WOE IS SYRACUSE

Immigration, Ferguson, Ebola, bocce, nudity…..all take a back seat to the Syracuse basketball story. I mentioned recently I was concerned about this year’s basketball team. Concern being a rare occurrence. It has been many years since Syracuse has had a team not up to snuff. This may be the season.

I watched the Syracuse/California game last night. Not since Pearl Washington’s days have I seen  a Syracuse team that had neither a defense nor offense. The fabled Syracuse zone was not working. California was penetrating at will. As to the offense, there was none. Most of the time, Syracuse looked like a bunch of guys playing pick up ball. Everyone shooting. Shots forced. The ball not going in the hole.

Can Boeheim weave the team together? I think not. The talent is there. If he does, it will be the miracle of miracles.

The Syracuse basketball team is my team. Right or wrong. Good or bad. I am with them to the bitter end!

I spent much of yesterday writing next week’s KONK Life column. Why Decapitation. The story of what is behind the ISIS beheadings.

I only stayed for the first bocce game last night. I left early to watch the Syracuse/California game. We won the first game 16-15. A squeaker. Tom is back from New Jersey. He won the game for us. His last shot a bocce one. The opposing team could not knock the shot out.

My cell phone is dead. I do not know how we fared in the next two games.

Last evening was the last night of the season. Playoffs are saturday. We were on the bubble to make the playoffs. I do not know how we and the other teams on the bubble fared.

I am excited about tonight. I cannot wait. I will be attending an evening of Cole Porter music at the Waterfront Playhouse. Porter’s music thrills me.

Jenna is joining me. We will probably have dinner first at the Hot Tin Roof.

The President has spoken. An executive order is forthcoming re immigration. I think he was correct in doing what he did.

What concerns me is how off the track the Republicans are. Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma was one of the worst. I have always admired Coburn. Yesterday, he had it wrong however. He said on television before Obama’s talk that what the President was going to do would cause or was anarchy and that violence could result. Violence by the people.

I think some Republicans sit in a small smoked filled room with their glasses of bourbon in hand beating the drums about what a bad person Obama is. They do it so much, they start believing themselves. Lunacy.

Gail Collins, the syndicated writer for the New York Times, had an interesting observation in a recent column. It had to do with Republicans and Democrats. I do not share it with you in that vein. I share the following as an odd ball happening in today’s world.

Collins reported that a recent South African study revealed an off the wall happening in the Antarctic. Fur seals are having sex with penguins.

I wonder if someone will blame this relatively new development on global warming.

Enjoy your day!

 

SOME PEOPLE KNOW EVERYTHING

The cold spell leaves today. The temperature will be 77.

I feel sorry for my friends up north. Especially in the Buffalo area. Tom Dixon, who I mentioned yesterday, actually lives to the south of Buffalo. He is in the middle of it all. News reports say 4-5 feet of snow yesterday. Could be as much as 3 feet more today.

I lived with snow for 71 years. I miss it not!

The title to today’s blog is not meant for Patrick. Though it could apply. Rather, I am referring to Harry Bethel. Bethel is the leader of the pack regarding nudity and Fantasy Fest. He has taken to the task with fervor. His right.

I was reading this week’s Keynoter last night. There was an article on the Fantasy Fest nudity/sex issue. The article stated that Bethel admitted he had never attended a Fantasy Fest. A blind man leading the dissidents.

Had dinner last night at Tavern ‘n Town. Packed, as usual. There was an empty seat next to me. A gentleman took it. We ended up conversing. His company most enjoyable. His name Elias Gerth.

Gerth is a local physician. His speciality internal medicine. His office is on Flagler near Government Road.

I look forward to running into him again.

On the way out after dinner, I saw Allan Wimer and Robin Weiss. To know them is to love them. We hugged, kissed and chatted.  I see them both not often enough.

Jake has become a Key West icon in his own right. I thank the many who have e-mailed with concern for Jake and the medical attention he is receiving. Lisa reports this morning that Jake appears ok. However, he is medicated. He was sick during the night.

Jake is a fortunate animal. He has Lisa and the family. Others are concerned. Jake is loved. More than loved, Jake is lucky. He was adopted from the animal shelter about 1 1/2 years ago. Jake might have ended up being put to sleep if Lisa and the family had not discovered him. It may have been Jake who discovered them. His face says it all. He is adorable and lovable.

Syracuse basketball tonight! Syracuse plays California. The game is in Madison Square Garden. The first round in a pre-season tournament. Syracuse is favored by 5 points.

Madison Square Garden is no stranger to Syracuse. When in the Big East, many games were played there. Season and post season. I rarely missed the Big East Tournament. St. John was always a big game. I used to schedule my New York City work so I could be overnight in the City when Syracuse played St. John in the Garden.

All Garden games were exciting. It was the flavor of the place. The home of big time basketball.

In addition to the Syracuse game, there are two other biggies this evening. The President speaks at 8 re immigration. I will miss his speech. I will be playing bocce. I will leave bocce early to get home to watch the Syracuse game which begins at 9. The President I will see in one of the reruns which will be on television all night.

Let me close with Ferguson.

Both sides are getting ready for the anticipated storm. The governor already has called in the national guard. The protesters  are not standing idly by. All over the St. Louis area they are staging dry runs on how to face the police.

Nothing good can come from all this.

Enjoy your day!