Random Posting for Penn State 11/5/16

Here are 9 Nittany Nuggets from tonight's game:

1.)  And somehow it's already November ball!
2.)  And somehow it's now FIVE IN A ROW!
3.)  It *was* good to be 12.  Where will we be tomorrow?
4.)  So when IA's WADLEY "raised a finger to shush the crowd" and got a talking-to by one of the refs, were we supposed to read between the lines and assume that he used a certain finger?
5.)  So when IA's QB is on the screen, is that facial hair a mo-vember thing?  Or did he just come from a porn shoot set in the seventies? 
6.)  I was put off by one of the announcermen saying that a player was going to go "break some ankles" out there ... and then I googled it and found out that it's a common phrase and may not mean exactly what it says.
7.)  I thought I could escape politics during this game ... but with all the ads for both parties, I'm guessing the presumably PA predominant audience must be in a battleground state or something.
8.)  Saquon ... we love you.  But had you played at a different time with a different coach, you might have been benched for that high-stepping stuff.  Just sayin' ...
9.)  I don't care what anyone else says.  *My* player of the week is McBARKLEY ('cause I couldn't decide which one, so I just mashed them up together).

In closing, thanks to flag bearer Immanuel IYKE and to whomever made the decision to give away 10,000 tickets for tonight's game to military members...  and dare I say it ... could it be SIX in a row next week with Indiana?

SO ANKLE BREAKERS MAY NOT BE AS BAD AS I THOUGHT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgnJJU9rvXk

IT'S MOVEMBER FOLKS:
https://us.movember.com/?gclid=CIaHiJiMk9ACFUJEhgodLAsHVg

THE IYKE STORY:
https://www.landof10.com/penn-state/penn-state-football-marine-beaver-stadium

Random Soapbox for Saturday 11/5/16

I don't mean to go off on a rave here, but ...

... that's *exactly* what I'm going to do.

And not just for one Saturday out of the month like I normally do to balance out all the other weeks when I rant, but seeing as how it is November and all, I'm going to rave every week for the next five in order to honor this season of gratitude.

Over on the Facebook, I'm doing it daily ... and on Saturdays, I'll compile my thoughts for the week so that they are recorded for the blog -- in case I ever have a day where I feel like complaining, and then I can pull up my list and remember to appreciate what I have.  To whit:

NOV 1 -- Today, I am THANKFUL for CROSSING GUARDS. Now that I'm walking in the morning *before* work (and biking on my lunch break [so long as I don't have a flat tire]), I'm on the same schedule as the school kids, which means I get assistance getting through the big intersections. And they smile and say hello and good morning to me just like I'm back in school. Here's to the happy people keeping the world a little safer.

NOV 2 -- Today, I am THANKFUL for the CUBS. For the dozen or so years lived in Chicago, half of them were spent a spit and a holler away from Wrigley. As such, I know full well what is happening in my former hometown tonight. And talk about hanging in there and perpetrating a comeback -- inspiration for us all!

NOV 3 --  Today, I am THANKFUL for the neighbor's BOUGAINVILLEA, 'cause it adds a pop of color in the corner of the yard, where it has grown over the fence and into our space. But I'm okay with that, because otherwise the yard is a bunch of green and brown -- perfectly fine for earth colors and all, but still. Mind you, if the butterfly bushes (one red, one blue) could keep their blooms for any length of time (the butterflies here are voracious eaters), then it would be a different story. Until that happens though, it's the neighbor's BOUGAINVILLEA or nothing!

NOV 4 -- Today, I am THANKFUL for a little FUNK music. Partly because it is so ironically named (nothing will get you *out* of a funk than a little bit of funk), partly because I love me a horn section, and partly because I was catching up on this season's SNLs and got to the one where Bruno Mars was the musical guest.

NOV 5 -- Today, I am THANKFUL for weekend MOVIE TIME. For awhile now, I've been doing superhero movies on Saturdays ... and for a shorter amount of time, Stephen King movies/miniseries on Sundays. The movies/miniseries are great in their own right, but it's the cuddling up on the couch with the lights out, the volume cranked up to 50 and both puppies snuggled in on either side that makes the activity the best.

THE CHICAGO RIVER JUST GOT A TON OF THOSE TIDYBOWL THINGS IN IT:
https://flightstightsandmovienights.com/review-index/the-list/

SPEAKING OF A LITTLE FUNK:
http://www.billboard.com/photos/7511389/best-funk-songs-of-all-time-dance-music/1

UM ... I'M GOING TO NEED A FEW MORE SATURDAYS:
https://flightstightsandmovienights.com/review-index/the-list/

Random Flashback for Friday 11/4/16

Two weeks ago, when I flashed back to a photo of my mom hugging a sunflower, taken out west in the summer of 1996, I mentioned that I knew a family member was out there at the time the photo was taken.

Here's my proof.

Of course, that cowboy hat is so big that you might not be able to see exactly *who* it is underneath that brim, so I'll have to let you know that it's my nephew Ryan B doing his best cowboy impression -- which is a perfectly acceptable thing to be doing when one finds oneself in Montana (or so I've heard as I've never been).

Come to think of it ... two decades later, that young man is being a cowboy in Nashville now, so maybe he was on to something back then!

Random Thought for Thursday 11/3/16

[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the FORTY-THIRD of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!]

Establishment:  Duffy's Sports Grill
Location:  Plantation
Meal:  (Gametime) Dinner
Drink:  2for1 Guinness
Appetizer #1:  New England Clam Chowder
Appetizer #2:  Smoked Fish Dip
Crispy flatbread, fresh vegetables, grilled Naan bread
Appetizer #3:  Loaded Potato Skins
Bacon, scallions, jack & cheddar cheese, sour cream
Appetizer #4:  Sesame Tuna Tostado
Seasoned and seared Ahi Tuna, served cold on a crisp tostone with homemade tzatziki, Sriracha and scallions
Appetizer #5:  Open Faced Meatball Sliders

Our homemade meatballs with a blend of ground Certified Angus Beef® and Heritage Farms Cheshire Pork® simmered in marinara sauce and served on slices of toasted baguette with Parmesan cheese.
Main:  Bacon Mushroom Cheeseburger
1/2 lb burger with onions and pickles
Side(s):  Parmesan Truffle Fries
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  Carissa

Back to back sports bars -- courtesy of a night Penn State game last week, and a World Series game 7 this week -- and in both cases, it was a delight to be eating in restaurants that placed a healthy emphasis on the food they were serving instead of it being an afterthought to all the alcohol.  And a quick note about the feast on display ... this was a viewing party, so all of the apps (except the soup) were shared amongst four of us, and the main was split between two.  *Together*, we cleaned those plates ... and this is how the establishment fared in the score:

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (lots of TVs and outdoor seating was available [we love a place with outdoor seating], with comfortably sized booths [we hate a booth where four people feel crowded] made this place "home" for the night ... plus there were a cast of characters at the bar that were entertaining to observe during the commercials ... just a point lost 'cause it was a bit loud, all things considered [and not just when we were bellowing out Cubs cheers])
FOOD:            8/10 (there was a lot to sample, which is a double edged sword in this rating because that means there were more opportunities to maybe miss something ... but the burger [juicy!] and fries [flavorful!] matched the menu pics and tasted great, the clam chowder had huge chunks of clam and was super creamy, and those meatball sliders were just the right touch ... the smoked fish dip was smoky enough but not anything amazing, although serving it with naan was nice ... the points come off for the tuna tostadas [with an overwhelming splash of Sriracha] and the loaded potato skins that could have used a bit more potato and a bit more things loaded on to them)
SERVICE:      7/10 (our server took it in stride when we explained we had moved in for the night to watch the whole game, and that we were going to order in stages ... and the staff was quick to change the channels on the TVs upon request so that everyone had a good view of the World Series ... but a point lost for a bathroom that was unattended [no paper towels and urinals with standing urine on the floor around them] and another lost for being a sports bar that was closing down before the final game of the World Series had ended -- strictly at midnight, right in the middle of a 10th inning rain delay ... and a final point lost because it was a super long wait for the first of the many dishes to arrive [and that was just fish dip])
BACON:         10/10 (it's on the menu in all the right places -- added to the chicken sandwiches, to the burgers and to the salads ... plus it was part of what made the skins almost loaded)
BONUS:         7/10 (+3 because the Cubs won the freaking World Series [later, after we got home], +3 for BOGO beer all night long, and +1 for being a place to which we will return, because I saw some desserts walk past our table that looked amazing)

TroyScore:  41 out of 50 -- aka 82, a low B

Random Wordplay for Wednesday 11/2/16

No thank you for your service.

Used in a sentence:  "With Veteran's Day just around the corner, it might be as good a time as any to highlight a recent trend which is to think twice before you speak to a veteran, as chances are that they might better appreciate hearing "no thank you for your service" instead of "thank you for your service".

That latter phrase slips out almost on auto-pilot any more, and *that's* part of the problem.  It's perceived as a canned response and, in a world of "volunteer" soldiers (where "volunteer" is sometimes heavily dictated by race and/or socio-economic status), it's often viewed as a cop-out from a public who really has no idea what sacrifices veterans make, and who too quickly assumes that that little phrase is all that needs to be said to bridge the gap.

It's a tricky situation to be sure ... because each veteran's military experience was different and each veteran's sensitivity level is varied.  There may be a bit of a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" feeling after you process this information -- but here's the kicker ... maybe there are no words.  Maybe words are hollow.  Maybe actions are better -- volunteer, donate to a worthy veteran cause, or don't speak and just listen.

Because for you, veteran's day may be just one day in November when you jump on a bandwagon and spout off the obligatory phrase or post a meme or update your social media status with the thing that everybody says ... but for them, *every* day is veteran's day -- because they have that classification because they lived it.

Something to think about it going into next week ...

THE SOURCE FOR THIS PERSPECTIVE:
https://military.id.me/community-news/dont-say-thank-you-for-your-service/

AND THEY DON'T ALL HAVE PTSD EITHER:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303980004579576423045207210

THINGS YOU *CAN* DO INSTEAD:
http://www.military.com/veterans-day/8-ways-to-express-appreciation-on-veterans-day.html

JUST ONE MORE ... thank you (November 2016)

JUST ONE MORE ... thank you.

It's a new month ... so it's a new challenge, because that's what happens now when we turn the calendar -- a challenge that somehow relates to my concept of embracing incremental change in order to empower folks (or just me) to stay positive and solution-focused in a day and age where problems often seem insurmountable, control often seems out of reach and apathy often seems to be running rampant.

There's nothing more fitting for the month of November than to focus on an extra moment of gratitude for each of the next thirty days.  (Heck, if you really get into the spirit of things, feel free to do it for ten times that amount and continue it.  All.  Year.  Long.)

Along those lines, my sincere wish for you is that each day you consider whom to thank or for what you are grateful most you are overwhelmed with the amount of choices from which you pick.

After all, when it comes right down to it, it should be unbelievably easy to get each of you to provide JUST ONE MORE ... thank you!

Random Tune for Tuesday 11/1/16

It seems like a natural segue to go from Eagles the last time I posted a discarded cassette two weeks ago to the one and only Don Henley tonight.

And since I already have this particular greatest hits on CD, this old version in an old format (with its broken case) is getting the boot.

As for the tune to feature, it was also a no-brainer of sorts that I'm going to select one from the three bonus tracks that were new on this album when it was released.

I almost chose 'Garden of Allah', except, via the power of the google search, I confirmed that I posted that song already during Holy Hell Week around Easter of 2011 (oh that google!), so instead I'll highlight the perfect kiss-off song:  'You Don't Know Me At All'.  In my humble opinion, it should be played as all divorces are being signed ...

YOU TOOK MY BREATH AWAY AND NOW I WANT IT BACK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOOZaYvC-Ao