A Toast To Yankee Baseball And October!

Congratulations to the New York Yankees for clinching a playoff spot tonight. It's been a long time coming and with the ups and down of the past few games, we fans have been itching for some assurance that we'll reach October. Tonight was that night as the Yankees won 6-1.

Congratulations to Carsten Charles Sabathia and Mariano Rivera for their outstanding performances tonight. I think it's only fitting to end this short post by saying congratulations once again Yankees. Keep up the good work.

XOXO,
Whitney

Top 15 Memorable "Wall Street" Quotes Part 3

By now you all should have read the 2 previous posts and revisited Wall Street because today is the day....Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is out in theaters! Gordon Gekko, my Economic idol, is back! "Doesn't anybody believe in comebacks?" I know I do and I'm more than excited to bring you the final top 5 quotes that I think make Wall Street the iconic cult classic that it is:

5. "When you've had money and lost it, it can be much worse than never having it at all" -- Darien Taylor
    "That is BULLSHIT" -- Bud Fox
    " HEY! HEY! You step out that door, and I am changing the locks!" -- Bud Fox

4. "Life all comes down to a few moments. This is one of them" -- Bud Fox

3. "I don't want him to ever know, you understand?" -- Darien Taylor
    " Mums the word" -- Gordon Gekko
    " You and I are the same, Darien. We are smart enough not to buy into the oldest myth running; love.
     Diction created by people to keep them from jumping out of windows" --Gordon Gekko
   " You know sometimes I miss you" --Darien Taylor

2. "Bud...Bud I like you. Just remember something. Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him . At that moment man finds his character. And that's what keeps him out of the abyss" -- Lou

And finally, we've come to the #1 quote that I feel just sums up the movie and life itself. Ready? Here it is



I'm so glad that you've stuck around and read some quotes. Today is a fabulous day so get your stock, bonds, and greed on!

XOXO,
Whitney

Top 15 Memorable "Wall Street" Quotes Part 2

 

Had fun re-watching Wall Street and really taking in those quotes? I'm always in awe while watching this movie and now, we'll get to some more quotes that I feel are memorable:

10. "If you need a friend, get a dog" -- Gordon Gekko

9. "I don't go to bed with no whore, and I don't wake up with no whore. That's how I live with myself. I don't know how you do it" -- Carl Fox

8. "We're all just one trade away from humility" -- Marv

7. "You know what my dream is? It's to one day be on the other end of that phone" -- Bud Fox

6. "Money's only something you need in case you don't die tomorrow..." -- Carl Fox

We're getting closer to the top 5 memorable Wall Street quotes. I know I'm excited for you all to read them, discuss them, and even live them. Remember, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is out in theaters on Friday, September 24.

XOXO,
Whitney

A Husband, A Father, A Boss And Much More Than This...He Did It His Way

Tonight was the unveiling of George Michael Steinbrenner III's monument inside Monument Park and to say that his tribute was anything less than emotional would be an understatement. As Hank, Hal, Jennifer, and Jessica, along with his widow Joan, and their children watched Yankee Stadium commemorate their father, husband, and grandfather, with tear-filled eyes, we the fans cried as well and then geared up for a great match with the Tampa Bay Rays. Let's begin.

As the ceremony took place and everyone made their way to Monument Park, there was a resounding calm that came over the stadium as Joe Torre and Don Mattingly were walking along the field...a resounding calm coupled with a massive standing ovation.  As I stood up, drenched with tears, and clapped, I couldn't help but feel as if George himself was responsible for bringing the calm...as if to tell us that he appreciates everything and he couldn't be in better spirits.  Finally, we came to the heart of the night and Joan Elizabeth Steinbrenner unveiled the monument. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking. It was magical. To end the commemoration, Frank Sinatra's "My Way" played and boy oh boy what a better way to sum up the night. The game could begin.

Since a play by play would ruin the evening and the post, I'll highlight key players in the victory over the Rays. Derek Jeter had a monster night with 2 hits bringing his total to 2,910...90 away from 3,000 and Curtis Granderson hit 2 homeruns and collected 5 RBIs. Ivan Nova was on the mound and did ok and with help from the bullpen, the Yankees won 8-6. A great night to honor the boss.

To end, it's only fitting to leave you with Frank Sinatra's "My Way". And much more than this...George Steinbrenner did it his way.



XOXO,
Whitney

Manning Bowl II = Peyton Spanking That Behind...

The long awaited Manning vs. Manning game took place tonight in Indianapolis. As fans of both Peyton Manning and Eli Manning geared up for some sibling rivalry, both brothers just saw this as another day at work. As parents Archie and Olivia Manning watched from the sky box we all knew this would be some match. Boy was is some match. Shall we begin?

The Indianapolis Colts charged on the field as Manning and Brown found an opening and Brown scored an easy touchdown to give the Colts a 7-0 lead. The Giants tried to respond with a TD of their own but Eli threw an incomplete pass to Nicks. They did find some footing afterward but that was short lived.

The Colts answered NY's call with Peyton throwing a pass to Clark for a touchdown. The Colts now led 14-0. As if things couldn't get any worse for New York, Eli fumbled the ball and Peyton threw another beautiful TD pass to Austin Collie for a score of 24-0. Halftime couldn't come any sooner.

Back from the half and the Giants were FINALLY on the board with 7...at least it wouldn't be a blowout. However, with a turnover from NY and Eli getting knocked hard by Freeney, the ball fell out of his hands and was recovered by Moala for another Colts touchdown. The score was now 31-14.

In the final quarter, The Giants and their fans knew it was over, although they scored another touchdown, and as Indianapolis scored another touchdown and the final score was 38-7. Manning Bowl II ended with Peyton toppling over his younger brother for the victory.

Rather than kicking the Giants while they're down...I'll just say better luck next week boys....you'll need it to recover from that D-E-B-A-C-L-E.

XOXO,
Whitney

J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!

If you're a Jets fan, Pats fan, or even a Tom Brady fan, today was the day to put up or shut up. Since preseason football commenced, there have been back and forth banter about how one team is better than the other. Remember when Tom Brady was asked if he watched the show Hard Knocks and he replied "I don't watch that show. I hate the Jets"? Well, today's game was all about putting the money where the mouth is for The New York Jets and The New England Patriots. Let's begin.

In the first quarter, both teams were trying to find some footing and get the ball rolling. Things began to heat up towards the end of the 1st quarter as the Patriots regained focus and knew what they were after.

In the beginning of the 2nd quarter, the Patriots scored early with a touchdown, the Jets were on the move. Towards the middle of the 2nd quarter, the Jets came out of the gate swinging as Braylon Edwards caught a TD pass from Sanchez. Now we move to halftime.

Coming back from the half, the Patriots continued to glide past the Jets with Randy Moss' touchdown giving the Pats some momentum. The score was now 14-10. During this time, we learned that Darrelle Revis was taken out of the game with a hamstring injury. The Jets, however, didn't let this stop them and they climbed back to being down one point 14-13.

If it seemed as if the Jets were out for NE blood, you're right because the Jets continued with their amazing plays to take a 21-14 lead going into the 4th quarter due to a TD by Jerricho Cotchery. Dustin Keller would score a touchdown in this quarter to give the Jets a whopping lead of 28-14. The Jets would go on to win the game by a score of 28-14 breaking them even in standings at 1-1.

Today's game also showed the improvement of Mark Sanchez who took a beating last Monday against the Ravens leaving many to doubt his abilities so early in the season. Hopefully today's success can silence the critics.

Congratulations Jets.

XOXO,
Whitney

In Carsten Charles We Trust...Congratulations on 20 Wins!

The New York Yankees won tonight and while it was a collaborative effort from players such as Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, Brett Gardner, and Jorge Posada, the night belongs to Carsten Charles Sabathia and his 20th win of the season.

Sabathia's victory was propelled by the Yankees and their monstrous win over the Orioles, 11-3. Now, I know you're all thinking "is she going to delve further into the run support behind Sabathia?" And the answer is....NO! Sorry to be so blunt and brass but once again the night belongs to Sabathia. However, we can talk about how this also skyrockets him into being the sure-fire pick for the Cy Young award. Uh oh...here comes the debate...can't you hear it? "What about King Felix? How dare you ignore David Price?" Well those answers will be answered in depth when a post is dedicated to the Cy Young award. CC was only mentioned to add extra flavor to his achievement tonight.

For right now, I want to congratulate Carsten on a fabulous win and suggest that he celebrates 20x times over.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO,
Whitney

The Top 15 Memorable "Wall Street" Quotes Part I

Next Friday, payback comes full circle...Gordon Gekko is back! The beloved and hated character from Wall Street  is released from jail 23 years later and has come to claim what is rightfully his...the world. In honor of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,  I have decided to do a top 15 list of what I think are some of the memorable "Wall Street" quotes to wet your financial whistles. Let's begin:

15. "Lunch is for whimps" --Gordon Gekko

14. "Stop going for the easy buck and start producing something with your life. Create, instead of living off the buying and selling of others". --Carl Fox

13. "The main thing about money, Bud, is that it makes you do things you don't want to do"-- Lou

12. "There's no nobility in poverty" -- Bud Fox

11. "It's not always the most popular person that gets the job done" --Gordon Gekko

Are you hungering for more quotes? If so, stay tuned for quotes 10-6....you won't be disappointed...

XOXO,
Whitney

Is It Monday Yet? Hells Yea! Monday Night Football Is Back!

How to begin this post? Well, rather than go into words...I'll go with a video


Ahh, that commercial gets me everytime. Tonight was the premiere of Monday Night Football and one of 2 games was the NY Jets vs the Baltimore Ravens. Are you excited to dig in? Let's go!

After a mini rain delay, the Jets were off and running and with a fumble from the Ravens early and a failed attempt at a touchdown, from the Jets, they redeemed themselves with a field goal the Jets were leading 3-0.In the 2nd quarter, the Jets would find more footing and take a nice 6-0 lead off of another field goal. However, the Ravens caught on to their horrible playing and scored a touchdown. Baltimore would now lead 7-6. Then.....it was halftime.

Coming back from the half, the Jets fell apart and Cundiff kicked a nice 25 yd. line field goal to give the Ravens a 10-6 lead.  Finally, int he 4th quarter, the Jets would try any and everything they could to win the game. After another field goal, the Jets would be behind one point. We all just knew a miracle would happen. But, it's only the first Monday of the season so no miracles and the Jets would lose 10-9.

I don't know about you guys but even with the loss, I'm glad that football is back and so is the cold weather.

XOXO,
Whitney

The King Of Clay And All Four Grand Slams

After having the Men's Final was canceled yesterday because of rain, Rafael Nadal had to wait for his chance at history. Patiently yet anxiouly, Nadal took to the court today to face Novak Djokovic and just when things were settling in nicely with Nadal taking the first set 6-4 and being tied in the second set 4-4, the heaves opened up again and the rain fell down, we would have to sit through another rain delay...we fans were not amused.

Nearly 2 hours later, we resumed play. Novak would muster up some fight and take the second set 7-5. Now in the 3rd set, Nadal would bring the pain and take the set 6-2. If it looked as if Rafa was going for it all...then you're right because nothing was standing in this guy's way.

In the fourth and final set of the match, Rafa steam rolled past Novak who seemed to fade away from the final. Whether it was him giving up or the fact that he had no more gas in him, Novak didn't bring much and Nadal won the set and the championship with 6-2. Fun fact: Rafael Nadal is the 7th man to win all four grand slams.

Another classy ceremony moment came from Nadal when Rafa was asked about his opponent. Simply put, Rafa said "He's such a great player. Watch out for this guy because he's going to win this very soon. Great attitude after a defeat. Great example for the kids". You both are great examples for the kids.

Well, there you all have it, the grand slam season is over. I'll be back in January to kick off the new year with the Australia Open.

Remember, we still have other sports in season so be sure to still read the blog. Goodnight and congrats Rafael.

XOXO,
Whitney

NFL.... Welcome Back!

While America has been glued to baseball for the past 5 months, football fans have been sulking and waiting for any and every excuse to ignore their nagging girlfriends, fiancees, and wives. Well, wait no longer my dear fans because football season is back and off to a great start. I'm excited to dig into the juicy happenings around the league.

I'll start with Fox NFL Sunday. My boys are back and boy did it feel as if they've never left. With predictions for the season to Terry Bradshaw's "Fired Up" rant about how Big Ben, Ben Roethlisberger, should have been dumped by the Steelers for his "alleged" rape charges vs a 4 game suspension, it seems as if my Sundays are filled up again with the 5 guys who make me smile. Now, on to some action.

Over on CBS, the New England Patriots faced the Cincinnati Bengals and from the jump, New England were on the attack. Tom Brady wanted to show everyone why he's the highest paid football player in the league and with that mission, he succeeded. In the first quarter, NE would take a lead of 10-0. Cincinnati had to shake off the jitters. In the second quarter, NE pounced on the Bengals and took a whopping 24-0 lead. I had to question the marketing and hype surrounding Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens or as I've heard "Ochorell". With some steam after the half, the Bengals found some footing and climbed back. However, NE would go on to win 38-24.

On Fox, the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers christened the new stadium with their match. Now, remember on 12-26-2009 when the Giants were shutout in their own stadium...for the last game of the season...and the last game ever at Giants Stadium? Well NY made sure they brought the heat this time around. With shaky offense finding it's way in the game, the Giants had to really fight to gain some ground. With Kevin Boss getting injured, it looked as if this game was headed for disaster. But, fear not dear fans as Hakeem Nicks stepped up and carried the load. 3 touchdowns for Nicks would do the trick and help the Giants claim victory over the Panthers. North Carolina don't come on and raise up. Don't take your shirt off and twist it round your head, swinging it like a helicopter. Just go home with your 31-18 defeat.

While there are plenty of other games going on, I wanted to focus on these two to get the season underway. Happy Sunday everybody!

XOXO,
Whitney

Kim Clijsters...Did She Ever Leave Tennis?

Looking to defend her title as the US Open Women's Champion, #2 seed Kim Clijsters took to the court against the 7th seed Vera Zvonereva. Coming off an amazing win against Caroline Wozniacki, it seemed as if Zvonereva had found her form and had controlled her emotions. Let's see if this would prove successful against Clijsters. Let's begin.

In the first set, Clijsters dominated with her powerful forehand and command. Zvonereva tried to keep up but to no avail because Kim would take the first set 6-2.  On to the second set.

In the second, Kim just continued to steam roll through Vera. Vera only garnered 1 win as Clijsters showed no mercy and made Zvonereva eat dust. Kim would go on to win the championship in two sets with 6-2, 6-1.

During the ceremony, it was evident that Zvonereva was fighting back tears as she congratulated Kim and kind of beat herself up, verbally. Kim used her moment at the mic to say "Vera played really well and don't worry you'll get there because you are a very good player so just keep going". Classy Kim...very classy.

Now that the Women's section of tennis is done, we move on to the Men's Final tomorrow with Novak Dkokovic and Rafael Nadal. Happy watching and congratulations Kim.

XOXO,
Whitney

And Just Like That....Everything Is Swishalicious...

In what was the final game of a series between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles which left Yankee fans scratching their heads and questioning, "Are we really losing to the Orioles?" the Yankees brought all of their might to the ballpark.

Ivan "SuperNova" Nova was on the mound today and while his performance wasn't great, Nova came with some fight. However, the Orioles, who just continue to surprise everyone, well...not surprising since Buck Showalter is their manager, managed to swing well enough to garner 2 runs on the board. Next up, the Yankees decided to give it a go at getting some runs in and were successful with 1 run. The game would be at a constant 2-1 until the bottom of the ninth when Nick Swisher appeared at the plate.

Prior to Nick's plate appearance, Robinson Cano, who has been going through a rough slump, almost hit a well needed confidence booster, a homerun, but was denied. Haven't we seen this upcoming occurrence before? When the hot hitting guy or the captain doesn't save the day a hero emerges...come on guys, the answer should be YES! We've seen this before and the hero's name is Nick Swisher.

Now, back to the story. With Nunez pinch running for Rodriguez, Nick Swisher comes to the plate and does what he normally does and ends everything with a bang. Today, that bang was a 2 run walk-off homer which helped the Yankees avoid a sweep from the Orioles and helped the Yankees win 3-2. Fun fact: A year ago, September 8, 2009...Swisher hit a a walk-off homerun against the Ray's Dan Wheeler.

So, how do we conclude what has been an amazing day? Well, I'll conclude by saying....damn good Nicholas Thompson Swisher.

XOXO,
Whitney

I'm Sorry. No I'm Sorry. No I'm Done With It All. Then...Awkward Hug!

Tonight was Part 2 of the Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion and I must say that through the yelling, the Kim G. appearance, and the sudden epiphany at the end, I'm glad that the season is over and they can put this nonsense behind them. For all of you that missed the reunion, here's a recap of all that you missed.

The gang left off from last week's discussion about Danielle's behavior at The Brownstone and when Danielle was confronted about the "faggot" comments made by her buddy Danny, she was adamant that she scolded Danny for his behavior afterward but then contradicted herself by saying that she doesn't take full responsibility for the actions of Danny. Then why scold him then if you don't take full responsibility for his actions? Get it together.

As the night progressed, there was just so much inconsistency with the answers from given that I couldn't wait for a commercial break. Once the reunion resumed, we were treated to a hair lesson in weaving from Danielle as she described just how Ashley pulled out her hair. By bringing in a beauty school practice dummy, Danielle proceeded to explain just how weaves/extensions are put in and to show everyone the force by which Ashley pulled out her extensions. This is why she pressed charges against Ashley. 2nd, the request made by Caroline was granted....Kim G appeared to answer questions about her shadiness on the show. That went nowhere because Kim G is more delusional than she puts on. Kim G was there to just to fill space.

Moving on from that, the reunion took a serious yet cynical turn as Danielle apologized to Jacqueline for her disgusting behavior all season. Jaqueline, in her amazement, could only muster up a choppy "I'm sorry. I'm done with all. This shouldn't have gone this far". Danielle cried and then got up to hug Jacqueline and Teresa. She only shook Caroline's hand. Caroline wasn't buying it however, and after words were exchanged, Andy Cohen decided to end the show on that peaceful note.

As noted on the Bravo Tv website, "According to our very own Andy Cohen, "The reunion was Danielle's last appearance on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. We thought the hugs were a great way to end two seasons of bitterness between the women."".

I've had fun blogging about the housewives this season and I wish nothing but the best for these ladies. Good luck and goodnight.

XOXO,
Whitney

Sixteen Things That It Took Me 50 Years To Learn--Dave Barry

While on Facebook, I noticed that my good friend Steven Shanab had posted a link on his wall and had noted that "I agree with all of these". Curious, I clicked on the link and came to this page on the Stumbled Upon and read the post. I was so taken aback by the truth in the post that I've decided to recopy the post. Remember, this is NOT MY WORK but that of Dave Barry. So here goes, according to Barry, The Sixteen Things That It Took Me 50 Years To Learn:

1.  You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe day-light-savings time.

2. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

3. The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.

4. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.

5. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 111.

6. There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness.”

7. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

8. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “meetings.”

9. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.

10. If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity, He will NOT use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.

11. You should not confuse your career with your life.

12. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

13. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.

14. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.

15. Your friends love you, anyway.

16. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and do it.

XOXO,
Whitney

Top 10 Anticipated Things In September

Today is September 1st and as we wave goodbye to what was either a boring or monumental summer, we anxiously await the fall and what it has to offer. I know I'm excited so let's begin with the Top 10 Anticipated Things In September:

10. Back To School- If you're like me and have had it with the children who occupy the streets all day then you're in luck! With the return of school means diligent students who are so exhausted from studying that the energy to cause havoc isn't there. Have a great school year guys and keep pulling in those A's.

9. NBC Thursday Night Lineup- With shows like The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation consistently making audiences laugh, the wait to have these shows back on the air is almost over. Also, with new shows such as Outsourced I'm sure the laughs will be louder.

8. Fall Weather- Tired of the heat waves? Tired of the humidity drying out your hair and leaving it brittle? If you answered "yes" then you're ready for a little dip in the weather...roughly 70 degree weather. It's bearable and it allows you to crack out those cute fall outfits.

7. NYC Fashion Week- For one week every fall and spring top designers showcase their exquisite outfits and being a shopping junkie, I break the bank and look fabulous. If you're lucky enough to ever attend a show, revel in the moment and soak up the glamour.

6. Wall Street-Money Never Sleeps- 23 years after the infamous film, Wall Street, Oliver Stone is back with one of my, dare I say, Economic icons Gordon Gekko. Shia LeBeouf  stars as Jacob Moore, an up and coming broker engaged to Gekko's estranged daughter. Gekko and Moore try to stop the 2008 financial crisis but face opposition. So is greed, for a lack of a better word, good?

5. Grey's Anatomy- The season finale left me with heart complications and if this season is anything like last then count me in for season 7. The gang is back and all I have to ask is "Is Richard the chief again since Derek needs to heal from his gunshot wound?"

4. College sports- I'm a Duke Blue Devil kind of girl and I'm still celebrating after Duke's victory to be called the 2010 NCAA Champions. I'm looking for a repeat this year as well as looking forward to college football, baseball, etc.

3. Fox Animation Domination Sundays- I don't know about you but I love animation and Fox definitely knows how to make me laugh. From The Simpsons to The Cleveland Show to Family Guy to American Dad, I am in stitches and wouldn't have it any other way.

2. NFL Season/Fox NFL Sunday- With the Jets/Giants welcoming a new stadium, Eli Manning getting knocked out during pre-season football, and holdouts, I'm excited to see the 2010-2011 season. Also, my boys, Michael Strahan, Howie Long, Terry Bradshaw, Curt Menefee, and Jimmy Johnson are back for their amazing color commentary every Sunday.

1. The MLB Pennant Race- 30 teams have battled through injuries and personal highs and lows to make it to September for contention into the playoffs. Being the die hard Yankee fan that I am,the pennant race for the AL East has got me all shook up. The Yankees and the Rays are tied and it seems as if no one wants to fall out of the top spot. All over the league, teams are breaking records to secure their place at the top. Good luck guys. I wish you all the best.

There you have it. The 10 things I anticipate for September. I hope you've enjoyed it and see you next time.

XOXO,
Whitney