Conquistador, there is no time

 I must pay my respects

And though I came to jeer at you, I leave now with regrets
And as the gloom begins to fall
I see there is no, only all
I know you came with sword held high
You did not conquer, only die ( Procul Haram)

pay no attention to the calendar or the standings......after 5 months of jockeying for position, the quest for Lord Stanley's Cup begins today. With the trade deadline in the background, skaters are looking around the dressing room and saying this is who we are going to war with.....no more hired guns are coming to save the day......

I am satisfied with Chris Drury's transactions........there was no reason to ransom the future for an aging star to save the day....so it seems he decided to bolster the defense and hope to ride a hot goaltender....start winning 2-1, 3-2..........and that is a playoff hockey mentality...........the younger guys have been keeping us relevant all season.....Will Cuylle is the best player on the team in my opinion ......let's get in first and then hope for the best from Igor.....if we advance, maybe we sign Gabe Perrault when BC is finished winning the Frozen Four.......but it starts today against Ottawa.

One prediction........I think Connor Hellebuyck has always been an Elite goalie....but after going toe to toe with his American mates against Team Canada, i think his confidence level is sky high.....I think he Carries Winnipeg to the Cup Finals on his back...  

anywhoo.......i was on the sidelines for a few weeks with work and a mini vacation.....BUT i am back.........buckle up for the playoffs.....GO TRUMP.........2+3=BEEEER

Though I hoped for, something to find
I could see no maze to unwind

Johnny, Roisin up your bow

and play your fiddle hard
'Cause Hell's broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards
And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold

But if you lose, the Devil gets your soul (Charlie Daniels)

Donald J Trump just played the Demonrats like a Stradivarius.....in yet another major issue facing Americans; the Republicans have seized the High ground and stand with the masses....the working class men and women , the ones whose only crime is driving to work, the cops, firemen and nurses that work overnight shifts and keep this city functioning , the ones that just want to live to see the sunrise and chose to drive into the cesspool of Manhattan instead of risking lives and limbs on the lawless mass transit system.......the Republicans STAND with You.

Kathy Horseface hochul wants to turn Manhattan into an elitist playground, where only the 1% can afford to visit ......Utopia on the Hudson....no cars.....no peasants parking in front of the doorman apartment buildings.....why stop there Kathy ? why not ban those noisy garbage trucks that wake us up everyday.....and those large tractor trailers that deliver Food....and the UPS gas guzzlers that delivers trinkets from china on an hourly basis........can't get enough of a good idea. 

Yesterday was the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Iwo Jima.....a bloody siege that would change the course of the War in the Pacific and the direction of mans time on the planet....it took 4 days for the US forces to take control of mt Suribachi and Raise the Flag over the island on Feb 23rd......the fighting would continue for 6 weeks and see 7,000 Americans lose their lives.....there aren't enough words to describe the heroism and importance of this battle and i know my readers are well versed on the subject.....but i can still implore you to give it some thought today, say a quick prayer and raise a glass in their memory.

Tonight the Red , White and Blue take to the ice to face our future 51st state in the 4 Nations Final.......truth be told i am nervous....very, very nervous......but it would be a great way to Kickoff Sweater Nite 27 weekend........here is an updated lineup of events

tonight:    The Globe in Redbank

Friday:    Happy Hour - Salty Dog

Saturday   12:00 Pregame skate Kelly's (4th or 5th ave...your choice)

                      2:00  the main event PC's

Sunday    wrap up morning beers and brunch @ the Gregory

2+3=BEEER

Well, that ol' Devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat
And he laid that golden fiddle down on the ground at Johnny's feet
Johnny said, "Devil, come on back if you ever wanna try again
I done told you once, you son of a bitch, I'm the best there's ever been"
And he played........

Some Rise

 Some fall

Some climb
To get to terrapin (Hunter-Garcia)

Athletes are all different....that is what makes sports so compelling.....this isn't the Punt, Pass and Kick competition ....we don't measure athletic ability as an individual statistical performance and declare a winner...we play team games....chemistry is as important as ability.....coaches make difficult decisions on personnel and try to match their players strength with the opponents weakness ......and then drive, determination and emotion are usually the deciding factors.

Last night was one of the more epic clashes we have seen in a while....if the tension wasn't tight enough with the USA and CANADA playing at the professional level for the first time in what feels like forever....(it was actually 9 years ago) throw in the political animosity of the last month with President Trump calling for Canada to join America as our 51st state and referring to that sissy trudeau as the Governor. ( I tried hard to have a team Canada jersey made for Sweater Nite with the # 51 and STATE on the back....but they could not guarantee delivery in time for the Gala)

As expected, the frogs of montreaux boooed our beloved Anthem.

What happened next was not expeted.....at the dropping of the puck, Matthew Tkachuk dropped his gloves and immediately fought Braden Hagel.......while those 2 were throwing down....younger brother Brady Tkachuk was calling on Canadian tough guy Sam Bennet from one bench to the other to get on the ice ..........after the ice cleared and the puck dropped again.....Brady and Sam dropped the gloves and we had round 2.......play eventually resumed after another face off and the puck was shot into the zone there was a scramble in front of the net....after that quick whistle JT Miller dropped the gloves against Colton Parayko.......3 separate fights in the first 9 seconds of play..........after that we had a few hours of clean, hard hitting intense hockey....where bitter regular season rivals become your Hero's.....Jake Guentzel killed the Rangers for years as a Penguin......today I am proud he's on my team....Dylan Larkin plays for hated Detroit Redwings....today i would proudly wear his jerseys....and the Tkachuks ?  doesn't matter who they play for....you HAVE to love these guys..I loved their Dad Keith (Captain Coyote) and love his kids too........the Americans battled to a hard scrabble 3-1 win.......nerve wracking, nail biting through and through .

And THAT is why next Saturday we will gather........not wearing tank tops.......or Football jerseys......or even softball/baseball uni's.........BUT rather in Hockey Sweaters.......each one blood , Beeer and sweat stained and screaming out a story.....a story of victory and triumph or honorable defeat.....we will proudly display our colors and marvel and admire those of our linemates....we will drink Beeer as if the end of time itself was coming at midnight and we will wax poetically about last nights game and many others.....we will honor and miss those that have left us and cherish those that are still here.....Slainte

for  a brief moment last night i was regretting not holding Sweater Nite yesterday for the big game.......but then reality set in when i admitted to myself that by 8:30 PM , i would have been back in the Gregory Hotel  snoring away.

SIDE NOTE.........next year....the Winter Olympics will be held in Milan Italy.....the Hockey semifinals will be held on Friday Feb 20th......with the time difference the games will be at 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 PM......and the Gold Medal game will be Sunday Feb 22nd at 7:00 a.m. NY time......i suspect I will be somewhere in the Palmetto state,..maybe Captain Archies...tallying up my scorecard and enjoying an IPA.........be sure to send me a photo from SN 28.....

2+3= 4 Nations

Inspiration, move me brightly
Light the song with sense and color
Hold away despair
More than this I will not ask
Faced with mysteries dark and vast
Statements just seem vain at last

One day, i was on the ground

 When I needed a hand

Then it couldn't be found
I was so far down that I couldn't get up

You know and one day I was one of life's losers
Even my friends were my accusers
And in my head, I lost before I begun (Santanna)

So the Unions went to the courts to block the voluntary retirement packages being offered to their members. I have never been a member of a union, but i thought their mission was to protect their members and to operate in their members best interest......this smells like either the unions saying their members are too stupid to decide their own future and how and when to retire or move on......OR.....this is a desperate grab to hold onto to power and keep membership high and dues flowing in......or a little of both.

The funny thing about the liberals today....they love to get on their elitists' soapbox and preach down to the less educated masses, they feel that themselves, obama, the times and a handful of harvard grads are the only ones smart enough to get it....but the odd thing is they refuse to state their opinions....kamala and joe hid from the press....refused to take questions...refused to do sit down interviews, refused to share their brilliance....in fact....they go to great lengths to cover their tracks, muddy the waters and hide their true intentions.....but why ?   if you are bigger, better, smarter than me...if you have invented a better mouse trap.....why not explain it ? 

On the flip side stands DJT......more than happy to share his intentions....no matter how unpopular his plans were with half the country.....he shouted his plans to anyone and everyone that would listen ....and now he is fulfilling those campaign promises.....no hidden card tricks.....no bait and switch.....everything he has done in 3 short weeks was foretold on the campaign trail.

Side note....it's funny how now the demonrats want everything to go through congress.......but that is because congress is where good decent plans go to die....the desert of inaction....they couldn't even codify Roe v Wade over 50 years...despite having the numbers to do so......as spoonjiah obama said in 2014......"if congress is too slow to act, then i will get it done through executive action, if you don't like it ?....sue me"...............sucks when your own Kings words come back to bite you.

The anger at D.O.G.E can be summed up easily......only those with something to hide are trying to block the exposing of fraud and corruption......there can be no other reason......and even the uneducated masses that never went to harvard can see that. 

I read something interesting the other day that i did not know....in the period between WWI and the depression one of the biggest advocates for the creation of the Department of Education was none other than the Ku Klux Klan.......it seems the klansmen were worried about the Catholic Church gaining too much influence by opening so many schools....and so they wanted to crush the Church and control on a national level what was taught.....and more importantly, what was not taught.........sound familiar ?

i must say the world has become so very interesting the past 3 weeks.........i'm encouraged , optimistic and eager to read the NY Post everyday.....i just hope when Education oversight is given back to the states that they all.....even our newest state Canada....teach the gospel that 2+3=BEEER

When I played my hand
I looked like a joker
Turn around, fate must have woke her
'Cause lady luck she was waiting outside the door

I'm winning
I'm winning
I'm winning
I'm winning
I'm winning
And I don't intend on losing again

What time is It ?

 said the judge to Joey when they met

“Five to ten,” said Joey. The judge says,

 “That’s exactly what you get” (Dylan)

The single greatest threat to democracy that this nation faces may very well be the broken judicial system. Corrupt judges that are imposing their desire and will over the constitution and Law.

U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York Paul Engelmayer, an appointee of former President Barack Spoonjiah Obama, issued a temporary restraining order Saturday that sided with 19 Democratic state attorneys general who claimed that giving DOGE "full access" to the Treasury’s payment systems violates the law. The lawsuit was spearheaded by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the order also extended to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

He is just of the many demonrat judges that  are using their positions on the bench to delay, derail and obstruct the agenda of our newly elected President and his administration. Cleaning House at the DOJ has to be on the agenda and near the top of things to do. The amount of corruption and waste exposed in 3 short weeks should disgust Americans, but also offer a Beacon of light . Think about an America that stops wasting and or giving away taxpayer dollars to bribe enemies, line their own pockets and further expand a deviant lifestyle around the globe. 

Elon recently exposed a possible Billion dollars of Social Security benefits paid out by the Treasury to people without social security numbers....Heck , if we give him enough time he may recoup enough money to lower or eliminate income tax completely , and he is already talking about ending Tax on Social Security.......but to do it he will have to break the established machine.....and the main obstacle will be christ killa judges from jew york like engelmayer.......

as for Joey Gallo , he was eventually freed from prison only to be gunned down inside Umberto's clam Bar on Mulberry street...ironically Joeys Dads name was also named  Umberto....thankfully Joeys dinner guest that night.....the Great Don Rickles.....had not shown up at the clam bar and his live was spared to the great delight of generations of fans....."hey Irish guy....you want some whiskey "?  they don't write em like that anymore.

The sun turned cold over President Street and the town of Brooklyn mourned
They said a mass in the old church near the house where he was born
And someday if God’s in heaven overlookin’ His preserve
I know the men that shot him down will get what they deserve

There's guns across the river

 aimin’ at ya

Lawman on your trail, he’d like to catch ya
Bounty hunters, too, they’d like to get ya
Billy, they don’t like you to be so free  (Dylan)

that sounds like the rallying cry of the left......they really really really don't like us to be so Free.

Our Commander in Chief has done more to restore the health and reputation of this nation in 3 weeks than any other President accomplished in two terms........he belongs on Rushmore.....let's take a stroll down memory lane.

The exposing of the insanity behind USAID and the eventual shuttering of the agency is top of the charts.......the obscene amount of money we were giving away to foreign countries to promote nonsense social issues is astounding.......and it stops now.

The bold fresh ideas on how to handle Gaza have caught the worlds attention and will eventually force Arab states in the region step up and help solve the Arab problem....and that was the plan all along.

The Tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China have made clear to the world that he is not bluffing and it forced our neighbors to immediately act like ....well....neighbors.........and we buy every pile of shit that china wants to sell us ...and yet...our companies are not free to operate in or sell to China without obeying XiXi Ping Pongs rules....there is a great inbalance.......if they refuse to address then the tariffs will increase......and despite what leftists economists say, Tariffs are not a tax on Americans.....unless you insist on continuing to buy imported items..........don't want to pay a tariff ? stop buying Corona.

The voluntary Buyout of Federal employees that do not want to come back to work will save the country billions, and sweep out some dead wood......Wall Street does it all the time.....it is a way to maintain a younger, hungrier and more motivated workforce......and for now.....it's voluntary.......i hope the richest lady in Massachusetts is listening........not kemosabe warren.

Carried out some air strikes against ISIS in Somalia....just to remind everyone that we know Who your are , and Where you are , and we can and will reach you when needed.

Called on the Ukraine to repay us with rare earth materials in exchange for our continued support in their never ending war with Russia........a double win........we help them keep our true enemy bogged down in a futile war AND we get boatloads of Lithium, Uranium and Titanium.

Ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to allow/force water from Northern California reservoirs to flow down to the fires in Los Angeles.

Banned Biological males from womans sports.

Banned fruit loop flags and BLM banners from being flown in Govt embassy's and offices.

Removed the US from nonsensical UN committees and climate agreements

Removed senile and compromised Joe Bidens security clearance....he does not need to receive security briefs...he could sell or give away classified information.

and my favorite.......he reversed the ban on Plastic Straws.......Paper Straws don't work he said.......common sense.

and tomorrow he capps off his 3rd week at the Chelsea by becoming the first sitting President to attend the Super Bowl..........MAGA

2+3=Winning

no prediction on the game....but my gut is telling me that my beloved Chiefs will fall short.....they have been playing with Fire and more importantly.......although i hate to say it....Philly is a very good, well rounded team.....if they play mistake free...i am afraid the feagles will win.

Hang on to your woman if you got one
Remember in El Paso, once, you shot one
She may have been a whore, but she was a hot one
Billy, you been runnin’ for so long

It's easy to see

 without looking too far

That not much is really sacred (Dylan)

it was too rich for my blood to see Schmucky Schumer holding up avacados, limes and a Can of Corona and acting as the town crier to warn of the dangers of Tariffs causing inflation......old nero with the big nose was asleep at the switch the last 4 years and barely made a peep during the soaring prices of 2021-2023....but yesterday he was on high alert, wagging a finger and using his props for the simpletons.

The sweet irony was the before Chuck could even pop the top of that Corona Beer the President of Mexico blinked and ordered 10,000 troops to the border to assist with the slowing of drugs and illegals.....and her limp wristed counterpart to the north was also slinking back to the negotiation table to buy some time before Canadian tariffs kick in.................and the winning streak continues.

2+3= BEEEER

  

An’ though the rules of the road have been lodged
It’s  people’s games that you got to dodge
And it’s alright, Ma, I can make it

you got to

 Deep-six your wristwatch

you got to try and understand

the time it takes to capture , is just a movement of it's hand (Weir-Barlow)

John Perry Barlow called the above lyric part of the worst song he ever wrote, but he wanted to go on vacation and Bob Weir needed one more song for his studio album Ace.

Well i feel the same way about Deep Seek, the Chinese version of Chatbot;......bigger, better, faster, stronger, cheaper version of AI.....and complete Bullshit.

What happened the other other day was a complete overreaction to nonsense......the stockholders of Nividia, Palantir, Vistra etc etc had made sooo much dam money over the past 18 months, that they were itching for a reason to take some profits......and so when the Chinese firm made their outlandish claims, the willful idiots pounced......and so i was ready on Tuesday morning to go bargian hunting .....and i did........i bought more shares in all 3 .....and they all responded well......Thanks Bob.

any Republican that votes against Bobby Kennedy's nomination because of his prior stance/comments on abortion should resign immediately........this is the first person in my lifetime with any cloudt to call to call out Big Pharma, Big Agriculture and the FDA.........we are a fat, unhealthy country and something has to change.....we are way too reliant on prescription drugs and miracle cures.....it is time tried a different approach......i don't care if he's batshit crazy, he is the right man for this job....

I ain't crazy, nor am I lazy I just want to find out what's right and what's wrong I ain't burnin, whole world keeps on turnin' I still tryin' to find out what's right and what's wrong I ain't crazy

update

https://www.customink.com/fundraising/raising-money-to-donate-to-pasadena-humane-society-in-the-wake-of-the-la-fires?utm_campaign=desktop-campaign-page-share-v3&utm_content=raising-money-to-donate-to-pasadena-humane-society-in-the-wake-of-the-la-fires&utm_medium=social&utm_source=copy-link 

today is the last day to buy a t-shirt........a special Thanks to Matteau Matteau for stepping in and buying a cool dozen to ensure we hit our goal of 50 shirts.........together we have raised $800.00 for the Pasadena Humane Society.....that will provide food and shelter and some love to Dogs and Cats left homeless from the wildfires.....can't say thanks enough to everyone that helped out......above is the link if anyone is still interested , but today is the last day.........woof woof

This Train is bound for glory, this train

 This train is bound for glory, this train.

This train is bound for glory,
Don't carry nothing but the righteous and the holy.
This train is bound for glory, this train. (Woody Guthrie)

Trump came out swinging like a prize fighter in his first few days....of course the media huddles together and decides what the negative focus should be and then they run with it , staying in lockstep and missing the bigger picture. I honestly believe that a lot of Dons' moves are by design, he throws out some outlandish executive orders or statements or nominees because he knows the liberal sharks will circle that prey and miss a school of fish that go swimming by.....and some of his moves are designed to force the media to at least partially cover the story......for example.....Birthright Citizenship.

Birthright Citizenship is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment and can not be changed via executive order, But Mr. Trump did so anyway. 

First off...the immediate response was 21 liberal blue states wasted valuable time and money filing redundant lawsuits....if they were coordinated they would let 1 state file a suit while the other states focused on other issues....but they all want the virtue signaling glory of challenging Trump.

Secondly it will get blocked and then appealed and hopefully will run its way up to the SCOTUS.....it will serves as a good testing ground for both sides to make arguments for and against and hopefully provide some insight into how the Justices view this issue.

Third point....when it gets to SCOTUS the media will be covering 24/7, and at that time i suspect the Administration to turn a light on the practices of China and others that send women into the continental United States....housing them and breeding them until they give birth to that Million dollar Citizen baby .....these are not tourists that went into early labor...these are women that are being trafficked and sent to the US to get pregnant and have citizen babies.......that is not what the 14th amendment was supposed to protect.

Lastly....the cloud of uncertainty should deter some of the first trimester pregnancies in central and south America from making the dangerous trek to the USA to give birth..........4 wins in my book

side note......Trump also revoked the security clearance of all 51 signers of that infamous laptop is fake document during the 2020 campaign....this will in essence neuter each and every one of them.....you can not function in the Intelligence community or as a Govt Consultant without a security clearance .....brilliant

and 2+3=BEEER

This train don't carry no con men, this train;
This train don't carry no con men, this train;
This train don't carry no con men,
No wheeler dealers, here and gone men,
This train don't carry no con men, this train.

Can't you feel that sun a shinin ?

 Groundhog runnin’ by the country stream

This must be the day that all of my dreams come true
So happy just to be alive
Underneath the sky of blue
On this new morning, new morning
On this new morning with you  (Dylan)

Monday was certainly a new morning for the United States of America and you could feel it in the air...there was a scent of freshness in the bitter cold temps, optimism everywhere, there was a jovial lightheartedness amongst the Patriots that gathered in PC's to watch the inauguration. It's a long hard road ahead but the wheels of the Cadillac are back on the track , and we are heading in the right direction.

To the states that are digging in their heels over the deportation issue, you are taking a misguided stance and sending the wrong message to both the citizens of this country and the illegals aliens that call this country a temporary home. We are a nation of Laws and we have to follow those laws......if you feel a law is outdated , too harsh or soft or simply something we no longer value.....there is a path towards changing that.....and if the Congress changes the law it becomes our responsibility to respect and abide by that change. You do not get to wake up on Monday and say that you are not going to follow existing laws....you do not get to declare yourself a sanctuary city and harbor illegals from ICE.......Alabama does not get to declare that they will no longer accept the 13th Amendment and the Emancipation Proclamation and reinstate Slavery.........Utah does not get to deny women the right to vote .....and Conservative states were not allowed to ban abortions during the time of Roe v Wade. I am a big supporter of states rights.....i feel that certain laws can and should be decided by the citizens of that state.........speed limits, sports betting and even recreational marijuana should be left to the individual states.......but if someone in New Jersey smoke a joint and bets a few sheckles on the Jets to win the Super Bowl .......perhaps he should be sent to Bellevue for an exam , but another citizen in Arizona does not suffer the consequences of the gang green faithful........BUT.....immigration is a matter of National Security.....if we want to increase legal immigration and create easier pathways to citizenship, if we collectively decide to increase the number of seasonal Visas-Greencards....so be it.....but the days of the rouge states gesturing and posturing to protect criminals and appease their liberal base are over. I expect the POTUS to first go after the criminals and gangs and send them packing.....but he should also withhold ALL Federal $ to states that refuse to follow the law of the land.

This is going to be a fun 4 years........last night President Trump placed all federal DEI staff on immediate leave of absence with layoffs to follow........giddy up.....2+3=BEEEER......sing it Bob

So happy just to be alive
Underneath the sky of blue
On this new morning, new morning
On this new morning with you
New morning . . .

SWEATER NITE 27

 Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends

We're so glad you could attend,
come inside, come inside (ELP)

well that may be wishful thinking, we know that all good things eventually run their course and come to an end, but as far as Sweater Nite is concerned .....well,  rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated . We are back for a 27th  iteration....on Saturday FeBREWary 22nd......the official start time is 2:00 at PC's Bar and Grill 7215 5th Ave.

The NHL,  as it often does;  threw  a Monkey & the Engineer sized wrench into our Presidents weekend plans. This year the league goes on hiatus for 16 days in FEB for an all nonsense international money grab tournament between 4 Nations .......none of which includes Russia....and that is a mockery.....if the Russians playing in the NHL  are somehow responsible for the war in the Ukraine then they should be expelled from the League....if that absurdity is deemed absurd...then they should be permitted to form a team and play. In any event there were no games being played on Pres weekend that were deemed worthy of Sweater Nite's attention....and so we moved. Next year we should in the midst of the Winter Olympics in Italy with their lovely Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni presiding.....hopefully she invites her good friend Donald J Trump to throw out the first snowball, and we will gather to see the USA win gold......programing note....the Broadway Blueshirts have been selected to play in the Winter Classic on Friday Night Jan 2 against the FLA Panthers at the home of the Miami Marlins.....no response yet from local SN alum Chaz Higgins on whether he will serve as the welcoming committee for the Sweater Nite delegation.

Movie Review.....if you have not seen Complete Unknown.....I highly recommend it.

My weariness amazes me, I’m branded on my feet
I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street’s too dead for dreaming

The second monkey wrench was the status of our beloved Cathedral on 67th street........in late September (when we really should be back in school) came unsettling news from the 220.....The Taj Mahal of Alcohol, The Basilica of Booze, the true home of Rock n Roll in the Ridge...THE LIEF.......was on the chopping block..... in the birthplace of our youth, the home for too many events to recount....the Lazarus of Yellow Hook was facing the final axe....as we go to post I can confirm she is still slaking the thirst of thousands and blasting the Rock N Roll that soothes the soul...but her days are numbered as the building itself is for sale . Stay tuned for a possible Sweater Nite sendoff this spring in the Oak Room.

This seems to be the fate of way too many watering holes these days.....i suppose the generations that followed GEN X could not handle the pressure of living up to the incredible standard of imbibing that we set.....sometimes it gets awfully cold in the shadows of legends........and these young kids today prefer to vape and drink a spritza in the can....... i still occasionally walk the streets of the financial district in lower Manhattan and i marvel at the disappearing act of the Great American Bar Room......Suspenders, The Reade  Street, all the Mcanns & Blarneys, The Beekman , St Charlies, The Raccoon, The Mercantile, the original Jeremy's, and the list goes on..............artificial intelligence may be able to do my job.....but i doubt it can drink 10 Beers & 4 shots in 90 minutes at the Iron Monkey....all while those within earshot are Regaled with my tales of Jocularity and the occasional inappropriate knee slapper.  

Thankfully for the time being we still have one Oasis in the Arabian desert, One place of respite from the Chaos around us , the "First" (and only) Bar to prematurely (and incorrectly) announce the passing of the great Al Michaels, the home of Bayridge Bingo as hosted by Kim Novak,  the unofficial home of the POTUS 47 inauguration ball , and the most popular pig races this side of the great Indiana State Fair.

PC's Bar and Grill will be the site of Sweater Nite 27....on Saturday Febrewary 22nd  at 2:00.........Triple header on ABC......Minny vs Det at noon.....Wash at Pitt 3:00....and the Blueshirts at The Anchor Bar Sabres at 5:30............a pregame skate will be held at the neighborhood Stalwart for the past 93 years at 9259.....the Bar that casts such a HUGE shadow that it commands two entrances.......skaters are encouraged to Enter from 4th Ave and Exit onto 5th ( or vice versa...or neither)  Yes, Kelly's Tavern joins the Sweaternite  historical roll for the first time , and if it all goes well it may someday host the whole shindig. I can see a day in the winter of 2048 when SN President Jackson Caddotte summons the skaters to Kelly's Tavern for Sweater Nite 50...Deus Vult!.........and like the good doctor would say."i may not get to the mountain top with you, but ill be drinking somewhere"

Here at Sweater Nite Headquarters we have been following the horrific fires in LA just like everyone else.....sometimes you feel helpless watching the news and being so far away.....so we have decided to try and and do something to help. On the prior post we provided a LINK to a Fundraiser Campaign where we are selling commemorative Sweater Nite T-shirts through Custom Ink, and all the proceeds are going to the Pasadena Humane Society......these guys are taking in all the homeless and or injured Dogs and Cats from the area....they are hoping to care for all the animals until someday they can be reunited with their owners...although sadly, few ever will......In any event Kevin McManus (the Dir of Communication) is also  a friend of Sweater Nite alum Pat Molloy....Thank you to those who have already bought shirts and made donations , and thanks in advance to anyone inspired by this plea.

The late great Charlie "The Chairman" Jensen was a man ahead of his time.....40 + years ago in the early 80's, when the rest of the free world was trudging onto the subway and sleepwalking their way through work on the morning after the Super Bowl, the Chairman coined the phrase "Super Monday" and he shared his vision with the hamlet of Bayridge. Mainly it consisted of firing up the blender on Ovington Ave and watching a few of the ...ahem....Oscar nominated Films of the year on the VHS. The idea caught fire and soon was expanding to include the Monday after a Road Trip, or a 3 day weekend, or Parades and Festivals........well all these years later Coors light has caught the Bug....and this year will be changing the name of their signature beverage to Monday's Light.......and targeting the Super Bowl audience and encouraging a national day of Hooky and Beer drinking......Thanks Chairman, we sure do miss you.....Have a few Cold One with Dano and Keep an eye on the Lads if you don't mind.

Unfortunately , due to creative differences; there will NOT be live music this year at Sweater Nite....unconfirmed rumors circulating around the Relix office state that JC (much like Bill the Drummer) grew tired of playing slower than a dying dehydrated camel in the Sahara and that Macs (much like Bobby Ace) breaking down the melody and agonizingly analyzing every song under a microscope , just grew to be too much...JC returned to Hawaii , while Mac and Charlie Marine headed to Vegas... ...the duo did agree to reunite down the road for a 60th anniversary money grab complete with commemorative keychains, ball caps and flesh colored Christs that glow in the dark. as Mr Dylan would say

It’s easy to see without looking too far
 

That not much is really sacred  

Or as Kaitlyn Clarks' stalker would say...."throw me the Booky".......must be an inside joke....if only we knew someone who spent some time in Iowa riding a bike to explain......

I would like to welcome the first time readers of the Blog and to also welcome back those who may not have visited since last Sweater Nite.....I try to keep it on the lighter side, and find humor in an ugly world...but every now and again i think i strike a nerve....this post below in italics is from march 30th 2024.......i think i was on to something, you be the judge

Today we prepare to celebrate to greatest comeback in the history of mans time on the planet, the ultimate comeback story; the rising from the Dead by Jesus of Nazareth.

I have chosen today to look hard for that silver lining, and after quite a bit of pondering i think it may be out there. we often talk about that giant pendulum that swings from one extreme to the other. I think the long decline that started with political correctness and graduated to DEI , has swung as far left as it can go......and i am starting to feel the gravitational pull back to the center (and hopefully the right).

America may be preoccupied and distracted. America may be naïve and willfully ignorant at times on certain issues, but at our core still lies the ability to detect and see through bullshit....even if we don't want to.

  I think historians may look back on the events of March 2024 and conclude that this was the point that the pendulum began  to swing back. In no particular order, the Border, the illegal migrant murders and crime, The Fani Willis mockery, the Queen Laticia gloating over potentially seizing private property( Trump Tower) over a victimless crime, and the ongoing Biden Crime Family revelations, the administration demonizing the Supreme Court (abortion) and ignoring their rulings (Student loan)  even the collapse of the Key Bridge has contributed to our standing as an emerging banana Republic.

And now the senseless murder of Jonathan Diller on main street USA in broad daylight by a thug with 21 prior arrests that has no fear of prosecution and no respect for human life. 

The optic that may go down in history when all these beans are counted...on Thursday Evening Donald Trump attended PO Diller's wake with the blessings of his widow and family. On Thursday President Biden gathered with old pals Barry Hussein and accused pedophile Bill Clinton at Radio City....they were cheered by a packed House that paid $500,000 for the privileges to attend.

On Friday Queen Laticia asked to speak at the wake and was told NO.

On Friday Kathy Hochul showed up at the wake during the private friends and family session and had an uncomfortable exchange with the family of the deceased.....reports are unclear on whether she was allowed inside the funeral home or not....but the video clearly shows here being ushered out by her Law Enforcement detail....and she looks unhappy with her tail between her legs.

is this the line in the sand ? i mean a true line...not the meaningless ones that the great Spoonjiah drew on the deserts of Syria.

I think the tide has turned....i think a Tsunami of common sense is coming....i may be drunk with false optimism but i do believe middle America is starting to find it's voice again and suddenly is willing to speak truth in the light of day . .....at least i fargin hope so........I am not declaring victory , but i can sense a summer of peaceful revolution.....a grassroots movement to fight for this country and restore values.....if not now, probably never.

Looking Back, i think that may have been the point of no return....the June debate and the Butler assassination attempt were also big momentum swings, but i think the nation was already leaning back....it didn't hurt that they ignored their beloved "democracy" to anoint a babbling, stuttering moron with a clear head an inability to formulate a thought....but hey....she checked two boxes. 

anyway, the good guys won this time and if you had followed the blog you could have made a few sheckles betting on THE DONN.......feel free on a rainy Saturday to pour yourself a pint of the Dark or a stiff Jameson and go back and read the blog from yesterday....i have been telling stories, sharing memories and climbing atop a soapbox or two since July of 2006..........some gems. some misses and a few paragraphs of drunken jibberish.......my hope is that 500 years from now when the Martians are reading this blog, they too will wish that they were born in the Greatest Neighborhood in the World , and at the perfect time.......i wouldn't change a stitch of that fabric.

  

This past year saw the class of 1964 celebrate their 60th trip around the sun. They put together a memorable evening in Chadwicks with pregame libations in Pippins.....a grand night in our olde stomping grounds.....the Class of 65 is Now on the Clock .....stay tuned for details for a star studded event...some skaters are already lobbying for a visit to Pitch & Putt and a Keg party at Bay 14.......that's screams 1965 offspring.............some skaters who will remain anonymous insist on Progressive pricing......so the responsible drinkers and or teetotalers do not get handed a Bill that covers the bar Tab for the Rest of us normal drinkers.

In closing please note that if you are reading this, that your presence at Sweater  Nite is desired.....i know it's not easy, we know life gets in the way....but whomever is out there please know that water under the bridge is exactly that......all are welcome, nobody has ever been barred from Sweater Nite, feel free to extend invites to anyone i may have missed....it is all about the here and now....friendship, comradery and iced cold BEEEER......... 2+3=BEEER

Slainte'

Fundraiser T-shirts

 

Please find attached a link to the SWEATER NITE Fundriasing efforts on behalf of the Pasadena Humane Society

SN27 Tshirts

ain't it hard when you wake up in the mornin

 And you find out that those other days are gone?

All you have is memories of happiness

Lingerin' on (Neil Young)

it's a high wire act.......trying to balance genuine anger at the State of California and sincere empathy for the people.....floods are terrible....fires are worse.....but they both rob the things in our homes that make us who we are.

Thursday the smug circle of political demons were busy ....not putting out the fires....but shooting holes through the stories of incompetence. The Hydrants WERE empty.....the budget WAS slashed...the equipment WAS given away......the Leadership WAS preoccupied with equity and diversity ....instead of ability and preparedness.

Los Angeles is a sad circle of serpents....jockeying and gesturing....more energy and concern projecting themselves than just doing their jobs......a sickening , never ending act of one up-manship.....fm the Gov to the Mayor to the Alphabet fire Chief....who can be the MOST woke, who can go the furthest left.....until the flames of hell burn them all to death..

2+3=BEEER

Yet still a light is shining
From that lamp on down the hall
Maybe the star of Bethlehem
Wasn't a star at all

In a matter of time

 there'll be a friend of mine

Gonna come to the coast, you're going to see him up close
For a minute or two
While the ground cracks under you (N. Young)

oh Los Angeles....a nation prays for thee.....

while our focus and concern is still with evacuations and trying to contain 5 wild fires, we would be remiss for not immediately addressing some alarming absentee leadership .

The City of Los Angeles slashed their Fire Dept Budget by 20% last year,,,,how much that impacted their inability to contain and fight these fires will be invesitigated.

The City of Ls Angeles donated Fire equipment to the Ukraine .......the F*cking Ukraine....as if Bidens Billions weren't enough, Lala land had to joing the great humanitarian giveaway at the expense of her own people.

and where was Mrs mayor Butterworth ? in Ghana Africa attending the inauguration for a future dictator........and when she came back she insisted that they fire hydrant's did NOT go dry one hour into the blaze....to which the Head of the LA Water Dept said Oh Yes They Did ....

and in 2018 then Pre Trump visited the region if the aftermath of those terrible fires and he talked about how the leaders of Austria and Finland told him about Controlled Burns and Forest Manitenance........BUT how the environmentalists in Cali blocked those measures.......and here we are again............

2+3=Firewater

L.A. ......uptight...... city in the smog, city in the smog
Don't you wish that you could be here too?

well the good old days

 may not return,

and the rocks may melt, 

and the sea may burn    (Tom Petty)

we are in a dark place here in America......a time of uncertainty and a lack of trust...and rightfully so.

Our elected officials and mammoth government are nothing more then a cesspool of condescending elitists...most feel it and believe it....others were taught to be this way....but their contempt for the rest of the nation is undeniable ......and something has to give.

The manifesto written by the Las Vegas bomber is out there and should be read, it is cause for alarm and concern......was he suffering from PTSD and having marital problems OR is that the easiest way to explain away his ramblings ? i don't know , but i must admit that when some 30 year black female on the local news says it's ABC......my gut tells me it's probably XYZ.........it's time we extricate ourselves off the Govt Dime of information and dig for our own truths.

interesting how the LGTQ-LMNOP shooter in Nashville wrote a long manifesto that has never been released......i guess they couldn't twist it to fit their hoped for narrative.

These miserable Diversity hires in New Orleans (Mayor-Police Chief-FBI lead) should sound the loudest alarm bells in the history of this nation.....their dismissive arrogance should send shockwaves through every community.....these people receive a healthy stipend from our taxpayers dollars and are tasked with keeping their city safe and to speak the truth when asked....if they can't or won't....they need to be replaced.........Hopefully the lawsuits that follow will be enough to bring New Orleans to it;s knees and FORCE change.

some say life, will beat you down

break your heart, steal your crown

Wake up to find out

 That You are the Eyes of the World ( Hunter-Garcia)

and as the eyes, you are the witness to the decay of this planet, tell us what you see this day.

I see strangers not shaking hands, but rather pushing each other onto the train tracks and under the oncoming train........18th street in Manhattan.....1:00 pm....New years Eve....it's all a game....

I see strangers lighting strangers on fire as they sleep on the subway....a wayward angel.....far from home...without a home.....she returned to her Mothers House last May in Toms River...only to learn the home had been sold and her family left no forwarding address.

I see women walking the streets of NYC with their newborn children in grocery bags........ring the bell and walk away.

I see carnage on Bourbon Street......10 dead.....35 wounded.....by a vehicle driven by an individual that after he crashed....opened fire on the Police and had multiple IEDs in his truck.......oh, and i see a DIVERSITY hire from the FBI telling us this is NOT a terrorist act.....the face of the elitist failed experiment......the tax paying citizens of this nation do not deserve the facts , they can't handle the truth, give them crumbs.......tell the sheep where to graze.

and although i don't see it....i suspect a few domestic terrorists are being born....tired of the dismissive lies....tired of the hypocrisy....tired of their government.

always darkest before the light ?

Sometimes we live no particular way but our own
Sometimes we visit your country and live in your home
Sometimes we ride on your horses, sometimes we walk alone
Sometimes the songs that we hear are just songs of our own