Milestones: 300,000 views and climbing

 My blog hit 250000 pageviews in late April and has surpassed 300000 pageviews by late December. I am wowed that 50000 plus people (or bots) visited my blog in eight months. I'm surprised and humbled that people visit my blog at all. I am thankful for my visitors, my readers for taking the time to visit.

I guess it is safe to say this blog has an audience.  A purpose, probably not a defined one. Perhaps it is truer to my ramblings. At one point it was more as I phrased it as shameless, self-promotion of my other writings at the time. I have my struggles with the blog but the blog itself continues. I struggle with balance. I constantly struggle with balancing content. Someone called it a music blog and that offended me! (Not that it is a bad thing to be labeled that) It wasn't labeled that online, and who or where isn't important. You will certainly find posts about music here. I like music, it is a big part of my life so obviously it is strongly represented here. However, other topics that cross my mind are also blogged about. The other struggle is time. I can time manage my day job just fine. However, the blog time creates a struggle. Finding the time to write a post, time to visit other folk's blogs, that is the challenge. The day job takes up time, living an adventurous life takes up time, other hobbies and pursuits take up time. 

What's next for the blog? The blog with continue. The struggles will continue. The blog might find purpose or just wander around the interwebs aimlessly. Maybe my audience like trainwrecks? Perhaps my blog is a wonderful trainwreck reflecting the trainwreck I call life.

R.I.P John Madden

"Madden Football" was probably the most iconic football game ever.  The man the game was named after has passed away at the age of 85. John played the game, was a successful coach, and one of the best commentators on the NFL.

A clip of his best announcing bits...

He will be missed by the sport, his fans, friends and family may he rest in peace.

Monday's Music Moves Me: Third Day of Christmas

 One more round of Christmas Music. It is still Christmas time. The 12 Days of Christmas and a lot more started on Christmas Day.

                                               Pentatonix "12 Days of Christmas"

If you like this one, they have a new album out and a tour in 2022

"Light of Christmas Day"

Billy Porter "Go Tell it on the Mountain"

Monday's Music Moves Me: Christmas Week Edition

 I'm back with another Monday's Music Moves Me. It is the Holidays, and the theme is Christmas Songs, and I am going with a Christmas Week version.

What am I getting for Christmas?

Stan Freberg "Nuttin' for Christmas"

Gene Autry "Here Comes Santa Claus"

Bing Crosby " Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"

Chuck Berry "Run Rudolph Run"

Celtic Woman "Silent Night"

I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

R.I.P Anne Rice

 Anne Rice who has sold over 150 million books has passed away at the age of 80. She is probably best known for "Interview with a Vampire." 

                                              Here she gives some advice on writing:

She was obviously a very successful and popular author.

Tribute video:

What were your favorite novels by her?

She will be missed by her family, friends and fans.

Monday's Music Moves Me: Christmas Songs or maybe not

 It is the Holiday's and I decided to give Monday's Music Moves Me a shot. The theme is Christmas Songs and I kind of put the twist or not on it. 

J.J. Grey "Santa Claus, True Love & Freedom"

Really any excuse to share J.J.'s music is a good one. The song got me thinking about Christmas songs that might not be Christmas tunes.

Fleet Foxes "White Winter Hymnal"

from Neptune's Daughter "Baby, It's Cold Outside"

Dean Martin "Let it Snow"

                                                                                           

What are some other Christmas Songs, might not be Christmas Songs?

Hope you enjoy and Happy Holidays!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Battle of the Bands Results: Jamey Johnson All My Tears

 One vote for the songwriter Julie Miller, on for husband Buddy Miller and for for Jamey Johnson. 

                                                    "High Cost of Living"

"In Color"

I'll be back with a new battle, in a new year, Until then Happy Holidays!

R.I.P John Miles

                                                     "Music"

0

John Miles passed away. He was an English singer, musician00 re0ally, he was known to play the organ or guitar as well. I open the post with one his 70's English hits "00Music." Music is how I became aware of him. It was 1988 and I was into the music of Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page had released his solo album "Outrider."

"Wasting My Time"

Alan Parsons Project "Shadow of a Lonely Man"

Thought I would throw in a video of John Miles working with The Alan Parsons Project.

John Miles willl be missed by his fans, friends, family and fellow musicians.

                                

My 2021-22 NCAA Football Rankings After Week Fourteen

 

My NCAA Football Rankings after week fourteen:

1) Michigan Wolverines (12-1) crushed Iowa 42-3

2) Cincinnati Bearcats (13-0) beat Houston 35-20.

3)Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) beat Georgia 41-24

4) Georgia Bulldogs (12-1) lost to Alabama 41-24

5) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1) did not play.

6) Baylor Bears (11-2) beat Oklahoma State 21-16.

7) Ole Miss Rebels (10-2) did not play

8) Oklahoma State Cowboys (11-2) lost to Baylor 21-16

9) Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2) did not play.

10) Oklahoma Sooners (10-2) did not play.

11) Utah Utes (10-3) beat Oregon 38-10.

12) Michigan State Spartans (10-2) did not play.

13) Pittsburgh Panthers (11-2) beat Wake Forest 45-21

14) Clemson Tigers (9-3) did not play.

15) BYU Cougars (10-2) did not play.

16) Iowa Hawkeyes (10-3) lost to Michigan 42-3

17) BYU Cougars (10-2)

18) Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (12-1) topped Appalachian State 24-16.

19) Houston Cougars (11-2) fell to Cincinnati 35-20.

20) Oregon Ducks (10-3) was crushed 38-10 by Utah.

21) Wake Forest Deacon Demons (10-3) lost to Pitt 45-21

22) Utah State Aggies (10-3) beat San Diego State 46-13

23) Kentucky Wildcats (9-3) did not play.

24) Arkansas Razorbacks (8-4) did not play

25) San Diego State Aztecs (11-2) lost to Utah State46-13.

Battle of the Bands: All My Tears

 I've used a Julie Miller song before. As I recall some (most) didn't like her vocals. We like different things. Apology or warning. Well with that on with the program.

The song: All My Tears

All right the contestants. 

Contestant One: Buddy Miller

I think this is the first time I have featured a songwriter's spouse as a contestant. Buddy is her husband.

Contestant Two: Jamey Johnson

You know the way it works. I pick a song. You tell me which one you like the best in the comments. I count them up and announce the winner in week, before the Winter Solstice, before Christmas, or before the next Battle.

November's Battle of the Bands Results: Deep Purple edges Robert Plant in Love Battle

 Deep Purple and Robert Plant were pitted together in a battle over Love's "7 and 7 Is." Strange song, hard rockers and a close Battle. Deep Purple edged out a win 3-2.  The loser actually sang the song in October's battle and the guitarist in this line up of Deep Purple was the loser in that battle. 

                                                 "Perfect Strangers" sounds good with all those degrees of separation. 

"Highway Star"

Well, I'll be back with a fresh battle on December 1!

My 2021-22 NCAA Football Rankings After Week Thirteen

 

My NCAA Football Rankings after week thirteen:

1) Georgia Bulldogs (12-0) shut out Georgia Tech 45-0. Next up Alabama in the SEC Championship game.

2) Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0) beat ECU 35-13. The Bearcats meet Houston next.

3) Michigan Wolverines (11-1) upset Ohio State 42-27. Faces Iowa next.

4)Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) survives Auburn in overtime 24-22. Next up Georgia.

5) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1) beat Stanford 45-14.

6) Oklahoma State Cowboys (11-1) defeated Oklahoma 37-33. Plays Baylor next.

7) Houston Cougars (11-1) cruised past UConn 45-17. Meets Cincinnati next.

8) Oklahoma Sooners (10-2) lost to Oklahoma State 37-33.

9) Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2) fell to Michigan 42-27. Waits for a Bowl.

10) Ole Miss Rebels (10-2) defeated Mississippi State 31-21. Bowl Game next.

11) Baylor Bears (10-2) held off Texas Tech 27-24. Meets Oklahoma State next.

12) Michigan State Spartans (10-2) topped Penn State 30-27.

13) Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2) beat Nebraska 28-21. Faces Michigan next.

14) Pittsburgh Panthers (10-2) beat Syracuse 31-14. Meets Wake Forest next.

15) San Diego State Aztecs (11-1) beat Boise State 27-16. Meets Utah State next.

16) Utah Utes (9-3) beat Colorado 28-13. Meets Oregon next.

17) Oregon Ducks (10-2) beat Oregon State 38-29. Meets Utah next.

18) Clemson Tigers (9-3) shut out South Carolina 30-0.

19) Wake Forest Deacon Demons (10-2) bounced back with 41-10 win over Boston College. Next up Pitt.

20) BYU Cougars (10-2) defeated USC 35-31.

21) Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (11-1) topped Louisiana Monroe 21-16. Plays Appalachian State next.

22) Kentucky Wildcats (9-3) defeated Louisville 52-21.

23) Arkansas Razorbacks (8-4) beat Missouri 34-17.

24) North Carolina State Wolfpack (9-3) beat UNC 34-30

25) Appalachian State (10-2) defeated Georgia Southern 27-3. Plays Louisiana Lafayette next.

My 2021-22 NCAA Football Rankings After Week Twelve

 

My NCAA Football Rankings after week twelve:

1) Georgia Bulldogs (11-0) rolled past Charleston Southern 56-0. Wraps the regular season up with Georgia Tech next.

2) Cincinnati Bearcats (11-0) cruised past SMU 48-14. The Bearcats visit East Carolina next.

3) Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1) made a statement crushing Michigan State 56-7. Next up Michigan.

4)Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1) topped Arkansas 42-35. Tangles with Auburn next.

5) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-1) shut out Georgia Tech 55-0. Visits Stanford next.

6) Oklahoma Sooners (10-1) bounced back to beat Iowa State 28-21. Meets Oklahoma State next.

7) Michigan Wolverines (10-1) crushed Maryland 59-18. Hosts Ohio State next.

8) Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-1) shut out Texas Tech 23-0. Hosts Oklahoma next.

9) Houston Cougars (10-1) beat Memphis 31-13. Visits Connecticut next.

10) Texas San Antonio Roadrunners (11-0) topped UAB 34-31. Visits North Texas next.

11) Ole Miss Rebels (9-2) beat Vanderbilt 31-17. Visits Mississippi State next.

12) Baylor Bears (9-2) beat Kansas State 20-10. Entertains Texas Tech next.

13) Michigan State Spartans (9-2) was crushed by Ohio State 56-7. Hosts Penn State next.

14) Iowa Hawkeyes (9-2) beat Illinois 33-23. Visits Nebraska next.

15) Wisconsin Badgers (8-3) beat Nebraska 35-28. Visits Minnesota next.

16) Texas A&M Aggies (8-3) crushed Prairie View A&M 52-3. Visits LSU next.

17) Pittsburgh Panthers (9-2) beat Virginia 48-38. Visits Syracuse next.

18) San Diego State Aztecs (10-1) beat UNLV 28-20. Hosts Boise State next.

19) Utah Utes (8-3) crushed Oregon 38-7. Hosts Colorado next.

20) Oregon Ducks (9-2) fell to Utah 38-7. Hosts Oregon State next.

21) Clemson Tigers (8-3) beat Wake Forest 48-27. Visits South Carolina next.

22) Wake Forest Deacon Demons (9-2) fell to Clemson 48-27. Visits Boston College next.

23) Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (10-1) crushed Liberty 42-14. Hosts Louisiana Monroe next.

24) Arkansas Razorbacks (7-4) fell to Alabama 42-35. Hosts Missouri next.

25) SMU (8-3) fell to Cincinnati 48-14. SMU play Tulsa next.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

 

 

My 2021-22 NCAA Football Rankings After Week Eleven

 

My NCAA Football Rankings after week ten:

1) Georgia Bulldogs (10-0) pulled away from Tennessee 41-17. Georgia entertains Charleston Southern next.

2) Cincinnati Bearcats (10-0) stayed unbeaten, topping South Florida 45-28. Entertains SMU next

3) Alabama Crimson Tide (9-1) stomped New Mexico State 59-3. Alabama hosts Arkansas next.

4) Oregon Ducks (9-1) beat Washington State 38-24. The Ducks visit Utah next.

5) Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1) crushed Purdue 59-31. The Buckeyes host Michigan State next.

6) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-1) beat Virginia 28-3. Notre Dame hosts Georgia Tech next.

7) Michigan State Spartans (9-1) beat Maryland 40-21. The Spartans visit Ohio State next.

8) Oklahoma Sooners (9-1) lost to Baylor 27-14. The Sooners host Iowa State next.

9) Michigan Wolverines (9-1) topped Penn State 21-17. The Wolverines visit Maryland next.

10) Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-1) crushed TCU 63-17. The Cowboys visit Texas Tech next.

11) Texas San Antonio Roadrunners (10-0) beat Southern Miss 27-17. The Roadrunners host UAB next.

12) Ole Miss Rebels (8-2) beat Texas A&M 29-19. The Rebels host Vanderbilt next.

 13) Houston Cougars (9-1) rolled past Temple 37-8. The Cougars host Memphis next.

14) Wake Forest Deacon Demons (9-1) topped NC St 45-42. They visit Clemson next.

15) Baylor Bears (8-2) shocked Oklahoma 27-14. The Bears visit Kansas State next.

16) Wisconsin Badgers (7-3) rolled past Northwestern 35-7. The Badgers host Nebraska next.

17) Iowa Hawkeyes (8-2) topped Minnesota 27-22. Entertains Illinois next.

18) Texas A&M Aggies (7-3) lost to Ole Miss 29-19. The Aggies entertain Prairie View A&M next

19) SMU Mustangs (8-2) crushed UCF  55-28. The Mustangs visit Cincinnati next.

20) Arkansas Razorbacks (7-3) nipped LSU 16-13 in overtime. Visits Alabama next.

21) Pittsburgh Panthers (8-2) edged North Carolina 30-23 in OT. The Panthers entertain Virginia next.

22) Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (9-1) beat Troy 35-21. Visits Liberty next.

23) San Diego State Aztecs (9-1) nipped Nevada 23-21. Visits UNLV next.

24) Utah Utes (7-3) beat Arizona 38-29. The Utes entertain Oregon next.

25) Pittsburgh Panthers (8-2) edged North Carolina 30-23 in OT. The Panthers entertain Virginia next.

Dropping out of My Rankings Auburn, Coastal Carolina, Penn State and Purdue.

Off course My Rankings are just for fun!

My 2021-22 NCAA Football Rankings After Week Ten

My NCAA Football Rankings after week ten:

1) Georgia Bulldogs (9-0) rolled past Missouri 43-6. Georgia visits Tennessee next.

2) Oklahoma Sooners (9-0) did not play. The Sooners visit Baylor next.

3) Cincinnati Bearcats (9-0) topped Tulsa 28-20. The Bearcats visit South Florida next.

4) Alabama Crimson Tide (8-1) bested LSU 20-14. Alabama hosts New Mexico State next.

5) Oregon Ducks (8-1) beat Washington 26-16. The Ducks host Washington State next.

6) Ohio State Buckeyes (8-1) beat Nebraska 26-17. The Buckeyes host Purdue next

7) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-1) cruised past Navy 34-6. Notre Dame visits Virginia next.

8) Michigan State Spartans (8-1) fell to Purdue 40-29. The Spartans host Maryland next.

9) Michigan Wolverines (8-1) beat Indiana 29-7. The Wolverines visits Penn State.

10) Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-1) shut down West Virginia 24-3. The Cowboys entertain TCU next.

11) Texas A&M Aggies (7-2) stopped Auburn 20-3. Visits Ole Miss next.

12) Texas San Antonio Roadrunners (9-0) rolled past UTEP 44-23. Hosts Southern Miss next. 

13) Houston Cougars (8-1) outscored South Florida 54-42. The Cougars visit Temple next.

14) Wake Forest Deacon Demons (8-1) fell to North Carolina 58-55. Entertains North Carolina State next.

15) Auburn Tigers (6-3) fell to Texas A&M 20-3. Auburn entertains Mississippi State next.      

16) Ole Miss Rebels (7-2) topped Liberty 27-14. Entertains Texas A&M next.

 17) Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (8-1) beat Georgia Southern 28-8.  Coastal Carolina hosts Georgia State next.

18) Wisconsin Badgers (6-3) crushed Rutgers 52-3. The Badgers host Northwestern next.

19) Iowa Hawkeyes (7-2) topped Northwestern 17-12. Entertains Minnesota next.

20) Baylor Bears (7-2) was shocked by TCU 30-28. The Bears host Oklahoma next.

21) Penn State Nittany Lions (6-3) beat Maryland 31-14. Entertains Michigan next.

22) SMU Mustangs (7-2) lost to Memphis 28-25. SMU hosts Central Florida.

23) Arkansas Razorbacks (6-3) beat Mississippi State 31-28. The Razorbacks visit LSU next.

24)Purdue Boilermakers (6-3) topped Michigan State 40-29. Purdue visits Ohio State next. 

25) Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (8-1) beat Georgia State 21-17. Visits Troy next.

Dropping out of my rankings: Dropping out of the rankings #21 Mississippi State (5-4) #24 Kentucky (6-3) #25 Minnesota (6-3)

Of course my rankings are just for fun!

Battle of the Bands: Love Covers

 In the 60s there was a psychedelic band called Love. "7 and 7 Is" is a song that they broke into the top 40 with.

Contender One: Deep Purple

Here is Deep Purple's latest..

Contender Two: Robert Plant

Voting is easy just let me know in the comments which one you like best! I will blog about the winner in a week or so. Enjoy and see you soon!

 

My 2021-22 NCAA Football Rankings After Week Nine

I was busy with other things and missed last week. Here are my NCAA football rankings after week nine.

My NCAA Football Rankings after week nine:

1) Georgia Bulldogs (8-0) crushed rival Florida 34-7. The Dawgs host Missouri next.

2) Oklahoma Sooners (9-0) walloped Texas Tech 52-31. The Sooners enjoy a week off.

3) Cincinnati Bearcats (8-0) bet Tulane 31-12. The Bearcats entertain Tulsa next.

4) Michigan State Spartans (8-0) topped Michigan 37-33. The Spartans visit Purdue next.

5) Ohio State Buckeyes (7-1) beat Penn State 33-24. The Buckeyes visit Nebraska next.

6) Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) had a week off. Entertains LSU next.

7) Wake Forest Deacon Demons (8-0) crushed Duke 45-7. Visits North Carolina next.

8) Michigan Wolverines (7-1) fell to Michigan State 37-33. The Wolverines host Indiana next.

9) Oregon Ducks (7-1) beat Colorado 52-29. The Ducks visit Washington next.

10) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-1) beat North Carolina 44-34. Notre Dame hosts Navy next.

11) Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-1) crushed Kansas 55-3. Visit West Virginia next.

12) Baylor Bears (7-1) beat Texas 31-24. Baylor visits TCU next.

13) Texas A&M Aggies (6-2) did not play. Hosts Auburn next.

14) Auburn Tigers (6-2) beat Ole Miss 31-20. The Tigers visit the Aggies next.          

15) Texas San Antonio Roadrunners (8-0) did not play. Visits UTEP next.     

16) Houston Cougars (7-1) knocked off unbeaten SMU 44-37. Visits South Florida next.

17) Ole Miss Rebels (6-2) lost to Auburn 31-20. The Rebels host Liberty next.

18) Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (7-1) beat Troy 35-28.  Coastal Carolina visits Georgia Southern next.

19) SMU Mustangs (7-1) lost to Houston 44-37. Visits Memphis next.

20) Wisconsin Badgers (5-3) beat Iowa 27-7. The Badgers visit Rutgers next.

21) Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-3) beat Kentucky 31-17. The Bulldogs visit Arkansas next.

22) Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2) lost to Wisconsin 27-7. The Hawkeyes visit Northwestern next.

23) Penn State Nittany Lions (5-3) lost to Ohio State 33-24. Penn State visit Maryland next.

24) Kentucky Wildcats (6-2) lost to Mississippi State 31-17. The Wildcats entertain Tennessee next.

25) Minnesota Gophers (6-2) cruised past Northwestern 41-17. Entertains Illinois next. 

My 2021-22 NCAA Football Rankings After Week Seven

 

My NCAA Football Rankings after week seven:

1) Georgia Bulldogs (7-0) dropped Kentucky from the unbeaten 30-13.  stomped Auburn 34-10. The Dawgs have a week off.

2) Oklahoma Sooners (7-0) crushed TCU 52-31. The Sooners visit Kansas next.

3) Cincinnati Bearcats (6-0) whipped Central Florida 56-21. The Bearcats visit Navy next. 

4) Michigan Wolverines (6-0) did not play. The Wolverines host Northwestern next.

5) Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-0) did not play. Coastal Carolina visits Appalachian State next.

6) Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-0) beat Texas 32-24. The Cowboys visit Iowa State next.

7) Michigan State Spartans (7-0) survived Indiana 20-15. The Spartans have a week off.

8) Ohio State Buckeyes (5-1) did not play. The Buckeyes visit Indiana next.

9) Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1) took out their frustration on Mississippi State 49-9. Alabama host Tennessee next.

10) Wake Forest Deacon Demons (6-0) did not play. Wake Forest visits Army next

11) Iowa Hawkeyes (6-1) were stunned by Purdue 24-7. The Hawkeyes have a week off.

12) Penn State Nittany Lions (5-1) did not play. Penn State entertains Illinois.

13) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1) did not play. The Irish host USC  next. 

14) Oregon Ducks (5-1) beat California 24-17. The Ducks visit UCLA next.

15) Kentucky (6-1) lost to Georgia 30-13. The Wildcats have a week off.

16) San Diego State Aztecs (6-0) topped San Jose State in overtime. The Aztecs visit Air Force next.

17) Baylor Bears (6-1) beat BYU 38-24. Baylor has a week off.                  

18)  Ole Miss Rebels (5-1) topped Tennessee 31-26. The Rebels host LSU next.

19) North Carolina State Wolfpack (5-1) crushed Boson College 33-7. NC State visits Miami next

20) Texas A&M Aggies (5-2) cruised past Missouri 35-14. The Aggies entertain South Carolina next.

21) SMU Mustangs (6-0) did not play. The Mustangs entertain Tulane next.

22)Texas San Antonio Roadrunners (7-0) blanked Rice 45-0. The Roadrunners visit Louisiana Tech next.  

23) Auburn Tigers (5-2) beat Arkansas 38-23. The Tigers have a week off.

24) Purdue Boilermakers (4-2) upset Iowa 24-7. The Boilermakers host Wisconsin next.

25) Air Force Falcons (6-1) defeated Boise State 24-17. The Falcons host San Diego State next.    

Dropping out of the rankings #18 BYU 5-2, #19Arizona State 5-2, #22 Arkansas 4-3