Thanks for the Memories

Many are happy to see Brackett go, but I wanted to take this opportunity to say thanks coach, for giving us October of 1997. In conjunction with the previous season, this was the high water mark of BC football post-1983. After coming off huge wins against Bradwell and Glynn, the Cadets looked unstoppable. Like the Spice Girls and beanie babies, this short-lived era of regularly being ranked in the AJC was over before we knew it. Still, it made for one hell of a freshman year. So without further adeiu, here are the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class AAAA rankings from October 26, 1997:

1. Brookwood (8-0-0)
2. Lowndes (8-0-0)
3. Benedictine (7-0-0)
4. McEachern (7-1-0)
5. Clarke Central (6-2-0)
6. Parkview (5-2-0)
7. Valdosta (6-2-0)
8. North Cobb (7-0-0)
9. Bradwell Institute (6-1-0)
10. LaGrange (6-1-0)
11. Mays (6-1-0)
12. Shaw (7-1-0)
13. Fayette County (6-2-0)
14. Northside (Warner Robins) (5-2-0)
15. Wheeler (6-1-0)

And the weekly rankings below chronicle the Cadets' dramatic rise and fall that season:

#15 (0-0-0) 8/24/1997 Preseason
#15 (0-0-0) 9/1/1997 Week 1
#14 (1-0-0) 9/8/1997 Week 2
#13 (2-0-0) 9/15/1997 Week 3
#12 (3-0-0) 9/22/1997 Week 4
#10 (4-0-0) 9/29/1997 Week 5
#7 (5-0-0) 10/6/1997 Week 6
#7 (5-0-0) 10/13/1997 Week 7
#3 (6-0-0) 10/20/1997 Week 8
#3 (7-0-0) 10/27/1997 Week 9
#10 (7-1-0) 11/3/1997 Week 10

Courtesy of www.ghsfha.org

Greek Socialism Returns

According to the Red and Black, a handful of students met last night at the request of President Adams to discuss the "party culture" at the school and what to do about it. (First of all, I've been up here for 4 and a half years. I wasn't aware there was a problem, so I'm not sure why anything has to be done about anything, but apparently that decision has already been made for me.) Anyway, the forum consisted of about 30 students, mostly student group representatives and leaders (AKA, losers), where apparently a wide range of topics and "solutions" were discussed concerning this "problem", ranging from providing better communication between alcohol awareness groups and fraternities and sororities, to providing more funds for awareness education across the board. I could spend countless paragraphs on just how fruitless these efforts would be, but there was one quote by the president of the Panhellenic Council that really set me off:

This is beyond education. We need to fund alternatives to going downtown.

When I read this sentence it was like hearing fingernails screeching down a chalkboard.

Why more public funding? Everything has costs, and there's no free lunch, so why take more of people's tuition and put it towards something that obviously isn't in demand? The alternatives are already there. Bowling alleys, movie theaters, putt-putt, concerts, all provided thanks to the free market. What other alternatives do you want?

The reason why downtown Athens has so many bars is because people demand them. College kids are willing and able to go to them and drink because that's what college kids do. I, for example, regularly "fund" Bourbon Street and Allgood, whereas Walker Persons the Third may decide to fund Beauregard's or Gus's, and we're both happy at the end of the night. In addition, Blake the Baptist, who doesn't drink, may decide to fund Coldstone Creamery instead. We all get what we want.

But now Miss Panhellenic wants to take me, Walker, and Blake's money and put it toward something that none of us need or want, all in the name of her ardent crusade of fighting alcohol abuse, which will fail miserably anyway because it's completely out of touch with reality. Kids are going to drink. There will always be irresponsible toolbags who will take it too far. That's not my problem, nor is it my fault. Please stop trying to throw more of our dollars at problems that don't exist. The money will be much more efficiently spent when it's in our own hands anyway. Finally, stop knee-jerkingly turning to government, the most inefficient thing ever created, to plan, create, build, and fulfill your utopian dream where everyone drinks Sprite and plays free pinball at the Tate Center on Friday nights.

Welcome home, Bob.

Now go win us some games!

You Heard it Here First

Herndon will be the next head coach. Looks like I'll be paying for my own prize.

Free Advice

The Red and Black reports that $2 million will be donated for an "Alcohol Education Center," to be built next year, in response to the rise in drinking-related deaths on campus. UGA is also considering implementing alcohol education and awareness classes for undergraduates.

Well I've been doing some research, and I've decided to go ahead and save the community this $2 million dollars by educating everyone right here, right now. This might take a while to read through, but I really want everyone to be thoroughly educated. Ok, here goes:

Don't drink too much, it's not good for you. Use common sense and take responsibility for your actions.

Actually, that's it. There's nothing else. Cutting-edge research has statistically shown that one of the best ways to avoid drinking too much is by...not drinking too much. Anyway, next week I'll cover how to avoid using illegal drugs. I'm researching this stuff right now as we speak. Should be interesting. Class dismissed.

Waste of a Human Being

Sorry, I'm gonna pull a Dixie Chicks here and let everyone know that I'm ashamed that our 39th president is from Georgia.

The other day, I was watching clips of the Coretta Scott King funeral, and minutes after Bush spoke, good old Jimmy gets up there and takes a political cheapshot, at a funeral of all places, saying he felt sorry for Mrs. King and her husband because they were subject to government wiretapping in the early 1960s. He then criticized the administration's response to Katrina. The AJC, along with countless other news outlets praised Carter for his "brave" remarks. Keep in the mind this is all at someone's funeral.

For the past 3 days I've sat back and waited for someone to actually disagree with this viewpoint. Finally, I watched O'Reilly tonight. I usually agree with about 75% of everything he says, but he hit this one on the head. He asked a simple question: what if Bush said, during his speech, that it was a shame government wiretapping was used on people like Mr. and Mrs. King by the Democratic Kennedy Administration, but that today we should be thankful to have organizations like the NSA, which only gives the government the legal authority under the constitution to wiretap those who are a direct threat to our security, like suspected terrorists? Can you imagine how the Atlanta Journal would have responded then? They'd have called it political exploitation of worst degree. But no, not when Jimmy talks. He builds houses for poor people so they won't feel the need to work for them. He teaches Sunday school. He sits next to Michael Moore at political conventions. He meets with Fidel Castro, a mass-murderer, and talks about how he envies Cuba's healthcare system. He's our Jimmy, he's fighting the good fight.

Add that to the fact that he sat back and let the Soviet Union invade Afghanistan. Or gave in to the Iranians when they took American hostages. Or signed a million arms limitations agreements that meant absolutely nothing because the Russians never followed them. The press always talks about how Jimmy may not be remembered as the best president, but they praise him for his greatest, centerpiece achievement: the initiation of the Middle East Peace Process at Camp David. Yeah, that really worked out well.

In 1979, everybody was convinced that it was just a matter of time before the Soviets took over the world. You had to wait 3 hours in line to get gas because of price controls, and the federal reserve was printing more and more money, keeping inflation as high as 15%, all in attempt to achieve "full employment," whatever that means. All Jimmy would tell the people is to wear cardigans, turn down their thermostats, and start conserving, because America's best days were behind her. I don't think this country could have taken another day of this man in the White House. Thank God communism's worst nightmare succeeded him.

Finally, to be fair, I will say that Clinton's speech was good. No cheapshots and no political swipes, even though he had plenty of opportunity because he was in front of his favorite audience: black people. But no, just a solemn speech about Mrs. King and her contributions. As much as I hate Clinton, I'd still vote for him any day of the week and twice on Sunday over sorry-ass, out-of-touch Jimmy Carter.

Plan B

A confirmed source at GAVSV has reported that BC offered the job to Paul Standard of St. Pius on Monday, who subsequently turned it down. According to the source, the committee had no contingency plan and is now up Shit's Creek without a paddle.

The only two viable candidates left are Bob Herndon and John Pate, former GSU assistant. Herndon is an alum and will probably be called on next, but one must wonder if he will accept the job after being overlooked in the first round. My personal choice would be Pate. He is an excellent motivator; it has been said that players would run through a brick wall for him. He has turned down head coaching offers in the college ranks to stay at GSU. And he obviously has a lot of respect for BC's program since, out of all the vacancies in the area, this was the only job in which he expressed interest. I hope that we get one of these two guys.

Hang it up, Mic

That freight train of a rock band know as the Rolling Stones are amongst controversy once again. Supposedly, during their performance at the Super Bowl on Sunday, Mic Jagger's microphone volume was lowered when he came to lyrics involving sex. This has "outraged" the Rolling Stones and their overrated shriveled up frontman. I mean come on Mic, this isn't the Ed Sullivan show in the late sixties when it was cool for you and Jim Morrison to be badasses by disobeying the censors and saying what you wanted. You were informed of this way in advance and now are attempting to get any type of publicity for your career that wore out its welcome about 25 years ago. How about you worry less about the censors and worry more about putting on a good half time show. I mean seriously, I was offended by that sorry excuse for a performance. Towards the end, I was praying for a Salt-N-Peppa medley. The Rolling Stones are a band that needs to put themselves out of their misery. They have enough money, and they have not made a decent album in years. Just don't put me through that shit again.

Happy Birthday, BMBS

It's been a good year. We've ignited an intellectual firestorm of ideas in the blogosphere. Many are now beginning to question the validity of socialism, Hollister, energy drinks, and "Date My Mom." The Truman Parkway, for all intents and purposes, is finished. Two new conservative justices have joined the Supreme Court. State Line Cabaret's prices are lower today than they were a year ago. BC is about to hire its new head coach. The Bojangles on DeRenne Avenue is pretty much done. Unemployment is down to 4.7%. For six consecutive months, Chris Connolly has managed to not get kicked out of a bar.

But we still have work to do. Carey Hilliard's continues to raise its prices. More and more parents are sending their kids to Savannah Christian. There are no longer any oldies stations in Savannah. There remains a culture of corruption in our government and at our public universities. Kids are still using hair gel, even in the South. Cargo shorts are ubiquitous. I saw a kid yesterday in front of the library with a mesh "Vote for Pedro" hat turned to the side, talking in his usual fast-paced, high-pitched cadence to a hot girl. This has to come to an end. I have no idea who Pedro is, and neither does he. Yet another one of those tongue-in-cheek jokes that nobody even gets.

One of the most popular songs of the past year was "Golddigger" by Kanye West. Listen to the song and you'll soon realize that just about anybody in America, at least any black man, can do what Kanye does: talk. Actually, mumble is probably the better word. Somehow, he gets paid millions of dollars for doing it. Kanye makes it look so easy, because it is so easy. Yesterday while listening to the radio I heard Ray Charles' classic "Georgia on my Mind" start playing. Well hot damn, I thought, they're actually going to play an entertaining song by somebody who can sing good and play piano, someone with actual talent. Wrong. Within 5 seconds of Charles' melodic intro, rapper Ludacris breaks in and starts talking really fast about stuff I don't even understand, and have no desire to understand. I can hear all of you now: "oh come on Patrick, you're such an old man. Ludacris is talented. It's the 90's, wake up." How is Ludacris talented though? Does he sing, does he dance, does he play anything? I just don't understand how having a mouth makes someone talented. Yet millions of college/high school kids love this stuff, love to buy/download this music, and they have every God-given right to. But I have a God-given right to make fun of these people, too.

Anyway, we've only just begun. We've layed the foundation for what I hope will result in a political and social revolution among the disillusioned masses, i.e. people not from Savannah. We must never lose our optimism. May God bless us, and may God continue to bless Beach Music and Boat Shoes.

From Boortz

I hope everyone here watches FNC instead of CNN

A STUDY IN MEDIA HYPOCRISY
Would you think that any major American media outlet would be more willing to offend the world's Catholics than those practitioners of the wonderful, peaceful religion of Islam? Naw ... not in this country, right? Well, you're wrong. Let's take CNN as an example. For the first part of this lesson in hypocrisy I'll direct you to a story that appeared on CNN.com on September 28, 1999. The headline reads "Exhibit controversy makes coffee-table book a hot item." This is a story about an eight-pound coffee table book that was flying off the shelves of New York City bookstores. Why? Because of a controversy over one picture in the book .. a picture of a work of "art" in the book titled "The Holy Virgin Mary." The piece was done with elephant dung. Catholics were less than amused. So, what did CNN do? It published the story complete with a picture of the offending piece. Here's your link to check it out. Now .. we move to February 6, 2006 and another CNN.com story titled "Danes feel threatened in cartoon row." This story, of course, is about all of those peaceful Muslims rioting and threatening death and mayhem because someone drew a cartoon of their pedophile-prophet Mohammed. Here's your link for the story about these peaceful Muslims. Now ... scroll down to the bottom of the story. You'll see the notation "CNN has chosen not to show the cartoons out of respect for Islam." Well, isn't that special. Go ahead and show a painting of the Virgin Mary created out of elephant poo, but withhold the pictures of these cartoons that are causing carnage around the world. We don't want to insult Muslims, do we? Catholics? Well, apparently they're on their own.

Ohhh Billary...

Doesn't she know to keep your friends close, and your enemies closer?

Courtesy of Dennis B. Leonard

A Leonard Saved is a Leonard Earned

23 years ago today, the world's best and brightest future accountant was born in Savannah, Georgia. One of the original loyal contributors here, Stephen is a Catholic with a Protestant work ethic. He has always taken a no holds barred approach, fighting the good fight against frat guys, bible-beaters, laziness, bouncers at bars (after they discover the hidden flask), fat girls, extravagance, the Second Vatican Council, prodigality, restaurant tabs, sleep, overzealous cops, and people that don't believe the water in Augusta is cherry-flavored. You really have to have a lot of respect for a guy that, within the next 5 years, is going to be either killing Muslims or doing their taxes. Here's to 23 more years of running, pimento cheese, theft, Catholicism, Church's Chicken, frugality, industry, and intolerance.

'Preciate It, Tommy

These are Coach Cannon's words to me after I officiated BC's JV game against South Effingham last night:

Come back by the school sometime. Maybe we can get you in a PE class and teach you how to ref basketball.

Thanks for caring, Coach.

Are Justices Alito and Roberts Liberal?...

NO! I found a good case as to why.

From andrewcusack.com

The media claimed Roberts was breaking with conservatives because he refused to strike down a lower court's ruling that an Oregon physician-assisted suicide laws were constitutional. The Associated Press, meanwhile, judged Alito as "splitting with conservatives" for "refusing to let Missouri execute a death-row inmate contesting lethal injection". Because the media are generally in the same liberal camp as the judicial activism proponents they think like judicial activists and a judicial activist would think "Gee, Alito's conservative so he opposes physician-assisted suicide so he'll rule against it." But that's the point, you ninnies! The job of a Supreme Court justice is to interpret the Constitution not to usurp the legislative authority of Congress by deciding to follow our own whims, fancies, and personal beliefs. The Supreme Court justice must not say whether a law was right or wrong, or whether he would've voted for it, he must ask "Does this law contravene the Constitution of the United States" and if it does not then he is obligated to rule as such and to let the law stand regardless of his personal opinion of the law. Legislative power is appropriately invested in Congress, not the Supreme Court nor the President, and the seperation of powers is fundamental to the continued success of our Constitution.

Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito have ruled according to the law rather than to their own respective whims. This is to be commended, and could set the tone for the Roberts court as a return to normalcy after the white squall of Holmesian jurisprudence and spark a concurrent deemphasis of federal power. We can only hope and pray it will be so.

Just Get Out of the Way

Larry Kudlow has yet another great post on his blog today. Read here.

A Sign From God?

Today I was rummaging through the bookbag I take every day to work, when I found this at the bottom:

In case you have Mr. Magoo eyes like TC, it's a woman (possibly Mary) holding some roses and a crucifix with Jesus on it. There's also a rosary dangling from one arm.

How did this little statue end up in my bookbag? Did a stranger attempt a good deed by placing Mary and Jesus on my person, so that I may dwell upon the uncleanliness of my life? Or did God put it there? Either way, mission accomplished. I'm spooked. I think I may start believing what the Bible says. No, wait, God didn't write that. It was just some guys, same as the Qur'an or any other religious text. Nevermind.

More Updates

For whatever reason, we've just been in a hot news cycle lately.

1. The Search Continues. Coach Walsh's lips remain sealed on who he's leaning towards hiring in a town that cares even more about BC's head coach than Mark Richt himself. Read here.

2. Goodbye Greenspan. Today marks the end of the chairman's prosperous 18-year tenure at the Fed. Greenspan did an outstanding job of keeping the money supply sound during the good times and providing excess liquidity during the rough ones (namely, the Asian financial crisis in 1997). While we didn't go back to the gold standard, the Greenspan standard was almost as good as gold. My only criticism is when he kept rates artificially low well after the crisis was resolved, fueling the "irrational exuberance" of the late 90's, which ultimately caused the 2000-2001 recession.

3. State of Our Union. Tonight, the president is expected to "push" for ethanol fuel and other alternative energy sources. What does that mean? Did Harry Truman "push" for the invention of the television in the late 1940s? No, the market did that. Did George Bush Sr. "push" for the invention of CDs in the late 80s? No, the market did. Leave things alone, let the price system do its job. Please stop getting in the way of things.

Ryan's Superbowl Report

Like all of you, I will be watching the Superbowl this Sunday. It'll be a nice send-off for me, because personally, I have had my year's fill of football. So I'll be watching with some beer, pizza, and lots of fervor.

I'm going with Pittsburgh to win by 10. I like their offense matched up against Seattle's defense, which, let's be honest, has shown some holes over the course of this season. Also overlooked is Pittsburgh's special teams, which have really been clutch in pressure situations these past few games. The Seahawks are a good match, no doubt about that, but their run game won't have as much of its late season success against Pittsburgh's formidable line.

That whole last paragraph was made up. I know nothing about these two teams, but you probably believed me since football is an inferior sport to baseball, henceforth, dumber fans. But I will actually be watching since they show funny commercials and brand new movie trailers. I guess I'll root for Seattle since grunge came from there.

Good Job, Exxon

Exxon Mobile reported earnings of $10.7 billion last quarter, the largest of any company in history.

Awesome. They deserve it.

Kerry is at it again...

By Zach Brissett

Will Somebody Please Tell Me

...just what the hell is going on in this article.

Amazing what you can find when you google BC.

In Praise of Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart is bad for America, right? 25,000 people in Illinois don't seem to think so. That's how many people lined up to apply for 325 openings at a new store in Evergreen Park, Illinois. Apparently 25,000 people think they will be made better off working at Wal-Mart than at whatever job, if any, they currently hold.

It's amazing how the largest retailer in America, which continues to provide opportunity for hundreds of thousands of low-skilled workers whom otherwise would have lower-paying jobs or no jobs at all, gets bashed on a daily basis by countless politicians, interest groups, and "journalists" in the mainstream media, all of whom have never picked up an economics book in their lives and never think to ask the all-important question: "what's the alternative?"

Canada's Right Face

I know, I can't believe it either. Our friends to the north have elected a conservative. Prime minister-elect Stephen Harper, a free-market economist, is pro-America, pro-gun rights, pro-Iraq invasion, anti-Kyoto protocol, anti-socialist healthcare, and anti-abortion. Sorry Kelly.

Harper stupified the Canadian press during the final months of the campaign when he openly admitted that:
1) He thinks there might be a God
2) He thinks Canada should have its own military.

Shocking.

The Interview Proccess Begins

Unconfirmed reports from the AAA message board at GAVSV have Paul Standard, head coach at St. Pius X in Atlanta, interviewing today for the Benedictine job. You can find his resume here.

In five seasons at St. Pius, Standard has compiled a record of 35-20, with three state playoff births. His 2003 squad advanced to the state quartefinals. The Golden Lions finished the 2005 season with a 5-5 mark.

Standard is a St. Pius alum ('80) and attended The Citadel. The experiences of attending a Catholic school and a military school make him a natural fit for BC. He is also a young guy who could commit several years to the job. I am suspicious, though, of why he would want to leave his alma mater.

I would be content if BC went with Standard. He is not my first choice, but he does have an awesome mustache.


The same unconfirmed source reports that former Statesboro coach, Buzz Busby, will interview later this week. Busby's tenure with the Blue Devils ended prematurely and on bad terms after the 2003 season. This article explains what happened. Busby was 55-11-1 in five seasons at Statesboro. His 2001 team won the state championship, his 2000 and 2003 squads finished as runners-up.

Busby has the most impressive resume of the alleged applicant pool. He is a little old, though. Can he give BC a 7-10 year committment? Will his hardnosed style attract more kids to the team or drive them away? Will he be able to recruit the public schools? Those are my concerns.

Not so fast my friend.....

It seems that Valdosta has hired themselves a new football coach, and quite a successful one at that. Rick Tomberlin was named head coach of the 'Cats on Monday. He has been at Washington County since 1991, playing in 5 state championship games, winning 3. The interesting part is that he was at Lowndes for 3 years before being fired and heading upstate to WC. But this quote in the AJC aricle kind of got to me: "This is about getting an invitation to go to the winningest high school football program in the United States. It's the Notre Dame of high school football," Tomberlin said Monday night. That's like saying Stephen A. Smith is the Howard Cossell of broadcasting. Not quite.....

Wallace Rulz!!

Skimming the headlines on Savannahnow.com yesterday, I found this gem:

Benedictine LB Wallace Pooling His Options.

The article is about Anthony Wallace, brother to one our own BMBS bloggers, and his conundrum. Anthony was receiving interest from major D1 programs as a junior, before tearing his ACL. To expedite the rehab process, Anthony turned to swimming, a sport he participated in competitively as youngster but abandoned to focus on football. One year later, Anthony is being recruited as one of the top swimmers in the area, in addition to receiving offers to play football at Air Force, Columbia, Harvard, and Yale.

What really makes this article stand out, though, is the accompanying photograph of a bare-chested Wallace fresh out of the pool.




















To get the point across, the editor felt the need to post the picture not once...



















...but twice!

I'm disappointed that it took a day and a half for someone to comment about this. Our blog is getting lazy. St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner. We need to step it up.

Inaugurated on this date in 1981...

Read his speech here.

Read today's WSJ editorial here (no subscription required).

Born on this date in 1807....

Robert Edward Lee. Southerners used to celebrate this as a holiday before MLK came along.
Educate yourself here
"If you rely on the mainstream media for your news, you probably do not know that January 19, is the 199th anniversary of the birth of Robert E. Lee. Nor would you know that numerous celebrations will be held to honor the General on that day. I am not sure why the mainstream media ignores Lee. It is certainly not because he isn’t newsworthy. Lee is immensely popular not only throughout America but also in Europe. And when any organization compiles a listing of famous Americans, General Lee is always ranked near the top. ."

Two Months Left

Self-explanatory.

Statesboro Blues

STATESBORO, Ga. — A lawyer was taken hostage in his office near City Hall on Monday, and police cordoned off part of downtown as they tried to negotiate for the man's release.

The two suspects, a man and a woman, told police they were armed with a homemade explosive device, authorities said.

More than 11 hours into the standoff, police were still negotiating with the pair, said Trooper Larry Schnall, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol, which was sending a SWAT team to the scene.

A woman who answered the phone Monday at the office where the lawyer works said the office was closed and hung up.

Three people were initially taken hostage, but two were released unharmed, said Maggie Fitzgerald, a city spokeswoman. She said the remaining hostage had also not been harmed.

The suspects were "upset with some legal issues within the recent past and want to get those issues resolved," she said.

The man and woman said they were armed with an improvised explosive device, Fitzgerald said.

Statesboro, a city of 22,000 that is home to Georgia Southern University, is 225 miles southeast of Atlanta. The community's Martin Luther King Day parade, which was to pass by the county courthouse near the scene, was canceled because of the standoff.

5,000 and Counting

It's official. Since October, we've had over 5,000 visitors. Sure, most of this is due to recurring visits by people like us who go on a few times a day, but still, you have to remember we started this thing back in winter of last year, and I didn't put the counter on until October, so I think it's a fair assumption that we've had over 10,000 visits. Also, according to these people, the site itself is valued at over $2k. This means nothing, because 1. Google owns the webspace and 2. the valuation is probably fake anyway, because it's based on a "fantasy blog stock market" thing, whatever that means. But still, we've come a long way since that cold, blustery February day on the 3rd floor of the Student Learning Center when I didn't feel like studying.

Next month we'll celebrate 1 year. Good work ya'll.

Disappointing

This weekend, Officers found 34 grams of marijuana, 2.1 grams of powdered cocaine, prescription pills and drug paraphernalia at 124 ½ W. Perry Lane, according to a Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police report.

The discovery resulted in the arrest of Tony Brian Aliotta, 19 ( a former BC student; but not sure if he graduated from BC.) Police are now questioning Aliotta's roommate, Brannen C. Miles, along with two friends at the residence.

Officers also found a Savannah College of Art Design bookbag containing marijuana, a digital scale and Ziploc bags, the report says. Aliotta told officers the drugs belonged to him. He had the scale "to make sure (he) doesn't get ripped off," he told officers.

This arrest shouldn't be asurprisee for those who knew about Tony's circle friends. But this story has another plot to it. You see, Brannen C. Miles was with Jennifer Ross when she was shot be armed robbers, Christmas Eve night on Orleans Square. Miles and Ross were on their way to Aliotta's Perry Lane apartment, adjacent to Orleans Square, when the robbery and shooting took place.

Police are still searching for suspects in the Ross case, no arrests have yet been made. Police have said Tony's arrest was a result of an increase of patrol officers started after the Dec. 24th shooting of Jennifer Ross. Aliotta is being held at the Chatham County jail on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana more than an ounce and possession of drug-related objects.

Happy Birthday Pat!

Today is the birthday of all birthdays. One John Patrick Holland was born today, 23 years ago in a little town north, north-west of Savannah.

This man would grow up to be one of the most feared UGA Law School Students of all time. Why? BECAUSE HE'S NOT LIBERAL!

We solute you John Patrick, for all the smart ass sarcastic puns that very few outside of BC understand. May the Beatles and 60's beach music echo in eternity.

Below is a picture of Pat starting his first day of Law School. Courtesy of Mrs. Holland, Pat's loving mother.

I'm sure everyone has read this before...

but i figure yall might want to read this again.

If your from Atlanta, you'll like this:



ATLANTA, GEORGIA



This is for anyone who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, has ever lived in

Atlanta, has ever visited Atlanta, ever plans to visit Atlanta,

knows anyone who already lives in Atlanta, or knows anyone who has

ever heard of Atlanta. Atlanta is composed mostly of one-way

streets. The only way to get out of downtown Atlanta is to turn

around and start over when you reach Greenville, South Carolina.



All directions start with, "Go down Peachtree" and include the

phrase, "When you see the Waffle House." Except that in Cobb County,

where all directions begin with, "Go to the Big Chicken."



Peachtree Street has no beginning and no end and is not to be

confused with:



Peachtree Circle
Peachtree Battle
Peachtree Place
Peachtree Corners
Peachtree Lane
New Peachtree
Peachtree Road
Old Peachtree
Peachtree Parkway
West Peachtree
Peachtree Run
Peachtree-Dunwoody
Peachtree Terrace
Peachtree-Chamblee
Peachtree Avenue
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Peachtree Commons



Atlantan's only know their way to work and their way home. If you

ask anyone for directions, they will always send you down Peachtree.



Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola. Coke's all they drink there, so

don't ask for any other soft drink unless it's made by Coca-Cola.



The gates at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport are about 32

miles away from the Main Concourse, so wear sneakers and pack a

lunch.



The 8a.m. rush hour is from 6:30 to 10:30 AM. The 5pm rush hour is

from 3:00 to 7:30 PM. Friday's rush hour starts Thursday afternoon

and lasts through 2am Saturday.



Only a native can pronounce Ponce De Leon Avenue, so do not attempt

the Spanish pronunciation. People will simply tilt their heads to

the right and stare at you. The Atlanta pronunciation is "pawntz duh

LEE-awn."



And yes, they have a street named simply, "Boulevard."



The falling of one raindrop causes all drivers to immediately

forget all traffic rules. If a single snowflake falls, the city is

paralyzed for three days and it's on all the channels as a news

flash every 15 minutes for a week. Overnight, all grocery stores

will be sold out of milk, bread, bottled water, toilet paper, and

beer.



I-285, the loop that encircles Atlanta, which has a posted speed

limit of 55 mph (but you have to maintain 80 mph just to keep from

getting run over), is known to truckers as "The Watermelon 500."



Don't believe the directional markers on highways. I-285 is marked



"East" and "West" but you may be going North or South. The

locals identify the direction by referring to the "Inner Loop" and

the "Outer Loop." If you travel on Hwy 92 North, you will actually

be going southeast.



Never buy a ladder or mattress in Atlanta. Just go to one of the

interstates and you will soon find one in the middle of the road.



The last thing you want to do is give another driver the finger,

unless your car is armored, your trigger finger is itchy and your

AK-47 has a full clip.



Possums sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.



There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Georgia.



There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Georgia, plus

a couple no one has seen before.



If it grows, it sticks. If it crawls, it bites. If you notice a vine

trying to wrap itself around your leg, you have about 20 seconds to

escape, before you are completely captured and covered with Kudzu,



another ill-advised "import," like the carp, starling, English sparrow,



and other "exotic wonders."



It's not a shopping cart, it's a buggy. "Fixinto" is one word (I'm

fixinto go to the store).



Sweet Tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it

when you're 2 years old.



"Jeet?" is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?"



If you understand these jokes, forward them to your friends from

Atlanta, Georgia and those who just wish they were.



Lordy, I love Jawja.

It's Time...

...to play America's new fastest-growing game show: "Who Will BC Hire?"

Here's how it works: everyone submits who they think will be hired as the Cadets' new head football coach. Winner gets a free trip to Summer Waves in Valdosta, a gift certificate for a free order of Wing-Zings at Carey Hilliards, and an autographed picture of O.C. Welch.

Since this is my idea, I have the luxury of making the first pick. Drum roll please....

I think BC will hire Bob Herndon, currently head coach at South Effingham. He's a BC grad, and was sitting next to Coach Walsh at the last home basketball game.

Somehow I have the feeling I'm the only person who will be playing this game. Whatever, more wing-zings for me.

Brackett resigns as Benedictine coach

Jim Thomas
SavannahNow.com

Benedictine football coach Tommy Brackett unexpectedly announced his resignation Sunday night at the school's fall sports banquet, saying he felt it was "just time to move on'' after 11 years.

Brackett, who posted a 79-39 overall record with the Cadets, said he informed Benedictine athletic director Jim Walsh, Sr., and principal Kelly Burke of his decision on Wednesday.

"I've been thinking about it since the end of the season,'' Brackett said. "It was a tough decision. I've been blessed to have been given the opportunity to have the best job in the city, if not in southeast Georgia. Right now, I just felt it was the best thing for me and the best thing for the school.''

He said Walsh and Burke were the only two people who knew he had decided to step down until he made the announcement. Even his coaching staff didn't know.

"We kind of kept it quiet until (Sunday),'' he said. "I thought it was important for the players to hear it from me. I didn't want any kind of false rumors circulating.

"I think they were kind of shocked. But they were all gentlemen about it. They came back and wished me the best and thanked me for all of our time together. I was really touched by the kids.''

Benedictine, traditionally one of the city's strongest programs, has been down the last three years. The Cadets have gone only 11-19 during that span, including 5-5 this season. But Brackett said that had nothing to do with his decision to step down.

"That wasn't a factor at all,'' he said. "If you look at the season this year, we played six teams with winning records and five went to the playoffs. We went 2-3 against those teams. We battled injuries toward the end. I was really proud of the team. We have a pretty good sophomore class waiting to step up next year.''
There had been speculation that Brackett would be fired after BC suffered back-to-back losing seasons in going 4-6 in 2003 and 2-8 in 2004. But he said he was not under any pressure to resign.

"Those kinds of rumors always happen when you're losing,'' Brackett said. "I just think the program needs a little jolt, some new blood. I go back to when Coach Walsh stepped down and I took over. There was some excitement and some enthusiasm. I'd like to see that for the school again.''

Prior to coming to BC in 1995, Brackett had a 40-16 record in five years as head coach at Southeast Bulloch from 1990-1994. His overall career record was 119-55 in 16 years.

Brackett, 49, said he plans to stay on at the school until the end of the year and fulfill his teaching duties. But he said he wasn't thought about coaching anywhere else.

"I haven't talked to anyone,'' Brackett said. "I'm not seeking a job and nobody's talked to me about a job.''

Walsh, who coached BC for 25 years before retiring in 1994, said Brackett's decision didn't surprise him.

"I thought he was getting restless,'' Walsh said. "His leaving didn't have anything to do with the last couple of years. That's going to happen. He was very successful here. I just think it was kind of a family thing. He has some things he wants to accomplish.''

Walsh said he had no timetable as to when Benedictine would hire a new coach.
"We know of a couple of people who might be interested,'' he said. "But we haven't really talked to anybody about it because it was so recent that (Brackett) said he wasn't coming back.''

Pass in Review: 2005

A new pope, a new chief justice, a new soft drink, a new fed chairman, a new James Bond, a new presidential term....where do we begin?

POLITICS:
Rough times for W. After being reinaugurated, he fails to get anything from his second-term agenda passed. Partially his fault, but mostly a corrupt congress headed by RINOs. His approval rating bottomed in late November, due to Katrina and the Scooter Libby mess, but I think things are beginning to turn around. Troop withdrawals and a robust economy should help him this year.

MUSIC:
Two words: Kelly Clarkson. She had 3 hit songs, all which hit #1.

MOVIES:
Most would put "Wedding Crashers" here, but I just can't. Got too serious towards the end. I'm sticking with Episode III.

SPORTS:
Georgia, picked to finish 3rd in the SEC East, suprises everyone with a conference championship.
BC improves to a 5-5 season, but most fans remain disappointed. As I type this post, reliable sources confirm that Brackett has resigned. More to come.

Additional thoughts? Please post.

We're Number Nine!

The 2006 Economic Freedom Index was released earlier this week by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal. Here's the top ten:

1. Hong Kong
2. Singapore
3. Ireland
4. Luxembourg
5. United Kingdom
6. Iceland
7. Estonia
8. Denmark
9. United States
10. Australia

We're not doing too bad, but we can do better. How can we move up the chart? Five simple steps: 1) cut taxes, 2) cut spending, 3) keep the money supply sound, 4) deregulate, 5) support free trade.

Congress, unfortunately, is more concerned with regulating major league baseball (still trying to find out where this is allowed in the Constitution) than expanding liberty. This is a problem, in a time when voters constantly ask "what is government going to do for me?" instead of "what is government going to do to get out of my way?"

"Why should I worry about one tyrant 3,000 miles away, when I should be more worried about 3,000 tyrants one mile away? A legislature can trample a man's rights as easily as a king can." -- Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) in The Patriot

Signs of Georgia

There's a barn about midway between Savannah and Athens on Highway 15 that has this painted on its side:

WE DON'T REBUILD
WE RELOAD

A reference to the terrorist attacks of September 11th? Nah. It just means the UGA football team. The big G gives that away. Anyway, you would figure these people to be huge Georgia fans, full of knowledge and devotion. Well, on my trip back on Monday, I saw their new display of informed fandom:

Ho-ho-Who's 10 - 1?
#1 UGA, that's who! Beat WVU!

Nevermind the fact that Georgia was ranked #7 and had a record of 10-2 before they, in fact, did not beat WVU.

While I was driving through that town with the railroad tracks that make your car fly like a DeLorean and the big Wal-Mart that you know everyone goes to on Sunday, I saw a billboard that wanted you to know:

Abstinence.

It's not easy...and neither are you.

Vegas Baby......Vegas

This is an open invitation to all BMBS bloggers to join me and a few of my ATLiens on a trip to beautiful Las Vegas. We would be leaving late Thursday, March 9th, returning Sunday, March 12. The conference basketball tournaments are that weekend, so there will be plenty of basketball to lose money on. If you've never been, I highly recommend you make the trip while you're still single and young. Inquire with me for further details.

It Was 83 Years Ago Today...

On December 30, 1922 the USSR was established

In post-revolutionary Russia, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is established, comprising a confederation of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasian Federation (divided in 1936 into the Georgian, Azerbaijan, and Armenian republics). Also known as the Soviet Union, the new communist state was the successor to the Russian Empire and the first country in the world to be based on Marxist socialism.

During the Russian Revolution of 1917 and subsequent three-year Russian Civil War, the Bolshevik Party under Vladimir Lenin dominated the soviet forces, a coalition of workers' and soldiers' committees that called for the establishment of a socialist state in the former Russian Empire. In the USSR, all levels of government were controlled by the Communist Party, and the party's politburo, with its increasingly powerful general secretary, effectively ruled the country. Soviet industry was owned and managed by the state, and agricultural land was divided into state-run collective farms.

In the decades after it was established, the Russian-dominated Soviet Union grew into one of the world's most powerful and influential states and eventually encompassed 15 republics--Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Belorussia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. In 1991, the Soviet Union was dissolved following the collapse of its communist government.

It Was Forty Years Ago Today...

...when the Beatles released the greatest album of all time. Before things got weird, but after all the poppy stuff, there was Rubber Soul.

How Sweet It Is

The Cadets beat Country Day 61-53 infront of a highly partisan crowd at Armstrong yesterday.

Maybe I didn't get a 1400 on my SAT, and maybe I didn't get a scholarship to Washington and Lee, but I went to BC, where the students actually show up at basketball games and raise hell. Today's article doesn't talk much about it (although last year's went into great detail), and I wasn't there (had to work) but supposedly after each Country Day's player name was announced before tipoff yesterday, the 200+ Cadet student section would yell in unison: "hey (name), YOU SUCK!" as the player walked across the court to shake hands with Coach Cannon.

Country Day's students, as usual, did not show up at the game. They were too busy growing out their hair, studying for their SATs, reading Maya Angelou books for AP English, watching Laguna Beach, and trying to act "laid back."

Thank you so much BC, for being the only school in Savannah that still gives a sh*t about anything. This is why, despite Kelly Burke, rising tuition, and other administrative missteps, you remain by far the best high school in Savannah, and America.

Bush is Drunk

No, this is not a political posting. Lord knows that I'd rather be watching The OC (Happy Chrismukkuh, on that note) than the news. This is a link to a video that slows down a press conference video to make Bush appear like he's been reliving the glory days in the Memorial Stadium parking lot.

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2685392?htv=12

Serious question, though: Are presidents allowed to get drunk? What if Bush picked a random day next month to drink himself to sleep at the White House and that night a major terrorist attack happened? Honestly, I'd like to know the course of action from that moment.

A Festivus for the rest of us.

I would like to be the very first to wish you all a very happy Festivus. Festivus is celebrated every year on December 23rd. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this holiday, I'll explain.
On the TV show, Seinfeld, Frank Costanza (George's father) created this holiday to combat the commercialization of Christmas. It's origin is explained in this conversation between Frank and Kramer.

Frank Costanza: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.
Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll?
Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born . . . a Festivus for the rest of us!
Cosmo Kramer: That must've been some kind of doll.
Frank Costanza: She was.

There are four main elements to the Festivus celebration:
The Festivus Pole: The Costanzas' tradition begins with a bare aluminum pole, which Frank praises for its "very high strength-to-weight ratio." During Festivus, an unadorned aluminum pole is displayed. The pole was chosen apparently in opposition to the commercialization of highly decorated Christmas trees, because it is "very low-maintenance," and also because the holiday's patron, Frank Costanza, "find[s] tinsel distracting."
Festivus Dinner: The Festivus dinner menu is flexible, but it should consist of filling, non-holiday comfort food (no turkey, duck, goose, or ham).
The Airing of Grievances: At the Festivus dinner, each participant tells friends and family of all the instances where they disappointed him or her that year.
The Feats of Strength: The head of the family tests his or her strength against one participant of the head's choosing. Festivus is not considered over until the head of the family has been pinned to the ground. A participant is allowed to decline to attempt to pin the head of the family only if they have something better to do instead.

Happy Festivus, everyone.

Savannah

I apologize for not posting anything yet, I've not even had a chance to read anything posted, much less write anything.

I now have the latest reason for my reassurance in the greatness of Savannah: IKEA is building a 1.7 million square foot distribution warehouse on 115 acres at the Savannah River International Trade Park. This is going to bring 15,000 more 20 foot containers through the Port. Keith Keller, IKEA North America's Distribution Services president, had this to say: "As one of the fastest growing ports in the country, Savannah offers the long-term capacity, infrastructure and geography that we were seeking to complement our distribution presence in North America. A Savannah-based distribution center will help IKEA ensure our stores continue to offer well designed and functional home furnishings at affordable prices." (source- Atlanta Business Chronicle) IKEA is following Target and Walmart with putting a distribution facility at the Port.

"With Katrina aftermath, many meetings will be relocated to Savannah and the Golden Isles, and that hurricane will also boost container traffic at the already-booming Port of Savannah," said UGA economist Jeff Humphreys, director of the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the Terry College of Business. (source- Atlanta Business Chronicle)

Compare home prices as well: Charlestown's average home price in 2004 was $307,400. In Atlanta, the average price in 2004 was $303,000. In Jacksonville, the average was $290,778. Savannah's average home price last year was $247,375. (source- Savannah Chamber of Commerce)

Oh and for silver lining, since the above is so horrible, Savannah's employment is forcasted to rise 2.5% in 2006.

Liberal Buzz Words.

Liberals are like frat dudes; they say certain words to feel apart of the gang. Here is a sample of liberal buzz words that I've noticed in UGA's paper daily newspaper The Red and Black.

Progressive
Disenfranchisement
Multicultural
Inclusive
Disadvantaged
Diversity
Acceptance
Tolerance
Transgender (What the hell is that?)
Discrimination
Equality
Solidarity
Awareness
Offensive
Empowerment

Disclaimer: The list is not exhaustive by any means.

Braves Update

If you have any self-respect, you are curious as to what has been happening with your Atlanta Braves since the season ended. Never fear, for I am here for you.

Rafael "Fookie" Furcal = gone. The Dodgers got a new GM who is spending the big bucks, and in the case of the ol' Buckhead Booze Bandit, he shat out a wee too much. Catfish Face wanted to stay where he has been his first five years of his career, but the Dodgers are getting serious about building a good team this year.

Edgar Renteria - our new shortstop. We completely ripped off the Red Sox by getting this All Star in exchange for a prospect. This prospect, Andy Marte, has been hyped up a lot, but he could only play third base, and Chipper isn't going anywhere. In fact, Chipper volunteered, for the second year in a row, to reduce his salary so that we could spend more money elsewhere. Renteria didn't have a great year for Boston, but they gave up on him too easily. They just lost Johnny Damon to the Yankees, so next year they will be as worthless as TC trying to get muscle definition from his workouts.

Dan Kolb, the worthless sack who ruined many games and John Smoltz's 2005 win count, got his ass shipped back to Milwaukee. To further prove how bad we wanted to get rid of him: the pitcher we got in exchange wasn't even offered a contract by the Braves.

The Braves are up for sale. Hopefully we will get a human owner; anything would be better than being owned by some faceless corporation who could care less about winning as long as there is profit being made. A bigger budget would be great, but the White Sox won this year with $70 million - 10 million less than what we have now.

Now our biggest issue is getting a closer. They are seriously considering trying Reitsma as the full-time guy, but if you're like me, you'd rather see Ms. Dolan up on the mound. Beware the Jane Train.

Thank you, friends.

Today is truly a proud day for me. I could not have asked for a better Christmas gift. I'd like to thank my new collegues here at BMBS for giving me the opportunity to contribute my thoughts to this fine blog. You will not be disappointed.

Hey Joe

Joseph Wood attended St. James Catholic School, where he graduated in 1997. He then went on to attend the best high school in America (surprise, surprise) Benedictine Military School. While at BC, he coined what would become one of the most popular phrases used at high school parties when girls showed up - "Put out, or get out." He was also on the 2000 region championship football team his senior year. In 2001, rumors circulated connecting Wood's identity with The Sixth Man. These allegations remain unconfirmed.

Upon graduation, Wood joined TC at Play-it Again/Pro-Play sports. He also played bass for Arm the Bears, a progressive art rock trio. Joe then went on to attend Georgia Southern University in Statesboro Georgia, where the only "Happy Hour" left is the 60-minute drive on I-16 to Savannah Friday after class.

It's Spelled "Doggy" Style

I really hate me some UGA fans, but this is actually pretty funny. Well played. Kudos the the girls that played along.

What about Wood?

I received the following message from Joe Wood via facebook earlier today:

It's time.

I'm going to present my case to become a BMBS contributor. Please post the following.
Since December of 2005, I have been a devout follower of BMBS. I fell I would make an exemplary contributor to this fine blog. I recall now the second post of BMBS:

"Qualifications for membership in this elite club will probably include but may not be limited to: graduating from BC, being Irish (except Arvind Raman), liking Savannah, thinking it is better than Charleston, not using the words "dude" and "like" more than necessary (which means never), and not being from the metro Atlanta area."

I meet most of not all these criteria. I graduated from BC, my mother's maiden name is Murray, I love Savannah as my home, Charleston sucks, I have impeccable grammar and syntax, and I would rather be homeless than live in Atlanta.

True, there are some skeletons and, possibly even worse, not a single pair of boat shoes in my closet. Here they are:
1. Yes. I dated a girl from Savannah Christian in high school. She was nice though, y'all met her.
2. I did not remain in JROTC for my senior year. I was too busy getting paid to play football.
3. I left the St. Patrick's Day parade early. My girlfriend at the time was with me and the weather was miserable. I did stay to see the Cadets march, and that's the real reason there's a parade in the first place.

That is all I have to say. Merry Christmas to all.
-Joe Wood '01

Please let me know what ya'll think, either through email or comments. While I have never listened to 311 and I think soccer is gayer than Ricky Martin wearing Hollister drinking a Smirnoff Ice in Buckhead, I think Wood would (haha) still make a fine addition. He has been our most avid follower since day one, and I think he's made a decent case. That having been said, I still don't want BMBS to eventually go the way of "Who's Who Among American High School Seniors" either. If we let Joe in, we need to limit things after that. So let me know what we should do. Thanks.

Sound Adjudant's Call

BMBS would like to welcome its newest contributor, Thomas Clouse Madison III.

TC graduated from St. Peter the Apostle in 1997, where he led the football team to an undefeated record. He hung out with Pat Maher and Chris Murray as well. He then attended Benedictine Military School as a third generation cadet. There he served as Student Senate Vice President, shotput superstar, outstanding senior, National Honor Society treasurer, and Brigade S-1. He bought beer for us when we were 16, because he looked 24.

Upon receiving his diploma from Benedictine in May of 2001, Madison was awarded a special internship/fellowship opportunity at Play it Again Sports, later Pro-Play Sports. He housesat for the Hjortsbergs during the summer of '01 as well. He then attended Georgia State University, where he received a degree in real estate. He is currently the only person I know in our class besides Brooks that holds a real job.

Madison currently resides in Atlanta with his girlfriend and Arvind. They have 1 dog, Budweiser.

Thank you

I feel so honored to be invited to be a part of your wonderful blog. Arvind told me last night that he read the past four months of the bmbs blog while he was at work, and he wanted to start posting again. Pat: I don't know if you want him to do this. See, I was thinking he could be more of our Computer Technition (because I haven't talked to Doan in a while. We can settle with an Indian, right?)

What do you want me to bring to this blog, pat, stephen, tim, will, ryan, michael, and whoever i missed? Arvind? did you kick him off or something?

Reincarnation

It's my first day back at the SAGIS office and, as usual, I have nothing to work on. Googling my own name, I stumbled upon the homepage for William Fleming High School in Roanoke, VA. Check out their mascot. The Colonels! Weird, huh? The school is named after a Scots immigrant who served as a surgeon in George Washington's regiment during the French and Indian War and later as a Colonel in Dunmore's War. He would later become a member of the General Assembly, a state senator, and even served as governor of Virginia for a brief period.

If anyone is contemplating what to get me for Christmas, visit the Colonel's Corner and order me a hoodie.

VanGorder in at GSU

I laughed when I first heard VanGorder's name in the mix to replace Mike Sewak at Georgia Southern. VanGorder left UGA to become a position coach in the NFL, with the hopes of becoming a defensive coordinator and then landing a top-notch head coaching job at the 1-A level. Taking the GSU job seemed like a step sideways, if not a step backwards, but certainly not a step forward. There are rumors that part of the deal was for GSU to make the transition to 1-A within the next five years. I don't think it will happen that quickly, but this hire is a strong signal that the administration is ready to take the next step.

Van Gorder has not hired an offensive coordinator yet, but he has already made it clear that the days of the spread option are gone. Installng a "more multiple" look, as he put it, is essential to recruiting the offensive talent necessary to compete at the next level. The transition will be tough these next few years. The administration will have to exercise patience, as it will take time to get the right personnel for whatever offense VanGorder plans to use. The house-cleaning at Nebraska is a good indication of what will probably happen.

Is this a good hire? It depends. If Georgia Southern is committed to making the leap to 1-A, then yes, they made an excellent choice. If they are content to stay at the 1-AA level, then I don't see any reason to scrap what has been the trademard of Georgia Southern football.

For Pat. A follow up.

As of Thursday, president Bush received a report from a committee he created on reforming our current tax system. From his previous speeches and debates, all believe President Bush's intended result fromt the committee would be a total scrapping of our current Federal Income Tax Code. The Committee was intended to suggested either a simple flat tax system or national sales tax system. Either choice would effectively lower taxes for all Americans yet still increase income tax revenue for the nation. No so. In the spirit of "diversity", the President appointed an eclectic array of Senators to man the committee. Not only were RINOs present, but Demes from all walks of life were also invited. The result is shameful. I don't not believe the results were W's intentions, and God knows these suggestions will not pass in Congress. But here's a synopsis of the Committee's findings. If we keep electing politicians only concerned with keeping their jobs, this is the result.

(I've copied a lot of this stuff from website I forgot to hyperlink.)
Neither flat nor fair, the panel's two plans propose income-based systems with three and four income-tax brackets, with top tax rates of 30- and 33-percent, respectively. That's a modest decrease from today's top bracket of 35 percent, but even that niggardly flattening of the tax schedule came to the panel as an afterthought. The President's directive had been to keep both plans revenue neutral---drawing no more or no less tax revenue than the current system---and this, they eventually realized, necessitated a lowering of the rates. (Even John Maynard Keynes, father of that child demand-side economics, maintained that 25 percent was the highest tolerable rate for income taxation.) Where did the panel find the savings for this act of benevolence? By ending federal deductions for state and local taxes paid, stripping tax-free provisions on employer-provided medical insurance, and chopping off home-mortgage deductions at the knees. Proposals of this sort can only be interpreted as tax increases on the middle class. The primary reason for the panel's failure is its composition.

Clearly, the President's plans for dynamic change in the tax code have been sabotaged, but why would an administration that purported to be so serious about tax reform entrust the job to a panel of pantywaists? Was it really nothing more than a hollow exercise?

But there is a glimmer of hope. A far more legitimate effort comes from Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Senators who---in the best tradition of the Palmetto State---are willing to put their money where their mouths are. In response to the President's Adivisory Panel debacle, Senators DeMint and Graham have offered a plan to eliminate the personal-income tax completely, replacing it with the afore mentioned national consumption tax. Unlike most fair tax plans, however, the tax burden is equally distributed between businesses as a value added tax (VAT) and consumers as a national sales tax. Both the sales tax and the VAT would be a comfortable 8.5 percent, eliminating not only the income tax, but capital-gains taxes, the death tax, and taxes on Social Security benefits---not to mention the awful association we Americans have long had with April 15th. Sen. Graham came on board with the junior senator's plan because it would place U.S. and Chinese goods on a level playing field. "Now the Chinese goods would have to be charged the consumption tax just as American-made products would be," says Graham. Sen. DeMint, meanwhile, points out that the VAT would be "very visible to the final end-use consumer."

If Bush Lied...

...then Clinton lied.

For Pat.

From Southernappeal;

The House voted Thursday to preserve tax cuts for investors through the rest of the decade, safeguarding the centerpiece of the Republican tax agenda in a $56 billion package of tax breaks.

The bill, passed 234-197 along mostly party lines, would keep the 15 percent top tax rate for capital gains and dividends in place in 2009 and 2010, two years after their scheduled disappearance at the end of 2008.

The Republicans are still weak. Initially, the RINOs boulstered elimination of the capital gains tax... but we'll take all the breaks we can get. Right Pat?

The good thing about keeping some capital gain tax alive is to ensure that old Yankees from the Landings will keep paying Hancock Askew & Co. to plug in their menial capital gains into a computer every Spring.

RECOGNITION OF STAFF SERGEANT GEORGE K. GANNAM FOR BEING AWARDED A PURPLE HEART FOR HIS SERVICE IN WORLD WAR II -- HON. JACK KINGSTON

HON. JACK KINGSTON OF GEORGIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Tuesday, November 14, 2000

Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize a great American hero, from my district Savannah, GA, George K. Gannam, for being awarded a purple heart for his service in World War II. We should all stand up and applaud Mr. Gannam for his dedication and service to our country. He was a brave and heroic man and deserves to be recognized as such.
Mr. Gannam was killed in the Japanese attack on Hickam Field on December 7, 1941. He was the first person from Chatham County to die in World War II. An eye witness reports that Mr. Gannam received mortal wounds while assisting other airmen to remove airplanes from a burning hangar during the height of the attack. Medical records indicate that Mr. Gannam died of multiple shrapnel and machine gun bullet wounds. As a result of his heroic actions he was awarded a purple heart.
The American Legion Post #184 in Thunderbolt, GA was named after him. This is a great recognition and will help keep his name alive for years to come.

Gannam Day 2000 Remembered

Under the provision of AR-145-2 and by direction of the Senior Army Instructor, the following JROTC medals are awarded as indicated:

American Legion Post 184 God and Country Award:
CDT/LTC John Patrick Holland, Jr.

George K. Gannam Award:
CDT/SSG Michael Hotard


















And the crowd goes wild!

This just in from Stateboro.

Via email from Dennis Leonard:

Statesboro, GA (AP) - A seven-year-old boy was at the center of a Statesboro courtroom drama this week when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy's parents had a history of beating him, so in keeping with child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt. The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. Some investigation revealed he had been telling the truth, the aunt was indeed terribly abusive to the boy.

When the Judge suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him - a claim which investigations proved also to be true. After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.

After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Georgia Southern Eagles football team, whom the boy and the court both believe are not capable of beating anyone.

Several producers and technicians from ABC Sports, as well as thousands of football fans, have written a letter to the judge on Saturday, confirming this.

The young man is planning to move in to Paulson Stadium on Monday.

For Will.

Starting in the steamy summer of 2001, Will and I were employed by MACCOM Inc., a division of Big Ed McCuen Enterprises. Big Ed paid us a humble wage of $8.00 per hour. Not a lot, but respectful for a college kid summer job in Savannah.

During that glorious summer, I noticed a detrimental habit of our old buddy Will. No, it wasn't the endless shopping expeditions in Bluffton, SC. Instead, beginning at least one our before our lunch break, Will would begin brainstorming for the most tasteful, bountiful, and jovial place to eat lunch. Always and most assuredly, Will picked a place that costs no less that $6.50 and as high as $11.00 per lunch. And as J. Patrick Holland can attest, this lunch hour spending pattern has yet to cease for Will during summer work.

In contrast, I would brown bag my lunch every day. This usually consisted of (but not limited to) a bologna sandwich with mustard, pretzels, an apple, a coke, and a Little Debbie (preferredly Fudge Rounds.) The cost of my brown bag lunch was no more than $2.00 per day.

As the summer progressed, Will can tell you that I became more and more infuriated at his irresponsible lunch hour splurges. Now, I know what you're thinking... Stephen is a tight wad and doesn't like to have fun. I agree. But, the point of this post is to show how much money Will and the world can save by brown bagging one's lunch.

Hypothetically, lets say Will brown bags his lunch for the next 30 years with 20 bagged lunches per month. You can expect the rate of return from some alternative investment to be 6% annually. Finally, lets say "eating out" lunch price is a modest $6.50.

Will's lunch savings could be worth $88,133 after 30 years.
This assumes that you save an average of $4.50 per lunch ($90.00 per month.) The savings are then invested in the 6% rate of return investment.

Note To Self

Don't ever leave your car at Coach's Corner overnight.

Patrick's 2005 Guide to the Holidays

Starting today, millions will flock to their nearest Best Buy, Wal-Mart, etc. to stock up on Christmas gifts. This always results in gridlock traffic near the shopping malls and hour-long waiting lines at cash registers. After months of intense research, I've come up with a plan of how to alleviate this madness:

Don't buy anything for anybody.

I've followed this rule for the past 22 years; trust me, it works. I never face the problems that plague our society each year in shopping malls, because I simply don't go to shopping malls. I do get irritated, however, when I want to buy something for myself during these next few weeks. Then we have problems.

Anyway, this Christmas, like the previous 21, I'll just give my mom a hug instead of a gift and give her the whole "true meaning of Christmas is about love and not commercialism" crap, and it'll work. It always does. And it should. I don't expect gifts from anyone else, so why should anyone expect gifts from me? And plus, I always know what I want. I never have to worry if the gifts I pick for myself are the "right" gifts or not.

Over these next three weeks, I'm going to do everything I can to act in my own self-interest. I'm going to try my best, at least once a day, to stop whatever I'm doing, and go out of my way to do something for myself. Whether that be making a trip to Dairy Queen, gambling double on bowl games, or ordering a liquor drink at the bar instead of Miller Lite, I'm going to make sure to look out for #1 above all else. I advise each and every one of you to do the same thing. If we all work together, this will be the best holiday season yet.

Reliving the Past

Came across yet another riveting new column today at Fratty.net on why the 80's ruled and why the 90's sucked, and how, over the past few years, things just may finally be trending back in the right direction.

Facebook

For a few weeks now, pictures have been circling the email chain and message boards alike of these girls that sit in the front row of FSU games dressed to the nines. Since the Stew gave me access to his facebook password a few weeks ago, I have discovered Facebook gold. I implore you to look up Jenn Sterger at FSU and look at her pictures. Probably the best facebook profile....ever. That is a preview:

The Books Are Open

Saturday afternoon, Mike somehow cut his toe and got a few tiny spots of blood on the carpet. If you didn't know, Mike freaks out about carpet. So, he got out his bottle of spot remover and went to work immediately. Being the absent-minded retard that he is, he left the bottle of spot remover and the paper towels he used right there, in the middle of the living room floor. The carpet is also covered with golden strings of pom-pom, the result of Tech's loss to Virginia on Saturday.

The over/under on Mike cleaning up his mess is 5.5 days from Saturday, with Thursday being the fifth day. What say you, BMBS?

"Shadowfax, show us the meaning of haste!" ~Gandalf the White

I found this Lord of the Rings profiling test. Apparently, I like to eat all day, smoke weed, wear no shoes, and grow frat boy hair.
Hobbit

To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?

I Can Fix the World

I have recently become inspired to branch out a bit from BMBS and create my own spin-off blog entitled "I Can Fix the World." I figured since I am right about everything and I have solutions for all of the world's problems, I should probably share that with everyone.

Even Robin had his own adventures apart from Batman. Even Nick Everhart dabbled in imagination away from Steven Watkins.

http://icanfixtheworld.blogspot.com

A Seafaring Lock of the Week

Navy@Notre Dame(-23.5)

Take the Fighting Lamar's and the points on this one folks. The 41-game Notre Dame win streak will end tomorrow at the hands of a Cadet. Being Catholic I hate to pick against Notre Dame and will go to church this Sunday and ask for forgiveness, but BC Pride>Notre Dame victory. Look for Lamar to have a huge game against a pathetic Notre Dame defense. I am guessing maybe 450 passing yards and 276 rushing with 8 TDs. This victory will immediatly vault Lamar into the front of the Heisman race. Lamar will then part the Red Sea and turn water into wine.
Predicted Score:Navy 120 Notre Dame 7
Notre Dame's only TD coming off of a Samrjidjariaufidaerha reverse.
Here are my predicted scores if Navy would play any other team in the country tomorrow:
-Navy 57 USC 2
That safety was not Lamar's fault( it was the backup QB)
-Mini-Lamar's 18 Mike Ditka 6
-Giant Lamar 14 Hurricane Katrina 13
-Lamar with two hands tied behind his back 62 Camden County 6
He's just got their number what can I say.
-In a Tag Team Match: Lamar and Mini-Me are victorious over Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior.

By the way, do you remember when Lamar got the Finnacharo Award and started crying in the Well.

BC has finally made it to Hollywood.

Remember the big dude who was BC's linebacker in '98? Hint: his father was grand marshall last year.... Thats right Will, its Eamon Sheehan! Well, first he went off to Yale on a football scholarship, and now he's a starving actor. Check out his new movie Red Thread. Although the movie is only independent, I can't believe this crap! I don't remember how I found out about it, but Eamon as lost his screws. Leopold Stratton is the producer. Apparently, Leopold is big time... and he's also a fellow BC graduate from the same class as John M. Owens III and my uncle Lloyd Saunders. Coincidently, Leopold owns Leopold's on Broughton Street (the ice cream place.) Ryan, can we expect you to make it to Hollywood as well?

The "Will Shouldn't Bet Anymore" Lock of the Week

Since Will looks to be retired from the lock of the week, I am going to have to pick up the slack. Being that I am 3-1 on BMBS(with the UCF and West Virginia game postponed).
BC(-5.0)@UNC

BC has had a few extra days to prepare for this game since they played last Thursday. Playing in Chapel Hill will be a cakewalk compared to last week in Blacksburg.
BC 30 UNC 10

"The Time is Now"

On this day, 25 years ago, Ronald Reagan was elected 40th president of the United States in a landslide victory over Jimmy Carter. My parents voted for Carter. On a side note, they also hold degrees from Armstrong. Anwyay, Reagan is to the conservative movement what Herschel Walker is to Georgia football. David Boaz, president of Cato, a libertarian think tank, has a great article on this.

My favorite part is the 1983 speech he gives at Notre Dame, predicting the collapse of the Soviet Union. Everyone thought he was crazy at the time, the press mocked him, and even his advisors told him not to include it in his speech. Anyway, it's a good read, ya'll should check it out.

In Defense of "Gouging"

Big oil companies like Exxon and Shell have reaped enormous profits over the past few quarters in response to higher gas prices, prompting many in Washington (particularly Democrats led by Senator Clinton, but some Republicans too) to call for a "windfall profits tax" on firms making over what they perceive to be a "fair" amount.

This is a great move politically; unfortunately it makes no sense economically.

Profits are the rewards that firms receive for taking risks. Tax those profits, and those firms will have less incentive to pull more oil out of the ground, making oil prices rise even further. Is this what we want?

Many on the left claim that oil companies are charging high prices for gas simply because they're greedy. Greedy they may be -- who isn't? But the fact of the matter is these firms have no control over the price of gasoline. Over the past 3 weeks, gas has dropped about 50 cents or so. Why is this? Are they just all of a sudden "less greedy" now than they were last month? How about in January of 1999, the month I started driving, when oil was at $12 per barrel, and 88 cents at the pump. Were the now-greedy oil firms just deciding to "be nice" back then? In September, after the hurricane cut refining capacity, gas skyrocketed to $4. Next September, assuming there's no hurricane, will firms raise the price to $4 again? NO, because there'll be too much oil flowing around relative to demand. They can try to raise the price, but it won't work.

Two simple words decide the prices we pay at the pump: supply and demand. High prices and high profits are what make companies drill more, find more supplies, and, ultimately, give us more gas, which lowers prices. Unfortunately, thanks to government regulations, the last time a refinery was built in this country was 1976, and we're not allowed to drill in Alaska. Thanks Sierra Club. Thanks John Kerry. Thanks for simultaneously preventing companies from increasing output while at the same time bashing high prices that are the very result of those restrictions. Thanks for doing what your party has done best since the Great Depression: passing illogical legislation that hurts the people it intends to help.

"The first lesson of economics is scarcity: there is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics." - Thomas Sowell

Finally, a website we can identify with...

Conservative t-shirts for people of the correct mindset:

Who's Bad - Regenerated

There's a new reason to see Who's Bad



No more Thug MJ. This time we get a bona-fide Las Vegas Michael - "The World's #1 Michael Jackson impersonator." Plus we can really enjoy ourselves this time knowing that America's justice system determined for a fact that he's normal...

Will's Sure Way to Lose Money of the Week

Record: 3-5

This Week's Lock:

Georgia
vs.
Florida -3.5

Finally, one for the Georgia fans of the BMBS nation. The Bulldogs are still a tremendously talented team without Shockley under center. Joe Tereshinski does not have to win this game. The defense and running attack will set the tempo. Georgia will win as long as JT3 doesn't make any big mistakes. He had nearly an entire game to work out the kinks against Arkansas and Richt has surely opened up the playbook for him this week in practice. The biggest advantage Georgia has over the Gators is Brandon Cotu (sp?). You can count on at least three points everytime Georgia crosses the 35-yard line. Dawgs by 3.

Was It Over When the Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor?

All is not lost for the Cadets just yet. A win over Jefferson County would land us in the playoffs for the first time since 2001. Beating a ranked, undefeated team on the road...sound familiar? Don't think BC can do the impossible twice? Well, I've invited a few guest speakers to convince you otherwise.

Bluto: What the fuck happened to the BMBS I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts? Huh? This could be the greatest night of our lives but you're gonna let it be the worst. Oh, we're afraid to go with you, Bluto. We might lose. WELL JUST KISS MY ASS FROM NOW ON! NOT ME! I'M NOT GONNA TAKE THIS! THE LINEBACKER? HE'S A DEAD MAN! RUNNING BACKS? DEAD! QUARTERBACK?

Otter: Dead! Bluto's right! Psychotic, but absolutly right. We've gotta take these bastards. Now, we could fight them with conventional weapons but that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, in this case, I think we have to go all out. I think this situation absolutly requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.

Bluto: And we're just the guys to do it. LET'S DO IT! GO! GO! GO! AHHHHHHHHHHH!

Is this Legal?

I am borrowing this post from Southern Appeal.

The Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity; The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
As part of a continuing commitment to advance underrepresented scholars in higher education, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is pleased to announce the availability of 6 positions in the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity. Postdoctoral Scholars will spend essentially full time on research, but will be allowed to teach no more than one course per year. Applications for study in any discipline represented at the University are welcome. The Department of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill strongly encourages candidates interested in political science to apply. The stipend will be $35,625 per calendar year. Health benefits are available. Some funds are available for research expenses, including travel. Minority students who will have completed their doctoral degree no later than July 1, 2006, and no earlier than July 1, 2000 are eligible to apply.

Why am I prevented from applying? Is this legal?

If only Savannah had a China Town

Heinzer's three minute course on how to become bilingual.
Read the English translation and then say the Chinese words OUTLOUD for proper enunciation...

1) Thats not right............... Sum Ting Wong
2) Are you harboring a fugitive................. Hu Yu Hai Ding
3) See me ASAP................. Kum Hia Nao
4) Stupid Man.................... Dum Fuk
5) Small horse.................. Tai Ni Po Ni
6) Did you go to the beach?.................... Wai Yu So Tan
7) I ran into a coffee table............ Ai Bang Mai Fa Kin Ni
8) I think you need a face lift...................... Chin Tu Fat
9) It's very dark in here........................... Wao So Dim
10) I thought you were dieting.................. Wai Yu Mun Ching
11) Tow away zone....................... No Pah King
12) Hiding...................... Lei Ying Lo
13) He's cleaning his automobile................ Wa Shing Ka
14) Your body odor is offensive........... Yu Stin Ki Pu
15) Great................... Fa Kin Su Pah

If you think this is offensive, go recycle and save the spotted owl. Get a life hippie.