2) It's about to strike midnight for Southern Cal's football and basketball programs, as eagerly predicted by almost everyone. But what's worse?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124233275075820819.html

Having your football stadium sold. The Governator is on a scare-tactic mission in the days before a bunch of propositions are up for vote - those that would close the ~$20B (yes, B) budget gap for the year. They are all trailing, so USC better have enough cash to be the one to buy their own stadium. I'm sure it does, and they might buy San Quentin Prison which is also for sale (insert joke here). I think some UCLA alums should pony up and charge outrageous rents. Or have UCLA play there - it's closer to campus anyway. USC could fit its home crowds into the intramural field bleachers and still have enough room for players to park their Escalades.

It reminds me of FSU, whose stadium is essentially owned by the taxpayers of Florida. Should the state of Florida charge rent?

3) It might be acceptable for schools to give some players "second chances," but not psychopathic incest-mongers. Tennessee is already stigmatized by perceived rampant incest (hey - if you saw my sister you would understand!!!). But this Knox Catlick guy - whatever his name is - will be booed wherever he goes, and nobody will forget about this for years. It's not so much the crime itself - which is awful anyway - but the fact it was family. What kind of #$%^ing animal does that to family? Oh, he didn't? He just watched? In a way, that's even sicker. I hope fans at Neyland boo him robustly. G-D embarrassment. Kiffin's other antics are rather harmless by comparison - a cheap shot at a booster function, etc. - this is what makes our football SOUTHERN! But who's going to cheer for a plunger rapist?

4) The 13th quadrennial Van Cliburn Piano Competition gets underway next Friday. It was established after this guy (Shreveport native, current Fort Worth resident):

did this in 1958 in Moscow (and again in 62):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M7M4UoqBpA&feature=related

and was anointed winner by Nikita "We Will Bury You with Sputnik" Khrushchev.

35 Russians and Koreans will flail desperately at sweat-soaked keyboards in an effort to convince a jury beset with post-prandial drowsiness that they can muster the stamina to hammer out Scriabin sonatas and Rachmaninoff concertos in places like Des Moines and Utica for the rest of their lives. I guess it beats Novgorod.

5) When stimulus $$ comes through, maybe the I-840 ring will finally be complete. It just looks so stupid on the map right now, half done from Dickson to Lebanon. Like some kind of crooked smile.

6) Obama: big spending conservative just like his predecessor.

7) Something about Tennessee having no O-line next year and Coach O energizing the locker room by eating a tire pump before the Florida game.

8) Are you really still reading this?

9) On a Friday?

10) There, I made it to 10. Now back to porn.