Sunday Hangover: Clemson

Well, on a Saturday when Bowling Green beat Pitt and E. Carolina upset VA Tech, it's hardly surprising that Alabama took Clemson behind the woodshed.

The Tide absolutely dominated the Tigers on both lines. They were just tougher. The Alabama defense held the "best running back tandem in the country" to 20 yards total in running. Spiller had the impressive kickoff return to start the second half (which made me quite nervous), but other than that, they got stuffed.

Alabama played a bunch of freshman, and the most impressive one was Mark Ingram, the RB from Flint, Michigan. 

In a age of the ubiquitous spread offense, it was wonderful to watch my team go smashmouth. Alabama ran the ball well and passed when they wanted to. Nick Walker, a TE, had the most receptions, which is great since many of us have been waiting for the TE to become a serious weapon in our offense for at least a decade. It's a rite of spring. Every year for the past decade, it's always said that the offense is going to "get the tight end involved more in the offense." Instead of just that same old talk, we finally got some action.

Roll Tide to all that.

Finally, it's here.

The picture above shows the giant houndstooth hat that'll be new at Bryant-Denny this year.

I read that it's going above a new concession stand called the "Bear's Den."

Music Friday: "Don't Go Back to Rockville"

I got the new R.E.M. cd this summer, and it's ok.

It's no Life's Rich Pageant, Document, Fables of the Reconstruction, Murmur, Green, or Reckoning.

Click HERE to watch R.E.M. circa 1985.

A Little Less Than Four Days

until Alabama vs. Clemson.

Pictured is one of the few senior starters for Alabama, QB John Parker Wilson.

The other starters are Antoine Caldwell (C), Travis McCall or Nick Walker (TE), Bobby Greenwood (DE), and Rashad Johnson (SS).

That's it. 

Slowing Down

As you might have noticed, I've slowed down on posting.

The semester began Monday. And I'm swamped with all sorts of new duties: the trials of being competent in Higher Ed.

I don't know how frequently I'll post during the school year, but you can count on two posts for sure. 

The first is "Music Friday." 

The second and new feature during this fall will be "Hangover Sunday" where I'll provide my so-called thoughts on the Alabama game from Saturday. It could get ugly, it could get weird, it could be slightly humorous from time to time. Well, probably not the last, but we'll see what happens.

Six Days...

until Alabama vs. Clemson.

Pictured is Derrick Thomas when he played for the Crimson Tide ('85-'88).

No. 55 holds the single season record for sacks at Alabama with 27 in 1988.

Here are other records that he holds in Alabama football history: 52 sacks during his tenure at Alabama, most sacks in one game (5 vs. Texas A&M in 1988), most combined sacks and tackles for loss in a single game (5 sacks + 2 TFL vs. Kentucky in 1988), most combined sacks and tfl in a single season (39 in 1988), most combined sacks and tfl in a career (74), most QB hurries in one game (9 vs. Penn State in 1987), most QB hurries during a season (44), and most fumbles caused in a season (7).

Music Friday: "Tones of Home"

Whenever I listen to Blind Melon's first album, it always reminds me of college. The album also reminds me of a specific place in Kirksville.

The Gin Mill.

That album got played a lot at parties there, from what I recall. 

In addition, the song reminds me of Roy McDonald. He always liked talking about music, and for whatever reason I remember him telling me his favorite Blind Melon song was "Tones of Home." 

For your own wave of nostalgia, click HERE.

Roy, rest in peace.

11 Days

until Alabama vs. Clemson.

The pic is of talented freshman wide receiver Julio Jones.

The Curious Case of Bob Barr

As can be read about HERE, the Libertarian candidate is running against big government.

It's an interesting read. 

He's no Ross Perot, who initially gave Bill Clinton the presidency. 

Music Friday: "Where The Devil Don't Stay"

Linked HERE is probably one of my favorite songs by the Drive-By Truckers.

Enjoy and have a good weekend.

Mount Cody or Zip Cody?

As can read about and seen HERE (video at the bottom of the article), there's a lot of buzz about Alabama's Terrence Cody, a two-year college transfer who plays Nose Tackle.

He's 6'5" and in the upper 300s.

Yet he moves pretty well for someone at that weight as you can see in the video.

Last Sunday I heard a rumor that he shot-putted the team bus, felled half the trees in Mississippi, and rode a big blue ox up to Brainerd, Minnesota.

Take to the Streets! In Golf Carts?

As can be read HERE, the small town of Sullivan, Illinois looks like it's going to pass an ordinance that will make it kosher to drive your golf cart around town instead of using a car.

Although I found this strange initially, on second thought this is done in retirement communities and towns in Florida and Arizona where golf carts act as postmodern chariots for the senior set. 

If one has a golf cart and wants to use it for errands, this sounds like a good deal. But I wonder how much money people will spend on them (pimp my cart) to quit using gas-powered vehicles. It's a loss initially, but such a system (golf cart for errands around town, big vehicle for longer trips) is beneficial for the environment but would take some years to break even on an investment.

The Alabama Logo...

was rated as the best college football logo by none other than a Tennessee fan.

For this blogger's top twenty picks, click HERE.

While I also obviously like Alabama's logo above, I'm partial to the "old school" one that has a more traditional look compared to the angry but cartoonish elephant behind the A.

Big Man on Campus (EIU)

On the northwest side of campus sits McAfee Gymnasium, built in 1937. It's where the basketball team used to have its games before Lantz Arena was built.

On the northeast corner of McAfee is this fellow, who shows you what football was like back in the "old days."

I wonder how much Red Grange, "The Galloping Ghost," inspired this statue?

Thorstein Veblen Was Right and Somewhat Wrong

Linked HERE is an article that talks about consumption patterns and tendencies depending on race and class. It's an interesting read that relates recent research by economists and plays with Veblen's famous hypothesis of "conspicuous consumption."

If you see cars with really expensive rims or you see a high-schooler wearing an Abercrombie & Fitch or Hollister t-shirt (isn't Hollister the new Ocean Pacific?), this article might explain some things.

Cable Boxes

Nostalgia hit me at lunch today. As the family and I were eating at DQ, the music piping through the speakers was none other than Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl," a classic 80s one-hit wonder (for video, click HERE).

That song reminds me of the early days of Mtv (back when they played videos), which then led me to think about the old style cable boxes we used to have. 

Instead of ubiquitous remotes and now DVRs, back in the old days we used to get up from where we were sitting, walk to the TV, and then turn the dial to the channel that we wanted. 

I wonder how many calories a channel-changing walk burns? Maybe two?

Regardless, channel surfing was a whole 'nother experience back in the 80s.

But a lot of us also probably remember the days before Cable. You had four channels (NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS), and that was it.

Astounding

While I appreciate that the owner of Marty's "On Campus" is a Cubs' fan, I bristle at this.

With a franchise that was last in the World Series in 1945 and last won it a century ago, one would think that fans of the Cubs would know a thing or two about jinxing your team.

I don't like this. I don't like it all.

Music Friday: "Look Out Dog, Slow Down Train"

To enjoy The Hackensaw Boys doing their song "Look Out Dog, Slow Down Train," click HERE.

I first heard about these cats when I read Oxford American's 2007 Music Issue. That great magazine (its website HERE) has a music issue every year, which is accompanied with a cd.

Enjoy.

23 Days Until...

Alabama vs. Clemson in the Georgia Dome.

In Honour...

of one of my responses to travolta that included these misspellings--"coercian" and "commisioned"--a criminology professor in Britain argues that incorrect spelling should be "accepted" (click HERE).

It's an interesting but flawed argument.

Iraq's Budget Surplus

I remember the days when the government of the U.S.A. had a budget surplus.

Nowadays the Iraqi Government has one, as can be read about HERE.

I'm sure it's quite complex as why they're flush with 79 billion, but the leaders quoted in the NY Times piece offer vague excuses and reassurances.

Regardless of whether this situation is understandable or, as Woody Allen said in one of his movies, it's "a travesty of a sham of a mockery, a travestshamockery," I sure we'll be hearing quite a bit about this in coming days, unless of course you don't read the papers or watch the news. 

Deep Thought: Snot Bubbles

As I was running in my semi-meditative state tonight, I thought about watching the kids today. This morning my fourteen month old son showcased an enormous snot bubble. As he was laughing, a bulbous ball of mucus mushroomed in his right nostril. It was disgusting and funny at the same time.

Wouldn't "The Snot Bubbles" be a great name for band though? While I also think "Whiskey Tango" would be a good name for an aspiring band, that would be stealing a term from HBO's Generation Kill.

Whatcha think?

The band takes the stage, and the lead singer says, "Hello Kansas City! We're happy to be here. We're The Snot Bubbles!"

Harnessing the Wind

The NY Times has a nice little article on a wind farm in Ainsworth, NE (click HERE), and Lee News Service has one on the bigger wind power picture (click HERE).

I hope Coles County gets a wind farm soon too. Up there east of Bloomington there's a huge wind farm that nicely connects to Illinois State's major in Renewable Energy, or some similar phrase.

27 Days Until...

Alabama vs. Clemson in the Georgia Dome.

Wal-Mart Implies Who Their Employees Should Vote For

As related HERE, meetings have been going on in Wal-Marts about the how the fate of the presidential election will possibly lead to unionization, a naughty word--an outright shibboleth--in the corporate behemoth's eyes.

Regardless of who wins the election, I hope that Employee Free Choice Act passes. With House and Senate races, for the most part, looking good for the Democrats, the bill may pass anyway (I doubt the Dems will do as well as they did in '06 when they lost NO seats and flipped many others.). 

But, then again, Wally World and other corporations that oppose the EFCA contribute a lot of cash to both the GOP and Democrats--greasing the skids of government in their favor. 

McCain's Ad Parsed by The Daily Show

If you enjoy situational irony, you might like Jon Stewart's take on the "celebrity" attack ad the McCain campaign is using against Obama.

For your viewing pleasure, click HERE. 

A $4600 dump.

And for a decent column from Eugene Robinson that addresses McCain's celebrity ad and other issues, click HERE.

A Schlitzian Renaissance

As related to me by an avid reader of this blog, the old Schlitz is back. And they plan to starting brewing it again in Milwaukee, its rightful home.

PBR is now distributing the old-formula Schlitz in Milwaukee, and I hope the distribution spreads soon. 

My favorite cheap beer (I drank the new formula from Stroh's) is now reformulated, in bottles, and people are loving it.

With A-B having bad PR because of the Belgian buyout, I like how  PBR and Schlitz are positioning themselves. Its time for Schlitz to regain its rightful crown as the true king of American lagers.

For this exciting story (at least to me), click HERE.

For even more information on this hallowed brew, click HERE. Much to the chagrin of my better half, I'm placing an order for paraphernalia soon... 

Music Friday: "Jimmy & Bob & Jack"

Enjoy a Backyard Tire Fire song from its new album out later this month.

Click HERE and have a good weekend.