Moving Right along here

Sooo, we are past the election. The Democrats have soundly defeated Steve Schmidt, and the Republican Machine. We have sent Steve back to Sacramento to watch more UFC. I'm sure that despite running one of the worst political campaigns in modern history, Steve will soon be running some other politicians' life. Either that, or he has planty of time to check out the UFC when they are at the Arco Arena again!!!



Our good friend Susannah came over this weekend to help us work in the Nursery for Mr.T. It was awesome to see her, and she was such a help. She seems really at peace, and full of hell!! I think she is in a good place now!



Vicki finally said "yes" to maid service. The Maids (tm) came in here the other day, and they literally kicked some major butt! You could eat off of the floor here!! I'm totally loving it. Hopefully we can keep it up, and keep the place looking ok. I will try and get some pics up here so you can see how nice it looks!



Dude, I just finished watching Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter", and there is this fighter who was born in Poland, and moved to Canada @ age ten named Krzysztof Soszynski. He is one scary MF'er!!! I would not want to meet him in alley, dark, or otherwise!! In all seriousness, the fight he was in today was over too quickly for me to judge if he is the real deal, or not. However, he seems like he can "impose his will" when he wants to in the Octagon!


I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Randy "The Natural" Couture against Brock Lesnar at the UFC event in Las Vegas this Saturday! Randy has managed to fight Father Time off, and be a true inspiration. He also seems like one of the most genuine, nicest guys in MMA. So, my hat is off to you, Captain America!!!

We will be at the in-laws this weekend. We will get to see my favorite Pennsylvanians, Kayly and Nate Newcomer!!!! (and Ethan, and Holden, and pets) Hopefully, there will be a little bit o'wine flowing.

A question for Vicki and Kayly to ponder: if you guys dig Keith Olbermann so much, why don't you dig Anderson Cooper? You would think he would be up your alley!!

Post Election Day & a childbirth orientation at the Maternity Ward

I write this post today still in AWE of the events that transpired last night. While it ended up not being close(ish), I felt that it was up in the air until 11pm, when the West Coast polls closed, and suddenly Barack was over the top with the 270 Electoral votes.

However, upon thinking about it now, the immenseness of it all just blows me away! The states Barack took that Bush had in '04.... I can't name 'em all, but there must have been 9 of them. To see him take Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, FLORIDA, North Carolina (not officially called, but looks that way) , Nevada, New Mexico.. truly an amazing night

There is no way that I can write as eloquently as Vicki, and my good friend, and Vicki's BFF, Kayly did in their most recent posts. However, I too got teary at the fact that sometimes America, and Americans can fulfill their potential. This is something I think we did in choosing the 44th President of the United States. This time, we got it right.

My 81 year old father called up crying last night as well. He was blown away by Obama's victory, and this repudiation of the Republican Party.

53% or so of American voters actually thought that the past 8 Bush years were horrendous, that 2 wars were stretching us thin domestically and internationally; causing thousands of tragically needless deaths, and injuries. That this economic down turn we are in, was the result of a hyoooooooooge increase in the size of Government. Which is not what Repubicans are supposed to be about.

How anyone could still like Bush (most disliked modern day President), let alone vote for McCain and his phony war hero, "Maverick" b.s..... I don't know. Politics are a weird thing to discuss with those on the other side of the aisle..... It's difficult. I, for one, take it personally. I'm not gloating now with Barack Obama's win, but John Kerry's loss hit me terribly in 2004.

For the record, I do not buy McCain as a war hero, or a Maverick, or anything other than a spoiled rich guy (read the recent Rolling Stone article, as Kayly has suggested). However, kudos to him, for at least conceding with a certain amount of class that his campaign did not show during the heat of things. I will give him that .
Some folks, who I like, who are on the right are saying that "they are not working today, cause Obama is gonna pay their mortgage, put gas in their car, and give them free health care". It's sad that they can not find the appropriate words for how special this Election was. However, I won't diss them that much, because they are nice people.... we just fundamentally disagree.

From Joe Louis being heard on all the radios in Jewish and Black neighborhoods during the Great Depression, to Jim Crow to the murder of Emmett Till, to the successes of the Civil Rights Movement to the assassination of MLK, to the Watts and Newark riots... to last night

We accomplished something last night, us meaning us America. Seeing Condeleeza Rice get emotional was amazing.

In thinking about the future, Vick and I did a run through at St. Barnabas Hospital today. We checked out the Maternity Ward, and actually had a childbirth orientation. We got to look in, and see a very red faced, very cute newborn kicking his cute feets. I can't wait for Tobin Sincoff to enter this world.

His mother and I look forward to welcoming him to an America that today, is a little more hopeful, and offers unlimited promise to all who try hard.

My Obama Family Dream

With the election literally around the corner, I wanted to take a moment, and share something lighthearted that has arisen as result of the Obama Campaign. In watching Barack Obama campaign for the past 20 months or so, I truly feel like I've gotten to know both him, and Michelle, his wife!! I know that this dream/fantasy thing is something that I share with Vicki's BFF, Kayly, as we have talked in depth about it. I wanted to just drop it in here right now:

I think that with the right bit of luck, and some chutzpah, Vicki and I can become close pals of the Obama's!!

They truly seem like the greatest family! It looks like Michelle and Barack are ultra in love, and are great parents to Malia and Sasha. Vicki and I can end up being true pals with the Obama's, we're talking being invited over to the White House and stuff!! ("Ethan, call me Barack. None of this Mr. President stuff.")I see our friendship forming and bonding in the following ways:

1) First, we all gots to get out and Vote on Election Day on Tuesday!! Let's hope everything goes our way!!

2) All things pointing the way the do now, Barack Obama gets elected President of the United States!! Of course, the lovely Michelle Obama, will become our First Lady. Barack will get sworn in on January 20th, 2009!!!

3) Vicki and I will write them a sassy, cute "welcome to the White House/Congratulations" card. In which, we are witty, and charming. We describe our support for the Campaign, and how much Barack's candidacy has meant to us. We also tell the Obama's the following: The next time you come to New Jersey, why don't you come over to our house for dinner!!

4) We conclude the letter by including a picture of Vicki and I, as well as pictures of Fred and Lulu! The pictures of the 2 most loveable Shih Tzu's around will certainly seal this in our favor once Malia and Sasha sees their pictures, how could they resist?

I see the friendship starting out slowly at first. Then, perhaps after a few swings thru NJ, Barack and I will talk sports, and stuff, and I'll make him laugh. From that laugh, and Vicki bonding w/ Michelle and the kids(I think Michelle will love Vicki's sass!), we will get invited to the White House!!

Then, weekends at Camp David!! I tell you, friendships will be formed!!!

Mr. T is Arriving Soon!

What begin as a regular old day at the old pharmaceutical workplace was jolted into something totally unexpected 2 days ago. Vicki called me at work, after just leaving her OB/GYN appointment. "Guess what?" my lovely bride asked me. "What's that?" said the sharp husband.

"WE HAVE A DELIVERY DATE NOW FOR MR. T!! HE IS GOING TO BE DELIVERED ON DECEMBER 4TH!!!"

It took me a moment to process this information. While, I knew T was coming, there was just a vague date of December 12Th. However, now, with a true delivery date set in stone!! I was blown away! I can't wait for him to come into this world. I will be the best Dad I can be! I promise. It was just surreal to finally get a date, set in stone. I know, that by the time December 4Th, 2008 passes into December 5Th, 2008; Vicki and I will be parents..

It truly is an amazing, amazing fact. I'm ready for the challenge! I am ready to support my beautiful wife to make sure she doesn't go totally insane w/ the demands of motherhood!! I promise :) You may have to excuse me if I seem like my head is in the clouds...... because, since Tuesday afternoon, it truly has been!!! I can not wait for this sweet little boy to arrive!!!

To talk about politics for a moment, I wonder if you guys watched the Obama infomercial? Vicki and I watched. I must say, I found it incredibly moving. The unique stories that were depicted of everyday working Americans really connected. I felt Barack Obama really explained his platform, and his reasons for being President of the United States over Senator John McCain.

I have to be honest, and let you know that the stories brought me to tears. The various stories of Americans, like the elderly retired African American couple in Ohio, where the husband had to go back to work at 75 yrs old (after working 30+ years on the railroad) at Walmart to pay for his wife's arthritis medicine, to the unemployed former Ford plant guy reading to his daughter in Kentucky, to the teacher in New Mexico. It showed ordinary Americans, struggling to keep their heads above water.

My 80 year old father from Florida called me after the program was over, confessing he was teary eyed too. "I think he (Obama) is going to be a wonderful President" he said.... "What an amazing piece of film".... I agree on both counts. Sure, the film was propaganda, but it rang true, and the production values were amazing.

I swear, I am sooooooo ready for November 4th!! I find myself constantly going to Huffingtonpost.com, and fivethirtyeight.com to make sure the polls are still going on Obama's favor..... my head will pop off my head and float away real soon w/ the stress. The day after election day can not come soon enough!!

Aside from campaign burnout, and the arrival of Mr. T soon, the other reason I can not wait to get past Election Day is that finally, after 17 years of waiting, Guns n'Roses "Chinese Democracy" will FINALLY be released!!!!! I wonder why NOW, why 2008 is the year that Axl Rose finally decided to put this opus out!! I must say that I've always had faith that it would one day see the light of day. Vick and I have been to a few of the later day (Buckethead version,and Bumblehead version) versions of the Gunners concerts. Axl still puts on an amazing show.

Mega props to the J.D. Salinger of Rock n'roll for putting this album out. I always knew you could do it, Axl!!!! Thank you :)

I love the Sunday New York Times!

There is this hyoooooge article in the Sunday Magazine called "John McCain- The Making (and remaking and remaking) of the Candidate". It is an incredibly well done article. Basically, it details the multiple directions, the multiple narratives that the McCain campaign has tried to undertake since the Republican Convention. Apparently, there is hyooooge infighting going on behind the scenes! People are pointing fingers at each other. My ol' buddy, Steve Schmidt (who is described as "glowering" "while smoking and checking his Blackberry") seems to have quite the bit of blame levelled at him.

Couldn't happen to a better con man!! I hope that this race ends, Barack Obama gets OVERWHELMINGLY elected to the Presidency, and Steve Schmidt, and Nicole Wallace of the McCain Campaign will NEVER be able to work in politics again!! I'm sure this is naive of me to think that, however. White collar crime, my friends.... No one is ever "untouchable". I'm sure some GOP thingamabob race will hire Steve-o to manage some campaign. That's alas the way the wind blows in DC.

The people in the McCain Campaign are already sending resumes' out, apparently. Kinda like rats jumping off a ship. Love it. Looooooove it!! McCain was on "Meet the Press" this morning, and swore to Tom Brokaw that "I promise you (Tom Brokaw) that you are gonna be up awful late on election night. We will win this." Chuck Todd, who was on the next segment was like "what Kool-Aid is THAT man drinking?" Todd actually showed a map to the 270 electoral votes where Obama could lose Pennsylvania and Florida, if he had to lose them. He's made serious inroads, serious leads in Iowa, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. Just amazing stuff.

Did anyone else see the cute 5Th grader asking Joe Biden what the Vice Presidency is about in Palm Beach County, Florida? I like Joe's answer, much more than Sarah Palin's. However, why doesn't he mentioned the tie breaking Senate vote that the VP has? Hey, Liberals, keep the faith! You know the writing may soon be on the wall when Karl Rove says McCain has a very steep hill to climb! David Frum, (Mr. Axis of Evil speechwriter) is even writing this election off as well. We shall see.

Of course, Joe Lieberman is now talking about how much he respects Barack Obama!

We have had a pretty groovy weekend. I've managed to chill out, relax, and get some quality nap time in today. I watched UFC 90 Silva vs. Cote last night. There were some decent fights (Thiago Alves vs. Josh Koscheck/Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin) so it was totally worth watching!! However, Anderson Silva, who is one of my favorite fighters, a guy who looks like he is totally dominating his opponents; phoned it in last night against Patrick Cote. Silva ended up winning in Round 3 (first time he has had to go to the 3rd round in the UFC) when Cote tore his Meniscus. However, it was NOT a great performance by "The Spider".

Finally, I have rediscovered a newer version of a show that I was waaaaay into when I was a teen! Yes, I have found "Degrassi-The Next Generation". Yes, I have to admit, it is a guilty pleasure. If you need to kill a half hour, and you want to see the issues that today's (Canadian) teens are dealing with, I totally recommend it. Also, fans of the Original "Degrassi Junior High" will be happy to hear that the character "Spike", yes the chick w/ the Mohawk, is back, is an adult, and HER kid goes to Degrassi now!!!

Yeah, I know I'm gonna be a dad in like, 6 weeks!! I have to chill out sometimes!!