Why It’s Great to Be a Mississippi State Bulldog Fan…..today

Posted on March 16, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:    (click below, courtesy of Six Pack Speak)

Jack Cristil, \”Wrap it in maroon and white!\”

TB can describe in tearjerking comical detail the pain and misery that is the life of the Mississippi State Bulldog fan. A much more difficult task is explaining just why in the hell anyone would choose such a life. If there is one certainty for a Bulldog’s, its that the ‘dogs will screw it up somehow.  Even cognizant of this fact of life, if you are a Bulldog fan you believe deep down, way down below the scar tissue of eleven plays inside the ten, past the Tech and ten layer and beyond the memory of the windblown field goal deflection, in your hear of hearts, there will be good days. You see the twenty point line favoring our evil rivals and you think its about right; right up until kickoff or tipoff when suddenly you think “maybe today’s our day.” It happens every time and almost always, it ain’t our day. Worse still, our Dogs, no matter the sport, regularly play above their heads and get a game or a season close enough to success that we can hang our future hopes and continued allegiance on the fact we almost won but for cheatin refs, the hated NCAA investigators or just a few inches here and there during the course of a contest. We’re often close. We know that tomorrow we will be better; next year will be the year.

Ahhhhh, but sometimes, especially in basketball, tomorrow shows up when we least expect it. Today is that tomorrow. MY Bulldogs are basking in a four day glow of success and glory after defeating Georgia, South Carolina, LSU, and finally Tennessee over a long weekend in Tampa. WE are the Southeastern Conference Champions and have the trophy to prove it. No matter that I’ve not been able to gin up enough interest in hoops this year to even update my “Life as a Bulldog” page. No matter that I haven’t been to the Hump in over a decade. It’s US, my Bullies. A fair weathered, bandwagon fan some may call me. To these folks I simply say, there is no such thing as a fair weathered Bulldog fan. If we bleed maroon, we have all suffered enough, we’ve paid our dues many times over, we get to celebrate the “tomorrow’s” whenever they come around.

And a day like today is what keeps us going. We may limp out of the big dance before most people even get a chance to turn on the tube. We’ll hear all about how we didn’t belong and we stole an at large bid from Creighton. But forever more, that SEC trophy stays in Starkville. Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and the other Big Boys’ fans may feel blessed to have grown up pulling for a powerhouse program. Often, I’m jealous of those guys. I’m even sometimes green-eyed toward the Rebels. But those other guys get to celebrate too often and they expect to take regular victory laps. At State, we hope, but never expect. So I say with confidence, no supporters of any other school in America can appreciate success more than we do. And that’s why it’s great to be a Bulldog. Today.

SWAT

Posted in Mississippi, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Gotta Get This Blog Back in Gear

Posted on March 15, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “I’m tired. I’ll get to it tomorrow.”     –Travellinbaen, after getting home from Atlanta

TB’s been a little off my game lately. I’ve had a couple of posts I liked–I’m still cracking myself up about the Navy battle–and at least one that was a good idea but didn’t really come off the way I would’ve liked (the Ides). But too many missed days too. Not to mention I haven’t gotten 8 inducted HOF members properly written up over at the HOF site. None of that’s gonna happen tonight either. BUT, here’s the first promo in the history of the site–this week’s planned schedule (subject to change if I get too tired or Texas secedes).

MY BULLIES

Chuck Norris et al

The Proud Larry’s Story

By special request from Fig, my take on the USA baseball team in the World Congress tourney being rooted against by the majority of fans in attendance at a home game in Miami and its relation to the immigration issue. TB’s always looking for story ideas from the peanut gallery. I’ll have a take if at all possible and will be glad to know at least one reader is thinking to him or herself, “damn right. Bout time TB wrote about something interestin.”

March Madness and the return of Thursday Pickin. Get your upset specials and your playlists ready.

HOF updates.

Ok, this is a pretty big list. But lots of reasons to tune in this week. And somebody start an argument or have a take and don’t suck or do something to get the folks coming back over to the TB universe. I ain’t never gonna get rich at this thing with only a couple hundred views per day. I think I need at least like, 620 or something like that.

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Radicalbaen’s Ides Of March Salute to Brutus and His Progeny

Posted on March 12, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “A soothsayer bids you beware the Ides of March.”     –Brutus, to Julius Caesar, in Julius Caesar by Shakespeare

As everyone knows, Brutus answered Caesar’s last words in the affirmative as he dealt the final and killing blow to the most famous of all Roman leaders. Down through the centuries, his legacy has endured equivocal approbation. Although most would agree Caesar’s power grab was wrong, there is an element of discomfort and disapproval in how his quest for absolute power was thwarted by Brutus, et al. Regicide, to many, is the worst of all sins, no matter the justification. On top of that Brutus is often seen as the ultimate, though honorable perhaps, traitor in that he dealt the killing thrust to one who was not only known as his good friend, but to one who had only recently spared his own life when Brutus chose the losing side in civil war. In my opinion the historical reputation of Brutus and those like him has also been manipulated through the years by an ever present cultural bias against those who chip away at the establishment and their power. TB, sympathetic to the ones who make this cause their own, therefore views Brutus’ act as one of the greatest courage, an act of one who advanced the universal arc of liberty, and an act which deserves to have the stain of lukewarm praise removed for at least a few days each year. And on this eve of the Ides of March, I list for you some others who took on the cause of liberty, of chipping away at that establishment wall, only to be immortalized as controversial, flawed heroes, self interested egomaniacs and even failures–reputations that only solidify in my mind the true import of their acts. Let’s accord them the honor of unequivocal greatness, just through the Ides of March.

Oliver Cromwell–perhaps the ultimate anti-establishmentarian. He deposed the monarchy in England for a short period of time. Few men, if any, have left a legacy of debate as to their standing as hero or villain within their own country. 

John Adams–he sacrificed his reelection bid and his entire political party ultimately by going against his party’s wishes and keeping the United States out of a war with France that he knew could not be won. Only recently have a best selling biography and accompanying mini-series on him rehabilitated his reputation as one of the lest effective of the founding fathers, and even so, he is still generally held in a different class than his contemporaries such as Washington and Jefferson.

Napoleon Bonaparte–begrudgingly accepted universally as one of the greatest military minds of all time, Napoleon is at the same time viewed as an upstart usurper unsuited to hold civilian power. The whole of European aristocracy went to war to stop him, and not to protect the petty freedoms of the peasantry.

Corporate whistleblowers–the accountant who exposed Worldcom’s fraudulent books, and the Insider who shined the light on the tobacco industry’s evil empire are two of the most prominent heroes of recent times of the sort I seek to honor at the Ides. Their courage is even greater than that of the politicians and generals of history for they had–the have–no position of strength from which to act. They are the triggering event for stock declines though the farthest thing from the cause of it. Because of this loss of wealth and because they are typically awarded some form of compensation, whistleblowers are often portrayed as opportunists and their motives are questioned. 

Each of these I’ve listed are different in many ways, but they hold in common a trait TB admires. That is the conscious disregard of the easy path in favor of a difficult one they saw as the righteous. In these difficult times I wonder, is there such a path to be taken that will lead our country out of the mess its in, and if so, is there anyone in Washington with the courage to take it?

Posted in History, People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Conversation About the U.S-Chinese Navy Encounter Earlier Today

Posted on March 9, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     

The Geek: You know, I’m getting input here that I’m reading as relatively hostile. 
Samantha: Go to hell. 
The Geek: VERY hostile. 

—Sixteen Candles

Click here for Link to News Report

It seems there was an awkward encounter earlier today between the United States and Chinese Navies. The article I read is linked above. You are going to have to read it to understand the conversation that follows, or at least be familiar with the story from another outlet. What follows is a transcript of the top secret high level diplomatic exchange between the two nations that occurred earlier this evening. TB has many sources. The delicate discussion revealed a few new details not previously released to the mainstream media.

American Diplomat, identified only by his code name, Midnight Cowboy–Good Day, sir. I think we ought to talk about what happened.

Chinese Diplomat, using his real name, Long Duk Dong–Must we? You Cowboys….ever since Brokeback we have to “talk” every time there’s an “incident” between us.

MC–Listen, Dick…

LDD–Duk.

MC–Whatever. I was going to say you can’t just approach us whenever you want and demand our attention. 

LDD–Hold on a minute Brokeback, it was your ship that was sniffing around our back door.

MC–Are you insinuating WE were harassing YOU?

LDD–I’m saying you weren’t exactly trying to be discrete, leaving that thing dangling from your stern. That was designed to attract our attention, admit it.

MC–No sir, limp duk. What your Navy did to ours was naked aggression!

LDD–Is that what you are calling it these days? No matter our behavior, it was premature for you to discharge your cannon on our vessel!

MC–I have to concede one point here Wang Chung. There is no excuse for our seaman getting your crew all wet. Its just that when they saw all those young men disrobe our gun captains were following the usual protocol by manning and raising their units. These young boys sometimes can’t hold their fire.

LDD–Your candor pleases me. I will in turn take responsibility for our overeagerness. We must remember that the U.S. is charged with lavishing its attention on all manner of enemies and rivals and that its not always just about us.

MC–So we can just act like this never happened?

LDD–I think that is for the best. But might I suggest, next time do not escalate the situation by allowing your men to moon ours as we slip away. It is important in our culture to save face.

Gong

MC–<Blank Stare>

LDD–<Blank Stare>

Bonus Quote of the Day:    

The Geek: Just answer me one question. 
Samantha: Yes, you’re a total fag. 
The Geek: Ha ha ha. That’s not the question. 

     –Sixteen Candles


Posted in Blank Stares, current events, Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Zen of Elle

Posted on March 9, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind.”     —Buddha

Some things we can learn from a two year old:

  • Do everything with gusto. Eat, play, run, laugh, cry. At the end of the day, you will rest well, and tomorrow you can attack life afresh. Oliver Wendell Holmes said “life is action and passion.” A two year old lives this way.
  • No matter how angry you become with someone, you can always forgive them. And the sooner the better. A two year old is constantly forgiving and quickly forgetting the innumerable daily trespasses upon her dignity and freedom. 
  • There is no purpose in, nor time for regret. The poet John Greenleaf Whittier wrote “of all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, “It might have been.”  This phrase is unknown to the toddler.
  • You should be wary of strangers, yet still have a pleasant greeting for them. 
  • Very few two year olds have exposure to Thoreau, yet they know that joy is not attained through accumulation of material goods. A twenty dollar toy or a plastic spoon–they are equals to the two year old. She will have fun with either.
  • Materialistic she may not be, but she knows to protect her stuff. Woe be to the one who tries to take her bear or blanket or plastic spoon.
  • We should be happy with our appearance. A two year old’s self image is unaffected whether buck naked or in her best dress, freshly brushed hair or applesauce filled, protruding gut or dirty face.
  • Worry should not be part of your life. Things will either work out or they won’t. Depending on how they go, you will laugh or you will cry. Then something new will happen. There are no gray haired two year olds. Ironically, a two year old can cause the appearance of gray hairs to accelerate on a 38 year old man.
  • You can learn all manner of great things if you listen carefully and watch intently those around you. At two, the growth of vocabulary, physical ability and general sophistication is staggering. This all comes from observing their world and the people who inhabit it. Sadly, they gradually learn to neither listen well nor watch closely thereby simultaneously dooming their state of zen as they use it to grow.
  • And finally, we should live in the present. The (original) Buddha counseled “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate on the present moment.” In this, a two year old is as a monk. There is no solace in going outside in five minutes. It must be now or the moment is lost forever. And who knows what may happen in five minutes. The time to act on an idea is immediately. 

TB has learned a lot from a two year old, and so can you. I think I might even put some of this newfound knowledge to work. Starting tomorrow.

Posted in Humor, Life, Philosobaen | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

A Virtual World Series of Pascagoula Champions

Posted on March 7, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “What if this weren’t a hypothetical question?”     –Unknown (the Great)

Who wins a best of seven series between the 1983 Pascagoula Panthers Mississippi State Baseball Champs and the 1996 Panther Baseball Champs?

I have to go with 1983, and here’s why. Blair Varnes, the greatest of all Panther hurlers in my estimation, will prevail in low scoring games one and four against Mike Thomas, and John Jordan will split Games 2 and 5 against Jeffrey Ellis. But Games 3 and 6 are blowouts for ’83 as Mike Moreland, Paul Tanner and Thomas leave the yard and Keith Coleman goes on a triples binge to light up Enrico Jones and others, while Mike Seaman paints the corners and makes jam sandwiches out of ’96 bats. Chris Fishburn out shines Pork Chop Holifield at short in a series within a series, but Holifield is constantly on base and in the heads of the youngsters.

In Game 7, a tired Varnes and Thomas take the hill, but neither has the gas to get through the 4th. A few doubles, some bloop singles and a few walks do them both in and its up to the bullpens to settle a late 5-5 tie. The ’83 veterans are deeper in crafty lefties though, and no offense to the titans of 90’s Mississippi baseball, but the old guys are tougher. Robbie Weihing is thrown out sliding at the plate trying to score from first on a double by Fishburn, then Fishburn misses third base on a Jones single in the top of the 9th. In the bottom of the inning, Bubba Holifield is called out for catcher’s interference, making Moreland’s steal of home and near death on the same pitch all for naught and leaving the game tied. Finally in the 12th, Jimmy Dufault tags from third on a short fly and eschews the hook slide in favor of barreling over the much larger ’96 (clutch hitting, I can’t recall his name right now) catcher. The ’83 cats pile on a bloody-faced Dufault in celebration while the kids head for the dugout and stare blankly at the pandemonium on the field. No handshakes are exchanged, but everybody heads to the Point after the game to get drunk and make fun of the Holifields and their kin for keeping alive a tradition of excellence and tragedy made famous by Rob.

———————-

If I got a few of the wrong players on the teams, chalk it up to old age. They are close enough to participate in this time travellin game. There were some names I left out. Feel free to add them into my story or incorporate them in your own.

Posted in Mississippi, People, Sports, Ten Cent Analysis | Tagged , , , | 125 Comments

Staring Blankly Into That Good Night

Posted on March 3, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “A poor life this if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.”     –W.H. Davies, from Leisure

I read today that fiscally conservative Republican United States Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker were numbers one and two in the nation in bringing home earmarks to their home states. Mississippi, last in so many areas, kicks freakin ass when it comes to feeding at the pork barrel. To be fair, most of Wicker’s haul came as a hanger on to Thad’s money as he was but a co-requester. TB does not joke when he says he will vote for Thad as long as he stays in the Senate.  I’m reminded for some reason of Thad’s statement to the press during the Republican primaries that the thought of John McCain as President sent a “cold chill” down his spine. 

Watching the ocean this weekend and waiting for a storm to arrive, I was momentarily misdirected from my peaceful vacuity by this nugget from Fox News: obese smokers are 55% more likely to die than the rest of us.

A fearful thought occurred to me Sunday on Highway 98 near Mahned, Mississippi. Will I be excluded from crossing the threshold of paradise because I sometimes wonder if particular drivers with handicapped symbols (like wheelchairs or the word “Louisiana”) on their license plate got those plates due to their inability to keep their vehicle between the lines in the first place?

I wonder how many more Tonight Show hosts I’ve got before I must answer to St. Peter’s notes.

My gang loves IHOP. New on the menu is the Octo-mom omelet. It’s fourteen eggs, no sausage and the other customers pay the bill.

AIG. 

TB finished school in 1995. From then until 2005 I was a single man with a little jingle in his pockets. I felt a lot richer than I was, and considering that I bought damn near anything I wanted, went where I wanted and gambled when I wanted, I guess I was pretty rich. But if I had only been a bit wiser with my money…..I would’ve bought more, gone further and gambled more recklessly.

Posted in Blank Stares, Humor, Life, Mississippi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

An Old School Road Trip

Posted on March 2, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”     –Lao Tzu

It is really amazing all the good a road trip can do. TB and the gang took off Thursday night in route to a job for Friday morning in Hattiesburg and with the intention of doing something, we did not know what, by Friday lunch. We did know we were not returning home until Sunday evening. It’s the kind of trip we used to take when we were only two, with no planning, no reservations and no hesitation. And now we know it works just as well for three as it did for two.

For an hour Friday morning we scoured the internet looking for just the right bargain hotel deal in New Orleans. We talked the night before about the aquarium, the zoo, the park, where to eat and all the other little details you should have an idea about prior to embarking on a road trip. We were at last settled on a plan, but decided making the reservation could wait until after lunch. So we lunched and stopped for gas and provisions for the road. Standing at the gas pump, a warm southerly breeze suddenly set sail through my hair, leaving it more pleasantly mussed than usual. I thought I caught the scent of salt, from memory or the moment I could not be sure. Then I finished fueling up the car and the passengers and warily suggested we turn left instead of right on leaving the Hub City. The breeze was a messenger from the road trip gods, I reasoned. Let’s go to the beach instead. Because my gang of travelers are pros, they recognize travel inspiration when they see it. They enthusiastically endorsed my new plan; “ok”, from the passenger seat and “milk” from the back.

So we wound up in Fort Morgan, Alabama, less than a hundred miles as the seagull flies from my hometown and a mere dozen miles from Gulf Shores, Alabama, practically my back yard as a teenager. But a place I’d never been. My crew found a condo perfect for our needs and much lower than our original budget allowed. TB is a notoriously poor negotiator when dealing for my own purposes, so it is well that I have a shrewd bargainer on the team. For once however, it looked like our last minute maneuvering might backfire as the master negotiator reached an impasse, after business hours no less, with the condo booking company. The last refuge of the last minute traveler is to bite the bullet and pay top dollar out of desperation, an act of which I am much more willing to resort than my consort. But after an hour of haggling, exercising the walk away, and then striking out at the competitors for a better deal, it was decided we would, for the first time in our joint careers, be forced to do just that. I volunteered to go in and put up the big money and endure the shame of slinking back to the deal we’d so gallantly eschewed just a short time before. I went with the sheepish grin instead of the million watt megacharmer and the gods were pleased. For no reason at all, the agent “remembered” she could give a 20% discount to walk-ins and suggested I could knock off another twenty bucks by foregoing the travel insurance we didn’t even know was part of the previous rate. We ended up paying even less than expected, which was to be expected considering we were on a beach road trip in late February with storms in the forecast.

Our stay at the ingeniously named “Beach Club” was all we hoped it would be. We walked on the beach, took photos of our third wheel in all manner of poses and moods, swam in the heated pool, ate pizza, drank cheap wine (or milk), slept late, waited for the storm that continually threatened but never delivered and planned our next trip. We were there only 36 hours or so, but it seemed like more. Our batteries recharged. The recession receded. Our resolve to repeatedly retreat from reality was reinforced. And we realized our recent addition assuredly received the road trip trait, same as her folks, when we heard tears from astern as we headed north from the coast. “Hey guys,” I said soothingly, “I hear there are some good last minute airfares out there. Maybe I should see what I can find for a weekend in March?” From the co-pilot’s chair, “ok”, and from the jumpseat, “milk.” 

Look for notes from Phoenix in a few weeks. Or maybe Fort Lauderdale.

Posted in Life, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Visit the Hall of Fame

Posted on February 26, 2009 by travellinbaen

I launched the new site today with bios on 4 of our inductees. I’ll get the rest up over the next few weeks. See the link on this page or go to www.jacksoncountysports.wordpress.com

It’s a work in progress. Please comment or email if you have corrections, suggestions, additional information on anything, etc. I’ll also be calling for help on content. Jester owes me a photo already. And there will be additional pages coming soon, including one dedicated to listing state champions from our county–High School, Individual, Amateur Sports, Summer Leagues–I want the site to brag on everything possible, so go ahead and be thinking of the ones you know. I’ll probably also add a nominations page similar to the one on this site at some point.

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Apologia of Pandora

Posted on February 25, 2009 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day:     “Well, then, I will make my defence, and I will endeavor in the short time which is allowed to do away with this evil opinion of me which you have held for such a long time; and I hope I may succeed, if this be well for you and me, and that my words may find favor with you. But I know that to accomplish this is not easy – I quite see the nature of the task.”     —Plato,  Apology of Socrates

In TB’s line of work, it is not unusual to learn of horrible things that occur in our world about which most people remain oblivious. Lawyers ask the taboo questions and sometimes get frightening responses. We turn over rocks where the slime is sure to be found. We read the documents that someone created long ago and filed away thinking they would remain unseen, and we wonder at the hubris that allowed documentation of such inexplicable behavior in the first place. I have learned that when you don’t know the specifics of so many awful things, in your ignorance you subconsciously assume things are fine when often they are the opposite. In fact this principle still applies to me in most respects. For example, I know the slums of India are sad, hard places. But having never been there or known someone who lived there, the true impact of how sad and hard they are does not register. Because I don’t begin to understand the horror of those slums and because I seldom (if ever, before this week) considered them, does it mean the condition did not exist prior to my screening of a movie set there? Of course not. Slum Dog Millionaire didn’t create the slums, it only opened my eyes to them. The movie is guilty of nothing in relation to the slums’ existence, anyone would agree. So I wonder, when Pandora opened that infamous Box so many millinia ago, did she really release pain and pestilence and famine and their kindred, or did she simply open our eyes to what was there all along, but was too terrible to contemplate? Was she just a scapegoat for being the bearer of bad tidings? And a bigger question—is it better to know or not of the things she saw within?

Along with that Box and its foul content, the gods gave Pandora the damned dubious gift of curiosity. You know it if you’ve inherited that particular gift, Pandora never had any choice in the matter. She was compelled to peak. She had no way of knowing beforehand the consequences of gaining her new knowledge. Her thirst demanded slaking. There was certainly no evil intent on her part; she even slammed shut the lid as soon as she realized things were getting out of hand, but to no avail. Once her eyes were opened, they could never be shut to hardship again.

My eyes have been opened on a few things over the years and what I’ve seen has influenced—some may say skewed–my worldview. Even with the lessons of Pandora’s experience and my own, I had an opportunity this week to open another little box of secrets and as always I did not hesitate to look inside. There are two ways to consider the exposure of ills, the optimist’s view and the pessimist’s, and the roles of each are counterintuitive. One might expect the optimist to keep the lid closed and thereby maintain his blissful ignorance and good cheer. But I think that is not so. That is the pessimist’s course for he knows in his soul that nothing can be done to combat what is inside. The pessimist is commonly mistaken as the optimist, and vice versa, because the pessimist is never seen too low. He accepts genially whatever may come and is admired for this by most and envied by many. People misconstrue the dearth of sadness as the presence of pleasure, thus the negative person is ironically and mistakenly viewed as the positive. I believe most people are optimists at heart who must experience the emotional depths, but as a consequence only they are capable of knowing the purest joy and seeing the most sublime beauty; both extremes are denied the pessimist. Having knowledge and even expectation of suffering does not make one a cynic, though such a person is often innocently labeled as such by both society and himself. It is how he uses that knowledge that truly identifies and differentiates the cynic from the hopeful. And so the optimist opens the box because he believes it is better to know what must be faced. He believes no matter what is within it can be endured even though with certainty the trial will be difficult. He knows that in the bottom of Pandora’s Box, the last thing to reveal itself, what always remained, was hope. When I looked this week, there in the box, just as I expected, was the jewel of hope. I barely even noticed the demons.

 

Posted in Life, Philosobaen, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments