Spin-O-Romma Pass

It was nice to see this done one more time in a Blackhawks uniform. Long Live Dennis Savard and his Spin-O-Romma.

by: Paul Gozzo

"Sitting Here In Limbo"

One of my theme songs, this version by Jerry Garcia

by: Paul Gozzo

Happy belated National Hunting and Fishing Day

Who knew that last Saturday was National Hunting and Fishing Day in America?

This important holiday was established by President Nixon 39 years ago to recognize American sportsman for their efforts in conservation!

Pass it on...

by: Paul Gozzo

The NASCAR CUP CHASE pre-chase CALL by PAUL Gozzo

Ya like that title?

OK, here tis the call. Jeff Gordon will win his 5th NASCAR Cup title . The headlines will be that JGR's engines kill Kyle Bush's championship hopes...and Kurt Bush and Jimmy Johnson wreck each other's chances.

1. Jeff Gordon

2. Kyle Bush

3. Carl Edwards

4. Jimmy Johnson

5. Kevin Harvick

6. Ryan Newman

7. Matt Kenseth

8. Brad Keselowski

9. Denny Hamlin

10. Kurt Bush

11. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

12. Tony Stewart

by: Paul Gozzo

Three new Hockey Movies: The Last Gladiators, Goon, and Breakaway

I'm looking forward to seeing these three new hockey movies, "The Last Galdiators", "Goon", and "Breakaway". All have either Academy Award winning directors or decent star power, most notably: Alex Gibney, Seann William Scott, Rob Lowe, Liv Schreiber (who did the voice over for HBO's 24/7 last year), Ludacris (ya that one), Sabres Goalie and US Olympian Ryan Miller, and a bunch of others you might recognize.

I'm guessing the Gibney documentary about Chris Nilan from his Montreal Canadians days will be the best of the bunch.

Here is an article about the three hockey movies stealing the show at the recent Toronto Film Festival.

by: Paul Gozzo

Winnipeg Jets new jerseys

I can't help it....I am routing for the Winnipeg Jets this year. I am also routing for every city, like Hartford, who lost a team to southern expansion, that they get their teams back! Going to Whaler games was a big part of my childhood and I am hopeful for many other kids who are growing up playing this great sport of hockey without a local professional team to rout for.

Paul Gozzo

Apple to have Retina Display, soon iTV!

With a buzz forming around Apple's next move and many believing that the next version of the iPad (3) will have retina display...I am more interested in Apple TV which has =actually been in market since 2006.

Along with renting movies and TV shows....Apple TV will probably allow users to watch Youtube on their TV's and watch movies from Netflix as well...

Because Apple TV has been around for 5 years you may think this part of the business is not doing well, but you have top imagine forward ala Steve Jobs and so imagine a world where Apple makes the television screen perfect while integrating all of the content from Apple TV. It is a tough vision to have, so maybe just start with thinking about what the iPod did in combination with iTunes and how that affected the music industry.

by: Paul Gozzo

The Autumn Rut

The Autumn is my favorite time of year. The weather change, the beauty of nature, baseball playoffs, football Sundays and Monday nights, cold weather meals, burning leave piles, hockey is just around the corner....and The Rut!

For those of you who don't know what The Rut is let's start with Wikipedia's definition since everything posted on the Internet is true: "The Rut for white-tailed deer usually lasts from 1-3 months in the Northern Hemisphere and may occur most of the year in tropical zones. The rut is the time when white-tailed deer, especially bucks, are more active and less cautious than usual."

And that last part, my friends, is what it is all about. Catching that big boy out looking for a lady, when he is thinking with the wrong head! Sometimes a hunter will scout an area for many hours only to be surprised at what he sees when the season finally opens up and the rut is in full effect.

Words cannot fully express the excitement and I cannot accurately describe the feeling. Perhaps the best way to describe the general notion of hunting the rut is to go back to the beginning of this blog and to take some of the different feelings from each one of those early fall activities and add them all up and that result is the closest I can come up with to describe the rut.

Happy fall all!

Paul Gozzo

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American Eagle watching over her heros by: Paul Gozzo

A picture from the Minneapolis Star / Tribune taken on a June morning at the Minneapolis National Cemetery.

Unemployment, Spending, and Presedential Reelection by: Paul Gozzo

It's 2011 and we have a new presidential election next year. Our President took office just before a severe recession hit the US Economy followed by unprecedented government bailouts that basically the United States needed in order to prevent a terrible catastrophic disaster. Since then, the markets have stabilized and many rich folks have made a lot of money. Even this past year, unemployment improved. now, unemployment is deproving which isn't a word but i am using it anyway. (Rumors floating today that Cisco http://www.cisco.com/ is laying of 10,000 employees)

right now, we have 1.5 years until our current President is reelected or we have a new President. Guess what will get accomplished between now and then?

Nothing.

The two biggest problems we face as a country are a lack of job creation and a gigantic debt load.

Congress is really in charge of stimulating job growth. And we have a different Congress than we did when President Obama took office. However, many people do not know that this is the role of Congress, so Republicans don't want to see job growth for another year so they can blame it on out current President as he runs for elections next year.

So when I say "nothing" will be done in the next year this is the part I am talking about. The job situation will not get any better, it will in fact get worse and this trend has already started based off of recent employment data released last week.

So, how then can our President make his move to counter The Republicans? He can begin to take action and reduce our country's ridiculous debt and point to this fact over and over for the next year. But he can't and he won't. Again, nothing will be done.

If you don't believe that notion, ask yourself how can our President cut spending ahead of his election? Won't he be cutting off ties with the very people who contribute to his campaign? After all, isn't that how it works; special interest groups get benefits after they help an official get elected and if they get stiffed, they drop support (or worse)?

Add to the mix the fact that no one running for office, any office, says they will raise taxes; in act, they all claim they will cut taxes and even now, the new trend is to say they will cut spending too. But as I have mentioned earlier, you cannot cut spending if the very people who contribute to your campaign want you to spend on their projects!

And guess what, I'm not angered either way. I cannot even vote. Ha! But, I do love this country and I want some friggin change! I want leaders, not politics. I want a new breed of politician. I want new business leaders who care about the community. And, I am rooting for whoever gets elected to make it happen. It is clear to me and should be to you all now, both Republicans and Democrats, that the past decade and probably longer, has been disgusting. We seem to be a Nation of big fat want it now Americans who are unwilling to make real change happen. Instead we do what fat people love to do, talk about it, but never actually do anything.

Anyone got a 4 minute diet for me?

Nah, too much time, I will just take a pill.

Comments are welcome.

Let the hate begin.

by: Paul http://twitter.com/#!/paulgozzo Gozzo

Burger time, Dean Martin style! (by: Paul Gozzo)

Ideas from Paul Gozzo...

It's summer time....time to fire up the grill every night. Maybe tonight ya thrown on some burgers....and maybe you try them Dean Martin style!

Gazzo the Legendary Street Performer and Comedian (Paul Gozzo)

This guy is great. I can't claim we are related, but that's how you pronounce my last name!

Gazzo

Paul Gozzo

About me, Paul Gozzo, follow me on Twitter

Follow me Paul Gozzo on Twitter if you would like

Boston Bruins

Congratulations Boston Bruins!

I want to share with you all just how excited I am for many of the kids that I played hockey with and against over the years who are die-hard Bruins fans.

This year The Stanley Cup Playoffs were intense as per usual. The first round was the most exciting round I can remember in the 30 years I have been watching every game of every round. (Well, those I was allowed to watch including those I wasn't. Sorry Ma, I snuck down to the basement to watch a few games when you thought I was asleep). Each successive round had even more excitement and the final series was flat out beautiful to watch.

I know many of you New Englanders felt excitement and relief when the Red Sox won in '04, especially after that incredible comeback against the Yankees, and that Series was a special moment for you. But I have to believe, for all the hours you logged in rinks over the years and all the dedication to the sport of hockey, with all that knowledge and passion you have built up, this Stanley cup win trumps any other in your Boston sports watching career.

Congratulations to all of you Bruins fans!

Paul Gozzo

Happy Memorial Day!

A special thank you from me (Paul Gozzo) to all of you who have served our great nation.

Thank you!

Thank you!!

Thank you!!!

Mark Haines will be missed...

Mark Haines will be sincerely missed by ALL who knew him and the rest of us who thought we did.

If you have not seen this man interview people, please take a look at the clip attached of Mark Haines interviewing Barney Frank. Surely you will recognize one or both of the men in this interview.

Mark stood up for the truth when interviewing his guests. He taught the journalist community at-large, how to not waver when looking for an answer from his guests. Haines did it over and over again. Mark also never made his interviews personal or about himself unlike many news journalists. Mark represented his audience well.

Thank you Mr. Haines.

You will be missed.

Paul Gozzo

Sam Bush Band doing there bluegrass thing, great stuff

This is such a good tune and an exceptional live version of it by Sam Bush!

Those of you who dig bluegrass know what I am talking about and probably already know of The Sam Bush Band. So enjoy this version if you have not yet heard it. Ya newbies, tell me what ya think.

Oh and for those of you NASCAR fans, no it is not Kyle Bush's wife's band!

Peace

Paul Gozzo

Philip Seymour Hoffman is the one of the best actors ever

They say comedy is the hardest type of acting to do. For most comedic actors these days, they sort of seem to just be playing themselves and are pretty much consistently the same. Usually it is the material that is funny and so things work. But for me, I think the very best actors are the ones with range who can do it all and perhaps the best of those are the dramatic actors who can "crossover" into comedy as apposed to a comedic actor who can play a role in a drama. Check out the attached clip from Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Along Came Polly". This guy is terrific and these clips are hilarious. Again, great writing, but coupled with great acting, and you get this masterpiece.

Enjoy

Paul Gozzo

Urban Youth Impact

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to help out at a 3 on 3 basketball tournament held in the heart of West Palm Beach at Coleman Park. The event was hosted by Street to Street and Urban Youth Impact (http://www.urbanyouthimpact.com/), with some fine cooking from the folks at Big Heart Brigade and local residents who participated in a family recipe, "cook-off". The day started off with a wonderful heart-felt message from UYI founder, Bill Dobbs, for all the volunteers who were on site to help set-up for the hot day ahead. Then as the morning got longer, and the temperature hotter, kids started to pour in. The basketball tournament was exciting as those of us in attendance were witness to homegrown talent of West Palm's toughest neighborhoods. My role was to organize "The Kids Zone" and entertain all the younger kids who were not old enough to participate in the basketball event. Going into the day, I had no idea what to expect but I felt assured that most of the people who committed to me that they would show up to help out would indeed show and for the most part they did. However, I had no idea how many kids would be there. After a slow start, they began to pile in and as the day heated up (it was very hot), so did the action in The Kids Zone. It was wonderful to see the sense of community among those who came out to support this event. From local elders to college and teenage volunteers, a wide diverse group of people participated in many different ways supporting the younger generation. If I close my eyes, I can still see the smiles and hear the laughter of the kids and volunteers who came out and participated in the days events. I (Paul Gozzo) am looking forward to the next event with Urban Youth Impact and The Big Heart Brigade wherever they may be!

Moon Closest to Earth Saturday March 16th

This weekend...check out the moon, it's gonna be big! Paul Gozzo

Great quote from Zig Ziglar

"Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart."

Zig Ziglar

Paul Gozzo

Oil, the economy, the dollar, and you, too; by Paul Gozzo

Please consider these headlines today, March 7, 2011

"Dow Rises at Open Despite High Oil Prices" (CNBC.com)
"Stocks edge lower as oil prices spike again" (Fox News)
"Stocks Rebound Amid Surging Oil Prices" (TheStreet.com)
"US stocks plunge as oil heads higher" (Nat'l Business Journal)
"Stock futures edge higher, but oil worries persist" (Forbes)
"Stocks fall on rising oil and gold prices" (CNNMoney)

All these headlines are real. They come from stories published today, March7,2011

Recall my earlier blog (Paul Gozzo, http://www.paulgozzo.blogspot.com ) what influences your thinking and therefore your opinion??

The sustained advance in the price of oil has taken its toll on The United States. Now a new leg up, above $70-$80 has emerged and the price is breaking above $100 heading toward $120.

This is not good.

NHL Hockey, Steve Moore, Justice, Todd Bertuzzi trial

A few nights ago marked the 7th anniversary of Steve Moore's last night of professional hockey.

Still no official trial date is set for the civil suit and there is still no judge yet assigned to the case. But there is a belief circulating that a trial is near, and justice on its way for Steve Moore, the Harvard graduate who had his professional hockey career cut short after a viscous assault by an opponant, Todd Bertuzzi.

Moore's case is rumored to be the single largest civil suit involving a professional athlete in the Canadian legal history, and with each passing year, the price goes up.

This will likely go on for years and years as Moore, with a laundry list of lawyers, is suing Bertuzzi and Orca Bay Ltd., the former owner of the Vancouver Canucks.

Geoffrey Adair will represent Bertuzzi who has blamed his coach at the time of the incident, Marc Crawford, who is now the head coach in Dallas. Crawford is represented by Jessica Kimmel. Orca Bay is represented by Allan D'Silva.

Counter suits have already been filed. The lawyers are doing their thing.

In one of the depositions, Bertuzzi apparently refused to answer 63 different questions!

Although Moore continues to go through tests year-in and year-out, it is hard to substantiate how much the assault and injuries have affected him and his life. Two things are for certain, he played his last professional game that night, seven years ago, and 7 or 8 different video cameras caught the assault at different angles.

This story will surely capture the NHL headlines as well as that of the sports world in general this year and beyond as a trial and settlement are ultimately reached. With an all-star team of lawyers, Steve Moore's team is playing for a big pay day and the rumors are that the amount Moore's camp is looking for is gigantic.

Stay tuned...


Paul Gozzo

Oil, the economy, the dollar, and you

Let me start off with a few facts in order to set the tone for what I am about to communicate to you about my opinion of the current state of our US economy.

To begin, please think about how you/people in general form their opinions about things. Generally, people look to credible resources in order to value an opinion. In short, if you respect something like a periodical or a person, you will tend to agree with their opinion. All to often, people look to the news media, directly or indirectly, for information that helps them form their opinion. How often do you ask yourself, is this my opinion or am I rehashing someone else's opinion?

In general, when people are doing well in life, as in they have confidence which usually accompanies success, they tend to have more of an opinion about things..

Okay, so what is about to follow is my opinion.

Please note the following; I am not an economist. I have not studied economics. I do not work in the oil industry. I am not a fear monger. I lived and worked in lower Manhattan in September of 2001.

Having stated, or written, the facts. The following is my opinion, based off this subjects in the title.

When the strikes on U.S. soil occurred on 9/11, I was with a Princeton grad (see above) who told me within seconds of the second plane striking the World Trade Center that this was terrorism and most likely the work of Osama Bin Ladin. Ya see, my friend was informed but not because of the news media, because he had recently studied the history of Al Quaeda and was aware of this terrorist group's goal. More on that later.

So in the days that followed 9/11, when I was out of work, "hunkering down" with my family, I stayed away from the main stream news and began to look into what my friend had told me. At this point the entire world knew who was behind the attacks, but I wanted to know why and I refused to let the local news or even the national talking heads tell me why.

What I learned shocked me at the time. The Al Queda and their leader didn't just want to kill Americans, they wanted to destroy The American way of life. This is not simply a shot at freedom. They wanted to hurt us so badly that we had no choice but to change our ways. They wanted us to stop bullying our opinions into the matters of other countries in the pursuit of freedom and democracy for the World. They wanted to end our politics. Wow, those are some pretty bold ambitions for such a small group I thought.

Then I learned that they were not at all that small.

And I learned that their plan was simple. They took our powerful nation, with all its wealth, technology, and power, and they shrunk it down to one variable: oil.

Ya see, the price of oil effects EVERYTHING in the United States. It is not just the price of heating oil in your house or gas in your car. Have you ever played the Kevin Bacon game? With oil you get the link usually on the first move and very rarely get past the second move without a direct link.

I recall a quote from Bin Laden from shortly after 9/11 when the price of oil was trading up significantly from its recent range but still below $50 a barrel. He said something to the extent of, $100 oil will cripple the US economy". And that was the goal. To crush he US economy and his group had shrunk us down to one variable.

Of course much has happened in the U.S. and around the world since 9/11. Do you recall the recession after 9/11 that helped fuel lower interest rates and then a housing boom, incredible stock market rally, then a housing bust? Followed by another recession, a nasty stock market sell-off complete with fear last seen shortly after 9/11, still lower interest rates, and job losses.

Ask yourself, during the last roughly 10 years, have Americans changed all that much? Has our politics changed? Our egos? Or did the post 9/11 nepotism and Nationalism last only for a little while, even while our brave men and women were sent abroad to fight for what our politicians deemed appropriate. Pause and think about that for a second.

Now think about what was the constant during the peaks in troughs in the stock market, real estate market, and jobs market in the last 10 or so years?

It isn't the price of oil.

It is the "sustained" price of expensive oil.

And that is where it all begins and ends. With the price of oil sustaining its advances, costs go up. When costs go up those higher expenses to companies must be passed on to the consumer in order to protect all important margins. Over time, companies will find ways to cut expenses (jobs) in order to maintain their margins. But costs are going up everywhere. Commodities (the things you absolutely need) have gone up considerably as a result. And it is not simply inflation which by many accounts is a good thing if it is "controlled."

This is the point we are at now. EVERYTHING infected, not effected, but rather infected by oil has cost more for so long now that those prices have risen, including commodities, and that effects the economy. Other things like home sales data, car sales data, retail sales data, jobless claims, all have their historical data points and can help form thesis opinions, but NOTHING can escape the oil factor which was the plan of those who attacked us to begin with nearly 10 years ago.

As I have mentioned, I am not a fear monger. And I definitely do not have a solution, sorry. In fact, I fundamentally believe that Americans will innovate ourselves out of our current status and that a new class of leadership is and will emerge in our country to lead us into a new direction that will positively impact the world. I believe our country is going through similar growing pains that those countries and democracies (think Europe) older than us went through and that today's emerging countries, like China and India, will go through similar growing pains and cycles down the road as they grow and advance.

However, right now I am worried. I am scared for us because of the potential for "the snowball effect." The snowball effect is what can happen when things spiral out of control. Picture a snowball, a nice fluffy yet wet coating of snow, and a hill. As that snowball rolls down the hill, it gets bigger and bigger while picking up greater inertia and speed, thus in time, it can topple over things it previously could not. Perhaps it could even get out-of-control...

In America, this would be in the form of civil unrest in the form of something we have never seen before. It is impossible to plan and prepare for something never before experienced. However, like that snowball, once the unrest begins, it can grow and expand rather rapidly and those "in charge" of restoring order, may abandon their posts in order to protect their families.
Think of the recent tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and what she dispelled on Louisianna and Mississippi. Didn't much of the police force scramble to be with their families protecting their own, before doing their job? Can ya blame them?

With so many economists and opinionated folks out there looking to the past for reference to make sense of the current situation at hand, I am not sure our country has a past where the snowball effect took place.

Why am I all of the sudden worried about the potential of a snowball effect?

Simply because of what is currently going on in Libya and brewing in other Middle Eastern countries and how it is being received throughout the world. Ya see, whenever their is a problem in the Middle East, because we are so reliant on oil mined from that region, the price of oil goes up. That's understandable. But usually too, at the same time, so does the American dollar increase in value. In the last week in the wake of Libya, the US dollar has gotten weaker. Usually, in fear of the worst, like a war breaking out, the US dollar will rise because a "flight to quality" exists as investors look to place their money in a secure location. For a long period of time this occurred as the US and our dollar was so highly regarded we were in fact, "the world's reserve currency."

At this point, I am seeing real signs that the U.S. is no longer in this powerful position. The world is not turning to the US in times of uncertainty. They simply have lost faith in the power of our country. And, they could be wrong. I certainly hope so. But, to date, in my lifetime, in the 20th century, the US dollar has been the world's reserve currency and for now, that appears to have changed. And that is why, I made reference of the snowball effect.

If we truly have lost our status as the world's reserve currency, The United States can experience fear and panic in the streets as things spiral out of control rather quickly. Civil unrest can be extremely powerful and when it gets momentum, it is very difficult to stop. Many of the very same folks who were being programed to have certain opinions will quickly shift to complete mistrust and as fears heighten so too will irrational thinking and acting.

Getting away from dependence on oil is just one of the keys to our country's future success and in many ways, that process has already begun. I'm not sure what else we need to do or even what to do right now, but I know two things for certain; we need the price of oil to come down dramatically and our dollar to strengthen in order to have stability and growth in our future.

In the last decade, the United States has struggled and we are in worse shape now than ten years ago. I do not know any other time period in our country's history when this has occurred.
Like a career 300 hitter who has gone 0-20 in his last at bats, I believe the longer we struggle, the closer we are to getting out of the funk, just like the longer that batter struggles, the closer he is to getting a hit.

When you see a run of reds at the roulette table, do you bet on black or on red?

"Oil, the economy, the dollar, and you" by: Paul Gozzo

Zimbabwe Lyrics, Bob Marley

Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny,
And in this judgement there is no partiality,
So arm in arms, with arms, we'll fight htis little struggle,
'Cause that's the only way we can overcome our little trouble.

Gozzo Wine

You like-a the juice?

The juice is good.

And organic!

Johnny Mac Trick Shot Quarterback

These are some pretty awesome shots!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOWMdOY6hIw&feature=player_embedded

Character

"People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Four Agreements, The Toltecs, You

As observed by The Toltecs, a group of scientists and artists who formed a society thousands of years ago in what would be southern Mexico today. Their concept was simple; to form a society based of spiritual practices. They lived simply as students and teachers. They lived simply by the following Four Agreements:

1. Be Impeccable with Your word
2. Don't Take Anything Personally
3. Don't Make Assumptions
4. Always Do Your Best

Sounds simple right? Try it for a day. And, if you are intrigued and want to learn more, read the book "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz

Paul Gozzo

Sharks on the beach in West Palm Beach

Thousands of Sharks just off the beach in West Palm Beach, Florida

hrrp://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/local_news/youreport/thousands-of-sharks-spotted-off-palm-beach

Facebook "Like" Feature

Is the newest form of ass kissing Facebook's like feature?

As a newcomer to Facebook, by default, I can't help but notice this new phenomenon whereby people claim they "like" something abstract, or some action another person or "friend" takes, as if to put their stamp on that action and say, "I approve." I have seen more and more of this going on and it is increasingly disturbing.

Facebook is a great way to stay connected or reconnect with old contacts, or in this case, "friends." It still cracks me up to up to see people who once hated one another to be "friends" on Facebook especially when they still talk smack about that person using their "friend" status to pierce the privacy wall for more fodder to poke fun at.

I also love the camera phone picture upload to show the world what you are up to as if to say, this is what I do, I am the coolest. Then, as often is the case, "friends" approve by saying they "like." Does this crack anyone else up?

Facebook, for some has become a lethal distraction for the unsettled who feel a burning desire to be accepted. In many ways it is the virtual ass kissing cocktail hour social that never ends....

For others, Facebook is a great avenue for the self-loathing crowd who yearn for that compliment, or in this virtual world, the "likes".

I wonder when /how/if the reality of the virtual reality world will smack some of these "characters", as that is what they have become, if the face and they will come to the realization that their little reality show is no longer in vogue. I, for one, hope not any time soon as it is entertaining to say the least.

Really, you "like" the fact that so and so "likes" Habitat for Humanity. Really, am I supposed to believe that you are a giver of your time or money too? Or is simply liking a charity as far as you go and that is good enough for props in the virtual/reality world. Really. You must care. I mean really, after all, you like the fact that one of your "friends" likes a charitable organization. Really.

2011 Resolutions and Goals...

"When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there." Zig Ziglar

Paul Gozzo 2011

2011 Resolutions?

Just get going...

"A goal properly set is halfway reached"

Zig Ziglar