Vox Populi: Gems of the Week

It was shooting fish in a barrel this week. Enjoy the Gems!

BC in VOX:
"Regarding the drama at Benedictine, I'm a 1990 graduate of B.C. and I say bring back the Benedictine priests to run the school or put coach Cannon or Colonel Owens in charge."
- This is just retarded. Not only did he use the term “drama,” but he called out our beloved alma mater in the LOWEST public forum available. He makes a decent suggestion, but come on, Vox Populi?

Dishonorable Mention:
"In the history of this country, have a president and vice president ever been impeached at the same time?"

Dishonorable Mention:
"I am surprised that a conservative state like Georgia would take the step of taxing the sale of a newspaper. Any connection between the government and the free press is outrageous, even if it is only a few cents on a paper."

Dishonorable Mention:
"What happened to state vehicle inspections? Why do we have all these junkers on the road with cracked windshields and fenders that don't match?"

Dishonorable Mention:
"We might finally get the band shell we voted for 14 years ago? Goodness gracious, who wants to go downtown anymore?"

Stunning Q&A:
Q: "Do you spring clean? What is one organizing or cleaning project that you are eager to accomplish this spring?"
"My husband and I were planning to do our windows inside and out. We had a health issue come up and now we are looking through dirty windows. But we are thankful for greeting the morning through those dirty windows."
- What health issue would cause you to have dirty windows?

Third Runner-up:
"It seems strange that annual test scores never reflect the pages and pages of honor roll students we seem to have here."
- Let’s be honest here, how hard is it to be an honor roll student in a Savannah public school?

Second Runner-up:
"Does the merry go round at Savannah Mall run on gas? They're charging $2.00 for a ride."
- Cough it up, you cheap bastard. Let your kid ride the merry-go-round and if you can’t afford the two bucks, don’t go to the mall.

First Runner-up:
"I am a law abiding citizen who went through all of the procedures to file charges against someone who pulled a knife on me. Two years have gone by and I haven't heard anything from the investigator or the district attorney's office. That is why we continue to have such a crime problem in Savannah."
- The police will get to that after they’re finished with the cases where knives were actually used on people.

And your Gem of the Week:
"In order to stop some of the violence in this town, shut the bars and restaurants down at midnight and send everyone home."
- You shut up right now. Don’t even think about suggesting that the city should step in and change ANYTHING about the alcohol laws in Savannah. If you're scared of violence, stay home. It's this same kind of witch-hunting that caused the Statesboro City Council to do away with drink specials and happy hours last year. Keep the booze out if it.


Happy Friday, folks.

Netflix

I just got Netflix about two weeks ago, and it has been pretty awesome so far. It is really nice in a town where there isn't that much to do. Because of this, I am going to start commenting on some of the movies I see.
The Usual Suspects
I watched this for the first time last night believe it or not. Has a solid performance by Kevin Spacey and a pretty nice twist at the end. I guessed the twist about half way through so it kind of lost a little luster because of that. I rate it 3/5. I would recommend it if you haven't seen it yet especially if it is on HBO or something.
The Bourne Identity/Supremecy
I wathced these this past weekend. Matt Damon isn't as big of a puss as you would think he would be, and the plots aren't half bad. I give it a 2/5 and think that these are Saturday morning hangover movies.
Murderball
This is a documentary on wheelchair rugby. It does a solid job of depicting the player's triumphs on the court as well as their struggles in coping with their disability. There are some great spots of comic relieve in this as well. Rating: 4/5.

The Conservative Daily Show

A clip has leaked on YouTube of the Fox News Channel's version of The Daily Show, entitled The 1/2 Hour News Hour. It is created by Joel Surnow, and one of its writers is Manny Coto, both of whom work on 24. If done correctly, this could be a great show. The clip here is funny here and there, but I noticed a surprising sense of relief watching it. Of course, if you read the comments on the YouTube page, it's a bunch of liberals completely bashing it, because obviously liberals are the only ones who are allowed to use satire.

Venezuela's March to Serfdom: The Final Chapter

Tonight's post is the long-awaited last installment in our series on the evils of collectivism.

Last time, I posed the question concerning how collectivist planners implement plans which no one can totally agree on. In Venezuela, just like every other similar experiment in history, the answer is simple: coercion. Brute force. Subjugation of the opposition by a strong dictatorship at all costs.

Chavez started out small by kicking out all foreign investment and banning foreign companies from doing business. But more recently, as more have grown more critical of his collectivist initiatives, he's issued an executive order banning TV networks that broadcast viewpoints opposing his administration. He's also obtained "emergency powers" authority to circumvent the legislature in order to implement his plan, so that the squabbling opposition can't "stand in the way of the common good." So the free press and legislative government that once existed are now replaced with a relentless propaganda machine used to support an authoritarian autocracy. The necessary framework for full implementation of the plan is finally in place.

Mere seconds after Chavez announced he would nationalize all industries, investors rapidly pulled their savings out of the country. The Venezuelan stock market plummeted some 75%. The entire net wealth of the country has severly diminished.

One particlar result of Chavez's price controls on food is illustrated by recent shortages of chicken and beef all across the country's supermarkets, according to this AP report. Because profits are illegal and prices are set by the government, farmers have no incentive to bring their products to market. The laws of supply and demand have been abolished. Because free prices aren't allowed to function by signaling what's profitable, it's impossible for producers and merchants to calculate what the needs and wants of the society are.


Empty meat shelves in a Caracas supermarket.

Notice in the article how Chavez turns around and blames the capitalists as the reason for the shortages. This is what most dictators do: they use propaganda to shift blame to the opposition and its ideology, thus allowing them to further tighten their grip and hold on to power even longer.

In closing, the point of all this was to show that as a result of all of this collectivist thinking, which all started out as a great idea, the people of Venezuela are being made slaves right before our very eyes. Their civil liberties have been trampled upon, along with their economic freedom to work, to save, and to create wealth through voluntary exchange.

Could something like this ever happen in our beloved United States? Seizing corporate profits for the "common good" seems like something only a radical like Chavez or Castro would propose this side of the hemisphere, right? In closing, I leave you this clip, to help you answer this on your own:



Thanks for tuning in. God help us all.

Tax Cuts = More Revenues

Citing surging tax revenues from a robust economy, most on Wall Street are predicting that the budget is going to come back into balance within the next 2-3 years. Recall during the 2004 campaign, W promised to cut the deficit in half by end of his term. Well, he's already delivered on that promise 3 years early. Seriously, ponder this for a moment. In 2001 we cut taxes and everyone said it would lead to endless deficits, and yet despite a recession, a disasterous terrorist attack on American soil, a defense and homeland security build-up, 2 wars, ridiculous amounts of spending, huge new entitlement programs, and the most expensive natural disaster in the country's history, the government looks like its going to soon have its checkbook balanced.

And yet Congress still wants to repeal Bushs' tax cuts. What excuse will they come up with when we're in the green?

Venezuela's March to Serfdom: Part II

Again due to length, it turns out I will need to make this a three-part series. Yesterday we saw how the failed promises of socialism and collectivism always require the coercion and suppression of individual freedoms which can lead to the totalitarian state.

Tonight, we begin examining Venezuela as a modern day case study of this very process at work, focusing first on Chavez’s rise to power and the intentions behind his policies. Tomorrow night we'll conclude things by looking at how Chavez is working to implement these policies and the effect it is having on individual freedom and society as a whole.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chazez, an avowed socialist, rose to power a few years ago. He won election on a bold agenda to redistribute income, “erase” inequality, end poverty, and to provide free education and healthcare for all Venezuelans.

Notice that I said he was elected. This is crucial to understanding how tyranny emerges, because it is always ultimately the people who choose dictatorship and choose to surrender their liberties to the State.

Chavez’s intentions have leftist supporters in the West all excited. In the wake of the Cold War’s end, Venezuela is now seen as the center of a new utopian movement. This recent news report reveals how idealistic, wide-eyed American college students complete with birkenstocks and their parents’ ATM cards are flocking to Venezuela to observe, marvel at, and volunteer to contribute to this great socialist “experiment.” Notice how one girl in the article says she can’t wait to return to “do more missionary work.” If this is such a great system, why is so much volunteer work even necessary?

In the aftermath of this feel-good period when everyone casts a resounding vote in favor of the planners who claim they can create this great classless society, where all problems and troubles are solved by the State, a problem quickly emerges: the plan they come up with doesn’t gel with the characteristics of the complex, emerging, organic, and free society that exists. Certain business owners, farmers, merchants, and foreign investors aren’t going to like certain parts of the plan very much, and certainly aren’t going to voluntarily go along with it. Farmers aren’t going to like price ceilings on what they can sell, entrepreneurs don’t want their profits confiscated, and so on.

So this problem begs the question: just how do politicians and planners implement their ambitious interventionist agendas when certain segments are always going to be against certain aspects of it? How do ambitious rulers enact their utopian vision when it is inevitable that various groups are going to gripe?

That will be the starting point for our discussion tomorrow night.

Another Duke Rape Case

In a story that has no right to national news exposure, an eighteen year-old girl was allegedly raped at a party at Duke University over the weekend. The only reason that we are hearing about it in the news is that it occurred at the same school where a very high-profile rape case occurred less than a year ago.

This is a sad story, but this kind of thing happens at HUNDREDS of college campuses every year. Many victims never come forward. This brave girl did and what happens to her? She's thrust into the spotlight and forced to relive the horrific ordeal so scumbag fucking reporters can make their next sensationalist story.

I don't know all the details of the alleged attack, which is why I didn't propose the victim was entirely innocent because sadly, the victims rarely are entirely innocent. My point in this post is that I shouldn't know anything about this alleged rape unless I were to read the Durham, NC local paper. This is not national news.

Supply and Demand of Labor in Action.

Here's an article regarding the effect of the minimum wage increase in Arizona.

"Some Valley employers, especially those in the food industry, say payroll budgets have risen so much that they're cutting hours, instituting hiring freezes and laying off employees. "

We recently had an informative discussion covering this very same topic here and here.

This is where Communists, I mean Liberals, start spinning their wheels. Although the minimum wage increase was passed into law under the banner of compassion, negative consequences have surfaced. Workers are being laid off and the price of goods have increased. Everyone is getting hurt. Here's a quote from an Arizona business owner:

"I've had to go to some of my kids and say, 'Look, my payroll just increased 13 percent,' " he said. " 'Sorry, I don't have any hours for you.' "

Sometimes, showing compassion makes the situation worse.

Venezuela's Path to Serfdom

To keep everyone from falling asleep, I’ve broken up this post into two parts. Today I’ll summarize the background of Hayek’s Road to Serfdom and what it means. Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at its application in the 21st century.

In 1944, as the Second World War drew to a close, an Austrian economist named Friedrich von Hayek wrote what would become one of the most influential books of the 20th century. The Road to Serfdom was a relatively short account of what Hayek believed were the root causes of totalitarianism. While most at that time viewed fascism and communism as polar opposites, Hayek argued the two were virtually identical: they both placed the needs and wants of the State over that of individual economic and social liberty. If anyone is looking for some good Spring reading, I strongly recommend this one. It truly helped me change the way I view individual freedom and the threat that political organization can and will always pose to it.

Hayek’s audience wasn’t the Russians or the Germans or those wishing to adopt similar regimes (his book was surely banned in those places anyway). Instead, Hayek’s words were directed squarely at British and American readers. Politicians on both sides of the pond at that time were making calls for government control, central planning, nationalization of industries, and price controls. All of this would be necessary, they argued, to “plan for the peace” and create a "collectivist" society where people would be put over profits, where everyone would be entitled to so-called “positive” freedoms (which is a total misnomer, because they require coercion of one individual for the benefit of another) like “freedom from unemployment,” “freedom from want or need,” “freedom from poverty,” “freedom from poor health” etc., where the common good would trump the purported “excesses” of free-market capitalism.

The central thrust of Hayek’s argument was that, despite the best intentions of the planners, it was this same kind of government intervention and coercion that led to the creation of the same framework that allowed people like Hitler and Stalin to rise to power. Germany, in the 1880s, was the first industrialized country to impose a social security system and a welfare state, for example. Continental Europe and Russia, he argued, were by nature much less skeptical of government and much more willing to accept intervention. And while Hayek conceded that Anglo society, with its deep-rooted respect for property rights, profits, and individualism, was a long way from becoming totalitarian, he nonetheless believed it would be heading down the same road if the “planners” had their way. Another one of Hayek’s assertions was that once a society starts on the “road” and the longer and further it ventures down it, the harder it becomes to turn things back around.

Well short story long, both America and Britain stayed on this road for about three decades, but the intellectual tide started to change in the late 1970s. The world slowly began to see things Hayek's way, and finally began to adopt policies of economic liberalization and privitization during the Reagan-Thatcher era of 1980s. The pendulum swung from government back to market, where it was at the beginning of the century. Since 1983, government intervention in the U.S. has generally remained at about the same level, although Bush’s vast entitlement spending spree in the past 6 years has made things worse again.

Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at the Road to Serfdom at work in 2007, namely in Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela. Thanks for tuning in.

Today's Picks

Tonight at 9:00 Florida plays at Kentucky. I just took the Gators at -4 and think that it a pretty good bet even though they are playing at Rupp Arena. Florida has been rolling lately and all the experts are jumping on their bandwagon for back to back titles. I don't think they are going to win the whole thing, but I think they have a pretty good shot to beat Kentucky by 5 tonight. I also took Wake Forest(+24) against UNC. This game is at 1:30, so it's probably too late. In non-gambling sports news, Georgia has a huge game in Columbia tonight. This is a make or break game if we want to make the tournament.

Really?

One of the first things I saw yesterday on just about every news website was this idiots picture. Alright, so she died at 39 from what is probably a drug overdose but that doesn't mean that she was anything special. At the very most, this story should be a side note on news channels and websites, but for it to be the leading story is just retarded. Let's just recap this woman's career. She started out as a stripper and married some old guy with money. That guy died and she never saw a dime of it because the courts saw her for what she was. She was in Playboy. Let me tell you how big of a deal that is. The girls in Playboy are a dime a dozen. She stared in a bunch of B movies that are really awesome. That is if you watch Cinemax movies at 2:00 AM for more than just boobs. She had a reality show that centered around what a big drug addict she was. So, long story short, this woman did nothing productive in her life for herself or the community. Did I mention that she had a dead beat son that also died of an overdose? Because of all that, Larry King has a special tonight at 9:00 examining her life. I want to meet the person that says, "oh, that sounds interesting" and destroy them. I would like to close out with a Jim Carrey quote from an old SNL that I will direct to Anna Nicole Smith: "I'll see you in hell".

A Convenient Truth?

This is kind of a hollow post, as it is less about my opinions and more about wanting to get yours. I guess you could debate whether global warming is real or an actual threat by ranting and giving links, but here's what has come to my attention:

Every day now for the past two or so months on Drudge Report there has been some quote from a Democrat about global warming, whether it's about forming a group to study it, or passing some sort of law, or whatever the hell. It doesn't take a complete moron to see the weird sudden interest and alert that's taking place. Did they all go see "An Inconvenient Truth" together and THEN decide, "You know what? Al Gore is right. We're killing the Earth. Let's put a stop to that now, because before Al Gore made a movie, it didn't exist,"? Is this what they're falling back on now to win votes for 2008? It's just awkward.

Vox Populi: Gems of the Week

It was a great week for the Gems. I had so much to choose from, so I threw in a lot more submissions. Here they are, your Gems of the Week:

Dishonorable Mention:
"I have an idea for a reality show called Trading Places. Those in Congress opposed to raising minimum wages would trade jobs and salaries with the minimum wage earner. Walk a mile in my shoes, Senator."
- That name is already taken. I’ve got an idea for a show. It’s called, “I Should Have Paid Attention In School.” It stars you.

Dishonorable Mention:
"Super Bowl, super hype. There was less than fifteen minutes of actual football action in that three hour extravaganza."
- Wrong. There were exactly sixty minutes of football action.

Dishonorable Mention:
"I won't be attending either high tea or hip-hop. I'm somewhere in between."
- “I’m too complex to be lumped into one category. I’m so unique. I can’t just check one box. I’m special.”

Dishonorable Mention:
"People who smoke ought to have to wear a bubble over their heads. Then other people wouldn't have to smell it and it might do away with cigarette butts."
- That is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.

Dishonorable Mention:
"Where are the police, the D.O.T. or representative Buddy Carter to help us out with I-95 at 5 p.m.? People are using the shoulder of the road to merge onto exit 109. We need help."
- “Oh my gosh! We need help over here! People area driving CRAAAAZY! Get Buddy Carter out here to direct traffic!”

Dishonorable Mention:
"The Super Bowl is nothing but a game. It makes me sick that people act like something big is happening."
- Shut up.

Dishonorable Mention:
"Let Mexico annex the U.S. That way we will solve the illegal immigrant problem and the terrorists can attack Mexico."
- I take it back. THIS is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.

Third Runner-up:
"As long as you can give CEOs enormous bonuses and salaries just because they are a status symbol, you cannot justify not paying the American worker more fairly. It is a seriously lopsided system that needs reworking."
- The system is fine. If you’re working and you don’t think you’re getting paid enough, ask for a raise. If you don’t get it, work somewhere else. CEOs don’t become CEOs just by looking good in suits.

Second Runner-up:
"I am appalled Tybee Island can pay $7 million to purchase a campground but cannot afford to repair roads. Orange spray paint marks warning spots and that is pathetic."
- That orange spray paint is from the Tybee Marathon this past weekend, dumbass.

First Runner-up:
"My 10-year-old son got off the school bus in tears because his bus driver turned in front of another vehicle. What is wrong with First Student? Our kids are scared and crying."
- Your son is a total wuss. I mean it; call the wah-mbulance. Get him a Whine-ikein. Take him to McDonald’s for a wah-burger and some french-cries. What a pansy!

And your Gem of the Week:
"Taxi cabs in Savannah are a disgrace. Are there no government authorities that inspect them for cleanliness or comfort?"
- No, but I’m sure a “Savannah-Chatham County Metropolitan Department of Taxis, Pedi-cabs and Rickshaws Authority” is being formed as we speak. The operation will be funded by taxing the cabbies, who in turn will charge higher fares, but at least you’ll be comfortable.

Happy Friday, folks.

We're Number Two!!

According to SMN, Savannah's diocese has been ranked 2nd in the nation. 3 reasons for this, in my opinion:

- Having a conservative approach on the inside (there is little hand-holding or guitar-playing, the priests are Irish instead of gay), while preserving a "live and let live" approach on the outside (saying Goddamn a lot, drinking PBR, not having to read the Bible, BC & SVA, St. Patrick's Day, etc.). This, in my opinion, is Catholicism at its finest.

- Southerners are typically more religious than the rest of the country, because we do "weird" things like preserve traditions that have always worked and care about weird things like the difference between right and wrong. We're just weird and backwards like that.

- More Mexicans in South Georgia

Good job Savannah.

BMBS Turns Two

Due to all the recent upheaval over BC's administration, the Democratic controlled congress, the continuing war in Iraq, the sliding quality of the Abercorn Carey Hilliards, and the nuke going off in Los Angeles, we almost missed our beloved blog's second birthday. I know I wasn't there at the beginning, but by the grace of our founders, I was given my chance.

It was February 7, 2005 when Beach Music and Boat Shoes swaggered its way into cyberspace to stand up against liberal illogic, hair gel, and the like. This year we face new threats, namely the ones listed above. Our role has become even more important in the face of our enemies, old and new.

Celebrate, but remain vigilant. Happy Birthday, BMBS.

(Also, it's only 38 days until St. Patricks Day.)

Chuck Norris Now Gives a Roundhouse Kick to the Face of Abortion

Norris isn't just a mindless butt kicker; he puts some thought into the fight of good versus evil. Just look at some of his quotes.

"The primacy of a woman's rights prevailed and the rights of the unborn were not only abandoned, but their nature legally reduced to nonhuman. "

"And guilt and accountability are often subsided by an interchange in language: instead of baby we say fetus; instead of killing we say aborting; instead of dissect we say research; instead of extermination chambers we say abortion clinics – ad nauseam."

Norris does have his faults. An illegitimate child, cheating on his wife, and various other day to day Hollywood scandals. But, everyone can do penance... and he still knows a good fight when he sees one.

Next on the list: Iran.

After writing this article Chuck Norris promised to stop washing his clothes in the ocean. The tsunamis were killing people. (A bad joke copied from a Chuck Norris website.)

New Name, Same Great Taste

Most of ya'll know that my favorite all-around place to eat in Athens by far is Achim's K-Bob. Back in the Fall, Achim changed his restaurant's name to "Uncle Otto's European Eatery" (this was a crucial event that I forgot to mention in last month's year in review).

Seeing that I talk to Achim about once a week (he's known me on a first-name basis since the Spring of 2004), he told me the reason for the name change is that he plans to start franchising in the near future, and there was some problem with the "K-Bob" trademark or something. Either way, he says a Savannah location may be in the works, possibly downtown, which means yet another Friday spot for me, Joe, Leonard, and Will. I did tell Achim he should try and place the store within a 2-minute walk of the Army Corp. of Engineers so that Stephen Bruce can come too. He says he'll try.

Anyway, here's the infamous commercial with newly-modified lyrics to reflect the name change:

Vox Populi: Gems of the Week

Before global warming kills us all, enjoy the Gems of the Week.

Dishonorable Mention:
"Congratulations to Serena Williams on an outstanding performance at the Australian Open."
- Serena Williams doesn’t read the Savannah Morning News.

Dishonorable Mention:
"Why do you have to pay court fees for traffic court if you opt not to go to court but just pay your fine? It seems like you should get a deal if you don't waste the court's time."
- One would think so, but you have to pay court fees because this is a government operation. Government employees are not paid to use reason or discretion.

Dishonorable Mention:
"It's impossible to build skyscrapers in Savannah because there is not a solid enough bedrock. It can't support the weight. Besides, skyscrapers would be incongruous with this setting. Move to Atlanta if you want skyscrapers."
- Be honest; you just called in to use the word incongruous.

Dishonorable Mention:
"Whatever happened to vehicle inspection? Everyday I see cars with only one taillight, no blinkers, headlights shining into the trees, and many other infractions. It would be nice to have inspections back."
- Why do you care?

Second Runner-up:
"I hate the automated reminders of doctors appointments. What if a child answers the phone? Would they be able to receive the message and relate it to the person the appointment is for?"
- Would it really be that hard for a kid to relate to you that you have a doctor’s appointment? “Mom, you’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow… Yeah, the doctor… You know, the guy in the white coat that looks in your ears… No, not him… The guy you always say you wish was my daddy… That guy… You have an appointment tomorrow… At noon... Right when The Bold and the Beautiful comes on… Yes, noon.”

First Runner-up:
"After reading last week's Vox about parking tickets, I checked four cars that park regularly in one block and they all had old parking tickets displayed on their dash."
- Listen, douche, quit helping the parking Nazis. And if I see you touch my car, I’ll kick your ass.

And your Gem of the Week:
"Advance warning to the kissing bandits on St. Patrick's Day: Keep in mind that every man in uniform you run up to may not want to be kissed. If you get pushed away rather roughly, don't get angry."
- Just TRY and find two men who don’t want to be kissed on St. Patrick’s Day. If you happen to find two men like that, introduce them so they can go get coffee together or something.

Happy Friday, folks.

Kickass Reagan Quote, #431

Today's quote comes from the 1980 campaign:

Reporter: Governor, just what exactly is your strategy for dealing with the Soviet Union?

Reagan: We win. They lose.

And Now For Something Completely Different

Don't get me wrong, I know the whole situation at BC is bad and all, but I wanted to take this opportunity to make ya'll aware of the $9.99 "Anything Goes" Deal right now at Domino's. You get one large pizza with any type of crust and as many topping as you want. It's for a limited time, so you'll want to act fast.

Tonight I got mine as a deep dish with bacon, ham, sausage, onion, mushrooms, and green peppers. And, for just 2.99, I added a side of breadsticks. That's a total of just over $13 for what will end up being 4 meals for me. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Just click here and you can be ordering online in seconds.

AJC Gem

Sorry Joe, I don't want to steal your thunder, but I wanted to show everyone a comment from the AJC's "Vent" section:

I am frustrated and disgusted that even with insurance I am expected to pay $25-plus for birth control pills. If I were to become pregnant, the costs would be far greater than that. Birth control should be free.

This woman should have all of her reproductive organs removed. RIGHT NOW! The costs of birth control and being pregnant are too much for her and I can't think of any other way to prevent her from getting pregnant. Maybe somebody could come up with another solution to avoid the costs of getting pregnant.

Golf > Tennis

Don't know if any of you saw this on the front page of Espn yesterday, but it's still on the golf page. The headline:

Tiger vs. Federer: Tiger Woods and Roger Federer each added another trophy for the mantle on Sunday, which got us to thinking: Which athlete is more dominant?

Um, this got ME thinking: Never compare some headband-wearing, white-shorts-sporting guy who is good at a HOBBY to Tiger Woods. Okay, tennis is something that rich housewives pay young trainers to teach them so they can bang them later in the garage. Roger Federer is not "dominant," ok? He's just lucky enough to hit a dog's chew toy over a big fishnet in the right spots every once in a while.

Success in golf requires meticulous training, endless self-evaluation, complete control over every muscle of your body, a balance of strength and finesse - all to put a tiny ball in a tiny hole the most efficient way possible. Tennis? You run between a couple of squares, grunting like some whore in heat, as you engage in what is undoubtedly the most uninteresting game for a spectator to watch. I'd rather watch someone play video games for three hours. And no "sport" can be taken seriously when one of its point positions is called "love."

I hate that tennis is considered a valid sport worthy of television coverage, product endorsements, manufactured celebrity status, etc. You don't see any racquetball on ESPN or Sportscenter, do you? Why not? It's the same goddamn thing, except its faster and more exciting. Sure, I enjoy playing racquetball when I get the chance (6 years ago after school), so I probably wouldn't dislike playing tennis. But don't give one goddamned second of air time or printed word covering tennis or bike-riding. They are just HOBBIES.

New 2006 Tax Return Due Date

This is possibly the most boring post ever, but I'd thought some of you last minute losers might benefit.

Taxpayers Have Until April 17 to File Form 1040, Other Forms, Due to Legal Holiday in District of Columbia (IR-2007-15)
The IRS has announced that taxpayers will have until Tuesday, April 17, 2007 to file 2006 individual tax returns (and certain other forms) and pay any taxes due. The filing date was extended because April 15 falls on a Sunday in 2007 and the following day, April 16, is Emancipation Day, a newly instituted legal holiday in the District of Columbia. Under a federal statute enacted decades ago, legal holidays observed in the District of Columbia have nationwide impact on federal tax deadlines. IRS officials became aware of the application of this statute with respect to the April 16 Emancipation Day holiday only recently, after forms and publications for the 2006 tax year had gone to print. These forms and publications will not be updated, but the IRS website will include information on the new filing deadline.

Big Win

Levi Stukes hit a game winning three from about half court to beat a ranked LSU team today. Unless we completely collapse in February(knock on wood), we should make the tournament for the first time since the Harrick era. If you have not watched this team play yet, I highly recommend that you do. They have a solid big man in Brown and very exciting guard play with Mercer, Gaines and Stukes. Everyone is talking about how great Brown is right now, but I love watching this trio of guards. They can all penetrate and can pull up for three from anywhere to keep the defender honest. I think if this team finishes strong and does better than an 8 seed in the tournament, then they have a solid chance to win a few games because of the play on the perimeter. Right now, ESPN Bracketology has us in the 8vs. 9 game against Notre Dame with our stock rising(as of 1/24). It would be great just to make the tournament but would be even better if we could do better than the 8 or 9 seed because that would mean we would have to a North Carolina or UCLA in the second game. UNC looked ridiculous against Arizona Saturday on the road. You heard it here first folks, I think they are going to win the whole thing. Florida can go to hell.

Vox Populi: Gems of the Week

Sorry these are a little late. I was working in the 'Ham yesterday and they don't have the internet out there yet. Here they are, the Gems of the Week.

Dishonorable Mention:
"I just had the best sandwich I've ever had at Southern Comfort, the new delicatessen on Wilmington Island."

Dishonorable Mention:
"What is the past tense of blow dry, as in blow dry your hair?"

Dishonorable Mention:
"I would like for everyone to call Colonial Oil and ask why they have not lowered the price of gas. Wholesale prices have dropped and it is about time we get some relief around here."

Second Runner-up:
"To prevent an old building from becoming a slum, start by fixing the broken windows. To prevent a city from becoming overcome by crime, start by ticketing the speeders."
- Won’t work. I speed and I don’t shoot people.

First Runner-up:
"I've noticed that all of my clothes are made in other countries. So why is everything priced so high? The media says that Third World countries lack resources and education. How are these countries able to make better quality and more expensive products than America? I don't get it."
- However they do it, it’s working.

And your Gem of the Week”
"I'm visiting from out of town with a new Camry hybrid. I went to Oglethorpe Commons and found a spot just for hybrid cars to park. Way to go, Savannah."
- I hate you. Not just for the fact that you drive a hybrid car, but the fact you had to condescend to congratulate us for something. Go back to where you came from.

Happy Saturday, folks. See you at the party.

Charles and Eddie

If there's anything better than this classic pop song from 1992, it's the accompanying music video, complete with buttoned-all-the-way-up pastel shirts, a long mane, and high school video effects.

Bush on Healthcare

Most State of the Union addresses are all pomp and circumstance, with a list of endless and needless proposals that usually involve flying to Pluto or making cars run on sand or something. Last night was generally no different, but I wanted to point out one chink of light in the President's speech: his new healthcare proposal (today's Wall Street Journal has a good editorial on it). It's the first conservative domestic policy proposal he's had in quite a while. While far from perfect, it's a step in the right direction.

The reason why America has the world's most advanced and efficient healthcare is because, compared to other countries, ours most closley resembles a free-market system. But we have a long way to go before we have a truly free market in healthcare: there is still far too much interference by government and employer-based insurance companies.

Bush & Co. essentially want to make buying healthcare like buying a box of cereal: you, the patient, make decisions based on what's most cost efficient for you (and your doctor), instead of just running up costs that you know your employer will pay anyway. By allowing individuals to purchase their own plans tax-free (which employers are already allowed to do), this would be a big step in making the healthcare system more free-market oriented and thus more efficient and affordable.

Pelosi & Co.'s plan is to make healthcare a public good that everyone is entitled to, like public education. While this sounds great on paper, it would stifle the same forces that Bush wants to unleash that would make the system more competitive. Do we really want to make doctor visits like going to Beach High School or the DMV?

If the new Congress actually sat down and realized all the benefits of this new proposal, they'd quickly conclude it would be ridiculous not to pass it. Unfortunately, the Dems are unlikely to do this, but it still should make for a good campaign issue in 2008.

Someone Needs a Spanking

Taken from FoxNews.com:

ORLANDO, Fla. — AirTran Airways on Tuesday defended its decision to remove a Massachusetts couple from a flight after their crying 3-year-old daughter refused to take her seat before takeoff.
AirTran officials said they followed Federal Aviation Administration rules that children age 2 and above must have their own seat and be wearing a seat belt upon takeoff.
"The flight was already delayed 15 minutes and in fairness to the other 112 passengers on the plane, the crew made an operational decision to remove the family," AirTran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said.
Julie and Gerry Kulesza, who were headed home to Boston on Jan. 14 from Fort Myers, said they just needed a little more time to calm their daughter, Elly.
"We weren't given an opportunity to hold her, console her or anything," Julie Kulesza said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
The Kuleszas said they told a flight attendant they had paid for their daughter's seat, but asked whether she could sit in her mother's lap. The request was denied.
She was removed because "she was climbing under the seat and hitting the parents and wouldn't get in her seat" during boarding, Graham-Weaver said.
The Orlando-based carrier reimbursed the family $595.80, the cost of the three tickets, and the Kuleszas flew home the next day.
They also were offered three roundtrip tickets anywhere the airline flies, Graham-Weaver said.
The father said his family would never fly AirTran again.

I totally agree with the AirTran folks kicking that couple and their bastard kid off the flight. It doesn't take long to quiet an unruly child. Her little temper tantrum would've ended in the time it took belt to meet ass. And spare me your whining about how young the kid is; she's three, she knows better. Besides, I'm not saying beat her up, but kids understand spankings and not soft attempts at adult rationalization.

Furthermore, I totally disagree with the notion of "it takes a village to raise a child." It doesn't. It takes firm parenting. If I am somehow responsible for raising your spawn, I should be allowed to discipline them if you won't.

Who Dat Tryin' to Beat BC?

Let's show these crackers how it's done!

Clinton the New Thatcher?

Many in the European media are comparing Hillary's candidacy with that of Britain's first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. Needless to say, this totally unwarranted comparison does a grave injustice to Lady Thatcher and her great legacy.

For those of you who don't know, Thatcher was Reagan's counterpart during the 1980s, and was the best prime minister in modern history alongside Winston Churchill. Both Reagan and Thatcher shared the same economic philosophy in free markets and individual freedom. They both believed in a postive-sum world where anything was possible if only the constructive forces of individual human creativity could be unleashed from the clutches of overburdensome government. The fact that they both were in office at the same time was a Godsend: it was crucial to the spread of capitalism and to Soviet Communism's fall.

If one visits the City of London today, one will be taken aback by the sheer economic dynamism that fills the city. Construction of new skyscrapers tower over young bankers, accountants, and corporate lawyers roaming the streets. Wealth creation is simply soaring, and both the rich and poor are benefiting.

All of this is thanks to Thatcher, whose reforms turned the country around from a stagnant backwater in the 1970s to an economic powerhouse in the 80s. London is now the undisputed financial capital of Europe (and stands to soon overtake New York as the financial capital of the world, unless Congress repeals Sarbanes-Oxley).

Ms. Clinton, on the other hand, believes in a zero-sum world where one person can only benefit at the expense of another. Where high taxes and high spending are standard policy. Where trial lawyers and labor unions run the show. Where competition through school choice and vouchers are never an option. Where government, not individuals, is considered the only source of good in society. As David Boaz at the Cato Institute puts it:

For more than 15 years now, Hillary has been the incarnation of Big Government. She votes with taxpayers only 9 percent of the time, according to the National Taxpayers Union. She calls herself a “government junkie.” She says, “There is no such thing as other people’s children” and calls for ”a consensus of values and a common vision” for 300 million people. She was best known in her White House years for heading a team of 500 bureaucrats organized into 15 committees and 34 working groups to recreate in 100 days one-seventh of the American economy. After health care, she told the New York Times, her next project would be “redefining who we are as human beings in the post-modern age.” Or, as the Times put it, “She wants to make things right.” She just might be the scariest collectivist this side of Al Gore.

Anyway, UCLA Law Professor Stephen Bainbridge had a good post today on his blog, showing more of the dramatic differences that exist between Ms. Clinton and Lady Thatcher, using quotes from both. Rather than repeat them here, I invite you to read them yourself. Which I know none of you will, because ya'll aren't total nerds when it comes to this stuff like me.

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Week.

What the Hell is this?

Apparently, men's leggings have become all the rage on a fashion runway in Milan. This guy kind of looks like Ryan Smith, and I can definitely see Ryan sporting these suckers in Atlanta's "Little Five Points."

More Norm

On the Crocodile Hunter, Condoleeza Rice, and his new comedy album.

And So It Begins...

God help us all.

More Much-Needed Advice from Our 39th President

This weekend, Former President Jimmy Carter and a host of other "dignataries" are coming to Athens to host a conference entitled "The Carter Presidency: Lessons for the 21st Century." Carter has said he hopes the conference will be conducted in a "bi-partisan spirit" to discuss the complexities his administration had to face, and then how today's complexities could similarly be addressed. By experiencing, in the words of UGA's website, a "critical, balanced and enlightening exploration of the key domestic and foreign policy decisions made by the Carter administration," we can hope to address the problems that plague the world in 2007.

Carter, who lives in his own world, is probably one of the most liberal people living and breathing in the United States today, but that's okay because we're all entitled to our own political philosophy. So let's see who the University picked to help "balance" things out to create this purported "bi-partisan" atmosphere:

- Walter Mondale, former presidential candidate and liberal. The people were so receptive to his ideas that he garnered a whopping 40% of the popular vote against Reagan's 59%.

- Justice Stephen Breyer, a noted liberal member of the Supreme Court.

- Robert Rubin, economic advisor under President Clinton

- Brian Williams, anchor of NBC News.

- Judy Woodruff, political correspondent for CNN.

- Madeline Albright, Secretary of State under President Clinton

- Other Democrats who were in Congress at the time of Carter's presidency, as well as members of his adiministration.

- 15 or so University Professors from the School of Public and International Affairs

I guess my main point is as you scroll through this list of dignataries and panelists, you won't be able to find one conservative thinker. Not one. It continues to amaze me how Universities, supposedly the most free-speech supporting institutions, can put so many resources into such a large conference without presenting at least one view from the other side of the aisle.

Again, this is what liberals do when they lose elections or their views are out of the mainstream: they retreat into the halls of academia where they can feel relevant by making simple problems into "complexities" that must be discussed using big words and with people who have read lots of books and the wisdom of those who have never had to make it in the private sector before.

If I were a panelist at this thing, I would start things off by asking one simple, straightforward question: does anyone here seriously think this country would have been better off had Carter been re-elected in 1980? And I'm sure most professors would snicker back about how it's not so simple. But it really is that simple: Carter was a disaster. This was the same man who sat back and watched as the Soviet Union expanded its military and invaded Afghanistan, whose policy was "peaceful coexistence" with Communism, who kept income tax rates at 70%, who tried to plan and manage America's energy sector, only worsening gasoline shortages.

Why then are his views so well respected in the academic community as opposed to say, the views of former Reagan officials? Does anyone really care to hear how to deal with Iran from a man who didn't lift a finger when 20 Americans were taken hostage there?

When a conservative (Justice Thomas) comes to campus, he's villified: protests are organized, and professors go out of their way to boycott his speeches. But when liberals come, it's a whole different story: it's "bi-partisan," it's intelligent, it's introspective, it's enlightening. Someone please help me understand the reason for this distinction.

And the Winner Is...

JACK HOLLAND

Jack edged out his cousin by one half of a point to win the t-shirt!

Here are the results:
Jack Holland: 22.5
Pat Holland: 22
Larry Conneff: 20
Joe Wood: 19.5
Rick Schwarz: 18.5
Stephen Leonard: 17
Patrick McCarthy: 16
Tim Wallace: 15.5
Nick Sabogal: 11.5
Ryan Smith: Didn't want to get embarrased.


Here is the key I used. If you disagree with my grading, do what Coach Curley says:

"Take your F like a man."

1. Maroon & White (If you said Gray, you got it wrong.)

2. 1902

3. Josh Mallard; 58

4. Savannah High

5. Thanksgiving Day

6. A lion and 10 stars; the lion represents Father Leo Haid and the 10 stars represent the 10 monks that accompanies him to start the school. (If you said St. Leo or Bishop Leo, you got it wrong.)

7. Benedictine College

8. St. Vincent's Archabbey; Latrobe, PA (I needed "St. Vincent's Archabbey." Not "St. Vincent's College" or just "Archabbey.")

9. Baseball & Golf was what I was looking for, but I forgot about the Drill Team. I gave one point each for any of those three.

10. December 7th

Lightning Round: There are 14 total. When I originally wrote the question, I was thinking of full-time employees, of which we have 7 alumni. I gave a half point for part-time employees. I have put astericks by the part-time guys.
Jim Blakewood* (Fr. Football)
Bobby Cannon (History, Basketball, Baseball)
Tommy Cannon (Dean, Basketball, Golf)
Harry Deal* (Substitute)
Will Fleming (Admissions)
Chris Foran* (Football)
Terrence Hennessy* (Football, Wrestling)
Bob Herndon (Football)
Donald Joyce* (Football)
Albert Lodge* (Baseball)
LTC Owens (SAI)
Dennis Rooks (President)
Harry South* (Fr. Football)
Mark Stroud (Football)


I also want to say that I was surprised that Mr. Curley's class did as well as they did. Hats off to them.

Back to School

I have to sit for Coach Curley's last period class today, so I decided to come up with a BC trivia quiz for them. I thought I would offer ya'll the same opportunity. You will get 1 point for each correct answer. If you get a question and it's bonus correct, you will get 3 points. I am opening this up to anyone that wants to play; not just BMBS members. The winner will receive a BC t-shirt.

Do not respond on the blog with your answers. Email them to me by 5:00 today so nobody can cheat. In fact, here's a bonus question worth 5 points: What member of the Class of 2001 was notorious for cheating? My email address is wfleming01@gmail.com.


1. What are the official school colors?

2. In what year was the school founded?

3. Which BC graduate currently plays in the NFL?
Bonus: What was his number in high school?

4. In the BC Fight Song, which high school is BC going to drive off the sod?

5. On what day was the old BC-High School game played?

6. What is on the patch that is on the shoulder of the Class A ROTC jacket?
Bonus: What do these symbols represent?

7. What do the letters BC stand for?

8. What organization owns BC?
Bonus: Where is it located?

9. In which two team sports has BC won a state championship?

10. What is the date of Gannam Day?


Lightning Round

Name as many alumni you can think of that currently work at the school. (1 point each)

Vox Populi: Gems of the Week

Off to a late start this year, oh well. Here is the first Gems installment of 2007:

Dishonorable Mention:
"I agree with Donald Trump. Rosie, you're fired."
- “Ha! Did you hear that? I just used The Donald’s catch-phrase! You’re fired! Get it? You’re fired, Rosie. You’re fired.”

Dishonorable Mention:
"Obesity is an epidemic in America, and you can see why because people drive their fat, road-hogging, gas-sucking SUVs to all-you-can-eat buffets, sit and eat as much as they can and then drive alone in a car that gets 8 miles to the gallon."
- What does gas mileage have to do with obesity?

Dishonorable Mention:
"I don't want to hear or read anything about O.J. Simpson. It is offensive to me."
- “Hearing anything about the man known as Orenthal James Simpson who may or may not have murdered his wife is offensive to me as a person and a citizen. I am peeved by this. You don’t have the right to offend me by speaking about “The Juice” in my presence.”

Third Runner-up:
"New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin announced the setting up of anti-crime checkpoints throughout the city to deter crime. Wouldn't it be nice if our own mayor would come up with a specific initiative to reduce crime in Savannah?"
- Ray Nagin sucks as a Mayor. Yeah, he was Mayor of New Orleans during and after Katrina. Great job on that one.

Second Runner-up:
"I can't wait for the kids skating with shoe skates to run into me at the grocery store or hospital because I will sue their parents. You should not let kids skate in a public place. Ken Nugent, one call that's all."
- “Ken Nugent gonna SUPA-SIZE my settlement!” Seriously though, why would kids be skating at the hospital?

First Runner-up:
"The corner of East Broad and Anderson Street is an eyesore and the city needs to beautify it and maybe put a nice shopping area there."
- No. The City doesn’t need to build or do anything. Eventually, someone will buy the property and put in their own shopping area or whatever they decide. Stop looking to the government to fix things; they just want your money. Besides, that intersection is still in a pretty rough area. Whatever is put their will get trashed and/or robbed within a matter of weeks.

And your Gem of the Week:
"If the meter maids would get off of their go carts and check the tickets on the dashboards, they would find that four out of five regulars use old tickets."
- Shut up, asshole. I do that. And are you really tattling to the Parking Nazis? You’re a loser. I’ll bet you called into Vox because nobody else would answer you calls. Was Moviefone busy? Get a life.

Happy Friday, folks.

Tim's Top Ten

I don't know if ya'll are feeling it yet, but I am already missing college football. So, I decided to do my own top ten for next year to hold us over for the next 7 and a half months.

1. USC-Should have been in the title game this year and had they been I can almost guarantee you they would have won due to a very slow Ohio State team. Almost their entire defense is returning. They do have to replace their number one and two receivers, but I am pretty sure the talent is there.
2. LSU-Lots of talent just like USC. I think Perilloux should be able to step in, but watch for their defense to carry them early on while he goes through some growing pains.
3. Michigan-They should be able to get through the Big Ten pretty easily with the Senior leadership of Henne and Hart. I think they beat OSU this year and go to either the Rose or Sugar where they will be beat either by USC or an SEC team.
4. Texas-The Fighting Malcom in the Middles(Colt McCoy and Co.) will make their own push for the title game which is in the Sugar bowl this year. They haven't been since '95 where they lost to Virginia Tech.
5. Florida-They got lucky this year. USC should have been in the title game if they wouldn't have blown it against UCLA. Their defense looses almost everyone which was their strength this year. Also, I don't want to say that Tebow isn't any great, but I would like to see him win a game at Quarterback rather than Fullback.
6. Nebraska-This is probably way high, but I like their offense next year with Arizona State transfer Sam Keller. It will be much better with him than Zac Taylor
7. Virginia Tech-The ACC is going to be terrible again this year as well. With that defense, they should be in a BCS game unless their offense implodes like in the bowl game this year.
8. Lousville-Their offense should be great again this year with Brohm returning. Who cares about Petrino? He made a great career move to coach a weed smoking coach killer.
9. Ohio State-This is just out of courtesy since they were in the championship game this year. I think they are going to suck, but I don't know who else to put above them.
10. Oklahoma-Pretty good talent everywhere but at Quarterback. They might have to go with a true freshman.

Almost in:
Georgia-would be in the top ten if it wasn't for the questions at O-line. This is a top five team with a good O-line but might not be in the top 15 or 20 if the JUCOs turn out to be duds.
Hawaii-I really like to watch this team with Colt Brennan. They will climb high in the ranking because they play in the WAC.
Auburn-Also has O-line questions, and they are loosing the Irons brothers.
Tennessee-I hesitate to put them in the top ten because on Ainge's inconsistency, but we all know he will show up against Georgia.
Arkansas-McFadden will lead a ground laden attack. Mitch Mustain made a bad decision in transferring because I don't think Casey Dick is the cock of the walk.

Reminder

Tonight, Stephen Colbert will be on O'Reilly at 8pm on Fox News. O'Reilly will then be on Colbert's show tonight at 11:30 on Comedy Central.

Should be pretty good, but I'm willing to bet Colbert uses his usual sarcastic/witty front to shield himself from having to answer real, actual questions. I'm also sure Bill will get booed by tons in Colbert's studio audience, 95% of whom (like David Letterman) have never even watched a single episode of the O'Reilly Factor.

Pass In Review: 2006

I know, I know. I need to get in the habit of getting this all together before the year ends and not in mid January. Either way, I've listed below, in no particular order of importance, the year's events. Feel free to add any comments or anything major I've left out.

- The Dems Take Over. I've blogged numerous times on this over the last 2 months already. I won't bore ya'll even further. All that matters now is that we pick the right horse to take on either Hildabeast or Obama. And that will not be an easy task.

- Irish Times and Finnegan's Wake Close. But forget the Democratic takeover, because we all know that the biggest story of the year by far was the closing of City Market institution O'Connell's/Finnegan's Wake and a short-lived Whitaker Street experiment called Irish Times. O'Connell's is special to me because it was the first bar you could go to underage in Savannah. Forget Loco's, Savannah Blues, Wild Wing, and all these other new long-haired, Country Dazed, drugged out, Lacoste loser-hangouts. Back in '01, the only place to go was O'Connell's.

Irish Times was a much different story, and I think its failure demonstrates why charging $6 for just about everything you sell might not always be the best idea.

Anyway, as much as you may hate Paula Deen, the sale of O'Connell's was simply an example of the market's invisible hand doing its job through "creative destruction" (where capital flows to its most profitable destination, replacing less profitable ventures but ultimately benefiting the public). So at least I can feel good about that.

- The Herndon Era begins. BC goes 3-8 and strongly considers dropping down to 8-man football.

- Stephen Starts Work. So finally, with the CPA exam passed and a plush new white-collar job on President Street, all those years of miserly living are over, right? Wrong. He still sneaks liquor into bars and asks for rides home. Constantly.

- TC ties the Knot. The former Brigade S-1 should write himself up for some merits for this one. I would say Ryan is next since he caught that garter thing or whatever, but then again he doesn't believe in God.

- U.S. Economy Roars to New Heights. The Dow sets new records, unemployment continues its slide, and inflation looks to finally be in check as oil begins to retreat after a 5 year-run.

- Music: No Kelly Clarkson album was released in '06. "Promiscuous Girl," "Hips Don't Lie," and "Check on It" dominated the airwaves, which further concludes that girls love singing about being the sluts they truly are.

- Sports: Braves fail to capture the division title for the first time since the Cold War. Georgia has its worst season in a decade but steps it up in November, overpowering Auburn, Tech, and Virginia Tech. Tech has its best team in years but that's still not good enough to beat Georgia.

- Movies: Daniel Craig delivers a stellar performance as the new 007, in what critics and fans are continuing to praise as the best Bond flick since the 60s. Scorsese's The Departed kicks ass as well.

In Other News....

Two months until St. Patricks Day

The Golden Boy Cometh...

The Democratic Golden Child, Barack Obama, has thrown his hat in the ring for the 2008 Presidential Election. They were all asking for the chosen one, now they have it. It will be interesting to see if he can overcome the man-power(pun?) of Hillary Clinton to get the nomination, if she runs. And he speaks so well....

More on Minimum Wage

I've read the previous posts concerning the minimum wage increase, but having been gone for a week and half I wanted to commend those who have a brain and understand what it does to the economy and unemployment. I'll give one quick example:

I was speaking to the president of a property management firm up here in the A-Town about this subject. He was quoting some operating expenses for a potential tenant and said, "What happens, T.C., is the minimum wage is increased, so the owner of that landscaping company passes that cost through to the landlord, and of course the landlord turns around and passes it through to to the tenant." He stopped there, but I got to thinking, which I'm sure Pat and Stephen have already thought: is the tenant just going to take that hit and keep hit prices for the service or retail he provides the same? No. They will pass it through to those of us who want to buy their product or service. That is the easiest way to look at a this minimum wage increase: an increase in the cost of goods and services we need.

Here is an interesting article. Apparently Ms. Speaker of the House, after preaching about the wage increase, was trying to exempt American Somoa (produce lots of tuna) because Starkist's (tuna people) headquarters are in her district.

More Liberal Illogic

The other day, I overheard some know-it-all kid standing in front of the library who sneered: "I find it humorous that conservatives are against abortion and for the death penalty. Talk about hypocrisy."

Personally, I find it humorous, if not ridiculous, that someone could actually parallelize irrehabilitable serial killers as posing just as much of a danger to society as innocent unborn children. But that's just me.

TC is Married

I'd like to congratulate once again the first member of BMBS to get married: TC Madison. The whole weekend was awesome, and future wedding celebrations will be hard-pressed to top it. I'd like everyone to contribute any sort of observation, notes, or wise-ass comments about the weekend here. Some of mine will already be familiar to a few of you, so I apologize for the repetition.

-This was my first time meeting Father O'Brien, and let me tell you - that man is sharp. And by that I mean, he could smell my non-Catholicism the second he met me. I was kind of embarrassed.
-As Joe correctly pointed out, it is impossible for both Chris Lane and I to not be late to something when we are riding together. Also, it is impossible for the two of us to appear heterosexual, as the wedding included several instances of uncomfortable teaming up.
-Crossing your arms across your chest and bowing Lord of the Rings-style is much cooler than the Catholic body-touching thing.
-After actively giving backhand insults to tourists by waving at trolleys yelling, "Hi, y'all! Welcome to Savannah!" we receive an unsolicited gem. As the wedding party drank champagne on the trolley in front of the cathedral, a yankee tourist exclaimed, "This is so Savannah!" and later repeats, "This is so Savannah, Georgia."
-For some reason, I ate none of the food at the reception (sorry, TC) and drank about 8-10 beers. This resulted in an obvious choke-up during my toast and any eye-watering afterward. I apologize for making it uncomfortable for the people who have no emotions. It also caused me to end up on a taxi to the Atlanta kids' hotel for some reason, where I took a step back in time and called my mother to pick me up.
-I caught the garter standing next to tall people like Joe.
-Any reception from here on out must have an open bar. That worked.
-TC gave us great gifts.
-Whose beard looks better? Honestly, mine when its grown out, or Pat Whitledge's? Come on.

And start posting any good pictures if you have them.

Coming to America

(This is my first and probably last post about soccer, so don't worry.)

As we all know by now, David Beckham has signed with the LA Galaxy and will be playing his soccer in America for the rest of his career. I used this photo of Beckham in his prime at Manchester United because those days are behind him now. You don't have to be a genius to see that he wasn't altogether signed for his ability on the field. It's no secret that his form as a player as fallen. In 2006 we saw him dropped for the England squad and left on the bench at his current club, Real Madrid.

The MLS recently amended their salary cap rule to allow clubs to sign on "marquee" player for a salary high above the normal cap. This is widely known as the Beckham rule because the league wanted to attract big name players to the States to increase the popularity of American soccer, believing that one day, soccer will be on par with sports like football and baseball.

While I am a soccer fan and do believe that this signing of marquee players will raise interest in the sport, I am also a realist. Soccer will never be as popular as football or baseball. The game of soccer just doesn't gel with the way we Americans watch our sports. We like to see goals/touchdowns/homeruns and we view missed opportunities to score as failures. Soccer is full of low scores and missed shots and that's just the way the game works, which is exciting for the rest of the world, but it isn't blowing America's skirt up.

I'm excited that the MLS is trying to cultivate interest by bringing in big-name European players, but you're not going to convince people to watch soccer instead of football or baseball. At best, you'll convince the current soccer fans that the MLS is actually a pretty good league, because current fans of the game would take a European match over a MLS match any day.

Editor's Note: Ok, so I made a really long post about soccer, but at least it wasn't about the god awful And1 Mixtape circus that is the NBA.

Post on the Post

While at home in Savannah during the holidays, I mailed a check to Athens for my apartment rent. Low and behold, the check never made it to Athens.

I was really blown away. I couldn't believe it didn't get mailed, considering all of the incentives the government-run U.S. Postal Service has to get things done right and on time, which I've listed below:

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Anyway, it's good to know that the same people who brought us this outstanding postal service (and Amtrak) now want to take over and manage our healthcare.

Hollister Employees Everywhere Celebrate

As one of its first acts, the House of Representatives voted to increase the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour. Personally, I say why stop there? Why not raise it to $20 an hour, that would really help everyone out. Or how about $50 per hour?

Anyway, thanks Congress. Thanks for doing this for the massive portion (1.3%) of American workers that actually earn the minimum wage, 1 in 16 of whom are over the age of 18. Thanks for helping out all those poor, desparate high-school kids in the suburbs who work at Abercrombie and the Gap. Thanks for making it harder for low-skilled workers to find entry-level jobs.

It all sounds so good, and it feels so good. Keep at it.

Generation Next

A new poll of 18 to 25 year-old Americans shows some interesting findings (the USA Today story on this can be found here).

While they favor the Democratic Party by a substantial margin (48% to 35%), this isn't really a surprise. Virtually no one, myself included, wants to be considered a Republican right now (but don't worry, a year or two of Pelosi-nomics should change that).

More positively, though, they are the most likely of any generation to favor globalization, free trade, and to see outsourcing as helping instead of hurting America. They are less critical of business, and they are also the most likely to support the privitization of Social Security. Overwhelmingly, their top priority is to be rich (81%). This stands in stark contrast to their baby-boomer parents (USA Today reports that a similar poll of college freshmen in 1967 found that 85.8% thought it was essential to "develop a meaningful philosophy of life" while just 41.9% thought it essential to "be very well off financially).

So, while I remain somewhat skeptical and won't read too much into this, I'd still say cheers to what, based on this poll, looks like the most economically literate generation America has had in a while.

Me and Clarence

We go a long way back...

Intolerance

* Note: The "Pass in Review" for 2006 is still on its way, I've just been too busy/lazy to piece everything together for the post. Expect it sometime in the coming days. Also, congratulations to newlyweds T.C. and Jennifer Madison. May their marriage be long and prosperous.

As a conservative, while I may strongly disagree with others' opinions, I still respect them, and I want to hear them so I can challenge and debate them. For example, a certain girlfriend of one of our fellow contributors tends to lean to the left. I understand where she's coming from: she truly wants to help the poor, and she has the best of intentions, and I respect that. And I like hearing what she has to say because, if anything, it solidifies my conservative convictions. It reminds me why I don't vote Democrat.

The difference with many Yankee liberals is they often don't want to hear what the other side has to say, because they're convinced their own view is irrefutably superior. Like with the Dixie Chix, freedom of speech is a one way street for these people, and if you disagree you must be some backwards, racist, uneducated bubba.

Such was the case last night at the Knights of Columbus downtown. A woman visiting from Pennslyvania stated her dissatisfaction that there were no females on the altar during mass at the Cathedral. My esteemed colleague (Stephen) immediately took her to task by commenting, respectfully: "well, that's the way it ought to be."

The look on her face was unexplainable. She went into a complete shock because she'd never been questioned on this before. She immediately approached Stephen and stated that she was in complete awe that someone so young could hold such "offensive" views. She questioned whether Stephen "even had a college degree," and if he'd ever been "outside of this area" before, and compared his views to those expressed by the KKK. Typical defense mechanisms for Yankee liberals: bash the South, accuse your views of sounding facist or racist, assume all Southerners are uneducated, the list goes on. Simply dismiss the other side as redneck and inferior, so you don't have to actually (God forbid) have a well-reasoned debate with them on the topic.

This is the kind of stuff that makes me sick. It's not her position that pisses me off, but her complete disrespect of any opinion that may not gel exactly with hers.

Anyway, Stephen debated the woman for a few minutes, not in a harsh, flamboyant tone, but calmly and respectfully. Halfway into the debate, the woman stated she simply "didn't want to talk about this anymore," and returned to her seat.

It Never Gets Better

Does anyone remember 5-6 years ago when the media and economic "analysts" everywhere told us it was the end of the world and we'd be stuck in a recession forever unless we repealed the tax cuts? (This was a recession that, by the way, began in June of 2000, 7 months before Bush even took office.)

How about around 3-4 years ago when, despite the economy's dramatic recovery, they were telling us it was still the end of the world because we'd still be stuck in a "jobless recovery" forever unless we repealed the evil tax cuts?

So what do these folks say now at this stage of the expansion, with job growth literally busting at the seams and unemployment virtually non-existent? What do they say now, with productivity and wages soaring? Things must really be great now compared to a few years ago, right? Not so, according to this CNN headline. So 4 years ago there weren't nearly enough jobs, but now the problem is that there are far too many.

It is simply stunning how a purportedly "respected" news source can take such a clear indicator of economic robustness and spin it completely around to paint the exact opposite picture. Just another reminder that when the person in the White House has an "R" next to his name, things will always find a way to be gloomy. Does anyone here believe CNN would have run this headline if it was 1997 instead of 2007?

Alumni Oyster Roast

The cost is $20 for member of the Alumni Association and $25 for non-members. You can't beat that for oysters and beer!

2006 MAN OF THE YEAR: TOM POWERS

Well, the votes are in, and the results are as clear as can be. You the people chose T.P. as the 1st annual BMBS Man of the Year. In total, there were 43 "actual" votes cast, which means we had pretty good turnout. The results were as follows:

TP = 23 votes
Rick Schwarz = 12 votes (there were 23 "fake" votes for Rick)
Chris Lane = 8 votes
Burger King = 0 votes (there were some folks who voted for the Burger King, but after they'd already cast their original votes for someone else, thus these do not count).

So congratulations to TP for becoming the first recipient of this world-renowned honor, and to Ryan for submitting what will probably go down in history as the worst possible candidate for this contest.

The Counting Begins

Later today I will post the winner of our prestigious Man of the Year contest. Please understand that, with 89 total votes I have to sift through 89 different emails and it takes awhile. I also just figured out that I could have disabled multiple voting from the get go (Bravenet has an option that easily allows this), but I just wasn't thinking at the time. So next year the process will be clearer and the counting won't take nearly as long. Thanks to everyone who participated.

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Week

No, "The Most Ridiculous Item of the Week" is not the fact that Saddam was hanged. His hanging was a just and merciful measure for all the past, and possibly future victims of this most horrible person.

What is so Ridiculous is the liberal media which bemoans the execution of Saddam. Why do they grieve? I have no idea, nor will I ever. My only guess is that libs become upset at whatever good Bush achieves... no matter if it's a ban on partial birth abortion (which should've been a ban on ALL abortions), lower taxes (which created more benefits than a higher minimum wage or more health care combined), or the strengthening of America's anti-terror defenses.

If you oppose the invasion of Iraq on religious grounds, you need to become Catholic (the religion of reason.) Common sense gives a place for justified war and executions. Mass murderers always deserve the short end of the stick. Why? If not executed, the potential for future victims increases.

If you oppose the invasion of Iraq for political reasons (i.e. since I am liberal, I will disagree with whatever Bush does) think of the invasion in this sense.
Remember Al Capone? He was a dirty rotten thief who killed hundreds of people and broke thousands of laws. Everyone knew Al should be put in jail for his actions... but no hard evidence could connect him to the physical crimes committed. So, the only way to nail Al was through a technicality. He was found guilty of tax evasion. Boom, Al spent the rest of his life in jail. Back then, political correctness was unheard of. Everyone knew Al deserved his sentence, and no one complained.

Saddam's Iraq was invaded on a technicality; WMDs. A viable pretense for wiping out a genocidal maniac. He had 14 chances to prove there were no WMDs in Iraq (which new inside sources say Saddam moved the weapons to Syria before our invasion.) After 14 tries, the USMC had to prove Iraq was WMD free.

Using common sense, I still support the initial invasion of Iraq and the subsequent hanging of Saddam. Both were good events.

Funny how liberals invoke "humanity" and "compassion" as arguments against the invasion of Iraq and execution of Saddam, yet support the killing of innocent children in the name of "privacy."

Liberals must have "Uncommon Sense."

Vox Populi: Gem of the Year

Wow, what a year it’s been for the Vox Gems. We’ve seen this fledgling little column grow into an almost weekly staple here at BMBS. I’m sure there will be some debate, but for the Gem of the Year, I’ve gone through the weekly Gems winners, picked the best, and then responded to my original responses. I’ve spent a lot more time than I should have on this, but here is your Gem of the Year Court:

Third Runner-up:
"I called the Chatham non-emergency police number to report shootings on my block and was asked, 'What do you want us to do? There are shootings everywhere.'"
- If you called the non-emergency line to report a shooting, then this probably wasn’t the first shooting in your ’hood. It probably won’t be the last either. Stay inside or move.
* This is Third Runner-up material; nothing too special, but still funny.

Second Runner-up:
"We went to the Sand Gnats game and the heat in the stadium was unbearable. Why can't they purchase a few industrial fans with the proceeds from the ridiculously overpriced concessions?"
- Wow. You must be from the north. You’re in an outdoor stadium, in Savannah, IN AUGUST. If you don’t like hot weather, stay home. And overpriced concessions? It’s a minor league ball park you cheap bastard. Spend a couple extra bucks. Consider it a complaint tax, yankee.
* This is a classic from the first edition of the Vox Gems. Nothing goes against our values here at BMBS more than a displaced yankee complaining about Savannah. I hope this guy moved back to wherever he came from.

First Runner-up:
"Whenever you get in a real bind, just ask yourself: 'What would Oprah do?'"
- Oprah is never in a “real bind.” She’s one of the richest women in the world and she can buy her way out of anything. I hope she gets genital warts. That would be a real bind for Oprah.
* I just really don’t like Oprah. I still hope she gets genital warts.

And now, your Gem of the Year…

“Nobody don’t care nothing about Jody Chapin’s Hair. I don’t even watch the news.”

- Simply stunning. My grammar checker went nuts with this one. This came out on Tuesday and I immediately knew I had a winner. Just look at it. Read it again. With the blatant ignorance and poor grammar, this is not just any gem; this is a diamond. Ladies and gentlemen, here is the first nominee for Gem of the Year.
* The Gem of the Year was a one-horse race the moment I read this submission. I’d like to extend a personal and sincere thanks to this person. It is blatant, crass ignorance like this that keeps me up to my waist in Vox Gems fodder. Thank you, citizen, and congratulations; you've won the Gem of the Year.

Happy Friday, folks, and a Happy New Year.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

'Twas a Merry Christmas, indeed. Santa brought me my first pair of boat shoes since I was about eight years old. Behold, the Sperry Authentic Original boat shoe. It features the same 360 degree lacing and non-slip outsole that have made Sperry the Cadillac of nautical footwear. I went with the classic brown with a white sole like the one pictured above. I've worn them once and wondered how I've lived this long without them. I give 'em maybe three more wears until they start to stink.

An Addition to the Family.

Men's Largo 3-Eye
Caribbean cool with breathable fabrics, perfect for a man with ease and style.

After scrupulous shopping during the post Christmas sales, I finally found my 2007 replacement boat shoes. I've decided to go a little casual yet refined. Although these are a little nontraditional, you can't go wrong with a pair of suede Sperry.

Description:

• Corner Stitched "Euro-Comfort" Construction for Ultimate Comfort and Flexibility
• Combined with Vulcanized Construction for a Secure Bond Between Upper and Outsole
• Padded Tongue and Collar for Added Comfort Around the Foot
• Full Length, Removable Footbed for All-Day Under-Foot Comfort
• 360° Lacing System™ with Rust Proof Eyelets for a Secure Fit
• Non-Marking Rubber Outsole with Wave-Siping™ for Ultimate Dry / Wet Traction

Man of the Year Poll

Ok. Either we have more readers than I thought, or people are abusing the voting process and casting more than one ballot. This is not American Idol. We are sticking to the one man, one vote principle here. Pat is running the poll and has figured out a way to accurately count and disallow multiple votes.

Cheaters never prosper, punk.

Also, next year, we need a new poll. Not because of the multiple vote issue, but because this Bravenet shit is causing pop-ups.

BC Letter Jacket Party Date

Alright, since we have too many jerks trying to be rednecks by attending a monster truck rally, let's have the party on Saturday the 27th of January. I don't want to have the party any later because of busy season.

Do we all concur? Let me know. If you're too cool to respond, than I'll become too cool to host the party.