the tide is high

well it was yesterday.....rumors of my demise at the hands of the Atlantic Ocean are just not true.....this Piscean attacked the current off Donnavans Reef and Won....I have taken drunker swims in rougher water than yesterday and lived to yak about it.....I'm a Navy Man for goodness sake.......however....had I succumbed to the brutal surf and actually drowned yesterday......blame would rest squarely on the shoulders of one Chaz Higgins......who not only allowed me stumble into the ocean with approx 20 beers under my belt, but he encouraged it....."Go Jump in the Water and cool off" he says to me....shortly after a noreaster blew through the tiki bar and left 20 foot seas in her wake.......and swim I did.....the rip tide pulled me a 1/2 mile down the coast before I could finally fight my way back onto land...just in time for another twelve beers at the friendly confines of Donnavans........all in a days work lads....all in a day work......anyone up for Euro 08 ? The Nazis verse the spaniards at half two....

UGA VI R.I.P

well it is now apparent that at least two readers were on this blog yesterday.....Uncle Den Den from Bayridge checked in to say he will glady make the trek to Hotlanta 09 , and now it is clear that Uga VI , the Georgia Mascot was reading this blog as well......Uga VI took a massive heart attack yesterday and passed away.....he must have read my post about the impending journey to dixie 09 and the shocking threat was too much for his little heart to handle.....Uga VI by the way was the winningest mascot of Bulldog History.....good luck replacing him.....the door has been left precariously open for the Yellow Jackets

College Football preview

so I'm drinking ice cold beeer on the train home the other night and my thoughts turned to college football.....the way I see it, coach Johnson can have the Yellow jackets playing for the Natl Championship in 2 or 3 years max....maybe even this year...not that far fetched....they play in a BCS conference...a weak one at that, and they have an annual game against instate rival The Georgia bulldogs....who, come Dec; could conceivably be the #1 team in the nation......so run the table, beat the dogs and you could have a shot at the title game....more likely next year when the dogs have to come into buckhead....again I plea to thee....we should make a trek to Hot lanta for that game in 2009.....ah the whiskey will be flowing in dixie....we can march to the shore like good ol Gen Sherman and burn everything in our path leavin little in our wake.......

and whom pray tell should be awaiting the wramblin wreck in that title game???

The Fightin Illini of course....Juice Williams and Co will take the big ten by storm , if they can survive the Nittany Lions they will be home free......the buckeyes will be left for dead after takin a beatin on the coast at the hand of the trojans.......and USC ? pac ten too tough.....watch Neuiheisel and the Bruins ruin USC's season....

not expecting much from the beloved Irish...except a better effort....not more wins per se, but certainly closer games and more offense....they just don't have the weapons yet to compete....Chaz has to build the finest O and D lines in the nation and then try to recruit an athelet or two to excel behind those lines.....let's face it , the top ranked either cant or dont want to go to ND.

Sail Navy down the field and sink the Army , SINK THE ARMY grey....The Mids will keep marchin under Nahamatuulo......with Emu enchilada behind center the offense will click....defense is always another story....not ready to compete with the BCS schools on that note, but not far bahind......very important first season sans Coach J , can not afford to take a step back.......one game I'll you right now....Mo Mo if your readin this, don't move the line on me......Navy will kick the living crap out of Rutgers @ Navy Marine Corp Stadium on the third Saturday in September.....we have a score to settle with those punks.......

anyway there is sooo much more to disect and so little time to do it.....what with dedicating 16 hours a day to the imbibing of ice cold beer and all.....who has timw to Blog ?? I had set my alarm early this morning because I had an inkling my loyal readers were wondering what I was wonderin about the upcoming season....60 days and counting.

until next go round...stay cool....Drink lots of fluids....

Graves Vs Graves

so I was going to enter the contest in the Daily news to win a chance at having my dog cloned.....but then I got nervous....what if I win and the cloning is successfull, and GRAVES doesn't get along well with her cloned self ?? We could end up with a Graves vs Graves , no holds barred, death match in the backyard ......I could go to jail like Mike Vick.....would definitely need to pick up some shrooms to fully enjoy the match though....

good beer site

if you have a moment check out this beer website for tractor brewing in New mexico......I have tried the beeeer ...it's very good......their website has a theme song AND EVERYTHING...

www.getplowed.com

we'll start our own league

NEW YORK -- The National Hockey League is threatening to kick out Madison Square Garden, the owners of the New York Rangers, as punishment for accusing the league of violating antitrust laws.



The NHL filed court papers Wednesday that included a draft letter from commissioner Gary Bettman. In its court filing, the NHL asked a judge to agree MSG has breached its contract by challenging league rules and that it can force out MSG.



Madison Square Garden sued the NHL in September, saying it violated antitrust laws by monopolizing control of team promotions. And a judge said in November the league seemed within its rights to take control of the team's Web site.



Messages left with MSG were not immediately returned.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Breaking News

1010 wins is reporting that a crazed Rutgers football Fan is stalking Deborah Harry AKA Blondie………..the exuberant fan was spotted in Echo and the Dublin House last night……..film at eleven.

Freed Willie

Well Willie did have to go , but that was not the way to do it….he was never an embarrassment to the organization, he never pointed fingers….he took success in stride with setbacks…I will give him credit for that…..he was not a good Manager….and I do not think he had a feel for the game…..after 3 years if you asked me what his style was…I could not answer…..he followed the torre Book to the letter…….he should have been released on Sunday Morning……the team should have had to play a double header knowing they were partly responsible for Willie getting fired on Fathers day…..Omar should have sat in front of the cameras in Shea and answered all of the media inquiries……The team should have been forced to board that plane to lala land without a manager…..lock em in a room for 5 hours and see if anyone has anything to say….Omar is hoping this all blows over before he and HIS band of misfits returns from the coast….I started calling for willies head after game 7 verse the Cards…I still feel that he alone cost us a World Series…….but the entire team is to blame for the last 18 months of nonsense that has engulfed them……willie didn't blow three straight saves….willie didn't fail to get out of the first inning in 2 of last 4 starts….willie didn't decide to mope and stop stealing bases…..they owe all of that to themselves…….i hope the Shea faithful boooooo's them off the field upon their return……

we're bigger than Jesus

Well now I am not going to so far as John lennon did when he used the above phrase to compare the Beatles surging popularity, But now that Cracker Jack and Strovika have navigated their way through cyber space into the 20th century and actually located this Blog , it is only a matter of time before Sweater Nite takes over the world…..the join the already crowded circle of readers that habitually check in ( dano, my brother Steve and people doing Google searchers on their employees…imagine their shock).

I may have to jump back into the campaign …."gato 4 El presidente" and sell ad space to Hooters….if it was good enough for Big Brown it's good enough for Svetter Nite.

Quote of the Day

Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody.


Franklin P. Adams (1881 - 1960),

the plot thickens

This article ran in the NY Post this morning compliments of Anthony Affrunti , I knew Dutrow was not happy with Desormeaux ....read the quotes at the bottom......he should have let Miss nevin ride the Champ.

June 10, 2008 -- The mystery surrounding Big Brown's dismal performance in the Belmont Stakes remained unsolved yesterday.

Roy Williamson, the Head Starter for the New York Racing Association, has seen his share of distractions that a horse can face before or during a race. To him, no absolute cause could be found.

"I wish I could tell you that he was acting up in the gate, but that didn't happen," said Williamson. "I couldn't say that it was one definite thing, but there were a lot of equipment and people all over the track."

Williamson wouldn't rule out that the contingent of photographers along the inside rail and the 15-foot high camera tower that was located 30 yards from the gate could have spooked Big Brown.

"There were a lot of people moving around," he siad. "I was looking at pictures of the race on the Internet. I noticed Kent (Desormeaux) was pulling on the rein to straighten him out where the cameras were.

"I remember seeing a lot of cameras. You may never figure out what could have gotten to him."

Trainer Rick Dutrow, who vanned the colt to his Aqueduct barn yesterday morning, was not pleased with Kent Desormeaux's ride aboard the horse who was to be the next Triple Crown winner.

"Getting the horse from the gate to the first turn like that is not to play the game," said Dutrow.

"I'm sure he didn't have any idea what the hell was going on going into the first turn the way [Desormeaux] was switching him all over the damn track. I don't know what he was doing."

Boot Camp

23 years ago this day , June 10th 1985 , I left the borough of Churches to see the world.

I remember leaving my house at 554 76th street that morning, my Mother and Father gave me a miraculous religious medal to keep me safe. Donny Hoff, Steve Mac and John Ryan were waiting on the steps of my house at 6:00 A.M. to walk me up to the recruiting station at 86th street…..I Boarded a Bus for the MEPS station on Fort Hamilton Army Base , was "sworn in" , pledged to defend the constitution against all enemies , both foreign and domestic , and then bussed out to Kennedy Airport…….caught a flight to Chicago that Night and boarded another Bus to the Great Lakes Naval Station …..did not get assigned a rack until 3:00 a.m. …..had a brutal hangover from my last night in the ridge, was grateful to finally get some shuteye……..not for long…….approx 5:30 A.M. they came in with garbage cans and baseball bats , creating quite the ruckus, shouting, cursing , swearing , welcome to the Navy son……..do you know what NAVY stands for ?

Never Again Volunteer Yourself.

And thus after getting my head shaved , my illustrious Naval career began.

Feels like two lifetimes ago.

Michelle Nevin

nice to see a lass from the Emerald Isle in the spotlight...check out the quotes below

Originally from County Tipperary, Ireland, Nevin has worked for Dutrow for more than six years. Her blonde hair stands out on the track when she exercises the stable star in the mornings at Belmont Park. She knew what to expect on Tuesday.

“I knew he was going to be ready for this today so I didn’t want to do too much,” Nevin said. “I was just sitting back on him.”

Dutrow said Nevin has done a better job of handling the horse in workouts than jockey Kent Desormeaux, who has guided the Boundary colt to four wins this year.

“The only two times I’ve ever seen this colt have bad workouts is when Kent is up. That’s why I didn’t go with Kent. The horse was a mess with him,” Dutrow said. “It has just been unbelievable every time in the mornings, except for the times Kent breezed the horse.”

On Tuesday, Nevin again proved up to the task. Exercising with Big Brown every day, she has come to appreciate the colt’s intelligence.

“We’ve come to an agreement of, ‘I won’t bother you if you don’t bother me,’ ” Nevin said. “I don’t do much more than just sit there because he knows what to do.”

After Tuesday’s breeze, the final serious workout planned for Big Brown before the Belmont Stakes (G1) on Saturday, Nevin relaxed in the stable area, joked with Iavarone, and enjoyed a cigarette. She confessed to being nervous before the breeze.

“Today, there was a bit of pressure because we didn’t want to leave his race on the track,” Nevin said. “He was eager and happy.”

I smell a rat

can't quite put me finger on it yet , but there is something amiss about the shocking outcome of the Belmont Stakes.......I won't draw conclusions just yet, but I will raise a few blips from the week that seem out of sorts.

First and foremeost , what is going on with Dutrow v Desromeaux ? one hour after the race, Rick Dutrow is barnside answering questions and he says " I haven't spoken to the jock yet ".........2 things wrong here....A) WHY NOT ? your the effen trainer of a triple crown horse, something went drastically wrong ....why didn't Dutrow make a Bee line to Desormaux to ask "What the Eff just happened? " B) on a smaller note , usually when a trainer and a jockey have success at any level , let alone the grandest stage of them all, you tend to expect them to form some kind of a bond.....does't the Jock have a name ?

Second quote from Dutrow that raised my eyebrows....I was a little drunk last night at 7:30 , but I swear Dutrow said you can't blame this horse, the horse did nothing wrong.......so whom is at fault? The Jock ? the trainer? The syndicate owners? Belmont Park itself? the heat? who should we blame? unfortunately Ricky did not elaborate , but my hunch is he has his mind set on blaming the jock without a name.

And what did the jock have to say ? Two quotes bothered me......A) "there was nothing wrong with the horse, but i pulled him up because the race was over"....really? probably right, but does not a champion of this caliber deserve the right to gallop out down the stretch , had we not seen explosions from this horse in the past, sine when is it the right thing to do to quit , unless the horse was hurt , why do you risk injury by asking the horse to stop running in the homestretch?
was Desormauex trying to make the story about HIM, and overshadow everything else....was Desormaux trying to win favor with PETA ? vying for the humanitarian of the year award......my feeling is unless thay are not telling us the truth and there was something wrong, then he should have went way ride and turned him loose one last time....we'll never know.

B) when asked a question about Big Browns' training the past two weeks, Desormaux snapped back " How should I know , ask Michelle, she's the only one who rides him"
what is that all about? sounds like sour grapes.....he was of course referring to the little irish Lass Michelle Nevin who is the exclusive exercise rider for Big Brown.....why is desormeaux throwing her under the bus? is he trying to question Dutrows practice routine?

I have not quite figured it out yet friends, but there is more to this story than meets the eye.....for all his faults, Dutrow showed a human side, when he said "whatever else happens , this horse is a great champion and he is going to live a nice life, even if he never races again" ....I think when you get past his bravado and cockiness, Dutrow loved this horse and I do not think he would risk Big Browns life for his own fame.....but I have been wrong before, and I have a redwood forest worth of loosing tickets to prove it.

Rise and shine it's belmont time

Well it may not have quite the feel of Derby Day , where hope springs eternal for 20 of the finest horses in the land, but the Belmont Stakes are still special to some. As my loyal readers can attest, I have not been in the Big Brown camp for the first two legs of this triple, but I am starting to believe we are in the midst of greatness....I am going to enjoy watching this Beast complete his mission....for triple purposes I will include Tale of Ekati and Dennis Nolan of Cork ....even though he quit on those poor little girls from Bishop Ford because he wants to hang out on the avenue or something.....just kidding DasDas...we wish you the best...OLA may have an opening if Dano falters....

on an unrelated side note....did anyone else see lazarus Pierce of the Celtics come back from the dead in the 4th quarter.....true guts and determination....these NBA stars are warriors....the poor guy was taken to the locker room in a wheel chair and somehow managed to comeback on the court and play 5 minutes later....I don't even care if X-rays showed no damage...this was another celtic miracle...

side side note....Brendan Malone of the Penguinis with clam sauce took a slapshot to the face.....broken nose and 46 sticthes......skated off the ice under his own power and came back into the game after gettin stitched.....SHHHHHH don't let that story get out,

401-Keg

This gem comes to us from us Johnny Pooch....sound advice for all to follow, assuming you live in a state where they give ya a nickel back...

All:

If you had purchased $1,000.00 worth Nortel stock 1 year ago, it would now be worth $49.00...

With Enron, you'd be left with $16.50 of the original $1,000.00…

With WorldCom, you'd have less than $5.00 left…

If you purchased $1,000.00 worth of Delta AirLines stock, you'd be left with $44.00; if you bought United Airlines, you'd have NOTHING left….

BUT…if you'd purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer a year ago, drank all the beer, and recycled the cans, you would have $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily, and recycle.

This is called the 401-keg-plan.

Party Tickets

no not the good ones....not the hand stamping that gets you into a Keg party.....but the Party Tickets for the Repubs and Dems........all kidding aside, I think there is a better chance of Mccain-Hillary ticket than there is of Obama-Clinton.....Johnny Mc already alientaed the conservatives in this country, he may try to destroy the democratic party by wooing the former first lady......of course he would have to Nate her shortly after the election.

Dark Memories

I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Dead Wings choke just 30 seconds away from the Cup , I wish I could have stayed awake until the wee wee hours to see the dejected look on their fans faces when they had to exit the Joe Louis arena , realizing they either had to be in work in a few hours or wasted a vacation on a celebration that never materialized……at least for now…..I am certainly not a penguini with clam sauce fan, but I hate them less…..not sure if they can pull this one off……I kinda hope they loose the Cup in front of their fans and have to watch the wings celebrate on the igloo ice. ……..when my team is eliminated I tend to hope for maximized displeasure for everyone else.

I must say though it did bring back some ugly memories……….We had a Game 5 Nightmare of our own back in the glory run of 1994.

I remember leaving work at 44 Wall to catch my ride up to MSG that night, my boss graciously told me I could take off the following day after the Rangers won the cup, I left the office just after the market close at 4:00 . Craig Paz and Kevin Carney picked me up on the West side Highway at Rector Street after they came out of the Battery Tunnel , We had a Victory Playmate cooler in the back seat with cold Beer and Champagne on ice…..we even got a spot on the same block as Mustang Sally's , we hung at the car drinking beers ……the city was electric , but different , I couldn't really put my finger on it , but something was strange…..we walked up to 7th ave once it was ok to leave the car on the street without risking a ticket, and BAM…..Chaos………there had to be close to 5,000 police officers on 7th…a battalion of squad cars, scooters, motorcycles etc etc……and people ? All over the place, they came out of the woodwork, you could not get in any bars and every intersection was clogged……makeshift aluminum foil Stanley Cups were abundant……it was surreal ……we were buying loose beers from the deli on 7th and 30th and just soaking it all in. When we began to enter the plaza by Gerry Cosby's there were Police Horses and Barricades , you needed a ticket to go up the three steps to the old bowling alley entrance. There was a Classic band playing the Hits from 1940……effin bizarre we thought……who are these people and where did they come from.? We took some photos for historic purposes and headed into the arena.

Once inside there was a return to normalcy , same old knuckleheads in their same old seats….we bought some beers and went to the window overlooking the Post Office……..Holy Cow…..The Post Office was a staging area for the NYPD ……if we thought 7th ave was bad, there were legions of Police by the Post Office, Riot gear and Armored vehicles, Horses by the dozen , it was a little scary in a way……as if the city was bracing for an attack by a foreign army……kind of like the scene before game 7 of the devils 1992 ….the day of the Rodney King riots…..ahhh but I digress, that's a story for a different day…….

As we settled into our seats and awaited Mr. Ammoranti , I had the feeling there were quite a few frontrunners amongst us……people that had not been to a game in years, but could afford to scalp in and wanted to be a part of what they had missed all year…..unsettling to me……..but not enough to deter me from enjoying the clincher….lets get this thing started already….

The Anthem was nuts , could not hear a note , the lights came on , the puck was dropped, the crowd roars its approval for every hit , every pass, everything………WE WANT THE CUP…..WE WANT THE CUP….the place was rocking with that chant early on...I honestly do not recall the specifics , which is weird for me , but to my recollection we scored 10 minutes in…Tik I think, but it was ruled offside…..nobody heard the whistle, and while we were busy celebrating , there was a scrum on the ice and Buek was ejected…..the goal was disallowed and now we were down a defenseman…….BAD KARMA……..

Canucks scored first, and I had a sick feeling………..1-0 after two periods……..a lot of negative energy in the building , people more angry that they scalped in then they were about the game…….the 5-0 coronation victory parade "love in" was not gonna happen….if we were gonna win the cup tonight, we were gonna earn it…..the third period starts and the building is coming alive………….not for long…….2-0 canucks…………..enough already…….this is the closest we have been to the cup in 50 plus years…..LET's GOOOOOO…………….3-0 canucks……….i really don't remember the goals…..I do remember shooting daggers with my eyes and those sob's in their black jersies celebrating on my ice…….that sick sick feeling that had always been in the back of my mind was now at the forefront……holy manure……we will never win the cup…………..Ranger goal…..3-1……I don't even cheer….i'm sick………few minutes later Ranger goal 3-2…….holy mackerel….no way………..place is jumping……MESSIER GOAL…..tie game…….tie game……..all these years later I try to remember exactly what was happening in the arena , but it's fuzzy…….it was almost like an out of body experience……...It was a euphoric feeling in the building……it was the greatest comeback in history….down 3-0 in the third period……rallying back to win the Cup after 54 years and I am here……..people were jumping up and down and hugging each other…..beer was spilled all over the blues…..triumph and relief……on a hot June night……nerve racked and sweating….it was kind of like the moments after Matteau Matteau………one small problem…….Matteau's goal ended the series….tonight we were tied……..and therein lies the problem……..now it really comes into focus……canucks almost immediately gain control of the puck , there is a dump in to the seventh avenue goal to Richters right…our side of the garden ….and I can see the puck coming off the boards ….Momesso ? Fires it at Richter tough angle…..save…..but the rebound is banged home in a second………all the momentum comes crashin down……the chest pains…..that dull headache….it's all back……….then it's 5-3……and then 6-3……..i don't recall the walk out of the building….the next thing I clearly remember is sitting on the hood of the car outside of Famous Rays pizza on west 4th street with Kevin and craig ……eating a slice and then reaching into the cooler for a cold Bud…..and Having to move the champagne bottles out of the way……..we sat there for an hour or so, listening to sports talk radio and the maniacs that were calling in from the ledge….insisting we would never win the cup…….it was a hot june night, we were angry and drunk……the last thing we wanted to do was to go back to bayridge……………as Frampton would have asked of Detroit……"do you feel like I do? " I hope they do.

Chaz Hockey Pool

A New format was unveiled by Chaz on Sunday morning for the Hockey Pool 2009.

16 skaters will assemble at 5:00 P.M. on the first Tuesday after the regular season ends......each man will deposit $100.00 into the hat, and simultaneously withdraw a little white sheet of paper with a playoff team listed upon it.

At 6:00 p.m. we will have a group handshake and agree to split the pot 16 ways to avoid the possibility of loosing any money or risk having some fun for two months and root for a team you normally would not.

At 6:05 Chaz will hand each skater $100.00 , as their stake in the winnings , and we will declare the pool to be a success.

Just like politically correct T-Ball , no winners, no loosers, nobody keeping score......what fun.

The Woodman Visits

Tropical Storm Dano blew into Monmouth County for a 24 hour sojourn , and it was deemed an immediate success....From the friday Night bonfire, to breakfest of Champions by the pond and a trek to the track, all went well......Crank craig, the Polar opposite , brought terrential downpours with him and his band of merry makers on the bus, and the threat of the first tornado to hit the Shore in a Century........luckily the rain cleared and a good time was had by all, drinking and gambling and chatten about the stanley Cup Finals....In case you miised it, Charlie Higgins was selected as the Fan of the Day and interviewed on the Jumbo Tron , he gave a Plug to PC's and yours truly........craig said he was the biggest thing to hit TV since Jackie Gleason

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 !!!!

diggin a hole

Has your luck run out she laughed at him ? well I geuss you must have known it would some day.......B. Dylan

Not soo fast Mr. Dylan.....yes the Broadway Blueshirts have dug themselves quite a hole, but in order to win this series we only need one on the road....not all four......come home, take care of business and we'll reconvene Sunday afternoon at the igloo and take a shot at the elusive road win verses the Pens.

Derby Still Up for Grabs

here is one mans take below.......as for chaps like me and donzo it's off to Gallaghers to hear what the experts have to say.

So, as Abbott asked Costello, who's on first?

Approaching the last Saturday of April, according to Rick Dutrow, it's Big Brown.

"He's the fastest horse in the race," Dutrow said of the Florida Derby winner, who has started only three times going into the Kentucky Derby. "We're the horse to beat and I feel confident that we're going to win the race."

Sounds easy.

"I got Curlin beat in this race last year," said Steve Asmussen, who returns to Churchill Downs with two Derby starters and has seen Curlin establish himself in the last 12 months as the best horse on the planet. "I know how hard it is to win."

Eoin Harty has been to Churchill for the Derby several times during the days when he was Bob Baffert's assistant and Baffert ruled the world. He brings the leading West Coast 3-year-old, Colonel John, to this renewal. "In the Derby," Harty said, having experienced the sudden transformation of confidence into disbelief, "anything can happen."

Thirty years have passed since Affirmed won the last Triple Crown, but in those three decades no Kentucky Derby has come together with as little pre-race definition as the 134th. The favorite? Even that remains to be determined on May 3 by the mood of the bettors. Big Brown? Colonel John? Both have wide support. Were it not for one really bad afternoon in Lexington, Pyro would be right there.

The Derby always holds the potential to leave its audience befuddled. Usually, however, this comes in the late stages of the race itself: 50-1 Giacomo runs down 70-1 Closing Argument for a $9,814.80 exacta; the favorite, Empire Maker, fails to get past a New York-bred, Funny Cide, who pays $27.60; the Illinois Derby winner, War Emblem, 20-1, wires a field of 18; Charismatic, once offered in a claiming race with no takers, pops at $64.60 for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, rekindling the memory of Thunder Gulch, $51. Confusion is no more a stranger to the Derby than a longshot winner. But this is different. For everyone not named Dutrow, this Derby defies surprise.

The culling process that began in January, when War Pass was the early favorite and Pyro the main threat, embraces a total of 32 races run over a variety of surfaces real and invented but has served its purpose poorly. The frame is beyond crowded; it's teaming.

War Pass, injured, is no longer in the mix. Asmussen worries both that War Pass' absence will soften the pace for the deep-closing Pyro and that the Blue Grass Stakes was less than the purposeful prep he had envisioned.

"It raised some doubts I didn't have before," Asmussen said.

Almost every prep race has raised doubts and brought new faces to the mix. Monba and Cowboy Cal transformed trainer Todd Pletcher from spectator to major player after finishing 1-2 in the Blue Grass while Pyro, Visionaire, Cool Coal Man, Big Truck and others floundered at Keeneland. Synthetic surfaces in Kentucky and California have only added charcoal the grey areas. Never have so many prominent 3-year-olds run so badly in the same Derby prep as in the latest running of the Blue Grass.

What do you make of that? Or, this?

Larry Jones, who brought runner-up Hard Spun to the last Derby, has two prospects for the 134th, both fillies. It has been 20 years since a filly, Winning Colors, won the Derby -- nine years since a filly has even attempted the first leg of the Triple Crown. Eight Belles and Proud Spell are very good fillies but neither has raced beyond 1 1/16 miles. Larry Jones leans toward the conservative and a decision to run against males would suggest an unusually high regard for a filly's raw ability. Oaks? Derby?

"We don't know," his wife and assistant Cindy Jones said after both fillies worked at Keeneland over the weekend. "The decision will be made at entry time."

Keep 'em guessing.

Another ingredient in this stew: Subtle changes may mean a great deal, or nothing.

Barclay - if I could get there on Saturday morning I would - Tagg, plans to sent Tale of Ekati, winner of the Wood Memorial and his best hope for a second Derby title, to Churchill Downs almost a week before the race, which is entirely out of character. If Larry Jones' considering the prospect of running a filly or two in the Derby is a mild surprise, Tagg arriving in the teeth of the Louisville media maelstrom is almost shocking. In the past, Tagg's Derby horses have not seen the track at Churchill until Friday.

Big Brown's race in the Florida Derby stands out among the many prep races run during the winter and spring. If he fails to translate that effort to 10 furlongs run over a different surface than the one over which he has run two of his three races, almost half this field, running back to their final preps, is within a few lengths with a number of others not far behind. The Derby makes unique demands of a rider and any attempt to get a handle on this race demands an examination of the horse-jockey partnership.

Edgar Prado, considered an array of options until, pressed for a decision, he chose to ride Adriano, whose connections waffled between the Derby and something else on grass until last week, when the colt, who has not raced since the Lane's End in March, handled the ground at Churchill in a workout to the satisfaction of trainer Graham Motion, a trainer not known for susceptibility to Derby fever. Prado and agent Bob Frieze make few mistakes. This says something about Adriano not evident in the past-performance lines.

Dutrow, sequestered with Big Brown in Florida, says he is confident that the colt's hoof problems are a thing of the past. Perhaps. There is no shortage of Big Brown fans willing to make the leap of faith necessary to back a horse going into the Derby after having raced only three times. Some -- many -- believe that they have sufficient evidence to conclude that Big Brown is the next true superstar. Speaking on their behalf, Dutrow said: "You're looking at something here where talent will make up for [lack of] experience."

Or, not.

Ohhhh Baby !!!

Well the hockey Playoffs have certainly lived up to their advance billing. 3 out of 8 series pushed to a deciding seventh game. If you had the luxury of watching Le Habitant swat the Beantown Bruins out of Lord Stanleys' playoffs' , then you know of what I speak. There is nothing on this Earth….or any other Earth for that matter…..as exciting, and nerve racking than a game 7 in the NHL………60 minutes of up and down the ice excitement……..and tonight the boys say "lets' play two".

Flyers travel to the Nations Capital to face Mr Ovechkin and the upstart Capitals………and in the nightcap….The C of Red Calgary Flames and their rejuventaed Coach Mike Keenan lace em up in San Jose to try and spear the Sharkies……….can you say "sick day Wednesday"…..

Our beloved blueshirts wait at home to find out if we are heading to Pittsburgh or Wicked Wandas and the Piel Street Pub for the next round……

And the Satans ?? Marty says he's too tired to respresent Canada at the World Championships…….what a sissy……….go play Golf you fat B*st*rde~

greatest link

you should all know this site by now, but if not ....here is the greatest link of all time

http://www.dead.net/


aside from the sweater nite blog of course.

Year of the Parade

2008 is shaping up as the year of the Parade....Giants tested the route for everybody, the Rangers will go a marchin in June and the Metropolitans will close out the season with a victory gallop up the Canyon of Heros come oktober.....

say goodnight satan......the Pope is in town for an exorcism......Pope Gomez that is.

The Old Byrnes Keg

NO. 1 FAN 'BAR' NONE
PUBSTER'S SOX-POX TIP
April 15, 2008 --
Were it not for the tale one loyal Yankee fan overheard while downing pints of Guinness at a Bay Ridge bar, that Red Sox jersey would still be embedded in the concrete under the new Stadium.
Billy DiCristina, 27, a carpenter from Bensonhurst, had just watched the Rangers playoff game at the Bean Post Pub early last Thursday morning, when a fellow patron with whom he was vaguely acquainted told the story of a Red Sox jersey that had been buried in an effort to curse the Stadium.
"I asked him about it, and at first I thought he was breaking my chops," DiCristina told The Post. "But when he said he was 'dead serious,' I went crazy. I was furious. I said, 'We have to get that Boston garbage out of our Stadium' "
"Give me The Post," DiCristina shouted to the bartender, and began dialing every number he could find on Page 2, including the circulation and customer service departments.
He ended up leaving a series of slurred, rambling, giggling messages on the voice mail of one reporter who had recently written about the stadium, calling it an "anonymous tip."
"I had had a few too many I guess, and I forgot to leave my phone number," he said yesterday.
The Post was able to find construction workers to confirm the tip, and by Sunday the insidious David Ortiz jersey had been unearthed and would no longer be poisoning the new ballpark.
When DiCristina saw the front page on Friday, then Monday's story about lifting the curse, he was thrilled - even if he didn't get any credit.
"I'm not really a superstitious kind of dude, but I'm just glad it is out of the ground, because it would have been eating me up every time I went to the new stadium," he said.
"I'm sure the people who dug it up felt the same way, and if they hadn't done it soon I might have headed over there and done it myself."

20 days till the Derby

I am not sure if I can remember a year when so many derby hopefuls had such disastrous outings in the Preps....War Pass 1-20 favorite getting crushed in Florida and finishing last....El Gato Malo sliding into oblivion of 5th place after 3 straight wins and a 2nd, Dennis of Cork not cracking the board in Illinois....Tale of Ekati goes from off the board to winner of the Wood...Giant Moon and Majestic Warrior not even going to make an appearances in KY after being hailed as a favorites, and yesterday , the biggest shock to me , PYRO , whom I was close to wagering my May mortage payment on , comes in 10th at the Bluegrass.....what in the name of Jim Hill is going on around here.....Col John and Big Brown right now appear to be the two solid favorites, but who is to say that their "clunker" won't arrive on the first saturday in May.

Nick Zito and Cool Coal Man have caught my eye of late,and Todd Pletcher with My Boy Prado up on Monba looks intersting, but I honestly just don't know what to make of the field.

CHAMPIONS

Hats off to the Eagles of Boston College for winning the NCAA Ice Hockey Championship over the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame 4-1 last night at the Pepsi Arena in downtown Denver, Co ( Home of Adolph Coors & Co )

We are quite certain the party went into the wee hours at Roggies ( www.roggies.com/ ) and will continue when the team returns to Campus sometime today.

Conratulations...third time is the charm....Katie si Right...Gerbe should have won the Hobey Baker.

Shea Goodbye

Today is the final home opener at beloved Shea Stadium, beloved by the people for the memories it created, not because it was a modern architectural marvel, truth be told it's a bit of a dump......but it is where i attended my first major league baseball game....Mets-Astros April 1970....i remember coming in from the train station more than anything else, what an experience....I think the mets won 2-1...I also remember that my Dad took us to the game with Pfizer box seats behind the Mets dugout, he passed away 13 years ago today.....I was at the pay phone in the bally bunyon when I got the news...I was actually calling him to make sure he placed his bet on "Larry the Legend" the horse I had told him about earlier in the week....he had, it was his final bet and it won.

Evil Cat Lays Egg

well friends that's two clunkers in a row for our beloved El Gato Malo, and if your an owner of the wicked Cat you must be scratching your head this day. A Trip to the holy land of Louisville Kentucky on the first Saturday in May is slipping away. Colonel John Breezed to Victory at the Santa Anita Derby yesterday, El Gato made one move on the last turn and appeared to be poised for an explosive stretch run, but it never materialized, leaving our derby dreams in ruins.

In other racing news, War Pass finished in the money after his disastrous last place finish in fla last month, but the big story at the Big A was Tale of Ekati winning the Wood.......perhaps SNX may have to adopt this horse as our own.........The Illinois Derby was even more shocking.....Dennis of Cork,the even money favorite , failed to crack the board, instead it was 19-1 long shot returntoglory coming out of nowhere.....Z Humor is back in the thick of things with a thrid place finish....we'll have to see if the Z Bird decide to crash the derby party this year....27 Days till the Derby......it's crunch time.

Saturnalian

Big day manyana……lots of action……if you’re a Jersey Shore Native or Implant , you'll be sure to find your way to Manasqaun for the Annual Fools day Run at 11:00 a.m. with a big Bash to follow at O'Neills ….and if you Love HORSES , there's no need for a long face…. you will be sure to tune the preps…..The Wood, The Illinois and the Santa Anita Derby are all on tap Saturday. ……………….It will be make or break for El Gato Malo ( Official horse of SNX) and Mr Zito and His War Pass……

Double fyi…..there is a crowd forming for Pitch and Put Tuesday 4/8 , followed by a Bar-B-Q at PC's for the Metsies……….and Thursday 4/10 we will gathering at the Steak Exchange in Hazlett for the NCAA Hockey Semifinals…..Puck Drops at 6:00 P.M. for BC vs North Dakota.

Recipe for El Presidente~ The Upper Division

Onward and upward to the 6th grade I went……But first …….on a beautiful spring day in my 11th year, I discovered that delicious concoction of barley & Hopps that the Masters at Anheuser Busch were brewing…..back where my schooling began, PS 170 schoolyard……and then of course that Summer when we rang in the Bicentennial in front of the Parkie house on 79th street……..Warships from around the Globe sailed under that Verrazano Bridge , past beloved Bayridge on their way to Manhattan……and a week after the festivities, Mac and I were back down the park drinking Cold Budweiser Beer and watching them sail out of NY and disappear over the horizon…to places unknown….I had the Bug to travel ….I was being drawn to the Navy Subconsciously….I began listening to the Grateful Dead....1976 a Good year for Drinking…..soon I saw the world threw different colored specs…..in 1978 I read "On The Road" and my life changed for good……like hallucinogenic for the first time….after Kerouac…nothing would be the same again………as jerry Garcia would say…..till things we've never seen will seem familiar……it was the Maypole dance all over again….and I was not partaking this time either……I withdrew from the common path, grew my hair long, discovered herb and rebelled against Authority…….starting to wonder how this makes me qualified to be presidente~ ? Relax….I'm getting there…….what is your dinner getting cold?….have a date? What's the rush….keep your shirt on……..unless of course your Racquel Walshe and you stumbled across my blog….then take your shirt off please…………….

Now where was I ? Ah yes…..glorious days indeed when your twelve years old and hitting the hooch already....waiting for that phonecall from Jimmy Holland or Dano or Chico...stating that their house was open for two hours if we wanted to tie one on...usually at the expense of the respective parents Liquor cabinet or sometimes if we had a few scheckels and somebody from Shorts was around ( Harpo or Todd O'D usually) to buy a few sixes from Farmer and the deli....glorious days....it did not take much to put a bag on....ice was always a premium though...I think that is when I developed my uncontrollable fear of warm beer....it still gives my the sweats in my nightmares......on to the 8th grade…..tossed off the Altar Boys…….caught partying behind the Dumpster in OLA schoolyard and prohibited from going on the class trip to Washington D.C. …..forced to spend those three days sitting in lower division classes while the rest of the class visited the nations' capital…….who were the dirty Half Dozen not allowed on the Trip…..in alphabetical order Buhse, Cahill, Griffin, Lutfey, Mcevoy, O'Dowd and Roccanelli….thats what they call a bakers' half dozen…you get 1 extra…..quit complaining……this trip was a valuable lesson learned……..the Authorities thought we would sit in class embarrassed and sulking….they were wrong…..we got obliterated each morning on the 76 st stairs BEFORE and after School…..with Brother Robert and Father Padian out of town we partied like Sailors anywhere we wanted…….right up until Graduation….and the day after, when Brother Myles Crashed our soiree on Shore Road and ended the fun……..onto HIGH School.




TO BE CONTINUED

FROZEN FOUR

welll i did go four for four in the regionals....

Early fyi……I shall be hosting a party on Saturday evening April 12th for the Real NCAA Title Game……hopefully it's a Holy War between Ol Notre Dame and the Eagles of Bahston College…..more details to follow , but count on an endless supply of Cold Beer and Hot Bar-B-Que.


Ahh heck , even if it's the fightin Siuox against the Wolverines we'll still carry on.

Lace Up, Gear Up , Drink Up

Birthday

Today would be my brother Jays 55th birthday, if my math is correct.....if you knew him , a prayer and greeting would be nice.

Dow Soars 394

A few interesting blips from the financial world in the papers today. I will give you the abridged version.

Two Democrat stiffs, Jack Reed (RI) Christopher Dodd (Conn) , have asked the GAO to examine the SEC enforcement Division after sanctions fell last year. Obviously if sanctions fell it can only be because the SEC is in bed with evil Wall Street and not doing their jobs and fining everyone in sight. Next the will have fine quotas for SEC Examiners like Police Dept quotas for issuing Parking Tickets….disgusting.

Lehman Bros raised 4 Billion yesterday , the original offer was supposed to raise 3 Billion , but it was a hot potato, they say the could have raised 11 billion if needed.
Lehman was sick and tired of the stock price manipulation by short sellers that drove their share prices tumbling , the same manipulation that drove Bear prices through the floor and ultimately out of business. And yet the experts insist the repeal of uptick rule is not at the center of this price volatility. Thankfully CEO Dick Fuld did not opt to take the politically correct stance, and instead called out the scum hedge funds that were trying to kill hi company for their own gain. Prices soared yesterday so hopefully some of those short sellers lost a bundle covering at the higher price. (Full story below)


Lastly , there is light at the end of the tunnel, Merrill is reporting the Hedge Fund equity Managers withheld approx 90 Billion from the markets in the first quarter, the highest total in years…..further evidence that their motive is to kill the US Equity market and then swoop in with all their reserve cash to buy at a bargain…..for those of us who have not panicked and sold already…TAKE HEART..eventually that money will find it's way back into stocks.


April 2, 2008 -- Lehman Brothers turned the tables on investors gambling that the New York-based white-shoe firm could see a run on the bank akin to the one suffered by Bear Stearns.
Following word that Lehman had raised some $4 billion in a preferred share offer, shares surged $6.70 to $44.34 yesterday.
The robust action cost short sellers - a term for those betting that a share price will fall in value - an estimated $300 million, according to Jon Najarian, co-founder of options trading data firm OptionMonster Holdings. Lehman's run-up also helped lift the broader Dow Jones average.
Lehman's brass, led by CEO Dick Fuld, made a point of emphasizing that the share sale was less about shoring up its capital base and more about settling a score with hedge funds and institutional investors that have dogged the bank for the past two weeks by making bets it would go under.
Lehman also said it had sent information to the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the abusive short selling, reports said.
The bank said the offer was so oversubscribed that demand for its planned $3 billion offering yesterday was raised to $4 billion and could have supported a sale of about $11 billion. Its preferred yields were to the lower end of the range at 7.25 percent.
Prior to the capital-raising effort, Lehman shares had been hammered by negative sentiment. Shares of the fixed-income investment shop were down Monday around 23 percent.
Najarian said Lehman had been the target of heavy put-option trades, in which investors wager that a company's shares will decline.
Average put option volume on Lehman has been about 36,000 a day during the credit crisis, but reached a peak volume last Thursday of 260,000 on bets that Lehman's shares were headed south, Najarian said.
Many observers have viewed Lehman, with its fixed-income focus, as having a similar model to Bear even as CFO Erin Callan laid out the investment bank's $200 billion cash hoard during a recent first-quarter analyst earnings call.

Recipe for El Presidente~ El Nino

I was born in 1965 on the second day of March in Peck Memorial Hospital, in Crown Heights Brooklyn , New York , the Borough of Churches, the Epicenter of the United States if not the World. ( exactly three years to the day that the greatest basketball player in the history of the NBA tallied 100 pts against the Knickerbockers in a game played in Hershey Park PA ) I dare any candidate to match that innaugaration into the universe. I was raised on a quiet , tree lined street in Bayridge, just a pebbles kick from Byrnes Keg, aka the Bean Post. Lodi Levy lived next door, she was the token Hebrew as far we can remember, I cant remember the name of the people that lived on the other side of us, but they had a dog named Teddy and the Father always had a deck of cards with him....nice guy..always loaded.

I attended P.S. 170 kindergarten , but dropped out after fuel week, I was already bored with my contemporaries and was eager for new challenges. The best I can say for my time at 170 was an introduction to Steve Mcevoy , a classmate for life, and a heck of a drinker. Mac stayed until graduation and even took part in the May Pole celebration....I refused because it reminded of the Parades The Soviet Red Army used to hold in Moscow celebrating the birth of Communism no doubt and Lennin and Trotsky.

I attended OLA in September of 1970 and immediately astounded Sister Rose Aninna by developing my own brand of short hand. I was sent to the Pricipals office and my mother was called to the School…..they were determined to prove me wrong…..they opened up my notebook to a page from a prior month and insisted that I would not be able to make sense of what I had written…..I read back to them , verbatem, the announcements for that day……Sister Rose even read along with the sheet from the day in question……….although they conceeded that I could in fact read my own short hand , they requested that I refrain from using it…….if only I had been encouraged, instead of disouraged…..who knows what could have been….....I had my first major fistfight with Tommy Mcnicholls in the 2nd grade schoolyard because he welched on a 5 cent bet on a Ranger game.....I am not sure if ever got my money , but I know I landed some punches and Steve Mc and Jimmy Mitchell were in my corner if I needed backup...I had the proud distinction as serving as one of Miss Leons hall monitors, but quit in disgust….I was already listening to Bob Dylan and wanted no part of being a pawn for Authority.......yes it was the fifth grade, the world around us was changing, the end of Vietnam , Watergate, ....moving into the Upper Division and a royal Blue OLA tie as opposed to the dark Navy of the lower Division....My world would never be the same.......

TO BE CONTINUED.

The Cat is Back in the Race

Obviously I have to get back in the race for El Presidente~ , this country is going to hell in a hand basket without my guidance. Over the next few days I will re-introduce myself to those of you unfamiliar with my real life experiences that have prepared me to be the leader of the free world......we'll call a it recipe for Presidente........as the great Luis tiant used to say...."It's great to peetch for a weiner"

Communist

this reeks of communism, The Fed Reserve which most recently was seen to be dissolving a Publicly traded Company for the benefit of another publicly traded Company under the guise of protecting or bailing out investers......and now this jackass administration wants to give the Fed greater powers in regulating the markets. Neither side gets it, and sadly they probably never again will until we have a bloody revolution, the central Govt should be seen and not heard, should Butt out of our lives, allow the states to govern themselves and to only speak when conversing about International Matters and then with a voice that is collective of the States United. This country is in sad shape my friends. This is just one more reason to "Vote Gato for El Presidente~"



updated 11:53 p.m. ET, Fri., March. 28, 2008
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the way the U.S. financial industry is regulated.

In an effort to deal with the problems highlighted by the current severe credit crisis, the new plan would give major new powers to the Federal Reserve, according to a 22-page executive summary obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

The proposal would designate the Fed as the primary regulator of market stability, greatly expanding the central bank's ability to examine not just commercial banks but all segments of the financial services industry.

Hillary......

this gem comes to us via Wailin Jerry Whalen....Kudos Jer

Hillary Clinton Fondly Recalls Leading Arkansas to 1994 NCAA Title


Asked by a reporter if she was participating in an NCAA Tournament pool today, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wowed media members by recalling the magical run the Arkansas Razorbacks made to the 1994 championship – a run Clinton says she fueled by averaging 38 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, good enough to be named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

“The mid-90s were a tough time for Arkansas with Bill and I off to the White House,” said Clinton. “We felt the hard-working men and women there needed something to uplift them. Bill was wrapped up in various things, so it was left to me to go down there and win them a championship. And I did.”

Clinton says her championship illustrates a big difference between herself and her rival, Sen. Barack Obama. “He likes to talk about how he is a basketball player, how he was a sixth man in high school, how he still plays pick-up games,” said Clinton. “But he never led a team to a national championship. I have. I have years of experience playing basketball. He has one left-hand dribble.”

The junior senator from New York says she will never forget the 1994 championship game. “We had Corliss Williamson, Scotty Thurman – good players,” said Clinton. “But we were going up against Duke, a powerhouse. We didn’t have a chance without me bringing my A-game. But you all know I never duck from a fight.”

Clinton recalls one series of plays in the second half that allowed the Razorbacks to pull away. “Cherokee Parks got the ball down low in the post and had great position on Corliss,” she said. “He had an easy lay-up to tie the game. But I came flying in and just swatted that sh-t out out of there. Just jumped up, ripped the ball out of the air and came down with it. I had to have been two feet above the rim. At least. Maybe more. I remember almost catching my chin on the top of the backboard. Then I pushed it up court, went behind my back to get past Chris Collins at midcourt, and then just f—king dunked right on Grant Hill’s head. Just right on his motherf—king head. I mean, I teabagged the kid. I remember hanging on the rim screaming and my balls were dangling on his head. And that was pretty much the game right there. We were national champions.”

Questioned by a reporter who said there is no record of Clinton on the 1994 Razorbacks, Clinton said she may have remembered incorrectly. “Well, that’s what I recall happening,” she said. “But, who knows. It was many years ago. I may be wrong. Perhaps I just watched the game on TV at the White House. But let’s not get off the main point here: Barack Obama hates white people. White people and America. White people, America and Christians."

Super Bowl CHAMPS To Open 2008 Season Early...Got Rings?

NEW YORK (AP) -- The NFL is considering starting its Thursday night season opener an hour-and-a-half earlier to avoid clashing with the Republican National Convention.

The game, in which the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants will be the home team, now is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT on Sept. 4 and will be televised by NBC. League spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday that the NFL is talking with the network about changing the game's starting time to 7 p.m.

Sept. 4 also is the concluding night of the Republican convention.

The highlight games of the NFL's first weekend, including the Giants' opponent for the opener, will be announced Monday during league meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. The rest of the schedule will be announced later next month.

New Dog on the block

The unchallenged Reign of Terror that Miss Graves enjoyed on the Southernmost parcel of land on Edgewood Avenue 4200 block has come to end, or has it. Straight from the bayou by way of the Labrador Rescue program comes our new neighbor Chloe…..no relation to Sevigny as far as we no, although Sevigny is a dog as well…….No , this Chloe is a black as midnight Lab from Louisiana……And she has moved in next door to us , just two fences separating my charming Pup from a Cajun Snack...…hey hey hey .. whatta ya say... meo myo……. And Let the record show that Graves Extended the utmost hospitality on day one….we know where she gets that admirable trait…..Lord knows I have extended a Warm Welcome to many a Northern Friend who Moved down South to Monmouth County over the past 8 years……….to her chagrin, Miss Chloe bared her teeth on more than one occasion…..we'll let it slide this day…come tomorrow , the Rainmaker in Graves takes over, another admirable trait , and nobody is safe….not a lot of love in the yard anymore….

RIIS Park Open

I am delighted to announce that our Head Linesman, none other than Chaz "I never loast to JC" Higgins is feverishly planning another visit to the friendly confines of Riis park for a round of Golf , a stop at the Wharf, and maybe a few cocktails in between..... as soon as a date has been finalized...details to follow when available....tis the season to swing the clubs.

The REAL Selection Show

Hot off the 11:30 am presses.....here is the selection for the Mens Ice Hockey 2008 Tourney. my predictions for the Frozen Four are Michigan, BC , Notre Dame and North Dakota......Roll....wise move using the traffic excuse on Thursday....

East - Albany, N.Y.
1. Michigan vs. 4. Niagara
2. St. Cloud vs. 3. Clarkson


Northeast - Worcester, Mass.
1. Miami vs. 4. Air Force
2. Boston College vs. 3. Minnesota


Midwest - Madison, Wis.
1. North Dakota vs. 4 Princeton
2. Denver vs. 3. Wisconsin


West - Colorado Springs, Colo.
1. New Hampshire vs. 4 Notre Dame
2. Colorado C. vs. 3. Michigan St.

Good Friday

In a little hilltop village , they gambled for my clothes
I bargained for salvation, they gave me a lethal dose.
I offered up my innocence, got repaid with scorn.
Come in she said I'll give ya....Shelter from the Storm.

Good Guys on a Roll

it's fitting that during Easter week, The Ranjeros completed their season sweep against the Satans, El diablos, The Devils or as we like to refer to them around Sweater Night Headquarters….The ANTICHRISTS ………The good Lord always Conquers eveil in the end, when it counts.........on our way to the Stanley Cup.......anyone seen the iceladies lately ??

Lord Alfred Tennyson

Flow down, cold rivulet, to the sea,
Thy tribute wave deliver:
No more by thee my steps shall be,
For ever and for ever.

Flow, softly flow, by lawn and lea,
A rivulet then a river;
No where by thee my steps shall be,
For ever and for ever.

But here will sigh thine alder tree,
And here thine aspen shiver;
And here by thee will hum the bee,
For ever and for ever.

A thousand suns will stream on thee,
A thousand moons will quiver;
But not by thee my steps shall be,
For ever and for ever.

finally a STRAW Poll we can agree on

(CNN) – As some Americans recover from hangovers induced by St. Patrick’s Day, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll released Tuesday suggests a voter’s drinking preferences may also reveal their political preferences.

Beer drinkers appear more likely to vote for Sen. John McCain in November, while those who enjoy wine say they’re more likely to vote Democratic in the fall. Among registered voters who prefer beer to wine, McCain has a 53 percent-46 percent edge over Sen. Hillary Clinton while McCain winds up in a virtual tie with Sen. Barack Obama among beer drinkers. In the head-to-head match-ups with McCain, Sens. Obama and Clinton each win a majority among registered voters who prefer wine to beer.

Overall, 28 percent of all Americans say they prefer beer to wine and 31 percent say they would rather have a glass of wine than a bottle of brew. (The rest claim that they never drink under any circumstances, and so we do not trust or believe them, we are actively attempting to revoke their voter registration cards because they have communist tendencies.)

Wine drinkers who only took one sip of their drink , and then asked the bartender to keep the glass on ice while they took a walk around Jazz fest , supported any corpse the liberal swine could dig up and nominate against the all powerful, ever knowing Conservatives who protect your liberal as**s.

The apparent political differences are really matters of gender and class – men are big beer drinkers while women prefer wine over beer, as do higher-income Americans and college graduates. Some men do not drink on consecutive days anymore, they are known as "blossoms", or impostors.

The poll of 950 registered voters was conducted by telephone on March 14-16 and has a sampling error of plus or minus 6.5 percentage points.

McCain also held a slight lead over the democrats amongst those who would drink "anything that aint effen nailed down Son" .....which is very promising.

who's cheating on whom ?

Interesting game of ping pong between New York and New jersey the past few weeks……..each state vying for attention ……..

New York….our gov slept with hookers and used your tax dollars to do it.

New Jersey…our old Gov and his wife , had an affair with the same guy.

New York….our new gov and his wife , each had an extramarital affair.

New Jersey…The Mc-Three-Veys had a gay triangle with the campaign driver all over the Tristate area….and Portugal.

New York….our new gov had multiple affairs , as recent as this year, and got a plum job for one of his lady friends.

New Jersey….the world awaits with bated breath. Can you top this ?

With all this infidelity , it is a wonder the sacrament of Marriage survives at all.

I Do like Ike

A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969)

refusing to die

even with an offer of now $2.34 a share on the table , investors refuse to let the Bear die......BSC trading at $6.10 this morning.......considering the asett to liabilty formula says the stock s/b priced at $78.00 , I do not think it is unrteasonable for JP Morgan to pay closer to $20.00 than $2........time will tell, lives hang in the balance.

no bailout

Bailout ? Nonsense ! Anyone who thinks the Fed jumped in to save Wall Street and bailout Bear Stearns either needs their head examined or believes everything that the liberal media spews. If you were a 64 year old worker in Bear Stearns on July 1st 2007, and had 1 million dollars in the Company stock fund ( which was 33% owned by employees) and were waiting until July of 08 to turn 65 and retire…….you woke up Monday morning with a whopping $11,764.00 in your account…..guess what ? Your starting over at 65 , without a job….. , the Fed did not bail out anyone, they told Bear to accept an offer or else face padlocked doors. Mr. Paulson wanted everything wrapped in a neat little package Sunday Night before the markets opened in Asia. As a result , JP Morgan Chase ( of which I am a happy shareholder) gets to buy Bear Stearns for the rock bottom price of $2 a share or approx 236 million. The brand new HQ building at Madison Avenue alone is worth 1.5 BILLION , maybe more. The sub prime mortgages that these banks made , were the result of the Democratic Party Crying that the banks were racists because they were not loaning enough money proportionately to "minors" , well those "bad" loans have come home to roost.

quote of the day

A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience

the powerful lore

what would I do if one friend invited me somewhere, but said another friend could not come ( like to dinner in bradley Beach...ring a bell?) I would like to think I would tell the invitee where to stick his skybox ticket.....come to think of it I already have in the past......WWJD?........times like these you learn a lot about people.

Ther Great Spitzer

PC's Pub was a hornets nest of activity yesterday as nervous drinkers discussed the little black book and the identity of clients 1 through 8 . Nobody was safe from speculation…. bankers, lawyers, brokers, salesmen, civil servants ….all took their turn under the microscope……most of the gang were split over what was the bigger crime committed by the Governor Erect…..was it the cheating on his spouse , OR the structuring of his wire transactions…..a blatant violation of the Anti Money Laundering clause of the Patriot Act …….Most of the Crowd did agree that at least their " Love Gov" was straight….not like those cretins on the wrong side of the Hudson as Jason Kidd would say……

BB or Stan

So I am in the Count Basie on Sunday Night, third row center for the legendary BB King , and he's pickin on Lucille and tellin tales of life growing up in the deep deep south of Itta, Bena Mississippi in the 1920's . "I was born in 1925" he proudly told the crowd, "I am 82 years young" ……and suddenly it hits me….Stan Pazarecki is also 82 years old, and also lived a very exciting life…….maybe Ol Stan could pack in the Basie and tell stories about Chippy , and the parking meter he ran over , and the Soccer Tavern etc etc ……..I don't think Stan can play the guitar, and he does not have a band yet, but if we start him out with a harmonica and let him open a set for the high tides , we may be on to something……Obviously he can't start at the top, nobody can, but maybe we'll get him a gig in the Schnitzel House and take it from there…..Dano could accompany him, bang on the triangle and help him with his anecdotes should he forget a punch line or an important detail……now all we need is a booking agent, can some call Norman Clancy and see if he wants first dibs at this project?

Tides are risin in March

In case you have not navigated the Bebo site yet or are not on the mailin list , here is the schedule for the High Tides , housing two Sweater Night alums. (Chazzie Higgins on Drums and Donn E Beisbol on bass )

Hello Everyone!
The HIGH TIDES have a lot of shows coming up this month and The HIGH TIDES fiddler-Sheila-has some Irish music gigs as well, and we would LOVE for you to join us for March Madness Festivities!!!!!!

Tuesday March 11th - Sheila's Irish Traditional Music session @ the BallyBunion - 95th & 3rd, Bay Ridge 8-10pm
Thursday March 13th - Sheila's Irish Traditional Music session @ Paddy Reilly's - 29th & 2nd Ave., NYC- 10pm-1am
Saturday March 15th - the HIGH TIDES will be rocking the Schnitzel Haus - 74h & 5th, Bay Ridge -10pm-??
Monday March 17th - Sheila Traditional Irish Music @ the Central Bar - 9th St & 3rd Ave., NYC - 2pm-5pm
Monday March 17th - the HIGH TIDES @ Leif Ericson's Pub - Senator St & 5th Ave., Bay Ridge -7pm-??
Tuesday March 18th - Sheila's Irish Traditional Music session @ the BallyBunion - 95th & 3rd, Bay Ridge 8-10pm
Thursday March 20th - Sheila's Irish Traditional Music session @ Paddy Reilly's - 29th & 2nd Ave., NYC- 10pm-1am
Saturday March 22nd - the HIGH TIDES @ the BallyBunion - 95th & 3rd, Bay Ridge - 10pm-??
Sunday March 23rd (Easter Sunday) - Sheila's Irish Traditional Music session @ Cannons BlackThorn Pub, Rockville Cntr, L.I. - 1-4pm
Tuesday March 25th - Sheila's Irish Traditional Music session @ the BallyBunion - 95th & 3rd, Bay Ridge 8-10pm
Sunday March 30th - the HIGH TIDES performing for Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade - Schnitzel Haus - 74th & 5th, Bay Ridge- 2pm-??

interesting email exchange from a while back

From: Stephen
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 4:12 PM
To: Roger
Cc: ODowd, Thomas
Subject: RE: ABC PrimeTime tonight at 10:00pm


Got caught?..........play nice?Choose to attack us?but then we retaliate and pull your leg?..we went too far?or did you get taken?are you upset we got you pissed at us?..not sure what you are upset about,sorry about the busch beer line and candy flavor town you moved too.....lighten up....i just turned 40,is this what happens?...sit down is going down,gonna contact Jim Moran(spokesman for your zip)....we'll relay what goes down....there is no leaving the FAMILY..you see Sporanos (guy who tried to leave?)...........................

survivor staircase

What a terrible shame, the below story was lifted off the AP via 1010 wins, I took this staircase on that day on my way into the buildings.....it has stood all this time, but now they are moving it....many a days over the past 3 years i walked down vescey and marvaled at the fact that it survived......it was always reassuring to know that somethings had...hundreds of people took this staircase to safety on the way out that day....is nothing sacred in this world of ours....must everything bow to commercialism? first they moved our fountain to Battery park , and now this ....

WTC Staircase Cherished as 9/11 Escape Route Moving

NEW YORK (AP) -- Tom Canavan saw the stairs through the smoke after tunneling out of debris that buried him when the World Trade Center's south tower collapsed. The sun fell on a section of gold awning that led him down the stairs to safety on a nearby street.
The north tower collapsed a few minutes later.
``Without that staircase, I don't see myself getting out of that plaza before the north tower comes down and kills me,'' said Canavan, one of countless Sept. 11 survivors who escaped the burning ruins by the same route.
That staircase -- 37 stairs that once connected the outdoor plaza outside the twin towers to the street below -- survived Sept. 11 and remains the only above-ground remnant of the trade center complex.
After years of debate over whether and how to preserve the structure, though, the staircase will be moved this weekend for the first time. The stairs are moving about 200 feet west on the site, to be stored until they can be installed at the Sept. 11 memorial.
``I would have liked it if they could have left it where it was,'' said Canavan, 48. ``I realize they couldn't do that.''
Preservationists and survivors of the 2001 terrorist attack began campaigning years ago to leave the staircase as it stood, while developers refined plans for office towers, a transit hub and Sept. 11 memorial on the 16-acre site. The staircase, which had weighed 175 tons and stood 22 feet, sits in the middle of the footprint of a 1,278-foot skyscraper, one of five being built to replace the destroyed towers.
In 2006, state officials announced they would demolish all but one or two slabs of the staircase to make way for the new tower, undeterred by a preservation group that named the steps one of the nation's most endangered historic places.
The site's owner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said the piece could not be taken off the site because it is too tall for traffic lights and overhead poles and possibly too heavy for bridges.
``You would have to have started moving light poles'' to move the staircase intact, said Steve Plate, the agency's director of World Trade Center construction.
Leaders in Gov. Eliot Spitzer's administration worked out a compromise last year to separate the stairs from their concrete base and install them at the Sept. 11 memorial.
``The goal was always to preserve enough of this staircase to really communicate its power,'' said Joe Daniels, president of the foundation building the memorial. ``We can reduce the whole size of this thing but still capture the essence of the stairs.''
Avi Schick, chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. rebuilding agency that brokered the compromise, said that debate over the staircase became a symbolic struggle between the site's history and the long-delayed progress rebuilding it.
``You were pitting memory and preservation and loss and family against redevelopment and construction, as if you could have one or the other but you couldn't coexist,'' he said. ``What we proved is in fact they could coexist.''
To prepare it to move, the staircase was whittled down to 65 tons, which includes the weight of an elaborate steel bracing system that took three months to build.
This weekend, a 500-ton crane will lift the piece onto a flatbed and move it next to some construction trailers on the west side of the site, its stairs covered with plywood and Styrofoam for protection, Plate said. The Port Authority is spending $2 million on the move.
By summertime, the stairs will move again: This time a crane will lift them 70 feet in the air and across the site to the memorial, where it will be installed 50 feet from the twin towers' footprints, with stairs on either side for visitors to stand alongside.
The memorial is expected to house several other trade center relics, including pieces of the trident steel columns that once supported the 110-story towers and other artifacts currently in storage at a hangar at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Below ground, a wall that housed the towers' foundation is the last remnant to survive the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Canavan said the day the stairs are installed at the memorial will be the most important to him for the staircase since the day it saved him.
``Once it's in the museum and people can see it, that's the main thing. I think there's a little reverence to it,'' he said. ``It's like a tombstone. This is sort of a tombstone for a lot of people who couldn't get out.''

I Apologize

To my loyal voters that is……..why ? What did you think I was apologizing for ?? The past 30 days on the campaign trail, the only person on the scene missing was me and the Jack of Hearts……..a lot of flack over this 3:00 a.m. call ……….Hillary sez she has the experience to handle it, Johnny Mac draws on his POW experiences , but I can honestly say, and as this Blog can attest , I am the only candidate that what NOT be awoken by that 3:00 a.m. Call…….early to bed , even earlier to rise, that's what makes me healthy, happy and WISE…….not a bad blueprint for success Dante……….there was also this imaging scandal that has erupted…..apparently Hillary ran a photo of me in one of her ads, but they doctored the color of my hair ……put in more pepper and took out some of my natural salt , in a weak effort to rob me of the maturity that grey hair instills……….I drank very hard for many a year and earned every one of these grays……I never succumbed to the weakness of hair dye and never shall……anyway, now that I have put to bed the issues that plagued my campaign in the run-up to SNX , a fine gathering of True Good Friends, no impostors, we can get back to run a clean healthy campaign………Tom Petty has not retuned my calls, but we do think we have inked the Heartbreakers as the warm-up act for the Hightides at Sweater Night 11……..if there is a sweater night 11.

Holy No Show

The most notable absence of the evening went to the honorable eggroll Nolan who was waging a personal protest against the Gala......sadly this once bastion of the community sunk to a new low by preying on a weakened beer induced memory bank and brazenly claimed to have attended the party the following day ( in a phone conversation that nobody can verify anyway).......are there no depths that mankind will sink to , in an effort to hone in on the Swetaer Night Phenomena ?

At least cracker Jack had the decency to phone in sick.....the Rooster is getting ready to crow McEvoy...

And Dano ? he just forgot to save the Nate I suppose.

MVP......MVP

in CASE you missed it......Donn E Biesbol was voted MVP of SNX......from the navigation of the all important Pizza order, to the connecting of the DVD Player and the "through the years" slide show , Donnn showed just how valuable he can be when given the oppurtunity....In true Piscean Form , the "Quiet Man' emerged from the shadows to save sweater night ten from an early demise......hats off to Donnnnie.....in a saide matter, my head linesmen was voted the biggest dissapointment of sweater night weekend......

quite the sendoff

put in a tough 8 hour shift in the salty dog....Mondays are always tough, this one was preceeded by a funeral which made the goings on more difficult, but a Monday all the same......I think we did our friend Big Bob proud, many many stories filled the room and our hearts with laughter....8 and change the hard way.....4 beers an hour....5 when the going was good, three when our tender was asleep at the switch...18 club sodas when Mac was antsy.....Monday, Monday......sadly, non day drinkers were marked absent.