Tuesday Bluesday

Ugh. Bad morning. Still fighting a lingering flu bug going around; knees killing me; sleepy as hell; and a lot of little tasks are taking up my time.

All in all, not a great start to the day. I hereby proclaim that we rename the days of the work week:

Monday = Mournsday
Tuesday = Bluesday
Wednesday = Grimsday*
Thursday = Hurtsday
Friday = Sighday

*That works surprisingly well, since Odin (Wodan/Wodan, etc) is precisely where we derive Wednesday from, and Grim is one of his appellations. So, in that spirit, Fuck It. Let's listen to Viking Rock, shall we?

Amon Amarth, Danish purveyors of Cheesiness. But, there is something about this song that I do love, very much. I love how the singer guy here has the Hammer of Thor when, as we all know, his ass would have been a farmer, along with the abiding majority of Norsemen.

We like to think it would be all pillaging and razing towns, but if you want to see what happens when you give Germans/Danes/Swedes/Norwegians the opportunity to not go a-viking, think "Dakotas".

Lord, it's going to be a weird day.

-d.s.

Get that paper, lawya'...

The degree will always be there.

He was so titchy as a freshman.

I don't blog much about football; although it is an abiding passion, there are several others that do it much better than I. Although, as most folks know, I am a huge follower (and dual alum) of the University of Alabama, one of the quintessential football schools in the country (and, to their credit, one of the finer public schools in the nation).

 Come for the football, leave with a crippling cocaine addiction, alcoholism, a spouse and and one helluva' education.

Last year, for the first time in our nearly 120 year football history (although the University is going on 200 years pretty soon), we had a Heisman trophy winner. Added to that, was our 13th National Championship. Well, all good things come to an end,  and this weekend, we must bid adieu to three stalwarts off of that team who are leaving early.

Julio Jones (8) / Mark Ingram (22)

DE/Beastmode Marcel Dareus, All-everything WR/Beastmode Julio Jones, and Heisman winner, two-time All-American Mark Ingram. All three are projected to go in the first round of the NFL draft. All three have been terrors on the field, team players, contributors to the classroom and community, and --especially in the case of Ingram-- ambassador to the University.

Marcel Dareus (57) / Ingram. 

Champions all.

That said, go get that paper, lawya's. Play hard. Play well. Make your deserved money. Continue to represent the larger Alabama family with dignity. We are proud of you. But, when all is said and done, come home and get your degree. It'll be waiting for you.

Mark Ingram's Heisman acceptance speech: A more humble, grounded superstar you will never see.

Not a dry eye in the place, either.

-d.s.

A story you won't hear from the bigoted Right...

Damn Muzelims gonna' destroy 'Merica an' our Chrishan Nashun...

Quick food for thought today regarding our Jihadi friends in the Middle East, via AhramOnline. Seems that our murderous Muslim friends are up to their old ways...threats of violence against Christians, armed sectarian violence, and human shields.

Except for one very crucial distinction

Egypt’s majority Muslim population stuck to its word Thursday night. What had been a promise of solidarity to the weary Coptic community, was honoured, when thousands of Muslims showed up at Coptic Christmas eve mass services in churches around the country and at candle light vigils held outside. 

From the well-known to the unknown, Muslims had offered their bodies as “human shields” for last night’s mass, making a pledge to collectively fight the threat of Islamic militants and towards an Egypt free from sectarian strife.

 Copts: Huh? Did we hear that right?

Yes, you read that correctly. Far from decrying religious pluralism, call for a renewed Caliphate and Jihadis arming themselves to the teeth, rather, the Muslim pledge to honor and protect the lives and freedoms of other religious adherents was instead honored in Egypt. 

And, not just honored, but protected at the price of their very lives.

This is not about us and them,” said Dalia Mustafa, a student who attended mass at Virgin Mary Church on Maraashly Street. “We are one. This was an attack on Egypt as a whole, and I am standing with the Copts because the only way things will change in this country is if we come together.”

Just when I abandon all faith in humanity, and believe that we will wipe ourselves out in the names of our imaginary friends, I read stories like this. 

And, for the first time in a long time, the misty-eyed sensation I felt was from hope.

 

Monday, why must you be here already?

Too much drama on Mondays. Speaking of which, please take this moment to enjoy the softer side of your author, as he enjoys the splendid Human Drama's, "Madame Hate's Mad Search for Love".

In fairness, we're all a little desperate...

-d.s.