Shilelagh law

Nobody caught the moment better than this.....if you have never heard it....google or YouTube it....Christmas in New York by Shilelagh Law


There's snow in the air Winter is here
The wind is blowin'
Nights are so clear
There's presents to wrap and cards to send.
It's Christmas in New York again
There's somebody singing a holiday song
You pick up the tune and start singin' along
You learned the words some time way back when.
It's Christmas in New York again
Fancy store windows and millions of lights
Downtown in December, what a fabulous sight
You spin round and round try to take it all in.
It's Christmas in New York again
As you gather around the table with everyone
You feel that something has been left undone
The tree is all trimmed,
your shopping is through
but, there's one last thing you still have to do.
It's Christmas Eve,
11 p.m.
You walk down to the church and you quietly go in
Kneel down in the last pew,
right on the aisle and say
God I know that its been a while
Can you do me a favor on this Christmas Eve
Can you send out some blessings to people for me
You know these last few months have been kind of tough
And we can all use a little love
So bless New York's finest, our angels in blue
Giving us hope and helping us through
And bless New York's bravest,
the FDNY,
giving their sweat and their tears and their lives
And bless all the medics and our troops overseas
Bless the guys in the hard hats removing debris
Bless the everyday people who answer the call
Bless those who gave some and those who gave all
And bless all the souls who left us this year
You may be gone but you'll always be here
Singing and dancing with family and friends
It's Christmas in New York again
And there's snow in the air
Winter is here
The wind is blowin'
The nights are so clear
There's presents to wrap and cards to send
It's Christmas in New York again

One great ride

From start to end , I’d like to take that ride again. (Hunter)


That of course was Robert Hunter pinning for the Festival on Wheels train trek across Canada with the Dead, the Band , Janis Joplin and friends......but it came to mind this morning while I watched with bemusement the MTA boars hearings as they were disrupted by protesters......apparently enforcing fare collection is a way to criminalize black and brown people....who knew......and although communities like Morningside heights are DEMANDING cops patrol the park where the BARD student was murdered by a knife wielding 13 year old, those same communities are furious that Andrew “evil eyes” cuomo plans to add 500 cops to patrol the subways.......as one mid twenties white hipster shouted “ free fares, no cops “...........my suggestion to the millennials that share his irrational sentiment is to take your case to the TWA Union and see if their members are willing to work for free and give up their salaries so obamanation can ride for free.

Let’s see if my MTA friends are really reading this blog ...lol

Might as well, might as well.....never had such a good time in my life before!

I’ll tell you where the four winds sleep

Like four lean hounds, the lighthouse keep”

In the spirit of full disclosure I must admit that I was NOT onboard with the draft day trade for Eli.... I fully admit that as a Wolfpack fan I wanted David Rivers.... I thought the hype around Eli was unwarranted and more the product of his last name.....but he sure won me over quickly and not just by winning Super Bowls.... I became a supporter and ardent defender of Eli after the classless attacks on his leadership by two career “me first miscreants” tiki barber and Jeremy shockey.....I waited for the scathing rebuttal from Eli that never came.....and then I realized we had someone special, someone with thick skin and mature and confident enough to let his play be his rebuttal....even without those 2 magic seasons he would be in my Hall of Fame....a team player, standup citizen, a father and family man, a breath of fresh air in the midst of the decline of the league into a den of thuggery.......but how about those two seasons.....the nfc title game in Lambeau is still my favorite game of my life.......the miracle passes and catches by Tyree and Mannigham .....the battle in the slosh of Candlestick Park.........Eli won most of us over.....he was a QB you could be proud to have lead your organization......he took personal responsibility for the firing of Coach Coughlin and that is a quality I don’t think we may ever see again, God Bless you Eli and Thanks for the memories....including his post game speech yesterday when he took full advantage of the situation and slyly ended his speech by saying “I’ll see everyone Wednesday “ ( giving his teammates 2 days off.....classic)

“ Wildflower seed in the sand and wind
May the four winds blow you home again”

Americ'a Game

soak it in America, for nobody knows how long it will last....but for this day at least you will get to see the future of our Military do battle on the grid iron....and when the gun sounds around 7:00 tonight it won't matter what the giant scoreboard says....America will be the winner.

Here's to hoping that both sides stay healthy and play up to their best ability and leave it all ON THE FIELD.

That being said I firmly believe that The Black Knights are NO MATCH for the Machine that is NAVY......we have a balanced attack , we will utilize the fullback up the gut....our passing game is better than Army and our QB should have been ivited to the Heisman dinner....Malcolm Perry is Legit...….our defense is the best it has been in 10 plus years.....we have 2 losses on the season , both to top 15 ranked teams....notre dame and Memphis...…..Army is mediocre...…..lay the 10 1/2 ...its an early Christmas gift.....alas...I have been wrong before.

yes i received you letter yesterday....just b4 the doorknob broke

when you asked me how I was doing ……….was that some kind of Joke ?  ( b. Dylan)

I ask myself over and over....how'd it happen so swiftly,,,,,,,i have seen years of allegiance to sports teams torn apart in less than a year by a scumbag owner, a slew of douchebag players, a new miserable arena of dreams...all of the above...….but sport is entertainment…..a sideshow distraction....important....but not as important as nation, God and Country...….how the fuck in the course of one lifetime not fully extended has this country turned so much.....I was born in the Glorious year of 1965......Our nation was Whole ( as far as i'm told)….I grew up admiring the Men of WWII.....and was baptized into the hell of Viet Nam and praying that my Brothers wouldn't have to go......and then joining myself.....I honestly haven't really feared for myself too much in this life....( and i suppose I should wonder why) …..but I do fear and obsess and worry about everyone else...….maybe the alcohol numbs my senses when it comes to self worry.....I have gleefully or drunkenly ...placed myself into some very dangerous situations with nary a 2nd thought...but always fear doom and gloom for everyone around me......I loose sleep at night worrying about my animals...even though St Frank is watching over them..... ….but I can't understand how MY Country is so fucked up....I never thought this was possible....I am not an extremist....I LOVE the United States of America....I want us to continue to be the Best at EVERYTHING...…..sports, music, military, space exploration, finance, technology....you name it....and I don't care who is personally responsible for our W's.....white, black, assian , imported rican, whatever …..if you are AMERICAN, I consider you part of the  team......just because I am more comfortable intermingling with similar folks, doesn't mean I have a bone to pick with folks who aint like me....we used to be and still should be...AMERICAN....but there is a large segment of the population that not only isn't Proud of our Past....but they are embarrassed and ashamed of our Greatness ….and nobody will ever get me to see that...…….you want to change the world ? go ahead and try.....you want to tear down everything that Makes US Great because you don't agree with the past ? go fuck yourself...…..to the scholar of the year 2150 I tell you...……..in 2019 there is NOT a divide between Race …...but there is a DIVIDE between Economic Ideology...….Between Capitalits and Personal
Accountability...……...and the Communist/Socialist youth that are afraid of competition and want the blanket of government to keep everyone warm...…….the end is near...…..tell future generations of the brilliant Canine Matteau Matteau that authors this blog....


right now I can't read so good.....don't send me no more letters, no
not unless you mail them, from....Desolation Row"

you take my hand, i'll take your hand

together we may get away ( n.young)

there is a real and serious threat to our nation and with all great empires we will be toppled from within....the media right now as I see it is by far the biggest threat to our democracy......approximately 18 hours ago on the streets of Jersey City there was a shootout that left 1 police officer, 3 civilians and 2 scumbags dead...…...Our Prayers go out to Detective Seals, a married father of 5 ; and to the 3 innocent bystanders......the media thus far has not released a name, nationality or description of the 2 scumbags....Yet...YET.....they have rushed to declare this an attack on jewish people ( because the bodega they ended up taking their last stand was Kosher)……...why has the media hijacked this story ? why are they all controlling the narrative....why don't we know if these scumbags were white, black or Hispanic ? or dare I suspect....illegal immigrants ?  the concerted effort to hide information is what stirs the anger of the people, it leads to rise of conspiracy theories and ultimately revolutions and civil wars...….are they washing their hands and scrubbing the social media pages of the 2 dead scumbags...afraid that the truth will hurt the national narrative ? ? it's not the beginning of the end....we are knee deep in the waters that will drowned us.

"this much madness is too much sorrow.
it's impossible to make it today "  ( down by the river)

Sand jiggs

That’s all they are..... Saudi scum.......very disappointed to learn of the shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola this morning....that being the base I took my final bow and exited stage left from the United States 🇺🇸 Navy....I think I lived on that base for the last 60 days I was in the Navy as I awaited my paperwork and official discharge.... that’s where I met ole Alvarez ( he was from nearby Panama City.......I had no duties or reporting structure, I was technically “InTransit” as they called it ....as Jack Nicholson said in the last detail.....so I basically woke up, showered, swam or shot hoops all morning and waited for them to open the base club every afternoon at 2:00 , where I would proceed to drink everything I could get my hands on until closing time....... I met a lot of nice people in Pensacola.....it’s a great Navy town.....I hope the scumbag that opened fire is burning in hell as we speak.

lord i'd see you

one more time again (j.taylor)

it's possible that no sadder lyric exists ……..James Taylor in Fire n Rain conveys what certainly we all have felt at one time or another....or multiple times.... that you always think there will be one more time too see each other and explain, or confess or make peace....but life...or more accurately Death...has other intentions...…..i'm grateful for the times that I understood the moment and God forbid made my feelings known...…...and i'm distraught for the times I did not.....you never know...or rarely know...when is the last time you will see a Friend, or even a Spouse or Sibling...….no need to be a Mush....just give them a hearty handshake,,,,or a Hug.....or a kiss for members of the opposite sex. ……...time can be the enemy....much to my surprise as we round the corner and see ,
that life has not just begun but nears the end , and leaves are falling from the tree, the brown , orange and red......they fall to the ground.....they are dead...…...

as we gazed out on

Saint Dominic's Preview...….( Van Morrison).

as the years do collide in the conscious and the subconscious I find it interesting how events that seemed borderline insignificant as they occurred, actually seered deep into the brain and resurface over and over...…….as I stand at my computer and drink a cold beeeer….and I watch Detroit and Chicago battle it out in the annual Turkeish bowl......I first think of all the United States Military separated from their families on this day...….what's left unsaid on TV when they talk about those deployed, is that even if you aren't deployed...even if your ship is stateside...sitting in port in a tiny town like Mayport Florida...there is a duty section...….and half of that ship has to remain on the ship....ever ready....prepared for anything....even though their families may be carving that turkey a few miles off base.....someone has to be on duty every single fucking day of the year.....so yes...pray for the guys and gals on the front lines around the globe....but let me tell …sometimes it is easier to be deployed...you are mentally prepared well in advance, and you know you won't be home...and its so far away you even wonder if it's really happening at all....and there is nothing sadder than spending a holiday stuck on a ship...or a base.....on American soil......unable to leave......while the whole country revels in jocularity and enjoy the nectar that the Gods have been so good to share with us....and you ? you are stuck with 100 miserable fuckers who all Hate the world on this or any given day......I vividly remember being so angry that the Mess crew even served turkey on Thanksgiving...I wished they would just let that Thursday pass without any reminder...……..and I always come back to my one Thanksgiving on the Footprint of Freedom.....Diego Garcia ( me and Danny Woods served our Country on that Rock in the Indian Ocean)….and oh how I remember drinking everything under the sun in the 100 degree heat....ad Listening to Van Morrison  "Saint Dominic Preview over and over.....the whole CD blarring from the balcony of the Barracks.....and all os uf…..united in our loneliness...but UNITED...….and we were 5 or 6 thousand miles from the Continental United States....we were deployed on that island....and it was easier than the 3 miserable Thanksgivings I spent on that ship.....I being single always volunteered to work Thanksgiving so a married guy could be with his wife and kids.....but it was torture...…...I am comimg up on 55 years on this planet.....but those 3 or 4 years I spent working for my Uncle Sam were the most influential days I have ever spent....at least me brain says so...……….and as Van would say '''And we sailed , all around the world....and we sailed...looking for a brand new start....Ohhhhhh...listen to the Lion"

God Bless President Trump......God Bless the USA.

It’s a nice name

Part of me wants to completely ignore the NFL , but another side of me insists on shining a light into their Forrest of hypocrisy......I had to rewind the TV yesterday when I heard a former player ( I apologize I don’t remember whom) exclaim that “Mason Rudolph started the fight with Myles Garret “......and” he must’ve said something to get Garret so enraged “ and finally “ he walks away while his linemen stickup for him and he gets nothin ( suspension) .....sounds like a dog whistle to me, the blacks are great at playing the system, they know all they have to do is insinuate race , and half of America begs for their forgiveness....I won’t be surprised if Garret breaks his silence and accuses Rudolph of using a racial slur.....but if he did, I am sure that wouldn’t sit well with the black offensive lineman that came to his defense....

How about Kapernick ? Cancels his league sponsored workout and moves it to a high school 60 miles away so he can cry that nobody showed (8 pathetic franchises including the Jets showed up).....funny I don’t remember the league having a private workout for Richie Icognito when he was trying to resurrect his career.......but Kapernick also said it’s time for the league to stop running and face the truth.........for the record, Kapernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers after he lost his starting job the prior year.....he was a running QB who didn’t want to run anymore and his play was in decline.....guaranteed if he was Peyton Manning in his prime that 75% of the league owners would have looked the other way about his kneeling and signed him.....truth is ...he was no longer good enough to warrant the baggage he carried.


Lastly......he wore a KUNTA KINTE t shirt to the workout........someone should have reminded him that his name is TOBY.

You’ve got to pickup every stitch

The rabbits runnin' in the ditch
Beatnicks are out to make it rich
Oh no
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch (D. Leitch)

Yep, it’s the season of the with HUNT.......while the world spins out of control and trade deals wait to be ratified and the dreamers dangle in the breeze and the police surrender the streets and subways to the criminales, all the democrats want to do is hold secret dry runs for their impeachment over a phone call.....the President was well within his power to set conditions for foreign aid, especially when giving funds to a country that was drowning in corruption.....unlike previous administrations that gave billions to the Arafat’s of this world, 

“ how can the life of such a man,
Be in the palm of some fool’s hands,
To see him obviously framed, couldn’t help but make you feel ashamed,
To live in a land, where justice is a game “ (Dylan)

Someone called my name

you know I turned around to see
It was midnight in the Mission and the bells were not for me.

Come again, walking along in the Mission in the rain,
Come again, walking along in the Mission in the rain, ( Garcia/Hunter)

And tonight we indeed have a mission in the rain as we pregame in the venerable MollyWee Pub and truck on over to the Worlds most famous arena for a Halloween special....I’m thinking this past week about 2 shows in particular...my first show was at the Nassau Coliseum in spring of 81...with Steve Mac, Dermott, Whitey, Freddie Roc and Stephen McCormack......38 years later it’s never gotten old..... and I am thinking about a show that was only me and Chris Cogs....Sept 92.....MSG ....a cold rainy night. The Garden has just completed a mini renovation and had a new sound system......the Dead opened with RAIN by the Beatles and went straight into Shakedown Street....the best two song opener I have ever seen in person, I was blown away.....I hope this ride never ends although we know someday it will.....I hope down the road a spell I reflect back on Halloween 2019 and can share my reflections as I prepare for another show, in another venue, in another year and another lifetime.

“When the RAIN comes, they go and hide their heads,

They might as well be DEAD,

When the Rainnnnnnnnn comessssssss ( Lennon/McCartney)

Just like crazy Otto

Just like Wolfman Jack
Sittin' plush with a royal flush, aces back to back.
Just like Mary Shelly, just like Frankenstein,
Clank your chains and count your change and try to walk the line. ( Garcia/Hunter)


In case you missed it, 1980
USA gold medal winner and former NY Ranger Mark pavelich ruled incompetent to stand trial.....that's good news for me, it shouldn't be too hard to cop an insanity plea.....I'll just show them my 20 year sweater nite scrapbook.

Did you say your name was Ramble on Rose ?

Thursday night we return to the Worlds Most Famous Arena to see DEAD &Company in their element on All Hallows’ eve, it really doesn’t get any better than that !

Al Baghdadi .... DEAD

Isis uses the internet better than anyone in the world, with the exception of Donald Trump ( Donald Trump quote)

He died like a dog, he died like a coward (Donald Trump)

Baghdadi and the losers that worked for him ( Trump)

I only drink three days a week......yesterday, today and tomorrow ( author unknown, seen on a sign at the North Dakota vs South Dakota game day)

Hypocrisy unmatched

Lebron jame$$ gets the Emmy for the most hypocritical statement of the decade......but first , let’s go back in time to back to April of 2018, on the 50th anniversary of the Martin Luthier King assasination....and lebron tweeted this quote “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter “....wow that’s heavy, that sounds like a guy who’s really ready to risk EVERYTHING for something he believes in.....lebron is going to stand UP for the protesters in Hong Kong even if it costs him (and Nike) endorsement $$$$ in China........right?  WRONG.......Lebron instead called out Houston Rockets GM for his tweet supporting Hong Kong.....lebron said Daryl Morey was misinformed and his tweet hurt feelings in China .......he whined about what a tough week he had in China playing basketball while people in Hong Kong were fighting the Chinese regime for basic freedoms........I geuss lebron life has begun to end, because he’s quieter than a MUTE when it comes to speaking against the Chinese communist murdering regime......social justice warrior at his best, fake, phony, fugazy and fraud.

Small wheel turn by the fire and rod

Big Wheel turn by the Grace if God ( Hunter/Garcia)

The wheels of injustice keep spinning in this once fair city....insanity rules the day....Randy Santos was tormenting his own family, so they threw him out of the house, he was arrested numerous times for assault, resisting arrest, sexual battery, all the popular crimes in this day and age....he shouldn’t have been out on the streets....but TWICE he was bailed out by liberal non profit groups...The Washington Square legal services fund for NYU and the Bronx Freedom Fund both used their own cash to bail him out ...their mission according to the NY Post is to end cash bail and subvert the cash bail system by bailing out as many people as possible....apparently no criteria exists....no review or discussion of the charges, just post bail and let them walk.....and of course this miscreant didn’t bother to show up for his court dates......but you know what he did do ?  He murdered 4 homeless guys in their sleep in Chinatown by beating them to death with a crow bar.......what a terribly misunderstood young lad he must be.

“ if the thunder don’t get ya, then the lightning will “

knockin off my neighborhood savings & loan

To keep my sweet chiquita in eau de cologne....she wants money, its what she wants ( Weir/Barlow)

The best things in life are free
But you can keep them for the birds and bees

Now give me money, that's what I want ( b.gordy & the Beatles)

Money, get away
Get a good job with good pay and you're okay
Money, it's a gas
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
New car, caviar, four star daydream
Think I'll buy me a football team ( Roger Waters/Pink Floyd)

"20 years on the Rock Pile and what do I got ? "  ( Kevin Woods)

30 years ago this morning I walked into 77 Water Street (4th floor) and began my career on Wall Street. I can't Thank Cliff Pascale enough for giving me a chance. I found more than a source of income...I found a career in Margin....I found something I am good at ( arguing, debating and fighting  with people over money and ultimately telling people to go fuck themselves and have them thank you for that). I made incredible friendships along the way and met my wife in the Margin Dept as well. A never ending scroll of crazy characters , an impressive list of gin mills in lower manhattan, midtown, Hoboken and even jersey city ( RIP Iron Monkey)….along the way I have had a front row seat for the Dot.com bubble, the September 11th terrorist attack and Financial meltdown of 2008-9....and I couldn't imagine a path that would have been better for me than this one....there is a lot of truth in the statement that whatever doesn't kill you...makes you stronger...….I've seen a lot of people come and go in the financial business these past 30 years...and I am humbled and grateful to still be plugging away....I ain't done yet.....I will continue to milk this cow for as long as they will let me or until I turn 60....whichever comes first ……...as the underated Miss Cyndy Lauper said.

"I said money, money changes everything
You think you know what you're doin'
We don't pull the strings
It's all in the past now
Money changes everything" 

How to stop vaping cold turkey

In the most recent sad example of American politics going down the toilet, and the media eagerly following; we bring you the Vaping CRISIS!!!! New Jersey just had their First vape related death ( finally some proof that the Governor was right back in August when he insisted we “BAN” Juul and all of their flavored pods....one death is surely enough to bang the drum......except......the deceased was 17 years old.....a full 4 years before the time he sb allowed to purchase the products (obviously pre-existing laws are not working) but even more damaging is the fact he was using THC marijuana pods in his vaping device ( that has nothing to do with Juul and everything to do with his dealer) but why let the facts get in the way of a good headline/sound bite........banning Juul is the equivalent of taking Jack Daniels off the shelf of every liquor store because because some teenagers in Alabama drank moonshine and went blind.

No easy transition here, so I’ll just jump right in....... Turkey ?  Big mistake by our Commander in Chief......Erdogan is not our friend, but the poor bastard Kurds ARE.......we have abandoned and left for slaughter a true allie....I somewhat understand the President’s’ rationale, but when push comes to shove I side with the likes of Gen Mattis and John Bolton.....there is a right time and a right way for America to pull out of Syria (and Afghanistan) sadly this is neither.

I hope history proves me wrong.....,but it won’t

such a long, long time to be gone

so last night while having a few well deserved beers post train, I sat in my bar listening to Robert Hunter and thinking about his impact...….I seemed to remember a story about him singing on a rooftop in lower Manhattan in the days after 9/11.....I wondered if I had imagined the whole thing or if someone had told me an urban legend....thankfully after an exhausted search I found this excerpt from a Robert Hunter Journal / Blog.....it made my day, this is how I choose to remember the man that penned the soundtrack of my life.

Robert Hunter Journal Entry
September 24, 2001

After dark fell, I sat alone on the roof, fifteen stories high, of a building in Soho commanding a panoramic and unobstructed view of the skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan and the lights of the bridges. I had my guitar in hand and felt moved to sing "Terrapin Station" to the City. While I sang, rain began falling - I stood and edged around to the other side of the roof, still singing, to the corner of the roof facing the World Trade Center, some fifteen blocks away, where the sky is bright with floodlight illuminating the work of the excavation crew. A great plume of smoke continues to rise from the site of the devastation. As I sang, a powerful wind blew up very suddenly - wind so strong it threatened to rip my guitar out of my hands - reminding me of the storm in which I first composed the words I now sang. I wondered if I was involved in some kind of sacrilege, singing like this in the face of all that had gone down - the wind roaring increasingly louder and stronger, as though filled with spirits, as though trying to blow me over, make me stop. I kept singing until the end, repeating the "hold away despair," expressing all the sorrow I felt for the lost loved ones and for the healing of this magnificent and resilient City. I hope it helped. Helped me, anyway.

Robert (Burns) Hunter

Rest In Peace to the man behind the music, I’m too disappointed to elaborate, I’ll compose myself for tomorrow.......such words are hard to come by.....for now I leave you with some Ripple

It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care

Let there be songs to fill the air

Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men

Perhaps his best yet

President Trump gives us so many wildly entertaining and funny tweets that it’s difficult to rank them, but this one from yesterday is my current favorite.....Greta Thunberg is a 16 yr old tightly wound, totally unhinged climate maniac and she rode across the Atlantic on a sailboat to address the UN ....google clips of her speech, she spews venom like the kid from the exorcist....and so after her speech the Commander And Chief released this tweet. “She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!”


Classic, classic, classic 

just wondering

so much ado was made about the Mets not being able to wear NYPD / FDNY hats on 9/11.....not to worry, they WILL next year....want to know why ? $$$$$$….NIKE has a contract to make the MLB uniforms starting next year.....AND Nike has a contract with the Deblasio administration to use the FDNY, NYPD, SDNY logos and trademarks and sell gear.....put 2 and 2 together and you spell greed.....somehow MLB will have a change of heart I suspect...…….what remains to be seen....and maybe our favorite Batallion Chief can weigh in.....does NIKE have EXCLUSIVE rights to these logos...and if Yes, does this mean a cease and desist letter from corporate will be sent to all the firehouse to stop printing their own T-shirts that include the FDNY shield, Logo, etc etc  ? ? time will tell.....but mark my words....next 9/11 will be brought to you from the America Hating scumbags from Oregon and probably every team will have a special NY edition hat

Two things I hate

Are racists and niggas......that’s an old joke that you probably can’t tell at the water cooler anymore.....but as I read the paper today I am reminded of it....from the “ you can’t make this stuff up department “ President Trump awarded the second medal of Freedom to a former NBA Star in a month, and yet he is still being labeled a racist....you can look it up, Bob Cousy and now Jerry West have both received the prestigious award.

Money

Money changes everything........it’s all in the past now cause money changes everything.
Altria stock , MO .....if you have any cash on the sidelines this is a great buy and HOLD.......stock is trading at $45 .....the dividend yield is now over 7%......they are merging with Phillip Morris again....combined they own a big stake in juul....they invested in a Canadian pot farm and they are about to introduce the next big thing IQOS....once America fully legalizes pot they will convert half of North Carolina into a Cannabis Farm.....this stock will hit 75-100 in by 2025.....alas I have been wrong before

waive the white flag

the New York city school system has officially surrendered....with the elimination of entrance exams to the best high schools they are once again punishing success....no more merit based admissions......this simpleton racist Carranzo doesn't understand or seem to care that the gifted students who work hard and take their education seriously are the reason the Delta Program and specialty high schools succeed.....its not a magic building or classroom......if you drop basic knuckleheads into these programs they will not become a genius overnight...but that's what they want to do......which of course will effectively bring everyone down to the shit level instead of raising a few kids up to the next level.....affirmative action for 50 years hasn't worked......billions of dollars hasn't worked......we can't raise stymie to a level of success, so what do we do ? ?  let's bring the white and Asian kids down to the thug level...…..great job deblasio.

Disgraciado

i circled today’s game on the calendar the day the schedule was released....Yankees vs Dodgers 4:00 start in the brilliant Los Angeles sun at historic Dodger Stadium.....so many memories, so much history......I honestly was looking forward to reliving the 77,78,81 World Series........imagine my disgust and dismay to tune in and see both team wearing clown suits......you ruined it MLB....the only good thing is since the uniforms are black on black and white on white....we don’t have to because we can’t...read the ridiculous nicknames on their backs.

“In the morning, when we rise

 that’s the time, that’s the time, ......that’s the time, that’s the time...I love the best “ ( D.Leitch)

So I found myself on the treadmill at 4:40 this morning with the TV on mute waiting for Curtis Sliwa and listening to my iPod shuffle my 10,000 song catalogue....and Colors by Donavan Leitch came on.....it’s really hard to look at the world with anything but Rose tinted glasses when Donavan is singing......he was one of my brother Jays favorite musicians and he turned me onto Donavan through osmosis when I was 3 or 4.....I clearly remember Sunshine Superman, Jennifer Juniper and of course Atlantis emanating from his room at the front of the house on 76th street, the tar beach rooftop when he couldn’t get to Riis Park or the back deck.......don’t think for a minute that music doesn’t play a significant role in the formation of the brain, personality and most importantly the soul......I am exactly who I am because of the music I listened to when it mattered the most...... and I owe my poetic and sympathetic traits to the likes of Donavan Leitch.....and today as oft times before; I find myself in a great mood after listening to that soft spoken Scotsman.......would be great if thy New Sweater Nite Ramblers could cover some Donavan for SN22......”ah but I might as well try to catch the wind “

Well the sound keeps rollin

And the band plays on , somebody’s favorite tune....
And the roughs in your ears obliterates your fears,
And you can’t get off too soon ( Kaukonen)

It seems the upside down insanity train that is the world today just keeps rolling..... The NYPD Police  Commissioner has fired a policeman for doing his job......the 500 pound slob that died that day refused to be arrested by 2 auxiliary cops and two uniformed officers...he put his own life in jeapordy by refusing an order to put his hands behind his back.....and then a black female Sargent ordered plainclothes officer Daniel Panteleo to “ take him down “ ....and officer Pantaleo followed an order and took the slob to the ground and handcuffed him.....the other 4 cops then and only then; jumped in and helped subdue the handcuffed individual.....the female Sargent stayed out of video range and will probably avoid scrutiny or prosecution....Pantaleo should sue the city....but the biggest price we all will pay is having an indifferent police force....and can you blame them ? I don’t....the police are being reduced to a diversified group of report takers....no longer fighting/preventing crime and the blood of all future victims of violent crime is on the hands of Deblasio...Commisioner O’Niel.....and Police Chief Monahan.......

As a follow up to my mainstream media and the fake recession post...... the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose from 18,500 on Election Day 2016 to the 26,000 mark last month......(that’s 7,500 points for you Bishop Ford Graduates ) .....and how many times in the last 3 years did you hear any of the MSM networks tie that news to President Trumps financial policies? ? Yep, me neither......but last week they all gleefully learnt a new phrase.....the inverted yield.....sure fire proof that a recession is coming....and every one that read a TelePrompTer followed that up by speculating that THIS was the result of the tariffs........funny if it wasn’t so sad.

A fairness shoutout to WCBS channel 2 news.....they have a new commercial that is the playing of the National Anthem......with incredible views of New York City, the American Flag and the heartland..... I watched it twice and the cynic in me could not find ANYTHING to complain about.....why they even showed the military, great job CBS...... I was honestly choked up watching.

Hang in there friends, perhaps there’s still a twinkle of light to be found.

“You got to overlook the madness cause the spirit is blind...and you’re feet don’t seem to know what to do “

And it appears to be a long

It appears to be a long time,
Yes, a long, long, long time before the dawn (D.Crosby)

They say the darkest hour is just before the dawn and I believe that is true, but what keeps me up at night is the fear that we’re a long way off.....which means the near future will get increasingly darker.....I’ve been talking a lot lately about the incivility between the left and the right and the reaching of a point of no return ...during the horrible 8 years that Barry Hussein was in charge I never let my disdain for him override my love of country ....sadly the same cannot be said for those suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome......yesterday I watched as members of the Main Stream Media couldn’t contain their glee and verbally tripped over themselves as they reported that the Dow Jones was down 800 points......”could this be the start of a recession “ they asked....”is it Trumps fault because of tariffs “ ....is this the beginning of the end of his Presidency? ....it would have been comical if it weren’t so serious.....these self loathsome cretons hate our President so much that they are rooting for economic failure In hopes of winning an election..........I personally agree with the tariffs and the hard line we are taking with China....this may be our only chance to slow their regime.....I don’t want a deal with China because I don’t think we can ever trust them or expect future administrations to enforce the deal .......SO......I think 5 more years of tariffs and extreme economic pressure will force companies that currently do business in China to look elsewhere...which in turn will weaken their economy further and ultimately stagnate their desire to rule the world....I think the American consumer has to make a concerted effort to buy American made products and absolutely boycott anything and everything made in China........I think and hope that President Trump understands that China is a significant threat and we are not ready to fight them on the battlefield....we have to fight them economically.......I do wish the President would stop criticizing the Federal Reserve and I hope that the Fed does not cave in and lower rates.....as for America down the road? ..........President Lincoln forewarned “A House divided against itself cannot stand”...............and David Crosby followed that up by  foretelling  . “It's been a long time comin'

It's goin' to be a long time gone”

Apologies for the doom and gloom, but it’s getting harder and harder to find the lighter side of this life.

Sweet home

Chicago.......34 years ago this weekend I roamed the steers of Chicago in my dress white uniform straight outta boot camp..... today I have returned to cheer on streaking Mets verse the White Sox....so much has changed in 34 years....I am feeling old and a little sad...autumn has come early, but at least we got to see it...

The Dope from Park Slope

That would be Warren Kaiser Wilhelm Or bill Deblasio as he calls himself......well he chimes in about two disgusting videos going viral that show the street savages of nyc attacking the uniformed police officers with water and throwing buckets at their heads....our esteemed mayor said only one video was confrontational....the second video in Brownsville showed an animal walk up behind a cop on the street and dump a bucket of water over his head....the pathetic cop skulked away, he should have turned and discharged his weapon into the motherfuckers skull....but my question is....if you, me or Pudneil dumped a bucket of water on the mayors head at a press conference would he consider that confrontational ? ? Would we be arrested ?

The sweet pretty things are in bed now, of course
The city fathers, they're trying to endorse
The reincarnation of Paul Revere's horse
But the town has no need to be nervous ( Dylan-tombstone blues)

Let’s talk about the future

now we’ve put the past away “ ( e.costello)
Less than two weeks ago I took to the pulpit to warn that the second civil war was at hand.... and frankly the history books might declare yesterday as the next Fort Sumpter.....the divide widens...it’s beyond repairing....as temps climb higher and higher this weekend the pot will continue to simmer and boil......as the dems and republicans battled over a resolution condemning the President as a racist,our cities and infrastructure continue to crumble....our mass transit is a national disgrace and nobody in Washington cares......people have lost a sense of civility towards each other.....tempers are flaring along with temperatures...I have an incredible sense that something big is coming....perhaps a riot or mass murder, time will tell.......on this Apollo anniversary I will leave you with a quote from the great prophet Robert Zimmerman “ well man has invented his doom, first step was touching the moon”

Give me Liberty ....or Give me Death

When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed
Say something once, why say it again?  ( David Byrne)

I only wish I could follow that mantra; alas, I cannot...….I feel like a broken record sometimes,,,but i have to shine a light on the hypocrisy of this world...…….the t-ball generation that hates competition, refuses to keep score, lets give everyone a prize because we don't want anyone to loose ( failure), respect everyone etc etc.....not only doesn't have a problem with the womens soccer teams' childish , disrespectful behavior ...BUT...they idolize and worship it.....they want their daughters to strive to be just like Alex Morgan.....the same Morgan who counted her goals on her fingers when she scored 5 times against a hapless Thailand team...the last goal making the score 13-0 during injury time...class...….the same Morgan who scored the go ahead goal against England in a hard fought semi-final and then went into a classless, rehearsed routine where she sipped an imaginary cup of tea ( fuck you England)...and Rapinoe, the nasty pink haired miscreant that said before the tournament began that when they won the world cup that she wasn't going to the Fuckin White House......she refuses to sing the Anthem, in fact she kneeled during the anthem as a professional last year in solidarity while kolin kapernick………….and kapernick ?  when did the Betsy Ross Flag become a symbol for the good Ol Slavery Days...…..in case you missed it....the corporate shitheads at Nike introduced a new line of sneakers with the Betsy Ross Flag embossed on the heal....then abruptly pulled the sneakers because Mr Kapernick said it was an offensive reminder of Slavery Days …..interesting that the Flag was proudly displayed on the Stage at the inauguration of none other than Barry Obama...…..interesting that Betsy Ross was a widowed female business owner in the 1700's Philadelphia...…...if anyone on the right ever said a disparaging word about Betsy Ross they would be Labeled a Sexist example of Male Toxicity ………..I am a conspiracy guy....I believe Nike acted too quickly....I believe this whole thing was planned to create a controversy that they could be at the Center of......it's obvious that Nike has lost the patronage  my Generation and Most conservatives......sales are drying up and schools are not renewing sneaker and uniform contracts in the south after they hired Kapernick and named him the centerpiece of their ad campaign last year......they need to stay relevant to the left, and minorities and the gangs that murder each other for their product...….ironic that a Billion Dollar company and a Wall Street traded stock would be the darling of Antifa and occupy Wall Street.....give Nike credit....they know who butters their bread and they will pander to them forever....interesting the Bernie Sanders supporters who demand $15 an hour wages don't seem to be bothered by Nike paying .35 cents a day to kids in Indonesia to stitch together $200.00 sneakers..I have heard Bernie bitch and Moan and Walmart , a US company that employs more Americans than probably any other.…but never  a peep about Nike moving jobs overseas and tearting their employees like SLAVES....and how about the border ? back in February when President Trump declared a National emergency at the border....Pelosi, Schumer and all were quoted as saying it was a "manufactured crisis"...…...120 days later it's a concentration camp ( AOC) and migrants are forced to drink out of toilets ( a lie,,,and another AOC quote)…...and yet still....when a bill was introduced to provide financial relief needed to improve conditions at the border , AOC voted against it...…. ..

I was going to save this post until the 5th...….i'm tired , and I wish to just enjoy my Freedom and raise a glass to the Patriots that created this Greatest of Nations.....but sadly this Independence Day I felt an obligation to once again point out the hypocrisy that is destroying America...….I no longer believe we will ever be the United States again....I do believe the 2nd Civil war has begun in the hearts and minds.....the violent clashes on the battlefields are not far off.....I hope i'm wrong, and I hope I don't live to see it.....but I fear it's coming

sycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, far better
Run, run, run, run, run, run away
Oh-ho-ho
Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?
Fa, fa,…

“When storm clouds gather round you

Andd heavy rains descend
Just remember that death is not the end
And there’s no one there to comfort you
With a helpin’ hand to lend
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end “ (Dylan)

Heartfelt condolences to the extended Nolan family on the passing of Maureen....it’s hard not to question Gods plan when someone so young, the mother of a child that needs her more than most; is taken.......but believing is what we do......if it weren’t so hard then everyone would do it......grief and anger are normal and healthy reactions, just don’t loose faith that somewhere down the path this will all make sense.

“Oh, the tree of life is growing
Where the spirit never dies
And the bright light of salvation shines
In dark and empty skies”

If you ever feel sorrow for the deeds you might’ve done

“With no hope for tomorrow in the setting of the sun
And the ocean is howling for the things that might have been” ( P.Rowan)

Well maybe not that dramatic but yesterday was a day of regret for me, maybe it was the anniversary of the start of my Navy career and too much reflecting and dwelling on mistakes I have made since , but I was down in the dumps and questioning myself as to why I bother....why should I care when it seems know one else does .....and then in the evening mail I received a card, I will keep the details private for now but it was a note of Thanks, a note of encouragement and a generous offer with regards to Sweater Nite 22.....it was a reminder that some people do care and someone in particular cared a great deal about Sweater Nite .....it lifted me up that’s for sure and I will keep that card on my nite stand to remind on the days where my efforts seem futile, that they are not....and I just have to keep plugging away....as we fly through our 50’s it seems harder than ever to get together for a few beers like we used to....take every opportunity, enjoy them all because tomorrow is already in the rear view, we can’t get that one back to do over....not sure if the senders of the card read the blog, but I will be reaching out to them directly to let them know how much I needed that.............” that last good morning sunshine will be the brightest you’ve ever seen “

Going where the water

tastes like wine...........
Monday morning June 10th  “1985”......34 years ago right about now..... I made the longest trek of my life from 554 76 th street to MEPS ( military entrance processing station) on 86th and 7th.....the four years that ensued were life changing and insane....thanks to Steve Mac, Donnie Hoff and Johnny “who shot jr” Rhine for ensuring I didn’t get lost along the walk.

What is a Man , Deep down inside ?

What a Raging Beast with nothing to hide ( Lesh/Monk)

what can be said about this day that has not been said before....on this somber 75th anniversary of the greatest battle the world has ever seen....certainly the most significant...….in short....after 2,000 plus years on the planet....this was probably Mans Finest Moment...……..Men giving their young lives so that evil could be stopped and others could be free...….in a fractured , broken, modern world of petty wars and insignificant outrage, June 6th 1944 can not spoken about enough....lets find a few minutes to raise a glass and say a prayer of THANKS for ALL the men of the World that played a role that day....

The longest day nears

as we approach the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion, I thought I would share some quotes attributed to General George S. Patton.
Better to fight for something than live For nothing.........
“The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit the bottom.”...........”No good decision was ever made in a swivel chair......and my personal favorite....”

A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite time in the future.”

now everythings a little upside down

as a matter of fact the wheels have stopped...…..so the great state of Alabama has decided to ignore , disregard and bypass the Law of the Land......they are so certain that they are on the right side of history that they have decided to restrict abortions, punish doctors that perform abortions and no longer accept the supreme courts decision on Roe V Wade......and the left is loosing their collective minds......this is kind of like NYC, San Francisco and other liberal outposts declaring themselves "Sanctuary" Cities.....they refuse to accept the Federal Governments authority on Immigration issues....they refuse to cooperate with ICE and other law enforcement agencies with regard to "illegal Aliens"....they are so certain that they are on the right side of history when it comes to Juan and Pedro......I wonder if they see highlights of hypocrisy when they gaze into the mirror ?