Music Friday: "The New Year"

I'm late I know, but for the past three days Mrs. Nasty and I have been renovating our downstairs common area, which entailed stripping wallpaper, painting wood paneling, and putting in new chair rail boards. 

It's still not done. Finishing will take another day or two. 

I'm not going anywhere for New Year's Eve this year. And as I've done before, here's that tune from Death Cab for Cutie. 

I will drink some Asti Spumante later though. 

Music Friday: "Up All Night (Frankie Miller Goes to Hollywood)"

I haven't featured Counting Crows in a good while, and this song came across my iPod shuffle when I was making pancakes for my family this morning. 

Random Notes from a Crank

If Twitter declines dramatically in use and influence because of Musk's negative influence, I wonder which online platform/s will fill the vacuum for quickly sharing information in a non-cesspool like setting? 

Well, Twitter has been a cesspool for quite a while, but at least they seemed to be taking steps to quash lies and misinformation during the previous organizational regime. 

Based on some cursory research done via the InterWebs, some of options look like Mastodon and Counter Social. 

I joined Mastodon to check it out. If you are on the platform, my handle is Quintilianw@masto.nu.

My daughter, who is home from college, asked me the other day if I went to Woodstock. My immediate answer was, "How old do you think I am?" 

I was confused obviously because she was asking about the one in 1999 because she watched the documentary Trainwreck: Woodstock '99. Mrs. Nasty and I got married during the summer of 1999, and that was the summer before my second year in my Ph.D. program. No concert-going was happening. 

I was at my local CVS, and they had a manner of bourbon called Jethro T. Boots for sale for $7.99. Hell, at that price, a fifth of that bourbon is cheaper than a six pack of craft beer. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Golden Chicken Vegetable Soup

I found a recipe via "Our 10 Most Popular Recipes of 2022" from The Washington Post, and I modified a bit to fit my tastes. 

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless chicken thighs (I used three of them), cut into small pieces

1 yellow onion, diced

2-3 carrots, cut thinly into full and half moon slices

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 half of a bell pepper, diced

2 quarts of low sodium chicken stock

1-2 TB of freshly ground ginger

1-2 TB of turmeric

1 can of chickpeas, drained

2-3 cups of baby spinach

1 teaspoon of roasted garlic powder

1 TB of smoked paprika

Extra virgin olive oil for sautéing aromatics

Salt and pepper to taste

Process

In a Dutch oven, season the chicken and brown for ten minutes or so on medium-high heat. Remove the chicken to a plate and let rest. The chicken doesn't have to be cooked thoroughly through. 

Heat the olive oil on medium and dump in the onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Add salt and pepper and sweat them down for five to ten minutes. Add the chicken, stock, ginger, turmeric, other seasonings, chickpeas, and half of the spinach. 

Partially cover and simmer on medium low heat for an hour. Then add the rest of the spinach and simmer for another 20 minutes or so. Check on the taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 

Music Friday: "The Perilous Night" & "Billy Ringo in the Dark"

The Drive-By Truckers are touring this spring, and I might finally go to either their rock show in St. Louis or Champaign. 

In anticipation of that event, here are a couple songs from two of their more recent albums. 

Music Friday: "Heartbeat of America"

It's Sunday I know. But here goes a Music Friday post nonetheless. 

I had heard good things about Billy Strings for a while now, so I downloaded his Renewal album from last year. I've only gotten about three-quarters of a way through listening to it, but this song stood out to me from a first listen. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Since I watch We are Tottenham TV and Alasdair Gold videos on YouTube, I've gotten used to some of the words British folks use when talking about world football. 

One that doesn't make any sense to me is the when they say that someone is playing really well, they describe the player as "unplayable." The prefix "un" is typically used in a negative way, so if a player were truly unplayable, it stands to reason that person is not playing well in that one shouldn't play him. 

On a more positive note, when someone is exhausted, folks like to use the term "knackered." Going by the dictionary, the word is classified as British slang. 

However, knacker also is a noun for someone who removes road kill that is not fit for human consumption. 

And apparently the word is also a derogatory term for someone from Ireland who is of lower class or from the hood who has a certain look and thick accent. At least that's what I found on Urban Dictionary. 

As many times as I see drivers in their cars with their phone in their hands, it's surprising there are not more accidents because of people's addiction to their phones. Dangerous. 

Speaking of dangerous: Herschel Walker.

As much as I am happy that Warnock beat Walker in the Georgia Senate runoff, almost half of the Georgians who voted did vote for a candidate who is obviously not fit for serving in the U.S. Senate. 

That's a dangerous sign. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Slow Cooker Cubed Steak with Mushrooms with Mashed Potatoes

I have some cubed steak in the freezer, and the last time I made it, the dish did not come out that well. So I found a recipe on the InterWebs and modified it.

Ingredients

2 lbs. of cubed steak

1 packet of Lawry's Beef Marinade

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of French onion soup

1/2 cup of water

1 cup of beef stock

1 package of mushrooms, sliced

3 TB corn starch

3 TB cold water

Freshly cracked black pepper

Process

In the past when I worked with cubed steak, it was just too thick, so I trimmed off any excess fat and tenderized it even more with a mallet, so the steak was super thin and tenderized. 

In the slow cooker on low, add the cans of soup, water, and beef stock. Whisk it all together and then place the cubed steak into the gravy. Cook on low for roughly eight hours. 

When it's around the last hour of cooking, make your mashed potatoes. I prefer Yukon gold potatoes. And then put in your sliced mushrooms. Liberally apply cracked black pepper. 

Toward the end pull out the cubed steak and mushrooms. 

Whisk together three tablespoons of corn starch and cold water and place that into the gravy. Set it on high to thicken, and the dish should be good to go. 

Music Friday: "Better Living Through Desperation" & "Learning While I Lose"

One of the three albums I bought recently is Extreme Witchcraft by the Eels. 

I like all the songs, but here are a couple I'm particularly fond of. 

Music Friday: Auburn

Another Iron Bowl win for Alabama. 

Even though Auburn tried its best with a running quarterback, which is typically the kryptonite for the Tide, the Alabama offense was just way too much for the Tigers/Plainsmen/War Eagles.

Young had a great game, which has become expected, and it's too bad we come to expect it all the time because without him, I suspect Alabama would have had more than two losses this season. 

From a media standpoint, the 2022 season for Bryce Young has been severely underrated. 

In yesterday's game, Young threw the ball to nine different receivers, so he spread the reception love around. 

The other standout junior Will Anderson Jr. had three tackles for loss and two sacks, and like Young, has been underappreciated for his stats this year. He wasn't as explosive as last year, but he had a solid season. 

Both players are likely to go in the top ten of the NFL draft. 

Alabama will have a lot of off-season work to do for the 2023 season with a battle for starting quarterback waiting for them (Milroe vs. Simpson). We'll lose a lot from a defense that had tremendous promise but often was leaky in certain games. We'll lose a lot of DBs to the draft and graduation I suspect. 

I think we'll be solid at running back again even if Gibbs decides to go out in the draft. 

There's solid depth at WR, but as always, line play is key. 

I'm not expecting some championship games shakeout in which Alabama gets into the four-game playoff. 

But if were to happen, I suspect Alabama would be up against Georgia. 

Sunday Hangover: "Don't Carry It All"

In the course of my interactions with my daughter today, I discovered that she's a fan of The Decemberists. 

Here's the opening song of The King Is Dead.  

Sunday Hangover: Austin Peay

For as long as I've had this blog, I don't think Alabama has ever played Austin Peay. 

Regardless, the Crimson Tide played just fine. A shutout was in order even though early in the game the Governors had a couple of chances to score. 

It was good to see both Milroe and Simpson getting playing time, albeit it was later than expected. As the announcers related, it should be a real battle to see who takes over for Young as the starting QB next year. 

We haven't seen much of Simpson this year, but he's got tremendous arm strength and looks the part of a solid QB. Unfortunately, Milroe threw an interception during his lone stint at playing. 

With Gibbs hampered by ankle injury, McClellan and Williams ran the ball well. I am thinking McClellan is future star at running back. He reminds me of past Alabama backs. 

Next up is the Iron Bowl. Throw out the records and all that. 

Music Friday: "Line In the Dirt" & "End Times"

No surprise here, but I'm in a cranky mood today. 

So I'm listening to End Times by Eels. Here are a couple of songs that are back to back on the album--tracks five and six. 

Random Notes from a Crank

In surprising news, the Democrats have apparently won back the Senate. Hopefully Warnock will defeat the woefully unqualified Walker in the Georgia Senate runoff. 

Why aren't people telling Walker to "stick to sports" like they did with Kaepernick and LeBron? 

I suspect the GOP will win the House with some manner of a majority, but it would be a major upset if the Democrats retain the House. I just don't see it happening. 

A man can dream though. 

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

• Portion of Americans who say political divisions have worsened since Joe Biden took office: 2/3
• Who would prefer an alternative to the electoral college system: 3/5
• Percentage of U.S. adults who consume "severely problematic" amounts of news: 17
• Factor by which these individuals are more likely to have a serious mental illness: 9
• Percentage increase since 2019 in the number of children who are unvaccinated against polio: 35
• Estimated age at which adults are unhappiest: 48

The last estimate seems pretty accurate to me. 

I tried to see if any Forward Party candidates won election, but that party came together so recently that it seems they only endorsed certain candidates. 

Sunday Hangover: Ole Miss

It was not a convincing win, but it was a win, nonetheless. 

In the first quarter, I was worried because the Alabama defense was not getting up to speed with the Rebels' fast-paced offense. 

I have continued to be frustrated with the offensive play calling because the Tide needs to run the ball much more effectively. 

Gibbs did not tote the rock in the second half with Saban going with McClellan and Williams at running back. That move was a bit surprising, but Gibbs did not do much of anything in the first half. 

A pleasant surprise was the play of Byron Young. He tied with Hellams as the leading tackler on the team with six solo tackles and five assists. He also had two sacks and two tackles for loss. 

Lawson also played a great deal, so that work is building for the future. 

It appears Brooks and Latu have become Young's preferred receivers. 

Barring a miracle of disasters among the teams ahead of them in the rankings, this year will not see Alabama in the championship playoffs. 

Bummer, man. 

Music Friday: "Pass the Mic"

I listened to Check Your Head early this week, and this tune has been rattling through my head all week. 

Now it's gonna rattle through yours. 

Sunday Hangover: LSU

Another loss in which the home fans storm the field. At least the LSU fans had enough sense and self respect not to destroy the goal posts. 

The first Alabama drive started out well enough. They marched right down the field and were likely to punch in a touchdown on that first drive, but Young tried to improvise too much and made a bad decision.

After that drive and up until the fourth quarter, the offense just seemed off. And it seemed off because Young was not his usual self. Also, I don't understand some of the play calls for runs throughout most of the game. 

We have Gibbs, who is tremendously talented, and we didn't use him enough. 

The largest problem that has not been solved this season is that we don't have consistent vertical threats in the passing game. 

Fans can gripe about officiating, and I rarely do, but that touchdown run by the LSU quarterback should have been called back. If you watch the play, the tight end Taylor clearly blocked our defender in the back. He got no part of the front side of the Alabama player. 

Regardless, the Tide should have stopped that two-point conversion. 

The chances of Alabama winning the West is very poor. We would need some serious help from either Arkansas or Texas A&M. 

From what I've seen from those teams, I'm not confident we'll get help.

Also, we would need to beat a crafty Ole Miss team next week. 

Music Friday: "Exhuming McCarthy"

I was listening to Document this morning, and this song reminds me of the various dog whistling movements that the right wing has undertaken over the years. 

What I'm talking about is recounted in David Corn's American Psychosis: A Historical Investigations of How the Republican Party Went Crazy. 

Music Friday: "Bearden 1645" & "Social Skills"

I had been waiting for a new album by John Fullbright for a good while, and one finally came out this year titled The Liar. 

Below are a couple of tasty cuts from the album. 

Enjoy.

Sunday Hangover: Mississippi State

In contrast to the debacle in Knoxville, the defense played, especially the secondary, played well. 

State scored in the final seconds, unfortunately. This could have been a shutout. 

As for the offense, Alabama put up 30 points, but it seems like it could have been much more. 

I was disappointed how the Tide didn't run the ball as effectively as they should have. But the bounce back performance of the defense was something good to see. 

The offense needs to work on finding consistent playmakers from the wide receiving corps. 

The Tide is off next week, so I might go to a local college football game when Tennessee Tech visit EIU. 

Music Friday: "Happy Homes"

I was listening to Benjamin Booker's first album today before my day went haywire with that damn work thing. 

Here's a cut from that album. 

I just checked his website because I had hoped he was going to put out a new album sometime soon since Witness came out in 2017. There doesn't seem to be much happening with him right now. 

I hope he puts out a new album soon. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I recently resubscribed to Mother Jones after not having a subscription for a couple of years. In the first issue I received this year, there's an excellent recount about how the GOP, from a historical perspective, has aided and abetted extremism and white supremacy for decades. 

It didn't start with Moscow Don. The Republican Party has been pandering to racists and nativists and angry white people for decades in order to get votes. 

The article is by David Corn and is titled "The Elephant in the Room" in the physical magazine but has a much longer title on the website: "It Didn't Start with Trump: The Decades-Long Saga of How the GOP Went Crazy." 

The article appears to be a précis of Corn's book American Psychosis: A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy. I'm thinking of buying it, but I'm concerned it will just make me more angry than I already am. 

Regardless, as Corn relates in the next to last ¶ of his article, "But since at least the 1950s, the party has consistently boosted extremism, prejudice, paranoia, and rage. Sometimes this has led to the GOP prevailing in political battles. In other instances, voters have beaten back the cynical gambit." 

As someone who has strong opinions about football uniforms since I watch a lot of American football, I have to say that the orange helmets and uniforms that the Chicago Bears wore last week were terrible. 

Those helmets made me call the Bears team the "Great Pumpkins." And like the Great Pumpkin of Peanuts fame, they didn't show up at the end of the game in that snooze-fest that saw the Commanders beat the Pumpkins 12 to 7. 

I am rewatching the HBO series Deadwood, and I got to episode 7 of season 2 and was reminded of this great scene, which has Swearengen giving advice to Merrick about stopping moping around and feeling bad for himself.

I deal with so many people who make excuses when times get rough. They need to listen to Al. 

Here are some interesting factoids and stats from this month's "Harper's Index""

• Percentage change since 2019 in the portion of Americans who believe environmental laws are worth the cost: -23
• Percentage of U.S. voters who view climate change as the most important problem facing the country: 1
• Of U.S. voters under thirty who do: 3
• Portion of American young adults who have considered enlisting in the military: 1/10
• Portion of those who are ineligible to enlist: 3/4
• Percentage increase since 2019 in the number of independent bookstores in the United States: 34
• Percentage of undergraduates who say they encounter at least moderate difficulty with online learning: 94
• Percentage of Democrats that Republicans believe are atheist or agnostic: 36
• Percentage that are: 9

I guess I'm part of that 9 percent. 

Sunday Hangover: Tennessee

I still haven't watched the game because the weekend was spent traveling to and from a baseball tournament. 

Yesterday I did get to hear the last half of the fourth quarter though as I was driving home after our two pool-play games. 

It's hard to win a game with 17 freaking penalties, but Alabama almost did. If Reichard made his kick, we're having a somewhat different conversation about the game.

However, the conversation about how the defense needs to get its shit together is a conversation to be had regardless of win or loss. 

One matter remains consistent though. I hate Tennessee. 

Music Friday: "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" & "We Didn't Start the Fire"

I was listening to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame radio station the other day, and "You Didn't Start the Fire" came on, and I was reminded of some of the songs I like from Billy Joel. 

Here are a couple.

Sunday Hangover: Texas A&M

It was a win, but it was an ugly win. 

It's a win nonetheless. 

It came down to a goal line stand at the end. 

With Milroe having so many turnovers, the defense was put in a bad position twice, which resulted in 14 points. 

The Tide had 288 net yards of rushing, which is promising. However, the Aggies stacked the box and limited the Tide offense too often. Milroe rarely threw down the field to loosen up the Texas A&M defense. 

I think Milroe will become a very good quarterback for Alabama, but last night was a trial by fire game. 

I'm very concerned about the Tide's trip to Knoxville next Saturday. I'm sure Saban will keep it very quiet as to whether Bryce Young is going to be available just like he did for this game. 

Music Friday: "In God's Country"

A couple of weeks ago my nephew texted me and told me that he was listening to this song, and it reminded it of me. 

I don't know why he associates me with the song, but it's a good one. 

Sunday Hangover: Arkansas

If you're a fan of big plays, the game in Fayetteville was one you should have liked. 

The big news, of course, is the injury to Bryce Young. It's being officially called a shoulder sprain, so hopefully he'll recover with no aftereffects.

The Razorbacks pulled the game close at the close of the third quarter, but Alabama then proceeded to get a touchdown run from McClellan and two long touchdown runs from Gibbs. One was 72 yards, and the other was 76 yards.  

While the Tide did not open up the passing playbook extensively with Milroe in for Young, they also chose to run the ball to eat clock and control the game. 

It worked. 

We'll just have to wait and see if Young can recover and be ready for next Saturday's matchup against A&M. 

If Milroe starts, we're likely to see a more run-centric game plan since Milroe is really damn fast, and they'll want to protect him a bit with easy throws. I guess the positive will be that he's likely to have all kinds of reps with the first-team offense this week. 

And they recruited Milroe for a reason. He's talented but just young and inexperienced. 

Music Friday: "Losering"

One of these days this week I listened to Whiskeytown's Strangers Almanac. 

Here's a straghtforward song from that opus. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Apparently the NFL is moving the Pro Bowl to become a flag football game. It was already that way in the past because like the NBA All-Star game, defense is optional in those silly games. Now the NFL is simply being truthful, which is a rare occurrence. 

"How Kansas Kept Abortion Legal" by Amy Littlefield in The Nation is worth a read. I hope it's a bellwether for the upcoming mid-term elections. 

I'm searching for a professional way of saying "bitch, please" without having to actually say "bitch, please." Here are suggestions from my friends on FB:

• Your opinion is duly noted, but I respectfully disagree.
• Bless your heart.
• Per my previous email
• Thank you for your interest.
• Please send me these concerns in an email.
• I'm sure that makes sense to you given your level of experience. 
• I'll take it from here.
• I appreciate your input, but we will be going in a different direction.
• Thank you very much, but I'm going to pass on that idea/opportunity at this time. 
• Thank you for the information.
• Perhaps.
• I've got you covered. 
• Ok, great. 

While I cannot find it online yet, you should pick up the most recent issue of The Nation and read Stephen Berry's "Confederates Take the Capitol." Berry is the Gregory Professor of the Civil War Era at the University of Georgia. He penned a trenchant essay about the January 6th insurrection and its historical context. 

Here's one of my favorite statements in the article: "At the base of most contemporary American conspiracy theories is the white male fantasy that indulges the feeling of being aggrieved, abused, dominated, or violated, precisely to justify the legitimacy of the ensuing white male vengeance and demonstrations of power and control." 

A few ¶s before, he makes this important statement: "...they [students of history and politics] assume that a majority of people act in their material self interest. Especially in the American context, they often don't. They act in their cultural self-interest. Any government program that benefits everyone (whether Obamacare, mask mandates, or vaccines) benefits out-groups relatively more--and America's traditionally dominant class (white male Christians and their allies) like winning less than they like watching other people lose. They not actually cynical about government; they know it works, but they want it to work for them particularly, perhaps exclusively, as it usually has--or they want it to not to work at all." 

Sunday Hangover: Vanderbilt

It's been quite a while since Alabama has played Vanderbilt. So the 'Dores came to Bryant-Denny on Saturday and got roundly spanked by a tune of 55 to 3.

Vandy had one good drive that resulted in a field goal in the first quarter, but that just seemed to piss off the Tide, and they shut everything down from then on out. 

The first part of the game didn't feature much of a running game. It was like Alabama just wanted the Oline to practice pass protection and get Young some quality work with his receivers. 

That plan happened if it indeed was a plan. 

Later one when Vandy when to a three-man front, the Tide decided to run more, and with the Tide up big, the running backs got some good work. It didn't matter whether it was a three-man or a four-man front. 

Gibbs didn't feature much in the game, but when he did, he looked outstanding. If he gets a little bit of space, he can use his speed to make some defenders look flat out silly. 

It was great to see McClellan running hard. He's more along the long line of bigger, brusing backs we've had in the past. 

And while Jamarion Miller has only gotten work in garbage time, he looks really damn good too. 

Brooks had one hell of day. Young threw to him often in the first quarter, and overall he amassed 117 yards on 6 catches with 2 TDs. 

Next up is a very difficult matchup in Fayetteville against Arkansas after they had a heartbreaking loss against Texas A&M. They should have won in Jerry World. 

Music Friday: "Program" & "Wall"

While doing work this morning, I listened to a couple of albums the Living Colour, specifically Shade from 2017 and Stain from 1993. 

Below are couple of great songs that probably don't get enough attention for music lovers. 

Please come out with a new album soon, fellas. 

Sunday Hangover: Louisiana-Monroe

Well, I suspected the War Hawks of Louisiana-Monroe were going to pay for the lackluster showing the Tide had in Austin.

63 to 7. 

Alabama scored in all phases of the game - on offense, on defense through Anderson's pick six, and two special teams touchdowns from a blocked punt and a punt return by Brian Branch.  

McKinstry had to be thinking "Why didn't I get a touchdown?" after Branch ran his back. Kool-Aid five punt returns for 136 yards. 

The offense had 273 net yards from a lot of different runners, some of whom I've never seen before like Jamarian Miller and Jonathan Bennett. 

The receivers did well against inept competition. So we'll see how they do against a surprising Vandy team next game. And then there's a three-game gauntlet of very good SEC teams to deal with: at Arkansas, vs. Texas A&M, and at Tennessee. 

There's not much to learn about the team based on the competition they faced. 

I did like seeing a TE besides Latu catch a pass. True freshman Amari Niblack had a nice catch for a TD. But it was good seeing Latu back on the field and doing well. 

Music Friday: "My Hometown"

I was listening to Dead Man's Town: A Tribute to Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. this morning, and I was reminded of the original and the cover by the North Mississippi Allstars. 

Check 'em out. 

Sunday Hangover: Texas

The last time I wrote about an Alabama-Texas game it was the Tide's first national championship under Saban. 

This one was a very different game except that both kind of went down to the wire although yesterday's game went down to the final seconds, not minutes. 

I didn't get to watch much of the game because I was driving for a weekend jaunt during it, so I listened to off an on because we were down in southern Illinois where the service was spotty as hell. I heard most of the game though, and here's what I gathered from what I heard and was told by the passengers who watched the game while I listened. 

The defensive backs played poorly. 

The offensive line struggled against the Texas defense throwing everything at them coupled with a very loud crowd. 

The young receivers struggled to get open. 

Alabama probably should have focused on running the ball more. 

It was the sloppiest game of the Saban era. So many damn stupid penalties...

Bryce Young is an exceptional football player. 

So, in sum, the areas where the Tide had question marks all had issues during a feisty road game. 

My hope is that this game serves as a good-bad win, meaning that Alabama played poorly in so many ways, they won, and the good-bad win works as a reality-anchor on how the Tide needs to work the process and get much better. 

There are all kinds of coaching points that Saban and the assistant coaches will be mining for weeks. 

Music Friday: "Whose God Is This" & "Bible Vs. Gun"

I was first introduced to the music of Will Hoge by a friend who turned me on to his great song "Bible Vs. Gun." 

The album that dropped for him this year, unfortunately, is first one I've purchased, and it's a good one. So today I'm featuring the closing song of Wings on My Shoes. "Whose God Is This" should invite some thinking. 

Music Friday: "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"

I got lazy and didn't post a Music Friday post in time. 

Regardless, here's a classic from the Allman Brothers Band. 

Sunday Hangover: Utah State

I understand that Alabama is a very good team, but I thought Utah State would give them a bigger challenge because they won 11 games last season and won their conference. 

But they didn't. 

It was a 55 to 0 drubbing.

The biggest questions for me were the play of the new corps of wide receivers and the offensive line. 

As for the wide receivers, the new crop stepped up. I like Holden a lot, and Burton played well with two touchdowns apiece. And the freshman Prentice started and looked good. 

They have even more depth there with Bond, Leary, and Brooks. It's early in the season obviously, but we seem to have some players ready to contribute.

With the offensive line, Alabama needs to run the ball more effectively. Their performance, to me, was just okay. But I'm a fan of smashmouth football. 

Next up is an away game at Texas. The pundits tongues will be wagging about Saban going up against Sark. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Here's some interesting factoids from the two most recent Harper's Indexes:

• Percentage by which women are more likely than men to be interrupted in Senate committee hearings: 10
• By which such interruptions are more likely when they are discussing women's issues: 15
• Percentage change since 2010 in the average cost of an electric vehicle battery: -89
• In the average price of an electric vehicle: +80
• Average salary U.S. college students expect to make in their first job after graduation: $103,880
• Average starting salary for a U.S. college graduate: $55,260
• Percentage by which Americans drink alcohol less often than the average person worldwide: 18
• By which they get drunk more often: 58
• Percentage of Democrat-voting college students who would not go on a date with a Trump voter: 71
• Of Trump-voting college students who would not go on a date with a Democrat: 31
• Portion of U.S. pools that will be closed at some point this summer due to a lifeguard shortages: 1/3

I know if I were single I would screen potential dates on whether they support Moscow Don or not. That issue shows one's character. And if someone supports that criminal clown, they probably have all kinds of other issues, like mental illness and STIs. 

As much as I'm happy that the recent bill that was passed will give all kinds of incentives for people to buy electric vehicles, I'm worried that it is going to make crooked car dealers jack up the prices of EVs. 

One of the survey questions for a recent YouGov survey was this one: "Would you support or oppose a ban on single-use plastic water bottles?" I'm solidly in the support category in response to that question. Plastic water bottles are a menace, and bottled water is stupid. What a monumental scam that is destroying the environment with its terrible plastic waste. 

Christian Pulisic needs the get the hell out of Chelsea. I'm sure Spurs or Leeds United would take him off Chelsea's hands.

Music Friday: "Downtown Girls"

I finally got around to the buying the new album by American Aquarium, but after I listened to it the first time, iTunes proceeded to play Dances for the Lonely because it was next in the album queue as I was doing work this morning. 

I was reminded of how much I like this song. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Shrimp and Squash Rice Bowl

The person who has the office next to me gave me some zucchini and yellow crookneck squash the other day. She offered me some tomatoes and cucumbers, but I have plenty of those this summer from my own garden. 

I usually don't have luck making squash, but I tried something yesterday that worked. 

Now I don't remember any Chinese-inspired dishes that use zucchini or yellow squash, but I used some soy sauce and leftover rice to make it Chinese-like. 

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped roughly
• 1 medium size zucchini, cut into thin half moons
• 1 yellow crookneck squash, cut into thin half moons
• 2-3 TBs of rosemary-infused olive oil
• Healthy smattering of Penzey's Mural of Flavor seasoning
• 2 handfuls of thawed and already cooked shrimp
• Salt and pepper
• Soy sauce to taste
• White or brown rice

Process

Put the olive oil in cast iron skillet (or wok I guess) on medium-high heat and dump in the onions. Sweat them for approximately ten minutes and then put in the squash. Move the heat down to medium. 

Add salt and pepper and Mural of Flavor seasoning and move the squash around so the sides don't get burnt. After the squash are relatively soft, add in the shrimp, and add the soy sauce. Turn off the heat and let the residual heat warm up the shrimp but not overcook them. 

Put newly cooked or leftover rice in a bowl and ladle the shrimp-squash-onion concoction over it. 

Music Friday: "Master of Puppets"

I've noticed that Metallica has become trendy because of the latest season of Stranger Things using one of its songs. 

If I remember right, I'm still stalled in season 3 in that series, so I haven't gotten to the season that made Metallica and Kate Bush popular among the youths. 

Regardless of popularity, when I think of Metallica, here's one of a handful of songs that immediately comes to mind.

Random Notes from a Crank

I'd venture to guess that the people who say "America is the greatest country in the world" haven't been to many other countries. And if they've been to other countries, it's not been for a long while, possibly only on a vacation. 

I know of family who has had to have fundraisers to help pay off their debts because their father, who died recently, had cancer. The US has to be one of the few, if not the only, first-world industrialized countries in the world that doesn't have universal health care.  

We don't have one of the best health care systems in the world, but it's certainly one of the most expensive. 

I think there needs to be a Karen/Karin support group out there. Being a "Karen" has been a negative epithet for a few years now. I've never thought of the name Karen in a negative light. 

One of my former girlfriends in high school was named Karen. And she provided fabulous hand jobs. So when I hear something along the lines of "you're being a Karen," all I have is fond memories. I smile and have an overwhelming feeling of good. 

The past month or so when I wake up in the morning I have found one of my bird feeders and the hummingbird feeder knocked down. My bird feeders are "squirrel-proof" because they have a mechanism on them that shuts the feed holes if a rodent weighs down on the feeder. So I was nonplussed about how a squirrel cracked the code. 

I pulled into the drive the other night and discovered the perp who has been knocking down my feeders. It's a raccoon. 

When my son was young, I remember watching a PBS nature documentary on raccoons. The scientists were tracking their movements in the city of Toronto. It was amazing how active they are and how many they are. They're everywhere. 

Music Friday: "A Night in Tunisia"

As I was walking the dog tonight, I got this song in my head because my daughter wants me to make her lablabi before she goes off to college.

This version features the percussive talents of the indomitable Art Blakey. 

Musing of the Moment: Thirty Years Too Late & EV Rebates

As much as I'm happy the "Inflation Reduction Act" is getting passed and finally addresses the need for action on climate change, a bill such as this should have thirty years ago. 

The planet is not waiting around with its negative feedback loops happening at the poles as recounted in The Washington Post: "Climate Change's Impact Intensifies as U.S. Prepares to Take Action."  

The best takeaway from the research is what the lead author of the study, Peter Reicher, has to say: "Reich called the Inflation Reduction Act a 'good first step' but added that 'even in the most optimistic scenario, there’s going to be a lot of pain and suffering. It’s going to take an economic toll on poor and rich alike in the future,' he said. 'We shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back and say, ‘Mission accomplished.’"

I like the bill's incentives for people to purchase electric vehicles, but analysis shows that the point-of-sail rebates won't take effect until next year. 

I worry that these rebates are going to provide incentives for dealers to jack up prices (they're car salesmen, after all), but $7,500 off when you buy one is nice. 

The bill has made me take a look at some EVs such as the Nissan Leaf and the Ford F-150 Lightning. People with more spending power than me might makes some changes, I hope, in 2023.

Music Friday: "Shed a Little Light"

James Taylor sat in with Stay Human at the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week, and I was reminded of how much I like him.

And here's one of my favorite songs of his. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I get annoyed about how some people complain about having to ask for straws or having to use non-plastic straws because of environmental concerns. 

When I'm at an eating establishment that provides water or whatever non-alcoholic beverage in an open container, I don't need a straw. I'm a big boy. I'm not some child who needs a straw to drink my beverage. Using a straw in an open container is like an adult drinking out of a sippy cup. 

I've been watching the only season of Alone that's on Netflix. Of the reality programs out there, this is one that intrigues me because of the ingenuity of the participants. 

The fact that so many of these contestants go days without eating is remarkable, but the show also makes me think about how early hunter-gatherers had to be fanatical meat eaters once they got their hands on some wild game. 

From a pure caloric standpoint, fish or game provides a ton more calories than a plant-based diet based on foraging. Also, from an evolutionary standpoint, the Homo sapiens eating meat helped grow their brains and made them stronger. 

While I get being a vegetarian from an environmental standpoint, I would have a hard time being one. I'm not a fervent meat eater, but I'd like to be more intentional about the meat I eat. 

In a positive political story, Kansas voters rejected changing the state's constitution to support an abortion ban: "Kansas Abortion Vote Shows Forced-Birth Zealots Should Be Very Afraid." 

My hope is that access to abortion will be a major issue in the mid-terms that will help pro-choice candidates on the ballot. 

Music Friday: Talkin' Loud But Sayin' Nothing

I referenced this song in my previous post about bullshit receptivity. 

Here's a cover of Brown's song by Living Colour. 

Musing of the Moment: Bullshit Receptivity

One of the books I'm currently reading is Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Kahneman, Sibony, and Sunstein. 

I've probably prattled on about how much I think Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow is a great book on this blog before, so I was automatically drawn to any new publication with Kahneman's name on it. 

On the books chapter titled "Occasion Noise," I was intellectually smitten by these paragraphs:

"Other studies tested the effect of mood on gullibility. Gordon Pennycock and colleagues have conducted many studies of people's reactions to meaningless, pseudo-profound statements generated by assembling randomly selected nouns and verbs from the sayings of popular gurus into grammatically correct sentences such as 'Wholeness quiets infinite phenomena' or 'Hidden meaning transforms unparalleled abstract beauty.' The propensity to agree with such statements is a trait know as bullshit receptivity....

"Sure enough, some people are more receptive than others to bullshit. They can be impressed by 'seemingly impressive assertions that are presented as true and meaningful but are actually vacuous.'"

Having sat through a number of graduate seminars in the humanities, I think there's a lot of bullshit receptivity happening in those environs. 

I know I've sat in lectures and so-called discussions where abstruse theories having been bandied about and I've read all kinds of Theory that sounds important and "pseudo-profound" but doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense. Or change anything for the better. 

Like James Brown sang, these theorists are "talkin' loud and sayin' nothin.'" 

One can also apply this concept of bullshit receptivity to the mass of political ads we have to deal with if we watch any of the local TV stations. 

In sum, there's a lot hokum out there that is quite vacuous.  

Talking loud but what are they really saying? 

Random Notes from a Crank

In the print edition of The New Republic, the article is titled "Fields of Red." The online edition has an entirely different title, which begs the question, "Why?" Regardless, the article analyzes my extreme discomfort with my home state apparently turning into a red state in national politics.  

I used to be proud to be from Iowa because of its high literacy rate, but now it's state that voted twice for Moscow Don. The article makes sound suggestions that the Democrats need to do a much better job of reaching out to and persuading blue-collar voters, but as Jacobs relates, "While the party has done better with voters who are younger, more diverse, and more well-educated, Iowans are disproportionately older, whiter, and less likely to have a college degree." 

I miss how my home state was a swing state, and now it's more like Kansas or Missouri. That's sad as hell. 

If you need any further proof that Faux News is a simply a propaganda arm of the GOP and bootlickers of Moscow Don, consider the fact the channel did not broadcast the the January 6th hearings on Thursday, July 21. 

To show how out of reach the current Supreme Court is, the recent poll indicates that Americans want the ability to get an abortion to be protected at a national level. Check out the article from AP: "Majority in US Want Legal Abortion Nationally." 

One citizen featured has a smart perspective: "Blake Jones thinks six weeks 'is far too early to be able to make a decision like that,' and while he personally doesn’t approve of abortion, the 28-year-old Democrat in Athens, Georgia, said he’s pro-choice because he doesn’t believe 'that my views should affect other people.'" 

Jones said he thinks the point of viability is more appropriate for restrictions on abortion, but even then, there should be exceptions if the pregnant person’s health is at risk or the baby would be born with a severe health issue."

Music Friday: "Everybody Loves Me, Baby" & "American Pie"

I was watching TV late a night the other day, and there was a commercial advertising the a tour by Don McLean to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Pie album. 

The title track is a classic that most people know. 

However, I'm starting with a song down the playlist and the famous title track as seen on BBC TV.

Random Notes from a Crank

As someone who cares about words and how we use them, I'm troubled by the trend of people making words shorter for no other reason than using a different term. 

For example, in certain business circles or certain people use the word, "vacay," to stand for "vacation." First off, the former bastardization sounds goofy. Just think of someone saying to someone else that they're "going on vacay." Does shortening the word by one stinking syllable really help people? I think not. 

The other one I've seen in sports media that I don't like is the term "presser" for "press conference." The two-syllable term doesn't really approximate the two-word term. I guess "er" is in the word "conference," but "er" is nowhere near anyone with a right mind would abbreviate the full word of "conference." If anything, it should be "presscon" if there really is a need for shortening the language, which there isn't. 

At the hotel we stayed at this weekend, the brand name of the toilet paper was "Comfort Bay," which is ironic. There's nothing comforting about those sandpaper-like sheets as you try to wipe your butt. 

We are in Galesburg, Illinois and had lots of time to kill, so we checked out the campus of Knox College. Since we're baseball people, we looked at the college baseball field, which has some serious dimensions with short corners and 400 feet to straight center. 

The dimensions reminded me of what I've read about Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, the home of the Cardinals and the Browns at one time. Its dimensions were quite unique with all kinds of distance markers. For example, the left field line was at 351 feet and right field line at 310. True left center was 379 with deep left center at 400. Deep left center field corner was 426 with true center at 422.

Those dimensions are nowhere as bizarre as what was going at the Polo Grounds: left-field line at 279, left-center at 450, center at 483, right-center at 449, and right-field line at 258.  

Music Friday: "Here Comes the Rain Again"

It's been one hell of a long day. I got up at 5:05 this morning because we had to drive to Galesburg for a baseball tournament with our team set to play at 11am. 

Well, that plan didn't work out at all. Rain. Lots of damn rain. 

So the game we were supposed to play today got moved to tomorrow at 1pm. 

I never bought a cassette or CD of the Eurythmics, but I always enjoyed their music. Here's a song that's appropriate. 

Music Friday: "Thoughts and Prayers"

Another week goes by and another mass shooting because of people's insane and fundamentalist interpretation of the second amendment that was written in 1789. 

So I'm presenting this DBT song yet again. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Chicken Rub

I'm smoking some chicken drumsticks this afternoon, so I searched the InterWebs for advice on a good rub for chicken. 

Based on the recipes I pondered, I created this rub that is similar but not the same as other rubs. 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (TB) of kosher salt
• 2 TB of paprika
• 2 TB of garlic powder
• 1 TB of onion powder
• 1 TB of smoked paprika
• 1 TB of black pepper
• 1 TB of Penzey's Old World seasoning (similar to seasoning salt)
• 1 TB of coriander
• 1 TB of chili powder

Music Friday: "Fourth of July"

With the recent stupid rulings from the Supreme Court, I'm not feeling too pro-America. 

Nonetheless, here's a great song from Soundgarden. 

Enjoy the holiday if you can. 

Musing of the Moment: Tottenham's Transfer Window So Far

One of my favorite words I discovered after I started following real football (soccer) is "shithousery," which is defined by Urban Dictionary as "underhanded conduct or gamesmanship in a sport, with the intention of gaining an advantage." 

The club I follow religiously, Tottenham, apparently is signing a guy who has a bit of shithousery in his game, Richarlison. He's a player who can play a center forward when Kane isn't playing and will play as a winger when Kane is at the tip of the attack. 

Spurs have had a fun summer transfer window to follow with five signings so far if Richarlison and Lenglet come through the door, with the last guy coming over on loan from Barcelona. They need to sign a right wingback or two, and the deal for Spence is going quite slowly. 

As for outgoings, Bergwiyn is going to get bought from someone, and Winks is likely to go to a different club. I'd like to see Spurs keep Rodon and loan him out somewhere to get playing time. We'll see what happens with Emerson Royal and Reguilon. 

I'd like to see Tottenham sign Eriksen as a creative midfielder, but rumors on that front have gone very quiet. 

I suspect we'll see some surprises before the window closes. 

COYS

Random Notes from a Crank

I'm sure I'm not the first liberal leaning heterosexual male to say this, but I find Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez quite fetching. 

 

That beautiful woman represents America. 

In the GOP primary for the 15th district of Illinois, one of the most reprehensible and despicable House reps, Mary Miller, won the nomination. Those who think Hitler had some good ideas and/or might have attended some KKK rallies and/or are indoctrinated by FauxNews rocked the vote for a woman who is bat-shit crazy.

I am so tired seeing the stupid back-the-blue American flags on vehicles and elsewhere. People can criticize the BLM movement for various inane reasons, but they can't criticize BLM using the American flag for its political purposes. 

Leave the flag of the United States alone. It represents everyone. And these blue, red, and green tinged black and white American flags are merely using the flag as a political prop. 

Random Notes from a Crank

For the first time in my life I voted in a Republican primary on today (Tuesday). It made my skin crawl to do so, but here's why I did it. 

My county votes primarily GOP in national elections, which isn't surprising since I live in east central Illinois. I simply focused on races where I didn't want certain candidates to win the nomination. 

The easy vote was for US House Rep where the GOP has two abhorrent choices. I chose the less abhorrent candidate. They are both terrible, but one candidate is less terrible than the other. 

As for the ass-wipes running for Governor, I chose the candidate who is the least likely to win against Pritzker. The GOP candidate I voted for is an intellectual bumpkin. And for county judge, I voted for the incumbent who seems to be doing a decent job. I voted against a person in a local race out of spite and experience. 

I could write a long diatribe about the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade, but I'll leave that to better writers than myself. 

However, it's inconsistent that guns aren't covered by "state's rights" but a woman's body apparently is. 

At my son's baseball tournament this weekend, there was a team there that had a player exclaim "Eyes like a beaver!" whenever one of his teammates was up at bat. 

It's an odd but humorous saying to say the least. 

After some cursory research via the InterWebs, I suspect the 14-year-old got the saying somehow from the Urban Dictionary definition of "beaver eyes," which is defined as "using abnormally good eyesight to see something clearly or something concealed." 

With a bit more research about beavers, the saying does not make any sense because beavers don't see that well according to various nature-based websites. 

So where the heck did this term "beaver eyes" originate from? Considering the definition came from Urban Dictionary, I have some obvious suspicions. 

Music Friday: "All I Needed"

American Aquarium has a new album out this month. I haven't got it yet, but I plan to. 

Here's the final song on Chicamacomico. 

Musing of the Moment: Leftward Change in Latin America

The Washington Post has an interesting article about the political happenings going on in South America: "Gustavo's Petro's Win in Colombia Is Latest Leftward Shift in Latin America." 

As the author of the article, Samantha Schmidt, relates, many of the recent presidential elections in Latin America are electing what most would consider liberal leaders. 

Another big election to watch is the Brazil one, an election that will hopefully unseat a Covid nincompoop. 

Schmidt provides the skinny: "All eyes are now on Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, where former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva leads polls to unseat President Jair Bolsonaro in October. A Lula victory would mean all of the largest countries in the region, including Mexico and Argentina, are led by leftist presidents. From Bogota to Santiago, many voters are no longer buying the argument that a swing to the left will mean a government run by the likes of Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro. 

And Schmidt offers the differences between past candidates and these newer ones: "And that's partly because today's leftist leaders look and sound very different from those of the past, at least in the case of Petro and Boric. Instead of building an oil-rich economy -- the basis of neighboring Venezuela's ruinous socialist revolution -- they're looking to build a unified front against climate change. They're tried to distance themselves from the machismo of previous leftist eras, winning power by promising to protect the rights of women, LGBTQ people, and Afro-indigenous communities. And they're backed by a young, politically engaged electorate [who] took to the streets in massive numbers in recent years to protest inequality." 

My hope is what is happening in Latin America spreads northward to the US. But with the number of campaign signs touting insane politicians I see on a regular basis, I'm not confident that it will happen. 

Music Friday: "I Just Want To Make Love to You"

Today I'm stripping this post down to the basics. 

It's a blues song about nookification. 

Musing of the Moment: A Potential Class Action Lawsuit

I listened to and watched some of the Jan. 6th hearings today.

With the revelations that Moscow Don's grifted his idiotic supporters through his obviously sketchy "Official Election Defense Fund," I wonder if any of these clowns will seek legal recourse. 

If I were a lawyer in the style of Saul Goodman, I'd put together a class-action lawsuit for those dopes. 

Then again, why would I want to help such morons? 

Music Friday: "Driver"

The Drive-By Truckers dropped a new album last week titled Welcome 2 Club XIII. 

I've listened to it off and on throughout the week and am enjoying it. Here's the opening song from the album. 

Random Notes from a Crank

One of my FB friends shared this article by RawStory the other day that I found interesting. It's written by a neuroscientist: "Link between Religious Fundamentalism and Brain Damage Established by Scientists." 

The gist is that in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that does critical thinking, religious fundamentalist don't have a propensity for "cognitive flexibility and open-mindedness." 

As the author states, "Religious beliefs can be thought of as socially transmitted mental representations that consist of supernatural events and entities assumed to be real. Religious beliefs differ from empirical beliefs, which are based on how the world appears to be and are updated as new evidence accumulates or when new theories with better predictive power emerge." 

They're not open to change: "Fundamentalist groups generally oppose anything that questions or challenges their beliefs or way of life. For this reason, they are often aggressive towards anyone who does not share their specific set of supernatural beliefs, and towards science, as these things are seen as existential threats to their entire worldview."

Religious fundamentalism is one of the things wrong in this world. 

And this all reminds me that I need to reread Mencken's Treatise on the Gods. 

Wales made the World Cup for the first time since 1958. So the group the US is in includes England, Iran, and Wales. 

This fine article from The Onion hits a little close to home since I'm usually geeked up when blue jays and woodpeckers show up: "Area Bird Creeped Out by Bird Watcher.

I need this notebook.