Tom Faranda's Folly

Anniversary at Mike's German Deli

For Croton residents - everybody knows Mike and Annalee. Thanks to Maria for sending this to me.

Great picture(s) at the link!

A BIG EVERYTHING CROTON SHOUT-OUT TO MIKE AND ANNALEE BISCHOFF OF CROTON DELICATESSEN AND PASTRY--A.K.A. MIKE'S GERMAN DELI--one of Croton's original businesses. They recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary!

 

The Pope met with Kim Davis

The Kentucky County Clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses for same sex couples, and was jailed for five days. Yes, same sex marriage is legal, and yes the county should have made an accommodation without asking her to violate her conscience.

From Reuters, via Yahoo News -

Pope secretly met Kentucky clerk over gay marriage licenses

Pope Francis secretly met a Kentucky county clerk who was jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples and gave her words of encouragement, her attorney said.

******

The report of the meeting came after Francis largely avoided the contentious issue of same-sex marriage during his historic visit to the United States, where he addressed Congress, met with the homeless and urged the country to welcome immigrants.

The pope, speaking to reporters as he returned home from his 10-day trip to the U.S. and Cuba on Monday, said government officials had a "human right" to refuse to discharge a duty if they felt it violated their conscience.

Staver, whose client was jailed for five days in September for refusing to comply with a judge's order to issue the licenses in line with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, told CBS his team did not want to disclose the meeting until now to avoid interfering with the pope's broader message during his visit.

"Because we didn't want the pope's visit to be overshadowed with Kim Davis," Staver said in an interview on the network.

During the meeting, the pope told Davis to "stay strong", Staver said.

Davis, whose parents are Catholic, has said her beliefs as an Apostolic Christian prevent her from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Her church belongs to a Protestant movement known as Apostolic Pentecostalism.

Why the Dutch are the tallest people in the world.

From the BBC - seriously whimsical. Guess I should have eaten more cheese. 

The height of Dutch people has intrigued scientists for many years - it's been suggested that the Dutch growth spurt could also be down to genetics, better medical care and natural selection ...

The Dutch drink a lot of milk, eat a lot of cheese, and are now the tallest people in the world. Could there be a connection?

Earlier this year, a museum in Amsterdam was the scene of a terrible crime. Doing their rounds at the end of a busy day, curators were horrified to discover that one of their most prized exhibits - a small shiny object glittering with 220 diamonds - was missing. A security video showed two young men in baseball caps loitering near the display case, but the police had no other leads. The world's most expensive cheese slicer was gone.

In some countries, a theft from the national cheese museum might sound like the plot for an animated children's film. In the Netherlands, however, cheese is a serious business. For the Dutch, cheeses, milk, yoghurts and other dairy products are not only staple foods but national symbols, and the bedrock of a major export industry.

The Netherlands' love of all things dairy is largely a consequence of its unique geography. Four hundred years ago, much of the country lay under water, and much of the rest was swampy marshland. "The buttock of the world", was how one 17th-Century visitor described it, "full of veines and bloud, but no bones". Over the next few centuries though, the Dutch embarked on an extraordinary project to rebuild their country. Thousands of canals were dug, and bogs were drained by hundreds of water-pumping windmills.

Yankee numbers - for the aficionado

My brother Jim sent me this link - if you're REALLY into the NY Yankees.

The New York Yankees were the first team to begin regularly wearing uniform numbers. A tradition dating back to 1929. Other teams before 1929 tried putting numbers on their uniforms, but mostly on an experimental only basis, usually not lasting longer than a season or sometimes even past a few games. The Yankees were the first to implement uniform numbers and maintain the practice indefinitely.

This website attempts to make it easy to find who wore what numbers in what year since they began wearing numbers in 1929.  It's not 100% complete, so if there's any information you can help with, please feel free to contact me to fill in the blanks.

There's more to it then that - some historic data in the form of a quiz.

NY Daily News - the end?

Bleeding money - so bad nobody even wants to buy it for$1. I get the Daily News morning email of articles, and the emphasis is on gossipy junk.

Here are two articles from NY rivals the NY Times and the NY Post.

NYT: "The Daily News Layoffs and Digital Shift May Signal the Tabloid Era’s End"

For weeks the staff had known that layoffs might be coming, and when they did come, on Sept. 16, it was with the swiftness of a Soviet-era purge. Newsroom veterans were summoned into an office and told about a digitally driven corporate restructuring.

Those outside the building were told their fates by phone — some while on vacation. One reporter was so left in the dark that when she got to work that day, there was already an intern in her seat.

And -

NYP: "More Daily News layoffs as newsroom keeps bleeding"

Owner Mort Zuckerman’s henchmen, who on Wednesday decimated sports by laying off nine writers and columnists, went after business and features on Thursday. The business section, which had already been reduced to one page, will cease to exist after Friday.

In the past, the paper’s regular downsizings were referred to as “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.” No more.

“It’s now like it has been ripped in two like the Titanic just before it sank,” said one insider.

 

Planned Parenthood attacks Pope Francis

Which, of course, makes sense from their perspective.

Abortion giant Planned Parenthood is lashing out at the Pope, after he’s repeatedly spoken up for the right to life of the unborn during his visit to the United States.

In his address before the United Nations General Assembly Friday, Pope Francis condemned “the marketing of human organs and tissues,” a phrase that sounds remarkably similar to accusations against Planned Parenthood, after a series of undercover videos revealed that the organization was involved in the harvesting and sale of the body parts and organs of aborted fetuses.

The Pope also asserted the sacredness of every human life, including that of the unborn. A “fight against exclusion,” the Pope said demands “absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions.”

Building a common home of all men and women must rise on “the foundations of a right understanding of universal fraternity and respect for the sacredness of every human life,” Pope Francis said, which includes “the unborn.”

This “respect for the sacredness of every human life,” of every man and every woman, means defending “those considered disposable,” the Pope said.

 

Rugby World Cup: Scotland v. USA

As Scotland did against Japan, they came on in the second half

"The Honeymooners" turns 60!

Ahhh, an icon in the Faranda household of old.

From the NY Daily News - below is an interview with 90 year old Joyce Randolph - "Trixie". The photos came off The Honeymooners wikipedia and are in the public domain.

Last surviving ‘Honeymooners’ star remembers iconic show

The four stars — Gleason, Randolph, Audrey Meadows as Alice Kramden and Art Carney as Ed Norton — got the scripts 24 hours before the taping. Gleason, a control-freak who oversaw every aspect of the show, wouldn’t let the actors near the writers, so the scripts’ contents were always a surprise, Randolph said.

On Fridays, the whole cast would get just one rehearsal — Gleason retreated to his dressing room after a single dry run — before the taping in front of a live audience at 8 p.m.

“It was always stressful! We sort of did it like a play,” Randolph said.

The lack of preparation was all part of Gleason’s plan, Peter Crescenti, R.A.L.P.H.’s other co- president, told the Daily News.

“Gleason believed in live entertainment. He knew the value of a live audience laughing. He knew how powerful that kind of energy was. It was much more rewarding for a performer to be preforming in front of a live audience, than it was for them to talk to an empty studio,” he said.

Gleason kept his jokes top-secret: During that single rehearsal, the star would often talk around his lines instead of giving them directly. Only the actors and the writers knew exactly what would go down on stage Friday night.

“He wanted even the camera men to be laughing. Even the crew would be hearing the jokes for the first time,” he said.

Without rigorous rehearsal, goofs were inevitable. But that just added to the show’s charm, Crescenti said.

The four were great adlibbers. In one episode, when a friend knocked over a tray of cookies, Carney blurted out “leave it there, the cat will get it,” a quick improvisation that sent Gleason into a fit of laughter as he repeated the line to Meadows, whose sharp-tongued character scoffed at her blubbering husband.

A classic.

CNN: Planned Parenthood Supporter confronts Carly Fiorina

Good job Carly! "You need to get your facts straight ma'am..."

Pope Francis UN speech

A link to the text. I've excerpted some below the link. His main speech in New York, and perhaps for the whole time he's here. If you hit the link below the two pictures, it takes about 10-12 minutes for a careful read.

The pictures are by Brigid, who was at MSG for the Mass.

"The Pope gave a powerful, wide-ranging talk"

The work of the United Nations ... can be seen as the development and promotion of the rule of law, based on the realization that justice is an essential condition for achieving the ideal of universal fraternity. In this context, it is helpful to recall that the limitation of power is an idea implicit in the concept of law itself. To give to each his own, to cite the classic definition of justice, means that no human individual or group can consider itself absolute, permitted to bypass the dignity and the rights of other individuals or their social groupings. The effective distribution of power (political, economic, defense-related, technological, etc.) among a plurality of subjects, and the creation of a juridical system for regulating claims and interests, are one concrete way of limiting power. Yet today’s world presents us with many false rights and – at the same time – broad sectors which are vulnerable...

...it must be stated that a true “right of the environment” does exist, for two reasons. First, because we human beings are part of the environment. We live in communion with it, since the environment itself entails ethical limits which human activity must acknowledge and respect. Man, for all his remarkable gifts, which “are signs of a uniqueness which transcends the spheres of physics and biology” (Laudato Si’, 81), is at the same time a part of these spheres. ... Second, because every creature, particularly a living creature, has an intrinsic value, in its existence, its life, its beauty and its interdependence with other creatures. ...

The misuse and destruction of the environment are also accompanied by a relentless process of exclusion. In effect, a selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged, either because they are differently abled (handicapped), or because they lack adequate information and technical expertise, or are incapable of decisive political action. Economic and social exclusion is a complete denial of human fraternity and a grave offense against human rights and the environment. The poorest are those who suffer most from such offenses ... They are part of today’s widespread and quietly growing “culture of waste”.

The dramatic reality this whole situation of exclusion and inequality, with its evident effects, has led me, in union with the entire Christian people and many others, to take stock of my grave responsibility in this regard and to speak out ...

******

Our world demands of all government leaders a will which is effective, practical and constant, concrete steps and immediate measures for preserving and improving the natural environment and thus putting an end as quickly as possible to the phenomenon of social and economic exclusion, with its baneful consequences: human trafficking, the marketing of human organs and tissues, the sexual exploitation of boys and girls, slave labour, including prostitution, the drug and weapons trade, terrorism and international organized crime. Such is the magnitude of these situations and their toll in innocent lives, that we must avoid every temptation to fall into a declarationist nominalism which would assuage our consciences. We need to ensure that our institutions are truly effective in the struggle against all these scourges.

"...the marketing of human organs and tissues ..." Is Planned Parenthood listening?

Integral human development and the full exercise of human dignity cannot be imposed. They must be built up and allowed to unfold for each individual, for every family, in communion with others, and in a right relationship with all those areas in which human social life develops – friends, communities, towns and cities, schools, businesses and unions, provinces, nations, etc. This presupposes and requires the right to education – also for girls (excluded in certain places) – which is ensured first and foremost by respecting and reinforcing the primary right of the family to educate its children, as well as the right of churches and social groups to support and assist families in the education of their children.

******

... An ethics and a law based on the threat of mutual destruction – and possibly the destruction of all mankind – are self-contradictory and an affront to the entire framework of the United Nations, which would end up as “nations united by fear and distrust”. There is urgent need to work for a world free of nuclear weapons, in full application of the non-proliferation Treaty, in letter and spirit, with the goal of a complete prohibition of these weapons.

******

... hard evidence is not lacking of the negative effects of military and political interventions which are not coordinated between members of the international community. For this reason, while regretting to have to do so, I must renew my repeated appeals regarding to the painful situation of the entire Middle East, North Africa and other African countries, where Christians, together with other cultural or ethnic groups, and even members of the majority religion who have no desire to be caught up in hatred and folly, have been forced to witness the destruction of their places of worship, their cultural and religious heritage, their houses and property, and have faced the alternative either of fleeing or of paying for their adhesion to good and to peace by their own lives, or by enslavement.

These realities should serve as a grave summons to an examination of conscience on the part of those charged with the conduct of international affairs. Not only in cases of religious or cultural persecution, but in every situation of conflict, as in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Libya, South Sudan and the Great Lakes region, real human beings take precedence over partisan interests, however legitimate the latter may be. In wars and conflicts there are individual persons, our brothers and sisters, men and women, young and old, boys and girls who weep, suffer and die. Human beings who are easily discarded when our only response is to draw up lists of problems, strategies and disagreements.

Powerful words on the disasters in the Middle East.

The common home of all men and women must continue to rise on the foundations of a right understanding of universal fraternity and respect for the sacredness of every human life, of every man and every woman, the poor, the elderly, children, the infirm, the unborn, the unemployed, the abandoned, those considered disposable because they are only considered as part of a statistic. This common home of all men and women must also be built on the understanding of a certain sacredness of created nature.

Well worth hitting the link above and reading the entire address.

NatGeo: "What it's like to photograph the Pope

Great stuff.

 

Rugby World Cup: England v. Wales

UPDATE: Longer highlights in the second video.

Fantastic finish - if you're a Welshman. England must now beat Australia, to have any chance to make the quarterfinals. Wales had two of their backs taken off on stretchers in the second half.

Wales late comeback stuns England

More extensive highlights.

 

Rugby World Cup: Italy v. Canada - good game

Worth mentioning the USA has beaten Canada the lst two times they've played each other.

 

Five World Records set by 100 year old!

From the NY Times ,with a great slide show if you hit the link. Oh, and the temperature was approaching 100 degrees. For the record he threw the shot put 21 ft. 6.25 inches. I believe it's a 6 lb. shot on the senior circuit.

His long jump was just under 6 feet.

Hope for us all!

100 Years Old. 5 World Records.

Pellmann, the most senior athlete in the San Diego Senior Olympics, became the first centenarian to break 27 seconds in the 100-meter dash and the first to clear an official height in the high jump. He also broke records for men in the 100-and-over age group in the shot-put and the discus and set a record in the long jump.

Wearing baggy shorts and a faded red T-shirt with “Donald Pellmann Established 1915 Milwaukee, WI” written across the front, he opened his program by trying to become the oldest man, by roughly nine years, to record a height in the pole vault. He dislodged the bar three times at 3 feet 1 ¾ inches, which gnawed at him the rest of the day.

“I thought I was in better shape,” he said.

******

One of his hearing aids had stopped working, Pellmann said, adding to his misery. “I woke up feeling unwell,” he said. “It could be the traveling. Or it could be old age setting in.”

Funny guy! The ten picture slide show is worth the view.

Compassionate act by a McDonald's worker

You have to see the picture, which I sure neither party knew was being taken. Shared over 250,000 times on facebook.

Compassionate McDonald’s worker praised for act of kindness Photo of McDonald’s employee helping elderly man is shared over 250,000 times on Facebook

“To be honest, I thought the cashier wasn't going to help, especially during rush hour … but to my shock, he shut down his register and disappeared from view. Not to get away from helping him, but to wash his hands and put gloves on!

 

Rugby World Cup: Namibia v. New Zealand

Good on Namibia for scoring 14.

Stepinac football this weekend

They are playing Holy Cross in Bayside.

Last week's game v. Iona went from 7-6 at halftime to a 48-6 Stepinac win. I was at the game - huge crowd.

The score, and the win, wasn’t as impressive as it may seem and, at times, there were more flags on the ground than at the United Nations atrium, leaving the outcome in doubt. An ominous halftime score of 7-6 left the approximated 2500 fans unsure if the sloppy play would continue for both teams or if one would regroup. Stepinac did, regroup that is.

Pope Benedict planning massive beer bash while Pope Francis is away

And he's had them before.

In a statement made to friends gathered Monday, Benedict said, “I wish to confirm that in September of 2015, I will throw the most epic, off-the-chain party the Vatican has seen since the 15th century.”

 

Santorum's take on Pope Francis

1,000% correct.

August's hikes (2) of the Month

A little recap of two nice hikes.

The first one on the 22nd was in Fahnestock Park - about five miles over fairly easy terrain.

Beavers were here!

Jeanne Marie and I

Here's the South Beacon Mountain tower, several miles north of us.

And a view southwest

Three level woodpecker residence? I dunno.

Suddenly, in the middle of the woods, there's this old house! almost like it dropped out of the sky a la Wizard of Oz. turned out, it's an old farmhouse, which we did explore. It was at the intersection of two very old roads/trails.

Toward the end of the hike, Jeanne Marie decided to call her daughter Monica, and she got through. Monica is living with her husband Lincoln in India, so pretty cool call. Unheard of to be able to do, even just a few years ago.

Hike #2 for the month was west of New Paltz, with Jeanne Marie's daughter Kathleen, her boyfriend Drew, and Damian. It was an adventure - I already posted this, which was really great - Awesome! Rattlesnake on today's hike!

A few more shots from the hike - this is at Lake Awosting, where three of us did go swimming. It was the turn around point for the hike, which totaled about 6 miles round trip.

Even though there were six of us, we basically were in two groups, the fast hikers

and the "experienced" hikers

Three of us did go swimming - besides myself, Jeanne Marie and Kathleen. Be happy I spared you the rest of my shape while swimming.  The Jeanne Marie picture is in the German restaurant where we had a late lunch afterwards.

Next hike, Sunday September 27th - back to Fahnestock Park for a different area.

 

 

Rugby World Cup: Australia v. Fiji

Pope visits nuns suing over Obamacare

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the visit to the convent of the Little Sisters of the Poor for what he called a "brief but symbolic visit."

Pope Francis on Wednesday made an unscheduled stop to a convent of nuns to show his support for their lawsuit against U.S. President Barack Obama's healthcare law.

The Sisters argued that the law forces them to provide insurance coverage for their employees to support contraception and sterilization services in violation of their religious beliefs, or face steep fines.

The NY Times on Yogi Berra' career and life

Hit the link.

In 1949, early in Berra’s Yankee career, his manager assessed him this way in an interview in The Sporting News: “Mr. Berra,” Casey Stengel said, “is a very strange fellow of very remarkable abilities.”

Another quote of Stengel - "If Yogi fell down the sewer, he'd come up with a gold watch."

 

Rugby World Cup: Japan v. Scotland

Japan having defeated South Africa over the past weekend in the biggest upset in World Cup history.

The Great Yogi

Ahhh, my all-time favorite athlete is gone. Yogi Berra was 90.

From the NY Yankee statement, quoting his family:

"While we mourn the loss of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, we know he is at peace with Mom," his family said in a statement released by the museum. "We celebrate his remarkable life, and are thankful he meant so much to so many. He will truly be missed."

and here is the Daily News coverage -

Even before the “greatest living Yankee” torch was passed to him with the death of Joe DiMaggio in 1999, Berra was always at the top of the list as the most respected and beloved Yankee deity because of his clutch hitting on the field and his humility and genial disposition off it. In Berra’s 18 seasons with the Yankees from 1946-63, they went to the World Series 14 times, winning 10 of them, making him baseball’s all time “Lord of the Rings”.

 

Guy escapes FBI for six years on the Appalachian Trail

From the Telegraph (UK). Well, I never saw him.

If you hit the link, pictures before and after he went hiding.

Fugitive accountant 'hid on Appalachian Trail for six years'. James Hammes, 53, is accused of embezzling $8.7 million (£5.6m) before abandoning his family and spending six years fulfilling his passion for hiking

        To hikers on America's Appalachian Trail the gregarious character with a wild,         grey-streaked beard was known simply as "Bismarck".

He posed for photographs with fellow travelers, sent detailed updates to the publishers of guide books, and held court at campgrounds telling tales of the six years he had spent wandering the 2,189 miles of forested paths between Georgia and Maine.

******

He disappeared in 2009 leaving behind a wife and daughter.

Hammes, who worked at a Pepsi bottling plant, left behind a complicated personal life.

At the time of his disappearance he was married to his second wife Deanna Hammes.

His first wife was Joy Hammes with whom he had a daughter Amanda, now 28.

Joy Hammes died in a fire at their home in 2003 while Hammes was out for a walk.

It also emerged that he had a secret daughter born in 1989 who none of his family knew about.

******

Despite the unkempt appearance he cultivated Hammes was eventually recognised by a fellow hiker who had seen the embezzlement case featured on the television crime programme American Greed.

 

NatGeo: "Why it's hard to forecast the weather"

Short video, which begs the question - how can they be SOOO sure it'll be warmer (Global Warming) in 100 years?

‘Scale Solar System’ Reveals Vastness Of Universe

Very cool. "... On a marble in the middle of nothing. It's staggering."

Confucius making a comeback in China!?

Off the Wall Street Journal channel. I love this sort of stuff.

 

Marisa Inda, 2 kids, 38 yo, 112lbs. Deadlifts 355!

Good heavens! I've posted a couple of times about this lady - like here - who is a personal trainer in California.

Inside the Carly Fiorina Campaign

From the Sunday FOX talk show. Quite insightful.

Rugby World Cup: Argentina v. New Zealand

Defensive battle.

And here was the pre-game New Zealand haka -

 

Very nice outdoor Mass at my Church - Holy Name of Mary

Great job by people putting this together - the youth group ("God Squad") and catechetical group, among others. I should have thought to bring my camera - these are off my phone.

Celebrant is the pastor, Fr. Brian Brennan -

And a good crowd - couldn't get everyone in with just one picture.

 

 

NYT: "McDonald’s Leads Effort to Promote Migrant Aid"

Yesterday's NY Times.

McDonald’s has gathered a number of like-minded organizations to raise money to help the United Nations’ food program respond to the migrant crisis in Europe and the Middle East.

McDonald’s, along with companies like DreamWorks Animation, MasterCard and Facebook, will donate paid television airtime or access to digital media to promote the World Food Program, including through the use of a 30-second animated commercial narrated by the actor Liam Neeson.

The World Food Program unveiled the partnership on Sunday, one day before the United Nations’ annual International Day of Peace.

Rugby World Cup: USA v. Samoa

First USA match in pool play.

 

Rugby World Cup: Ireland v. Canada

Pope Francis on carrying the crucifix of a martyred Iraqi priest

Gallup poll: 75% of population see widespread covernment corruption

Although the question wasn't in this poll , I'd guess they'd see a high level of corruption in the private sector ...

 Three in four Americans (75%) last year perceived corruption as widespread in the country's government. This figure is up from two in three in 2007 (67%) and 2009 (66%).

While the numbers have fluctuated slightly since 2007, the trend has been largely stable since 2010. However, the percentage of U.S. adults who see corruption as pervasive has never been less than a majority in the past decade, which has had no shortage of controversies from the U.S. Justice Department's firings of U.S. attorneys to the IRS scandal.

Brigid - First Mate? - on the Hudson

Haha. Great picture taken by Karen Riner, as she a Mike took Brigid on a beautiful Husdon excursion Friday afternoon.

Rugby World Cup: S. Africa v. Japan - Huge upset

Maybe the biggest upset in the history of international rugby?

 Japan beat SA to shock the world

Here's the Japanese coach, who is the former coach of the Australian national team.

Stepinac football v. Iona today

A look at their past rivalry. Of course Tim played in the last three games, including the Stepinac 16-14 win in the championship game last fall. 

I am going to go to this game and Tim may come over from college to watch.

A history of the Iona Prep-Stepinac football rivalry

The teams will meet again on Saturday afternoon at Stepinac in their first game since last year's much-hyped CHSFL AAA championship, an event that delivered on that promise and then some. Stepinac, long the tortured, continued to prove that the balance of power has shifted from New Rochelle to White Plains. The Crusaders won last year's championship 16-14 in thrilling fashion when its defense withstood Iona Prep's comeback in front of more than 6,000 screaming fans at Fordham University.

Stepinac enters this year's 68th playing of the rivalry trailing 40-27 in the all-time series. However, the Crusaders have now won three straight and four of the last seven after the Gaels had ripped off 16 of 18 wins from 1992-2008.

Bernie Sanders explains how he'll pay for free college, free healthcare, etc.

A man who has never had a real job. "A tax on Wall Street speculation" will pay for free college. Living in a world of unreality.

Rugby World Cup begins! England v. Fiji

The World Cup being played in England. England is in red in this match, not their traditional white. Also in this pool is Australia and Ireland - along with Namibia - and only two teams will go through to the quarterfinals.

 

Jimi Hendrix died 45 years ago today.

He should be turning 73 in November but Hendrix overdosed on barbiturates 45 years ago today.

Foxey Lady -

 

Want more? At Woodstock -

 

Jeb Bush idea for woman on the ten dollar bill

Yup. Margaret Thatcher. his choice at the debate the other night.

Maybe she should be on the British ten pound note?

Stepinac football - good season opener win

Last Saturday - in Newburgh. I drove up to catch the game - of course Tim is gone - and when I arrived it was already 14-0. Newburgh must have been shocked - they opened their season the week before with a 64-0 win!

CHSFL champs dominant in opener

Playing without senior T.J. Morrison, one of the area’s top senior recruits, Stepinac breezed out to an early lead and throttled defending Section 9 champ Newburgh on its home turf, 31-0.

Senior Tyquell Fields threw two touchdowns and the defense smothered a Newburgh team that beat Henninger, another one of last year’s Class AA state playoff teams, 64-0 last week at the Carrier Dome. Stepinac allowed just 69 yards of offense, had five sacks and got an interception from Malik Crawford.

The Stepinac defense is going to be really good.

I was glad to see this, since we know Kobe quite well.

Kobe Miranda ripped off a 52-yard touchdown run to seal it.

This Saturday Stepinac plays Iona at Stepinac.

The Fed and an interest rate hike?

UPDATE: 2:30 I was wrong, no rate increase. Market immediately dropped (!) and then bounced back.

i will go against the current majority opinion on this, and say the Fad will raise interest rates a quarter of a point. And it will have no real effect on the markets. BUT my opinion is the minority view right now. So ... don't bet the farm. 

According to analysts at Mizuho Bank, "market participants are not looking for any policy action... expect substantial moves in asset markets if the Fed surprises with a hike."

 

 

Focus group: Fiorina big debate winner

See the video below. They also thought Rubio and Christie did well. interesting that Fineman on MSNBC and Rove on FOX also thought Fiorina was a winner. I saw part of the debate while in the gym and a little at home. I thought Bush did well, as well as those mentioned in the focus group. Trump was just OK. Carson was disappointing. My guy Kasich was also just OK.

Wounded Iraqi vet on Iran deal

Wow. This is powerful.

 

Sunday evening at Croton Landing

I was reminded to post this, after a glorious evening sunset last evening - Tuesday.

Anyway, after the Sunday storms, we not only got a good sunset but a huge rainbow across the southeastern sky. These were all taken on my phone camera - not exactly a Hasselblad but good enough for posting - in the five minutes before 7PM.

The southeast end of the rainbow.

And the other end, pretty much due south.