Music Friday: "Don't Let It Bring You Down"

I hadn't listened to Neil Young in a good while. One of my favorite albums of his is After the Gold Rush, and one of my favorite songs on that album is "Don't Let It Bring You Down." 

Stay Positive: Summer Signings for Tottenham Hotspur

As a Spurs fan, I've been following the summer signings period on a daily basis. There has been lots of drama. It seems the Spurs can't sign a striker yet again. It remains to be seen if they will sign a back-up striker to Kane, but I sure in hell hope they do. 

Regardless, the signings so far have got me thinking in a positive manner. 

First up was Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, a central midfielder, who from what I understand, is more of a defending midfielder, but he's said to be good at making everyone around him better. 

Next was Matt Doherty, a right-back, who is quite aggressive in both defense and on the attack. He came over from the Wolves and is likely to supplant Aurier at right-back. But we'll see about that. 

They then signed the veteran goalkeeper Joe Hart. That move made me scratch my head a bit since they have two young goalkeepers in their academy. It's been written that he's a great character guy, so perhaps he's there for the dressing room and to play every once in a while because Gazzaniga has been a solid back up to Lloris. 

The big news recently was the double signing of Reguilion and Bale, both from Real Madrid.

Sergio Reguilion, a left-back, had been on loan to Sevilla who won the Europa Cup, but the Spurs have signed him. Apparently, he's a hell of a defensive back and is likely a replacement for Danny Rose, who fell out of favor with Mourinho, and possibly an upgrade among the options although I feel Sessengon needs to get his chance to compete. 

The even bigger deal has been the loan of forward and winger Gareth Bale, who returns to the Spurs after years at Real Madrid. 

With all these new players, Jose has lots of new toys to play with and try to figure out a starting XI. 

From my humble perspective, my hope is that Lo Celso, Lamela, Bergwijn, Sissoko, Sessengon, Aurier, Dele, Tanganga, and Ndombele get plenty of playing time. With all the fixtures on the Spurs' table, they're going to need to rotate plenty of folks in the starting XI, which runs counter to Mourinho's tendencies. 

It should be interesting. 

Music Friday: "Hunt Me Down"

A while back I realized I hadn't gotten the most recent album by The Black Angels, Death Song. 

It's a crackin' album from the purveyors of psychedelic-rock, and here's one of my favorite tunes on it. 

Musing of the Moment: Why the British Accents?

I've watched a lot of shows and documentaries about Rome and the Greek tales of Homer. Some are good, some are mediocre, and some are quite good. 

One constant, however, is that the actors and actresses playing Greeks or Romans usually have British accents.  

Even in the Netflix series Young Wallander had actors playing Swedes, and many of them had British accents. 

What is up with that?

Random Notes from a Crank

The last few days I watched the new Netflix series Young Wallander. The six-part series is well crafted, but I didn't like the ending. With that ending, there has to be a second season in the offing. If there isn't, I'm pissed. 

The second installment of All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur came out recently, and I binged it like a mofo yesterday. By the end of episode six, we're still not up to the quarantine, so I wonder how much time they'll spend on the club adjusting to the pandemic. 

As I stated previously in a recent Stay Positive post, I've taken a shine to Mourinho.  

Every day I'm checking a website that moderates the articles that speculate about what's happening with the squad during the summer transfer window. They signed Hojbjerg and Doherty, which were smart signings in lots of people's opinions. The other new face, Hart, is apparently a high character guy. 

I suspect Danny Rose will get sold or loaned somewhere with the emergence of Tanganga. We'll see what happens with Aurier.

But by Gods, they really need to sign a back-up striker who can also play other positions as a forward. That need is clearly apparent if you reflect how the squad played without Kane last season. 

It shouldn't be any surprise by the report by The Atlantic about how Moscow Don talks about veterans and military leaders. The report has been corroborated by multiple sources. 

Music Friday: "Look Out Any Window"

Time for some 90s hair in a video.

Take in the glory that is Bruce Hornsby. He's still putting out music if you're interested. He's had two new albums the last two years. 

Stay Positive: Top NFL Quarterbacks

As is my nature with fantasy football, today I picked up a draft guide from my local CVS in my slapdash preparation for a draft this Saturday. 

I was looking through the rankings and noticed something, particularly about the quarterback position. 

The top 6 rated quarterbacks are all black. 

I remember when there weren't many black quarterbacks in the league if at all. 

The top six are the following:

• Lamar Jackson
• Patrick Mahomet
• Kyler Murray
• Russell Wilson
• Deshaun Watson
• Dak Prescott

The seventh ranked QB is Josh Allen, who is basically a poor man's version of Lamar Jackson. 

Times have changed, folks, for the better. 

Stay Positive: Cubs Jerseys and Numbers

There have been many mediocre away jerseys for the Cubs over the years, but this year's version, which might be last year's version for all I know, is probably the best looking away jersey for the Cubs that I can think of. It's basic, but it's aesthetically pleasing. 

The only sports jersey I own is throwback late 80s Cubs Andre Dawson jersey. 

For a long time my son's number for baseball has been 5. He joined a new travel team this summer, and 5 was taken, so he switched to 2, which is football number the past few years. When numbers were picked out this season for Middle School baseball, both 2 and 5 were taken by 8th graders who get the first pick (my son is a 7th grader), so he went with 10.

10 is Ron Santo's number. 

I love the old school Cub logo on that left sleeve. They need to go back to that emblem. 

Stay Positive: The Tottenham Hotspur Documentary's First Three Episodes

Monday finally got here and revealed the first three episodes of All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur. I binged it on Monday evening and thoroughly enjoyed the episodes. 

While I've enjoyed Jose Mourinho's press conferences after matches, I appreciate him even more after seeing how he took over what looked like a broken Spurs squad partway through last season. 

Episode 3 leaves the season when the team is close the top four on the table, so it'll be interesting to see how the documentary depicts the run of bad luck in regard to injuries the Spurs suffered at certain parts of the season. Losing Kane for an extended period time was a blow even though the pandemic softened it somewhat because it upset the regular flow of the season. 

What I'm hoping to see more of is that tactical aspects of his coaching because The Athletic a while back had a great article on how Mourinho used the water breaks in certain games to change formations and tactics according to what the other team was trying to do. 

The next trio of episodes will undoubtedly recount the advent of the pandemic and how the team coped with the lockdown in Britain. 

I also suspect the documentary might also fixate on the disappointing year from Ndombele. 

Aurier and Dele Alli feature prominently in the first few episodes, and we know what happened with Eriksen. The odd deal is that Eriksen seems to be on the outs at Inter Milan currently. And I like how Mourinho busted Delli Alli's chops about being a crap player at practice and was blunt about how he could be a great player. In addition, the point when The Special One calls out Aurier on being a crappy defender in front of everyone was uncomfortable. 

I will say that I'm drawn to Mourinho even though he has a [justified] big ego. He's obviously a devout Catholic, but he swears like a sailor. I like how he says the team needs to stop being nice guys and needs to play with "balls." 

It'll also be interesting to see how the Amazon doc depicts how Mourinho shifts gears to focusing on qualifying for the Europa League when the lucrative Champions League is out of reach. 

Regardless, COYS. 

Music Friday: "Kyoto"

A FB friend of mine mentioned one day that he was really enjoying the new Phoebe Bridgers album. I had heard her perform on Colbert, but I hadn't picked up the new album. 

As albums go, it is solid. I'm enjoying her lyrics. 

Here's the single that SiriusXM's Spectrum station is playing the hell out of. 

Random Notes from a Crank

One of the more trenchant articles I've read in a while is Anne Applebaum's "Why Do Republican Leaders Continue to Enable Trump?" in the The Atlantic. She deftly goes through the rationalizations people use to continue supporting Moscow Don even in the wake of his gross incompetence, among myriad other issues. 

One rationale she didn't provide is the one I've seen wherein a person states that the tax cuts helped their family, and they are going to support Moscow Don because he helped his or her family. This shoddy rationale is often provided by someone who claims to be Christian. Nothing like caring for one's fellow man, huh? 

I've studied all kinds of religions/mythologies. In fact, I studied the Gospel quite a bit when I was younger and Christian and even thought about being a minister at one time. It's not a hard argument to make that Christ's teaching espouse Socialism. 

And speaking of politics, here's something I shared on social media about what being a liberal really means. I got it from one of Mrs. Nasty's friends on Facebook. 

All of this except for that I'm not Christian...

"Reposted and sincerely believed.
I'm a liberal, but that doesn't mean what a lot of you apparently think it does. Let's break it down, shall we?
Because quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of being told what I believe and what I stand for.Spoiler alert: Not every liberal is the same, though the majority of liberals I know think along roughly these same lines:
1. I believe a country should take care of its weakest members. A country cannot call itself civilized when its children, disabled, sick, and elderly are neglected. Period.
2. I believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Somehow that's interpreted as "I believe Obamacare is the end-all, be-all." This is not the case.
I'm fully aware that the ACA has problems, that a national healthcare system would require everyone to chip in, and that it's impossible to create one that is devoid of flaws, but I have yet to hear an argument against it that makes "let people die because they can't afford healthcare" a better alternative.
I believe healthcare should be far cheaper than it is, and that everyone should have access to it. And no, I'm not opposed to paying higher taxes in the name of making that happen.
3. I believe education should be affordable. It doesn't necessarily have to be free (though it works in other countries so I'm mystified as to why it can't work in the US), but at the end of the day, there is no excuse for students graduating college saddled with five- or six-figure debt.
4. I don't believe your money should be taken from you and given to people who don't want to work. I have literally never encountered anyone who believes this. Ever.
I just have a massive moral problem with a society where a handful of people can possess the majority of the wealth while there are people literally starving to death, freezing to death, or dying because they can't afford to go to the doctor.
Fair wages, lower housing costs, universal healthcare, affordable education, and the wealthy actually paying their share would go a long way toward alleviating this. Somehow believing that makes me a communist.
5. I don't throw around "I'm willing to pay higher taxes" lightly. If I'm suggesting something that involves paying more, well, it's because I'm fine with paying my share as long as it's actually going to something besides lining corporate pockets or bombing other countries while Americans die without healthcare.
6. I believe companies should be required to pay their employees a decent, livable wage. Somehow this is always interpreted as me wanting burger flippers to be able to afford a penthouse apartment and a Mercedes.
What it actually means is that no one should have to work three full-time jobs just to keep their head above water. Restaurant servers should not have to rely on tips, multibillion-dollar companies should not have employees on food stamps, workers shouldn't have to work themselves into the ground just to barely make ends meet, and minimum wage should be enough for someone to work 40 hours and live.
7. I am not anti-Christian. I have no desire to stop Christians from being Christians, to close churches, to ban the Bible, to forbid prayer in school, etc. (BTW, prayer in school is NOT illegal; compulsory prayer in school is - and should be - illegal).
All I ask is that Christians recognize my right to live according to my beliefs. When I get pissed off that a politician is trying to legislate Scripture into law, I'm not "offended by Christianity" -- I'm offended that you're trying to force me to live by your religion's rules.
You know how you get really upset at the thought of Muslims imposing Sharia law on you? That's how I feel about Christians trying to impose biblical law on me.
I’m a Christian saved my grace Be a Christian. Do your thing. Just don't force other people to believe the same!
8. I don't believe LGBT people should have more rights than you. I just believe they should have the same rights as you.
9. I don't believe illegal immigrants should come to America and have the world at their feet, especially since THIS ISN'T WHAT THEY DO (spoiler: undocumented immigrants are ineligible for all those programs they're supposed to be abusing, and if they're "stealing" your job it's because your employer is hiring illegally).
I believe there are far more humane ways to handle undocumented immigration than our current practices (i.e., detaining children, splitting up families, ending DACA, etc).
10. I don't believe the government should regulate everything, but since greed is such a driving force in our country, we NEED regulations to prevent cut corners, environmental destruction, tainted food/water, unsafe materials in consumable goods or medical equipment, etc.
It's not that I want the government's hands in everything -- I just don't trust people trying to make money to ensure that their products/practices/etc. are actually SAFE.
Is the government devoid of shadiness? Of course not. But with those regulations in place, consumers have recourse if they're harmed and companies are liable for medical bills, environmental cleanup, etc.
Just kind of seems like common sense when the alternative to government regulation is letting companies bring their bottom line into the equation.
11. I believe our current administration is fascist. Not because I dislike them or because I can’t get over an election, but because I've spent too many years reading and learning about the Third Reich to miss the similarities.
Not because any administration I dislike must be Nazis, but because things are actually mirroring authoritarian and fascist regimes of the past.
12. I believe the systemic racism and misogyny in our society is much worse than many people think, and desperately needs to be addressed.
Which means those with privilege -- white, straight, male, economic, etc. -- need to start listening, even if you don't like what you're hearing, so we can start dismantling everything that's causing people to be marginalized.
13. I am not interested in coming after your blessed guns, nor is anyone serving in government. What I am interested in is the enforcement of present laws and enacting new, common sense gun regulations. Got another opinion? Put it on your page, not mine.
14. I believe in so-called political correctness. I prefer to think it’s social politeness. If I call you Chuck and you say you prefer to be called Charles I’ll call you Charles. It’s the polite thing to do.
Not because everyone is a delicate snowflake, but because as Maya Angelou put it, when we know better, we do better.
When someone tells you that a term or phrase is more accurate/less hurtful than the one you're using, you now know better. So why not do better? How does it hurt you to NOT hurt another person?
15. I believe in funding sustainable energy, including offering education to people currently working in coal or oil so they can change jobs. There are too many sustainable options available for us to continue with coal and oil. Sorry, billionaires. Maybe try investing in something else.
16. I believe that women should not be treated as a separate class of human. They should be paid the same as men who do the same work, should have the same rights as men and should be free from abuse. Why on earth shouldn’t they be?
I think that about covers it.
Bottom line is that I'm a liberal because I think we should take care of each other. That doesn't mean you should work 80 hours a week so your lazy neighbor can get all your money. It just means I don't believe there is any scenario in which preventable suffering is an acceptable outcome as long as money is saved.
Copy & paste if you want. I did. Author unknown."

Music Friday: "Rule the World"

After getting Kiwanuka's 2019 release, I've started to go backwards through his catalog. 

As a result, I'm featuring "Rule the World" from his 2016 album Love & Hate. 

Random Notes from a Crank

After doing some reading and some research, I'm moving to using avocado oil as my high-smoke-point and relatively flavor-neutral cooking oil. 

Mash the title if you want to know about "9 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Avocado Oil." 

It's been a rough week for the Premier League. Manchester City got humbled by Lyon in the Champions League, which means there are no EPL teams in the quarterfinals. And on Sunday Manchester United lost to Sevilla. 

Speaking of football, I discovered a Netflix series about the eight national teams that have won the World Cup. The opening episode about Uruguay was fascinating. 

Because I planted pickling cucumbers, I've been making pickles. In addition, I pickled some hard-boiled eggs. A bar I used to frequent during my college days always had pickled eggs on hand, and I was one of those guys who acquired a taste for that odd foodstuff. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I swear to the Gods, if Moscow Don wins the election, I'm going to have mental breakdown. I'm going to lose my freaking mind. 

One of the books I'm reading, Superlife: The 5 Simple Fixes That Will Make You Healthy, Fit, and Eternally Awesome, has got me seriously rethinking my nutritional habits. The key is eating lots of veggies, fruit, and nuts. And drinking lots of water. 

The author, Darin Olien, is a superfood hunter. Based on what he has to say about moringa and baobob, I bought powders of both for making smoothies. 

I hadn't thought how Biden picking Harris might mobilize a significant population in Florida: "Harris 'Electrifies' West Indian Voters -- and Gives Biden a New Edge in Florida." 

Music Friday: "I'd Die for You"

I didn't realize Margo Price came out with a new album until I saw one of her tweets. 

The new album is more Americana than country, which is a musical direction I prefer. 

Here's "I'd Die for You," the final song on the new album.