December 21, 2003

Ho ho ho!

First the weekend wrap-up

Thursday Night- Woodsy's birthday

Restaurant Review     Restaurant Review    Restaurant Review    Restaurant Review


Zarella's Mexican- We took Kevin to a Mexican restaurant last year for his birthday and it was one of the
best places I have ever been to.
  Zarella's was very good too, except that they rushed us through our dinner because they needed the
table back by 8. In fairness, they told us when we made the reservation, but it still took away from the
total dining experience.
    I had a chicken fajita which was very good and not too spicy. The place itself was very nice, but their
beer selection was very poor. Overall, not too bad.

3 Patties.

Woodsy brought some of his friends from work out. They were great guys, they reminded me of some
of his pals from college. We went to a bar on 53rd and 2nd, and we actually had a place to sit. Nice
place not too crowded. We all got our drink on. It was a great time.

Friday night Ace's birthday

Started out at One if by Land Two if by Sea Three if Baerga on Barrow Street. Very swanky. One of
those places with a piano player. A little too highbrow for my tastes, but nice to sit around and catch up.
    The party picked up when we went next store to Barrow Street Ale House. There we ordered Chicken
Wings and Cheese Fries. Then we really got loaded.
   Everyone took off save for me and Ray, who went to Cody's. We hung out with Kenny for a bit, then
Ray took off. I stayed till they called last call for the 3 of us that were still in the bar. I said my goodbyes
and hopped on the train and headed home.
A fun weekend No crazy stories, but fun nonetheless.

News Item: The Search for Osama
   Read a report from ABCNews.com about the search for Osama, and I need something clarified. Here's
what's got me riled up

Pakistan does not allow U.S. forces to operate in Waziristan, so American troops or operatives are
unable to go into the marketplaces where money handlers and merchants might provide the kind of clues
that led to Saddam Hussein's hideout in Iraq.
"We have to work through the Pakistanis," said Richard Clarke, an ABCNEWS consultant who was a
national security adviser at the White House before retiring earlier this year, "and in Pakistan there are
vast areas that are hostile to even the Pakistanis. So it's very, very difficult to do the kind of controlled
search we did in Iraq." (ABCNews.com December 17, 2003)

  OK, what happened to We fight terror wherever it might be. We didn't ask Afghanistan's permission to
go in there and we sure as hell didn't ask Iraq permission to invade there. Why do we need Pakistan's
permission to go into Waziristan ?
    I know the Pakitsani's have turned over Al-Qaeda members that were in their cities, but if they are
going to refuse to go into these territories, then we should just blow those territories away. Am I right?

NFL 2003- Farewell to Fassel

    It wasn't a matter of if, more a matter of when Giants coach Jim Fassel was going to get his walking
papers. The when happened Thursday, when the team announced that Fassel would not return for the
2004 season. The Giants probably never recovered from their collapse at the hands of the 49ers last
season, and they seemed to stop caring about football about halfway through this season. They had the
talent to win 10 games or so before the late spate of injuries they have suffered. He deserved to be
canned.
    But Mike Lupica in his Sunday Shooting from the Lip column, seemed to pour salt in Fassel's open
wounds by ridiculing the way the other members of the media praised the way Fassel handled the news
of his firing. One of his points was that the media ripped Ray Handley because they didn't like him, but
heaped praise on Fassel even though their situations were similar.
Not quite Mike
    First of all Fassel took over a 5-11 team, took it to the playoffs his first year and the Super Bowl 3
years later. Handley took over a Super Bowl Champ and ran it into the ground. It's true Handley was an
ornery prick, but a better comparison could be made with former Jet coach Rich Kotite, a nice guy like
Fassel, but a lousy coach like Handley. He was run out of town like he was a member of Al-Qaeda.
    And one more question- Name one Sportswriter in this city, who didn't think Fassel should be fired
after the season. Just one.
    The Jets lost to the Patriots on Saturday night, causing me grief on two fronts. 1) It guarantees the
first Jets losing season since the aforementioned Kotite led us to a 1-15 mark in 1996, and 2) Losing to
the Patriots, my least favorite team in the world always makes me miserable. The Patriots, amazingly
enough are 13-2, once again making me wonder why I even bother with football on Sunday.
Welcome to the world, Kayla Rose Miscovsky. And congratulations to Eddie and Bernadette on the birth
of their daughter.

Also Happy birthday to Jen Lang Wednesday and Merry Christmas Thursday
Have a Great Week
Wild Bill