Steady On

Fall is Falling

"I'm okay with the rain, since YOU hardly ever wash me."

The weather so far this autumn has been weird, with temperatures warmer than normal and not much rain.






Apparently, that's due to something weird going on with the jet stream, but we might finally be seeing the real beginning of fall: Today's high is only predicted to reach the upper 50s, and it has rained off and on all morning.

Since autumn is my favorite time of year, I don't really mind the cooler weather.
It's part of what makes the season so appealing. I actually look good in sweaters...

"Fact Check: Four Pinocchios."

Go peddle your papers...

Winning Ugly

Yesterday at Arrowhead Stadium my beloved Kansas City Chiefs won their fourth straight game, a 19-14 victory over the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars. The win gave the team the third-best record in the AFC and has them just a half-game behind West Division-leading Oakland (over whom the Chiefs currently hold the tie-breaker).

"There are no style points in the NFL..."

The Chiefs were without starting QB Alex Smith and No. 1 RB Spencer Ware, and No. 1 WR Jeremy Maclin was lost to injury early in the first half.

Reserve QB Nick Foles and the rest of the offense struggled all day, recording only 231 yards and converting only 1 of 14 third down situations.



They did produce the game's only touchdown, but needed a short field (thanks to a Jags fumble) to do so. It was painful to watch.

"No touchdowns for you today, Jags!"

The defense didn't cover itself with glory either, surrendering 449 yards and 25 first downs. What was particularly troubling was the 205 rushing yards the team gave up, to a team not known for having a good running game (only No. 27 in the league).

Fortunately, the Jaguars turned the ball over four times, and the defense managed to keep them out of the end zone. Still, Chiefs fans had to sweat out a final Jags possession deep in Chiefs territory.

LB Dee Ford had his second straight multi-sack game, but on balance the defense didn't have
a great day, resulting in a win that was uglier than it should have been.

"'Winning ugly' is still winning, right? Isn't that the objective?"

It is, and I'm delighted they won yesterday, but there is obviously some cause for concern, especially if the injuries keep piling up...

Housekeeping

Just one of my period reminders that some of the best content in the blog (and a fair amount of its humor) can be found by clicking on the embedded links, like this one. If you don't click at least once in awhile you're missing out on some cool stuff.

Speaking of reminders, I'm overdue for a reminder that comments are always welcome here. Agree, disagree, or just saying "Hi," I'd love to hear from you!

"Me too!"

Future Democrat Politician

From the droll comic strip Zits, by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, which you should read every day, as I do.

Until Next Time...

While I was getting back to classroom teaching in the fall of 1995 one of my favorite musical artists, Bonnie Raitt, was enjoying her commercial peak. Her 1989 album  
Nick of Time had won three Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, as well as hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and receiving five platinum certifications from RIAA. Her 1991 follow-up Luck of the Draw also won three Grammys, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and received seven RIAA platinum certifications. And in 1994 she released Longing in Their Hearts, which became her second Billboard 200 No. 1 album and received multi-platinum status along with another pair of Grammys.

A tireless touring musician (there is a song on Nick of Time called "The Road's My Middle Name"), Bonnie decided to capitalize on her recent success as many artists do, with a live recording. It was a great decision!

On November 7, 1995, the day before her 46th birthday, Bonnie released Road Tested, a double album featuring performances recorded during a series of shows in July at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California.

One of my all-time favorite live recordings, the album features Bonnie's soulful blues singing and wicked-good guitar playing on a collection of tunes from top-notch songwriters like John Hiatt, Richard Thompson, and John Prine, as well as several blues classics and a few of her own originals.

A number of artists made guest appearances on the album, including Jackson Browne, Bruce Hornsby, and Kim Wilson. My personal favorite duet was the one she did with Bryan Adams on his song "Rock Steady," which he had written for her.

Today's send-off is the two friends rocking steady together, from Bonnie's YouTube channel. Enjoy...