Daily Bloggings 6/30/10

I don't like going to a barbershop or salon for a haircut....so I go to a private residence to have it done. Costs a little more, but its worth it. Besides, there is less and less to cut these days.

How can the Chicago Cubs with a $140 million payroll struggle with the Pittsburgh Pirates? It is time to clean house.

Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan came out with possibly the funniest line ever in the history of confirmation hearings yesterday when responding to Rep. Lindsay Graham's question about where she is on Christmas Day. Her response, "Like most Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant." Good stuff....but she ain't no Sarah Palin.

Dow down almost 300 points again = the retirement I will never be able to afford is pushed back another year.

A dollop of black Beluga caviar on a crust of baguette with a touch of creme fraiche and red onion is a taste sensation that I will treat myself to once per year. Don't forget the ice cold Absolut martini with blue cheese stuffed olives!

Skoal!

Daily Bloggings 6/28/10

Phillies bats are as hot as the temperature....

Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, PA put on a Member-Guest tournament that was second to none this past week. I played lousy in it, but still had a wonderful time with my host Don Eichman of Alcom Printing.

How are all these expensive restaurants PACKED in a recession? Couldn't get a table at the Capital Grille until 8:45 (had a gift card).

It's almost time for NFL training camp! Oh god how I miss it...

I check the cash/credit price at the gas pump and will risk running on fumes to find the best deal.

See ya....

Daily Bloggings 6/24/10

Sizzling thoughts.....

I'm not an Obama fan, but he is the President of the United States and was right to relieve General McChrystal from command for his comments.

The NEW 76's era begins tonight when they select Evan Turner from Ohio State.

Take some thick eggplant, zucchini, and white onion slices.....brush them with olive oil and dust them with garlic salt.....and then put them on the grill. Outrageously good!

Welcome back Jimmy Rollins!

I wish I could get into the World Cup with the USA playing so well.

Keep it in the shade.....

Apologies....

Sorry for the blog lapse.....been sooooo busy.

Thanks to all who participated in the 2nd annual Leo P Roselli golf tournament this past Monday at Burlington Country Club in Mt. Holly, NJ. We had 96 golfers and raised $ for a college fund for Leo's two young boys.

It's golf week! Thoroughly enjoyed playing in Dick Vermeil's golf outing in Phoenixville, PA yesterday and reacquainting myself with old teammates Harold Carmichael, Bill Bergey, John Bunting, Scott Fitzkee, and several others. Can't quite figure out why they are getting older while I remain exactly the same!

Best summer thirst quenchers.....ice cold Corona with lime, vodka and grapefruit juice, Mike's Hard Lemonade.

Tiger Woods didn't like the greens at Pebble Beach....poor Tiger.

Stay cool.....

Daily Bloggings 6/18/2010

Nuggets......

A Texas congressman apologizing to BP?? NO NO NO

Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick shut down the Yankees in Yankee Stadium?? Thats why they play the games.

By the time I pay my homeowners insurance, car insurance, health insurance, and life insurance premiums.....there is not much left to insure.

I had one more birdie yesterday than both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson!

Later.....

Daily Bloggings 6/17/10

Nuggets.....

A Five Guys Cheeseburger with onion and jalapeno is sublime. Add the mountain of crunchy fries with it and you have a lunch that is tough to beat.

The US Open begins today......look for Phil Mickleson and Jim Furyk to contend....and don't be surprised if the ageless Tom Watson recaptures some magic at Pebble Beach.

Sat down with Eagles announcer Merrill Reese recently and interviewed him for the upcoming issue of Jersey Man magazine premiering this fall. A fascinating exchange with a Philadelphia icon.

Say what you want about Lakers Coach Phil Jackson having the best players....if he wins his eleventh NBA championship he gets my vote as the best coach in professional basketball history.

Adios.....

Daily Bloggings 6/15/2010

ITEMS.....

I've got a feeling the way Doc Rivers has the Celtics competing and playing defense that they will steal one in LA and become NBA Champions.

President Barack Obama's statement that he's "confident" the gulf region will be back better than it was is certainly a reach. "Hopeful" would have been a more appropriate choice of words. This situation is getting uglier by the hour and may have a permanent effect on the worlds eco-system.

I'm sure the Phillies ticked off the schedule maker when it comes to interleague play. Boston twice and at the Yankees?? Tough deal.

Finally saw Crazy Heart over the weekend on pay per view and I can now see why Jeff Bridges won the Oscar for Best Actor. His portrayal of Bad Blake (who reminded me eerily of Waylon Jennings) was a classic and is a must see for anyone who likes country music....or even if you don't.

Peace out.....

Daily Bloggings 6/12/2010

Just back from a mini-vacation in Sea Isle City, NJ and saw the incredible Utz potato chip mansion in Stone Harbor. Somebody get me a potato slicer and deep fryer quick!

Had a great time speaking at the Medford NJ Rotary Club and promoting my book, An Improbable Journey.

Next UFC main event.....Lou Piniella vs Steve Stone

Those horns being blown continuously during World Cup games give me added incentive not to watch.

For some odd reason it strikes me as a parent that letting a sixteen year old sail around the world alone is not a good idea.

Enjoy the weekend.

IT WAS TIME

The clock can finally rest.

That yellowing, dial faced clock that was hoisted atop the scoreboard in the old Chicago Stadium can tick off its final seconds and sleep forever more.

It can be joined by the memories of Bobby and Dennis Hull, Stan Mikita, Eric Nesterenko, Lou Angotti, Pit Martin, Doug Wilson, Keith Magnuson, Whitey Stapleton, Glenn Hall, and Tony Esposito in a slumber 49 years in the making.

It’s never easy for Chicago. We were agonized for a few final seconds as the winning puck disappeared from sight. Thoughts of Steve Bartman were dancing in our heads as we pondered how fate would deny the Windy City another championship. Only the reaction of Patrick Kane gave us the exhilaration that the team and the city have waited so long for.

So thank you to Antti Niemi, Johnathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and the rest of this outstanding team for letting a half century of insomnia pass. And let the organ sound one more triumphant blast.

The clock is still, and chief’s wry smile on the greatest jersey in sports is just a bit broader tonight.

The Chicago Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup.

Daily Bloggings 6/9/2010

Morsels-

Had a great time at the Eagles Fly for Leukemia golf tournament and dinner recently and chatted with current Eagles Winston Justice, Quinten Demps, and Leonard Weaver. All quality individuals that came out for a worthy cause.

Hawks/Flyers tonight for game 6.....let's get ready to rumble!

Did you see the Washington Nationals rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg pitch in his debut last night? 101 mph fastball and a curve that drops 3 feet.....no thanks.

Derek Fisher of the Lakers played superbly against the Celtics last night and then actually teared up in the post game interview telling ABC's Doris Burke how much the game meant to him. A refreshing change from the image of the current professional athlete who is more interested in his paycheck than anything else.

Nurse Jackie on Showtime is an interesting show and Edie Falco is one great actress.

Later......

Daily Bloggings 6/8/2010

Stuff....

Joran van der Sloot = scumbag

I'm wondering why I still pay for a home phone line. I never make outgoing calls on it....and the only incoming calls are from telemarketers.

This gulf oil spill is incredibly sad and frustrating. C'mon, lets figure this thing out and get it capped!

Helen Thomas, the matriarch of journalism dating back to the Kennedy administration, made a faux pas regarding Israel and has been forced to resign. Although I admire her length of service, her liberal slant in recent years had made her cross the line one too many times, especially during the second Bush administration.

I hate standing in line...for anything.

Vicious cycle....States subsidize new casinos and lotteries for revenue, folks lose all their money at the casino and buying lottery tickets, state and federal government have to subsidize the indigent. Seems silly to me.

I realize she's corny, but Kathi Lee Gifford is one good looking woman for her age.

I'm out.....

Daily Bloggings 6/7/2010

Thoughts:

Does anyone else get fatigued with the "after market" sales techniques when you buy an appliance or automobile? Offering 1,3 and 5 year warranties on a product that SHOULD last that long anyway. 99% of the time my answer is no no no.

The Blackhawks came to play and have a 3-2 lead over the Flyers in the best of 7 Stanley Cup final. Seeing Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and Tony Esposito in the luxury box watching the games is ultra cool.

Raisin Bran crunch is the best cereal.

Dieting at my age is next to impossible. The diagnosis from the doc is that I'm going to live....morbidly plump.

79 and sunny today...enjoy.

Daily Bloggings 6/5/10

A TRIBUTE TO GREATNESS.....REST IN PEACE COACH WOODEN.

The life lessons taught by John Wooden have become legend. Here's a collection of some of the greatest "Woodenisms."

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

"Never mistake activity for achievement."

"Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then."

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

"Be prepared and be honest."

"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."

"What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player."

"Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character."

"A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment."

"I'd rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent."

"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"

"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes."

"It isn't what you do, but how you do it."

"Ability is a poor man's wealth."

"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be."

"Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights."

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."

"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability."

"It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it."

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen."

"Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful."

"The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team."

"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."

"Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts."

Daily Bloggings 6/4/10

Tidbits:

The blown call by Jim Joyce Wednesday night in the near perfect game by Tiger's pitcher Armando Galarraga was atrocious. But the forgiving reaction by the Detroit pitcher and the emotional meeting at home plate between them the following day was pretty special. To err is human....

I just put an HDMI cable on my HDTV and the results are incredible!

Won't rush to judgment on Joren van der Sloot, but this is too much of a coincidence. If you were a lawyer would YOU represent this guy?

How good is Kobe Bryant?

Try the new pretzel cheesesteak at the Philly Soft Pretzel Factory....delicious!

Peace.....

Daily Bloggings 6/3/2010

Items.....

Went to the David Akers fund raiser to help kids with cancer last night in Philadelphia.....he is a class act.

The 911 tape of Gary Coleman's wife refusing to help him because she doesn't want to get any of his blood "on her" is chilling. She ought to be arrested.

This Flyers/Blackhawks series is a classic. Round 3 goes to Philly.

The Louisiana oil spill gets worse and worse....kind of scary when you think of the short and long term ecological and financial impact on the gulf coast. With all the technology available these days you would think they could figure out a way to cap a leaking pipe.

Newsflash....the Cubs didn't lose last night! They were rained out.

Manyana!

Daily Bloggings 6/2/10

Stuff.....

If the World Cup is the most popular sporting event, why do so few Americans care...including me?

The HBO special on the late actor John Cazale (Fredo in The Godfather and Sal in Dog Day Afternoon) is spectacular and not to be missed.

The Big Ten wants to add more teams.....but keep the same name.

I just checked my IRA statement and my nest egg has a crack in it.

Meryl Streep is not only the preeminent actress of our time, she is a stunning example of grace, talent, and beauty. It confirms my theory that if you can get by a wrinkle or two, a middle aged woman can be an intoxication that youth can't compete with.

Have a great day......

Daily Bloggings 6/1/10

June is here.....

Iran is on the verge of a nuclear weapon and is ignoring the UN sanctions. The short term impact of this is that Israel is immediately threatened and will launch a preemptive strike once it feels it has no choice. This will affect world financial markets and create international instability. The long term effects are letting a maniacal muslim extremeist regime have the power to regale itself as a player and try to flex it's muscles over the region and the world. This is exactly why you CAN'T negotiate with wackos like Ahmadinejad. They only understand one language.

Two great games in the Stanley Cup Finals by BOTH teams. I give the Flyers alot of credit....they came to play against a very good Chicago team. It should be interesting as the series shifts to Philly.

Goodbye Dennis Hopper.....my favorite was his role as "Shooter", the alcoholic assistant coach in the movie "Hoosiers".

Someone needs to call PECO...the Phillies have lost their power and can't turn it back on.