Music Friday: "Atomic Punk"

On the drive over to Arnold, Missouri for my daughter's dance competition this weekend, I had my iPod on shuffle, and this tune came on. 

It struck me that some of the moves Eddie makes on this tune remind me of Tom Morello's hijinks on the axe. 

I grew up listening to Van Halen. Not that Van Hagar @#$%. Diamond Dave at the helm. 

I like to joke that all I know about romance I learned from Van Halen lyrics. 

Hope you enjoy some classic Van Halen. 

[Belated] Sunday Hangover: A-Day Game

Another A-Day game came and went. 

This was an interesting one because with notable starters out (Cyrus Jones) or in non-contact jerseys (Kenyan Drake), a number of younger players had opportunities to show why they were so highly regarded by recruiting services. 

Once again the big question was who was going to win the starting quarterback spot. Web-based rumblings prior to the game noted that redshirt freshman David Cornwell had been working with the first team during spring practices. However, he was the starter on the Crimson team that showcased the second-team offensive line and other assorted backups.

Jacob Coker had a much better day than Cornwell, but he had the luxury of piloting the first-team offense. Even though Coker had a very good day sans a stupid interception, Cornwell is still very much in the mix. 

After losing Cooper to the draft, White and Jones to graduation, and Cam Sims to an injury, wide receivers who had been riding the pine needed to step up. And they did. Robert Foster (six catches for 125 yards) and ArDarius Stewart (eight catches, 118 yards, two touchdowns) were co-mvps of the game. 

While O.J. Howard didn't have a catch, after the game Coach Saban mentioned that he had a really good spring. In other TE matters, Ty Flournoy-Smith (five catches) and Dakota Ball (three catches) had good days. 

Henry had a decent day running the ball, but Drake was visibly frustrated because he was in a non-contact jersey and easy to "tackle." With Tyren Jones kicked off the team, it's a mystery as to who will be the third-string running back. 

With Eddie Jackson currently working at one of the safeties (and he got burned a couple of times), Bradley Sylve and Tony Brown started at the cornerback spots, and Marlon Humphrey had a really good day. There is a ton of pressure on the play of the secondary this year because of the final two games last season. For the most part, Cyrus Jones usually shut down his side of the field last season, but Jackson had a rough go in a number of games. 

Reuben Foster had some pleasantly violent hits on Saturday. Reggie Ragland was solid as usual. And Keith Holcombe did well at LB too. 

In all, from this fan's perspective, I think we have answers at the wide receiver position, and I think our offensive line will be decent. Our front seven on defense will be one of the best in the country this year. The question marks are with two areas: quarterback (Coker or Cornwell?) and the defensive backfield. 

Music Friday: "Bodhisattva Vow"

I recently downloaded Beastie Boys' Ill Communication for a good price. I'm listening to it now as I write this post actually. I had the CD years ago but then sold it when I was short on money. 

One of the more surprising tunes on that album is "Bodhisattva Vow," so I'm sharing that today along with a video of Tibetan monks breakdancing. 

Namaste, bitches. 

Stay Positive: Vernon Franklin

I have a meeting next week, and I'm a little worried that I might it "keep it real" a little too much. 

In honor of that worry, I offer the Vernon Franklin skit from Chappelle's Show. 

Here's to "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong." 

Random Notes from a Crank

With all the talk about the Indiana law about "religious freedom" dying down because the 24-7 news media outlets are focused on something new, I've been thinking about how there should be such a thing as freedom from religion. Stop shoving your Jesuses and other saviors down my throat, people. 

I've never been a big fan of the Clintons, but "8 Nightmare Scenarios That Would Come to Pass If GOP Presidential Speech Became Reality" scares the hell out of me. 

Interestingly, Grist provides its own eight-item article: "8 Things You Need to Know about Hillary Clinton and Climate Change." 

I'm not a fan of Angry Birds, but I might be now. 

Speaking of video games, I'm hopelessly addicted to Star Wars Commander. I haven't felt this way since Dig Dug.

Music Friday: "Who'll Stop the Rain"

Thursday night I left for Vincennes University to give a keynote address/workshop, and it was raining hard when I left. 

From Charleston to Olney, I drove through lightning all around and torrential downpours. Once I headed east, the drive got better. 

This tune is a spring song. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the sunk cost fallacy on a number of levels. I first got reminded of the concept in Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow, but McRaney has a post from '11 on his You're Not So Smart site that eventually turned into a chapter in his book. 

And here's a short article from Lifehack about it. 

This "10 Reasons Why Introverts Are Incredibly Attractive People" article from the same site cheers me up a little bit though. 

If you enjoy visual satire, check out "Artist Perfectly Captures Flaws of Our Society in a Series of Witty Illustrations." 

Music Friday: "Pedestrian at Best"

One of the albums I've had in heavy rotation over the past couple of weeks is Courtney Barnett's Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. 

"Pedestrian at Best" is one of my favorite tunes from her new album.