SMU lands In The College Football Playoff Facing Penn State.

1982 was a magical season for SMU. I was a senior in high school, but had my own car, a job, and trusting parents who allowed me to travel to Dallas on the weekends and watch my beloved SMU MUSTANGS play their home games. It was a wild ride. The offense was led by Lance McIlhenny who ran the option perfectly. Alternating at RB were Eric Dickerson and Craig James. Between the three, it was likely one of the best backfields ever assembled in college football.

As SMU stacked up the wins, each team played them just a little tougher. SMU was a member of the Southwest Conference which consisted of teams like Arkansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech etc. SMU was favored to win, but Arkansas and Texas both had solid teams standing in the way. But it was Texas Tech that almost ruined SMUs perfect season.

At the same time, several thousand miles away, Penn State was slugging its way through another Independent schedule. They managed to beat #2 Nebraska, and then were spanked pretty hard by #4 Alabama. They finished the season 11-1 by beating Notre Dame, #5 Pitt and #1 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

SMU topped #19 Texas, tied #9 Arkansas, and then beat #6 Pitt in the Cotton Bowl to finish 11-0-1 - the only unbeaten school in the country.

Before the bowls even started, there was a very effective lobbying effort to get "Joe Pa", coach of PSU, a national title. And it was implied that if not in 1982, he might never get it because he might retire. He would coach for another 28 seasons. The East Coast bias made sure the votes went to Paterno. And to add insult to injury, they managed to find a way to give Herschel Walker the Heisman Trophy. Dickerson was voted 3rd behind John Elway. Based on stats and team performance, and the fact that Dickerson shared time, there was no way in my mind that he did not earn the Trophy.

SMU would end up ranked #2 - yet another NCAA snub. We would experience more than a few of these over the next 3 decades.

You would think the old crotchety coach would be forgotten. But he had a knack for sticking his big nose into places it did not belong. In 1987, SMU was investigated and hammered by the NCAA for payments to players - at the time illegal, but widely practiced. Paterno liked to remind people how clean his program was, so he made sure to go on record and pile on SMU.

The irony of this statement would not be revealed until later. But it proves that what you sow, you certainly reap. Joe Pa had some secrets of his own. He had protected a player who was a serial rapist of coeds. That was just the warm up act. One of his coaches retired to ostensibly focus on at-risk youth. The risk was from the coach, who was molesting the boys. There were also rumors of others being involved, but somehow the investigators were more concerned with speed than depth. The timeline of events appeared to show PSU slowly moving Jerry Sandusky away from the program - likely knowing what was happening - or at the very least suspecting. Yet the retired coach still freely roamed the campus, even caught by an assistant coach with a boy in the showers. At that point, there was no doubt that the leadership knew what was going on. Yet covering it up seemed to be the safe response. And it never is.

So good old Joe was enabling and protecting both a rapist and a pedophile during the time he was claiming that he ran a clean program. 

Before news of this broke, PSU had a statue made of Joe. After this scandal broke, there was debate as to what should be done with it. I suggested putting it in the library, to remind everyone to stay quiet. There is no way all these things were happening on and near campus and yet NOBODY knew? This was a school that put college football before the safety of women and children. There truly is no excuse for that. 

To this day, there are folks in "Happy Valley" who defend coach, and attempt to downplay the severity of the events. "It happened a long time ago." "Nobody here now was involved!" Cry me a freakin' river. Its that very culture that needed cleansing. You DO NOT EVER put football over the safety of folks.

SMU took its medicine. The program was shut down for two years, losing millions and a generation of fans. We lost our association with the SWC, and especially our historical and traditional rivals. We hit rock bottom and are just now returning to where we belong - in the college football playoff.

For those who've been with SMU for some time, you will notice every media story - print/broadcast, and almost every social media comment continually mentions SMU and the death penalty - even when it had ZERO relevance to the story. How often do you hear about the major scandals surrounding PSU, UNC, BU? Its like they are all forgiven and forgotten, yet the DP remains forever. In some ways I understand. But why focus on the punishment - one that we now know was selectively applied, and likely will never be used again? The crimes are what matters. And ours was a nothing burger compared to sexually molesting kids, decades of fake classes, and football players gang raping coeds as a team building experience.

I was almost baited into a discussion on social media about PSU and the Sandusky events. But you know, its not going to change a thing. Maybe they are just better at forgetting the past and managing the media than SMU? Maybe its time to bury the DP, starting with ending PSUs title hope on Saturday.

The above are all secondary reasons for wanting to beat PSU. I want to beat them because I'm tired of the BIG. I'm tired of the arrogance, and the regional bias. 

Its a great conference and a massively large school with deep pockets. They load up with talent every recruiting year. They rank #11 on the talent composite ranking with 5 5* - 48 4* - 32 3* for a total of 895.42. With 48 4* players, its possible everyone in the two-deep is a 4* player. That is pretty stout.

SMU is chugging along at #22 - 1 5* - 24 4* - 52 - 3* - Total 788.22. Without any more information available, this looks like an easy win for PSU. 

I used this method to compare teams last year for bowl season and its pretty accurate. What it misses is experience - 6th year seniors, heart of the athletes, and those special players like Brashard Smith who was a WR at Miami, and became an all ACC RB at SMU. Players like that can make a difference. Along with QB Kevin Jennings and HC Rhett Lashlee.

The numbers were somewhat similar for the ACC Championship against Clemson, and SMU was just a few plays away from winning in the end. Maybe this time the whole team will make it to the stadium for the 1st quarter.

SMU has played PSU twice. A tie in 1948, and a PSU win in 1978. So no real competitive history to consider. On social media, PSU keeps mentioning weather - cold temperatures, and frozen precipitation. That likely was a factor last year in the Fenway Bowl. With a noon start, and hopefully no precipitation, nobody will have an edge because of weather.

My Prediction? SMU 38 PSU 14

 

2024 Election - Reflections On The Recent National Erection

What a hoot! This has been the most entertaining election in years. I voted early at a community center near where I live. Outside, several preteen boys gathered to chitchat - I assumed their parents were voting. They kept calling it an "erection" instead of an election. I quietly chuckled to myself, as I did the same thing as a dumb kid because bathroom humor is about as edgy as one can get at that age.

I climbed into my SUV and thought about the term erection. You know, its actually somewhat accurate. An erection happens when one is excited, eagerly looking forward to rewarding stimulation. Upon completion, at least one partner is quite satisfied - sometimes both. Kind of like elections. There is great excitement as the election date approaches. Candidates and their surrogates will say almost anything to get folks excited, hoping they will show up and vote. And when the election is complete, one side is elated, and the other is dissatisfied, maybe even angry. 

Let's examine this election, and the behavior both before and after the ballots were counted. First, just a comment on how ridiculous it is that a state like Texas, with multiple major metro areas, and some 30 million residents, can complete their counting and determine a winner within an hour or two of polls closing. Yet "swing" states, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin will drag it out into the wee hours. Its during these "midnight" hours when there are often shenanigans, as fewer folks are there to monitor the actions. Apparently this year, the RNC was prepared.

It was much harder to "discover" missing DNC ballots this year.

If you arrived on Earth with no prior knowledge of American politics, you would have thought President Trump was the most evil man on the planet. He was called a rapist, liar, sexual predator, Hitler, Nazi, White supremacist, business failure, felon, and on and on. This same man, just a decade ago, was loved by people of all colors and classes. DNC candidates courted him continually for donations or support. He was featured in major films, mentioned in rap songs, and interviewed on the top talk shows like Oprah. As a contender for the Republican nomination, the state run media GENEROUSLY provided him $2 BILLION in free air time, and he likely benefitted from 10-12 million Democrat votes in the Republican primary! That was more than the entire Republican field, COMBINED. Why? Because Hillary Clinton, the anointed "next DNC president" thought Trump would be easy to beat. Its as simple as that. The DNC was instrumental in creating and promoting the one they now claim is Hitler reborn!

 

By All Objective Measures, Trump Was A Great President. And Should Be Even Better The 2nd Time!

Aside from the election night theatrics - delaying the calling of certain swing states for Trump, it was obvious President Trump had won in a landslide. Not quite as big of an electoral beatdown as Reagan put on Mondale, but certainly impressive enough to discourage the traditional Democrats' late night creative counting. As of this writing, Trump was up 5M votes in the popular vote. And the percentages in the red states weren't even close, averaging above 60% in most. Even in solid blue states, the gap significantly narrowed from previous elections.

Democrats traditionally have a fairly easy road to victory. Nominate a decent candidate, and they could count on winning the major states/metros on the right and left coasts, the big union states, and a majority of minorities. Not content with just winning a few national positions, the democrats wanted even more power, and to "fundamentally transform" the US into some bizarre socialist utopia. And with no fear of the Law or God, they would do ANYTHING to seize and stay in power.

And that was their downfall. Somehow Joe Biden, a man who was obviously on the mental decline, was nominated to face Trump in 2020. The strategy behind his campaign was to simply keep him hidden for all but a few events. Biden, poster child for folks who have been in DC far too long, should have NEVER had a chance against Trump. Not only did Biden win, but he overcame an insane amount of Trump votes - almost miraculously, once the traditional counting was halted. Several hours later, it was revealed that there were many thousand ballots not counted. By the next day, Trump's lead was gone, and Biden was selected as President. And folks wonder why so many question the 2020 election results.

In 2024, it was even worse. The DNC decided that Biden would not run after he was nominated. His VP, Kamala Harris, was selected to run in his place. Not a single person voted for her nomination, but hey, its the democrats - who needs laws and stuff? Her campaign amounted to telling everyone she was "raised in a middle class home." For some reason that was supposed to win the hearts and minds of Americans. By every measure - economy, illegal immigration, wars, culture, and of course corruption - the Biden administration was a complete failure. And she had to run on that record, spinning it into something good. But folks aren't stupid. They see the prices at the pump. They note that their $100 at the supermarket now only got them one bag of groceries instead of two. And they heard the complaints of their children. White children being told they were racists - when most had no clue what that word even meant! Tampon dispensers in the bathrooms of young boys - as if they need something else to play with during bathroom breaks. Young girls contending with fully developed boys competing against them, and then ogling them in the locker room.

And what was the DNC response to this Sodom-like list of policies? Trump is Hitler. A vote for Trump is a vote for fascism. People who support President Trump are garbage, deplorables, stupid, uneducated etc. Pretty convincing arguments. Its especially interesting to note the policies and goals of the left - government control of education, health care, limiting free speech and repealing the 2nd Amendment, are socialist and fascist positions. The NAZIs were National Socialists, therefore closely aligned ideologically with the modern left! Projection is common with the DNC, and with the help of the state run media, they can amplify their message, overpowering most anyone who disagrees with facts and proof.

One of my favorite defenders of the DNC is religion - specifically, people who claim to be Christians and sow division and guilt on those who might consider - or be led by God, to vote for Trump. Take a look at this gem.

This gentleman claims to be a Pastor and a Chaplin in the National Guard. Although you have trouble finding the name of God or Jesus in his bio. Instead, his stated great purpose:

I went into ministry because I wanted to play a part in helping people live meaningful, fulfilling lives. I wanted to see people have every opportunity to thrive as individuals, and in their relationships, and families.

That sounds quite noble. But none of that is TRULY possible without being Born Again, making Jesus your Lord and Savior makes it possible to live the LIFE God has planned for you! 

He ran for an Indiana House Seat. Thankfully, the good folks of Indiana did not embrace his creative interpretations of Scripture, or his eagerness to enter politics.

This is not meant to pick on this one individual - as his mindset is common among many religious and nonreligious folks on the extreme left. They see NOTHING wrong with slaughtering children and selling their parts for fun and profit - even having taxpayers subsidize the entire industry doesn't faze them. Telling children that they are really a boy trapped in a girl's body, helping them to medically "transition" without parental consent seems perfectly acceptable to them as well. As does men competing against girls - check that - beating the snot out of girls in virtually every sport. But a pastor SHOULD know better than altering what God has created. That boy or girl was born for a specific purpose and time. And it was not to be a guinea pig for some crazy, irreversible medical procedures.

In my reply, I noted 1 Samuel 16:7. Let's take a look at that verse.

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 AMP

The context of this verse is that God sent Samuel to the house of Jessie to anoint one of his boys to be king in place of Saul. Samuel was quite impressed with the oldest - who seemed to look like a king. That is when God spoke the above to Samuel. God KNOWS what is in the heart of everyone. And He can even use spiritually dead folks for His purpose. David is known as the greatest king in Israel. Yet not even he was perfect. He committed adultery, and when the woman discovered she was pregnant, David had her husband murdered. And God still selected him to be king.

On THIS side of the cross, its far easier to resist the devil and sin. A Born Again Believer has the weapons and armor of God to resist all of satan's fiery darts. And a Believer can have the mind of Christ, be led by the spirit, and overcome all temptation. I can't prove what is in President Trump's heart, but I see many people I respect in the faith praying for him - and he encourages their involvement in the MAGA movement. You can look at what he stands for - note the differences between his priorities and Kamala's. Believers could ask the same of the religious left - why are Christians enthusiastically embracing a woman whose character, words, actions, and lifestyle stand in such stark contrast to the values of the scriptures they claim to believe. 

One way you know you are dealing with religious folks, or even baby Christians, is that they LOVE to focus on the sins of an individual. If they have to go back 40 years, and dive to the bottom of the ocean to discover them, they will. God forgets the sins He HAS forgiven. That doesn't make them perfect, but perfect in the eyes of God. Jesus paid the price for ALL to be spiritually reborn. What Trump "might" have done 40 years ago is meaningless. And besides, you cannot convince me that if a woman was sexually assaulted by DONALD TRUMP decades ago, she would have shared it far and wide - possibly treated it as a trophy or monetized the experience in some way. And they would certainly remember the details, maybe even saved evidence from the event. They certainly would not claim rape is sexy.

This little gem has been circulating social media leading up to the election. Its purpose is to shame Christians who might consider supporting President Trump. Once again, the left completely misses the mark.

The Bible says a whole lot of things. Some that are good, some that are helpful and a handful of verses that stand far above everything else. The above is what you get if you just scan a concordance and find verses ever so slightly that support your view of what Christianity means. The number one priority is to be Born Again, believe and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior and be ONE WITH CHRIST. That SAVING FAITH changes everything about the Believer, and its the ONLY THING that impresses God. There is only ONE LAW - the Law of Love. It basically states that you treat others as you would want to be treated. And as you mature in God, treat/see folks as God sees them. That is it. The Bible provides examples of people - many who failed, and one who was completely perfect. They are to help us understand how to live as Children of God in a fallen world.

With that in mind, let's examine the son's question, as it is meant to humiliate Christian Trump supporters. Should we "help the poor?" What does that mean? Does that mean paying higher taxes so government can hand out ever increasing largesse? Have you noticed that in the last 60 years America has distributed more than $25 TRILLION through 100 different programs in 14 different agencies. And that's just DC. The states have their own programs. There are more poor folks than ever, because handouts rarely work. They break up families, are a disincentive to work, and often lead to depression and sometimes crime. Never finance poverty - you just get more of it.

A better solution is a vibrant and growing economy that creates jobs and opportunities that make it far more desirable to work than be idle. And on a personal basis, Believers give as instructed by God. But we NEVER become the source for any individual. Get them connected to God so they can know HIM as their source in their life. Then, there is NO LIMIT to what they can accomplish. Government helps you survive in the ghetto. Yet God sets you on high!

7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and He lifts up. 

8 He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with nobles and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He has set the world upon them. 1 Samuel 2:7-8 AMP

What about the foreigner? Doesn't Trump and the MAGA movement hate foreigners? That is what the media and the left would have you believe. The US admits anywhere between 1 & 3 MILLION LEGAL IMMIGRANTS per year. They are rarely a problem as long as they follow the law. The extreme left has kept the Southern Border open, allowing (often encouraging) thousands of ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS flooding into the country daily. They come from every nation on the planet, are often single, military aged males, and their motives may not always be pure. Within their ranks come gangsters, terrorists, prisoners from other countries, human traffickers, and potentially harmful diseases. By sneaking into the country many die from the journey, are raped, or otherwise abused by the folks who profit from these actions.

The Federal government, rather than stop the invasion, would rather hide these individuals in big cities, place them in nice hotels and give them handouts to survive in their new country. What about American citizens - vets and families who are currently homeless? It makes absolutely no sense, unless you are counting on a whole new, future voting block to stay in power.

Folks don't realize that people are born in a particular place and time for a reason. When thousands of your healthiest, smartest, and most ambitious leave a country, the country left behind suffers tremendously. Consider what is left - the lazy, the sick, old, among other undesirable traits. The very people that are leaving are the ones that could and should make their nation better. And America should be selective. Put a premium on certain skills that are lacking in the US. And open the gates only as unemployment is at an extreme low point. US citizens should come first. If an immigrant wants to move here, do the necessary background checks to make sure they are not a threat, and would CONTRIBUTE to the country.

I love how the left continues to emphasize that Trump is a liar. I stopped watching state run media in the Clinton years because of their inability to report the truth. And its only gotten worse. If you are labeling half the country Nazis, garbage people, deplorables, uneducated, hypocrites in every segment, you might want to look in the mirror.

I am going to count his departure as a win for America, and a big loss for whatever country takes pity on him. Yet again, dozens of "celebrities" claimed they will leave the US if Trump wins. After multiple election cycles these clowns never leave. Now what do we call someone who says something that is not true? Oh yes - a LIAR.

The Last Iron Skillet Game - SMU v TCU Rivalry

Last Saturday (9/21/2024), TCU and SMU participated in the 103rd playing of the Iron Skillet Rivalry. The game was played in the newly remodeled Ford Stadium in front of a near capacity crowd, including the largest number of SMU students in recent memory. 

The game was broadcast by The CW, an OTA network that is slowly building itself into a respectable sports media partner. With two small private schools from the Dallas area, the  4 pm (CST) game recorded around 322,000 viewers. TCU fans immediately jumped on this as some indicator that nobody outside DFW cares about the game. But a little context might help. Overlapping the game on more traditional sports networks, were USC v Michigan, UCLA v LSU, Utah v Oklahoma State, Arkansas v Auburn, Miami (OH) v Notre Dame. And at the same time, UTEP v Colorado State had 56,000 viewers on TruTV. 

frogs on the cw, unfortunately. pic.twitter.com/NSLNj9ojk0

— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) September 20, 2024

Viewership is driven by a number of factors - size of the school and fanbase. The current rankings and importance of the game can increase the number of viewers. The most important factors are the time, network, and competition on other networks. Its going to be difficult stealing viewers from Notre Dame on NBC. Or even USC and Michigan on CBS. However, this was a rivalry game between the Big 12 and ACC, and one of the last ones. But both teams were limping into the game with player issues and a recent disappointing loss - TCU against UCF, and SMU against BYU.

It was TCU that decided it was best if the schools drop the annual game. I covered this including the history of the rivalry in a previous post. Back in the early 2000s, when TCU joined the Big 12 and dominated the series, it would have made perfect sense to pause, or even end the series. SMU looked as if they really did not care about football. TCU was in a power conference with the revenue advantage and the recruiting prestige, and they were winning games on the national stage. SMU was fortunate to make it occasionally to the Hawaii Bowl.

Now almost 20 years later, things are a lot different. SMU, along with Cal and Stanford, are now members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) - arguably the 3rd best Power conference. Only in SMUs wildest dreams did they see themselves landing in the ACC. They had hoped for the Big 12, reuniting with some Southwest Conference schools. But a certain school in Cowtown made sure that did not happen. They were likely helped by others - Baylor and Texas Tech. The idea of a Big 12 team in the middle of Dallas, and likely playing there every year, seemed like a no brainer. But these universities are not exactly known as the top academic destinations in the country - especially now that Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma are in the Southeast Conference. The latest academic rankings confirm this. Simply compare the rankings of the two conferences. All but one, Louisville, is ranked higher than all the Big 12 schools - significantly. Of course winning football and basketball games is preferred, but if you can do both, why not?

SMU was all but in the PAC 12 when the Big 12 pounced on several teams, destroying that conference in the process. And once again leaving SMU on the outside looking in. As long as TCU had the golden ticket - membership in a Power conference and SMU did not, they could maintain their competitive edge. They even lured Sonny Dykes away from SMU, after his SMU teams beat TCU in consecutive games. Little did they know they actually did us a favor, as Rhett Lashlee is a far better man and coach. TCU is finding this out the hard way.

When the rules changed, and the portal became a reality, SMU jumped onboard and embraced it - telling players that they could "come home" have a fresh start playing at SMU in front of friends and family. The pitch worked, as SMU was able to upgrade their roster. And then the NCAA allowed players to earn money from their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Once again SMU was a pioneer, mastering the acquisition of top players. The only thing missing, and keeping the very top players away was that SMU still was not playing with the Big Boys. That was a HUGE competitive disadvantage on signing day. And TCU was EAGER to keep it that way. Because every day, the talent on SMUs roster was getting dangerously close to TCUs level. A few players picked SMU over TCU, and some even transferred to SMU - both quite rare in the past. TCU had to do something. That something was to cancel the series. If the teams never played head-to-head, nobody would truly know which is the better school. And besides, is there a TCU fan who does not prefer seeing TCU play top schools like Long Island University?

Why Do All TCU Fans Have Early Onset Arthritis?

In spite of all the complaints - Its so hot. They ran out of water. The bathrooms were crowded. TCU fans by the hundreds, dragged their butts to Dallas to see what they hoped would be another decisive win over the lowly Ponies of SMU - their "lil bro" as some joke. But that little brother is ALMOST fully grown. Our Big Money Donors have invested over $250M in athletic facilities since 2013. We have a Presidential library, numerous new buildings, and a beautiful campus that does not resemble a La Quinta motel. Its no surprise that people from TCU don't want to see how much better things are in Dallas.

And what they witnessed was a bloodbath at Ford. SMU jumped out quickly and never looked back. Sonny Dykes even got himself thrown out in hopes it might fire up his team. It did not work. When it was over, SMU won 66-42 - and it really was not that close.

I've had a week to consider the Iron Skillet game. Other schools have cancelled games. This very year, Vanderbilt cancelled our game forcing SMU to scramble and find a week 0 opponent. We played Nevada. It would be nice to give TCU what they want - a pause. Let this be the last Skillet game for a time. It was a perfect ending to a 100+ year rivalry. We keep the Skillet, and TCU keeps Sonny - at least for a few more games.

But I know SMU will keep their commitment. We will play TCU one last time in Cowtown. The cows will walk aimlessly through the stockyards. Sunrise, sunset. But maybe one last Iron Skillet game will bring some much needed excitement to their campus. It was fun while it lasted.

Happier Times

Even the animals know! Order all these adorable animals sporting T-shirts with Job 12:7 - Ask the animals and they will teach you. Six animals and 8 shirt options giving you 48 possible combinations. Click Here to Order. Check out the other products while there!

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Do you Know The Story Of Pumpkin Spice?

Pumpkin Spice - The Lost Spice Girl

In the early 90s a 6-girl pop group burst on the scene. They were known as the Spice Girls, and their songs were all over the radio. Their single "Wannabe" hit #1 in 30 countries. They were YUGE!

I hear some people saying, "Wait a tic! There were only 5 Spice girls."

Let's review.

Melanie Chisholm as "Sporty Spice"

Emma Bunton as "Baby Spice"

Melanie Brown as "Scary Spice"

Victoria Adams as "Posh Spice"

Geri Halliwell as "Ginger Spice"

That is how most of the world remembers the Spice Girls. But before they hit the big time, there was a 6th member - Poppy Goff, known as "Pumpkin Spice." Here she is outside a club in the 90s.

Poppy Goff - Pumpkin Spice

The original concept was each girl would adopt a different spice name. This started well enough with Ginger, and then Pumpkin, and then it went catawampus as the other four went off the rails, picking odd names like Sporty, Posh, Baby, and Scary spice as their nicknames. This started an internal conflict, resulting in the latter four voting Poppy "off the island" and out of the band.

The band went on a great run, and Pumpkin, although she tried to make it as a solo act, faded into obscurity. Every once in while on Halloween you will see someone dress up as Pumpkin Spice, but as time moves on, fewer folks remember her almost being a superstar.

But don't cry for Poppy. She got her revenge by entering the pumpkin spice business. Within a few years, she was the global cheerleader for pumpkin line extensions into every consumer food category. It all started with prepared drinks.

Pumpkin spice has been around for centuries. McCormick started offering a pre-mixed seasoning called Pumpkin Spice in the 1930s. But it was Goff, who when asked what she wanted, told them she really wanted a pumpkin spice latte. And from there, it was a meteoric rise, one consumer product after another introduced a pumpkin spice flavored version. And with every new product, Poppy got a piece of the action. 

Its is estimated that pumpkin spice products generated $800M in economic activity in 2023. It is likely to top a billion within a year making Poppy the world's first Pumpkin Spice Tycoon. You Go Girl!

Some may be scratching their head over this. I am not a coffee drinker, so I was ignorant of the growth pumpkin spice. I LOVE pumpkin pie during the holidays. If it weren't for baklava, pumpkin pie would be my favorite holiday desert. But baklava is better - don't argue with me.

Every August, pumpkin spice products start arriving at stores all over the world. You literally can flavor everything with pumpkin spice, and it will sell. Just take a look at these I found today.

Pumpkin Spice Is Everywhere!

And that is just the top of the pumpkin.

Natural AND Artificially Flavored - Good To Know!

Baked Goods Love Pumpkin Spice!

We owe everything to Poppy Goff (Pumpkin Spice) - the little girl with the BIG ORANGE VISION. Think of her whenever you eat or drink a pumpkin spiced flavored treat this Fall.

Get your official Pumpkin Spice T-shirt while they last!

Pumpkin Spice Knows What You Really, Really Want!

Happy Pumpkin Spice Season!

Something To Consider.

Coming to a theater near you - Spice World: Pumpkin Spice Strikes Back!

 

I Bless The Rains Down In Africa.

Looking across the metroplex you truly can see how sandy it looks, thanks to the prevailing winds that drive sand and dust from North Africa - mainly the Sahara to North Texas. These currents usually drive hurricanes towards the gulf - which would be fantastic this time of year to end the Summer heat domes that camp out over DFW. In an ironic twist, the Saharan Dust actually inhibits the creation and growth of hurricanes in the Atlantic. 

There I was enjoying Christmas in July - all the holiday movies and festive stories of the "Christmas Spirit" throwing people together who really don't belong. Retailers have long realized that they needed something to get people in a buying mood. 4th of July, just is not a consumer spending kind of holiday. And its a wee bit early for Back to School. So here comes Christmas in July, which segues quite nicely into Back to school.

But the month was not even over when retailers were already transforming their stores into Fall colors and Halloween merchandise. The most obvious sign of this change is the Spirit/Halloween stores that open and are gone within 90 days. Christmas will always be the biggest holiday - with gifts, food, and decorations. But Halloween is growing so fast that it may in time outsell Christmas - at least for costumes and decorations Something new for Halloween that I had NOT seen before. Take a look at these critters below. AWESOME!

Spooky Peeps!

And if needed, just slip an unopened package in a microwave oven. Set the timer at :15 and turn the power out. When your pursuer(s) turn(s) the power on, the peeps make a very effective weapon. 

Or you could just purchase a few cases and enjoy them until the Christmas versions come along. 

They're Comin' To Get You Barbara!

Have a Happy Christmas in July/Back To School/Halloween Season!

A Blog About The 4th of July, Jenna Ortega, Christmas, And An Ugly Naked Man

 Happy 4th of July!

Driving around Mesquite today, I noticed a big increase in American flags and patriotic displays. Even in apartments, people were displaying red, white, & blue. What does it mean? I hope it means that people love this country. For all its warts, its still the best country on the planet. Otherwise, the whole world wouldn't be doing their best to come here. Let's get some good leadership in place, and see some real justice for those who have used government for personal gain.

Regardless of who is in power - PRAY for all those in authority.

Does Jenna Ortega live in Mesquite?

For most deliveries, people request that I simply place their food in front of the door. This is referred to as a no contact delivery - a holdover from the flu madness of 2020. I find it a little silly. I'm driving around Mesquite with your ice cream, my AC is on full blast, and yet the interior temperature never gets below 80 with the afternoon Sun blazing. And then after 30 minutes of being outside of a frozen environment, the guest now wants me to set it in front of their door, in the Sun, with the heat index well above 100. Good luck with that. I take my photo and depart, hoping they check their text messages and see that their food has been delivered. And hopefully, it doesn't get "poached" by a porch pirate either.

So today I actually had two deliveries in one. Which means I shopped two different orders at the same time, and then delivered based upon their location and delivery expectations. Its always a little unnerving, as keeping two orders separate, and going through all the necessary steps, can be more challenging than you might think. Yet I delivered the first shop rather quickly and made my way to the next stop.

My instructions for this one was to hand it to the guest. OK, so now its time to have something nice to say, a pleasant observation, or thank you. I approached the door and some yappy dog in the window made sure that ringing the doorbell was not necessary. What he lacked in size, he made up for in bark, showing those little fangs was actually a little amusing. I literally could step on him - not that I would. He was going to defend his home no matter what.

A minute or two went by - far longer than it should take for someone to come to the door. So I reluctantly rang the doorbell - maybe the person simply ignores the dog when its barking fanatically. As I stood there in the hot Sun, holding the bags, I could feel beads of sweat forming all over, and a few racing down my head. So much for looking professional - I never do anyway. Someone my age probably shouldn't be in shorts and a T-shirt.

Finally, the door opened. To my surprise there was petite woman in a very tight dress - definitely not for my benefit. Based on what I normally meet - this was by far the most attractive woman I have met in my Dashing travels. Yet, it was WHO she looked like that had me stumble. She was the spittin' image of Jenna Ortega. Same height, hair color, build, smile - it was an amazing similarity. Now I know some might say that I would think that about any petite Latina. Is that the right word - who knows these days. No disrespect intended if wrong. The truth is I am pretty good with faces, and the resemblance was uncanny.

She was obviously in a hurry, getting ready for some event. She thanked me and I handed her the groceries. And then I did the only thing I could do - the dance!

The Ugly Naked Man

Remember the sitcom Friends? They had an offscreen character called the Ugly Naked Man. We never saw his face, yet several episodes mentioned him - including one where they thought he was dead and built a pole to "tap" him to see if he was alive. Then another where Ross bonded with him when he found out that he was moving out of the apartment.

Well, I was delivering food to hungry folks in Mesquite. Its a dirty job, but I don't want the good people of Mesquite to starve, therefore I Dash. This particular day Google successfully directed me to the correct building. It had three stories and four stairwells. I can successfully manage about three flights for one delivery - but that is about it. I cannot risk climbing stairs and be wrong. So I am carefully reviewing the door numbers for the first floor units, and the 2nd floor that I can see. Some are quite easy to figure out - 101 - first floor, 201 - 2nd floor, 301 - third floor etc. But some communities like to mix it up just to screw people like me. 

I determined the unit was likely one of the middle stairwells. So I was making my way there, walking between the cars and the units. I happen to look up just in time to see a man standing at his backdoor - all glass. And from what I could see, I did not dare look down, this man was completely naked. His right hand was hanging down as if he was doing something, but again I did not dare look.

Unfortunately, now that I had made eye contact with him, I could not easily break it. He looked a little like Tommy Chong (Cheech & Chong) in his prime. And like Mr. Chong was likely feeling little pain. So I did what anyone else would do in this situation, gave him a quick nod and moved on. Maybe he was expecting a delivery, or something else. But I was NOT his man. 

There are some really strange folk in the Dallas metro area.

Now that we are in July, Hallmark and other channels are featuring Christmas in July. All the holiday movies from the past are playing all month. I stumbled across two I like just the other night. I saw the end of Dear Santa, featuring the lovely Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse, Person of Interest) from Dallas and fellow SMU alum. And watched about 75% of Love At The Thanksgiving Parade (sometimes shortened to Love At The Parade) before yielding to sleep. The Parade one features one of my all-time favorites  - Autumn Reeser. She is so awesome. She makes EVERYTHING better. And you can quote me. 

Watch a few and get in the Christmas spirit early this year!

Sometimes, you just need to sing!!!! And yes, that is SPOCK (Leonard Nimoy) driving the Bangles.

The Best Of 80s Music? (1985)

This is the 2nd part of my discussion of 80s music. Click here for Part 1. The rules are quite simple. I'm using the info from the video below, the most popular songs for each month since January 1980. The list was compiled by reviewing weekly charts in various countries. 

Watch January 1985 through December 1985 for the purposes of this blog. Of course you may watch all of it if you like. I've decided to focus on one year at a time, instead of 5 year intervals.

You might be wondering about 1985. Terrorism and regional wars were all the rage. A famine in Ethiopia, as well as other nations led to several major fundraising events and the release of We Are The World. How much money actually made it to Africa is anybody's guess. For more on 1985, see the video review at the end.

Other noteworthy milestones include the launch of Windows 1.0, Nintendo Entertainment System was released, and the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS) was created - allowing me to have this very blog!

The Most Popular Songs From 1985 - according to the video above.

Jan 85 - I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner

Feb 85 - Careless Whisper - George Michael

Mar 85 - We Are The World - USA For Africa

Apr 85 - Material Girl - Madonna

May 85 - Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears

Jun 85 - View To A Kill - Duran Duran

Jul 85 - Get Into The Groove - Madonna

Aug 85 - Money For Nothing - Dire Straits

Sep 85 - Dancing In The Street - David Bowie & Mick Jagger

Oct 85 - Take On Me - A-HA

Nov 85 - We Built This City - Starship

Dec 85 - Say You Say Me - Lionel Ritchie

A-HA finally got the worldwide recognition for their song Take On Me. Since I already picked them as best on my earlier post, I will leave them off here. Click the following link for a Take On Me story from the Fall of 85. Its amazing how quickly they were on top and then faded away.

The challenge picking the best song is that so much of what lands in the "popular" category is not something you necessarily like. Sure, I like Duran Duran, and View To A Kill was an OK Bond film. But I'm not driving around town with that song blasting. Nor do any of these motivate me to look ridiculous on the dance floor. Do I really want to SEE David Bowie and Mick Jagger dance together in 1985 - or any year?

So my pick of these songs for 1985 - Money For Nothing - Dire Straits. Many folks liked the song for the video - which was unique for the time. The song was a little silly - yet memorable - probably not WOKE enough for today's musical ears. HOWEVER, the CD - Brothers in Arms was acquired and listened by me quite often. So Far Away, Walk Of Life, The Man's Too Strong - and others made for some quality driving music.

Of the songs released in 1985 that did not make the list above, there are quite a few to choose between. Driver 8 - REM, Can't Get There From Here, All You Zombies - The Hooters, And We Danced - The Hooters, You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) - Dead or Alive, Lay It Down - Ratt, In Between Days - The Cure, Close To Me - The Cure, Cities In Dust - Siouxsie and the Banshees, Rain - The Cult, Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) - Kate Bush, Your Love - The Outfield

I would put any of the these tunes up against the most popular list above - as all were hits in their own way. And many have stood the test of time. For instance, Running Up That Hill (Deal With God) by Kate Bush got a whole new life by being included in a crucial scene of Netflix's Stranger Things.

So what is my pick for the best song released in 1985? Well first, let me do a runner-up. This band out of the UK had some success and a pretty big hit with the following song. I found the lyrics uplifting and the tone of the song quite inspiring. And when I played it for people, I rarely heard anything negative. Even after so many years, the song still has a modern feel to it. So here you go, The Whole of the Moon by The Waterboys.

 

It could be argued that the following song was released in 1984. In fact, it was released multiple times, yet Wikipedia lists 1985 as the release date - so let's go with that. Its been covered by multiple bands, including the Russian female duo t.A.T.u. 

If you ever visited a dance club in the mid to late 80s, you heard this song, likely danced to it - for a very long time, since it was 6+ minutes long. You probably thought to yourself - There's a club if you'd like to go. You could meet somebody who really loves you. So you go and you stand on your own. And you leave on your own. And you go home and you cry. And you want to die.

And if you were like me, you likely laughed a little at those lyrics, realizing that no matter how depressing life might get, it could be worse. So just listen to Morrissey, and enjoy the song. My favorite song of 1985 - How Soon Is Now? By The Smiths.

And in case you don't quite remember 1985, here is a nice review of major events of that year. Enjoy!

Its Not Just For Dinner