Stay Positive: Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel

As a wine drinker (I'm not a connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination.), I like dry wines, especially reds. 

Cabernets, Zinfandels, Pinot Noirs, and other red wines are the varieties I gravitate to. However, I do like a good buttery Chardonnay. 

Probably one of my favorite budget (I'm frugal) red wines has to be Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel. I think the most I've ever paid for a bottle of wine is $15. At my local grocery stores, this bottle is usually $9.99. So it's in my budgetary wheelhouse. 

The winery's website provides the official tasting notes of "aromas of cranberries and raspberries, leading to notes of red fruit, marionberry pie, and baking spices." 

I tend to agree with those notes, especially the "notes of red fruit." The bottle I drank before the one I'm sipping on now was very fruity--lots of plum-like flavor. 

Like I said with my Wild Turkey 101 post, if Bogle wants to sponsor this blog, I'll take payment in booze. 

Stay Positive: Wild Turkey 101

I like bourbon. And I watch a couple of YouTubers who drink bourbon to see what's good and what's not, often in blind tastings. 

The one guy I watch regularly goes on bourbon hunts and buys more expensive  bourbon than I would buy unless I somehow start harvesting money off my imaginary money tree in my back yard. 

If I had to pick a bourbon that is the best, price per ounce, and really a low-cost bourbon (I'm talking under $30 MSRP), it would be Wild Turkey 101. 

Of course, Wild Turkey hits my flavor profile. It's strong, is spicy, and has strong oak char on the finish. 

It's an old-school bourbon. 

And Wild Turkey, if you willing to sponsor my blog, I'll take payment in booze. 

Stay Positive: Death Wishes

I made my original "Death Wishes" post in 2016, so this is an update. And I cut a number of songs and added a few. There are still too many. Oh well. The living can deal with it. 

Some might consider this post morbid, but it is a way to officially lodge how I want my funeral to happen. 

I remember back to when one of my friends, Roy, died. He knew he was going to go, and he obviously laid out how he wanted his funeral to happen ~ down to music that was played at the service. 

First off, I don't want a religious service when I die. No priest or reverend or other such stuff. Religion need not apply when I die. I'm not "in a better place now." I'm flippin' dead. 

If I'm for anything, I'm for disorganized spirituality and secular humanism. But I'm really just a very skeptical agnostic. 

I want to be cremated. So the place I'll be in is some kind of receptacle, and then after the ashes need to be moved into one of those deals in which my ashes become part of planting a tree. 

I want it to be a pin oak tree because during my childhood I spent a lot of time climbing one of the two pin oak trees in my front yard. 

For the service, just gather people together to have a good time, to celebrate that they're still alive. And you can talk about me if you like, but the point is that you're still alive, you lucky bastards. 

I don't know if a funeral parlor will allow this, so you may have to rent some kind of a hall for the proceedings. Have a potluck dinner where people bring what they like to eat or maybe dishes I liked to eat. Food is important. And I like cooking. It can be therapeutic for me. 

There needs to be libations. If possible, get a keg of Schlitz for the party. If Schlitz isn't available, that's fine.  Also, some manner of a good IPA is necessary such as Bell's Two-Hearted Ale. 

Bourbon is my favorite hard liquor, so have some of that on hand, but not any of the boring and rudimentary bourbons like Jack Daniel's or Jim Beam. Some good choices are Four Roses Single Barrel, Wild Turkey 101, Eagle Rare, Elijah Craig, and Old Forester 100 proof. 

I also like gin, so I suggest Beefeater and Bombay regular. Gin and tonics would be a good choice if I croak in the summertime. But a good dirty martini always hits the spot. 

But overall, you just need to get together and have a good time some night to celebrate life. 

Like my friend's funeral, I want to control the music choices. So what follows is the playlist that should happen. The songs with an asterisk are essential. If you don't play those, I will haunt you. 

This is a long list, and it's done via alpha order (via iTunes) of the artists:

• Burn. Flicker. Die, American Aquarium
• Show Me How to Live, Audioslave
• *Shadow on the Sun, Audioslave
• I and Love and You, Avett Brothers
• *Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise, Avett Brothers
• INever Stop, The Bad Plus
• In 3s, Beastie Boys
• Shake Your Rump, Beastie Boys
• *Professor Booty, Beastie Boys
• Selfless, Cold, and Composed, Ben Folds Five
• Ground on Down (Live from Mars version), Ben Harper
• *Tones of Home, Blind Melon
• Change, Blind Melon
• No Rain, Blind Melon
• *See a Little Light, Bob Mould
• Black Sheets of Rain, Bob Mould
• Welfare Music, The Bottle Rockets
• Keep Your Heart Young, Brandi Carlile
• St. Thomas, Branford Marsalis Quartet
• Everywhere I Go, Caitlin Rose
• When I Win the Lottery, Camper Van Beethoven
• *Life Is Grand, Camper Van Beethoven
• All the Talkers, Centro-matic
• Murderer of Blue Skies, Chris Cornell
• *A Murder of One, Counting Crows
• Holiday in Spain, Counting Crows
• God Shuffled His Feet, Crash Test Dummies
• Afternoons and Coffeespoons, Crash Test Dummies
• *All Your Favourite Bands, Dawes
• The New Year, Death Cab for Cutie
• The Sound of Settling, Death Cab for Cutie
• The Day John Henry Died, Drive-By Truckers (John Henry is my favorite folktale)
• *Grand Canyon, Drive-By Truckers
• Postcard from 1952, Explosions in the Sky
• Holy Shit, Father John Misty
• *Pure Comedy, Father John Misty
• Total Entertainment Forever, Father John Misty
• I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All, Father John Misty
• *Fight the Youth, Fishbone
• One Day, Fishbone
• Everyday Sunshine, Fishbone
• *When My Train Pulls In, Gary Clark Jr.
• This Land, Gary Clark Jr.  
• *Poor Boy, Glossary
• *Headstones and Dead Leaves, Glossary
• *Save Your Money for the Weekend, Glossary
• Trouble Won't Always Last, Glossary
• A Shoulder to Cry On, Glossary
• *Some Eternal Spark, Glossary (I obviously like the band Glossary a lot. It's a band most people don't know about.)
• Welcome to the Jungle, Guns-n-Roses (Delta Delta)
• The Humorist, Ha Ha Tonka (a song about Mark Twain, one of my favorite writers)
• Kiss You Down There, Hackensaw Boys
• *Hey Good Looking, Hank Williams (My mom used to sing this often.)
• There's a Tear in My Beer, Hank Williams
• Stomp and Holler, Hayes Carll
• *Bad Liver and a Broken Heart, Hayes Carll
• Stuck Between Stations, The Hold Steady
• *Stay Positive, The Hold Steady
• *Gone, Jack Johnson 
• *Choctaw Bingo, James McMurtry
• *Something in the Way She Moves, James Taylor (for Mrs. Nasty, our wedding song)
• Ocean Size, Jane's Addiction
• *Grown, Jason Isbell (one of the most underrated Isbell songs)
• The Blue, Jason Isbell
• *Streetlights, Jason Isbell
• Alabama Pines, Jason Isbell
• *Songs That She Sang in the Shower, Jason Isbell
• *Relatively Easy, Jason Isbell
• 24 Frames, Jason Isbell
• *Goddamn Lonely Love (Live in Alabama version), Jason Isbell
• *Hope the High Road, Jason Isabel
• Feel Free, Jay Farrar
• Cahokian, Jay Farrar
• Waiting for the Sun, Jayhawks
• When You're Hot, You're Hot, Jerry Reed
• Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, Jim Croce (one of my favorite songs when I was a kid)
• Come On (Let the Good Times Roll), Jimi Hendrix
• On Fire, JJ Grey and Mofro
• Harp and Drums, JJ Grey and Mofro
• John Deere Green, Joe Diffie (I used lots of quarters for this song to play at The Flamingo)
• Blue Train, John Coltrane
• Satan and St. Paul, John Fulbright
• Human Wheels, John Mellencamp
• *Longest Days, John Mellencamp
• Stones in My Pasway, John Mellencamp
• Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash
• *A Boy Named Sue (live), Johnny Cash
• *Man in Black, Johnny Cash (My daughter's favorite Johnny Cash song)
• *Hurt, Johnny Cash (my favorite dance of my daughter's was this song)
• *Thin Blue Flame, Josh Ritter
• Rattling Locks, Josh Ritter
• Another New World, Josh Ritter
• Getting Ready to Get Down, Josh Ritter
• *Where the Night Goes, Josh Ritter
• Lone Pine Hill, Justin Townes Earle
• *Harlem River Blues, Justine Townes Earle
• Ain't Waitin', Justin Townes Earle
• Hangover Heart, Kudzu Kings
• Good Kisser, Lake Street Dive
• Smooth Sailin', Leon Bridges
• Memories Can't Wait, Living Colour
• Fight the Fight, Living Colour 
• Sing Me No Hymns, Lucero
• *What Are You Willing to Lose?, Lucero
• Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology), Marvin Gaye
• *One, Metallica (one of the best music videos of all time)
• For Whom the Bell Tolls, Metallica
• Love & Hate, Michael Kiwanuka
• *Final Days, Michael Kiwanuka
• Piano Joint (This Kind of Love), Michael Kiwanuka
• *Hero, Michael Kiwanuka
• *Yea Alabama, Million Dollar Band (Alabama's fight song ~ please play this more than once)
• Ho Cake, Mofro (mmmm, a song about Southern cooking)
• Brighter Days, Mofro
• Fireflies, Mofro
• I Just Want to Make Love to You, Muddy Waters
• *Don't Let It Bring You Down, Neil Young
• Heart of Gold, Neil Young
• *Thrasher, Neil Young
• Pocahontas, Neil Young
• This Tornado Loves You, Neko Case
• In an Aeroplane Over the Sea, Neutral Milk Hotel
• Zigaboogaloo, Nicholas Payton
• *Elephant in the Corn, Nickel Creek
• Lithium, Nirvana
• Shake Em On Down, North Mississippi All Stars
• I Can't Turn You Loose, Otis Redding
• Evenflow, Pearl Jam
• Go, Pearl Jam
• *Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town, Pearl Jam
• Love Boat Captain, Pearl Jam
• *Faithful, Pearl Jam
• Do the Evolution, Pearl Jam 
• *Wishlist, Pearl Jam
• *Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd
• *Everybody's Trying, Poi Dog Pondering
• Fruitless, Poi Dog Pondering
• *Spirits in the Material World, Police
• When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around, Police
• To Defy the Laws of Tradition, Primus (one of the best shows I saw was a double-bill of Primus and Fishbone)
• Harold of the Rocks, Primus
• Tommy the Cat, Primus
• Rye Whiskey, Punch Brothers
• *Who's Feeling Young Now?, Punch Brothers
• Magnet, Punch Brothers
• Little Lights, Punch Brothers
• Find the River, R.E.M.
• It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine), R.E.M.
• Feeling Gravity's Pull, R.E.M.
• *Driver 8, R.E.M.
• These Days, R.E.M.
• *Sad Professor, R.E.M
• *Take the Power Back, Rage Against the Machine
• Wake Up. Rage Against the Machine
• Know Your Enemy, Rage Against the Machine
• *Life Is a Highway, Rascal Flatts (My son loved this song when he was a little kid)
• Two Birds, Regina Spektor
• All the Rowboats, Regina Spektor
• Unsatisfied, The Replacements
• Left of the Dial, The Replacements
• I Don't Know, The Replacements
• *Valentine, The Replacements ("You wish upon a star, and it turns into a plane." For whatever reason that sentence has haunted me for years.)
• Can't Hardly Wait, The Replacements
• Anywhere's Better than Here, The Replacements
• Happy Town, The Replacements
• Blues Jam, Rollins Band
• Of Kindred Souls, Roy Hargrove
• *Strasbourg/St. Denis, Roy Hargrove Quintet
• *Working Man, Rush
• Ring Them Bells, Sarah Jarosz
• Broussard's Lament, Sarah Jarosz
• Sing a Simple Song, Sly and the Family Stone
• *Everyday People, Sly and the Family Stone
• I Am One, Smashing Pumpkins
• *Out of the Picture, Son Volt
• Live Free, Son Volt
• Automatic Society, Son Volt
• Driving the View, Son Volt
• Bandages and Scars, Son Volt
• Down to the Wire, Son Volt
• Candle, Sonic Youth
• *Rusty Cage, Soundgarden (If I could have a "walk-up" song before I teach like baseball players before they hit, this would be it.)
• Jesus Christ Pose, Soundgarden
• *4th of July, Soundgarden
• Superunknown, Soundgarden
• Non-State Actor, Soundgarden
• Rowing, Soundgarden
• Cuckoo, Stephen Wilson Jr. 
• Grief Is Only Love, Stephen Wilson Jr. 
• Voodoo Chile (Slight Return), Stevie Ray Vaughn
• Testify, Stevie Ray Vaughn
• Higher Ground, Stevie Wonder
• *Consider Me Gone (Bring on the Night live album), Sting
• Another Day (Bring on the Night live album), Sting
• Life Ain't Fair and the World Is Mean, Sturgill Simpson
• Turtles All the Way Down, Sturgill Simpson
• Let Me Get By, Tedeschi Trucks Band
• Hunger Strike, Temple of the Dog (basis for our pledge class song)
• Monk's Dream, Thelonious Monk Quartet
• Birdhouse in Your Soul, They Might Be Giants
• *This Land Is Our Land, Todd Snider
• Moon Dawg's Tavern, Todd Snider
• Statistician's Blues, Todd Snider
• *D.B. Cooper, Todd Snider
• *Keep Off the Grass, Todd Snider
• *Ballad of Devil's Backbone Tavern, Todd Snider (great message)
• Happy New Year, Todd Snider
• In the Beginning, Todd Snider
• Big Finish, Todd Snider
• Runnin' Down a Dream, Tom Petty
• *Wildflowers, Tom Petty (For my daughter ~ I want it to be the song played for the dad-bride dance at her wedding.)
• *Even the Losers, Tom Petty 
• Suburbia, Trombone Shorty
• Hurricane Season, Trombone Shorty
• Gin, Smoke, Lies, Turnpike Trobadours
• Mooshiner, Uncle Tupelo
• Chickamauga, Uncle Tupelo
• *Linus and Lucy, Vince Guaraldi
• Thanksgiving Theme, Vince Guaraldi
• Skating, Vince Guaraldi (Some of my favorite childhood memories are watching Charlie Brown specials with my parents. Reading Peanuts and then comic books primed my passion for reading.)
• *Thank God for Girls, Weezer
• Hard Luck Story, Whiskeytown
• Tennessee Square, Whiskeytown
• Ain't Life Grand, Widespread Panic
• *Coconut, Widespread Panic ("Gone" by Jack Johnson and this one are songs I used to play in my daughter's room in St. Louis, and we'd dance.)
• *This Land Is Your Land, Woody Guthrie
• Uptown Ruler, Wynton Marsalis (I listened to Soul Gestures in Southern Blue, particularly vol. 2, often when revising my dissertation.) 

Stay Positive: Grading the Tottenham Summer Transfer Window

The transfer window has closed at least for the Premier League. Tottenham had a ton of outgoings and acquired some incoming players, many of whom I'm excited about. 

Outgoings

Although it's still technically a loan to Marseille, Hojbjerg was a solid player for Spurs although he didn't really fit the Ange Ball system. The Danish captain is likely to excel in the French league. 

Emerson Royal going to AC Milian made sense because he's more of traditional right-back. He was a popular guy in the squad, but he's another player who really didn't fit the system. 

Rodon to stay at Leeds United made sense, but I don't think any manager has ever given him a fair shot. Regardless, the fans at Elland Road appreciate him, and I hope Leeds come back up the Premier League next season. 

Spurs paying off Ndombele made a heck of a lot of sense. We moved on from a terrible signing. 

Tanganga going to Millwall will probably work out for him, but I hate seeing an academy player go somewhere else. 

Troy Parrott was sold to AZ for a decent fee and will probably excel in the Dutch league like he did last season. 

Lo Celso finally made it back to Real Betis. I've always liked Gio, and I think he should have played more often last season, especially when Maddison was out. But Lo Celso has his own history of injury problems even though he usually seems to be fit for international duty. 

Bryan Gil going to Girona makes sense. It just seemed like he is not built for English football. 

One of my few criticisms of the gaffer is that Skipp never played in a position that suited him. He's more of a defensive midfielder, but when he played for Ange, Skipp played more an 8 when he's really a 6. I don't get it. 

Manor Solomon is on loan at Leeds and will probably do quite well there. In his first game, he got an assist. With the guys we brought in, he wasn't going to get regular playing time and needed to go somewhere to get back in playing rhythm. 

Why couldn't they find a club for Reguilon? 

Incomings

Bringing back Werner on loan at the club early in the window was a head-scratcher to me. I think he'll do okay for what the manager asks him to do, but my reaction to bring him back was "Meh." They could have done better, but I hope I'm proven wrong. I wanted someone better than okay.

In contrast, acquiring Solanke could prove to be a pivotal signing. I think he's a solid center-forward. 

I love the signings of Bergvall and Gray because they're both young and talented. Bergvall might serve as Maddison's understudy and has looked really good so far. Gray can play a number of positions, but I think he'll eventually settle in as a midfielder. I'm excited about both of these players. 

The South Korean Yang will come in January I believe, and I like him because he's young and versatile, which is a trend among acquisitions under Ange. 

Odobert was a surprise signing, and I think he'll grow into his role as a front-line player either on the left or right wing.

Although he's technically not an incoming, Spence staying helps provide cover at right and left back. And he's English. 

Grade

The transactions of Skipp and Werner puzzle me, and I like the additions of the youngsters Gray, Bergvall, Odobert, and Yang. Solanke was a smart signing. The club also did a strong job of shipping out players who needed to go out a year ago and moving other players to clubs. I grade the Tottenham transfer window a B.  

Stay Positive: Caribbean Red Habanero

Over twenty years ago I grew Caribbean Red habaneros when I was a grad student at the University of Alabama.

It wasn't until this summer that I grew another Caribbean Red because I had never seen any around these parts in East-Central Illinois. I found the plants at a local place over in Mattoon, the family owned and operated de Buhr's Seed & Feed.   

The Caribbean Reds are twice as hot as a regular habenero. I made some salsa for my wife today, and I could tell a difference once I tested the sales to see if I got the seasoning right. 

The Caribbean Reds have more of fruity/citrusy quality than regular habaneros from my tasting. 

Regardless, I will be growing them again next season if de Buhr's has them again. 

Stay Positive: Red Wolves Surviving

The Washington Post has an article about the ups and downs of reintegration of endangered red wolves into a certain part of North Carolina. 

I thought the red wolf was native to the Southwest, but apparently they are a native species to the Southeast. Apparently, I'm quite mistaken. 

The article, "Inside the 'Roller Coaster' Effort to Save Endangered Red Wolves," describes the waxing and waning of the wolves' population. The two biggest threats now are climate change and cars. 

Stay Positive: Cannery Row (the Movie)

Last night I watched a film that I taped from Turner Classic Movies. It was the 1982 film Cannery Row starring Nick Nolte and Debra Winger. 

I remember my friends and I renting it and watching it on VHS. After watching it, we later made beer milkshakes that the novel made famous. 

It's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but it made me want to read the two novels it is based on, Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. They are Steinbeck novels, which are very much of their era.

And I've always liked Steinbeck even though in some literary circles Steinbeck is seen as "too easy" for literature professors. And there's also the stink that is attached to Steinbeck because people read his works in middle school and high school, such as my son having to write a literary analysis paper this semester about Of Mice and Men. 

Despite the literary snobbishness aimed at Steinbeck, he's an excellent writer, who actually could write literature that has humor in it. 

Stay Positive: Embracing Agnosticism & Atheism

I read an opinion piece in The Washington Post today that I had to share.  

It's titled "America Doesn't Need More God. It Needs More Atheists" (gifted article) It's an article reformulated from Kate Cohen's book We of Little Faith: Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe (and Maybe You Should Too). 

The article speaks to me in many ways. 

If I had to describe myself from a faith-based standpoint, I'd call myself a skeptical agnostic or, if you go by the bar Cohen has in the article, I'm basically an atheist. 

I guess it's possible that there's something going on with the "thousand faces of the hero" (Joseph Campbell's work) and the similarities of many different religions, but the likelihood of there being some divine being or set of beings who created the universe and have a hand in what people do in their lives is highly improbable. 

Slim chance. 

If anything, if we consider Jung's archetypes and Freud's idea of wish-fulfillment, perhaps myths/religions are simply a manifestation of some massive human wish-fulfillment that there's something after we die and that there is some kind of higher meaning to everything. 

I doubt it. 

Cohen has some great points for her thesis that the world needs more atheism and less religion. 

Here are some good points to be positive about being an agnostic or atheist:

• "My children know how to distinguish between fact and fiction - which is harder for children raised religious. They don't assume conventional wisdom is true and they do expected arguments to be based on evidence. Which means they have the skills to be engaged, informed and savvy citizens." 
• "We need American who demand - as atheists do - that truth claims be tethered to fact." 
• Researchers have done the appropriate data crunching, and it seems the percentage of atheists is around 26%. 
• "In some ways, this [being atheist] makes life easier. You don't have to work out why God might cause or ignore suffering, which parts of this broken world are God's plan, or what work is his to do or what is yours." 
• "But you also don't get to leave things up to God.... Atheists believe people organized the world as it is now, and only people can make it better." 
• Apparently atheists are "more politically active" and "about 30 percent more likely to vote than religiously affiliated voters." 
• Basically, instead of relying on a divine being, atheists think people need to do good in the world. 

Cohen does an excellent job of providing the perspective that many atheists are unlikely to share their dispositions because they are a minority in a world where lots of people want to share their religious ideas and force their religious/political viewpoints on others. 

As a result, we need to rebuild the "wall of separation between church and state" that Jefferson talked about and Cohen references.  

And like Cohen relates, people should embrace their agnosticism/atheism because there are a lot of us out there. 

Stay Positive: In Praise of Cottage Cheese

Probably because I follow a number of cooking-related sites on FB, an ad/article came across my feed today touting an article by The New York Times titled "Cottage Cheese Makes a Comeback."

The line below the title says, "The diet staple of the 70s is jiggling back into the mainstream--bringing with it a host of benefits." 

I don't have a subscription to that great paper, but I got intrigued by the health benefits of cottage cheese. 

And I've always liked cottage cheese. It looks weird - sort of like really white brains - and it tastes good. 

I grew up in Iowa. One of the best dairies in the state is Anderson Erickson out of Des Moines. They have some great cottage cheese and chip dips. Their cottage cheese is excellent. It's old fashioned. 

So I did some sleuthing on the InterWebs and found a few articles I thought I'd share.

"7 Reasons Why Cottage Cheese Is Good for You" from the Cleveland Clinic

"Cottage Cheese: Are There Health Benefits?" by WedMD

"Why Cottage Cheese Is Super Healthy and Nutritious" by Healthline

It's high in protein and gives you a good helping of B12, selenium, riboflavin, and phosphorus. Also, people also recommend it when one is trying to lose weight. 

I've always been a fan of cottage cheese. Now I like it even more. 

Stay Positive: Postecoglou to Tottenham

After seventy-some days after Conte and Spurs parted ways, we finally have a new manager. It's the Australian Ange Postecoglou. 

I was intrigued by both Nagelsman and Slot, but Slot just used the Tottenham's interest to fatten his wallet with a new deal with his Dutch club. For whatever reason, Spurs didn't pursue Nagelsman. 

With Postecoglou, he's won everywhere he's been, and he's often taken over clubs that were absolute messes. 

It's safe to say that Tottenham is a mess. With no European football, they have a bloated roster in need of cleaning out. 

In addition, the recent signings of Spence, Udogie, and Porro were for the previous manager who employed wing-backs. 

The new gaffer is likely not to use wing-backs extensively since he usually plays a 4-3-3. 

So it'll be interesting to see which players move on after he takes the helm and evaluates the current players in the squad whether they played this season with Spurs or on loan to some other club. 

As much as I found Mourinho and Conte to be intriguing managers for the team at time (and I wish Levy would have at least let Jose try to win some silverware), I tired easily of their brand of football. Their sides, for the most part, play a boring type of football. 

I'm a pragmatist by nature, but not when it comes to world football. 

At least with Postecoglou we know he'll employ a high-energy, offensive brand of offense. 

At first, it was reported that the deal with the new manager was for two years with an option in the third year. However, those reports were wrong. He has a four-year contract. 

My hope is that "Big Ange" clears out players who need to move on, reintegrates loanees who will help the team, and implements the system that he's used at various coaching stops. 

I'm sure there will be some rocky patches early on, but at least I'll be interested to see some offensive football from Spurs. 

It's going to be a summer of change at Tottenham, and I see that prospect as a very good step in the right direction. 

Stay Positive: Birds & Positive Thoughts and Feelings

In The Washington Post, Richard Sima has an interesting article titled "Why Birds and Their Songs Are Good for Our Mental Health." 

The findings about birds creating positive vibes for humans is not a surprise to me. 

I'm fascinated with birds and their behavior, and how hearing and seeing birds is positive for humans makes sense considering the findings that Florence Williams talks about in The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. 

I featured that book in a Stay Positive post back in 2017 if you want to check out my prattling on about her book. 

I'm a person who has a depressive bent from since a young age, and being outside and paying attention to birds is something that makes me feel happy. 

The author mentions the Merlin Bird ID app, which I have had before but I never used. So I may download that gadget again. 

I would also argue that playing attention to plants when one is out and about also create good vibes. I currently use the PlantNet app to identify plants when I'm rambling around outside. 

Notice that I didn't use the term "mental health" in my own writing. I didn't use the term because I'm tired of people using "mental health" as an excuse for not wanting to do something or just being lazy. 

Just stay positive by seeking out positive vibes, folks. 

Stay Positive: Five Sad Songs

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

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

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

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

"Elephant" by Jason Isbell 

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

 

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

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

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

. 

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

"Ballad of the Dying Man" by Father John Misty

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

 

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

"Holiday" by James McMurtry

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

 

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

 

"Speed Trap Town" by Jason Isbell

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

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

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

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. 

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. 

Stay Positive: Words I Need To Use More Often

I've compiled a list of words I need to use more often:

• blatherskite
• hokum
• ignoramus
• disinclined
• disciplined
• heartily
• luscious
• flapdoodle
• mountebank
• incorrigible
• asinine
• maladaptive
• promising
• specious
• claptrap
• gobbledygook
• robust
• gumption
• cattywampus
• waffling
• absurd
• get-go
• concomitant
• boondoggle
• lively
• mirth
• malfeasance
• indomitable
• charlatan
• quack
• tumescent
• bamboozle
• glorious

Stay Positive: NFL Washington ???

The Washington Post is reporting that DC franchise is finally getting around to changing its name and mascot: "Washington Redskins Launch Review of Controversial Team Name."

So this situation makes me think about possible replacement names for the Redskins:

• Washington Lobbyists (That's who really pulls the shots.)
• Washington Gridlock
• Washington Confederacy of Whores
• Washington Minutemen
• Washington Senators
• Washington Homeless (The nation's capital has a large homeless population.)
• Washington Taxation without Representation (D.C. has a larger population than Wyoming and has neither representatives nor senators.)
• Washington Beauty Roses
• Washington Green (one of the greenest cities in the nation)
• Washington Cherry Blossoms
• Washington Generals (after the Harlem Globetrotters' opponent)

Stay Positive: Rebooted Premier League Season

The pandemic has been horrible in myriad ways. That's for sure. 

However, I am enjoying the rebooted Premier League season because football is on TV almost every day instead of mainly just Saturdays and Sundays. 

As weird as this may sound, I find watching football/soccer comforting. For fans, it's usually a roller coaster of emotions, which I get because I have certain teams I root heartily for. 

This afternoon I took in the Brighton-Manchester United match that did not have a good outcome from my point of view since MU is similar to the Yankees in the Premier League and I root for teams below them in the table. 

I want the Spurs to qualify for the Champions League, but they have a difficult schedule and a few teams ahead of them. But they have Kane, Son, Sissoko back, so they have a fighting chance. Also, Bergwijn has been an inspiration in recent games.

The other team I like a lot, the Wolves, is doing well and might have a stronger shot for qualifying if one looks at it objectively by points at this juncture. 

We'll see. 

I'm also rooting for Leeds United to come back into the Premier League because I like that area of Britain, and I got seduced by the Amazon series Take Us Home: Leeds United. 

Stay Positive: Solutions for Climate Change

In an old issue of Mother Jones, Kevin Drum has an excellent, clear-eyed article about what we need to do to seriously address climate change. The article is "We Need a Massive Climate Effort--Now." 

As he states early on, "The real issue is this: Only large-scale government action can significantly reduce carbon emissions." 

The other main point he has in the article is that we have to invest in major Research & Development, which often has happy inventions and discoveries like M&Ms during WWII.

The latter section provides information about these solutions:

• Renewable Energy
• Nuclear Power
• Energy Storage
• Land Use
• Carbon Capture
• Concrete
• Adaptation
• Biofuels
• Less Meat, Mostly Plants
• Fusion Energy
• Geoengineering

Read the article.