Random Notes from a Crank

Here are some enlightening factoids from "Harper's Index" and Harper's Findings from the January issue:

• Number of children the Trump Administration separated from their parents at the border whose parents have yet to be located: 666
• Estimated portion of those parents who have been deported without their children: 2/3
• Factor by which the word "hate" is said more often on Fox News than on MSNBC: 5.5
• Number of climate-related disasters worldwide between 1980 and 1999: 3,656
• Between 2000 and 2019: 6,681
• Percentage by which sales on Minibar, an alcohol e-commerce site, exceeded the average on the day Biden was declared president: 76
• By which sales of champagne exceeded the average: 386
• "Five of the six early Homo species were driven to extinction by climate change." 
• "Hot days worsen test scores for black and Hispanic children."

I featured this article in the previous post about albums of the year, but do yourself a favor and read "The Words To Describe 2020," which is a recount of the words that Washington Post readers used to describe the year. The top three were "exhausting," "lost," and "chaotic." But my favorite submission was this one: "Like looking both ways before crossing the street and then getting hit by a submarine." 

Top Ten/Twenty Albums of 2020

 It's that time of the year again. And 2020 has been a shitshow of a year. 

Like I did in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, I'm providing my top choices of albums that came out this year. 

I didn't acquire as much new music as I have in past because I only purchased twenty new albums.   

I'm providing my top twenty albums with a few albums that came out in 2020 that I'm thinking about getting. If there are other albums you would recommend that came out in 2020, please let me know in the comments section. 

Regardless, in dishonor of what a crappy year it has been, you should also check out these articles in The Washington Post:

• "The Words To Describe 2020"
• "Dave Barry's Year in Review"

1. Drive-By Truckers - The New OK

This was the second album by DBT this year since The Unraveling came out, if I remember right, in January. I am sure there are some old DBT fans who are pushing back on the band's overtly political lyrics. There's all kinds of commentary about this on the InterWebs. I doubt Hood and Cooley give a damn. If there's an album that sums up this year, this one is it. 

Favorite songs: "Watching the Orange Clouds," "The New OK," "The Perilous Night," and "The Distance"

2. Nathaniel Rateliff - And It's Still Alright

I reckon it was a tough conversation that was had with The Night Sweats when the lead singer told them he wanted to record a solo album. But it makes sense. This album doesn't have the vibe of a Nathaniel Ratliff and the Night Sweats album. It's very much an introspective, intimate album about loss and learning. 

Favorite songs: "Rush On," "Expecting to Lose," "You Need Me," and "Mavis"

3. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher

Getting this album made me want to get her previous album. I got introduced to this artist via a couple of late night shows and a fraternity brother via FB. I find her lyrics interesting--talk about fighting with undesirable people and how people's mindsets are nonsense. She does interesting work. 

Favorite songs: "Garden Song," "Chinese Satellite," "Savior Complex," and "Kyoto"

4. American Aquarium - Lamentations

This is another album of its time. The lead singer targets some obvious problems from a Southern point of view, especially his take on the 45th president in "Me + Mine (Lamentations)." This is another fine album from the band. 

Favorite songs: "Me + Mine (Lamentations)," "A Better South," "The Luckier You Get," and "Starts With You"

5. Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling

This album started the year. Interestingly enough, it's one fo the few albums by DBT that doesn't use the signature artwork their albums are known for. "Thoughts and Prayers" is one of my favorite songs of the year. 

Favorite songs: "Thoughts and Prayers," "Armageddon's Back in Town Again," "Grievance Merchants," and "Slow Ride Argument"

6. Pearl Jam - Gigaton

This is an album that I like initially on the first listen besides one song ("Buckle Up," which is one of my least favorite Pearl Jam songs), but it's an album I need to listen to more often. I just keep forgetting about it. When Lightning Bolt came out, I wore out that album. I find this one comparable. 

Favorite songs: "Quick Escape," "Never Destination," "Retrograde," and "Who Ever Said"

7. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions

 

I'll freely admit that Reunions is probably my least favorite Isbell album. I wanted to like it a lot, but it just doesn't grab me like the other albums. Regardless of my misgivings in regard to how this one fits into his catalog, It's a good album. Here's one of my favorite snippets of lyrics of 2020: "We're all struggling with the world on fire." 

Favorite songs: "Dreamsicle," "River," "St. Peter's Autograph," and "What've I've Done to Help"

8. Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You

The old rocker goes all introspective. It works. 

Favorite songs: "Last Man Standing," "Ghosts," "House of a Thousand Guitars," and "Burnin' Train" 

9. Run the Jewels - RTJ4

As you would surmise if you're following my Music Friday posts, I'm not a huge fan of hip-hop. But I like Run the Jewels. And the group provided this album for free this year. I also like free. "Look at these slave masters posing on your dollar." 

Favorite songs: "Ju$t," "Never Look Back," "A Few Words for the Firing Squad (Radiation)," and "Walking In The Snow"

10. Ray LaMontagne - MONOVISION

LaMontagne is one of those artists I like, but I seem to be hit and miss with his releases. I have a few, but I don't have anywhere close to all of them. Heck, I only have three of his albums. So 2020 was a hit year. It's a solid album that features his folky, soulful music. 

Favorite songs: "Misty Morning Rain," "Highway to the Sun," "We'll Make It Through," and "Strong Enough"

11. High on Stress - Hold Me In

As much as I like a good concept album, what I appreciate more is a straightforward rock and roll band. High on Stress is a band I discovered via Twitter (@Quintilan376) in 2020. They remind me of late era Replacements in some regard. 

Favorite songs: "Work Release," "Progress Is A Busted Line," "Wish This Moment Gone," and "Relax"

12. Jack Garrett - Love, Death, & Dancing

I absolutely enjoyed this bloke's previous album, and this one is solid too. He's such a talented dude. 

Favorite songs: "Time," "Circles," "Better," and "Old Enough"

13. Green Day - Father of All...

This is a decent collection of short post-punk rock and roll songs from a band that is already in the Hall of Fame, which I find a little strange. 

Favorite songs: "Fire, Ready, Aim," "I Was a Teenage Teenager," "Sugar Youth," and "Father of All..."

14. Sarah Jarosz - World on the Ground

The über-talented Jarosz produced another fine albums this year. I got to it late in the year, so I haven't given it as many spins as I should have because there is some fine work on this album, which has gotten some acclaim and awards.

Favorite songs: "What Do I Do," "I'll Be Gone," "Pay It No Mind," and "Johnny"

15. Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass Vol. 1

While what the album provides is not new material from Simpson, it provides his "hits" of sorts in the form of bluegrass. He assembled a host of talented musicians to translate parts of his fine catalog to bluegrass. I haven't gotten volume 2 yet. 

Favorite songs: "Turtles All the Wall Down," "Living the Dream," "Just Let It Go," and "Breakers Roar"

16. Margo Price - That's How Rumors Get Started

Price is not afraid to call out people on their bullshit. This album has more of a rock vibe to it, which has garnered her some criticism. I don't think she gives a damn. 

Favorite songs: "I'd Die For You," "Gone To Stay," "Letting Me Down," and "Prisoner of the Highway"

17. The Third Mind - self-titled

I can't recall how I happened upon this album, but I found out about it somehow. I especially like the instrumental "East West." 

Favorite songs: "East West" and "Morning Dew"

18. Jayhawks - Xoxo

Here's another album I got to late from a band I first got introduced to in the 90s. It's what you would expect from the Jayhawks - straightforward alt-country. 

Favorite songs: "Society Pages," "Dogtown Days," "Bitter Pill," and "Homecoming"

19. G Love & Special Sauce - The Juice

I was at a friend's house a while back, and they were playing some G Love & Special Sauce. I took the plunge and got a couple of his albums. He's been around a while. I remember visiting Baton Rouge back in 1997, and he was playing there. He's still doing his schtick. 

Favorite songs: "Birmingham (featuring Robert Randolph and Keb Mo)," "Go Crazy," "Diggin' Roots," and "Fix Your Face" 

20. Bruce Hornsby - Non-Secure Connection

This ain't your radio-friendly Bruce Hornsby from the 90s. He's pushing boundaries, and I don't think some of his traditional fans are liking it. 

Favorite songs: "Non-Secure Connection," "Bright Star Cast," "Porn Hour," "Time, the Thief" 

Some albums that came out this year that I'm thinking about purchasing

Dawes - Good Luck with Whatever

Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters

Fleet Foxes - Shore

Music Friday: "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town"

 It's Xmas, so what the hell. Let's feature this classic.

Sunday Hangover: Florida

 SEC Champs. 

The defensive performance form the Crimson Tide was not what I would have hoped for. They just gave up so many explosive plays, especially in the second half. The pass defense was lacking. But the Tide did well against the run though Florida has not traditionally been a running-oriented offense. 

Harris put on an absolute show - 5 TDs: 3 receiving, 2 running. 

Smitty had another great performance - 15 receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns. 

Next up is a match against the Fighting Irish. Let's hope the Tide is ready for a running QB. I suspect they'll learn from what Clemson did to them in the ACC Championship. 

But Notre Dame has the advantage in that few, if any, people will pick the Irish to defeat Alabama. They'll be motivated by how they are the underdogs. 

Music Friday: "What's Your Favorite Color?"

 Yesterday this song came across my iPod shuffle as I was walking the dog. 

Living Colour is a vastly under appreciated band. They're still putting out solid albums.  

Stay Positive: Five Sad Songs

 I mentioned this in a recent Music Friday post, but after reading Ander Monson's "The Sadnesses of March" in his collection I Will Take the Answer, I thought about the two-person committee's selection of "Here Comes a Regular" from The Replacements. 

I noted another sad song from The Replacements that is an opus of sadness: "Answering Machine." 

I also like sad songs. They make us empathize with the precarious, pathos-laden nature of the human condition.  

So I'm featuring some other sad songs that the committee might want to check out if they ever revive the tournament with songs from different eras. I will note that most of them are about death in some way, so I'm thinking about doing another post of this ilk to focus on sad songs not necessarily related to death. 

"Elephant" by Jason Isbell 

Nothing like a song about cancer to make people cry when he performs this in concert. As is typical of Isbell's fine work, he's a master storyteller. The song's persona is the husband of a woman who has cancer. 

 

Lyrics of Note: "We burn these joints in effigy and cry about what we used to be/ and try to ignore the elephant somehow."

"Puttin' People on the Moon" by the Drive-By Truckers

I thought about a number of songs by DBT to put here, especially from their last few albums that are strongly political, but this is a classic DBT sad song that features healthy smidges of anger and despair. And I like this live version better than the one on The Dirty South.

. 

Lyrics of Note: "Another joker in the White House said a change is coming 'round./ But I'm still working at the Wal-Mart and Mary Alice in the ground." 

"Ballad of the Dying Man" by Father John Misty

Mr. Tillman is adept at social commentary. I wouldn't call this a traditional sad song, but it's one that makes us think about one's addiction to technology, which harnesses a certain kind of Black Mirror kind of sadness.

 

Lyrics of Note: "What he'd give for one more day to rate and analyze/ the world in his image as of yet/ to realize what a mess to leave behind." 

"Holiday" by James McMurtry

This song is so fitting for the holiday season. McMurtry is one of the finest lyricists alive right now. For me, this tune explicates a regret for people like me who no longer have their parents in this world. Some of my fondest memories are when my large family would get together for Xmas eve. Aside from my personal reaction, the lyrics expose the dread some people have for the holidays and presents images of loneliness.

 

Lyrics of Note: "Silent and shattered and numb to the core,/ they count themselves lucky/ they got through one more holiday." 

 

"Speed Trap Town" by Jason Isbell

Here we go with Isbell again. Like "Elephant," it's a tightly constructed narrative about visiting a father for the last time in an ICU and the persona's decision to leave.

Lyrics of Note: "Drank a cup of coffee by an Indian mound/ a thousand miles away from that speed trap town" 

The reference to the Indian mound reminds of the University of Alabama's Moundville Archeological Park. 

Random Notes from a Crank

 Saturday Night Live did a good skit on the stupidity of the holiday ads that have some significant other giving the other a car for Xmas. I've never gotten those commercials, especially that GM one that has a dude giving his wife and himself two new vehicles. 

Only rich white people would think that buying a car for Xmas is an attainable goal. 

If Coach Monken (Army) or Coach Niumatalolo (Navy) don't get one of these coaching jobs out there, ADs have no guts. Think of how excellent athletes at big time D1 program could do the triple option (think Nebraska of old) and update it with some passing wrinkles.

In the era of more dual-threat QBs, it just makes sense. They could take those offenses, adopt a more balanced approach of running and passing with really good athletes, and give some teams some serious problems.

Maybe the Vanderbilt AD has the guts and brains to hire either Niumatalolo or Monken.

I was surprised Gus Malzahn got canned by Auburn. However, his 21 million dollar buyout will be him comfortable.

Illinois finally got around to firing Lovie Smith. It's kind of hard to retain a coach who has never had a winning season.

The U of Illinois is a shambles of a Big 10 program. I read in The Athletic today that in their last signing class only three of their commits were in-state recruits.

Sunday Hangover: Arkansas

After the Razorbacks scored their lone field goal, it was like a switch was flipped for the Crimson Tide offense and defense. 

After Smith had that punt return for a TD, it was over. 

Mac was the usual Mac Jones, and the line played well. 

The concern going into the SEC Championship Game is whether one of the leading tacklers on the team and a Butkus Award finalist, Christian Harris, will play. He banged up his shoulder on the first play of the game, but Moody filled in admirably for him during the game. 

I worry about Florida having such a poor game versus LSU. They moved the ball on the bayou bengals, but turnovers killed them. I suspect the Gators will tighten up in all matters when they go to Atlanta. 

Music Friday: "Ready Or Not"

 I picked up this tune a while ago after watching the final episode of Lovecraft Country. 

I'm thinking it will serve as a good song played before my JFL football team's games. 

Sunday Hangover: LSU

Beatdown in Baton Rouge

Let's just immerse ourselves in numbers:

• Alabama 55 - LSU 17
• 32 first downs for Alabama
• 265 net rushing yards
• 385 passing yards
• 650 yards of total offense
• 1 punt
• Mac Jones: 20 completions of 28 passes
• Harris: 21 rushes for 145 yards and 3 TDs
• Robinson: 11 rushes for 64 yards 
• Smith: 8 receptions for 231 yards and 3 TDs
• 4 sacks
• 7 tackles for loss

LSU had two big plays, which I'm sure Coach Saban and the rest of the coaching staff will address during film study. 

However, LSU couldn't do much of anything against the Crimson Tide offense. 

Next up is an vastly improved Arkansas team and then the SEC Championship versus Florida. 

Music Friday: "Monk's Dream"

 Here's a late post of a classic jazz tune by one of the best that ever tickled the keys. 

Sunday Hangover: Auburn

 So Bo Nix called Mac Jones a "game manager," huh? How'd that work out? During the game, the announcers related this comment, which apparently got the wide receivers all riled up to show what Mac can do. 

Here's what Mac did: 18 for 26 passes completed for 302 yards and 5 TDs.

Once again Devonta Smith put up huge numbers and brought in two more touchdowns. Metchie had a solid game. And Billingsley has emerged as one of those super-athletic TEs who can create serious matchup problems. 

Najee had a solid game with a great TD run and an outstanding catch and run off of a dump pass. 

Final score: 42 to 13. 

The lone touchdown by Auburn came in the fourth quarter. However, the Tide defense played well by mainly shutting down the Auburn run game throughout most of the game, which then hindered their play-action, gadget stuff they do with their passing game. 

The biggest change I've seen in this team is the play of the defense. If we want to think back to the olay defense that happened versus Ole Miss, it's clear the D has gotten better. 

Music Friday: "Answering Machine"

 I'm in the midst of reading Ander Monson's I Will Take the Answer. One of my favorite essays so far is "The Sadnesses of March," which recounts he and his wife's 64-song tournament of sad songs, which went viral. 

As he relates, for some of us we really dig sad songs for a number of various reasons. I won't give away the details of the essay, but it's a fine piece of non-fiction. 

Mr. Monson is also an alumnus, like me, of The Capstone, the University of Alabama. Roll Tide, sir, Roll Tide. 

The purveyors of the tournament picked songs from a certain time period, and you can look forward to my own post that informs folks of some sad songs everyone should enjoy. I also like sad songs although I do not share Mr. Monson's love of Morrissey. 

But to get to this post, they picked "Here Comes a Regular" from The Replacements. I get why they chose that tune, but I think it has stiff competition from this song from Let It Be. 

Unfortunately, kids these days won't get the reference.

[Belated] Sunday Hangover: Kentucky

 I only got to watch part of the game because I was driving during the first half of the game, but the score speaks for itself: a 60-point margin of victory. 

Devonta Smith made SEC history with a couple of touchdowns, and Mac Jones looked great. 

You know it's a lopsided game when the probable third or fourth running back on the roster led all RBs in rushing yards. Jase McClellan ran 10 times for a net yards gained of 99. And of course Najee Harris had a solid game and contributed two rushing touchdowns. 

Many underused players got lots of playing time, but one fellow that stood out defensively was Christian Harris with 11 total tackles and a sack. 

Next up is the Iron Bowl hosted by Alabama in Tuscaloosa. 

Music Friday: "Gift"

 I hadn't listened to File Under Easy Listening for a good while, so I kicked out the jams today and listened to it while at work. 

Here's the opening salvo on that fine opus. 

Random Notes from a Crank

 Lately I've been thinking about the concept of "staircase wit," also notably described by the French as "L'esprit de l'escalier." It's when you think of something you should have later. 

The funniest version of it comes from this episode of Seinfeld. 

One could also call it the jerk-store paradox. 

This year I discovered a cocktail I should have had imbibed years ago. It's the Caesar. It originated in Canada, and it's basically a Bloody Mary but with Clamato instead of tomato juice. 

Why is it called the Caesar though? I know a lot of factoids about Roman history, but I don't recall Julius Caesar known for liking clams. I guess it's possible. But come to find out, it's full name is Bloody Caesar. So that's why - the whole stabbing on the Ides of March. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Here are some interesting factoids from the November "Harper's Index": 

• Portion of local U.S. parks that saw an increase in visitors this spring: 2/3
• Portion of U.S. parks-and-recreation agencies that have been asked to reduce spending this fiscal year: 2/3
• Percentage by which the population of the average wildlife species has declined globally since 1970: 68
• In Latin American and the Caribbean: 94
• Rank of deforestation among the causes of wildlife decline on land: 1
• Percentage decrease in the length of the average work meeting since the onset of the pandemic: 20
• Percentage by which the unemployment rate of recently graduated U.S. physics majors exceeds that of art history majors: 60
• Average factor by which countries led by men have had more COVID-19 deaths than countries led by women: 1.9
• Factor by which mainstream newspapers cite organizations that oppose climate change more often than those that support: 2
• Portion of Americans who admit to not relying on the news sources they regard as the most trustworthy: 1/3

Since Mrs. Nasty and I don't commute that far to work, we're willing to get paid for carbon offsetting other people's long commutes. If you're interested in assuaging your liberal guilt, you can pay me via PayPal. 

I absolutely should not donate to any US Senate campaign. I gave money to Theresa Greenfield's campaign because I despise Joni Ernst. In addition, I gave money to Jaime Harrison because I despise Lindsey Graham even more. And I'd love to see Democratic US Senator from the Deep South. Both challengers lost, unfortunately. 

As the pandemic rages, Moscow Don does nothing but spite: "As Trump Stews over Election, He Mostly Ignores the Public Duties of the Presidency." 

Music Friday: "Life of Sin"

 Sturgill Simpson was on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the other night, and he showcased his new album, which is a collection of 20 of his songs just done in a bluegrass manner. 

It's a fun album. Here's one of the tunes from the album, Cuttin' the Grass. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I was watching an episode of Archer the other day, and Sterling Archer said this: "Introspection is the enemy of happiness." 

I'm worried Moscow Don is going to steal this election via his unfounded lawsuits. 

While it's clear to most people who work within the bounds of reason that Biden won the presidency, I'm going to be a Debbie Downer on the Senate. One, Maine reelected Collins, and dumbass Joni Ernst won in Iowa, and it is clear the Democrats didn't flip North Carolina. And in Alabama, a carpetbagger who doesn't know shit about policy won: Tommy Tubberville. 

While I hold out hope that Stacey Abrams and her infrastructure she built can win both Senate seats, but I'm not optimistic. 

Sunday Hangover: Bye Week

 Well, Clemson lost to Notre Damn, but I suspect when the committee puts out its rankings, Clemson will still be in the top four. I don't know if Trevor Lawrence would have helped them win against the Irish, but the committee won't penalize them. 

Florida looks pretty damn good. Kyle Trask destroyed that Georgia defense. 

Texas A&M is quietly showing themselves to be a solid team. Mond is one heck of a QB. 

Indiana beating Michigan shouldn't come as that much of a surprise. Michigan lost to a moribund Michigan State last week. And the Hoosiers have beat some good teams over the years. Let's hope they can same thing against the Luckeyes. 

Speaking of Michigan State, Iowa took them behind the woodshed yesterday.

And the Cyclones of Iowa State held on against Baylor. I don't know how I feel about those black jerseys. 

Random Notes from a Crank

 If you have a subscription to the New York Times, take time to read "This Is America" by Roxane Gay. 

Over a year ago, the Nasty family booked a vacation in Cancun for over the week of Thanksgiving. I feel a bit shameful about this, but we're still going. If we don't, we would just flush thousands of dollars down the toilet. And from what I gather, Cancun was one of the best places to take precautions for Covid-19 when the pandemic started. 

We've consulted all kinds of info about this trip, and from the sound of it, we're probably safer in Mexico than the United States, which is a sad commentary on how poorly America has dealt with the pandemic. 

Still though, I harbor a good bit of nervousness about the trip. 

Sometime this summer I need to take my family to Cahokia Mounds. 

Back when I was in graduate school, Mrs. Nasty and I visited the Moundville Archeological Park, which was really interesting. It's a smaller, more closely bunched set of mounds. 

Those Mississippians...

Which reminds me of this great song.

Music Friday: "Year of the Boomerang"

 These guys need to put out a new album since they've joined back together. I miss their political commentary. 

Sunday Hangover: Mississippi State

 Well, that was an old school mauling by the Crimson Tide squad. 

The passing duo of Jones and Smith were unstoppable. And 203 yards and four touchdowns is not Smith's personal best. 

A move that be something to watch is that Trey Sanders out carried Brian Robinson. Sanders, the heralded recruit from two years ago, toted the rock 12 times for 80 net yards, which was solid. The offense chewed up State's defense on the ground. Harris had a stellar day with 21 carries for 119 net yards. 

The welcome sight was the defense daring State to run and shutting out the Bulldogs. I love an old fashioned shutout. 

State almost got on the board late, but Dylan Moses made an outstanding interception in the end zone. 

Next up is a bye week before the Crimson Tide travels to Baton Rouge. 

Random Notes from a Crank

The Guardian has an interesting article that ties in habitat loss, loss of biodiversity, and climate change to the likelihood of more pandemics. It's good reading: "Protecting Nature Is Vital To Escape 'Era of Pandemics.'" 

Because of my area of east central Illinois spiking in cases, our region now can't have eating in at restaurants, and bars will be closed. 

Even Russia is mandating masks in contrast the dumbass that is Moscow Don: "Trump's Ideal Strong Man, Putin, Orders Nationwide Mask Mandate as US Flounders Under Weak Leadership." As Cole notes, "But in the US, the mask refuseniks are about half the population, and they are led by the denialist-in-chief, Donald Trump."

"Mask refuseniks" is great phrasing. And Cole puts it well toward the end of the post: "Trump has confused ignorance and genocide by neglect with machismo." 

Music Friday: David S. Pumpkins

 This isn't necessarily a song, but the video uses an instrumental song. 

In honor of a socially distanced Halloween, I give you David S. Pumpkins.

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup

 This is a variation of a recipe I found on the InterWebs. I changed it slightly because I despise corn in soups, and I didn't want to use cream cheese. 

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts
1 box (32 oz.) of reduced sodium chicken broth
1 large can of mild green enchilada sauce
2-3 4 oz. cans of diced green chiles
2/3 cup of water
2 tablespoons of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of ground roasted garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Process

Start with the chicken breasts. Trim and place them in a slow cooker and add some of the chicken broth to coat the bottom. Set on low for 4-6 hours. 

After fully cooked, pull the chicken breasts and let them cool on a cutting board. Add the sauce, the rest of the broth, the chiles, water, and seasonings to the cooker. Set on high. 

Shred the breasts and add to the slow cooker. After about an hour on high, set the cooker to low and cook for 2-3 hours. 

I served it with rinsed pinto beans, which I added to the soup. As for garnishes, you could use chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, and jalapeños if so desired. 

Sunday Hangover: Tennessee

 After the game ended, I was hankering for a cigar. 

I followed the game via ESPN Gamecast during my son's doubleheader on a chilly day in central Illinois. So when we got back from Decatur, the game was almost over, and I watched the DVR recording of the game. 

Losing Waddle is huge blow to the offense. He does so much, and he's arguably the most explosive player in college football. 

Slade Bolden filled in well for him, but he's no Waddle. No one is. 

The new ad hoc trio of receivers seems to be Smith, Metchie, and now Bolden. But others, the youngsters will have to step up. 

Mac Jones played fantastically. Again. 

Najee Harris, Brian Robinson, and Trey Sanders toted the rock admirably. 

And the defense got stops. 

That's all they need to do: get stops. 

Tennessee has a very good offensive line, but I'm still concerned that the Tide is not getting the kind of pash rush we fans have become accustomed to. 

Let's hope the offense keeps doing its thing and the defense continues to improve. 

Music Friday: "Burning Down the House"

 Talking Heads is a band that I always enjoyed, but I never bought any of their albums (CDs) when they were together as a band. They had this quirky nature that was inspiring. 

I bought their greatest hits album maybe a year ago, but now I'm contemplating how much I had missed by not going full album on them. If I remember right, over the space of 11 years they produced 8 albums. That's some mighty productivity. 

Last night instead of watching the final presidential debate, I watched David Byrne's American Utopia, which is a quite stunning film produced by Spike Lee. The film and performance is quite stunning. There are parts of it that are downright inspiring. 

Here's a live performance of the show doing this famous song. 

Sunday Hangover: Georgia

 Shutting out an offense in the second half was a welcome sight after the debacle that was the Ole Miss game. Georgia's offense, particularly the running game, did too much damage against the Tide in the first half, however. 

Mac Jones continues to shine as a quarterback with his main trio of targets of Smith, Waddle, and Metchie. 

Foristall getting banged up early was a major concern because he is the top TE on the roster currently. He does a lot of motions for distraction and for blocking purposes. 

Najee Harris reminds me of Derrick Henry in that he seems to get stronger as the game goes on. The more you "feed the beast" the better he seems to play. 

As much as I am pleased with the defense possibly turning a corner (one hopes), I'm troubled by the performance in the first half. 

Kudos to the Tide's offensive line for protecting Jones and blocking well in the run game for the most part. 

Next week the Tide takes on a Tennessee squad that was humbled at home versus the Kentucky Wildcats. They should be motivated. 

Music Friday: "The New OK"

 A friend of mine on FB related the other day that the Dry-By Truckers had put out another album this year. The Unraveling came out in January, and this band full of pluck and grit produced another one this month. 

Here's the title track. 

Enjoy. 

Sunday Hangover: Ole Miss

 I've been an Alabama fan since I went there for graduate school in '98. 

Last night's game was one of the most frustrating wins I've ever witnessed. 

The Alabama defense was awful. 

Downright awful.

A W F U L

The Tide offense was outstanding, and they should have put up another touchdown because Harris got stripped at the goaline. 

But good Gods, I hope to never see a pathetic defensive performance like that again. I know Kiffin is one heck of a play caller, but the defense has got to get it together. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary: Pickle Brine

I made pickles this summer and fall, but I planted the pickling cucumbers too late in the summer and did not get the greatest yield, unfortunately. As a result, I don't have a lot of pickles stored up, maybe eight pints at the most. 

I did, however, figure out a pickling brine that I liked, so I'm sharing it here, so I can reference it in subsequent pickling seasons. 

Ingredients:

3 cups of apple cider vinegar

2 cups of water

4 tablespoons of pickling salt

1 tablespoon of sugar

Music Friday: "Patience"

 I've been hearing this cover on the Sirius XM station on a regular basis. 

Chris Cornell singing a song can make any song good. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Here's some factoids from the September "Harper's Index":

• Minimum number of police killings since 2010 in which restrained victims told officers they couldn't breathe: 32
• Number of those incidents that resulted in criminal charges against the officers: 5
• Number of those cases in which charges were not eventually dropped: 2
• Average number of times per day that Donald Trump tweeted in 2017: 7
• In 2020: 32
• Percentage of Americans who want Trump to tweet more frequently: 3

And here's some tidbits from Harper's "Findings" from that same issue:

• "The depression-prone are less attracted to the political right."
• "The presence of a professional sports team increases a city's seasonal flu deaths."
• "Recent toilet-paper hoarding was more prevalent among Americans than Europeans and more prevalent among the old than the young."

The Premier League had a trio of upsets on Sunday. One was mild. The other two were surprising. My Spurs whipped Manchester United 6 to 1 at Son and Kane both had a couple of goals, and the Frenchmen Aurier and Ndombele had a goal each. West Ham beat Leicester City early on Sunday, and Aston Villa demolished Liverpool 7 to 2 later in the day.

I know it's early in the season, but Everton sits atop the table, and Aston Villa is second. 

Sunday Hangover: Texas A&M

Most people will see the lopsided score and assume that Alabama dominated the Aggies. They did, but they did so primarily through the air and via big plays. 

Mac Jones again was smooth as hell because he was protected and he threw the deep ball exceptionally well. 

I have concerns still. 

The Tide is not running the ball well. The offensive line has been strong in pass protection, but I want to see more success in the ground game. For example, the Aggies outrushed the Crimson Tide in a blowout. That's just plain weird. 

In addition, when Alabama is a national championship level team, they stop the run. They did yesterday afternoon to a certain extent, but the defense needs to improve against the run, and the busted coverages are a major concern. 

But on to positives...

It looks like we found a third receiver in John Metchie. With the defense fixating on Waddle and Smitty, he shone yesterday. I know on the one long TD with blew past a cornerback when he was playing the Z receiver. I can't remember where he was slotted on the second long TD. 

Next up is a journey to Oxford to take on the Rebels, who are now led by Lane Kiffin.  

Random Notes from a Crank

The drama of the summer transfer window has been interesting for Tottenham Hotspur. I didn't know there was so much hubbub about transfers until I started following the Premier League. The Spurs have been active in signing a number of players: Hojbjerg, Hart, Doherty, Reguilon, Bale, and now finally a striker in Vinicius. 

Now it's just a matter of days before Rose gets sold and Foyth and Sessengon are put out on loan. 

Moscow Don got Covid-19. Even though he's known for being a germaphobe, it's no surprise he got it. Apparently, they did debate prep without masks. I guess thoughts and prayers are in order to that douche bag. Still, what a bunch of clowns. 

The debate commission has plans to make the next two debates more orderly. The only move that will help is giving the moderator the power to mute the tRump's microphone when Biden is being asked a question or when Biden is talking. 

The article, "How the Virus Won" or "How the Pandemic Defeated America," in the The Atlantic is essential reading for when the next pandemic hits. It's not a matter of if, but it's a matter of when. 

Music Friday: "Inner City Blues"

This is one of the best covers I've heard in a long while. Living Colour continues to put out great music. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I cannot understand how anyone watching the first presidential debate can justify Moscow Don's behavior and justify their support for such a man. 

People will say it was a "shit show," but the reality is that it was a shit show because of Trump with his constant interruptions, lies, and bullshit. 

As Rainn Wilson posted on FB in obvious reference to the 45th president's performance, "My parents taught me that it was rude and disrespectful to interrupt people." 

Regardless, during a presidential debate, the sitting president gave a shout-out to a white nationalist group and advocated for voter suppression. Class act. 

I checked the Real Clear Politics website this morning to check on the Senate races, and much to my pleasant surprise, the South Carolina Senate race has moved to "toss up." I hope Jaime Harrison is running ads that point out Lindsey Graham's multiple levels of hypocrisy. 

I contributed to Theresa Greenfield's campaign. Durbin is likely to easily retain his Senate seat in Illinois, but I'd love to see an Democrat from Iowa in the Senate. 

As the New York Times reported about Moscow Don's tax returns, he's in deep debt. He has loans coming due that amount to 421 million dollars. And the reason he hasn't paid much in taxes over the years because he's a terrible businessman. A person in that much debt holding political office is a serious national security threat. 

As a result, he's Putin's lapdog. 

What a con artist. 

Sunday Hangover: Mizzou

I didn't get to watch this game live because Mrs. Nasty scheduled us participating with other couples in an escape challenge deal at a local nature center. 

Scheduling such things during an Alabama game is grounds for divorce. 

Regardless, I caught up on the game later yesterday because I DVRed it. 

The touchdowns the Tigers scored were late in the game when inexperienced players were getting playing time. Mizzou's score didn't reflect how the Tide dominated the game. 

And they dominated it by offense. 

Mac Jones was silky smooth as a quarterback. He threw accurate passes, and he was especially adept at the deep routes. Many of those throws were just damn outstanding. As as Todd Blackledge noted during the broadcast, Jones does a good job adjusting in the pocket--moving to his right, moving to left, moving up in the pocket--as he adjusts to the pass rush and gets set to throw the pill. 

One matter I'm concerned about is the Tide's rush defense. They limited Mizzou to fewer than 100 yards rushing, but I still didn't like some of runs the opponent's backs had against our defense. 

Waddle and Smitty looked great. To diversify the offense, other receivers and the tight ends need to get integrated into the offense. Forristall had a great 34-yard catch, but I'd like to see more from the tight ends. 

As for the rushing attack, the Tide only gained 111 net yards because the passing game was so prolific. Harris had a decent game. However, Brian Robinson only toted the rock four times, and when Trey Sanders was in, he didn't do much to impress. I suspect both RBs will improve significantly going forward. 

It was great to have Dylan Moses back on the field commanding the defense. He makes everyone around him better. 

Musings of the Moment: College Football This Saturday

Don't look now, but Mississippi State's Costello just threw another touchdown against LSU. 

Ole Miss got waxed by Florida. The Rebels will have a tough offense, but the only times Ole Miss is formidable is when they have a defense to be reckoned with. It's small sample size theatre, but that game can't provide much confidence in the Ole Miss defense. Kyle Trask lit up that defense like a Xmas tree. 

The light blue jerseys and helmets for Ole Miss are not are handsome as the dark blue jerseys and helmets they've used. 

With the K State-Oklahoma and Texas-Texas Tech games in mind, defense is optional in the Big 12. 

If there is a truism in the college football it is that Big 12 teams have sucky defenses. 

Kentucky totally messed up a chance to beat Auburn. I was counting on you Wildcats. So disappointing. The refs also screwed them on that play on the goalline. 

And btw, Gus Malzahn looked like a doofus in that outfit inspired by Pat Dye. 

I was surprised to find out that Army was ranked, and then they lost to Cincinnati, a team that is also ranked. 

The U is back. They stomped a mudhole in FSU's ass. I think Miami might have a good chance at beating Clemson this season. 

Florida State was stupid in pissing off Jimbo Fisher, which made him take a job at A&M. 

Pitt's concrete grey uniforms and helmets are interesting. 

I'm hoping that Iowa State wins the Big 12. I'm a closet Cyclones fan from way back. 

Musing of the Moment: Mask Wearing and Flu Season

With the pandemic still raging on, people wearing masks is commonplace. In fact, I would argue that if you're not wearing a mask, you should be considered a moron. 

Which brings me to the anticipated flu season. I've read reports that health officials are worried about how the pandemic will get even worse with the flu season. 

However, during most flu seasons in the past, Americans were not wearing masks to protect themselves. This year they should be. 

So I wonder if the number of flu cases will be significantly smaller because of people wearing masks, washing their hands, avoiding large gatherings, and sanitizing the hell out of their hands. We'll see. 

I worry that this hypothesis is too simplistic, but I wonder. 

Music Friday: "Sign O' The Times"

I was listening to satellite radio in my car the other day, and the DJ was talking about how it was some anniversary of Prince's excellent album Sign O' The Times. 

In honor of that opus, I'm sharing the title track for Music Friday today. It's a fabulous album.