standing next to me in this lonely crowd

 Is a man who swears he’s not to blame

All day long I hear him shout so loud
Crying out that he was framed  ( dylan)

ain't that so 2020...........it mustve been some other body , no no child it wasn't me ...as George T would say....but i arise this Thanksgiving morn to a safe house, a Grateful Dog, a loving wife and  a warm cup of coffee( and a shot of Baileys Irish creme).....theres a refrigerator  stocked with beer and  a turkey swimming in brine.....a record collection that rivals the Rock n Roll HOF and a flat screen TV to watch the Last Waltz over a few Jack Daniels.........throw in Alexis Lafreniere in a Blueshirt Sweater, Stevie Cohen owning the Mets and the DOW hanging at 30,000......i'm not in a hospital, if i have had the china flu i didn't know it,  and i'm healthy enough to run a few miles everyday on the treadmill......

i Thank God for who i am today, every single thing that has happened in my life, especially the people that have been in my life......some for too short and yes, some for too long i suppose....but ....the good , the bad and the ugly....it all lead me to this day......and on this day....Thanksgiving 2020 i am very appreciative and Happy...........Cheers Everyone, God Bless.

I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

the piano has been drinking.....my necktie is asleep

 And the combo went back to new york, the jukebox has to take a leak

And the carpet needs a haircut, and the spotlight looks like a prison break

And the telephone's out of cigarettes, and the balcony is on the make

And the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking  ( Tom Waits)

more chronicles from the land of the absurd.....the new marijuana legislation recently passes by NJ residents has some hidden language in it that some residents ( ALL) were probably not aware.......as part of their legeal Marijuana push was included a bill to EXPUNGE the criminal records of all prior marijuana related offenses.......hmmmm......it was against the law at the time of the offense, so why the need to expunge the records ?  herein lies the hypocrisy of Government that makes every American,  that bothers to pay attention; want to scream or take up arms........Donkey Face Murphy insisted all along that once legalized the STATE would ENSURE that the new industry was run by upstanding citizens.......well tell that to Corey Booker who is insisting that only People of Color ( who were "hurt" the most by marijuana laws) would get the licenses to sell the weed.......stalemate ?  not really, we'll just expunge their past records.....lo and behold the street dealer in Newark, Camden, Trenton is now free and clear of all their past transgressions and can get a license to peddle weed in your hometown...legally.......equal oppurtunity ? no....... equality ?? not really.....   REVENGE ? Bingo, that all the left wants.

i can't wait until the moslems take over and finally legalize Honor Beheadings for cheating spouses and promiscuous teens....then OJ will get that silly double murder conviction expunged......oh wait, never mind.

And the box-office is drooling, and the bar stools are on fire
And the newspapers were fooling, and the ash-trays have retired
Cause the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking, not me, not me, not me, not me, not me

when the truth is found

 to be lies.......and all the joy within you...dies (Darby Slick)

i'm going to check my emotions at the door , unlike the greatest female rock n roll singer of our time...Miss Grace Slick.. This  lection will and should be contested all the way to the supreme court...if for no other reason to ensure this ugly history does not repeat itself.....and regardless of the outcome the most important thing is that the mainstream media reports fairly on the facts of these lawsuits.

We may not move on from this election as a unified country....but I can guarantee you that we WILL NOT move on from this if the Presidents contesting of the results is brushed under the rug and portrayed as sour grapes. The facts are evident that this was not a fair and equal election . 

NBA arenas in the heavily Democratic inner cities were converted to polling places while citizens that did not live in these districts were not afforded the same opportunities to vote in person. ( imagine the reaction if the election came down to North Carolina...and the NASCAR tracks were used as polling stations for 3 day rally and party for Rebel flag waving Trump Supporters) 

The rules of this election varied from state to state, with Democratic Governors using China Flu as an excuse to rewrite election law. Case in point New Jersey deciding to mail out unsolicited ballots to everyone in the state.....dead , alive, moved to fla ?  doesnt matter.

NY and other states TOLD their citizens to VOTE TWICE and they would ensure the ballot was only counted once . ( i voted in the primary and signed my absentee ballot Mickey Mouse , just to see if it was questioned , it was not ) We are fairly certain that if they barely could count all the ballots by week end that there was ZERO certification to the voter roles, or signature verification being done.

States decided to offer early voting and to accept ballots for up to one week after election day .

We now know Dead people registered to vote in PA after their untimely demise.

We also know that Biden won nearly 100% of the late mail in ballots in battleground states.( statistically impossible)

We now know computer software used in several battleground states flipped votes from one candidate to the other.

i could go on all afternoon, but it would be pointless.

All of these statements above must be discussed in an open courtroom and reported by all of the MSM media. We know the swamp is deep and the FBI, CIA and other agencies have a very real stake in the outcome. If Trump wins it is very possible some of them will face indictments for past discretions and their agencies once and for all will be gutted....they therefore  CANNOT be Judge and Jury on this one.

This has to be taken seriously and impartially decided......if Not.....well, a house divided cannot , ahh , umm , you know the thing.

 When the garden flowers, baby are dead, yes and

Your mind, your mind is so full of red

now everythings a little upside down

 As a matter of fact the wheels have stopped

What's good is bad, what's bad is good
You'll find out when you reach the top
You're on the bottom  ( dylan)

If they are still COUNTING votes around the country.....do you think that they verified that the voter was still alive ? Or checked signatures ? Or weeded out duplicate votes ? Of course not......,these are the seeds of a civil war.....we cannot accept results and move on as a country with this many discrepancies and irregularities. The Donnfather has to exhaust every avenue of challenge and fight these results all the way to the top....even if that means Turkey neck Nancy is sworn in on January 20th....if nothing else, we have to have voting reform and uniform rules across the country....this is not speed limits or  recreational weed, we can't leave this up to a state by state interpretation. to move forward as a democracy , every citizen has to trust and accept the voting process........if not it IS time to split the country into Red & Blue.....it can be done without firing shots.......we can stay united for foreign policy-military-and taxation.....but the laws....all laws....must return to the state level ....and the free people will have to decide which state suits their beliefs.....it's the only way

now at the ungodly hour of 7:00 am i repair to the bar to have my first of many.....and i think i'll be listening to idiot wind...it just seems appropriate.

I been double-crossed now
For the very last time and now I'm finally free
I kissed goodbye the howling beast
On the borderline which separated you from me
You'll never know the hurt I suffered
Nor the pain I rise above
And I'll never know the same about you
Your holiness or your kind of love
And it makes me feel so sorry

i got nuthin

 The waiting is the hardest part

Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Yeah, the waiting is the hardest part  ( Tom Petty)

Let’s overturn these tables

 Let’s disconnect these cables, this town don’t make sense to me no more ( Dylan)

Whiskey.....whiskey.... and then......more whiskey.

‘‘Tis me drunken plan on election nite.....this Gato Malo is close ...close.....even closer to nite nite...I’ve been bouncing back and forth from beer to whiskey since 1:30.........I will turn in before the results roll in....God Bless President Trump.....let’s finish this thing, 4 more years....

What fixation feeds this fever?

speak with wisdom

 like a child, directly from the heart

crown yourself the king of clowns or stand way back apart

but never give your love my friend unto a foolish heart ( Garcia-Hunter)

i have been very critical of the wolrd of sports on these pages , but every now and then even i am reminded of the good there is in ALL of us. If you have never witnessed the WAVE at the University of Iowa football fanes....google it now.......it's heartbreaking and inspiring. .....and no it's not a silly fan wave that was started by the future antifa faggots in seattle.

In 2017 on the grounds of Iowa University and adjacent to the Hawkeyes Stadium a Childrens hospital was built and opened. The hospital towers over the stadium and the builders decided to make the 12th and Top Floor an open rec area where patients could gather with their families and other visitors and if there was an event in the football stadium below they would have a Birds eye view.......nice idea....it gets better.

A young Iowa football fan (Krista Young) thought it would be cool if the people in her section would turn their back from the field during a timeout and wave to the Young Hospital patients....they did....it caught on........she posted it on social media and the idea was embraced by the student body....and eventually the football team......it grew......then it was in decided to do this wave after the first quarter during the 2 or 3 minute TV break........opposing players started to ask what was happening and then they joined in too.....in 2 short years it became a tradition.....and i'll give credit to ABC last year to get a camera inside the Hospoital to show a split screen of the players and fans on one side and the Kids smiling from ear to ear on the other screen.......then they interviewed some parents........some of the kids were terminal with only weeks or days to live....most in wheelchairs, some still in hospital beds to weak to get up.........but all caught up in the moment.......i'd be a liar if i said i didn't shed a few tears.

And yesterday Iowa had the home opener of this horrible pandemic 2020 season....I was in a Bar in Redbank watching on TV.....when i realized what the announcers were saying......due to the China Flu , the Rec room was closed..i was crushed for the kids.....but thankfully the Hospital anticipated this and word got out that the wave would be virtual..........The Players and Fans held signs and waved up to the hospital and the children were given laptops to tune into the game and ABC/ESPN  put their faces up on the screen from the individual hospital rooms......the visiting Northeastern players held signs of encouragement and waved too.......both coaches and the fans that were in attendance.......for 3 minutes these kids forgot their troubles.....for 3 minutes they were the center and focus of their little worlds.

I think its knowing the power that athletes hold, knowing that they have the ability to bring people together to unite and cheer that makes it so painful when they fail us or embarrass us. They are placed on pedestals and looked up to as hero's...and all they have to do to maintain that status is to be a decent human being.......wave to kid...give an autograph and don't be a dick.....

anyway Kudos to Hawkeye Nation and all the visiting teams that embrace the Wave......exchanging 3 minutes of their time and providing a lifetime of memories for a family.

and you tell me

 over and over and over again my friend,

you don't believe we're on the Eve of Destruction ( Barry Maguire)

Lord knows i have never hoped to soo wrong before, but i really hope this time that the  alcohol soaked portion of my brain is playing tricks on me , just like during the many grateful dead drum solos where cretons and monsters appeared to gathering on the wrafters of the Nassau mausoleum ....hopefully the doom, gloom and uncertainty that i envision for next week never materializes .....but i can't see how it is avoided.

Our only hope is for an election that is soo one sided , a total landslide; that the loser accepts defeat in the days after Tuesday......but my eyes and ears are telling me that there are soo many irregularities surrounding Voting that neither side will accept the results.....ballot boxes are being torched in Boston....10K ballots were undeliverable by mail in Monmouth County alone, some states started early voting weeks ago, others do not  permit it....NYC told people to vote twice and they will make sure only one vote counts (seriously ? ) some states will accept ballots for up to 10 days AFTER the election,,,,these are all open for challenge by the looser and this will work there way up to the Supreme Court......and as i have stated before....if a clear winner cannot be confirmed by Jan 20th , the Speaker of the House will be sworn in as President....Crazy Nancy, ol Turkey Neck.....after all...this is 2020, God help us.

With that in mind , and the violent protests that will ensue after a contested election, the country teetering on the brink of civil war , the stock market will drop10,000 points in a week easily and another 5,000 by mid december.......and so this Thursday is the day i have chosen to go ALL Cash,

the 3rd Quarter GDP will be released at 8:30 Thursday....I suspect it will be tremendous as businesses around the country continued to open up. ( hell if you spent one Monday afternoon on the deck at the proving Ground it would be hard to believe the economy is not thriving....no recession or pandemic in the bars of monmouth county) so i think Thursday will be the final rally, the final PUSH to the Dow before lection day , and so i will be headed to target funds, short term interest bearing funds and cash reserve....and i hope i'm wrong about the lection......i am willing to miss out on a big rally after Trump wins...but i would never forgive myself if i stay in the market and my fears are realized.....but again...lets hope i am wrong.

I saw on the news that there was a JEWS for TRUMP caravan driving around the 5 boroughs yesterday , honestly never thought i would live to see the day......and once again the party of tolerence has no tolorence for anyone but their like minded , trangendered freaks of nature......one filthy lesbian was caught on camera throwing rocks from the promenade down onto cars on the BQE below......the beloved promenade where i shared cocktails with my fellow scholars from the halls of Saint Francis, where we smoked herb, listened to the Grateful Dead and watched Lee Iacocca repair the statue of Liberty........i have to think she should be charged with attempted murder for throwing rocks at a moving vehicle, but what do i know about the law.......very little.

One nice bit of news from the world of sports....the 121st meeting between the Midshipmen of Navy and the Cadets of United States Military Academy will be played on Saturday Dec 12th on the hallowed grounds of West Point NY. The game is being moved back onto campus for the first time since World War II ( because the city of Filthadelphia didn't want to permit the students from both schools to attend) Thankfully the two schools refused to bury their heads in the sand and try to hide from the China Flu and instead insisted of Having the game played live before the student bodies...i have to think the squids will be very excited at the opportunity to go up on the hill from the Hudson River and knock helmets with the Black Knights.....no better setting for College Football than Michie Stadium.........God Bless and Good Luck to Both Teams.

lastly as i do every Monday morning i find myself with two very different options.......do i abstain from drinking today ...OR......do i drink early and often and everything i can get my hands on.......well i am about to toss a shot of Honey Jack into my 2nd cup of coffee....so we do indeed have a winner.

I wanna grow up to be a politician

 And take over this beautiful land

I want to grow up to be a politician

And be the old U.S. of A.'s number one man  ( Roger Mcguinn)

I have tweeted some strong advice to President Trump tonight in the final Presidential debate, let's hope he's listening to the great Denny Forrest @ Sweaternite.

Let's face it....the media is against him....all of them.....he's having a hard time getting his message out to anyone but the choir.  The topics for tonights debate...the final debate before the most important election of our lifetime, are heavily loaded with left wing pet projects and have nothing to do with the real future of this great country. Covid-19 (China Flu) , American families and Climate change are 3 of the hot button issues........kill us now.

I have advised the President to Blow up the Motherf*kin debate......ignore or mock the question and instead Face the Camera and talk to the American people.......Remind them about the Economy, Remind them about the Tax Cuts, Remind them about the Peace deals in the Middle East, Own leaving the Iran Deal that OBAMA/BIDEN paid for, Own leaving the Paris accord, say what you want, get everything out , but don't even address the moderators question..........example

Moderator: "Mr President what would you do about climate change"

Trump: (staring into the camera, ignore Joe & the moderator) " Joe Biden has been in politics for 47 years, Joe Biden was the VP for 8 years, what makes anyone believe that now after all this time he has the answers to the questions, and why didn't he share them with his boyfriend Barry"

Moderator: " Mr President why did we leave the Paris accord"

Trump: " while Joe was hiding in his basement for 180 days , i held 2 press conferences a day with Fauci and Birx trying to calm the American people and get the information out, sadly the scientific community let this country down and still to this day continues to contradict itself"

Moderator: " mr President please answer the question"

Trump: " nope....but i will remind the American people that a vote for Joe is a Vote for Kamala, because Crazy Nancy and Schumer will use the 25th amendment to declare Joe incompetent before Sweater Nite 23, maybe even before the inauguration "

Seriously think about that......every newspaper in the country and every tv report ( even CNN) will be focused on the Rudeness , Immaturity and Arrogance of a sitting President to ignore the questions and use the debate as an infomercial........but in replaying those clips everyone will hear exactly what Trump said.....and nobody will be talking about anything sleepy joe said.........he has nothing to loose, the cards are stacked against him, why not remind America that DC is a swamp and Trump is NOT part of their games.

Lastly, for anyone that hasn't voted yet, i implore you to choose a side and participate in this democracy, don't be an ostrich or chicken little and throw your vote away by putting your head in the sand and sitting out the election or voting for a candidate that can't win.......white slavery is coming, i don't have kids and i'll be dead before its a reality but i'm doing my part to prevent it....Trump isn't a great guy and i'm not saying you should love him ....but his policies are more in tune with a vision of American Greatness than Harris/Biden......i'm not a fearmonger...i'm a realist.....in the midst of an election the Demonrats are proud to support defunding the Police , (that is step 1) what are they going to do if they ever regain power over 3 branches of government ? now is NOT the time to take a moral stand or let hurt feelings over the Scary orange mans mean words convince you to hide under the bed. Tough Choices , you have to choose the lesser of two evils because pacifists get beheaded....Imagine if America decided to sit our World War II ? ignoring a problem or bribing your enemies to like you is never the answer.........as Tina40 would say " Fuk Outta here , TRUMP2020MOTHERFUCKER"

( if you are on twitter, you should also follow TINA40 , youll thank me later)

I'll make you glad you got me in with everything I do

And I'll defend until the end the old red white and blue

it's so noisy at the fair

 but all your friends are there ( n.young)

sometimes we just sip our coffee, stare at the screen .....and laugh.

The Washtenaw County Health Department issues a Stay-In-Place order Tuesday for the University of Michigan undergraduate students effective immediately because of a rise in China Flu cases..........BUT.....isn't there Always a Big BUT......this life or death order will NOT impact athletic activity.....in other words....the Wolverine Football team is OK to travel to Minnesota for their Big Ten opener on Saturday against the Gophers (as seen on ABC/ESPN).......'the safety and well being of our student athletes is a priority blah, blah, blah...........

and if the news these days is like a stand up routine, why not join the fun.

A Bear walks into a Bar and orders a "whiskey.....................and soda"

Bartender asks "okay, but why the long pause" ?

Bear says " i dunno, i was born this way "

reminds me of an old girlfriend from years ago......she was just a whiskey maker, but i loved her STILL.

termite walked into that tavern where the bear was drinking and asks "where's the Bar tender" ?

"ain't it funny how you feel , when your finding out its real"

somethings burning baby , somethings in flames

There’s a man going ’round calling names

Ring down when you’re ready, baby, I’m waiting for you

I believe in the impossible, you know that I do  (dylan)

i watched the netflix mini series on the Branch Dividian standoff down in Waco....interesting stuff....the absolutely went easy on David Koresch , barely mentioned how many kids he had with under age girls and how he claimed so many wives for himself ( because of course he was the lamb of God)...but i still strongly reccomend watching it.....if for no other reason to understand how incompetent and aggressive the ATF and FBI were even back in the early 1990's.

The mini series starts out recapping the Randy Weaver and Ruby Ridge standoff that was butchered by the ATF , that left American citizens shot to death on their own land by FBI snipers.....if you don't know the whole story its worth looking up.

The Waco disaster was very similar in that it all started because the ATF came heavy handed onto private land to issue a warrant and to enact a search of private property in search of a crime. David Koresch went into town 2 or 3 times a week, he was friendly with the local sheriffs office and could have been apprehended without a single shot being fired....but they didn't really have evidence of a crime......so much like the Russia probe they figured lets get a bogus search warrant and then hopefully find some evidence......well shots were fired and people on both sides were killed and a 55 day standoff ensued.

The whole thing ended...depending on which side you really believe...when either the FBI used tanks to penetrate the compound walls and disperse CS gas ( not disputed by the FBI) the gas started fires ; which often happened in the past with these tanks, the fires escalated and burned the entire compound to the ground......or B , the FBI used the tanks to penetrate the compound and disperse CS Gas and THEN Koresch decided that everyone should commit suicide by fire and the Banch Dividians set their own fires which killed them. the survivors have all stated that there was never a plan for a group suicide and they doubt that they rest of the congregation would have gone along with that course of action.

what is also indisputable is that even though the FBI made the decision to use CS gas, and even though on 4 or 5 occasions in the past that their use of CS gas resulted in fires breaking out ( use of CS gas is banned in the Geneva convention, but a gueass the FBI & Janet reno thought it was okay to use on your own citizens ) that they also didn't think it was prudent to have any fire trucks on stand by .......why ? a level headed person might ask .......were they that imcompotent ? i say no they were not.........so we are back to WHY ? 

the only explanation that makes sense is that the evidence that would exonerate Koresch in the murder of ATF agents and the same evidence that would prove that the ATF fired first through the locked front doors and through the roof by helicopter sniper, lay inside the compound.......burn it to the ground = no evidence.

now.....here's the real nugget that rarely or never gets mentioned when talking about Waco & Ruby Ridge.....American Militia groups were drawn to Waco, not because they believed in Koreschs religous teachings but because he was an American citizen under attack from his own Government....some stayed for the duration of the 55 day siege.....One of those in the crowd was a military Vet who was growing increasingly leery of the ATF , FBI and the Govt as a whole........that would be Timothy McVeigh....who on the 2nd anniversary of the Waco siege, on April 19th 1995 ; bombed the Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma city killing 168 people ( 108 of which worked for the Federal Govt)....a direct quote from Mcveigh before his execution in 2001

"I didn't define the rules of engagement in this conflict. The rules, if not written down, are defined by the aggressor. It was brutal, no holds barred. Women and kids were killed at Waco and Ruby Ridge. You put back in [the government's] faces exactly what they're giving out." He later stated "I wanted the government to hurt like the people of Waco and Ruby Ridge had"

so again, not defending Koresch or Mcveigh, but the heavy hand of government has consequences and people need to study, learn and remember these lessons from a not so distant past.

I can feel it in the wind and it’s upside down
I can feel it in the dust as I get off the bus on the outskirts of town
I’ve had the Mexico City blues since the last hairpin curve
I don’t wanna see you bleed, I know what you need but it ain’t what you deserve ( dylan)

as i went walking.....i saw a sign there

 And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."  But on the other side it didn't say nothing.

That side was made for you and me.  ( Woody Guthrie 1940)

and so this past Thursday i found myself in the battery early in the morning and wandering the "empty, ancient streets too dead for dreaming" (dylan) ....the bars that once served a mixed bag of maniacs from all walks of live, all economic classes, all races or religions or atheists and half breeds, all hours of the day.....well they were closed ....some for good (which is sad) . some refused to open their doors until the "johnny come lately-nearly mid day- hour of 11" ( sadder than sad).....i walked past the front doors of many of Public houses that welcomed me into their Hearths' and Hearts over the past 40 odd years.....some of the buildings themselves had disappeared , others may have well said no tresspassing.....Diamond Jim Brady's....the Blarney on Water...Mcanns.....Mcanns and the other Mcanns......the Pig & Whistle and Volks.....Suspenders....and finally O'Haras.........9:30 i suppose is too early to be drinking in 2020.

And so i walked over to the World Trade Center to stroll the footprints and pay my respects....imagine my shock to find this hallowed piece of land encircled by metal police barriers ( no trespassing).....where i wondered is the entrance.....i walked down Liberty..nothing......walked along West street....nope.....turned up Vesey or maybe now it's the extended Fulton and saw a few Police Officers.....i approached with my mask on my face  and instinctively raised both hands so that they could see i come in peace kemososbbi.....I asked where the entrance was and or if the memorial was closed.....i was assured it was not and was directed to Greenwhich street....before i walked away i realized where i was....so i walked closer to the barrier and paused by the Footprint.....the northeast Corner of Tower 1.......my desk was 16 feet from the northern Wall of the building and pressed against the glass of the eastern window......13 lucky floors above the plaza.....and the global sphere statue that i stared at every single day i worked there......the sphere that was a meeting place for millions........a lunch spot for thousands daily....and ultimately a burial ground for too many........i decided it was time to go in and pause by the name of Tommy Dowd (whom i did not know, but i have his memorial t-shirt) his name ironically is exactly where i said my desk would have been ( hard to imagine or make that up, just some more weird scenes inside the goldmine)....but as i came to the entrance of the Museum and Plaza i found it too was still closed.......I waved down the Aunt Jemima security guard and told her i wasn't going to the Museum ( who the fuck would ever go below ground here ? not me, never again) I was just wanting to walk around the open air plaza memorial and pay my respects in silence, to ask God again to help me make good use of this borrowed time i was living on....to remember some of the friends that died there for no fucking reason........she didn't even answer....just pointed at the sign that said the PLAZA did not open until 12 NOON.........i could go on for hours about why this was wrong or the anger i felt, but i don't think i have to......it speaks for itself...........

as for me ? i walked to Trinity church and stood along the back wall on Trinity Place-Church Street......10:00 a.m. and barely a soul in sight.....i met my drinking companion wand we bought some tall boys and walked through battery park , killing time in the crystal city until the Killarney Rose opened..(i'll post a different time about my long and winding road of drinking in the Killarney Rose for seriously as long as i can remember...i hope she survives this pandemic, when she goes she will take a mountain of memories into the sea with her) ...and that's where we spent the day , quenching our thirst and resting our bones with nary a mention of the memorial being closed.....and that too is what 2020 has become......we block things out, we move things to the back burner , you can't move forward if you are obsessed with looking back.......but we never really forget.....it's always there , just a smidge below the surface.

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?

all life folds

 back into the sea.......warren zevon and the indifference of heaven.....sure seems that in 2020 everything is fleeting and or meaningless, i'm reminded of bob dylan and a lyric i have quoted too many times....i used to care, but things have changed......and so yesterday towards the end of another deja vu day came word that Eddie Van Halen had passed away at the unfathomable age of 65.....seriously how could this happen ? i mean say what you want about van halen, but it was impossible NOT to like Eddie.....an incredible guitarist and he married Americ'a real sweetheart ( at least the one from my generation) Valerie Bertinelli....he had the hairstyle and was the best Rock guitarisrt of the late 70's early 80's..........as i sat in the yard listening to diver down and downing a few dozen beers came word that Johnny Nash had passed away at 80 in Houston.......maybe he died of sadness after realizing he lived in Houston ( not sure).....but what can't be denied is the incredible optimism from his biggest hit ..."I can see clearly now" and the defiant way with which he sang it....I remember seeing his name on the liner notes of one of my Bob Marley & the Wailer albums and wondering if it was the same guy ( no internet back then)....well it was .....he was one of the few American Born singers to be a part of the Kingston music scene.....he befriended and signed Bob, Peter Tosh and Rita Marley to recording deals  ......that impact alone on me personally and the world at large demands a pause.................anyway....i suppose it is just another day in the pandemic era....tomorrow we put on an optimistic pair of glasses like Johnny Nash.....we mimic the Defiant President and his Victory over China Flu....and we channel our inner Rock Star like Eddie Van Halen and drink Cold Beer in whats' left of the worlds greatest city.....i hope these two songs are playing on the loop inside my head.

I can see you, don't know which way to turn
But the sun still shines
Don't you know that you can dance with me
Anytime?   ( Van Halen - Little Guitars)

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day (Johnny Nash)

we think we know what we're doing

 it don't mean a thing,

it's all in the past now,

MONEY changes everything. ( Cyndi Lauper)

out of an abundance of caution and few more almighty sheckles the world of sports have sold its soul to the "highest " bidder.......hypocrisy itself has never even dreamt anything as hypocritical as collegiate and professional sports....

The Big Ten climbed onto its soapbox in early August to announce they were postponing Fall sports until the springtime because the health and well being of their students and student athletes was paramount....take that SEC.

The PAC-12 , not to be outdone; said hold my beer.....we cancel fall sports entirely because we are even MORE WOKE than you.....high fives in the boardroom....we are so liberal we make AOC blush.

The ACC - SEC and most smaller conferences said.....um...okay....but we are playing........Notre Dame now without any opponents on its schedule decided to play an ALL ACC conf schedule (with the exception of a USF exhibition game... how convenient).

without much fanfare and or TV cameras onhand , the Big Ten and Pac-12 $$$quietly $$$ reversed course and decided to play fall FOOTBALL....did we get a vaccine ?   are football players now immune to china flu ???  or did the intoxicating smell of Greenbacks lure these Principled, Noble Conferences to their knees ?

the nfl ....winner winner chicken dinner........when the 3-0 Titans ( scheduled to play the 3-0 Steelers Sunday at 1:00) suddenly had initially 3 cases of Wuhan Flu....the league....out of an abundance of caution.....was willing to postpone the marquee matchup 36 hours to play on N$ation$l TV on monday night.......because the xi ping virus only lasts a day or two.......then 16 Titans tested positive on Friday.....dratts.....the game HAD to be postponed 3 weeks.......luckily though Cam Newton (of the beloved ratings Patriots) tested positive....and Jackpot...they are slated to play Super Bowl Champs KC Chiefs.....so out of an abundance of blah, blah, blah....the games will be played on Monday or Tuesday Night....depending on which sitcom or reality tv show has the worst ratings and will be bumped for this Exciting Game.......guaranteed Roger PSL Godell has quietly advised both teams to put a lid on new tests until after the Neilsen rating have been counted....

She say, "Money, honey", I'd rob a bank, I just load my gun and mosey down to the bank.

Knockin' off my neighborhood savings and loan,To keep my sweet chiquita in eau de cologne. ( Barlow-Weir)

**happy belated birthday to John Perry Barlow**

it's been so long since ive been gone

 Another day might be too long for me

Traveling around I've had my fill

Of broken dreams and dirty deals

A concrete jungle surrounding me

Many nights I've slept out in the streets

I paid my dues and I changed my style

Seen hard times, all over now   ( Allan Collins - Ronnie Van Zandt)

it's interesting how some things come full circle......September was once my favorite month....now it's just a painful 30 days of morbid reminders, death anniversaries and tragedies......even the world of sports has robbed me of the joy i used to have ...the nfl, college football, the baseball pennant races have all betrayed us.....i watch....but mainly root for injuries and failure.

How many magical September nights i spent in the Molly Wee , then walking over to the Worlds' most famous arena to see the Grateful Dead, year after year after year....3 night, 6 night and even 10 night runs at MSG.....sometimes taking a weeks vacation and seeing the Dead  6 nights in 7 days....demolishing Brain cells along the way....and now Bob Weir takes to Instagram and Facebook to attack the President of the United Sates and try to influence Deadhaeds to support socialism.......Jerry would be dissapointed, i saw the Dead over 40 years and never felt ostracized because of my politics, profession, race or religion....but sadly that too is vanishing.

next Thursday i plan to return to lower Manhattan for the first time since early March ...not to work....but to drink In Jeremy's and Stone Street, The Killarney Rose too.....but i would be lying if i didnt admit to being very apprehensive.....not for my safety...not because of China Flu....but because i am afraid of what has become of an area i loved with all my heart all my life.....the days of coming of age and working and living and being a contributing member to life in the Center of the Financial world.....i'm bracing myself to be disappointed .....the days after 9/11 were devastating .....the days after Sandy were heartbreaking....but there was never any doubt we would rebuild, bounce back and thrive again.......2020 ? i'm doubtful.

I miss old friends that I once had
Times ain't changed and I'll be glad when I go home

Censorship 101

 All the networks are showing the same feed from the museum.....the TAPED recording of the names.....( cuomo , deblasio, Biden and Bloomberg) no live feed from Tunnels to Towers in Zuccotti Park.........I fucking give up......

The last good morning sunrise

 Will be the brightest you’ve ever seen (Peter Rowan)

I woke in the middle of the night Tuesday and my alarm clock was shining an incredibly bright light.....no music.....it wasn’t time yet.....but for some strange reason it lit up......as I lay awake staring at the ceiling I couldn’t help but think about the brightest, most frightening light I ever saw ( I’m thinking now after all these years that certain things lie just below the surface of conciuosness......they never really are behind us, always lurking, and are brought to the surface when necessary)........I had literally just escaped from the World Trade Center.....and crossed West Street... was wth Kevin Mondo Monahan....we stopped at the Chase Bank in front of/across the street from 200 Liberty St.....I was trembling and doubled over catching my breath.... I pointed to Wolfhounds ( a bar on the ground floor of 200) and I told Mondo we would go in for a drink as soon as they opened .....the first plane hit at 8:46......the second plane 9:03......I wasn’t looking at my watch but I now realize I crossed West Street at 9:02......the words we’re still coming out of my mouth when I was frozen by an incredible ROAR......the loudest noise I ever heard before or since......it felt like an eternity.....it seemed to be getting louder.....people on the streets were freaking out .......and collectively we instinctively looked upward between on South End Ave to the bluest sky of them all......and as my ears hurt from the roaring engines, my stomach was in my throat and I saw the SUN reflecting off the nose of a silver Jet Plane as it crossed West Street and slammed into the South Tower , WTC 2.........of all the horrible things I saw and experienced that Day......that reflected light and the realization of what it was as the Brain processed it.....well that was probably the worst few seconds of my life.

LEGEND

 that word gets tossed around too easily these days......modern day athletes that serve as an inspiration or role model both on and OFF the field are few and far between......those that can excel at the pinnacle of their sport and still manage to stay out of the negative spotlight of being arrested, having an affair, fathering a child out of wedlock, making embarrassing public statements or supporting subversive causes...well they practically do not exist. We have all rooted for a Great Athlete at one time or another and sadly most of them have also let us down at one time or another.....not on the field, but in life.

George Thomas "Tom Terrific" Seaver was my first sports hero in my childhood.

Tom Seaver never let me down on the mound or in the press, despite that slimeball, turncoat Dick Youngs attempts to discredit him.

Tom Seaver was a great pitcher and a great role model and a great man.

Thanks Tom.....i hope your dementia has left your brain.......I hope you are permitted to look down on this earth and see and hear all the tributes that are coming your way.

summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

Wake me up when September ends ( Billie Joe Armstrong)

summer flew by in the wink of a 30 pack.....seems like just 5 months ago i was drinking beer on the train without too much of a care in the world, and looking back on my days of working remote and quaratini's at home, i am hard pressed to recall a day that i did NOT Imbibe......but there were some close calls.

One random tuesday i last until 4:45 P.M. without so much as a drop.......it was a brutally hot  afternoon but i was safe in the frozen confines of my AC.....and suddenly the power went out.......I sprang into action......i had 3 bags of ice in the Meat freezer and so i began emptying the beer friedge and packed two full coolers of beer.......and then iced them both down.....preparing for a long hot night.......the power came back at 5:30......and so we sat in the yard and put a big dent in that cooler of beer....not wanting my $1.99 ice to die in vain.

Another day early into exile.....a raw late March / early April cold rainy day.....working away and listening to the stereo......a Shillelagh Law song came on.....singing about whiskey......and i standing with a bar behind me housing a multitude of Jamesons bottles....had to jump right in.

there was the day i lasted well past lunch and suddenly news broke that the Great Charlie Daniels had passed away.....well his CD's were now stacked by the stereo and by the end of the first song I was "sittin on a barstool, acting like a darn fool".....that was a long night.

And just the other day i again managed to get through 11:30 lunch without so much as a drop of booze.....and i was reviewing an account for work on my computer and the clients last name was SELTZER.....no joke......within seconds i had a pint glass of ice and was pouring a White Klaw...

one of these days I will actually abstain from drinking for 24 hours......but not today....all this reminiscing has made me thirsty....

while the dolphins swim in the sea

 You're going grey, my baby

Still the war is waging endlessly

Day after day, day after day  ( c. Hynde /pretenders)

i'm growing tired pointing out the hypocrisy of this world....but this one is too rich to ignore.

the Big-10 football conference jumped on the woke wagon and smugly cancelled ALL fall sports until maybe the spring. the threat of Coronavirus and the SAFETY of their Student Bodies was most important. the Pac 10 followed immediately with a hold-my-beer statement of their own.

SEC and ACC did not cancel their fall sports.

Suddenly the big-10 football players started stating that they would NOT play in the spring because it was too close to the NFL draft , and they started asking to be released from their commitments so that they could transfer to a school that WAS playing in the fall. Suddenly a big-10 spring season was starting to resemble a JV game with all the best players and seniors opting out.....certainly ABC/ESPN/FOX  saw diminished ratings and wanted a discount........so the Big-10 began having discussions about a January start......and yesterday they floated a Thanksgiving start..........now this one intrigued me.......because most of the colleges started the fall semester a few weeks early in the hopes of wrapping up and shutting down for the winter at ....THANKSGIVING.............so i'm left to wonder.....will rutgers and the other schools open the dorms for the athletes only ? ( while the rest of the school is on winter break) will the football programs be housed in Hotels for the season ?

lost of questions to be answered......most notably.....what has changed since the big announcement that the season was being pushed to the spring ? did Fauci say it's now safe to go back to school ? did the scientists change their minds ? are all students and ALL sports being reinstated ? 

here is a quote from Barry Alvarez

"It may be a little earlier, but around January," Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, a leading member of the return to play task force, told ESPN earlier this week. "We may try to start earlier. We're talking to all of the TV people, trying to get all of the information and see what fits. We still have to go through our chancellors and presidents to OK it."

not so much as a fake concern about the health of the players and staff and other students.....let's just talk to all of the TV people.