Random Notes from a Crank

It looks like President Adolf wants to put all Americans on welfare because of his stupid tariffs: "Trump Dangles Cash Payments to Buoy Voters' Views of the Economy." 

He put farmers on welfare with 12 billion going to them, and now he wants to put everyone else on government assistance. 

MABA: Making America Barkrupt Again

Trump Welfare 

The GOP leadership has no spine in regard to fiscal responsibility. 

I first starting liking cop TV shows when I was young and watched Hill Street Blues. 

Then another cop show came along with NYPD Blue, which is probably my favorite TV cop show. 

One show that rivals NYPd Blue is the Bosch series on Amazon. 

And yet again, the administration has stepped up its attacks on trans folks. 

Clay Jones' political cartoon puts it well. 

I didn't even bother paying much attention to President Adolf's presidential address, and calling it an "address" is being kind because it sounds like it was rant-filled pack of lies. 

CNN does a good job documenting his lies: "Fact Check: Trump Repeats Numerous False Claims in Prime-Time Address." 

False claims are LIES. 

Music Friday: "Hungersite"

I've been listening to a couple of Goose albums this week as I've been doing work. I know I featured them last Friday too.  

Here's a tune from the album Dripfield. 

Music Friday: "Your Direction"

A band I've gotten into this year is Goose. 

Here's a tune from the band's most recent album Everything Must Go.

Random Notes from a Crank

I was watching an episode of Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, and O'Brien used the term "peter out." 

Because I usually have dirty mind, I initially thought the term originated from "Peter" meaning a penis. To my thinking, something petered out when a dude couldn't get it up anymore. 

It turns out my thinking is way off base if you choose to read "What's the Meaning of the Phrase 'Peter Out?'" 

There are about three different possibilities of how the phrase originated, but the one related to the use of saltpeter when mining in the 19th century seems the most plausible. 

This nonsense the U.S. is doing down in Venezuela needs to stop. 

Lalo Alcaraz has done some fine work below. 

Ah, MAGA socialism with the Aid Package that is going to U.S. farmers. 

According to Reuters, "US Farmers Say Trump's $12 billion Aid Package Won't Cover Losses." 

Sunday Hangover: Georgia

With Overton, Miller, and Cuevas out, I didn't feel confident in the Alabama winning the SEC Championship. 

They didn't play well, and Justin Jefferson, the team's leading tackler, got hurt. 

Alabama didn't play well at all, but they squeaked into the playoffs as the no. 9 seed to play Oklahoma in Norman on the 19th. 

The Crimson Tide needs to come up with solutions in the next couple of weeks. 

One place to start would be running the ball. Hopefully by then Miller and Riley will be available. 

Music Friday: "Feel Free"

I'm pretty confident I've featured this song before on a Music Friday, but it's been a while. 

Yesterday as I was doing stuff in the office, I listened to Jay Farrar's Stone, Steel & Bright Lights (Live) album. 

This tune is one of my favorite songs from his solo work. 

Musing of the Moment: SEC Football Coaching Hires

Because this blog is SEC-centric in regard to football, I thought I'd give my so-called thoughts about the coaching hires in the SEC. 

LSU: Lane Kiffin

This is the drama that has consumed so much energy over the past week because of the ultimatum that the Ole Miss AD gave to Kiffin, which is understandable because what Kiffin would have done is coach Ole Miss in the playoffs and take Ole Miss's most talented players with him to Baton Rouge. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if some Ole Miss players defect to LSU after the season. 

I get why Ole Miss didn't want Kiffin around anymore since he had committed to the Bayou Bengals. You want a guy committed to the program coaching the team. 

Regardless, this is a really good hire because we know Kiffin can coach offense, and with the crazy-ass people behind the LSU program willing to give him a 25 million dollar budget every year, he's going to buy all kinds of defensive talent like he was starting to do in Oxford before he departed on a private jet as fans cursed at him at the airport.   

Whatever happens with this hire, the annual Ole Miss-LSU football game just got spicier, and the game in 2026 is in Oxford. It's going to get loud and salty. 

Ole Miss: Pete Golding

This hire was a bit of a surprise to me, but once I started thinking about it, it makes sense. It might save some of the recruiting class, it provides stability for the playoffs, and the administration bets on a guy who has improved Ole Miss in regard to defense, which is traditionally one of their weaknesses. I just wonder if the committee will put Ole Miss at a higher seed without Kiffin manning the offense. 

The administration is taking a chance on a guy played Division II football in the state and has settled in at Oxford after serving as the DC for one of Alabama's national championships and two of its SEC championships. 

Florida: Jon Sumrall

Could this be a good hire for Florida. I know he's brought the Tulane football team to prominence, which is difficult because Tulane is the second tier program in the state of Louisiana. This hire feels like a total coin flip to me. 

Auburn: Alex Golesh

As an Alabama alumnus, this is the hire I did not want to see at Auburn. I've watched his success at USF, and I think he runs the Tennessee offense better than Tennessee does. Two Saban-led Alabama teams has trouble in both of their games agains the Bulls. 

Arkansas: Ryan Silverfield

He made Memphis a player on the scene. But honestly, I don't know much about him and his coaching to even speculate. The challenge is that's it is Arkansas, which is a football program that has so many disadvantages compared to the bigger programs in the conference. I like it when Arkansas is a good team in the conference, but it seems like decades since that was a reality. 

Sunday Hangover: Auburn

Why does Alabama tend to have close games away at Auburn? I'm fatigued by the stress. 

The defense gave up some explosive plays, but at the start, if I remember correctly, they had three three-and-outs in a row. They played well for the most part, and Lawson led the team in tackles. 

I was disppointed in the pass rush later in the game because the Dline had been pressuring the quarterback early in the game. 

There was a surprising resurgence of the running game with Miller having one of his best performances of the season against a defense that is probably one of the top ten defenses against the run.  

What is curious is that Ryan Williams didn't play much at all. I don't whether he was limited because of injury or attitude or breaking team rules. 

Horton took advantage of all kinds of playing time with three touchdowns from Simpson. 

Next up is yet another meeting versus Georgia in the SEC Championship game. 

Random Notes from a Crank

In what may come as a surprise to some but not to me, Twitter implemented an "about this account" feature that revealed many of these pro-MAGA and pro-Trump accounts originate from foreign countries, such as Russia, India, and Nigeria, among others: "Top MAGA Influencers Accidentally Unmasked as Foreign Trolls." 

I quit Twitter a good while ago because it's a cesspool run by a wannabe Nazi. 

But this report only shows that social media platform is even worse than assumed. 

In other predictable news, the NFL team I root for, the Minnesota Vikings, is sucking. 

And my fantasy football team, the Schlitzophrenics cannot catch a break. I was set to make the upper bracket of the playoffs as the third or fourth seed, but after this week, my team's situation is looking sketchy to possibly grim. 

As I've done for a while now, I'm brining a turkey for Thanksgiving. 

Here's my recipe: "Turkey Brine." 

Sunday Hangover: Eastern Illinois

 

The photo above was our view from the visitors section in Bryant-Denny. We traveled down to Tuscaloosa for a college visit for my son on Friday and stayed for the game against EIU. 

My son predicted that the Panthers would get past midfield on offense, and they didn't. 

They did have a scoring chance early on in the game when Simpson threw a bad interception. But the defense pushed the Panthers back, and that was the only remote possibility of a scoring threat. 

Both Cuevas and Bernard weren't in pads for the game, so I'm assuming that they just held them out because they wanted to get other people reps in the game, which makes sense. 

The offense was rather vanilla for the most part, which is perfectly fine before they head to Auburn for the Iron Bowl. 

I thought both Mack and Russell looked good as the next quarterbacks up in the rotation, but with playing against such a weak opponent, it's hard to tell how they would do against stiffer competition. 

From our vantage point, Russell stood out more because of his pocket presence on a couple of plays when he had to step up in the pocket and makes passes. 

It's pretty simple. The Tide must win the Iron Bowl.  

Music Friday: "Ballad of the Devil's Backbone Tavern"

Unfortunately, Todd Snider passed away. 

One of his albums has one of the best titles of all time: Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables. 

But one of my favorite tunes of his is the "Ballad of the Devil's Backbone Tavern." 

RIP.

Musing of the Moment: Free Public Transportation

The New York Times has a feature going titled "50 States, 50 Fixes" that showcases what some places are doing to improve the environment and combat climate change. 

Today's article talks about Iowa City's move that made their public transportation free: "Iowa City Made Its Buses Free. Traffic Cleared, And So Did the Air." 

It was a good article that highlights how the free buses have been a huge hit because they have eased congestion in the college town. And well, they're free. 

Considering how much some of these colleges charge for parking passes, I would imagine students are also taking advantage of the public transportation. 

The article ended a little abruptly to my mind though. 

Regardless, I wish more cities made moves like this one. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Cheddar Cheese & Broccoli Soup

Today I made some soup from this recipe from The Washington Post: "Cheddar Cheese Soup." 

It was good, but I would make some modifications to it because I want broccoli in it and I didn't care for the crunchiness of the carrots and celery. I'd prefer those veggies to be cooked. 

I get why the cook who created the recipe wanted the contrast of crunchy carrots and celery with the creamy soup. But I'll just use crackers or pumpkin seeds if I want some crunch. 

So here's how I'm going to make a cheddar cheese soup in the future. 

Ingredients

1 medium onion, grated on a box grater

1 stalk of celery, chopped finely

1 stick of unsalted butter

1 small yellow onion, chopped finely

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup of AP flour

4 cups of chicken stock, hot

3-4 cups of grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup of half and half

1 package of streamable broccoli

1 teaspoon of ground turmeric

1 teaspoon of roasted garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Process

Cut up all the vegetables. In a large pot, melt the stick of butter on low. Add the carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, and thyme and move the heat to medium-low. 

Add some salt and pepper and cook until the veggies are tender. 

In a pot nearby, make sure your chicken stock is hot. 

Down the heat to low and add the flour to veggie/butter mix and stir constantly to make a light-brown roux. 

Add the hot broth approximately a cup at a time. and whisk to make sure everything is fully incorporated. 

Steam the broccoli and drain. Cut the broccoli into small florets.

Add in grated cheese in about three to four batches and incorporate. Add in the half and half. Then add in the turmeric, garlic powder, and broccoli. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Yet again this week's Existential Comic is great. It takes on AI and the hype machine behind it. 

Here are some gleanings from November's "Harper's Index":

• Portion of companies that report using AI in their business: 4/5
• Portion of those using AI for which it has not resulted in any "tangible bottom-line impact": 5/6
• Percentage change since 2023 in total U.S. investment in constructing housing: +5
• In total U.S. investment in constructing data centers: +115
• Portion of Americans with household incomes above $200,000 who expect AI to them more harm than good: 3/10
• Of those with household incomes below $50,000: 3/5
• Estimated percentage of ICE detainees who are held in private, for-profit facilities: 86
• Percentage of Americans over the age of 65 who say they can tell the time on an analog clock "instantly": 95
• Of those aged 18-30: 43

There are people who are worried about an "AI bubble" like we had with the dot.com bubble. 

And with AI, the amount of energy these data centers use is massively unsustainable while working and middle-class folks are going to be negatively affected, such as losing their jobs. 

It's not surprising ICE is using private prisons because it's just another way for the plutocrats to make money. 

What is with the recent trend of players spitting on each in the NFL? I get that trash talking can get heated, but really, spitting on on opponent? That's just stupid. 

Sunday Hangover: Oklahoma

What a horror show of errors. 

The first quarter was a shit show of three and outs coupled with not wrapping up on a punt return and a pick six. 

Simpson did what he could, but he got sacked four times, one of which created a turnover that turned into a touchdown. 

It's clear that Hill has taken over as the number one back. I hope that continues because he runs hard, and Miller has had his terrible mishaps in pass protection from time to time. 

Alabama lost, but they are still in second in the SEC standings with this one loss. And Alabama beat Georgia, and the next one-loss team, Ole Miss, lost to Georgia. 

When a team throws a pick six and loses two fumbles, they are unlikely to win the game. 

But the Tide could have. They put up 406 yards of total offense compared to Oklahoma's 212. 

And if Talty makes that field goal at the end of the first half, possibly the final score is 23 to 22. 

Next up is a home game versus Eastern Illinois, a game I'll actually be attending because my son is going on a campus visit on Friday, and we're going to the game on Saturday. 

After that, the Tide needs to beat Auburn, which is almost always tricky. 

Music Friday: "Wish You Were Here"

I hadn't listened to a Pink Floyd album in a good while. 

Yesterday when I was doing stuff at work, I listened to Wish You Were Here. 

So here's the title track to that fine album, a tune I think is one of Pink Floyd's best songs. 

Random Notes from a Crank

The Washington Post has an interesting article about the concept of "gray rocking": "Gray Rocking Is the Way to Deal with Difficult People. Here's How It Works." 

I've been using this method for decades. In fact, I used it in a tense meeting this past week. 

It's been yet another day that the Democratic representative in the House Adelita Grijalva has not been sworn in because she will vote to release the Epstein files. 

Here's her opinion piece in USA Today: "I Was Elected 6 Weeks Ago. Speaker Mike Johnson Refuses to Swear Me In." 

She finally got sworn in. Finally.

South Park is doing some great work about the problems with AI. Part of the plot of this week's episode featured the kids generating videos of each other and the "national problem of AI-generated abuse," as an article in The Washington Post describes it. 

Check out "Louisiana Middle Schooler Charged with Sharing Fake AI Nudes of Schoolmate." Disgusting shit. 

The deal struck to reopen the government is simply a ruse used by the GOP, which now stands for Grand Old Pedophiles. 

Sunday Hangover: LSU

With Brian Kelly getting canned and the Tigers working under a longtime assistant coach who emphasized the importance of the players representing the whole state of Louisiana, yesterday was LSU's Super Bowl when they traveled to Bryant-Denny. 

Alabama's defense limited them to three field goals. 

Alabama scored 20 hard-earned points and had yet another quick drive with less than two minutes left in the first half. In fact that touchdown-earning drive took less than a minute. 

LSU's defense threw a lot of Ty Simpson. He was shaky at times early, but he had a good game. 

They stacked the box on a consistent basis, so the Tide had to pass the ball. 

I'm still concerned about Alabama's rushing game, especially with a very tough Oklahoma defense coming next on Saturday. 

Music Friday: "Snipe Hunt"

I got the most recent album by Tyler Childers recently, and I'm really enjoying it. 

Here's the "Snipe Hunt" to the album Snipe Hunter. 

Musing of the Moment: Election Results from Yesterday

President Adolf can spin the election results however he wants about last night, but he's clearly an albatross around the GOP's neck.

See Jamelle Bouie's "Make No Mistake: Trump Is an Albatross" in the New York Times.  

Mamdani work the New York City mayoral race. 

In Virginia, Dems won in the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general races.

New Jersey elected a Democratic governor.

Both governors and the lieutenant governor are women. 

And California overwhelmingly voted to redistrict in direct retaliation to what Adolf told Texas and other states to do. 

Moscow Don made some stupid post on Truth Social that the Democrats won because he wasn't on the ballot. 

No.

They won because President Adolf and his policies were figuratively on the ballot. 

People are motivated to reverse the gross negligence and hatred of his administration and the complicity of the GOP. 

FDT.

Music Friday: "Surprise Yourself"

I hadn't listened to Jack Garrett in a good while. 

Here's a tune from his album Phase, the album I listened to yesterday. 

Random Notes from a Crank

In yet another FAFO moment, the New York Times has a decent article about how the state of Iowa is getting hurt by Moscow Don's dumbass economic policies: "In Trump-Friendly Iowa, the President's Policies Have Hit Hard." 

The Governor's race, a U.S. Senate race, and two competitive House races are up for grabs in the midterm elections. Let's hope the people in my native state come to their senses. 

I doubt they will because the state is comprised of a bunch of old people who believe what they hear on FauxNews. 

Tottenham Hotspur have a hell of a run of games in the coming week and month of November:

• At Newcastle in the League Cup
• Home vs. Chelsea
• Home vs. Copenhagen in the Champions League
• Home vs. Manchester United
• At Arsenal
• At Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League
• Home vs. Fulham

It's going to be a difficult run of games to get points from. Spurs were successful giving Everton its first home defeat in their new stadium though. That was a welcome outcome. 

This week's Existential Comic is a good one. It takes on consciousness and AI: "Philosophy Vs. the Terminator." 

 

I went into the public restroom at work today, and some dude was sitting in one of the stalls listening to videos on his phone that were playing very loudly.

When did that become a thing? 

Sunday Hangover: South Carolina

The South Carolina students flooding the lower sections to be able to rush the field was premature. 

The Crimson Tide pulled out a victory in the fourth quarter after Deonte Lawson stripped Sellers to get the ball back, and Bernard eventually had a game-winning touchdown in the final minute. 

The offense played like crap most of the game, and then it finally came alive in the fourth quarter. 

The pick-six was a crucial in the first quarter. 

It was a breakout game in the passing game for Daniel Hill. It's clear that he has become the 1B to Miller's 1A at running back. 

I know South Carolina has a solid defense, especially the edge rusher Dylan Stewart, but the Tide needs to run the ball more effectively.

That has to change. They can't have Simpson throwing the ball fortysome times every game. The Tide needs to also run the ball. 

With their massive offensive line, they should be doing better at running the ball. 

Music Friday: "John the Fisherman"

There's so many of these TikTok videos floating around in which multiple people listen to songs and react to them for the first time. 

Most of the time they're listening to hard rock or metal tunes, such as bands like System of a Down. 

I'd like to see them listen to some Primus tunes because as we all know, "Primus sucks" as their fans like to say. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I'm loving these blow-up costumes that have been at protests across the country, especially the frogs. 

If I didn't already have a costume prepared for Mrs. Nasty and me for Halloween, I would get a frog costume. 

The cartoonist Nick Anderson has done good work here. 

The GOP has basically become a party of Nazi-enablers. 

And President Adolf and his GOP enablers are bankrupting the country. 

A prime example is how the US is giving Argentina all kinds of money to help out their economy while Argentinian soybean farmers sell their beans to China while American farmers are screwed by not selling any to China. 

The grift is at an all-time hight because Moscow Don is demanding that he get paid 230 million because of past cases with the Justice Department: "Trump Said to Demand Justice Dept. Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases." 

We're living in a full-on kakistrocracy. 

Sunday Hangover: Tennessee

It got pretty smoky in the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium last night. 

I enjoyed seeing that even though I'm no fan of second-hand smoke. 

What a pick-six at the end of the first half. I had a feeling they were going to pass at the goal-line because Greg McElroy kept talking about how they ran the ball over 90% near the goal. 

And Zabien Brown ran it back for a score for 99 yards. That was a feat of glory. 

Ryan Williams reemerged as a playmaker this game, which was good to see. He and Bernard led receivers with five receptions each. 

Miller played in the game, which was a bit surprising because he suffered a concussion against Mizzou. However, Alabama couldn't do much on the ground until later in the game when Daniel Hill played quite a bit. 

Hill needs more work at tailback. 

Ty Simpson had another solid game. He wasn't spectacular, but he was dang good. 

Overall, the Tide held a very good offense to a mere 20 points. That was a welcome sight.  

Next up is a trip to Columbia to take on the Gamecocks of South Carolina. They're unranked, but they are dangerous. 

Music Friday: "For What It's Worth"

With all the protests that happened in DC and now the ones in Chicago and Portland, this song seems appropriate. 

I will say that the Portland Frog is an inspiration. 

Random Notes from a Crank

Because it's hard to trust anything President Adolf's administration says about the economy and in light of how they are no longer putting out economic data, the Washington Post has an interesting article that shows how the economy is doing poorly based on some significant signs. 

Some of the signs are cardboard boxes, Hamburger Helper, and thrifting. 

Check out "Recession Warning Signs to Watch: Goodbye Lipstick, Hello Hamburger Helper." 

The New York Times has a great article on Nick Offerman: "Nick Offerman Woodworked His Way to Playing the President." 

I'm intrigued by the series Death by Lightning. 

I'm tired of the saying, "Chef's kiss." Just stop saying it, people.

And I feel the same way about "it's been a minute," but I think I've bitched about that stupid verbal construction before on this blog. 

This political cartoon by Clay Jones sums up the kind of people who are ICE agents.

 

Sunday Hangover: Mizzou

I had to watch the game on Sunday night because Mrs. Nasty and I went to visit our oldest kid in Carbondale in celebration of their birthday. 

That opening drive against the Tide was not good at all. As Coach Saban once said, Mizzou "ran through our ass like shit through a tin horn." 

Alabama responded although it took a while for the offense to get its stuff together on that first drive after some help from the Tigers because of a taunting penalty and an offsides.  

Ty Simpson had a solid day despite the sack that caused the fumble in our territory at the start of second half. He had 23 completions on 31 attempts for 200 yards with three passing touchdowns to Riley, Horton, and Hill. 

I am really liking how Isaiah Horton and especially Lotzeir Brooks are developing in the offense. 

Mizzou has a very good rushing defense, so it's no surprise the Tide had some difficulty at times in the run game. Overall though, Alabama gained 125 net yards on the day but no touchdowns in the running game. 

However, I liked seeing Daniel Hill get more work as possibly the second running back. He's a load.

That drive in the third quarter needed to end in a touchdown, not a field goal. It would have if Simpson wouldn't have gotten stepped on by his lineman. 

One aspect of the Tide's defense that has to improve is pass rush. Per Jesse Palmer, Alabama is last in sacks in the SEC. That stat has to get better. 

One aspect I liked of this game though was that the Tide's defense forced two fumbles. They just didn't recover either of them. 

In addition, Hubbard and the freshman Lee had an interception each, and Lee would had one earlier in the game if he just would have held on to the ball. He had an outstanding read on the pass. 

The pass rush is going to be severely hindered in the next game versus Tennessee because the Vols get the ball out of the quarterback's hand so quickly. 

Music Friday: "Song for the Dead"

I've been watching some TikTok video clips of a drummer doing intros of rock songs, and one of the ones this week was a drummer doing the intro of this song, which is a great tune. 

And now since I watched that one, the algorithm is pushing all kinds of drumming videos. 

Here's "Song for the Dead" by Queens of the Stone Age. 

Random Notes from a Crank

This political cartoon from Gary Markstein what happened in D.C. and what is now happening in Chicago and Portland. 

I'm loving all the TikTok videos showing all the goofiness that is meeting the ICE agents in Portland. The satire runs deep.

The way this administration is going we might as well put a Hitler mustache on the Statue of Liberty. 

And very few people believe this government shutdown is the fault of the Democrats  unless you're full-on MAGA. The GOP hold the Executive branch, Congress, and the Senate. They created this nonsense based on LIES. 

I recently finished a biography of Napoleon. It was a good read. 

He was a brililiant general, and some of his battle tactics are still studied to this day. 

His downfall was not listening to his advisors who told him to wait to invade Russia. And by the time he came back from Elba to engage in the Battle of Waterloo, he was past his prime. 

President Adolf has Napoleonic tendencies. 

Sunday Hangover: Vanderbilt

In the age of transfer portal, programs like Vandy are making smart moves, which makes sense because it's a great academic institution. They have smart people. 

It was tied 14 to 14 at the half with Alabama doing a no-huddle, touchdown-scoring drive right before the half on a pretty pass to Bernard. 

The Commodores didn't score in the second half. 

Jefferson stripping Pavia deep in Tide territory and the interception in the red zone were huge plays for Alabama's defense.  

Simpson slung the ball around after suffering his first interception of the season. He threw for 340 yards with touchdowns to Williams and the aforementioned Bernard. 

The announcers touted how good the Vanderbilt defense had been against the rush. 

The Tide looked great running the ball with Miller. He toted the rock 22 times for 136 yards. 

That's a good sign. The Tide just can't have to pass the ball all the time. They need to run more effectively and not just exclusively with Miller. 

LB Justin Jefferson had a day: 14 total tackles--9 solo and 5 assists. 

There was one set of downs when I got upset with OC Grubb because the calls got too cute. It was the series that petered out when they ran Bernard in the wildcat. All they needed to do was run the ball in a traditional way or let Simpson do his thing. 

The one wrinkle I really liked was letting Proctor run the ball in a short yardage situation. Let the big man eat. 

Diego Pavia had some smack talk that got some attention. He said, "But we just gotta play within the white lines. If we do that, if we play our game, it won't be close." 

It was close at halftime. 

He was halfway right. It wasn't close at the end: Vanderbilt 14, Alabama 30. 

Vanderbilt is a tough team though. They have an offense that is difficult to defend because of the need for extreme eye discipline. And our secondary, as Greg McElroy showcased during the broadcast, did a poor job of fitting gaps in run game in the first half. 

Next up is a road game against the Missouri Tigers. 

I'd like to see Proctor working as a really fullback. 

Music Friday: "Southtown Girls"

One of the albums I listened to this week was Boys and Girls in America by The Hold Steady. 

Here's the final tune on that fine album. It's a song that has always stuck with me.

My son and his girlfriend broke up recently. She treated him horribly for way too long. He needs to find a girl who treats him nicely and cares for him, not a mean narcissist.  

Sunday Hangover: Georgia

Ty Simpson was on fire in that first half. He ended the day with 24 completions on 38 attempts for 276 yards and two touchdown passes and a run for a touchdown. 

It was impressive how the Tide was able to convert third downs repeatedly in the first half. 

With how good the offense was in the first half, it sputtered in the second, and Alabama relied on a resilient defense to win 24 to 21 in Athens. 

The play below was something to behold. Earlier in that half, they had Proctor running in motion, but there was a false start, so we didn't get to see what that play was. 

I want to see him work as a fullback in short-yardage situations. 

It was a great win for the Tide. 

However, I am very concerned about how the Tide is not running the ball effectively. That part of the offense needs to improve.  

Music Friday: "Blue Train"

Here's a tune from one of the most heralded jazz albums of all time. 

Music Friday: "Northern Attitude"

One of the albums I listened to this week was Stick Season. This song is one of the tunes that gets played a lot from the album. 

I'm wondering when this dude is coming out with a new album. 

Random Notes from a Crank

In a not surprising move, the goons working for President Adolf are removing pictures of slaves' scars from being whipped by their slavemasters: "National Park to Remove Photo of Enslaved Man's Scars." 

it's just another aftermath of white supremacy running wild. 

Robert Ariail's political cartoon is a good summation. 

The Washington Post has an interesting article that talks about tree coverage in cities. It's interactive in that you can put in the city in which you live and see the tree coverage where you live. 

It's "Which Cities Have the Most Trees? See How Yours Stacks Up." 

In the town I live in, the percentage is 29.2%. Below are the previous towns I've lived in. 

Where we lived previously, in St. Louis, it's 32.8%

Tuscaloosa, Alabama comes in at 39.6%

Kansas City, Missouri has tree coverage of 34.1%. 

Kirksville, Missouri is only 20.9%. 

My hometown of Waterloo, Iowa is at 23%. 

The thinking goes, which is somewhat backed by scientific studies, that more trees is better for everyone involved because of shade, oxygen, and better mental health. People tend to be in better moods in a green environment. 

Today when I was driving to work, I saw an older lady walking with a stroller. It had a dog in it.

The absurdity of it all. We recently got a little dog, who is a Cockapoo, and he's taking walks right away. 

Dogs are not babies. 

Sunday Hangover: Wisconsin

Ty Simpson and the Alabama offense shredded Wisconsin yesterday. 

Simpson had 24 completions on 29 attempts for 382 yards and four touchdowns. He looked outstanding. 

Of the pass-catching touchdowns, Williams had two, Horton had, and Bernard had one along with a rushing touchdown. 

Simpson, unfortunately, was the leading rusher on the day with 39 yards. The Tide only gained 72 net yards on the day, which is a concern. 

Although one of the commentators said that Wisconsin has a very good defensive line, Alabama needs to run the ball more effectively, especially with a visit to Athens, Georgia looming in two weeks. 

The top two tacklers on the defense were Lawsona and Jefferson, which makes sense. And Bray Hubbard had two outstanding picks. 

We're still really missing nose tackle Tim Keenan and starting running back Jam Miller. 

I hope they'll be ready to play versus Georgia. 

Music Friday: "Tank!"

This past week I bought the soundtrack to the animated TV series Cowboy Bebop. 

Here's the famous song for the opening of the series. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I guess one of advantages of living in a small town is that you're likely not to serve on jury duty. 

I got summons last month, and I was supposed to be ready to serve on jury duty the past two weeks ending this Friday. I didn't have to show up. 

As a Vikings fan, I had some dark thoughts running through my mind for the first three quarters of the Monday Night Football game. The McCarthy era did not get off to a great start for that portion of the game. 

As fantasy football GM who drafted Jordan Mason, I was happy to see that guy running hard. 

The touchdown by Aaron Jones was bittersweet because the team I was playing started Jones. Before the TD I was winning. After the TD I lost. 

In not surprising news, the reading skills of possible incoming college students is at an all-time low: "Reading Skills of 12th Graders Hit a New Low." 

I don't understand the statement by the Education Secretary at the end of the article. She's just a flunky of Moscow Don. 

Reading and learning by reading is one of the joys of life. It is one of things that make life worth living. 

I've watched lots of videos of farmers complaining about how they're going to lose their farms because of tariffs. But I don't know about the veracity of these videos. 

I do know I wouldn't want to be a farmer who grew a lot of soybeans because China isn't buying any from the U.S. 

I wish the political cartoon was reflective of reality. But I don't know. Most of these idiots are still supporting President Adolf.

Sunday Hangover: Louisiana-Monroe

Some team had to be the collection of poor bastardsto take on the Crimson Tide after a debacle poor showing in Tallahassee. 

Yes, it was only Louisiana-Monroe, but the team looked like they had their pride hurt. They played angry and motivated. 

Simpson went 17 for 17 passing, threw TD passes, and added a rushing TD. 

Both lines manhandled the Warhawks. 

Mack and Russell both looked solid as back-up quarterbacks. They had some zip on throws for sure. 

Running back Kevin Riley got the most touches as a back with 11 carries while Richard Young and AK Dear had a touchdown apiece. 

The receiving corps did well, but the guy that stood out to me was Lotzeir Brooks because we haven't seen much from him. 

Next up is a home game versus Wisconsin.  

Music Friday: "Hope for the Night Time"

Over the past few years, I have been checking periodically if Benjamin Booker has come out with any new music. 

I really enjoyed his first two albums. 

I checked again this week and discovered he came out with one this January titled Lower. 

The new album is different than his guitar-oriented first two albums. 

I've been listening to the new album this week and am shining up to it. 

Here's the final tune on the new album. 

Random Notes from a Crank

The anti-vaccine stupidity will be infectious. Literally.  

And it's appropriate that Florida is leading in stupidity by ending vaccine mandates: "Florida Says It Plans to End All Vaccine Mandates." 

This political cartoon by Clay Jones sums up what's happening at the CDC. 

I'm with Lucy. 

I bought some plums from my local Aldi. 

I know Dr. Pepper does not contain plum juice, but its plum-like flavor has made it the second most popular pop in the U.S. 

It's surprising that plums aren't that popular. They're tasty,

As a bourbon drinker, I'm intrigued by the offerings by Holladay. I remember when I used to live near that area in Missouri, and I traveled to Weston back when it was the McCormick distillery.  

But I have a hard time buying a bourbon over forty bucks. It's just booze, man. 

My hope is that there are fewer bourbon enthusiasts in the future and supply leaps ahead of demand. 

Sunday Hangover: Florida State

This game started out as positively as an Alabama would have wanted it to. The Tide marched down the field on a long sustained drive that ate up over half the first quarter. 

Ty Simpson looked good, and we were running the ball. 

For the next 2 quarters the Crimson Tide defense looked confused, took bad angles, seemed unprepared, and got distracted with Florida State's eye-candy offense. The offense was equally inept. 

I like to think the defense would have looked at how Gus Malzahn runs his offenses. He's been around a long time, and there's tape out there of how he runs his show. 

By the time the Tide started getting its collective shit together, they had to go for it a number of times on fourth down. 

There were a number of notable blunders. The two unnecessary roughness penalties were just flat-out stupid. And on a crucial fourth down play, instead of throwing a bad pass to Williams, Simpson could have easily run for a fourth down. 

Florida State played well. Or should we just call them Transfer Portal State University? They had a revamped team based on the portal. 

In contrast, Alabama didn't lose anyone in the portal and only brought in a handful of players. 

It didn't help that the Tide didn't have its starting running back, left guard, and nose tackle playing in the game. Those missing in action made a difference. 

If a team is going to lose, it's better to lose early. 

However, the performance yesterday afternoon doesn't not inspire confidence in me that this team will make the playoffs. 

I hope they prove me wrong.   

Music Friday: "Birdhouse in Your Soul"

I heard this song this week when listening to the 1st Wave radio station on SiriusXM. 

I've always enjoyed the goofy brilliance of They Might Be Giants. 

Random Notes from a Crank

The Washington Post reports that the National Guard troops deployed for "crime" are cleaning up parks by getting rid of graffiti and trash and raking leaves: "National Guard Troops in D.C. Add Sanitation, Landscaping Duties." 

This move simply shows how President Adolf's "crime emergency" is just another example of his lies and bullshit and misuse of resources. 

I was surprised that the Vikings traded for Adam Thielan. But I guess he's probably close to retirement and might want to end his career with the team he started with. 

In a special election for an Iowa State Senate seat, a Democrat won in what I assume is usually a red district: "Democrat Caitlin Drey Wins Iowa Senate Special Election, Breaking Republican Supermajority."  I enjoyed what the DNC Chair said: "Iowans are seeing Republicans of who they are: self-serving liars who will throw their constituents under the bus to rubber stamp Donald Trump's disastrous agenda - and they're ready for change."

I am going to have to use the phrase "self-serving liars" more often.  

As is easy to expect, the Daily Kos reports that "Of Course Conservatives Are Being Weird about Taylor Swift's Engagement." 

The current administration is possibly going to depress sales of EV vehicles even though EV vehicles are being bought in other countries in the world: "EV Sales Are Booming in America--For Now." 

The big stupid bill killed the EV tax credit. 

Random Notes from a Crank

The BBC has an interesting article about the world's safest countries: "Five of the World Safest Countries for 2025." The article also provide the top ten but just features the top five in detail. 

There were some surprises for me. Neither Norway nor Sweden are in the top ten. Ireland was a bit surprising to me, but Denmark and New Zealand are usually in the top ten of most lists of countries where people are happy and safe. And I've heard good things about Portugal. 

This week's Existential Comic is a good one. It's a commentary on imperialism and the rationales people have used for conquering countries: "The Philosophy of Julius Caesar." 

The character asks a great question of Caesar: "How do you justify it philosophically?"

James McMurtry is a great songwriter. On his most recent album, The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy, he has a song about Pinocchio as an adult: "Pinocchio in Vegas." 

Today is National Dog Day. Treat your dog/s right.