E&E'd outa Dodge (the galley)."
So the NFL owners and the NFL players struck a deal yesterday. It would have been ludicrous in the extreme for the two sides not to work it out but both sides have ludicrous tendencies so it wasn’t a sure thing. My favorite quote from all of this is this one from Gene Upshaw of the players association:
As caretakers of the game we have acted in the manner the founders intended.
Get over yourself, Gene. The only thing your players and owners get credit for is you’re not nearly as stupid as your counterparts in baseball. You get a LOT of credit for that, though. I don’t think football is as resilient as baseball. I doubt fans would put up with a strike every few years and the league certainly wouldn’t get the luxury stadiums (Stadia??), fat TV contracts, and merchandising they enjoy now. One question, Gene: If the 20% increase your players are receiving next year is what you settled on, what were you asking for? Never mind, I don't want to know.
The hummingbird watch at CrabAppleLane continues.........
Quote of the Day
I would change policy, bring back natural grass and nickel beer. Baseball is the belly-button of our society. Straighten out baseball, and you straighten out the rest of the world.
Bill "Spaceman" Lee, Boston Red Sox
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Inside the magazine is a lengthy excerpt from the book Game of Shadows*, set to come out March 27, about Bonds, Victor Conte and BALCO, which provided steroids to dozens of athletes in many sports until they were brought to justice by the IRS."
Watched a new show last night called The Unit. This first episode was produced and written by David Mamet and he’s also the series creator. I’m a Mamet fan. I’ve liked just about everything I’ve ever seen that he was involved in. Until now. The Unit was stiff and unbelievable to a fault. I don’t know where The Unit derives authority yet but the leader made the FBI and National Guard commanders stand down without even showing an ID. Even made death threats to three of them. The good guys won, of course, and no one was lost. It was perfectly executed and they made it home for dinner. Even the little plot twist at the end won’t be enough to make me watch. I can bend my credibility meter quite a bit if it’s funny or cool. The Unit is neither. I’ll stick to Scrubs on Tuesday nights, thankyouverymuch.
The hummingbird watch at CrabAppleLane continues.........
Quote of the Day
I was just born with a need to explore every tool shop of my mind, and with long searching and hard work. I became devoted to my restlessness.
Gordon Parks, Photographer
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "New beginnings start in darkness. Sometimes you only have a twinge of awareness that something is afoot. Outward signs of assurance are rarely companions during this time."
I devoted a little time to coming up with a priceless commercial last night. Unsuccessfully. I usually skip over commercials but I do like these. I wonder if they have gotten more business for Mastercard. I like to watch them but they don't make me want to fill out an application. I hate applications.
What ever happened to Butternut candy bars? They were my favorites as a kid.
They’re encouraging sex education in kindergarten here. Beats reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic.
The article really had the feel of an urban legend to me. I’m guessing this is a variation of the old banging your head against the wall because it feels so good when you stop game. Who comes up with these ideas? I’m obviously out of touch. It apparently is so widespread that several websites have been produced to alert and educate parents, I suppose. I simply had no idea.
Quote of the Day
See how little time it takes to autograph a ball? If it takes me 30 seconds to make someone happy, why not do it?
Kirby Puckett, Minnesota Twins
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I’ve been reading quite a lot of Le Carré recently - I don’t know why, probably because there’s lots of them in the library and they are jolly good reads."
Well, I reckon because mockingbirds don't do anything but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat people's gardens, don't nest in the corncrib, they don't do one thing but just sing their hearts out for us.
Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird
I beg to differ with the honorable Mr Finch. The mockingbirds I have been around are quite belligerent. They do sometimes sing their hearts out, though. I took this picture Friday while I was at lunch at City Park’s Storyland in New Orleans. This mockingbird was waiting for me to move closer so he could attack. He and his mate are building a nest in the bush you see here. It is a high pedestrian traffic area. They like to build their nests close to humans. If there had been a corn crib nearby, they may have gone for that instead.
Last year on March 6, I paid 99¢ per pound for crawfish. This year on March 6, crawfish are still in the $2.75-$3.25 per pound range. There will be no crawfish boils at CrabAppleLane at those prices.
Yay because I figured out what was wrong with the tractor yesterday and can fix it. Boo because I figured it out too late to do any serious yardwork this weekend. The problem is a part I can do without. If the part is inexpensive (Inexpensive John Deere parts probably don’t exist), I’ll replace it because the workaround is a minor inconvenience. If not, I’ll replace it when I can. Serious yardwork for next weekend is slated now. The grass is starting to turn green and grow, the gardens need tending, and the yard is still somewhat messy from Katrina. Life at CrabAppleLane is slowly returning to normal.
Tiger’s begrudging critics keep looking for material but they cannot escape this fact: The PGA Tour is a one man show. When he plays, he wins. When he doesn’t play, no one watches.
The hummingbird watch continues................
Quote of the Day
If I put myself there enough times, those things are going to happen, as well as other guys are going to make birdies to beat me. That's the way it goes. As long as I'm there each and every time, it's not a bad place to be.
Tiger Woods
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Karl Rove's fax machine must have been pumping a lot of pages today."
Winner and Defending Champion
Accidentally hit save before I was finished so some readers may have seen a work in progress today. A very minor work to be sure.
Yesterday’s chores were postponed when the tractor killed on me 15 minutes in and wouldn’t restart. It just spins and spins and spins now. I’ve got a couple of things to try today before I throw in the towel and see if a mechanic will come out here and charge me less than one arm and two legs to fix something that is undoubtedly very minor.
Fi shows us a room with a view. Breathtaking.
Spring will be at CrabAppleLane soon. Saw my first bluebird since August 29 of last year and that was a relief. I was worried Katrina had chased them off He was scouting the house. His yearly bidding war with the chickadees is about to get underway. I could hear he and his mate this morning but I couldn't see them. They have a very sweet call.
The hummingbird watch continues............
More proof from this morning of the impending spring:
The pinks, reds, oranges, and purples are nice but I think I like the white azaleas the best. I have difficulty resolving white in my camera lens as this image illustrates. One of the many, many things I have to work on but I worry about how much of a role my failing eyesight plays and will play in the future. Or I could always blame the "electronic manual focus".
Our eastern redbud tree is about to burst.
These delicate little flowers are jessamine. I was afraid Hurricane Katrina had wiped them out. I don't see much honeysuckle or trumpet vines around yet and that concerns me. Most of the vines at CrabAppleLane are very pretty although I could do without the ones with stickers on them.
Quote of the Day
Well, I've known one or two very savage queens in my time.
Sir Bernard Pellegrin, The Constant Gardener
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I've come to the opinion that when moviemakers make enough changes like that they should lose the right to use the original names in the first place. Unfortunately there seems to be noone with enough legal authority to do this."
Precinct 13 is a police station that is closing down after tonight. It has a skeleton crew manning it for the last shift. A busload of prisoners, including one really bad guy, is detoured there for the night. That’s the setup in both films.
That first film was set in summertime California and the bad guys were street gangs that had set aside their rivalries and declared war on the police. The station house in that one looked like an old derelict police station that would have been abandoned for newer digs. The neighborhood surrounding it was unpopulated and dark. It was believable, it was relentless, and it was chilling. In this newer one, the station is in wintertime Detroit and the bad guys are cops who had an arrangement with the really bad guy inside. They can't allow him to live and testify against them. This station house looks like it was lifted right out of N.Y.P.D. Blue. I suppose the wintertime blizzard is what kept people in and also kept them from hearing World War III going on up the street. It was less believable but still fun. If you’ve never seen either, try the first one from 1976. It's one of John Carpenter's best.
The hummingbird watch continues....................
Quote of the Day
Now you're messing with a sonofabitch
Nazareth, Hair of the Dog Title Cut
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "The beach this morning was hills of cappuccino froth where the dogs frolicked staining their white patches brown and Ardi showing panic in his eyes when his stick disappeared into the mire."
French Quarter Festival
Date: April 21-23, 2006
13 stages (there will be no stages or booths at the U.S. Mint this year)
40+ food booths
Satchmo Summer Festival
Date: August 3-6, 2006
Christmas New Orleans Style
December 2006
For Immediate Release:
Contact Kathleen Alter
at 504-522-5730.
French Quarter Festival is a Geaux!
New Orleans, January 2006 - The 23rd Annual French Quarter Festival, April 21 – 23, 2006 will take place as scheduled. This free community event employs over 100 musicians and provides an estimated economic impact of $75 million for the city during the three days of activities. “We are committed to play our part in New Orleans recovery” said Jon Stern, FQFI Board President. “French Quarter Festival not only provides jobs for musicians but also is a big draw for tourists who are an economic must for New Orleans. But the best part is we put smiles on thousands of peoples’ faces.” French Quarter Festival provides many opportunities for families locally, as well as nationally, to come down and have fun in the Quarter. There will be over 10 music stages, the World’s Largest Jazz Brunch, children’s activities, an art show and much more for all ages to enjoy. In 2006 French Quarter Festival will have locations set up for donations to benefit a local musicians’ fund (to be named later) and provide opportunities for other non-profits to gain exposure. “Local musicians are our lifeline, they make our Festival possible. It is a great opportunity for us to help them out as much as we can.” said Kathleen Alter, the new French Quarter Festival CEO.
FQFI would like to dedicate this year’s French Quarter Festival to all New Orleanians whom we lost due to Hurricane Katrina, as well as those who survived and will play a vital role in bringing back our wonderful city.
Volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information on either, please call the Festival office at 522-5730 or email at feedback@fqfi.org.
This article today at MSNBC.COM reminded me that I haven’t checked my referrer logs lately. I’ve had some trouble with myspace.com users hotlinking to images at the blogs here. That activity is annoying to me but not much more than that. The death threats mentioned at MSNBC are another thing. MYSPACE.COM is inhabited by mostly teenagers judging by the painful reading I subjected myself to while looking into the hotlinking thing.
On another note, these are some things I found in yesterday’s referrer log: That myspace.com users were still linking to images that I had renamed over a month ago and also a referral from MSNBC.COM/Newsweek, which I thought was pretty cool. I linked to a Newsweek article a couple of weeks ago. It apparently was recorded. A subsequent link to it from Fish Fear Me was also recorded. Both of our blog entries are featured on their joint site. I don’t know what kind of traffic it has generated for Dave but I got exactly one hit yesterday. I guess it just goes to show we’re all connected in ways we don’t imagine.
Speaking of connections and Newsweek, MSNBC, etc, little ole me has been interviewed twice for blogging activities at CrabAppleLane. Not for this blog, though. Pamela Paul interviewed me by phone for Time Magazine for “an article about family/baby websites/blogs” two years ago. Our Family Blog was on page one of a Google search of “family blogs” at the time so I am almost certain that’s how she got my name and email address. She didn’t use anything we talked about but it was fun. I think her focus was on “baby blogs”. The other article I was interviewed twice for was by email and also concerned Our Family Blog but it hasn’t been published yet. That one was different and was also fun. The possibility that others might be interested in how and why it all works never occurred to me when I started doing this and it never would have happened if I hadn’t started. Pretty cool, huh?
Quote of the Day
With what the students can get into using the technology we are all concerned about it
Bob Metz, District Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "One of the most exquisite showcases in all of nature's biological beauty exists in my own backyard. It's not quite land, not quite water. But in the soggy confusion between the two is complex of ecosystems literally bursting with flora and fauna more diverse than a tropical rain forest."
I was on the Causeway at about 6:25PM last night when the search was underway for the truck that went over. I was on the northbound side. The southbound side had to be closed and was still closed during the 10 o’clock news. Traffic slowed considerably on the northbound side because of all of the flashing lights. Everyone fears plunging into the water in their vehicle. That fear is so profound that devices are sold to break glass in the event you find yourself in the water. It is so profound that some people refuse to wear seat belts because they may get trapped in a sinking vehicle. I think it’s smarter to wear your seat belts and save your money. It’s still fairly rare to find yourself in the water. I digress. For experienced Causeway commuters, the worst nightmare is a stalled car at night or in fog when it is difficult to tell that the car is stopped until you’re on top of them at 55-70mph. That’s what happened last night. There’s no shoulder on the Causeway for a stalled car to pull into and emergency flashers will not necessarily help. The use of emergency flashers has been so corrupted here that they’ve been rendered almost meaningless. You’re only supposed to use them when you’re at a complete stop. That tells everyone approaching you that you are not moving. People around here use them while they’re moving. They think people will get out of their way because their emergency flashers are on. I don’t know a single person who has ever been ticketed for that offense. They should be.
What Minnesotans do for fun. They're a strange bunch.
This guy has a sense of humor, which is sorely lacking in the position he’s applying for. I love his “one day older than” line. I'm rooting for you, Mr Smith.
Quote of the Day
I don't buy the 'fog of war' defense
Michael Brown, Ex-FEMA Chief
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "From the looks of this note we found on the door of a hotel room party it looks like someone had a good night!"
By all accounts, Mardi Gras in New Orleans was a success yesterday. Some have questioned the wisdom of holding Mardi Gras when New Orleans has so many other priorities. I remember when Mayor Giuliani was asked what people could do for New York after 9/11. He said to “come here and spend some money”. Mardi Gras is New Orleans way of saying exactly the same thing. If New Orleanians enjoy themselves in the process, where’s the harm? The city has a long way to go. It’s going to be rebuilding for 5 or even 10 years. Are they supposed to postpone everything until it's finished? Get real.
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Rob -- [noun]: A hard-core grave robber 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com |
Shhh. Don’t tell anyone. Via Ray.
March Madness starts in 13 days.
The hummingbird watch continues............................
Quote of the Day
The world is full of cactus but we don’t have to sit on it.
Will Foley
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Dancing out of its grave."
Go read the rest of that lovely poem. -Rob
