Monday, November 22, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving week

Today starts what, for me, is perhaps the best week of the year. I love Thanksgiving and what it means, I enjoy the holiday season, and I have such fond memories of this week, both as a child and as an adult.

So, let's start off the week with some idle musings and fun facts, shall we?

- Michael May is a part-time bartender in Cleveland. Recently, May left a pouch carrying $3,600--eight months worth of tips--on the roof of his car before driving off. A volunteer safety ambassador in Cleveland found the bag in the street, took it to police, who then traced it to May through bank receipts. May's response? "It's a miracle," he said. "It's nice to know there are honest people in the world."

- The Twitter Nation was abuzz last night with rumors that Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez had quit the team after his Saturday night, publicly telecast chewing out by head coach Bo Pellini. Speculation is that Pellini was incensed at reports that Martinez called, or texted, his father from the locker room after aggravating an ankle injury in the game against Texas A&M. Regardless, Pellini's antics, both in this instance as well as his rants at officials, drew the ire of Nebraska's chancellor, Harvey Perlman. This is the same Perlman who displayed his petulant side at last summer's "we're leaving the Big 12" press conference, publicly calling out Texas and Missouri, and piously explaining why NU was ditching the conference for the greener grass of the Big Ten.

- I'd strongly encourage you to buy or download Bruce Springsteen's latest, The Promise.

- A couple of things I'm thankful for this week: the smell of pumpkin pie and the aroma of baking gingerbread cookies.

- The Wakefield, MA track and field team donned their new team t-shirts recently. The front of the shirts read, "WTF." School officials later admitted that they were unaware of the text-speak definition of the letters.

- It's Border War week--Kansas versus Missouri in the oldest college football rivalry west of the Mississippi. And, being ever the dutiful Jayhawk alum, I will report that the series record is 55-54-9. My colleagues and friends who hail from the University of Missouri dispute this record, stating it as 55-54-9 in favor of Missouri. No matter, it's a game where the adage of "throw out the record book" applies. This will be the fourth straight year the teams have battled at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO, with the games matching the large scale, NFL-stadium setting and capturing national attention. In 2007, MU beat Kansas 36-28 with the ESPN College GameDay experience a part of the festivities. In 2008, a late touchdown pass gave Kansas a 40-37 victory. And, last year, Missouri paid back the late-game victory by kicking a field goal for the win. What do we expect this year? Watch this space later in the week for my prediction.

- I've been a fan of Target's advertising and marketing communications but I'm very underwhelmed by this holiday season's television advertising for the retailer.

- Despite the Democratic Party's historic midterm losses in the recent election, President Barack Obama's approval ratings actually went up recently. Three days before the election, 43% of Americans approved of the job he's doing. Now, that figure is up to 47%.

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