Archives---November, 2004
November 20, 2004
...It was with vivid recollection of the Flames/Flyers bench clearers attended in a former life, that I watched the NBA Friday night debacle in Detroit city. The big difference, of course, is that my fond memories all stayed on the ice (OK, Dave Shultz did take the guy's rubber chicken once, but he got it back.). First, great job Detroit! You did everything in your power to reinforce an international image of your charming city's beautiful environs and wonderful hospitality---a truly charming little hamlet up north. Gee, now ask me again why I haven't forked out $30 for the pleasure of attending an NBA game lately. The league wanted to promote "stars"; reckon Ron Artest and Ben Wallace weren't what they had in mind. One is also, by deduction, drawn to the conclusion that the definition of "star" does not include any comprehension of the distinction between big v. bush league. Regardless of where the fingers should be pointed the event, no doubt, is a rider to the Lawyer Full Employment Act. Oh, and while you're getting that next ice cold Bud...
...If Santa Clara can beat Carolina, why couldn't my ball club upset Wake the other night? Actually GW is like 2-1 against Maryland in a DC tournament in which they both compete. The BB&T classic is the first weekend in December.
...Into weekend maintenance mode...
November 19, 2004
...Thanksgiving is now T[urkey] minus one week and counting. That gives the gentle surfer a full seven days to explain to me again why we must suffer through the Lions and Cowboys on Thursday. Was this a mark up to a spending bill passed in the wee hours of the morning by Congress in 1958 or something?
...One last chance to pimp tonight's Charlotte Cruis-O-Matic gig. Again, those in the Carolinas could do a lot worse, especially for $10 and you can bring the kiddies. In fact, I challenge anyone to find a better weekend entertainment value in or around the Queen City (don't ask; don't tell).
...Props to nephew Ridge and his improving scholarship. A little more work and the boy could bring in the semester at or above the 3.0 mark---a call for glorious celebration indeed. All this, and the chap gets to stay put for the first weekend in quite a while---no doubt welcome on his part and ours as well.
...The ECHL schedule is not exactly what our travels had in mind, but even without a Gladiators game under our belt this season (home tonight v. Charlotte Checkers 7:30), one can easily envision making it to at least Charlotte and Greenville before spring, with Augusta, Columbia, Columbus and Pee Dee (?) in play as well.
...Going back to work on the 
page this weekend. Members should expect a short bio
package to complete along with a photo, if the one already on file is deemed
unsatisfactory.
November 18, 2004
...Details of the Cruis-O-Matic 25th anniversary gig with the Spongetones this weekend in Charlotte---click here.
...Shakeup at the White House...None of the cabinet resignations was unexpected, and though I view her with something of a jaundiced eye, Dr. Rice is an able replacement at State. The big problem is that the wrong Powell resigned. Its number one son, U.S. Censor Laureate, Michael Powell, who should be run off from the FCC---an agency that maintains about 95% more power than the law should (or the Constitution does) allow. Leaving the doors locked at Commerce and Education is still my druthers, but it appears as those agencies will continue in their full bureaucratic glory.
...Hope the new and improved "entrance" page is of some help to those still dwelling in the dial up realm. Of course, all are welcome to the home page, but it does take a while to load for our slower brothers and sisters. The other pages aren't much better, but at least this gives you a direct link without waiting a fruit fly's lifespan to get the icon of the area you wish to visit to load on your Commodore 64.
November 17, 2004
...I give and I give and I give...early to publish this morning only to have the host server down and unable to upload. Will publish ASAP---don't blame me, I'm only the keyboard pecker.
...The Hajmobile, Jr. continues its amazing Energizer Bunny shtick as the geriatric auto dutifully made the round trip trek between Suttle World Headquarters and our western North Carolina satellite office without incident. The trip itself was a success as the aforementioned satellite office setup continues at a hectic but appropriate pace to affect the correct accoutrement for the quickly approaching holiday gathering. The entire area appears fascinating in its very nature, but I have gained no first hand knowledge of same and greatly looking forward to exploring as time permits.
...Holy blue light, Batman! K Mart and Sears merge!!!---an $11 billion deal!!! That's eleven thousand, million dollars boys and girls!!! It was just Monday evening I was recalling that I was the only one for 8 of the last 10 years that thought K Mart would make it, and then finally threw in the towel on them a year or so ago. Then then stock goes wild (up 500% to over $100 before this stunning announcement) and now this. Much more later on this deal that will have a tremendous impact on all consumers in the years to come (and yes, that includes those who eschew the big boxes as well). And yes, for those who've been keeping score at home, I met my bride at K Mart. I worked in the buggy whip department, and she in corsettes.
...OK---back to Cruis-O-Matic. The show was lots o fun and Carolina denizens, especially those in and around Charlotte owe themselves a favor in checking out these boys Friday night. Again, Ansel Adams need not worry, but I did get some pics of the fine American Legion performance that I'll post in a hodgepodge here for the time being. A more formal review to come, but suffice to say it was everything expected and more. Add dueling Elvis's to the few details mentioned in the Nov. 14 paragraph below and you've got that same ole whacky bunch o' guys rockin' to the rhythm and blues. Toss in a splendid cover of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, 96 Tears and Incense and Peppermint and what's not to like? Details of exactly where and when the Charlotte show is Friday available upon confirmation.
...Having now seen, ad naseum, the MNF naked lady intro...It was a cheap gratuitous shot by ABC---pretty base product placement, but would everyone please pull up a chair and enjoy a big steaming bowl of shut the hell up about it. It might come as a shock to a lot of folks, but I have it on good authority that most babies are born naked. This site spends an appropriate amount of time beating our Euro brothers and sisters about the head and shoulders on many fronts, but they're way ahead of us still mostly prudish Americans in this department. Shake your head ruefully at teenage pregnancy, the alarming rate of sexually transmitted diseases?...squirm at the thought of the billions (literally) of dollars spent on pornography each year or the fact that your neighbor can see same at the click of a mouse?...take up pitch forks and torches and march on your local polling place to ensure you can control the most intimate arrangements of other people (gay marriage)?...then to paraphrase brother Foxworthy, you might be an American. Care to test the theory? Take a stroll through your local Blockbusters. There you can find literally hundreds of "films" with graphic depictions of violence perpetrated against women (and other folks)---you know, garden variety decapitation, mutilation, disembowelment, etc..., but you are carefully "protected" against any depictions of two people making love. Lucy, you got some splainin' to do.
...The great game bonanza of last week's depiction is now viewable---just a "doh" on this end. Details of deal in Nov. 11 Briefing.
November 14, 2004
...Travel to the Tar Heel state will leave Suttle World sans updates through Wednesday, when time will permit a full review and pictorial expose of last night's Cruis-O-Matic show. You open with California Sun and follow that up with Hey, Little Girl and Surfin' Bird and one has covers done by The Dictators, Ramones and Dead Boys---a holy trinity indeed. Lot's of other great tunes and a chance to speak briefly with Tanner brother Blair made for a great night. More later---a link to the band can be found on the world famous Suttle World Links page.
November 13, 2004
...The excitement builds as this evening's Cruis-O-Matic "warm up" gig is within hours. The most recent head count has cousins Bill and Moke attending. Yo has a previous engagement of immense gravity and sends her regrets. Pics and review to follow tomorrow.
...For those keeping score at home, no, as of this morning the nymphs continue their now 15 year daily construction project inside my head---right occipital region to be precise. While it would have been nice to start a day without my usual breakfast of 800 mgs of ibuprofen, the good Dr. Simone did indicate that I should not see/feel results for 3 days after Wednesday's steroidal injection in the head (at this writing its only been 66 hours) and that a the standard protocol is a series of three injections---some folks get relief after the first treatment. Regardless, round two is set for the 22nd.
...OK, I'll admit to slacking off on this one. I've got this web page and have yet to weigh in on the massive voter fraud that took place in the Presidential election earlier this month. Per usual: Suttle World has the real scoop. Yes, there was massive fraud, but no one has quite put the pieces together until now. The majority of fraud can be found in the electronic voting equipment now newly in use in much of the country. The dirty little secret is that each of these machines was manufactured and programmed by an obscure company that is really a wholly owned subsidiary of Halliburton. Then, after the demon devices were manufactured, each was shipped to the Council on Foreign Relations. There the Bilderbergers encoded chips into each machine. No, not chips to alter the machine's results, that might be too easily traceable. Instead, the machines were equipped to install chips in voters as they stepped into the booth. This chip emits electrical impulses that compels otherwise sane people to vote Republican. Case closed. And has CBS "News"/Federal Witness Protection Program called the election yet?
...Both regionally and nationally the game of the day is Georgia at Auburn (3:30 ABC). This is a tough one. Normally Suttle World would pull for the Taliban over UGa, but still holding a personal grudge against the alleged institution of higher learning, Auburn, for nearly 30 years, I am truly torn. Still the heart and money flow towards Alabamastan for a couple reasons. First, on the money end, Auburn is simply the better team---a least four points better, especially at home. Second, keeping Auburn undefeated increases the possibility of the BCS turning into another cluster fornication--- perhaps prompting the masses to put down their half empty can of Stroh's, pick up pitch forks and torches and marching on the powers to be to demand a Division I playoff. Plus its more fun to enjoy the misery a loss brings up close and personal, as opposed to a vantage point some 100 miles southwest of Suttle World. Meanwhile, my alma mater remains undefeated.
...Yasser Arafat is dead, and remains dead---buried in the driveway of his Ramallah home.
November 12, 2004
Hello muddah
Hello faddah
Yasser's buried
In Ramallah
...Ah, television, the grand machine that can deliver everything from salvation to the Inside the Egg Scrambler directly into your living room has truly brought inspiration to this house this morning. To date, my final wishes were contingent on the calendar. Garbage pick up at Suttle World is Monday and Thursday. Ergo, should I expire on a Sunday afternoon in February, a large capacity Glad bag placed on the curb would suffice. Now if its Tuesday in July, other measures may have to be taken for obvious reasons. But now, after seeing the Funeral-Palooza this morning, I've changed my mind. Now I'm thinking Ramallah is the place to be when I no longer be. Those whacky Palestinian folks know how to throw a funeral, by Allah. Now I've just got to put together a "set list"---mostly Ramones to give the throngs of mourners an appropriate beat with which to fire their automatic weapons in synch. Pulled pork sandwiches on the house.
...The French were kind enough to give us the Statue of Liberty. Could we now return the favor and give France the United Nations? Seems as though it would be just more convenient Jock Chirac and Goofy Annan to pick out china together, and Steinbrenner wants a new ball park anyway.
...Current local radio ads for a cosmetic surgical facility (makes sense---you gotta advertise cause insurance doesn't pay the freight for elective procedures---sorta like pregnancy, but that's a different rant). The good doctor/surgeon does much of the voice over, extolling a laundry list of services offered by his fine medical facility. Among these are Botox treatments, liposuction, tummy tucks and the "Brazilian Butt Lift." No, I don't have a clue, and, oddly enough, don't have enough interest to find out.
...From cousin Moke comes the continuing question to which I do not have an answer. Has CBS "News" called the election yet?
November 11, 2004---Veteran's Day
...GOOD MOURNING MIDDLE EAST! Polite society admonishes one not to speak anything but good of the dead. Well, Arafat is dead. Good. A great deal of bandwidth could be devoted to the now lifeless piece of feted fecal matter, but I'll leave that to those who get paid to chronicle such things. Suffice to say things can't get any worse for the innocent persons he terrorized for decades---Israeli and Palestinian. One does wonder just how big a bitch slap Allah had waiting for good ole Yasser.
...Not mentioned to date was Monday's game bonanza found at the local thrift store. Its a small burgeoning storefront in a nearby strip shopping center, and on Mondays everything is 50% off! Anyway, behold what $5.25 fetched (it works now). Yahtzee?...pretty lame you say, not if all the documentation is in Spanish---40 cents. Booby Trap is also a non-starter, but a classic that I couldn't pass up for 50 cents. Now Masterpiece and Tripoley are both blasts from the past for which I have kept an eye out for some time now. Finally, Quarto is a rather interesting tic-tac-toe on steroids kinda deal that's really pretty interesting as such games go. Feel free to email for a play date at your convenience.
...Promise guys---I'll get the Cruis-O-Matic link up today. Below the gentle surfer will find a reference to the email form one of the band's members as a result of my one word mention following the death of Johnny Ramone. My response was followed up by a most pleasant email from the other Tanner brother. Saturday night's final "warm up" gig at the American Legion is a definite. Lot's of fun. Review to follow.
...A belated happy birthday to the United States Marine Corp and a happy Veteran's Day to all, especially those who served and saw combat. My command of the language does not allow for an appropriate tribute, so I shall (without permission but with all due respect) repeat a passage from Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation. The thoughts and words are those of two veterans who were among the first to hit Omaha Beach on D Day. They made the remarks while walking along the beach with Brokaw in 1984, the fortieth anniversary of the invasion. They both paused and recalled their experience with a particular piece of ground.
"...that hillside was loaded with mines, and a unit of sappers had gone first, to find where the mines where. A number of those guys were lying on the hillside, their legs shattered by the explosions. They'd shot themselves up with morphine and they were telling where it was now safe to step. They were about twenty-five yards apart, our guys, calmly telling us how to get up the hill. They were human markers." © Tom Brokaw, 1998. Thank you.
November 10, 2004
...Down goes Ashcroft! Well, that's one of several cabinet moves suggested to the President. The guy at Commerce also submitted a resignation, just lock the doors when you leave, given its a cabinet position that doesn't need to be there in the first place. Changes at the Pentagon, unfortunately cannot be made during a major offensive, but Fallujah won't last forever and hopefully the same can be said for Secretary Rumsfeld. Yes, the Pentagon needs some major shake ups, but at present, we have the wrong guy for the wrong job at the wrong time.
...At this writing, Auburn is a 4.5-5 point favorite Saturday against Georgia. Lay the points.
...I do expect a quarter point increase today from the Fed, raising the overnight funds rate to 2%; and the markets should like it. The small increase shows an affirmation of a growing economy, but with fixed investments still barely above inflation, and so much cash on the sidelines, the increase should bolster investor confidence as opposed to causing a run towards non-equity vehicles. And its obvious that Chairman Greenspan, who has fought inflation that hasn't existed for twenty years, has wife Andrea do the grocery shopping, cause inflation has certainly found a happy home at the supermarket.
November 9, 2004
...Well two MD appointments down and one to go this week. No complaints here, excepting the hassle of the to and fro. Separate therapeutic, diagnostic and prophylactic visits. Quite the trifecta, but each from highly competent clinicians. The over/under on my cholesterol is my zip code.
...An interesting aside to the much discussion that has surrounded Supreme Court nominees in the second Bush term---that being that the current 9 have served together longer than any other group in the history of the Court (10 years). Chief Justice Rehnquist will certainly step down much sooner than later, with a recess appointment exhilarating for the media---a "big" story to cover during the dark slow holiday news period.
...Gee don't you just hate having to miss last night's scheduled Florida Panther/Columbus Bluejacket game? Meanwhile, the Gladiators have a first place 4-1-3 start in ECHL play.
...Some profit taking combined with angst regarding Fallujah has tamed the markets for the moment, but the push to 11,000 continues before year's end. Care to take it to 20,000? Check out the Fair Tax folks. I'm beggin ya! It still gives the liberals the same amount of money with which to play. It still gives the alleged conservatives the same amount of money to buy their votes from their/different constituents. Poor folk are eliminated from the tax rolls altogether cause the dreaded payroll/Social Security tax vanishes. Worried about the loss of jobs overseas? Pass this and every major company in the world will run over little old ladies in wheelchairs to locate their headquarters in the US. Just a thought.
November 8, 2004
...Having already given President Bush his marching orders for the beginning of his second term and taken the trash to the street for Monday pickup, I've got little else left for the gentle surfer this morning. The Pick of the Week goes down for the seventh time in eight tries, Carolina lost, the Redskins won, but still can't suck enough and the fantasy football world isn't looking much better. Far from some depressive episode, there's just little else to bring, not such a bad thing given the hysteria (at times literally from the Latin) that has been elbow deep in house, nationally and internationally of late.
...But given that you have dutifully shown up... Not quite sure about the advise and warn strategy in the siege of Fallujah, but here we go. At times, it looks good on paper, but not so good on prosthetic devices and flag draped coffins.
...The national story that will probably receive the most face time today is the Scott Peterson jury deliberations. Suttle World has rarely, if ever, commented on this trial nor whatever the criminal proceeding cause celeb/da jour may happen to be; but perhaps it helps to explain why in a short rant on this one in particular. First, the only reason we know of this trial is because of it involves young attractive white folks. Name the last time the murder of a crack ho and her baby received entire blocks of programming devoted to it by all the cable news networks. Second, unless Geragos is doing this pro bono for the pub, I could have saved Mr. Peterson a lot of cash by representing him myself. "Suttle: Where did Mrs. Peterson die? ME: I don't know. Suttle: When did Mrs. Peterson die? ME: I don't know? Suttle: What was the cause of Mrs. Peterson's death? ME: I don't know?" Say good night Gracie. Yeah, the SOB probably did it, but what is certain is that reasonable doubt exists. And with that gosh darn due process thing...
...Oh yeah, one last thing the
pages are under revision---faster and louder. It looks a
hell of a lot better, but needs additions to get it back up to speed in pictures
and prose. I ask the Dictator underground to remain patient as the upgrade
continues.
November 7, 2004
...Why not....
has been circling the bowl most of the season on its way to the Chattahoochee
and another EPA fine for the city of Atlanta. But a promise is a promise,
so let's just see how far into the red the numbers can climb. No, I'm not
dogging the Pick of the Week, but desperate times call for desperate
wagers. With a little luck (a very necessary asset in the 2004 season
which has been predictably unpredictable) returning to fiscal sea level is
possible. It is also possible that Don Rickles could be named Miss America
(assuming there is another Miss America, given the loss of most all sponsorship
and the TV contract) following a fully operative sex change procedure.
Regardless, this week's pick is up and running for your amusement, much like my
fellow fantasy league owners who get a big grin when they see ole Gino one the
schedule for any given week.
...The break up the Tarheels bandwagon slowed yesterday with their narrow loss to ranked Virginia Tech in Chapel Hill. Now they must gather their muster to defeat Wake and Duke respectively to be bowl eligible. And bowl bound they'll be, regardless of how silly the name sounds----cause Carolina in one of the top five "traveling" schools in the county (folks will show up and buy shit) and the program gets a bonus month of practice that any non bowl bound college program doesn't get and for which would gladly trade a scholarship. And wasn't it Miami and FSU that were going to dominate this new fangled league? Props the the cretinous Clemson folks. Seriously, nice win---regaining the Death Valley stature and all. Its obviously USC and Oklahoma, but Auburn could conceivably have a beef (especially since an undefeated Auburn has played and won the SEC Championship game), but I gotta don't believe they can line up against #s 1 and 2. Same goes for Utah, but golly if we had a playoff system...NIAGARA FALLS!
...Memo to the media: Everyone. I mean everyone---butcher, baker, Indian Chief knows the election is over and that the President won re-election. We also realize this is the first shot the talking heads will have at it, but it ends today or we take a hostage! "STOP AND SLOWLY BACK AWAY FROM ANY ELECTION IMMEDIATELY!" That is all. Over, goodbuddy.
November 6, 2004
...Autumn finally arrives in metro Atlanta, at least in the crisp cool morning department. A chilly 60 degrees on the thermostat upon waking, necessitating heat for the first time this season. Heat which mercifully cranked on demand---a pleasant change of pace given some of the unfortunate circumstances Suttle World Headquarters has sustained over the past several months.
...Let's see if I've got this right. Arafat goes to France from Gaza, improving the odiferous qualities of both places, and is doing his Weekend at Bernie's act until the "Palestinians" get their shit together. This would lead one to believe the French make very durable life support machines. The events also provide a platform for once again getting some history straight. There are no Palestinians, because there never was a Palestine. Arafat is Egyptian and 80% of the other mislabeled folks are from Jordan. There are no occupied territories, there is only Israeli territory. See boys and girls, the folks who win the war make the rules, especially if the winner is responding from an unprovoked attack. The US won WWII, so we made the rules (rather poorly in many regards). One of the rules was to carve out less than 1% of the land mass that composes the middle east and the nation of Israel was born again (damn, I'm funny). Then the entire Arab world rolls up on Israel in 1968, gets its ass kicked and in the process loses land (the West Bank and Gaza). Arafat's official death may well provide the potential for order in the region, but few anticipate same. The good news is (aside Arafat being dead) it can't get any worse. As to where to bury the bastard is of little consequence, excepting one can hope that the Nobel committee is buried with him.
...No doubt there will be some good minor league/college football games today, but none of any consequence in the bigger picture. This is due in large part to the fact that there is no bigger picture. COULD WE HAVE A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PLEASE! Again, nutty ole Ted Turner is the guy to pull this off and put some cash back in his pocket.
November 5, 2004
...The fingers are willing, but the Comcast servers are weak. No internet access at this writing, but given their stellar record of very low "down time", these sage words should reach the web without too much delay.
...Apologies to cousin Paul and others for bowing out of last night's get together. Unfortunately, the timing just didn't quite work. I/we greatly look forward to seeing him on his next foray into Atlanta and even more so the opportunity to spend some time not interrupted by election results and my lack of A game due to fatigue and other annoying events.
...Bolstered by a decisive outcome of the election (won by their preferred candidate) and falling oil prices, the markets are off to the races. There is a ton of cash sitting around looking for a place to live, and with much of the dreaded uncertainty out of the way, I fully expect this rally to continue through the end of the year. It is difficult to imagine the Dow not closing the year out at or above 11,000.
...Finally something good to say about Democrats. With knowledge of forethought, my money would have been that the Kerry campaign would have paraded Ms. Edwards diagnosis of breast cancer before the public. It may have well changed the election results. Instead, the announcement was withheld until yesterday---showing a lot more class than I would have ever expected of either candidate. Being all too familiar with this hideous disease, I wish Ms. Edwards a speedy and complete recovery. Ironically, I may well know the surgeon who performed the needle localization at Mass General. If so, she is in good hands, as she will be should she elect to continue treatment in North Carolina and its plethora of state of the art medical facilities.
November 4, 2004
...As forecasted, Senator Kerry conceded the election around 2:00 yesterday and did so in as much of a stand up manner as could be expected. Good for him and more importantly good for the too many endeavors in which this great nation is involved.
...Memo to President Bush: Congratulation on you and your party's victory(ies) Tuesday. Now that its all settled well before most thought, you can get on with your second term post haste. I know you have a lot on your plate already, especially with a war going on and all, but may I respectfully suggest a few items of import that may be worthy of consideration over the next four years. Let's start with the war. Mr. President you are commander in chief of the United States of America---the only 500 pound gorilla on the planet. How about we devote sufficient resources to maintain order in the third world, California sized country called Iraq? On the domestic agenda, it would appear your priorities are pointed in the right direction. Reform the tax code?...good idea, but perhaps it can be reformed as one reforms a tumor---remove it permanently. And while we have the patient on the table, how about we resect a few more hideous growths: Commerce, Education and Energy cabinet positions for starters. That should be enough to keep the administration busy for the next several months. Check back with me then while I work on the next "to do" list.
...Just one of many idle thoughts---this on occurring to me in the shower yesterday. Who is responsible to the deaths of more people: Hitler, Stalin or Rachel Carson? Given that half of all humans that have ever walked the planet and expired have died from malaria, Ms. Carson may be the big winner.
...Heads up now so you don't have to change your party plans at the last minute. The National Hockey League has cancelled this season's All-Star Game. Meanwhile, the Gwinnett Gladiators take on the Mississippi Sea Wolves tomorrow night. Face off is at 7:30 at the Gwinnett Areana. $10 cheap seats and free parking. On a bit more serious note, I have serious doubts that the NHL will ever play again in any form in which we have become accustomed. So what happens to the Stanley Cup? I assume the NHL owns the sucker, but it is the oldest continually awarded sports "trophy" in North America (actually the Golden Horseshoe, or whatever its called, for winning the Preakness may have a longer history, but that's apples and oranges). Big League hockey will return, we just don't know when or what it will be or whether any more names will be engraved on Lord Stanley's elegant gift.
...Meanwhile, pitchers and catchers report in 14 weeks.
November 3, 2004
...Its over, but the election results remain amusing. NBC, Fox and others have called Ohio for the President, but refuse to call obvious winners in NM, NV, et al for fear having to project a winner. So, if you continue to stare at the 269 total with any doubt in your mind as to the outcome, check the markets. The Dow opened up over 100 points which reflects Wall Street's confidence in the certitude of President Bush's re-election. Yes, the market would prefer a Bush win, but what the market really wanted was a decision. To that end, my predictions of the Dow ending the year at 11,000 should prove true, and perhaps too conservative. It is my expectation that Senator Kerry will concede this afternoon. It is also my most fervent hope that with increased majorities in both houses of Congress and continuing control of the White House that the national retail sales tax will at least receive some serious discussion. To those who consider the notion crazy, repulsive, etc..., I would greatly encourage you to check out fairtax.org to learn how it really works. A very welcome surprise guest for watching returns last night and early this morning was cousin Paul, in town for til Friday I'm certain we'll have the opportunity to hook up again with the usual suspects prior to his departure for home to congratulate Congressman Sanders on his re-election.
...I am not surprised that all eleven anti gay marriage initiatives won, but the margins were mind boggling. No one who voted for these measures woke up this morning feeling their own marriage was more valid, but many take great comfort in being able to use the force of law (a gun) to control the relationships of others. Its the same mind set as the school prayer thing. No government prayer advocate is concerned about the ecumenical leanings of their own kids, but perhaps they can win some converts/other kids with the assistance of government schools.
...Does David Stern know how to read a calendar? The NHL is dead, so with no competition, the NBA opens its 2004-5 season on election night.???
November 2, 2004
Suttle World Endorsement
...One could easily write a a book on this subject. In fact many already have and the presses will be running double shifts during the next few months for those who have punched out a lengthy tome regarding this election. But in keeping with the Suttle Security Council Daily Briefing, this will be short and sweet. In Georgia, as is the case in the majority of states, the outcome is clear. Ergo I shall go to the polls today and unenthusiastically cast yet another Libertarian vote. It is an exercise in maintaining ballot status that the party enjoys in all 50 states and has for the past three presidential elections (unlike Nader, Perot, or any other third party). I remain firmly convinced that the future economic viability of this great nation will be saved if not by the Libertarian party, then by its ideology (please see debt clock on home page). Unfortunately the party is riddled with an isolationist mentality that is child like in its outlook. Ergo, the unenthusiastic caveat. Should you live in one of the ten states where your vote actually may make a difference, I implore you to hold your nose and vote to re-elect President Bush. There isn't enough band width to catalogue my disagreements with the president, including his handling of the war in Iraq, but when compared to Senator Kerry there is simply no choice. Senator Kerry cast votes against critical legislation (deployment of Pershing Missiles, et al) that hastened the demise of the Soviet Union and their enslavement of hundreds of millions of those who lived under the oppression of Communism. He voted against the first Gulf War resolution. Now we are in the beginnings of WW IV, and Senator Kerry either just doesn't get it or wishes to look the other way in the hopes that the bad guys will just go away. They won't. Conversely, President Bush does seem to understand the stakes involved in this struggle and is willing to act accordingly, albeit in misguided fashions at times. To paraphrase Lincoln, the world may little note, nor remember how we vote here, but I watched those two buildings collapse---we simply cannot take the chance.
November 1, 2004
...Has Suttle World sold out? Damn right! I'll take every nickel I can get my grubby little hands on. The gentle surfer is encouraged to click early and click often on any and all ads that may appear on the various pages contained herein. And who knew there was such a thriving ice scoop industry out there?
...Election Day eve and the Suttle World endorsement editorial will come later today. The light of truth shall be shed prior to the arrival of this evening's darkness.
...Cruis-O-Matic LIVES! Well sort of. Seemingly out of nowhere comes an email this morning from a former member of the Atlanta based band Yolanda and I had the pleasure of seeing warm up for the Ramones in 1978. The missive relates his finding my references to the band in Suttle World and extends an invitation to see their final "warm up" before the current band hits the road at a free show here in November. No doubt, my bride and I shall be in attendance, presuming this isn't a chain yanking exercise---which is unlikely given the effort and obscurity required to do so.