Pass In Review: 2008

The Nation. The economy enters a nasty recession. Obama defeats McCain. Some say America is about to take another leap towards collectivism. I say, thanks to the "fundamentalist, ideological, laissez-faire, right-wing" policies of George W. Bush, we're already there. Get ready for more handouts, bailouts, "stimulus" packages, deficit spending, federal interventions, and inflation as government continues to grow and liberty continues to contract. And all of this will somehow get packaged as "change."

Sports. Georgia's implosion. Phelp's 10,000 calorie diet. Tiger's one-legged victory. The Falcons' turnaround.

Music. Rihanna, Rihanna, Rihanna. Put on a quite a show. Very entertaining. How 'bout a round of applause. I am usually not into black chicks but this one has green eyes and is from Barbados or something.

At the Movies. CHEERS: The Dark Knight, Rambo. JEERS: Quantum of Solace, 21, anything else that didn't make the cheers list.

Girls of the Year: Nastia Liukin & Shawn Johnson*, Sarah Palin, Ashley Dupre, Carrie Underwood, Jenna Bush.

Restaurant of the Year: Five Guys.

* = I obviously didn't have enough room for Shawn and Nastia's pictures above so here they are just in case you've forgotten:



Angels.

Man Scout

Binghampton University freshman, Shawn Goldsmith recently completed the "almost unheard-of feat" of acquiring all 121 Merit Badges offered by the the Boy Scouts of America.

Some of the badges Goldsmith received include:

• Agribusiness
• Archery
• Basketry
• Bee Keepling
• Bugling (?)
• Golf
• Horsemanship
• Indian Lore
• Mammal Study
• Motorboating (You old sailor, you!)
• Pottery
• Rabbit Raising
• Shotgun Shooting
• Signaling
• Truck Transportation
• Waterskiing

Since Mr. Goldsmith has far surpassed the 62 badges required to become an Eagle Scout, a new "BAMF Eagle Stud" status has been created for just such an occasion.

Congratulations, Man Scout!

Israeli Navy Fails...

They had their chance to take out Cynthia Mckinney once and for all, and failed to do so. I hate this woman so much. What are we supporting them for?

Van Brimmer Responds

Here is Adam Van Brimmer's response to my letter:

Snuffy:

I meant no disrespect to BC. Seems all the BC folks in this town are a little too sensitive. Fact is, BC has 400 boys in the school, which is comparable to the number of boys in the public school. Calvary has about a quarter that many. The fact that Calvary is competitive -- and getting markedly better year by year -- after being nowhere near so just five years ago is what prompted the column.

Thanks for reading and taking the time to write. It seems whenever I write a prep column, I get emails from folks at other schools who feel slighted or that they didn't get their just desserts. I've gotten a dozen responses to this column now, and all of them came from either BC or Savannah Christian folks. Not one from the public schools, which is the audience you would think might take exception to the column. Take a step back and get some perspective. I'm not taking a shot at BC, SCPS, Country Day or anybody else just because I wrote a Calvary column.

Thanks again and have a good holiday,
Adam

And here is my retort:

Adam,

Thank you for your reply. I know that it is a dogfight among the private schools for press coverage and that each school wants to have every headline. However, some of your facts are still off the mark. BC only has about 300 boys, compared to about 175 at Calvary. I agree that over the past 4 years, Calvary has had the best private school basketball program, even though they suffered a losing season last year. My main argument is that the column should have never been written. It would have made more sense had it been published two years ago, after Calvary's back-to-back state quarterfinal runs. I just don't think a 13-point loss to Windsor Forest, after losing by 14 earlier in the season and coming off a losing season, warrants a headline about how Calvary is gaining ground on the public schools.

Now, one more thing and I'll leave you alone. I do not know the last time BC made the state playoffs in basketball. It may have been 1990; it may even be beyond that. If the Cadets make the playoffs, I want them to get the same type of coverage that Johnson did for making the state playoffs in football this season for the first time since 1992.

Thanks again for your reply,
Snuffy

Molly MacPhearson's: Great Bar or Greatest Bar?

Jenna says greatest bar.

The Internet Jukebox: Friend or Foe?

A couple years ago, the old jukebox at Pinkie Masters was replaced with a new-fangled internet jukebox. While part of me believes that a jukebox should only contain music that fits the atmosphere of its surroundings, deep down I'm still torn on how I feel about this new invention.

Last night, Pat, Chris and I witnessed just how powerful this device can be. Immediately after our arrival, I head no music playing. I couldn't believe my luck, there was no queue of songs waiting to be played, so I knew my selection would be played immediately. Being the considerate bar citizen that I am, and not to mention brimming with Christmas cheer, I fed the machine a dollar and gladly spent the two credits to download and play O Tannenbaum by the Vince Guaraldi Trio from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Toes tapped, heads bobbed, and we all enjoyed the fun Christmasey selection.

Towards the end of the song, this degenerate lowlife with greasy long hair, drainpipe jeans and a general bad attitude stepped up. I peered over his shoulder and watched him make his selections. My prejudice was confirmed. The following 20 minutes were nearly unbearable as this jackass proceeded to play some obscure David Bowie song (Wow, he likes Bowie. He's so hip.), three songs by Queens of the Stone Age (Wow, he's so underground.), and then he had the nerve to play something from Outkast (Wow, he likes hip hop. He's so down with the streets.)

What the hell was this guy's problem? What made him think that anyone wanted to hear any of that?

I had to respond. I fed a few more dollars into the machine and made my picks. What followed was a torrent of love, positive energy, and all around Christmas revelry as the sounds of Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Marvin Gaye and the like filled Pinkie's. People drank and danced and I was happy.

Last night taught me the most important thing about the internet jukebox. It's not good or evil, it exists on its own. The internet jukebox is like fire. When handled cautiously, it can give you light and keep you warm. When handled wrecklessly, it can kill you.

Dear Mr. Van Brimmer

If you read yesterday's paper, you saw this article by sports columnist Adam Van Brimmer. Calvary program will soon infringe on public schools' turf.

Below is the letter I sent to Mr. Van Brimmer in response to his unsubstantiated claim that Calvary has the best private school basketball program.

December 23, 2008

Dear Mr. Van Brimmer:

I am writing in response to your article entitled Calvary program will soon infringe upon public schools’ turf. In the article you insinuate that Calvary’s basketball team, a private school team, can go toe-to-toe with the elite public school basketball teams in Savannah. This is based on a 13-point loss to Windsor Forest and a 20-point win over a 2-6 Johnson squad in the Savannah Holiday Classic.

I don’t understand how Calvary can be chosen over Benedictine as the private schools’ best hope to capture some of the city’s basketball spotlight, which has long been dominated by the likes of Savannah High and Beach. Keep in mind that Calvary also lost to Windsor Forest back in November by 14 points. Meanwhile, Benedictine has played Windsor Forest twice as well, winning the first game by 9 points and losing the rematch by 1 point on a last-second bucket.

Calvary did perform better against Johnson than Benedictine did, winning by 20 points, compared to a 4-point win for the Cadets. However the numbers don’t lie. Comparing the performances against similar public school opponents, Benedictine is 2-1 with a +14 point differential. Calvary is 1-2 with a -7 point differential.

Now, which team looks like a more formidable challenger to the public school teams?

Respectfully,
Snuffy P. Smith

Yes Man..... No Man

This past Sunday, I made my way to the Carmike Cinema knowing that Jim Carrey had lost some of his mystique as the funny man of Hollywood. Yet, in no way did I think a comedic savoy person like himself would stoop so low to produce a retreaded sequel to Liar Liar.

First, His facial expressions use to be part of the movie people enjoyed the most when they wanted to get a laugh. Well putting tape around your face and hair is not a least bit funny to me or the twenty plus other moviegoers that were in the stands. Carrey tries to manufacture so many laughs when there is absolutely no reason to go overboard. For instance, in one scene he tells his friends that he is the Yes Man, and that he will do what ever they want, so he becomes a drunken buffoon. The most disturbing part about this scene is that there is no laughs to be had at all. One expression after another leads to one dud after another, which leads to an overblown, pointless fight scene. This is where he stumbles around with goofy looks and redundant expressions that will bore even the thoughtless moviegoer. 30 minutes into the movie, I wanted to give up on this piece of crap. The Majestic had more laughs than this misled comedy.

Secondly, I think Jim Carrey is wearing on the American public. This movie grossed only $18,000,000 dollars, and it probably won't gross the $100,000,000 his films usually produce at the box office. Why is this? Jim Carrey is getting older, and you can only make so many movies with genius facial expressions or famous people's voices until the insightful moviegoer says "I have seen Jim Carrey play that role before" He will always have a loyal following, but I really believe that the thoughtful Judd Aptaow Comdies over the last few years have taken a toll on his impersonation first comedy.

Finally, my opinion is Carrey will keep making Dramas like the brilliant Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or the forgetful 23. In fact, next year he will be starring in Robert Zemetkis's A Christmas Carol , and I Love Philip Morris. The latter being a drama about two male prisoners following in love with each other. Are you kidding me?One thing is for sure,life was a lot better for Jim Carrey when he was the likable dumb ass, Lloyd selling of his dead bird Petey for $25....

Pat Holland's New Atlanta Friends

I ran into Pat Holland the other day and he was like, "Bro, I totally love Atlanta...it is such a wicked awesome city, I am going clubbing with Mikey Leonard."





"Most everyone is working their asses off right now but we do need a new 'use it or lose it' rule that says if you don't post anything over the course of a month I get to kick you off."




Is everyone in Savannah Friday evening? Is that daquari bar still open on Wilmington?

Dr. Joe's Friday Psych Evaluation

Ok, I want everyone to join me for a little exam.

For the sake of our female readers, I'll keep this gender-neutral.

Picture, if you will, your ideal romantic partner. As well as being extremely physically attractive, this person is also kind and has the type of personality that you enjoy being around. Now picture this person as being completely, and undoubtedly into you. As in, this person wants to hook-up with you.

Got it? Ok.

I will present you with two situations.

Situation A: This person is your adopted sibling, and you have grown up with them since you were a small child. They know every embarrassing detail about your life and you know the same about theirs. You have known this person only as your sibling for your entire life, but you recently found out that this person was adopted, and now this person wants to hook up with you.

Situation B: This person is your second cousin. You don't see each other often but however faint it is, there is a definite relation between you both, and this person wants to hook up with you.

The Question: In which situation would you be more likely to go through with it?

Respond and discuss.

BAILOUT

Ok fellas, it's talk time.

I realize none of us are in college anymore and we all have jobs, but this blog is swirling the drain. We've gone from great success and popularity, to not being on anyone's radar. This is evident in our lack of comments and nominations to our Man of the Year election. We've got to step it up.

I'm not pointing fingers because if I was, I'd have to point one in my own direction. I've been a lousy contributor. I can say that, not only because it's the truth, but also because I am confident I can and will change.

"What happened to the BMBS I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the GUTS?! 'Oh, we're afraid to go with you Joe. We might get in trouble.' Well just kiss my ass from now on!!"

Who's with me?!! Let's do it!!!!

Polls Are Open

Cast your vote. Joe, because your nomination is not a real, actual person, he is ineligible.

Joe's Nomination: Bill Brasky

As the only serious contender who could mount a challenge against Jack, I nominate William Robert Brasky, best damn salesman in the office!

"Bill Brasky once used a live rattle snake as a condom!"
"Brasky's family crest is a picture of a barracuda eating Neil Armstrong."
"His poop is considered currency in Argentina."
"I once saw him scissor-kick Angela Lansbury."
"Did I ever tell you about the time Brasky took me out to go get a drink with him? We go off looking for a bar and we can't find one. Finally Brasky takes me to a vacant lot and says, 'Here we are.' We sat there for a year and a half — until sure enough, someone constructs a bar around us. Well, the day they opened we ordered a shot, drank it, and then burned the place to the ground. Brasky yelled over the roar of the flames, 'Always leave things the way you found 'em!'"
"He once punched a hole in a cow just to see who was coming up the road."
"He hated Mexicans! And he was half-Mexican! ...And he hated irony!"
"The character of Johnny Appleseed was based on Brasky... except for the part about planting apple trees... and not raping men."
"He did all the makeup on the Planet of the Apes movies."
"He drives an ice cream truck covered in human skulls."
"He orchestrated the merger between UNICEF and Smith & Wesson."
"They say Gene Roddenberry got the idea for Star Trek by listening to Brasky talk in his sleep."
"Did I ever tell you about the time Brasky went hunting? Brasky decides he's going to hunt down all four of the Banana Splits. He stalks and kills every one of them with a machete. They all begged for their lives...except Fleegle."
"We once had a bachelor party for Brasky. He ate the entire cake before we could tell him there was a stripper in it."
"Brasky named the group Sha Na Na. They did not want to be called that."
"If you drop a phonograph needle on Brasky's nipple, it plays the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds."
"Did I ever tell you about the time he taught his son how to drive? He did it by entering him in the Indy 500. The kid wrecked and died. Brasky said it would've happened sometime."
"He breastfeeds John Madden!"
"He killed Wolfman Jack with a trident."
"He sleeps eight hours a night! Well, he was pretty normal when it came to that."
"His first name is Bill!"
"All the Yes album covers are Brasky family photos."

The Truest Test of Assertiveness

*I posted this on Facebook word-for-word.  I just wanted to keep the rare streak of continuous BMBS posting going.  Apologies for the redundancy.

You probably feel sometimes like you are in control of your life. You don't let people walk over you. You caught the bagger putting the detergent in the same bag as your bread, and you corrected him. You saw the cashier didn't scan your coupon and let them know. Perhaps you told a telemarketer you were not interested and used colorful language to express that sentiment. Maybe you shushed the guy behind you in the movie theater who was talking the whole time.

I've done a number of these things, and thought myself a moderately assertive person. However, a conversation with my fellow Costanza enthusiast and real life neurotic, David Willingham, reminded me what a lowly, spineless doormat I really am.

For I have failed the truest test of assertiveness.

The Haircut Objection Test.

Take my last adventure at Great Clips, where I exchanged dignity and acceptable male appearance for the low price point of $8. I had a chance, several even, to stop the winds of change. Instead, I threw up the sails and pulled a Lieutenant Dan, challenging God to give me all he had and calling him a "son of a bitch." 

There's some sort of dark magic involved with the chairs in a salon or barbershop. The type of sorcery that extracts all mechanisms of reason from a reasonable mind. You pay for a haircut with the same currency used in any other business transactions. So why don't you feel like the service should meet the assumed expectations of your cash?

Subconsciously I think of my Great Clips host as some sort of deranged artist, and if I were to critique her art with my thin knowledge of the subject, I would be committing an egregious error. 

I can only hope that the same folks who brought us the self-checkout machines are whipping up an automated hair stylist machine that won't make me feel obligated to tip even after a hair holocaust.

It's Official

Mark Stroud is the new head football coach of the Benedictine Cadets.

Your Own Year in Review

Name one thing you are proud to have accomplished and one thing you are embarrassed to admit you did in 2008.  

I'm proud that I canceled cable, embarrassed that Charter never cut it off and that I still watch it, but proud again that I'm ripping them off.

BC Coaching Haiku

Rumors keep swirling.
A bolt of thunder, I hear.
I'm not talking Deal.

Cadets Dominate Former Rival

While most everyone was busy watching the SEC yesterday, the biggest game of the night took place on the southside of Savannah as BC basketball swept Glynn Academy by 20. Glynn already had two big wins under their belt coming into last night, over Jenkins and Long County (the Cadets' next opponent), so this double-digit victory makes the Cadets look quite formidable as region play starts this week.

As Snuffy mentioned, you can catch BC's home games at bcathletics.net, with Mr. Kevin Sheehan doing the play-by-play and a certain 2003 alumnus doing the color commentating. The latter appears to be SportsCenter-bound, combining fervent passion with a sharp professionalism that creates a voice and style no less distinctive than Munson's.

It always feels good knocking off Glynn, in any sport. There's a sense of fierce antagonism that always seems to pervade every contest with that school. It feels even better knowing BC has a proficient and dedicated expert effectively capturing and delivering the story to those of us 250 miles away who can no longer be there to experience it in person.

Our Newest Contributor

Reardon, doing what he does best, simultanesouly working 2 girls that already have husbands/boyfriends and ensuring his picture gets taken in the process.

Please welcome BMBS' latest membership addition, Michael A. Reardon. You probably remember Mike and his bio from last years' Man of the Year competition, but we might as well rehash things a bit.

Reardon has been begging to be a part of this blog since its inception, and I felt now was the right time to add him, particularly since things have been slow and, as always, Mike has a lot to say. He also proved his worthiness after claiming last year's award.

Mike's areas of expertise are many, including college football and basketball, Republican politics, breaking girls' hearts, and corrugated box industry trends.

Mike was born in San Antonio, Texas and moved to Savannah at age 2, attending St. James and Benedictine Military School. A member of the historic class of 2001, Mike always managed to balance his time between the SJS pyramid and this blog's group. While some were often put off by the pyramid's more extreme members and their antics, Mike was always seen as a tolerable presence, someone we could "do business with," serving as a middle-of-the-road ambassador of sorts between our two factions.

It should be noted that Mike did not stay in military his junior or senior years, a significant blemish on his record that will never be erased. But Mike makes up for lack of military discipline with his discipline and commitment towards making the sale in all areas of life. Whether you're a stunning 21 year-old coed sitting alone at Mercury Lounge named Grayson or a prospective buyer of cardboard shipping products in the Southeast named Bob, it's guaranteed Mike will find a way to win you over in a matter of minutes.

Mike currently lives in Jacksonville and works for Express Packaging, Inc. He has one younger sister, Brittany, whom 2 of our contributors have tried to chase after, unsuccessfully.

The Juice Feels the Squeeze

OJ Simpson was sentenced today for his involvement in the much publicized little "kidnapping" incident. Reacting to his sentence, OJ said:

"In no way did I mean to hurt anybody, to steal anything from anyone," Simpson said. "I didn't want anybody else's stuff. I just wanted my own. I realize that I was stupid. I am sorry. I didn’t know that I was doing anything illegal. I thought I was retrieving property from friends. I’m sorry, I’m sorry for all of it."

I mean, come on. He didn't know he was doing anything illegal. Who hasn't gone into a hotel room and held the occupants at gunpoint while you demand property from them? Some might call that kidnapping and robbery, but let's not throw words around. I mean, they had his stuff!

Anyway, The Juice got up to 33 years. He'll be eligible for parole in nine years. I'm predicting a huge comeback for him 2018.

Happy Gannam Day

Snuffy's Nomination: Jack Holland

I knew this kid was special back in the summer of ’02 when he received the most dramatic promotion in the history of the Benedictine Corps of Cadets, rising from squad leader to fucking Brigade Executive Officer overnight. Jack then continued to defy all odds by being accepted to the University of Georgia. While there, Jack was a BMOC, running with the likes of GFS4 and MDB3.

Enough about the past. This is a Man of the Year nomination and no man has made more headlines this year than Jack Holland. It began in the winter, when Jack was named bench coach of the Benedictine Cadets baseball team. He helped lead BC to wins over Calvary and Savannah Christian.

Jack had planned on moving to Atlanta this fall to get coaching experience at Collins Hill, one of the largest high schools in the state of Georgia. One fateful summer night, however, ruined Jack’s dream of leaving Savannah. In a freak accident, Jack lost the tip of his middle finger, rendering him useless in today’s society. Most people would have given up on life, turned to drugs and spent the rest of their life in self-pitty. But not Jack. He stared adversity in the face…and poked it in the chest with his mutilated finger.

Jack was also instrumental in the formation of the 17 Club and has been its most loyal member. During football season, Jack helped this blogger keep his head up with his encouraging words on the progress of the Cadets football team. Always positive. That’s Jack’s motto.

Just this week, Jack made his debut on the Benedictine WebRadio Network as the basketball color commentator. Jack has proven time and time again that he completely embodies the spirit of BMBS. There is no doubt that has earned the right to be named:
BMBS Man of the Year
Jack Holland

Blue Horshoe Does Not Love CBH

More on this as it unfolds...

It's December

Which means it's time to start thinking about Man of the Year nominations. You have between now and Monday, December 15th to submit nominees. Voting will start on the the 16th and end at midnight on New Year's Eve.

Past recipients:

2006 - Tom Powers
2007 - Michael Reardon
2008 - ????

This is going to be fun.

FUCK YOU
You'll leave after this season and probably get drafted in the first round, but you'll never amount to anything in the NFL because you care too much about how your hair looks when you take your helmet off on the sidelines, or about how wearing a black sleeve on one arm makes you look like a badass.


FUCK YOU
I don't know that much about you but I know the boys over at OIA would suck your dick if you let them.





















You're cool.


And most of all...FUCK YOU
You piece of cracker white trash.

It's just too damn easy.


45-42 Love you. Got to go.

Thanksgiving Day 1958

BC 40
High School 6

St. James Chargers Win SPAL Title

Mark Beasley, Savannah Morning News

St. James 14, Savannah Christian 6 - John Patrick McCarthy caught a 60-yard touchdown pass and running back Ben Wright added a 25-yard scoring run to lead St. James over Savannah Christian.

The win concluded a perfect 8-0 season for the Chargers.

The Chargers went up 8-0 when McCarthy hauled in the scoring pass from Wright, and quarterback Mike Huggins Jr. added the conversion.

The Red Raiders cut the lead to 8-6 in the second quarter when fullback Scott Brannen scored on a 6-yard run. The stiff Chargers' defense then stopped the crucial two-point conversion.
The Chargers added to the lead in the second half when Wright found a seam and rambled 25 yards to the end zone.

The Chargers sealed the victory late in the fourth quarter on a key third-and-9 play. Huggins went 13 yards to pick up the first down. From there, the Chargers ran out the clock.

Other Charger standouts were Connor Beytagh, Andrew McNulty, Patrick McBride, Stuart Harriott, Kyle South, Taylor Jakubsen, Grant Koncul, Andrew Sparks, Andrew Ward, Chris Herold, Zach Park, Patrick Brennen, Reed Cetti, Stephen Buttimer and Nigel Wright.
The Chargers were coached by Jack Beytagh, Mike Huggins Sr., Joe Herb, Wes Worthington and Scott Moore.

More Wisdom From the Church of Arvind

In his defense, Arvind later sent me these messages yesterday, and they make more sense than Monday's comments. He also wanted me to post these for him. He says he doesn't want to comment on here himself but just wants to "use me" to vent his thoughts:

Nov 18, 10:49 am

One last thing where are the fathers of these bitching women (who sit around discussing what they are not getting education wise for their kids while they watch the view and go hang out and have a f--- session with personal trainer) I will give my time which far more valuable than just reading that cadence to find out how much money people have donated

Nov 18, 12:04 pm

Hey last word, if this school is in such a financial mess deprivatize the school, have stricter curriculum entrance standards and 1 gain the football powerhouse which once was (5AAAA) 2 teachers will be paid more, there public monastery schools in sav where its very affordable and have high entrance standards

I know none of us are interested in getting into another BC debate for the millionth time and that's not the point here. Arvind says he just really feels strongly about these things and wanted them posted on here. I would be interested to see how you go about "deprivatizing" something. Maybe BC could contact Kingston or Isakson and get a piece of that $700 billion bailout.

Arvind Raman Text Message Challenge

It's America's fastest growing game. Here's how it works:

1) I post a text message Arvind has recently sent me.
2) The first person to successfully figure out what in God's name Arvind is trying to say wins 4 free packets of honey mustard from the fast food establishment of their choice.

Nov 17, 12:43 am:

Randomthought when teachers substitues they recruit to talk to students. Its not about raising tuition but alumni volunteer. if bc wants to gain money, people need tet their hands dirty and not resort to buying there way out. Think about it.

Oh trust me, I've "thought about it" a lot. I guess he's saying something about people volunteering more, but I'm still clueless as to what that first sentence means. Anyways, have at it and good luck.

SC priest: No communion for Obama supporters

Awesome.

Pat, didn't you live in Greenville?

Nov 13 06:59 PM US/Eastern
By MEG KINNARD
Associated Press Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -

A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."
The Rev. Jay Scott Newman said in a letter distributed Sunday to parishioners at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville that they are putting their souls at risk if they take Holy Communion before doing penance for their vote.

"Our nation has chosen for its chief executive the most radical pro-abortion politician ever to serve in the United States Senate or to run for president," Newman wrote, referring to Obama by his full name, including his middle name of Hussein.

"Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exits constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ's Church and under the judgment of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation."...

..."I don't understand anyone who would call themselves a Christian, let alone a Catholic, and could vote for someone who's a pro-abortion candidate," said Ted Kelly, 64, who volunteers his time as lector for the church. "You're talking about the murder of innocent beings."

New Report: Oil CEO Greed Down By Over 50% In Past Month

I'm happy to report Big Oil CEO's have really started getting nicer, all at the same time, over the last 5 weeks or so. For whatever reason, the oil companies have all gotten together and decided to be half as greedy as they were back in September. It all started at the beginning of October. You could start to see it in each CEOs' eyes: they started getting really feel-good nice and didn't feel like making as much money as before. So prices began to fall dramatically. The average gallon of gas is under $2 in many areas, thanks to less greed.

Right-wing ideologues will no doubt attempt to explain these price changes away by using annoying economics terms like "supply" and "demand." But that's just typical Republican nonsense; we all know what's really going on here. Change is in the air and even the greediest among us are starting to feel they have a social responsibility to offer "fair" prices for gasoline instead of relying on the greed tactics of the Bush years. We shouldn't rest too easy, however, because I'm told that experts are predicting greed levels to rise again in the Spring once the summer driving season picks up.

Letter to The New York Times: Do people 'deserve' universal health care? By Donald J. Boudreaux

Business & Media Institute11/6/2008 11:14:08 AM

To the Editor:

Advocating universal health care, Steven Safyer, M.D., hopes that "the next administration will see the wisdom of acting — not just talking — so Americans get the care they deserve." (Letters, Nov. 6)

What evidence is there that Americans do not now "get the care they deserve"? Material deserts are earned, not given by nature. In the case of health care, the fact that even POOR Americans consume other things so abundantly casts doubt on the supposition that this land is crowded with people who are denied health care that they deserve. Consider, for example, that today 80 percent of POOR households have air-conditioning (compared to only 36 percent of ALL households who had it in 1970); 75 percent of poor households today own a car, and 31 percent own two cars; the typical POOR American has more household living space than does the typical Parisian and Londoner; and nearly 80 percent of POOR American households have a VCR or DVD player.*

Someone who voluntarily purchases X instead of Y - where X is widely regarded as less vital than Y - cannot legitimately be said to deserve Y.

Sincerely,

Donald J. Boudreaux

* Robert E. Rector, "How Poor Are America's Poor?" Heritage Foundation, August 2007
Don Boudreaux is the Chairman of the Department of Economics at George Mason University and a Business & Media Institute adviser.

Black Pope could follow Barack Obama's election, says US archbishop

The election of Barack Obama as the first African-American US President could pave the way for the election of the first black Pope, according to a leading black American Catholic.

Wilton Daniel Gregory, 60, the Archbishop of Atlanta, said that in the past Pope Benedict XVI had himself suggested that the election of a black pontiff would "send a splendid signal to the world" about the universal Church.

Archbishop Gregory, who in 2001 became the first African American to head the US Bishops Conference, serving for three years, said that the election of Mr Obama was "a great step forward for humanity and a sign that in the United States the problem of racial discrimination has been overcome". Like Mr Obama Archbishop Gregory comes from Chicago, and was previously Bishop of Belleville, Illinois.

He said that recent Popes, beginning with John XXIII and Paul VI, had brought prelates "from all nations and races" to Rome to take up senior positions in the Curia, the Vatican hierarchy. This offered "an international vision of a Church rich in diversity", he told the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

Pope Benedict — whose next encyclical is on globalisation and social justice — had a "world outlook" as a theologian whose thought had "opened hearts and minds on five continents", Archbishop Gregory said. The former Joseph Ratzinger, who as a young man in his native Germany had witnessed "the horrors of the Second World War", spoke a "universal language".

Archbishop Gregory said that the next time cardinals gathered to elect a Pope they could "in their wisdom" choose an African pontiff. "My own election as head of the US Bishops Conference was an important signal. In 2001 the American bishops elected someone they respected regardless of his race, and the same thing could happen with the election of a Pope."

He said that in a papal conclave, the cardinal-electors were "guided by the Holy Spirit to choose the person who best responds to the exigences of the moment". At the last conclave in 2005, after the death of John Paul II, it was widely thought that the cardinals would choose a Third World pontiff, perhaps from Africa or Latin America.

The choice of Cardinal Ratzinger, who had been at John Paul II's side for over twenty years as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was seen by many as a vote for a man who embodied continuity and had stressed the need to shore up the faith in the West itself in an age of secularism and materialism.

This week Pope Benedict XVI congratulated Mr Obama on his "historic" victory, offering his prayers for the President-elect "and for all the people of the United States".

Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said that the Pope's message was "personal" and would therefore not be published. However he said that the papal message referred to the "historic occasion" of the election and congratulated Mr Obama, his wife and family.

"He assured him of his prayers that God would help him with his high responsibilities for his country and for the international community," Father Lombardi said. The Pope had also prayed that "the blessing of God would sustain him and the American people so that with all people of good will they could build a world of peace, solidarity and justice." The message was sent via Mary Ann Glendon, the US ambassador to the Holy See.

Ireland's Primate Questions the EU

I was able to personally attend Mass celebrated by then Bishop Sean Brady, Bishop of Antrim, last year before the bishop was named a Cardinal by PBXVI. The bishop was in Savannah for a reunion with our own Bishop Boland. The two, with several other Irish peers, attended the same seminary.

He seemed fairly orthodox; the sermon addressed the end of abortion.

He now questions the EU's benefit for Ireland. Hopefully, his resistance will assist in blocking the EU's involvement in Ireland.

"Is it possible that citizens experience the EU nowadays primarily in terms of rather intrusive bureaucracy, oppressive legislation and insecure economics rather than as a social project based on fundamental human values," he asked.

Where To Go From Here

Last night's results were depressing, but in no way surprising. There will now be a serious debate within the Republican Party as to which direction it should go, a debate which should have started after the big losses suffered 2 years ago, but will undoubtedly begin in full force now.

Many Republicans, most of whom are part of the elite media (David Brooks of the New York Times is a prime example) or are part of the beltway crowd, will argue the party has shifted "too far to the right" these past 8 years, and needs to move towards the center and "find common ground" with the Democrats if it wants to return to electoral success. They say the party is too "ideological" and "stuck in the 1980s" and this is why they've lost the past 2 elections. It's time to find "common sense solutions" by working with the other side, and to make peace with big government by simply making it run better. It's time to expand our base by appealing to minorities and their concerns.

Others like myself realize these elitists are the ones who got us into this mess in the first place. The party has actually shifted too far to the left, particularly on economic issues, essentially becoming the Democrat-lite Party. After a trillion-dollar expansion in federal spending and a record increase in the size of entitlement outlays since 2001, one can hardly claim this administration has been "too far to the right" on taxes and spending. We've tried too hard to expand our base by reaching out to folks who aren't going to vote for us anyway. Why would big-government supporters choose diet socialism when the Democrats offer the real thing?

In '84, '88, and '92, young voters (those under 30) made up the most conservative portion of the electorate. They were reliably Republican and supported Reagan by wide margins. Today, the under-30 crowd are the most liberal voters. 66% of them supported Obama. What happened? A lot of it has to do with Bush's dismal failures, but a lot of it also has to do with young people today being a lot dumber and less skeptical than Generation X was of big government and Jimmy Carter liberalism. The flip side of this is that we haven't been actively educating these voters like we used to. This leaves CNN, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert to do the educating instead, which is extremely troublesome.

The end result is thousands of white, gooey-eyed college kids who got 1400 on their SATs but couldn't tell you what the top marginal income tax rate is lining Pennsylvania avenue and filling Grant Park, cheering in jubilation that Washington is going to get bigger, stronger, and steal more of their parent's income. Their limitless faith in one mortal, fallible man's ability to do infinite good with other people's money and magically solve all problems for all people is a religious fantasy far more dangerous than anything Bill Maher attacks every day. I mean at least faith in God is a lot cheaper, and at least going to mass is voluntary. Complying with the IRS isn't.



Long story short, "compassionate conservatism" has always been a defunct governing strategy and its followers must permanently be purged from our ranks. The conservative philosophy should never have to make apologies for itself, nor should it be abandoned in attempt to win over people that aren't going to vote Republican anyway. The Democrats continue to nominate the most liberal members of their party (Kerry & Edwards in '04, Obama in '08). How come we don't get to nominate our party's most conservative members? Here's a starting point for 2012: anyone who supported/voted for the bailout should not be allowed to seek the Republican nomination.

I could go on and on about what needs to be done to reclaim our principles, but I will instead leave you with a speech given by Ronald Reagan in March of 1975. This was in the wake of huge losses Republicans sustained after Nixon's resignation and the Watergate hearings. That situation was so similar to today's, and Reagan's words are so on point they're almost prophetic.

Why Voting Shouldn't Be That Big a Deal

Today is election day and you've probably heard round-the-clock public service announcements from celebrities on TV, radio, and youtube telling you to "get out and vote, no matter what, no excuses" because "you have a public duty" and "the stakes are too big for you to stay home."

I would rephrase this announcement to say get out and vote, but only if you already planned on doing it (before Leonardo DiCaprio or Ben Affleck commanded you) and only if you actually know what's going on in this country. People that have to have MTV tell them to get off their ass and pull the lever are already clueless and probably don't pay taxes. Frankly, they should do the public a duty by not voting.

But statements like "the stakes are too big to stay home" bring focus to a larger point that's really worth discussing. If our politicians and judges actually obeyed the Constitution instead of doing violence to it at every twist and turn, the stakes really shouldn't be that big on the election day, and choosing our president shouldn't be that big a deal. The founding fathers designed the presidency to be the head of state and commander-in-chief of our armed forces should Congress declare war, and little else.

The fact that the stakes are so big illustrates just how powerful, intrusive, and omnipresent the federal government has become in our economic and personal lives, and how ignored our original Constitution is.

You'll also hear pundits say how the "right to vote is what made America great." Well, there's some truth to that, but I don't think voting is the most important right we as citizens have. What about the right to private property, to freedom of assembly, to own a firearm, to earn and keep the fruits of one's labor, to trade freely with others?

If these aforementioned rights were as fiercely protected under the Constitution as originally intended, the right to vote wouldn't be as nearly as big a deal as it is today. It simply wouldn't matter if the president was Republican or Democrat, because neither would have the ability to benefit or burden us as private individuals. It wouldn't matter who was appointed to the Supreme Court, because each justice's role would be limited to interpreting laws instead of writing new ones from the bench and determining social policy for 300 million people. It wouldn't matter which party controlled Congress because $3 trillion of our tax dollars wouldn't be up for grabs to be wasted at the whim of the lobbyists and interest groups that feed (gorge might be the better term) at the federal trough. The redistributive state as we know it wouldn't be allowed to exist.

A few decades ago (not sure if it still holds true today) it was said that the best-run government in the world was Switzerland, yet you could walk up to someone on the streets there and ask them who the president was and get a blank stare in return: so few people there actually knew who their own head of state was, not because they were ignorant, but because the national government played such a non-role in that country's society.

I'm not saying let's all pack our bags and move to Switzerland, but, like millions of fellow young voters today, I have that magical "HOPE." Hope that some day, this country will return to a constitutional republic where government is small, limited, and insubstantial. After glancing at Messrs. Obama's and McCain's platforms for no more than, say, 10 seconds, it becomes apparent I won't be able to hold my breath waiting for that day to come.

BC's "Pink Out"

Great, the BC Cadets want to eliminate breast cancer, just like every other reasonable human being.

Private efforts to help prevent cancer should always be encouraged... except when it involves wearing pink at a BC football game.

Call me a heartless bastard, but PC junkies are creeping into BC's activities.

Who came up with this idea?

The Showdown

'Dogs gonna need some help from old lady luck this afternoon.

BMBS at the Movies: 30 Years Later, Halloween Still Kills

It goes without saying that the scariest movie ever made is The Exorcist. Audiences threw up in movie theaters across the country when it opened and some people even had seizures after seeing it.

My parents let me rent it from Blockbuster when I was in 4th grade and it gave me nightmares nonstop years after that. I remember seeing the re-release in the theater one night after a BC football game senior year, where I had to sit next to Arvind and Megan Neher, as if that situation wasn't already scary enough.

But while The Exorcist easily wins the scariest award, the film itself isn't necessarily all that clever or ground-breaking for horror films. Sure, it used some cool special effects and pushed verbal (and physical) vulgarity limits to unprecedented heights, but it was ultimately a strict book-to-film adaptation that remains in a narrow genre of its own that can't really be expanded upon.

So as far as the smartest and most influential horror movie of all time, that award goes to John Carpenter's Halloween. Produced on a shoestring budget, it was a massive sleeper hit released in the fall of 1978. It built and expanded upon the slasher film model introduced 18 years prior by Psycho and created an entirely new genre of horror movies.



It's true that just about everything that came after Halloween sucked really bad: Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. were all terrible because they lacked the darkness and depth of their archetype. Still, Halloween deserves credit for starting that genre in a manner that combined simplicity (good vs. evil, the boogeyman is scary) with creativity (evil in human form that cannot be killed, that wears a signature mask over a face we never get to see, that moves subtly and slowly but is unstoppable, that returns to haunt a particular town on a specified date each year, and that instantly appears/disappears in dark corners created by perfectly positioned camera angles or is often viewed from a first-person perspective).

Halloween is also great because it employs a less-is-more approach. There are very few special effects used and only a couple of bloody scenes. Except for the short prologue, we don't see the first killing until an hour or so in. In this way Carpenter, like Hitchcock, is able to slowly stoke the audience's suspense level instead of desensitizing it with the up-front, nonstop gore and guts scenes we see in theaters today. Carpenter also got lucky in discovering then-unknown Jamie Lee Curtis and casting her as the protagonist. There's just something about Curtis' performance, particularly in the last 20 minutes, that announces to viewers that something is going on here that clearly separates this film from the typical, campy B-movie category under which many of Carpenter's other endeavors fall.

So this weekend, forget paying $8 to go see Saw or whatever it's called. Head down to Movie Gallery and rent this timeless classic instead.

Attention Nerds:

Due to a torrent of complaints from the 11 million World of Warcraft weirdos, the zombie disease has been eradicated from the game.

How this qualifies as news, I'll never know.

R.I.P. Crystal Beer Parlor

BMBS mourns the loss of a Savannah institution: the Crystal Beer Parlor, which closed its doors for good last Friday. Founded in 1933, this place served 25 cent hamburgers to people during the Depression. Inside you would find pictures from the BC/Savannah High game and other memorabilia.

It should be noted that CBP closed once before (for renovation or something, I think) when we were in high school, but according to Savannahnow, this time it's permanent. There was also the short-lived southside location on Waters Ave., but that place lacked any remote semblance to Jones Street or the food served there. Crystal Beer Parlor served the best hamburgers and onion rings in all of downtown Savannah. The new Five Guys has some pretty big shoes to fill.

Patrick Predicts the Election

I realize we talk way too much about politics on here but we've got 7 days left til this thing plays out. Here are my projections for the night of November 4th:



Electoral Prediction: Obama/Biden - 364; McCain/Palin - 174
Popular Vote: Obama/Biden - 52%; McCain/Palin - 45%

It goes without saying that a lot could still happen in a week. And I've been wrong about a lot of things this past year, especially Obama's ability to defeat Clinton in the primaries, which I was convinced was impossible.

I've actually been a little generous to McCain here, because it also looks like Indiana could go Obama's way. This is quite astonishing when you consider that Bush won Indiana by more than 20 points in 2004, and carried North Carolina (which I guess isn't part of the South anymore) by 15. Jesus what the hell happened. You know pigs are starting to fly when the most liberal member of the US Senate is able to carry Indiana of all places. It really doesn't get any worse than this. This is where the "independent," "moderate," "maverick," "I'll support the bailout and use taxpayer money to buy up irresponsible and stupid people's mortgages so I can piss even more people off from my party and get more praise from the New York Times that isn't going to endorse me anyway" approach gets you: nowhere. We'd be in much better shape right now had Romney won the nomination and had less "independents" (e.g., Democrats) been allowed cross over and screw up our primaries.

P.S. = Also, keep your eyes on Montana. It could end up going blue as well.

Barack Obama on Redistribution of Wealth

Besides the claim that Democrats in general support government handouts to some extent, in a 2001 interview, Barack blatantly discusses the Civil Rights movement's failure to procure redistribution of wealth in America.

Barstool Tax Policy

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20." Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $10!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!"

"That's true!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier

BMBS Book Club: The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Morris Goldwater

I too was on my lunch break the other day at Borders when I came across this cool new title. Actually, wait, that's a total lie. This book was written 48 years ago and I've already read it cover to cover at least 15 times since college when I wrote my senior history thesis on the 1964 election and its impact.

I first encountered Conscience my junior year at Georgia when I checked it out at the library late one night. Written at the height of the Cold War, this short 150-page masterpiece made the case for conservatism during a time of liberal dominance in Washington. Goldwater, a Senator from Arizona, was the first prominent Republican politician to seriously question the New Deal and scathingly attack the "Me Too" Republicanism that was prominent in his party. He argued that Social Security should be voluntary, that taxes and spending should be slashed, that power unconstitutionally usurped by FDR should rightfully be returned the States, and that Soviet Communism should be defeated, not merely contained. Here is a sample quote from the book's first chapter:

I have little interest in streamlining government, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is "needed" before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents' "interests," I shall reply that I was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can.

Man wouldn't it be cool if Arizona senators running for president still talked like this today. Anyway, Goldwater would later run for president in 1964 and lose in one of the biggest landslides in American political history. This was due largely to Kennedy's assassination less than a year before and to Johnson's ability to portray Goldwater as a far right, anti-poor extremist who would ignite World War III and kick elderly dependents out of their homes and into the streets. The Johnson campaign's "Daisy Girl" ad, probably the most famous political TV ever made, suggested that Goldwater would provoke all-out nuclear war.

To be fair, Goldwater didn't help matters with a series of off-the-cuff remarks made during the course of the campaign, including ones like "We ought to lob one into the men's room of the Kremlin" and "Sometimes I think this country would be better off if we just sawed off the Eastern Seaboard and let it float out to sea." Goldwater supporters used the theme "In your heart, you know he's right," to which Johnson's people of course countered "In your gut, you know he's nuts." Johnson devastated Goldwater 61% to 38% on election day. I am happy to report that all 4 of my grandparents were in this 38% minority.


Anyway, Goldwater ended up being the most important losing candidate of the 20th century. He led the Sunbelt in a conservative takeover of a party previously dominated by Northeastern, country-club liberals. He is one of the primary reasons why the South started voting Republican after a century of unwavering Democratic allegiance. The grassroots, anti-establishment nature of his movement laid the foundation for GOP successes decades later. As George Will likes to say, "Goldwater won the '64 election, it just took 16 years to count the votes."

I would recommend this book to basically anyone who already thinks like me and actually cared enough to read the past 5 paragraphs.

BMBS Book Club: Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis

On one of my almost daily trips to Barnes & Noble on my lunchbreak, I was perusing the books in the music section. It was there I first stumbled across Scar Tissue, which is the autobiography of Anthony Kiedis and the story his involvement with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I'll admit that although I liked the Chili Peppers, I was never really a huge fan. While their sound has always been fresh and exciting, I've always felt their lyrics somewhat nonsensical and a little hard to relate to since they were so out there. I picked it up and started skimming through and was blown away. I couldn't put it down, so I bought it and stopped the other book I was reading.

That was a couple weeks ago and I've nearly finished it. It's honestly one of the best books I've read in a long time. His story is great on so many levels, from the formation of the band, to the relationships between him and his friends, to his battles with drug addiction, to the women in his life who inspired his music.

Earlier I said that while I enjoyed their sound, the Chili Peppers lyrics seemed foreign to me, but what has struck me most about this book is the context it placed on their lyrics. Throughout the book, interspersed with Kiedis's outstanding prose, are lyrics to Chili Peppers songs that he wrote and how they apply to where he was in his life and where we, as the reader, are in his story. Seeing the lyrics in that context helps them make a little more sense.

This has been an outstanding read so far and I can't recommend this highly enough.

Tax Proposals

91 - 0

That was the score of a high school football game.  From Rivals:

ESTERO, Fla. - The Estero High football staff gathered in head coach Rich Dombroski's office late Friday, almost in stunned silence.

Earlier that night, Estero lost to Naples High by 13.

Not by 13 points. By 13 touchdowns. That's right: Naples 91, Estero 0.

All-purpose back Greg Pratt helped Naples pile on the points.

The rout fallout has been growing since the game ended.

"Hey," offered Estero defensive line coach Pat Hayes after the one-sided affair, "I didn't even know 91 was a multiple of seven."

With that, the coaches all got a much-needed laugh.

A half-hour away in Naples, Eagles coach Bill Kramer—the man on the winning end—could use one of those.

He looked at the scoreboard late in the game, saw 91-0, and said he felt sick to his stomach. Kramer's team ran only 31 plays and he kept most of his best players on the sideline—for the entire game in some cases. But still Kramer knew what was coming.

Soon after the game ended, his inbox began filling with angry e-mails, some from Estero parents wondering why so many points were necessary, some from Naples parents wondering why their kids didn't play more in an effort to pad their stats.

"There's only one way to describe it," Kramer said. "Just bizarre."

The schools aren't far off in size: Estero has about 1,400 high schoolers, Naples roughly 1,700.

But the pedigree of the football programs couldn't be more different.

Estero is rebuilding from the lowest level, with Dombroski in his first year at the school and having inherited a program that had simply crumbled. Naples is the reigning state Class 3A champion, and a contender to win the title again. Naples has players committed to Division I schools like Ohio State already and a roster filled with talent at every position. Estero has no college prospects and only about 25 healthy or so players remaining on its roster.

"Some of us, most of us, well, all of us were intimidated," said Tyler Eastridge, a free safety who may be exaggerating when he says he weighs a 150 pounds.

Naples led 70-0 at the half; only four of the 1,420 games reported by member schools to the Florida High School Athletic Association this season have seen teams score more than 70 points.

"It was David versus Goliath," Dombroski said, "and David didn't have a stone to throw."

The national record books are incomplete, but a score like 91-0 won't register a blip on the list of all-time defeats. It wasn't even the most lopsided score in the country this weekend—in Ohio, Beechcroft beat Centennial 96-0, taking knees on plays in the fourth quarter to avoid triple figures.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, five teams have scored more than 200 points in a game, with the record believed to be 256 by Haven (Ky.) High in 1927.

Dombroski isn't blaming Naples.

"Naples did absolutely nothing wrong," Dombroski said. "We just didn't do anything right."

Kramer has been in this spot before.

In 2001, the Golden Eagles scored 63 first-quarter points and beat Lely High — ironically, where Dombroski's girlfriend teaches today—85-0, and Kramer suddenly became the target of perceptions that he intentionally ran up the score.

But in that game, just as on Friday, Naples had some of its starters not play at all, and others just for one or two series.

	Carlos Hyde paves the way

"We've been through it before and you never want to go through it again," Kramer said. "There were people ready to burn my house."

It's an unsettling time again.

The Naples Daily News ran a poll asking if Kramer and his team "should be ashamed" over the result, and by Monday afternoon, the vote was nearly dead-even: 239 no, 225 yes.

Hearing that, even Dombroski shook his head. He e-mailed Kramer on Monday to reiterate that Naples did nothing wrong, but that's hardly the only opinion swirling around Naples these days.

"My daughter plays basketball and there's a local team that's really good and when they're about to score 100, there's no polls about that," Kramer said. "When the local lacrosse team wins 24-0, where's the outrage? Or when kids win 6-0, 6-0 in tennis? We score 10 touchdowns and everybody loses their minds.

"The real irony is we've got some of our parents upset that their kids didn't play or didn't play enough. And you just say, 'Wow."'

Dombroski knew when he took the Estero job that there would be days like Friday, but he said the 91-0 thumping might help him turn the program around.

"We won't forget this. I won't forget this," said Dombroski, whose freshman program is off to a 4-1-1 start this year, a sign that better days could be ahead for Estero. "We're not going to lay down. We're going to fight for 48 minutes, every time we're out there."

So on Monday afternoon, when school got out at 1:45, the Estero High football team headed to its locker room and prepared for practice. New scouting reports were waiting for them, and soon the team headed onto the field for practice, their blue jerseys whipping in the wind as they stretched.

"Our team might not be winning or might not be on top right now," said right guard Mike Perez. "But we all have to do the best we can do. We can't forget that."

And so, they were back to work, which they'll need. This week, Estero plays Cape Coral—a team that nearly beat Naples.

http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=862709

I'm Still Not Stimulated

I overheard a few analysts on CNN earlier today talking about Congress' plan to pass a 2nd economic stimulus bill (since the first one did its job so well). I've explained numerous times on here why such initiatives aren't helpful. Government can't create wealth; it can only transfer it from Peter to Paul.

Anyway, this Democratic commentator on CNN mentioned how we need another stimulus bill that will "rebuild our crumbling infrastructure" (Is it really crumbling? Diamond Causeway and Truman look just fine to me. Hm. Whatever.), constructing new bridges and dams that will "create thousands of new, good-paying jobs" during these tough times, just like during the New Deal.

This proposal got me thinking: if "job creation" is the ultimate goal here, why don't we pass a bill that calls for the construction of 10 (or 100?) new dams in the Potomac River around Washington D.C. And let's pay each worker that helps build these new dams an annual salary of...say...$300,000 per year. Seems well-paying enough. And...oh yeah, instead of allowing the workers to use productive, high-powered industrial equipment like bulldozers and cranes, let's say they can only use...spoons. That way lots of new jobs would be required, and we'd really be able to get this economy going!!

In addition to the dams, we could build hundreds of new bridges too. And parks. And monuments. And pyramids. This would eliminate joblessness and the economy would really get a good jolt! Times might be tough now but it's okay because Washington can save us all with full employment by creating millions and billions and gazillions of new jobs! Who's with me?

More Than 100 Reasons to Vote Against Barack Obama

Check out this Catholic priests' blog (sorry for the association to religion, Ryan) for 100 Reasons to Vote Against Barrack Obama.

McCain may be a poor choice, but he's better than the alternative.

Barak Obama and the American Flag

I just received the following in a forwarded email. Does anyone know if the below was truly said? I can never be sure with forwards.

If so, what a son of a bitch Obama is.

Perhaps there are SOME out there who are beginning to get 'the picture'. The following is a narrative taken from Sunday Morning's televised "Meet The Press'. and the author is employed by none other than the Washington Post!! Yeah......the Washington Post of New York and Los Angeles Times fame!! Must say that I'm dually impressed.................. From Sunday's Televised "Meet the Press" Senator Obama was asked about his stance on the American Flag.

Obama Explains National Anthem Stance Sun, 07 Sept. 2008 11:48:04 EST, General Bill Ginn' USAF (ret.) asked Obama to explain why he doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.

The General also stated to the Senator that according to the United States Code,
Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171... During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. At the very least, "Stand and Face It"

Senator Obama Live on Sunday states, "As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides, Obama said. 'There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression. And the anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all. It should be swapped for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing.' If that were our anthem, then I might salute it."We should consider to reinvent our National Anthem as well as to redesign our Flag to better offer our enemies hope and love. It's my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of acceptance to our Middle East Brethren. If we as a Nation of warring people, should conduct ourselves as the nations of Islam, whereas peace prevails. Perhaps a state or period of mutual concord between our governments.

When I become President, I will seek a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity, and a freedom from disquieting oppressive thoughts. We as a Nation have placed upon the nations of Islam an unfair injustice.

My wife disrespects the Flag for many personal reasons. Together she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past, many years ago. She has her views and I have mine". Of course now, I have found myself about to become the President of the United States and I have put aside my hatred. I will use my power to bring CHANGE to this Nation, and offer the people a new path of hope. My wife and I look forward to becoming our Country's First Family. Indeed, CHANGE is about to overwhelm the United States of America.

WHAAAAAAAT the Hell !!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you heard it right. This could possibly be our next President.
I, for one, am speechless.

Dale Lindsborg,

Washington Post

UH....OHHH!!!

This is a 6 minute recap of a House Committee hearing on the housing crisis. I know it's long but it keeps getting better, and better, and better.

What you will find is that the Republicans on the committee almost universally question the liquidity of the assets of Fannie and Freddie, call for more regulation, and warn that American taxpayers will eventually have to pay for irresponsible lending.

Democrats, on the other hand, are "pissed off" that they would spend taxpayers' money to question the "outstanding leadership" of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which did not need to be fixed since they were "not broken".

Why were the Two-faceacrats so deep in the tank for the lending institutions?? Simple. A cornerstone of their neo-socialist policy is that every single American should own a home. In the interest of fairness, the Bush administration was a willing participant in this dangerous game. In defense of weak economic numbers, one of the first talking points out of the White House has been "...but minority home ownership is at record levels".

This crisis is a "result of greedy Wall Street fat cats"??? Maybe so, but ONLY with a wink and a nod from the hammer- and sickle-toting Left.

"Irresponsible lack of regulation on the part of Republicans"?

Get your popcorn ready.