“HurriaLAME Isabel”




Well the Hurricane is going deeper and deeper into the land. The storm has lost most of its form at this point and unless you live in North Carolina or Virginia which are being smacked down pretty hard. The lack of warm water to feed this little lady will downgrade her to just a huge bunch of rain and a occasional gusts of winds. These gusts could easily cause a nuisance if they knock down power lines, which will certainly happen at some point. Of course it won’t be as wide spread as in the more Southern Sates.

Despite being under a state of an emergency its likely that we have seen heavier rains during all the storms we were hit with this past summer at this point. The shore will suffer some beach erosion out for sure, and more high risk low level points such as Strathemere and the North Side of Sea Isle and center city Ocean City might get some flooding but nothing to worry about. Even more south Cape May might have a good deal of flooding. They have anticipated this and told everyone to slack off on Friday and not bother showing up to school or work. I hope you didn’t leave a boat in the waters down there!

The main area to be affected (In the Delware Valley) by this will be West of the City just after at the flooding of a few days ago. The ground simply won’t be able to absorb the moisture. This will result in us sitting in our nice warm dry homes laughing at people from the Keystone state standing on the tops of their cars. If for some reason your house starts to flood just roll up some Criminal Justice or Public Relation degrees and push them under your doorway in order to prevent your lower level turning into a waddling pool. Although I doubt any of my readers will have to worry about anymore than what DVD to pick out their COLLECTION this evening to pass the time of the miserable weather night.

Some people were fairly nonchalant towards Isabel and others thankful. The fighting Phillies might have been thankful that they got their game in earlier today, because the wind gusts made for some unpredictable fly balls that benefited them in their race for the wildcard. They are ½ games behind, with a final show down on the Marlins turf next week. Meanwhile Chris is going up to the big apple to live it up with Dave and paint the town a colorful shade of Arter.

The good news is usually over hyped storms result in giving employers an excuse to slack off. The bad news is its only 4 30 and the worse is yet to come in our area. People should at least be careful if they are driving around tonight, and make sure anything that could blow away is taken in tonight. With any luck the Eagles will be blown away in exchange for a team that actually has a clue. Hopefully all our illegal immigrants can go flying to California were they can drive legally.

New Jersey has been declared a state of emergency so this contest has been negated. I win. Although some areas could be in for some tricky weather I hate to break it to most people that business and schools in this immediate area are likely to be open tomorrow. If you guys are planning to stay in tonight come back to my blog because I will likely update again before the storm clears.

"Stealth!"


Go here but don't tell anyone. It is a top secret link only given to people in the circle of trust. This includes myself and both of my readers. Even the one who only reads my blog once a month who I sadly actually consider a "reader".


http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=notmosco305

How did I found out about this blog? STEALTH! That is all you need to know. THe author of it is also unknown.

“Hackett Racket”

So everyone keeps mocking the fact the Flyers decision to pick up Jeff Hackett in the off season. I honestly think it was a wise move by Bob Clarke. Sure he has never won a playoff round in his life but who is counting? Hackett quite the NHL journeyman has played for Montreal, Chicago, Boston, and San Jose to name a few. Sure Hackett was next to last in Goals-Against Average as to opposed to Roman Checkmanaek who was 2nd in the league. Who cares that Checkmanek was third in safe percentage and Hackett hovered around the average percent in the league.

Checko has some bad blood with the fans and teammates. His post-season play was just awful where he would let up too many weak goals and kept the Flyers out of games they should have been in. Roman will likely put up less impressive numbers this season with the less effective defensive system in front of him. I don’t see him playing in the states anymore than two more years.

At the prime of his career I would certainly say Hackett was an underrated net minder however he is far from cup worthy. His last few years he seems to have been caught in some healthy competition situations with # 1 goalies in the league. Just look at some of the games he stood on his head in while in Montreal. Now I am not saying Hackett is going to hoist the cup anytime soon. The truth with Hasek in net this team couldn’t win the cup, not unless a major roster overhaul happens this season. The team is too old, too slow, and not creative enough offensively to even make it to the finals.


Last year JR lead the team in scoring yet was behind was 57th in the NHL in scoring. The team is a dud and goalie prospects Anetro Nittymaki, or Roman Malek are excepted to be the future of the team, however the future is not anytime soon it seems. Heck unless Malek impresses at training camp he may never make it into the league he is already 26 and Nittymaki looks to be the one that will be given a shot, but not for awhile.


Despite the fact that Jeff Hackett’s body is pretty torn up, he will certainly make a better mentor than CHECKO. CHECKO who has limited English would be more inclined to try to redeem himself than try to show Robert Esche the ropes. You see the Flyers are hoping Robert who is well liked by the team can be the next Giggy (the Ducks surprise goalie success story last season for you non-hockey fans). Its highly unlikely but since the franchise is in a transition stage to a younger crop of players Hacketts’ role is to basically baby sit the next until one of the prospect eggs hatch into NHL level goalies. Meanwhile what is the harm in seeing is Esche is the diamond in the rough? Maybe he was a steal.

I doubt he will be a Cup contender, but in all honestly he played better last season than expected and has yet to reach his full potential. Will he be the answer? Highly doubtful but we have a season that is pretty much a write off so now is a better time than any to find out if we don’t actually have to wait for these “prospects” to shake Snider down for million dollar contracts to stop some frozen rubber.

Oh yeah, in a somewhat related story Mark Recchi is going to be a victim on the Jamie Kennedy Experiment this season. The show is one of those celebrities play a prank on someone shows I checked it out a few times when WB had it before Off Centre (which shouldn’t not have been canceled.) Apprently Keith Jones, and John Leclair are in on this prank too so it should be funny. Oh yeah, there is another one when Leclair convinces Snider he pays him 9 million dollars to do nothing on the ice night after night. OH WAIT!

“A Storm, a Contest & a Baby!”

Well Lima Beanz and Jenna are expecting a kid as you all know. My sources say that if the child is a boy the name would be Hunter named after a drug addicted sports writer or Isabel ironically the same name of a Cat 5 Hurricane that is making a B-line for the US.

First off I know all my readers want to hear the latest about LB and Jenna. Well Jenna’s belly is bigger than the national deficit right now and that kids reading to pop on out.

I predict that they will give birth to a boy and he will weigh 8.3 lbs. I think he will be born on September 24th which would be week from this Wednesday. Oh and for the record for anyone who doesn’t already know LB’s parents finally know they are going to be first time grandparents but are likely to miss the birth of their grandchild since they are going to Cancun on vacation. One that was planned because they didn’t know their son had impregnated his girlfriend.

Actually getting out of town might not be such a bad idea. My readers and friends might know I am a bit of a weather buff, when I am not looking for a job, watching DVDs, hockey or crying myself to sleep at night I read up on the topic.

I have had my eye on Hurricane Isabel since early last week, and I had been keeping a close on the track of the storm. I thought it might actually come on here, and now it looks like that might actually happen.

Right now Irene is 900 miles or so from the coast and moving between a Category 4 and Cat. 5. Cat 5 is what would be considered devastating. Gusts during the storm’s most intense moments are estimated to be around 250 MPH. Luckily for us the combination of the storm having to travel North up the coast and colder waters in our region is likely to significantly weaken the storm. However given the size and strength of the storm it won’t be enough to make it something we can write off. I think it will hit land at Cat 3 at best, but likely closer to 2. If you think that makes a lame storm average winds for a cat 2 are 96- 110 MPH. I could easily be over-estimating the storms impact Cat rating but still. The earlier it hits landfall the weaker it will be when it hits us so if that is the case it could be as low as a Cat 1, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

All but one of the projected paths have it almost directly making land fall on New Jersey at one point. A few of them have us taking the direct hit, but most people think North Carolina or Virginia will be slammed first and the worse.

However I tend to think that the storms impact might be north of that point. I tend to think its going to hit directly in Delware. Which could cause major problems for us the shore is likely to get walloped with tidal flooding and high winds. Given the storms size we are likely to be engulfed by it if this is the case. Than again I am no weatherman and there is still a chance that the storm can just say screw his and double back out the ocean. However its more likely the Phillies will win the wild card race.

Mark my words this storm will affect us in one way or another. There is a certainly a good chance that my readers will be off from school and/or work later in this week. It clearly has the potential to be the worst storm any of my readers have ever witnessed in this area.

Now if a state of emergency is not declared as a result of this storm, than the first two readers to email me KEITH YOU SUCK will get a present. If LB & “The One’s” kid is born on the predicted date the first two readers to write me and email saying TUCKERS WORLD ROCKS will get something in return. On the second if I am wrong NOTHING HAPPENS I go to jail peacefully quietly.

Now if I am right about the storm. You better hold on to your butts! What I mean is Old Testament, dear readers, real wrath-of-God type stuff. Fires and brimstone coming down from the sky, rivers and seas boiling-- years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes--The dead rising from the graves! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!

"What? John Ritter?!?!"


Once and awhile there are celebrity deaths that hit closer to home to others. Ones that seem too unfair, to early to say goodbye. Of course there are beloved stars that have pasted in the past 10 years or so that you hate to see go, but knew the end was near. Like James Stewart who lived a good life, or even Francis Albert whose ailing health condition gave his fans amble time to prepare for his exiting this Earth. Once in awhile the death of a famous person gets me really thinking for more than a day, some times in disbelief. The list that I can think of on the top of my head that really effected me is a rather short list for 23 years, and granted I might be leaving out a few. John Candy, Phil Hartman, Roger Nelison, and Jim Henson come immediately to mind.

For some reason the shocking death of actor John Ritter really hit me on harder scale than some other famous people dying and I think he could be added to that list. If you didn’t hear by now (one of my co-workers didn’t as of today) Ritter collapsed and died of a heart aliment. He had a tear in his aorta, a rare condition that usually goes undetected. Not that I was a hard core fan of his, I honestly couldn’t tell you the difference between seasons of Three’s Company let alone claim that I have seen 50 % of the shows that he did. It’s been quite awhile since I watch the reruns that I barely remember specific plots of the sitcom just the basic premise.


When I heard on the news that he had passed away, I honestly thought there must have been some sort of grave mistake. I didn’t even really accept he was dead till I saw them repeat the story a couple of times. Who would have thought he would have died? He was in his early 50’s his return to television had just started a year ago. I honestly thought for before they put the picture up that it was a DIFFERENT John Ritter. I thought to myself NOT JOHN RITTER!.

In all honestly I didn’t watch 8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter (what an awful title) regularly, but I would wager I caught maybe 5 episodes from the first season, and it was pretty funny( not to mention Katey Cuoco who plays his one daughter is hot). You could tell the show hadn’t quite hit its prime yet (who does in season 1), but what made the show so enjoyable was the comic performance of Ritter. He was a master at the comedic television craft. The way he played off other cast members showed his knowledge of great comic timing.

Watch some of his Three’s Company (the show that he will be always known for)highlights and you will see what a laugh out loud funny physical comedy bits he preformed over the years. This is one of those shows that was one I looked for in reruns if I was home sick or on a rainy day. What made Ritter so appealing was his coming across as a likeable buffoon. Sounds like a cliché, but the character of Jack Tripper could have been easily mishandled had a less talented actor playing the part.

Jack was a basic goofball who at heart was a good person, but inspired to a lady’s man. Some will argue that people tuned into see his female co-stars, but his pratfalls the and throwing his body around generated huge laughs. 8 Simple Rules, one of the one shows ABC has to offer that’s worth your time introduced Ritter to a new generation. Its funny because I remember thinking recently I should watch the show more since I actually laughed out loud when watching it before.

Ritter never made an enormous impact when he moved from Television to film, but his film resume is stronger than people give him credit for. Unfortunely he is known mainly for the dreadful Problem Child movies (although he did generate some laughs) and by people my age the now almost forgotten Stay Tuned a respectful guilty pleasure silly romp of a film. A majority of his films for awhile were made for television movies with the exception of Stephen King’s IT in which was mainly dramatic role for him. You usually can tell when Serious John Ritter is going to be there because he grows a beard.

Ritter was also in Sling Blade which I have never seen, but I understand its quite a departure from sitcom fare. Ritter dipped into the art house movie pool before returning TV. He actually had returned once to television in a series called Hearts Afire but I apparently am the only one the recalls that series that had aired in the early 90’s. Anyway he turned in a solid performance in Panic, and last year’s little seen but underrated Tadpole. Both movies I saw with in the last year and made me want to see him more in dramatic roles.

It just is strange thinking he is gone. Who honestly though Don Knotts would out live John Ritter? Kind of makes you think when someone can just go out like the flick of a light switch with no warning. He seemed like a genuinely good person, but I guess it was just his time. Something that is out of anyone’s control or understanding.