January 13, 2004

Hey There  


Saturday afternoon we had our traditional Holiday Grab Bag. Hosted by Mary and Auggie

GRAB BAG RESULTS        GRAB BAG RESULTS        GRAB BAG RESULTS

The Women*

Robe and shower wrap PUT IN BY Maureen    GRABBED BY Mary MD
The tan bag that included a matching makeup bag and cellphone holder.
PUT IN BY Trish GRABBED BY Mary McGrath
A wallet with a parade of shoes gift card inside. PUT IN BY Mary MD GRABBED BY Trish
The basket with 2 bottles of wine, 2 wine glasses, and the Jerry Maguire DVD. PUT IN BY McGrath
GRABBED BY Maureen


Guys

Sweater and Wallet    PUT IN BY Ray    GRABBED BY    Frankie
Radio Controlled Rat, Chinese Coasters and Basketball Hat complete with little foam balls
PUT IN BY Auggie    GRABBED BY: Wild Bill
NYPD Blue Complete First season on DVD: PUT IN BY Ace    GRABBED BY Ray
Timex Sports Watch: Put in by Wild Bill    Grabbed by Auggie
New York Jets Jacket: Put in by Frankie    Grabbed by Ace

A splendid time was had by all. As usual the food was outstanding. And in a definite sign that we are
nearing the end of the world as we know it, it was a booze free party for all of us.

Pete Rose:

    I was sure Pete Rose had bet on baseball, but I was always holding out hope that he would present
evidence that showed that he had not. Of course, this past week, he came out and finally admitted he
bet. My stance on Pete remains the same, even now that he has proven that he's a lying sack of sh-
t. Either keep him out altogether or let him back in. Don't trot him out on the field for special occasions
and then ban him all the other times. It's one or the other.
    To me the surest sign that Rose is still yanking our chains is when he says that he never used the
inside information he had on the Reds to influence his bets. What? Well, either he's a complete idiot or
he's lying. If you are going to risk your baseball life that much, why wouldn't you use all your knowledge
to your advantage?
    On second thought, let him in right now no questions asked Why? I just heard Roger (I'm officially
retired) Clemens has signed a 2 year deal with the Astros. I guarantee they won't keep the Rocket out of
the Hall of Fame for being a two-bit bullsh-t artist, why should they do so to Pete Rose?
     And while were on the subject, I thought the Mets had a good shot at Vladimir Guerrero, but to no
avail. Now all we can hope for is that he throws his back out. Hey, I stopped thinking of athletes as
people a long time ago.


                                        PRESIDENTIAL VOTE 2004**

    In the first of a year-long series, today I give you all another chance to scream at me, as I give a
Weekly Mail rundown of the 9 people running for the chance to run against President Bush in November.
With the Iowa Caucus coming up next Tuesday, and the New Hampshire Primary 8 days later, Weekly
Mail puts them in the order of its preference. Get ready to hit that reply button and let me have it.

John Kerry (Massachusetts)

Why he has a shot- Has a military background, won medals in Vietnam and you would think that being
married to Theresa Heinz, would have loads of money.
But he probably won't win because- I read that he had to take a loan out because he's spending too
much money in places he didn't think he'd have to spend heavy (like New Hampshire) Also flip-flopped
on the war against Iraq, which may be perceived as not being able to stand firm.
Why I like him- I like the fact that he is a war hero and that he thought that Bush needed to be more
aggressive in going after Bin-Laden. I also like his style. He seems to have excellent leadership qualities.
Can he beat Bush? If he can properly explain his waffling on the war, promote his military past, and get
his ass in gear, he might be able to pull it off.

Joe Lieberman    (Connecticut)

Why he has a shot- Recognizable because of his nomination for VP back in 2000, Lieberman has been
dubbed the Conscience of the Senate. He's not afraid to take on his party if he feels they are wrong. Has
been consistent in his support for the overthrow of Saddam, even now that it's hip and fashionable not
to be.
But he probably won't win because- I forget which comedian it was, but someone once said "You ever
notice how people down south turn the word Jews into 10 syllables?" Well there are too many backward
thinking people who would never put a Jay-yewwwww in the White House, even one who has been
scandal free.
Why I like him- I like guys who don't toe the company line. Lieberman makes careful, well thought out
decisions.
Can he beat Bush? Probably not. The same rednecks that are hung-up on his faith love Bush because of
his.

Wesley Clark (The General) (Arkansas)

Why he has a shot- Bill and Hillary Clinton's personal choice to take on Dubya, Clark is a retired 4 star
general who led the NATO forces in Kosovo.
But he probably won't win because  who knows if he can balance a budget or create a domestic policy.
Why I like him    He has military experience and with Bill Clinton's help may be able to form a government
that can reduce the deficit and create jobs
Can he beat Bush? He's has the stripes and the medals to back up his criticisms of Bush's foreign
policy, but his lack of political experience will probably cost him

Dick Gephardt  (Missouri)
Why he has a shot- One of the most experienced candidates running, Gephardt, like Lieberman has a
mostly stain free reputation. Also has national campaign experience having made an unsuccessful run in
1988, for whatever that's worth.
But he probably won't win because - His big thing is repealing NAFTA and putting other restrictions on
free trade. While educated folks such as ourselves understand where he's coming from, most people
think that the World Trade Organization is just an excuse to go downtown and throw sh-t at the cops.
Why I like him- I know he's been around for a while, but I don't know too much about him. While most
Dems start off to the left and move gradually to the center, he's pretty much in the center now.
Can he beat Bush?  This is probably his last good chance to do so. If he can win some of these
Midwestern states and capture the primary, he could give Bush a run for his money, but more likely he'll
run out of cash and gas.

John Edwards (North Carolina)

Why he has a shot- It was actually between him and Lieberman for Gore's VP in 2000. Young and
energetic, he could conceivably win some Southern states and gain momentum that way
But he probably won't win because- The first few primaries are in the North and Midwest and his goose
will probably be cooked by the time he gets to South Carolina, the first state he has a chance to win.
Why I like him-  He's not a career politician (he was a big shot Personal Injury lawyer before running for
Senate) and I hear that his campaign has been mostly promoting his qualities while not thrashing his
opponents. It's guys like him who could unite the party
Can he beat Bush?  Had he done more interviews and stuff before he declared his candidacy, he might
have more of a base of which to work. He's probably aiming more for 2008, when he'll still be relatively
young but more experienced. Besides, if I wanted a PI lawyer in the White House, my vote would go to
James F. Woods (R-CT)
******************************************************************************************************

Howard Dean    (Vermont)

Why he has a shot- He's gotten a ton of publicity and support by not supporting the war in Iraq. Has
gotten key endorsements from Al Gore and Bill Bradley and has emerged as the front-runner to win the
nomination.
But he probably won't win because Well, truth be told, it's beginning to look like he's going to be the
man. He's has been locking away some of his records as governor of Vermont, all while accusing
President Bush of lying to the people.
Why I don't like him He's way too liberal. Pre 9/11, I'd say put him in there, maybe he could kick start the
economy. But right now, we need someone in the White House with the onions to fight terrorism. Does
anyone think he's that guy? Also, he suffers from diarrhea of the mouth. He says whatever comes to his
brain if he thinks it sounds anti-Bush.
Can he beat Bush?  I can see him winning states like New York and California and others that have a
large Liberal population. But he'll never carry those Conservative states down south.

Carol Moseley Braun (Illinois)

Why she has a shot- If people really wanted to shock the system and send a message to the Bushies, I'd
campaign hard for Ms. Moseley Braun. A liberal African-American woman is the real anti-Bush, a
conservative white man.
But she probably won't win because- For starters, she's not getting out there enough, be it because of
lack of money or whatever. Secondly, those same rednecks that won't vote in Lieberman, would
definitely not vote for Moseley-Braun. Seems like she knows it too
Why I don't really like her- I don't know enough about her. For all I know, she could be great. But I don't
have the inclination to do any real research on her campaign. (Sorry, I'm just as honest as I am lazy)
Can she beat Bush No, and I don't think the Democrats really want her to either. They sound like they are
banking on Hillary in 2008. I'd rather have Moseley-Braun be our first woman President than Hillary, but
that's just me.

Dennis Kucinich (Ohio)

Why he has NO shot- Who the hell is this guy?
He definitely won't win because- Well, he's actually the former mayor of Cleveland and a 4 term
Congressman. That and a MetroCard will get you on the subway.
Why I don't care about him  Last week I went to Social on 8th Avenue after work for a few beers. That's a
really nice place, Patti-Ann knows the people who own it. The bartenders are cool and the DJ plays good
music, not one Britney Spears or Ja Rule song the whole 90 minutes I was there. It's also nice because it
doesn't get too crowded so there is plenty of room to sit and relax. I plan on hitting it again real soon.
Dennis who? Oh yeah Dennis Kucinich. The correct answer is "who gives a sh-t"
Can he beat Bush? Only if Bush and the other candidates get kidnapped by Al-Qaeda.

LAST AND LEAST
Reverend Al Sharpton (125 Street)

Why he has NO shot Besides the fact that he has no credibility, he also has no money, barely able to
raise enough dough to qualify for Federal Matching funds.
And I don't like him because  I'll give the devil his due, he's grown up some and tried to be more of a
uniter, but he's still the man who flooded the television with Tawana Brawley. For that alone I'll never
forgive him.
He'll be done ever before Super Tuesday. He should be done already. He was pretty funny on SNL
though.

Looking forward to all the dissenting opinions.

No birthdays that I know of this week, if it's yours please let me know.

Have a Great Week
Bill

*Source -Mary McGarvey DePuy
** Sources- Newsweek January 12 & Maxim January 2004