Mr. Basketball Finalist

Brad Redford is from my home town Frankenmuth Eagles! He even wears the same number 12 that I wore as an Eagle, which has obviously contributed to his success, although my shorts were much shorter and tighter. The wonder kid from the Muth got it done again last night with an 80-75 OVERTIME victory against a very good Belding team. He missed a shot to win it at the buzzer in regulation but nailed the opening 3-pointer in OT and the Eagles never trailed after that. Mr. Redford and the Eagles move on to play Hemlock in the regional finals, a team that Brad destroyed in their first meeting, scoring a state of Michigan record 27 points in the FIRST QUARTER! The video below is only through his first 15 games. Since then he set a State record for most consecutive free throws made at 102, (second best ever in the country), he has a chance at the national record for best FT% in a season, and he passed Glen Rice and Magic Johnson on the career points total which is now at 2051 I believe. This kid can flat out shoot! Enjoy!

Neil Young - Heart of Gold

In our minds we tend to remember a person the way they were the last time we saw them or the way the person looked the time when they played a big part of our life. Think about a high school friend who you have only seen once or twice since graduation. You will probably picture that person as the 17 or 18 year old friend you knew oh so many years ago. A snapshot frozen in time. The same holds true for our musical heroes. My mental image of Peter Frampton will always be the young, long haired rock god on the cover of Frampton Comes Alive, not the balding, older man recently featured on a Geico commercial. What about the artists that stay with you through your life time, that grow old before your eyes while continuing to put out great music? I would argue that for a rare few, we allow our mental images of those musicians to age as we ourselves add "experience" and milestone birthdays. These mental images and memories of those special few people evolve with us for the most part. I just finished watching the Johnathan Demme motion picture Neil Young Heart of Gold. I now have my lasting image of Neil, the way I will remember him from now until some sad day in the future when I hear the news of his passing. More on that to follow but first, back to the beginning of Neil for me...

Neil and I go way, way back. The first 8 track tape I ever bought was Live Rust and the first triple album I purchased was Decade. Certainly not popular picks for a 14 year old in the late 1970's but Neil's voice and variety of musical styles made me want to listen over and over. The liner notes inside Decade were hand scribbled by Neil and I read every word wondering what experiences had led him to write each song. "I wrote this song for my first car and my last girl" and it was obvious he cared deeply for both. Neil's music was a thread connecting me to acoustic rock, to folk, to blues, to garage band grunge, to country, to rockabilly, and to protest songs. From Neil I found CSN, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, The Grateful Dead, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, The Band and countless others. I have seen him in concert several times, a couple of shows with Crazy Horse; twice alone with just his piano, organ, guitars, and harmonicas; and once with the Shocking Pinks during his rockabilly tour. Every show different, every show very good. Any of those moments could easily qualify as the image of Neil that I store away in my memory bank. Then I watched Heart of Gold...

The film which was recorded at the Ryman Auditorium in 2005 and released in June of 2006 is much more than a "concert film." Jonathan Demme directed this film masterfully. It is a highly personal set of songs delivered by Neil and a fabulous list of musicians and back up singers including Emmylou Harris (who has never looked better and is simply stunning), Neil's wife Pegi, Rick Rosas, Karl Himmel, Ben Keith, Spooner Oldam, Chad Cromwell and many others. Leading up to this project Neil had recently recovered from a life threatening brain aneurysm, he lost his daddy only two months earlier, and had just released the stellar and critically acclaimed CD Prairie Wind. The result is a deeply personal, truly heartfelt, and amazingly calming collection of performances that would be therapeutic to anyone experiencing trauma or a recent loss in their life. This is the folk and country side of Neil. It is all acoustic as he performs the entire Prairie Wind CD plus a fantastic selection of his classics that still have heart, legs, and a timeless feel including I Am A Child, Old King, Comes A Time, Old Man, Needle & The Damage Done, Harvest Moon, 4 Strong Winds, and The Painter. For the final song nearly forty musicians and singers gather on stage for an outstanding rendition of One of These Days, only to be topped by Neil all alone on stage with his guitar singing the hauntingly great The Old Laughing Lady as the credits roll. When he finishes, he packs up his famous old guitar once owned by Hank Williams Sr. and walks off the Ryman Auditorium stage as if to say "If this is it I am at peace with myself and my music." This is how I will forever remember one of my musical heroes, the amazingly talented Neil Young. Thank you for the music and the memories Mr. Young. Long May You Run.

Spring Training Irony

Listen *sniff sniff* - do you smell somethin'? Well, I do. It's the smell of irony. Utilityman Scott Spiezio was released by the St. Louis Cardinals because of a misdemeanor drunk driving/assault incident that happened in southern California in December. What makes this fall under the category of "irony" is this quote from Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa:

"I think it's a consistent message about what the team represents."

But LaRussa himself was arrested during spring training in March of last year, after being found asleep at the wheel of his vehicle at a stoplight in Florida. What LaRussa obviously meant to say was:

"I think it's a new message that the team just came up with about what the team represents."

or

"Thank god the message about what the team represents did not apply last year at this time. Otherwise, I'd be working in a carwash right now."

or

"Since we had a drunk player crash his car and die last year, we have decided to release any player who is accused of committing a misdemeanor."

I'm not a Scott Spiezio fan. In fact, as far as I know, he's be a total douche. I just have a problem with management having a different set of rules for themselves than they have for their employees. Unless LaRussa's quote was intended to be in jest and he appreciates the irony, he's a clueless dolt.

Book Review - A Jerry Garcia Biography

I just finished reading a book that I received as a gift back in 1996. It’s called “Dark Star – An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia” by Robert Greenfield (who has also written biographies of Bill Graham and Timothy Leary). It’s a fascinating look into the life of Jerry Garcia, as told to the author in a series of interviews with a lot of the people who were close to him, including several of his wives/girlfriends. It’s gives a very good feel for what it was like to know Jerry. Unlike some other Garcia bios, this one focused more on his addictions and his relationships than his musicianship. The interviews are arranged in a way that it flows chronologically through Jerry's life, starting with his childhood, and ending with his untimely but hardly unexpected demise in 1995. There are several very nice thoughts about Jerry at the end of the book. Here are a couple:

Wavy Gravy
A haiku on the Day of Jerry’s Demise

The fat man rocks out
Hinges fall of heaven’s door
Come on in, sez Bill

Robert Hunter
An Elegy for Jerry

I feel your silent laughter
at sentiments so bold
that dare to step across the line
to tell what must be told
so I’ll just say I love you
which I’ve never said before
and let it go at that old friend
the rest you may ignore

I don't think I can provide a good "literary review" of the book (see the amazon link above or google for some more in-depth critique), but I can say that I recommend this book to deadheads and non-deadheads alike. It’s a very interesting read. And I’ll end with a bizarre coincidence. While I was on the bus ride home reading the last words of the book, I was listening to Jerry’s “Pizza Tapes” CD (with David Grisman and Tony Rice). The song that was playing as I finished the book – “Amazing Grace.” How sweet the sound…

Michigan Football, the NFL Draft, and The Oscars

In case you had not heard, the Academy Awards and the NFL scouting combine were both held this weekend. Neither was particularly popular with the viewing audiences. However, the Oscars were popular with actors, and the combine was popular with Mel Kiper. Here is the Oscar version of Michigan's top potential draftees in April's NFL draft:

“Atonement”
Shawn Crable

While Crable undoubtedly made some awesome plays in his Michigan career, many Wolverine fans will remember him for some of his more boneheaded plays: against App State, allowing his man to shoot right thru to block the potential game winning FG; against OSU in 2006, the helmet-to-helmet hit against Troy Smith that prolonged the Buckeyes' game-clinching drive and led to their appearance in the BCS championship game. I'm sure there are more - didn't he have a couple personal fouls against Wisconsin this year? Anyway, Crable cannot make up for his boneheaded plays for Michigan, but maybe he can achieve some sort of atonement with a good NFL career. Michigan has recently become a sort of "linebacker U," with David Harris, Larry Foote, Victor Hobson, Cato June, Shantee Orr, Roy Manning, Lamar Woodley, Dhani Jones, Pierre Woods, and Prescott Burgess all making contributions to NFL squads. Harris had a great rookie season, including a 24-tackle game in midseason.

“Juno”
Chad Henne

Henne's kinda sneaking up on people as the sleeper QB in this draft (if a Michigan QB could ever be considered a "sleeper"). Much like Juno receiving an unexpected Academy Award nomination, Henne could be a solid first day NFL draft pick. He's had four years of college starting experience, seems smart, and has a strong, if sometimes erratic, throwing arm. He's got "career backup with the occasional spot start" written all over him. See John Navarre, Todd Collins. Potential floor - Drew Henson. Potential ceiling - Elvis Grbac.

“Michael Clayton”
Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington

There are two Claytons in the NFL, and both are wide receivers (Michael and Mark). Both were first rounders, and both have largely been disappointments. I get the feeling that these two guys are going to follow in the footsteps of several Michigan WRs that have flopped in the NFL. Neither is fast, and speed is what the NFL wants. Neither will go as high as the second round. I think Arrington, due to his size and great hands, will have a better career, but nothing too spectacular. Maybe kind of Amani Toomer-esque. Manningham may not have the work ethic required to make it in the league. He's destined to be drafted by Matt Millen, and be out of the league by year three.

“No Country for Old Men”
Mike Hart

I love Mike Hart. My man crush is well documented. I think he's going to surprise a lot of people in the NFL. However, his showing at the NFL combine was not too good, as his 40 time was pretty slow. You might say he ran like an old man. But the NFL is no country for old men. But the movie won the Oscar, and Mike Hart just might turn out to be the best NFL player of all the Michigan skill position players this year. He won't be drafted before the third round. I don't recall Emmitt Smith having breakaway speed either. Hart has great vision, and in the right offense, he could thrive. Also, like Anton Chigurh, Mike Hart is a remorseless killing machine.

“There Will Be Blood”
Jake Long

Of all of the Michigan players in this year's draft, Jake is the best bet to be a star in the NFL. He is a strong, nasty blocker and will have a long career as a protector of quarterbacks. Defensive linemen who challenge his manliness will be turned away with extreme prejudice. There will indeed be blood. Hopefully he's a little more like Steve Hutchinson, and lot less like Tony Pape. He's a lock to be a top five pick.

So, there you have it. Further proof that I can relate anything to Michigan football, no matter how tangentially related it might be.

Uranus - Easiest Blog Post Ever

Easiest Blog Post Ever. Yes, I have the sense of humor of a ten year old (and I have a long meeting today).

How I wrote this blog post:
1. Go to wikipedia.
2. Type in "Uranus"
3. Cut and paste text into document.
4. Do "search and replace" - "your anus" for "Uranus"
5. Publish.
6. ...
7. Profit

The closest approach to your anus occurred on January 24, 1986. Voyager 2 discovered 10 previously unknown moons; studied the planet's unique atmosphere, caused by its axial tilt of 97.77°; and examined its ring system. In its first solo planetary flyby, Voyager 2 made its closest approach to your anus on January 24, 1986, coming within 81,500 kilometers (50,600 miles) of the planet's cloud tops.

Your anus is the third largest planet in the solar system. It orbits the Sun at a distance of about 2.8 billion kilometers (1.7 billion miles) and completes one orbit every 84 years. The length of a day on your anus as measured by Voyager 2 is 17 hours, 14 minutes. Your anus is distinguished by the fact that it is tipped on its side. Its unusual position is thought to be the result of a collision with a planet-sized body early in the solar system's history. Given its odd orientation, with its polar regions exposed to sunlight or darkness for long periods, scientists were not sure what to expect at your anus.

Voyager 2 found that one of the most striking influences of your anus' sideways position is its effect on the tail of the magnetic field, which is itself tilted 60 degrees from the planet's axis of rotation. The magnetotail was shown to be twisted by the planet's rotation into a long corkscrew shape behind the planet. The presence of a magnetic field at your anus was not known until Voyager's arrival.

Radiation belts at your anus were found to be of an intensity similar to those at Saturn. The intensity of radiation within the belts is such that irradiation would quickly darken (within 100,000 years) any methane trapped in the icy surfaces of the inner moons and ring particles. This may have contributed to the darkened surfaces of the moons and ring particles, which are almost uniformly gray in color.

A high layer of haze was detected around your anus' sunlit pole, which also was found to radiate large amounts of ultraviolet light, a phenomenon dubbed "dayglow." The average temperature of your anus is about 60 Kelvin (-350 degrees Fahrenheit). Surprisingly, the illuminated and dark poles, and most of the planet, show nearly the same temperature at the cloud tops.

The moon Miranda, innermost of your anus' five large moons, was revealed to be one of the strangest bodies yet seen in the solar system. Detailed images from Voyager's flyby of the moon showed huge fault canyons as deep as 20 kilometers (12 miles), terraced layers, and a mixture of old and young surfaces. One theory holds that Miranda may be a reaggregation of material from an earlier time when the moon was fractured by a violent impact.

All nine previously known rings were studied by the spacecraft and showed that your anus' rings to be distinctly different from those at Jupiter and Saturn. The ring system may be relatively young and did not form at the same time as your anus. Particles that make up the rings may be remnants of a moon that was broken by a high-velocity impact or torn up by gravitational effects.

See, it's not hard to write a blog post. I apologize for the juvenile nature of this post for those who have come to expect mature, thoughtful analysis and opinion from the writers of this blog. I promise that I will tackle something with much more gravitas later in the week. You can bet your anus on it.