OB's Corner

What is Love?,…..

2012-02-14T10:12:00.001-06:00

Love is patient, love is kind. Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard that one before. But what is love? Really? Are there different kinds of love? Sure there is. And I think it is one of the most abused words of any language. I love bacon. I love warm, sunny days. But that is different from the love I have for my children. I love my kids is different from the love I have for other family members. So yes, there are different kinds of love. I would probably lump my love for Alabama football with bacon however.

Love is a bond. Whether it is between you and your children or your parents or your spouse or significant other. You have a bond with those people. This may be were the love is patient thing comes in. In any relationship, you have to be patient. With that the kind thing probably needs to kick in. Sometimes you have to be kind, love demands it.

You also having to be trusting. Trust goes a long way in any relationship. Without trust, a loving relationship between a man and a woman can exist, but it will surely have it’s downsides. Trust when combined with love can make the downsides a lot easier to handle. You just have to have the trust thing going on in order to have a true loving relationship. Which brings me to, is love a feeling? I think it is. You do have to feel it but you also have to show it. There is romantic love, platonic and self love. You have to love yourself before you can love others.

Love takes practice. It is kind of like learning to ride a bicycle. You fall off a few times but you get back up and try again. Love, like anything else in life is fulfilling but only if we put forth effort. Happy Valentines Day.

Handicap Tags,….

2012-02-13T15:22:00.001-06:00

Yeah, these. Do these tags give the driver the right to, for lack of a better term, drive like they are handicapped in the HEAD? I haven’t kept up with any statistics or read any scientific data regarding drivers with handicap tags, but it is my personal observation that 90% of drivers using these tags simply cannot drive.

They drive 30 in a 45mph zone. (Florence Blvd) Signals are almost none existent. Both of those I observed today. Along with coming to the same intersection I am coming to, my light was green, there’s was red. They turned right in front of me. Slowed down just enough to make the turn then proceed to drive 20 in a 30mph zone. Go figure. Bad driving isn’t limited to drivers with these tags for sure, but it just seems that very few of the drivers possessing a handicap tag should even be on the road.

Whitney Houston Has Been Dead For Years,….

2012-02-12T09:23:00.001-06:00

What? Say it ain’t so Buckwheat. Yes it is true. The pop diva began to die in 1989 when she met Bobby Brown. Drugs played a part in their life and drugs ultimately took her voice. She had one of the purest singing voices I have ever heard. From her pop hits to the National Anthem, she sang every song as if she were living it. Her rendition of the anthem is probably the best I have ever heard. She hit the notes like no other. She was gifted in a way not many are. Yet, drugs controlled her. Yes, Whitney Houston has been dead for years.

I keep seeing posts on facebook and on the articles saying they will miss Whitney. What is there to miss? She hasn’t had a hit song in years. Death, either by drugs or taking your life is such a waste. I despise drugs. I have seen what they do to the user and to the ones that care about that person. Drugs not only have an affect on the user, but loved ones as well. And it isn’t just illegal drugs. There are too many prescription writing doctors here in our area. The Shoals area. They are quick to write out those scripts and keep the patient, I use the word patient loosely, coming back for more. Anything from lorcets to xanax are given to people who DON”T need them. The patient gets a months supply, uses some and resells the other on the street. I place that blame on the doctors for making legal drugs readily available.

Grilling Season,……

2012-02-10T13:55:00.001-06:00

Is there such a thing? For me, no. Grilling season is year round. I have literally grilled in rain storms, hail storms, ice and snow and even as tornado sirens were going off. Anytime is grill time.

Grilling is something that anyone can do. I like to experiment a bit using different spices, rubs and sauces, depending on what type of meat is on the grill. And speaking of that, veggies are great on the grill too. An ear of corn, add butter or margarine and salt, wrapped in foil is fantastic. You can also peel back the shuck and remove the silk and replace the shuck and tie it at the end and roast it that way. A Vidalia or sweet onion, quartered almost fully, with butter and salt wrapped in foil is one of my favorites. You can also do a small cabbage head the same way. Be sure to add some black pepper.

Baking potatoes wrapped with 2-3 slices of bacon and wrapped with foil, cooked on the coals is great too. The bacon cooks onto the peeling and can be broken off and added to the potato like bacon bits. Or do like I do and eat the peeling too. You can also add some butter and sea salt if you don’t want bacon. I tend to cheat just a tad and microwave the potato for a few minutes to speed up the time they spend on the coals.

One thing I have learned is all spices are not created equal. Do not waste your time/money on cheap store brand spices. The same goes with sauces. Whether it be bbq sauce or marinades for steak, chicken or pork. The end result will always be better with name brand sauces and spices. Garlic salt is my friend. I use it on almost all the meat I grill. Lawry’s Garlic Salt is the best I’ve found and their seasoning salt rates right up there too. And you can’t go wrong with Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce. I like the hickory flavored best.

Wood smoke is a must. Hickory chips are great and the ones I use the most. I also use pecan and peach wood for a slightly different flavor. Which brings me to charcoal. There is only one brand I use, Kingsford. It burns longer which means when you are grilling something larger like a brisket or Boston butt, you’ll use less charcoal.

As you have probably figured out I use a charcoal grill. Gas grills are ok for a steak, but they are nothing but an outdoor stove. True grillmasters use charcoal. I have one that I have had since 1979. I just recently made new racks out of diamond mesh stainless steel. The thing will last forever.

Comments On My Blog,….

2012-02-08T16:40:00.001-06:00

First, I want to say I welcome comments on things I blog about. That is why the option is there. I have had many great comments on the different things I have blogged about over the past several months. Some I agree with and some I don’t. It is always easy to accept the ones that share the same views as I and a little less easy to share the ones I disagree with. That is human nature I guess. But I try to be fair and allow the ones I disagree with because that is their opinion. And I respect that.

For instance, on a recent blog, Justin said in reference to “Queers, Coaches and Rapists” “re: the first part of your post: You may not call what you say/feel homophobic in small town Alabama, but you are being homophobic.” That is Justin’s opinion. And it was worded in a way as not to offend. While I don’t agree with him, that is his opinion and I respect that. And I thanked him for the comment.

On another blog post, this one, “Sign The Petition”, I had one comment, which I didn’t allow. Why"? Because the person apparently is in the 3rd grade as an adult and hasn’t quite learned manners yet. The comment left by TobyDammit (heck of a name ain’t it?) “OB would you hush up about WalMart. You don't even live near it. You'll be the first one in the door.” is so elementary. It has no substance and just shows a lack of respect. I don’t mind if people disagree with me but act like your momma taught you some manners. Worded correctly that comment would have been approved.

This blog is a dictatorship for lack of a better term. I am the benevolent dictator as I get to blog thoughts and approve comments. And Justin, while I didn’t agree with you I do appreciate you taking the time to disagree in your comment.

So there you have it, an outline of sorts on the good way to comment negatively and the wrong way to comment. And yes I know, I posted Toby’s comment. Just to make him/her look stupid.

Sign The Petition,….

2012-02-05T16:53:00.001-06:00

We do not need another WalMart. As previously stated, it will hurt the mom and pop stores and other businesses located close by. Traffic on an already busy road will also be a problem.
I have been told again, that it is a done deal. The Florence city council is just going through the motions. If that is the case, the council has sold out businesses such as Big Star, Northgate Pharmacy, Massey Pharmacy, Lil Steve’s and others including the dollars stores and local boutiques. Shame on you Florence city council if this is the case.
I keep hearing the argument that the new Walmart will create jobs. It amazes me how, for lack of a better term, STUPID people are in the Shoals. But then again you only have to look as far as the city leaders. Create jobs? Yeah, part time and full time minimum wage jobs. That’s a winner. Walmart will more than likely transfer people from the “old” store and add 20-30 part timers.
Sign the petition today at http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-rezoning-project-on-cloverdale-road Will it do any good? I doubt it but it surely won’t if you don’t sign.

Florence-Lauderdale Animal Shelter Needs Your Help,….

2012-02-04T08:40:00.001-06:00

With the capacity to house 30 to 40 dogs, 65 dogs were dropped off at the shelter in 2 days. Unless they are adopted or fostered, many will be put down. According to Debbie Rappuhn there are 100 dogs at the shelter and they are asking for help.

For $70 dollars you can adopt one of these dogs and that includes having them spayed/neutered. If you cannot adopt, I’m sure they would welcome a donation of dog food. With the sudden influx of animals there supply could quickly go down. If you can help out do so. If you are a pet owner, be responsible and have your pet neutered or spayed. Call the Florence/Lauderdale shelter at 256.760.6676 or call Debbie Rappuhn at 256.335.1730. $70 can save a life.

The State of UNA Football,…

2012-02-03T16:33:00.001-06:00

With the hire of a seasoned D2 coach in Bobby Wallace, the state of Lion football is in good hands. Coach Wallace is a respected coach and has always ran a clean program. Coach Wallace understands what draws crowds. One of which is winning. The other is recruiting local talent. With recruiting local talent it gives the players families a reason to buy a ticket and come to a game. The 2012 signing class of 41 includes 11 local players and 4 Jr college players. Missing from that list? D1 players that were dismissed from their D1 school for one reason or another or just transferred down to D2 to keep playing, mostly because they had their feelings hurt in D1 because of lack of playing time. Missing are the players that tried to fit an “I” in team. The “me” players and just general thugs.

Now the current players and new recruits can build a bond between themselves and build team chemistry. Something that builds winning seasons and builds championships. They can now focus on the right things in order to produce another title for the Lions, not only in the GSC but another national title.

Lions football has just gotten exciting for me again.

OB’s Corner Threatened ,….

2012-01-31T22:46:00.001-06:00

Well, no, not the blog, but the writer. Personally. Yep, it is true, I must have arrived in the big time. I have pissed some one off. Yippee.
My blog on the rapist at Sweetwater functions has been received with open arms on one hand and people plotting my demise on the other. It seems I touched some nerves on the previous blog,… and I’m proud to say that a lot of people have seen the light so to speak on the goings on at the old mansion. The place is a farce, the activities to have the house restored have proven nothing. There is no restoration going on. And it is sad. Sad that people have been mislead to think that their going to the various functions are helping preserve the mansion. They are not helping. Many have finally seen the light. Parents were outraged by the recent blog I posted. Outraged, because I posted a picture of a convicted rapist with their children. Only to learn that the same picture is on the artists own site. The artist that married the rapist, brought him to Sweetwater near the children. And Sweetwater didn’t even bother to do a background check. Shame on you.
But, that does not surprise me in the least. The people that run Sweetwater continue to spew their own brand of hate. I at least post information that is factual and true, to the best of my knowledge. Here is an excerpt of a new blog just formed today,… in reference to my blog post about the rapist. I won’t divulge the web address here because I don’t want it to get “hits” but I will share what they said about me,….
“A red truck passes Monet's house daily. What a coincidence that OB just happens to own a red truck exactly like it!” People that know me personally, know I don’t have a red truck. Wish I did, because it would have a white “A” on the tailgate.
“OB has been known to show up at the door of another person Debra dislikes and saying to her, "Are you scared yet?"” You guys really must not know OB…. if you did you’d know I didn’t drive a red truck. That other person by the way is Phyllis White, aka Monet.
“OB needs to be more careful. If the persons he describes are a dangerous and violent as he claims, he might want to watch his back in a dark alley. Maybe he's just a little annoyed that Monet now has a bodyguard.” I take this as a personal threat. I will be talking to Chris Connolly.
“OB's Corner is a blog by a member of a hate group called "The Black Sheep"” I am a member of the black sheep forum. A forum that branched off of the TimesFaily forum. I have enjoyed fellowship and food with these people and no goats or cats were slain in the process.
“So, in a nutshell, articles by OB are bases on the Black Sheep's hatred and their leader's vindetta against author, Monet.” Ummm, no. My blogs with Sweetwater have to do with the injustice of the ownership and the directors handling of Sweetwater. Phyllis White, aka Monet I don’t hate. To hate someone, you would have to loved that person. I don’t know her so I can’t hate her. By the way, vindetta is spelled vendetta.
I won’t comment on the others, but this is the type of rumors that Dot Bowers and Phyllis White from Sweetwater Mansion spew about me and others. I really do hate to see the shape the old mansion is in but with the leadership there, the old house may as well crumble to dust. These are some sick, twisted people.

Queers, Coaches and Rapists,…

2012-01-28T17:50:00.001-06:00

Queer,… from the Merriam-Webster dictionary,… differing in some odd way from what is usual or normal. No, I am not homophobic. Just simply stating a fact. Being queer is not normal. Am I being politically correct? I hope not. Am I being racist? No, being queer isn’t a race. Am I a bigot? Again, my disagreeing with anyone being queer has nothing to do with race. Man being with man, woman with woman isn’t normal. Even nature gets it right. You don’t see dogs with cats, redbirds with blue jays. They stick to their own kind. And if you believe in the Bible, God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.
Florence High School has hired a new football coach. Jamey DuBose, from Prattville fame will be the new coach of the Florence Falcons courtesy in part to the Anderson family. The same family that has supplied the school system with I-Pads and has used CR Gibson as a tax write off. Coach Dubose isn’t without some controversy though. Prattville was investigated last year for six months because of players falsifying addresses. Penalties were imposed on a couple of players and Prattville went on to win another 6A Championship. He does seem to be a good coach and respected by his players. But money talks, even in high school sports.
Is there a rapist at Sweetwater? It seems so. The art historian/curator Phyllis White has married Richard Franklin Gooch. Gooch served 20 years without probation and has been at Sweetwater during some of the art classes. Personally, if this were true, my children would not be going there.
A little more on Mr Gooch,..
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19910514&id=A00eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PccEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1437%2C1985856
And a picture of Mr Gooch at Sweetwater during one of their art classes,…
The picture has been removed at the request of some parents. It did serve its purpose.

Something New For First Friday?,…

2012-01-24T20:46:00.001-06:00

I’ve been to First Fridays in downtown Florence numerous times. There seems to always be something new to see and hear. First Fridays begins again in March and will go through December in 2012. The monthly event just seems to get better and better.
Andy Downing is a carpenter that I’ve had the privilege of working behind on a couple of jobs. Hanging doors and putting up crown molding, window casings by day and making art made of wood by night and weekends. Andy is planning to showcase some of his wares at First Friday this year. His items for sale are unique and something I haven’t seen at the event. But words cannot do it justice. So here are a few pictures with a brief description of the item.

A buffet made of heart pine. A one of a kind piece. The heart pine is 120 years old. Great looking piece for that rustic look.
A bar, also made of heart pine. Top view is without a poly finish, bottom view is with a poly finish. Heart pine is very expensive, but very durable.

A coffee table and two end tables made from 100 year old Southern pine tongue and groove. The old paint has been sanded and sealed back down for an amazing look. These are one of a kind and probably my favorite. You can click the pictures to enlarge them.
All of these items are for sale and Andy will be adding to his collection in the future I’m sure. If you would like to contact him for these items you can do so at 1.256.275.2253 and tell him OB sent ya.

Joe Paterno,… Dead.

2012-01-22T09:58:00.001-06:00

Joe Paterno age 85 has died from apparently lung cancer. But I don’t think that is all that killed him. A broken heart most likely had a hand in the death of this once legendary coach.

JoePa, as most in the college football knew him was one of the most highly regarded, most respected coaches in the game. He has more victories than any other college coach and had a long successful career at Penn State. There have been many comparisons made between Coach Paterno and Alabama’s Coach Bear Bryant. Both men were successful in terms of wins and losses. Both men won championships, sent many to the pro ranks, turned boys into men. Not only on the football field but in life after football. Both died shortly after leaving the game.

But that is where it stops. JoePa allowed a pedophile to coach for him even after finding out of the assistants actions. JoePa simply did not do the right thing. He did not protect those young boys. JoePa could, strike that, should have done more but he stopped short of doing the right thing. And he paid dearly for it through embarrassment, through watching his storied past be brought down like a burning building falling into rumble. He will always be remembered as a winning coach who simply didn’t do the right thing where children were sexually molested and abused. He should have done more. Yes, I think he knew he should have done the right thing. In essence, JoePa should have reported it to police if the college president didn’t do anything. But sadly, no. He didn’t. You have to wonder, watching his storied career as a coach and a man crumble beneath his feet, what he was thinking. I’m sure he felt embarrassment for not only his self, but for his family as well. I think a broken heart had a helping hand in his death.

Yesterday's Internet Strike,….

2012-01-19T07:20:00.001-06:00

Below is an email I received from the group, Fight For The Future. This group was instrumental in helping with the net strike that happened yesterday. If you don’t know what this is about be sure and view the video at the end of the email. Just click the link. It explains what the government will be able to do. Can you imagine going to jail for singing a pop song? Or having facebook censor your posts? That could happen.

Today was nuts, right?
Google launched a petition. Wikipedia voted to shut itself off. Senators' websites went down just from the sheer surge of voters trying to write them. NYC and SF geeks had protests that packed city blocks.
You made history today: nothing like this has ever happened before. Tech companies and users teamed up. Tens of millions of people who make the internet what it is joined together to defend their freedoms. The free network defended itself. Whatever you call it, the bottom line is clear: from today forward, it will be much harder to mess up the internet.

The really crazy part? We might even win.
Approaching Monday's crucial Senate vote there are now 35 Senators publicly opposing PIPA. Last week there were 5. And it just takes just 41 solid "no" votes to permanently stall PIPA (and SOPA) in the Senate. What seemed like miles away a few weeks ago is now within reach.

But don't trust predictions. The forces behind SOPA & PIPA (mostly movie companies) can make small changes to these bills until they know they have the votes to pass. Members of Congress know SOPA & PIPA are unpopular, but they don't understand why--so they're easily duped by superficial changes. The Senate returns next week, and the next few days are critical. Here are two things to think about:
1. Plan on calling your Senator every day next week. Pick up the phone each morning and call your Senators' offices, until they vote "no" on cloture. If your site participated today, consider running a "Call the Senate" link all next week.
2. Tomorrow, drop in at your Senators' district offices. We don't have a cool map widget to show you the offices nearest you (we're too exhausted! any takers?). So do it the old fashioned way: use Google, or the phonebook to find the address, and just walk in, say you oppose PIPA, and urge the Senator to vote "no" on cloture. These drop-in visits make our spectacular online protests more tangible and credible.
That's it for now. Be proud and stay on it!
--Holmes, Tiffiniy, and the whole Fight for the Future team.
___
P.S. Huge credit goes to participants in the 11/16 American Censorship Day protest: Mozilla, 4chan, BoingBoing, Tumblr, TGWTG, and thousands of others. That's what got this ball rolling! Reddit, both the community and the team behind it, you're amazing. And of course, thanks to the Wikimedians whose patient and inexorable pursuit of the right answer brought them to take world-changing action. Thanks to David S, David K, Cory D, and E Stark for bold action at critical times.
P.P.S. If you haven't already, show this video to as many people as you can. It works! http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa/

Today, we are striking against censorship

2012-01-18T07:05:00.001-06:00

Today, we are striking against censorship

Join the largest online protest in history: tell Congress to stop this bill now!

Email Congress today. Here is a link,…

http://act.fightforthefuture.org/page/s/sopa-strike-modal

http://sopastrike.com/strike/

Some info in case you don’t know what this bill could do,….

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57360665-503544/sopa-pipa-what-you-need-to-know/

Suicide,…..

2012-01-17T06:48:00.001-06:00

Recently I have seen two incidents of suicide. In my lifetime I have known three that committed the act for one reason or another.

Suicide is a selfish act. Probably the most selfish thing a person can do. Reasons for suicide include depression, they are psychotic, financial reasons, they are impulsive, a cry for help and they made a mistake. There are more and I am in no way qualified to even begin to understand it. I’m not sure anyone does. Mainly because you cannot ask them why they did it. I read that the ones that failed in the attempt didn’t really want to die, they just wanted to quit living. I can understand this. Can me weird, but I still have a note I left my family after contemplating the act myself. What stopped me? I really don’t know. Maybe it was the not wanting to die part. Whatever the reason, it was a selfish thought on my part.

I had a friend that had lost a daughter suddenly to a rare disease. On each anniversary of her death he would watch the last video of her just prior to her passing. Then he lost his wife to a sudden illness and I guess it was just too much. He took his own life. I wish I had known what was bothering him and I should have, but there were no outward signs. At least that I could see. He left two young sons.

Does God forgive suicide victims? I don’t know. I would think when a person is that depressed or psychotic that they aren’t in their right state of mind. Meaning they don’t know what they are doing. In this case, I think God would forgive. But I’m not God. So again, I don’t know.

Suicide is final. It is the last thing you can do to yourself. There are other ways of dealing with life's problems. If you ever, ever think about it, call the national hotline 1-800-273-8255. There are people who need you, count on you and love you. Don’t be selfish and deny others of you.

Florence City Council and WalMart,….

2012-01-16T08:39:00.001-06:00

I hope if and when this new WalMart store is approved, the people of Florence will remember how the council voted or abstained from voting. While reading an article in the TimesFaily yesterday, James Barnhart said, “My personal feelings would get in the way,” “I’d rather not talk about it.” In an interview with the TimesFaily, Barnhart said he is trying to be fair with everyone by not voting on the issues, which would include rezoning and annexation. Grow a pair Mr Barnhart! By him stating he’d rather not talk about it is skirting the issue. The people in your district don’t want a cop out, they want you to vote. The people whose businesses will be affected by competition from WalMart want you to protect them and their livelihood. You are a sad example of a city councilman. And then we have Andy Betterton. In the same article Mr Betterton says “Just because you are against Walmart will carry very little weight with me”. Which means the people who have mom and pop stores carry no weight with him. They mean nothing to Mr Betterton. The people who voted him in mean very little. That is arrogance at its best ladies and gentlemen. He claims traffic is the main issue with him. While it is going to be a problem, the main concern should be locally owned businesses that will suffer in sales due to the new WalMart. I’ve heard the argument that, it will bring in new customers for the existing local stores. That’s crap. People will drive by those stores to shop at WallyWorld. No, not all. But the vast majority will go to WalMart instead of shopping Big Star and some of the locally operated pharmacies in Petersville and even stores in North Florence.
Also in the same article Betterton pointed out that the Florence WalMart near the intersection of Cox Creek Parkway and U.S. 72 generates about $110 million in sales annually.
“Do you know what that means for sales taxes?” he asked.
It is all about the money and nothing about people. Local people who have invested into their businesses, The mom and pops in that area have been sold out.
When this new WalMart is approved, remember shop the mom and pops. Keep local business alive and well in that area. And remember too, there will come and election day.

Superstitions,….

2012-01-13T09:16:00.001-06:00

Well it is Friday the 13th. Wishing everyone good luck today.

Paraskevidekatriaphobics is the fear of guess what? Friday the 13th. Some won’t go into work today, not because of our snow, but because they suffer from this phobia. Others won’t eat in a restaurant on Friday the 13th. How many weddings do you know that has been on a Friday the 13th. This date is the most widespread superstition in the US. In 2012 I think we have three such Fridays.
The fear of the number 13,… many buildings don’t have a 13th floor. Legend has it that if 13 people sit down at a table to eat, one will die. Many cities don’t have a 13th Street or Avenue. Yes we are a superstitious bunch. Ever step on a crack or walk under a ladder? I know some who won’t. If your bill at a store comes up $6.66 do you pay an extra penny? Did you know there are 13 witches in a coven? And if you have 13 letters in your name you are said to have the Devil’s luck. Just ask Charles Manson, Jeffery Dahmer or Theodore Bundy.
Here are some superstitions or old wives tales you may or may not know,….
Wearing an amber bead as a necklace can protect against illness and cure a cold.
If a bee comes into your house, it is a sign you’ll have a visitor. If you kill the bee the visitor will be unwelcomed and it could bring you bad luck.
If a swarm of bees are on your house, it is a sign your house will burn down.
A bird in the house is a sign of death.
It is bad luck to pick up a coin with tails up.
It's bad luck to leave a house through a different door than the one used to come into it.
To drop a fork means a man is coming to visit. I’m hearing forks being thrown on the floor by single women as I type.
The dried body of a frog worn in a silk bag around the neck averts epilepsy and other fits.
If a friend gives you a knife, you should give him a coin, or your friendship will soon be broken.
I have some superstitions of my own when Alabama is playing. Like wearing the same shirt and cap. If Alabama is doing badly, I change. This past season, Donna had houndstooth tips on her nails for the first game. They won and from then one she had to wear them on gameday at least. It worked except for one game, but it was an overall success on the season.

Alabama National Championships 14 Not 9

2012-01-12T08:35:00.001-06:00

First, congratulations to the Alabama Crimson Tide for a dominating game against the LSU Tigers, for yet another national championship. Alabama approached the game in a very business like manner and once the game started, performed like a skilled butcher, carving up the Tigers like a hunk of meat. The Honey Badger was nothing more than a Honey Bun and the play calling from the sidelines made one wonder how LSU actually won the SEC.
Just like in 2009, ESPN flashed a graphic stating the wrong number of national championships won by Alabama. ESPN says Bama has 9. Alabama claims 14 now. ESPN, just like the Rose Bowl in the 20’s has some kind of hatred for Alabama football. Back in the 20’s, the Rose Bowl hated the dominance of Alabama football in their bowl and it wasn’t until 75 years later that Bama would play in Pasadena. Lets look at those championships.
1925 Alabama defeated Washington 20-19 in the Rose Bowl and was selected national champions by Football Annual, Billingley and Helms Athletic Foundation. Season record 10-0
1926 Alabama tied Stanford 7-7 again in the Rose and was selected national champions by Billingley and Helms Athletic Foundation. Season record 9-0-1
1930 Alabama defeated Washington St 24-0 in the Rose and tied with Notre Dame for national champions selected by the Davis poll. Season record 10-0
1934 Alabama defeated Stanford 29-13 again in the Rose and its final game there until 2009. The Rose committee just didn’t like Southern dominance. Alabama was recognized by Donkel, Houlgate, Williamson and Football Thesaurus as national champions. Season record 10-0
1941 After going 8-2 in the regular season, Alabama finished #20 and was selected to play Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Bama won 29-21 and was selected by Houlgate as national champions. Bama did not win the conference, sound familiar?
1961 Bama defeated Arkansas 10-3 in the Sugar Bowl to finish 11-0. Alabama was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Poll. The defense only allowed 25 points all year prior to the Bowl game.
1964 Alabama lost to Texas in the Orange Bowl 21-17 ending up 10-1 on the season. The 1964 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll prior to bowl games. Because of the controversy with Alabama being selected over undefeated Arkansas, the AP Poll decided to wait until after the bowl games to select their champion for the 1965 season.
1965 Alabama beat Nebraska 39-28 in the Orange Bowl. The Tide ended 9-1-1 for the season losing to Georgia and tying with Tennessee. After the bowl game Alabama was selected national champions by the AP Poll.
1973 Another wacky season in the polls but a championship nonetheless. Alabama was defeated by Notre Dame 24-23 in the Sugar Bowl. The 1973 Alabama football team was selected national champions in the final regular season Coaches' Poll, which was finalized prior to the post-season bowl games. Because of the controversy after the bowl loss, the Coaches' Poll began selecting their champion after the bowl games starting in 1974. The post-bowl game AP poll ranked Alabama 4th, and selected Notre Dame as its national champion.
1978 After a regular season loss to Southern Cal, Alabama rebounded and ended up number 2 and was invited to play Penn St in the Sugar Bowl. Bama won 14-7 and was selected by the AP Poll as national champions.
1979 The Tide played Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, defeating the Hogs 24-9 and being selected as national champs by the AP and Coaches Polls.
1992 Ending up at number two in the regular season polls Bama was set to play a high powered Miami team. Bama won 34-13 and was selected by the AP and Coaches Polls.
2009 A return to where it all started for Alabama, the Rose Bowl. Bama beat a highly favored Texas team 37-21 and was selected as national champions by the BCS and AP Poll.
2011 Again, with the media not giving Alabama much of a chance and even saying the Tide didn’t belong there, Alabama beat an LSU team that apparently spent more time searching Tide players mommas names than watching game film. A 21-NOTHING win by the Tide and they won their 14th national title as per the BCS and AP Poll.
That’s 14 National Championships. Yes some were kind of strange in how they happened. But the end result was Alabama was awarded those championships. They didn’t just draw them up out of thin air. For what its worth, Alabama should have another. 1966 when Michigan St and Notre Dame tied and Bama was undefeated.

ROLL TIDE ROLL!! SlamaBama’s Tribute

2012-01-09T09:10:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite bands. And Tide fans to boot. I copied this from their facebook page…..

From the first note to the last encore, the energy and intensity of SLAMABAMA will have your undivided attention. Made up of four of the most accomplished singer/instrumentalists in the Midwest, they are capable of delivering everything from the biggest country hits to the most driving rock classics. Individually, the band member bios of SLAMABAMA read like that of an industry dream team.
Vocalist / Lead Guitarist J Juliano has performed shows throughout the Southeast and Midwest for thousands of enthusiastic fans. He has shared the stage with many award-winning artists such as Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Diamond Rio, Sawyer Brown, and a host of others. A published writer in Nashville, J has been bestowed the honors of both the Italian American Community of Chicago’s “David Award” for Music along with the coveted “Best of Rockford Platinum Award. In 2007, Juliano was awarded the honor of “Best New Country Artist” in the Midwest and earned a spot at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Tennessee as one of 5 artists out of over 60,000 from around the USA in the 25th Annual Colgate Country Showdown.
Vocalist Rosanna Juliano has been moving audiences with her amazing vocal abilities and endearing stage presence since the time she could walk. Rosanna, born in San Diego, CA but raised in Owensboro, KY cites influences from Reba McEntire to Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. She is a unique combination of a fun and beautiful Shania Twain and a bar kicking good time Jason Aldean. She can wail out a rocker one minute and bring tears to your eyes with a beautiful ballad the next . All with the authentic warm classic country tone that is uniquely hers and hers alone. Rosanna honed her skills in the studios of Nashville, TN writing and recording songs. She wanted to start performing music in front of live audiences so she started the band SLAMABAMA with her now husband J Juliano and is bringing her musical talents to the folks around the country.
Bassist / Vocalist Dennis Gilpatrick’s background is a perfect example of that of the most accomplished musician. A master of his instrument, Dennis is one of the most versatile bassists in the industry. His work has appeared on instructional audio that accompanied the book “Jazz Guitar Lines”, written by Miami-Dade Professor Dan “Lucky” Elden and released by Warner Bros. Dennis’ Rock background found him on stage opening for legendary acts such as Great White, L.A. Guns, Sebastian Bach and Ace Frehley. Dennis has also opened shows for Country greats Sugarland, Miranda Lambert, Hank Williams Jr, Confederate Railroad and the Kentucky Headhunters.
Drummer Derek Bernal began playing music at the age of four and already had what is called "natural talent". First starting on guitar and then keys, he quickly found his calling after sitting behind a friend`s drumkit. By the age of 12 he had already studied the drum concepts of John Bonham, Neil Peart, Mitch Mitchell, and countless other drum heavyweights. Needing more challenging material with which to learn from, he ventured into the realm of what is known as "Fusion".
It was his love of Fusion that led him into a musical partnership with Andy West, former Dixie Dregs bassist. Together, he and Andy formed Rama, an original band that went on to be an opening act for the Dregs. Derek and Andy also appeared on guitarist Toshi Iseda's "Full On" cd on Guitar Nine Records. Derek has played in countless top Chicago bands and continues to seek out people and music that will challenge him. Whether it be Rock, Jazz, Funk, Latin, Fusion, Country, Pop, or R&B, he changes like a chameleon to fit whatever genre is thrown his way. Derek is a musician well worth hearing.
Take all of those ingredients, and you have a group whose shows will leave you breathless, whose musicianship will leave you in awe and whose energy will leave you feeling… SLAMMED!!

Alabama vs LSU,.. Round Deux,… Part 3

2012-01-07T08:30:00.001-06:00

Yesterdays blog dealt with the offenses of both teams. 4 categories with LSU and Bama getting 2 each. Now for the defenses,……
Defensive line: LSU has been very good stopping the inside run. So has Bama. LSU’s ends love to pass rush. Bama’s does also. a very slight edge to Bama here mainly due to depth. Advantage Alabama barely.
Linebackers: The off time has been good to Bama here because injuries have been healed. Nico Johnson and CJ Mosley were banged up but now are good to go. With those injuries came more playing time for the back ups, thus creating more depth at a position Alabama is very good at. LSU has a good linebacker group as well. While they do lack size for that spot they almost make up for it in speed. Two of their starters Stefoin Francois and Karnell Hatcher, were previously safeties. This is good for the passing game but not so good for the running game. Advantage Alabama

Defensive backs: While Bama has good DBs, LSU counters with Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne. Two of the best in the country. And especially good against young quarterbacks like McCarron. This could be the position that makes the biggest difference in the game, for either team. Advantage LSU

Special Teams: If Bama has a weak spot, this is it. Going 2 for 6 in the field goal department won’t win this game. Bama did out punt LSU last time but it was close. Field position will be critical in this game as will possible field goals. This is another category that could decide the outcome of the game. Advantage LSU

The two teams look so close on paper. I have Bama with 2 and LSU with 2 categories on offense and the same on defense for a 4-4 tie. The two areas LSU has on defense worry me the most.
This is part of the blog from the Nov 5th game “With all of that said, I see a low scoring game. Defense from both sides will play superb. Thus, causing both offenses to adjust, readjust and adjust again. The game will be won at the line of scrimmage. If Bama can get a running game going, they have a chance. If not, it could be a long day. Neither team can become one dimensional and win. Three things will play a major role other than the line of scrimmage. turnovers, penalties and the kicking game.” I said three things but listed four, what was I thinking? Anyway the same FOUR things will apply here. Bama beat LSU in everything but the score. And we all know that counts the most. This is a hard one to pick, but again, my head says LSU, my heart says Bama. Going with my heart again, Bama 17 LSU 16. Roll Tide!! Whatever the outcome though, it has been an exciting season and I will not be disappointed, well too much……

Alabama vs LSU,.. Round Deux,… Part 2

2012-01-06T16:20:00.001-06:00

I’m already looking forward to spring practice before the games gets here. Recruiting is going well as Alabama has apparently picked one from LSU’s tree. Safety Landon Collins has said he will sign with the Tide. This is huge is he does. He is highly sought after coming out of high school. He is one of those players than can play as a freshman. Keeping my fingers crossed until signing day. RTR!

But before we get to recruiting and spring practice, there is one more game to be played. Bama vs LSU for all the marbles. The whole shebang. The first meeting was back in November and the Tide won that game everywhere except where it counted, the score board.

Lets look at the team breakdowns.

Offensive line: The Tide holds a slight advantage here mainly due to depth. But both clubs have very good lines and the key for Bama is to keep everyone healthy. Both LSU and Bama have good pass blocking and I think Bama holds a slight edge on run blocking. Advantage Alabama

Quarterbacks: Both teams have used two QBs this year and Bama settled on AJ McCarron earlier than LSU settled on Jordan Jefferson. Matter of fact it wasn’t until the Nov 5th game that LSU went more with Jefferson than Jarrett Lee. Experience is the key here so,… Advantage LSU

Running backs: While the Tide boasts a Heisman finalist in Trent Richardson, this area is relatively close. LSU has Kenny Hilliard a brusing 250 lb back with tailback speed. He got better after the Bama game where he only had 2 yards rushing. LSU also has Spencer Ware a shifty back with good skills. Bama is loaded at the running back spot with Richardson, Eddie Lacey and Jalston Fowler. Two reason Bama gets the nod here, Richardson and the Bama backs ability to catch passes out of the backfield,… Advantage Alabama

Wide Receivers: For Bama, the wide receivers play has been hit and miss. Without a Julio type player Bama has at times struggled and it hasn’t always been the QBs fault. The tight ends for Bama block well and have had more of a role in the passing game as of late. LSU has a good group of pass catchers and experience plays a major part of giving LSU the advantage here. Their go to guy, Rueben Randle was literally shut down in the first game, but Russell Shepard picked up his slack. Advantage LSU

Tomorrow, I’ll look at the defense and give my quesstamation on the score….

Help Fight Cancer and Get a Football,…

2012-01-04T06:59:00.001-06:00

Yep. You heard it right. With your winning bid on this Alabama football, signed by Coach Saban, you can help fight cancer and have a nice football to display in your business, den or man cave.
The local green haired ladies known as The Kudzu Queens are auctioning off this ball and it can be yours, with the winning bid of course. All proceeds go to the local American Cancer Society and the winning bid will be tax deducible.
The Kudzu Queens are a group of ladies, that were friends and cancer touched their lives in some way. So they decided to band together to make the public more aware of cancer and the fight to cure it.
The bidding has already begun. To make your bid send an email to kudzuqueensofflorence2@gmail.com Be sure to include your name and contact information and your bid of course and you will receive an email back from them to let you know where you stand. You can also place a bid at Swampers in the Florence Marriott this coming Monday, Jan 9th. The ball will be on display. This is a great cause and the ladies do a lot of good work for the local cancer chapter here. Click photo below to enlarge.....

Oklahoma State Whinners,….

2012-01-03T13:30:00.001-06:00

Number 3 Oklahoma State won its bowl game with number 4 Stanford yesterday in overtime, 41-38. The fan above thinks his Cowboys should be playing in the title game with LSU. He has a right to his opinion how ever wrong it may be. No, they shouldn’t be in the title game because they lost to lowly Iowa State. After the loss the chips fell where they did and Alabama with help from other top teams losses was elevated back to number two. And rightly so according to me. Of course I’m just like the fan in the picture, I’m biased. Bama did kind of back into the championship game but hey, if the teams above Bama had taken care of business as they had the chance to, I wouldn’t be discussing this. After the loss to LSU, Bama won out and teams above Bama faltered. Don’t blame Alabama for being in the BCS Championship game, blame your own team for not winning the games they needed to win.

Now if Bama losses the best OK State can hope for is a number two finish. Bama wins and OK State will likely stay number three.

Being a Bama fan for 40 plus years you just kind of get used to other schools hating you. Call it jealousy, envy, whatever. I call it winning. And remember boys and girls, defense wins championships. Someone much wiser than I coined that phrase.

Bobby Wallace Is Back At UNA,….

2012-01-02T20:34:00.001-06:00

I’m just giddy with delight. Can you tell? While UNA could certainly do worse in hiring a coach,.. oh wait. No they can’t. He went to Akron. Seriously, I think Coach Wallace can install some much needed discipline back into the UNA Lion program and continue to have winning seasons. I think Coach Wallace is the right pick at the right time. He is well respected as a coach and recruiter. Good luck Coach.

Alabama vs LSU,.. Round Deux,… Part 1

2012-01-02T09:09:00.001-06:00

Christmas is over. The cheese wafers are gone. New year celebrations are done. It is Monday January the 2nd 2012.

The Mayan calendar says the world will end in 2012. The Mayan calendar is correct in that the world will end for either Alabama or LSU. One team will reign supreme in the college football world.

One week from tonight one team will hoist that crystal trophy proclaiming it is the king of the land. One team will be crying Tebow like tears. Some have suggested that if Alabama wins there could be a shared title. Some have even suggested if the Tide prevails in round two that there should be a third game. That wont happen. Sports writers across the land aren’t giving Alabama much of a chance. Is anyone reminded of 1992? Some have also suggested this will be like a home game for LSU. While they are just 60 miles away, Bama fans travel well and the tickets are split. So that will take away any home field advantage for the Bengal Tigers.

Right now, the LSU team is rated numero uno. A ranking they well deserve. Bama is two, also deserving of that honor and a chance to redeem an earlier season loss to LSU.

The college football world has to be sick of the SEC dominance of the past few years. Good news college football fans, the SEC will lose a BCS championship game. Bad news is they’ll win it all again too. RTR.

2012 and What It Brings,…

2012-01-01T13:29:00.001-06:00

Hopefully, change. Not your presidents kind of change, about 43 cents worth of it in my pocket, but real change. Change in the Whitehouse and Congress. Neither are doing their job unless you count trips to Hawaii and golf and basketball outings as doing something. Our Congress has been one of the most do nothing Congress’ in the history of our great nation. And it is both parties. Not just the Democrats but the Republicans too. Government shut downs loomed last year and both parties were to blame. Personally I’m neither party as I try to vote for the best one representing my agenda,… but my pickings are getting slimmer and slimmer.

Iraqi war veterans are returning home. Where are the parades, the public thank you signs for the vets placing their lives on the line for us for American freedom? I’ll take this time to thank the men and women who served in Iraq, who did without the comforts of home, wiped sand out of their eyes so you and I could complain about long lines at check outs. Now, bring home the Afghan warriors… as there is no longer a reason to be there. Terrorism will never be wiped out in our lifetime or or grandchildren's lifetime. Bring them home and lets secure our own borders and forget the political correctness before we destroy ourselves. If this won’t work, send the ACLU and other bleeding heart groups to Afghanistan and let them fight… we’d lose that war for sure.

Happy New Year 2012 Style,….

2011-12-31T08:53:00.001-06:00

Where has the time gone? 2011 seemed to fly by so quickly. 2011 had its ups and downs, but mostly ups. Even with the bad economy, work was good for the most part. Lets hope that trend continues for sure. 2011 was a year in which I’m sure most of us made new friends, welcomed new family members either by birth or marriage and spent way too much time on facebook. 2011 has come and gone now. We cannot change the bad things that happened in our lives, but with the new year, we can improve on those things to a degree. I know for myself, there is much room for improvement as a father, partner, family member, friend and acquaintance.

2012 is wide open for change. Change in our lives, for the better. Change in our shopping habits(Shop mom&pops more) Change in how we interact with others(for the better of course) and change in attitudes.

2012 hopefully will see major change in our federal government, from the president on down. Locally, Florence will have a new mayor and hopefully a new city council as the current council has failed almost as badly as Congress. 2012 will hopefully see some kind of restoration at the old Weeden home. The owner is failing in her efforts or should I say lack of efforts to restore the house. It has been something like 2 years since this has been in the works. I think a porch has been redone.

I want to thank all of you who visit this blog. OB’s Corner had 24,595 page loads this year as of this writing which is amazing to me because I never dreamed there would be so many.

I also want to thank all of those who played Shoals Daily Trivia. There has been some great competition there and hopefully some have learned a little more useless knowledge as I have.

And last, I want to wish each of you a Happy New Year. May it be filled with all things good. I wish you good health and to be kept safe. So hopefully you will be here next year to see 2013.

I’m Just Not Impressed, The Walmart Saga

2011-12-28T18:52:00.001-06:00

As I blogged before about the proposed Walmart on Cloverdale Road and the issues and results I feel it will have on local, mom and pop stores, I gave email addresses to all of the individual Florence city councilmen. I sent an email, the same email to each of them. They seem to have forgotten that I could be a voter. That I could be a voter in their district. I sent the email on December 23rd. I realize that the holidays were here and people are busy. The Christmas holidays are over. They have had plenty of time to read my email and respond. Their lack of response and the two responses I did receive (out of the six sent) show a lack of caring about me as a voter and a lack of concern about established mom and pop stores that will be affected by the new Walmart. It has been said, in comments on the blog previous, that it is already a done deal. Basically, I’m wasting my time. This does seem to be the case. Our city leaders will allow a new Walmart to be built and it will affect local business. I’ve heard arguments like, “It will create jobs” and “it will be good for local economy”. That is people who are already brainwashed by thinking they have to shop Walmart. Sure it will create jobs and lose jobs by the closure of mom and pop stores. Good for the economy? After local stores close and the ones that don’t struggle to keep employees and pay their own bills, I don’t think it is a good trade off. If our local leaders are concerned about our city this will not be a done deal and they won’t allow it to happen. Again, I’m reminded of what I’m told, it is a done deal. Good bye Big Star and others….
Here is the email I sent, I thought it was nice enough. Also I’m posting the two replies I got back along with the FOUR that didn’t feel a reply was necessary.
First, thank you for your time on reading this email. As you know the decision on Walmart is coming up and I hope that the council will take into consideration the local mom and pop stores this will effect. Stores that have been here for 30 plus years and have employees that have been there about as long in some cases. This decision falls on the Florence city council and I hope that you all will do the right thing. http://obscorner.blogspot.com/2011/12/game-on-florence-city-council.html is a blog that I do and I try to promote mom and pop stores because I believe they are the backbone of any community. Again, thank you for your time and I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New year.
Now the replies,….
James Barnhart,… AND A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU
Sam Pendleton,…
This reply will acknowledge your recent e-mail concerning the proposed Wal-Mart (Cloverdale/Cox Creek). Thank you.
Merry Christmas.
Sam Pendleton
256 412-3092

No reply, Dick Jordan, Hermon Graham, Barry Morris, Andy Betterton. VOTE THEM OUT! They are failing on this issue showing no care whatsoever for established businesses. They are failing with the low head dam on Cypress Creek and the dump.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I've got to include this letter from magpie, who left it in comments. Some don't read the comment sections so I'm pasting it here... Great letter. Thanks for commenting.

magpie said...

Here's my letter to the City Council...

Dear Sirs:

As a concerned citizen, business-owner, and voter, I write to you in the hopes that you will please consider the many implications of adding a new Wal-Mart Supercenter to our community. If you have taken the time, as have I, to research the benefits that a new Wal-Mart store brings to a community, you are well aware that the list is very short. In your elected position, you have a responsibility greater than the average citizen to carefully consider factors other than the economic impact alone of recruiting and retaining quality retail options for local citizens. This proposed store stands to hurt our community in so many ways. Many studies have been undertaken to quantify the effect of a new Wal-Mart Supercenter on the local economy. Most have shown that while local economies do grow with the addition of these stores, certain markets are negatively affected, and most communities experience the law of decreasing returns after saturation of the market within five years of the store opening. Introducing a second Supercenter into our already saturated local economy promises to be disastrous to local businesses.

Attached to this email is a study of Mississippi Wal-Mart Supercenters in counties of population less than 100,000. A best guess population of Lauderdale County is 87,966. Reading and comprehending these local economic impacts is vital to your responsibility to local citizens. From this study:

Source (also attached): http://www2.econ.iastate.edu/faculty/stone/mssupercenterstudy.pdf
Many economists believe that analyzing a retail trade area is much like analyzing
a zero-sum game. Unless the population or incomes are growing substantially, there is a
fixed amount of money to be spent in the retail sector. If a large store is opened in the
trade area, it is going to capture a considerable amount of trade. That can only mean that,
in total, other merchants in the trade area will lose a comparable amount of trade (Blair
and Kumar, 1997). The results of this study are presented below and show strong
evidence that the gains for Wal-Mart supercenters were matched by corresponding losses
for existing businesses in the trade area...

A local government that aggressively promotes commercial development,
especially one that offers tax or other financial incentives to new comers, may
unwittingly help put smaller local merchants out of business because of massive
competition. Conversely, a local government that is strictly anti-growth may also do
harm to its local merchants as residents leave the community to shop in other towns
with big new stores. It is therefore recommended that local officials educate the
public on the economic impacts of commercial development and strive to create an
economic development policy that is consistent with the values and concerns of the
local citizens.

Please, today, take a couple hours out of your schedule and view the following documentary on Wal-Mart's negative business practices. It is your responsibility to make an informed decision regarding what is best for our community. The sacrifice of local business-owners who live here, go to church here, put their kids in public schools here, volunteer here, build homes here, hire local tradesmen here, and invest in improving this community is too high of a sacrifice for you to make.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/wal-mart-the-high-cost-of-low-price/

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns. They are real, and we are counting on you six individuals to save our local businesses.

Game On Florence City Council,….

2011-12-23T10:24:00.001-06:00

Well,… the Florence Planning Commission dropped the ball Thursday as it has let the plans for a new, unwanted Walmart advance to the next step. A 7-0 vote by the commission send this to the city council for the annexation of the property. So now this falls into the city councils hands since the planning commissions hands seem to have either been tied or they just didn’t care about local mom and pop stores that have been here for 30 plus years. Stores like Big Star, Northgate Pharmacy, the convenience stores from Petersville to North Florence and any other locally owned mom and pop will suffer because people are brainwashed on shopping at Walmart. I have heard the argument that this new store will create jobs. It will, part time jobs and maybe a few full time. But what about the jobs it takes from layoffs and store closures of the local stores affected by the new Walmart? Many of you know I paint for a living. I work for the public. In 20 plus years, I have never worked for anyone that had a job at Walmart. There is a reason for this. I have however been blessed with work for business owners that own local businesses such as Big Star, pharmacys and other local stores. This is one reason I preach that we support them. They support me, so I have tried to return the favor.
Contact the Florence city council and let them know Florence does NOT NEED another Walmart. Let them know it will hurt local business and possibly close them. It will be sad to drive past Big Star one day and not see a single vehicle in the parking lot. Another empty store because Walmart was allowed to spread its monopoly in Florence.
Florence City Council - Contact the Council
District 1 - Sam Pendleton, Jr.
Telephone (256) 760-6401
Email: Sam Pendleton, Jr.

District 2 - William (Dick) Jordan
Telephone (256) 760-6402
Email: William (Dick) Jordan

District 3 - Hermon T. Graham
Telephone (256) 760-6403
Email: Hermon T. Graham

District 4 - Barry Morris
Telephone (256) 760-6404
Email: Barry Morris

District 5 - James H. Barnhart
Telephone (256) 760-6405
Email: James H. Barnhart

District 6 - Andrew Betterton
Telephone (256) 760-6406
Email: Andrew Betterton

Along with emailing the Florence city council, there is an online petition you can sign. Fill in your name and email address and send. After you do that, you will get another page displayed. The petition site is asking for donations. You can just X out that page. Here is the link,.... http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop-walmart/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=system&utm_campaign=Send%2Bto%2BFriend

Tater Tots and Christmas,….

2011-12-22T14:41:00.001-06:00

Ah the things that make you go hmmm. It is being reported that Terry “Tater Tot” Bowden of the Bowden clan has been offered the head coaching job of the Akron Zips. http://www.cantonrep.com/news/x1587718435/Akron-hires-Terry-Bowden-as-football-coach

Tater Tot had just signed a one year contract to coach the UNA Lions, which I thought was a bit odd. A one year contract just didn’t show me the university had a lot of faith in Terry. If they believed in what he was trying to do as a football coach, I would think the contract would have been for longer. But that is just my simple way of thinking.

Tater Tot brought in players from D1 that had been dismissed from programs. Some were good players, better players than their reputations preceding them. To me, going down this type road of recruiting, you get players that try to put the “I” in team. Self serving type players, not team players. Also, it takes playing as a team to develop as a team. Meaning, the players need to grow and gel together. You cannot do that with one year players. Maybe now UNA can get local talent, you remember those? The ones that won back to back to back national championships.

I hope the reports about Bowdens leaving is true. UNA will benefit greatly from his departure. Personally I think they need to look at their athletic director too and school president and some on the board of trustees. Something is wrong there and I just can’t put a finger on it.

Yes, there is a Santa Claus if the reports are true. And even if for some reason Bowden stays, there is still a Santa.

I truly laughed out loud when I saw Shoalanda Speaks post on facebook,… http://shoalandaspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/12/special-report-ob-gets-christmas.html

Florence Planning Commission Has A Job To Do

2011-12-18T07:18:00.001-06:00

Look at the picture. “The high cost of low price” There is a cost in the local economy and to the local businesses. For some it might just be a drop in sales. For others it is closure. This is what happens when new WalMart stores open. They drive out the little man.
Florence could soon have a second super center in its boundaries. This new location will be just north of Cox Creek Parkway on Cloverdale Road. Just down the street is a local grocery store, Big Star. My guess is they will suffer greatly if this new store is built. I just hope they don’t close like the one in Killen did. The repercussions of this new sponge being built will be felt all over north Florence. This could literally suck the life out of several mom and pop stores and businesses. If they add gas pumps it could hurt local convenience stores. People will go to Walmart to save a penny. Why? Because WalMart has the public brainwashed.
But wait, there's more. Along with this leech being built, traffic in that area will be absolutely terrible. Between school traffic for two schools and work traffic, it will be a place to avoid. There will most likely be a new traffic light installed between Cox Creek and Heathrow Drive. That will be three traffic lights in a very short distance. Better leave a little early for work if this store gets built. I just read the TimesDaily article and yes, a traffic light would be installed at Wright Drive, courtesy of WalMart. They are so kind aren’t they?
Say no to WalMart. Let the Florence Planning Commission know you are against this. They have a limited amount of power but they can deny subdivision approval at this point. If they grant approval, it falls to the city council to block any annexation and zoning. Let them know you don’t want it. Your local mom and pops are depending on you. Flood them with calls and emails letting them know that you don’t want it, well that is if you feel like I do.
Melissa Bailey
Planning Department Director
Phone:
256-740-8806
mbailey@florenceal.org
Fax:
256-760-6323

Santa's Replacement: Bubba Claus

2011-12-17T07:46:00.001-06:00

----- MEMO -----

To: Southern USA Residents From: Santa RE: Replacement Santa

I regret to inform you that effective immediately, I will no longer be able to serve the Southern United States on Christmas Eve. Due to overwhelming current population of the earth, my contract was renegotiated by North American Fairies and Elves Local 209. I now serve only certain areas of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. As part of the new and better contract I also get longer breaks for milk and cookies so keep that in mind. However, I'm certain that your children will be in good hands with your local replacement who happens to be my third cousin, Bubba Claus. His side of the family in from the South pole. He shares my goal of delivering toys to all the good boys and girls; however, there are a few differences between us. Differences such as: 1. There is no danger of a Grinch stealing your presents from Bubba Claus. He has a gun rack on his sleigh and a bumper sticker that reads: "These toys insured by Smith & Wesson."

2. Instead of milk and cookies, Bubba Claus prefers that children leave a RC Cola and pork rinds (or a moon pie) on the fireplace. And Bubba doesn't smoke a pipe. He dips a little snuff though, so please have an empty spit can handy.

3. Bubba Claus' sleigh is pulled by floppy-eared, flyin' coon dogs instead of reindeer. I made the mistake of loaning him a couple of my reindeer one time, and Blitzen's head now overlooks Bubba's fireplace.

4. You won't hear "On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen..." when Bubba Claus arrives. Instead you'll hear, "On Jr, on Gordon, on Martin and Busch. On Harvick, on Stewart, on Edwards and Hamlin."

5. "Ho, ho, ho!" has been replaced by "Yee Haw!" And you also are likely to hear Bubba's elves reply, "I her'd dat!"

6. As required by Southern highway laws, Bubba Claus' sleigh does have a Yosemite Sam safety triangle on the back with the words, "Back Off!" The last I heard it also had other decorations on the sleigh back as well. One is Ford or Chevy logo with lights that race through the letters and the other is a caricature of me (Santa Claus) peeing on the Tooth Fairy.

7. The usual Christmas movie classics such as "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life" will not be shown in your negotiated viewing area. Instead, you will see "Boss Hogg Saves Christmas" and "Smokey and the Bandit IV" featuring Burt Reynolds as Bubba Claus and dozens of State Patrol cars crashing into each other.

8. Bubba Claus doesn't wear a belt. If I were you, I'd make sure you, the wife, and the kids turn the other way when he bends over to put presents under the tree.

9. And finally, lovely Christmas songs have been sung about me like "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" and Bing Crosby's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". This year, songs about Bubba Claus will be played on all the AM radio stations in the South. These song titles will be Mark Chesnutt's "Bubba Claus shot the jukebox"; Cledus T. Judd's, "All I want for Christmas is my Woman and a Six-pack", and Hank Williams Jr's "If You Don't Like Bubba Claus, You Shove It."

Sincerely Yours, Santa Claus(Member of North American Fairies and Elves Local 209)

* I found this while searching on the internet and thought I’d share it. I did update the NASCAR drivers in #4 because they were out of date.

See more Christmas humor at http://www.dezert-rose.com/humor/christmas/

OB’s Naughty & Nice List,….

2011-12-15T18:53:00.001-06:00

Ah it’s the Christmas season and Santa has a Naughty and Nice List for the kiddos. It was suggested on facebook somewhere that I have one too, in place of the OB Awards. I thought it over and decided, yeah, ok, I can do this. As I’m writing at this minute my mind is full of ideas but getting it into words for here might be a challenge. So I’m thinking I’ll try tor reflect on the past year and go from there…. here goes.

First on the naughty list,… City of Florence for not yet repairing the low head dam on Cypress Creek. The solution is simple but yet nothing has been done. Will it take another death to correct this? Lets hope not. And kayakers, canoers, rafters, wear proper safety equipment.

Naughty,… City of Florence for taking so long to decide on the landfill. As I understand it it will be closed temporarily and trash sent elsewhere… fix the problem permanently.

Naughty,…. Sweetwater Plantation,.. for basically not getting anything done to the house. You should be ashamed. Having those little get togethers, art classes and spook shows just isn’t cutting it. The owner needs to sell the house and the city buy it. Look what St Florian and the residents have done to the Buffler House. Simply amazing what one can do without greed.

Naughty,… Times Daily,… our local newspaper. Since being taken over from a Decatur family, it has gone downhill. Both in print and online versions. So has their customer service and forum. The writing and editing never was above par but that hasn’t improved either.

Naughty,…. UNA, the University of North Alabama. For thinking they could move up to D1 sports. After getting turned down by the Ohio Valley Conference because they decided not to expand, UNA is continuing its efforts to move up. I doubt Steve Pierce could sell enough insurance to cover these costs.

Naughty,… UNA has extended Terry “Tator Tot” Bowden's contract by a year. The only thing worse would have been for two years.

Naughty,… Jeremy Green. For filing the complaint about prayer before a Brooks High School game. Atheists,.. hope your stockings are filled with coal.

Naughty,…. Ricks Bar B Q,… for thinking they serve bbq,……. sad.

Nice,…. FloBama, downtown Florence. For providing good food and music and a nice atmosphere.

Nice,…. Montagus, North Florence. For still churning out good sandwiches and sides. And for having the most attractive corner in Florence.

Nice,… First Fridays in Florence. I didn’t make them all but the ones I did were nice. Great way to show off local talent and local business.

Nice,… Watching Bryant grow from newborn to 8 months. The changes are amazing.

Nice,… my family. I’ve been blessed for some reason. I don’t know why, but I have. Much love to you all.

Nice,…. Lastly, for everyone who has clicked here, read, posted comments, whether I agree with them or not, it is much appreciated. Shoot, if we all agreed on everything life might be kind of boring.

Thank you Mrs Glass for suggesting this idea….. there may be another list before Christmas… if I get a wild hair.

Shoalanda Rocks,… and a New Spin on Local News,…

2011-12-14T19:41:00.001-06:00

The Shoals area is blessed with people that care about local issues, news and happenings in the Quad Cities, or aka the Shoals area. This includes Lauderdale, Colbert and Franklin counties. The other news source, or probably the main news source for the area includes Limestone and Morgan counties because the owners of the Times Faily are from Decatur, in Morgan County. A hint to the TF,… keep it local.

Shoalanda Speaks is a blog mainly focusing on crimes to women and children but also includes local news. News with their own personal twist and flair and basing their opinions on facts as presented to them. The recent blogs of Amanda Taylor have been very eye opening and informative, presented without bias. All the while giving more information than the TimesFaily, our local so called news paper. Kudos to those at Shoalanda Speaks for your time and efforts in the Amanda Taylor story and all of the opinions you offer readers like me.

An up and coming and still under construction site is the Quad Cities Daily. It looks like they will include local and state and even national news on their site. So far it is looking good and like I said, it is still under construction so be patient and everything should be working soon. Here is a link to their site, http://quadcitiesdaily.com/

Another WalMart In Florence?

2011-12-11T21:20:00.001-06:00

I found this picture on facebook. I truly get the meaning of it. But, just for fun, lets twist it a little. On the right side, we have WalMart,… on the left, we have mom and pop stores and businesses. This is basically what Walmart has done to the local stores. I wish someone smarter than me would do a study on how many local businesses Walmart has closed. All in the name of money. But you say, “I can’t find it any where else except at Walmart.” That might be true, but have you really looked or are you too lazy to do so? Walmart have become too convenient. Instead of going to a local family owned store, you go to Walmart. Need a grocery item? Lets pile in the car and go to Walmart… we can pick up batteries and underwear there too while we pick up a watermelon. Walmart,.. it was once a good store, when Mr Sam Walton was alive. It has turned into a mom and pop eating machine. Leaving nothing behind. Gobbling up all of the competition. And now, it seems Florence will be getting a new super Walmart on Cloverdale Road, just north of the CVS drug store. Yep, that’s what we need. Another Walmart to gobble up the rest of the mom and pop stores that are trying to make a living. Mom and pop stores that serve YOU. And YOU turn your backs on your neighbors every time you spend a dollar in that God forsaken store called Walmart.

Ain’t Is A Word,… Get Over It,….

2011-12-10T11:34:00.001-06:00

I remember back while I was in school, teachers saying, study and learn because one day you’ll use it. I thought yeah, right. Adults never knew what they were talking about. They were old and stupid. Well guess what? The older I got, the smarter they became. Especially my momma. I used to think she was the dumbest person on the face of the earth. I realized she was one of the smartest after I grew up. I was glad I got the chance to tell her that.

Anyway, English in school wasn’t one of my best subjects. I didn’t care to learn about sentence structure, double negatives and reading was non existent because I had to go play. Even now, I’m glad computers have spell check. But that brings me to this, spell check doesn’t check for grammar. We need a grammar check program on computers for people who use then for than. I see on almost a daily basis people posting things like, “I had rather go to shopping then eat”. I’m like really? And they misuse it the other way too. This amazes me to no end.

The word ain’t. Even spell check doesn’t recognize it. But ain’t is a word. You can use it in various ways to mean, am not, are not, is not, have and has not, do not or did not.

The word y’all. Meaning to most people, you all. This is what the dictionary says. I beg to differ. I pronounce words probably a lil bit more country southern than a lot of people. It should be y’all. Pronounced, yawl. That is the way I say it and that is how I’m going to spell it. I usually type like I talk. Southern. Oh and for what it’s worth. I was saying bidness long before Hank Hill said it.

I Hate School Buses,…..

2011-12-07T19:55:00.001-06:00

School buses. Those big yellow vehicles that carry your children to and from school. School buses. They are too big to be on the road. School buses. In Florence, Alabama, apparently all of the drivers are taught to drive the same way. They must be taught to exceed the speed limit. They must be taught that they don’t have to stop at a stop sign and they must be taught to drive like they (the driver) own the road. Because that is exactly how they drive. I’m glad my children are grown and out of school because if my kids rode some of the buses I have encountered in the city of Florence, I’d raise, well you get the picture. I don’t know how many times I have seen them speed in residential sections of town. Simpson St is 30 mph, yet they exceed that. Complete stops at stop signs? That rarely happens, at least when I see them at intersections. And to the bus driver going down Helton Dr. Tuesday morning,… your left blinker was on for 20 minutes while riding in the right lane.

While I’m on the subject of school buses, the drop off point at Hermitage Knoll is terrible around 3 pm. Yesterday the bus stopped there and waited, waited, while traffic was backed up to the Court House Racket Club on Helton. I was on Helton (going north) wanting to turn onto Hermitage. I had to wait through 2 cycles of light changes. That area for pick up and drop offs need to be changed… go up into the apartment area and get off Hermitage Dr.

I may have more on the city schools as a whole later. I may pass it off to a larger blogger to spread the word further……

Why Trent Won’t Win The Heisman,….

2011-12-05T18:59:00.001-06:00

Backlash. Which originates from jealousy because Alabama got into the BSC Championship game. Backlash, because the world outside of the SEC is sick of the SEC. Well I have some good news for the college football world. An SEC will lose in the championship game. Oh and there is bad news too, an SEC team will win the national championship.
The backlash along with the fact that Trent Richardson's Alabama team had ended its season with a thrashing of auburn, Trent's 203 yards rushing against the defending (cough) national champs will be forgotten. Trent, helped lead his team to a national championship game while the probable winner, Robert Griffin III leads a 9-3 Baylor team to the Alamo Bowl. So we have backlash because of a hate for the SEC and the forgetting of Trent’s last game due to the fact they didn’t play this past weekend as the reasons Trent won’t win. I don’t know Trent’s mindset, but I would guess that crystal trophy would be more important. On a side note, I do think RG3 is probably the best player in college football. Both he and Trent are invaluable to their teams. If Andrew Luck from Stanford wins,… the Heisman is a joke.
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For you Bama fans, here is a Christmas tune written by Stanley Marks and Carl Llewellyn and performed by Billy Lawson. Joseph Rickard gets credit for the video work. Roll Tide!!
To purchase song from ITunes for $0.99 visithttp://itunes.apple.com/us/album/roll-tide-christmas-single/id485625981today. To purchase from Amazon.com please visithttp://www.amazon.com/Roll-Tide-Christmas/dp/B006HS1K80/ref=sr_shvl_album_2?i....

Rematch? or No?

2011-12-04T08:18:00.001-06:00

Well it’s all over but the crying. For Alabama or Oklahoma St anyway. Tonight we will find out if number 2 Alabama stays there and goes to the BCS Championship game or if number 3 Oklahoma St jumps them for the chance to play LSU. By Alabama being idle this weekend, it could happen.

Both teams have one loss. Alabama lost to number 1 LSU in overtime while OK St lost to an unranked Iowa St team. In the polls, the coaches and Harris polls, voters could lean toward OK St because Bama was idle. And because OK St whipped Oklahoma. I’ve read where it is a mark against Bama for not winning the conference championship. The people saying this must not know there is no rule against it in the BCS rankings. The purpose of the BCS is to pit 1 vs 2 for the championship. Winning your conference isn’t required. I hope the voters can look at both teams without bias and vote for who they think is truly number two and not let politics or personal opinions get in the way. And look at which team would give LSU a game. If they do this, Bama will play for the title. If not, to Bama fans it will be like 1966 when the Tide got no love from the media.

Whatever happens to Bama tonight, I’m proud of the team, coaches and fans for a great season. I’ll always be proud to be a Bama fan. RTR!!

Disappointed in FloBama,…

2011-12-03T12:55:00.001-06:00

I blogged this restaurant a few months back with rave reviews. It has awesome decor , the music is local and good and up until a recent visit, great food. I love smoked chicken, ribs, etc. The appetizers were good and the wings were some of the best in town. I really liked the place. On the last visit I had ordered the ribs, to change things up and so that I could make more favorable comments about this downtown eatery. The ribs were cold. Refrigerator cold. I understand you have to cook in advance to prepare for the orders forth coming. But to not warm them up in the microwave or oven? They were as if they were served out of the fridge. Still, not a problem. I spoke with one of the owners about it and his first words were, “Were they good?” Uh, no they were cold. I personally don’t like cold ribs. It totally went over his head and he made no apologies for it. I wasn’t looking for a free meal, I was just letting the owner know about it. He didn’t care. He was too concerned with the female at the next table.

I wasn’t going to blog about this incident that happened back in the summer until what just happened on facebook. FloBama posted a video of Angela Hackers performance of “Life in the Fast Lane” which I’m sure was good. The comments left by two different guys named John, myself and Donna May were all deleted along with the video. The video’s sound was terrible and the two guys named John explained that, in a nice way. Personally, I don’t post something unless it sounds good and has good quality because people are often critical. But whoever posted the video, albeit the owner or whoever makes posts on facebook for FloBama felt the need to delete it. You shouldn’t have posted it in the first place as the sound and static were atrocious. Almost as bad as the attitude taken when I told the owner about my cold ribs. Hope you guys step it up a notch. I really do.

Right Up Your Alley? Florence Main St Shoppers Night Out,………

2011-12-02T17:58:00.001-06:00

Readers that frequent my little humble blog know that I preach and harp on supporting mom and pop shops. Now the tables have been turned just a bit. Downtown Florence will remain open until 9 pm on December 6th, this coming Tuesday, just for you, the shopper, the supporter of mom and pop stores and businesses. This is from the Florence Main St facebook page,….

Are you looking for ways to fit holiday shopping into your busy schedule? Florence Main Street is giving you an opportunity with Shoppers' Night Out, which will take place in downtown Florence on the evening of Tuesday, December 6. All retail stores will be open extended hours from 5-9 pm for the public's convenience. This is a great opportunity to shop downtown, check out the stores you haven't been into yet, and support our local community.
Downtown businesses will offer specials and discounts, and there will be a wide variety of valuable door prizes, such as gift certificates, jewelry, spa treatments, and more. Shoppers will fill out prize entry forms after they have made a purchase, so the more you shop, the better your chances are to win great prizes.
Downtown restaurants will also be offering special deals for the night, so bring some friends and enjoy a night out! Join us on December 6 for this great opportunity to get your shopping done while supporting local businesses.
For more information, call Florence Main Street at 256-760-9648.

There is no better way to both support downtown Florence and local business AND either get your Christmas shopping done or start it. Thank you to Florence Main St and all of the participating local shops in beautiful downtown Florence.

UNA and Tater Tot,……

2011-11-28T14:05:00.001-06:00

Well another season has come and gone for the UNA Lions. For the second straight year they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by Delta State. And rather convincingly I might add. 42-14 is kind of a beat down. Ask auburn.

Coach Terry Bowden stated that, “I look at Delta, and right now they are king of the hill. The biggest focus I have is Delta State, and how they have built their program and what I want to do with mine.” Here is a suggestion for you Terry, quit recruiting thugs. Recruit players that will be there for a while, not just a year. Good teams need time to grow together, to feel comfortable playing along side each other. They need time to “gel” together. Know what the other players are going to do and respond. Recruiting D1 rejects isn’t working.

The guy writes better than he coaches. I enjoyed his Yahoo articles. He does know his stuff as far as football goes. You would think he would know about team chemistry. As long as UNA continues to get D1 rejects the Lions will be mediocre. Winning just enough to not be bottom feeders. And God forbid they move up to the next level. The Ohio Valley Conference did the Lions a huge favor by not accepting them. Stay D2, recruit some quality players that can actually read and UNA can become a power house again. Bowden’s contract is up, but will most likely be renewed. I think he can coach but he may need to look at assistants.

Beat Down At The Barn,….

2011-11-27T09:36:00.001-06:00

With the 42-14 win on the plains, Alabama did everything it needed to do to punch their ticket to the BCS Championship game. Now all they can do is wait and see.

Did Trent punch his own ticket for the Heisman with his 203 yard performance yesterday? Some say yes. He definitely didn’t hurt his chances but the media seems to have a love affair with Andrew Luck, the quarterback at Stanford. Trent is the best running back in the country. Andrew isn’t the best quarterback in the country. Robert Griffin the third holds that spot. Of course I see things through crimson glasses but facts don’t lie. Bama plays against tougher defenses than Stanford does which only makes a stronger statement for Trent.

Will justice prevail in both of these cases? We shall see. Alabama should be playing LSU for the title, provided they beat Georgia. And Trent should win the Heisman for being the best player in the country. But sometimes things don’t always happen the way they are supposed to. Either way, this has been one of the best Bama defenses to go on to the field. It has been a great season filled with great highlights, stats and games. I hate to see it end. We have bowl season and conference championships to be played. Then we have recruiting season, spring practice, the A-Day game and fall practice. 2012 can’t get here quick enough! Roll Tide! Let the chips fall where they may. Trent’s Heisman pose? Looks good to me.

Alabama vs auburn,…. Iron Bowl 2011

2011-11-25T17:44:00.001-06:00

Well, this is my pick of the week as all of the other SEC games mean very little. At least in my world. LSU just defeated Arkansas and that’s a good thing. If Arkansas had won, LSU could have dropped to just 2, pushing Alabama down to 3, even if Bama wins at auburn. Thus eliminating Bama’s chance at the title game.

But before Alabama can even think about playing in New Orleans for the national championship, they have to beat the team I like to call, the red headed step children on the Plains.

“Never Again” has become Alabama’s focus as they have this years game with auburn circled on their calendar. Alabama had jumped out to a 24 point half time lead only to see it slip away in the 2nd half. Never again refers to never blowing a lead like that again.

This year the Tide is favored to win, easily. Bama has the top defense in the nation and a possible Heisman winner in Trent Richardson on offense. auburn hasn’t played well against good teams, on either side of the ball. Samford ran all over the tiger defense and many are saying Richardson will have a field day. Toss that notion out the window. This is the Iron Bowl. Anything can and has happened many times to both teams that came in favored. Look for auburn to stack the box on running plays to try to slow Richardson. I’m not sure they can do this all game long though. I’m also not sure auburns offense can be consistent when they have the ball. Bamas defense is good, wicked good. But auburns trickery could get a couple of scores. I feel sure the tigers still have a couple of trick plays they haven’t used all year since their season seems to hinge on the Iron Bowl. Look for a fake flea flicker-reverse-pass back to the quarterback-toss right to the running back-bomb down field play a couple of times. And don’t rule out the old statue of liberty play. A win Saturday will make auburns season. Just knowing they ended Bamas title hopes will cause more toilet paper to be rolled on the auburn campus than ever before, even if they have to find new trees to roll.With all of that nonsense said, Alabama will win, 31-10… Roll Tide Roll!!

Shop Small, Shop Mom&Pop,….

2011-11-22T10:15:00.001-06:00

For those of you who haven’t finished or even started your Christmas shopping, take time to visit your local businesses. The stores are full of great gift ideas and personnel that actually care. Local stores can provide you with that “Christmas” atmosphere, helpful hints and often times, gift wrapping.
In Tuscumbia located at 110 S. Main St, you’ll find Whimze’s. A great little place to shop... Their items are handmade and very unique...making them a great gift. They hand make ceramic jewelry, including beads, pendants, bracelets, watches and more. They also hand paint customized plates, platter, etc.

Over in Florence, Creative Jewelers has a great deal going. They are offering free electronics on amounts of purchases. That’s like getting another gift free. And their name says it all. They can create your jewelry with your own ideas for what you want. Located on Court St in downtown Florence, look for the purple awning.

Over in Muscle Shoals, located on Avalon Ave is Avalon Discount Drugs. They too have some great gift ideas for Christmas along with all of your healthcare needs. They have a great staff working there that are knowledgeable and friendly.
And heading back to Florence, in between your shopping, be sure to stop in Montagu’s or Frostbite and grab a burger, sandwich or dessert. They are located at the corner of Pine St and Chisholm Rd. The drawing for the Iron Bowl tickets ends Wednesday. That’s tomorrow. Be sure and fill out your contact info on your receipt to enter. Just behind these two eating establishments in Shoals Web. They offer computer sales, repair, web design and networking your business computers.

Shop small the holiday season and support your local businesses. They are the backbones of your local towns. Imagine a town with no store fronts, no downtown area. Imagine a ghost town. Store fronts boarded up. Not a pretty sight is it? Click on the pictures to enlarge.
For those of you that don't read the comments below, here is one you should read. Thanks Mary. Happy Thanksgiving.

rosedalegardens said...

Be sure to check out Fiddledee D's in Tuscumbia, several vendors are in the store. One vendor has been able to open her own store as a result. They also have my historical Tuscumbia 2012 calendar (I worked on the pictures 2 yrs for it), Tuscumbia note cards and big snow of 2011. Part of proceeds go to down town redevelopment. Happy Thanksgiving. Mary

November 23, 2011 3:51 PM

Iron Bowl,… Has It Gone Too Far?,…

2011-11-21T13:21:00.001-06:00

I remember the days of fall, raking leaves in the yard listening to Alabama games on the radio while we raked. Times were simpler then for me, being a kid. The thoughts of those pin oaks are forever embedded in my mind. I despised those leaves then and that hasn’t changed. But the great, great memories of raking those brown leaves with my mother, sister and grandmother will always be there. As will the Alabama games via the radio. Back then, the Tide wasn’t on TV every weekend as it is today. This past Saturday I listened as Eli called the game and hinged on his every word. I refused to purchase the game on PPV because of last years quality or lack thereof. It was fun to listen to a game again.

What has gone beyond fun is the Iron Bowl. It is one of the most, if not the most, intense rivalries in the country. It is the Civil War all over again in the state of Alabama. Brother against brother, friend against friend. But it has gone too far. Alabama will always be labeled with a fan who poisoned trees. The very trees the auburn nation hold dear to their heart. Rolling those trees are part of their tradition, dumb as it may be, but it is. One Alabama fan tried to take that away from them. Shame on you Harvey Updyke. the guy even called into the Paul Slimebomb show to brag about it. Idiot.

Last years game was a hard pill to swallow as the Tide squandered away a lead that could have ended auburn’s title hopes and knocked that stupid smile off of cam’s face. Yes, last years game still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. To the delight of many auburn fans I’m sure.

The rivalry has gone bad. There was vandalism on the Tuscaloosa campus too. Things seemed to change for the worse when the series became a home and home series. If the game had still been at a neutral site, Updyke probably would have still poisoned the trees and the grass killed at Tuscaloosa. But the rivalry itself has suffered because of the actions of a few. Friendly bantering is one thing. Hate is another. There were times last season I had to check myself after a thuggish play by Nick Fairely wasn’t called by officials or that crap eating grin Newton had when being interviewed.

For those reasons I would like to see the Iron Bowl stopped. Move auburn to the SEC East, Vandy to the West and play auburn once every 4-5 years, in September. Makes sense to me.

Week 12 Results,…..

2011-11-20T21:13:00.001-06:00

What a season so far. Total chaos in the college football world as we know it. My prediction way back in July on this blog is looking pretty good at this point. I predicted LSU to be number 1 and Bama 2 for the BCS Championship. I even talked about it to some people. They laughed. I haven’t talked to them recently, but I don’t think they’re laughing now.

I went 7-1 this past week with the lone loss being the Vandy-Tennessee game being decided in overtime. This pushes my record to 62-8. That’s an 88.57% clip. When I started picking games this season, I was hoping for at least a 75% correct picking,…. unless there is a total meltdown, I might achieve that goal.

It is Alabama-auburn week. Alabama has a new sign/slogan. Never again. That doesn’t mean never lose to auburn again. It means never lose to auburn like they did last year. Blowing a huge lead. Never again. RTR!!

LSU-Alabama Rematch?,….

2011-11-19T10:30:00.001-06:00

Thank you Iowa State for upsetting Oklahoma State last night in double over time. That was an exciting game no doubt. It also helped Alabama back into a possible rematch with LSU in the BCS Championship game. Theoretically speaking of course. There is still a lot of football left to play. LSU still has to play Arkansas, Ole Miss and the SEC East winner. Alabama has Georgia Southern and auburn at auburn.

Does Alabama control its own destiny? To a certain extent, yes. They have to win and win in an impressive fashion. But to a certain extent, no, they don’t. One third of the BSC formula is based on computers. Two thirds of the BCS process is human. The Harris and Coaches polls represent the human side of the process. So, two thirds of determining Alabama’s fate will be in the hands of voters. Oregon or Oklahoma could jump Bama in the coming weeks if they win out. Alabama still could make it to the SEC Championship game if LSU stumbles against either Ole Miss or Arkansas. This can really get confusing with the what ifs. But the bottom line is, Alabama has to control the things in which they have control over and not worry about the voters or other teams. Take care of your business, win your games, dominate your opponent. It is all part of the “Process” Roll Tide Roll!!

On a side note, thank you Gene Chizik for leaving Iowa State. I doubt if he had stayed the Cyclones would have won last night, but that’s just my opinion.

Week 12 Picks,….

2011-11-18T08:25:00.001-06:00

I must be having fun because time sure is flying. Week 12 already in the college football season. I remember when they played a 10 game season. That doesn’t seem that long ago.

Furman at Florida,…. The Gators can become bowl eligible with a win here. That shouldn’t be a problem for them. If Furman were playing Ole Miss, they might have a chance. But they aren’t. Florida 35 Furman 11

Kentucky at Georgia,… Kentucky, believe it or not could go to a bowl if they win out. They need a win against Georgia and Tennessee to do so. I doubt they make it. Georgia is still trying to win the East. Georgia 31 Kentucky 17

The Citadel at South Carolina,… The Citadel comes to South Carolina as a one dimension team. They run the ball. Carolina has the defense to stop it. Shouldn’t be a close game and the Gamecock defense could outscore their offense,… eh,… that might be a stretch. South Carolina 34 The Citadel 3

Vanderbilt at Tennessee,… This could be the best SEC game of the weekend. The Vols will struggle once again and Vandy tends to mess up these type of games. I’m kind of going out on a limb here but I see Vandy winning this one. Vandy 21 Tennessee 17

Mississippi St at Arkansas,… If the Hogs are looking ahead to the LSU game. This could be a close game. But they will still win it. State has disappointed this year and this game wouldn’t get their hopes up for next season. Arkansas 31 MSU 14

Samford at auburn,… After last weeks slaughter at Georgia, auburn will bounce back with a win here. It will be a tree rolling time on the plains after this great win. Heck the tigers may become the peoples national champions after this big win,…. auburn 38 Samford 14

LSU at Ole Miss,…. The Bengal Tigers can just about name their score in this one. The Rebel Bears have seemingly quit playing for the year. This will be another, name that score game. LSU may opt for style points Saturday.

LSU 48 Ole Miss 7

Georgia Southern at Alabama,…. This may sound like one of those push over games. While Bama is expected to win, the Georgia State offense could give the Tide some problems early on. Alabama don’t see many flex bone, triple option type offenses anymore. The last one could have been against Colorado in 1990. Vanderbilt ran some similar type offenses in the 90’s as well. The Eagles are a very good 1AA team but they are playing an SEC team that is bigger and faster. Alabama will prevail. Bama 42 Georgia Southern 10

Save The Internet,…..

2011-11-17T20:46:00.001-06:00

I am sharing an email from the Fight For The Future group.

Last week there was a small meeting at Mozilla to discuss SOPA, the Internet Censorship Bill.

It was eerie. The DC groups were practically screaming, "this bill is the worst we've ever seen and we can't stop it" -- while everyone else had barely heard of it. The consensus? We needed to wake people up.

Well, yesterday the Internet woke up. *You* woke the internet up.

Check out these numbers and screenshots.

To everyone who wrote their rep, made calls, posted to Twitter and Facebooks -- and especially to everyone who ran the modal and blacked out their logos, you are courageous and you made history yesterday. You just took the first step to combine the web's largest sites, its strongest communities, its staunchest defenders and billions of users into and unbeatable force for stopping censorship.

The scary part? We still might lose. Though growing fast, our coalition still isn't strong enough.

The bill is backed by an unholy alliance of Hollywood, its unions, drug companies, and the Chamber of Commerce. They are pouring money into it, and they've been working on this for years. Yesterday, big players like Tumblr, Mozilla, Reddit, BoingBoing, and even 4chan came out strong on our side. Now it's your turn. We've got to dig in and go viral.

Can you add a "Stop Censorship" message to your blog, Tumblr, Facebook, or Youtube pages? Click here for the code.

If you ran "Stop Censorship" or the "Contact Congress" splash on your page yesterday, we humbly ask you to keep it running until this bill is dead, and to find more people who can. We understand if you can't, but the bill is just as bad as it was yesterday -- so we've got to ask.

Click here to get the code to add to your page. It's easy.

Yesterday was amazing. There will be more, we promise.

Homes Wilson

Fight for the Future

AmericanCensorship.org

Battle for the Border: Cartel Safe Zones

2011-11-17T15:59:00.000-06:00

Battle for the Border: Cartel Safe Zones

I had to share this. The article and link is allowed to be shared via blogger.

Reported by: Jordan Williams
Last Update: 11/11 11:35 am

Print Story | Share

AUSTIN - Two retired generals say the cartels are building safe zones along the Texas-Mexico border. They're going to operate on whichever side offers the best security. The more the Mexican government cracks down, the more cartel will need to operate out of the Rio Grande Valley.
Retired generals Barry McCaffery and Robert Scales say the cartels have a clear plan to build a sanctuary zone one county deep inside the state of Texas. They want safe spots in every Texas border county where they can control operations.
Retired General Robert Scales says the plan it "to use Texas as a launch point into the heartland of America for their distribution of drugs."
Scales says cartels need our territory because of the crackdown south of the border.
"The foot soldiers - we have learned through our research - are criminal gangs, many in Texas prisons, that are essentially throwaway material," says Scales.
Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw thinks this is more than tough talk.
"You look at it from a military standpoint. What you're talking about is a military front," says McCraw, "You cannot have six of the seven Mexican cartels that have butchered over 40,000 people living in Texas and operating command and control networks in border counties, and leveraging the Barrio of Azteca, Mexican Mafia, Texas Syndicate, on both sides of the border and death squads moving back and forth and everything be safe."
The gangs here in Texas are referred to as trans-national. They form in our state and federal prisons but cooperate with the cartels in Mexico.
"I'm quite confident that enough people, if you call it like this is, they'll be action down the road," says McCraw.
People like McCraw and the generals stand by their claims that certain areas of the border are under cartel control.
"It's going to get worse in the coming years," says retired General Barry McCaffery.
McCaffery and Scales wrote in their military analysis, "In a curious twist of irony, the more successful the Mexican military becomes in confronting the cartels, the greater likelihood that the cartels will take the active fight into Texas, as they compete against each other in the battle to control distribution territories and corridors."
Congressman Michael McCaul believes his fellow federal lawmakers are in deep denial.
"Well the idea that these cartels have bought up ranches on the other side of the border, so they can easily pass because they own the property. That's what they do," he says.
They're worried the situation will get worse without federal help. So far, the feds have ignored calls for backup on the border.
The Texas Legislature called for the military report. The Texas Department of Agriculture and Department of Public Safety commissioned the study.
The generals claim their analysis is non-partisan.

Sweetwater,… As It Should Be Presented,…

2011-11-15T15:35:00.001-06:00

Finally, someone not associated with the grand old home makes some sense. Mr. Frank Chaney’s letter in the TimesFailys Readers View section is his opinion of the how the old mansion is being portrayed. It is being sold to the public as a spook house and is losing all of its historical value. With the leadership of the directors in place, the property has become a joke. Thank you Mr. Chaney for your letter to the local newspaper. Actually, I’m surprised they published it. What wasn’t published or talked about was Cynthia Johnson, the director believing that werewolves were on the property. Imagine that. Here is his thoughts,… Historical not Haunted.

‘Historical’ not ‘haunted’

I would like to comment on the article “Ghost hunters tell Sweetwater tales.” A statement was said in this article about the former curator who lived in the Sweetwater mansion before she died. Her name was Lettie Region and she was a pistol-packing lady who didn’t allow anyone to come near the old mansion unless they had special permission.

Ms. Lettie was not scared of anything, and that includes a so-called ghost. She only stayed in one of the front rooms and that was because she had a window unit to keep her cool in the hot summers and heaters to keep her warm in the winters, and it was not because she was scared.

Ms. Lettie was a great friend to my wife and I, and we would sit tirelessly listening to tales of strange happenings that went on at the old mansion. I personally do not believe anyone can remain here after they have died. That is against what the Bible teaches.

In my personal opinion, promote it like it should be, “historical” not “haunted.”

Frank Chaney

Florence

Win A Pair of Iron Bowl Tickets,…

2011-11-14T18:53:00.001-06:00

That’s right, you can win a pair of tickets to this years Iron Bowl courtesy of Montagu’s and Frostbite in beautiful N. Florence. They are located on the corner of Pine St and Chisholm Rd. All you have to do is stop in and have lunch or dinner with them between now and next Wednesday 11/23 at 4PM. Write your name, email, and phone # on the back of your receipt, and put it in the "bowl". One winner will be selected from all the entries at Frostbite and Montagu's.

These local eateries are locally owned and operated. They also have several different fund raising events throughout the year. Be sure to give your business to all of the local mom and pop stores and businesses.

Week 11 Results,….

2011-11-13T10:15:00.001-06:00

7-0. That’s right, this weeks picks went 7-0. I debated picking La Tech over Ole Miss but glad I did now of course. Last week I went 0-1 in the Bama-LSU game so now my totals are 55-7 on the year for an 88.71 picking percentage.

Also football related is my prediction of a possible rematch of LSU-Bama for the BCS Championship game. SEC Predictions My finishing order and the teams in the SEC Championship game probably wouldn’t be correct and there are still things that need to happen for Bama to move up to number 2. But it’s fun to watch. Boomer Sooner!

Bama still needs major help on special teams. And according to Coach Saban they will still attempt the field goal when needed. That’s why he gets paid the big bucks and I write my thoughts in a blog. I just don’t have to always agree with him. It’s easy to sit back and critique the play calling, playing abilities of certain players and by far, harder to perform the coaching duties and playing the game. And I sometimes forget, these are kids. But, at Alabama winning and playing up to their potential and coaching included, is expected. Even in Bama’s dark years before Saban came on the scene, winning was expected. And they are doing that. Roll Tide Roll!

Black Thursday? All the more reason to shop mom and pop stores,….

2011-11-12T08:45:00.001-06:00

Apparently the big retailers are changing the rules to suit them. Money, money, money is the word of the day and spending time with family and friends has been thrown out the window if you are an employee of one of these stores. Shame on Wal Mart for planning to open at 10pm. Shame on Target, Kohl’s, Best Buy and Macy’s for planning to open at midnight.

This could very well turn into a sort of domino effect. With stores opening earlier for “The Day After Thanksgiving” sales, this will eventually lead to them not closing at all on Thanksgiving day. All because of the almighty dollar.

So what has been a time set aside for family will turn into a shop till you drop day because we all know we have to be the first ones in line to buy those gifts. This is why I hate Christmas. It isn’t fun anymore when you have to fight, scrape, scratch your way to the check out line to make your purchases. You better not leave your buggy either. People will take out your items.

It’s called GREED. I want no part of it. Greed has turned the holidays into an ugly henchbroad time of the year. Greed, plain and simple. But we’ll be the first in line when those doors open, won’t we? I won’t. Will you?

Like the title says, shop the mom and pop stores. They actually care about their employees and their families. All the big box stores care about is profit, at any cost.

Week 11 Picks,….

2011-11-11T17:38:00.001-06:00

How appropriate is this? Week 11 picks on 11-11-11. That is kind of neat. With my picking loss last week my current standings sits at 48-7.
Florida at South Carolina,…. This game used to be an easy pick. Not so much anymore. South Carolina needs a win just in case Georgia gets an SEC loss. Florida needs a win to stay above .500 for the year. South Carolina will win this one if Connor Shaw, their QB has a good game. 24-14 South Carolina.

auburn at Georgia,…. Georgia controls their own destiny. A win and the Bulldogs are one step closer to clinching the SEC East and preserving Mark Richt’s job. A loss, and well, it won’t be purty. Georgia 35 auburn 28

Kentucky at Vanderbilt,…. Both teams enter with a 4-5 record. Both teams with a win could be bowl eligible if they win out. The Wildcats looked good against Ole Miss, but then again, a group of elderly nuns could beat the Rebels. Vandy has impressed me this year and I gotta pick them here since it’s a home game. Should be a good one. Vandy 24 Kentucky 21

Tennessee at Arkansas,…. Arky could be looking ahead to playing LSU soon. If they do, they won’t win by as large a margin. The Hog defense has seemed to have gotten worse as the season goes on. With the Volunteers offense that wont be a problem. Arkansas 45 Tennessee 10

Western Kentucky at LSU,…. LSU will start the third string. LSU any number they want Western K 3

Louisiana Tech at Mississippi,…. Tech is a decent team. Better than their record shows. Houston Nutt has to win this one to save his,… oh wait, never mind. This could be his last chance to win a game as an SEC coach. The Sun Belt or even a lower conference may come calling for his services. Possibly maybe as an assistant. I’m going out on a slight limb here and pick La Tech to win. La Tech 24 Ole Miss 21

Alabama at Mississippi St,… The Tide cannot look to the past in this one. The past being last Saturdays loss to LSU. While a State win here, even at home is unlikely, stranger things have happened. The Bulldogs would like nothing more than to beat the number 3 team in the country and Bama has to look forward. Like in boxing, in between rounds, take some water, spit and go back out there and fight the next round. Alabama 42 Mississippi 10

My Thoughts On JoePa,….

2011-11-10T08:52:00.001-06:00

Fired!,…. The coach who was in his 46th year was fired along with Penn States school president, Graham Spanier for failure to report child sex allegations.
''After all he's done for this school he didn't deserve to go out like this. As students, we respect him so much. We deserve to send him off in the last game,'' Penn State junior Ariel Chavarria said.
While I can certainly see why the Penn St fans and alumni feel this way, the board of trustees did the right thing. Actually it was the only thing they could do. And no Penn St students, fans and alum, you don’t deserve to send JoePa off on a final game. If he had done what he was morally obligated to do, then I’d agree with you. But he didn’t do the right thing. They should have fired assistant coach Mike McQueary too. He saw the incident take place, reported it to Paterno. After nothing was done, he failed in his duty to report the incident to authorities. But. he’ll be on the sidelines Saturday, coaching.
The coach with the most college football victories has lost. Lost respect from the world of college football and beyond. Lost a job that spanned forever it seems. But the real losers are the children that were sexually abused by a Penn St coach and having the knowledge of it swept under a rug.

Congrats LSU,….

2011-11-06T06:59:00.001-06:00

Well the game of the century is over. It lived up to the hype that the media spent two weeks preparing us for.

Did the best team win? LSU was a better coached team than Bama last night. Poor coaching and lack of execution were two of the determining factors in Bamas loss last night. When the long field goal was missed, why try it again? That’s coaching. Yeah there was a bad call on Mattheu. That was more than a holding call. But Maze should have never attempted that pass or been in there to return a punt when he was obviously injured. And why did Bama just let the clock run out in the 4th? Call a time out coach. LSU was the better team last night. Not because they beat us but because they didn’t beat themselves. Roll Tide!!

Some Auburn Fans,….

2011-11-05T07:09:00.001-05:00

Last year I proudly displayed a few pictures dealing with the BCS Championship game. All of them were in support of the Oregon Ducks as they played an SEC team. Normally, I support the SEC. If LSU beats Alabama today, I hope they go all the way and win it all.
Last winter, I saw a few auburn snowmen that were built. I wanted to run over them. No, I’m not like Harvey Updike, but I do detest all things orange and blue, pertaining to auburn. If you read my blog, you’ll notice I don’t capitalize the schools name. And to most of the auburn fans I know in person or online, I mean no disrespect to you. Shoalanda, Rosedale Gardens, Sherry, Doyle, Mark & Melody and Joyce all are on the darkside. But that’s ok. As a cousin of mine Brent said once, “Somebody has to be for them”. I respect your right to *ugh* be an aubbie.
With all of that said, some barners are just whacked in the head. I saw a picture on facebook yesterday that went beyond, well, I’ll refrain from saying what I really feel. But at the bottom of the picture are the words, “This is why you have no right,….. to complain about this”. This is one of the things that makes college football so great. The sparring and little jabs and pot shots rivals take at each other. auburn in my book is still Alabamas biggest rival. Therefore, I have no reason to want them to win. Not even if it were to help Bama win the SEC West. (Secretly I might, but I’d never admit it out loud).
As for the picture,… I’m not complaining that the auburn fans want LSU to win. We don’t need your support. But go ahead, and root for the team that just beat the whale snot out of you. What was that score again? Something like 45-10?

Week 10 Pick,…

2011-11-03T22:19:00.001-05:00

No the title isn’t misspelled this time. Pick is singular. There is only one game that matters this weekend. This is certainly the game of the century. Yeah, I know it is early in the century, but to this point in the new century, there has not been a regular season college football game more important than the LSU-Alabama game this Saturday.

The old cliché’, defenses win championships, is spot on. Both LSU and Alabama have two of the best defenses in the nation. And of course they are ranked 1 & 2. With the winner headed to the BCS Championship game, if they win out the rest of the way.

I’ve read just about every article that has been online about the game…. and been to the Tidefans forum and read what fans there have said. There have been some great stories from both sides about individual players, their families, coaches, preparation for the game, etc. A few not so good tweets from an LSU player, that has been removed, but will provide some good bulletin board material for Bama. LSU tight end, DeAngelo Peterson tweeted Bamas linebackers are slow and big. My advice to Mr Peterson is stay away from Dont’a Hightower.

With all of that said, I see a low scoring game. Defense from both sides will play superb. Thus, causing both offenses to adjust, readjust and adjust again. The game will be won at the line of scrimmage. If Bama can get a running game going, they have a chance. If not, it could be a long day. Neither team can become one dimensional and win. Three things will play a major role other than the line of scrimmage. Turnovers, penalties and the kicking game. The winner will need an almost perfect game, minus the turnovers and penalties. It is a home game for Bama, that’s a plus, LSU has a great punter to help the Tigers with field position. That could take away Bamas plus….. This is another one of those games my head says LSU, but of course my heart says Bama,… LSU, heads, Bama tails. The toss is in the air, its tails. Bama 16 LSU 14,……. Roll Tide!

Sweetwater Mansion,... Really?

2011-11-01T21:08:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know I said I wouldn't say anything else about Sweetwater. I just have a problem with stupid. As I posted last month about things to do in October, Debra Glass has the Haunted History of the Shoals Ghost Walk in Florence with the tour beginning at Wilson Park. It had been advertised for people that wanted to go on the tour to meet up at the Handy statue at 7:30 each night. This is also advertised by the city of Florence on their facebook site and in brochures advertising things to do in Florence. Click on the photos to enlarge.

The first picture is from Sweetwater's facebook page. In it a Mr David Holt asks Sweetwater for permission to come preach at Sweetwater. Sweetwaters response was "We would love for you to come but unfortunely this is private property. Let me make a suggestion though. Every night until Oct. 31, there will be large crowds meeting at the W.C.Handy statue at Wilson Park around 7:30. Of course, this is public property and I invite all Christians to be there to preach the gospel. Hope to see you there."

Sweetwater Mansion, whoever it is using the screen name, purposely sent Mr. Holt to disrupt the Haunted Ghost tour that meets at the Handy statue at 7:30pm. My guess is the one using the Sweetwater Mansion moniker is DJ Bowers or Cynthia Colburn Johnson. It really don't matter who it is, what matters is the hate these people emit. If these are the people responsible for the old mansion, it is in sad sad hands indeed.

I corrected my spelling of mansion... but before Sweetwater starts correcting spelling mistakes, maybe they need to go look at how they spelled, unfortunately,...

Armageddon In Alabama,……

2011-10-31T17:00:00.001-05:00

No, I’m not talking about religion. Well,…on second thought, maybe I am. Alabama football is a sort of religion to some. I won’t name any names here. Nov 5th, this Saturday Alabama hosts the number 1 team in the nation, LSU. This is LSU week.

This is perhaps the biggest game ever played in Bryant-Denny with some tickets selling for a 5 digit price. That’s just unreal to me. This type of game has never happened before in the regular season at home. Number 1 vs number 2.

This game is all about defense. Bama leads the nation in most defensive categories while LSU is right behind them. LSU relies heavily on their defensive backs while the Tide counters with its linebacker play. Both offenses like to pound the ball on the ground and both play relatively conservative through the air. Of course both teams do throw the ball well but their bread and butter is on the ground. This game is of epic proportions. So much is at stake for both teams. The winner has an inside track to the BCS championship game. The loser will still likely be in a BCS bowl.

If the last four meetings between the two mean anything, the game will be decided in the 4th quarter. I look for a close, low scoring game that could be decided by special teams, field position and/or turnovers. Regardless of the outcome,… I’ll still be proud of this team and all they have accomplished. Both on and off the field. Roll Tide Roll!

Week 9 Results and More, Much More,....

2011-10-30T09:00:00.001-05:00

There was some good football played yesterday and some upsets. Clemson and Wisconsin choked as Clemson lost to Georgia Tech and the Badgers lost to Ohio St. Then Stanford and USC went into 3 OTs before the Cardinals pulled off the win.
On my picks for week 9, I went 5-0 once again to up my total to 48-6. That brings my percentage to 88.89 for the year so far. Not bad for an old country boy.
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Remember to keep the 115th Signal Battalion in your prayers as they are off to Afghanistan after a brief stop in Washington state. Tie those yellow ribbons and fly the flag until they come home.
115th deployed
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Apparently now you can go upstairs at the Sweetwater Mansion, aka the Weeden home. Some strange goings on with a psychic reader who failed to possess a proper business license. That’s what I hear anyway. It amazes me how the current director and her staff continue to make a mockery of the old home.
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The facebook page, The Brooks Lions Will Pray, has been cleaning up the page after several atheists left not so nice comments. One from a local businessman who owns a computer shop on Florence Blvd. Why the atheists and agnostics felt the need to go to a Christian page and spout off is beyond me. They don’t want to be forced to listen to a prayer at a football game but they expect readers on a facebook page to read their hate. That’s hypocritical. On the other side of the coin, so called Christian people left some not so Christian like remarks. I think a prayer asking forgiveness should be your prayer for the day.

115th Signal Battalion, Tie a Yellow Ribbon

2011-10-29T11:40:00.001-05:00

The 115th will deploy to Afghanistan, tomorrow the 30th. After a short stop in Washington State the unit will be deployed for a year.
This unit is made up of our own neighbors, friends and relatives. The unit of around 500 solders leaves the Huntsville airport around 7am in the morning(Sunday). Businesses, homes and churches have already been asked to display flags and yellow ribbons in support of our troops area wide.
Thank you to the men and women who are leaving behind families and friends, jobs and the luxuries of home to serve our country, to protect us from the evils of terrorism, to provide us with the freedoms we as citizens often take for granted. My prayer for you is that you will be kept safe and out of harms way. That you will be brought back home safely and make America and the Shoals area proud. Thank you for your service.
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My Picks For Week 9,….

2011-10-28T07:10:00.001-05:00

I can remember when the season consisted of 10 or 11 games. I remember Coach Bryant’s tv show on Sundays with Golden Flake and Coke. I remember when I was pulling for a tie in the Tennessee-auburn games. I do not remember leather helmets.

I do remember Greg Gantt. Greg died recently due to a series of health problems. The former Tide and New York Jet punter is still Alabama’s leading punter in terms of average for a season (48.7 yds) and career (43.6 yds) RIP Mr. Gantt.

Georgia at Florida,… Termed, “The Worlds Largest Cocktail Party” Georgia needs a win here to keep pace with South Carolina in the SEC East. Florida just needs a win, period. It has been a long time since the Gators have lost 4 in a row,… But this could be the year they do it. Georgia wins this one. 24-14

Arkansas at Vanderbilt,….This could be a close game. Closer than you may think. If Vandy can hang around until the 4th quarter, they could pull the upset. The Razorbacks don’t really travel well but I do see them winning late,… Arky 28-17

Mississippi St at Kentucky,…. Good news for Kentucky fans. It is getting close to basketball season. There is no good news for the Bulldogs at MSU except they win the battle of the “Why even play this game”. Neither team has an SEC win, so guess what? MSU gets their first one. MSU 27- 17

Mississippi at auburn,…. auburn will become bowl eligible in this game. I wonder if the fans can stay awake for this one? auburn 12 Ole Miss 11

South Carolina at Tennessee,… South Carolina needs a win to keep up with the Bulldogs. Tennessee is a bad football team. Coach Dooley is a good coach I think but it will take some time to right the sinking ship Fulmer and Kiffen left the Vols in. South Carolina wins this game 31-14

The Brooks Lions Will Pray,….

2011-10-26T07:21:00.001-05:00

If you haven’t heard already, a complaint against the Lauderdale County Schools has been filed with the Freedom From Religion Foundation by Jeremy L. Green because of a public prayer at a Brooks High School game.
Read more here
Apparently Mr Green became offended because of a prayer. Maybe he just likes to stir the pot. It seems most atheists have some sort of an agenda to try to disprove God’s existence. Every chance they get. Personally I think the atheists need to unite and form their own religious status and get tax breaks. (Sarcasm)
A group has been formed on facebook entitled, The Brooks Lions Will Pray.
You can join here
This was done as a support group for the ones that seem to want a prayer before sporting events, etc. Nothing wrong with that. Last night though I was browsing through their wall posts and low and behold several people, including a group called Shoals Humanists has joined the group just to argue against the prayers. Good grief. It isn’t enough these people have ruined the TimesFaily’s religious forum (along with Bill Gray) but they feel the need to stretch their agenda over to a facebook group that was set up to support the prayer issue involving the Lauderdale County Schools. Tacky, tacky, tacky. Get a life. Comments will be allowed but depending on my mood, some may not be published. It is my blog after all. You want to argue? Set up your own fb page or go to the TimesFaily forum,… oh wait. You’ve already done that.

Dr Jekyll,… Mr Tide,….

2011-10-23T09:29:00.001-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I know the title is sort of lame. Well, mostly lame, but it was all I could think of at the moment.

The tale of two halves of football were very evident in the Bama-Tennessee game last night. The Tide came out flat while the Vols came to play. Knotted up at 6 during the halftime break, something sure was said in the Bama locker room. As poorly as they played in the first half, the second half was much better. It seemed the Tide was playing not to lose in the first 2 quarters and playing to win in the last 2.

Bamas receivers played very well making some spectacular catches that were a bit off the mark from AJ McCarron. Not slighting AJ any but he has too much height on the long balls and not enough touch. But he is doing well as a young QB. He is winning, that’s all you can ask. And he didn’t get down after he threw the pick.

LSU won as expected trouncing a hapless auburn team. It wasn’t pretty in the second half for the tigers of auburn. LSU proved they deserve the number one BCS ranking and Nov 5th is coming quickly. The game with Alabama is possibly for the national championship. If Bama plays that game like they did the first half of the Tennessee game,.. it could be over early for the Tide. Saban preaches 60 minutes. It will take 61 to beat LSU.

A hail mary pass in the Wisconsin-Michigan St game kept me from being perfect on my pickings as I ventured out of the SEC and picked a Big 10 game. MSU won on a last play pass 37-31. So for week 8,… I went 5-1 for a season total of 43-6, dropping my picking percentage to 87.76.

My Picks For Week 8,…..

2011-10-21T08:34:00.001-05:00

Ah, the “Third Saturday in October” means it is Alabama-Tennessee week. This is one of the best rivalries in the SEC and all of college football. Since I live close to the Tennessee state line, this match up is probably more fierce than the game with auburn. Driving past the state line you would often see the score spray painted on the “Welcome to Alabama” sign and sometimes, that was a hard pill to swallow. Currently my picking sits at 38-5, so I may venture outside the SEC this week.

Jacksonville St at Kentucky,….This could be one of the better games. JSU has a few ex SEC players and their running back, Washun Ealey is one of them. The former Georgia Bulldog could provide the spark the Gamecocks need this week as they take on a Wildcat team that quit possibly is one of Kentucky's worst. I almost want to pick JSU in this one but I think Kentucky will pull it out in the end. Kentucky 28 JSU 24

Army at Vanderbilt,…. Army runs an option based offense and it has done well this year. The Cadets bring in the nations best rushing offense. But Vandy is a better team with better players. Look for a close game until the 4th quarter, then Vandy should pull away. Vanderbilt 27 Army 17

Arkansas at Mississippi,…. Ole Miss had one of their worst defeats last week at the hands of the Crimson Tide. Good news for Ole Miss,… they get back the players that were suspended last week. Bad news for Ole Miss, Arkansas can score a bunch too. Arkansas 48 Ole Miss 14

Auburn at LSU,…. Tip of the hat to the auburn program for being better(lucky) than previously thought, by me anyway. The tigers of auburn will need all the luck in the world to compete with the Bengal Tigers of LSU. That and a brilliant game plan. I think auburns luck runs out this game. LSU 33 auburn 20

Wisconsin at Michigan St,…. The Badgers offense will face their stiffest competition of the season this week. The Wisconsin offense hasn’t scored fewer than 35 points in a game to date but the Spartan defense could do just that. A conference game win is needed by both teams and a loss would knot things up in their respective divisions in the Big 10 conference which has 12 teams. Tough one to pick but with Wisconsin’s offense I’ll have to go with them. Wisconsin 38 Michigan St 28

Tennessee at Alabama,… My how the mighty have fallen. The once proud Volunteers find themselves a mediocre SEC team once again. I call this karma at the Tennessee program is still reeling from being coached by Phat Phil and Lame Kitten. Bama is looking like a championship team and the only chance the Vols have is if Bama is looking ahead to Nov 5th. I don’t think that happens. Alabama 35 Tennessee 10

Unanswered Prayers,…..

2011-10-20T11:57:00.001-05:00

Garth Brooks had a popular song entitled Unanswered Prayers. In it he sees an old high school girlfriend and introduces her to his wife, while reflecting back and remembering praying that God would make her, his. And if God would grant him this wish, he’d never ask for anything again. Then he sings, he thanks God for unanswered prayers. For not allowing it to happen.

I personally have a problem with this. I was raised going to church every time the doors were open. I haven’t been in many years. But I still believe. I still pray. I pray for my children in all the things they do, in their daily lives, their families. I even prayed that God would keep them safe as they drove to work and school. My daughter flipped her car coming down from Colbert Heights, I believe God answered my prayer with a yes.

To me, prayer is for lack of a better term, a talk with God. I try to be specific when I pray. If I pray for someone that is sick, I use their name. If I pray for God to protect my children from harm, I use their name. I know God knows who I’m praying for, but I tell him specifics. I also do not believe in unanswered prayers. It is my belief we could get three or four different answers. A yes, a no, a not now or a maybe, wait and see. The wait and see can turn out to be a yes or no. But even a not now or wait and see is still an answer.

In the song , he asks if God would make her, his, grant him this wish, he’d never ask for anything again. Be careful how and what you ask for. I know it is just a song, but if that were in real life, what would he do if later, he had a child and they were sick or hurt. He had told God he’d never ask for anything again. So, if he did pray for a sick child, would that prayer go unanswered?

Don’t Tug On Superman’s Cape,….

2011-10-16T08:49:00.001-05:00

A Heisman run,……..

Ole Miss quarterback, Randall Mackey, had this quote to the press earlier in the week,… “Alabama is just Alabama. They’ve got a real good defense from the D-line to the secondary. There are still, I’m not going to say weaknesses, you know, they ain’t Superman. So they can be beat.” I wonder how Mr. Mackey feels now? In the video above, Trent Richardson, puts a great move on Senquez Golson behind the line of scrimmage and near the 15. Golson got used up twice on the play. The only thing separating Trent and Superman last night was Trent wasn’t wearing a cape to tug on. That was one of the best runs I’ve ever seen from anyone.

At the end of the run, Trent shows some class after scoring. He does a chest bump but after a run like that I think we all would. Then he just goes back over to the sidelines. Alabama showed more class at the end of the game when they had the ball near the 20 yard line with under 2 minutes to go in the game. There was no need to score again as the game was over. The offense took a knee 3 times and time expired. Bama players have for the past several weeks, helped up opposing players from the turf after knocking them down. Classy.

This team is playing better and seem to be on a mission. They approach each game with a business like attitude. They have played very well the past couple of games and have improved greatly on offense. The O-line is playing better and AJ McCarron is doing what the coaches want him to do and he is doing it well. He is managing the game.

I don’t know of course, what the future holds for this team. But they are special. Whether they win the SEC or not, remains to be seen. If they don’t it won’t be the end of the world because I’ll still be wearing my Crimson colors. The showdown with LSU promises to be epic. Special seasons have special moments. The run by Trent in the video is one of those special moments. RTR!!

Well, on my picking the winners, for the second straight week I was 5-0 pushing my totals to 38-5 for an 88.3% clip. Not too shabby.

Emergency order makes synthetic marijuana illegal and Lil Steve’s,…..

2011-10-15T14:20:00.001-05:00

While I applaud the state for doing this, this will not really do anything for the illegal counterpart. Regular “pot” will still be illegal and readily available to the ones that use it. The synthetic versions, that were legal for sale until the state passed the new law was apparently more harmful than its non-synthetic cousin, marijuana.

The debate to make pot legal will likely go on for decades. Probably past my lifetime and yours. I personally don’t care what your view of it is. Nor do I think it is worse than alcohol. For what it is worth, I had rather meet a driver on the road who had smoked than a driver who had drank a six pack, done 3-4 shots or talking on a cell phone.

As previously stated, the legal versions that were deemed illegal by the state were just that, “legal” at the time of sale. Some on the TimesFaily article Agents Seize Synthetic Drugs have replied about the store being Lil Steve’s. It was, but just one of the stores that the state took the items off the shelf. The article also states that the stores, all of them were cooperative in the removal of said synthetics. People are now allowed to comment on a reporters article. Which is a stupid move on the TimesFaily. Of course they aren’t known for being a leader in the newsprint industry. Now we know why. Here are 3 of the comments to the link above,…

On 10/15/11 at 02:43 AM, tom29s wrote:

I though the owner of Little Steves was a great business manager after they brought 3 or more gas stations. But after reading in the paper about the Lauderdale cty Drug Task Force loading a box of these now banned drugs from little steves station, I don't think he is a great manager now. I think his greed let him sell these items, tho not illegal at the time, he knew they were dangerous. He reads the newspaper so I am sure he knew that Franklin County made these drugs illegal several months ago. The newspaper on several occasions have written how danerous they are and how the state has been trying to ban them. I think the only thing he was great at was drawing and advertising UNA students to his business. A ready made base of 7000 student to maybe shop at his stores to buy who knows what. I really feel bad for out of town parents who sent their kids to UNA thinking a small college and town would help protect their young children from drugs only to now find out a business was selling a well known dangerous item right off campus. At $20.00 to $40.00 a gram there was a lot of money to be made. I usually fill my vehicle up with gas 3 times a week at the BP on Helton & Cox Creek station but not any more.

On 10/15/11 at 10:45 AM, fletch wrote:

Shame on all of them, Stevies just made the headline..

On 10/15/11 at 10:57 AM, Sweetie wrote:

He knew about it because several parents complained to him about selling the drugs to children.He laughed and bought three BP stations. This was reported to BP corporate headquarters several weeks ago.I no longer shop there at any of the stores.

To Tom29s, I would suggest that you are some of their competition. Maybe you should go back to India and become a telemarketer.

To fletch, I hope you aren’t from Kix96,… if you are you’re in the same boat as Jimmy O.

And finally Sweetie,… BP gas doesn't control local stores. With your attitude I’m sure Big Steve and Lil Steve are glad you are no longer a customer. You’d be one of those customers that would fake a fall and sue the establishment.

I’ve known the owner and his son for 30 plus years. I’ve done business with them for that long also. While this article may provide a dark spot on the store, they cooperated fully when it became illegal. When it was legal, it was the same as selling alcohol or cigarettes. There was no difference. There were several other stores selling the exact same items. Most of those weren’t American owned. But yet Tom Smith decided to dis a local, American owned business. That’s about right for the TimesFaily.

My Picks For Week 7,…..

2011-10-14T13:19:00.001-05:00

My season record currently stands at 33-5. While this is fairly good, don’t go betting the house on my picks. The stats will drop I’m sure.

Florida at auburn,…. Well the tigers need to send Alabama a thank you card. Alabama took out, for a few weeks, the first and second string quarterbacks of the Gators. If that hadn’t happened I would be picking the Gators to win this one. As bad as I hate to, I’ll have to pick auburn this week. auburn has won with luck this year, this time it will be because of attrition. Not talent. auburn 24 Florida 17

Georgia at Vanderbilt,…. Georgia controls their own destiny. Right now things are going well for the Bulldogs as they are in the fight for the SEC East crown. But,…. Vandy should not be overlooked. The Commodores are a much improved team than in the past. Talent wise and coach wise. This game could be close till halftime but the Dogs depth should prevail. Georgia 34 Vandy 17

South Carolina at Mississippi State,… The Bulldogs of State were mentioned in preseason talk as possibly competing for the SEC West. It isn’t panning out too well for those bell ringers in Starkville. The Gamecocks defense versus the Dogs offense will be fun to watch if you are a Carolina fan. The Dogs offensive line hasn’t performed as they needed to and depth will play a key roll in this game too. Visorboy finally got rid of Steven Garcia and the offense finally knows who their QB is. Conner Shaw had a nice day versus Kentucky last week but States defense is better than the Wildcats. Carolina 38 Mississippi St 14

LSU at Tennessee,…. The number one team in the land comes into Neyland Stadium against a Tennessee team that is minus its starting QB. Tyler Bray will be out for about a month and this game could get ugly, quick. LSU is simply too much for the Vols,… LSU 48 Tennessee 12

Alabama at Ole Miss,…. Special teams are important. They can provide a spark to the offense with a well placed punt, a huge hit on a return guy or a forced fumble. The Rebels have had great special team play while Bama on returns are doing ok, the kicking has been suspect. But it takes more than special teams to win. You have to score points on offense and hold them on defense. That’s why Alabama wins this game. It could be a close game, but I’ll go with three touchdowns. Alabama 31 Ole Miss 10

Arc of the Shoals,.. Go Vote!!

2011-10-12T15:54:00.001-05:00

This will only take a few minutes of your time but it could make some people really happy. And it won’t cost you a dime. This per the facebook page set up by Whippoorwill Hollow Films,… “The Arc is trying to finish their greenhouse and have entered this contest ....the money would help these good folks make their goal...They need fans and heaters...we were lucky enough to be asked to shoot this video for them. And we were the lucky ones to get to spend time with these wonderful folks. So take time to vote and make some good folks very happy!”

The Arc is a learning center for people with disabilities. While it is for the disabled, they center on the abilities of each student. Now, you can help them with their project. Between the 13th and the 27th of this month you can cast your vote for Arc of the Shoals. Go here to vote,… Click Me! Click Me! One vote per each legitimate email address.

Some Pet Peeves,….

2011-10-10T16:52:00.001-05:00

While reading posts on facebook, forums and even the TimesFaily articles, I run across errors in English. I am far from an English expert by the way, but I do know how some forms of words are used and misused. Take for instance, their, there and they’re. In all three places mentioned above I have seen these three words misused. Their is a pronoun, which describes a noun. Example, Their food really wasn't that good. For some reason, people insist on using the word there for their in this instance. The word there, I put the food right there, shows location. It is an adverb. Again I’ve seen people misuse the word their in this instance. Which brings me to they’re. It is a contraction of they are. They’re going to eat at the place where we didn’t think their food was that good. I know this is probably being nit-picky but how we type can make us look either educated or having a lack of education. You don’t have to be a Rhodes Scholar to type the correct words,… here is a good way of testing the usage of these words that I found online.

If you wrote there, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with here? If so, you're using it correctly.

If you chose their, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with our? If so, you've chosen the correct word.

If you used they're, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with they are? If so, you're on the right track!

This may not be true in every case, but for the most part it will be. Kind of like the I before e except after c rule doesn't always apply.

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Most of you know my (slight) obsession with people parking in the fire lanes at Seven Points Shopping Center,…. The Florence Fire Dept had their trailer parked next to the Dollar General and had something going on for the public. I went to their facebook page but nothing was posted about what they were doing. But anyway, while they were there, guess what. Yep just a few feet from where they had the trailer set up and partitioned off, people continued to park in the firelane. That just amazed me…. and apparently the fire dept didn’t care…..

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Oh the list goes on. Sunday leaving Lil Steve’s store on Pine, I’m headed east towards the Sherrod Ave. intersection at Dick Howell’s BBQ. An ambulance driver decided to turn left on Sherrod at the last minute stopping because the light was red. He didn’t have his lights on so he wasn’t on a call. He stops at the light but because he decided to turn late, the backend of the ambulance was in the right hand lane. Stopped. The only way for me to advance was to get into Dick Howell’s parking lot. Which I did. I glance over at the driver and low and behold the guy is texting. Didn’t Florence make a law about that? Was this the reason for his last second decision to turn left of Sherrod?

Probably too much glare to see the phone. It’s the little things that get under my skin.

The Vandy Game,…

2011-10-09T08:24:00.001-05:00

First, kudos to coach James Franklin for the job he is doing at Vanderbilt. The ‘Dores are a better coached team than in the past. With some recruiting, Vandy may pass Ole Miss as the SEC’s bottom feeder. The defense for Vandy played a full game. The offense lacks personnel to really compete but that’s not saying they can’t win in the SEC. The whole Vanderbilt team impressed me. And for what its worth, twice yesterday I heard them called the University of Vanderbilt, once by an announcer and once by coach Saban. Its VU coach, not UV. But then again, you can call it anything you want to.

Bama hasn’t really played a complete game yet. They haven’t had to. The games have been settled mostly before the 4th quarter starts. The defense has been tough on opposing quarterbacks too. Both the first and second stringers at Florida were injured and this week the Vandy starter was hurt. The Tide seemed to play down to the competition in the first half. Neither side of the ball played or executed well. More than likely the Bama players weren’t able to sit during halftime as they were getting their butt chewed for lack of intensity, motivation and poor play. They did respond in the second half.

Over on my attempts to prognosticate, I was 5 for 5 this week. That pushes my predictions to 33 correct versus 5 incorrect for a picking percentage of 86.84%.
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Here are the current standings of the college football pick’em group.

First Fridays in Florence,….. With Pictures,….

2011-10-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

On a whim, we decided to get out of the house and go to First Fridays. The weather was perfect and I had actually forgotten about it until I saw it mentioned on facebook. I did kind of figure with high school football on a Friday night there wouldn’t be a big crowd. Wrong. There were people everywhere. The music was very good and the vendors all did a nice job with their displays. All of the downtown eating establishments were packed. It was a perfect night. My apologies for the pictures not lining up. They were before I published them, now they are being stubborn.

My Picks For Week 6,…….

2011-10-06T22:24:00.001-05:00

Mid season already? Seems like the season just started. I guess that’s what happens when you get old,… time perception just goes. Now where did I put my glasses? Week 6 and time to pick the winners for this weekend.

Georgia @ Tennessee,….. It seems like Georgia’s coach, Mark Richt’s job is on the line each week. This week is no exception. The Volunteers have a good QB in Tyler Bray and a good pass blocking scheme. But the run blocking is lacking. This is a game of two has been-want-to-be-again programs. Georgia wins at Neyland, 28-24.

Florida @ LSU,…. While the Gators hopes were derailed last week by the Crimson Tide, the Tigers of LSU will apply much of the same pressure on defense. Florida will be using their backup QB and that will make this game,… Gatorless. Florida could be held without a touchdown unless the Tigers score a bunch and get far enough ahead to play reserves. Look for LSU to try to prove they deserve the number 1 ranking,… LSU 38-7

Kentucky @ South Carolina,… In the real world a wildcat could take down a chicken. Even a fighting chicken. But Kentucky is playing like one of those stuffed cats that you see in hunters trophy cases. The only thing that might keep the Wildcats in this game is the South Carolina QB, Steven Garcia. Conner Shaw the back up is supposed to start but Garcia will play. The most highly over rated QB in the SEC and maybe all of college football. Home team wins,… S, Carolina 31-3

auburn @ Arkansas,… The Hogs came back to win last week against Texas A&M. auburn keeps winning despite itself. If Arkansas can contain the auburn running game, they win. If not, auburn could beat the Hogs at home,… Arkansas 41-34

Vandy @ Alabama,…. I never thought I would see a Vandy fan talk smack on an Alabama board. That happened this week. While Vandy has played some good ball, they lack depth in which to compete. They do however ball hawk well and Bamas AJ McCarron will have to keep his head in the game. It’s a Bama homecoming win,… Bama 35 Vandy 10

Will Five Guys Be Hiring?

2011-10-04T22:26:00.001-05:00

NT Times Article
The above link just really pissed me off. Read it.
Has America become so sympathetic to illegals that it is willing to waiver in the laws that protect our own country? Have we not learned anything from Sept 11?
I remember a time when I could buy something that had to be assembled and actually read the instructions and not have to search for the English version.
In this particular article, written by some Yankee from the NYT’s, Campbell Robertson, depicts the plight of the Hispanic immigrants in Albertville AL after the new immigration bill was upheld by Judge Sharon Blackburn. Kudos to her by the way. Judge Blackburn almost gives me hope on the federal judges. Anyway, the article goes on to state, “Critics of the law, particularly farmers, contractors and home builders, say the measure has already been devastating, leaving rotting crops in fields and critical shortages of labor. They say that even fully documented Hispanic workers are leaving, an assessment that seems to be borne out in interviews here.” From this I take it that the farmers, contractors and builders cannot find people willing to work…… WHY? August unemployment figures states that 9.9% of Alabamians were out of work. That is 213,000 people. Of those 213,00 Alabamians out of work, can any of them drive a nail? Why do we need ILLEGAL immigrants who obviously feel threatened because of the new law to do these jobs? What did we do before we had the influx of illegals? WE WORKED PEOPLE. And why are these people leaving the state? Because they legally do not have a right to be here. And they know it.
Now,… get those people off of unemployment, give them a hammer, teach them to harvest whatever crop is rotting and get to work. With that said,… On my few visits to the new Five Guys, they seem to have hired several Hispanics. Will they be hiring soon?

Tide Dominance,…..

2011-10-02T09:58:00.001-05:00

The Tide rolled into The Swamp Saturday night and when they left, it was nothing more than a drained wasteland. The Gator fans were sent to seek higher ground and the exits to their cars, early. The Bama defense once again dominated the line of scrimmage in a show that can be performed only by champions. While championships remain to be seen by the 2011 version of the Crimson Tide, they will control their own destiny.
While the defense was busy doing its thing, the offensive line was just as dominate. Opening holes for Trent Richardson to gallop for 181 yards and protecting their quarterback.
AJ McCarron was never sacked and rarely even hurried as he continues to progress into the game manager that seems to be required of Alabama qb’s. Even the crowd noise didn’t seem to bother AJ as he led the offense. Bama played another good game to near perfection. But, and you knew there had to be one or two, the kicking game, most notably the kickoffs may hurt us in the end. Along with a couple of just down right boneheaded plays that really could have cost us. The hit on the Florida punt returner after a roughing the kicker penalty was one of those boneheaded plays.
Florida did come out throwing and proved early that the Tide secondary wasn’t super human, but the Tide adjusted and kept their cool and settled down. Florida qb Brantley was injured and never returned or it could have been closer than the score indicated. Hopefully it isn’t a season ending injury and he can come back. Florida will need him. Roll Tide on a good road win in a hostile environment. Oh and the Florida running backs, Demps and Rainey? They had been termed Lightning and Lightning, proved to not even be a spark as they had a grand total of 8 rushing yards together.
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Well, the college football pick em has gotten really interesting. For the third straight week, RollTideRoll20 has made gains on BamaHoHo. Everyones scores were down this week as several teams won that weren’t supposed to.
As far as my personal picking, I went 5-1 this week. Those pesky tigers from auburn continue their lucky streak. My season totals are 28-5. That comes out percentage wise to an 84.85% clip. Slightly down from last week.

Oh! What A Beautiful Morning!! And More,…..

2011-10-01T07:33:00.001-05:00

I just hope this evening/tonight are the same. Roll Tide!! This year has just flown by it seems. It is October already. And with it this morning is a chilly 49 degrees.

Don’t forget the Oktoberfest Celebration at St Florian today and tomorrow. The weather will be perfect for it.

An AP article appeared in the TimesFaily entitled, Hispanic students vanish from state schools, You can read it here I would suggest to the author that a more appropriate title might be, Illegal Immigrants Are Fleeing The State. With the new law in effect, if the illegals didn’t have anything to worry about, they wouldn’t leave. In the article, what I read from the writer, he wants you to be sympathetic in their plight to, not get legal, but to continue to live here illegally. As I have said before, I do not have a problem with people from other countries coming here. But I do have a problem when they do not comply with the laws to get legal. If it weren’t for my own grandparents coming from Europe and doing it the right way, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here doing this blog. And the people that continue to say it is racist to try to uphold immigration laws are just plain, for lack of a better term, ignorant. Learn the word racist before you use it incorrectly please.

With a new month, a new champion for last months Shoals Daily Trivia has been crowned. Congrats to Lulu once again for fending off some tough competition from Midnightrider and me!! Yep I finished third last month. But coming in third is just the second loser. Come play with us at Click here to play Thank all of you for playing each month. Much appreciated.

Here are the Top 10 from September……….

Sep 11
17 players played during the month.

1. lulu (266 points, 7 wins)
2. midknightrider (253 points, 3 wins)
3. OriginalBama (249 points, 2 wins)
4. bamagirl (242 points, 8 wins)
5. janet (219 points, 4 wins)
6. Franny (218 points, 1 wins)
7. am4uofa (210 points, 2 wins)
8. DHS-86 (202 points, 0 wins)
9. Granny (149 points, 0 wins)
10. Honeychild (146 points, 0 wins)

My Picks For Week 5,….

2011-09-30T06:12:00.001-05:00

Week 5 already? It seems to be going by too quickly. Next thing you know it’ll be,…. cold. Brrrr. Anyway,… some big games on tap this week in the SEC. As of right this moment, yours truly is 23 0f 27 for the year. That could really change this week.

Kentucky @ LSU,…. Is Kentucky the new Vandy? Or do they just concentrate on basketball? At the start of the year I had figured Houston Nutt of Ole Miss and Mark Richt would be one of the first coaches to get walking papers. Kentucky’s Joker Phillips could beat both of them to the punch. This game shouldn’t be close….. LSU 54 UK 7

Mississippi St @ Gawja,…. This could be one of the better games of the day. The Bulldogs of MSU haven’t lived quite up to expectations while the Bulldogs of Georgia seemed, at least to me to be better than first thought. Look for a home win here,.. Georgia 27 Mississippi St,… 24

Auburn @ South Carolina,… The Fighting Chickens from USCeast are still looking to repeat in the SEC East, while the tigers of auburn are still trying to find some defense. South Carolina’s strong point? Offense. auburn’s weak point? Defense. No brainer. And by the way, the trees at toomers corner may live after all,… they may not be rolled for a few weeks. South Carolina 35 auburn 21

Buffalo @ Tennessee,… No this isn’t an NFL game. This is a scrimmage. The Vols will roll….. Tennessee 45 Buffalo 10

Arkansas @ Texas A&M,…. Another of the better games. since A&M will soon be in the SEC, this could become a good rivalry. Albeit, I still am opposed to having A&M in the conference. But, my thoughts don’t count. This one is tough to call. Arky didn’t show me much against Alabama. And it’s a home game for A&M,…Sigh,… Arky 34 A&M 31

Alabama @ Florida,…. A night game in the swamp. Curses. Florida looked good last week and their rushing tandem has been termed Lightning and Lightning. Neither one has done much vs Alabama in the past. Bama played their best game of the season last week. Will it continue? It must if Bama is to have a chance playing on the road. Keys to an Alabama win? Ball control. Hang onto it. Control the clock and take out the crowd. Easy to do? No. this is another pick where I’ll go with my heart and not my gut. Alabama 24 Florida 21

St Florian’s Oktoberfest…….

2011-09-28T21:15:00.001-05:00

This weekend, Saturday Oct 1st and Sunday Oct 2nd, will mark the 9th annual Oktoberfest Celebration in town of St Florian, just north of Florence on Old Jackson Hwy/County Rd 47. From Cox Creek Pkwy turn beside Martins and head north. You will find the town celebrating its German heritage with music, games for the kids, arts and crafts, food vendors, car show, tractor show and historical display. This community has also restored the Buffler House with is now being used for weddings, receptions, reunions and retreats. There is great pride and history in this town. Come join them as they celebrate Oktoberfest their way. I found this video online made by a guy with the screen name of moody609. It is of last years Oktoberfest. I asked permission to use it and he graciously allowed me to do so. If you use youtube, be sure and look at his other local videos. He does good work.

Oktober Happenings,…..

2011-09-27T16:31:00.001-05:00

Fall is definitely in the air. While I like fall weather, I detest what comes after it. It starts with a w,… I can’t even type it. After fall, I look forward to spring and the new life trees put on. But alas, we must all deal with “it”.
October brings around several events this year. Some are new and some have weathered the test of time. DeadwoodHollow is brand new this year and will feature two mazes you can get a combo package for both. Here is their facebook link,… http://www.facebook.com/pages/DeadwoodHollow/210819652308067 and their website, http://deadwoodhollow.com/ complete with directions. It isn’t hard to find and with the first maze here in a long time, this is one you’ll want to visit.

Arx Mortis at Ghosthill (Haunted Attraction in Killen, AL) offers three attractions at one location,…. This from their facebook page,…
Covington Clinic is over 40,000 sq ft of INDOOR HORROR. Boasting 23 "early out" exits throughout the haunt, we're proud to say there are plenty of people who have to use them because of extreme terror! The walk through tour is rated PG 13 due to intensity, gore & realism.
Miner's Hill is the most intense OUTDOOR haunted trail in the state of Alabama! Self guided tour takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Open nights subject to weather.
CHAOS! is Alabama's only interactive haunted attraction! Join the forces with other humans in the fight against the Mortis Legion. You'll use semi-automatic weapons (paintball guns) to shoot at live monsters....
DIRECTIONS: from I65 in Athens, AL, take US 72 West 33 miles. Attraction is on Right. *** From Walmart in Florence, AL, take US 72 East approximately 8 miles. Attraction is on Left. Located across from Brooks High School in Killen, AL.
Parking:Parking Lot
Ticket Pricing:
General Admission:
Covington Clinic - $15
Miner's Hill - $15
BOTH Covington Clinic & Miner's Hill - $25
(VIP upgrade - additional $10)
Military Discount: $2 off regular ticket price (with valid military ID)
Group Rate (15 or MORE people paid in ONE transaction): Either attraction $13 / or BOTH attractions for $23. Group rates do not apply to Chaos.
CHAOS - $7
See calendar for Dates we are open in October!
You have to visit their facebook and website to grasp what these guys are doing.
http://www.facebook.com/ArxMortis?sk=wall
http://www.ArxMortis.com

For a more leisurely stroll, but sure to put chills down your spine, Florence is blessed with Debra Glass and her Haunted History of the Shoals Ghost Walk Tour. Debra is a local author and has received numerous awards for her writing. Debra will be your storyteller as you walk through Florence and visit the numerous places that ghosts do dwell. Legend, folklore and truth are on tap during your tour. As the day turns into darkness you will meet your guide at the Handy Statue in Wilson Park. Be sure to click on the photos to enlarge them. Valuable information is awaiting your click,...........

Fast and Furious,…

2011-09-26T15:14:00.001-05:00

No, this isn’t about last years running backs for Alabama. This is about the US government selling guns South of the border. This is about putting our Border Patrol in harms way. This is about the ineptness of one, David Voth. An ATF supervisor with apparently no conscience. The death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry while I don’t think it has been linked to these guns, it doesn’t matter to me. The number one priority of our government, of the ones running these operations should be the safety of any and all Americans. David Voth failed. Here is the story written by William Lajeunesse of Fox News. I published the whole story here but also supplied the link.

Story here

U.S. Government Used Taxpayer Funds to Buy, Sell Weapons During 'Fast and Furious,' Documents Show

Not only did U.S. officials approve, allow and assist in the sale of more than 2,000 guns to the Sinaloa cartel -- the federal government used taxpayer money to buy semi-automatic weapons, sold them to criminals and then watched as the guns disappeared.

This disclosure, revealed in documents obtained by Fox News, could undermine the Department of Justice's previous defense that Operation Fast and Furious was a "botched" operation where agents simply "lost track" of weapons as they were transferred from one illegal buyer to another. Instead, it heightens the culpability of the federal government as Mexico, according to sources, has opened two criminal investigations into the operation that flooded their country with illegal weapons.

Operation Fast and Furious began in October 2009. In it, federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives encouraged gun stores to sell weapons to an arms smuggling gang, then watched as the guns crossed the border and were used in crimes. Each month, the agency allowed hundreds of guns to go South, despite opposition from some agents.
All told, the gang spent more than $1.25 million for the illegal guns.

In June 2010, however, the ATF dramatically upped the ante, making the U.S. government the actual "seller" of guns.

According to documents obtained by Fox News, Agent John Dodson was ordered to buy six semi-automatic Draco pistols -- two of those were purchased at the Lone Wolf gun store in Peoria, Ariz. An unusual sale, Dodson was sent to the store with a letter of approval from David Voth, an ATF group supervisor.

Dodson then sold the weapons to known illegal buyers, while fellow agents watched from their cars nearby.

This was not a "buy-bust" or a sting operation, where police sell to a buyer and then arrest them immediately afterward. In this case, agents were "ordered" to let the sale go through and follow the weapons to a stash house.

According to sources directly involved in the case, Dodson felt strongly that the weapons should not be abandoned and the stash house should remain under 24-hour surveillance. However, Voth disagreed and ordered the surveillance team to return to the office. Dodson refused, and for six days in the desert heat kept the house under watch, defying direct orders from Voth.

A week later, a second vehicle showed up to transfer the weapons. Dodson called for an interdiction team to move in, make the arrest and seize the weapons. Voth refused and the guns disappeared with no surveillance.

According to a story posted Sunday on a website dedicated to covering Fast and Furious, Voth gave Dodson the assignment to "dirty him up," since Dodson had become the most vocal critic of the operation.

"I think Dodson demanded the letter from Voth to cover both himself and the FFL (Federal Firearm Licensee). He didn't want to be hung out to dry by Voth," a source told the website "Sipsey Street Irregulars."

Subsequent to this undercover operation, sources told Sipsey, "Dodson just about came apart all over them (his supervisors). In a 'screaming match' that was heard throughout the Phoenix office by many employees, Dodson yelled at Voth and Assistant Special Agent in Charge George Gillett, 'Why not just go direct and empty out the (ATF) arms room?" (to the cartels), or words to that effect.'

After the confrontation, ATF managers transferred Dodson to a more menial job. Months later, after the death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, Dodson blew the whistle and went public about the federal government's gunrunning operation.

Pulled Pork Anyone?,….

2011-09-25T08:25:00.001-05:00

I love pulled pork. Ribs. Pork chops. Bacon,… love me some bacon. So when the Alabama Crimson Tide slaughtered the piggies from Arkansas yesterday, there’s enough bacon left for everybody.

For the first time this year, I felt the Tide dominated. The controlled both lines of scrimmage. And that is where tough games are won. The defense played fantastic as they held the highly touted passing game in check. The Hogs got 209 yards passing which was below their average and just 17 yards rushing for a total of 226 yards for the game. They had averaged 517 yards a game coming into Bryant-Denny Saturday.

The offensive line play much better Saturday. The running backs were able to scoot through for some decent yards between the tackles. AJ McCarron played a well managed game in his first SEC game start. The kicking game for Bama needs help. Bama cannot seem to be able to kick the ball in the endzone on a consistent basis and the punting game could hurt us in the future if the game is a battle of field position. I hope this improves soon.

This week, I actually got all of my picks correct, on the blog. The college pick ‘em league is a different story. My blog picks stand now at 23-4 on the year for 85.19% so far.

Next week will be probably an even bigger test for the Tide. They travel to the Swamp,… at night.

My Picks For Week 4,….

2011-09-23T05:42:00.001-05:00

Now, the real season begins. Well for Bama anyway. So far the Tide has not shown me much that would make them the #2 pick at the start of the season. I still have hopes for the season, but I’m a realist. I learned a long time ago to not put much faith in pre-season hype. With that said,… here are this weeks picks.
Florida at Kentucky,…. With the Wildcats from Kentucky, looking like Vanderbilt so far this year, this is probably nothing more than a scrimmage for the Gators. Even if the look ahead to next week and hosting Alabama, they’ll win this one. Florida 35 Kentucky 7
Vanderbilt at South Carolina,…. The ‘Dores are 3 and 0. But they aren’t in the upper epsilon of the SEC just yet, they are still Vandy and they are at South Carolina. Surprisingly if this were played in Nashville,… I might pick Vandy in an upset. Home field will ring true in this one. USCeast 31 Vandy 17
Georgia at Mississippi,… The Coaches on the Hotseat Bowl. Who knew bowl games would start in September? It is a must win for both teams and their coaches. If Houston Nutt loses this one, that U-Haul may be in his driveway before the season is up. If Nutts Rebel Bears or whatever they are do sneak up and win this one,… the U-Haul could be in Mark Richt’s driveway. Sunday. Home field isn’t an advantage in this one. Georgia 31- Mississippi 17
Florida Atlantic at auburn,…. Hmmm, while the roof is leaking at the barn (Ted Roof is defensive coordinator) the Owls from Florida Atlantic have only scored 3 points all year. The tigers should get the leak stopped this week. But it won’t last long. auburn 52 Florida Atlantic 7
Louisiana Tech at Mississippi State,… While LaTech has proven in the past it can beat SEC teams, this year they’ve struggled. And MSU is still trying to prove to the football world it is worthy of whatever they think they are worthy of. State has too many weapons and talent to lose this one. MSU 35 LaTech 14
LSU at West Virginia,…. While the Mountaineers are a good team,… according the the SEC, they don’t have what it takes to join the conference. After this weeks game they might send the SEC a thank you note for not accepting them. LSU 31 WVU 14
Arkansas at Alabama,…. A must win for both teams if they want to win the West. This will possibly be the best receivers Bama faces all year. On the other hand, it could be the best defensive backs/safetys the Hogs face this year. My heart says one thing, my gut says another about the outcome. I’m going with my heart. Bama 27 Arky 24

Has UNA Violated NCAA Rules?,…… And More,…..

2011-09-20T19:32:00.001-05:00

Well, I don’t know. That is why I am asking. A little while back, after Janoris Jenkins, from the Florida Gators, enrolled at UNA, his coach, Terry Bowden, took him to a local rental place to get a tv. While Janoris apparently set up the account, did Bowden’s driving him there violate NCAA rules? And how is Jenkins paying for a weekly rental? I understand some players do get Pell Grants which could explain how he is paying for it. But a rental center? That seems kind of expensive to me.
And a customer of mine made the comment they gave a UNA player furniture because he didn’t have any. I don’t know the players identity because I didn’t ask. When I joked about that being improper benefits, she said she hated UNA, they were Ole Miss alumni. Again, is giving a player furniture in violation of NCAA rules? I’m wide open for answers because I do not know. It seems a school is in violation for just about anything these days. I’m just throwing this out here,… someone help me out.
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And now for the and more part. Texting is ok on some levels. I get that. It’s fun. It’s hip. It’s the thing to do. BUT,……….. BUT, when you are running a business, pick up the PHONE and call or ANSWER your phone.Texting about information on a job is a lack of PROFESSIONALISM. The meaning and conveyed thoughts can get lost in the translations of texting. Resulting in a LACK of communication. USE THE PHONE FOR WHAT IT WAS MEANT FOR!! TALKING!!

A Win is a Win, Right? Wrong,….

2011-09-18T08:49:00.001-05:00

You would think I would be overjoyed with Alabama winning 41-0. Not with the way the line is run blocking. Running up the middle has become a chore against mediocre teams. It has to improve if Bama is going to win the West. On a side note to that, it was good to see Darius Hanks back. He had a couple of nice blocks on some runs.
Eddie Lacy had 161 yards rushing while Trent Richardson garnered 169. Most of those yards were not runs up the middle. It should be hard for me to complain about those yards but most of them came on long runs by each player. Take those away and they have maybe a 3 yard per carry average. Maybe I’m nitpicking, but as a fan of the Tide, I expect more. Unlike an auburn fan that said yesterday on facebook, “Me too the one that REALLY counts is against ALABAMA ;)” in response to a post that said “We knew it would happen”. When Alabama loses, my first thoughts aren’t the Iron Bowl, mine are how do we keep this from happening next week. The seem to take the approach that going 1-11 for the year isn’t so bad if the beat Bama.
The defense looked good in keeping the Mean Green out of the endzone. We all know the old cliché’ “defense wins championships”. Which is true, but you have to score to win too. Bama missed a couple of 42 yd field goals and had to settle for a couple. The Tide needs to make those 3 pointers and turn the others into touchdowns if they are going to compete in the SEC. Overall, even though the score was 41-0 Bama graded a C. Possibly the worst game of the young season.
I do enjoy watch Vinnie Sunseri play on special teams. The guy can hit. He almost seems to fly at times.
My football prognosticating percentage actually went up this week. Currently at 80% correct. I’m 16 out of 20 so far and was feeling good when Vandy beat Ole Miss. My incorrect picks this week was auburn and Kentucky.
Over on the Yahoo College Football Pick’em,.. it is a different story. BamaHoHo continues to lead but some of the others made up some ground this week. Yours truly slipped a spot to 7th.

My Picks For Week 3,….

2011-09-15T07:04:00.001-05:00

Because one of this weeks games is LSU at Mississippi St being played on Thursday night,.. this is a day early.
LSU at Mississippi St.,… Mississippi St had their chance last week to make a statement. That they are in the running for the SEC West. They blew it. This week they are the underdogs but will have the same result as in the auburn game. A loss. Those cowbells will be ringing for sure but cowbells don’t score touchdowns or keep the other team from scoring. LSU 35 MSU 17.
Coastal Carolina at Georgia,… After going 0-2 to start the 2011 season, the natives are restless in Athens. Mark Richt has got to win this one and the Dawgs should do just that. That U-Haul is getting closer and closer though…. Georgia 49 CC 12.
Louisville at Kentucky,… This is a tough one. I want to pick the Wildcats and they should win. Louisville could provide problems for Kentucky and Kentucky will need to improve on their passing game to win this one… ok, flipping a coin…. heads Kentucky….. Kentucky 24 Louisville 20.
Navy at South Carolina,… Ole Visor Boy had better have his defense ready to go in this one. The Midshipmen have a solid running game. While the Gamecocks have their eyes on an SEC crown, they better not overlook this game. South Carolina 35 Navy 24
Auburn at Clemson,… tigers vs Tigers. There will be a lot of arnge at this one. Since auburn is away, the eagle won’t fly into a window. I’ve been waiting since it happened for the barners to blame Alabama for it. I’ll be pulling for the Tigers to win in this one, guess which one. The ball just continues to bounce auburns way. It will continue in this one. auburn 42 Clemson 21
North Texas at Alabama,…. While the Mean Green from North Texas have some good players, they just won’t be able to match up to Bama. The Tide moved back up to the 2 spot in the AP polls, which means absolutely nothing, but should be able to play reserves early in this one. Roll Tide Roll. Alabama 54 North Texas 7
Mississippi at Vanderbilt,… Sigh, another coin flip. If Vandy wins this game Houston Nutt might want to take up dancing. Preferably the Waltz. Because if the Rebels lose the university may just waltz his butt out of there at the end of the season. It’s a home game for Vandy and I’ll pick them to win this one. Vandy 24 UM 21
Tennessee at Florida,.... This could be one of the better games on Saturday. Normally I would just pick Florida in this one but Derek Dooley seems to have the Vols on the right track and Florida has a new coach in Will Muschamp . But I think in the end, Florida may have the most talent of the two and the better defense. Plus its in the Swamp. Florida 28 Tennessee 17

An Interview with,…. Dust.

2011-09-14T07:36:00.001-05:00

Lets see how this interview goes…..
OB: Tell us a little bit about yourself dust.
Dust: WELL THERE IS A LOT TO TELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?
OB: Okay, what are some of your favorite things to do?
Dust: OH, I LIKE TO FLOAT AROUND A LOT. IN THE WINTER TIME I LIKE TO FLOAT IN FRONT OF WINDOWS, WHERE THE SUN COMES IN. THE THERMAL WARMING THING YA KNOW,…….
OB: Go on, continue,….
Dust: I LIKE TO LAND ON PEOPLES NOSES AND MAKE THEM SNEEZE OR AT THE VERY LEAST TICKLE THEM.
OB: And?
Dust: I REALLY LIKE THE STATIC ELECTRICITY FROM TELEVISIONS. I GET A CHARGE OUT OF THAT.
OB: Sounds like fun I guess. Why are you screaming?
Dust: I’M PRACTICING MY GILBERT GOTTFRIED IMPERSONATION.
OB: Have you been compared to him?
Dust: More than you would think. I guess it is because we both are annoying and enjoy it.
OB: So you enjoy being annoying?
Dust: Oh yeah! It makes my day to hear people say “I just dusted and you can’t tell it” Knowing that they really haven’t dusted in a month.
OB: What is one of the least fun things you do?
Dust: I’m thinking. Hmmmm,… Falling into peoples ears while they sleep. You have no idea of how many people don’t know about Q-Tips.
OB: One last question and then I’ll let you go back to floating around,… Do you have any goals in life?
Dust: Heck no,… just floating around with all of my family. We’re like a band of gypsies on a journey to nowhere. I do want people to quit comparing me to lint. We are not related in any way. You can’t make socks out of dust.

Joe Pa and Penn State,……

2011-09-12T20:51:00.001-05:00

I’ve read a few comments from Bama fans that went to Happy Valley over the weekend and talked to one that went. The Penn St fans, from all accounts that I’ve read or heard, showed class and respect for the Bama fans that made the trek to watch the game. Even to the point of apologizing for the occasional obnoxious State fan. It appears, at least to me, that this is the way college football is meant to be.

All colleges have their obnoxious, idiot fans. Yes, that includes Bama too. I deleted a few Bama fans from my facebook a couple of weeks ago for being in the obnoxious mode. Remember the guy at media days with the “I Hate Auburn” tee shirt? He was one of them. Show some class, act like you’ve been there before. By the way, it wasn’t for the tee shirt. I liked it. Trash talking isn’t something I tolerate too well. Eating crow isn’t something I want to do. It doesn’t taste good. I’ve been there, done that, have the tee shirt. Maybe one day some of the younger Bama fans will grow up in this respect as I did.

Back to Penn St and Joe Pa. I have all the respect in the world for the guy. He is the all time leader in amount of wins as a college coach. A record that will probably never be broken. But his time as a coach has come. It is my opinion he is hurting the Penn St program more than he is helping it. Bobby Bowden isn’t a threat any longer to surpass Joe Pa. So maybe Joe thinks the same thing will happen to him if he retires that happened to the Bear. I’m just glad Paul Bryant realized it was his time to leave and didn’t hang around so long as to hurt the program. The Bear loved Alabama and knew it was time. I’m sure Joe Pa loves Penn St every bit as much,… but coach, it’s time. With all due respect of course.

Week 2 Picks and Some Thoughts,….

2011-09-11T10:18:00.001-05:00

Well, Happy Valley probably isn’t too happy this morning. The Tide took care of a good Penn St team with relative ease. While the boys wearing Crimson played a bit better than last week, there is still much room for improvement. LSU jumped Alabama last week in the polls and I heard from several Bama fans that it was just wrong. Well, no it wasn’t. LSU beat the then #4 team and Bama beat a cupcake, no disrespect to Kent St. And Bama didn’t look that good doing it at times. So yeah, LSU looked like the better team and in my opinion, should have jumped to the number 1 spot.
auburn looked impressive yesterday possibly proving week one wasn’t a fluke. They beat a solid Mississippi St team that apparently, like auburn, lacks personnel on defense. Time ran out on the Bulldogs as they were about to score. Football is a game of inches and just a few of them would have given the Bulldogs a win. Oh well. After winning 16 straight games, the tigers fell out of the top 25, this week, they should re-enter probably around 20 or so. Personally I wish they didn’t use polls until the 4th game of the season.
After yesterdays games, going 6-1 on the day, my pickings went to 11-2 for the young season. That is an 84.615% clip. Not too shabby but it will probably go down in the coming weeks.

The BamaNation Pickem League is of course in week 2. Ten players are vying for the number one spot that BamaHoHo (love that name) holds. Yours truly is currently mired in 6th spot with my picks.

Standings

Rank	Pick Set Name	Total Pts	W-L
1	BamaHoHo	623	44-7
2	The King of Kings	611	42-9
3	midknightrider	589	41-10
4	Klephsadick	577	41-10
5	kirk.gilpin	569	37-14
6	OB's Corner	551	41-10
7	RollTideRoll20	540	38-13
8	Griff	516	34-17
9	Go Blue Raiders	467	33-18
10	CoachG's Picks	0	0-51

September 11,……….

2011-09-10T07:23:00.001-05:00

Click the pictures to enlarge.

My Picks For Saturday, Week 2,….

2011-09-08T16:40:00.001-05:00

Well the first week went well as I picked 6 out of 7 for a 6-1 mark. I had really thought it could have been 5-2. Then I was really getting worried as I was watching the Utah St-auburn game with the tigers losing. I watched that game on ESPN3 on the computer while I had the Bama game on tv. I was getting my football fix for sure.

Did anyone see the Maryland-Miami game? What some sick uniforms. I thought the Boise St and the Georgia unis were bad. These looked like Maryland was getting ready for a Renaissance Faire.

I don’t know who made that decision but, well I’ll leave it at that.

This weeks picks…. Some good games on tap.

Arkansas-New Mexico at Little Rock. This one could get ugly quick. New Mexico had the second worst defense last year and the Hawgs have a nice passing game. Should be over early. Arky 57 New Mexico 3

Southern Illinois-Mississippi at Oxford. I see Houston Nutt trying to save his job with this one. Normally this should be no contest. Ole Miss lost their starting running back for the season and the backup is out as well. While I think Ole Miss prevails it will be closer than it should be. Ole Miss 28 So. Illinois 21

Cincinnati-Tennessee at Knoxville. Cincy isn’t a push over and Vols fans think they are back because they beat Montana last week. The Vols have much to prove to their fans and while depth at certain positions are a problem, they are at home with those ugly endzones. This one could go either way but I’ll pick Tennessee because they are at Neyland. Tennessee 28 Cincinnati 27

Mississippi St- auburn at auburn. Last week MSU looked good against a weaker opponent. auburn looked not so good against a weaker(cough) opponent. Even though auburn eeked out a win, I don’t think God is a tiger fan. Bear walked on water remember? Just sayin. The only thing that makes this game close is it’s a home game for the tigers. MSU needs to come play and not be intimidated. I haven’t heard if the fans from State can bring their cowbells, but those bells should be ringing back in Starkville after the game. MSU 31 auburn 21

Northwestern State-LSU at LSU. LSU deserved to jump Bama in the AP poll and probably should have jumped to number one. LSU in a squeaker,… 100-0.

Alabama-Penn St at Happy Valley. The weather could play a part in this one with rain being a problem. That could slow Bama’s speed down considerably. This is a classic match up of two great programs. The Penn St fans, at least on the football boards I go to have always shown class. I hope the Bama fans have done so as well. This isn’t last year and the Nittany Lions are a better team than when we played them at home last year. Last week, Alabama’s offensive line didn’t look that great. There were a lot of shifting going on as the coaches experimented under game conditions. Bama will have to limit it’s turnovers this week because you cannot turn the ball over to a team of State’s caliber and win. Whoever is Bama’s quarterback this week will need to step up and find their target. Penn St has good defensive backs, as good as Bama. The Bama QB will have to step it up. I look for AJ to get the most snaps this week. This should be another one of those classic games. Hopefully Bama comes out on top. Alabama 24 Penn St 14

Interview With A Troll,…

2011-09-06T19:00:00.001-05:00

This may become a series. Who knows. What is a troll? Well I went to urbandictionary.com http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=troll where I could get the, well urban definition of the word troll….
2.troll
One who purposely and deliberately (that purpose usually being self-amusement) starts an argument in a manner which attacks others on a forum without in any way listening to the arguments proposed by his or her peers. He will spark of such an argument via the use of ad hominem attacks (i.e. 'you're nothing but a fan boy is a popular phrase) with no substance or relevance to back them up as well as straw man arguments, which he uses to simply avoid addressing the essence of the issue.
3.troll
1a. Noun
One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message boards with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument.
1b. Noun
A person who, on a message forum of some type, attacks and flames other members of the forum for any of a number of reasons such as rank, previous disagreements, sex, status, etc.
A troll usually flames threads without staying on topic, unlike a "Flamer" who flames a thread because he/she disagrees with the content of the thread.
1c. Noun
A member of an internet forum who continually harangues and harasses others. Someone with nothing worthwhile to add to a certain conversation, but rather continually threadjacks or changes the subject, as well as thinks every member of the forum is talking about them and only them. Trolls often go by multiple names to circumvent getting banned.
This pretty much defines the person some know as Rramlinn, magpie, okuok and others. The guy is a stalker, a retired carpenter. Very near a pervert that goes to Sweetwater. And parents let their children go there? One who claims he has restored many great houses including his work at Sweetwater, which is falling apart. A member of the Church of Christ at Salem from what I’ve heard, that has the arrogance of the old CoC members. You know the ones. The ones that said if you aren't CoC you’re going to hell. Well based on his posts at the TimesFaily and other forums,… Jesus Christ him self would have a hard time saving him. For what its worth, do not judge him and his idiot ways with the CoC. If his elders knew how he acted online, and his wife for that matter, they would hang their head in shame.
OB: Ok, so Rram,… you are known as a troll on forums, is this correct?
Rram: Huh? No, I’m a God fearing, man that believes in truth and the American way.
OB: So, you don’t think you’re a troll on forums?
Rram: Huh? No, I’m a God fearing man that believes in truth and the American way.
OB: Yeah, I got that. You don’t think you’re a troll?
Rram: Huh? No, I’m always right.
OB: You belittle women on forums… well, you try to belittle everyone, but you pick on women. Why is that?
Rram: Because of my mommie.
OB: So you are blaming your actions on your mother?
Rram: Yes. She was born a poor black child.
OB: So you think you are Steve Martin now?
Rram: No, she did.
OB: Your mother thought she was Steve Martin?
Rram: Yes. And Dean Martin, Tony Danza and Ethel Kennedy.
OB: Hmmm, ok.
Rram: Yeah, I come from a long line of crazies.
OB: A long line? Do tell.
Rram: Yes, my dad was Houdini. He could vanish in a flash… I do the same thing now. That’s why my wife has no clue what I do online. My grandfather was Edsel Ford. They named a car after him. My great grandfather was Napoleon. They named ice cream after him.
OB: Ice cream? Isn’t that Neapolitan?
Rram: Yes, its short and sweet…. well in the container it is anyway.
OB: So, are you ashamed of your actions online?
Rram: Of course not. Earnest Angley is my hero. He can make all of my wrongs go away by the touch of his hand. Even though he is 90, with his toupee he looks a young 70.
OB: You’re joking right? Earnest?
Rram: Oh no,… He is the Savior.
OB: A savior with a toupee?
Rram: Yes, why? My wife wears one too.
OB: And the world keeps spinning,… ya gotta wonder how long.

Deadwood Hollow,….

2011-09-05T13:16:00.001-05:00

There will be a new attraction in the Shoals this fall. Something to frighten your senses. Something to challenge them too. Something new to the area and will provide a “scary” atmosphere for you and your friends. Deadwood Hollow.
They advertise four miles of twists, turns and terror through what they are calling “The Stalk” and “The Maze of Darkness” Tickets are separate for each event but you can purchase a combo ticket for both at a reduced rate.
On Friday, or is that Frightday? Anyway, on October the 1st (Friday) the first 500 in get another free night. Can you handle it? Can you make it through the maze? Here is their website for more info,… Deadwood Hollow be sure to read the important info. Also, here is their facebook page, friend them,… Deadwood Hollow on Facebook Be sure to “like” them and keep up with current happenings. Be sure to click the photos to enlarge them.

Bama Doesn’t Make The Grade,……..

2011-09-04T08:30:00.001-05:00

Alabama did just about what I thought they would do. I didn’t expect 5 turnovers though. Alabama simply cannot afford to make those same kind of mistakes this coming week or against any SEC team. Usually when you give the other team the ball 5 times, you’ll lose. Bama was fortunate that they were playing Kent ST. Not taking anything away from them but they aren’t an SEC caliber team.
I thought AJ MaCarron played better than Phillip Sims at quarterback. Statistic wise that is true, but watching both QB’s play AJ found his secondary receivers and checked off better that Phillip did. Sims seemed to force his throws more to the primary and couldn’t find his secondary go to guys. Quarterback play graded a C-.
The offensive line…… it was sad. The run block and pass block just was not there. The O line got pushed around on several plays. Yes I know the line was being rotated, but come on guys, this is Alabama football. Even Donte Hightower from the defense went over and chewed their butts out. O line play graded a C.
Running backs had a good day. Eddie Lacy is proving his worth while Trent Richardson was disappointing. I blame the O line for much of Trents lack of yards. They just didn’t dominate. Running backs grade a B-.
Defense. There were some bright spots. As a whole, they shut down the Kent St offense. The front line, linebackers, ends, safetys and d backs all played well. The defense is special and hopefully will remain that way. Defense as a whole, A-.
Alabama is ranked #2 in the country. They didn’t play like their ranking suggests.

Well, I'm no guru on football picks for sure. I did correctly pick six out of seven though. Georgia being the lone loss. Mark Richt and Houston Nutt from Ole Miss may be on the hot seat this year. Thuggish play continues even after Nick Fairleys departure, so that tells me it is coached. LSU looks to be in the same boat as Bama. A good defense and not so good offense. I love college football.

The football pick 'em league is in full swing as of yesterday. I missed 7 games there. This weekend was supposed to be the easy weekend. Congrats to the Bulls of South Florida for beating the Golden Domers of Notre Dame. Even though I picked the Irish to win,... it was worth a loss in my loss column.

Roll Tide Roll!!

2011-09-03T07:32:00.001-05:00

As the sun is peeking onto Bryant-Denny this morning I hope all Bama fans will show some class today. Whether it be at the game with the Kent St Nation or on any social media page. Hopefully this game and this season will help the locals heal after the storms of April 27. There are two houndstooth ribbons on the field this year. Nicely done Alabama.
Today, lets all remember that some of the Kent St players came down to help during the relief efforts. Very classy thing to do on their part. Show them some extra respect before the game and after the game. Win or lose. Just beat the crap out of them during the game, with class of course. And today, I hope we don’t do Rammer Jammer after the game if we win. Show some class today. Oh and click on the picture to enlarge to see the field.

My Picks For Saturday,…

2011-09-02T06:04:00.001-05:00

Football is here my friends. It starts tonight and I’m trying to hurry to blog this so I can get my fix. College football is THE game. It is changing and I hope it doesn’t change too dramatically, to the point it becomes like pro ball. The NCAA has been plenty busy looking at schools all across the country. Personally I think Congress needs to investigate them. But that’s another blog for another day.
Here are my Saturday picks,…. And remember for tonight, I have Wisconsin, Mississippi St and Kentucky picked tonight.
Alabama-Kent St. David and Goliath,.. Sportswriters have consistently said this could be Bama’s best defense since 1992. Time will tell. Hopefully Bama will settle on an offensive leader this week as both AJ and Sims will play. Pick one coach. this game shouldn’t be close but I suspect Saban won’t run up the score on his alma mater. Winner, Alabama.
auburn-Utah St The Aggies from state were a fairly balanced team on offense last year. They too, along with Alabama haven't settled on a QB yet. And Utah ST isn’t Alabama. The tigers of auburn are without $cam Newton and the thuggish Nick Fairley but this will be another David vs Goliath game. Winner, auburn.
Georgia-Boise St…. One of the top games this Saturday. Always pulling for an SEC team, unless it is auburn, I hope the Dawgs of Georgia can win this one. I do see more offense than defense in this one and if Georgia is to win, it will have to outscore the Broncos, who managed an average 519 yds total offense per game last year. Georgia coach Mark Richt’s job could be on the line this year. This is a tough one to call but being an SEC homer, Winner, Georgia.
LSU-Oregon…. Three weeks ago I would have picked the Bengal Tigers hands down. With suspensions handed out and Jordan Jefferson with all of his troubles, I think it helps LSU. But it could become a distraction. That is where your coaching comes into play and we all know coach Les Miles can’t tell time. Oregon has had some off field issues too and I think the Tigers from the Bayou come out on top. Winner,… sigh in a tough one, LSU.
My picks for last night (Thursday) were all correct. So I’m 3-0 but after Saturday I could just be 5-2.

Texas A&M to SEC? And auburn to the Big12?

2011-09-01T06:47:00.001-05:00

I can dream can’t I? The ultimate swap of the red headed step children.

I know things change and all of that, but I just cannot get excited about A&M coming to the SEC. Of course nothing is set in stone as of right now except that A&M is leaving the Big12.

They, like auburn has been with Alabama, have always taken a back seat because of Texas. Maybe they feel the need to spread their wings. I don’t blame them for wanting out of the conference, but go away. Go far far away. The SEC is working great right now. Adding A&M would make the league unbalanced unless of course they add another team such as a Virginia Tech or Clemson. Florida St could be another possibility. But seriously SEC, don’t get like facebook. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Sometimes bigger isn’t always better. Just ask Texas. And oh, by the way, brisket isn’t bbq. Pork is.

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Congrats to Midnightrider for winning the August version of Shoals Daily Trivia. It came down to the last day to decide a winner. Mid has been the winner a few times. Yours truly was a distant 6th. Thank all of you that play and make this thing fun to do. Here are the August results.

Aug 11
17 players played during the month.

1. midknightrider (287 points, 2 wins)
2. bamagirl (279 points, 6 wins)
3. Csimon6572 (271 points, 3 wins)
4. janet (262 points, 6 wins)
5. Franny (252 points, 1 wins)
6. OriginalBama (251 points, 2 wins)
7. lulu (246 points, 4 wins)
8. am4uofa (246 points, 3 wins)
9. Honeychild (232 points, 2 wins)
10. DHS-86 (231 points, 1 wins)

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Time is ticking and Saturdays games start the 2011 college pick em season. You can enter at any time but don’t miss a weekend or you could end up at the bottom. Come pick winners with us. Its free and its just for bragging rights.

http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/college/3308

the password you’ll need is ROLLTIDE,… all capital letters.