MYSTIC MUSINGS
OH YES I'm the Great Pretender the Platters sang. Were they singing of us ? How real are we ? Most days we play more roles than a Hollywood actor. We don't know what is real & what is make-believe.
The lies we tell & the games we play have made us strangers to ourselves. I'm almost 60 but still these questions churn inside.
How many beliefs do we have that we can follow from our outside to our inner core ? Most end in a tangle.
I do not know if the Platters sang of us but Kris Kristofferson sure did of me.
"He's a walking contradiction
partly truth partly fiction
taking every wrong direction
on his lonely journey home"
As the Homeboys say " KEEP IT REAL"

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS THE PARTY'S OVER
I am not going to make fun of Tommy West anymore. The Tiger situation is too dismal to joke about. TW is a below average coach who is in way over his head. That is saying a lot considering his massive ego.
I don't think Memphis can fire West. Does TW have a 3 million dollar buy-out ? How can Cal leave for 200k but it cost 3M to give TW the boot? Good Job Jimmy Sexton - Bad Mistake RC. The Tigers will stumble on hoping to win enough to be in the STINK POT Bowl again.
I am not sure there is an answer for the Tigers. Here are just three of the real facts the Tigers face;
1. no control over the home recruiting base
2. can not win the poor conference they are in
3. way behind in the facility arms race
Tiger fans can get the new Tommy West candy bar . You un-wrap it & it tells you how good it is.

The Party's over for the Titans. Last year everything went right in a 13-3 year , this year everything wrong in an 0-3 start. The Titans need to solve questions at QB . No up-side with Collins & VY looking like a bust.

There is something wrong in the Bulldog DNA. 99 out of 100 teams would have scored First & Goal from the 2 vs LSU. Not the Dawgs. State must have really whizzed off a bunch of GYPSIES somewhere along the line.

Difference between OLE MISS & Brett Farve. Farve is still #4.

ALL RIGHT WILLIE HUGH NELSON FROM ABBOTT TEXAS
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS THE PARTY'S OVER

SOME HARD PUNCHES
1.Urban Meyer is a jerk & a bully. If you whiz him off he sends his Gator Boys to put a run-up the score beatdown on you. When Little Laney dodged the hit Urb the Turd showed how vindictive he is.
Florida will not be National Champs, Superman does not have enough help. Tebow will be beat-up & overworked by the close of the season.
2. I learned you can be as stupid as Gomer Pyle & still make two million dollars a year.
Cases in Point; Houston Nutt & Steve Spurrier.
I warned you about Buster Nutt. Never wins all the games he is supposed to. Can sling the Bull with the best of 'em . Gets up-set wins to keep you hangin on.
No NC for the Rebs, no Heisman for Jevan, & probaly no Atlanta. A dream season done gone.
Steve Spurrier was my hero & role model . He needs to announce this morning that he is going to the golf course full time. Let Ellis take the Fightin Chickens the rest of the way.
I remember when teams won because of Spurrier, now they win in spite of him. Spurrier could not have done anymore to lose that game last night. Last 4 or 5 possessions 3 & out with almost no time off the clock & why not go for two with a 12 point lead. That decision almost bit him at the end.
Steve, What is the matter with you ? Has the Old Ball Coach lost it ? Sure looks like it.
3. Woo Wee ,that Hero Tommy is sure smart ! Hero Tommy has been playing possom . He used the non-conference games to set up the leauge games.
Old Tommy will rip through that C-USA schedule like diarrea through a nursey school. It will not be pretty.
Then Hero Tommy will lead the Tigers to the Liberty Bowl to face one of the worst SEC teams. C-USA has never won this game.
Then Hero Tommy will say "we are the only school in the nation to go to 3 Final -8s, six bowls in seven years, & forfeit all our games.'
R.C. says " It don't make no difference long as we don't have to pay no money back". And Priscilla's smile didn't shatter her face.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN TROUBLE WHEN;
1.THE COACH- When the attendance numbers fall it is over for the old Coach. I knew the frost was on the Great Pumpkin when I saw the vacant seats at Neyland Stadium . Sure enough in a couple of weeks the Great Orange Fat One was gone. Will this hold true for Hero Tommy ? Tiger attendance may be too poor to tell . Like they say at Medina " If they don't want to come you can't stop 'em".
2. THE PRESIDENT - Obama's numbers are falling fast. Barry has over-promised & under-delivered . Is it bad yet ? The best barometer is Hillary " LYING EYES" Clinton. As long as she thinks Obama can make it Lying Eyes will stand firm. The minute she doesn't think so ,she will resign her position & start her Primary run.
3. THE CITY - Memphis will know it is over when the taxpayers move away. When the folks who pay the tab give up & go elsewhere the freeloaders are finished. The crooks will leave also cause there is nothing left to steal. Is Sick Willie going to run for Mayor of Olive Branch ?
I told you Tony would go after Ziva. Any one who has studied the philosophy of Percy Sledge knows this.
You sure better know if Chilli Pepper was a hostage BIG ROCK would be on the way with a Jumbo can of WHUP !!!!!!

TALKING FOOTBALL
1. Tim Tebow - Is he the best ever in college football ? Who knows ? No one can answer that question . Tebow will have one of the most successful careers . Two national championships , one Heisman & counting. How good will Florida be when Superman is gone ?
2. Go Vols - Insane Lane & staff had a wonderful game plan for the Gators. If Lane will play it that way vs the rest of the schedule,the Vols will stay close in every game. The Big Orange will have a chance to win at the end. If Lane goes back to wide- open it will get Ugly.
3. JETS, JETS,JETS - The Jets are 2-0 with a rookie QB. People said Rex Ryan 's mouth was writing checks his Butt could not cash. They haven't checked out the size of Rex's Butt. Looks like a lotta cash to me.
Bellichick has not been the same since he picked up his new girlfriend.Or maybe that he has to stop cheating that is the difference.
4. Faces of Dallas - The Cowboys can sure make some faces. Wade Phillips looks like a guy waiting in the proctologist office.He knows it is coming just not sure when.
Tony Romo has the same smirk as a 12 year old who farted in church. I guess if you made millions, hang out with Jessica, you would'nt think a football game was a big thing either.
Jerry Jones looks like my Uncle Bud in the final days of acute constipation. I bet Wade does not make the year.
5. Tigers of Memphis - Have I missed it ? Has Hero Tommy told us how his brilliance saved the Tigers & blew out powerhouse UTM. Now Hero Tommy must win 5 of 9 vs a schedule Humes Jr High would be odds -on favorities aganist. Once again our Hero leads us to another Tolilet Bowl .
6. Most Important - Tomorrow night Tony will go save Ziva . SO would I !!!

JUST THINKING
Malcom X. used to say " It is not race that matters but dollars." Malcom X. meant there was more segregation by economics than segregation by race. Think about it. Examine the impact your economic status has on your life. Take a look at these areas:
1. Your Friends -- There are not many friendships across economic levels. Not many Doctors, Lawyers, & Corporate Dudes hang out with factory workers, truck drivers, & farmers. Close friendships must have shared experiences . Lack of wherewith all prevents this.
2. Your Spouse -- It is risky to marry outside of your economic class. You can not communicate with someone outside of their experience. It is hard to understand that which you have not experienced. Communication & understanding are kind of important in marriage.Even more it is almost impossible to blend families of different status levels. The financial tensions are tough to overcome.
3. Your Worship-- Most people seem to feel comfortable in a Church with people of a comparable income level. It is sad to say that Churches are known by the status of their members. Why is it that only the socially prominent seem to be Church leaders ? Does worldly success carry over to the Church ? Also the songs you sing , preaching style, & the clothes you wear are influenced by economic status.
There is so much more of life impacted by income ; such as you won't see many welfare checks cashed at the Peabody lobby or Wal-mart shoppers stopping at Oak Hall.
How about the big game . Super segregation there . Where you sit is determined by how much you paid .
IS IT ANY WONDER JESUS HAD SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT MONEY !!

SOME THINGS TO PONDER;
The Medina Mystic needs answers to these questions.
1. Why do so many Memphis/Shelby County football players decide to play their last year or two at Olive Branch ? Is it true that time slows at the Mississippi state line ? Can that last season become two ?
2. Who is the wonderful family counselor at Germantown ? The Mystic has noticed that baseball players facing divorce in the family can transfer to G-town . By the end of the season Mom & Dad are back together & everyone moves back home happy.
3. Memphis area elite academic schools have seen the need to help at - risk students . The schools are stepping up by admitting at-risk students who do not qualify academically ,financially , or socially . All these at- risk students are big ,strong, & fast. My question is; Are there any at- risk students that are small, weak ,& slow ?
4. Will Big Dollar Fred buy an NFL team for Cannon to QB when he finishes at Memphis ?
5. Will BCS Tommy become the national spokeperson for Barak Obama Motors at the end of the season ?
Give me CASH to watch a Clunker
Tiger fans get down & HUNKER
Our team's in the DUMPER
Our coach is a JUNKER!!!!

JABS, HOOKS, & A CROSS
1. Woo ,I hope Serena Williams does not yell at the Mannings the way she did the line judge at the Open. Alinsky says you can not communicate with someone outside of their experience. I doubt Archie spoke to the boys in those words & tones. If Serena cuts loose on Peyton & Eli I hope Miss Olivia packed some extra undies for the boys. Of course Peyton could turn it into a clean-up commerical. I would take Serena even up vs either brother in a slug - out.
2. Would someone please give my man Insane Lane a VEER playbook ? Lane - o, you can not win with Crompton in your scheme. John is just not capable. Play Berry & G. Jones at QB, Hardesty, Brown, & Oku at running back . You are already zone blocking. You have nothing to lose cause you can't win with what you are doing. No DC in the SEC is prepared to stop the VEER. Can you say Bill Yeoman or D.C. Nobles?
3. Will Ohio State ever beat USC ? The game was at Columbus, the Trojans had a true Freshman at QB, & new coordinators. If not now when ?
4. The Memphis Tigers are fresh out of hope. .They got their britches dusted by MTSU. Tommy West must be flat wore out from slinging all that BS. Tommy is BCS all the way , not bowl championship series but BIG CROCK OF STUFF.
5. Tigers Help is on the way . I bet Big Dollar Fred will build Cannon an on -campus stadium to play in & pay BCS- Tommy 2 million a year.

A FEW SIMPLE RULES
Government finance is not hard. You just have to remember a few simple rules..
1. Governments receive all their revenue by means of tax. That is simple: if the G-men want to spend funds they must tax to get the money.
2. More spending means more taxes . Every dollar the government spends has to come from somewhere. That would be us : the Taxpayer.
3. You cannot spend more than you collect in taxes. Most governments refuse to believe this. Refusal to recognize reality leads to massive debt & large interest payments.
4. If you increase spending you must increase taxes
5. If you cut taxes you must cut spending.
6. It is impossible to spend more than you take in w/o leading to disaster. This applies to individuals as well as governments.
Why can't the folks in the capitols learn these rules ?
Politicians who say otherwise are not telling the truth. You cannot increase spending without increasing taxes.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH!!!!

MONEY ,MONEY ,OH HONEY
I attended MIT for 6 years so that means I know a lot about money . Just to clear up any confusion the MIT I am speaking of is the Medina Industrial Trade school. I studied high finance & advanced cyphering there.
The first rule of investing is you must understand your investment. That eliminates most investments for most of us. A law of coaching I followed was the KISS principle. That means Keep It Simple Stupid!!
If an investment is complex that is a cover to take your money .Those banks & lenders knew from the start that those buyers would not be able to pay. What did they care . The mortage companies had already sold those loans to other banks.
The Interest Only Loan & the Wrap Around Down Payment were tricks to get folks hooked into loans they had no chance to pay.
If the deal has fancy math that is a flashing danger sign. The more creative the math the more you stand to lose.
How would you like to build & develop apartment housing , & not pay any tax ? Don't think you can ! All you need is a P.I.L.O.T grant . Your taxes are waived & some other taxpayer pays the tab.
Check & see who are getting P.I.L.O.T grants from Shelby County. You might be surprised !

SAME OLD TIGERS
Some thoughts about the first week ;
1. The Rebels did not look like a top 5 team . I do not think the Rebs will be in the SEC championship game.
2. If Insane Lane stays simple the Vols could win7. If the crazy man goes spread the Orange is dead. Lane always has that little smirk but you would too if your wife looked like Layla & you made 2 millon a year.
3. True Blue Tigers do not stand close to the curb. Ole Tommy is going to throw some body under the bus. If it is not his DC it is an o-lineman who quit on the play . Coach You are lucky all 11 didn't quit before the snap because it was a super stupid play call. Then to say we didn't run a QB sneak cause We don't do that. I guess you don't do first downs either.
4. If you are a Spread offense you will be as good as your QB. The Spread is a QB intensive offense. The Tigers do not have an excellent QB. Maybe a scheme that is not so dependant on the QB would help.
5. Memphis will do much better playing C-USA teams . About half the conference does not have defensive players that can walk and fart at the same time.

QUICK HITTERS
1. What in the world is going on in the NFL ? 3 OCs fired before the first game . A very quick trigger in K.C. ,Tampa Bay, & Buffalo. Having to win now is one thing but getting zapped before the first game . I didn't get fired that fast at Big Star when I spilled bleach in the lady's new car.
2. Relax Memphis Relax, The king makers & puppet masters have decided . Your new Mayor will be AC Wharton. No need for the cost of an election , the deal is done . It will be business as usual & AC is not a loose cannon like Sick Willie.
3. Is there a new rule in college football ?
Talk Trash
Get Knocked on your A*$!!!
That seems to be the way the Fighting Ducks of Oregon understand it. The Ducks are playing by the old Medina Rule :
If you talk it up
You sure better back it up.
I bet old 94 from Boise knows the rule from now on.

TALKING FOOTBALL
Here are the forecasts for 3 of the local college football teams.
1. Mississippi - The Rebels should have a big year. They are one of two SEC teams who have a proven QB. Florida is the other.
The Rebs have a favorable schedule with the toughies at home. The QB and the schedule should result in an excellent season in Oxford. Best case scenario 12 - 0. I don't think it will happen. 10 - 2 sounds right to me.
Danger games : Memphis in the opener, Arkansas at home & Vandy on the road.
Remember Nutt seems to come up big when exspectations are low & come up short when they are high.
2. Memphis - If the Tigers could win at the same ratio Tommy West is paid they would be a Top Ten team. West is the most overpaid coach in football.
The Tigers should win 4 maybe 5 at home but could struggle on the road. About 3 road wins is the most hoped for.
Best case secnario 9 - 3 Most likely 6 - 6
The Tigers will not make the Liberty Bowl but once again will be in a stinky toilet bowl.
3. Tennessee - Insane Lane roars into his first year on Rocky Top .Kiffin is lacking the most important part , a QB. Maybe a more simple scheme of offense will help; as will 8 games in Neyland Stadium.
The Vols could go 0-for the road. One road win is the most hoped for & a bunch at home. Best case secnario for the Big Orange is 9 - 3. The most likely finish is 6 - 6 .
Whatever the record Insane Lane , Coach O , & Daddy Kif should be a trip!! Don't be shocked to see Tennessee in the Liberty Bowl.

MEDINA DAYS
I grew up in Medina Tennessee . I lived out in the country three miles north of town. I lived there all my childhood except the three years [59 - 61 ] that I lived in Chicago . I stayed home till I married then hit the road in 1972.
I left Medina looking for answers I never found . Didn't find 'em cause the answers were already in Medina.
Medina back then was a great place to grow up. You had to work to get in trouble . Some folks say I really worked hard . All those things we did seemed like a good ideal at the time .
Towns and schools today are large & impersonal : not so at Medina . I can make a phone call or e-mail & find out what all 25 of my group are doing . About half the bunch still live close to home . Most all are within 500 miles.
Life's journey has been typical for our bunch . only 2 have passed on but time is running out of the rest of us . We are pushing 60. MERCY DADDY !
We have had our share of heartbreak, sickness, divorces, & other calamities. I don't know of anyone who changed the world or made a big impact . We just lived our lives ,loved ,laughed,cried,& hurt along the journey .
Those answers the MEDINA MYSTIC spoke of : they are found in the journey - to love somebody - invest in your children - make things better for others.
What is it going to matter
material possessions or fame
when JESUS calls your name.
The old Mystic made the wrong choice sometimes in picking the things are are really important.