Congratulations to the Richmond-Burton Rockets on Winning the IHSA Class 4A State Football Championship!!!

Last night, in a chilly DeKalb, Illinois, at Huskie Stadium, Home of the NIU Huskies, the Richmond-Burton Rockets completed a wonderful 14-0 season with a big win over Murphrysboro.

Richmond-Burton serves students from Richmond and Burton townships and the villages of Richmond and Spring Grove.  We live in Spring Grove and our subdivision's high school students go there so it makes this an even bigger win for us.

And, what a season it was for the Rockets.  They were a scoring and defensive juggernaut.

A look at their games:

R-B  48  Wauconda  12
R-B  50  Aurora Central Catholic  0
R-B  47  Johnsburg  0
R-B  44  Harvard   0
R-B  38  Marengo  13
R-B  56  Woodstock  0
R-B  49  Woodstock North  0
R-B  37  Johnsburg 14
R-B  34  Quincy Notre Dame  14

So, in the regular season, Richmond-Burton scored 403 points and gave up 53.

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PLAYOFFS

R-B  56  Chicago Urban Prep/Bronzeville  6
R-B  49   Marengo  7
R-B  24  Elmhurst Immaculate Conception  14
R-B  30  Coal City   0
R-B  50  Murphysboro  14

Scored 209 points and gave up 41 in the playoffs.

These scores show domination.

Immaculate Conception won Class 4A last year and Coal City was picked to winit this year.

Thank You for a Great Season, Rockets.  --RoadRocket

JSS: So Tired of Black Friday-- That 70s Music on the Drive-- First Christmas Radio, Now Christmas TV?-- Christmas Toilet Paper?

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.  SO TIRED OF BLACK FRIDAY--  I will be so glad when today is over.  For the last that is just about all I've been hearing.  Black Friday, Black Friday, Black Friday.  Give me a break.  And, we didn't even go out of the house so you wasted all that advertising money on us.

2.  THAT 70S MUSIC ON THE DRIVE--  In case you really like the music from the 1970s, Chicago's  WDRV 97.1 FM the Drive, is playing music from 1976 today.  Tomorrow its 1977 and Sunday 1978.  It streams.

3. FIRST CHRISTMAS RADIO, NOW CHRISTMAS TV?--  Of course, some of the Christmas radio stations fired up on Nov. 1 and all are going now.  Now, we have two cable channels showing pretty much nothing but Christmas movies.  Lifetime and Hallmark.  I've heard that most of these movies have pretty much the same plot.  I haven't seen any yet, but might just have to watch some to make up my mind on them.

4.  CHRISTMAS TOILET PAPER?--  And this pushes the boundaries a bit much.  Charmin even has a Christmas toilet paper song.  We've sure come a long way since "Please don't squeeze the Charmin."

Too Much, Man.  --RoadTP

DID YOU KNOW:  Tigers also have striped skin, not just striped fur.

Northern Illinois Closes Out Season With a Victory, End Up 5-7

Last night, the Northern Illinois University (NIU) football team ended its season at 5-7 with a 17-14 victory over Mid-American Conference division rival Western Michigan.  This was Thomas Hammock's first year as head coach.

It was also the first year I didn't even make it out to Huskie Stadium for even one of the five home games played there.

A few days ago I wrote in this blog about how often it is better for first year coaches not to have too good of a record and this fits the case.  Shoot, even our best ever coach, Joe Novak, had about as bad a record as you could have in his first three years at Northern.  In 1996, he was 1-10, 1997  0-11, and 1998 2-9.

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NIU 2019 GAMES:

NIU 24 Illinois State  10
Utah  35  NIU 17
Nebraska  44  NIU 8
Vanderbilt 24  NIU 18

Ball State  27  NIU 20
NIU 39  Ohio 36
Miami (Ohio)  27  NIU 24
NIU  49  Akron 0

Central Michigan 48  NIU 10
NIU 31  Toledo  28
Eastern Michigan  45  NIU 17
NIU 17  Western Michigan  14

Of course, our all-time nemesis and rival is Toledo, and at least we beat them.

But, even better, NIU is not bowl eligible, which is alright with me as we usually get blown out pretty bad in those games.

Looking Forward to 2020.  --RoadHuskie

DID YOU KNOW:  An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

Movie Scratches: Zombieland-- Maleficent-- Addams-- Joker

Movie Scratches--  Movies I have seen at the theater this year.

25.  ZOMBIELAND:  DOUBLE TAP--   10-29--  Fox Lake, $5--  I did a whole lot of out-loud laughing, something I rarely do.  It was that funny.  Watch out for the Homer Zombies.  Make sure you sit through the closing credits.

26.  MALEFICENT:  MISTRESS OF EVIL--  10-29--  Fox Lake, $5--  Should be Maleficent the Mistress of Good.  The Queen as the bad one.  As was the queen's evil hench woman.

27.  THE ADDAMS FAMILY--  I guess if you live in New Jersey, you might have a problem with this movie.  Not as good as "Hotel Transylvania, but, "The Thing" stole the show.

28.  JOKER--  11-5--  Fox Lake, $5--  As the Joker falls further into mental illness.  I thought it would be hard to beat Heath Ledger as the Joker, but Joaquin Phoenix  takes it.

Classic Cinemas Sure Has Comfortable Seats.  --RoadDog

DID YOU KNOW:   There are only four words in the English language which end in "-dous":  tremendous, horrendous, stupendous and hazardous.

WLS Top Ten for November 24, 1969: "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday

Fifty years ago this week on Chicago's WLS 890 AM.

1.  COME TOGETHER / SOMETHING--   Beatles
2.  HOLLY HOLY--  Neil Diamond
3.  NA NA HEY HEY--  Steam

4.  AND WHEN I DIE--  Blood, Sweat & Tears
5.  LEAVING ON A JET PLANE--  Peter, paul & Mary
6.  TAKE A LETTER MARIA--  R.B. Greaves
7.  WEDDING BELL BLUES--  Fifth Dimension

8.  BABY I'M FOR REAL--  Originals
9.  SMILE A LITTLE SMILE--  Flying Machine
10.  YESTER-ME, YESTER-YOU, YESTERDAY--  Stevie Wonder

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DEBUTS

31.  WHOLE LOTTA LOVE--  Led Zeppelin
36.  WONDERFUL WORLD, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE--  Jimmy Cliff

38.  I'LL HOLD OUT MY HAND--  Clique
39.  DON'T CRY DADDY--  Elvis Presley

40.  LA LA LA, IF I HAD YOU--  Bobby Sherman

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "He'll Never Love You The Way That I Love You."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Na Na Hey Hey"

10 Things Your Ancestors Did Better Than You-- Part 2: Manners and Learning

5.  Have manners  (I'll second that, maybe third it.)

4.  Build

3.  Teach and learn.

2.  Create art.

1.  Have fun.

Go to the site to find out why they listed these items.

You mean you can have fun without an internet device?  Holy Cow as Harry would say.

Manners, What Manners?  --RoadManners

DID YOU KNOW:  "Underground" is the only word in the English language that begins and ends with the letters "und."   Mind-boggling.

10 Things Your Ancestors Did Better Than You-- 1: Save the Planet and Live Within Their Means

From the November 20, 2019, Listverse by Jamie Frater.

I just listing them, but you can go to the site and see why they said what they did.

10.  Save the planet.   (Hint:  no plastic)

9.  Live within their means.  (Boy is that true. Charge, charge, charge, declare bankruptcy, then repeat.

8.  Improve their mind.  (Through books)

7.  Eat

6.  Exercise.

Well Worth a Read.  --RoadDog

DID YOU KNOW:  The word "set" has more definitions than any other word in the English language.

Music Deaths: Rick Ocasek of the Cars

RICK OCASEK, 75

Died 15 September 2019

Had solo albums, but most famous with the band Cars.

Solo:  "Emotion in Motion" (#15-1986)

Some of his hits with the Cars:

Let's Go #14
Shake It Up  #4
You Might Think  #7
Magic  #12
Drive   #3
Tonight She Comes   #7

Music Deaths: Eddie Money

EDDIE MONEY, 70

Died 13 September 2019

Edward Joseph Mahoney, known professionally as Eddie Money.  Had eleven Top 40 songs in the 1970s and 1980s.

Some of his hits:

Baby Hold On

Two Tickets to Paradise

Think I'm In Love

Shakin'

Take Me Home Tonight

I Wanna Go Back

Walk On Water

Past Movie Scratches: Ghostbusters-- Jingle-- Planes-- Independence-- Miracle-- Wonka

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies watched on TV in 2018.

91.  GHOSTBUSTERS--  12-3--  Let the ladies do it.  This time it's the ladies turn.

92.  JINGLE THE BELLS--  12-4--  All for the love of a Turbo Mart.

93.  PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES--  12-4--  Getting from New York to Chicago (via Wichita) has never been more difficult.  The annoying blabbermouth.  Those aren't pillows!!  How 'bout those Bears!!

94.  INDEPENDENCE DAY:  RESURGENCE--  12-10--  They just about get us for a second time, but saved at the last possible second.  What heroes!!

95.  MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET--  12-13--  Is he Santa Claus?  Sure looks like it.  Only the cane knows.  My fourth favorite Christmas movie.

96.  WILLIE WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY--  12-12--  Love those Oompa Loompas.

--RoadDog

DID YOU KNOW:  Ingrown toe nails are hereditary.

WLS Top Ten for November 17, 1969: "Eli's Coming"

According to Chicago's WLS 890 AM.  That;s FIFTY YEARS ago.

1.  COME TOGETEHR / SOMETHING--  Beatles
2.  HOLLY HOLY--  Neil Diamond
3.  ELI'S COMIN--  Three Dog Night

4.  WEDDING BELL BLUES--  Fifth Dimension
5.  AND WHEN I DIE--  Blood, Sweat & Tears
6.  LEAVING ON A JET PLANE--  Peter, Paul & Mary
7.  NA NA HEY HEY--  Steam

8.  BABY I'M FOR REAL--  Originals
9.  FORTUNATE SON / DOWN ON THE CORNER--  Creedence Clearwater Revival
10.  TAKE A LETTER MARIA--  R.B. Greaves

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DEBUTS

30.  I WANT YOU BACK--  Jackson 5
35.  MIDNIGHT COWBOY--  Ferrante & Teicher

36.  HEAVEN KNOWS--  Grassroots
38.  RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD--  B.J. Thomas

39.  JAM UP AND JELLY TIGHT--  Tommy Roe
40.  EARLY IN THE MORNING--  Vanity Fare

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Name That Tune (from the above songs): "Some Folks Ate Born Made To Wave The Flag.  Yeah, The Red, White, And Blue."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Fortunate Son"

This Should Be Another Sports Axion: Don't Start Off Too Well

Case in Point, the 2018 Chicago Bears and the 2019 Bears.

We were all really, really happy last year when Da Bears had that 12-4 unbelievable turn-around season under first year coach Matt Nagy.  That sure got hopes up and excitement for this season.  But with that 3-3 record (and especially after Sunday's excuse for a game) things aren't too happy for the Monsters this year.  Now, the Bears are 4-5.

And, of course, because of that record and the excitement, the Bears have a whole lot of night and late afternoon games this year.

Well, if this season ends up tanking, at least we won't have so many late games next year.

On that note, first year Northern Illinois University coach Thomas Hammock is off to a poor start with NIU now at 2-5.  This brings to mind the greatest Northern coach, Joe Novak, who went 1-11, 0-12 and 2-10 his first three seasons before he turned the NIU program into the winner it is today.  Now the Huskies are 4-6.

So, there's hope, and if the axiom proves true.

To Coach Novak.  --RoadHuskie

JSS: Edmund Fitzgerald-- MASH Final Episode-- Marijuana Commerdials

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  EDMUND FITZGERALD--  Almost forgot to mention that the Great Lakes ship Edmund Fitzgerald sank on November 10, 1975.  Go ahead and play that Gordon Lightfoot song.   What started out as a one-day presentation on the ship, using the song, eventually turned into a three-day presentation when I taught school.

2.  MASH FINAL EPISODE--  On Monday, Liz mentioned to me that MeTV was showing the entire MASH final episode show in honor of Veterans Day.    You forget what an excellent show that was.  And at least there was no Henry Blake leaving MASH.

3.  MARIJUANA COMMERCIALS--  We either get diabetes commercials these days, health sign up or, now that Illinois is getting around to legalizing recreational use of it on Jan. 1, we are sure getting a lot of marijuana commercials.  Those persons who were so smug that they could use it for medical reasons or angry.  And the places who got them the permission are saying you can still do better if you get it for medical purposes.

JSS.  --RoadDog

Music Deaths: Larry Taylor Session Musician Played With Canned Heat and the Monkees

LARRY TAYLOR, 77

Died 19 August 2019

Samuel Lawrence Taylor  was an American bass guitarist who was in Canned Heat and worked with the Monkees, John Mayall and Tom Waits.  he was the younger brother of Mel Taylor, long-time drummer with the Ventures.

Played with Canned Heat from 1967 to 1970 and was with them at various festivals, including Woodstock.  He also played as a session musician on the first two Monkees albums.

Past Movie Scratches: Sorcerer's-- Secrets- Goblet-- Azkaban-- Phoenix-- Christmas

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2018.

85.  HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE--  11-24--  Don't pet Fluffy.  Ron knows his Wizard Chess.  Harry meets Lord Voldemort.

86.  HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS--  11-25--  Meet Dobby, the house elf.  The flying car and all sorts of spiders and one really big mean snake.

87.  HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE--  11-27--  Hadrid
's girlfriend.  The Paris witches and Bulgarian wizards.  Dragons, mermaids and hedges.

88.  HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN--  11-26--  Harry meets his godfather, Sirius Black.

89.  HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX--  11-28--  The witch of a witch, the cat lady Mrs. Umbraze.  We meet Hagrid's half brother and the Centaurs.

90.  CHRISTMAS VACATION--  12-2--  It's the squirrel vs. the Griswolds, the dog and the next door neighbors.

It's A Potter Thing.  --RoadPot

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DID YOU KNOW:  The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.

JSS: Winter Arrives Early-- Halloween Decorations-- Even Cold in Myrtle Beach-- How About That Wall MR. PRESIDENT?

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.  WINTER ARRIVES EARLY--   It definitely has arrived early.  We had 5 inches of snow on Halloween and another 5 inches  yesterday.  And today, temps never much got past 20 degrees all day.

2.  HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS-- Unfortunately, I had taken down the Halloween outside decorations but not brought them inside.  Now they are covered with snow.  I'll have to wait for a warm up.  I sure hope it gets a bit warmer.

3.  EVEN COLD IN MYRTLE BEACH--  I usually listen to WVCO, 94.9 the Surf in North Myrtle Beach most mornings and they are talking of temperatures below freezing and wind chill tomorrow of around 20 degrees.  So, I don't feel so bad.

4.  HOW ABOUT THAT WALL, MR. PRESIDENT?--  I know our president would like to build a wall along our border with Mexico.  But I have a better idea for a wall.  Let's build it where an even bigger problem exists, and that would be along our northern border.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like Canadians, BUT I sure don't like THEIR WEATHER!!!  I think they should keep their weather on their own side of the wall and quit sending it to us.

Come On, Mr. President.  Build That Wall.  --RoadWall

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DID YOU KNOW:  The symbol on the "pound" key (#) is called an octothorpe.

Don't octothorpe me.

Music Deaths: Peter Fonda

PETER FONDA, 79

Died August 16, 2019

Okay, so he was an actor and not a musician, but he's listed here for his great movie "Easy Rider" and that wonderful soundtrack.

Not only that, but it was a great road trip movie as well, something I appreciate even more now that I have gotten into Route 66 and old roads.

Thanks, Peter.

Music Deaths: Ian Gibbons, Keyboardist with the Kinks

IAN GIBBONS,  67

Died August 1, 2019

He wasn't with them during their heyday 1960s, but later.

Played with the Kinks from 1979 to 1989.  They had a big hit with "Come Dancing" in 1983 which went to #6.