Saturday Football Live Bloggin

Posted on September 20, 2008 by travellinbaen

TB’s back in Oxford this weekend and getting ready for about ten games on Direct TV. Of course, with luck I’ll only be watching one for a few hours. My damn Dogs are getting ready to play Georgia Tech. I have no logical reason for saying this, except that its Saturday and kickoff is still a few minutes away. I think we will win (why not?).

Other early games are Alabama-Arkansas, East Carolina-NC State, Miami Fla-TX A&M, and some others that don’t interest me too much. If you’re sittinathome watchin, drop in with your thoughts. I’ll be adding to this post throughout the day.

First quarter of the State-Tech game. Tech’s option looks good, kind of a modernized version of what was common 25 years ago. There moving the ball down the field methodically, though their QB just got either a cramp or pulled hammie. But no matter, Tech continues to move the pill. 1st and goal from the 8. And they score. The last two plays and 30 yards were simple sweeps, after losing their center and QB. And State’s best player, Derek Pegues is now injured. Ok, maybe we won’t win after all. At least I didn’t pay for the privilege to watch this crap.

Still in the first, now 14-0 after State’s center snapped the ball over the backfield’s head and set up Tech with good field position. The sound of circus music is reverberating around my skull. Anthony Dixon tried to answer and keep State in the game with a 72 yard run, but he got caught on the 8. On third and goal from the one, you know they are going up the gut. And stuffed at the two. Great coaching Sly. Shanked the field goal. 

On third and one, State calls timeout and comes up with a unique play–up the middle dive. It barely works. A few plays later its 4th and one. Guess what–up the middle. It fails. Ga Tech takes over and scores again, ironically on a 4th and 3 option play. 21-0.

Meanwhile, Bama is blowing out Arkansas. This ain’t gonna be TB’s week. Almost before I can type that sentence, we throw a pick in our own territory. Maybe if we’re gonna lose anyway, it might as well be really ugly. Ugly enough to get the powers that be mad enough to make a change. That’s not to say I hope we’ll lose any game, just looking for a silver lining.

Just checked some scores and saw where the Big Ten Joke is struggling. Ohio State by 4 over Troy at the half, Purdue tied with Central Michigan, and Iowa trailing to Pitt. What’s wrong with midwestern football?

I’m still watching the debacle, now 28, getting ready to be 35-zip. But I’m speechless. Getting ready to go hang at the grove in a little bit. It’ll be nice to get away from the tube.

….9 hours later, the end of another long Saturday. 0-3 for the Mississippi schools, and all eyes turn toward the Saints for football fan redemption. One thing has bothered me all day. Why do they keep saying this is Georgia’s first trip west of the Mississippi since the sixties? Have they not played Arkansas on the road since the Hogs joined the SEC in the early 90’s? I swear, one person on TV says something, and every announcer repeats it all day long, with no regard for accuracy. Happens on the news all the time, but I expect more out of sports guys.

A final note, TB hits his POTW for the third straight week with the Georgia win. Tune in Thursday for the updated scoreboard, which will include a new mystery element in the scoring matrix. A couple of good topics are on tap between now and then too.  Over and out.

Posted in Sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Thursday Pickin Round IV

Posted on September 17, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day     “Horse sense is the thing a horse has that keeps it from betting on people.”     –W.C. Fields

Welcome to the Premier Pick’em Game on the Worldwide Web.

You may be asking yourself, “why should I participate in this silly pick’em game?” My answer: you don’t really have anything better to do, right? Actually, there is also the pride of a wild guess made good, the ability to see your success published internationally and read by literally several people, and the potential for some mystery reward. TB has a couple of ideas. You can be certain the reward will have little to no intrinsic value, much like the American dollar. And if you were paying attention to the playlists last week, you got some real gems to add to your collection, be it on the ipod or cassette tape. Many of you collected on the music bonus last week, but the tune of the week had to go to Ed for his back story, linked live performance, appropriateness, and quality. All the others were so close that no tiebreakers were needed, though special thanks go out to Larry for contributing two new songs to my library. I hope ya’ll are enjoying the music sharing as much as I am, from the current to the oldies to the sublime and the ridiculous.

Here’s how it went down last week. Gripe if you want, but I’m awarding TB the first place 50 points for picking USM correctly as POTW, going 3-1-1 on the bonus picks, and choosing songs I definitely like. I took a tie on Georgia’s victory, even though the line went down before game time and I would’ve won (and did elsewhere) with that extra half point shaved off. I credited those of you who took the same game with the line as it stood when you made the pick. Two weeks in a row, TB’s on a roll. Rock Star was second with a very close NC State victory and an appropriately timed and rockin atom-smashing playlist. Supercynic took third with a winning POTW, 2-1 bonus record and a seasonal selection by Better than Ezra. Feidt’s Follies next with a POTW, 3-2 bonus, and odd choice of Patsy Cline–are you mocking the game Fido? I’ll be watching you.Stone regained a bit of respectability with a POTW and good list. RMac hit her second POTW in as many tries, and is obviously uninterested, though maybe she can find enough humor here to bring her back. Sweet was right on their heels with a POTW, 1-0, a timely Michigan retraction, and his Culture Club DVD. JLM was the last to get her POTW, though it was done outside the blog. Ed tied his POTW, along with MD (2-1 on bonus). POTW losers, with their bonus picks in parentheses were Larry, BR (2-0), TKH (3-2), Fig E (2-2-1), and OB in last place (1-4) though he was obviously hampered by Hurricane Ike. Smiley went 3-1 without choosing a POTW and Zeek jumped in early this week and gets a single point just for the hell of it. All you POTW losers get kudos for your tunes as well, even Smiley for his PHS carpooling song shout-out.

Here are the standings:

  1. Fig–112
  2. TB–95
  3. Rock Star–65
  4. Supercynic–56
  5. Ed–53
  6. RMac–52
  7. Feidt’s Follies–45
  8. OB–42
  9. JLM–37
  10. Sweet–30
  11. Larry–25
  12. MD–15
  13. BR–13
  14. TKH–11
  15. Smiley–9
  16. Stone–8
  17. Zeek–1
New players are always welcome. With heavy emphasis on nailing your POTW and backing it up with some good tunes, the standings can change fast. It’s 50 points for the weekly winner, dropping quickly to 40, 35, 30, then a lot of close scores from 29 down. No negative points this week and everybody’s Back in Black.
TB’s Picks this week
  • Arkansas +9
  • Notre Dame +8′
  • Tulane  -6
  • Minnesota  -6′
  • LSU  -2
Pick of the week — Georgia -6′
My Tunes, livin it up while I’m winning
  • Dizz Knee Land–Dada
  • Steady as She Goes–The Raconteurs
  • Elevation–U2
  • I’m Goin to Town–Robert Earl Keen
  • Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard–Waylon Jennings
Posted in Music, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 49 Comments

TB’s Guide to Life (in the event of a Second Great Depression)

Posted on September 17, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day     “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”     Franklin D. Roosevelt

The U.S. Government this week “bailed out” the largest insurance company in the United States, AIG, to save it from bankruptcy. “Bailed out” is another word for “bought.” For the record, government ownership of business or industry is a basic tenet of socialism or social democracy, which sounds better. This act was undertaken by the Republican administration of George Bush. And TB is glad they did it. 

I was listening just now to Senator Byron Dorgan who was called in to an emergency meeting with several congressional leaders of both parties. They were not asked, but were told what was to transpire. They were told the purchase was necessary because the failure of AIG would likely have sent our entire economy into depression and led to the failure of numerous large and small banks. They were told a failed AIG would result in numerous mutual fund collapses as the company is a top ten holding in numerous funds. And they were told a bankrupt AIG would lead to the collapse of several very large industrial companies. Dorgan wouldn’t name them, but I suspect GM and Ford would be among these names. Before I get to the guide, take a moment and consider that we were, and maybe are, on the precipice of a true Depression. I can’t even wrap my mind around the idea–it sounds alarmist and impossible. But so too did warnings of impending terrorist attacks before 9-11 and warnings of catastrophic storm surge before Katrina. 

This post isn’t about blame, though you should not be surprised that I have emphatic opinions on where it lies. No, if we sink into Depression we will care much less about blame than we will about survival and recovery. I’ve put at least ten minutes of thought into these suggestions, so print this post and keep it handy if all hell breaks loose (you’ll not be able to access it online after that, probably).

  1. New career opportunities will abound in the field of hobo-ing. You should find a good stick, a red bandana, a hip flask and a Jed Clampett hat right away so you’ll be ahead of the crowd. Store these where you keep your terrorist attack duct tape. You can use that to tape up the toes of your walking boots.
  2. Start hoarding crackers and sugar packets from restaurants. I don’t know what you will do with these, but anyone who’s grandmother lived through the Great Depression knows it’s important to have lots of crackers and sugar packets saved up.
  3. Buy a jalopy. When you get evicted from your house you are going to need a vehicle suitable for stacking your rocking chair, HDTV, 48 pack Igloo and sack of crackers on top while still keeping enough room for at least 8 people. All the Mexicans are already in California, so instead of west, drive south to look for migrant worker employment. From what I hear on Lou Dobbs, there shouldn’t be many folks left down Mexico way.
  4. Figure out what you have that can be bartered. People are going to be pawning all their good stuff so you should keep your HDTV and Xbox 360 as forms of cash. Let people watch ballgames and play “The Force Unleashed” in exchange for things like beer and crackers to go on your jalopy.
  5. Learn how to make moonshine. 
  6. Go ahead now and start being real nice to the ladies at your local Chinese buffet. And save those fortunes so you can learn a bit of the language.
  7. Work on your sad sack story. Here’s how mine starts out: “Back in ought-eight I was practicing law in courtrooms with running water and ever-thang. Used to wear a two-piece suit ever-day. Folks considered me a real gentleman. I gotta mind to get back in that game if I can ever catch a lucky break. Say mister, you wanna share this sugary cracker with me? I’ll tell ya all about it.”
  8. Find some good recipes for chili, stew, gopher and beans. 
  9. Put lots of Woody Guthrie tunes on your Ipod. 
  10. Re-think your old assumptions about macroeconomics. It’ll make for stimulating conversation as you bounce around the country in your jalopy or as you sit around a freight yard campfire over a plate of beans. It could impress your new South American overseer or your local communist Chinese overlord that you should get a little extra gopher in your stew since you might be worth saving from starvation. And if you do it soon enough, it might even make this list unnecessary.
Posted in current events, Humor, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

The Concerts List

Posted on September 15, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day     

Nigel Tufnel–“We were told they knew how to rock in Shelbyville!” (crowd boos)

Derek Smalls–“But nobody rocks like…..(pauses to look on guitar for sticky note of what town he’s in)…..Springfield!” (crowd roars)

–from The Simpsons, The Otto Show episode, guest starring Spinal Tap

Reading the excellent music submissions in last week’s pick’em contest, along with the heartwarming stories of concerts past shared by Sweet and Zeek, have inspired me to publish this Concerts list. The factors I’ve taken in to consideration include the crowd reaction, the location, the company, how much or little I can actually recall (whether due to passing years or passing out), but mostly how much ass they kicked.  Here’s my top ten, my cheesiest, the ones I’m looking for now, and the ones that got away.

Cheesiest–Cinderella around 1987 and Brooks and Dunn sometime in the 90’s. I know I’m blocking out something worse.

The ones that got away–Jimmy Buffett, AC/DC, Waylon Jennings

On my list right now–White Stripes and Shooter Jennings

And the top ten:

10. Bruce Hornsby and the Range–Yes, its a strange choice and one in which the performer kicked no ass. But I saw this back in 1986 on Pensacola Beach, Florida. I went with my girlfriend Tracy, Smiley, and Tracy’s strange older sister in who’s van we boarded. A very strange, excellent weekend.

9.  Cross Canadian Ragweed–at the racetrack in Houston, Texas. This was a surprise concert for me after a couple of days of work in Texas and shortly after I discovered the alt country genre. Won a bunch of money on the ponies with Christy, drunk a bunch of cold beer, and sang along at the top of our voices to “The Boys From Oklahoma.” And found out Houston could be a pretty fun town, at least once the sun goes down.

8.  Bon Jovi–1986 in Biloxi. They were at the height of their popularity then. Larry and I went over after baseball practice, snagged some nice seats to the left of the stage and just waited for the girls to find us. That’s the night Ashley Hayes fell into my arms. Livin on a Prayer, indeed.

7.  The Allman Brothers, with Blues Traveller–1994 at the amphitheater at Mississippi State. I went with three total strangers from law school on a last second whim. I think I was slamming beers outside at the Gin in Oxford when these dudes down the bar said to come along as they had an extra ticket. The Allman’s, or whoever makes up the modern version of them played a long time and kicked a very large amount of ass. It has been said you can pass out during an Allman’s concert and wake up to find the same tune is still ongoing.

6.  BB King–around 1993, at the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival, in a field outside Greenville. What made this one great was the setting. Well, that and you could bring in your own coolers. Also the ribs. And they unveiled the Elvis postage stamp. And Little Feat. And this older woman (younger than I am now, I’m certain) who I danced with all night. And the lightning bugs.

5.  Elvis Costello–2004 at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Really, it was the whole night time lineup, including Cake, Pat Green, the Pixies, and some others I can’t think of right now. I’d never been much of a fan of Costello before then, but man his live show rocked and I’ve dug him ever since. All those evening shows were good and the crowd energy was electric. And maybe it seemed so awesome because it was no longer 110 degrees after about 6 o’clock.

4.  Robert Earl Keen–some bar in Charleston, S.C. Robert Earl is probably my favorite singer and it was great to see him live and in such an intimate setting. He played all his best tunes, was funny as hell and everybody in the place knew all the words to every song. 

3.  Motley Crue–July 2, 1987 in Biloxi. This is one where we loaded up Scoop’s Dad’s van with about 20 cases of beer and at least seven bodies. Also the first time I ever saw cocaine. Tommy Lee turned upside-down above the crowd in a cage during his drum solo. I think Sweet got Jack Daniels spit on him by Nikki Sixx, but I’m not sure about that. The Crue freakin rocked dude.

2.  U2–2005 in Chicago. I’ve always liked U2, but seeing them live, even though they are old now, made me really understand the hoopla. Bono has the charisma, the showmanship, the kevorka. You cannot look away when he’s singing or talking. 

1.  Cowboy Mouth–1993 at Lafayette’s (now the Library) in Oxford, around 2000 somewhere in Biloxi, 2005 at Voodoo Fest relocated to Memphis, and probably a dozen other times. These guys really should’ve been bigger stars. Goofy lookin Fred kicks more ass than any lead singer ever, and doing that from the drums just adds to the spectacle. Yeah, he’s been using the same script all these years, but you still buy into it. You take one step forward when he says to. You don’t think about tomorrow. You release your physical, emotional and sexual energy. You sing along to “Jenny Says” for thirty minutes at the end. And you leave with a smile on your face and wanting to do it all again.

Posted in Lists, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Things Every Father Should Know (the lesser list)

Posted on September 12, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day     “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath.”     Ephesians 6:4

TB was reminded yesterday by one of you loyal readers that a “lesser list” has not been posted in some time. I was also told about the good knowledge passed on from my Father’s Day lesser list and how it has improved his life. I therefore resolved to add to the “lesser list” library with a post that I hope can help just one current or aspiring father be the best they can be.  These are things every father should know:

  1. How to sleep on a postage stamp sized area of your bed (thank you SC for passing info to me years ago.  It has served me well).
  2. How to sneak in to your own house so you can get a little Xbox or Laptop time away from the little terror light of your life.  This means a smooth lock mechanism, non-squeaky shoes, quickness and a pre-planned route. And keep your head down. Eye contact loses all.
  3. How to always be sure plenty of food guaranteed to be welcome to your little gourmand’s palate is in the house when you are charged with solo duty at dinner time.  At my house, this means cereal, crackers, cheese and ice cream, otherwise known as a vegetarian meal featuring dairy, protein, calcium, and whole grains.
  4. That you must sing, but not necessarily those fruity sounding children’s tunes. Buffett tunes can be soothing at bedtime (I use Come Monday), Little River Band’s “Time for a cool change” will get you through a hostile diaper change, John Lennon’s “all we are saying, is give peas a chance” will often work at meal time, and Van Halen’s “Jump” will get your toddler hopping all over the room and expending precious energy, thereby allowing you to move on to Buffett earlier and maybe have time to watch The Daily Show before bed.  
  5. Give in to any and all demands made of you so you can at all cost hold open Saturdays for watching football.  Use this: “Babe, you know I don’t go out, I don’t watch TV, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go on Fridays and the rest of the year, all I ask is for these twelve Saturdays.”  Of course, if you are among the .000000001 percent of the population on the “free pass” system, this isn’t necessary, is it MD?  
  6. Get plenty of potassium and stretch. A Dad must be limber enough to pass cereal, cookies and crackers to the back seat, holding his palm up in a cupped position, while maintaining a safe lookout and keeping a speeding vehicle between the lines. This involves the difficult twisting of muscles heretofore only twisted in unsuccessful wrestling matches before age 10 with your older brother or neighborhood toughs.
  7. Always jump at the opportunity to change a wet diaper. And know the schedule.
  8. When called upon to read aloud the same twelve word, five page book twenty-seven times consecutively, mix up your voices, add words, change words, turn it upside down–anything to preserve your sanity. Once lost, it cannot be regained, and contrary to popular opinion, you don’t either retain sanity or lose it all at once. No, my friend, it slips away one reading at a time.
  9. You are no longer tough enough, wealthy enough or man enough to ignore a good coupon.
  10. Forget this cliche–“Father knows best.”
Posted in Humor, Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Thursday Pickin Round 3

Posted on September 10, 2008 by travellinbaen

Ahhhhh, sweet redemption.  TB knocked it out of the park last weekend boys and girls. Four and one in my regular picks and a sweet “lose-but-cover” pick of the week by my Ole Miss Rebels (sorry Rebel fans, if my school didn’t suck so bad I wouldn’t mind so much that ya’ll are looking good). And two of my three underdog picks not only covered but won their games straight up. There’s a good chance I won’t have another week as good, so I need to get in my gloating now–so bear with me for a minute and if you know me picture a very smug TB for the next five seconds (if you don’t know me think Bill Clinton’s smirk).  Fig and OB, you are invited to join in the gloatacious revelry.

Gloat

Gloat

Smirk

Gloat

Ok, enough of that.  Let’s go to the scoreboard. In addition to my good week, Fig E and OB went 4-1 and nailed their POTW.  Fig gets his second weekly win (tied with me) by virtue of Florida’s running it up field goal and another solid playlist, backed up by a nice scheduling and arenas comment.  RMac joined the game and showed mid-season form with her Tulane pick and anti-Bush musical selection. Rock Star edges out Local Man and JLM by naming a POTW and putting up a nicely themed playlist. Local’s playlist edged him ahead of JLM though JLM made it close with a sweet hair band pair of tunes, and they both went 4-1.  But I never saw one labeled the POTW for these two, so that hurt their score. Larry went 2-3 but nailed his POTW and had a playlist in TB’s sweet spot. Sweet’s next with a winning POTW, followed by SC who got the POTW but went 0-3 on his bonus choices. Ed comes next for following directions well and providing another thematic and historically significant tune. BR’s Cult of Personality gave him the nod over TKH even though his 1-2 record was worse than TKH’s 3-2.  They both lost their big game.  MD went 1-1 but got mauled in his POTW and inexplicably didn’t throw out some Metallica for us. Stone was flat out horrible–a very weak effort.  And Smiley was missing in action.

Here are the current standings: Fig–100; TB–45; OB–32; Ed–31; RSR–25; RMac–25; SC–21; Local–15; JLM–14; Larry–10; Sweet–5; BR–(-)1; Smiley–(-1); TKH–(-)2;   MD–(-)5; Stone–(-20)

And now, the picks:

  • UCLA      +8
  • NC State +18′
  • Georgia  -7
  • Ga Tech -7′
  • Tulane   +12′
  • Pick of the Week — USM +1′
Some celebratory tunes this week
  • Jamming–Bob Marley
  • A Little Respect–Erasure
  • Shake Em On Down–North Mississippi Allstars
  • Superman–REM
  • The Pascagoula Run–Jimmy Buffett
Note–new entrants in to the POTW contest are always welcome.  Even TJ.
Posted in Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

Premature Jocularity?

Posted on September 9, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day    “It’s not so important who starts the game as who finishes it.“      —John Wooden

In college basketball, sixty-four teams have a theoretical shot to win the national championship by winning the tournament held at the end of the season. Other than seeding, going undefeated until the first game of the tournament gains you nothing. What often occurs, is a team goes on an extended winning streak in the middle of the year, winning smaller tournaments, their league title or even a conference tournament championship, only to lose in the early rounds of the national championship tournament. They peak too early. The most successful teams manage to let their seasons build gradually, saving their best play for the last six games.

TB warned the Obama campaign back in early June about the risk of peaking too early in the “Advice for Obama” post. It seemed like he tried to lay low for a couple of months so as not to keep the energy from his primary campaign crowds at a fever pitch for too long.  I think that was wise, but now he has the difficult task of regaining the momentum. His speech in Denver was one of the best I’ve seen and really doesn’t even belong in the same discussion with Sarah Palin’s, much less McCain’s. But in the same discussion it is. Obama is a long way from regaining his peak form. His best hope is the primary excitement will come to seem like last “season” for voters and he can repeat the performance in this new “season.” He actually may have benefitted from the Palin hoopla toning down his “early season” victory by suffering an unexpected “loss.”

On the other hand, McCain’s campaign has been remarkable to this point.  In many ways, his nomination was even more unlikely than Obama’s. Just over a year ago he was being written off as a viable candidate after his campaign went broke and laid off almost the entire staff. Then, by process of elimination, he found himself virtually unopposed and the winner of his party’s nomination. Because it was less what he did and more how others screwed up, he did not have to peak to get that far. He was slow and steady. After closing the gap and lying low during Obama’s coronation, he sandbagged all of us by selecting Palin as his running mate. The media has gone nuts for her because they love a new story, much like they had gone nuts for Obama a year ago. He’s suddenly on a winning streak.

Now, McCain finds himself in the lead for the first time. But has he peaked?  My guess is the love affair with Palin will not endure for two reasons: one, I just don’t believe she’s as smart or charismatic as she is being portrayed, though we won’t really know until she’s off the leash and allowed to speak for herself; two, in the coming weeks, the focus will return to Obama and McCain.  But that doesn’t exactly answer my own question, does it?  The fact is I can’t answer it.  Eight weeks is an eternity in politics. There is no historical American race that compares with this one.  Is it a new era? Will all those new Obama voters remain excited and continue his unprecedented turnout? Have I underestimated the Palin effect on single issue women voters and/or a reenergized fundamentalist base? I’ll be anxiously and eagerly waiting to find out which side can perform best now that its time to play for the championship.

Posted in current events, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Mid-Life

Posted on September 9, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day       “Middle age is youth without levity, and age without decay.”     Daniel Defoe

By all rights I should be having a mid-life crisis.  After all, I’m thirty-eight.  But alas, circumstances are such that I’m not.  I’ve already been through years of excessive drinking and girl chasing and I don’t feel the urge to revisit those times.  I don’t need to experiment with drugs.  I’m not depressed.  

All that is not to say I’m not feeling the passing years and contemplating what they mean.  And because I can’t quite figure it all out, I guess I’m suffering from mid-life angst and uncertainty.  Yeah, its not quite as dramatic as a full blown crisis, though I suspect my introspection is more common than the stereotypical crisis guy. At this age we reach a pivot point in life, one of the last times there will be a chance to alter our destiny.  As I look back though, I realize I’ve only made an emphatic decision at a crossroads once.  I nailed that one too by God.  

These days I am feeling the tug to buy a new hot rod and drive across the country and back a few times.  I am grappling with whether I want to live in another region and start a new career.  I am realizing that I have done very little to contribute to the greater good, without charging a fee, and wondering how I can change that. The biggest thing is I’m realizing I’ll never have time to do everything I want to do in this life.  Thirty-eight may be only halfway or even less to the end, but when you take in to account those last ten or fifteen years we are going to be restricted in our physical abilities, the number of years left to experience life to its fullest is rapidly diminishing. Which brings us to the fact of our mortality.  As a kid, death is but a concept. After college it becomes an intellectual idea.  At mid-life its an unalterable fact, and we are aware that the age where it becomes an imminent certainty is just over the horizon.

That’s why I want to go, go, go.  Now. Europe, South America, Canada, even so many places in the U.S. remain unseen.  I’m still not a good skier, so I need lots of practice. I’m eons away from having the ability to communicate in a foreign language.  I still haven’t gotten in shape.  I’ve done nothing to secure my legacy for posterity.  I need to clean up my yard. Teen angst has nothing on the mid-life version.

So what to do?  I guess I’ll just take it one day at a time.  I’ll try to choose my spots and stay ready to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.  I’ll be thankful for my God-given abilities and count my blessings.  I’ll plow forward and cross each bridge when I get to it. In an age of doubt and uncertainty, it’s good to know the cliches that have gotten us this far are ever available, suitably vague and partially wise enough to keep us going a little further down the road.

Posted in Life, Philosobaen | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Sittinathomebaen Football Bloggin

Posted on September 6, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day     “It only takes one.”     Rusty Lachaussee, during the 1993 Sugar Bowl

Anybody else taking in a college game or twelve today?  Since TB can’t sit in Waldo’s 1980’s parlor, or Scoop’s 1990’s starter home or TB’s early 21st century bachelor pad, I’ll have to turn to the blog for an outlet to talk football.  Whether anyone is listening is not….germane.

Early in the day–So. Miss is a lynchpin of TB’s for entertainment purposes only football picks today.  Good first quarter on the scoreboard, though they are really being dominated. They’re gonna need at least 14 points to cover and I don’t know if they’ll get it.  It’s luck they are only down 7 early in the second.

Upset watch is focusing on the Big Ten–Ohio State and Wisconsin trailing–but its very early.

Illinois needs to keep the throwback uniforms–they look good.  I like Syracuse’s too, but they’ve sucked ever since they changed to them.  Speaking of uni’s, TB loves UCLA’s best–I don’t care if baby blue isn’t tough looking.

9 minutes in the 2d now in the Auburn-USM game.  Aub is fixin to stretch the lead.  This may be a blowout before long.  As we come to the close of the half, the buzzards are self destructing near the goal line.  I sure could use a TD, but at third and 16 from the 17 it’s gonna take a miracle.  I bet they end up missing a FG.  Meanwhile, Michigan is getting ready to be tied by Miami OH–who Vandy destroyed, and Ohio St still trails Ohio, though Wisconsin now leads Marshall.  But the Big Ten, as usual, is a damn joke.  And no field goal for Southern–THAT bet I win.

USM is playing like they are intimidated by Auburn.  Hesitant on both sides.  Southern has a reputation as “giant killers” but the truth is they haven’t beaten a giant in years.  Miss State and Ole Miss are scared of them, but I don’t know why.  Checking in with the Big 10, looks like Michigan and Ohio State will win, but in less than impressive fashion.  To be fair to the rest of their conference, Purdue, Mich St, Iowa, Illinois and now Wisconsin are taking care of business against lesser foes, but its pretty bad when your headline teams are so weak.  We’ll see about Ohio State when they play USC.  I figure they’ll get at least 10 points from the oddsmakers, but I’ll be on USC’s bandwagon.  Did I mention USM sucks?

Now in the 4th and USM has woken up.  I guess when they realized they wouldn’t win they loosened up. I like the QB, Tight End and the freshman WR Brown. I’m gonna be hacked if the idiotic decision to go for two after the first TD costs me the cover.  24-13 would be a good final.

A good final it is.  I take it all back Buzzards.  You are Giant Killers Spread Coverers.

Ole Miss has started.  Houston Nutt looks like a young Bobby Bowden reincarnate.  I wonder why he never used his imagination in Arkansas?  By the way…what’s the deal with the half rings around the shoulders of their jerseys?  I know they’ve been doing that for a few years with all the teams that have that uniform feature, but I don’t like it.

Syracuse trails Akron 14 zip.  What in the hell has happened to the Cuse?  It’s like they got the death penalty a la SMU, but they didn’t.  Maybe Stone can find out for me.

A nice stand just before the half for Ole Miss.  They look pretty good, and that’s without Greg Hardy, probably the Rebs’ best overall player.  I mentioned above how I can’t figure what happened to Syracuse’s once proud program.  I do know how Wake’s once loser program turned around.  Redshirt discipline. They just flashed a stat that Wake has played only 10 true frosh under Jim Grobe.  5th year seniors are 22 or 23 years old.  Guys that age can handle 19 and 20 year olds, even if they have a little less talent.  Why Miss State can never learn this is a burr under my saddle.

Well I just went and watched the second half of the Ole Miss game with SC.  A tough luck loss and I’m sensitive enough to the plight of the Rebel fan not to offer platitudes.  Still, as a State fan, I’d trade places with them.  And as far as TB is concerned, it was a great cover and the TB POTW is now 1-1 on the season.

Total BS on the Washington-BYU finish.  Washington was penalized for excessive celebration when they scored with two seconds left and after the penalty had the tying extra point blocked.  I didn’t see the celebration, but I would have had to be really bad to justify a penalty.  And I know from personal experience how WAC officials cheat for BYU.  Of all State losses I’ve witnessed, and that is a lot, I’ve blamed numerous losses on the refs.  But number one on the cheater list, even more than the cheating we’ve suffered against Alabama, is the BYU game officiated by a WAC crew.  Apparantly they are still out there shilling for BYU.

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Great American Beach Towns

Posted on September 5, 2008 by travellinbaen

Quote of the Day     “I know I don’t get there often enough, But God knows I surely try”     –Jimmy Buffett, One Particular Harbor

They say the true measure of another person’s genius is how much they agree with you.  TB stumbled upon an article this week that was obviously written by a scholar and a gentleman, in that of his Great American Beach Towns, four were locales TB has visited and/or endorsed previously on this site. I haven’t been to the other seven yet, but I’m saving them in my “to go” list of places to visit. You folks need to listen to TB, I won’t steer you wrong. Anyway, here’s the list:

  1. Oganquit, Maine–This choice is intriguing because Maine’s a long way off.  And I’m guessing swimming is uncomfortable most of the year.  But it’s probably uncrowded, scenic and a place to have a pretty sweet fresh lobster picnic.  It’s an unconventional selection, and that’s right up TB’s alley.  It’s great fun to go somewhere very few folks that live near you have been, and when you bump in to someone who’s been to the same place as you that’s off the grid, you can immediately identify them as a person of discerning style and sophistication.
  2. Mexico Beach, Florida–I have to admit I don’t know where Mexico Beach is, but if it’s number one in Florida, it must be pretty cool.  Florida is practically in TB’s neighborhood, so I need to hit this town pretty soon.
  3. Newport, Rhode Island–Another representative of the Northeast and in the smallest state to boot. Hitting this beach town would simultaneously knock off one of the more difficult of the 50 states from your list and make the visit a lot more worthwhile than hitting Providence for a quick lunch of spaghetti and gravy.  Trust me.
  4. Folly Beach, South Carolina–I visited Folly in August and posted several times about it.  I do need to make one amendment to a post I made complaining about condos.  Folly is about 6 miles long and the condos only block about a half mile.  It’s a great town.  Fido occasionally checks in here, so maybe he’ll drop a story or two about his tenure as the island’s social mayor. He calls Folly the best beach town on the East Coast.
  5. Saugatuck, Michigan–My only knowledge of Michigan beaches comes from the classic coming of age film, American Pie II.  But I bet you can sit on the beach and knock back a few beers in relative comfort, and I’m sure the northern summer nights are a beauty.  And that cabin from American Pie was awesome.
  6. Coral Bay, USVI–TB went here when I was an idiot teenager with his girlfriend’s family.  It was awesome, though I didn’t appreciate things then as now.  All I really recall is beautiful water, swimming behind a giant sea turtle, and wishing my girlfriend’s kid brother would go to sleep so we could be alone.
  7. Port Aransas, Texas–This is one that I question.  I’ve been here, but it was on a rainy December mid-week day.  I was not impressed.  My experience with Texas is that they have everything–rivers, deserts, mountains, and beaches.  And everything they have is a pale imitation of what a river, desert, mountain, and beach should really be.  Texas sucks.  But since I was in Port Aransas on a day when most any town would look dreary, I’ll give the listmaker the benefit of the doubt.  But this town ain’t on TB’s “to go” list.
  8. Santa Cruz, California–Like Mexico Beach, if Santa Cruz is ranked number one in a state like California, it must be pretty special.  Everything Texas is not, California is.  I love California, particularly the parts that are not Los Angeles. Rivers, deserts, mountains, and beaches–all beautiful in California.  Throw in the food, wine, and Redwoods, and its no wonder how California became our greatest state.  Santa Cruz is on the short list, so I better put some Beach Boys tunes on the Ipod.
  9. Jekyll Island, Georgia–This is another town I visited this summer.  The greatness in Jekyll lies in what’s not there:  no chains.  At all.  No national hotels, fast food, hell even the gas station was an independent.  Sea turtles nest at Jekyll and fishermen rush injured ones to a turtle hospital in town to aid the species.  Bicycles and golf carts are the preferred modes of transport.  And TB loves this–the main attraction of the island is a hotel that was once part of an estate owned by the Rockefellers and Carnegies and Duponts of the world and organized as a club.  It’s still a place for the well heeled, but the grounds are owned by the state of Georgia which operates it as a state park, thus anyone can tramp about the beautiful grounds.  If you’re lucky, you can get one of those privileged types to turn up her nose at your barbaric appearance and lineage.
  10. Cannon Beach, Oregon–Cannon Beach is one of the most beautiful places these eyes have seen.  It is rocky, colorful and has a subdued 1970’s vibe about it’s architecture.  It’s full of great bakeries, great walking trails and great wine.  It’s a place to walk the beach at and after sunset with a glass in one hand and a girl in the other and cool enough to stay real close to either, or both.  I can’t wait to go back.
  11. Haleiwa, Hawaii–Part of the genius of this list is that it numbers eleven.  As to this town, I go back to what I said above about the highest rated towns in Florida and California.  The same applies here, but to an exponential degree.  Hawaii is paradise.  It’s so much more than sand and surf.  I wish it weren’t so far away, but no matter the distance, I plan to go back at least two or three more times in this life.  I’ll have to make an effort to see Haleiwa while I’m there and see if it beats Paia or Hana or Hanalei.
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