Football 2015 - Week 5

Here we are already at the midpoint of the high school football regular season. Bishop Kenny continued their winning ways with a come from behind victory 14-13 over Baker County at home. It was their third straight victory. The Crusaders scored first and last in this defensive battle. Kenny trailed the Wildcats 13-7 at halftime and after three quarters. The winning score was an 11 yard pass in the fourth quarter. This win brings BK to a 3-2, 1-0. Next is a home non-district game against the Yulee Hornets.


As expected, Bell lost their opening district game to Coppell 42-10. The Raiders scored their 10 points in the first half then were shutout the rest of the game. It was 28-10 at the half. The Cowboys had almost 200 more total yards. Bell punted six times, Coppell once. Seems to be a slight third down conversion problem. The Blue Raiders are now a perfect 0-5, 0-1 for the season. They now have an away district game against the Richland Rebels. Don't get your hopes up. 

Saturday proved to be a pretty exciting day. South Florida had the week off, that was not the exciting part.

In an SEC game, Florida hosted Tennessee at The Swamp. To be honest, I didn't have a lot of confidence in the Gators. They have been erratic and lucky in their past games this season and the Vols were supposed to be improved this year. These are two SEC East teams that have been less than stellar the past few years. Tennessee much longer than Florida. At one time when Spurrier and Fulmer were the head coaches, this was the SEC rivalry. With this game, Florida has won the last 11 meetings between the schools. On to this years game.  The Gators scored first with a TD but then Tennessee scored the next 20 points to lead 20-7. Florida pulled to within six at 20-14 before the Volunteers scored another TD with about 10 minutes remaining to lead 27-14. It didn't look good for the home team. The Gators scored with four minutes to go to pull to within 27-21 and then a miracle 63 yard pass play with 1:46 on the clock put Florida ahead 28-27. It wasn't over yet. Tennessee got to the Florida 37 yard line with 00:03 remaining in the game. They badly missed a 55 yard field goal attempt but McElwain had called timeout before the kick. The next FG attempt was so close that Tennessee coach Butch Jones thought they made it. Thankfully they didn't. The game wound up statistically even. Tennessee won the rushing game and Florida won the passing game. Amazingly Florida is 4-0, 1-0 but it gets even tougher now. They next host  #3 Mississippi at The Swamp. 

In many ways the #3 TCU at Texas Tech game was even more exciting. Even though TCU is ranked #3 by the AP, they have had some struggles in their previous three games and have suffered some key injuries as well as some disciplinary suspensions.This was also an instate Big 12 (which has only 10 teams) conference game. This post is not big enough to detail all the scores. There were 107 points scored, including a safety. TCU had 750 yards of offense, 503 thru the air. Tech had over 600 yards total, almost 400 passing. Amazingly there were no turnovers. Frogs QB, Trevon Boykin, accounted for 527 yards plus a pass reception (yes, reception) on a two point conversion. Great numbers but actually a rather uneven performance. TCU led 33-28 after the first 30 minutes. It was Frogs by two, remember that safety, 40-38 at the ¾  point. Then it got really interesting. Tech took the lead 45-40 early in the fourth quarter. TCU regained the lead, then the Red Raiders, then the Frogs for one final time. The game ended 55-52 in TCUs favor. Their last TD was a miracle. It was a four yard pass from Boykin to Green but Green was not the intended receiver. The pass bounced off intended receiver Doctson's hands and Green saved it at the very back of the endzone. The clock was at 00:23. The victory was still not sealed. In the 23 remaining seconds, Tech got to the Frogs 10 yard line on one of those pass plays that with three laterals after the catch. Once again TCU escaped with a victory. They are now 4-0, 1-0. Next game is back in Fort Worth against 1-3, 0-1 Texas in a conference game.

Besides the Florida-Tennessee thriller, the SEC had an OT win in the Texas A&M vs Arkansas game at AT&T Stadium (Jerry's World). The Aggies scored a TD with under three minutes in regulation, scored a two point conversion for the tie, missed a last second FG for the win but then won it in OT 28-21. SEC teams were 4-0 in non-conference games. In the latest AP Top 25 poll, there are three SEC teams in the top 10, five in the top 15 and seven in the top 25. The big surprise is that the Florida Gators are at number 25. 

After last week's 3-0 record in the pros, it got back to normal. The Jaguars had the unenviable task of traveling to Foxborough to play the Patriots. I had a feeling this might get ugly and the Jags didn't disappoint. Jacksonville was never in the game and lost 51-17. New England had 471 total yards, 346 passing. Brady threw for two TD as did Bortles who also had an interception. Jax was held to 57 ground yards, their longest run was eight yards.The Jaguars also had over 100 yards of penalties, not good for an offensively challenged team. The loss moves Jax to 1-2. Next up is at Indianapolis. That should be a little easier game.

Tampa Bay kept the score closer but it was the same result. They lost at Houston 19-9, The Bucs led at halftime 9-7 but like last year, folded in the second half. Jameis Winston had a mediocre game going 17/36 with one TD and one interception. The Bucs rushed for only 57 yards. The Texans had the ball over 12 minutes longer than TB. That's no way to keep a defensive unit fresh. The Buccaneers fall to 1-2 and now are back home to host the 3-0 Panthers.

It was looking like I would go 0-3 in NFL games. Atlanta fell behind Dallas 28-17 at the half but then just dominated the second half for a 39-28 victory. The Cowboys were without starting QB tony Romo and top receiver Dez Bryant so the Falcons win isn't a total surprise but it still counts. Atlanta QB, Matt Ryan, had a good game going 24/36 for 285 yards and two TDs. Running back Devonta Freeman rushed for 141 yards and three TDs. The Falcons are undefeated at 3-0. They continue the Texas connection with a home game against Houston.

Overall my teams were 4-3 with one bye. Not bad and about what I expect. I am still amazed that the Gators cracked the AP Top 25. This may be a one week situation.

wjh

What's In A Name, Changing Attitudes

On Sunday evening, I was writing my weekly football blog post when I made an aside comment about the fact that my alma mater was playing Westside High School which had a recent name change. I didn't think it appropriate in a sports blog to get serious about what is a social issue so here are my thoughts on the subject.

Westside High School was formally known as Nathan B. Forrest High School and the mascot name was Rebels. Confederate battle flags were prominent at sporting events and school activities. Nathan B. Forrest was a Confederate cavalry general and prominent member of the KKK although he later separated from the Klan. After a few years of protests, lobbying and petitions the school name was changed to the generic Westside. The school is indeed on the westside of town. The mascot is now the Wolverine. That makes no sense, there are no Wolverines in Florida, it is a cold weather animal. I'm assuming the name was chosen because of the alliteration. 

The original name was a bit of a push back to the civil rights movement and Supreme Court decision that determined that "separate but equal" was not really equal for the black schools. The original students had voted to call the school Valhalla with a Viking as the mascot. The then racist good old boy Duval County school board decided to overrule the students' wishes and name the school after a Confederate general and KKK Grand Wizard. It was their symbolic defiance of those liberal Supreme Court justices who had the audacity to rule that Negroes were equal to upstanding southern white folks. Jacksonville was a very racist city in the 50's and 60's. A full blown proponent of separate facilities for blacks and whites. I left Jacksonville for college in 1965 and for good by 1970 except for visits and it was still a racist city. I returned in the early 80's for a couple of years and found that it was still behind the times on racial issues. It was one of the reasons I jumped at an employment opportunity that took me out of Jax.  

Over the years, the once all white school had become predominantly black and the name was a constant issue. 

This name change may be the right choice in this situation, especially given how the N.B. Forrest name originally came about. Still, let's be careful about erasing all vestiges of the Civil War and our past acceptance of slavery. It is a significant part of our history. It is always dangerous to judge those who lived in the past based on today's standards and mores. I doubt any of us over a certain age would fare very well in an examination of our attitudes when we were in our teens, 20's or 30's. Nor would or parents and grandparents, who we loved, seem all that tolerant and accepting. History, both the nations and our own, is not always pretty. We are human and we make mistakes, sometimes individually and sometimes as a society. 

If you grew up white in 1860 South Carolina, Alabama or Florida there is a 99.9% chance that you were a racist by today's standards. If you grew up white in Jacksonville Florida in the 1910's, 20's and 30's there is a 99.7% chance you were a racist. Those were the people who ran the city and school board in the 50's and 60's when Forrest High School was named. It was a mistake on the cusp of a change in attitudes and laws. Jacksonville was still a mostly segregated city. 

I don't really know what kind of man N.B. Forrest was. I also don't know what went on in Abraham Lincoln's head. I suspect that both would be deemed racists by today's standards. 

Be careful what you wish for. Someday your beliefs and heroes may be out of vogue. Then you may be judged a bigot, racist, homophobic or any of a dozen other less than desirable beliefs. 1760 is different than 1860 which is different than 1960 which is different than 2015 and they will all be different than 2060. 

We can not rename every school, park, building, street, bridge and whatever else is named after someone who has a connection to the Confederacy or slavery. We can't remove every statue or monument. If we do, we have to expunge most of our founding father's memorials too. Was George Washington really much different than Robert E.Lee? Was Thomas Jefferson less of a racist than Jefferson Davis? Where would we stop with the social cleansing? Although flawed, these men were leaders during their time. I've read considerably about our Civil War. Like all eras, there were good people, bad people and many somewhere in between on both sides. The attitudes of Lee and Grant were not that different about Blacks and slavery. The Union forces weren't fighting to abolish slavery, especially at the start of the war. They were fighting to keep the United States united and also just defending themselves. 

These are not simple issues and rational discourse and solutions are almost impossible when the news and social media fan the flames. I no longer live in Jacksonville so I am not privy to the day to day events of the Forrest to Westside name change. I was however around when the school was named. Given the circumstances of how the original name came about and change in the makeup of the student body, I think the school name change was appropriate in this case. Still, can we do something about that Wolverines mascot name?

wjh

Blindspot

This is a quick review of the new NBC series Blindspot. I very rarely watch episodic TV series, but the Rangers had the night off and I didn't care about the Monday Night Football game. So, I decided to see what this new show was all about. As it turned out I should have watched the football game or checked out Netflix or Amazon.

To start with, the premise of Blindspot is ridiculous. An abandoned duffle bag is found in Times Square that contains a naked woman who is covered in tattoos. One prominent tattoo is the name of an FBI agent. Of course, the tattooed woman has amnesia, no fingerprints or DNA on file either. Apparently her tattoos are clues to bad shit that is going to happen. 

After the full blown physical and psychological examinations and interrogations the action begins. Somebody on the FBI team figures out one of the tattoos and comes up with an address in NYC. The FBI agent named in the tattoo, Kurt Weller, and a couple of other agents prepare to go to the address. Tattoo Lady, Jane Doe, wants to go with them. Of course, the FBI say no and they argue. The FBI boss finally says take her. I won't go into detail, but at the address we learn that Jane Doe can speak Chinese and is a martial arts expert. After a fight with a bad guy, Jane Doe is saved by Weller.

Next up the FBI folks figure out another tattoo that has something to do with the Statue of Liberty so the same team prepares to go there. Again Jane Doe insists on going, Weller says no, they argue, FBI relents. This time Weller gets in a fight with a different bad guy and Jane Doe saves him with an expert shot. Do you see a pattern here?

There were also some Jane Doe flashbacks and we see some clues to her past and maybe the real villain. There are also hints of some romantic/sexual sparks between Doe and Weller, what a surprise. 

I am not familiar with the stars of this show. Jaimie Alexander is Jane Doe and Sullivan Stapleton plays Weller. Surprisingly they are both attractive, unfortunately, they are not great actors. The one cast member I am familiar with is Marianne Jean-Baptiste as the FBI boss. She had very little to work with in this script. Everybody is overly earnest and serious. No smiles or humor allowed. The script is predictable and cliche.The premise is so outrageous that it needs a little tongue in cheek levity. 

I will be skipping future episodes of this clunker. If you haven't seen it yet, don't bother.

Overall I give this show a solid D. 

wjh

Football 2015 - Week 4

The football weekend started out good with a 33-20 win by Bishop Kenny over Westside (formerly Forrest) in a District 4-5A game. Once again the reported statistics were minimal. Kenny led 24-12 at halftime. Kenny had at least 300 total yards pretty evenly divided between ground and air. The Wolverines also had three fumbles. The Crusaders are now 2-2 on the season and 1-0 in district play. They host the Baker County Wildcats next.

Bell continued their losing ways with a 44-14 defeat at the hands of Abilene in a non-district game. The Eagles amassed over 500 total yards, 407 on the ground. Meanwhile, the Raiders had a miserable 34 yards passing on 2-14 with one interception. This brings Bell to 0-4 on the year. They next host the Coppell Cowboys in their first district game. 

College Saturday started poorly with a 34-17 USF loss at Maryland. The Bulls had 60 yards passing with two interceptions and one TD. Meanwhile, the Terrapins had 297 yards and four TDs through the air. USF continues to be inept on offense. Is it the talent (or lack of talent), the offensive scheme or the coaches? South Florida is 1-2 so far and opens their conference schedule at home against 3-0 Memphis. 

Things got better with the battle of the D/FW Metroplex between SMU and #3 TCU. This year the game was at Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. Although TCU was ranked #3, this is one of those rivalry games that often provides an upset. Not this year, the Frogs won 56-37. Those 56 points were evenly distributed with 14 points in each quarter. TCU's Heisman Trophy candidate QB, Trevone Boykin, threw for 454 yards and five TDs. He also rushed for 50 yards and one TD. Not a bad afternoon. The Horned Frogs remain at #3 in the AP poll and next open their Big 12 (which has only 10 teams) schedule with a trip to Lubbock to play Texas Tech. 

In the night game good news continued, barely. Florida traveled to Kentucky for their first SEC game and somehow managed to beat the always powerful Wildcats 14-9. Oh wait, Kentucky is only good in basketball and this was a football game. The Gators led 14-3 at the half and then just held on for the win. Where the hell is the offense? Looking at the stats, this game was even. Passing was 125-126, rushing was 120-115. Florida had an interception with about 30 seconds to go in the game to seal the deal. Amazingly the Gators are 3-0 for the season but things get much tougher. Next up Tennessee comes to The Swamp. The Vols look better than they have in recent years so this may be an indication of what kind of team Florida has. So far it looks like the defense will have to carry the team.

Although the SEC is 23-4 in non-conference games I get the impression that the conference may not be as strong as in previous years. Maybe it's just a changing of the guard. #15 Ole Miss had a huge upset over #2 Alabama. Preseason #6 Auburn has been pitiful. Overall there are still six SEC teams in the AP top 25, five in the top 14. 

Sometimes miracles do happen. It was a perfect 3-0 for my NFL teams. I can't remember the last time that happened. A normal week is 0-3 or 1-2 at best. 

Atlanta traveled to New Jersey to play the Giants. The Falcons trailed 13-10 at the half and 20-10 after three quarters but managed to score 14 in the final period for a 24-20 victory. Team statistics were pretty even and relatively mistake free, only one turnover by NY. The Falcons are now 2-0 after knocking off two weak NFC East teams. They continue with the NFC East when they travel to Jerry's World to play the crippled Cowboys who are now missing Dez Bryant and Tony Romo. Atlanta's schedule looks fairly easy so they probably have a chance to make the playoffs.

The winning continued when Tampa Bay upset the Saints in New Orleans. #1 draft choice Jameis Winston had a miraculous turnaround from his first game. He went 14/21 for 207 yards, a TD and no interceptions. The Bucs led by as much as 23-7 after three quarters and then held on at the end for a 26-19 victory. This puts Tampa at 1-1, that's a .500 record for the first time since I don't know when. The Buccaneers now have to travel to Houston to face the winless Texans. Which Tampa Bay and Jameis will show up for that game?

Finally in the late game, the perpetually inept Jaguars beat the Dolphins in an intra-state game. Jax QB Blake Bortles went 18/33 for 273 yards and two TDs. Jax led 20-13 at the half. The game was tied at 20 after three and the Jags kicked a field goal with 40 seconds to go for the win. As you would expect from the score, the game was almost a statistical dead heat. Neither team had a turnover so they are both either very good on defense or incompetent offensively. I know which one Jax has been. Like the Bucs, it has been forever since the now 1-1 Jaguars have had a .500 record. Let's enjoy the victory while we can. Next game is a killer as the Jags have to travel to New England to play the Pats. That could be ugly. 

Overall my teams were 6-2 last week. That's about as good as it gets for me.

wjh

Football 2015 - Week 3

The NFL starts, the colleges play slightly more meaningful games and the high schools are in full swing. NFL week one, NCAA week two and high schools week three.

The NFL started with NBC's Sunday Night Football on Thursday night. I'm sure one team beat the other in an exciting game. Not my teams, I don't care.

Bishop Kenny finally broke out of their offensive funk with a 37-15 win over the Paxon Eagles. The Crusaders were up 37-0 after three quarters before they let Paxon get on the scoreboard in the final stanza. No detail stats available once again. What's the deal? Doesn't BK send game stats to the Florida Times-Union or doesn't the newspaper care? It's Kenny's first win and they are now 1-2 for the season. The Crusaders travel to the Westside Wolverines (formerly the Nathan B. Forrest Rebels) for their first district game next.  

The Bell Blue Raiders got to play in the big house as they hosted Midland at AT&T Stadium, aka Jerry's World. Bell scored first and led 7-0 at the half, but the Bulldogs scored all 17 points in the second half for the 17-7 win. Midland dominated the stats. The big difference was the 257-73 disparity in rushing yards. Bell is off to a 0-3 record and next host the undefeated Abilene Eagles who are averaging 42 points per game. Should be a great game.

College Saturday was a mixed bag. Some good, some bad and some in the middle. 

The day started with a full-on rout by the #3 TCU Horned Frogs over the vastly outmanned Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. For awhile I thought TCU might reach 100 points but they backed off a little for a 70-7 victory. SFA didn't score until the 4th quarter when the game was 63-0. The backups were as effective as the starters. The Lumberjacks had a grand total of 21 yards passing and two interceptions. Total yardage was 627-167. Next game the Frogs host local rival SMU. These cross Metroplex games are unpredictable and there have been many upsets. TCU should win easily.

The South Florida Bulls went to Tallahassee to face the #11 Seminoles. USF hung in there for a half and the score was tied at seven. After intermission, FSU took charge and won 34-14. Total yards were 441-274 in the Noles favor. USF still appears to have problems with their offense, a continuing theme from last season. The Bulls are now 1-1 and have to go to 1-1 Maryland next. The Terrapins lost to Bowling Green, not exactly a football power, 48-27 so we'll see.

The Gators played a rather sloppy game against the East Carolina Pirates. They tried several times to lose the game. Florida played two QB's again, neither of who were outstanding. Total yards and time of possession were almost identical for both teams but while the Gators were fairly balanced, ECU was all passing, they, in fact, had -13 yards rushing. They also helped the cause with two fumbles and an interception. Meanwhile, Florida had 12 penalties for 105 yards. New Coach McElwain was visibly upset during the game and in post-game interviews at both the Gators play and behavior. Seems there are some residuals from the disastrous Muschamp years. Unfortunately, McElwain is stuck with a Muschamp recruited team this year. The SEC schedule starts this week with a trip to Kentucky. The Wildcats beat the South Carolina Fighting Spurriers last Saturday. 

The NFL got started this week and it looks like it may be another disappointing season for my teams.

Jacksonville started the season the same way they ended last season. Inept on offense and mediocre on defense. Not a great combination that resulted in a 20-9 loss to Carolina. Blake Bortles still has much room for improvement as an NFL starting QB. He was 22/41 for 183 yards with one TD, two interceptions and five sacks. The Jags also only had 96 yards rushing. On the plus side, the Jaguars held Carolina to 263 yards. Could we please have at least a slightly better than the 3-13 record in 2015. Next game is against the Miami Dolphins who travel north on I-95 for an in-state rivalry game. 

Tampa Bay started the season with their brand new #1 draft choice, big dollar QB Jameis Winston. He immediately lived up to the hype and dollar investment by completing his first pass to the opposition that was then run back for a Titans TD, a pick 6 inauguration to the NFL. Meanwhile, #2 draft choice Marcus Mariota guided Tennessee to a 42-14 victory. This week #2 certainly beat #1. Winston actually threw for one more yard than Mariota, 210 to 209, but he threw twice as many passes, was intercepted twice and sacked four times. Marcus threw for four TDs and no interceptions. Both these teams were 2-14 last season hence the top draft choices. It looks like the Titans are more improved than the Bucs and that Mariota may have been a better draft choice than Winston. Tampa Bay  travels to New Orleans this week.

Finally on Monday Night there was an NFL win. The Falcons beat the Eagles 26-24 in the battle of the birds of prey. Atlanta jumped out to a 20-3 lead at halftime and then mostly just held on for the win. Matt Ryan threw for almost 300 yards with 2 TDs, but he also threw two interceptions. Interesting  for the Eagles is that their brand new big dollar running back, DeMarco Murray had eight carries for only nine yards. The Falcons don't look like an elite team, but maybe they can make it to the playoffs. They certainly have a better chance than the Jaguars or Buccaneers.

So to wrap it up, the week was 1-1 at the high school level, 2-1 in the college ranks and 1-2 in the NFL. That makes it a .500 week which is about as good as I expect this season. Only TCU can be counted on to win most weeks.

wjh

Football 2015 - Week 2

This was kickoff week for the colleges and one of the first games was #2 TCU @ Minnesota on Thursday night. The Frogs won the game 23-17, but it was not pretty. TCU had spurts of good play but were inconsistent. I predict practices in Fort Worth will not be pleasant this week. TCU outgained the Gophers 449 to 341. Both teams had two turnovers. Horned Frogs QB Trevor Boykin, a Heisman Trophy candidate, did not have his best game. He was 26/42 with 1 TD and 1 Interception. He also had 92 yards rushing on 18 carries and 1 TD. TCU is 1-0 and gets a breather next week when they are at home against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. Expect a blowout. 

Friday is for high schools but in this time of multiple 24/7 sports networks, the colleges intrude. 

After a fairly productive offensive game last week, Bell got shut out 38-0 at Rockwall-Heath. The game was 21-0 at the half. This was a blowout. The Hawks outgained the Raiders 371-249. Bell was a miserable 6/9 passing for 69 yards and one interception. They also lost two fumbles. This puts Bell at 0-2 for the season. Next Saturday the Blue Raiders are the hosts at AT&T (Cowboys) Stadium against the Midland Bulldogs. A big stage, will they rise to the occasion? 

Bishop Kenny traveled to Atlantic Coast, which is not on the coast and is about 15 miles from Kenny on the southside of Jacksonville. They should have stayed home. The Stingrays beat the Crusaders 21-0. Next game 0-2 Kenny goes to the westside of Jax to play Paxon.

It looks like it will be a loooooooooong high school football season.

Not much other college news. Florida and USF played patsies so we still don't know what kind of teams they are.

The Gators beat the Aggies of New Mexico State 61-13. The McElwain era has officially begun. It was the 26th consecutive opening day win. That only means that the Gators have mostly scheduled walkovers to start their seasons. Florida QB's Treon Harris and Will Grier both played well so we still don't know who will be the starter when the real games begin. Next week is another home game against a somewhat better team, the East Carolina Pirates. 

The USF Bulls had easy pickings against the Florida A&M Rattlers with a 51-3 victory. The Bulls also played two quarterbacks, Quinton Flowers and Steven Bench, with about equal results so we'll have to wait to see who wins that starting job too. They better decide quickly because South Florida travels to Tallahassee next to play the #10 FSU Seminoles. This time USF will be the soft touch for FSU. Have you got those initials straight?

The pros start their real games this weekend. Jacksonville is home against Carolina and Tampa Bay hosts Tennessee both on Sunday. Atlanta plays on Monday night against visiting Philadelphia. 

wjh

Very Random Thoughts - August 2015

• If a comedian doesn't offend somebody they are probably not very good at their job. 
• John Stewart has retired from The Daily Show. Now who the hell is America's most trusted news person? 
• Do any lawn sprinkler systems actually water what they are supposed to? Sure are a lot of well watered sidewalks, driveways and streets.
• I've wondered when I see a graphic at the beginning of a show that says "HD brought to you by Acme Company". If they hadn't found a sponsor would the program have been in low definition?
• Are there any adjectives or adverbs left that are not superlative?
• Health insurance companies don't give a damn about your health, only about how cheaply they can minimally cover you.
• How and when did ignorance become a virtue. Apparently it's a plus for Republican presidential candidates.
• Wake up every morning with optimism, the alternative is depressing. 
• Seems to me that when a TV broadcast has technical difficulties it never adversely affects the commercials. 
• If you start the answer to a question "I am not a scientist..." stop right there, no buts. 
• Whatever happened to slingshots? When I was a kid, every boy had one. Guess they are too dangerous for today's sheltered kids. 
• Does it seem that there are a lot more backup singers these days? 
• Shouldn't Labor Day be called Non-Labor Day? Unless of course if you are having a baby that day.
• The "Oldies" radio stations used to play songs from the 50's and 60's. Now they play 70's and 80's music. Maybe we need an "Ancient" radio station. 
• Why is there all this cider crap and other flavored beverages in the beer section?
• There is no music on MTV or history on History channel or arts on A&E or education on The Learning Channel. Any other cable channels that have abandoned their original purpose?

wjh