Updated ahnentafel

For ye socks who have been keeping tabs on my never-ending genealogcial pursuits, I announce a significant revision to my ahnentafel:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~oldpinecastle/ahnentafel.html

The bulk of the revisions stem from new information that indicated yours truly had misidentified #141 on that table of illustrious ancestors. Hannah, the wife of Warren Blakesley of Marengo, Illinois, who died in January 1850, was NOT the daughter of Philo and Sarah Ann (Priest) Peck.

Rather, she was a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Lighthall) Sponable (now properly identified as # 282 & 283).

While this revision eliminates some pretty interesting Connecticut lineages and a coveted link to Queen Anne Boleyn, it does add at least one more Revolutionary War veteran and an infusion of German and Dutch bloodlines.

Sorry if I've bored ye socks who do not share my genealogical addictions, but that's the big news out of this dryer this morning . . .

Steelers Win!

No, I'm not referring to the football team from Pittsburgh. Their big contest is Sunday, remember?

Instead, I refer to the supporters of former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who succeded in ousting the sitting Republican National Committee chairman and replacing him with their guy.

Let's face it. The GOP needs to tend so some serious wounds after the drubbing we've taken in the last two election cycles.

Hopefully, Steele will realize we need to purge the party of McCainism--the appeasement of Democrats and their constituents instead of appealing to and rallying the Republican base. Maverick, schmaverick. We need to get back to the principles that made the party great: lower taxes, smaller government, more personal responsibility, and dogged defense of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Let the ObamaNation stand for hand-outs, bail-outs, and cop-outs. We need to be a strong and clear voice of opposition, not their lapdogs and handmaidens.

What's so fascinating about that?!

Ye socks who are as geeky as yours truly and are maintaining blogs of your own may want to check out this site:

http://feedjit.com/

There you will find a cool widget that allows you to keep track of who is surfing thru your posts.

I just got done browsing the latest data on this little corner of the blogosphere, and can't figure out why so many folks out there end up on my old post about Miss Chiquita Banana . . .

Ah, well, to each his or her own, I suppose . . .

The "stimulus" that keeps growing, and growing, and growing . . .

Well, ye socks, I have been spending an inordinate amount of time trying to wrap my pea-picking mind around the size of the ObamaNation's "stimulus" plan.

You know the one. It fluctuates somewhere between $800,000,000,000 and $1,000,000,000,000, depending on how much more crap and nonsense our illustrious legislators are able to wedge in to the final package.

I guess I spent too many of my formative years in Texas, because my vocabulary is full of wordy witticisms that would make Dr. Phil's head spin.

One of those folksy sayings that has been on the tip of my tongue more frequently than usual is the one that goes, "The only place you'll find free cheese is in a mouse trap."

The meaning, of course, is nothing is free in this world.

And, we shouldn't be looking at this--the biggest government hi-jacking of the economy in history--as a great big freebie.

It will have some serious repercussions, not the least of which will be the astounding amount of debt our "leaders" are piling on the backs of our children, grandchildren, and their children and grandchildren.

Marketing genius . . . or lack thereof

Ye socks know what a big Gator fan I am.

But, I still have to call 'em as I see 'em.

And, the current pest control commercial featuring UF basketball coach Billy Donovan that's airing in our little corner of heaven has got to be the worst bit of advertising I've seen since the A. Ivey's garage spots I was forced to endure back in Lubbock, Texas, years ago.

I mean, it is the most unbearable 30 seconds you can imagine short of a prostate exam.

Even if it weren't so poorly scripted and executed, someone could have told the pest control company that's paying the tab for this train wreck that Billy Donovan doesn't enjoy the sort of celebrity "credibility" in Orlando than he might have in other parts of our great state.

Remember how he wasn't going to coach the Magic, then he was, then he wasn't, then he wasn't sure?!

Please, Billy. Stick to the coaching and leave the endorsements to someone who's believable . . . like Urban Meyer or Tim Tebow.

25 Random Things

(Apologies in advance for ye non-facebook socks who won't understand this.)

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you.

At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged.

You have to tag the person who tagged you.

If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click post.)

1. I only drink coffee when it's cold outside, which is a rarity where I live.

2. I like to travel, but would never want to live anywhere else than where I am now.

3. Only recently did I discover I would rather wait for the DVD than go to a movie theater.

4. I wish my sister lived closer to home.

5. Last year, I had to cancel my vacation plans at the last minute. So, I'm really looking forward to this year.

6. I found out I'm pretty handy during ongoing renovations of an old house I bought recently.

7. I'm addicted to books--generally reading three at any given time.

8. College football is so much better than NFL.

9. I don't think the economy is going to rebound any time soon.

10. I wish I could sell my old house, because toting two mortgages is cramping my style.

11. My favorite place to visit is St. Augustine.

12. I have never voted for a Democrat. Never.

13. I can't believe my 20 year high school reunion is this summer.

14. Faces, yes. Names, not so much.

15. I hate all the toll roads around here and refuse to get an E-Pass.

16. My barber's shop is right across the street from my office, which is handy.

17. I can't keep a pair of sunglasses for more than a week.

18. I only wear a tie to funerals and weddings. Otherwise it's my favorite jeans, a t-shirt, and my old ball cap.

19. I used to think dogs were better than cats, but found out I was wrong.

20. Why don't people signal more often when they want to change lanes?

21. Genealogy is a great hobby, because it's never-ending.

22. I've been blogging on a daily basis for over 3 years now.

23. My dad died of early-onset Alzheimer's, an insidious disease I wouldn't wish on anyone.

24. Story-telling has become a lost art.

25. I need to get to work!

What happened to winter?

I know I'm probably jinxing things by mentioning it, but how great is this weather around our little corner of heaven this weekend?!

I mean, it got so warm up in the attic this afternoon that yours truly was able to shed his flannel overshirt! (I know, there's a visual.)

Don't think I've been able to go to bed barefoot since Thanksgiving. So, this will be a treat.

It's the little things in life that make it worth living, isn't it?!?

Just what I needed around here . . .

More books!

Well, more like more magazines, I guess.

Today was the Friends of the Library annual winter book sale downtown. So, of course, yours truly was there all bright eyed and bushy tailed as soon as they opened the doors.

But, this year, I was on a budget. So, none of the wild and crazy antics that have typified past book sales.

I did, however, luck into a stack of old "Orlando" magazines. At 25-cents a pop, who could resist?

Guess it's a good thing I came across those extra bookshelves recently . . . looks like I may need them.

Hope ye socks are enjoying an equally geeky weekend!

The new definition of liquidity for today's economy

Li-qui'-di-ty (n) - What happens in your pants when you realize how much month is left at the end of the money.

I know. Lame. But, at least I'm off my soapbox for a day.

A little lesson in Japanese economics goes a long way.

Well, ye socks, it looks like the ObamaNation will enjoy a tax-evading Treasury Secretary who hires illegal aliens. Kinda scary that he will be the guy handling the remaining hundreds of billions of dollars in bail-out money due to flow out of DC . . . more hope and change!

Republican or Democrat, though, everyone can recognize our economy is in a fragile state. As usual, the solution to the problem may be found through an examination of history, for those who do not learn the lessons of past mistakes are doomed to repeat them. (Kinda like we're getting Jimmy Carter Part 2.)

I hope the new economic recovery team will see the freakish similarity between what happened in Japan over the last ten years and what's happening on this side of the Pacific today.

It is not enough to spend all this money to buy distressed assets and bad loans. It took the Japanese the better part of a decade to realize they also had to completely recapitalize the banks that were being bailed-out.

We must do the same.

This means not only throwing enough money their way. It also means getting serious about auditing those banks, and taking action to ensure they don't slide back into their old bad habits--or, if they do, stop propping them up and allow them to fail.

Up to this point, the very thin silver lining to the cloud that's been hanging over our heads is that the US response has been both faster and more aggressive than the Japanese.

Let's hope the newly-coined administration not only continues this precedent but also avoids the pratfalls of our Asian allies. We cannot afford a ten-year recovery. At least I can't. How 'bout ye socks?

New president makes killing babies a top priority

Ye socks have known for a long time that Democrats are, generally, supportive of abortion.

But, the new administration isn't content with killing American babies.

They want to use your tax dollars and mine to pay for abortions overseas.

Remember that old Thompson Twins song from the 80s, "King for a day." Think about it, ye socks. What would you do if you had the reins of power in your hands for a day or two. In the current climate, you'd probably want to make your first act something to do with relieving our nation's economic woes. Or, maybe, it would be something about decreasing our dependance on foreign oil.

But, that's not going to happen in our new ObamaNation.

Instead, on his second full day in office, the newly inaugurated president is poised to reverse the Mexico City Policy and thereby spend our money on abortion clinics in developing countries. (I wonder if that includes Kenya?!)

Of course, this story got buried in all the media coverage of the three ring circus up in DC yesterday.

Benjamin Franklin once said, "In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes."

That will be doubly true in this country for at least the next few years.

Hope and change! (Unless of course you're an unborn baby or a taxpayer . . . )

One day of blog silence

Media bias has deep roots in Orlando

Ye out-of-town socks no doubt missed the article in today's local daily rag about the one visit Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., paid to our fair city.

That was back on 6 March 1964, when his old Morehouse College roommate Rev. Curtis Jackson invited him to speak at Shiloh Baptist Church and later at a political rally over at Tinker Field. (Jackson was running for city council at the time.)

This was 7 months after Dr. King delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech, and was in the midst of the herculean effort to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Yet, our local newspaper buried the story of King's visit, because it didn't suit the agenda of the editorial board.

Now, of course, the pendulum has swung wildly in the opposite direction . . .both in the print media and broadcast news.

I suppose the lesson that may be drawn from all this would be that you've got to think for yourself and refuse to be spoon-fed your beliefs.

How many port-o-lets does it take . . .

Usually, Sunday mornings are a wonderful experience around this little corner of heaven. There's coffee with that decadent flavored creamer. There's the comfy chair and ottoman. And, there's all the news shows that help yours truly keep up with what's going on in the world.

But, I am just about ready to blow a gasket this Sunday morning.

For the life of me, I can't understand how the media is giving The Disaster in Waiting a pass on all his crappy cabinet nominees.

We've got an incoming Secretary of State whose been shaking-down world leaders to the tune of millions of dollars to support her morally-bankrupt husband's "foundation." And, we're supposed to believe she won't take who gave how much into account when she's in charge of our foreign policy?!

We've got an incoming Secretary of Treasury who hires illegal aliens and doesn't pay his taxes.

We've got an incoming Attorney General who pardons tax dodgers and domestic terrorists.

At least Bill Richardson had the decency to bow-out.

But, all the others are on the fast track to get rubberstamped by Harry Reid and his ilk.

I guarantee you, if it was John McCain or any other incoming Republican president nominating people like this to top cabinet posts, the media would be outraged.

Instead, we get wall-to-wall coverage of how many port-o-lets are going to be in DC for the coronation on Tuesday morning. No matter the number, I guarantee they'll all be overflowing by noon with so many people who are so full of crap being on hand . . .

Tangerines!

Well, ye socks, I finally decided it was time to officially end the holidays around this little corner of heaven.

I had long ago taken down the tree and boxed up the ornaments, etc.

But, I had left everything in a series of blue rubbermaid totes in the dining room.

I suppose this was half due to laziness, and half due to being out of town so much lately.

At any rate, today was the big day when I finally got off my rear end and hauld all the totes up to the attic where they belong for 11 out of the 12 months on our calendar.

In the middle of all this moving and grooving, yours truly was pleasantly interrupted by a friend who stopped by with a big plastic bag full of tangerines.

It was a welcome break. But something tells me that Vitamin C must contain something that stifles motivation, because the rest of the afternoon was spent dozing on my couch!

Roll back impact fees!

To paraphrase someone who once waxed poetic about a flower, a tax by any other name is still a tax.

The "impact fees" currently imposed on property owners in this little corner of heaven are a prime example.

Check out Carol Saviak's piece in today's Slantinel for more:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/orl-myword16saviak09jan16,0,7839394.story

Books, CDs, and magazines for CHEAP

It's that time of year again.

The Friends of the Library have announced their annual winter sale at the main downtown branch on Central Boulevard at ROSALIND Avenue.

It runs from January 23rd thru the 25th, with 50% off EVERYTHING in the 4th floor shop.

And, if you're a member of FOL, you not only get another 10% discount but also a preview day on January 22nd.

Check it out, you may just find a bargain!

Why can't I sell my house?!?

Well, I suppose the short answer is that nobody has any cash around this little corner of heaven.

I see on the news that MetrOrlando has the dubious distinction of having the 7th highest foreclosure rate in the country.

Roughly 1 out of every 18 households are in default on their mortgages, a total of 46,843 homes.

If that sounds like an awful lot, that's because it is--three times higher than last year.

I guess that explains why nobody's buying any real estate down here . . . guess I'll just have to keep toting two mortgages til this thing turns around . . .

It's spelled ROSALIND

Further evidence today that folks around this little corner of heaven don't know the history of the place, or Shakespearean comedy for that matter.

Whoever put the flashing sign on one of the busiest roadways in downtown Orlando managed to misspell it.

Instead of warning drivers that ROSALIND would narrow to two lanes, it proclaimed the avenue ROSILAND.

For that person's edification, and ye socks as well, ROSALIND was a comic heroine of the 16th Century who eventually defied her evil uncle to marry her lover named . . . wait for it . . . ORLANDO!

Are you seeing the connection? That's how they came up with the name for ROSALIND Avenue in downtown ORLANDO, Florida! Imagine that!

It's printed on all kinds of street signs down there. Heck, there's even a ROSALIND Club. Both have been hanging around for years.

ROSILAND sounds like a theme park for pretentious blooms!

ARGGHHH!

Tax cuts are the answer

In case ye socks were road trippin' like yours truly this weekend, I thought I'd let you know The Disaster in Waiting graced the airwaves on Friday with his pearls of wisdom about potential remedies to the nation's ongoing economic slump.

It was the same old crap and nonsense he usually spews, so don't feel too bad if you missed it.

However, towards the end of his nauseating missive, he indicated his openness to suggestions for additional/alternative solutions.

Well, I had to take the bait.

The simple answer, Mr. Disaster in Waiting, is that government is too big and taxes are too high. The quickest way of remedying the former is to reduce the latter.

That's right: CUT TAXES. Across the board, not just for the rabble that doesn't pay any net taxes anyway. But, cut your rates on every tax you cannot eliminate entirely, but especially:

1. The corporate tax rate - Ours is the second highest in the world, a fact that drives businesses overseas along with all the jobs they create.

2. Capital gains taxes - If you want to encourage people to invest their money, don't discourage them by taking away all their profits for your wealth distribution schemes.

3. The death tax - This places an undue burden on our families who want to pass the American dream on to the next generation instead of having their life's work confiscated by the government when they die.

My old college economics teacher taught me many things. But, one of the lessons that stands foremost in my mind even to this day, is this simple statement: TAXES KILL. If you levy a tax on some one, some thing, or some activity, you will kill it to some degree. The higher the tax, the more complete the devastation.

Well, we're at the point of deep devastation already.

Don't add to the pain thru ignorance of basic economic principles and free market enterprise.

I call it "star fruit."

I learn something new every day, and that's not just a worn out old line.

Today's lesson was in botany.

Preparing to depart St. Petersburg for the roadtrip back to my own little corner of heaven, I spotted this fruit-laden tree.

A "carambola," I was informed.

Anyway, those funky clusters of fruit dangling from the tree branches are an all-too-often overlooked tropical delight.

Most folks only look for the more pedestiran citrus varieties around here . . . oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and the like.

But, the next time you spot some carambola (star fruit), give it a whirl. They're easy to harvest. I had a bag full in just a couple of minutes!

St. Petersburg!

Well, ye socks, this fine Florida day found yours truly basking in the sunshine of Tampa Bay.


But, I wasn't on the Tampa side of that equation.


I was over on the Pinellas Peninsula most of the day, hitting Haslam's Bookstore, cruising Snell Isle, and swinging by the St. Petersburg Pier.


Believe it or not, they have a Columbia Restaurant in that inverted pyramid thingy at the end of the pier.


Of course, it doesn't really compare to ye olde favorite over in St. Augustine. But, then again, what does, right?!


I hadn't been over to St. Pete since the early 90s, when my sister and a cousin drove over to check out the "Treasures of the Tsars" exhibit in one of the downtown museums. The exhibit it self was awesome, but I didn't come away with a very good impression of the city itself. Oh, how times have changed, though. They've really cleaned this place up!

Playing catch-up

Well, between the holiday-making, national championship celebrating, and illness recuperating going on around this little corner of heaven lately, a lot of the mundane household chores have fallen by the wayside.

So, on this fine Friday evening, yours truly finds himself sitting at home playing catch-up.

Actually, "sitting" isn't the appropriate gerund.

I'm actually all over the place, from basement to attic, because I've got a deadline hanging over my head.

I'm supposed to be ready to head out on a little road trip tomorrow morning at 10am. And, that doesn't give me a whole lot of time to get it all done!

Guess, I shouldn't be wasting time blogging, huh?!?

VICTORY!

Well, ye socks, yours truly has been battling a nasty cold all week, and was afraid that would prevent him from staying awake long enough to witness the kick-0ff of the Gators' 3rd national championship.

I mean, the game didn't even start until 8:15 PM in this little corner of heaven, and I had been doing some serious Nyquil shots all day.

But, like the Gators, I persevered.

It was not the high-scoring affair many of us expected it to be, with the high-powered offenses on both sides.

Still, the Gators never trailed the Laters . . . er, Sooners.

Once again, the deciding factor proved to be Tim Tebow. He passed for 231 yards, including one of those little jump passes into the endzone that have become one of his many killer trademarks. He also rushed for 109 yards, making critical third down conversion after critical third down conversion.

The current Heisman Trophy winner was also impressive, and got within 6 yards of leading his team to two more touchdowns. Fortunately, the Gator D held. Imagine if they hadn't, Oklahoma would have had 28 points.

On the flip side, the Gators had to settle for a Jonathan Phillips field goal because a fan's whistle faked-out Tebow on third down. If he had punched the ball in for a TD instead, the Gator total would've been 28, too.

Can you imagine if the result had been a 28-28 tie at the end of regulation?!?

No such nailbiter was to be had, though. Nor, did the fans of Fun 'n Gun get to see the scoreboard lit up as had been promised.

Still, "It's great to be a Florida Gator!" And, we have another set of numbers to add to the mantra:

1996 - 52-20
2006 - 41-14
2008 - 24-14

ORANGE AND BLUE!

Parsing words

Ask anyone who knows me well, and they'll tell you I'm a stickler for words.

Words mean something. They're not just designed to be pleasant to the ear or to make you feel better about yourself or a bad situation.

I bring this up today, because I just got done watching our illustrious former governor cop-out on running for the US Senate.

And, in his explanation he went out of his way to mention The Disaster in Waiting. He stated, "I am proud to call him MY president."

What that had to do with his decision not to run for public office is beyond me.

But, what really stuck in my craw was the use of the word "MY" in his statement.

I've heard it used a lot since the disaster that was Election Day '08. In fact, I cannot tell you how many times I've heard some gratuitous celebridiot fawning over "my president" this or "our president" that. Of course, the implication is they are disowning the current and potentially all previous presidents because they have found their new Messiah.

People, you cannot possess the president. He is not yours. He is not mine. He is not hers. He is not his. He is not theirs. He is not ours.

The president is simply THE president.

Use the correct article when speaking about him. He will never be MY president, and he shouldn't be YOURS either!

Theft in progress up in Minnesota

In case ye socks missed it on Election Day, there were other contests being held besides the coronation of The Disaster in Waiting.

One of the most critical of these was the re-election of Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota, who narrowly defeated "comedian" Al Franken at the polls.

I inserted those quotation marks, because I've never found Mr. Franken the least bit comedic.

Anyway, after losing at the polls, Mr. Franken launched into a full-blown hissy fit along with a multi-million dollar campaign to thwart the will of the voters of Minnesota.

He got the money to finance this miscarriage of liberty with contributions from the usual cast of thugs, including George Soros and ACORN.

Now, it appears all the teeth gnashing and hair pulling has convinced Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie (a fellow Democrat!!) to certify Franken the winner.

How could he do that?

Well, in his own words, Ritchie and his state canvassing board started off the process by explaining to the press they were "not going to be entirely consistent."

Indeed, they were anything but consistent as they arbitrarily deducted votes for Coleman from the Election Day tallies, piling them up in some dark corner somewhere . . . presumably only to be reviewed again if Coleman launches a legal fight of his own.

In the mean time, they went back and DOUBLE COUNTED votes for Franken in a select few precincts.

Even more outrageous, they tossed-out the votes of military personnel serving overseas who submitted absentee ballots.

It is a sad, sad day when the party in power will employ tactics like this to bully their way past the ballot box in an effort to tighten their grip on our government.

Hack! Wheeze! Cough! Sputter!

Yep, I'm definitely coming down with something.

Dry, scratchy throat. Watery eyes. Can't speak an entire sentence before my voice gets swallowed up by a hacking cough.

I'm hoping I can stay awake to watch the UT-OSU game tonight, but that bottle of Nyquil I spotted in the medicine cabinet is looking awfully enticing . . .

Patrick Smith: A living legend

Several months ago, I was talking to one of ye socks offline about the classic Florida novel A Land Remembered, and was asked if the author Patrick Smith was still living.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Smith many years ago at a book signing at the OLD Orange County History Museum at Loch Haven. If he was still living, I guessed he'd be in his 80s. But, I hadn't heard anything about him in a while, so who knew?!

Well, today I am pleased to report that Smith is doing well and will be the featured guest on a local radio broadcast.

Ye Smith afficionados in this little corner of heaven should tune your radio dials to 90.7 (WMFE) at 6:30 pm this Thursday to hear him on the "Florida Frontier" program.

I'll be listening, too!

A matter of timing?

I know, I'm a cynic. But, in watching all the disturbing news out of the Middle East this weekend, I can't help but speculate that our Israeli allies timed their military strikes to occur before The Disaster in Waiting seizes the Oval Office.

He and his minions have been disturbingly lukewarm about Israel's right to defend itself against the rocket-launching terrorists in Gaza.

All we seem to get out of them is the "one president at a time" mantra.

That didn't stop him from condemning the recent terrorist strikes in Bombay, though, did it?

Whatever the Israelis are hoping to accomplish in terms of their national security, I hope they get it done before January 20th . . .

Guns up!

Well, ye socks, yours truly left work a little early today so his butt could make a very important appointment with his couch.

Actually, the couch wasn't as important as the big TV parked in front of it.

And, the TV wasn't as important as the signal it was receiving all the way from The Cotton Bowl, where my alma mater was taking on the Rebels of Ole Miss.

I was really hoping the Red Raiders would let Ole Miss have it. After all, they were the only blemish on the Gators' season. But, that was not to be.

Still, even with the sour ending, you had to be proud to be a Techsan this year. Mike Leach and his guys were truly an inspiration. And, I hope the program will build on this winning season and have many more.

Guns (still) up!

Our little local football tradition continues

Ye socks from this little corner of heaven know what happens every New Year's Day at 1pm.

It's been going on every year since 1947.

Of course, I'm referring to our local bowl game.

It's had many incarnations over the years. Originally, it was called the Tangerine Bowl. Then, all the orange and grapefruit growers got jealous and decided to get involved, so it became the Citrus Bowl. And, in 2001, we sold out to a big corporate sponsor: Capital One. I'm not sure how I feel about that last one.

This little bowl with a lot of heart is one of the few long-lasting traditions we have in a metro area full of transplants who aren't keen on such things. It was here in 1977 that my alma mater was humiliated by that hated unmentionable former all-girls school. I was there in 1991 when Georgia Tech beat Nebraska and claimed half of the national championship. And, I was one of the "oh-so-huge" record crowd of 72,940 that turned out to watch the Gators beat Penn State back in 1998. (ORANGE AND BLUE!!)

Actually, it's not such a little game anymore--probably the biggest non-BCS bowl around--and because it picks from the SEC and the Big 10, it always draws a lot of out-of-towners to join in on the fun.

That's what I think I like most about it. You don't have to be a fan of either team to enjoy the experience, from tailgating thru kick-off and the final whistle.

Of course, yours truly generally pulls for the SEC team. Not, that my support has accounted for much lately. They've lost every year since 2004. But, I'm feeling pretty good about Georgia this year. (They were the last SEC winners in the storied history of our bowl!)

We'll see what this afternoon has in store . . .