CrabAppleLane Blog II

As I was leaving for work yesterday, I heard a sound I hadn't heard in a while. I am almost positive it is my wintering friend, Buffy. Didn't have time to wait for him/her to approach the freshly-filled feeders for confirmation but I heard what I thought was the rapid tap-tap-tap sound he/she makes just before coming to feed and glimpsed what looked like a hummingbird flying overhead but it was just a quick dart and could have been something else. The tap-tap-tap seemed to be a shorter burst than I remember, too. Hope to confirm this afternoon. I haven't seen a ruby-throated hummingbird in almost a month but my sister still has some hanging around a bit south of here so it could be one passing through. Buffy is welcome at CrabAppleLane any time but it probably means filling feeders all winter. A small sacrifice for that joy. Passer-throughs are welcome, too. No sign of any hummingbirds this morning yet.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Eat For Two 4:23 10,000 Maniacs MTV Unplugged
2. Fred's World 3:01 Angelo Badalamenti Lost Highway Soundtrack
3. Overton Square 3:12 Henry Gross One More Tomorrow The Best Of Henry Gross
4. Washed Away 5:21 Tom Cochrane Mad Mad World
5. Little Ducks 2:03 Hans Zimmer Crimson Tide Soundtrack

So sad. CrabAppleLane's condolences to the Brees family.

Quote of the Day

I don't want Woodworth to feel that I am leveraging the death of one of our soldiers to get him to fight.

2nd Lt. Ryan Corken, Fort Hood

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Now, with the Wolverines in trouble and LSU not in the national championship hunt, the timing makes more sense. It's very comparable to the Roy Williams Kansas-North Carolina thing a few years ago with a twist. He turned down the job the first time because Carolina was still in good shape and he had a potential national championship team at Kansas. Two years later, he had taken KU as far as he could and the Tar Heels were reeling. Now there's nobody at Michigan as powerful as Dean Smith, but it's not inconceivable that a call from Bo Schembechler's widow could get Miles' attention pretty quickly."

Wandering around on YouTube, looking for something else, I stumbled upon a fabulous live rendition of Foghat performing Drivin' Wheel. Foghat came over in the British Invasion (Wikipedia describes it as the period from 1964-1966 but I think it's more like 1964-1973) and Drivin' Wheel is one of my faves of theirs. Lead singer, Lonesome Dave, died of cancer in 2000. The video says it's from a concert some 4 months before he succumbed to it. He looks very gaunt in this although the man could still rock. Lead guitarist, Rod Price, not in the video although the lead guitarist does look quite a bit like him, died of a heart attack some years later. I miss them. I went to many rock concerts at The Warehouse and Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans. Foghat were regulars at the Warehouse but they played the Auditorium at least once because I remember sitting in the balcony when they played Drivin' Wheel. I don't know how many times I saw them overall but it was surely more than I saw any other British rock band. They were always, always a good time. Go Foghat.

About former Saints first round pick, Ricky Williams: It appears old Ricky still has some life in his legs. He had a whale of a game last night. Hard to believe he came out the same year as the now washed-up Edgerrin James and a year before the now washed-up Deuce McAllister. Actually, Deuce and Edge were washed up last year or even the year before. I know Ricky hasn't played the whole time and the hits haven't accumulated as much on him as those two but he's still running very well at 32. Good for him. The Saints gave up a lot when they traded for him but got a lot in return when they traded him away. His slate is clean with me and I wish him well.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Maggie May 5:45 Rod Stewart Unplugged... And Seated (LIVE)
2. I Dont Want To Go On Without You (Alternate Edit) 3:24 Nazareth Play 'N' The Game
3. A Hole To Hide In 4:06 Foghat Foghat
4. Tennessee Pusher 5:31 Old Crow Medicine Show Tennessee Pusher
5. Mother And Son 0:41 Trans-Siberian Orchestra Night Castle (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version)

Quote of the Day

Powerful love, steady roll, move my body and it rocked my soul
Let me ride, let me slide, got that lovin' feelin', way down inside

Foghat, Drivin' Wheel

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The collection, which was originally issued in 1989, includes all of FOGHAT's hits and rock radio standards, including such anthems as "Slow Ride," "I Just Want to Make Love to You," "Fool for the City," "Drivin' Wheel," and "Ride, Ride, Ride," among others."

About today's QOTD: A federal court has ruled that the Army Corp of Engineers can be held responsible for the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (Referred to locally as the Mister Go) levee failures. For those unfamiliar with the Greater New Orleans area, there were other levee failures besides the Mister Go. I'm not sure if there are trials upcoming on those but I would have to think there are. What made Hurricane Katrina so devastating to New Orleans was the flooding due to the levee failures. If there had only been wind and rain damage, it was substantial but would have been a fairly quick recovery. The Mister Go system flooded Chalmette and the Ninth Ward. No one would be talking about all of the other failures that came afterward if the levees had held. For the record, I am thoroughly disgusted with the blame game, with injured parties aiming to get rich rather than being made whole, and with people seizing the easy political opportunity that presented itself in this tragedy. Basically, I'm disgusted with Katrina.

About tonight's Carolina-Miami game: These are two teams I've seen this year a few times. Both played the Saints recently. This should be the shortest game of the season. Both teams are all about ball control and they both run the ball about 75% of the time. The clock will hardly ever stop. Carolina is playing better now, they're at home, and they stop the run a little better. I give them a slight edge.

From the For What It's Worth Department: I find the competing health care commercials comical. According to them, they're not on the Republicans side or the Democrats side. They're on YOUR side. As Dick Shawn once said, "And I'm Queen o' the May".

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Bird Of Prey 4:09 Uriah Heep The Best Of Uriah Heep
2. Treat Her Right 3:39 The Commitments The Commitments
3. Easy To Be Hard (Live At The Forum) 4:26 Three Dog Night Captured Live At The Forum (Reissue)
4. I Just Want To Make Love To You 4:21 Foghat Foghat
5. Into The Sun 11:24 Grand Funk Railroad Live Album

Quote of the Day

The ruling is also emotionally resonant for south Louisiana. Many in New Orleans have argued that the flooding in the aftermath of Katrina, which struck the region Aug. 29, 2005, was a manmade disaster caused by the Army Corps' failure to maintain the levee system protecting the city.

Associated Press via MSNBC.com

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Our first adventure and probably not our last."

I agree with the New York Daily News. There's NO CRYING IN FOOTBALL. Rex Ryan is living, breathing testament to the old adage that the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. His dad, Buddy, was a loudmouth braggart and a pretty decent defensive coordinator but a lousy head coach. Rex is stepping into that tradition quite nicely but I don't think Buddy would have cried in a player's meeting. They're in new territory now. Jets fans are beside themselves. Some say he should Man Up. Others want everyone to leave him alone. If I gave much of a rat's a$$, you'd have to put me squarely in the first category. As Craig Ferguson would say, "What a douche".

PSA for new drivers to Louisiana: Yield signs and Stop signs are reversed here. We stop at Yield signs and we slow down and roll through Stop signs. Get with the program or move along. Actually, move along either way. I'd rather the signs were observed properly.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Things I'd Like To Say 2:22 New Colony Six Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
2. Sweet Wine Of Love 2:56 Robin Trower Essential
3. Black Sabbath 6:21 Black Sabbath We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'N' Roll
4. Bella Linda (Single Version) 2:59 The Grass Roots 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Grass Roots
5. Die Hard The Hunter 6:16 Def Leppard Pyromania

About today's QOTD: I was never her biggest fan but I have always loved that song and she always gave her audience their money's worth. I don't think she sang anything the same way twice and that was in the days of rampant lip-synching on TV. I never saw her do it. On stage, she was always live and always on. There is no one like her today.

Quote of the Day

You say that it's over, baby, no
You say that it's over now
But still you hang around me, come on
Won't you move over

Janis Joplin, Move Over

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "And the Buccaneers just didn't have enough to go around. Not enough playmakers. Not enough experience. You can point the finger at the offense, the defense, the coaches or at the officiating, but the fact remains: When the game was on the line, the Bucs simply didn't get it done."

I'm expecting a charged-up Bucs team Sunday at home against the Saints and a very physical game. -Rob

When I got up this morning, I decided to walk downstairs and head out on the front porch before turning on any lights. The theory was that my eyes wouldn't need any time to adjust to the dark. My front porch faces due south and the constellation, Leo, was positioned almost directly overhead. I was out there for about 5 minutes in the crisp and cool morning air. I saw three Leonids. If I had gotten a better night's sleep, I might have gone back inside, bundled up a bit, and gone back out to watch the show. Unfortunately, I think I would have fallen right back asleep out there in that magnificent, crisp, clean night air and I have things to do this morning. Meteor showers used to be my favorite astronomical events. Note to self: Plan next time.

Explored a new section of the subdivision across the highway Sunday. It wasn't much to look at when we first started coming out here almost 20 years ago. A few houses here and there, overgrown grass, raggedy trees, you get the idea. Pretty scenic over there now. Enjoy.

Whippoorwill Grove - Near CrabAppleLane - November 15, 2009

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. A Kiss To Build A Dream On 3:03 Louis Armstrong Back Through The Years (Disc 2)
2. I'm In Love With My Car 3:05 Queen A Night At The Opera
3. Glycerine 4:25 Bush Sixteen Stone
4. Drinking, Thinking, Sinking, Feeling 3:39 Slow Club
5. Miracles [Single Version] 3:32 Jefferson Starship At Their Best

About the iTunes-shuffle-inspired QOTD: I like the song but I have no idea what it's about. If a reader has a theory, I'd like to hear it.

Quote of the Day

We live in a wheel
Where everyone steals
But when we rise it's like strawberry fields

Bush, Glycerine

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "While there may be no pressure to win right now, the Bucs still fought for 60 minutes and showed us some signs to be optimistic about this team's future."

A tip of the cap to the St Louis Rams for a terrific effort yesterday. My hope yesterday was to just get out of St Louis with a win and no injuries. Well, they got the win but I think they're going to lose starting cornerback, Tracy Porter, for the season. He was carted off of the field with a knee injury. Hope it's just sprained but I'm thinking it's more serious than that.

From the Boston Globe on last night's over-hyped-but-lived-up-to Pats-Colts game:

Here's the situation: With the Patriots leading, 34-28, and 2:08 remaining, Coach Hoodie elected to go for a first down rather than punt when he faced fourth and 2 from his 28-yard line. Guess he was afraid of what Peyton Manning might do.

It didn't work but I don't think it was the worst decision ever. Punting wasn't a great option, either. With that much time left, I don't think it mattered much where Peyton Manning and the Colts got the ball. It did show a terrible lack of trust in his defense, though.

Both of my fantasy teams pulled out come-from-behind wins and got off of the losing streak. Need them to start a new win streak. A bye for both teams is the goal.

If you liked Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, you will like his RocknRolla. It has a lot of the same kind of situational elements. Lots of different groups and agendas all intertwined but nothing going right for any of them. There are lots of laughs along the way. I won't spoil my favorite scene but it involved what happened to two guys showing each other their occupational hazard injuries. Anyway, this is a fun film. Not quite Lock, Stock but almost. Great soundtrack, too. I loved it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Slow Ride (Live Version) 8:21 Foghat Live
2. Jump Start 4:53 Jethro Tull The Best Of Jethro Tull [Disc 2]
3. Country Road 3:23 James Taylor Sweet Baby James
4. Crazy Eyes 4:18 Old Crow Medicine Show Tennessee Pusher
5. Dreams We Conceive 5:10 Trans-Siberian Orchestra Night Castle (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version)

Quote of the Day

People ask the question... what's a RocknRolla? And I tell 'em - it's not about drums, drugs, and hospital drips, oh no. There's more there than that, my friend. We all like a bit of the good life - some the money, some the drugs, other the sex game, the glamour, or the fame. But a RocknRolla, oh, he's different. Why? Because a real RocknRolla wants the fucking lot.

Archy, RocknRolla

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Every movie that Jason Stratham is in is the same (you could say the same for every Guy Ritchie movie, too). That said, this one had a more far fetched and interesting premise and I wasn't disappointed. Give it a shot."

I think I agree with that but I tend to like Stratham's and Ritchie's films. -Rob

The Saints have a chance to equal the longest winning streak in team history today at 9 games. The St Louis Rams are not very good but they usually play hard and close for three quarters. They're coming off of their bye week and are likely to have a charge in them at their place. The Saints ran into that against the Dolphins a few weeks ago. It's a concern. I'd like to see the Saints get off to a fast start and remove all doubt early because they haven't been doing that lately but, really, the only goal for today is to just get out of St Louis with a win and no injuries. it is just about the worst thing to wish for, though. Just one more thing.

I haven't been watching a lot of non-Saints NFL football but I think I'll watch tonight's Colts-Patriots game. I'll be rooting for the Colts because Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Joseph Addai all have Louisiana connections but also because I've lost all respect for Belichick and their organization since 2007. That's when they got caught spying and ran up a few scores en-route to their almost perfect season. They haven't changed much since then. Belichick is more than a little vindictive if you ask me.

St Tammany Trace - Covington, LA - November 14, 2009If you continue, it's end of horse. It's about a 15ft drop off into granite boulders.


St Tammany Trace - Covington, LA - November 14, 2009 - Rising up alongside.

St Tammany Trace - Covington, LA - November 14, 2009There was a time in my youth I might have tried to climb something like this. Not something I would try to do today. Doesn't interest me at all. Yeah, that's it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Cajun Song 2:57 Gin Blossoms New Miserable Experience
2. Empty Spaces 2:08 Pink Floyd The Wall [Disc 1]
3. Ace of Spades 2:48 Motörhead The Very Best of Motörhead
4. Believe 4:52 Elton John Greatest Hits 1970-2002 [Disc 2]
5. Signs Of Life 4:24 Pink Floyd A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

Quote of the Day

Look, we're not trying to do anything but run our offense. We went into the game with a game plan and I know the score got out of hand, but we were just trying to run our offense.

Bill Belichick, New England Patriots

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Saw a bit of Will Smith's awful 1999s Wild Wild West movie. I had to get the taste of derivation and giant spiders out of my mouth, so I searched YouTube for episodes of the original TV show that starred Robert Conrad and Ross Martin. It was a fun and imaginative combination of James Bond, Steampunk before it was coined, science fiction, fantasy and of course, kick-ass western."

I agree. The movie didn't nearly capture what made the TV series great. -Rob

Finally watched The Graduate again last night. It is the first R-rated movie I ever saw. It would probably rate a PG today. I think I was 15 or 16 when I saw it. I can say, without qualification, that it sailed right over my head then. I didn't think much of it mainly because I didn't get it. Now that I do, I still don't think much of it although Anne Bancroft's performance was fantastic. It's an OK movie with a great Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack and there are some funny moments, mainly concerning how far out of his depth the Dustin Hoffman character was. Hoffman was only 6 years younger than Bancroft but her Mrs. Robinson perfectly nailed the older, more experienced woman. The end is just plain silly, though.

Just a note about something I read earlier this week: I've seen Navy play many times over the years both in person and on TV. They are usually out-manned against the elite teams but they play hard, they play clean, and they shake your hand afterward, win or lose. That's not to say there is NEVER an exception or a personal foul. ALL teams get some of those. I'm not wild about cut blocking but it's legal. Notre Dame has better players than Navy but they were out-hustled, out-coached, and outplayed. That's why they lost. Nothing dirty about it. The Notre Dame family would do better to stop offering excuses and, even more importantly, stop accepting them. Their advantages far outweigh their disadvantages. They have no excuse whatsoever for not competing nationally.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Quadrophenia 6:15 The Who Quadrophenia [Disc 1]
2. Another Day In Paradise 5:23 Phil Collins
3. Venus 3:06 Shocking Blue Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
4. Stone Cold Crazy [1991 Remix] 2:15 Queen Sheer Heart Attack [Bonus Track]
5. Here It Comes Again 2:41 Please Empire Records Soundtrack

Quote of the Day

Here come the law
Gonna break down the door
Gonna carry me away once more
Never never I never want it anymore
Gotta get away from this stone cold floor
Crazy
Stone cold crazy you know

Queen, Stone Cold Crazy

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I remember watching the replay on that illegal cut block on Blanton and thinking to myself that if it wasn't a Navy player doing that, he'd get shredding. But that's one of the other elements that go into playing Navy, the sentiment that because they're a service academy and because they are heroic off the football field that they're above reproach."

Happy Birthday, Mom

Hope to see you later today or tonight.

Not super wild about this one, either, but it's infinitely better than Who Dat, the worst cheer ever. Like The Saints Are Coming by U2 and Green Day best but I'm open to others, too.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Back Home Again 4:47 John Denver Back Home Again
2. Peace Train 4:14 Cat Stevens Cat Stevens: Greatest Hits
3. Thank The Lord For The Night Time 3:04 Neil Diamond Classics: The Early Years
4. Things I'd Like To Say 2:22 New Colony Six Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
5. Old Pigweed 4:35 Mark Knopfler The Ragpicker's Dream

Quote of the Day

Who put old pigweed
In the mulligan
Was it you?
Who put old pigweed
In the mulligan stew

Mark Knopfler, Old Pigweed

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Unfortunately, the optimism could come to a crashing halt, as our boys face up against the brilliant New Orleans Saints, who even when they seem to be ready to lose a game, shrug it off at halftime and find this extra gear of pure awesomeness to cruise to victory."

Don't know about that but it sounds cool. -Rob

From WWLTV.com, I ran across this New York Times article. It pains me to say there is a great deal of truth in the article. Po-boy restaurants in the New Orleans area are dwindling. The biggest reason is cited:

A creeping monoculture is the most frequently cited threat, exemplified by chains like Subway and Quiznos, which are making inroads south of I-10.

It's always difficult for locals to compete with national mega-chains. Hurricane Katrina only exacerbated the already bad situation for them. Katrina wiped out the two I frequented most in Gentilly and New Orleans east. One of them failed at a comeback and the other took a long time to recover. The mega-chains had the resources to get up and running quicker than the locals. As Adrian Monk might say, here's the thing: There is a whole generation, maybe two, that don't know the difference between a real New Orleans Po-Boy and a Subway Sandwich. I quoted the relevant passage from the BOTD to tell you what a New Orleans roast beef po-boy is about. Roast beef is the standard and the most popular po-boy made. If you ever have a good one here, you would throw rocks at the next Philly cheesesteak sub you see. Some day, we may only have Philly cheesesteak subs. I rue that day.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Red Barchetta 6:11 Rush Moving Pictures
2. Highway (Killing Me) 3:51 Foghat Foghat
3. Going Home - Theme From 'Local Hero' 6:05 Dire Straits Alchemy [Disc 2]
4. The Railroad 6:18 Grand Funk Railroad Caught In The Act
5. Sanctified 5:48 Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine

Quote of the Day

Oh, you know, the railroad
Is a mighty good line
Come on and ride the railroad
One more time

Grand Funk Railroad, The Railroad

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The object of the Po Boy Bread in this recipe is to make the eating experience as messy as possible. During your first bite the sandwich should flatten somewhat and your hands (as well as chin and possibly clothing) should be awash with gravy, beef debris, mayonnaise and possibly a few shreds of lettuce as the contents spray from the sides as if the sandwich was stepped on. Relax and enjoy, resist the urge to reach for that over sized stack of napkins until the last morsel is gone. In my humble opinion, the best Roast Beef Po Boys in New Orleans are judged by the amount of napkins used to clean up the aftermath."

Happy Veterans Day

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. I Know I'm Not Wrong 3:06 Fleetwood Mac Tusk
2. Early In The Morning 5:45 Bad Company Desolation Angels
3. Sons Of Scotland-Quiet Theme 3:01 A Shot At Glory Soundtrack/Mark Knopfler
4. We're An American Band 3:26 Grand Funk Railroad Caught In The Act
5. An American Hero 2:04 Mark Knopfler Wag The Dog

Quote of the Day

People scared of flying can now press a button on their iPhone to help them deal with their panic.

Reuters News via MSNBC.com

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "And guess what, the NFL has far more money than Limbaugh, and believed that his presence would be detrimental to the bottom line. In the end, money spoke louder than Limbaugh's words."

I was asked to pick up a prescription on the way home last night. No problem. As I pulled into the drive-thru of our local pharmacy, the inside lane (Lane 1, I'm told) had a car in it so I pulled into the outside lane. I spent a good 15 minutes in Lane 2 while the clerk had a long conversation with the drive-up customer ahead of me in the Lane 1. My window was down while I waited my turn and I could hear the whole thing. Asked that customer for her address two different times, asked for and received much more information about allergies, doctor's name and phone number, insurance, payment, etc. This pharmacy must be hard on their clerks' necks. Their computer keyboard is on the counter at waist level but the monitor is mounted up above eye level. The neck gets a workout even if you're a pretty good typist. It would wear me out. I digress. After that lengthy conversation, the customer was told that it would be about 45 minutes before her prescription was ready. She was just dropping off a prescription? At that moment, I was pretty perturbed that that conversation and that bit of business was conducted in the drive-thru. Should have been done on the phone or inside rather than letting the drive-thru back up.

My turn comes up and I'm told I need to get in Lane 1, now 4 cars deep, or come inside because the pickup is too big to fit in the tube for Lane 2. I was not quite exasperated yet. I get inside to the counter and there's a problem with the "Express Pay". Our health insurance company provides a credit card for prescriptions and other medical/health expenses. That information was supposed to be on file with the pharmacy but somehow, this time, it wasn't. After I made a phone call to get that information, the clerk had to open the bag, relabel and rescan the prescription, close the bag, and ring it up again. What should have been a 2-5 minute drive-thru experience turned into a 40-minute drive-thru and in-store experience. Not fast or convenient and I was a tad exasperated but I considered myself fortunate when I saw the lines outside as I was leaving. Good thing I wasn't needing and picking up blood pressure medicine but I'd wager at least some of the cars now wrapped around the building were.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Don't You Get It 5:17 Mark Knopfler Golden Heart
2. It's Money That Matters 4:08 Randy Newman Land of Dreams
3. Good Times Roll 3:45 The Cars The Cars
4. Clock Strikes Ten 3:03 Cheap Trick Original Album Classics
5. Alabama 4:02 Neil Young Harvest

Today's QOTD is about Hurricane Ida preparedness. Ida brought CrabAppleLane some cooler, drier air. That's about it.

Quote of the Day

This time of year, our summer season is over, so there aren't a lot of tourists in town. The folks we're dealing with mostly are permanent residents and our permanent residents know what to do.

Police Chief Arthur Bourne, Gulf Shores, Alabama

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "End CJ Ah You (ankle) was limited in practice."

Great name. -Rob

Looks like Ida will miss us although we could still get tropical storm winds and rain today. The Swillers will get a bit more of it but Ida doesn't look like a killer storm. Most area schools here will be closed all day or will close early. This is no fun for anyone but it surely could have been worse.

It was another tough day at the office yesterday for the Saints but they got the win. Carolina is a physical team that knows the Saints very well. It figured to be nasty all along. Never discount the W.

From Andrew Perloff's Against the Grain Column today:

Have there ever been less scary 8-0 teams than New Orleans or Indianapolis? What is New Orleans' signature win? The Saints beat the Eagles without Donovan McNabb, reeling Giants and Jets teams, and a Falcons squad that can't play on the road. And they had to come from behind against slightly below-average Miami and Carolina.

He's wrong about some of that. 5 of the 8 teams they've played (Eagles, Giants, Dolphins, Falcons, Panthers) were playoff teams last season. The Jets and Giants weren't "reeling" when the Saints played them. The Jets were 3-0 and the Giants were 5-0. They beat the Eagles fairly resoundingly at the Linc without McNabb. I think the Panthers, Dolphins, and Falcons are better than he gives them credit for. The Saints are not unbeatable. Who is? They're winning their games. That's all.

Both of my fantasy teams continue to nosedive. They both got off to fast starts but have been pretty bad the last couple of weeks.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Misfire 1:50 Queen Sheer Heart Attack [Bonus Track] Rock


2. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover 3:32 Paul Simon Negotiations And Love Songs 1971-1986 Pop 60 1


3. Shotgun In My Soul 3:01 Cowboy Mouth Mercyland Rock 1


4. Searchin' For A Rainbow 3:52 The Marshall Tucker Band Greatest Hits Rock


5. Kinderfeld 4:52 Marilyn Manson Antichrist Superstar Metal

Quote of the Day

While the Panthers drew in, the Saints attacked with a confidence that bordered on disdain and outscored them 24-3 in the second half.

Tom Sorensen, Charlotte Observer

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "If memory serves, wasn't it a couple years ago when a dismal Scott Linehan 0-8 Rams club came off the bye week and beat a pretty decent New Orleans club?"

Very tough game for the Saints today in the SuperDome. Carolina has been their nemesis pretty much since they've been in the NFL. Jake Delhomme very generously throws interceptions to just about everyone ... except the Saints. This game will give me a better barometer of where they are than any game they've played so far. The formula hasn't changed here in several years. If they take care of the ball, they'll take care of the Panthers. One more thing:

On the upcoming 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, I am reminded of their silly decision to change probably their most beloved character, Cookie Monster. Don't do that again.

My ambivalence to capital punishment stems from A) because of appeals, it is probably cheaper to keep people in jail for the rest of their lives than it is to execute and I think life imprisonment is strong punishment and B) this guy. I just do not care one way or the other.

Premiering a new CrabAppleLane Blog daily feature this morning.

5 song iTune shuffle for November 8, 2009:

1. Scotch & Chocolate 3:08 Nickel Creek Why Should The Fire Die? Country 1


2. Before The Beginning 3:26 Fleetwood Mac Then Play On Blues


3. Hey You 4:39 Pink Floyd Pulse [Live] [Disc 1] Rock


4. Lazy 7:23 Deep Purple Machine Head 25th Anniversary Edition [Disc 2] Rock


5. I'm So Excited 5:39 The Pointer Sisters Working Girl Soundtrack

Speaking of iTunes, below is the most-played song in my iTunes library. It's a song by former U.S. Marine, Elijah Bossenbroek. I like a lot of his stuff but this one is my favorite. It's called The Calm Before. Enjoy.

About today's QOTD: Yes.

We bought or were given a bird feeder about a year after we moved in. It was painted nicely and said "Seed for a song" on the sides. It was similar to the one pictured only it was built by a much better carpenter than I, the worst carpenter you know. It quickly became the CrabAppleLane backyard birds' favorite. They seem to like the openness of it. That first one was repaired several times before it gave way to the second feeder for this location, one very similar to this one because it was also built by me. That one was also repaired several times before I decided on this third one. I cobbled this one together this morning in about 30 minutes in my garage. It looks it but I don't think the birds will mind one bit.

CrabAppleLane Bird Feeder - November 8, 2009

Quote of the Day

The Cowboys stand for everything that's wrong with the NFL.

John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens Head Coach

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "While the UK initially appeared to have been ignored - its homepage featured Wallace and Gromit celebrating their 20th birthday instead - it has now been brought in from the cold, with a doodle of the Cookie Monster having apparently taken a bite out of a Google logo. (Made out of cookies, naturally.)"