No wonder....

Pimpbling and I have finally found out while all these old people in Florida are so damn grumpy and miserable all the time....they watch WAY too much CNN. Think about it. If you had nothing to do all day but watch the news, you would have a rather warped sense of reality. You would think that the only thing going on in the world right now is identity theft, murder, and rape. You would think that Iran is about to drop the bomb on us. You would beleive that worldwide ocean levels were going to rise 10 feet in the next day or two. And you would beleive that the economy and the stock market suck and all corporations are out to screw you. That about covers it. This is exactly how you would feel if all you did was watch what the national news tells you every day.

Now, we all have problems and I don't disagree with that. We all get cut off driving to work one day and we all eat a shitty meal at a local restaurant from time to time. But really...life isn't that bad. There are murders, rapes and identity theft happening every day, but the other 99% of us are getting by OK. Iran is a nuisance, but the world isn't going to end tomorrow in a big mushroom cloud. Sea levels rise and fall over time but Florida isn't going to disappear in the next 10 years. The stock market goes up and down...always has and always will. Even after the recent sell-off, we are still up about 45% in the last three years and that ain't bad people. And yes, Ken Lay of Enron is a dirtbag, but there are a lot of people out there who work hard every day and don't screw anyone over. Have a Margarita and chill.

Back from Paradise

Mondays normally suck. Mondays after vacation really suck. I have included a few pictures from our trip last week to Emerald Isle, NC. Here is a picture from the beach of the house we rented, which was about a half-wedge from the ocean. Now you know why coming back home sucks so bad.

What a Real Beach looks like

I always hear people brag about the beaches here in Florida...I might have even been one of these people as of last week. All my opinions have changed. The beach isn't about high-rise condos and $20 Million dollar houses with big pools and palm trees. THIS is what a beach is supposed to look like...a wide stretch of sand, dunes, wood decks. I took this one morning around 7am. I think the picture pretty much speaks for itself.

Solitude

After the Memorial Day weekend wrapped up, things cleared out on the beach nicely. Not that it was ever packed, but it's nice to have nobody on the beach when you want to relax.

Vacation Time

Yep, that time has arrived. Cheryl and I will be on vacation in the Outer Banks until June 4th, so no postings until we get back. Above is a picture from the back deck of the beachhouse we are renting for the week....I am sure much wine will be drank on that porch. Everyone have a good Memorial Day weekend.

Now I'm really lost...

Since early this year, I have become obsessed with the series LOST on ABC. With the season finale last night, they left us all hanging again as to what's going on. I guess the cause of the plane crash was explained, but who really are "the others"? What happens to Jack, Kate, and Sawyer? What happened to Sayid, Locke and Eko? What was with that foot of the statue on the beach? And what was the deal during the last two minutes with those scientists calling Desmond's ex-girlfriend on the phone? I just hate waiting months to get an answer.

Another party with Xan

The Hickman's visited the Margarita Lounge last night for some dinner and a few bottles of wine. Xan the man behaved himself like a perfect gentleman (as usual). I wish I could say that Lucy did the same. For some reason, our cute little puppy turned into a little barking shithead last night. Good news is that she is back to normal this morning and behaving herself. I put a new picture below for anyone who wants an update on ol' puppy-breath.

What's the Problem?

I think this picture speaks for itself. Lucy has been a little terror recently, but I guess that's to be expected as she is a puppy. When we got her she was 6 pounds and now she's about 20. Even though she can be a pain in the ass and refuses to sleep past 6:30am, we really love her and are happy we got her.

Gettin' Giddy

I apologize for my laziness this week...I haven't really been that busy, just a lazy ass. My mind is elsewhere as vacation is less than a week away and I am getting as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning. I find myself looking out the window and daydreaming about the Outer Banks and an entire week away from the world.....

Back to reality....Early congrats go out to the K-Daddy who is getting married in the not-so-distant future. Actually, I'm not sure if I should even be mentioning it, but it's out there now, and since he lives in Pittsburgh I'm not too worried about him kicking my ass from 1200 miles away. I guess Kris and Jen will have an official ceremony sometime after the birth of the young K-Dog. A word to the wise Mr. Douglas...after all that we have been through together, if we are not invited to the ceremony, YOU WILL BE GETTING YOUR ASS KICKED by both of us.

A Little Monday Humor

While I am sure this picture has been doctored, it is really hilarious. Since Mondays pretty much suck for everyone, I figured the comic relief might help. If you can't read it, double-click on the image for a bigger version. Thanks to my mom for forwarding it to me.

The weekend draws to a close

Sundays are always a conflict to me. On one hand, I usually get my "stuff" done on Saturdays so Sundays tend to be more relaxing. On the other hand I have to go back to work tomorrow which sucks. So, what did I do so far this weekend?

Friday Night I took my mom out for Mother's Day. Sure, it was two days early, but today is going to be crazy, so I figured I would save the hassle. We went to the Rustic Cellar in Boca for a glass of wine. I had a Willakenzie and she had a Byron...both Pinot Noir and both quite tasty. I was very impressed with their wine list as well as the ambiance of the place. We went next door to Coal Mine Pizza for their amazing pizza before calling it a night.

As for yesterday, Cheryl had to work most of the day, so I got a chance to do some work around the house. After Cheryl got home we ordered some takeout from Sals and had a few glasses of wine. At 10:00 we decided to watch "A History of Violence"...a big mistake. I am sure we have all fallen into the trap we did last night. That movie with the really cool preview that looks interesting but ends up a dud. Yep...that was this one. Don't waste an hour and forty minutes of your life on it. Even Ed Harris couldn't save it from sucking, and I really like Ed Harris.

As for today, I am thinking of dropping by the new Hickman residence.....

Two Weeks and counting.....

Two weeks from today, we will be heading out on our long-awaited vacation to the Outer Banks. To say I am getting giddy is quite an understatement. An entire week on the ocean with no phone calls, no computers, no stock market watching...it's going to be great.

Gunther's New Abode

A big "congrats" goes out to Gunther, Wine Mistress, and Xan the wee man on the move back to Boynton Beach. While I haven't actually talked to Gunther since the closing (which was supposed to be yesterday afternoon), I assume everything went smooth since there was mention on Frotuss about it. The Hickman's will now be living less than a mile from the Margarita Lounge. While this could be detrimental to the contents of my wine cellar, it will be good to have another person my age in Boynton to hang out with.

Sunfest 2006

Even though Sunfest isn't officially over until tonight, I am done for another year. A couple of beers were drank along the way and much fun was had. While this year didn't involve any late night partying or nearly as much drama as last year (thankfully), I think I had a better time this year. If you haven't yet read "I am the Decider" below, make sure you start there.

I had the distinct pleasure of having lunch with Gunther yesterday at Duffy's. He had the wee man with him, but Xan slept the entire time. After that, around 3pm Cheryl and I went down to Sunfest and looked around at all the vendors. Unfortunately, nothing we saw made the cut. We ended up spending about 3 1/2 hours drinking beer and listening to music with Mark, Chad, Steve and Diana. We finally made the call at about 8pm that we should head closer to home. Aren't we good, responsible people? We picked up a pizza from Sals and closed things down pretty early...Cheryl was asleep by 11 and me by 12. It's looking like that was the right decision as there isn't a hangover to be found in the house today.

I am the Decider

The Senator was in rare form last night. In what has become tradition for the Margarita Lounge dwellers, we attend the fireworks on Friday at Sunfest and consumed large amounts of beer while floating on one of Captain Morgan's three barges. For some reason, the Senator decided at about 11:00 that he was the decider(pronounced de-side-er in case you are brain dead like me after a night of drinking).

I think the Senator was referring to George Bush's comments recently about being the decider on something, but that really isn't the point here. He proceeded to tell us and everyone around us that he was the decider, often times feeling the need to yell it out loud. It was one of those things that is really hard to describe in words yet it is the type of thing you will probably remember for the rest of your life. It is one of those things you laugh at the next morning when you are laying in bed with your wife reflecting on the fun you had the previous night.

It was good to see Enrique again..it seems like it has been years since we enjoyed a beer together brother. I'm sure he ended up with one of his random ladies last night or maybe ended up with "old reliable" if he couldn't close a deal. I know that we all had a great time and hopefully nobody is too hungover today because we need to repeat it in about six or seven hours.

Like father like son

It seems like Patrick Kennedy has decided to join his father Teddy in further destroying the Kennedy name through booze and drugs. While the details are still sketchy, Patrick will enter rehab soon to deal with his issues. Way to go Patrick!

Man found glued to toilet seat

Finally, some funny news....I really thought this stuff had gone the way of the dinosaurs. I guess a worker found a man glued to the toilet seat in the men's room at WalMart recently. Unfortunately, the story is lacking in any details (like city, state, name of the person, etc). I figured that this might cheer up anyone with those mid-week blues. Here's the small and uninformative story.

3 Days and Counting

Sorry about that political rant below, but you all knew I couldn't miss out on that subject. On a much less serious note, Sunfest is set to begin on Thursday afternoon. While it really snuck up on me this year, I can say that I am looking forward to having a few drinks on the Captain Morgan's barge with some friends I haven't seen in a while. I'll miss ya this year K-Daddy....no drinkin pardner to get hammered up with. Life is rough.

Missing the Point on Immigration

I think that the media is missing the point with all this Immigration stuff. The people we are talking about here are ILLEGAL immigrants. We aren't talking about the people who went through the legal immigration process and earned their way in. We are talking about people who are living here ILLEGALLY. I keep hearing the phrase "everyone should be treated equally" and I completely agree with this phrase. Everyone should be subject to the same rules...thus the definition of the word EQUAL. Beacuse you are a certain national origin, religion or sexual orientation does not mean you are better than everyone else and can live by a separate set of rules.

Let me put it another way. If a large bunch of drug smugglers, child molestors or terrorists lived in this country illegally, you sure as shit better beleive that our government officials would be falling all over themselves to throw them out quickly. If you live here illegally you are already breaking the rules. Why penalize the people who are doing things the right way?

Gettin' high in Mexico

In what I would call a "shocking" turn of fortunes for college spring breakers, Mexico is set to decriminalize the possession of marijuana, cocaine, ecstacy, and even heroin as long as it is for personal use. I don't know what amount is considered "personal use", but it is designed to allow the police to chase the "big dogs" and stop worrying about the small drugs busts.

Surprisingly, I am against this. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the decriminalization of pot. I think it would be really cool to be able to smoke a joint legally on the beach in Cancun. Ecstacy and coke is interesting, but I still have no problem with that. The problem I have is with heroin. I never experimented with heroin in my life, so I have zero first hand experience, but from what I have read and seen, it is the worst thing out there.

With all the news recently on oil prices and terrorism, this story may get buried in the news and probably won't get the attention it normally would. You can say you heard it at the Margarita Lounge first...I might have even scooped Frotuss!

More humor about oil

I was reading a few articles late this afternoon at work and felt that I ought to share them with you, my loyal readers. After checking them all out, I can say that I am more confused than ever. Here are the three articles.

1) Hypocritical Politicians. With all the bitching and moaning in Washington about high gas prices, you would think politicians all drive hybrids. Incorrect. Many of our "leaders" drive gas-guzzling Suburbans. Article.

2) Uncle Ted. You would think that Teddy Kennedy, Mr. Liberal himself, would be all for alternative power sources. A great idea like a wind farm in his back yard, right? Wrong. I guess Teddy wants to talk about it, but doesn't want it in his backyard. Article.

3) The suppliers weigh in. This is really funny when you add it as a third story. According to the Oil Minister from Qatar, oil prices would drop $15 per barrel if the politicians would just shut up about oil supplies. Funny stuff. Article.

Trying to Remember

So I signed up for this "Memory Seminar" today and tomorrow down in Ft. Lauderdale. It is 3 1/2 hours per day and is designed to help you improve your memory, which Cheryl will tell you is terrible. It was a pretty cool day one. I can now recite 20 items and then repeat them in exact order, front and backwards in addition to individually. And how does this relate to real life? Right now I have no idea. I was assured that the real-world application is tomorrow's subject.

It looks like ol' Ricky Williams is out for the 2006 season and could be done for good in the NFL after this FOURTH positive test for drugs. He is eligible to come back in 2007, but he'll be 30 years old and have a total of 12 games playing experience in 3 years...not exactly the type of numbers that excite any NFL team.

And yes, I finally bought my Sunfest tickets yesterday. In years past I have always been excited and fired up about Sunfest weeks before the actual event. This year it has really snuck up on me. While the music blows this year (even worse than last year), I am sure the best will be made out of the situation on the Captain Morgans Barge. Ahoy.

Some perspective on oil prices

First of all, I was wrong. I am surprised that I havent heard from you yet MT... I said not too long ago that $70 per barrel oil and $3 per gallon gas was going to be a thing of the past. Well, we are all wrong occasionally but you should double up here and short some more oil....if prices go back down into the $68 range you'd at least break even.

That aside, gas prices are again high (and they'll be higher in the next few weeks) and it looks like this summer is gonna suck at the pump. Just to give some perspective, though, I wanted to include this link to an interesting chart. It shows the average price for a gallon of gas in various cities throughout the world. Feel happy that you don't live in Europe where all the governments tax the hell out of gasoline. Just a little something to think about when you are complaining about that $60 gas bill this week.

Oh Boy

I might have overdone it last night. Cheryl and I had my parents over for dinner at the Margarita Lounge. A few drinks turned into about a bottle and a half of wine and I am moving a little slow today.

A thought on terrorism...

I was thinking this week about the current situation in the Middle East in regards to Islamic Terrorism. According to most reports, terrorists represent a small portion of the Muslim population in the Middle East. I would agree with this. The goal of most countries (including the US) is to avoid the further spread of these extreme views throughout the world. This also makes sense to me.

The problem is....aren't we making the situation worse by continually airing these people on the evening news? Isn't this exactly what the terrorists want....exposure? Why bother recruiting people when the US media will do the job for you? I think the best way to fight terrorism would be to avoid the huge media blitz that these crazy bastards get whenever they blow up a bus or a truck. Doesn't this seem like common sense?

The Breast Doctor

Above you will find a picture of Philip Winikoff. This guy was arrested yesterday in the Ft. Lauderdale area (about a half hour south of me for you non-Floridians) for sexual assualt while impersonating a doctor. According to the story, he was walking around neighborhoods offering free breast exams to women. The scary thing is that two women actually let this 76 year-old pervert....er.... man into their house to perform a breast exam on them. Some people are really stupid.

After Easter

Life seems to be getting back to "normal" around the Margarita Lounge the last day or two. Princess T departed on Sunday morning for greener pastures taking herself and Bear . The weather is getting hot and it's only mid-April. Easter is over. My new diet has started. Sunfest is around the corner.

It's funny how those 10 extra pounds sneak up on you. Last thing I knew, I was between 170-175 pounds and was in pretty good shape. I looked down at the scale last week (and past my buddha) and saw a big, ugly 183 staring back at me. Time to get back on the treadmill.

You're Fired

As you may know, I can't stand Donald Trump. I just think he's a total dork that happens to have accumulated a bunch of money and a hot wife. Luckliy, this post has nothing to do with Mr. Trump and everything to do with me.

I had the distinct pleasure of firing one of my clients yesterday afternoon. I never thought that anything like that would make me feel so good the day after, but it does. Essentially, the guy was a miserable, cheap, constantly complaining dwarf of a man who thought that I was his bitch and I would keep taking his shit. Well, that all ended yesterday afternoon when I got rid of him. Do I feel bad? HELL NO. He can go deal with someone else who wants to get abused. Life is way too short to deal with grumpy bastards. Good riddance.

Phil beats Tiger

Nothing makes me happier than seeing Tiger Woods lose a major to Phil Mickelson. While it wasn't the down to the wire head to head drama that I would have liked to see, it made me happy. It also cemented my position in the anti-Tiger camp. Now, I don't really hate Tiger Woods or anything. He is obviously one of the best golfers of all time. It's just good to see him lose every now and then. Kind of like rooting against the Yankees...it's just fun!

It's even more fun when Tiger pouts like a 10 year old boy all around the course like he did today. He's a completely different person when he is winning versus losing. And did you see the presentation of the green jacket? Tiger just sat there looking pissed off and then gave a quick "congratulations" and handshake to Phil. It's no secret that Tiger and Phil don't get along very well, but show a little more class and at least look happy. It was the icing on the cake when Tiger had to sit there while Jim Nantz interviwed Phil about his great play on Sunday.

Even though the final round was short on drama, it was big on sportsmanship. It was good to see Phil and Fred Couples having a good time playing together. Nowadays it seems like all we see on TV is robots walking the courses on the PGA Tour...no emotions, no smiles, no interaction....essentially no human element. It was good to see fellow competitors actually congratulate each other and have fun playing a round of golf together. They both made a shit-load of money, so you might as well have fun, right? Tiger should take a lesson from both of these guys in that area.

Wow

I seem to have lost my focus this week. With the National Championship on Monday Night, Sean leaving on Tuesday, Lost on Wednesday, and the Masters starting on Thursday, I seem to have turned my focus and pathetic short-term memory away from the Margarita Lounge. So, here is what's been happenin around here the last week.

Vacation. Cheryl and I have booked a beach house in the Outer Banks of NC for early summer. We are really excited to get away from the world for a week. I'll post a few pictures to "rub it in" once we get closer to the departure date.

Sports. Its looking like a good weekend of golf in Augusta with the top 5 golfers in the world all within striking distance of the lead. I'm still hoping for a Tiger/Phil showdown on the back nine on Sunday and I'd love to see Phil pull it out on the last hole.

Departure. It appears that Princess T will be departing the Margarita Lounge in the near future for other adventures. The dates are still up in the air, but it's looking like the next week or two. We wish her all the best wherever the winding road takes her.

Wine. Yes, we are now officially winos. A few more bottles were drank this week. I realized this morning that it's very hard to empty a wine cellar when you keep buying more wine. We drink two and I buy two (or three) more bottles. Such a problem....

Weekend. Yes, it is finally here. Since we are saving up for vacation, we have decided to lay low for the next couple of weeks and save our pennies. I fell asleep to "Good Night and Good Luck" last night and Thursday Night we watched "Walk the Line". I wasn't really impressed with either movie. I know they were both nominated for Best Picture, but I just couldn't get real excited about either movie. Does anyone else agree with me here or is it the wine taking control?

Another Party in the Books

I wanted to thank everyone who came to the party last night. The senator was the last to depart around 1:30, so we didn't get too out of hand. I wish that the basketball games had been better, but they didn't dampen the spirit of the party. While I'm not hungover this morning, I'm tired after three straight nights of partying like a rock star and I'm moving fairly slow.

Speaking of basketball, it looks like Phyllis was the big winner in the office pool. With UCLA beating LSU, she bacame the proud winner of $140. I finished tied for 11th, which is a nice improvement from 13th place but still really pathetic. My focus now turns to the Masters, which starts on Thursday. Phil is whooping everyone's ass this week and I'm hoping he is in the mix next weekend come Sunday afternoon.

Coasting

In my line of work, month end can be an odd time. When you are short of your monthly goals, things are really crazy and stressful. On the other hand, if you have already reached your goals for the month, things are quiet...you are essentially "coasting" until the next month rolls around. This week I have been coasting and work has been quiet and peaceful in general. Sean flies into Lauderdale this afternoon and I have volunteered for pickup duty. I'm looking forward to having another man in the house...with Cheryl, Tracy, Onyx, Hannah, and Lucy all living at the Margarita Lounge right now, I'm feeling a little out-numbered!

Unbeleivable Madness

In what can only be described as unbeleivable, George Mason beat the mighty UConn this afternoon to make it to the Final Four and destroy everyone's brackets that had UConn winning it all. The game was everything that a crazy March Madness fan like me could ever have wanted...a nailbiter that went to overtime with the big underdog pulling out the upset. After beating UConn, North Carolina, and Michigan State, anything is possible next weekend for the Patriots. Florida, who is famous for choking in the big game, also surpisingly made it through to join LSU and UCLA.

Anyone who is interested in a party is welcome to drop by the Margarita Lounge this Saturday around 6pm to watch the game and eat some burgers and dogs. Big brother Sean (not my brother...Cheryl and Tracy's) is coming down to visit next weekend and drink some beers, so it should be a good time.

These "Civilized" Muslims?

I am having real problems lately believing our country should be involved with anyone in the Middle East. I have tried to steer clear of the news stories, but the more I read them, the more pissed off I become. For those of you who don't know what the hell I am babbling about, here is the executive summary: A muslim man living in Afghanistan leaves the country 16 years ago to be a medical aid worker helping fellow Afghan refugees. While he is out of the country, he converts to Christianity. He comes back to Afghanistan and most people in the country want to kill him because he converted to Christianity.

Now, I understand and respect different cultures and viewpoints, but this story has really disturbed me. These are the types of governments and people we consider "allies"? Are you shitting me? Maybe I am sheltered by living in a country with religious freedom, but how can you consider a culture, a people, or a country "civilized" and look at them equally when they want to kill anything that is different from them? And this guy is one of their fellow countrymen!

I always encourage some competitive banter at the Margarita Lounge, but I just can't see the other side of the argument here. I really hope that some of my intelligent readers out there can give me a rational argument for how this is acceptable behavior, but I just can't see it. Someone........anyone......?

Taking the Plunge

After a few days of debate, I finally decided to get season tickets for the Dolphins yesterday. Pimpbling and I will be cheering from the nosebleed section of Dolphins Stadium starting in September. With Dante on board, it looks like we should be challenging the Patriots for the division title this year.

On another note, I got an email this morning from the long-lost Dr. Assmunch. As only my wife knows who Dr. Munch is, lets just say he is a childhood friend of mine from good old Erie PA. While the Senator isn't actually a Senator, Dr. Munch is indeed a doctor. I guess he is now residing in Birmingham, AL on a fellowship and will be heading back to the great white north in August. Welcome Dr. Munch...your opinions and input are always welcome at the Margarita Lounge.

Some funny stories

Here are two funny stories I found this week when I was surfing the internet. They have been sitting in my in-box for a few days and I figured I would finally post them:

1) Man hits his own car then sues himself

2) Man severs own penis, throws it at officers

Unexpected Visitors

After a long hiatus, the Hickman family showed up at our door yesterday afternoon. They were looking at houses in the area and decided to drop by the Margarita Lounge for a short visit. As is typical with our short visits, it turned into about 5 hours of conversation, some carryout from Carabbas, and three bottles of wine sprinkled with some Scene It and some basketball on the ol' bigscreen. True to their word, Gunther and the Wine Mistress contributed to the draining of my new wine cellar. I actually thought we drank four bottles of wine last night until I woke up and saw it was only three.

Good news for the basketball tournament...I am no longer in the basement. As of this morning I have moved up from the absolutely depressing 14th place to the still incredibly pathetic 13th place in the office pool. I bought a new grill yesterday at Lowe's which I am really excited about firing up. To make it better, they even assembled it for me, so I don't have to spend all day today doing it myself. Cheryl and I caught a Panthers hockey game on Friday Night and did lots of housework and running around yesterday before entertaining last night. As for today, it's shaping up to be a real lazy Sunday....

I seem to have a broken bracket

I had mentioned earlier this week that I was running the office hoops pool. We have 14 people at $10 per head for a total of $140...not bad. I figured that I know a little bit about basketball and I thought my picks were pretty solid...a few upsets sprinkled in with some experienced teams. Well, I suck. Out of 14 people I am currently 14th. At least nobody can claim I cheated.

Dante Culpepper

Holy shit. After a rather depressing end to my work day, I was greeted with the wonderful news that Miami actually has a real quarterback again. Not shitty Jay Fiedler, AJ Feeley, or Gus Frerotte anymore...Mr. Dante Culpepper is now a Dolphin! I was really excited at the end of last season, but I can't tell you how excited I am about this coming year. To get me THIS excited about anything other than March Madness this time of year is quite an accomplishment. As long as they don't also sign TO, I'll be fine.

Dancing Time

The most wonderful time of the year is upon us...tourney time. OK, so maybe the four majors in golf are better overall, but there is no better two week period than the NCAA Basketball Tournament. What other time of the year is it perfectly acceptable to leave work at noon to watch a few games? Don't forget to get your brackets in for your office pool. I've decided to run our office pool for the fourth year in a row and I'm hoping I can actually win this year.

The Wino Couple

I guess that Cheryl and I are developing into quite the wino couple. Yesterday I went to the ABC store and dropped $130 on wine. Last night, Cheryl came home from a wine tasting party with a $150 bill. Good thing I just bought a wine fridge that holds 32 bottles, because we are going to need the storage space. Oh yeah...the fridge was about $300, so our booze-related bill from the last week is now at $580. Throw in the money I spent having some beers with the Catfisherman on Thursday after work and I guess we can round it off at an even $600. Do you think there is a problem here?

Funny stories

I just read a story mentioning a poll taken by Stuff magazine recently. According to the poll, if given the choice to spend the night with Tom Cruise or Saddam Hussein, Americans prefer Saddam. For someone who used to be considered the Sexiest Man Alive, this should be quite a blow. But then again, acting psycho on a regular basis does that.

I also read an article today involving a student in Alaska. During the torch running before the 2002 Winter Olympics, this kid displayed a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" in the hopes of getting on TV. I guess the principal confiscated the banner and suspended the kid. After a long, drawn-out legal process, a court recently said that this banner is covered under free speech and he shouldn't have been suspended. Normally, I could care less about a story like this, but you gotta give Cheech some credit here...that banner is hilarious.

Politicians

While I have backed off on the preaching recently, I still get a kick out of some stories I read on the internet. Funny story of the day revolves around Mrs Hillary Clinton. According to the story, Hillary was unaware of her husband's recent advising of Dubai on how to handle the port situation. Hillary was one of the strongest and most vocal opponents of the deal. Are people really expected to beleive that Hillary had no idea of Bill's close ties to Dubai? Do the Clintons really think we are all that stupid?

Bill Clinton earned $450,000 last year lecturing in Dubai. His presidential library received between $500,000 and $1 Million from officials in Dubai. The UAE contributed $100 Million to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, which Clinton was involved in and it is well known in the Middle East that the UAE is a strong supporter of Clinton. For Hillary to claim she didn't know anything is just ridiculous.

I just think it was kind of funny how this story has been relegated to the back pages of the newspapers. A woman who very well could be the 2008 Democratic Presidential Candidate seems to be getting a free pass on this from our "fair and impartial" media. If something like this would occur to a very influential Republican family, I am sure they would be cut down in the media as liars and bastards. Just an interesting observation....

Catching up on Lost

As some of you know, I have become a big fan of "Lost" over the past month or two. Having picked things up at the start of the second season, I decided on Friday to rent the first season at Blockbuster. So far, I'm through the first six episodes and will probably be through another few tonight. I think I've even converted Cheryl to a fan.

As for Cheryl and I, we have been doing stuff around the house this weekend and drinking a little wine at nights...nothing too crazy. We got some take out from Chilis last night. Surprisingly, everything tasted good, was ready when I showed up, and the order was correct...something that I find increasingly rare in Palm Beach County. We are heading to the Cardinals/Marlins spring training game at 1pm which should be fun. We went to a game last year which was a lot of fun and the plans are to go to a few more games later this month down in Lauderdale.

And thats about it. As you can tell, I have been rather uninspired this week...I guess you could call it writers block or just plain laziness. Hopefully the week ahead will bring some creativity...

Really Drunk

I just saw this article and it made me think about the good ol' days. I guess this fella in Arizona had a .345 alcohol level recently. Trust me on this one...you need to be REALLY hammered to have a .345. I blew a nice .21 about 5 years ago and I was pretty damn wasted. Good thing the guy's 5 year-old daughter called 911 or he'd probably be dead by now.

Inspiration on the couch

So, Cheryl, Tracy and I are sitting on the couch tonight watching the NBC Nightly News. In typical news fashion, they start out with a negative story about the port situation, which is no big surprise. Then they move onto a negative story about Iraq and the conflict between the Sunnis and the Shiites. In the story, NBC is showing one of these Islamic clerics during a "The US is to blame" rally that seems to be the trendy thing these days. I just think it's hilarious how all these news networks love to give air time to radicals who want to kill Americans but anything remotely patriotic is either ignored or relegated to the end of the newscast. In any case...back to my point here. Right in the middle of showing this rally, Cheryl blurts out a great one-liner. "I wish his turban would fall off".

Do you know how it feels when someone catches you completely off guard with something? That's how I felt at that particular moment. As I laughed my ass off, I began to think. Why doesn't this happen more? How are these turbans afixed to one's head anyway? To they clip onto your hair or what? Do these guys have long hair underneath or are they bald? What if it's windy outside? I feel like Jack Handy....let's call it today's "deep thought". Pleae share with me everyone's opinions on this. I am sure that Gunther has some good ones...

Mardi Gras and Streaking

Actually, these are two separate subjects, although they could be one and the same knowing what happens at Mardi Gras. I have seen a few news stories recently about the smaller than normal Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans this year. As usual, some people have a problem with it. Isn't that always the case, though? Someone always has to have a problem with something. These people went through one of the worst natural disaters in US History and have been trying to put their lives back together for months. After going through all that shit, I think they deserve to relax for a while, blow off some steam, and get drunk. Drink up, New Orleans...the Margarita Lounge has your back.

I also saw a story today about a streaker running across the ice at the Bronze Medal game for curling at the Olympics today. In case you don't know, curling is that funny game where the participants slide the big rocks down the ice while two teammates with brooms sweep the ice in front of the rock. After a lengthy search for a better picture of the streaker, this was all I could find. I guess the media doesn't encourage showing men running around in public naked...not that anyone would really want to see that. I personally think that streaking is hilarious and should happen more. Even K-Daddy did some streaking at the original Margarita Lounge years ago. The problem is that these streakers are almost always out of shape dudes. Why can't some good looking women get caught streaking? Just some food for thought....

A True Hoops Hero

Above is a picture of Jason McElwain, who is a senior at Athena High School in New York. For those of you who saw the great highlights on Sportscenter this morning, you know where I am going. For the rest of you (even if you are not sports fans), please read on.

Last Wednesday Night, Jason scored 20 points on "Senior Night", which was his high school's final home basketball game of the season. Before that night, Jason had never played a single minute of high-school basketball. Jason was actually the student trainer for the team. During his three years at Athena, Jason had not missed a single game or a practice with the team. Due to his dedication, the head coach told him he could suit up for the team's last game.

With four minutes left in the game, Jason got the call. In those four minutes, Jason proceeded to step up and make six three-pointers. This is a pretty amazing accomplishment for anyone who regularly plays basketball. It's unbeleivable when you realize that Jason is autistic.

Rarely do I get choked up on anything, but this one did it for me. In today's society of multi-millionaire, complaining professional athletes, it is good to know that an amazing and couageous young man can steal the spotlight, even if only for a short while. The Margarita Lounge sends all our heartfelt congratulations on a job well done Jason.


http://www.rnews.com/Story_2004.cfm?ID=35044&rnews_story_type=18&category=10

Getting bored...

I'll admit it...I am bored. Not bored with life or anything like that, but bored with politics. I was going to post a picture of a large-breasted woman with a pink "I'm so bored with you" shirt on, but I thought the chimp fit better. I know that Senator Stufft and Senator Trent Lott (otherwise known as K-Daddy) will be disappointed, but I am worn out. I am tired of the bipartisan bickering and finger pointing on both sides of the aisle. I know I have mentioned taking the Margarita Lounge in a different direction recently and I think I have finally convinced myself to "turn that page".

So, that being said...Spring Training starts next week, the Masters in only about 6 weeks out, Ricky is back on the frotuss, and March Madness starts in only a few weeks. I am going to be running another pool this year, so let me know who is interested. I'm going to do it the same as last year with a $10 entry and winner takes all. I used to limit things to my co-workers and spouses, but figured I would open things up to everyone this year. More people means more money to the winner and I am due to win something.

Oh yeah...here is the link to the large-breasted woman if anyone is interested: link

Everything is Fixed

My apologies to anyone who tried to post a comment recently and couldn't. Somehow I changed the settings and blocked people from posting comments. I am indeed a dumbass. But you all knew that already.

Valentine's Day

While the rest of the world fights the crowds to dine out on Valentine's Day, Cheryl and I have decided to stay home and have a nice quiet dinner at home. Actually, we decided to have our "dinner out" last Friday at Prime Catch, which was amazing as usual.

I'm really glad that we didn't go out because today has been one of those days. We all have them...days when nothing seems to go our way. My day started at about 5:50am when Lucy decided to start her daily whining to go out and poo. I sat up in bed, rubbed my eyes a few times, and reached across the nightstand for a quick drink of water. I proceeded to immediately knock this entire glass of water (of course full) onto the floor, the table, my slippers, etc. After cleaning things up, I threw on a sweatshirt (and the now wet slippers) to take Lucy out. Once outside, I realize that I forgot my pants. So, there I stand in the back yard on the coldest morning of the year in just my boxers and a sweatshirt. It gets better. After Lucy does her business, we both came in and I sit on the carpet to play with my beautiful 10 week old puppy. It is at this point that I notice the brown stain on the carpet that came off my slipper. What is this stain, you ask? Of course...it's poo. Not the one Lucy just deposited on the grass, but another poo that was hidden somewhere in the yard.

I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture by now. Luckily, I made it through the day without yelling at anyone and without losing any clients or friends. Only three more work days until the weekend....

Brrrr

It is going to be damn cold tonight at the Margarita Lounge. According to the weather reports, we should be in the mid-to-upper 30s tonight and tomorrow night in Palm Beach County. I guess I shouldn't be complaining...it's not like we are going to get all that snow that the Northeast is getting about now.

I actually just realized that I hadn't updated the blog since Tuesday and I am ashamed. I'm always that prick who gives my friends a hard time about not posting for a week and here I go doing just that. Well...it has been a busy weekend so at least I have an excuse. Cheryl and I had an excellent dinner on Friday Night at Prime Catch here in Boynton. I had a Filet and she had some Chilean Sea Bass. As usual, it was perfect. On Saturday I got a chance to catch up with a few old friends for lunch at Bradleys. I has been years since I saw some of them (or maybe it just feels like years), but it was good to catch up. I always enjoy seeing where everyone's life has headed in the years since we were all swinging single party hoppers trying the best to destroy our livers. Cheryl and I headed to Casa de Pearce last night for a little birthday party for Mark. I still feel too young to be attending my co-workers 50th birthday parties, but I guess I will be there myself soon enough.

As for today, I am wondering where the hours have gone. Between the grocery shopping, errand running and making dinner, the day has turned into night already. Lucy is running around the house as any 10-week old puppy does, chasing Onyx and biting everyone who gets in her way. I'll try to post another picture of her this week.

Overdue political rant on the cartoons

Recently I made a decision to become a little more diversified with the subject matter of the Margarita Lounge. I have decided to try and put a little less politics in and a little more of everything else. Below is a link to Joe Scarborough's website and you can read it if you feel like a good political rant. I would write my opinion but after seeing Joe's summary of it, I feel he expresses it much better than I can. By posting his comments, it also allows me to post something without "technically" going back on my word to cut down the politics. In any case, Joe is the man and I agree with his opinion here.

Muslim Extremists Shows Hypocrisy

The Margarita Lounge is 1

As I mentioned earlier this week, the Margarita Lounge blog is celebrating it's one year anniversary. I sure wish that I was in a more celebratory mood but I have been in bed since last night with the flu. Cheryl has been getting better the last day or two as I seem to be getting worse. We were supposed to go to my parents house tonight for a belated birthday party for Cheryl, but those plans have been scrapped. Even the two Super Bowl parties I was planning on attending tomorrow are not looking too good right now.

The Black Widow strikes again

I have been sitting here surfing the internet looking for something interesting to share with all of you. In my attempt to be more happy and diversified, I have decided to avoid some of the stories now making their rounds in the media that really got me fired up. After all, nobody probably cares anyway. So, tonight we will not be firing off on the head of the NAACP who said that Republicans are Nazis. We will not be discussing the now infamous cartoons of Muhammad, and we will NOT be talking about the now senile Jimmy Carter who claims that we need to give poor old Hamas a chance. Tonight we will be talking about Sonja Thomas...pictured above.

Many of you have heard of Kobayashi, the skinny Japanese guy who regularly eats 50 hot dogs every summer at the Nathans hot dog eating festival at Coney Island. The guy weighs about 150 pounds and this year he won again by eating 49 hot dogs (and buns) in 12 minutes. Yes, that is a correct number...I said 49 hot dogs. Actually, he is slacking off because a year or two ago he ate 53. The great thing about Kobayashi is that he out-eats these big 300 and 400 pound guys, which makes me laugh.

That brings us back to ol' Sonja. Sonja is known in the world of competitive eating as the Black Widow. I'm not kidding here...there is an actual federation called the International Federation of Competitive Eating out there. Now, Sonja is no slouch. She actually finished second this year to Kobayashi at Coney by downing 37 hot dogs. The above picture was taken yesterday, when Sonja won a competition by downing 26 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes. This seems like an amazing feat to me, but when you realize that Sonja only weighs about 100 pounds, it's even more impressive. Congrats to Sonja on her win. In case you want to see some really SICK records, here is the link to the IFOCE records page showing the current world records. Try not to puke.

Sick

All those damn snowbirds seem to bring the flu to South Florida every year around this time. Unfortunately, this year the Margarita Lounge has been hit with it. I seem to be fighting it off better than Cheryl, but even I don't feel 100%. Cheryl has been in bed all week...this really sucks considering that yesterday was her birthday. The only thing we can figure was the bowling alley on Saturday Night. With all the kids and old people hanging around and everyone touching everyone else's balls, I guess we got it passed on to us. That coupled with a little too much booze must have softened up the ol' immune system.

I hope that everyone else feels better than we do. For all of you that are interested in Lucy, she is doing a great job pissing all over our carpet. With the exception of her little "accidents", she has been great and is fitting in fine with Bear and Onyx. I have been so busy/sick/tired recently that I just remembered the Super Bowl is only four days away. Go Stillers. Bring K-Daddy (otherwise known as Sen. Trent Lott) home a title, boys!

Lucy Arrives at the Lounge

Here she is. I would say how cute she is but I think the picture says it all.

A Busy Weekend

We just took Scottie to the airport in Lauderdale and are going to be slowly winding down the weekend at the Margarita Lounge. I am so surprised to not be hungover today or yesterday morning after the partying we did the last two nights. I had about 6 beers on Friday Night followed by 2 beers and a bottle of wine last night with no ill-effects. I guess I'm beginning to re-establish the long-lost tolerance that I used to have.

I was sad to see Scott leave today, but I think he had a good time. Besides partying he got to do a little shopping, some bowling (yes, we went bowling on Saturday Night), and plenty of Playstation 2 over the weekend. I realized last night that I really suck at bowling. We played two games and I was dead last out of five people in game #1...even Cheryl whooped my ass. I think I rolled about a 60. The good news was that for game #2 I was third out of five and rolled a 130. I guess it took a few beers to warm me up.

Also yesterday, Cheryl and I fell in love with a very cute puppy that we have adopted named Lucy. Cheryl is picking her up tomorrow morning and I am sure there will be some pictures posted tomorrow. She is absolutely adorable, is about 8 weeks old and is a Hound/Lab mix. Stay tuned!

Opinions Wanted

I have been reflecting on the Margarita Lounge recently as I approach my one-year anniversary and I am looking for some opinions from you, my readers. I have noticed that more of my writings recently have become political. I am by no means an expert in politics and I never have claimed to be...I am just another peron out there with his own opinion on things. I also realize that there is much more to life than just politics.

That being said, I was considering reducing my political rantings and ravings. I was hoping to become a little more creative and a little less serious at the Margarita Lounge in the next year. Lets face it, there are lots of problems in the world. But there are also good things out there and people don't need to constantly read about negative things and complaints I have.

Please let me know everyone's opinion on this new direction. If you think things are good as they are, tell me. If you think I should lighten up a little, let me know that as well. Everyone's opinion is welcome. Thanks.

Hell Freezes Over

In what can only be described as "unbeleivable", Hamas won the Palestinian elections held yesterday. I can't say it was a surprise to me that they had a good showing, but to actually win a majority of the parliamentary seats is obsolutely terrifying. Above you can see the great roll models these people are to the local kids. I can see the conversation here...you too can grow up to be a suicide bomber and kill innocent civilians. What a great goal to have in life.

Needless to say, leaders throughout the world are just as terrified as I am right about now. If you are Israel, it's gonna be tough to work on a peace plan with a group of people who want to kill you. Could you imagine how good relations would be with your next-door neighbor if his goal was to kill you? Not exactly what I would call "healthy". Obviously there are lots of problems in the Middle East (with both sides to blame in many cases), but this just seems to add fuel to the fire that seemed to be dying down a little.

Another out-of-towner

The Margarita Lounge is currently in full preparation mode for the impending arrival of the great Scottie G on Friday afternoon. Actually, I have never called Scott by that name and probably never will, but it sounds alot better that just "Scott". It's been about a year and many things have changed since then, but I am really looking forward to seeing him. I'm sure that there will be some time spent in front of the TV playing "Resident Evil 4" and probably a few drinks consumed over his two days and nights at the Margarita Lounge. I think I am more excited about no longer being the only man in the house. With Cheryl and Princess T running around here in addition to Bear and Onyx (both ladies) , I am hopelessly outnumbered.

Blood Pressure Alert

Normally, Sunday mornings at the Margarita Lounge are reserved for quiet relaxation and recovery from hangovers. Today is a little different in that my blood is already boiling over some more stupid comments from the once respected Harry Bellefonte. I guess Mr. Bellefonte is now comparing the Department of Homeland Security to the Nazi Gestapo. The scary thing is that he was applauded during a speech he gave yesterday. I'll admit that the government doesn't always get things right and often has to re-do things a few times to get it correct. But to compare the Dept of Homeland Security to the Gestapo really pisses me off.

Now, for those of you in need of a history lesson, the Gestapo was a branch of the German police under Hitler. The Gestapo was essentially in charge of rounding up Jews and other peoples considered "undesirable" by the Nazis. Once these "undesirables" were found, they were either killed immediately or sent to concentration camps.

The people at the Department of Homeland Security protect US Citizens like you and me (and yes you, Mr. Bellefonte) from threats to the country, be it domestic or foreign. To compare the two is a real insult to those employees of the DHS, people like me who are educated and actually use our brains to think, and to anyone Jewish living in the United States. Just because you don't like the President or his policies, don't insult an entire department of the government and compare them to monsters. That department is made up of normal people like you and me who work hard every day to put food on the table and protect you. By spitting in their faces, you show your true colors Mr. Bellefonte. You also show how little class you have, you prick.

Stop the Pain

We got killed today in the market. No simple way around that one...there was red all over the board today. Those damn oil prices are going to be the death of me. $68 a barrel for oil is not only too high, but absolutely insane. Why does oil keep climbing? Because of Iran? No...the United States doesn't import one drop of oil from Iran. I guess it's the old fear-mongers raging about a recession and how everything sucks. I prefer to look at things in the positive. Oil will eventually come down to a more reasonable level. It may not be today, but it will happen. Maybe I was just a month or two early to the party in calling the mid $50s. Go short oil again here...words to the wise. As for me, I will be having some beverages tonight.

A Slight Over-Reaction

It seems that my post from last night was a little off-base. Oh, don't get me wrong...we are still getting the shaft. The good news is that the shaft isn't that big and my ass will eventually heal. One of the small pieces of information I got last night was a little off base. Due to that little tidbit of info, I went off. It appears I was a little over-dramatic and I apologize. Oh well..we all make our mistakes and have to accept responsibility for them.

On an unrelated note, I was fortunate enough to have a few colbeers with Mr Golden tonight after work and even got to see the long lost Timmy. Timmy is an old friend of the catfisherman from my long-lost single days about five years ago. Actually, I think K-Daddy is the only one that even knows who he is. In any case..we got to catch up for a while before he had to take off and it was good to see him.

Congrats to K-Daddy

Big congrats to Mr. Douglas today on joining us working class, tax-paying stiffs. As of Monday, K-Daddy will be gainfully employed in the great city of Picksburgh. We at the Margarita Lounge send our luck and love to you chief. Daddy is going to have lots of diapers to buy soon.

Gettin the Shaft

I have been sitting here for about 15 minutes debating on whether to write about this subject...yes....no...yes...no. I finally settled on yes. Not because I want to complain, but because I try to be as honest as possible and like to call it like I see it. That being said, it appears that us working class stiffs at AG Edwards are scheduled to get the shaft soon from our employer. I have always loved working for Edwards and have never really had a bad thing to say about them. For being a large Wall Street firm, they have always gone out of their way to make the company feel like one big family. Unfortunately, things seem to have been changing the last two years. Gone is the big family company and it's replacement is the money hungry, bottom-line focused company I see today. It seems that the company that once prided itself on being different and open to all investors and any size account is heading down the same road as the others out there. Just chase those big accounts and don't worry about the "small stuff".

From what I understand, the meeting we have scheduled tomorrow morning is to break the news to us. I would hate to be in my branch manager's shoes tonight having to sleep on this one. He is only the messenger here, but I know that things will not be pretty at about 9am tomorrow. According to my "sources", he has to tell all of us tomorrow that a) our pay is getting cut and b) the clients are going to pay more to do business with us. Now, that is a simplification, but I am sure nobody cares to hear all the small details. Sounds like the new policy is: "We are going to charge the clients more and going to stick it in the employees asses all at the same time." It really is sad. All I know is this isn't the same company that Ben Edwards ran six years ago.

Dumbass

I am indeed a dumbass. While moving two of my sprinklers on Monday afternoon, I cut right through the cable line coming into the house. Thus, I was unable to post an entry last night about what a knucklehead Ray Nagin is. I am sure this is old news now, but his comments yesterday about New Orleans returning to a "chocolate" town was really bullshit. Even though 60% of the residents of the Big Easy are black, that doesn't mean you insult or exclude the other 40% of people living there. Good thing he isn't a white guy or he would be getting all kinds of shit in the media.

Speaking of white guys, I see that fat Teddy Kennedy is quiting the all-male club that he is a member of. Typical politician. When election time comes they are all "resolute" and "stand strong", but when someone challenges them on something, they cave in and run and try to distance themselves from it. If you want to hang out with the boys and talk about women, drink scotch and smoke stogies, you have that right in this country. It's called having a backbone, Teddy and you ought to get one. Stand up for what you beleive in, man!

Better than working

Usually around this time on a Monday I am heading out the door to work. Since I have the day off, I decided to get my ass out of bed and actually get some things done around the house. I have to say that I much prefer going to Home Depot at 8:30 am versus going into work. I can go to Home Depot with shorts and a t-shirt on, which I don't think my boss (or my clients) would really think is very professional. Unfortunately I can't pay the bills working at Home Depot, so AG Edwards wins in the long run.

I suck

Good thing I pick stocks and not footall games. If I were a professional gambler, I would be broke right now. I end the weekend 1-3 with the Pittsburgh and Carolina upsets today. K-Daddy(the former K-Delish) was glad that his beloved Stilers pulled it out after The Bus pulled an Earnest Byner-type move at the end of the game. Hopefully I will do better next week. At least I can't lose three games next week since there are only two.

For all of those interested, Cheryl has survived her hangover and is back amongst the living. All it took was some TBS movies in bed, McDonalds and some Chocolate Ice Cream. Thanks to Pimpbling and Gunther for your concern.

Hangover free (for me that is)

I was very well behaved last night at Pimpbling's little party. I had two glasses of wine, maybe two and a half, but who's counting right? It also looks like I am 1-1 on the football games with the Denver win last night. Hopefully I can pull out the weekend 3-1 with Indy and Da Bears today. I was actually happy to see the Patriots lose last night...it's time to give another team a chance to win it all. I mean, Belicheck is a great coach and Brady is a great quarterback, but you can't say that either is REALLY exciting to watch. Looks like new blood this year, which is good in my book.

As I mentioned, I am hangover free today, but Cheryl is far from it. It appears that she went a little overboard last night with her new favorite drink, the beyatch. For those of you not aware of it, the beyatch is vodka, grapefruit juice, and a little Sprite. I'm sure it has a different name in reality, but beyatch is pretty fun to say. I see her in bed most of the day, which means I can sit around and watch football, drink a few beers, and play some Resident Evil 4 on the ol' Playstation. It doesn't get any better than that.

Another Long Weekend

Another three-day weekend is upon us. I know that most people don't get off for MLK Day on Monday, but I am one of those fortunate few. Cheryl and I are getting ready to run out the door for lunch at Brus with Scott and Robin. Follow that up with some housework this afternoon and a little party at Mr. Pimpbling's place tonight and that amounts to a busy day in my book. Hopefully there will be some good stories from tonight and I hope I don't get drunk and make an ass out of myself. Four big games this weekend in the NFL. My picks are Seattle, Tom Brady, Peyton and Da Bears.

Iran (Part 2)

On August 10th, I posted a little ditty about Iran and how those greasy little weasels can't be trusted. And you thought Slick Willy Clinton was a liar? These guys make Willy look like a saint. The Iranians have been yanking the world's chain for the last two years, delaying and trying to buy time. They continue to say that their intentions are to develop nuclear reactors for energy, not for bombs. Are we really expected to beleive this? Iran sits on top of one of the largest oil deposits on earth, and they need energy? Bullshit. Iran is run by a guy who recently said that Israel should be "wiped off the map" and said that he hoped for Ariel Sharon's death after his recent stroke. And we shouldn't be concerned about this? Even our friends the British, along with our now long-lost friends the French and Germans did their collective best over the last two years to find a "diplomatic" way around this little nuclear problem. Now they look like a bunch of jackasses for making the effort.

I originally thought that the Israelis might have to do the dirty work here, but with the international community lining up behind each other on this one, it looks like the support is there for some type of action. It seems as though the time for talk is behind us on this one. If I'm an "evil war-mongering Republican" for that one, so be it. Let the missles and bombs fly.

I love it when I'm right

Just a little gloating. As you know, the Dow went over 11,000 on Monday and closed over 11,000 the last three days. Good news for you stock market watchers. All we need to do is get oil back down and we'll be rollin'. I'd love to see one of those pre-bubble 20% pops in 2006. Hoping everyone is doing well...I have had a few crazy stressful days at work and haven't had the energy to post the last few nights.

It's looking like a pretty busy weekend coming up. Scott and Robin are going to be in town on Friday for the weekend. With Robin at 6 months it will probably be their last trip until post-baby. I'm loking forward to catching up with them. Also, rumor has it that Pimpbling is having another little soiree at his place on Saturday Night, which I am sure will be fun.

We hit 11,000 next week!

It looks like the Dow closed the week only about 40 points off the psychological barrier of 11,000. With the Nasdaq and S&P already breaking thier multi-year highs, it is just a matter of time before the Dow follows suit and goes over 11,000 for good. 2006 is shaping up to be a good year in the market so go buy those large cap growth stocks. With oil prices coming back down into the 50s (which is going to happen soon), the Fed about done raising interest rates, and a cooling housing market...all that money has to go somewhere. The stock market is going to be that place in 2006.

On a completely unrelated note, it's cold at the Margarita Lounge this morning! I think the overnight low was 41 degrees and tonight is expected to be in the upper 30s. I actually turned the heat on this morning when the teperature in the house fell to 71. I know that you northerners out there are laughing you asses off at me right now, but for someone who is used to weather between 50 and 90 degrees all year, 40 is cold!

My Perfect World

Farbeit for me to gloat about things, but my "perfect world" came to fruition last night just after midnight. In one of the best football games I have EVER seen, Vince Young and the Longhorns beat the mighty USC Trojans in a high scoring, close game that was decided in the last 30 seconds. So much for Mack Brown who just can't win that "big game". It was also good to see Vince Young get the credit he deserves for being the best college quarterback in the country.

The only negative I saw last night was the lack of class that Matt Leinart showed after he got beat in his own back yard. I thought his opinion that USC was still "the best team" was completely inappropriate. It reminded me of Larry Coker refusing an interview after Ohio State beat the Canes in the Fiesta Bowl a few years ago. And I'm a huge Canes fan! In any case, the game is one that I will never forget. I even got Cheryl to stay up late and watch the end with me. Now that's an accomplishment.

Big Game Wednesday

I apologize for my slack-ness the last few days. I have been caught up in the end of the college bowl season. I was real glad to see JoePa pull one out last night and I sure hope that tonight's game is as good as advertised. A big USC blowout would really suck. In my perfect world, it would be a real close, high scoring game that was decided late in the 4th quarter with Texas pulling the upset. I've kind of got that "upset is in the air" feeling tonight...maybe I should have taken Texas and the points. Lots of similarities between tonight and the Ohio State/Miami game a few years ago when the Buckeyes pulled the upset. Well...gotta run...it's kickoff time. I promise I will be better the closer the weekend gets.

Ringing in the New Year

As you can tell from the state of Pimpbling and Cheryl, there was some drinkin' done at the Margarita Lounge New Years Party last night. No, Pimpbling didn't run off with my wife. Our problem last night was that all of the "definites" showed up and none of the "maybes" did. Thus, we had enough food and booze for about 15 people and there were only 7. I tried my best to drink as much beer as possible, but Pimpbling and I couldn't drink all the beer in the cooler ourselves! Then Chad showed up with another 18 pack. So I now have over a case of cold beer sitting in my cooler and tons of appetizers in the fridge. Good thing that football is on all day today.

Good News and Bad News

The bad news first. The Canes sucked ass last night. Talk about not showing up for the game, they didn't even get off the bus at the stadium. To say I am disappointed about them getting their asses kicked by 37 points is an understatement. Actually, I think I should blame it on George Bush, as that seems to be the way you do things the last few years if you don't get your way. I'm sure that some liberal left winger out there will find some type of conspiracy theory about how the big bad government and the "evil Bush administration" is to blame for the big loss last night. I prefer to not point fingers and whine and just tell it like it is...they got their asses kicked by a better team. Sorry about that...you know I couldn't write a story without at least a hint of politics!

The good news is that today is New Years Eve, which means it's party time. The 2nd Annual Margarita Lounge New Years bash is set to start in about 12 hours. We are expecting a little higher turnout than last year and I am looking forward to it. Plenty of alcohol will be flowing and I am sure there will be some good stories to tell tomorrow...I will make sure to keep everyone updated.

Some interesting reading

I was checking out one of my favorite sites, worldtribune.com, when I came upon this article. As everyone is doing the "Best of 2005" stuff on TV, I thought I would get in the act. The article brings up some good points about the mainstream media. Here is the link: http://media.nationalreview.com/085155.asp

On a roll

I feel like I've been on a roll lately...five posts in six days is pretty impressive for me. I guess Christmas was an inspiration. Back on the "news of the day" subject, I came up with a few more interesting things on my cruise around the internet tonight:

1) A naked man was arrested today in Eustis, FL. I guess this dude was walking around with his boxers around his ankles yelling at people and claiming he was Satan. Why does this type of shit always happen in Florida? People down here are weird. I wish there was some video footage of this, because it would be hilarious to see. Actually, I shouldn't judge people because I've done some pretty stupid things when I've been drunk.

2) Judge throws out restraining order against Letterman. I apologize for the poaching of your thunder Pimpbling, but that crazy lady who claimed David Letterman was secretly communicating with her in New Mexico on his show was really funny. Actually...if they locked up this woman in the same cell as the guy who thinks he's Satan, I would pay whatever the pay-per-view provider wanted to see that meeting of the minds.

3) Linda Ronstadt is still performing! Yes, this is an inside joke that only one person will get, but aint that great! After all these years she's still out there. Actually, she is performing at the Kravitz center in January and I know someone who could get you tickets if necessary. Only $85 each...what a deal! I would rather pay $85 to watch the two aforementioned nutballs in the jail cell.

4) The historical importance of William Jefferson Clinton's penis. Yes, this dude will NOT go away. I guess textbook providers are debating how to correctly note this in the newest history books. I say call a spade a spade. He was only the second President in US history to be impeached by the House. Let's also remember that he was impeached for lying to a Grand Jury and for Obstruction of Justice. Even if you don't like W, you gotta admit it's good to know that he isn't getting blow jobs in the Oval Office by slutty interns.

The Day After....

Well, I feel MUCH better today than I anticipated. While the party at Mom and Dad's place was fun, everyone managed to keep themselves under contol and the hangovers should be minor. As for Christmas, I made out like a thief in a jewelry store. Clothes, Video Games, DVDs, Books, Gift Certificates, Cash. You name it and I got it this year. They were all great gifts, but the big surprise was last night when my wonderful and loving wife rolled out the new Mountain Bike. Talk about a hook-up, huh? I think I looked pretty silly just staring at it for a while, but I eventually picked my mouth up off the ground and thanked her. I hope that everyone had as good a Christmas as I did...your drunk or funny stories are always welcome in the comments section.

Ho Ho Ho

I awoke from my wine-induced coma this morning around 7:30 am and crawled out of bed knowing perfectly well that I will be in the same situation again tomorrow morning. Actually, I will probably feel worse. As some of you know, a typical family get-together at my parents house is full of booze, fun, and usually a few hangovers. We depart for the original Margarita Lounge around 2:30pm. SIDEBAR: The term "Margarita Lounge" was originally coined when Cheryl moved to Florida and lived at my parents house while they were out of town for the summer. Thus, we officially live at the Margarita Lounge 4, but who's counting.

I just love Christmas Day in Florida. For those like Princes T who are now enjoying their first Florida Christmas, they often feel a little off-kilter the first year. But it grows on you after a while. While many are content and happy to bundle up in their sweaters and socks and stare out the window at the snow, I have moved past that nostalgic stuff. I guess 26 years of cold winters does that to you. Every Christmas I get to open up the windows and feel the warm sunshine and gentle breezes. If I feel like it, I can walk down the street and sit by the pool for a while. Or I can do nothing all day...which sounds like the plan right now. Merry Christmas everyone and don't forget about the New Years party at the Lounge!

Thoughts on Christmas Eve....

It is Christmas Eve and my thoughts have turned away from the day-to-day grind of the stock market, interest rates, and oil prices to the happiness associated with the best holiday of the year. Alas, I still occasionally watch the news and see more ridiculous things out there. Here are some of my random thoughts the last few days:

1) Spying is supposed to be secret. That's why it's known as SPYING. It is not something that should be in the mainstream news media nor should it be something that Joe Q. Taxpayer needs to know. As I have said in the past, there is no reason that everyone in the country needs to know every single detail about every single thing happening at any time. It's just ridiculous. Does a guy who lives on the street need to know the small details of the most recent board meeting at Microsoft? No. I guess my point here is that spying is done in the interests of National Security, and while some people seem to think that National Security is something to laugh and belittle, the government takes it seriously (as they should). Let it be.

2) On a lighter note, don't go anywhere near any Mall today if you can avoid it. If you are a procrastinator, prepare for the worst day of your life. I work directly in front of the Boynton Beach Mall and it has been a mad house for the last week. Also be on the lookout for crazy old people and impatient men in large SUVs or pickup trucks. Obviously, the rules of the road do not apply to these people and they are free to cut you off or make the turn made famous in Palm Beach County...the right hand turn from the left hand lane.

3) Drink plenty of fluids over the next few days. I am heeding my own advice here and began drinking a bottle of my new favorite wine last night. With everyone off on Monday, this weekend presents a great chance to have a three-day bender and to justify it with a holiday! Talk about the best of both worlds! For anyone interested in a reasonably priced red wine, try the 2003 Terrazas Malbec from Argentina. And it's only about $10 a bottle which is even better.

4) On a serious note, everyone have a great Christmas. Like everyone else, I get excited and fired up all the time about certain issues or ideas. Certain things upset us during the year. We all disagree with each other from time-to-time, argue, or are not kind to one another. I would encourage everyone to give your day-to-day complaining a break for a few days and enjoy the good feelings of the holiday. Christmas only comes once a year and it is indeed a very special time. Enjoy it.

Damn!

Didn't win the lottery last night so I still need to go to work today. One lucky bastard won last night and is going to have one hell of a great Christmas with their $46 Million.

Mr. Golden lives!

I got a chance to catch up with the great catfisherman himself last night over at Brus. I arrived at 4:30pm to Keith and the Steve Miller Band downing shots and beers. Mr Golden was in his typical work attire of flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt. For those of you who do not know Mr Golden or Mr. Miller, these guys are the stuff of legend. These two gentlemen are one of the rare breed of man who parties at 40 years old like he is a 25 year-old rock star on his first world tour. Most people tell you good stories about partying and you follow it up with a quick "bullshit". These boys are the real deal...trips to Vegas, strippers, binges for days, no sleep, waking up in a town you have never been to...that type of stuff. While I would love to repeat some of the stories, my simple blog would do them no justice.

In any case, it was good to see both of them and live in someone else's world for a few hours. It was even better when Mr. Miller threw down a hunnie on his way out the door for the tab. Maybe that's why I feel so shitty today. Either that or I'm catching that damn cold going around our office. Well, after I win the $46 Million Florida Lottery tonight all will be better...

Winding down...

Things seem to be slowly winding down for the year around the Margarita Lounge. The work year is almost over, the Christmas shopping is done, the holiday parties are about over, and the football season has only two more weeks left.

As for me, I've had a pretty draining weekend. Friday Night I got to see Chad and the Senator for a while while Cheryl hung out with her two sisters. Saturday was a day full of doing nothing at all. I finally got off my ass around 3pm and took a shower. The office Christmas Party (screw political correctness) was in Lake Worth from 5:30-7:30. Most people, including my wife, left the Bizarre Cafe pretty wasted. We proceeded on to Two George's for a while and I ended up shuttin-er-down back here at the Margarita Lounge around 1am after being told by Dawn how much of a skirt I was and how she could drink anyone under the table. Years ago this type of talk used to fire me up. Nowadays I laugh at it because I am no longer out to prove anything. I can bet I felt better this morning though!

In any case, Pimpbling departed around 9:30 this morning after crashing on the famous "70's couch". I give him a lot of credit for realizing his drunkedness last night and not arguing like K-Delish used to. I was once again impressed with the Dophins, who pulled out another close game today. Unfortunately, they are now mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. That's OK...as I have been saying for the past few weeks,,,they are going to be a contender starting next year...MARK MY WORDS NOW! Cheryl and I wrapped up the weekend with our annual trip to Pompano Beach to see grandma and the Pompano Boat Parade. While some of my cousins attended who are real pains in the ass, John was there. John is the only one of the three cousins from the "other side" of the family who I can tolerate. We haven't seen him in a while and he at least made things more fun. Actually, he lives out in the acreage pretty close to you Pimpbling...you guys ought to hang out...he just bought a new Saleen Mustang which you would love.

So, here I sit at 9:30 ready to go to bed. Actually, I'm really impressed I was able to ramble this long without falling asleep. I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas (like I said before...screw the "Happy Holidays" stuff...I celebrate Christmas at the Margarita Lounge!) and a Happy New Year. Don't forget about the party on New Years Eve!

Pathetic Cindy

Just when you thought you heard the last of my old buddy Cindy Sheehan, she has re-surfaced in Spain. I guess she recenly led an anti-war "rally" in Spain where a whopping 100 people showed up. I could get more people together for a free lunch seminar in Palm Beach County! According to the story I read, Cindy indicated that Iraq, in her opinion, is worse than Vietnam. Hmmm, lets think about that. In Vietnam there were approx. 58,000 US war dead. Iraq...about 2,300. In Vietnam the country ended up in communist control. Iraq just had it's third free election in a one year period. Obviously Cindy has run away to Europe in the hopes that someone will still listen to her.

The Big Surprise

Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag, so I might as well tell everyone. My longtime friend Kris, otherwise known and referred to as K-Delish, is going to be a daddy. Gone now are the crazy drunken nights of fun and partying and he can now look forward to changing diapers every day. Everyone at the Margarita Lounge wishes him, Jen, and little K-Delish(or K-Delishess) all the best.

Happiness, Frustration, and a big surprise!

What an interesting two days it has been. In general, things have been pretty positive. Busy, but positive. The market seems to be holding above 10,700 which is good news for the bulls like me who see the Dow breaking 11,000 by the middle of January. I have some new clients and accounts coming aboard this week, which us always good.

Yet, no matter how good things look, there is always that pesky cloud that shows up every now and then. My clouds are EOI and EOS. Why have these two funds (along with all the other equity option funds out there) been hammered the last two days? There is no fundamental reason and I have been scratching my head since Monday morning. Not even my illustrious research department can help out on things...I just got some lame blurb about year-end tax-loss selling. I'm going to chalk it up to a market "conundrum" and suggest backing up the truck. That's the secret that all you market watchers need to realize. If you are a buyer when nobody else likes the stock, you are going to win quite a few of those bets in the long run. That's why the big boys make money and the little guys don't...a simple matter of having the balls to pull the trigger when it feels wrong to do so.

As for the "big surprise", it sure was a BIG one today. Unfortunately for all you readers, I have sworn an oath of secrecy until a later date. Don't you HATE it when someone does that to you? Soon enough, grasshopper....soon enough. Lets just say that one of my friends recently had a life changing experience. Stay tuned for the details....

Gotta love Honest Abe...

One of our greatest presidents speaking out from the grave. Thanks to Pimpbling for this one.

A Little Christmas Humor

Cheryl emailed this to me today. It may take a while to load or you may have to refresh it, but trust me....it's worth it in the end. Here's the link: www.wimp.com/pissedchristmas/

Three in a Row

It's looking more and more like the Dolphins have turned the corner. While it is probably too late for this year, it gets me excited for the next couple of years. With three quality wins this season over Denver, Carolina, and San Diego, they prove that they can hang with the big boys. Pimpbling came over to root 'em on with me and actually just left a few minutes ago on his trip back to the homestead.

Speaking of Pimpbling, he had a small get-together last night at his place and I want to thank him for the great hospitality. I have never been out to the Acreage, but I came away really impressed with the area and his house in particular. To see houses in South Florida on an acre of land (that are not huge, overdone mansions) is really refeshing. My neighborhood (where the houses are on top of one another) is no comparison to the quiet and isolation out there. Pimpbling...you need to have more parties out there because it kicks ass. It's not like there isn't enough wine in the house!

Besides that, the weekend was filled with some Christmas shopping, some wrapping of said gifts, and a little relaxation around the house. With the office Christmas party coming up this Saturday and the impeding arrival of Dawn later this week (the third Soderberg sister), it should be a fun few weeks leading up to Christmas.

A Better Day

I am so glad that I couldn't post last night. For some reason (whether it's the Blogger site, the internet or my computer I have no idea) I couldn't post anything last night. I guess that was a good thing because I was in a pretty foul mood. Three crappy days at the office spinning my wheels and making no money does that to you. The good news is that today was much better.

Since I haven't done this in a while, I figured I would point out a few stories in the news recently that caught my attention:

1) Saddam missed his trial yesterday. File this #1 on the "who really gives a shit" list. I mean, am I really supposed to get excited about this? Since when did Saddam become a celebrity worthy of all this attention?

2) That dude shot on the plane in Miami. I'm sure the ACLU is going to have fun with this one, saying how his rights were infringed on and how mean and insensitive the police are. If you are acting crazy on a plane, saying you have a bomb in your bag, refusing to give up this bag, and then refuse to listen to the police telling you they will shoot, you deserve to be shot. Maybe I'm not "sensitive" enough to people with bipolar disorders, but I call a spade a spade. Maybe it's George Bush's fault! The air marshalls did the right thing.

3) Phony Mall Santa Drops his pants. Now THATS a news story worth reading!! I guess a guy dressed up in a Santa suit dropped his drawers in front of a bunch of teens at a New Hampshire Mall the other day. I guess he did it more than once before he was finally arrested. Now, wouldn't you rather read something like that? I am sick......

Links...finally!

I don't know how it happened, but all of a sudden I have links on the right side of the Margarita Lounge! I have been trying to figure it out for a while, and I think I finally got it! Feel free to check out some of my friends and some of my favorite sites. I'm sure that I will add some more links as I discover them.

A Nice Rally for a Win

For the first time all year, the Dolphins have won two games in a row! After three quarters of absolutely terrible football, Gus went down and ol' Sage Rosenfels stepped in to guide the big 4th quarter come-from-behind rally. My neighbors probably think I'm nuts for all the screaming coming out of the house over the past half hour. I could really see this game as a turning point for the year and a sign of positive things to come through the end of the season. Are the Dolphins going to win their division? No...let's not get carried away here. But with a strong finish, I can see them pulling out an 8-8 record, which would be one hell of an accomplishment for Nick Saban after the way the team has played all year.

Sorry for the lack of updates since Wednesday, but my mind has been on Christmas. I spent all day yesterday doing things around the house, getting the Christmas tree, putting up the outside lights, etc. Today involved a trip to visit my niece for her 2nd birthday and gift shopping for a few hours. Surprisingly, the 2nd half of the Dolphins game was the only football I have watched all weekend.

Today is also Princess T's 30th birthday. She has been at Sanibel Island since Friday and we are expecting her home soon. I guess she over-did it on Friday night and was pretty hungover all day yesterday. Hopefully she is feeling better today since we are planning on having a big dinner and celebration tonight.