Paging all Clintonites – the monster wedding this weekend in Rhinebeck, NY, was quite a secretive affair – no cameras were allowed, top security was present at all events (including Secret Service). Juicy details of the prenup supposedly include a $10 Million cheating clause, wherein the loving hubby must fork over the cash if he cheats on her (I want to know how they prove this!).

Apparently it was quite the classy affair, didn’t even give out koozies to the guests (clearly not my kind of party). Attendees were rumored to include Madeline Albright, Terry McAuliffe, Ted Danson, and Vera Wang (who designed the wedding dress), and oh yeah, Bill and Hillary. Apparently they even established a no-fly zone over the area!

You’ve got to wonder what it’s like to be Marc Mezvinksy, the Jewish boyfriend of the Ex First Daughter. He works at Goldman Sachs, that bastion of responsible capitalism, and is almost as famous as his dad Ed Mevinsky, convicted in a slew of fraudulent activities, including (this is my favorite) having a hand in Nigerian email frauds. Boy, what a winner. I wonder how ol’ Slick Willy will feel shaking his hand. Probably no cigar and brandy the night before.

I’m sure this won’t be the last we hear of this couple, particularly if any of the fun triggers in the prenup go off. Boy wouldn’t the media just love that!

The lovely Couple

The recent firing and rehiring of Shirley Sharrod has been smeared all over the news lately.  Fox says that she has been inclined to walk away from the USDA’s meagre offer, but in a sober assessment she shouldn’t even consider returning to government work at all. Her boss dropped her at the slightest inkling of suspicion, they don’t even offer her old job back, and to boot the job they do offer is to work on “Discrimination matters.” They’re so afraid of purported discrimination that they discriminated in firing her immediately, then they ask her back to correct the organization’s discrimination matters? Give me a a break!

Sharrod

Of course, the things she had said seem inflamatory when taken as they were in that pre-packaged audio smear clip by Andrew Breitbart. But come on here people, this guy was a known perpetrator of this type of character asassination. The axe fell without doing about 90 seconds of patient Googling that would have saved the Obamites from yet another painful backpeddle.

Sharrod’s publicity, her obvious dedication to her job, and that touching farmer’s testimonial (I’m hoping we don’t find out THAT was taken out of context!) make her a good candidate for countless jobs in both the public and private sector. But I’m hoping that she declines the USDA’s offer for a more principled reason – that you realize the true colors of the people you know by how they deal with a crisis, and their actions this time can be discribed as no better than walking all over her, no matter how you slice it.

I was glued attentively to my TV with my family on Sunday watching the Cup final, sipping beer from my Spain koozie. But man, was I the only one who thought that the game was the slowest one in the entire tournament?

When the ref wasn’t busy giving out yellow cards, the players were making turnovers at a rate of about 1 every 30 seconds. I mean, you’ve got a level of excitement inherent in being the world cup final, but come on, it was a fight just to get the ball to the penalty box.

The teams were fairly evenly matched, and you can’t blame them for playing a defensive style game. But throughout the whole thing, watching back in the old USA, I couldn’t help but think that this type of game is exactly what Americans gripe about when talking about football. Endless passing, almost no scoring opportunities, spineless attackers hanging back.

I will say one thing – at least it didn’t have to go to penalties like the last final. That just gets too painful to watch. Bien hecho Espana, good luck next time Dutchmen… Oranje will return pronto, I’m sure of it.

Oh koozie, you insulating castle,

enclosing my beverage, reducing my hassle.

Sometimes I get up, from watching TV

taking my beer to the kitchen with me.

A replay draws me back to the couch,

but my beer stays frosty in its neoprene pouch.

I harken back to a time of yore,

when the koozie was bulky foam beverage lore.

But now they’re delivered in heaps and piles

of koozies in myriad colors and styles.

The neoprene can model‘s my bread and butter,

it keeps my Bud Light so cold that I shudder,

every time I take a quick  sip,

and my hand stays so dry the can never slips.

The zip-up neoprene is what I tote,

when cruising the river in my riverboat,

My slogan emblazoned in all of its glory:

“If this beer could talk, it’d tell you a story!”

Should ever I be caught with a naked can,

I wince as the moisture slides down my hand.

A beer sans koozie is a thought best unthunk,

but beer without one will still get you drunk!

Of the past 5 World Cup games I’ve had the pleasure to watch, at four have been marred by something you rarely  see  in American sports – calls by officials that change the course of the game.  Anyone who saw this obvious goal in the England v. Germany match will agree that this was an unambiguous situation where human error led to a drastic change in the game. Of course Germany ended up winning 4-1, but a 1-0 situation is a world away from 1-1, and would have fundamentally altered the dynamic of the match.

Why is it that FIFA stubbornly argues against video review of matches? Clearly the technology exists to alter this type of egregious mistake. While FIFA President Sepp Blatter argues that he doesn’t want “technology to rule the game”, I think the root of his position isn’t one of practicality, but rather a sport that is rooted in the traditions of the past. Those traditions include terrible calls that alter games. But what would be the harm in stopping a game for a single minute to review the call in question; the method doesn’t necessarily have to be the NFL style black box; the NHL sends decisions “to the box” and has brief delays while the play in question is reviewed.

Football is refreshing in that there are no commercials, play is swift and action-packed, and it has remained the pure game that has been played for decades past. Yet introducing video review would be an advance that could make for a more fair game without diluting that purity. Particularly in matches of such high importance such as the World Cup, a few minutes of patiences could do wonders for fairness.

So as I’m sure you all know icing is sweeping the nation. I hadn’t heard of this ridiculous game before my buddy first sent me the link, then 3 hours later proceeded to come to my house and get me. At first I thought this was the lamest thing I had ever heard of… but bro let me tell you this shit gets under your skin! In the course of about a week our entire crew of guys was carrying around Smirnoffs in our back pockets. Some marketing genius really hit the jackpot with this one!

Ice sans Koozie

Anyway, I came to a brilliant plan as to how to both fend off an icing attack or to do a top secret assault – you guessed it, the koozie.  Where I come (upstate NY)  from they’re called cozies, but all these southern boys at my college have told me koozie is the preferred nomenclature. So all you have to do is carry a koozie, particularly in a party setting, and the unsuspecting victim has no idea you’re about to ice his ass!

Try it out! Of course you can’t be doing it all over the place, but a nice prevention technique / new element to your Arsenal.

Ice on!

Studies have shown that there is more to keeping beer cool than we may think! This complex, refreshing beverage has a lot going on in that 12 oz. glass bottle.   Everything from the type of pour  to temperature can profoundly affect the taste of this uber popular alcoholic beverage.

What is the correct temperature for serving beer?

While this number can vary greatly, for most beer served in the U.S. it is commonly accepted to serve a beer at an even 40 – 42 degrees fahrenheit. Certain European beers tend to be served warm and certain American beers tend to be served at cooler temperatures.  Like a fine wine, a good bottled brew has its own idiosyncrasies and in order to maintain its integrity one must pay attention to its ideal serving temperature.  For this reason, I must say I love the beer cooler.  Better yet, the beer cooler with a mission, a message for all those near the lucky joe sipping his brewski.  Check out the selection at koozieZ.com They have some pretty great ways to not only keep your beer at its optimal temperature but send out a message as well!

The perfect pour

Often referred to as an art, the perfect pour depends greatly upon both the size and shape of the glass and of course the hand that pours it.  Different glassware is recommended for different types of beer in order to aid the beer in reaching its full flavor potential. According to the Beer Advocate, the most important factors to pay attention to are the cleanliness of the glass and the angle in which one holds the beer.  They recommend a perfect 45 degree angle and a squeaky clean glass in order to minimize the influence of any outside factors on the beer pour.  In order to create the ¨perfect head¨they direct the pourer to switch to a 90 degree angle towards the end creating this well-known frothy beer look.  The head is where the beer releases its most potent properties.  Who knew how important this could be?!?

Summer’s just around the corner…Do you know how to keep your beer cold?!?

That’s right folks…Summer is practically here, which means it’s time to start sipping that icey cold brew while hanging out on the front porch, enjoying the lively array of grasshoper symphonies as the warm summer breeze makes the grass lazily sway back and forth…I bet you’re in la la summer land now, right?!?

Well, let me bring you all back to reality for just a second…Houston, we’ve got a problem! –> We’ve got to keep our beer cold! Although you may think this feat is simple (just throw the brew in the fridge), keeping a beer cold can pose a formidable challenge as outside temperatures increase. Also, you don’t want your hand to freeze off! However, I have some advice:

• Buy personalized koozies from KoozieZ.com, the low cost providerfor high quality koozies on the Web! – A koozie is an insulated holder for keeping drinks cool (typically beer or soda), while keeping the person’s hand warm and dry. It’s pure genius! What’s more, you can personalize your koozies in a bazillion different ways, from style to color to message to fabric…The possibilities are endless! Visit KoozieZ.com for more information!



• Have a mini fridge with you at all times – Although this solution may be ideal, it’s not practical. Unfortunately, mini fridges are bulky, heavy and must be plugged in.
• Make sure your hand is always freezing – Although this option would undoubtedly keep your beer cold, it would also lead to frost bite and the eventual loss of that limb. And, what’s more important than the limb you use to drink icey cold beer?!?

What is a Beer Cooler?

Have you heard about beer coolers?  They are clever little devices which are used to cover beer cans and bottles and keep your beer cold on a summer’s day? They are most commonly made of an insulating material such as fabric or neoprene. These beer coolers are more commonly known as koozies. Koozies are used to keep your drinks containers cool.

Beer Cooler for a Bottle

When Should I Use a Beer Cooler?

While you can have a plain koozie for everyday use, it is great to have custom-designed koozies for special sport events and parties such as your superbowl party or your wedding. Nowadays, beer coolers or koozies are widely used by various companies to promote their products and services. It is an affordable way of advertising. Koozies are being used not only for insulation purposes but also as a gift items and souvenirs.  It is a good idea to decorate a koozie with special type text or pictures. They can be used in place of a greeting card at Christmas or any other special occasion. Because koozies are so light and portable, you can easily send them gift to your friends and relatives.

Beer Coolers are great for keeping your beer cold

What Other Purposes are there for a Beer Cooler?

A personalized koozie or custom designed beer cooler is a great way for you to promote your business. You can place your company’s logo on the beer cooler and use it as a corporate giveaway for your customers.  Perhaps fill the koozie with your own personalized pens and other items.  A koozie is a great idea if your company is sponsoring a special event, like a golf tournament and you are looking for an affordable souvenir to give away to the participants.

How to Buy Beer Coolers Online?

You can purchase beer coolers and koozies online, decide which images to place on the koozies and they will be delivered to your home or place of business, ready in time for your event.

Sidney Crosby’s goal during overtime wins the goal medal for Canada

The Pittsburgh Penguins star scored at 67:40 of the Olympic men’s hockey final, an overtime game-winner that gave Canada the gold medal in a heart-stopping 3-2 win over the U.S. The crowd chanted “Crosby, Crosby” as the hardware was placed around his neck.

No miracles. Miller Time was over. Canada’s game, Canada’s gold, thanks to Crosby.

Defenseman Brian Rafalski lost the puck in the Team USA zone, and Jarome Iginla made a backhand pass around Ryan Suter to Crosby, who had beaten Rafalski to the net. Sid the Kid, having his best goal-scoring season in the NHL, beat goalie Ryan Miller (36 saves) for the gold.

“I didn’t see it go in the net. I just heard everyone scream,” said Crosby.

“I saw [Iginla] get a step on the guy and steal his puck. I just tried to let him know where I was and throw it at the net. He had his back turned towards me. I didn’t think he’d know I was there. I just threw it at the net. I wasn’t really aiming for anything.”

His heroics came after Canada blew a lead late in the third period. Zach Parise’s goal for the U.S. made OT possible. With Miller pulled, Patrick Kane blasted the puck off of Jamie Langenbrunner’s skate. It hit Roberto Luongo, who fought it off, and then trickled to Parise for the tying goal. He slapped his stick on the ice, skated to the glass and was mobbed by his teammates. We’d call it a miracle, but there’s nothing miraculous about the Canadian defense allowing two U.S. forwards behind them with less than a minute to go.

Yet, in the end, it’s as much a career-defining game for Luongo as it’s another legendary moment for Crosby, who won his first Stanley Cup last season.

Luongo, who replaced Martin Brodeur after Canada’s earlier loss to the U.S. in the preliminary rounds, was confident in the first period, and then rebounded from a shaky second period to shut down several American chances in the third. He made four saves in overtime. Luongo was there when Canada needed him — and now he’s wearing gold in front of a delirious arena.

The Americans win silver, thanks to Miller, who found his zone after getting down 2-0. No shame. A star made a play. And Canada achieves its destiny, winning gold on home ice in men’s and women’s hockey. They own the puck podium.