Whole Lotta Nothin' (Pt. 2)

OK, so I said in almost all of my previous posts that I wanted to write more often. That I wanted to do something semi-regular and eventually have people actually READ it. Well, that ain't happening. I'm not going to fool myself. I am too unmotivated to do a regular blog. But I do enjoy writing when I get some free time.

I've got lots of stuff, that if I DID write more often, I could really turn out some gems. But, since I don't, you're forced to read a hodge-podge collection of thoughts.

As in my writing 9 months ago, this one is going to be all over the place. And so, I"m going to set it to music. In my iPod I have 150 artists, 156 albums and 627 songs to guide my mind. Let's put it on "shuffle," crank it up and see where the music takes us. Grab a seat and hang on. (note: you can find MOST of these songs on iTunes... if only they'd pay me for this pub)

"Dirty Deeds" - Hayseed Dixie (did I mention this truly is Random?)

OK, I'll admit, not a great start. I guess I'll explain this one. Hayseed Dixie is a Bluegrass band that originally put out an album titled, "A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC." I love AC/DC, and I also happen to really enjoy Bluegrass. Really, you haven't lived until you've heard "You Shook Me" played with a full Appalachian flavor. But anyways, next...

"Frantic" - Metallica (Live in Little Rock, 05/15/2004)

Wow, the iPod is really digging deep tonight. I was there, and got the coolest souvenir from a concert in the history of guitar picks and broken drum sticks. The day after the show, anybody who was there (or wanted to say they were there for that matter) could go to a website and download their specific show for $10. Once you bought your show, you could download show specific cover art and case art. The show was split into tracks and was a professionally produced, 2-disc album. VERY COOL. The album only cost like $2 more than my beverage. That show in some ways served as a bridge between my younger, less controlled days, and my adult years. But all the philosophy aside, it was a GREAT time and one of the highlights of my days.

"Volare" - Dean Martin

Yes, I'm serious. Still random. For some reason, I feel like finding a Sopranos episode after I get home from The Olive Garden.

Sometimes when I want to get really cheesy, I'll play some Dean Martin or Sinatra for Katherine, trying to be all romantic and stuff. Except he's not country, so she doesn't really hear it, and just gives me that "turn the radio back" smile... I love my wife.

"Ain't Misbehavin'" -Fats Waller

I'm seriously going to skip the next song if it's pre-1960.

I know this song is about 20 years too new, but it makes me think of HBO's new "Boardwalk Empire." If you haven't seen it, you really should check it out. It is Sopranos cool, but set in 1920 Atlantic City, NJ. It is by the creators of The Sopranos, and some guy name Martin Scorsese as Executive Producer. It's quality TV.

"What I Got" - Sublime

There we go!

What I got? More than I deserve or need. Do we struggle? Of course. Who doesn't? But for the first time in my life, I feel like we're headed somewhere. Not sure where, but it took me almost 32 years to stop worrying how we were going to find food or put gas in the car. True, my job has taken care of all those worries, and if it ended tomorrow I could be in worse shape than I was before, but I've had time and experiences to teach me that everything will be OK, and now I have proof.

"Uncloudy Day" - Willie Nelson

What a lineup on the iPod tonight. This one couldn't piggy-back more perfectly. Along with finally feeling a little less worry, I can say that I feel more blessed than ever. This song takes me back to my roots. I've spent nearly a decade trying to escape my roots, and am just now learning that without roots you have nothing to help you stand. I'm confident with the choices I've made, and am ready to incorporate my roots and past with my own stylings. I'm ready to take that straighter path and work towards that land of unclouded day.

Did that last paragraph make sense? I'm not sure. I'm kind of struggling on this one. Let's rock.

"The Devil Went Down To Georgia" - Zac Brown Band (live)

One of my all-time favorite songs, and actually one of the few covers that might actually be better than the original. AMAZING song and musicianship. Look it up, get it, you WILL play a little air-fiddle.

Speaking of Georgia... nah, I'm not taking shots at them. Arkansas has been down, and may be again someday. But thanks for Petrino, we appreciate it.

"Enter Sandman" - Metallica

WOOO... Excuse me for about five minutes and 31 seconds.

Actually, I've got something for this one. I'm a HUGE baseball fan. Raised a Cardinals fan, but in my short time in the DFW Metroplex I grew to love the Rangers (last year, when they weren't real good) and I am so pumped that they have a shot at the ALCS. The game is tomorrow night, and they very well may not win, but they've done better than ANYBODY would expect considering the dozens of layers of crap they had to fight through this year. Nolan Ryan was a childhood hero, so I can't think of any single person I 'd want in charge of my baseball team more.

So why'd this song bring me to the Rangers? Mariano Rivera hijacked this song to enter ballgames in for the Yankees. The Yankees are bad for Baseball like the Texas Longhorns are bad for college football. I want them to lose, even if someone other than the Rangers beats them.

"In the End" - Linkin Park

Is that a sign? I think so. Let's wrap this up in style. i haven't touched on the Razorbacks, and partly on purpose. But I will say this... I'm glad we hopefully got the ugly game out of the way against A&M because if we play like that against Auburn, we might as well turn in our membership to the "big boys club." Texas A&M is not good, and while we almost beat Alabama, it could be said that we've stopped playing in the second half of back-to-back nationally televised games. We've got to figure out how to finish what we've started, or we're just another middle of the road team in the end.

Wow, that worked out kind of well... Coincidence?

Now I know this one might not be my best, but thanks for reading, Aunt Toni. think I thanked my mom in a previous one, but that may have been wishful thinking.

So I leave you with these words...

"Get Rhythm" - Johnny Cash

Get a rock and roll feeling in your bones. Put taps on your toes and... get gone.

Keepng it REAL... BIG TIME

In times of extreme excitement and expectations, we can tend to take it overboard. And then when something fails to meet our expectations, we can take our disappointment overboard. Tomorrow, Sept. 25, 2010 could be one of those moments in the history of the University of Arkansas. This "blog" will be brief, just a few thoughts on what COULD be one of the biggest days in my school's, no my STATE's history. (Was that taking it overboard?)

Big games come and go. Every couple of years there will be a team that we (the UofA) put alot of stock into beating. Whether it was Texas through the '60s, '70s and '80s, or any number of SEC foes in the past 2 decades, there have been certain games that transcended being an "important" game, to being a HUGE game with far-reaching effects and lasting memories. Some of those games lived up to the hype and marketing, and some didn't (USC/Mitch's first appearance).

I have been blessed to be at a few of those games. I will always cherish my memories from 1999's "revenge" affair against defending national champions Tennessee, the feeling of spending $30 for a $2 student ticket so that my friend from Jonesboro could come to the game. Standing practically on the field throughout the game in the Northeast corner of Razorback Stadium, pre-expansion and jumbo-tron, when the student section included the bleachers in front of the Broyles center and the grassy hill on the south end zone. I can be be seen on the TV broadcast jumping in celebration as Tee Martin's last ditch effort is unsuccessful. (Trust me, how many other large guys could there be in the corner of the end zone that had taken their red shirt off to be bathed in white undershirt glory because it was INCREDIBLY warm for a Fayetteville November?)

I was standing next to the goalpost as Craig O'neill announced as the clock was running down, "I have to read this... Please stay off the field once the game is complete." Within seconds, the police and stadium crew "guarding" the field gave a smile, some high fives and told us not to get hurt. I was also in that same end zone when the first goal post came down, to be met with another unforgettable O'neill line, "We'd like to thank the University of Arkansas student body for taking the first steps in the stadium remodeling."

After pulling up a chuck of turf "for history" from where the goal post once stood, we headed home to continue the party. Some EIGHT hours later, my friends and I traveled down to Dickson street, where the police had closed a stretch of the road where the goal post was propped against the Ozark Brewing Co.'s balcony. Open containers and hog calls ruled the street, like a scene from Mardi Gras. I took a sharpie and signed the goal post, down low on the back side, and didn't like my signature or it's placement, so I signed it again, this time on the front side about 3/4 of the way up the post, below the cross bar. I wished that day could never end, and in some ways it hasn't.

My point is, weeks and days like this don't come along very often. A win Saturday could surely be bigger than our win in 1999, but that day will never fade in the hearts and minds of the Razorbacks who lived it. At first, I missed being in Fayetteville for this game, but as I thought more about what those folks could experience tomorrow, I couldn't help but feel happy for them. Win or lose, this is a special time, and it is more than a game. Saturday at 2:30, it's just a game, but the stuff leading up to it, and HOPEFULLY the stuff following will last a lifetime.

If we lose, the season isn't over, so we have to be prepared not to let the special game week we've had come crashing down. The Hogs will rebound, and there will be big games again, so let's just live this moment for all we can and take each day as it comes.

GO HOGS!!

Regular Guy's Top 25

I love college football, and have wanted to share my opinions on the sport for a while, so I decided I would do a "Top 25" list. Due to the fact that I think pre-season polls are silly, and EVERYBODY that blogs did their own, I waited until we got into the season. Actually, my non-stop job and my procrastinatory tendencies have really made me wait to write. (Procrastinatory - may not be a real word, but I'll bet it KILLS in "words with friends")

One other drawback to doing a true "Top 25" poll, aside from my busy life and laziness, is the fact that I'm no expert. I don't get paid to do nothing but college football. I'm not in the media, I'm not a coach, I'm just a regular guy that likes to kick back on Saturdays (and sometimes Thursdays) and watch some exciting games.

So, without further ado, I bring you the non-insiders, unprofessional, everyday kind of guy's thoughts on the AP Top 25. I'm using the AP poll because it is done by folks who MOSTLY get ti right, unlike the coaches who have a vested interest in their votes. Also, I respect the AP for not associating with the BCS.

And as always, these are solely my thoughts, any hate-mail that might result from this should be directed to my alternate email address, youarestupid@getalife.com... So let's go...

25. Oregon State Beavers

A good team that played TCU pretty well, especially considering they were playing in one of the most unfair "neutral site" games in quite some time. They won't win the PAC-10, and they know that. All they are playing for this year is pride. Oh, and the "honor" of the BCS conferences against Boise St. Win against BSU and they're showered with love and national praise, but lose and their just the big toothed representative of the state with the least scary Division 1 mascots in the nation.

24. Arizona Wildcats

They still play football? Yes sir/ma'am they do. They've crushed Toledo and The Citadel so far this season. But the pre-season's over. This week they play Iowa. And while the Big-10 initially induces bouts of severe boredom and sleep, Iowa is tough. We'll get to them later.

23. Houston Cougars

Phi-Slamma-Jamma with a helmet on. They gain alot of yards and score alot of points, but are one key injury away from being just another "mid major." Give them credit for scheduling UCLA, Mississippi State and Texas Tech in an effort to show that they can play the big boys. How would they know that UCLA, Tx Tech and MSU would be awful this year? Ok, they should have known about MSU.

22. Penn State Nittany Lions

THIS is JoPa's YEAR!! They finally have all the pieces he's been looking for since the days of Red Grange and Ulysses Grant. They finally have all the weapo.... Oh wait, their just average again.

21. West Virginia Mountaineers

Being from Arkansas, I have to root for the one big thing in an otherwise hillbilly state. After a tough, emotional loss to in-state ankle biter Marshall, WVU needs to bounce back this week before a trip to Baton Rouge to prove the value of the Big East.

20. Michigan Wolverines

I'm actually excited to see Mich. doing well. The Big 10 needs the Wolverines to be good to make the conference a little less dull. Rich Rodriguez has taken alot of heat, some of it deserves, and the program has seen some very low moments, but Denard Robinson is a FREAK and makes them fun to watch. I'd give anything to see them roll into their meeting with OSU and torch the sweater vest.

19. Stanford Cardinal

Out of all the FBS, they're the only smart kids that can actually play. They are the team you forget about because they're the future 25 year old millionaires, but they always rise up and beat somebody, or multiple somebodies. They've had legends, high draft picks, and even the greatest sports figure in a generation (so Tiger didn't play football, he could have if he wanted to) and consistently make a pretty boring conference somewhat interesting.

18. USC Trojans

I'll keep this short. I don't like them. They talked their way into sharing LSU's national title, then wouldn't share with Auburn the next year. Plus, Lane Kiffin's an arrogant (edit) who belongs at a school with as little class as he has. I'm glad they got caught cheating, I just wish they couldn't mess up Oregon's chance at a national title.

17. Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes

The national media wants "The U" to be good SOOOO bad. Things just seem more fun when you've got some Thug-life on South Beach on a Saturday night. Give them credit for Ohio St and Pitt non-conference, but I still think they're a year or two away.

16. Auburn Tigers

I like the school, don't like the coaches. Particularly their "Trophy Coordinator" Malzahn. A Trophy Coordinator is the football equivalent of a trophy wife. He wrote a book, he's a genius if you ask him, and he'll be a head coach somewhere with a mediocre record and a Aloha Bowl to his name.

15. LSU Tigers

Ok, we all know Les Miles is dumb. So take that out of the equation and LSU has the ability to be the most underrated AND overrated team in college football. They should have lost to half a North Carolina team, but could beat Alabama. You just never know, and neither does their coach.

14. Utah Utes

Once a darling of the underdog crowd, they are now just a pretty good football team that very few people will see play. After a tight win over Pitt to start the season, they could be looking at 3 or more losses this season, and that might not get them in a bowl game after Dec. 25.

13. South Carolina Gamecocks

How do you not love Spurrier? He's funny, smart, and wore the visor when the visor wasn't cool. Even his Under Armour days were good. This could be a dangerous team, but their schedule is brutal. Their SEC West games are Auburn, Alabama and Arkansas. Then, they wrap it all up at Clemson. They got a big win over Georgia, and could get some more.

12. Arkansas Razorbacks

I'll try to stay impartial on this one, but it's tough. They seriously could make some HUGE noise this year, but they also could lose 4 games. Ryan Mallett is a stud, and the first true Heisman type QB that I've seen at Arkansas in my lifetime. Let's hope the defense can play well enough to not make Ryan have to throw for 500 yards every game. Let's also hope that the weird injuries are over for the year, and that the depth at RB can carry the load left by Denis Johnson's gut wrenching (no pun intended) injury. How do you get a perforated colon in a football game anyways?

11. Wisconsin Badgers

zzzzzzzzzz Big Ten snooooooore UNLV, San Jose State, Arizona State, Austin Peay non-conference zzzzzzzzzzzzzz will lose to Ohio State and Michigan

10. Florida Gators

Where's Tim Tebow again? What? NFL? How'd that get allowed? Better get some kinda Harry Potter action going on a statue somewhere and bring that boy back.

9. Iowa Hawkeyes

Cool logo, cool colors, tough games in boring conference. Aside from Michigan, I'm actually pulling for them to come out of the Big Ten, but it's going to be tough.

8. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Like Michigan, it's cool to see Nebraska doing well again. The national media, especially the Mid-West, wants Nebraska to be good for old time's sake, and they're doing it right. Or at least like they used to. With a pretty easy schedule, only 3 potential trouble games (Texas, Okla. St, and Texas A&M) this is a great opportunity to score some big pub before sliding in line with their other boring friends in the Big Ten.

7. Oklahoma Sooners

If they get past Texas, we're just waiting on the inevitable head-scratching loss that is a spot on their record after winning the Big XII championship, a loss that would also be talked away by pundits explaining why they got into the BCS National Title game over an undefeated outsider or a lower (pre-season) ranked SEC champion.

6. Texas Longhorns

I'll try to be civil. They are the personification of everything that is WRONG with Division 1 (now FBS) football. What they did during the conference realignment frenzy did benefit them, but at a cost to all but a couple teams in their conference, teams deserving an equal shot at exposure/money that can't get into a big conference, and fans in general not wearing burnt orange. They saw that the Big Ten for years had a direct path to the title game due to unbalanced league and no title game, and decided they would turn the Big XII into that ridiculous model. Good luck in your weak league Longhorns... Boomer Sooner and Giggem you (edit)s.

5. Oregon Ducks

The nation's worst uniforms, and a color-blind Disney mascot could be the first Pac-10 team not named for condoms to actually have a shot at the national title. They play some dangerous games, but if they somehow come though they could benefit from the Big Ten model of weak league and no conference title game. They've killed their opponents so far, and even though Tennessee isn't very good they are still Tennessee and the game was in Knoxville.

4. TCU Horned Frogs

The first of a number of teams that could be screwed by the "separate but equal" segregation-ism that is the current system. They SHOULD finish undefeated, and because of their pre-season rank should have a good spot at the end of the season, but with undefeated teams from 2 BCS conferences that don't play title games, and 2 one loss teams from the SEC and Big XII, and an undefeated "little guy" that started the season ranked ahead of them, there just isn't going to be any room for them at the big boys table.

3. Boise State Broncos

This is the other "little guy." It was noted in week 1 what a sad system it was that the BSU v. Va Tech game essentially held 3 schools national title hopes in the balance. But how much more sad is it now that after beating Va. Tech, Boise's hopes could still be dashed because Va. Tech decided the were GROSSLY overrated and lost to FCS (Div. I-AA) James Madison? The system is so bad, you wonder how much money Va. Tech made to "take a dive" and save the system. Boise is good, and exciting to watch. And no matter how much the BCS may say "some of my best friends are small conference schools," in the end Boise will be sitting out back because the BCS "don't serve your kind here."

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Once again, all the stars have aligned. The Buckeyes have the pre-season ranking to keep them up there in line for their national title game beatdown. I'm pulling so hard for them to slip up, if nothing else lose to Michigan. I just don't think it's fair that they can play a mediocre schedule, not have to play a potential top ten team on a week's notice, and slide into the title game on 6 weeks rest. Of course, the rest hasn't exactly helped them in the past, but everything else has.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

To be the man... WOOOOO... You've gotta beat the man. Do I think they'll be beat? Highly possible. This year, the SEC will probably not continue it's dominance of the national title simply because their champion will most likely have one loss. That champion will still be the best team in the land, but will have to settle for playing a ticked off TCU in the Sugar Bowl. Also, with all the talk lately of Reggie Bush giving his Heisman Trophy back, the fact that Mark Ingram won it last year should show that the award doesn't mean much anymore anyways. He's not even the best back on his team, so how'd he get a trophy for being the "best player" in college football last year?

So what do I predict?

You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll cheer. You'll cuss. We'll talk about how this is the greatest game, and we'll talk about how unfair the system is. Basically... The same old wonderful thing.

A True Razorback Gets His Hat Knocked Off by Flailing Arms

I don't write too often, but I will in the future. I've said in previous posts that I sit on my butt and wait until my strong collection of thoughts and my free time combine to get some words on the screen.

Since my last post I've become addicted to Twitter. I follow over 120 different accounts that give me a solid scope of what's going on in various areas, whether it's Arkansas, North Texas, Sports, Weather or Politics. I get the pulse of what's going on, as well as multiple angles. This addiction lately has given me some fascinating reading, especially as it relates to the Razorbacks.

Many times we can become insulated into our comfort zones, geographically and politically. We see things only from our side, and often aren't even exposed to other views. Being away from home has been interesting to see what the world thinks of my school. I know if i hear about it, it matters, to some degree. Such is the case when I heard about "Hat gate."

At first it seemed amusing, and I thought Renee Gork had made a totally stupid decision and would be embarrassed for it. I mean, seriously, if she's truly from the SEC sports world (a Florida Grad) she knows people notice if you wear conference team's gear on campus. I think she was not happy with her job and/or wanted to get some cheap pub for her new radio job. I get that. I also get that she may be missing home, if anybody gets that I do, but I know that no matter how much you miss your old ways you can't intentionally dis your current situation.

Then she was fired.

FIRED?!?

The next morning? No statements from various big-whigs saying "we're handling the matter internally," or, "Mrs. Gork's actions are being discussed," and then she gets another job out of state in four days? She was fired when she walked in the door Monday morning. Wow! And immediately the slop hit the fan.

Writers from Fanhouse to ESPN and CBS, along with countless other prominent sports bloggers such as Deadspin and SportsByBrooks were racing to post tweets and blogs blasting any and everyone involved. The majority of the opinions focused on the "fans" that mounted such a vicious campaign against the criminal in the orange hat. And having grown up in Arkansas and listened to sports radio in Central and Northwest Arkansas, I was inclined to agree with those assessments. And thus began the process that brings me to my laptop today.

So I checked out the new Hog Sports Radio. There seems to be a strong connection between the station and Hogville.net. WHOA! First clue there's something not right here. Hogville.net, for those not familiar, is a leading message board for Razorback sports. They are the ones responsible for the Houston Nutt freedom of information fiasco where his life was posted on the internet in an attempt to do nothing but ruin him.

The fans are not to blame. The radio station, KAKS (Hog Sports Radio) is to blame. These people should thank God every day for the 1st Amendment. THEY are the idiots that deserve national scrutiny here. Real Razorback fans are like my Grandma, sick in the hospital the night Houston Nutt left woke up long enough to say, "I hate what they did to him," and then said, "I hope they find a good coach soon." She knew he had issues, but she loved the program and hated to see it hurt.

HSR should be blasted for being what they are, garbage radio who blows every little situation out of proportion in order to pad their egos and seem like clever "sports guys." They post insane comments on their message board, then when someone attacks them they start talking, "journalistic integrity?" In the sports world, I would think journalistic integrity would be letting sportswriters be sportswriters and judge someone by their work, not by their outfit. And a radio station with journalistic integrity would have sound judgement as far as what makes a good story and a good writer rather than listen to the local crazies who have nothing better to do.

As an example, today I listened to "Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly," I met Bo while I was in college and he was a lot cooler to me than a local sports anchor had to be to a campus newspaper lackey, but his first caller of the hour was a PRIME example of what HSR listened to. The caller, clearly a regular, calls in and says, "I have a couple questions. First, is Darren McFadden with a different team?." Granted, he sounded "special" but, really? He then went on to say how he wished the "girl" hadn't worn that hat, and then I couldn't really get the rest of his argument.

After this insightful call, a national sportswriter from CBS Sports, Gregg Doyel was interviewed. Gregg had written a pretty tough piece about Razorback fans. He said in the piece, and repeated it on the show, that not all Hog fans were idiots, but the idiot fans from Arkansas were worse than idiot fans from other programs. Bo said the fans did nothing wrong, I think that's what he was getting at, and the call went downhill from there. Bo may be a cool dude, but his show is not exactly where I want my honor defended. We need Keith Jackson (ours) to say that there certainly are some "boneheads," or Scott Inman or Steve Sullivan to show intelligence does live in Arkansas broadcasting.

There are idiots in every fan base, but at the current time the Razorback's idiots have control of a frequency. Until the rest of the fan base rises up and lets the world know that HSR doesn't deserve any one's time, we'll continue to fight off shots every time that Dukes of Hazard outfit does something stupid.

I know probably only 4 people will read this, thanks Mom, but I just wanted it to be out there somewhere that an actual Razorback fan, and one who Sallie Mae Corp. paid a lot of money in order to be a fan, called out the true idiots in this situation. The un-sourced, uneducated and out-of-touch message board turned radio station that claims to speak for me.

A Whhole Lotta Nothin'

WOW! Even in my laziest of worlds, I didn't think it would be two months and 10 days before I posted another blog. I enjoy writing, and the thought of doing a semi-regular blog seeed really cool. So, I guess it depends on your definitionn of the word "semi-regular."

So how do I follow my ground-breaking analysis of Facebook? Is it possible? Well, I got nothing. So, I thought I'd give you some random nuggets of wisdom for you to chew on. This is stuff that has popped into my head that I thought, "that'd be a good blog," but I then thought, "tomorrow."

To further enhance the randomness, I'll give you a soundtrack... sort of. I'm listening to my iPhone, almost 400 songs of all types. So, I'm going to put it on shuffle and see where the music takes me. So let's get started.

Linkin Park - "Hit the Lights"

My new laptop is cool, but I am still not good at using a computer made post 2001. Every now and then I'll notice what I typed isn't there, in mid sentence, and I have trouble getting it to work again. I don't have any need for the snap, shake or shimmy features in Windows 7. I just want to get online and bring up a website in less than 42 minutes... so far, a success.

Dixie Chicks - "Truth No. 2" (I love my wife)

It's really unfortunate that Colt McCoy was injured in the National Title Game, because no one got to see that it wouldn't have mattered. Alabama v. Florida was the true national title game. Even the "Seperate But Equal" Bowl between Boise and TCU couldn't compete with the SEC title game.

Also, college football games are WAYYYYYY TOO LONG!! The NFL consistently gets it done in 3:15. The Humanitarian Bowl can't even be under 4 hours? Those stupid posession change rules didn't do anything. I blame the "Red Hat"

Foo Fighters - "The One"

The NFL is exciting, boring, predictable, helter-skelter... basically, AWESOME What other place can Brett Favre have a career year at 40, a 2010 concert by The Who get national promotion 6 months out, and Wade Phillips "coach" the most valuable sports franchise in America?
Honestly, I'm DYING to be a big-time Cowboys fan, really, but I can't as long as they have the oaching/management system they have. Because EVERYONE except Jerry Jones knows they will NOT win a Super Bowl under Wade Phillips. No way. But it's not all Wade's fault. Just one question...

Smashing Pumpkins - "The Everlasting Gaze"

What other sports team do you see where reporters in the locker room go to the Owner before the players or coach?

Frank Sinatra - "Strangers In the Night" (rocked out to the Pumpkins)

For my Arkansas friends, does Wade Phillips not remind you of Houston Nutt without the entertaining locker room speeches or interviews? Like Nutt, he'll always do SOME with ALOT andn ALOT with SOME, but never quite get it all together. Houston Nutt WILL lose 4 games every year. He'll surprise some people with both wins and losses. Much like Phillips.

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra - "Take the A-Train"

I think this is the last one...
While it is terrible to see what has happened in Haiti, there's something that has happened at home that really bothers me. The Politicizing of our country's response to the disaster.

Nappy Roots - "Awwnaw" (how'd that get in there?)
Now I don't want to get into politics, because it usually makes people say things they don't mean in an effort to out-argue their opponent. I can say I am independent. I've voted Republican AND Democrat. I think Keith Olberman AND Glenn Beck are idiots who do their job (make people mad at each other) well. I even think FOX News might have the best NEWS of the networks, regardless of their slant, or mediocre "commentators." Their newsroom is good, shows not so much. But there comes a time when you set aside your dislike for somebody and act like AMERICANS. We are not sending help to make us look good, we are not treating the sick and wounded because we want to deflect attention. We are doing it because we live in the most blessed country in the world, founded on Christian principles. For those of you who think we need to use our resources elsewhere, check out Matthew 25: 34-40. Particularly very 40, "And the King will say to them, 'Assuredly, inasmuch as you did it to the least of them, you did it to Me."

Johnny Cash - "Hurt"

I know people are paid because their opinions entertain/enflame, but my problem is that unfortunately these days people get their news from the internet blogs, talk radio and prime-time pundits like O'Reilly, Matthews, Hannity or even Nancy Grace (if it's possible anybody really watches that). People don't take the time to get the info themselves and just believe what their favorite personality tells them. That's sad and a little scary.

Shinedown - "Simple Man"

WOW! If you've made it to the bottom, congratulations. I am afraid this was a little long, but definitely two months worth. I'll try to do this more often so that I can put less in it. Thanks for reading, leave me a comment, and share with your friends... especially those who need something lengthy to read in the bathroom whenn the magazines are gone.

Peace

Faces on the Book

So after a LONG while, I am back to blogging... Or as I like to call it, "doing something I don't have time to do, at a time I shouldn't be doing it." It's 10:45 as I start to write, but I finally got to feeling better this evening, so not quite ready for bed.

So why a blog? Because sometimes I can't type all I want to in my facebook posts. I also like attention. The last time I wrote a blog, it was on MySpace, and I had like 5 friends. Now I've been on Facebook over a year, and have over 100. So if 6 of them read this, I have upgraded.

For those that didn't get to read the old blog, here's what to expect... Don't expect anything. I write about whatever is on my mind, and since I have the attention span of a lab rat, it's usually quick and kinda from out of nowhere.

With all the introductory stuff out of the way, let's get down to some thoughts.
I mentioned I had been on facebook about a year, and I've noticed a few things, or more correctly a few people. I've managed to (perhaps unfairly) group all people on facebook into a few simple categories. Some of you may see yourself in one or more of these, or none. In case you don't see yourself in any of these descriptions, forget about it, you're a loser. Remember, these descriptions are meant to be fun, if you DO see yourself in these descriptions and it makes you upset, again forget about it, you're a loser.

1. The Constant Companion These are the folks that post FIFTEEN (million) times a day. They post when they wake up, they post when they are going to sleep. They post when they need to use the bathroom but realize that they left their book in the car. If I wanted to know what kind of pajamas you liked to sleep in, I'd put a camera in your bedroom (for those that hear a strange electronic noise at night, you know who you are, skip this last sentence).

2. The Collector These are the folks who try to see how many friends they can have. Those that knew me in high school would be shocked that I have 108 friends on facebook (I am), but at least that's reasonable to assume that I've come out of my shell and learned the art of networking. Some of you, there is NO WAY that you even KNOW 700, 800, or 900 people. Just because you grew up in the same state, or both happen to dig Celine Dion, that doesn't make you friends. This is not a contest, and you do not impress anybody. Or is it just that I'm jealous?

3. The Fan(atic) These are the ones that ONLY post if it is political, and by political I mean derrogatory to someone else's views. Don't get me wrong, this forum is in place for people to share their beliefs. And I have nothing against an occasional post that lets the world know where you stand. But if you delve into the profile of a Fan(atic), they don't have any family photos, no personal photos of themselves, no music interests, nothing except endless proof of a one-track mind.

4. The busy-body If there's a game to play, they've mastered it. If there's a hug to send, their arms are locked in constant embrace. Basically, if there's an app on facebook, their name is in it. Sometimes I can't even get my POSTS to go up correctly, but these masters of their domain plow through hearts and lollipops, farms and urban environments, or yellow snow and worthy causes like a 3 year old in a room full of bouncy balls.

And last but not least...
5. The Comedian(ish) This is where I fit in. This type only posts "when I've got something good." Translation, "I'm too lazy to post more often." They try to say stuff that is funny, or at least funny to them, and use their posts to see which ones get the most comments. Most posts get none. They will post about the referees during the first half of the ballgame, then leave that post up for 3 weeks. Nevermind the fact that the game worked out in their favor, or that two more games have been played by their team. They'll post a "gem" and then be upset with themselves if they "left something out" and have to post again or just be the first to leave a comment so future (hopeful) readers will understand what they meant.

So there you have it, my thoughts on Facebook. Did I leave a category out? Did I offend anybody? Leave a comment (us #5's need that) and let me know what you think.