Kesey Quote of the Day

"`There are going to be times,' says Kesey, `when we can't wait for somebody. Now you're either on the bus or off the bus. If you're on the bus, and you get left behind, then you'll find it again. If you're off the bus in the first place--then it won't make a damn.' And nobody had to have it spelled out for them. Everything was becoming allegorical, understood by the group mind, and especially this: `You're either on the bus...or off the bus."


alas ....the Bus came by and I got on...that's when it all began

Matteau Matteau

It was the Friday Night of Memorial day weekend, the City was electric and pensive, nerves were on end. I was scared out of my boots as I rode the subway up to Mustang Sallys, our traditional pregame watering hole in the spring of 1994…….I couldn't even eat…..just stood by the door with Donn and Craig , washing down Budweiser beer like it was going out of style...Penn station was abuzz with Commuters getting away for the weekend, upstairs in the Worlds Most famous Arena the Broadway Blueshirts were about to take the ice for a critical game 7 of the Eastern Conf Finals against the hated NJ devils……..I settled into my seat in section 419, row f , put two full buckets of said Budweiser under my aisle seat, rose for Mr Ammorante and the singing of our National Anthem…..and I remember thinking to myself, for the rest of my life, whatever happens tonight, will come flooding back to me every Friday of Memorial Day weekend …..they have to win……….first period was a scoreless draw…..more Budweiser beer…….getting more nervous as the night wears on, which of course leads to faster drinking…….out to the rotunda between periods……staring at the Post office…….please God……..midway through the deuce…….Brian leetch skates in from the circle……broduer defending 7th ave…….Leetchie pulls a spin-o-rama----lets go with a bullet….the light goes on……….the Garden erupts……YES !!!!!................the period ends…….more beer….back to the rotunda……20 minutes from the finals…..the City knows it…….people are now gathering on the Post Office stairs across the street…….people without tickets are coming to the garden area to share in the celebration….I had chills on my neck……ran into Kenny Coco…….the last thing he says to me is that when we hold on to win 1-0 , Richter will tie the record for most shutouts in the postseason……..Richter……The Rock of Gibraltar….he was going to single-handedly win this thing…….very nervous to start the 3rd period…..it only gets worse….every shift….every dump in…..every whistle…..the crowd is bezerk……watching the clock….praying for an insurance goal…….10 minutes……..8 minutes…..5 minutes……we are soo close……..2 minutes……the place is on its feet……..can't hear the whistle….can't hear yourself think……high fives all around……"THIS IS THE LAST MINUTE TO PLAY IN THE PERIOD"…….BEDLAM……….goosebumps….chills…..sweating……nervous………30 seconds………broduer to the bench……they dump in…..one last push…….i'm squinting toward the 7th ave net from my 8th avenue seats……..10 seconds……loose puck…mad scramble…..cant follow the puck……the devils are jumping up and down….why?....the light is on….7 seconds….tie game……..

It was like being kicked in the stomach……..stunned silence………I left my seat and walked to the rotunda before they had the faceoff……..stood starring at the post office………TV Crews with live reporters waiting on 8th ave for the delighted faithful to exit the building…..word spreads that they tied the game….the lights for the cameras start getting turned off…..we are going to OT……..a sad sickness and eerie silence hovers in the building……we are never going to win this damn cup….


Me , Donn and Craig barely said a word to each other during intermission……it was like Clavins up there……somebody must have died……we retook our seats…..I could not concentrate…..the first ot was a blur……..I watched the red light behind richter fully expecting to see it go on…….everytime they came into our zone I was sure the game would end……….midway through the period , the faithful woke up………Lets Go Rangers was back……we were exhausted and angry…….but we could not score…….back to the rotunda…..back to the window….

Back to our seats…….double OT …….wornout….feel like I went 10 rounds with Tyson….not sure how much more of this I can take……Devils are shooting at 7th ave…….blushirts are attacking our 8th ave net…..we get a chance, they get a chance…..back and forth and back and forth……3 minutes in.. the puck dances through our crease….it's going in ……..out of nowhere comes leetch……he swats it away…it hits a devil and is heading back towards the empty net….where is richter?.......still not sure what happened….to this day I think it hit the post….somehow the light did not go on……somehow the puck did not go in…I can't take this………..we dump in….they dump out….BUT NO …..we keep in and redirect around the net……not sure who is chasing the puck, watching Tikanen sneak in from the point for a pass……someone is emerging from the boards behind the net with the puck….a devil is hounding him……pass it to TIK……..NO…..he attempts to stuff it in ……YES !!!!!!!!...

MATTEAU MATTEAU………..STEPHANE MATTEAU…………..and the Rangers have one more hill to climb and it's Mount Vancouver……the Rangers are going to the finals………..the rest is beautiful history……..

As for me……we stayed and watched the trophy presentation…….the Garden was electric again….like New years eve……back to Mustang Sally's….Met Kevo there....a cab home…..cars honking horns on the Brooklyn Bridge…….went to PJ's Pub……was still there at 4:00 a.m. ……….people walking up and down 5th ave with beers, stopping traffic…..it was crazy………..

NOPE…..I will never ever allow the Friday of memorial day weekend to pass without reflection on that night….

quote of the day

He is indebted to his memory for his jests and to his imagination for his facts.
Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751 - 1816)

Fond Memories

So I am sitting at work in JC watching Fleet week unfold out my window….a birds eye view of all the Warships sailing into NYC , and I suddenly recall an interesting anecdote from my days as a squid aboard the USS Luce (DDG-38) …….late February 1988 and we are entering the port of Marseille France, we bring the Harbor Master and an interpreter onto the bridge wing, as is customary. As we draw pier side there are two civilian schooners that belonged to Greenpeace blocking our path and protesting our arrival……back in 88 , their gig was to throw paint balloons filled with pink paint at Military ships…….Our Captain , who was a bit of a wuss ( Cdr Lance A Waters) was trying to have the interpreter tell the HM to radio the ships and advise them to keep a safe distance……….they ignored…….The Weapons Officer ( Cdr Knoble) tells the HM , bypassing the interpreter " Tell them to back the F off , or I am going to blow them out of the water"…….The Harbor Master….a real Frog…shrugged his shoulders to act like he did not understand……..The Weapo just smiled, turned his back on the HM and gave the order for the 50 Caliber machine gunners to train their weapons right at Greenpeace……within seconds we have our weapons pointed at their ships and the Harbor Master is talking to them in French and everyone suddenly understood….they hightailed it away from our Ship asap………Cdr Knoble , pointing to our Big Guns and talking to our Captain told em …."Sir…that's the only interpreter I ever Trust".

and the beat goes on ....

another day ....anoth split in the Democratic Primary.....the anti-christ refusing to give in....but which one truly is satan....some would argue that they both are and eventually will join forces to destroy America...I can't argue with that line of thinking.....I hope if for no other reason than historical curiosity that this thing goes to the convention without a nominee.....obviously I hope an ugly battle will end up splitting the party and crushing their demonic plot before the general election.....but if for nothing else , a hotly contested convention will jazz up the summer TV lineup and give us a break from reality TV and the reeling Mets.....free willie already....this team of latinos is goin nowhere and randolph is crying racism...what a farce....back to the politics at hand.....if it were the Republicans in the same situation, all I know is I would want the concensus of my party as the true candidate....I would not cut off my nose to spite my face....ala ignoring the results in Fla and Michigan.....or accepting votes at face value back when there were 9 people vying for the nomination.....I would want to know where those votes that were cast for people that eventually dropped out of the race would be cast today, or more importantly in November.......the bottom line is , race is factor in this country, always has been and always will be ....whether we like it or not....whether we turn a blind eye or not, some folks won't vote for a mormon even if he represents their party.....others....dare we say it, won't for a Barack candidate or a muslim or a combination of the two.....anyway I am starting to think that the starts are aligning for Gato for El Presidente to sneak in and steal this election....I think it's time for a fundraiser......maybe Chazzy can toss me a golf outing to raise some badly needed funds....

time has come today

well lads and lattices, the time has come to put all personal grievances aside and face the plain black and white facts.....or should i say brown and white facts........truth is we have a CHampeeen amongst us , and he goes by the name of Big Brown........not sure if you had the privilige yesterday.......I myself was busy beeing chatty cathy during the live race, but was lucky enough to catch the view from above replay in the cozy confines of the Columns, Avon by the Sea, and I do not believe I have seen an equine extrication such as this one.........Mr. Brown froze the field and marched on to victory....it appeared as if Piper the witch had stopped action for everyone else.....I actually gasped and lost my breath.....God Bless this Horse.....a man amongst boys.....a mere 14 days after running what pundits are claiming to be the greatest derby ever, the king returned to stone the field.......shocking actually.....not even the Legendary Barbaro or the modern day equivilant Birthday Balloonz has evcer shown such a burst..........i for one am sold....I take off my sherlock Holmes hat to this equine master......on to the belmont friends......God Speed and following seas Mr Brown....

sad side note.....the Midshipmen were sunk by the blue Jays of John Hopkins for the 35th straight time......lets go irish.....

Go Squids Go

The Midshipmen of the Naval Academy host the defending National Champions from John Hopkins today at 3:00 in lacrosse.............God Speed and following seasboys

Ballteeemore...wheres dat??

So who do we like in the Preakness ? I'm throwing Big Brown out again……..not completely out , I will include the UPS spokesman in my exotics, but not a nickel to win from this handicapper………My namesake has three descendents in the ugly triplett…..Giant Moon , Racecar Rhapsody and behindthebar all trace their roots back to STORM CAT………could make for a nice triple….


How about hockey…..anybody out there still care ? Anybody still alive in the World Renowned Chazzy Pool……I was bounced in the first…..

As for the Cup…..I hate Philly the Most, then Detroit , then Pittsburg , and then Dallas……..so in reverse order that is who I would like to see loose the least….obviously I am not rooting for anyone.

Hurricane names for 2008

well it's almost that time again.....here are the names of the upcoming storms as dictated by the Natl Weather Service.

2008 Hurricane Names

Arthur
Bertha
Cristobal
Dolly
Edouard
Fay
Gustav
Hanna
Ike
Josephine
Kyle
Laura
Marco
Nana
Omar
Paloma
Rene
Sally
Teddy
Vicky
Wilfred

ironic or just plain funny

You have to admit this is kind of funny…….my Horse , EL GATO MALO , or the Evil, Wicked Cat is not running in the Preakness this Saturday…May 17th……..but geuss who is running ? A horse by the name of STEVIL or the combination of STEVE and EVIL ……on someones big day…….you could not have made this up or asked for a better script……..on May 17th….the EVIL CAT is out , and EVIL STEVE is in ………….that's fitting I suppose……I know who I am going across the board with

God bless the U.S. Navy

Navy Plans to Name Ship after Fallen L.I. Serviceman


LAKE RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (AP) -- The U.S. Navy plans to name a destroyer after a Long Island-born officer killed in Afghanistan in 2005 who received the Medal of Honor.

Navy Secretary Donald Winter says the destroyer will be named after Patchogue native Lt. Michael P. Murphy. Construction is expected to begin on the destroyer in June 2009 in a shipyard in Maine. Winter says it is expected to be commissioned in 2011.

In September, Murphy became the first Navy SEAL since the Vietnam War to be recognized with the Medal of Honor.

He and two others with his unit were killed when they were ambushed while trying to hunt down a terrorist on a remote Afghan mountainside. He is credited with risking his life to radio for help.

weird science - wicked gravity

anybody besides me have a problem with American Somoa , Guam and Puerto Rico having a bigger say in the Presidential Election process than the folks of Michigan and Florida ? this country is on a fatalistic course towards destruction, when common sense and logic are discarded for procedure and protocol we are aligning the stars for our own destruction....we are opening the door for the antichrist , if anyone does survive , they will have a field day recounting the absurd events of 2008 that lead directly to the destruction of the United States.

As the only true Patriot in the race, and the only one that does not fly , ElGato for Presidente refused to campaign in any of the above mentioned sinkholes of humanity.

interesting story in Philly ......3 law abiding , good kids, out for a drive, took the mean spirited police on a life and death chase through multiple hoods before finally being brought to a halt .....these model citizens were being apprehended for questioning in a shooting ....just 24 hors after one of Phildelphia's own Police officers was murdered by street slime......and those dam cops kicked these nice young boys after they peacefully emerged from the wrecked vehicle..........at least thats the way ABC, NBC and CBS reported the story.

**ammendment to the Constitution....when you run from the law, you officially surrender any civil rights you may have had at the start of the day ***

Cut Saez Some Slack

Human nature being what it is , folks are eager to find someone to blame when a bad thing happens to a good person, or in this sense, something fatal happens to a nice horsey. But please fight the temptation to lash out at this Jock , the kid is 20 years old, he grew up amongst horses and he loves them dearly. He did nothing wrong , fault the system, change the rules regarding training or drug usage or at what age and how often they can run , but don't hang this kid. He is already scarred for life and will take that horrifying day to his grave, do not add insult to his broken hurt by trying to lay blame at his Panamanian feet…….and pray nightly you never know the hell where youth and laughter go.

The Not so Happy Recap

"i aint always right, but I've never been wrong" J. Garcia.

until yesterday......let me be the first to admit that I was dead wrong on my pre race analizations....the two horses I threw out with the bathwater ran first and an admirable second. I was more impressed with the late eight belles to be honest....she certainly did belong....she seperated herself from 18 of the 19 boys in the race and the only thing that stood between her and a date with immortality was a herculian burst down the stretch by Big Brown....maybe Johhny Browns namesake is that good.....the ugly sister of the three, the Preakness; should be a snooze, not sure who will even sign up for the right to challange.....Denis of Cork , Tale of Ekati and Leo Rousells colt recapturetheglory... should be feeling pretty good about themselves, but everyone else is sheltering a wounded ego this morn.........maybe we will see the re-emergence of ElGato Malo or behindthebar......too soon to really tell who will be on the track on the 17th.......I would be remiss to wax over the sad fact the only Lady in the race was euthenized after collapsing on the clubhouse turn in her post race gallop...having shattered both front ankles there was nothing left to do but put her out of her misery...it is a sobering reminder of just how fragile these beautiful beasts are, we should marvel at them and greet them with the cheers and reverance they deserve while they are with us, because as we have seen in the past, they could be gone in a flash......to the daughter of unbridled song , and grand daughter of my beloved Unbridled , may you rest in peace......below is a brief transcript courtesy of the CHDN site.



LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With heart and determination, Eight Belles ran the race of her life in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. But just after crossing the wire second behind Big Brown, Eight Belles, the only filly in the race, collapsed after breaking her front ankles. She was euthanized on the racetrack.

"There was no way to save her," said her trainer, Larry Jones. "She couldn't stand. There was no way to even think about trying to save her."

Jones was visibly shaken as he spoke to reporters at his barn on the Churchill Downs backstretch. A veteran horseman who won Friday's Kentucky Oaks with Proud Spell, he had difficulty handling what happened to Eight Belles.

"These things are our family," Jones said. "We put everything into them that we have, and they give us everything they have. They put their lives on the line, and she was glad to do it."

Eight Belles was also entered in the previous day's Oaks, but owner Rick Porter had so much confidence in her that he decided instead to take on the male horses in the Kentucky Derby. He knew it would be a daunting task. Only three fillies have won the Kentucky Derby in its 134-year history, and none since Winning Colors in 1988.

Eight Belles was up to the challenge. Ridden by Gabriel Saez, she was no match for the Richard Dutrow Jr.-trained Big Brown but was easily second, finishing 3 1/2 lengths in front of Denis of Cork.

lets sing shall we

chill the Juleps and blast the stereo...lass put on ye bonnet.....no bonnet Marykate ? what a pity

rise and shine this gloriuos first saturday in May

The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home
'Tis summer, the people are gay;
The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day;
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy, and bright,
By'n by hard times comes a-knocking at the door,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!

Chorus

Weep no more, my lady,Oh weep no more today!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.

They hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon,
On meadow, the hill and the shore,
They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,
On the bench by that old cabin door;
The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart,With sorrow where all was delight;
The time has come when the people have to part,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
Chorus

The head must bow and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the people may go;
A few more days and the trouble all will end
In the field where sugar-canes may grow;
A few more days for to tote the weary load,
No matter, 'twill never be light,
A few more days till we totter on the road,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!

Chorus

it's Chritmas in May on the shore

My favorite day of the year has finally arrived....a bit damp , but alas saturnalian just the same.....we shall prepare for a feast worthy of the God of Bacchus. we shall imbibe and exchange tales of the great rum runners and watch the finest thoroughbreds the land has to offer, and we shall curse like the navy and gamble like the mafia till that last good morning sunrise is the brightest you've ever seen......ARVIDAS.....a knock at the door.....hark wko goes there.....the Darby that's who.

I may not be a visionaire but my court vision is still 20/20 and you can't listen to the tale of ekati without dancing a little monba ...ol cowboy Cal can try to recapture the glory from Colonel John and his Bob Black Jack but its the smooth air that surrounds the cool coal man that makes me scream anak nakal letgo my gayego when I awake from a terrible dream. I may not have z' humor but I know she spent a z fortune on the Big brown Big Truck she's been driving and blasting the horn that sounds like 8 belles ringing from here to denis of cork

but then again Adriano....I suppose I am a pyro at heart.


my head tells me to send it in on Pyro.....but I will also follow the spirit of the beloved Barbaro and take a shot with MR Prado.

It is ALIVE....

1942 Red Wings………1975 Penguins……..and now the 2008 Penguins…….every 33 years someone blows a 3-0 lead in the Hockey Playoffs…….last night was the first step in the greates comeback in New York Ranger History………THERE IS LIFE ON OLD BROADWAY….

Let's Go Rangers !!!!