Samuel George Davis Jr. was born December 8, 1925 in Harlem NY and died on May 16, 1990 (or did he)

Sammy Davis Jr. known as Smokey to his pals Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin was in my opinion the most talented member of Summit (Frank never liked the term Rat Pack and the Summit is the top of the mountain). He could dance, sing, act, do impressions, and play lots of instruments (too many to list).  His career started at the age of 7 when he performed with his father and uncle as part of the Will Mastin Trio.

He faced racism and segregation throughout his career, The Sands Casino wouldn’t let Sammy stay at the hotel, but with the help (strong armed the casino) Frank Sinatra insisted that he stay in the hotel or Frank would not perform and tell all his friends not to perform. They let Sammy Stay.  Sammy was playing golf one day and Jack Benny asked him what his handicap was, Sammy responded “I am a one eyed Black Jew isn’t that enough” Sammy’s nick name by members of the Summit was Smokey.  Many thought it was because he was black but in actuality it was because he smoked about 5 packs of cigarettes a day.

So let us all take a moment and listen to one of Sammy’s Songs or watch him dance and say “Thanks Smokey”

On December 8, 1941, President Roosevelt spoke these historic words “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live infamy -the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan”

2,403 citizens (including 2,335 US Soldiers) of the United States were killed on December 7, 1941. In order to put things in perspective the United States lost 2,345 soldiers in Afghanistan from 2001 through September 17, 2014.  That is nearly 13 years.  Please do not misunderstand me any loss of life is horrible, but we lost more lives in one day of World War II (when we weren’t in the war) than 13 years of the Afghanistan conflict.

So I ask you all today to please take a moment of silence to remember those lost that day and if you should happen to see a World War II Vet please say thank you.

I hold a special place in my heart for World War II Vets especially those that fought in Europe. You see my parents were born in Germany in 1935.  After Germany lost in 1945, Germany had struggles rebuilding their country.  By 1955 my father decided he wanted to leave and go to America and start a new life for himself and see if he could get a piece of that American Dream.  My mother other the other had an opportunity to visit for three years family who migrated in the 20s.  My parents met in 1956 while attending a class on how to speak English at St Francis Assisi Church in what was then called Astoria NY (Now East Elmhurst) and married on June 15, 1957 and remained married until my father’s passing in 2003.

If the American and Allied forces who won European Freedom had lost, my parents probably would not have come to America, never married and I would be here.

So from me to all the WWII Vets THANK YOU!!

On December 5, 1933 The Dry Experiment ended after 14 years of Prohibition Alcohol was legal again.  Prohibition is one of many attempts by the  Government has tried to legislate behavior and like most it failed miserably.  So I encourage everyone out there to go out today and get your favorite cocktail, or beer, or wine, or just plain ole whisky and lift your glass and celebrate freedom.  The is a very old German Bier Drinking Song named Trink Trink Bruderlein Drink.  So let’s go out and Drink!

A Very Interesting Year, Thank God it’s almost over

It has been awhile that I have posted anything. The main reason is it has been a crazy year for me with a lot of different things going on. The world outside my personal life has been crazy also, from Donald Trump, Leo, and Chicago Cubs winning sure made 2016 interesting.

Even though I haven’t been posting, I am still observing what is going on out there and I have to say things aren’t getting better and I am not talking about politics or the economy. This site is about personal style and preserving the culture of being a gentleman and teaching boys have to become gentlemen.

So, I am re-committing myself to this blog and will try to make bi-weekly posts and address topics that I think are important. Some of the topics discussed in 2017 will be:

• Where Have All the Ties Gone? Why are men wearing suits with not ties?
• Craft Beer – Let’s face it IT SUCKS
• Bourbon Drinkers don’t be upset you will never be Tennessee Whiskey or Jack Daniels
• There is No Nutmeg in my cigar
• High Waters and Whacky Socks – When did PeeWee Herman become fashionable
• Every man can wear a hat
• Shoes, Shoes, and Shoes
• It is about one thing LOYALITY

I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season and a happy new year.

Cheers

This is my first post since Frank Sinatra’s 100^th Birthday.  I have been busy with audit season and just didn’t make time to blog.  However over the past few weeks, I have met several people through the course of my travels and they were asking WHAT HAPPENED? WHY HAVEN’T YOU POSTED ANYTHING IN A WHILE?  Today I was reading the New York Post (which I do every day) and an article jumped out at me and I realized that this silly little blog is actually important.  So I am going to make an effort to post at least weekly because young men out there need to learn how to be a gentleman.

“Pay Me Back Dates cheap-guy app” was the name of the article and it describes an app called Venmo that shares payment options (I really don’t know how it works or do I care). The article explains how men who went on dates with women were sending them Venmo’s to pay a portion of the bill for their date.  My first reaction was “what cheapskates”, but then I started to think “Why blame the guys? Isn’t it really society’s fault that guys (Guys not Gentlemen, because a Gentleman knows) don’t know they are supposed to treat the girl?  For as long as I can remember society and women have been bashing men for being gentlemen.  I have been criticized for opening doors for women, taking my hat off in elevators, and looked at like a nut because I stand when a women gets up from a table.  These were all normal things back in the 50s and 60s, but today they are frowned upon and not viewed as respectful.  It is natural that guys are confused as to how to act because women are inconsistent.  Girls go to clubs today dressed like sluts and wonder why guys stare at them. They get drunk and stoned and wonder why guys try and take advantage of them.  Girls, if you don’t respect yourselves then Guys won’t respect you either.  I have been talking about the Death of the Gentleman on this blog since its inception and while I believe the primary causes are that the young men today have no role models as how to act like a Gentleman and the music of today degrades women, maybe just maybe the death of the lady has played a bigger role in the Death of the Gentleman than I originally thought.  Girls, start acting like ladies and maybe guys will act like gentlemen.

Today marks the 82^nd Anniversary of American Victory for freedom. It marks the only time a Constitutional Amendment was ratified for the purpose voiding a previous Constitutional Amendment! Yes today is Repeal Day and it real don’t believe me go to www.repealday.org On December 5, 1933 the 21^st Amendment was ratified basically stating that the 18^th Amendment is herby REPEALED!!!!

ALL YOU NEED TO DO TO CELEBRATE THIS HOLIDAY IS TO HAVE AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!

The 18^th Amendment was ratified on January 16, 1919 that stated:

SECTION 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

SECTION 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

SECTION 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

This was an attempt by a small group of American’s who wanted to control the behavior of the masses. Prohibition was a HUGE failure and I will not bore all of you with the list of its failures but just for starters organized crime and corruption were given legitimacy during prohibition. Thank God 13 years later it was repealed.

Why is this important today? Simple American Individual Liberties are being attacked everyday by the Politically Correct. How we eat, drink, smoke, and speak. Again I don’t want to turn this into a political blog, but today we get to celebrate Freedom’s Victory. So raise a glass of wine, a beer, or a whiskey and say thank you America for caring more about Individual Freedom than the special interest groups.

Today also marks the beginning of Holy Week for us Sinatra Fundamentalist. Today with Repeal Day, Monday Pearl Harbor, Tuesday Sammy Davis Jr. Birthday and the High Holy Day SATURDAY DECEMBER 12^TH THE 100^TH BIRTHDAY OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FRANCIS ALBERT SINATRA!

Now that Autumn in New York has started, here are some of the exciting things we are going to be doing this Autumn:

• 2015 Top 10 List for Bars and Lounges in New York City
• 2015 Top 10 List for Restaurants in New York City
• Building your Autumn Wardrobe the challenges between wants and needs
• Celebrating Sinatra – December 12th marks Franks 100th Birthday and we will be having special posts about the Chairman
• Old School Vegas – Las Vegas is ever changing and not for the best,  follow my guide on how to do Vegas the way it was meant to be done “OLD SCHOOL”
• I will always be starting an Old School vs New School and explain why the Old School is the better school and why need to get back to basics.
• Cocktails why we need Bartenders and Not Mixologists
• Proper Cigar technique – How to cut a cigar, How to light a cigar, and how to smoke a cigar

Please come visit the site often and look for updates.  In addition if there is anything you want to see or for me to write about please email me at denniss621@yahoo.com and tell me.  I would love to hear from you all.

Thanks

Dennis

Today is Labor Day the unofficial end to Summer. Summer actually ends in about two weeks, but here in the good ole USA Summer ends with Labor Day. Which means a sad ending for most people but not for me. Yes I am sad that my seersucker suits and my spectators go in the closet until Memorial Day and some of my straw hats are gone until next year also. But with Labor and the end of Summer means it is now “AUTUMN IN NEW YORK”. Autumn in New York is the greatest time of year. With the cool nights means the roof top bars will be packed again people are coming back from vacation and we will all start working again.

The weather is the best it is all year; the colors of the leaves changing make Central Park magnificent. If you don’t believe grab lunch or dinner at the Central Park Boat House. It is by far the best time of the year for Sports, Football is back and nothing is better than College Football. I am so looking forward to Saturday’s with my boys watching the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Baseball Playoffs start, MLS Playoffs, and the start of the NHL season in October and the NBA in November. In addition if you enjoy international soccer (as I do) all the European leagues are in full swing. So enjoy all the sports, no time of the year has more sports to watch.

Yes in a few weeks all my straw hats go away and if is a sad time for me as I pack them up for the winter, however I have an equal joy and cracking open the boxes to bring out my fall/winter hats. Complete different look than the straw and I love them as well as my straw ones.

Autumn brings back the buzz to New York City vacations are over people are working again restaurants are full and the nightlife gets back to normal. Autumn is really a special time of year and it is my favorite season by far. When we meet someone during the Summer we always ask, “How is your Summer going?” I say we change that to “How is you Autumn Going?”

So let’s embrace this year and truly enjoy Autumn In New York and nobody can say it better than Ole Blue Eyes himself. Enjoy the song and enjoy Autumn in New York.