For Dennis

Last Wednesday I put up a blog post that was about so much more than the much-anticipated football game between my beloved Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers.  I talked about the compassion I felt for our wounded service members returning from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan with seen and unseen wounds like PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.

In the post I mentioned the story of one wounded warrior whose story touched me deeply.  The brief public service announcements we see on television don’t tell the full stories of these brave men and women.  So when I ran across the story of Dennis, I wanted to share it with as many people as I could to ignite in them a desire to help.  After all, we now know that the Veterans Administration is a colossal failure to our most deserving citizens—the veterans who sacrificed their broken bodies for our freedom.

My blogger sister Diogenes and I have made friendly wagers for a couple of years now that the loser of the game between our two teams would make a donation to Wounded Warrior Project. 

Alabama won the game, but our wounded service members are still losing so I have donated what I could afford to honor them and help in some small way to continue the vital services Wounded Warrior Project provides them.

This Wednesday is Veterans Day.  Won’t you consider giving what you can?

Click here if you would like to give a one-time donation or here if you’d like to participate in the WWP Advanced Guard monthly giving program   Please help carry these warriors the rest of the way home.

Thank you and God bless.

May The Grace Of God Continue To Shine On Lovers Of Freedom Everywhere

When you watch the embedded video below, I hope you will enlarge it to appreciate the imagery within.  The back-story, according to Deseret News, is that Grammy-nominated violinist Jenny Oaks Baker chose to collaborate with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on a rendition of “Amazing Grace” following a speech by Rice at a BYU Management Society event in April 2012.

The duo recorded the track in July 2013 and a year later, Baker flew to San Francisco to record the video with Rice. Now, two years after the recording process began, the video has been released just as Americans across the country gather in celebration of the country and those who have sacrificed so much for freedom.

The song is currently available as a single through iTunes. According to representatives at Shadow Mountain Records, all proceeds from the sale of the single will go to the Wounded Warrior Project.

I must confess I had a lump in my throat watching the beauty and grace of these two women and the truly wonderful gift they have given us on this Independence Day.

Alabama Crimson Tide Vs LSU Bengal Tigers

Okay people.  Today is the day my beloved boys from Bama take on LSU’s Tigers in Death Valley.  The Crimson Tide is currently ranked No.4 and LSU sits at No. 14.  The game kicks off at 8:00 PM ET on CBS.

“Couchgating” checklist:  Bama jersey, Houndstooth hat, big foam finger, major snackeries, plenty of libations and a few friends to root with during the game.  Check.

I’m a diehard fan alright—not so extreme as to name my kids Krimson Tyde and Alliegh Bama or to have a hissy fit like the gal who had a meltdown after Ole Miss lost to LSU on October 25th.  The video, which went viral, shows a devout Ole Miss fan slamming a gallon of milk on a countertop swearing (and I do mean swearing) that she hated LSU.

My good friend and blog sister, Diogenes’ Middle Finger is an LSU fan.  A few days after that game, in response to a snarky comment she posted on my blog, I emailed her and asked if she would be interested in making a friendly wager on the outcome of the game.

We agreed to call it the “Alabama-LSU Milk Challenge” because of that Ole Miss fan’s major milk meltdown.  We agreed if our team lost the other would donate $100 to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Alabama has a 48-25-5 record against the Tigers.  That stat means very little when these two teams meet on the battlefield.  Consider that LSU is playing at home where they rarely lose.  T.J. Yeldon has a foot injury that may limit his number of carries and LT Cam Robinson is nursing a high ankle sprain.

Both teams are riding a three-game winning streak. I’d like to see Diogenes’ wallet get drained, but, but if my boys lose…wait…I can’t let that happen.  Seriously, no matter what happens on the field of play tonight, the Wounded Warrior Project will emerge as the true winner.

ROLL TIDE ROLL!

And because no football post would be complete without some pom-poms, feast your eyes on these lovelies.

I am joining my friend @bobbyjindal in a friendly wager on tonight's @alabamaFTBL vs @LSUfball game.

— Gov. Robert Bentley (@GovernorBentley) November 8, 2014

If LSU wins, we receive some Alabama chicken and white BBQ sauce. If Bama wins, I'll send some delicious Louisiana shrimp and pralines.

— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) November 8, 2014

Tonight's game is sure to be a good one to watch. @bobbyjindal, I sure am going to enjoy those shrimp & pralines after Bama's win! #RollTide

— Gov. Robert Bentley (@GovernorBentley) November 8, 2014

The Best Headline Ever!

The front page of Tuesday’s Tuscaloosa News read “Zero Doubt.”  It was much more than eye candy to hard-nosed fans of SEC football.  Those two words unequivocally settled the question surrounding whether Alabama was better than LSU.

While Monday’s BCS National Championship Game served as a rematch between the Bayou Bengals of LSU and the Crimson Tide of Alabama, it certainly was not a rerun.

I know that LSU fans are still smarting from their loss, but I must tip my hat to Pat of And So It Goes In Shreveport.  She is such a good sport. 

She asked in early December of last year if I would be willing to wager a bet on who would emerge victorious in the BCS National Championship.  Of course, I was confident that my beloved Alabama would beat her Tigers.

We agreed to donate $100 to Wounded Warrior Project if our respective teams lost.  Pat is proud to support WWP and that makes me proud to call her a friend.

Trying to make lemonade out of lemons, Pat offered this pithy joke after LSU’s decisive loss to Bama:  “I heard that a bunch of LSU fans are stuck in New Orleans. An Alabama fan painted a 50-yard line across the interstate and they can't figure out how to cross it,” alluding to the fact that the Tigers were only able to cross mid-field once during the big game.

I am proud of LSU’s record and I’m proud to know Pat.  Next year there will be another “chick fight” and no matter who wins, Wounded Warrior Project will be the winner.  That’s because we’re going to continue our agreement to help out this worthy cause while enjoying the strong rivalry between our beloved SEC powerhouses.