Month: May 2017

Random Thoughts from Kismet on Fire Island.

For a few reasons, tomorrow is the most important Holiday in the United States.  Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May and was formerly known as Decoration Day.  Memorial Day commemorates all men and women who have died in military service for the United States.  If you have a flag, please honor our fallen veterans and fly your flag; if you don’t have one please go buy one.

Another home match for Atlanta United later today.  Player personnel decisions come into play soon as Josef Martinez will return from injury and Brad Guzan joins United in July.  It is going to be interesting to see what starter gets benched and what Tata Martino and Carlos Bocanegra decide to do with starting goalkeeper Alec Kann.

A big dilemma for all of us.  Public venues around the world spend millions of dollars on security to ensure their customers and fans are protected during an event.  Pat-downs and metal detectors, as well as bag checks are now common place.  So while the interior of a stadium or arena may be relatively safe, the exterior of these types of venues are vulnerable to the sick bastards who think they are representing ISIS or other terrorist groups.  I don’t have an answer for this problem but I hope that the world’s security specialists can figure this out soon.

Last week I paid tribute to one of my favorite guitarists, Jimi Hendrix.  Similar to Hendrix, Gregg Allman’s magical keyboard mixed his influential music with blues and rock, along with the ‘jam-band’ sound (think Widespread Panic).  Along with his brother, Duane, and awesome guitarist Dickie Betts, Gregg Allman made The Allman Brothers great.  He will be missed.

Some soccer pundits lambasted Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho for electing to dial down his team’s efforts to stay atop the Premier League standings.  He instead decided to focus his team’s resources on the Europa competition, and for good reason.  He figured out, based on the remaining league matches, that ManU would only have a nominal chance of securing a fourth-place finish.  So he threw down the dice and decided that the better path to qualifying for the Champions League was to win the Europa League.  Wednesday night in Stockholm, ManU beat Ajax and Mourinho’s goal was achieved.  You may not like his arrogant personality but you have to respect his decision-making.  To ManU, the affect of not making next year’s Champions League may have resulted in revenue shortfalls of up to $40m.

Salute our veterans and have a Funday Sunday.  

 

Let Jimi Take Over.  I Don’t Usually Rant.

Bi-partisan is the best way to explain it.  My neighborhood was diverse and very sports-minded with music always being the equalizer.  Outside my home my neighborhood friends always had music playing, mostly pop/Top 10 with occasional Latin or Caribbean tunes in the background.  At home was a different story as my brother thought our 9′ x 10′ bedroom was actually Red Rocks with the Marantz stereo on volume level 9 of 10.  His music was not pop or top ten.   Think Ten Years After, Ravi Shankar, the Stones, Uriah Heep, Traffic, and Jimi Hendrix.   It was always interesting to leave my bedroom tone deaf only to go outside and hang out with my neighborhood friends listening and dancing to The Jackson Five.  Speaking of Jimi Hendrix, I watched the 2013 movie, All Is By My Side,  the other night.  The movie walks you through Hendrix’s life after he goes to London in 1966 and is discovered playing in small clubs by Keith Richards’ girlfriend.  His guitar playing was different as he strung his Stratocaster backwards and played left-handed.  Talented and bold, Hendrix passed away from a drug overdose in 1970 at the age of 27.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as “the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music”.   With all due respect to Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Joe Satriani, and David Gilmour, Jimi Hendrix, in my opinion, was the most talented and influential guitarists, with the uncanny ability to create and execute incredibly difficult stereophonic sounds using feedback, distortion, and the infamous wah-wah pedal. If you have no recollection of Hendrix, YouTube the version of the National Anthem he performed at Woodstock in 1969….it is incredible.  No telling what his career would have been like if, like many others, drugs did not get in his way.

Random Thoughts:

As expected, the delays in opening Mercedes Benz Stadium places Atlanta United in a tough spot as they will now play seven games in the month of September.  It is what it is, so Tata Martino will have his hands full staying in the playoff race with so many games in a very short period of time.  Master of the obvious:  depth throughout the summer heading into September is paramount to United’s success.  BTW:  last night’s win at a sold out Bobby Dodd Stadium was excellent.  We all like when Miguel Almiron imposes his will.

I realize China uses North Korea as leverage but enough is enough.  It is time to send Kim Jong-un a strong message as again he authorized the firing of a ballistic missile.  C’mon man!!

This is Marietta-concentric but has anyone driven up Johnson Ferry Road lately?  Are there no covenants and restrictions for commercial construction and the way buildings look on this ridiculously congested corridor?  No need for me to call out the businesses I am referring to but there is some ugly stuff just south and further north of Lower Roswell Road.  Shameful.

I have received some feedback lately regarding content.  While I appreciate and read all comments, I will repeat that my blog will not cover or comment on the topics of politics and religion.  There are many blogs that cover these topics. Not mine.

Adios and Have a Funday Sunday!

 

 

 

 

 

Laptop Checked? Music and Art on the Waterfront.  Always Ready.

It looks like international flights back into the U.S. will get a bit more quiet with many airlines starting to restrict what devices can be brought on board.  The days of using your laptop on those long trips back to the States may be over as all devices other than a mobile phone will need to be checked.  Maybe this will open up a market for very large mobile phones and foldable keyboards that can sync with your mobile?  The damage claims for luggage will increase as there are bound to be thousands of laptops broken and busted while bouncing around in your luggage.  Like most people I always carry on my bags but this new rule, after a long flight back to the States, will again put many of us at baggage claim to collect our bag with our laptop.  Not good but I hope this security measure has very positive results.

As a Florida native I never considered downtown West Palm Beach as a fun destination spot.  Not when you can have a night out in Ft. Lauderdale, Delray Beach or St. Petersburg.  My mindset quickly changed last weekend as I took in SunFest 2017, Florida’s largest waterfront music and art festival.  I was there for three days of the five-day festival which is located  in downtown West Palm Beach.  Set up along a waterfront park, the three stages allowed for 50 bands with a wide variety of music…including Ziggy Marley, Widespread Panic, Blink 182, Flo Rida and Steve Winwood.  Like many coastal cities in Florida, West Palm Beach is on fire with new mixed-use developments and fun restaurant/bars.  Great experience so take a look at SunFest 2018 for a great long weekend.

My casual boat ride on a very fast boat on the intracoastal waterway was unexpectedly delayed last week.  Why?  The U.S. Coast Guard, in one of their incredibly quick fast-boats, decided to board our boat.  You are familiar with their boat, the same one we always watched on Baywatch, with it’s aluminum and raft-type structure, 800 hp engines (two) and the two imposing .50 caliber machine guns.  In peacetime, the Coast Guard is under the guise of Homeland Security so many of their stop and boards are done to look for illegal drugs and weapons.  These guys had it easy last week with beautiful weather and calm seas but their job changes quickly in pursuit of drug runners or on a search and rescue mission.  Though it was a bit weird that of all boats they stopped us, it made me think how important their service is to protecting us and our boarders.  Semper Paratus is the Coast Guard’s slogan and for very good reasons.

To all of you moms:  Have a Great Mother’s Day!!  Adios and Have a Funday Sunday!!

 

 

 

 

Updates and Thoughts For The Start of Month Five 2017.

North Korea now is warning China to back off.  China is posturing and uses the North Korea dilemma to leverage trade and tariffs with the United States.  With that said, China has the world’s largest military, estimated at 2.3 million.  China borders North Korea so maybe we will all live long enough to see China turn North Korea into Southeast China?

Word has it that more than one worldwide sports agency is already preparing offers to sign Serena’s baby to a contract.

I received feedback regarding last week’s comments about parents and their children using their tablets and phones at restaurants.  Some feedback was positive so I will also add that the same holds true for parents who let their children leave the table to ‘play’ and run around the restaurant as if they were in a playground.  And again, you know exactly what I am referring to…..absolutely unacceptable.

Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue last week regarding his newborn son was an unreal watch.  Heartfelt and touching to say the least.

Racism unfortunately affects us all and with social media is well- publicized when it happens at worldwide sporting events.  Now we get more of it last week at Boston’s Fenway Park with a few fans yelling racial slurs at a Baltimore Orioles’ outfielder.  Sick racial behavior should be dealt with by prohibiting those spectators from attending any future games…..forever.  Time to send a message of no tolerance.

I mentioned ‘cord-cutters’ many blogs ago.  Last week, Dish reported a loss of 143,000 subscribers during the 1st quarter of 2017…..compared to a decline of 23,000 in Q1 of 2016.  Cord-cutting, who would have thought?

A duty to Queen and Country:  Prince Philip, the 95-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II, will step back from his royal duties.  Yes, he is 95 and now has decided to dial it back a bit.  We know who the sheriff is in that palace.

Adios and have a Funday Sunday!!