September Talking Points

- BC defeated what is probably the best 5A team in Savannah Thursday night. In other words, had the Cadets decided to play in 5A this year, they'd at least go 8-2, possibly 9-1. With that comes a guaranteed playoff spot, Saturday morning front page headlines, rekindled local rivalries, higher attendance with more games at Memorial Stadium, and a program and student/alumni body that feels a lot better overall about itself and can walk with swagger around town again.

- John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin for VP was a masterstroke of political genius. Ms. Palin not only appeals to moderate women voters, but also to me. She's pro-gun, pro-life, pro-drilling, fiscally conservative, and hot. She's also a sharp and fiesty debater, so it should be fun to watch Biden try to take her on. I've never been a McCain type of guy but I may be more likely to vote for him now just because of her.

- Georgia might be #1 but they are going to catch hell against pretty much every opponent after Central Michigan. Kentucky just got done devouring Louisville. Alabama skewered Clemson last night. And Florida put Hawaii to worse shame than the 'Dogs did back in January. Tech and Vandy may even be formidable.

- And finally, Hurricane Gustav will likely hit parts of New Orleans some time tomorrow. Everything is starting to look familiar but history should not repeat itself because Louisiana has a real governor this time around.

Post-Denver

I was luckily able to catch most of the major speeches from the DNC this week in Denver, Colorado. I must say I now feel far more educated, enlightened, and hope-filled in the wake of hearing some of the most narcissistic, self-aggrandizing greatest orators this country has ever had.

The first thing I quickly became aware of is that things are bad right now. Really bad. We've got single working moms with no health care whose minimum-wage jobs just got outsourced living under bridges next to veterans with blown-off arms who can't afford food for their uninsured kids who will never be able to afford to go to college. And all of these people were doing great until, of course, George W. Bush came into office. It wasn't until W entered the White House and decided to make all of these people poor that our national nightmare of the last 8 years began.

Now I've never met or seen any of these downtrodden folks, but this is probably because I live in The Landings. It's probably because I whiz past Butterbean Beach and Thunderbolt Bridge too fast to notice all of these hopeless souls living under there that have never had it so bad. But don't be thrown off: these people are out there. Somewhere. Trust me. And one thing's for sure: something needs to be done. Now more than ever, we need a man with a plan. As a young, educated white person, I feel guilty and I really, really want somebody to step up and fix things. Poverty, the environment, the economy. All of these things have gotten worse during the last 8 years, I guess, so it's clearly time for action and shared responsibility.

The next thing I realized is that Barack Obama, a first term senator from Illinois, is the man for such a job. He can and will single-handedly fix all of the country's ills if we would just allow him. Obama is a superb leader because he is both bold and humble. Bold because he is willing stand up to those miserly business owners and taxpayers and tell them it's time to step up and pay more than just a meager 40% of what you take home. Humble because he only needs to evangelize in front of 80,000 jubilant supporters to hear him refer to himself in the first-person plural, proclaiming that "We are the change we've been waiting for."

He also has a proven track record on leadership filled with real-world accomplishments, like being a United States Senator in 2005, being a United States Senator in 2006, and being a United States Senator in 2007. And finally, he's black. I mean c'mon, even if you're not Democrat, wouldn't it just be cool if we had a black president? Kind of like Tiger Woods!

In closing, I was in tears last night, much like the hundreds of thousands who turned out in Denver. I was gripped by sheer elation as I listened to one man's personal hopes, dreams, and ambitions for acquiring power. And now more than ever I am filled with hope that government can and will solve all of society's problems, even ones that may not exist in the first place.

It's time...

The long wait is finally over.

It Ain't Easy Bein' Green...

This jackass was busy smelling his farts when he wrecked his Prius.

BIG IDEA!!!

I'm too lazy to upload a picture to grab your attention, so I just used caps in my title.

We leave the Weather Channel on in the lobby at work and after hearing about our newest Tropical Storm, Gustav, I got a pretty good idea.

I know the National Weather Service is obviously a government organization, but there's money to be made when it comes to the naming of storms. Why not sell the naming rights? Obviously, the big brands wouldn't go near an advertising medium that has the ability to level cities and kill people, but gambling sites and other niche market startups could snap up some great exposure with a storm named after their company.

While Quaker Oats would suffer immensely from a Hurricane Cap'n Crunch fiasco, think of the potential customers that could be reached with endless weather coverage of Tropical Storm Xango or Hurricane GoldenPalace.com. If some entrepreneur could figure out a way to secure the naming rights from the National Weather Service, he'd make a mint.

... AND THAT'S MY BIG IDEA!!!

Who Dat Tryin' to Beat BC?

Today was the first day of school at BC, so I thought I would give the BMBS readers a preview of the 2008 football team.

Quarterbacks B-
JR Alex Hunt has the unenviable task of replacing one of the all-time great QBs to wear the maroon and white. Hunt is built just like the departed DeFilippis, however A.J. was slightly taller and a little more agile. Luckily, Hunt will not be relied on to make plays. With a stable of talented running backs, his job will be to simply manage the offense. Look for FR Michael Summers to see a good amount of playing time as well. Summers is an extremely talented athlete from Statesboro that many are tabbing as a future blue-chip college recruit. It will be interesting to see how Coach Herndon handles the QB battle between the experienced junior and the talented freshman.

Running Backs A+
The Cadets return the best backfield they have had since the late 90s. SR Caleb Collins runs like a greased pig. He is incredibly quick, shifty and his small stature allow him to hide behind the line. JR John Williams is the thunder to Collins' lightening. Williams has excellent vision and the ability to break tackles. Adding depth will be SR Cam White and SO Aric Brown. These two are talented enough to start on most teams in this area.

Offensive Line C+
The OL suffered the biggest hit to graduation as SR Joey Rutherford is the only returning starter. Rutherford was an All-Region performer in 2007. SR Alex Miles was the only other lineman to see action last season. SO Bradley Wilkerson would have been a regular last year, however he was relegated to the JV and Freshmen teams. Wilkerson is a giant and is a potential D1 recruit if he grows a few inches. JR Tommy Dodsworth has a very large frame and could have a breakout year if his work ethic improves. SO Luke Pashke will fill the last spot at tackle. Originally a linebacker, Pashke was the best candidate to fill the void at tackle. The Cadets have very little quality depth on the OL.

Tight Ends & Receivers B-
SR Joseph McCuen looked to be a potential All-Region TE in 2008, however a broken arm will sideline him for most of the season. JR Andrew Whelan has been forced into the starter's role and lacks the strength and pass-cathching ability McCuen had. JR Joey Friess returns as the slot man. I don't know who will play receiver this year. I am guessing RBs Cam White and Aric Brown might be split out and QB Michael Summers may also see some action. It doesn't really matter, though. Hunt is not much of a passing threat, so I doubt BC throws the ball more than five times a game.

Defensive Line A-
SR Clinton Joyce return for his third year as a starter and SR Timmy Smith returns as well. With Bill Brasky-esque stature, Smith surprised a lot of people last year and might draw some interest from some D1 schools. The Cadets will likely rotate a few people at the other DL spot. I expect JR Andrew Johnson to see a lot of playing time.

Defensive Ends C+
The Cadets lost two good DEs to graduation. JR Colin Oxnard and SO Kavie Rutherford will be the starters in 2008. Rutherford has the potential to be an All-Region performer by the time he graduates.

Linebackers A-
SR Stephen Danello is lone returning starter, however JR Taylor Robinson did see a good amount of playing time last year. This will be one of the best LB tandems in the region.

Defensive Backs B+
SR Dennis Green and JR Matt Shay have the potential to be All-Region performers. Green is a great cover man and Shay will knock you head off from his safety spot. JR Howie Pavlo was forced into a starting role last season due to injuries. Pavlo is small, but quick and tough; a lot like Kevin Sheahan. The remaining slot is up for grabs. SR Wynn More, JR Cody Davis, JR Will Summerlin, JR Kirk Long and JR Stephen Humphrey will all compete for playing time.

Special Teams B+
FR James Deal (yes, grandson of Coach Harry Deal '45) is the best kicker BC had had since Scott Shelton. If he continues to improve, he will draw D1 interest as a senior. QB Alex Hunt will likely handle the punting duties and will do a good job. RBs Caleb Collins and John Williams will be a dynamite set of return specialists. Kick coverage was a problem for the Cadets last year and is the only reason ST did not receive an A.

Handball: And You Though Soccer Was Retarded

While I fully accept that my love of the beautiful game of soccer is not shared with other members or readers of BMBS, I have to point out that things could be a lot worse.

Take, for instance, Handball. This game appears to have been developed by people with no athletic skill whatsoever. The few rules of the game are lazily enforced and dribbling is merely a suggestion. The object of the game is to move the ball down the court, using your hands, and throw the ball into the goal which is being guarded by a goalkeeper. Essentially, when you're in the attacking third, the best strategy is to throw the ball to a spot the keeper can't get to, like the bottom corners, top corners, or a girl's house.

This game is played all over the world by people who lack the coordination to play real sports and Wikipedia claims the sport has over a billion players worldwide. I tried getting onto more reputable league and governing body sites, but I can't read Turkish or Korean.

Teams usually score 50 to 70 goals in a game, so watching Handball is even less exciting than the NBA, if that's possible.

And this is an Olympic Sport.

Eat it, France

Unfortunately this is the best quality version available on YouTube at the moment. Still worth watching, though.

Phil Hartman Fridays

Culturally Appropirate Health-Care (by Don Boudreaux)

The Latest From Cafe Hayek

Posted: 06 Aug 2008 10:15 AM CDT,

Here's a letter that I sent today to the Washington Post:

La Clinica del Pueblo's Mauricio Silva boasts that his clinic supplies "culturally appropriate health care" (Letters, August 6). I love this idea! And I presume that in this age in which diversity is celebrated and all cultural preferences are equally respected and protected, I can receive my own culturally appropriate health care.

In my culture - call it individualist - I am not forced to pay for anyone's health care and no one is forced to pay for mine. I'm free to choose to buy health-care insurance as long as it isn't forcibly subsidized. And persons in my culture are mortally offended at the prospect of being forced to participate in any collective scheme of health-care financing or provision.

I call upon all persons who respect diverse cultures to stand up for mine, which today is endangered - to help me and my fellow individualists protect our culture from forcible assimilation with the dominant one that is arrogantly trying to strip us of our unique cultural folkways.

Sincerely,

Donald J. Boudreaux

Personal Income and Outlays Increased in June

From looking at the raw data, the U.S. economy has slowed... but is still strong. Don't let liberals tell you the economy is in ruins when in fact it is still growing.

Americans' personal income increased $6.8 billion in June, according to figures released by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis on August 4, 2008. Revised figures for May show an increase of $219.3 billion. Personal outlays in June increased $60.8 billion after an increase of $80.2 billion in May. Personal consumption expenditures increased $57.1 billion in June, compared with a May increase of $76.5 billion. Personal saving was $275.9 billion in June, compared with $547.0 billion in May.

Who Dat Tryin' to Teach BC?

A member of the Class of 2001 was hired on Friday to fill the recently vacated position of Biology teacher. Now, from the choices below, pick who you think the new teacher is. (Joe, you cannot play since you already know the answer.)

A. Adam Clary
B. Brennan Lemieux
C. Michael Jefferson
D. Jordan Meadows

Ferrell Fridays