I Won't Be Much For Conversation If We Go Into the Rest of This

Current Reading
American Gospel: God, The Founding Fathers, and The Making of a Nation by Jon Meacham

The Age of Miracles, The Age of Sound

Current ReadingLenin's Tomb: The Last Days of the Soviet Empire by David Remnick

At Midnight All the Agents

Congratulations to my Dad for correctly naming "Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)" by The Hollies as the Monday (February 15) Song of the Day.

Current Reading
Namath: A Biography by Mark Kriegel

Saturday Night I Was Downtown, Working For the FBI

Current Reading
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

When You Wake I Will Drive You Into Town

Congratulations to Mrs. Ashley Ham for correctly naming "Louisiana Bayou" by the Dave Matthews Band as the Tuesday Song of the Day...

...and congratulations to Ms. Amanda Pierce, yes,the lady friend for those of you scoring at home, for correctly naming "The Underdog" by Spoon as the Wednesday Song of the Day.

Current Reading

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson

Completely Illogical Super Bowl XLIV Prediction: Colts 31-17, if only because Peyton Manning and Walter Isaacson attended the same school in New Orleans, the Isidore Newman School, and I'm reading Isaacson's book right now. Don't scoff, THE LOGIC SURROUNDING THAT PREDICTION IS AIRTIGHT.

You'd Know What a Drag It is to See You

Current Reading
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin

The Titanic Sails at Dawn

Current Reading

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis

They're Selling Postcards of the Hanging

I'm not going to ask for your forgiveness, folks. I'm just going to say this...I'm back.

WITH.

A.

VENGEANCE.

Look for the posting to begin with a fury not seen since bloggers tried to expose the conspiracies surrounding the Kennedy Assassination. (Quick insight: It was Roger McDowell. Kramer taught everyone that.)

Past Reading

Manning: A Father, His Sons, and a Football Legacy by Archie Manning, Peyton Manning and John Underwood

Warm Like the Evening Sun

Current Reading

The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century by Steve Coll

Make Every Song Your Favorite Tune

Current Reading

Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation by John Carlin

And a special bonus for you, ladies and gentlemen, Nelson Mandela's boot-camp:

Chappelle's Show
Nelson Mandela's Boot Camp
http://www.comedycentral.com/
Buy Chappelle's Show DVDs Black Comedy True Hollywood Story

All That I Wanted to Say, Words Only Got In the Way

Current Reading
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

In an Open Car or Wherever You Are

Congratulations to Mr. Kalum Tuggle for correctly naming "I'm Coming Home" by Robert Earl Keen as the Song of the Day for both Thursday and Friday.



I'm pretty upset that my Dad kept this secret from me for so long, but it's good to see that he's opened up a law office in Beaumont.

Current Reading

The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

Ain't Nothin' Better Than Your Own Backyard

Current Reading

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

We're Tiny White Specks on a Bright Blue Planet

Congratulations to Mr. John Middleton for correctly naming "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin as the Monday Song of the Day.

I'm back in Space City after a quick weekend trip to visit the lady friend in Nashville. We thoroughly enjoyed our time on Saturday night at a soggy Neyland Stadium along with 96,000 of our orange-clad friends.

My favorite part of the entire visit to Knoxville happened during the "Vol Walk."

What's the "Vol Walk" you might ask?

Head Coach Johnny Majors came up with the idea for the Vol Walk after a 1988 game at Auburn when he saw the historic Tiger Walk take place. Prior to each home game, the Vols will file out of Stokely Athletic Center, down past the Tennessee Volunteers Wall of Fame, and make their way down Peyton Manning Pass and onto Phillip Fulmer Way. Thousands of fans line the street to shake the players' hands as they walk into Neyland Stadium. Through rain, snow, sleet, or shine, the Vol faithful are always out in full force to root on the Vols as they prepare for battle. The fans are pumped up with Rocky Top played by The Pride of the Southland Band.

Thanks, Wikipedia!

Back to our story...as the Vol Walk was beginning, and the players and coaches were approaching the entrance to Neyland Stadium where our group was standing, the excitement grew as we clapped in time to "Rocky Top." Suddenly, I had the sense that a very large person was standing just behind me. For those of you who are thinking ahead, no, it was not Manute Bol. Instead, it was a very large man wearing bib overalls and a Tennessee orange jacket. As Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin walked by us, the aforementioned mountain of a man proceeded to yell "The LANE TRAIN" over and over again for a solid 2 minutes.

Was this guy the first person to recognize the rhyming properties of the words "Lane" and "train"? Almost certainly not.

Was this guy the only one who was fired up at the sight of his favorite team entering their coliseum to do battle against the foe from South Carolina? No again.

Did this guy contribute to my enjoyment of the "Vol Walk" and thus my enjoyment of the trip as a whole? UNDOUTEDLY.

Thanks, Overall-clad, Name-Rhyming Guy. You made our trip to Knoxville/Neyland Stadium a very memorable one.

Current Reading

The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy by Bill Simmons

Because We Separate Like Ripples on a Blank Shore

Congratulations to Mr. John Middleton for correctly naming "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits as the Thursday Song of the Day.

As I was typing the name "Dire Straits", I wasn't sure if it was just "Dire Straits" or "THE Dire Straits." This is the problem that has been created by one person, The Edge (a.k.a. David Evans) of U2.

Bill Simmons has worked through the comedy of this situation many, many times, so I don't want to kick, shoot, and beat a dead comedic horse here, but let's just say that last week when I was at the U2 show, and someone walked up and said, "Here's some backstage passes; you can meet the band." When I walked backstage, what should I say to them?

"Hello Bono, hello Adam, hello Larry, hello...THE...Edge."

"No, it's just Edge. No "the" in front of Edge."

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were the only Edge, not one Edge among many. You should really think about cornering that market on edges. People are going to start confusing you with that Anthony Hopkins/Alec Baldwin movie from 1997."
"Okay, I'll look into that. Thanks."

Current Reading
King of the Club: Richard Grasso and the Survival of the New York Stock Exchange by Charles Gasparino

We'll Find a Way Regardless to Make Some Sense Out of This Mess

As we get things started tonight, please give your warmest Running Down a Dream welcome to Katie and Kevan Kirksey, the sister and brother-in-law, and their new blog, creatively titled "The Kirkseys." Edgy, I know. Be sure to regularly check in with them for their adventures in the Rose City, reasons why galaxy really is a terrible organization, and interior design tips. Should be good times, folks.

I suppose I shouldn't go down the dangerous road of beginning to play the excuse game, but if there's one overriding reason that I haven't been writing consistently, it's because my internet service has been less reliable than an Afghani election (cue rimshot).

I've said it before in another forum, but here goes again: I would say that Comcast is the Khmer Rouge of cable companies, but I don't want to be unfair to the Khmer Rouge.
With that said, I'm going to soldier on, overcome these momentary setbacks, and do my very best (SCOUT'S HONOR. Psssst, I quit the Cub Scouts.) to get back on the proverbial blogging horse. Hopefully the previous sentence set the all-time record for mixed metaphors.

Current Reading

Can I Keep My Jersey: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond by Paul Shirley

You Fight for a Nickel, You Die for a Dime

Great news out of Abilene today as ACU rose to the #1 spot in Division II football rankings for the first time in program history.

With the news, I've noticed a strange correlation between my departure from a school and that school's subsequent success of the gridiron.

• I graduated from Whitehouse High in 2002. As of my graduation, the Wildcats had made the playoffs once in 23 years. After my graduation, the Cats made the playoffs in 2006 and 2007 and are now no longer a laughingstock in the East Texas football discussion.


• After graduating from ACU, the program made the D-II playoffs for the first time in 2006, had an undefeated regular season in 2008, and as stated earlier, has achieved the inaugural #1 ranking in school's history.


• Baylor has....well, Baylor is still Baylor.
  

So, even though the Bears have yet to reap the full rewards of my matriculation, I think fans of the Green and Gold should get ready for some unprecedented success on the banks of the Brazos.

Any donations and gifts that you would like to send to yours truly would be greatly appreciated.

Current Reading

Londonistan by Melanie Phillips

I Won't Be Much For Conversation If We Go Into the Rest of This

Congratulations to Ms. Nina Patterson for correctly naming "Bartender" by Dave Matthews Band as the Thursday Song of the Day.

It's a bit odd watching a DMB performance after LeRoi's death, but I suppose it's the same thing that people felt when they watched Hendrix on YouTube back in the early 70's.

What?

You didn't YouTube in the early 70's?

Neanderthal.

Current Reading

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin

Do You Know Why We're Still Friends?

Congratulations to Ms. Amanda Pierce for correctly naming "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by Bowling Green, Kentucky's own, Cage the Elephant.

This post is currently being written with the assistance of Comcast High Speed Internet (trademarked). Yes, that's right, I'm working with enemy. From here on out, I'm basically, Vichy France, folks.

Current Reading

An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography by Paul Rusesbagina

Men Walkin' Long the Railroad Tracks, Goin' Someplace There's No Goin' Back

Realizing that it has been two LONG, LONG weeks since new words have been written in this space, I realized that I would be doing myself and the rest of this band a disservice if I didn't jump back on the ol' blogging horse* ASAP.

Yesterday was the first pay-day since starting the job, and for someone who has been operating in the student realm for the past twenty years (that's 80% of my life for those of you scoring at home), I almost had the following conversation with the person handing me my check:

Me: So, you mean I can keep this?

Co-Worker: Yes.

Me: And if I take it to a bank, they'll make my account a bigger number than it is right now?

Co-Worker: Yes.

Me: And there will be more of these in the future?

Co-Worker: Sure, payday is twice a month. The 15th and the 30th.

Me: Only in America. Only in America.

Co-Worker: What does any of this have to do with America? You know people get paid in other countries, right?

Me: I don't know. I've just heard Don King say that a bunch.

*In case you were wondering, that horse's name is Patches. Be sure to feed him some apples when you see him.

Current Reading

Rabbit, Run by John Updike