Saturday, January 17, 2015
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Give Me the Streets of Manhattan
Keep your splendid silent sun,
Keep your woods O Nature, and the quiet places by the woods,
Keep your fields of clover and timothy, and your corn-fields and orchards,
Keep the blossoming buckwheat fields where the Ninth-month bees hum;
Give me faces and streets--give me these phantoms incessant and
endless along the trottoirs!
Give me interminable eyes--give me women--give me comrades and
lovers by the thousand!
Let me see new ones every day--let me hold new ones by the hand every day!
Give me such shows--give me the streets of Manhattan!
Keep your woods O Nature, and the quiet places by the woods,
Keep your fields of clover and timothy, and your corn-fields and orchards,
Keep the blossoming buckwheat fields where the Ninth-month bees hum;
Give me faces and streets--give me these phantoms incessant and
endless along the trottoirs!
Give me interminable eyes--give me women--give me comrades and
lovers by the thousand!
Let me see new ones every day--let me hold new ones by the hand every day!
Give me such shows--give me the streets of Manhattan!
- Walt Whitman
Friday, May 16, 2014
"Hey Brother Pour the Wine"
" I still think there is a funny snobbery around wine that makes it seem exclusive and it's not true. Wine if for everybody and it's fantastic stuff." - Dave Matthews
of course there a bunch of wines out there at $40 and $50 per bottle that are great, but you can find some great ones for under $25. I am a huge fan of red wine so most of my list is red.
Simi Reserve Cabernet about $20-25 full bodied flavorful - great with a good book or good steak.
337 Cabernet - $10-12 per bottle without a doubt, the best $10 bottle of wine there is.
Kendall Jackson Summation - red wine blend about $12-15 per. - this wine packs a punch and is one of the quicker ones to get you on your way. ;)
Smith & Hook Cabernet - $20 per. an amazing bottle of wine. if you want to bring gift to a dinner party or hosting a holiday. this is a great choice to always have on hand.
Louis Martini Cabernet - $15-18 per - this is the house cabernet at Capital Grille. enjoyable, a little on the light side but good with salmon (I love salmon).
Divining Rod Cabernet from Water Witch - $15 per - tons of complex flavors in this one. great conversation wine to show off your wine skills. ;)
the Dreaming Tree Wines .. this is the vineyard owned by Dave Matthews. I recommend the Cabernet and Chardonnay .. not a big fan of 'Crush' $15 per
as for whites .. Irony Chardonnay $12 per is a good safety and La Crema at $10 is decent.
wines are a lot like any brand, you can buy by brand name and be safe. good vintners include Hess and Kendall Jackson.
now you can claim yourself as an oenophile (your word for the day) ;)
and of course we always pay homage to Bacchus/Dionysus - the god of wine. :)
Rick
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Alyssa Milano 'signs an autograph' via Twitter
When I was a kid, I was a fervent autograph collector (also known as a graph hound). Yesterday I got the 21st century version of an autograph.
When celebrity Alyssa Milano asked the twitterverse for a recipe for brussel sprouts, I responded. She then favorited my tweet. This acknowledgement provided the similar fulfillment that a celebrity signature did for me many years ago.
When celebrity Alyssa Milano asked the twitterverse for a recipe for brussel sprouts, I responded. She then favorited my tweet. This acknowledgement provided the similar fulfillment that a celebrity signature did for me many years ago.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday, July 27, 2013
The Boston Baseball Camp
For the second year in a row, my son attended the Boston Baseball Camp. This camp just celebrated its 24th year. and what a great camp it is. The camp takes place every July at West Roxbury High, which may go by another name at this time. It is right behind the Home Depot on the VFW Parkway.
What an awesome camp this is for all kids. My son is eight and cannot wait to go back next year. The camps run Monday through Friday from 9am-2pm and offer the kids a great way to really build a love for baseball. The camps is loaded with coaches and instructors who love baseball too. Each camper gets a Red Sox cap, subsidized by '47 Brand. Each camper gets a Boston Baseball Camp provided by Reebok who also provides all the equipment as well and each camper even gets a trophy.
The kids have fun, they play Hey Babe, watch The Sandlot, work on the basics and have the best time. Coaches not only keep the kids and in line but also foster a great love for the game. I highly recommend this camp to any kid. Did I mention that the camp is only $100 per week for Boston residents ? How do they do it. Thanks to the Yawkey Foundation who provides most of the funding for this amazing camp.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Larry Lucchino Cares About Red Sox Fans One at a Time
a few months ago my 8 year old son came home and said I should be a Yankees fans. He is a huge fan of Fenway Park, but the Red Sox recent woes had made him look elsewhere. He argued that the Yankees had Babe Ruth, the greatest of all time.
Being a lifelong Red Sox fan, I was stumped. I wrote a letter to Sox chief Larry Lucchino asking for advice.
Here is the letter he wrote back.
"Dear Rick,
I received your 'urgent' note and wanted to lend a few ideas to ensure that your son remains a member of Red Sox Nation. You mentioned that your son's love of Fenway Park, and that's a good place to start as any. Yankee Stadium is a fine venue, to be sure, but nothing can match a Red Sox game at America's Most Beloved Ballpark with its 100 years of tradition (and counting).
Second, your son should consider the personalities of Red Sox past and present. From all-time greats like Ted Williams and Yaz to modern heroes like Big Papi and Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox have a lineage of ballplayers unlike any in our game's history. And while it's true the Yankees 'had' Babe Ruth, we did win three championships of our own with the Bambino and had the good sense to use him as both a pitcher and a hitter.
Finally, I hope your son continues to see the payoff in rooting for our club instead of the Yankees. Supporting the Yankees is like rooting for the Roman Empire (or even the 'Evil Empire' - as I once said about our rivals to the south). Encourage your son to pick the good side as he considers his baseball loyalties. We look forward to calling your son one of our most loyal fans. "
Sincerely,
Larry Lucchino
P.S. Enclosed is a Red Sox hat for your son - used as bribery to sway your son away from the Yankees.
Being a lifelong Red Sox fan, I was stumped. I wrote a letter to Sox chief Larry Lucchino asking for advice.
Here is the letter he wrote back.
I received your 'urgent' note and wanted to lend a few ideas to ensure that your son remains a member of Red Sox Nation. You mentioned that your son's love of Fenway Park, and that's a good place to start as any. Yankee Stadium is a fine venue, to be sure, but nothing can match a Red Sox game at America's Most Beloved Ballpark with its 100 years of tradition (and counting).
Second, your son should consider the personalities of Red Sox past and present. From all-time greats like Ted Williams and Yaz to modern heroes like Big Papi and Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox have a lineage of ballplayers unlike any in our game's history. And while it's true the Yankees 'had' Babe Ruth, we did win three championships of our own with the Bambino and had the good sense to use him as both a pitcher and a hitter.
Finally, I hope your son continues to see the payoff in rooting for our club instead of the Yankees. Supporting the Yankees is like rooting for the Roman Empire (or even the 'Evil Empire' - as I once said about our rivals to the south). Encourage your son to pick the good side as he considers his baseball loyalties. We look forward to calling your son one of our most loyal fans. "
Sincerely,
Larry Lucchino
P.S. Enclosed is a Red Sox hat for your son - used as bribery to sway your son away from the Yankees.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
I Thought of This Today: Things I wish customers at restaurants understood
I Thought of This Today: Things I wish customers at restaurants understood: In today's world, with social media, there are plenty of places for those of us in food service to share their opinions. I feel like ...
Friday, February 22, 2013
Review of Francona: The Red Sox Years
for Red Sox fans, this is a great read and gives some great insight. Unfortunately, the book meets a hurried ending and seems like its commander Queeg and the strawberries with Francona's obsession with finding out who leaked his personal business.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
The Catcher Was a Spy - Book Review
As a baseball and history fan, I have always known the story of Moe Berg. Nicholas Dawidoff gives a thorough look into the mysterious life of this famous catcher and spy. If you are a fan of baseball history, then this book is for you. Dawidoff puts in old parks and into the life of a brilliant scholar athlete who could never leave the game behind.
As a Bostonian, I especially enjoyed the in depth descriptions of the city and its famous stores and hotels.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
A Twitter Exchange with Indians Closer Chris Perez about Stan Musial Autographs
@toppscards I love your products, but the last couple Musial "signed" cards I've seen have been below sub-par@RickCanale@toppscards I'm not talking about Stan himself, but the actual ones that make it into product@ChrisPerez54@toppscards lol. imagine the ones they discard. I had a five star that was not that great at $400 per pack@RickCanale@toppscards it would be like getting a Mantle without the iconic "M"
Rick Canale 
Chris Perez 
Topps Company 
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
W.P. Kinsella The Thrill of the Grass - Book Review
If you are an avid baseball fan and long for decent baseball fiction, this collection of short stories is perfect. Crafted by W.P. Kinsella (of Shoeless Joe/Field of Dreams fame), this book gives you just the baseball fix you need in the off season or while traveling.
A Little Twitter Rapport with Gabe Kapler
gabe kapler @gabekapler Renaissance man like yourself.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Character is 24/7
after hearing that no one was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today. check out my rant with Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy on Twitter.
@gehrig38 why should character matter? That's based on a public persona created by the media. Behind closed doors is always an unknown.
@BMcCarthy32 @gehrig38 character is 24/7 not a behind closed door thing.
@RickCanale @gehrig38 not when you're dealing with someone you don't know. Ridiculous dividing line when you can't be 100% certain
@BMcCarthy32 the hall charter makes character a part of the vote. it is their club and they make the rules. character is subjective (cont)
@BMcCarthy32 Ripken, Clemente and @DaleMurphy3 have it. Rose didn't. perhaps others do. Clemens will be there, he has it. you just know.
38.8? Cool number. Surreal to even be having this conversation. Sad to see Murphy not in, Character should/does matter. #3Dalemurphy
Brandon McCarthy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)