It's Stupor Bowl Weekend...

...when the Lions, led by Hall Of Fame quarterback Dutch Clark:

a little athletic tape on that broken nose should do the trick.  a rival coach once said, "if dutch clark, red grange, george gipp and jim thorpe played on the same team, dutch would be the general".

...will take on the Bears and their bruising All-Universe fullback, Bronko Nagurski:

footballs were bigger back then; look at the size of his hands.  they used to say, "to see the path nagurski ran, follow the blood trail".

Game starts when the meatwagons arrive, and I'll bet you a sawbuck it's going to be aces for the Lions.  1935 is their year.

So give your calico a honey cooler, then sit back and have a swell time.

Just remember, if you're driving your flivver home, don't get spifflicated or you might get pinched by a bull.

Back in the real world I'm pretty sure it's the whoevers vs the who cares...

...which this year equates to the Seahawks vs the Patriots.

The game will be on since Karen likes to see the commercials, and I'll glance at it now and then, but don't have a dog in this hunt, so don't care who wins.

I'm just glad Liberal Bubble Girl (<"F* the patriarchy!">, <"vote for Kamala!">) and the future Mr. Liberal Bubble Girl...

After he lost the big game and she was booed for the 1st time in her career, T&T ditched the spotlight and settled into a sedate middle class existence somewhere in suburbia.

...aren't involved in any way this year.

Go Lions!

As promised, I read Distant Replay...

...Jerry Kramer's third book in a trilogy that covers his epic journey from obscurity in a little Idaho town to the top of the NFL world - oddly enough, in a little Wisconsin city - and ending with a reunion of his fellow champions two decades later.

In some ways this is the best of the three.

It details how these very different, highly competitive individuals, with a shared past rooted in the Lombardi legend, embraced the victories and endured the losses of life after football.

And there were far more victories, at least on a business level, than losses.

The reason given for their successes by almost all of them is the same:

Vince Lombardi.

His impact on them re: pursuing and achieving excellence - no shortcuts, no cheating - in every aspect of life was both undeniable and far reaching.

But Kramer's recounting of this reunion isn't all happy talk.

The parts about Hall Of Fame running back Jim Taylor are tough to read, and the sad fate of Lionel Aldridge reminds us life is hard and we all struggle.

Even if football and sports are not your thing, these three books - Instant Replay, Farewell To Football, Distant Replay - are worth your time.

Together they provide a window into a world very few of us will ever experience, while expounding a set of principles all of us would do well to emulate.

Don't say I never did nuthin' for ya.

Enough football already!  Let's 23 Skidoo:

as if we needed it, a fresh snowfall reminds us it's still winter

this is by far the cutest little deer we have hanging around...

...joined here by his friends and relatives

a look at what they do while we're sleeping

a good Harry Edison jazz album recommended to me by #1 grandson

Loki - aka Mr. Imperious - in a feisty mood.  in the middle of the night when he wants to go outside he jumps on the bed and, certain I'm not doing anything important, perches on my chest until I rise and obey.

I could tell when reading Distant Replay that Jerry Kramer was searching for something - something that all his achievements in athletics, writing and business were unable to give him.

He said, "My dream is to strike a harmonious balance among work, family and my own personal quest.

"I don't know if it's spiritual or emotional or what, but I do know that I'm searching for some kind of answers that will bring me a certain measure of peace." 

It's the "same old story in our fight for love and glory" - we have a hole in our souls that nothing can fill except God Himself.

That's by design.

Jesus said,

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No man cometh unto the Father but by Me."

    - John 14:6

I don't know if Jerry Kramer ever came to Christ - I hope so.

He's 90 years old now, so time is running out.

The good news is God's not hiding from us, but we are specifically commanded to seek Him.

"6  Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.

"7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

    - Isaiah 55:6,7

God is present and available; we must be ready and willing.

later, mcm fans...

All Over The Map...

...this week...a little o' this, some o' that.

We'll start with the VP debate, which wasn't close.

JD Vance mopped the floor with Walz, and in the process became a viral meme:

But give Walz some credit; he was flattened in the debate but held his own in the meme department:

Barney Google with the goo-goo-googly eyes...

 

Vance was calm and unflappable, in control of the facts, articulate and on point.

As expected, Walz was a clownish liar.

In what has to be the gaffe of the decade, he claimed he's "become friends with school shooters".

That prompted an immediate response from the Trump campaign:

Far more serious, of course, were Walz's lies.

His awkward, rambling non-answer to repeatedly lying about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre was painful to watch and should be disqualifying.

the wicked witch of the west: insider trading expert

But hey, he's a democrat so he rolls on.

Next up: our favorite self-involved, out of touch billionaire...

...Liberal Bubble Girl.

Looks like she <took it on the chin> in fan count after endorsing what's-her-name for prez.

Lost 2 million listeners on Spotify and declined in popularity, and why not?

She continues leaning hard into her public image as a self-absorbed, tone deaf <cynosure> for the bubble gum set.

Remember girls, <F* the patriarchy!>

But weep not for LBG...she may be vapid and irrelevant, but she's still insanely rich...

...with a much more impressive carbon footprint than you have.

Rock on!

Moving on to the Engineering Marvels department: ever seen the Gateway Arch in St. Louis?

I used to drive by it when traveling to Springfield, MO to watch #3 son play basketball in college.

Always wondered what the story was behind that impressive monument, and now I know:

<The Gateway Arch>

This documentary is from the mid-1960's, about 28 minutes long, and worth every second of your time.

What an amazing engineering feat, from an era when we still led the world in creativity and innovation.

Let's sashay over to the Collector's Corner, shall we?

Here's something for the nostalgia buffs among us:

Whoa, whoa, whoa...why the dismissive look of disdain?

Yes, it's a manual typewriter, but...<so much more>!

It's typewriter and a transistor radio, all in one.

Betcha don't have one of those now, do you?

Don't miss it while you can.

In the "my bad" department (does anyone actually say "my bad" anymore?):

I admit I'm late on this one, but here's your <2024 Leaf Peeping Guide> for Michigan.

You can still catch a little bit of it up north if you stop reading this blog right now, jump in your preferred mode of transportation and head on up to da UP, eh?

For all us trolls who live under the bridge, we've still got another week or two of peak conditions.

I live to serve; you're welcome.

And finally, I saved the best for last: hickory golf.

(What?  You thought you'd get off with no HGU*?)

Here's my season ending playset, a combination of pre-1900 woods and 1920's era irons:

left to right: long spoon, short spoon, mid iron, niblick, putter

After doing some mix and match for a few rounds, this seems to be working.

a little color in the treetops now

Between my long spoon and mid iron, I'm usually on or near the green in regulation.

My short spoon and niblick are used within 120 yards of the green and for getting out of sand traps / ugly lies.

As far as putting goes...

yep, it's Calamity Jane, back to torment me, though I did actually make that putt for par on #8

...that continues to be the bane of my golfing existence, though I do show flashes of semi-competence now and then (see above).

In my latest dustup with Mr. Links, I managed to par 3 holes, bogey 2, and double bogey the other 4, which in my world passes for a win.

Sadly, the season is winding down now.  Might get another 7 rounds in, 8 if the stars align.

And then?

Don't even think about it.

*HGU: hickory golf update

Before you flee the premises...

...we've got to 23 Skidoo:

heating season is just around yon corner

gorgeous sunset pic courtesy of Larry...

...and an October sunrise, ditto

don't know why, but Loki's preferred method of getting a drink

how 'bout dem Tigers?

Larry's Kingfisher on the throne

love this pic...sunset on 7th avenue

How would you like to:

a) be blessed of God,

b) expand your reach in His kingdom,

c) experience God's presence and guidance,

d) know He's protecting you from evil, and

e) be happy?

The bible says that Jabez - whose name means sorrow, because his mother suffered so in his birth - was more honorable than his brethren, and he asked God for all of the above:

And you know what?

God granted his request.

Have you talked to God recently?

Something to think about.

later, mcm fans...