Live From Destin

Coming to you from the home of Mike & Susie Fitzharris, with Susie being one of the Lovely Steph Leann's high school Besties.  We had to come down to Pensacola for The Lovely Steph Leann's job, as they send her down to the Pensacola location of her work once per month to do some work.   All I can say is, she's good at her job.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll have more to report this weekend from our coupla'days away--which we just don't get many of, unless we're going to Disney World.  Even then, we take people with us, so seldom is it just us.

But for now... here's some book stuff for you...

Three Books I Am Going To Read in a Row:

This is "The Big Book of Basketball" by Bill Simmons, also known as ESPN's The Sports Guy.  I read his first one several years ago, that being "Now I Can Die In Peace: How the Sports Guy Found Salvation Thanks to the World Champion Red Sox"... I've got the hardcover, and I'm probably going to get the paperback, because its updated.

By the way, I love trade paperbacks.  They are a little larger than regular paperbacks, they look good, and they aren't nearly as bulky as hardbacks.  Many of the books I buy, especially by Stephen King, are in trade... but some books I want to read now. 

And speaking of Stephen King, here's his latest, called "Under the Dome".   This book looks fascinating, and apparently, some people are relating it to "The Simpsons Movie", with the whole dome-on-town concept.  I mentioned this book to my friend MZ, and thats exactly what she said... "That sounds like 'The Simpsons Movie'!"  I had to tell her that King had been writing this book off and on for over 30 years.

The story is, one day a town is suddenly cut off from the rest of the world by a huge dome that sets down over a small Maine town.  And chaos ensues.  Can't wait.

Actually ordered this and above book on Amazon.com for $25.50.  "The Big Book of Basketball" was $16.50 and the new King novel was $9 with a pre-order, which I did.  Spend $25 and get free shipping.  Of course, the downside to free shipping is that you have to wait forever to get the book--mine is due for delivery on November 17th.

Here comes Sarah Palin.  I love Sarah Palin.  Don't care what you say, I think she's smarter than most of the Republicans that are out there today, and those of you who say, "She's crazy!" just haven't been paying attention--or paying too much attention to CNN and Obama-TV MSNBC.  And I'll end up reading her biography, "Going Rogue".  And I'll probably enjoy it.

Actually, I'll probably wait until I can get this on audio.  Hopefully, it will be read by the author.  That, I can dig.

According to an article on Fox News Online:

In Palin's "Going Rogue," Palin confirms reports of tension between her aides and those of the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain. The vice presidential candidate confirms that she had wanted to speak on election night, but was denied the chance and says she was kept "bottled up" from reporters during the campaign.

Palin also writes harshly of CBS anchor Katie Couric, whom she describes as "badgering" and biased. Palin's series of interviews with Couric were widely regarded as disastrous, leaving the impression of an ill-informed candidate who was unsuited for the job.

And, just a note on CNN, here's why they suck.  Last night, Carrie Prejean was on Larry King Live, and when Larry asked her a legitimate question about her past, she said, "That's very inappropriate, Larry."  They had a rough exchange, and she came off looking like an idiot.  Which she might be--listen, I supported her at the beginning through the whole pageant mess, but now she's just annoying--she came off looking stupid and like a moron.  And what did CNN do?  They flash a graphic on the screen that says, "PREJEAN ON SARAH PALIN:  I THINK SHE'D MAKE A GREAT PRESIDENT".  Really, CNN?  Was there a need for that?  That, CNN'ers, is why you are continually in last place in the news network races.

By the way, on a random note, did anyone else completely miss the fact that Hurricane Ida came through already?  I asked The Lovely Steph Leann a few days ago about Ida, and if it would impede our journey to the Florida Panhandle, and she said, "No."  And then today, she mentioned how it rained for about 28 straight hours the other day--that was Ida.  Had no clue.  I was still thinking it was in the Gulf somewhere.  I blame George W. Bush.

And finally, here's one I just finished.  "Native Tongue" by Carl Hiaasen doesn't deviate, plot set-up anyway, from most of his other books.  Hiaasen has lots of colorful characters he spreads out through the book, and you know somehow, someway, they are all going to cross paths at one point or another in a crucial plot point.   And, like just about all of his other books (might be all of them--I have only read four), the story takes place in Florida.

This one actually takes place close to Key Largo, at a Disney rip-off called The Amazing Kingdom of Thrills, and it involves steroid taking security guards, gun shooting baboons, mafia witnesses, mob hits, a professional golfer, a chick who plays Robby Raccoon, a former governor of Florida living in the woods wearing a panther tracking color, a chick who writes poetry for a phone sex line, and a protagonist who was hired because he writes great press releases.  Oh, and it centers around two rat-like creatures who may or may not be extinct, stolen by two burglers who may or may not be complete fools.  The book is funny, its fast paced, it does have lots of language, and was a breezy read. 

Alright, that's all I got for tonight.  Time to get The Lovely Steph to bed--she's snoozing on the couch, otherwise I'm pretty sure that Jimmy Kimmel Live wouldn't be on.  Not that I don't like Kimmel, but she has the remote.  She's sleeping on it.

Chew On This

My final comments concerning Senator Barack Obama will be posted this weekend, as promised. But until, you can chew on this.

"John McCain and Sarah Palin they call this socialistic," Obama said, Thursday morning. "You know I don’t know when, when they decided they wanted to make a virtue out of selfishness."

Senator Obama, July 7th... "If Senator McCain wants a debate about taxes in this campaign, then it is a debate I'm happy to have, because if you're a family making less than $250,000 a year, my plan will not raise your tax."

Senator Obama, late October (date unclear)... "If you have a job, pay taxes, and make less than $200,000 a year, you'll get a tax cut."

Senator Joe Biden, October 27th... "It should go like it used to, it should go to middle-class people, people making under $150,000 a year."

Senator Obama, in his infomercial (taped in mid-October)... "As president here's what I'll do: Cut taxes for every working family making less than $200,000 a year."

Senator Obama, October 30th... "How many people make less than a quarter million dollars a year? Raise your hands. All right, that would appear to be the majority of you. Now, no matter what Senator McCain may claim, here are the facts. If you make under $250,000, you will not see your taxes increase by a single dime, not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains tax, no tax. The last thing we should do is -- in this economy is raise taxes on the middle class."

Governor Bill Richardson, (D-NM), October 30th... "What Obama wants to do is -- is he is basically looking at $120,000 and under among those that are in the middle class, and there is a tax cut for those."

To be an Obama supporter, I think three words will suffice... "suspension of disbelief"