"3rd Annual Thankful Rant"

I did it once on TERMINUS the message board, now I have brought the tradition over to my blog. I am sure everyone was excited about reading it this year. Here is a list of the following things that I am thankful for.

I am Thankfull for the Wawa. So many great locations. Good food, free banking, 24 hours. What else can you ask for?

I am thankful for Liza who stood by me all year.

I am thankful for the fact that the Flyers have actually been playing so good that I can complain about them.

I am thankful for TERMINUS my fellow blogger who I usually don't agree with but informs and entertains me. I am eagerly awaiting him to slam BUSH's visit to Iraq for Thanksgiving. I can't find a horrible dark side of it but I am sure Drew is tappy, tap-tapping away right now about what horrible idea it was.

I am thankful I never had a condom break (knock on wood).

I am thankful that this rum & coke I am drinking right now that my father made me is stronger than I thought it would be.

I am thankful for a job market that is seemingly opening up.

I am thankful that people like Price serve our country

I am thankful the Tempo still runs. I am suprised everday by that.

I am thankful Dan K Hemphill makes 200k a year. Not really but I haven't brought him up in a while.

I am thankful Lima Beanz will be interviewed on this blog soon. Not to mention he is my BEST friend.

I am thankful for AOL so I can talk to MOSCO on IM 4 times a day who never seems to leave his computer.

I am thankful for the smell of Turkey that is going through my house.

I am thankful for Starview.

I am thankful for Eggnog which I will consume enough to get my beer gut back before I take my Christmas Tree down.

I am thankful for Superman II and pickles.

I am thankful for Olives.

I am thankful for the new outfits for the Eagles Cheerleaders which leave very little to the imagination. Especially in cold weather.

I am thankful for my readers who give me a reason to write this crap.

"411 on Tucker"

I stole this from MOSCOW-

name = Tucker
piercings = None because I would just look gay and its too trendy for guy like me.
tattoos = no
height = five foot 6.5 But I tell people I am 5 '7 or 5 '8
shoe size = 10.5 or 11 depending on brand
hair color = Dark Brown, Black if I use to much gel.
siblings = Brother Bill

LAST
rented = THE HULK & BOTTLE ROCKET. I hadn't seen Bottle Rocket untill tonight, but Rushmore remains my fav. Wes Anderson flick.
movie you bought = Scarface for Liza
song you listened to = Chicago - Frank Sinatra
Song that was stuck in your head = A really bad hiphop song that Liza had on her car radio. I have no idea who sings it, but I certainly like Liza's verision a lot better.
cd you bought = TV on the Radio - um. I brought a Tonic Cd for one dollar like 3 months ago.
cd you listened to = Frank Sinatra best of.
person that's called you = Liza
tv show you've watched = Two & Half Men
person you were thinking of = Liza and how I should get her something really really cool for Christmas. WEll I guess Mosco too because I know he is going to give me crap for stealing his blog idea. So.

DO...
you have a crush on someone Celebrity? Well I bet you are expecting me to say Avril. However I think I might have grown out of my Avril stage. I am sorry Avril we are just two totally different people. It just won't work. I used to watch all those tv shows about you but I really dont anymore. PLEASE PLEASE DONT CRY! Don't make this harder than it already is. PLEASE PLEASE NOT A TEAR! PLEASE! JUST WALK AWAY!

you wish you could live somewhere else = Yes. In the land of Chocolate. MMMMMMMMM Chocolate.

others find you attractive = I hope Liza still does. It helps if her contacts are out.
you want more piercings = No, is this a marketing survey?
you drink = Not nearly as much but I still wet the whistle from time to time.
you do drugs = never did an illegal drug in my life. I took some Aspirn the other night.
you smoke = I smoke cigars once in awhile. Usally the cheap ones people use gut out and put weed in.
you like cleaning = No I am a crew member.
you write in cursive or print = Who writes in Cursive anymore?


FOR OR AGAINST...

long distance relationships= For Just look at the Old Mantis he can make it work!
using someone: No I am too guilt ridden for that type of thing.
suicide: NO DONT DO IT GEORGE BAILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

killing people = There are appropriate times.
teenage smoking = Eh kids will be kids. Aint my crippling addicition.
doing drugs = I guess its fine for everyone else. I just dont like people that pull guns on cops and kill young kids messed up in street crimes getting rich off me seeking a good high or rush. But people are free to do what they want. But if there werent any drugs maybe our society wouldn't have been subjected to the Greatful Dead.

driving drunk = Well it depends I think under the new NJ laws if you even smell beer you are drunk. Thankfully I have never been directly effected by anyone killed by a drunk driver, but I know many people that have.

gay/lesbian relationships = Its cool. Especically when the lesbian ones are video taped.

FAVORITE...
food = hotdogs
song = I honestly don't think I have one. NO reason to feel obligated to pick one.
thing to do = Hang out with Liza or the crew
thing to talk about = Movies
sports = Hockey COME ON! Who didnt know that?
drinks = Labet Blue Beer
clothes = Jeans
movies = Jaws
holiday = Christmas
cars = I hate cars
HAVE YOU...
ever cried over a boy/girl= umm....
ever lied to someone = Of course. I lie on my blog constantly.
ever been in a fist fight = no although Lima Beanz and I have come close. I got into a few pushing matches. Once I pushed my friend Allen and I almost broke him in half.
ever been arrested = I have been pulled over about 7 times. Quite a few of my friends have been locked up.


DO YOU THINK YOU ARE...
pretty- No I never thought I was good looking. I have too much hair to be pretty.
funny- Yes
hot= No I am not
amusing - Yes
ugly= somtimes
lovable= very

*****TUCKER'S WORLD EXCLUSIVE******


Lima Beanz has said that he was "Just kidding" about having control of what questions are asked. This opens the door to turn up the heat on the hot seat. An official date has not been set, but the interview will likely be published a day or so after the interview takes place. Both sides are look forward to the event. Lima Beanz is expected to able to respond towards the coverage of his life on here, and answer questions about parenthood. Developing.....

"NHL Fumbles"


Tonight Montreal and Edmonton played a game out doors an NHL first, after an alumni game from both teams which featured the First (and likely last ever) appearance of the Great One on ice. The first time in an Oilers since the biggest trade in NHL history in 1988. Not to mention a very impressive of recently retired NHL greats.

The rink was made in the middle of Candian Football Stadium and shattered the record for people at an NHL game by thousands. The same was played outdoors under the open sky like back in the day. A great way to promote the game of hockey which is based on tradition. A great way to excite people about the NHL in a year of empty seats at rinks.

If you didn't know this you are not alone. THe NHL did nothing promote this game. They didnt run it on ESPN. So unless you had the hockey package on digital cable or the DISH. You had no way of seeing this game. Despite the NHL hyping it since Sept. on their own webpage.

IT really pisses me off. Luckily my friend DUke has the package and I was able to check it out. I would have liked to have taped it. The NHL wonders why they so many problems. WHat a bunch of idoits to let a great thing like this go unseen. I am pissed.

***********TUCKER'S WORLD EXCLUSIVE*********

The controversial and often blogged about LIMA BEANZ ( his day name is JAY) has agreed to an exclusive interview with TUCKERS WORLD! TUCKERS WORLD has long seeked a chance to sit down here and let him speak his since a lot of his private life was made public on this webpage.

TUCKERS WORLD hopes to address many of the questions that are IMED or EMAILED in response to coverage of the BABY MANIA that dominated the blog this year.

The LIMA BEANZ interview publish date has not yet been set. HOWEVER he has indicted that unlike the ARTER interview he would like more control over what is asked. DEVELOPING.....

TUCKER AT THE RINK
"JR & the New Hockey Disorder"

If you recall awhile back I wrote about the potential lock-out for the NHL next season and the potential for the WHA a defunct hockey league plans to rise from the ashes and be an alternative to hockey. If you read today’s Inquirer they mention the WHA (first time anyone other than me mentioned it that I know of) and said they are not quite sure if it will launch by next season. However if you check their webpage out their first season started a few weeks ago. Granted like earlier reported on this blog they only have 6 teams. So I don’t know what that wa all about. Their biggest markets are Orlando and Miami (good lord another Florida hockey team?). At any rate the WHA2 plans to expand into bigger markets next year in hopes to compete with the NHL again. They are especially hoping the NHL lockouts so they can really offer their League to the hockey deprived public.

Anyway as I theorized since Bobby Hull (a former NHL All-Star) is the commissioner of the league his son Brett would likely join the WHA2 next season if there is a lockout. Maybe even if there isn’t one. Well recently JR was at public event where both father and son were on hand. He talked to both Hulls about his plans for next year if there wasn’t an NHL season. He said if he didn’t play in World Tournament competitions he would certainly consider playing an entire season for the WHA2.I can see that being more likely than playing in tournaments. The WHA2 would have to become more high profile I would imagine but since the owners and players union are still miles apart I bet they are will started scrambling to get more franchises for next year.


Recently the head of the players union, Bob Goodenow said that the players in the said that the players in the NHL don’t feel they are overpaid and don’t see any reason for salary cap. He claims they refuse to cave in on salary cap. However both Roenick and Hull admitted they are overpaid. I can’t imagine even players that don’t think they are overpaid can’t see that the bubble has burst and many teams are on the verge of economic ruin. Heck attendance is down league wide so far this season. Take for example the recent rumor that the Penguins that one of their best players rookie goalie M-A Fleury might be sent to the juniors because they can’t afford him at all.


Now I am starting a “grass roots” campaign. I want all my readers to got to NHL.com and vote for Jeremy Roenick for the NHL All-Star game. I want to help make him a starter. You can also pick up ballets at Best Buy just make sure you push your chad all the way through. See if you can vote from different email addresses and force your friend to vote for JR. Lets stuff the ballet and get JR the All-Star start he deserves.

Things will heat up and players like Hull and JR are likely to start

Check out the NHL page to vote and heck out the WHA2 to read all the press for the new leauge.

"What Happened to Turkey Day!??!"

In the past retail stores have always been about 6 months ahead of the rest of society. I recall once JC Penny’s sent my house a Back to School catalog before my classes were even done. Sometimes stores would have their Christmas decorations up as early as October but they would be shoved to one corner of the store and people could just mock them for attempting to make us think about Jolly Old Saint Nick before we even picked out our Halloween outfits.

It was traditional that most advertising campaigns didn’t really start until Thanksgiving. The multiple parades and football games allowed everyone to roll out their promotions so we all knew what toys were hot and who was having the hot sales and when. The past few years however the Christmas Season which I peg from Black Friday to the day after New Years has started to sprawl into early parts of November. This year I thought I was going crazy when I saw a credit card commercial with Santa Clause in it 5 days before to Halloween. However it set the stage for the premature holiday season. Everyone seems to be hitting us with holiday themed commercials. I have even some homes all ready lit up for the holiday season. B-101 is already turning out their 24 Christmas Tunes.

All these campaigns that I am being bombarded by before I even had a chance to carve up a Turkey and eat more than humanly possible. We are still having Thanksgiving right? If it fell through this year I certainly didn’t get the memo, however it seems like it happened already. Did Santa Climb the Art Museum steps yet? Did I miss Major Drumstick’s big day in Philly (email me if you know who he is).

Why are they making me feel guilty for not making my list and checking it twice this early? Is this a lame attempt to stimulate the economy? Forcing us our attention from the war and the slumping economy? (Although the nice news man tells me its getting better).

Now don’t get me all wrong. Unlike my friend Drew who is undoubtedly is evilly fumbling his hands and plotting to stop CHRISTMAS FROM COMING I love the holiday season. However it can get cheapened if I am hearing Bing Crosby dreaming of a White Christmas when I still haven’t gotten all the leafs off my lawn. I mean Thanksgiving is a pretty cool holiday. We get to be off of work (RETAIL STORES ARE ACTUALLY CLOSED) and eat a lot. Not to mention the annual Flyers Black Friday Afternoon Game! (eh I only watch college football out of obligation).

I will admit that I get a kick out of Lima Beanz frequently singing “Let It Snow” for a couple of weeks out of the year. Mainly because he is tone deaf (and he knows it I am pretty sure) and he seemingly only knows the chorus. Anyway before I start looking to the skies for Santa and 8 tiny reindeer is it okay if I snap a wish bone from a Turkey Carcass? Do I really have to deck the halls before I get to see B-television actors wish come to Philly to wish Dave Roberts and Lisa Thomas Lorry a Happy Thanksgiving?

I plan to break out holiday film classics like A Christmas Story and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. However I just want the chance to awkwardly run out of conversation 20 minutes into my Turkey Dinner first if that’s okay? I plan to get into the spirit of things and do all my tradional stuff like making sure my mother knows I am not “Too Old” for an army of homemade cookies. However in the mean time I want to have a meal like the Indians and Pilgrims had together so many years ago. Of course not long after that many of the Indians died from European germs and many of the others were slaughter for land and food. But lets face it that has nothing to do with me consuming 3 different carnations of potatoes.

"TUCKER NEWS ALERT!"

TERMINUS readers go below for the River Line Article.

Anyone of my readers (there are a few of you) that live in the STerling School district (where many of us when to HS) you can catch and interview with Mike Price running on the schools channel 19 (not 18 anymore). The interview runs about an hour and I think runs at 8 pm pretty much all this week. I was too busy to actually sit down and see it today, but I plan to view it sometime this week.

He tells some of his war stories. If anyone wants a tape of it I might be able to get one to you. Check back here later this week for another edition of Tucker at the RINK. Make sure you keep checking back all month because I plan to post the stories of the year before Dec 1st. The stories are voted on by my readers for a few weeks than I reveal the story of the year along with the Tuckers World person of the year who I pick personally. I am thinking on doing two this year. One National and one local.

"Train Ride from Hell"

Well for those of you that don’t pay much attention to local news you might not be aware that South Jersey has it’s own version of the MONORAIL going on. Okay its not that bad but the proposed Light Rail has been a complete and utter disaster.

For those of you that don’t know New Jersey ( it actually started under Whitman’s Watch) thought it would be cool to offer a train that went from Camden to Trenton. This could help out some of the South to North Jersey commuting headaches (Because who wants to live in North Jersey?) on paper it looked great. However the budget, planning and marketing of the Light Rail woefully misguided. The project went well over budget and has NJ politicians looking to raise taxes on gasoline by 15 cents per gallon in order to help pay for it. Although it will likely not be that much of a hike its one of the reasons the states has financial problems right now.

The Light Rail ran into many problems over the past few years. First off some businesses and townships weren’t big on the idea of having the train juggling. Secondly they had major problems with intersections. The traffic lights that were put in around intersections made traffic worse. There were also reports of minor derailments during the dry runs. However some businesses are banking on being near stops for the rail.

If this wasn’t bad enough many public officials made it public that the project was a disaster and no one would ride it. Some suggested we forget there was ever a Light Rail and let the project die and the trains and tracks rot. Everyone kept saying how much it was going to suck and no one cares about the Light Rail and no one will use it. The official opening of it was delayed at least twice. This was a bad move making anyone that want to ride feel like a loser. What would they tell us how no one is going to ride it and how much it sucks and how stupid it is? Now NO ONE will ride it. I was waiting for the them to set the tracks a blaze.

I thought they should change the name of the light rail to the lame rail. However they just announced today that it will be now called the “River Line” and now are going to start a marketing campaign to get people to think that it doesn’t suck that bad. It will only cost 1.10 to ride the 34-mile and you can ride the thing all damn day if you want. They are going have 20 stops (I don’t know any closer to me other than Camden).

So it should be interesting to watch how the state will sell this after they told is it was the worst idea ever for a few years. WORST IDEA EVER! “Ride the River Rail it DOESN’T suck." It has been 4 years in the making and they have slated Feb 15th as their opening day. I am disappointed that it wasn’t a day earlier because I planned to take Liza on ride on it all day long for Valentines Day. They really blew my plans. I hear Trenton is lovely that time of year. The date is set yet again, although there might be a better chance of Ryan calling to congratulate Lima Beanz and Jenna on their new kid than this RIVER LINE running according to planned.

Sorry for the dealy in posts I have had some minor problems with my internet connections this week. Look for some articles this weekend.

“Winter Outlook”



Okay in Tucker’s World I am always making predictions and informing my readers. Last year I gave a preview on what to expect for the winter as far as how cold it will be and how much snow will get. I was totally wrong last year. However after much sifting through webpages that I read on such matters I am ready to put my new prediction on this site.

Did you notice that the weather has been doing a Yo-Yo type deal? It’s mild for a few days than its freaking freezing the next. Well that manic cycle will continue all Winter long. There will be times when it get REALLY cold, but the consecutive days wont be like they were last year. In fact in January and February we will see days that it gets as high at 60.

The first flakes of the season will arrive around Turkey Day. It will be in the form of wet snow and not much to write home about either. The biggest chance of storms will be in Mid January and Mid February.

The final tally will be roughly around 21 inches when the Winter ends. Believe it or not that is normal for the South Jersey/Philly region.

So this winter expect some snow, but just don’t expect your snowmen to stay around too long with the mild air returning frequently.

"Veteran's Day"

This Tuesday is holiday. Yeah it really is despite most people still having to go to work. Amongst all the Christmas maddness that for some reason has to started several weeks before thanksgiving this year we get a hoilday before its even time to carve up the old bird.

This Tuesday is Veteran's Day a day that is ment to honor people who faught and died for this country. People might get this holiday mixed up with other patrotic hoildays. Memorial Day is to honor the fallen heros, 4th of July is mainly to celeberate our freedom and celebrate the birth of the nation, and Labor Day has nothing to do with veterans what so ever. Although it is now undestandable to see flags waving since it is so close to Sept. 11th.

Anyway I think its just a shame a hoilday to honor people living and dead who fought for this country is prettty much glossed over my society. Do yourself a favor and ask people what hoilday it is on Tuesday I doubt more than half of them will even know its a holiday.

At beast the day to honor citzens of this country has been reduced to an excuse for retail stores to throw a big sale. Just because it is too cold out for the few of us that are off for the holiday to go swiming and grill stuff makes the day get lost in the shuffle. Sadly hoildays like that are more of an excuse to get drunk for most people.

I suggest for my readers who do read this that they call up just on person that they know is a war veteran (who doesnt have a friend, uncle or neighbor) and either thank them for their service or at the very least wish them a happy veteran's day. Then you can bgo back to Christmas Shopping.

"Black Eye Network"


A few weeks ago Matt Drudge revealed on this news site THE DRUDGE REPORT scenes of the upcoming CBS miniseries “The Reagans” that got friends and allies of the former President pretty upset. Scenes included Reagan showing signs of Alzheimer’s years before he was diagnosed with the disease, Nancy being a pill popping, Reagan fearing that he was the anti-Christ before breaking down and crying, and a scene when Reagan saw a news report on AIDs saying “People who live in sin shall die in sin”. Reagan was often criticized about not doing anything about AIDs in the 1980s when it hit.

Now as I reported on here earlier the networks are in the middle of sweeps. CBS may have at first thought the “buzz” would be good for ratings. However when more and more scenes were revealed the pressure started to mount on the network. CBS started to fear potential sponsors bailing on the program. They also feared a boycott of some of the sponsors of the mini-series and perhaps feared the network itself would suffer a decline in ratings during the November Sweeps. Sweeps is a time when the networks kiss the butts of their advertisers.

A few days ago the mini-series that was supposedly pitched as a love story was coming across as more of a politically slanted version of the former president’s life. Another reason people thought perhaps things were being blown out of proportion was that fact that Barbara Streisand ( an high profile liberal loud mouth) was one of the key figures in the creative team behind the project. CBS finally blinked and made broadcast television history and pulled the plug on the mini-series. It was the first time that a network canned a program for political reasons. The miniseries will air (more likely as just long film) on SHOWTIME which is also owned by VICAOM. The film was edited and certain controversial scenes were cut for the CBS airing before it was canned. However everyone of those scenes are going to be restored when it airs on SHOWTIME sometime in 2004.

The liberals are calling CBS spineless for giving into political pressure. Streisand claims the network’s move was politically motivated and it is a “sad day for artistic freedom”. She went on to claim Shakespeare was horrible historian but wrote entertaining plays despite falsifying facts and the kings of England. Apparently Liberals can reference past people and events and claim that is the way it always was and always should be when it benefits them to illustrate a point. I haven’t seen the movie which has her husband James Brolin starring as Reagan but I doubt it Shakespeare.

She has a good point that such artistic freedom should not be squashed. However there is a thin line between that and just wanting to make public figure look like a jerk for political game. Where do you the draw the line? Claiming he said stuff that was never mentioned. Couldn’t they have consulted people closer to the family like they did for the Amy Smart and Sniper films? Unfortunately a vast majority of viewers would gobble up everything they saw as fact not artistic freedom. There is a responsibility that wasn’t there 10 years ago for tv movies to try to stick to the facts. This film itself was political not artistic. Do not believe for a second that this movie was made for anything other then to give the Ronny a black eye.


Now people who were against this thing (at posting time they are already taking aim at Showtime) make some points I don’t agree with either. They think a movie shouldn’t be made about Reagan because he is senile and can’t defend himself. Okay it is in bad taste I would admit, and one wonder why they couldn’t wait for him to buy the farm (there isn’t an election coming up is there?) before telling his story. What if he was dying of cancer or AIDs would that be in worse taste? However many a film has been made about the dead who last time I checked couldn’t defend themselves. JFK has come off as a jerk many times.


Matt Drudge thinks the bizarre anti-christ scene was the turning point that got people thinking it was strange. The CEO of CBS claimed it was “unfairly harsh” towards the Ronald and his wife. Honestly I think he was just looking out for the wallet of his network. For some reason television (puzzling everyone people just don’t seem to be watching tv) viewers have being MIA the last thing he wants to do is alienate his viewers. So his move is more motivated by money than anything else.

Showtime will air the movie, because they don’t have to worry about sponsors. VICACOM might even get more people to shell out money for it and all the scenes will be in place. I honestly think CBS can win the sweeps month easily without the mini-series (predicted order top=CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX= bottom) maybe it was just to hot for network television although thanks to BONO apparently the F-bomb isn’t. It is funny because it was delivered as a satire I wouldn’t be blogging about this right now. Are conservatives being too protective of their icon? Perhaps they are being to blind to his flaws. I don’t know if he said any of these things really. I know has heard he never talked about AIDS once the whole time he was in office although I could never really prove that.

I don’t know it is a sad day for artistic freedom. Matt Drudge simply put out transcripts from the movie and people got upset. A LOT of people got upset by this film. Their voices were just too loud. Maybe if the movie showed Reagan’s famous TEAR DOWN THIS WALL moment or put some more good to balance out the negative stuff it wouldn’t have seen as such a blow, making him more of a tragic figure. I don’t see this opening the door to bowing to political pressure on a regular basis however I don’t see network TV existing in 10 years they way that we know it now. Did CBS make the right choice? I honestly think I would have to see the movie to make a fair statement on that. Maybe I will get it off NETFLIX when it come on DVD. Perhaps I will maybe I can get on of those old Reagan chimp movies to come the same week and have a double feature.

"Losers"

Street beat Katz (KICKED HIS ASS)and Tommy lost in Haddonfield at least I think so because his name didn't appear anywhere on the offical results that I found on the internet. I can imagine he didnt get ANY votes though. If I find his final totals I will post them here.

Keep it hear at Tucker's World for the the final numbers on that race. If you get your news from this blog then well thats just sad.

Well it might be intresting if the FBI finds anyhting on Street. Oh well Philly made their bed.

Oh and for the record I didn't vote for anything, felt mildly guilty.

“Message to Readers”

Well it is SWEEPS months for the major networks the time when all the networks (and FOX) bring out their big guns so they can justify how much the charge for commercials for their shows. So look for big TV Movies, important plot related stories and shameless gimmicks on your favorite shows. In honor of that I usually have a SWEEPS month of my own. I have no idea who reads this blog and I don’t have a traffic reporter like Drew does for TERMINUS (Drew can you help me out with that man?), but still when they have SWEEPS I try pull out all the stops to get people clicking back to this link and procrastinating during their workday. I want to try to update more this month. So sit back and get ready for some hopefully memorable articles in the next 4 weeks, and then it is back to the same old mundane crap with random and frequent days upon days with no updates.

Dan K emailed me and told me that the SUV headlights are not any brighter it is just the fact that they are at the right height to blind me. He knows a lot more about cars than I do so I guess he is right. He went on to wish death upon anyone who drives an SUV anyway.


TUCKERS WORLD ENDORSES CANDIDATE IN THE PHILLY MAYOR RACE!



“Indecision 2003”


Tomorrow is Election Day. Sadly that might actually be news to most my readers. Not that I can talk I don’t have any interest in the election of the mayor of my own town. However I have written about two mayor races that I can’t vote in. The Philadelphia election and the Haddon Heights election only because there is 21 year-old local filmmaker running for mayor.

Okay first the Philly election. The campaign trail is in the homestretch and judging by the latest polls Mayor John Street might as well make his victory speech on Good Day Philadelphia tomorrow before the polls even open. Katz has been resorted to referencing the DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN debacle. Usually a sign that you are desperate for a miracle and the election will be a landslide for the opposition.

The last few hours we have seen Sam Katz bellow out some tunes in Italian and John Street brought out former Vice President AL GORE which was enough to make local liberals harder than getting south bound on 295 during rush hour. Streets gain in the polls leaped again last night the polls results are strikingly different than before the BUG SCANDAL at the time Katz had a slight lead. Don’t worry though if it looks to be close you can rest assure that Ed Randall will be driving around with a van picking up homeless people and paying them to vote for Street. A Democratic tradition in the city of brotherly love. Not that the Katz campaign has halos around their heads.

Katz supposedly has some unions behind him, but Street has far more. Basically a core of the voters are Union leaders who intimidate union members into voting for a particular candidate. Unions are key. I would also imagine that Katz’s wife will vote for him along with the most of the remaining white people that live in the city.

Well the night before I TUCKERS WORLD is giving an endorsement to Sam Katz. Unfortunately for Katz none of my readers live in Philly hell very few of them are even registered to vote. However even the recent tactics by the Street’s cronies and the fact the many Philly businesses are hoping the Delware to South Jersey than are jumping to Philly (just ask CHUCK) I think Katz is the better candidate. I think Katz is more business savy and the Philly economy needs that.

Meanwhile right up the White Horse Pike Tommy Avallone who I know by association is running for mayor. Tommy who at one time worked at the Cinemark movie theater got together with some friends and made some local movies. I stumbled upon this films because a friend of mine Mike Hadfield has minor roles in them.

“Wasted Apples” was followed by “Small Kid Tank Top” neither film indicated that Tommy has any future in film making but he is under the impression he would be a good mayor. His story made national news (long after I broke the story) appearing on both CNN.com and the DRUDGE REPORT. Here is the latest statement made by Tommy released on his website.

“Everyone from Haddon Heights VOTE FOR ME!, Everyone that isn't from Haddon Heights tell everyone you know in Haddon Heights to VOTE FOR ME!, Everyone that isn't from Haddon Heights that doesn't no anyone from Haddon Heights, make a friend with someone in Haddon Heights and tell them to VOTE FOR ME!, if you are to young to vote get your brother, sister, mother, father, uncle, aunt, grandparents, and neighbors to VOTE FOR ME!, Everyone should get more involved, everyone should get into poltics, everyone should VOTE FOR ME! I may be a bad speller, I may have bad grammer, I may not use spell check, But I will make one hell of a mayor. So inclusion, VOTE FOR ME!!!!!!!”

“Blinded By the Light”

It doesn’t bother me so much that SUVs guzzle gas, but their insanely BRIGHT head lights irk me.
So the other night I was driving to my girlfriend’s who lives roughly 20 minutes from my house. It was dark out being nighttime and all and a fairly raining night. Then behind me comes an SUV.

The head lights on this sucker are so bright that I can actually see the glare off the puddles on the street behind in my mirror. Now I know it is supposed to be a “utility” vehicle and all but is it necessary for them to illuminate the car of the motorist in front of them. Christ what they want me to do put on shadow puppet show on for them or something?

I recall when I first started driving one of the worst things you could do as a driver is pass a car, or be behind a car with your high beams on. Now what difference does it make when if the normal headlight of an SUV severely blinds me and has on occasion actually given me a headache. Now I know that I can turn my mirror so that is blocks out the insanely ridiculous headlights, but I never like to that that because it messes up my reference to how much a distance that this soccer mom as on me. Nor does it stop my car from looking like the Clark Griswold’s home.

Now I really don’t know the practical reason for such bright headlights. Where the hell are this SUVs going? I mean this light is so bright that sometimes on a dark road I am checking for little green men and missing time when it first comes up behind me.


I know I am supposed to be impressed by the power of their vehicles but is it necessary for them blind me to the point that my retinas are detached by the time I get to my girlfriends house? I was lucky I could tell the difference between Liza and her dog Denver by the time I get to her home, because I could see was a bright light in front of me.

So my advice is to drive about 25 MPH if an SUV is behind you in two lane road. You will likely irate them and perhaps they will pass you. If any of my readers have people in their lives with SUVs get them headlight covers for approaching holiday season get them “head light” covers. If anyone doesn’t know what they are they look really cool but pretty much render your headlights useless.

"Weasel of the Week"

Sharpton is a jack ass. I don't know why or how we started caring about what he said enough to print it in the papers each day. Please. I guess this time he is seeking a seat in the White House (doesnt he always), but still no matter what happens the media feel obligated to have us listen to his twisted views on life. His latest doozy is against Howard Dean who is one of the few that are standing out in the Democratic debates.

Here is his quote:

"Howard Dean's opposition to affirmative action, his current support for the death penalty and historic support of the NRA's [National Rifle Association's] agenda amounts to an anti-black agenda that will not sell in communities of color in this country," Sharpton said in a statement."

WOW. Maybe I SHOULD vote for Dean. Heck I argreed with almost everything there. Color me a bigot I guess. DAMN. I had no idea.

Okay people debate about the Afirmative Action all the time, and I would have to see what he has to say about it. The big problem that I have with it is I think it should be based on more of how much someone makes. For example a lot of white people I know make "too much money" to get help to pay for college.


I recall a friend of mine in Rowan who happened to black telling me how he had no idea what he was going to do with all the extra money they gave him. Not only was he from what he told me as well of as many of my white friends who make too much money, but they gave him almost 2 grand more than he even needed. He was almost embarressed I guess he knew that the money could have gone to someone else. I have heard other minorities offer similar stories. Meanwhile there are white people who are told time and time again their hard working but underpaid parents are too rich. I have a problem with that.

Sharpton would never debate anything like this. He just tells everyone they are bigots or want to bring down all the African Americans everywhere. He never backs up his claims I don't even no what the NRA has to do with being black. What is he saying more white people have guns? Al Sharpton is a true weasel.

TUCKER'S WORLD RINKSIDE

“Behind Waviers”

The NHL wavier draft is usually confusing or often over looked by the casual hockey fan. Even I have trouble with some of the “rules” but that’s the NHL for you. The Waiver Draft has been affected by the pending NHL lockout next season. Some unique stuff has happened.


To set up the recent events lets try to establish the point of the draft and how it works. It isn’t like the entry draft it deals with players already on NHL & AHL teams. The Waiver draft starts right around the start of the season and its main purpose is mainly to spread the wealth so to speak. If a player is played on waviers he can be picked up by another NHL team. You can only protect so many people at one time. Now not everyone has to be protected rookies are off the hook.

Also off the hook are players who don’t have an NHL contract but actually have a two way contract. The two way contracts are for players on the brink of breaking into the NHL like Jimmy Vandermeer or fring players like Mark Grieg. He can be sent to the Phantoms ( Vandermeer likely will be soon) and he doesn’t have to clear waivers. Although this can be only done X amount of times in one season, so they can’t jerk the poor guy around I guess, Peter White had to clear waivers one time after being called up too many times. Anyone else that is sent to the Phantoms like Chris Therien recently has to clear waivers.

In years past other teams would have loved to gotten their hands on certain semi big name players (and did players like Straka were picked up in the past) who were put on waivers like Curtis Joseph did this past weekend. He was sent to the minors, and since no one wants to pay him his huge salary he cleared and is in the AHL. Since Hasek came back he is number 1 goalie. Number 2 is Many Legace who they think will be # 1 right now. As a seldom used back up he makes very little money by NHL standards and would be snatched up. So they sent CUJO down knowing he would clear.

So the draft that’s purpose for the struggling teams to be able to get talented players who weren’t being used is negated. A team that NEEDS Joseph can’t afford him, and could lose out if there is no hockey next season.

This past week the Flyers inked tough guy Steve Webb (who the hell knows why) and the sneaky little GM that Bob Clarke is he didn’t let it publicly known. The media didn’t even know. Webb was signed to an NHL contract I guess they figured the had a spot for him. Now in order to sign him they would have to put someone else on waivers. The Flyers didn’t want to risk losing anyone else so they kept the signing hush, hush. They actually put Webb on waivers andhoped no on would notice their new player chilling on Waivers. However the Pittsburgh Penguins did and they scopped him right up. Webb thought he was going to play in Philly had no choice but to go west. Since the Penguins didn’t sign him they don’t have to put anyone on waivers. So basically they could have waited for him to come out of the Skate zone one day threw a bag over his head and thrown him into a SUV heading for Pittsburgh.

"Closings & Movings"


For all my local readers here is the DISH on the local businesses in the area. Some places closing their doors. Others moving around.

Well some of my readers might know that I have a “ban” on Sharkey’s on nights that they have a DJ. Sharkey’s a place ideal for cheap beer and some good wings is a good spot to go if you actually want to hear what your friends are saying. However recently they decided to have a DJ there on the weekends and it might even have spread to Thursday nights. I had hoped it would flop, but I drove past there a few times on those nights and it was pretty busy. Another indication is the rival bar the Warwick Tavern now supposedly has a DJ on Thursday nights. The plague is spreading. If I wanted to hear club music and stay local I would go to Vallaries. I dunno, maybe I will just have to lift a ban.

Meanwhile the obscenely named Cuccis Pizza has closed down after only a year or so under the new management. It was run by a Sterling Alumni for the past year that I couldn’t picture successfully running a business well. Not to mention the food went downhill big time. I will miss their unique bread. It always made me pick them over Nuncios. There is now a place to rent on what Ryan and I nicked named the “Statford Boardwalk”. Although it might be a tough sell since its next to a porn shop.

The Burger King in Voorhees is going to pack their bags and move into the former home of Ponderosa in Stratford on the White Horse Pike.

Meanwhile Starview Diner might be feeling some heat from their arch enemy the Stratford Diner, because they have been running coupons in the Courier-Post for almost a month now in Friday’s South Jersey Beat section. Keep it here for more useless information about what is going on in your backyard.

"SpaceSTORM!"


Uh-oh. Looks like the PERFECT Space Storm is heading to Earth this weekend. It is going to cause a "Solar" burst which supposedly will mess with our cell phones and powerlines. My readers will have to tell me if something happened because poor service is par for the course for my phone.

It should hit at 3pm on Friday which would be roughly around 2 hours from when this post makes it to the internet. Perhaps it will supercharge the machines and they will rise to destroy us. Perhaps the story is just to fill time on the cable news network untill the next time J. Lo and Ben Affleck go shopping.

"Of Bugs & Men"

Well the bid for the Mayor of Philly has taken an ugly veer. Mayor John Street is up for reelection against Sam Katz (who looks like a former professor of mine) Katz had a very slim chance to win. Before the controversy hit (I will get to that later) I spoke to Duke’s girlfriend who is a South Philly native and wanted to see if she followed the election or had anything to say about it. She basically told me that it didn’t make a difference because Street was going to be elected by the African-American communities in Philly based solely on the color of his skin. That is a shame if works either way.

In all fairness ALMOST LITTERALLY all the white people are voting for Katz, in the 90 percent and about 90 percent of the black people will vote for Street. There is no denying that the city is easily one of the most racially divided cities in the US. When it comes to the voting anyway, but one can assume that these feelings could easily run deeper in every day life.

Well the election took an unexpected turn this past week when it John Street found out his office was being bugged. At first no one knew who was doing it, but it was later turned it was the FBI and he was under investigation. This investigation has been going back for quite awhile apparently. I don’t know that Street regularly sweeps his office for bugs but we later learned that some of his electronic information devices were taken by authorities before he made public that his office was bugged. So he knew something was up, and his speech the day off was bit of an act.

Now I don’t know if the FBI wanted him to find it or if they were just stupid and didn’t expect him to comb his office after sending up flags that he is under investigation. He claims that nothing racists, illegal or curse words are ever said in his office and they must only have really boring tapes. The FBI said that he is not exactly the “target” but has “something” to do with the investigation. Meaning it could be someone or several people in his administration are subject of the investigation. It didn’t take long before Street questioned the timing of the investigation. He cries racism and that the investigation is politically motivated.

This was a great move. He makes himself look like the victim and it worked! He is running away with the election and more African Americans are going to vote now just because of they think he is getting a raw deal. One man (suppoedly a Republician) admitted in the Inquirer that he is pretty much going to vote for Street out of spite at this point. Race isn’t important according to Street. He just works well with everyone. Well here is an often forgotten quote from awhile back. It took me awhile to even find the exact quote on the internet.

“LET ME TELL YOU: The brothers and sisters are running the city. Oh, yes. The brothers and sisters are running this city. Running it! Don't you let nobody fool you; we are in charge of the City of Brotherly Love. We are in charge! We are in charge!"”


Um. Okay now replace Brothers and Sisters with Whites and give it to a white politician and you have a ruined career. I mean that quote is full of gloating and anger it appears. I don’t recall him having to attend “diversity” or “sensitivity” classes. I am still waiting for the article on TEMRINUS titled “Street is a Total Bastard” but I have a better chance of seeing the Flyers win the cup before I die. In all fairness he did admit to me once out at the bar that he thought it was pretty racist. I just think its sad people are buying this BS. If he really thinks its being done to get rid of a black mayor than he at best is a hypocrite. I hate the fact that comments like that are allowed buy African Americans. Am I offended by the comments? Not really he was merely stating a fact about who he surrounds himself around I guess. I just hate that there was very little outcry about it, if he was white he would have had to resign.

I am not down for spreading intolerance and hate no matter who does it. Lots of debates were made after that Rush comment about ending racism. Letting people Like Street have license to make comments like that because of year of mistakes in the past of the treatment of their ancestors is just plain wrong. It breeds MORE racism from whites. Just fuel for the fire.


So back to current events; the investigation will go well after the election. I don’t know how bad timing it was for this to be revealed. Wouldn’t the people of Philly want to know that their mayor was under investigation? I guess not. It MIGHT have some baring on if someone casts his vote. I know if I would have voted for Street and found out a month later he had done some dirty deeds I would be a bit miffed thinking It was unfair not knowing that potential problem. Recalls could become a common trend. It isn’t out of right field either some people have accused Street of helping his buddies and brother ( an incompetent) out by giving them city jobs. Of course it like that a lot in politics, but still. Its thought at this point that it is realated to giving contracts to people.

I think a low point in mind for Street was when he decided to give a business loan to a drug dealer. He claimed he had entrepreneur spirit and just disliked working that why he had to turn to selling drugs. Poor guy couldn’t take orders and that’s why he sold drugs out of necessity. He claimed at the time he was former drug dealer and one could argue he was giving him a 2nd shot. However people immediately wrote into the Daily News and said he was still pretty much still in the business. Meanwhile a couple who lived in Philly for years, and did everything by the law wrote in and were trying for years to get a loan to start kick start their dream. A deli in the City. They didn’t get it. Maybe they should have been selling crack to school children until their ship came in. It might have helped if they were “brothers” or “sisters”.

Thinks have gotten hotter than Pat's Cheesesteak bettween the two. The campaigns have gotten ugly. Street is bringing up a lawsuit of against Katz from one of his business partners. Katz downplayed it making it a dead issue.

Without a miracle for Katz you might as well put a fork in him. He is as done as the vet. As for Street to be fair and balanced nothing has been proven yet. So he has that going for him, which is nice. It could get interesting.