What was I drinking?

I found my thrill, on Cherry Hill...

Flying Fish brewery, operating out of Cherry Hill, New Jersey decided to celebrate their 10th birthday in style. A limited run of a very special porter was brewed, this one with the added ingredient of coffee. Imperial Espresso Porter has a deep and dark brown color, and almost looks like a coca-cola. It tastes strongly of roasted malts, and has a very chocolaty flavor.

I liked that this was brewed in the Imperial style, akin to the Baltic style of porters prevalent in Scandinavia, Russia, and the Baltic States. It's 8 % ABV is what Latvians call "Gumijas āmurs," or "The Rubber Mallet." It will give you a good whacking and make you dizzy. Unlike the Baltic Porters, I suspect that this is top-fermented, given the similarities to Ale, and the use of English Ale yeast.

There's no crying in baseball!

The third episode of the new Ultimate Road Trip season finds the Roadies + Strawberry Blonde Brenda at the metrodome in Minnesota, cheering the Yankees on. They lead the "roll call," calling out the names of the Yankees' starting lineup. Before game 2, they get press passes and watch batting practice up close. Bren gets to witness a few A-Bombs from A-Rod over the series, and as a side trip, the gang goes ice skating. Meanwhile, back at the RoadTrip Apartment, Dougy (aka "Conan The Librarian") makes an "Odd Couple" reference as he tries to clean house and comments that while he is busy tidying up, "Eddie is kinda lounging." Soon enough, Clubthumper gets the hint to help, and hilarity ensues. He seems bewildered about modern technology -- namely that a Dishwasher is a machine and not a woman. He has a hard time figuring out how to operate this strange device, like it's a modern gadget right out of Disneyworld's Futureland.

Conan the Librarian and Clubthumper then head for the Border's bookstore at Wall Street to see Cal Ripken Jr. at a book signing. This seems to be spontaneous rather than a "scripted" segment. They wait on line with mere mortals and kindly chat with folks who have seen the show. Ripken is shown at the table, signing autographs and talking to fans. He poses for pictures and shakes hands with Conan and Clubthumper. The duo get a call from Michelle Beadle, inviting them to do Yoga that very afternoon. I felt most cheated at this segment. I had expected to see Michelle in workout clothes, contorting herself into all sorts of flexy positions, bu-u-u-t no-o-o-o. It's just the two palookas and the Yoga instructor, Naz Sarman. Naz is cute, an exotic beauty, but when you are expecting Beadle, nothing else will suffice. Anyway, after the Yoga class, Conan and Clubthumper get a message to rendezvous with the other Road Trippers in Minnesota and then to head to Wisconsin for a "Paul Bunyan"-sized challenge. Dougy understands the reference to the hero of American folklore, but Eddie has no idea of who Paul Bunyan is. Honestly, this guy is as bright as a bag of hammers -- and he used to be a teacher. I bet he probably was/is a Physical Education teacher.

In Wisconsin, the two Road Trippers teams compete in a Lumberjack challenge using **gratuitous product placement** Stihl tools and accessories. Tickets for the series in Oakland and the homestand versus the Indians are up for grabs. Michelle Beadle introduces them to "Lumber-Jill" (a girl who competes in lumberjack sports) named Jenny Atkinson. Clubthumper is entirely too excited in the presence of chainsaws, spouting dialog from "Scarface" in a faux-hispanic dialect. Again, Eddie makes disparaging comments about Strawberry Blonde Brenda -- his own damn teammate! This first challenge is a "jack and jill" sawing competition. One man and woman from each team is to pair up and saw through a log using a two person push-pull type saw. Cali Grrl Shelli and "Estibador" Indio team up for the Roadies, Strawberry Blonde Brenda and Conan the Librarian pair up for the Homeys. The Homeys have some difficulty in practice, and even have the saw skip out of the groove at the beginning of the challenge. They keep their cool and rally to beat the Roadies. Next comes the axe throw, which pits Justin "Muggs" versus Clubthumper Eddie. Clubthumper struggles through the practice round, but soundly defeats his opponent in actual competition. With the Homeys up 2-0, the Roadies only chance is to take 2 of 3 in the log-rolling competition. Why this competition counts more than the others is beyond me, but they head down to the YMCA and step up on padded "logs" in the pool.

Michelle Beadle is a cruel temptress, teasing us with: "I wish I brought my bathing suit!" Michelle, Michelle, Michelle... one does not need a bathing suit to go swimming! Alas, no matter how loudly I yell at my TV, she doesn't hear me. It is a family show, and it is at the "Y," so sadly, there was no skinny dipping. Instead, we get treated to the showdown between Shelli vs. Dougy. CaliGrrl manages to put Conan The Librarian in the drink first, but she falls first in both succeeding roll-offs. Muggs takes on Strawberry Blonde Brenda, but also drops two out of three. There is no need for the third pair to compete -- the Homeys complete the sweep.

Tom Hanks' character in the motion picture "A League of Their Own" famously stated: "There's no crying in baseball!" Upon the Roadies' loss in the challenge, CaliGrrl sits with her head drooped down, and then covers her head with a towel, as though she were drying her hair. Having lost the challenge, she loses an opportunity to travel home to California and visit with her family, who live within driving distance from Oakland. The girl is sobbing, and Bren goes to comfort her. All is not lost, however, as Mighty Michelle announces a Lumberjack "Cutthroat Challenge." The three members of the Roadie team are to position themselves on the log, and the last one left will win the opportunity to travel with the Homeys to California. Here is where it gets interesting. Indio and Justin pull the moral equivalent of a Sacrifice Bunt. With a nod, both of them literally taking a dive. They slip from the log, leaving Shelli to win the trip to the West Coast -- she will get to visit with her family after all! What Muggs and Estibador did certainly cost them some "games," however their sportsmanship and team spirit far outweighs that. Indio has been nicknamed Estibador, Spanish for stevedore. A stevedore is someone who loads and unloads cargo, traditionally carrying heavy weights on their shoulders. When Indio joined the URT cast, he stated that as the sole representative from the Bronx, he carried the borough on his shoulders. Not only has he carried the reputation of his community, Indio has lifted the Bronx up on high, head and shoulders above all. Bravo Estibador! Props to Justin as well, as I'm sure that those who frequent the McManus pub can proudly boast: "That's our boy!"

As the actions of the Roadies give the show a lift, Eddie manages to bring it on down. He is shown commenting about the act of kindness: "Would I do that? No!" Clubthumper makes no bones about it, there is absolutely no way he would ever consider supporting any of his teammates or fellow castmates with such charity. It's like putting up a billboard for friend and foe alike -- if ever there is an opportunity for you to come between Eddie and something that would make him happy, feel free to screw him over! If the situation were reversed, he has no scruples about doing it to you, ally or not.

Now, over to Oakland, we get a twist. Just because the Grrl gets to Cali, there is no guarantee she gets to go to the game. Case in point -- the three Homeys get to watch the Yanks lose to the A's in extra innings. Shelli is reunited with her family, however. Bro and his brood, Grandma, and Shelli's Moms meet the Homeys. Momma is wearing a very nice blue shirt with Yankees' logo and the title "Ultimate Road Trip Mom." A heartwarming moment. Momma wanted to be assured that her daughter was with good people. Momma is a bit too quick to judge, though. She said that they were all nice people. Momma, Momma, Momma... the two nicest guys were sent home to New York! And you hugged Eddie, who if left to his own devices, would have ditched your baby Shelli -- alone weeping in Wisconsin. He would happily go off to the ballgame, and not give her a second thought.

There is a bit of Californa Karma, to come. Shelli has a chance to "steal" a ticket, by winning a challenge at the Jack London Aquatic Center. The local **product placement** Segway dealership has arranged an obstacle course race. Each Tripper has a turn navigating the course on the "standing scooters" while picking up flags along the way. The Segway scooters are very balance and pressure sensitive, so it takes a good deal of coordination to "drive," pick up flags, and hold onto them. This is made more difficult by the rain and slippery grass. Conan the Librarian sets a good base time. Strawberry Blonde Brenda is a bit spastic, but also makes good time. She face-plants into the sod at the end, and can't beat Dougy's time. Eddie tries for the "slow-but-sure" method -- emphasis on the slow. Clubthumper has the slowest time of the day. CaliGrrl is motivated to win, saying she does not want Indio and Justin's sacrifice to be in vain. She takes the course like a woman possessed, winning in handily in short order. She additionally rewarded by a Yankee victory and also getting to spend some quality time with the many members of her family in the stadium. Among the neat features at the Oakland Coliseum is a "kiddie" area adjacent to the seating, where folks can take bored or unruly kids to entertain them away from folks trying to enjoy the game. I'm hoping the designers of the New Yankee Stadium have thought of stuff like this.

The rubber match versus the A's is on Jackie Robinson Day. His uniform # 42 is "unretired" for the day, as many MLB players respectfully asked the commissioner's office if they could honor the baseball pioneer by wearing his number that day. Mariano Rivera, of course, is the last active player to have the number, and Derek Jeter and Joe Torre both sport the number in tribute. Mariano then gets shelled, wasting a great effort by Andy Pettitte. Marco Scutero, on an 0-2 count, touches him for a walk-off homer with two outs in the bottom of the 9th.

As the end credits roll, we see Michelle Beadle boldly going where no one has gone before. She tries in vain to talk sense to Eddie about Paul Bunyan, and his role in American folklore. An explanation of Babe the Blue Ox only elicits an association with Babe Ruth from Clubthumper. In exasperation, Michelle tells him: "It's like something you learn in third grade!" "I wasn't paying attention!" Eddie protests. "Clearly," Miss Beadle comments.

As it stands, at the conclusion of Episode 3, Strawberry Blonde Brenda has been to the most games, a total of 9. CaliGrrl is second with 8. Estibador and Muggs tie with 6, Conan the Librarian with 5 and Eddie brings up the rear with 4. The Sly Robbie Index (SRI) identifies Brenda as the Tripper who brings the Yankees the most losses -- 5. Eddie earns special distinction because of the frequency with which he causes the Yankees to lose by his mere presence at the games -- a walloping 75%. It's probably no fluke that the one game they won in Oakland was the one where Eddie was left alone back at the hotel. By contrast, Shelli is the one you want to go on a date to the stadium with. The Yankees win more often when she is in the stands. Just someone remind her, Shelli, Shelli, Shelli... there is no crying in baseball!

/R

p.s. Major Props to Shelli's family. When they are featured on URT attending a game, the Yankees have never lost!

Isles downed by Sabres

Well, there was not much good this postseason for the Islanders. "Doobie" didn't get the job done in the opener, and though Rick DiPietro did a good job upon his return to the ice, the team fell short. The officiating stunk, but good teams are supposed to get over bad officiating.

The final was a sort of micro-cosm of the Islanders recent woes. It looked as though the team would recover from a 4-1 deficit, and they nearly tied it up when Miroslav Satan had the puck at the Buffalo goal with but 12 seconds left. The Sabres goaltender, Ryan Miller, made a blind stab at the shot and managed to come up with the puck in the very last seconds of the game.

Shortly before the game, the Islanders learned that veteran defenseman Sean Hill was hit with a suspension for testing positive for banned substances. He has the dubious honor of becoming the first NHL player suspended for violating the league's ban on performance-enhancing drugs. A very stupid and foolish thing for him to have done, and also to have gotten caught. This conduct hurt the team. Sean now has the stigma of being a cheater to follow him for the remainder of what otherwise would have been a good career.

I have to give props to the Buffalo Sabres, they are truly a great team. Players like Chris Drury and Tomas Vanek, and Daniel Briere are all hitting their stride, and this team just could go all the way to winning the cup. For the Islanders, there is but the solace in having fallen to the eventual champion, provided Buffalo hangs in there.

The offseason is going to be one of woe for the Isles. It is clear that the big money tied up in Captain Alexei Yashin is a hindrance if they want to try and re-sign Ryan Smyth or Jason Blake, who finally lived up to his potential. It is likely that one or both of these important cogs in the Islander machinery might leave via free agency. One option for GM Garth Snow is to buy out Yashin, or even place him on waivers. I would hate to see that happen, but given the way the system works nowadays, it might be a necessary move. I would really like to see the Islanders retain the services of Ryan Smyth, but like the Yashin contract, it might be too rich for our tastes.

Move-In Day for Trippers

It was move-in day for the Road Trippers. They gathered in their new digs at an undisclosed location in Manhattan. An exterior shot of the building evokes the memory of the classic TV show "The Odd Couple," you can almost hear the 70s jazzy theme and imagine the dry narrator saying "Can six Yankee fans live together without driving each other crazy?"

The apartment seems nice enough, neatly decorated with each cast member's bedroom indicated by a street sign bearing the name of their uniform # "sponsor." This will be Brenda's ("Strawberry") first time away from home. We get some product placement in the form of the big-screen JVC TV. Eddie ("Clubthumper") has wonderful comments about Rochester, calling it "The Boonies." He is also pretty quick to question his own teammates knowledge of things Yankee. Remember when I gave Shelli the nickname of "CaliGrrl?" That's just the way Justin ("Muggs") describes her. When the gang gets settled in, they watch a DVD of Don "Donnie Baseball" Mattingly welcoming them to their new home, and gives them their marching orders for the next day. A pizza party breaks out and a good time was had by all.

The Road Trippers go to the theater of the improv comedy troupe, the Upright Citizen's Brigade. The teams get coached by professionals on the ins and outs of improvisational comedy. They have only hours to prepare for each team to perform a set in front of a live audience. **Here is a bit of trivia, you would not otherwise get by watching the show** -- Did you know that the McManus pub, the very one where "Muggs" just previously poured suds, is but a few blocks away from the UCB? Didja know that many comedians from the UCB hang out at "McM's?" It is a favorite of the likes of former Saturday Night Live castmember Horatio Sanz. It is not clear if Muggs has shared this info with all of his fellow castmembers. If not, that's OK. This is a competition after all.

The performances:
First up is the Roadies. Indio ("Estebador") works the crowd very well. As a working "topic" for them to perform 10 minute's of material, they are given "National Biscuit." It is fairly off-the-wall, but they roll with it. CaliGrrrl is a burst of energy, leading a cheer. She makes a spelling mistake which draws a big laugh, and that was a great ice-breaker. While we do not see the whole performance, the show's edit indicates they kept up a good level of energy, and had great pace and timing throughout their performance. Estebador performs physical feats, acting like a dog and rolling around. I had a slight problem here. I felt it was disrespecting to the Yankee uniform to roll around the floor on it. If the boss, George Steinbrenner, had been tuning in at that moment, I don't think he would appreciate seeing a Yankee uniform being treated in such a way. I don't blame Indio, as I'm sure that the Roadies were required to wear their uniform for this challenge. Checking the credits is a bit time consuming, and trying to lay the blame on the host Michelle Beadle ... well, that's just crazy talk.

Quite literally, the Homeys had a tough act to follow. For starters they drew the working topic of "Dave Roberts." Strawberry Blonde Brenda doesn't know who he is, and Dougy ("Conan The Librarian") does a gentlemanly thing and asks the judge (a Red Sox fan, in uniform) to explain the reference. Although their UCB "coach" taught them that this was the right thing to do, this cost them some "points." Dave Roberts was a journeyman infielder who pinch-ran for the Sawx when they made the great comeback against the Yankees. He stole a base that started a "small-ball" rally. In Red Sawx Nation mythology, that was a very big moment, along the lines of Aaron Boone's homer in the 11th inning of the ALCS in 2003. It's sad that their key moment is a stolen base, and that we have all these great home runs to speak of. To us, the Dave Roberts steal is about as trivial as say, making a Sawx fan recall Mickey Rivers' bat. What, you don't know what Mickey Rivers' bat did?! Late in the division Championship Game 1978 with the Yankees down 2-0, on-deck hitter Mickey Rivers heard the batter's bat break. He called his teammate over and lent him his own bat. On the next pitch, the batsman Bucky Dent lined a hanging curve ball over Fenway Park's "Green Monster" outfield fence to put the Yankees up for good.

Thus disadvantaged with an obscure topic, the Homies tried their best. It did not seem funny at all, at least according to the YES network edit. The result: The Roadies not only score tickets for the next 3 home games versus the Baltimore Orioles, but the tickets for the first road series in Minnesota.

While the Roadies enjoy the game, the Homeys get a special delivery from the Bagel deliveryman. Strawberry Blonde answers the door in a tight t-shirt, which sort of distracts from what happens next. Michelle Beadle shows up, and throws the Homies a "curve." There will be a Lotto-style challenge, and one of the three Homies will be able to go see the next 5 games. Each Homie goes in turn, as Michelle draws a ping pong ball with a year and number printed on them. They must correctly guess the name of the player who wore the uniform. Right off the bat, Clubtumper blows his first test "2003 #18," (Jeff Weaver.) Strawberry Blonde gets an easy one "2003 #33," (David Wells.) Conan The Librarian is solid with his answers. Clubthumper does a bit of whining, and Strawberry Blonde is shown either getting easy ones or having her wild guesses be correct. Clubthumper is the first to be eliminated, and is not a good sport about it. With Conan The Librarian on the hot seat, Strawberry Blonde draws Joe D.'s "1948 #5" while Dougy doesn't get the wonderfully obscure "Doc" Medich (#33 from 1975.)

Tubthumper lashes out at the poor girl: "You got Monument Park numbers, how can you loose..." That's No Class, Eddie. I advise you to drop uniform #21, you do not wear it well. Paul O'Neill was passionate about the game, but would only get in a rage over his own performance. If Tino Martinez got good pitches to hit and then drilled them, Paulie would no doubt be one of the first to congratulate his fellow teammate. He only got upset and took it out on inanimate objects if he did something to let his team down. It looks like Clubthumper has some lessons to learn about teamwork.

The Roadies are out in the cold watching the game, and on split-screen we see the Homey's lounging in front of the (product placement) JVC big screen TV. A-Rod launches an A-Bomb! Alex "The Third Baseman" Rodriguez hits a walk-off grand slam, a bona-fide bases loaded homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game by a score of 8-6. The split-screen of both groups experiencing the game was quite delightful. The Homies rub it in to Brenda, who wears #13, A-Rod's number, by boasting that they were there to the bitter end and saw it live.

The following day, The Homies prepare to go to the next game. Strawberry Blonde surprises them by telling them that she has won the Curveball, and will be joining them. Estebador is quick to realize that this means there is a four way tie for which Road Tripper has gone to the most games. As it stands, Estebador, CaliGrrrl, Muggs, and Strawberry Blonde will all be tied at six, pending the outcome of the road series at Minnesota.

As the Ultimate Road Trip (URT) Index will count which Road Tripper goes to the most games, the Sly Robbie Index (SRI) will keep track of which Road Tripper helps or harms the Yankees the most. This is to celebrate the great dichotomy of the rhyme and reason of baseball in New York. As soon as George Steinbrenner purchased the team way back when, he had a quote placed prominently in the Yankee clubhouse. It was by General Douglas MacArthur: "There is no substitute for victory." This quote has inspired many Yankees championship teams. Back in 1951 the Brooklyn Dodgers, noting that the great General frequented the Polo Grounds to watch the Giants, invited him to come to Ebbet's Field. The General came to a total of 13 Dodger home games, and the Dodgers lost every single one of them. The Dodgers also lost the pennant by exactly 13 games. Coinkydink? I don't think so. One of these Road Trippers is going to be a Good Luck Charm for the Yankees. Another will be the proverbial Albatross. So, as the YES network calculates who attends the most games, and the Road Trippers divvy up the material prizes, Sly Robbie will be watching to see who blesses, and who curses the team with their very presence. As of the conclusion of Episode 2, all of them have been presence for one victory, and four of them have brought the Yankees two losses. In the coming weeks, the SRI will seperate the Wheat from the Chaff.

What was I drinking?

Sierra Nevada brewery's
Bigfoot Barleywine style Ale

Ahhhh, they had me at "Barleywine."

Sierra Nevada has long been one of my favorite microbrews, who have gone "big" without compromising their quality. Brewmaster Steve Dresler has been with the outfit since 1983, when they were producing 30 barrels a week; they now have an annual production of some 700,000 barrels of beer. They operate out of Chico, California and have recently expanded their operation from "Brewery/Taproom" and Restaurant, to now include a music venue that features top acts from the Country, Bluegrass, Blues genre. They are also a very environment-responsible company, and plan to be operated entirely via fuel cell technology by the end of this year.

"Bigfoot" is a seasonal ale with a gorgeous red body. It is as "stinky" as its namesake -- the maltiness is quite strong, and has a good bitter hoppiness to it. It's quite sweet and has a lingering aftertaste. It goes great with cheesecake, and raspberries. Top-fermented yeast, added with two separate bittering hops and three different malts, make this a heavy ale. It is a classic barleywine, what Latvians call "Gumijas āmurs," or "The Rubber Mallet." It will give you a good whacking and make you dizzy. Alcohol by Volume: 9.6%, so like its namesake, "Bigfoot" is not a beast to be trifled with.

A true afficionado will certainly appreciate this fine brew, especially in moderation and in concert with some sweets. Those just looking for a buzz will find it pretty skunky.

In memoriam, Ontons Kūkōjs

Ontons Kūkōjs was a Renaissance Man. Though little known outside of Latgale, the easternmost province of Latvia, Kūkōjs works and deeds have had a lasting influence upon generations. Many Latvians will remember him as an actor, notable for his performance in the motion picture "Cilvēka Bērns" ("Human Child.") Others will regard him for his writing, poetry, plays and screenplays; as an educator, a teacher and school director, artist, and museum curator. He was a champion of Latgale, a largely rural province that oft comes out on the short end of both politics and economics. Latgale is beset by high unemployment, which has hastened the flight of many young and able-bodied residents to Western Europe, and a crumbling infrastructure that lags far behind that of the city of Rīga and the more Western provinces of Latvia.

Ontons was born the son of a Blacksmith in the little village of Ruduki in the borough of Nautrēni, in the district of Ludza, in the eastern part of the province of Latgale in the midst of a World War at the time of Winter Solstice, December 23 1940. After receiving elementary education, he studied Art in the city of Rēzekne. He would become a teacher, first in a rural schoolhouse, and later in the Rēzekne school district. He had a long affair with the screen and stage. As an actor he tackled many roles among the classics of Latvian drama, and he would always find work in most every capacity of the theater -- as an actor, director, set designer, and even wrote some plays and telefilms himself. His most famous play was "Traks vai no Rogovkas," ("Crazy or from the village Rogovka.") He had a deep respect and love for his native land, its language and culture, and this was often expressed in his many poems and in his paintings. Ontons also composed the school song of the University of Rēzekne.

Ontons was a loving husband, father, and grandfather; and friend, mentor and inspiration to many. He had been ill for some time, and passed away in the wee hours Wednesday, April 18, 2007. A wake will be held on Saturday April 21st in the Nautrēnu parish Roman Catholic Church in the village of Rogovka. He will be interred in the Nautrēnu borough "Desetnieku" cemetary, the final resting place of many notable sons and daughters of "Māra's Land," such as Pīters Miglinīks, Andrievs Jurdžs, and Pēteris Jurciņš.

Ontons Kūkōjs, 23.XII.1940 - 18.IV.2007

Ontons Kūkōjs, 23.XII.1940 - 18.IV.2007

Mūstās dzagiuze,

Dzagiužlineņus sukōt,

Spūrdz žūbe caur pažūbeli.

Gōjputnys strods

Kūzulu īkōrs

jaunizcaltōs bazneicas tūrnī...

Viņ es vēl nu rudiņa

Caurom naktim mūkūs ar sevi.

Cik reizes pat apsagōzs mēness

jau nūsnauduļōjs man taisni uz placa.

Mēness apsagōzs...

Bet tu nauzatrauc, mōs!

Vyss golvonais tikai vēl sōksīs

Byus reiti, skrīšonas, steiga,

Vokori pylni ar nostalgeju,

I naktis ar jausmom --

Tymsys apmōtim sykspōrnim pōrpiļdeitas...

Arī pošam jūprūjom,

kryutežā kabatā īslāpts

Kaids saburzeits dzejūleitis --

pavasaram.

"Zeļļi" kick off U.S. Tour

Bring your dancing shoes, because coming soon to a Latvian Center near you (provided you live in the Northeast or Midwestern United States) the schlager group Zeļļi is coming.

Indeed, I had the opportunity to check the boys out as they kicked off their U.S. Tour in the Latvian Center Priedaine, by the Jersey shore, this past weekend. These guys have been a mainstay of Latvian pop for some decades now, and have made the synthesizer as ubiquitous in the Latvian music scene as the kokle. Their song "Vēl tu nāc" won top schlager at Mikrofons '94. They hail from Valmiera, in the Northern part of the country and have released about a dozen albums.

Their previous visit to the Garden State did not go so well. Last summer, at summer festival of Jāņi, they fell victim to both inclement weather and technical difficulties in the form of a power blackout. As a result, the four-piece band moved from an outdoor "estrade" stage to a hall lit only by candlelight. Instead of the "electronica" that is part of their hallmark, the fellas performed a capella. In spite of the hardships, the band's indefatigable spirit had impressed the locals, and they were invited back to the USA again this year. The tour is underwritten in part by the American Latvian Association, as well as the cultural association TILTS, headed by the venerable "sakarnieks" Ģirts Zeidenbergs.

Zeļļi played some two dozen songs, and started out the first set strong. Bandleader Jānis Vējiņš made the requisite introductions and background on some of the songs. The music ranged from pop to smooth jazz, some melancholic love songs as well as danceable numbers. The song "Man ir skumji mazliet," which was a top prizewinner in the 2006 Latvian Music Awards, turned folks out onto the dancefloor. Mind you, the audience was almost entirely composed of seniors, many septuagenarians. A few "younger" folks showed up from the "jauniebraucēju" ranks (recent emigrants from Latvia -- as opposed to the established community of Latvians who came to the US following the Second World War.) It was rather a sight seeing 60-70 y.o. folks swinging and dancing like they were bobby-soxers from the 50's. Ahhh, nostalgia. It ain't what it used to be.

The boys were tight, they played very well together, and their stage banter was light. Lead singer tenor Raitis Treijs was smooth as silk, with the rest of the band backing him ably. Ivars Birkāns multitasked switching from flute to saxophone, and even took the lead on several songs, especially the ones performed in English. Birkāns is a relative "newbie" to the group, having joined Zeļļi only 15 years ago, after a long and successful stint as a musician in Raimonds Pauls' big band. Far be it from me to judge people on their appearance, but at first glance Ivars looks a bit dour, like he were one of the old-time KGB "escorts" rather than a member of the band. Looks can be deceiving, as he played a mean sax. His singing was.... well ... unique. A low and gravelly baritone, he may have been shooting for Satchmo, but sounded much like Jimmy Durante. He did work the crowd well, especially during his rendition of the Elvis Presley classic "I can't help falling in love with you." It was something to be experienced. If you plan on attending any of their concerts on tour, and this song is not on the program, request it. (The band did cheerfully take requests for encores). Ivars Birkāns belting out the classic tune in his distinctive style is a treasure. If you have a video camera, capture it, it will be a YouTube classic. Typical of older generation Latvians, his English is heavily accented. Imagine if you will -- Boris Karloff channeling Nick Cave of the The Bad Seeds. Still, with his stage presence and the absolute sincerity with which he sang, the performance was downright endearing.

The contributions of Ilmārs Stivriņš should not be overlooked. He took lead vocals on a few tunes, and his guitar playing was more than adequate. In fact, his guitar solos are as good as most any live musician I have heard. He has a sort of Country/Western twang, and it would be interesting to hear what he could do on his own sans the rest of the band. Not that this is likely, mind you. Zeļļi is a solid combo, and has been for years.

They are set to play in Brookline, Mass, tomorrow night at the "Trimda" Latvian church and will be back in New York at the Latvian Church in Yonkers on Saturday. Next week Wednesday the 25th in Grand Rapids, and Saturday the 28th in Minneapolis. A few more dates in Ohio, Wisconsin, et al. and they wrap their tour up on May 12th at the ALA Congress at Chicago's Crowne Plaza hotel.

A whole new ballgame

Season 3 of the YES Network's Ultimate Road Trip unveiled last week. The UTR is a reality show on the Yankees' network, where a group of fans attend all 162 regular season Yankees baseball games and enjoy adventures as they follow their favorite team from city to city on the road trips. The show is hosted by the ever lovely Michelle Beadle, who previously hosted shows on The Discovery Channel, Travel Channel and also Animal Planet. She has also reported on Professional Bull riding for TNN, Under the Helmet, for the NFL, and many other sports programmes. Blonde, beautiful ... she could wear sweat pants and a T-shirt and read the phone book and I would tune in just to watch her.

Anyway ... the Road Trip. Unlike previous seasons, where 4 fans adventured together, this year's crew is split into two teams of three. They compete for prizes, as in previous years, but the twist this time around is that only one of the crews will actually attend games. I'm not sure if that this is a change for the better. Part of the great adventure was the camaraderie, and even though Road Trippers past would have mini-competitions for prizes, such as home electronics, CDs, airline tickets, etc., the "unity" of folks from diverse backgrounds getting together to cheer on the Yanks was what made this show likable.

The teams:
Homebodies (wearing the Yankee Pinstripe uniforms):
Brenda (wearing A-Rod's #13), Eddie (wearing Paul O'Neill's #21), and Dougy (wearing Lou Gehrig's #4)

Roadies (wearing the New York road Uniforms)
Justin (wearing Mariano Rivera's #42), Shelli (wearing Don Mattingly's #23), and Indio (wearing Hideki Matsui's #55)

About them:
You can probably get their "spin" on themselves on their own blogs.

Here is my initial impression:
Indio is from The Bronx, and grew up in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. He is of Guyanese and Puerto Rican ancestry, a true representative of the "melting pot" that the borough is known for. His intro showed the old neighborhood, the lot where he used to play stickball, and him hangin' with his chulos -- his good friends. He was the toughest one I had to come up with a nickname for. "Bronx" is abit too generic and "Papi" is already taken by that DH in New England. On his blog, he says that as the sole representative of the Bronx, he feels he is carrying the community on his shoulder -- so he is a kind of stevedore, in Spanish: "Estibador."

Brenda hails from Rochester, NY. An upstate girl, who worked her way up through the ranks to become a Manager at Wegman's food store. Now, if any of you have never experienced Wegman's, you are missing a treasure. They are huge and semi-upscale food/department stores. They combine the value of the big-box stores with top quality merchandise. She has the requisite ton of Yankee memorabilia in her bedroom, and retains a girly-girl quality. She looks great in pink, and is a true beauty with strawberry blonde hair. And her friends are hot! Nickname: "Strawberry."

Eddie seems to be a favorite, having come close to being a road tripper in previous auditions. This time he has made the grade. He fits the image of the "Italian guy from Brooklyn," who now lives in Queens. He is a teacher by day, and photographer/greeter/host at nightclubs by night. He seems popular with the ladies and doesn't miss the opportunity to let people know. If I were cruel, I'd tag him as "Iroc" or "Lounge-lizard," but the URT season is young. For now, he's "Clubthumper."

Next up is Shelli, a cutie from Bakersfield, CA. In some regards, she reminds me of The Fairest of Them All --Christa Robinson. West coast gal who loves the Yanks and has come to New York to make it in the TV sports business. Shelli is depicted as an athletic type, a real tomboy. No Barbies for her -- an old photo shows her decked out in catcher's gear, and her dad tells us she has had 3 concussions. She seems to have a bit of a competitive streak. Nickname: "CaliforniaGrrrl."

Justin is straight out of Central Casting for "The Black Donnellys," with the typical "Black Irish" looks and good-time demeanor. He is the fourth-generation of a clan that runs the oldest family-owned bar in New York City, Peter McManus Cafe in Chelsea. Seeing as how "The Black Donnellys" just got canceled by NBC, nicknames referencing that fine show will seem quaint by season's end. Given the family business, and that he was cast for looks, Justin earns the nickname "Muggs."

Dougy is the Jersey boy of the bunch. He has the requisite Yankees shrine at home, and is shown as the youngest brother of the family. He seems to have a hot competitive streak, playing tennis and other sports. First impression is that he may tend to not take losing very well. On the plus side he seems very intelligent, and works as a librarian. Yes, that's right. A librarian. From the suburbs of Jersey. OK, maybe it does not have the same ring to it as the guy from the streets of the Bronx, or the brawler from Brooklyn, or the Irish guy who keeps order in the bar. But I think Dougy has what it takes to hold his own. Hence the nickname: "Conan the Librarian."

The first competition is held at Richmond County Bank Ballpark the home of the New York Yankees' Single-A affiliate, the Staten Island Yankees (aka the Baby Bombers), located along the waterfront at St. George, the northernmost tip of Staten Island. The first three contests pit one member of the Homebodies versus the Roadies in games of Hustle, Skill and Knowledge.

In Hustle, each competitor has ten minutes to find baseballs that are hidden within the confines of the ballpark. "Estibador" goes slow and steady, methodically going section-by-section. "Strawberry" seems to is not having as much success, berated by her teammates for a lack of hustle. The pretty lass overlooks some areas, and Indio takes advantage. In the end he brings home an early lead for the Roadies, as "Strawberry" can't make it back from dead centerfield in time to get a crucial pair of balls home.

Skill tests the players' ability to lay down a bunt, as thrown by a batting-practice pitching machine. "Clubthumper" whiffs on his first three tries, but finds his groove, dropping six of the next seven perfectly. "CaliGrrrl" does not do as well, making only 3, but she did make good contact and had several roll foul. We see a bit of her temper, which does not do Donnie Baseball's #23 proud. Grrrr, CaliGrrrl. If you insist on wearing #23, you better live up to the legacy.

Knowledge consists of 10 Yankees trivia questions. #1 name the 2 Yankee Hall of Fame Players who won the triple crown (Mickey Mantle and Gehrig); #2 In which stadium did The Babe famously call his homerun (Wrigley Field); #3 How many times did Billy Martin serve as Yankees' manager (five); #4 What was Brain Cashman's first job in the Yankees' organization (intern); #5 What is Yogi Berra's real name (Lawrence Peter Berra); #6 How many American League Pennants have the Yankees won (39); #7 who was the last Yankee to hit for the cycle (Tony Fernandez); #8 Name 3 Yankees to have won 3 MVP awards (Mantle, Berra, Joe DiMaggio); #9 Mariano Rivera notched save #400 versus which team (Chicago White Sox); and #10 name 1 of 3 Yankees to have pitched a no-hitter versus the Red Sox (Dave Righetti, Allie Reynolds, George Mogridge);

Each contestant could receive help on only one question. "Conan the Librarian" rocked. He got 9 out of 10 correct, missing only #8 by naming Lou Gehrig instead of Joe D. He really did not need any help, but looked to his teammates to confirm the Billy Martin question. "Muggs" didn't do as well. His intro segment had built him up to be a fountain of Yankee knowledge, but he ended up getting only 2 out of 10 right.

As a result, the homebodies scored the tickets for Opening Day and the series that followed. The roadies sort of sulked. I'm not sure I'm going to like seeing things get ugly when the competitive spirit turns the Yankee fans against each other. It was much better when there was a spirit of teamwork, sometimes even taking things a little easier so that one of their fellow Road Trippers can win a prize they had their eye on. I foresee things getting a little more cutthroat with this bunch. I'm hoping I''m wrong, as some of the new crew (Indio, Justin) seem like genuinely nice folks, and I'd hate to see greed and heated competition bring out the worst in them.

What was I drinking?

O Hanami Ale
It has a taste of cherry
A seasonal brew

My try at a Haiku, in praise of this weekend's brew. It hails from the Granite state, aka NewHampshire, and made by the brew masters of the Smuttynose brewery. I like them a lot. They are on top of their game, be it ales, lagers and even porters. I was sorry to hear that their beloved Olive, the "mascot" of the Old Brown Dog Ale, passed away last month. She was just shy of her 16th birthday.

Hanami Ale is named for the ancient Japanese custom of cherry-blossom viewing. People from all over Japan congregate in parklands to enjoy the blossoms, called sakura. Folks were generally in good spirits and jovial -- Hanami is on the order of a national picnic.

The label features Mt. Fuji in the background, framed by cherry blossoms. Traditional Japanese icons, the mikado cat, sushi, and a cutesy doll make for a colorful foreground.

Hanami ale is available only from February to April. It is a pretty good medium-bodied ale. Hopefully it will warm up some in the coming weeks, to where the Weeping Cherry in my backyard blooms, and I can cook outside on the grill. We did fire up the smoker last week and gave some eels the treatment, but thats another story. I could see sitting out back on my patio, knocking some of these back and just taking in the blossoming cherry tree in the twilight.

So it goes...

Alas, Kurt Vonnegut has passed.

He was born on Lācplēša day in 1922, and departed from the mortal coil in New York City, on April 11th 2007. He died at Mount Sinai Hospital at 9:45 p.m.

Not wishing to dwell on his foibles and “clunkers,” he shall remain in my memory as the kindly, frumpy, off-kilter author who wrote many works that helped shape (or warp) my character. In the times that I met him he was a personable fellow.

In high school, he was one of the writers that got shoved down your throat. “Slaughterhouse-5” was a required read, and it would not have been so bad had an uppity teacher not tried to micro-analyze it. That experience almost put me off of Vonnegut for good. Luckily, at University I started reading a copy of “The Sirens of Titan” that one of my dormitory mates had unwisely left laying about. Rather than dismissing his work, I became addicted to it. To be fair, some works were more painful than others, “Slapstick” and “Wampeters, Foma, and Granfaloons,” for example. Others were riotous romps—“Breakfast of Champions,” and “Deadeye Dick” stand out among his finest. His work could be quite captivating. I first read “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater” in one all-day marathon session, thoroughly enjoying the ride, but feeling like I had cheated myself by not parsing it out. A treasured memory came a summer I lived in Bavaria, and finding “Bluebeard” and “Cat’s Cradle” in English at a small bookshop on Leopoldstraße, part of the University neighborhood in the Munich city district of Schwabing. Meting them out in timed doses was like having the company of a good friend while traveling the S-bahn or just sitting out in the summer sun in the Englischer Garden.

In the 1990s, Kurt stopped writing his great works of fiction and witty and black comedy, and dropped the dark humor, and just got dark. “Fates worse than Death” was his MisranthOpus. At the end he became suicidal and was hospitalized with a brain injury, suffered as the result of a fall in his Manhattan residence. I would rather remember him as frumpy “Uncle Kurt,” who shared tales about working as a cub reporter at the Chicago City News bureau, and also as the tour guide of surreal journeys through his many a good book.

Bombers Soar

For the first time since the 2004 season, the Essendon Bombers won back-to-back Aussie Rules football games. The Bombers are atop the ladder, unbeaten in the young AFL season. Owing to a speedy Forward line sparked by Alwyn Davey's nine tackles, the team recorded 53 for the match. Scotty Lucas and the Skipper, Matty Lloyd, combined for 9 goals as the Bombers beat the Fremantle Dockers 122-112. Brent Stanton and Jason Winderlich both had outstanding games, and Adam McPhee’s great year continued with another punishing display across halfback. ‘Macca’ rebounded countless Freo attacks, showing that he is back with a vengeance. Speaking of which... rumor has it that Adam Ramanauskas, who has not played since 2005 b/c of the return of cancer, may be ready to rejoin the team by the end of May. Way to go, for one of my fellow Balts!

Never Say Die-landers

Journeying through the the great city of New York, the Men of the Island made their way to the marshlands of Jersey. With Satan (Miroslav) on their side, on Easter Sunday no less, they faced off against the mighty Devils. Losing this, the final game of this NHL season, was not an option. A loss to the veteran New Jersey squad would have meant an end to their season of strife, of blood sweat toil and tears. A victory meant a playoff berth -- life in the post season.


It looked good for the Men of the Island, as they built up a 2-0 lead into the third period, courtesy of an unlikely source. The "Godfather of Seoul," Korean-born Center Richard Park, benefited from being placed on the top line between Jason Blake and the Captain, Alexei Yashin. The Jersey Devils mounted a comeback, pushing the Islanders to the brink with two goals from John Madden, including a stunner with less than a second remaining to tie the contest at two.

The Islanders were without the services of star goaltender Rick DiPietro, who suffered two concussions in the past few weeks. Instead, the team turned to young Wade Dubielewicz, making only his 17th NHL appearance between the pipes. "Doobie" did not disappoint, making 22 saves in the game and overtime period that followed.

In a nail-biter, it came down to a shoot-out. Miroslav Satan and Viktor Kozlov scored for the Islanders on the first two tries, and "Doobie" shut the Devils down to nail it for the Isles. Although New Jersey fans may disagree, it was a fitting end of an era. This game was probably the last Devils' regular-season contest in the Continental Airlines (nee Brendan Byrne) Arena. Construction of "The Rock" (aka the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.) is scheduled to be done in time for the start of next season.

Despite the snow in April, this win warmed the heart. There is hope this spring. The records are all even now, the slate is clean. The Islanders are in the playoffs, Lord Stanley's Cup is within reach. The dream is alive -- hope springs eternal.

/R