October 2024 Edition
October 2024 Edition
October 12, 2024 - The Alabama Gazette panel bounced back in Week 7 after a really bad Week 6. Alabama's performance versus South Carolina was disappointing; but they managed to come away with the win. Auburn took the week off to try to get right for the SEC home stretch. Georgia is continuing to work on its issues, while Texas thoroughly dominated its rival. The staff finished in a 5-way tie at 6 and 1 for the week. The SEC games in week 7 were: Vanderbilt 20, Kentucky 18 LSU 29, Ole Miss 26...
October 15, 2024 - Mobile - South Alabama played well defeating Troy in Mobile in the Battle for the Belt 2024. The Troy-South Rivalry had a national TV audience via ESPN+. Troy officially is "tied" for the youngest team of starters in NCAA D1 football. Same is offered as a basis to understand the individual play and Coaching factors with the uniqueness of the greatest inexperience. Yet there should be no credit taken from South Alabama with regards to team play and exceptional sports play of...
The official launch of the Auburn basketball season will begin on Thursday, October 17 at Toomer's Corner. The Auburn Athletics Department and the City of Auburn have teamed up for an evening basketball celebration that includes: live music, vendors, shopping, sports and more culminating with a concert by renowned country music superstar, singer and songwriter Cole Swindell. The full event is free and open to the public. Fans with deeper pockets can purchase enhanced experiences through VBIP...
October 12, 2024 – TUSCALOOSA – Tide fans got a little more than they bargained for when the South Carolina Gamecocks came to town and pushed Alabama hard for a four quarter slugfest that lasted literally all the way to the final play of the fourth quarter. The Alabama Crimson Tide survived a late comeback attempt by the Gamecocks to take away a narrow 25 to 27 win. Alabama was a 21-point favorite, so most football fans expected Bama to get out to a big lead in the first half and put away...
The University of Alabama Birmingham Blazers football team went to Westpoint and were completely by the cadets of Westpoint. Most of the Army players will be officers in the U.S. Army within four years – some of them as soon as this time next year; but on Saturday they were the better athletes in this one sided matchup between them and the Blazers. Army destroyed UAB 10 to 44. The Black Knights are an American Athletic Conference opponent making the loss even more of a disaster. UAB won...
The Alabama Gazette panel did a horrible job picking games in week 6. None of our panelists predicted that number one in the nation Alabama would play such epically poor defense against the Vanderbilt Commodores. That combined with other upsets contributed to the worst week of football prognosticating this year. Sadly, Auburn has played so badly in 2024 that no one on the panel had picked Auburn to beat Georgia – and they didn't. The week six SEC games were: Missouri at Texas A&M – Texas...
The days when most NBA stars played for the same teams throughout their careers are over. With players often signing short-term contracts or long-term deals that include opt-out clauses, the culture has become one of total player empowerment. The stars have a say in where, with whom, and for how much money they will play. Stacker compiled a list of the 20 highest-paid players using 2024-25 data from Hoops Hype. Players were ranked according to their guaranteed salaries. Interestingly, half of...
The National Basketball Association has been ascendant for decades, and yet another influx of cash promises to keep the league near the top of the sports media ecosystem for years to come. In July, the NBA inked 11-year contracts worth $76 billion with the Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, and Amazon Prime Video to broadcast games starting next season. It will increase the game's reach in the United States and around the world, as Commissioner Adam Silver said when the agreements were...
October 15, 2024 - I vaguely recall Walter Mondale’s unpopular choice to join him on the 1984 Democratic ticket. At the time, I did not comprehend the reason why the electorate held so much disdain for New York Representative Geraldine Ferraro. I do, though, remember picking up the vibe that a female seeking the vice presidency was taboo, but at seven, a kid doesn’t understand that. I have learned a lot since then. Geraldine Ferraro is known as a trailblazer for female politicians. Let us...
With just some four weeks to the big election day, we are going to hear more about the integrity of the election results on November 5th. Following the 2020 elections, there were a lot of questions around the Nation about potential voter fraud, including right here in Alabama . Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen is doing his part to stop any efforts to commit fraud at the ballot box. Allen has also aggressively worked to make sure only Alabama citizens can vote by working to remove names off...
October 17, 2024–On Tuesday, I warned you Tim Walz’s week was going to get worse. It did. Wednesday, the X account @TheWakening published a video of a young man alleging that Tim Walz sexually assaulted him in 1997 when Walz was his teacher at Mankato West High School. The young man was a senior at the time. The video is at https://x.com/thewakeninq/status/1846655812137070844?s=61&t=aYyv3kAAQ2aPqsgKFbnvZw and a complete transcript is as follows: “My name is Matthew Metro. I'm a survivor...
The contrast between the Trump-Vance ticket and the absolutely disastrous Harris-Walz team couldn't be clearer. On one side, you've got a proven leader in President Donald J. Trump, a man who brought us economic prosperity, secured our borders, and ensured peace through strength without dragging us into a single new war. On the other side, you've got Kamala Harris and Tim Walz-an uninspiring, inept duo who represent more of the same weak, failed policies of the Biden administration. As Joe...
In 2012, while living part-time in Natchez, Mississippi, I discovered some remarkable facts about the area. Natchez, like many port and trade towns, was populated by a wide array of people, including many transients. Sometimes compared to the “Wild West,” area residents ranged from devout Christians to hardened criminals and all points in-between. Natchez’ government was controlled by the French, Spanish, English, and eventually Americans. It was a short walk from the room I rented in...
October 15, 2024–Tim Walz has been having a very bad, horrible, no good few days, and it is only going to get worse. On Saturday morning, @DocNetyoutube posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he would be releasing information he had obtained that Walz had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a then-underaged male when Walz was an assistant coach in Nebraska. Before I go any further, let me be clear that this is all alleged behavior on the part of Mr. Walz. None of it has been proven in...
Haunted by those anticipating another October surprise, I’m told, ‘Tis the Season for predictions… Kamalalala or Donald Chump.’ As one known to retort Bah, Humbug! at ghosts of elections past evoking the ‘visions of sugar pork dance in my head’-- election ghosts of prostitucians present (in full-throated Kabuki Theatre shriek) were also eerily painful to witness; duopoly party candidates babbling about FEDERAL price controls on food at my local grocery store or eating cats and dogs...
It seems that humans have an inherent tendency to strive to portray themselves as something other than who they truly are. Whether it's Individuals from humble backgrounds pretending to be royalty or politicians attempting to connect with the public, there exists a strong desire within us to belong. However, on occasion, these efforts can result in comical mishaps that SNL affectionately showcases. Imagine John Kerry coming out of the woods with a shotgun to bond with hunters, only to see...
Although it still remains the electric car superpower, Tesla is beginning to slip behind its Chinese competitors in the production of really affordable vehicles for lower income people. With its launch of the Model 2 Redwood, beginning as low as $19,500, it has taken a step in the right direction. But Tesla is still far behind BYD, which builds several really inexpensive cars, like the Seagull with a sticker price of only $10,000. Throughout history, while most makers were targeting middle and...
The east pediment of the U.S. Supreme Court building features Solon of Athens as a western lawgiver and Confucius of China as an eastern lawgiver. But In the center between them, taller seated than Solon and Confucius standing, is Moses holding the Ten Commandments – a recognition that the Decalogue is the moral foundation of law. The basic principles of our legal system are found in the Ten Commandments: • Respect for life, found in the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” and in our...
I have no idea who this Robservation is for. Sometimes it is easy for me to decide what to write about. Many news stories always seem to reach out and grab me. And right now, there is no shortage of interesting stories. This Robservation, however, is going to be a little different. A couple of weeks ago, I was telling this story to my brother and something spoke to me and said I should share this as a Robservation. You have always been told that there are two sides to a story. I often say that...
Communication has always been critical to international growth, development and understanding. But we take the ability of people to communicate for granted as everyone has at his disposal immediate communications: phone, email or text messaging. But instant communication is new, and it wasn’t that long ago that the main source of communication was the written word, transmitted primarily by letters. As each country developed, the need to communicate increased exponentially. Private couriers...
Have you ever said this to yourself? I feel like that what I do is insignificant and maybe even pointless. I'm not even sure anybody notices anymore or even cares about me. My friend, may I encourage you? There's a story in the Bible in the book of John chapter 6 about Jesus feeding thousands of people, but there's a part nobody talks about. The story goes that a boy brought 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread in his lunch. I like to think he was packing Star Wars lunchbox because a friend of mine in...
After I wrote my latest Robservation, almost as soon as I sent it in, Iran started launching missiles at Israel - - again!! According to the news, the Iranians launched almost two-hundred missiles, drones and rockets into Israel. Thank God, our God, almost all of those projectiles were defeated and sent down without causing too much damage or casualties. But watching the attack on the television this morning was something that angered me. The entire world, with some notable exceptions, seem to...
Yes, there have been multiple musicians who like most arts employed individuals tend to identify as politically and culturally liberal. Trump tends to stir the emotions of those that love him or hate him. That includes opposing politicians such as former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi who demonstrated her vile contempt that extended not just against the person but against the office when she tore up her copy of Trump’s, State of the Union Address during his Presidency. A song that the...
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is offering a series of trapping education workshops during select weekends this fall and winter. The workshops provide instruction on the historical aspects of trapping, the biology of furbearers, and how to use trapping as a sound wildlife management tool. The workshops are open to anyone ages 7 and up. A $10 registration fee applies. To register, visit www.outdooralabama.com/trapping. Instruction begins on Saturdays with an...
Believe it or not, if hunting were a company, it would be a Fortune 500 giant. In 2020, hunters and sport shooters pumped a whopping $149 billion into the U.S. economy. That's not pocket change—it's enough to make hunting the 52nd largest company by retail sales if it were listed on the Fortune 500, LandTrust reports. This money was spent on equipment such as shotguns and ammunition, trip-related expenses like lodging and transportation, licenses, leases, and more. But it's not just about...
Dave Armstrong is planning to go hunting when the weather cools off, but he actually hopes he doesn't find an abundance of the species he's stalking. Armstrong is the Aquatic Nuisance Species Coordinator with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater (WFF) Division, and he and the Fisheries Section staff will be searching for several invasive carp species – silver, bighead, grass and black. Those carp, especially the silver, can be...
They were babies and toddlers when the pandemic hit. At school, some still struggle. One minute, the four-year-old boy was giggling. The school's new behavioral specialist made a game of helping him put on his shoes, playfully sniffing them then scrunching up her face in pretend horror. A minute later, he was inconsolable, an emotional U-turn perhaps sparked by the transition to clean-up time. A teacher cradled the boy in her lap, calmly dodging his small flailing arms. He quieted when he got...
Many kids get their first phone as a gift. In fact, according to a 2022 study in JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, 59.1% of participants (kids ages 4-18) reported getting their first cellphone simply because they asked for one. During the holiday season, asks for big-ticket items such as cellphones aren't uncommon. From the time kids understand what cellphones are and all their fun uses, they beg for one of their own—but this commitment requires careful consideration by parents before handing...
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Oct. 14, 2024) – Coach Lorraine "Les" Stuedeman and her softball teams consistently deliver wins to The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and thrills to their fans. Since their first season in 1996, they've earned impressive stats: One thousand, two hundred, sixty-eight wins – and no losing seasons. Thirteen Gulf South Conference (GSC) championships. Four NCAA Tournament South Region championships out of 26 tournament appearances, including a record 21 consecutive...
October, the month of falling leaves and cooler temperatures. Riding through the countryside, leaves are displaying beautiful colors ranging from reds, oranges, yellows, dark plum and gold. Many people take fall trips to different parts of the country to view the fall leaves. Some favorite tours include the states of Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York,Connecticut and Virginia. In the musical, The Sound Of Music, there is the song which mentions "the hills are alive with the sound of...
The American breakfast is rooted in both tradition and innovation. Throughout the 1800s, many Americans ate high-protein breakfasts like bacon and eggs. Later, as the industrial revolution led to less physically demanding work, lower-calorie breakfasts became all the rage. But as these meals mostly took place at home, decades would pass before breakfast became a staple on restaurant menus. In the mid-20th century, spots like The Original Pancake House began catering specifically to the morning...
Spooky season has arrived, and whether you dress in costume with full abandon or turn off the porch lights first thing on Halloween night, there's one thing that's unavoidable this time of year: candy. In fact, the National Retail Federation estimates that consumers will spend $3.5 billion on candy in 2024. There's candy sitting out in the office breakroom, every grocery store end cap, and in your kid's trick-or-treat bag (will they really notice if you grab a few fun size bars for yourself?)....
It all started with “Facebook Live” that so many of us began to experiment with during Covid-19. The U.S. government forbade public gatherings, and churches were included in the order. Thus “two weeks to stop the spread” morphed into several months with no public meetings. Our church, like many others, was thrust into the broadcast business without warning. Our first efforts were feeble, indeed. We struggled with getting a good Internet connection in our worship place, and then we used...
"Learn not the way of the heathen....for the customs of the people are vain." (Jeremiah 10: 2-3), and, "When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations" (Deut. 18:9). Ephesians 5:11 declares, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." the Appearance of Evil. The Bible says, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." (1 Thess. 5:22). Who can deny that virtually all of...
Social Security Administration policy updates that expand access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in line with the law went into effect on September 30, 2024. The agency no longer includes food in In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) calculations, has expanded its rental subsidy policy exception, and has expanded the definition of a public assistance household. "These changes will help more people access crucial SSI benefits," said Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security. "By...
Americans are living longer—and it's changing the makeup of state and nationwide populations. Northwell Health partnered with Stacker to examine the growing number of Americans aged 100 and over and how it breaks down by state. Over the last century, the proportion of Americans aged 65 and older has increased dramatically, from 1 in 20 in 1920 to 1 in 6 in 2020. The Population Reference Bureau says this trend is likely to continue as Census projections suggest the number of Americans 65 and...
The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities' Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of that journey. Whether you're a working actor or an aspiring one, you might be curious to know which movies and TV shows are casting roles near you. Backstage compiled a...
The American Village in Montevallo first opened its campus on November 30th, 1999. Making this year the 25th Anniversary of Tom Walker's patriotic brain child, the colonial era village replica on a hundred and eighty plus acres of rolling hills that has become known as The American Village Citizenship Trust. To commemorate the occasion, The American Village is celebrating with "A Civil Discourse" on Thursday, October 17th, 2024 beginning at five PM. A formal attire event featuring national...
The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities' Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of that journey. Whether you're a working actor or an aspiring one, you might be curious to know which movies and TV shows are casting roles near you. Backstage compiled a...
The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities' Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of that journey. Whether you're a working actor or an aspiring one, you might be curious to know which movies and TV shows are casting roles near you. Backstage compiled a...
The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities' Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of that journey. Whether you're a working actor or an aspiring one, you might be curious to know which movies and TV shows are casting roles near you. Backstage compiled a...
