Music Friday: "Southtown Girls"

 This week I listened to a number of albums by The Hold Steady, a great old-fashioned rock-n-roll band. 

This tune is the final song on Boys and Girls in America. 

And yes, I'm late with this one. 

Music Friday: "Hero"

 I've been listening to a lot of Michael Kiwanuka's catalog lately. 

Here's "Hero." 

Music Friday: "Good Luck with Whatever"

 I picked up the newest album from Dawes a couple of weeks ago. 

Here's the second song off the album. Cheers.

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Soup

I made this savory-ass soup last week, but now I'm getting around to sharing the recipe. I finally got to use the cheap mandolin I picked up from Aldi a while back. 

Ingredients

2 packages of beef soup bones

1 yellow onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled and cut in thin slices using a mandolin

1 stalk of celery, cut into thin slices using a mandolin

1/2 a head of cabbage cut into small thin slices

1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 boxes of beef broth

2 cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 zucchini, quarter and sliced

1 package of baby bell mushrooms, slice medium width

1 teaspoon of Moringa powder

Healthy doses of Penzey's beef roast seasoning and Chicago steak seasoning

3 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Process

Trim the fat that you can from the soup bones and marinate them overnight in olive oil, fish (very little of this--it goes a long way), worcestshire, and soy sauce. In the morning take them out and place them in the slow cooker. Add the onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, moringa, and beef broth. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. 

After that time has elapsed, add the cabbage, and seasoning. Take out the soup bones, cut out the meat and chop finely. Add the meat back into the cooker and set for low for 3-4 hours more. With an hour out of eating time, add in the zucchini and mushrooms.

Sunday Hangover: Ohio State

Ohio State was one of the teams I was concerned about the Crimson Tide playing because we don't have the greatest track record against the Buckeyes. Plus, unless we're talking about Northwestern or Iowa, I despise Big Ten teams. I hate Illinois the most, but Ohio State is a close second. 

Regardless, the offense absolutely devastated the Buckeyes last night. Before breaking his finger, Smitty dropped over 200 receiving yards on that hapless defense. 

The team is definitely unique because of the circumstances of playing only SEC games and going undefeated. 

Someone out there in sports journalism has called the brand of football the Tide plays "joyless murderball." I like that phrasing. 

I certainly wish the defense was stronger, but I'm being picky. 

Here's what the offense of joyless murderball dropped on Ohio State last night: 

• 33 first downs - 10 rushing, 22 passing
• 157 net yards rushing
• 464 yards passing
• 621 yards of total offense
• Mac "Joker" Jones: 36 completions of 45 attempts, 5 TDs
• Devonta "Smitty" Smith: 12 receptions for 215 yards and 3 TDs in the first half
• John Metchie: 8 receptions for 81 yards
• Najee Harris: 7 receptions for 79 yards and 1 TD; 22 rushing attempts for 79 net yards and 2 TDs
• Brian Robinson: 10 rushing attempts for 70 yards
• 52 points

Roll Tide.

Random Notes from a Crank

 

Significant parts of the US population have been mentally hijacked by half-witted Lone Gunmen who are conspiracy theorists but just stooopider. 

It's a bad situation.

Actually, it is.

One episode is eerily reminiscent of Moscow Don's grievances. Check out the episode "He's Alive." 

So why not check these out. 

Adolf found another to take to Peter's place. 

Music Friday: "Till Cows Come Home"

 I've been so caught up with the political happenings of the days that I forgot to post yesterday. It just slipped my mind. 

I got introduced to this Blues artist through the new Netflix series about the History of Swear Words. 

This song is something. 

Musing of the Moment: Georgia Again

 Once again Georgia showed that its citizens are smarter than Iowa and Maine. 

Georgia voted for Biden, and now Warnock has won the Senate runoff, and hopefully Ossoff wins versus Perdue. But that race looks headed for a recount because it is so close. 

In contrast, Iowa voters voted back in crazy-ass Joni Ernst, and Maine voters retained Susan Collins. 

Random Notes from a Crank

 There is one clear way to get the Congressional Medal of Freedom: aid and abet the criminal who is the 45th president. 

There's an article on Bleacher Report that Coach Saban is apparently considering Adam Gase and Bill O'Brien, both ex-NFL head coaches, to be the next offensive coordinator of the Crimson Tide. 

Both candidates don't enthuse me. But Saban knows what he's doing I guess. With Sarkisian going to Texas as their new head coach, why not consider Tom Herman? 

The NFL game of Washington vs. Philadelphia was ridiculous. The head coach put in the back-up when the Eagles were within striking distance of winning the game. Jalen Hurts deserves better. 

One league that is doing this social justice thang right is the English Premier League. Before every game the players and coaches take a knee for the league's "no room for racism" campaign. 

Musing of the Moment: A Flag Pole & Bankruptcy

There's a home down the road from where I live here in east central Illinois that has a huge yard and a large flag pole. Atop the flap pole is an American flag, and below that flag is a Trump 2020 flag. I noticed the other day that at the bottom of the flag pole, the owner of the home has strewn razor wire about the base of the flag pole. 

What kind of maniac does such stuff, especially considering that Moscow Don lost the election? What kind of weirdo still keeps up a campaign flag? 

This stupidity is even more acute that Moscow Don regularly floats conspiracy theory and lies about how he won the election. 

The Washington Post profiled his despicable call with the Attorney General of Georgia in "Trump Pressures Georgia's Raffensperger to Overturn His Defeat in Extraordinary Call." He pleaded with him to "find" votes for him. 

The 45th President is the most corrupt Executive in our nation's history. And the GOP clowns who plan to contest the electoral college votes are aiding and abetting a con artist/criminal who is morally and financially bankrupt. 

Sunday Hangover: Notre Dame

 A number of pundits described the semifinal game as "boring" or "unsurprising," but I enjoyed it. 

Despite the garbage-time touchdown late in the game, which predictably made Alabama not cover the spread, the Crimson Tide dominated the Fighting Irish. 

Devonta Smith showed why he was voted AP Player of the Year with an outstanding performance. Mac played well. And Najee Harris had a highlight-reel run in which he hurdled a tackler that overshadows the fundamental running he did throughout the game. 

On January 11 the Crimson Tide will take on Ohio State for the national championship. If the team that showed up against Clemson plays that day, it'll be a difficult game.