Blog Bits

Anyone remember five years ago during the last flu vaccination shortage and just who was to blame? Presidential candidate John Kerry even ran a television commercial blaming one George W. Bush for the shortage: "Seniors and children wait. Not enough vaccines for pregnant women. A George Bush mess." Oh the humanity! Sure someone will figure out a way to blame the Texan for the current H1N1 vaccination fiasco. Read the Washington Post article on the Kerry ad here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38743-2004Oct16.html

Prize for most moronic commentary during World Series Game One has to go to Tim McCarver, who said in the bottom of the sixth: “The leftfielder is really not responsible for the ball hit down the right field line.” Thank goodness we have expert former Major League ballplayers available to give us THAT kind of insightful analysis. Do shortstops have to block balls bounced in front of home plate by pitchers? Just wondering …

This single line in today’s Associated Press story saying the Administration miscounted the number of jobs created by the stimulus package has to get anybody’s blood boiling, but particularly the poor guy who is out of work and had hope that the Federal program would help him: “A Florida child care center said its stimulus money saved 129 jobs but used the money on raises for existing employees.” The AP story must be entirely true and accurate seeing as it was posted on MSNBC.com.

I wrote a blog entry on mammograms and the gubernatorial campaign, but after being told by some close friends that I am not permitted to comment on the sensitive topic because I’m a guy, I didn’t post it. If you disagree with them, let me know. I am easily swayed.

Yankees in Six

The last time I made a public prediction for the World Series was in 1978 when as the sports editor of a daily newspaper in Ohio I wrote a column which correctly called the New York Yankees in six games over the Los Angeles Dodgers. I just had a feeling.

Thirty-one years later I am getting that same feeling. In fact, the only reason I am predicting the Yankees may take up to six games to dethrone the current World Champs is because the umpiring in the post season has become a crap shoot and virtually anything could happen with the men in blue.

While there are those who like to go position by position to see who has the edge, baseball is a team game and that never made much sense to me. It might be fun to point out that Pedro Feliz isn’t equipped to iron Alex Rodriquez’ uniform and would not even be permitted to manicure the field at Yankee Stadium, let alone play third base, but the poor fellow isn’t really matched up against the best player in baseball; he’ll be facing the best pitchers – C.C. Sabathia and Mariano Rivera. And that really is the essence of the World Series.

Pitching wins championships and the Yankees have better pitching. In fact, the Phillies bullpen is kind of like playing darts blindfolded – occasionally you are going to hit the board. As for the Phillies starting rotation, let’s get serious.

Cliff Lee is the same .500 lifetime pitcher against the Yankees (4-4 with 1 “no decision”) as he was this year in stints with Cleveland and Philadelphia (14-13). I wouldn’t exactly call him an “ace.”

Pedro Martinez once called the Yankees “my daddy” because they dominate him. He has pitched against the Yankees six times in the post season and won once. Yankee fans are praying that Charlie Manuel is stupid enough to start him in New York for game two where he will hear things from fans that Dick Cheney wouldn’t even permit to be said during the interrogation of suspected terrorists.

Nothing short of a time machine is going to fix Cole Hammels who will need a complete re-tooling in spring training. The Phillies messed up a good arm and head. Unfortunately for Phillies fans, it is the 2009 version with a more than 7.00 post season ERA that will take the mound. The Yankees will chew him up and spit him out.

And finally, the New York Yankees will win the World Series because there are three first-ballot, unanimous Hall of Famers playing for them (talk to me about Ryan Howard in a decade or so): Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriquez.

By the way, if some Philadelphia fans need a little solace after reading this, in that 1978 newspaper column the last line was: “Little can be expected from Bucky Dent.” Dent went on to win the World Series MVP, going 10 for 24 and knocking in seven. Oh well.

Seven Good Reasons to Vote for Christopher Christie

1. He takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’ – Christopher Christie can stand up to punishment better than an old Timex watch. Never before has a candidate in New Jersey been subjected to such an onslaught as the former Federal prosecutor. Not only has he withstood the barrage, but most polls have him ahead or tied. No other state in the Union needs a tougher man at the helm than New Jersey.

2. He absolutely does not pander – NJEA, AFL-CIO, CWA or PBA – Christopher Christie doesn’t care what your acronym is or how many potential voters you bring to the table; he is not going to say what you want to hear simply to make you love him. So if he won’t even do that during an election you bet he won’t give away the store while he is Governor.

3. Electing Christie will reduce the Federal budget deficit – If both Virginia and New Jersey go south on the Democrats this November, the geniuses at the White House on Capitol Hill will quickly figure out what really has middle America perturbed – and it ain’t health reform – it is the spending spree. If you really want to send a message to DC, send it via Trenton.

4. The state’s public finance system for gubernatorial elections will be restored – Once the finest public financing system in the nation and a model for the rest of America, New Jersey’s system is in danger of collapse. Only a Christie victory in November will deter future rich folks from buying our state: They will move on to other states that do not have a two to one match for their opponents.

5. He’s the “Kermit the Frog” of Republicans – Trust me, it’s not easy being green as a Republican, but Christie has managed to outflank the heavily credentialed Chris Daggett (EPA Region 2 Administrator and former Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner) and Governor Corzine, who had a perfect environmental voting record in the United States Senate. Christie covets the green jobs that can be created in New Jersey through alternative energy and understands better than most Republicans the balance between growth and sprawl.

6. He will have his eye on you – A record of one-hundred and thirty-three to zero sitting in the State House will tell potential abusers of public office that they better think twice. “It starts at the top” is more than just a phrase; it is an attitude. Never before has New Jersey been more in need of an attitude adjustment.

7. He very well could be a one-termer – Lots of politicians say it, but you get the feeling that Christopher Christie means it: If he cannot fulfill his major promises to the people of New Jersey in four years, he will step aside and give someone else the chance. The Garden State needs someone who does not have his eye on the next election or next office.

NYC Wine and Food Festival

This past weekend Joyce and I attended 2009 NYC Food and Wine Festival in Chelsea. We ran into a few celebrity chefs.


Chef Amanda Freitag (Next Iron Chef 2009 contestant) at Meatball Madness:

Chef Ann Burrell at Meatball Madness told Joyce (in front) to “share your balls”:

Joyce with Bob Tuschman (Next Food Network Star judge):

Me and Joyce with Alton Brown (Good Eats and Iron Chef America):

Joyce & Duff Goldman (Ace of Cakes) – super cool dude!

Joyce and Giada deLaurentiss (is there anyone on the planet who doesn’t know who she is??):

Joyce and Guy Fieri (Season 2 Next Food Network Star winner; Diners Drive-ins & Dives):

Joyce shares a joke with Guy Fieri:

Guy Fieri and Robert Irvine (Dinner Impossible):

Joyce & Jeffrey Saad (2009 Next Food Network Star runner-up):

Joyce & Rocco DiSpirito @ Meatball Madness:

Joyce gets a kiss from Mama Nicolina DiSpirito (she’s so proud of her boy!):

Joyce & Melissa d’Arabian (2009 Winner of Next Food Network Star):

Joyce & Sandra Lee (Semi-Homemade):

Joyce & Sunny Anderson (Cooking for Real):

Joyce star struck by Jacques Torres, the chocolatier! (Chocolate with Jacques Torres)

Visit his store in DUMBO (Brooklyn) – it’s fabulous!

A pensive Rachel Ray at a demo:

Joyce @ Guy Fieri’s Food Network party:

And, oh yeah, we went to the Yankee game Friday night.

We were THIS CLOSE to Kurt Russell & Kate Hudson!

Donald Trump (pink tie in middle) next to Bill O’Reilly (right of the Donald):

THE YANKEES WIN! THE YANKEES WIN! 10-9-09:

It’s the money, Stupid.

Jon Corzine is going to be re-elected Governor of New Jersey. He always was going to be re-elected. Those of us who understand what “Money is the mother milk of politics” actually means have always understood that.

Now that the race has tightened and the inevitable has become evident to the uneducated, we will hear the excuses, the recriminations and the lamentations.

The experts will opine that:

If Chris Christie had come forward with a property tax plan …

If Chris Christie had been more specific about state budget cuts …

If Chris Christie had made a better case about the failures of Corzine’s first four years …

If Chris Daggett had not been in the race …

(And my very favorite)

If Republicans had only nominated a “true” conservative …

But none of that mattered.

It was never a fair race. It was never going to be a fair race.

It was more like a three-on-one basketball game or an eleven-on-three football game.

Arguing that Christie’s strategy or the tactics used to implement that strategy were flawed is kind of like arguing in the basketball analogy that he should have tried more three-point shots or in the football analogy that he should have ran the ball more.

None of that matters.

Forty to sixty million dollars to twelve millions dollars is ALWAYS going to win. But those are just the latest estimates and they are meaningless. Like Michael Bloomberg, Jon Corzine will spend “whatever it takes” to win. That makes them different. It distinguishes them from Doug Forrester and the others who came before him who were willing to spend a lot, but NOT “whatever it takes.”

The “whatever-it-takes” guys are ALWAYS going to win.

Message is secondary (by a long, long shot). If I am shouting and you are whispering, I will win.

Think of it this way:

McDonald’s sells a lot of hamburgers despite the fact that there are six or seven better burgers within a few mile radius of each and every one of their restaurants. That’s because you – the consumer – are “lovin’ it.”

Listen, “You deserve a break today” so stop trying to figure out why on November 4th you will wake up to the same Governor you had on November 3rd.

The only issue yet to be decided is whether our Governor will try to “Super Size” his career into a Presidential run some day.

10 Questions I would ask at the next NJ Gubernatorial Debate

1. Governor Corzine, do you think you would be able to win re-election if you spent exactly the same amount of money on the campaign as Mr. Christie?

2. Mr. Christie, do you think it is fair that people question whether you are disciplined enough to be governor given your physical appearance?

3. Mr. Daggett, do you think running for Governor, and losing, will be good for business?

4. Governor Corzine, what will be different in the next four years? Why should we believe you?

5. Mr. Christie, are you going to keep your friend, the Attorney General, in your cabinet?

6. Mr. Daggett, shouldn’t you be throwing more long balls?

7. Governor Corzine, should you win, what will keep you from becoming a “lame duck” immediately following the election?

8. Mr. Christie, will you pledge to veto every non-essential piece of legislation sent to you by the Senate and Assembly until they pass your tax cuts?

9. Mr. Daggett, who did you vote for in the last five Presidential elections?

10. All three: Explain to me the difference between property tax “relief” and property tax “reform.”

Thank you.

10 headlines the President wasn’t looking to see after his speech to Congress

1. “The Case for Killing Granny”

Newsweek Cover Story – September 12, 2009

Ironically, Newsweek makes a compelling “character of the nation” argument for reform in the same issue, but way more folks will see and read the cover story.

2. “Obama plan could add to cost of premiums”
“Employers and consumers face increases in cost of coverage”

Star Ledger Lead Story – September 11, 2009

Two days after the speech, the Ledger runs an Associated Press story based on a flimsy study conducted by “Erik Gordon, a health care analyst and assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.” If one didn’t know better, it would seem that the state’s leading newspaper went out of its way to sabotage the President’s effort.

3. “‘Severe’ doc shortage seen hiking wait time”

Boston Herald – September 15, 2009

If the “Massachusetts Experiment” is a model for the nation, many believe it has tripped and fallen off the runway. “The shortage is getting more severe,” said Dr. Mario Motta, the medical society’s president, tells the Boston Herald. He adds that the state’s health care dilemma can “serve as a valuable lesson for a nation.” Massachusetts’ “health reform initiative illustrates that universal coverage doesn’t equate to universal access,” he said.

4. “Young Adults Likely to Pay Big Share of Reform's Cost”

Washington Post – September 16, 2009

With friends like these … Another media ally weighs in. The President is counting on the foot soldiers who successfully waged his election battle – those 30 and under – to once again pick up arms and fight for him. The day after the speech he went to the University of Maryland at College Park and implored them to “seize this moment.” It will be a measure of his Presidency to see if he can get them to advocate against their own self interest.

5. “Obama Clarifies Position on Tort Reform on ‘60 Minutes’”

CBS News – September 14, 2009

It was less than a bone that the President threw advocates for medical malpractice reform during his speech before the Joint Session of Congress; it was more like “Kibbles and Bits.” On Sunday, the President took the Kibbles away and left the Bits when he “clarified” his remarks and said he is not willing to consider caps on malpractice judgments. What little hope there was for significant Republican support when “poof” with the clarification.

6. “Obama should ‘stand up for the 70 percent of Americans who aren't crazy’”

“Bill Maher Takes On Obama ‘This Isn’t What I Voted For’”

HBO Show – September 11, 2009 (and June 2009)

The President wasn’t likely to hold the fringe left for long without abandoning the core principles which bind the nation, but some of them lasted less than six months. On his HBO show on a Friday evening in June, Bill Maher complained about the President’s frequent public appearances, saying he was a lot like Lindsay Lohan: “in the papers a lot but not doing very much.” He added, "This is not what I voted for," Maher said. To add insult to insult, he urged the President to be more like George Bush (yes, really) saying, "What he needs in his personality is a little George Bush ... What we need to do is to marry the good ideas that Barack Obama has with a little bit of that Bush attitude and certitude."

7. “Crowds Pack Downtown DC to Protest Spending”

NPR – September 12, 2009

The National Public Radio introduction of the story of the so-called September 12th “Tea Party” march on Washington began thusly, “Tens of thousands of people marched through Washington Saturday to protest President Obama's proposed health care plans. The rowdy pilgrimage capped a series of conservative "Tea Party" rallies across the country. As the demonstrators walked along Pennsylvania Avenue toward the U.S. Capitol, the line stretched as far as the eye could see in either direction. The crowd was so thick in places that it was difficult to move. People like Jenni Goyet, a mother of two from Virginia Beach, Va., say they came for a whole range of issues.”

A whole range of issues … about all of which, these folks are angry. The sign that said it best for me was held by an elderly black man and read, “I don’t belong to the Party of NO. I’m with the Party of HELL NO!” Both Republicans and Democrats misread exactly who these people are to their own peril.

8. “Unemployment rate continues climb, reaching 9.7 percent”

NJBIZ – September 16, 2009

The biggest thing standing between the President and meaningful health reform is the long line of millions of unemployed Americans, many of who are perplexed that their plight has been pushed to #2 on the White House hit list. No matter how many times the President says health reform “doesn’t add to the deficit,” many are scratching their heads wondering why the focus of these budget neutral funds is not the economy. The President has yet to convince the nation that health reform and the economy are inextricably linked.

9. “Seniors may face higher Medicare drug costs”

The Villages’ Daily Sun – September 16, 2009

So what are “The Villages” and who cares what its “Daily Sun” has to say? Well, The Villages is Florida’s “friendliest retirement community” in “the heart of Central Florida” covering three zip codes and home to thousands of seniors. The “Daily Sun” is their newspaper. While AARP is spending millions in support of health reform (and losing “tens of thousands” (Source: ABC News) of members in the process, everyday senior citizens remained in steadfast opposition to reform. They’re scared – justifiably or not – they are.

10. “Opposition to Health Care Reform Reaches New High at 55%”

Rasmussen Reports – September 15, 2009

Perhaps this is the most important headline of them all. Rasmussen has been tracking health care reform daily. Here is what they had to say on the 15th: “One week after President Obama’s speech to Congress, opposition to his health care reform plan has reached a new high of 55%. The latest Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll shows that just 42% now support the plan, matching the low first reached in August. Following the speech last Wednesday night intended to re-launch the health care initiative, support for the president’s effort bounced as high as 51%.” As one blogger cleverly opined, “Man, the shelf-life of his magic is getting shorter and shorter.”