Furthur

Trucked into the Big city to see the Boys one more time in the Wolrds most famous arena, and was certainly not dissapointed. The sound, the song selection and arrangement (more on that later) the sights and SMELLS were all too familiar, the beeeeeer was extremely cold and the band was inspired to put it mildly.

Set 1: Jam > Help on the Way > Slipknot > Shakedown Street > Jack Straw, El Paso, Wharf Rat > keyboard solo > Two Djinn > Lady with a Fan > Terrapin Station > Terrapin Suite > At a Siding

Set 2: Mountain Song > Jam > Dark Star > The Other One > St. Stephen > The Eleven > Death Don't Have No Mercy > Franklin's Tower, E: One More Saturday Night

One for the Ages

Let me start out by saying if you were not fortunate enough to watch the whole spectacle, then you were cheated of one of the finest examples of Americana left today. The other professional sports can take a back seat to America's Queen...Nothing , and i mean NOTHING like this has ever happened in this sport or any sport. Never has there been this kind of outpouring of love for a retiring champion on the cusp of their last match, game, fight etc etc.........i implore you to get to you tube and try to catch the the walk from barn 41 to the paddock....ESPN deserves a medal for having the foresight to televise a part of horse racing that has never been talked about or shown on TV, even folks at the track are not usually locked in to this exhibition, namely because it is an insignificant non-event...the horses are lead from the barn onto the track counterclockwise past the finish line , through the tunnel and into the paddock wearing their aprons, no numbers or silks, some of them unrecognizable......until yesterday.

There were 3 police officers there to escort her and the handler , Queen Z was already dancing , playing with her two front legs , scratching at the dirt and showboating like Cassius Clay , words don't do it justice , it was a sight to behold.The crowd swell started early , up along the clubhouse turn, usually the quietest part of the track, they were buzzing , shouts and cat calls of "ZENYATTA".
As they made their way towards the grandstand the cheering started , now she was hopping around, bouncing if you will , the tunnel was lined with Breeders officials, Press, and those lucky enough to sneak a peak at the champ as she passed. When she emerged into the Paddock it was New Years Eve and the stroke of midnight, an absolute joyful roar , flags, banners, posters, flashbulbs, cheers and applause....all for one girl, THE QUEEN of AMERICA this day. Don't take my word for it, Bob Baffert and Nick Zito both interviewed in the paddock said they had never seen anything like this BEFORE a race....NOTHING.

This field was deep, certainly the toughest she had ever faced, all battle tested males from the triple crown and stakes races across the land, no slouches here, if she falls far behind like she always does, she's toast today.

I really love this horse, she amazes me, and have the utmost respect for her will to win and ability to find a way. I have had the pleasure watching her the past two years on TVG and i never bet her , i like to too much, she should not have to bear the jinx of my wager on her huge shoulders.

And there off ! she slides to the rail behind the pack as always , but still right there, as they round the clubhouse turn she is fading , Mike Smith asks her to step it up early, perhaps realizing she can't play around today , but little response. the field is in 3 packs....the lead 4 , a big gap to the next 7 , and an even bigger gap to Zenyatta.......i forget about my dopey horse Lookin at Lucky and I am fixated on Zenyatta.....she doesn't have it today, a pit in my stomach, so sad, she is not even going to make a real run.....around the far turn and onto the stretch i am focusin on Lucky.....he is 4 wide with nobody in front, just explode down the stretch and we got it ......but Blame is pulling away and all I can hope for is 2nd....and the track announcer shouts "Zenyatta is making here move" no way.....she is zigzagging through a minefield of horses and now is on outside still about 6 lenghts with 200 yards to go....with every stride she is closing the gap , and BLAME aint quitting, with Ga Go, Garret Gomez uptop he has the best jockey in the land, but Mike Smith and Queen Z are barreling down the stretch...3 lengths , 2 lengths 1 length, 1/2 length and she is just about to pass......FLASH ! they hit the wire.

The sight of this girl standing on the track, covered in mud , and somewhat confused that they were not going to the winners circle was too much. Mike Smith leaned forward and kissed her neck before the dismount, it was unfamiliar waters for both of them, for the 1st time is her life, the first time in an unbelieveable 20 races, she was not getting the flower blanket, it was almost too much to bear.

Mike Smith stated before the race that he would give back all his accomplishments over the years for this race, he wanted it for her , more than any other race in his life, he is a deeply religious man and a true gentlemen , a figure we don't often encounter in professional sports, you won't see him on a Nike commercial, he doesn't have that street edge that thugs, coke dealers and the sneaker buying populace seem
to love . And when it was over he wept , he didn't refuse to speak to the media, instead he went to the dais, broke down and blamed himself for the ride , he didn't use any of the excuses that were at his disposal, the stiff competition, the unfamiliar dirt surface, the cold weather for a Cali girl, the first time racing under the lights, the excitement of 75K fans...nope, none of it , it was his fault and he just hopes she still goes down in history as one of the all time greats.

I misspoke on this blog a while back, although i was always in Zenyatta's camp, i mistakenly said that the excitement that followed Rachel was unmatched, the truth is because I saw Rachel in person on 3 occasions I had a chance to see first hand what the buzz was, Saturday I saw on TV the infectious following of Americas Queen...she is not only the greatest Female Horse of All time, and one of the Greatest Race Horses of all time , she is the biggest Equine Rock Star of them all. The outpouring for Barbaro was unprecedented, but it took a tragedy to unfold, in some ways Barbaro may deserve credit for this new American public that has taken to the races, I wonder how many of the gals at Churchill first started following racing after the Barbaro saga.

And I close , if you didn't see it live on Saturday, i feel bad for you , because I doubt we will ever see anything like it again........Thank you Zenyatta for saving our sport.

America's Queen Z

By Amy Wilson
awilson1@herald-leader.com
LOUISVILLE — Children wept. And so did grown-ups, the ones who had come from Nebraska and Minnesota and California and Maryland to see their girl, Zenyatta, run one more, only to lose by one stride.

This was not what they had planned when they came to Kentucky's Churchill Downs on Saturday morning in triumphant glee.

"She's still a powerhouse," said Beth Shakan of Annapolis, Md. "This changes nothing."

As she said that, Erica Harris of Omaha, Neb., stood next to her in the dark and cried.

The day had started with all the promise of the tall beauty retiring from racing having never lost a single race. Cheryl Williams tried early Saturday to entice Breeders' Cup patrons who wanted to park their cars with a sign that read only: "See Zenyatta."

Just across from Williams' front yard — now a dozen parking spaces selling for $20 apiece — you had a perfect view of Barn 41's little paddock and, in it, the then-19-0, 17-hands tall beauty noshing some grass hours before what could have been her greatest triumph.

"Half of the drivers don't believe me," Williams said, "because it's too good to be true." Williams was positively giddy, cashing in as she was on the zeal that belonged exclusively to this horse and to this moment and to what many believed was the chance to see the final run of the horse who could very well turn out to be the greatest this century would know.

Next door, with lesser views of Barn 41, the going rate was $15.

Inside the Downs, the Breeders' Cup, renowned for its lack of Kentucky Derby millinery, saw the rules relaxed for Zenyatta's followers.

Dressed in boa-trimmed hats, replete with silver crowns and horse ears, wrapped in pink scarves and wearing what amounted to Zenyatta jerseys, six friends from five states who met on an Internet fantasy horse racing club came together yet again to see their favorite horse.

"We love her," they said almost in unison, explaining that they'd met her in person, given her a four-pack of Guinness beer, let her eat their flashy hats and were even allowed in the winner's circle at Hollywood Park where Diana Carreon of Venice Beach, Calif., got to raise a sign that read: "Zenyatta for Governor."

Inside the Churchill Downs shop Saturday afternoon, people were upset that Zenyatta merchandise sold out early in the morning. That made Leslie Sworsky and Carol Hanson, two Minnesota high school teachers, look prescient by designing their own T-shirts to wear Saturday. "Hail to the Queen" read the front of the shirt; "You'll tell your grandkids you saw her run" read the back.

The teachers took a day off work Friday, driving all day, crying when they saw the Twin Spires Saturday morning. Both women have loved horses for a long time, but only really began to follow Zenyatta when they heard a story about her on NPR a year ago. They said they just fell in love instantly.

"We both were in high school for Secretariat," said Sworsky. "That feeling hasn't come around for us since then. We were destroyed by what happened to Ruffian, Eight Belles and Barbaro. This horse is just joyful. This business needs this."

Because this was the Breeders' Cup, there was talk about business even when there was talk about joy, and it was coming from those with pink feathers and plastic horses in a field of teal grass on their heads.

"This is what horse racing should be about," said Nebraska's Harris before the race. "She was given time to grow into her body and be the racehorse she was supposed to be."

Harris was the most visible of fans, her hat marking each of the largest races with tiny banners and signs. She became engaged to Jeremiah Johnson just before Zenyatta's win at Del Mar. Her engagement ring is two intertwined, diamond-studded horse shoes.

Shakan, her friend from Maryland, met Erica and Jeremiah that day at Del Mar. They have become great friends, attending all the races Zenyatta's run since.

"We have met so many people," said Shakan. "I don't want to see it end."

Standing nearby was friend Jamie Harris of Louisville who added, almost as an afterthought: "But Kentucky needs Zenyatta to win, so we can get over the loss of Secretariat. It's time."

It was not time this time.

As a horse with the impossibly ironic name of Blame won, the Churchill Downs crowd at first hardly knew how to behave. There was a stunned silence.

"No one clapped for her," said Shakan, dismayed that she did not again hear the roar of Churchill Downs crowd call Zenyatta's name and see it rise to its feet for her as she crossed the wire.

"Why not?" she asked, then answered it herself: "To be all that, that's a lot of pressure for one horse."

Christmas Come early

the most wonderful day of the year, now that Breeders Cup is here.

chills and goosebumps and no it's not a hangover, it is the thrilling exhilaration and anticipation of Day 2 of the breeders Cup. Zenyatta tabs a stab at immortality this day. At approx 6:45 this evening, beneath the shadows of the Twin Spires, on the holiest of ovals the equine racers have ever known, this Gal will attempt to etch her face on the Mt Rushmore of Horse Racing. If she wins her name will be whispered in the same sentence as Secretariat, Man o War and War Admiral. A perfect 20-0 and back to back winner of the "Classic" I don't think she will do it, I can't fathom "any" horse coming from dead last ( as she always does) against this field, but Alas I have been wrong before and today I am such a sport that i am going to give her a "fighting chance" .....I will NOT bet on her.


here are the rest of the Gato picks, feel free to wager as much as you like.

Manitoba
Atta Boy Roy
Chamberlain Bridge
JP's Gusto
Gio Ponti
Tizway
Debussy
LOOKIN AT LUCKY

thems fightin words

not a big fan of Calvin in the past, dont care for his AW SHUCKS style or that GOOD OL BOY persona he flaunts, will never forgive him for abandoning Derby CHAMPION Mine that Bird for the glory of Rachel A in the Preak.

That being said, he was in the right on Friday in the winners Circle of the venerable Chruchill Downs, in case you missed it, Mr Borell took Javi Catellano to task for a dangerous move that could have killed Martin Garcia , Romp and Calvin himself......castellano responded by throwing a punch at Calvin and fireworks ensued,.....as the above photo should attest, Borell went Banannas...flipped his lid, and pleaded with security " let me go so i can kill that little bastard".

have a lot of homework to do before i head over to Monmouth park this day....check back in an hour or so and me and Gravey will let you in on whom were tossing sheckles at on day two.......6 for 6 yesterday.....pulled a PG.

Sweater Nite Breeders Picks

So my Pal Gravey and I are sitting here havin a few brews talkin horsies and we realize our loyal readership is probably awaiting our picks for day 1 of the breeeders....here goes....free money awaits

eldaafer
more than real
dubai majesty
awesome feather
shared account
unrivaled belle


on my way to Brannigans in a few if any of you lads are around..

close.....but no cigar-ski

Whom would be a better Sheriff for Monmouth County than this beast ? she did receive 2 "write in" votes, but not enough to win.

the Wonder Bar

incidentally.....the Wonder Bar has an outdoor Bar with a dog run in the back , and now proudly hosts YAPPY Hour....all well behaved pooches are welcome.

Congratulations El Gigantes of San Francisco , the official Beisbol Team of the Late Jerry Garcia and Sweater Nite....

Zombie Walk in Asbury Park

today is the Zombie walk in Asbury, they are hoping to set a Record. Zombie Walk is the official Halloween event of Sweater Nite , if you can't make the walk, you can certainly have a beeeer in the Wonder Bar

obama care...

Don't say I didn't warn ya , when your train gets lost. B Dylan

This article was written by Marc Siegel in the NY Post Oct 26th

I Can feel ObamaCare closing in.

It starts with small things. Consider a patient I'll call Jane, a corporate executive in her mid 40s. She's happy with her current health coverage -- a high-deductible policy paired with a Flexible Spending Account that can cover up to $3,000 a year in routine expenses, which she uses to pay for much of her medical care.

Other than her yearly screening check-up, Jane doesn't come in to see me unless she's really sick. An occasional bout of bronchitis prompts a brief visit, where I prescribe her a short course of antibiotics. Otherwise she uses her FSA to buy Tylenol and Advil over-the-counter for an occasional headache, insect repellant for summers in her backyard and Prevacid for an infrequent case of heartburn.

But, starting Jan. 1, Jane won't be able to use her flex-spend account to cover OTC remedies without getting a prescription first. That's right: She'll need a prescription for non-prescription drugs -- a waste of her time, and mine. Otherwise, she has to pay a 20 percent penalty for using the account to buy exactly the sort of things it was designed to cover.

She's not alone: I have 20-plus patients facing this pointless restriction on their flex-spend or Health Savings accounts. Nationwide, more than 30 million workers with FSAs and 10 million others with HSAs are all in the same boat.

Do the congressmen who passed the health-reform law seriously expect me to somehow find the time to prescribe laxatives, antacids, creams for insect bites and hemorrhoids and so on for these patients? Or are they just looking to render that coverage worthless?

There's much worse to come. Also on Jan. 1, the cuts to Medicare Advantage start kicking in -- $140 billion in lost federal funding. I don't yet know how many of my patients will lose the dental, eye and comprehensive prescription-drug coverage that these policies provide.

The burdens keep piling up, bit by bit, over the next three years. I'm really worried about 2014: That's when the new Independent Medicare Advisory Board starts restricting the essential services I can provide the more than half my patients who have Medicare. Since the "reform" cut hundreds of billions from Medicare, something's going to have to give.

Then there's the issue Dr. Scott Gottlieb pointed out recently on these pages ("Killing Marcus Welby," Oct. 18): The reform law is also designed to push my patients -- and me -- into an HMO-style arrangement, even if they've renamed these behemoths "Accountable Care Organizations." We're not supposed to find a way around all the restrictions -- we're supposed to give up, and start following the orders of the president's preferred experts.

As more of the "reform" law takes hold, the daily practice of medicine will grow more and more difficult for both doctors and patients. Premiums are already rising and services are diminishing.

Several of my patients have found that their policies are changing and no longer cover their medications. Their referrals are restricted to narrow networks of specialists even as their co-pays and deductibles rise.

Others have lost their jobs but still have too much income to qualify for Medicaid and don't yet qualify for the high-risk pools. I see many of these patients for free, but they can't afford the tests I want to order.

It's hard for me to believe that President Obama has spent any time in a real doctor's office. He can claim that he hasn't succeeded in getting his message across, or that fear clouds our thinking -- but when it comes to health care, most Americans understand his message and just don't agree with it.

And, having written a book on fear, I can tell you that fear is an appropriate response to ObamaCare as it plays out in my examination room.

Marc Siegel is a practicing internist in New York and a Fox News medical contributor.

Uncle Jerry up above

there is no doubt that the Fate of the 2010 SF Giants turned dramatically after they held "JERRY GARCIA" night on Aug 9th.....at that point the Padres were running away with the division and El Gigantes were in danger of missing the playoffs entirely....the late Jerry Garcia, a huge baseball and Giant fan has certainly been lookin down from above ever since......Go Giants !

Dublin Marathon

across the pond in Dublin they are lining up for the start of the marathon at this time, good luck Steve, beat that ol broad.


side note....sounds like the packers-vikings game was very exciting last night.....i wonder if anyone saw it.......I was down in Philly at the little bandbox waiting for game 7.....nobody effin showed....

total domination

When you beat your opponent 75% of the time, as NAVY has against the Irish in recent years, is it really still considered competition ? these victories over ND are not the type of quality wins we need in the BCS standings...yeah it's nice to play them every year, but trouncing them doesn't help the bottom line of winning a National Championship....maybe its time we rethink this rivalry ......i heard someone say somethin a long time ago about a "STREAK" ....those days died with tyrone shoelaces willingham........at least charlie Weiss used to keep it close....

35-17 was deceptive.....it wasn't that close.

GOOOOOOO NAVY

he aint dead, he's just asleep

Happy Birthday Bobby Ace......Many many more.

Sugar Magnolia, Blossoms bloomin
Heads all empty and I dont care.
saw my baby down by the river,
I knew she had to come up soon for air.

Isle be seein you

WCBS News is reporting that Charles (don't tell em your Jewish) Wang has sold the iceladies hockey club to a group of investors from Oklahoma City for 23 dollars and a necklace. A news conf to announce the sale and relocation of the team is slated for 9:00 a.m. Before the sale was finalized GM Garth Brooks Snow extended Rick Dipietros contract another 18 years and promised the netminder he could also play starting point guard for the OK City Thunder of the NBA. When reached in Toronto for comment Commissioner Gary Bettman said only " Mark Messier...come get your Stanley Cup ".

film at elevenish.

NFL unwatchable part 2

not sure what time the game ended last night, but I do know the last train to Monmouth County departs Seacaucus at 1:08 AM .......otherwise you can take a nap on a bench in the lautenderg Mahal until 5:35.....you have work on Tuesday?...Fck you.

incidentally, remember the good old days growing up in NYC.....you could go to any corner tavern or friends house on a sunday and sit down to watch the Giants and Jets back to back...1:00 & 4:00 every Sunday....week after week.

this past weekend was the 5th of this 2010 NFL season and the Jets and Giants have yet to play back to back on Sunday sfternoon.....tradition.

Teach Your Children, ahem; students well

why on Gods Green earth do these stupid teachers want OUT of obamacare ? dont they know this is FREE YIPEE healthacre for all....a topic that s/b near and dear to their liberal hearts.........and Mcdonalds, a company that has always provided health care for its 30,000 employees said it would have to rethink that policy as a result in the rising costs from obamacare.......can anyone say waiver for Micky D's ?

The United Federation of Teachers -- one of President Obama's key political backers -- is the biggest beneficiary of a White House sweetheart deal that will exempt certain outfits from
complying with new health-care rules, officials revealed yesterday.

The quietly approved federal waivers for 30 companies, health insurers, unions and other groups across the country means the UFT doesn't have to gradually phase out caps on annual health coverage like everyone else.

The UFT was concerned that could have been a major financial hit on the union.

The one-year waiver, approved last month by the Department of Health and Human Services, covers all 351,000 members of the UFT's welfare fund, which provides health care and other benefits.

The UFT has the largest pool of affected employees of the 30 organizations that received waivers. The second largest was CIGNA with 265,000 members.

Critics have questioned the need for the exemptions, who got them, and why.

"Big labor spent millions of dollars pushing ObamaCare, which they made sure was stuffed full of union giveaways," said Patrick Semmens, spokesman for the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which represents businesses

the NFL is becoming unwatchable

maybe its me, maybe I am cranky on Columbus day morn, but the NFL is starting to suck.......flags, flags, flags after every play........challenges, challenges, challenges after every big play ( and sometimes after insignificant plays).....look at me dances after every touchdown , even when your team is getting their ass kicked ( look at the bronco lowlights yesterday) , every imbecile who manages to get past the yard sticks has to jump up and signal first down, even if the play was good for 1 yard, but hey America , don't act surprised or disgusted, WE created this, WE allowed sophomoric behavior from the media booth to take over our psyche, fools like Brent Musberger and Chris Berman get huge bonuses to glorify thuggery and insist how a rapist, DUI , Murderer, Wife Beater (take your pick) "got redemption after catching a pass or sacking the QB .....something he already gets grossly overpaid to do as part of his J O B ......but where do the funds come from to overpay Johhny Spoonjiah-Brown (everybody got 3 names these days, it started out practical because it was coin flip over possible parenthood, but now 3 names is coool).

Lets sell the game for starters........highest bidder gets to rape the shit out of NFL traditions and prostitute the game for their own enjoyment.....
Sunday Night Game ? no problem
Sunday Night Game in NY in December ? no problem
Monday Night Football? no problem
Thursday Night Football ? no problem
Thanksgiving Night Game ? no problem
Playoff games at Night ? no problem
Playoff Games at Night in January in Green Bay ? no problem
and the beat goes on

How bout a new stadium ? the NFL gave the Jets and Giants an interest free 300 million dollar loan for new stadium construction, not bad....not enough....both teams..BOTH TEAMS had to charge PSL for the privilege to buy season tickets...make no mistake about it, this is not a personal seat license , you are entitled to nothing more than the responsibility to buy season and preseason tickets......team goes 4-12 (or 4-14 after they add 2 more games) and you think about saving 2 grand in your IRA instead of buying tickets next year? guess what , you just forfeit your PSL, no reimbursement, no money back.

wanna come to the game , you better have prepaid parking ( for the entire regular and PRE season) otherwise you can park in Carlstadt and pray for a shuttle bus.

feel like a beer, be prepared to be treated like a terrorist , lets see some I.D. 60 year old man , and you can only buy two at a time....so what you are with 3 friends and you felt like buyin a round of brew , make two trips back to the top of the stadium sucker , and line up again at halftime because we ain't selling you beer in the 3rd quarter...so what you came to the game via public transportation and wish to enjoy an adult beverage during the 2nd half......tuff......that will be $18.50 got your two beers ( or you can pickup a 30 pack at home and watch it on your HD TV).

and what do they do with the added revenue ? JSB gets a nice check every week courtesy of us ........i think i am done.