Ray Price

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The Hollies

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Fear

Here is an interesting tidbit from the world of college football.

Oregon, ranked No. 2 in the latest polls, is dead last in the 124 team FBS standings in kickoff returns--despite having the wondrous De'Anthony Thomas fielding returns for the Ducks.

Through four games, nobody has kicked the ball to Thomas!

That is right.  He hasn't returned a kick this year because the opposition is afraid to kick it to him.

But here is the deal.  Mike Leach, the Washington State head coach, will throw all of that nonsense out the window tomorrow night, I'll bet you a dollar.

Leach is unconventional, a pirate.

Watch Thomas create a few long runs for fun tomorrow night in Seattle.

Leach has a three-year plan in place at WSU.  Give him time.  He won't back down.


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JL

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GH

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Last Days

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CS&N

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$3.9 Million

(Bill Self)

Ridiculous!

A contract like this has to come with many clauses, but it is absurd.  Here is the scoop from the Jayhawks home site.

A college basketball coach?  Television contracts drive this insanity.

Well, at least he isn't a goddamn politician.  Yet.


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Everything is Broken

True dat!  Another suggestion from RP Thomas.


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Good Game

A funny football game in Seattle tonight as Washington knocked off No. 8 Stanford 17-13.

Oregon plays Washington State in Seattle Saturday night and should dominate.

Next weekend, Washington visits Eugene for what suddenly looks like a very interesting match up.

This is what it is all about.  The PAC is rolling!


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Burnside and 11th Ave.

From RBP Art Director RP Thomas comes this gem by RL Burnside. Good job, Bob!


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Beach Boys

Round Bend Press theme song.


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Sam Rivers

Obit and bio.

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Dolphy and Mingus

Eric Dolphy.

Charles Mingus.

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Poor Steve Young

An unfortunate occurrence relative to the refereeing controversy now enveloping the professional association of national football teams (NFL).

I hate to see this kind of thing happen to any man, even a Mormon such as Steve.


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Coltish to Thoroughbred

(Colt Lyerla)

The cat is out of the bag and the secret weapon is no longer a secret.

This guy is a difference-maker for Oregon.

He had a move at the line of scrimmage in the Arizona game that demonstrated remarkably quick feet for a kid his size (6-5, 250), and then he proceeded to hammer defenders up-field.

Probably Oregon's best NFL prospect.


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Rolling Stone

Heard about this last week and put off reading it because I've had my fill. Glad I finally found it.









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Heist?

With all of his dough he could have hired a couple of mercenaries with Uzis to watch his pad while he was "away on business in New York."

Won't talk about his insurance.

Hmm...


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Another Look

"After over thirty years of trying and failing to create high-wage, middle-class jobs with various mixes of neoliberal snake oil, one might think neoliberal economics would be an issue in the current campaign for president, particularly in view of the fact that each candidate is claiming only he can create jobs."

A lucid piece on the limitations of neoliberalism as an economic model.

Reason I argue our choice is too limited, in other words.

Real strong medicine.


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Sunday Morning

RP Thomas has a cool suggestion for Sunday morning.  I like.

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Game Day

A big day for all of us kids.


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Dexter Gordon/1974

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Reading Fun

This book makes so much sense I feel like it may be time to insult a capitalist--and really mean it this time.

The copyright page is the best I've ever read, and what follows is exhilarating, funny, and wise.

Too much, man!  Thanks, CD.






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Strange Fruit/Billie Holiday

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Must Read/Lewis H. Lapham

This piece by Lewis H. Lapham is a must read.  Absolutely brilliant.  The best thing I've read in weeks.

And second place goes to this piece by CD's favorite historian.

Gosh, what a fantastic morning of reading and stimulation.  When I thank the Internet gods every evening at bedtime I always mention Common Dreams and Counter Punch.


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Woody and William

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Jack

Best poem ever.


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Atta DAT Tat

Nothing short of an injury will stop this kid, and those happen, unfortunately.

So who knows?








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Elmer Gantry

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Where Do the Children Play

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Blue Side of Lonesome

Jimmy Reeves!


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Jimmy Reeves

Always liked this guy's voice.


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Everything's On Loan Here

Chrissie Hynde!

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Baked

(Mike Leach)

The Oregon Ducks have baked and devoured their final batch of cupcakes for this season.

(Well, there remains Colorado, but that is down the road.)

Now it is time to see if Oregon is worthy of No. 3 and a Betty Crocker Award.  With No. 22 Arizona slipping into Eugene Saturday night for a final round of home cooking, we'll discover soon enough whether Oregon is a team of chefs or a gang of fry cooks.

As Rummy said before people lost their taste for him, "There are knowns and there are unknowns."

We know Oregon is a fast but young team and that Arizona has a veteran quarterback damn near old enough to be Marcus Mariota's father.

We know this and we know that.

Should be a great weekend of college ball as everybody plays somebody that matters.

Can't wait.


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Leadership

A voice of reason.








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Young Dwight

Truth.

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Tavern Scenes/Brouwer

(Buddy Dooley the way I envision him)

Something I can relate to at Tom Clark's Beyond the Pale.

The genius of Adriaen Brouwer, whose work was forged in his own time, giving testimony to his recognized powers.

He lived to the ripe-old age of 32.




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The Beatles

Paul was such a doofus.  Still is.


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Eric Burdon

Hullabaloo!  My favorite as a kid.


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The Animals

Vintage!


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Shane & Sinead

RP Thomas sent this along.  Thanks, Bob!

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Chet Baker

Incomparable!  His bio.

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Chet Baker

No commentary necessary.


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Let's Get Lost

For your viewing pleasure.

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Common Dreams

Read it.  Read all of it.  You need to hear it. We all do.




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Lost Leaders

This is a very good story about the impact of Oregon losing two key players to career ending injuries last weekend.

Oregon has more than a few good players, but these guys were the glue.


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Sonny Boy Williamson

Always loved this kind of stuff.

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Cultural News

Didn't know about this.  Not sure I'm pleased by it, either.


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Sports News

Nigel tees off.

Tough seeing heads roll.  Turmoil usually follows.






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Political News

How true.








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Cultural News

Great stuff from Old Bob.


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Political News

No more need be said than this, from my friend Tom.





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Sports News

Whatever happened to the Fabulous Sports Babe?

Here is the story from Grantland.

She was a pioneer in sports-talk radio at ESPN.



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Bad Breaks

Doubly bad news.

Carson York and John Boyett are out.  The two Oregon seniors (actually they've both already graduated) were the only two remaining members of the team to start in the 2010 NCG against Auburn.

Their savvy leadership and big play abilities will be sorely missed.

In addition, Josh Huff, Oregon's best receiver is out, along with several starting linemen.

Oregon is in deep poop.


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Bloggie Detail

Detail of a painting by K.C. Bacon.


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My Guitar

The guitar with which I will compose the music for A Marvelous Paranoia.  It's an old Yamaha.


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Political News

This, which is not surprising.

And this, keeping in mind that I believe they are both bums.







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Cultural News

The author of this piece is no Ben Fong-Torres or Greil Marcus, but he has a thing for Dylan and so do I.







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Sports News

(John Boyett, an All-American down and out for the season)

ESPN's Ted Miller says it's a worrisome situation.  He's right.

Losing Boyett, a great leader on the Oregon squad, is huge.  In fact, injuries are piling up in Eugene.  It's somewhat freakish, as the guys getting hurt are upperclassmen whose proven skills should have carried the team.

You can't count on nothin' in football it is true.

The youth movement is on full-bore now and the PAC is suddenly looking tougher with the emergence of several teams that, given reality, could give my Ducks a go-round.

UCLA is one, obviously, after torching Nebraska.  Fortunately the Ducks won't play them this season unless they knock USC out of the South Championship and Oregon wins the North.

Which happened in fact last year, because the Trojans were on probation and UCLA backed into the title game.

OSU looked like a dominate defensive team against Wisconsin, though I still can't see Mannion as a force at QB.

Arizona looked flat out scary, running hard to the ball on defense and showing excellent overall team speed.  Like UCLA's QB Brett Hundley, Arizona's QB Matt Scott looks fast and plays smart.

Arizona State also slapped Illinois, but it's hard to evaluate that game. Illinois is bottom tier these days.

Importantly, it is hard to evaluate my team as well.  Its two opponents have made Oregon look bad on a few occasions but didn't have the horses to truly threaten the status quo.


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Notes from the Bottom of the Pile

Welcome to my blog.

It's been awhile.  I took last week off.  I hope you don't mind. The psychotropics I've been ingesting like aspirin haven't kicked in like they normally do, so the fog of existence has at times been somewhat nasty.

It may be time to visit Dr. Benway yet again and have another surgery, or perhaps change my prescription.

I've been waiting...waiting...

My notes and observations of the past few days are in a shambles, but I shall gather them as best I can and clue you in.

The cool news is while I haven't been capable of producing my usual iconic prose at this site or feel the orgasmic release that comes with announcing the publication of an expected new book, I've added a few links to some important recent video work that defines the Round Bend ethos.

Up went a link to my Bukowski homage, a stellar collaboration with Buddy Dooley.  This is just a start folks,  so don't get antsy for more just yet.  One day you will be pleased and giddy about having known me and this wonderful blog.

One day RBP will smack you right between the eyes and the exhilaration to follow will scrub you clean.  The total memory of your sins will collapse.  You too will be free.

Up went another link to a video capturing the essence of Charles Lucas's Ubiquitous Serpentine.  The magic in this one is quite apparent and pleasing to the eye, much like the artist's website and intoxicating view of the molecular universe.

If you need a preview of Lucas's newest project in development, which you certainly do, I suggest you watch Rust: An Interview with Charles Lucas.  It features an interesting profile shot of Dooley in its opening as well as a number of the new photos that will comprise "Rust."

Prior to the sickness, did I mention The Deemer Interview?   This one is brilliant.  It came together late last month when I took Deemer for a walk in the park.  We chatted about his childhood and his work as both author and educator.

That's it on the press news for now.

It's time for the sports report...

No, on second thought I'd better not get started.  The nurse will be here shortly with another dose.  If I don't eat something before I take that shit all hell breaks loose.


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Convention Blues

Been there, done that.

Another view.







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My Projects

I'm looking forward to producing a number of personal video projects in the coming months.

The work on my video memoir is ongoing, and I'll have some original raw footage of England to incorporate into it next month.  Ought to give it considerably more breadth than it has.

Got to get the voice right on this, or it will simply be wrong.

I'd also like to produce a few more "read" pieces like the one I did of Jack Spicer.  Composing the shots for these will be the challenge.

I need to mull these things over, brood and experiment.

Finally, if I can muster the energy, I'd like to produce a video teleplay of The Opening.  I think it is my best play and just might be doable, provided I can find the actors.  A simple two camera shoot is feasible, I believe.


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On Kerouac

Suggested by K.C. Bacon.  I haven't seen this, but it indeed looks interesting.

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Uncle Tupelo

Uncle Tupelo was a revelation for me, especially during the early 90s No Depression era.  There is a fine soulfulness in this cover of the Bob Dylan version of a song with disputed roots.  It has wonderfully simple and plaintive acoustic work; an expressive and singular voice.

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No Choice: Hedges Slices Neoliberalism into Tiny Pieces

(Pictured:  Alexis de Tocqueville when he coached at UCLA)

Welcome to my blog.  I give you this link as a gift.

Chris Hedges is a rare thinker as commentator and right on as usual.




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The Weekend

The big story of the weekend was football-related.  The season finally arrived.

I managed to escape the unbearable lightness of being this weekend while enjoying a couple of games that I had long looked forward to.

Life is eighty-percent dread and twenty-percent something else, one reason I like to be entertained.  Quite incapable of entertaining myself, I rely on diversions to find contentment.  To not do this is to invite madness, which is always near-at-hand anyway.

Like many football fans over the weekend I was curious about the quarterback situation at Oregon.  I'd say they have a good one based on his short appearance Saturday night.

Yea!

My experience back in the day dictated that the team's best athlete didn't usually win the quarterbacking job.  The job went to the brightest fellow.  His smarts didn't have to be what are now referred to as football smarts, but the other kind.

Book smarts.  Football smarts didn't matter (they hadn't been invented).

He had to be a scholar in other words.

That policy had average kids like me confused.  Why, I wondered, did Joe play quarterback when he was neither a good passer nor fast runner?  It didn't make sense, and if the point wasn't to win why was I out there busting my ass?

My old team was regularly humiliated when I played in high school, and I always felt that happened in part because we had the wrong guy under center.

We didn't have a chance given that reality.  The final score could have at least been closer.

I certainly didn't enjoy getting thumped every Friday night on the football field back then, just as I do not like being thumped at anything today.

Who does?

My quarterback, Joe, was student body president and a straight A scholar.  He also had a great faith in God and threw up a lot of prayers that weren't answered.

Couldn't play football a lick.  Naturally, I disliked him because Tom or Don should have been playing quarterback.

One notices injustice, or should.


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Emptiness and That Sick Feeling That Comes With It

Welcome to my blog.

Another week, another political convention.

What a show!

Can this one be as delusional as the last one?

I'm betting it can because, by God, this is America, and Americans are exceptional.

Just ask them.


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Tough Morning

You know what the first clue is that somebody in your housing community doesn't like you?

When you leave your apartment in the morning dog shit is scattered in front of your door.

I speak from experience.

This place is lovely, inhabited by a fine group of idiots.

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