Run Fred, Run

I am having a severe case of buyer's remorse after endorsing Giuliani for president a while back. Not only did I not know he was going to come flat out last week and say he'd support taxpayer-funded abortions as president, but I also didn't think Fred Thompson would seriously be considering a presidential run.

If Thompson throws his hat in the ring, I'm much more likely to support him than Rudy. Without Thompson, we have without a doubt the worst Republican field since God knows when. McCain called Bush's tax cuts a giveaway to the wealthy and wanted to be John Kerry's running mate in 2004. Romney can't go an election cycle without changing his position on something. And Giuliani constantly denies that unborn children have a right to live.

Thompson strikes me as someone who can successfully and honestly articulate a conservative response to everything the left tries to throw at us. But he needs to step up soon and make a decision before it's too late. Newt needs to do the same.

The State of Music: 2005 vs. 1965

You be the judge.

Answer: April Pop Quiz

Our question was: When the Federal Government is running a budget surplus, how should Congress spend the extra money?

Just to give a short background, budget surpluses are an extreme rarity in American politics. They occur during those exceptional times when increasing tax revenues are coming in so fast that even Congress can’t find new ways to spend them quickly enough. The last time this happened was in the mid to late 90s, when Republicans controlled the House and the Senate and the Democrats controlled the White House. At first, partisan gridlock made it tougher for either branch to binge too much on spending. This was short-lived, however, because by the late 90s Republicans stopped caring and the binge-spending reemerged.

The question itself, like most of the choices, is flawed in that makes a key false assumption: that Congress should spend the money at all. And 3 of the choices are flawed because they assume that Congress would choose to spend the money wisely on either A, B, C.

We saw poll questions like this countless times during the 2000 campaign, when Gore pledged to use the surplus to create a Social Security lockbox, while Bush said it made more sense to give it back to the people by reducing income tax rates, arguing that Congress' relentless appetite for increased spending could only be kept in check by cutting its diet. Below I've critiqued/explained each choice.

Choice A: Use it to invest in education. It's the 21st century and we need to compete with China and India for the math and science jobs of tomorrow. INCORRECT: We spend thousands more per pupil than any other country in the world. The problem with our schools isn’t lack of funds, there’s more than plenty of money to go around. Instead, the reason for public education decline is lack of competition and choice. We'll "compete" (this term is flawed too, because in a positive-sum world of voluntary exchanges where everyone benefits from the resulting increase in the size of the capital stock, countries don't really "compete" with each other) just fine with China and India by keeping our labor markets deregulated and keeping tax rates low.

Choice B: Use it to save Social Security. We need to protect our seniors first and foremost. INCORRECT: The problem with this answer is three-fold: 1) It scares people into thinking Senior citizens are in danger of losing their Social Security checks, which is totally untrue; 2) Congress simply wouldn’t use the money to do this. Instead they’d waste it on pet projects to ensure they get re-elected; and 3) Because, like everything else, Congress constantly mismanages Social Security, it should be privatized so that you yourself can manage it. Why further feed this broken system in the first place?

Choice C: Use it to pay down the interest on the national debt. We should be committed to keeping our fiscal house in order. INCORRECT: This choice is tempting for fiscal conservatives, but again, the problem with this answer is that Congress would never actually use the money to do this. Anyone who honestly thinks 535 egocentric sleazeballs obsessed only with winning re-election would actually use the money to pay down the national debt is living in a dream world.

Choice D: Return it to the the taxpayers. It's not the government's money in the first place; it's the people's money. CORRECT! The only way to ensure the money doesn’t get wasted on broken entitlement programs or extravagant pork projects is to give it back to the people who earned it. Plus, lower tax rates give people more incentives to save, to work, and to invest, thus raising living standards and making America a better to place for business and voluntary exchange to thrive.

Choice E: Give the money to BC. SOMEWHAT CORRECT. We'd have to see if it would go towards the fine arts department or athletic improvements/public school recruits/hiring Urban Meyer. If it's for the latter instead of the former, I'm all for it.

Thanks to those who participated, all 2 of you. Will's answer came in a close second to Stephen's.

April Pop Quiz

So yea, I just won $100 on Florida, so you know what that means. K-Bob tomorrow. Anyway, I'd like to start a new feature here each month. In reality, this probably will only happen once because I'll forget to do it next time. But hey, enjoy it while you can.

So what I will do is pose a multiple-choice question, usually pertaining to economics, but rather than state the choices in their "true" form as I see them, I instead will present them as their advocates would (you'll see what I mean). Thus, I'm "hiding the ball" a little bit to make it more interesting by offering a few distracting choices that are inherently flawed but still might sound good on their face to some readers.

I'll let our readers offer their own responses, then put up the "correct" answer in a few days. Even if no one responds, I couldn't care less. I will still post and explain why one answer is right and why the other 3 are wrong, because I feel like it.

So anyway, here's our question for the month of April:

When the Federal Government is running a budget surplus, how should Congress spend the extra money?

A) Use it to invest in education. It's the 21st century and we need to compete with China and India for the math and science jobs of tomorrow.

B) Use it to save Social Security. We need to protect our seniors first and foremost.

C) Use it to pay down the interest on the national debt. We should be committed to keeping our fiscal house in order.

D) Return it to the the taxpayers. It's not the government's money in the first place; it's the people's money.

If your answer doesn't conform to any of those 4, feel free to provide your own. Be forewarned, however, that it won't be right.

Opening Day 2007

It's a beautiful day, folks. The Braves open their season today with John Smoltz facing the Phillies at 1:00. With the improved bullpen, potentially great rotation, and solid lineup, the Braves are pretty damn likely to make the playoffs this year. Enjoy.

Vox Gems

I’ve gotten lax with these lately. There’s been a sharp drop in quality material, and I refuse to deliver a sub-par product. Enjoy the Gems!

Dishonorable Mention:
"It seems to be a coincidence that the prices go up drastically before St. Patrick's Day."
- Price increases are done to deter cheap Yankees.

Dishonorable Mention:
"Instead of drive-by shootings, why don't we drive by and throw out belts for people who can't keep their pants up?"
- Belts don’t kill people. Guns do.

Dishonorable Mention:
"At least you have the sense to buy your beer or liquor on Saturday to drink it on Sunday. Us religious people have a good life and choose not to drink it away."
- Piss off, cracker.

Second Runner-up:
"Everyone in Savannah needs to pay their Georgia Power bill exactly 29 days late to teach the bureaucrats some compassion for the disabled and those who are struggling to pay their bills. Maybe then they will revise their policies. It is a disgrace how they treat people."
- All that would do is give them more money in late fees. If you’re struggling to pay your electric bill, conserve.

First Runner-up:
"We went to the Tybee Island St. Patrick's parade and they threw quite a few beads. Next year I wish the city would buy more parade barricades and the parade committee would allow the participants to throw beads. It would make the parade much more interesting and exciting for the parade watchers. Other cities from Tallahassee to Galveston have been doing this safely for many years."
- If you want beads, go to Mardi Gras.

And your Gem of the Week:
"When will they ever finish Highway 17 in front of Wal-Mart? They've been working on it six years and the store is already being remodeled."
- This perfectly illustrates the difference between government and the private sector. Big Bad Wal-Mart, the source of all evil, has completely remodeled its store to provide customers with even more goods at everyday low prices and a more enjoyable shopping experience. Your government, however, has abandoned you. They continue to neglect your needs and drag their feet on road repairs. And why? Because they can. They don’t have to be efficient or even provide you with any service at all; they’ll get your tax money again next year. The road, meanwhile, will still have potholes big enough to go swimming in.

Happy Friday, folks.

Iran Is Asking For It

I'm sure everyone is aware of the 15 British Sailors being held hostage in Iran. Iran thinks they are being so clever. Like these hostages would ever make these statements without guns pointed at their heads. Iran has been screwing around way too much lately. Now they've pissed off the Queen.

It's Time For a Diet

Earlier today I stopped by another one of my favorite Athens eateries: Cali 'N Titos. Former Georgia students will know this as Caliente Cab, which has simply relocated to Lumpkin Street and changed names but has the same exact menu.

Anyway, all of this is beside the point. As I'm waiting patiently for my burrito ($6, but big enough for two meals, practically the best deal in town) a loud, obnoxious, obese sorority girl donned in really big "goofy" sunglasses and a tennis skirt that could easily be made into living room curtains makes her way to the counter to place her order. She makes clear to the cashier in her loud but raspy voice that she specifically wants her Cuban sandwich with "double steak" and "double cheese," with an extra side of fries.

And it got me thinking: government is essentially a giant, obese sorority girl. An alimentary canal with an endless appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other. An ever-expanding, overfed monster that takes in so much and wastes so much money that's not even hers and constantly keeps asking for more, more, more. And when we decide to cut her diet by just the slightest bit by (God forbid) letting people keep more of the money they earn, her stomach growls with disdain even louder.

So when you hear Charlie Rangel and other Democrats in the Means and Ways Committee saying all options are on the table with regards to tax increases, ask yourself: why would we want to feed the Kappa Kappa Gamma girl's bottomless pit even further?

Minimum Wage

It's been quiet lately so I thought I'd throw something up. I saw this on The Onion.com.

Hillary/Orwell '08

Many of you have probably come across this ad (a spoof on the Macintosh commercial that aired during the 1984 Super Bowl) on TV or the internet in the past few days:



While I think the general concept is great, I have two big criticisms:

1. The clips they use from Hillary speaking are very mild-mannered, non-threatening, and mainstream. They don't really go at all with the message that's supposed to be conveyed. They could have done a much better job by using her "it takes a village," "I am going to take your profits," "we need to stop thinking about the individual and start thinking instead about society" quotes, or at least something where she actually sounds like the dictator she wants to be.

2. The ad purports to be in favor of Obama, whose voting record is just as socialist as Hillary's. While Obama's rhetoric isn't as bad as hers, what he does in practice is. So we could easily take down Hillary from the screen and replace it with Obama. Both want to take us down the road to serfdom by expanding the size and scope of government even further.

Countdown To Summer

After a two-year hiatus, Oldies 98.3 has returned to Savannah's airwaves, just in time for Summer. Chuck "Boom Boom" Cannon will be returning as well. Thank God.

Another new station I strongly recommend is 104.9 JOHN FM. They play beach music and old R&B constantly. If you listen to this station long enough you'll realize they play "Double Shot" and "Carolina Girls" at least once every hour, which is definitely my kind of station.

Only a little over 2 months 'til Memorial Day weekend...

Only 365 Days Left...

Above: Schwarz gives the camera his notorious "four" signal.

A pretty good parade yesterday. Weather was a little colder than most would have liked, but everything turned out fine.

The Good:
- The weather was okay.
- Sonny Dixon actually ended up being a decent guest speaker.
- The Oglethorpe Club to-go cups.
- Rick Schwarz is still alive.
- No one showed their ass. No arrests, DUIs, etc.

The Bad:
- It was damn near impossible to get a beer at Pinkie Master's (at least when I was there). I know this always seems to be the case, but this year it was beyond ridiculous.
- The barricades. It took what felt like an hour for me to get from the square to across the street. I'm sure it helped the parade move faster, but I don't think the benefits of this outweighed the costs.
- Compared to years past, no real drama or anything out of the ordinary. Except Aaron Bryan, who got in a nasty fight with one of the shrubs on the south side of Chippewa Square. And apparently Stephen and Schwarz got punched out by two Boston guys at McDonough's.

Overall Grade: B+

Quote of the Night: "I'll do whatever the hell I want, because you know what, I'm Michael Reardon and there's nothing anybody can do about that." - Michael Reardon

Thoughts and comments welcome, as always.

Vox Populi: Gems of the Week

I took a hiatus last week to celebrate my birth, but I’m back now. Enjoy the Gems!

Dishonorable Mention:
"For the powerful and wealthy politicians, their friends and business associates come first, before health care for children. How can these so-called lawmakers look their own families in the face?"
- I don’t want politicians to ever have anything to do with health care. I wouldn’t get tax advice from my barber, and I wouldn’t let Stephen cut my hair.

Dishonorable Mention:
"The Comcast turtles might have it over the Geico gecko, but the Aflac duck tops them all."
- Shut up.

Dishonorable Mention:
"Can we please get a light at Paulsen and 63rd Streets?
- Vox Populi will not install street lights or traffic signals for you. Call the City Manager; he’ll refer you to the Department of Public Safety, who will refer you to the Department of Motor Vehicles, who will refer you to the Department of Public Works, who will then refer you back to the City Manager. I love government.

Second Runner-up:
"The soldiers and their wives complaining about the treatment at Walter Reed Hospital make me sick. People are such babies now. You're getting free medical care. Be grateful."
- You are an insensitive prick. What kills me is that all the bleeding hearts out there that think this Walter Reed situation is such a travesty, and it is a travesty, they still want to see publicized healthcare.

First Runner-up:
"As a 'tourist' who has zipped off an HOV exit in error, I observed that the exit lanes are marked identically to the through lane. The exit lanes need to be painted in a different color, with arrows indicating the through lane. Those left exits are most confusing to out-of-towners."
- Is it so hard to pay attention to where you’re going? Atlanta is a terrible place, but at least they have road signs. Don’t drive like a retard and you won’t crash. I also hate that you used the word “zipped.”

And your Gem of the Week:
"I am a man and occasionally get a manicure. I prefer to have clear-coat nail polish applied afterward. I wonder how women feel about that. Should I have them buffed, or is it ok to have the clear-coat polish?"
- This guy called Vox on his pink RAZR phone. What a pansy.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, folks!

Like a Good Neighbor

This clip comes courtesy of College Humor, found by MacKenzie. It's from a news piece by WTOC, and just trust me on this: keep watching. The insanity rises minute by minute.

Anti-McCain '08

Today's Wall Street Journal opinion page (free to visit) does a great job examining McCain's record and revealing just how not conservative it is. Money quote:

While Sen. McCain's economic record is clearly mixed, a careful study demonstrates that even his pro-growth positions tend to be tainted by a heavy anti-growth undercurrent. This evidence, and the virulence of his rhetoric, suggest that American taxpayers cannot expect consistently pro-growth economic policies from a McCain administration.

Chippewa Square To Be Barricaded

It looks like they are barricading Chippewa and Lafayette Squares for the parade, and also in front of the Cathedral. Wouldn't it be more prudent to set up barriers on Bay Street to cage in all of the crackers?

A Very Inconvenient Truth

I'm sure y'all have seen this before, but for those who havent, check out this article from ABC about Al Gore.

The article describes the environmental activist's energy consumption. Al Gore's 20 room mansion blew through 221,000 kilowatt-hours last year. That's more than 20 times the national average. This is a perfect example of the hypocrisy of the limousine liberal.

The Worst Song Ever Written By A Beatle

Behold, Imagine. Of course this is not a Beatles tune, but it was written by John Lennon. I caught this song on tv or in a movie recently and I immediately remembered having to sing it with the rest of my classmates for some assembly in the eighth grade. Had I known then what I know now, I would have protested and refused to sing. This song is nothing but an anthem to Communism. Just look at the lyrics.

Imagine theres no heaven,

Its easy if you try,

No hell below us,

Above us only sky,

Imagine all the people

Living for today...

Imagine theres no countries,

It isnt hard to do,

Nothing to kill or die for,

No religion too,

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace...

Imagine no possessions,

I wonder if you can,

No need for greed or hunger,

A brotherhood of man,

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world...

You may say Im a dreamer,

But Im not the only one,

I hope some day you.ll join us,

And the world will live as one.

I only wish I was better informed back in eighth grade, but I just didn't know.

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose

After last night's "bye" week I am going through Friday Night Lights withdrawal. Then I took it upon myself to watch 4 straight previous episodes I've already seen online last night. This is the best goddamn show on TV.

I don't mean to politicize things, as I always tend to do, but I think this show is pure Red State America: hot girls, belief in God, caring more about sports than academic/intellectual BS, humility, raising hell, high school kids drinking Budweiser and not Starbucks. It's a far cry from the OC or Grace and Will or Sex in the City or whatever. It's the most realistic show I've seen on TV in a long-ass time. Hell, it may even be the first realistic show I've ever seen on TV.

So, for all of ya'll that haven't watched the past 16 episodes, do yourself a favor and catch up by going to NBC.com/fnl, where you can watch all them there. And after that, tune in on Wednesday nights at 8pm on NBC.

First St. Patrick's Weather Projection

I'm not sure if anything can match the weather we had last year, but it looks good so far. As we all know, that can change quickly. 9 more days.

Wilson Phillips

After posting that Clerks 2 clip, I searched for another one of my favorite scenes from a comedy that isn't hugely popular. This is from Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. If you remember Wilson Phillips, their song "Hold On," and how in the beach shot of the music video they kept Carnie Wilson covered up while the other two showed skin, then you will appreciate this. We've all wanted to do this.

The Evolution of Athens Nightlife

I thought now would be a good time to step back and look at how the Classic City bar scene has evolved over the last 6 years. In bold were the bars that were really "in" at that particular time. If I've left off anything please let me know.

FRESHMAN YEAR

Fall 2001
- Uptown Lounge
- El Centro
- Georgia Theatre
- Bird Dog
- Firehouse

Spring 2002
- Bird Dog
- El Centro
- Uptown Lounge
- Georgia Theatre
- Roadhouse
- Molly O'Shea's

SOPHOMORE YEAR

Fall 2002
- Bourbon Street (upstairs opens)
- Bird Dog
- El Centro
- Last Call (a very short-lived phase)
- East/West
- Roadhouse

Spring 2003
- Hedges
- Bourbon Street
- J.R.'s
- East/West
- Roadhouse

JUNIOR YEAR

Fall 2003
- Bourbon Street
- General Beauregard's
- Boar's Head
- East/West

Spring 2004
- Bourbon Street (the long "bench" downstairs is replaced with booths)
- Boar's Head
- General Beauregard's
- Cutter's

SENIOR YEAR

Fall 2004
- Boar's Head
- Cutter's
- Bourbon Street
- Winery
- Roadhouse

Spring 2005
- Cutter's
- Allgood
- Bourbon Street
- Copper Creek
- Winery

LAW SCHOOL

Fall 2005
- Winery
- Firehouse
- Bourbon Street
- Genco
- Allgood
- The Arch

Spring 2006
- Firehouse
- Bourbon Street
- Genco
- Allgood
- The Arch
- Buddha Bar

Fall 2006
- Firehouse
- Bourbon Street
- Allgood
- The Arch
- Buddha Bar

A few remarks:

* During Freshman year, we'd always ride the Russell Hall night bus downtown, which would already be packed by the time it stopped at O-House.

* Since its controversial inception in the Spring of 2002, Bourbon Street has been the standard-bearer. However, because no one stays at Bourbon Street past 11, it never really qualified as an "in" bar except during its initial prime (Fall of '02).

* During the Spring of '03, there was a short-lived but intense Hedges phase. While it didn't last long, there was a period of about 3 months or so where it was literally the only bar we would go to (after Bourbon Street, of course).

* El Centro was known as the Savannah bar in early days. By 2004, most of the Savannah crowd had "graduated" to Cutters, which essentially became a white-collar, drug-free version of El Centro.

* Due to its close resemblence to the legendary Uptown Lounge, Firehouse immediately left a bad taste in everyone's mouth after freshman year. However, it has recently experienced a renaissance of sorts. Reason? $1 well pints between 9-10. But beware, the Mexicans start showing up around 11 or so.

Lord of the Rings vs. Star Wars

I just watched a pretty good movie, Clerks 2. In the midst of this decent comedy was one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen in a movie. It's three-and-a-half minutes of nerds debating which trilogy, LOTR or Star Wars, is the better trilogy. It's heavily slanted in favor of Star Wars, so you anti-LOTR people should be satisfied.

Profanity in Liberal vs. Conservative Blogs

I thought this article was interesting which searched the 18 biggest Lefty blogs, and 22 biggest Righty blogs for George Carlin's infamous "7 dirty words." It found, not surprisingly I might add, the Liberal blogs used profanity more than the Conservative ones at a ratio of 18 to 1. I wanted to hear why this was true from some liberals, so I went to the Fark.com comment forum related to the linked article to see how they responded. Here are a few of the ones that helped me understand why Liberals need to cuss about politics:


2007-03-01 09:21:38 PM1rtfarm

Maybe because it's hard to curse when you're diddling little boys?

Alright, a Foley scandal reference!

2007-03-01 11:40:11 PMrlbigfish

I know it's been said in one way or another...but the Left's got more of a reason to be pissed off. It has to do with them wanting the freedoms that the Right is taking away.

Because Conservative ideology is about restricting the rights of the individual and increases the role of the government.

2007-03-02 06:01:07 AMRunningjoke

Democrats = Rude emotional non-thinking cry babies
Republicans = Polite cold calculating callous baby killers

Those republicans are always killing babies!

2007-03-02 06:57:59 AMschrodingers cat

Most self respecting Christian conservatives would never do anything as undignified as - goodness - swearing in public, (and certainly not on a static IP address) as they much prefer the cloak of darkness before putting on their wife beaters to go score some meth and an underage gay prostitute just to build up enough spiritual guilt and indignation to stomach legislating morality to us Heathens that would be living in a cave, fornicating with sheep, if not, for the grace of God, go'eth they.

Alright.

2007-03-02 07:00:01 AMa large angry dinosaur

Yeah you know what this headline says to me? That rightwingers are almost entirely middle aged, middle upper class squares with a serious case of stickarse. Leftists are the movers and the changers, the people with opinions instead of soundbites.Even if you buy none of that, swearing is cool and I'm proud that people who share my views use it. If it keeps idiots from reading the blog in mortal terror that they might be offended that's only good news to me.There are more important problems in the world than people getting offended and the sooner Bible beaters understand this, the better. In fact, people getting offended does not even register on my Care-O-Meter these days.

Basically it is cool to swear. Leftists are the movers and the changers. I don't even know what that means. One post made a lot of sense, though:

2007-03-02 07:21:43 AMPoint02GPA

I bet it has something to do with their upbringing.

I bet you are correct. Our Dads may have swore around us but we got our asses kicked if we trotted around in public cussing up a storm.

Vox Populi: Gems of the Week

I got some good stuff this week. Here they are, your Gems of the Week.

Dishonorable Mention:
"The squares are downtowner's front lawns. How would you like it if someone pitched a tent in your front yard and partied all night with noise and then expected to use your powder room?"
- First, the squares are public property. Second, no one around here uses the terms “downtowner” or “powder room.” You must be a Yankee.

Dishonorable Mention:
"What in tarnation is going on with President Bush? Does he know what he is doing with America? (sic) Clinton, if you're out there, please come back into office."
- I can’t even touch this one.

Dishonorable Mention:
"The next thing to ban should be the big carts full of food and drinks they haul to the parade and crowd the sidewalks with. Can't they go three hours without feeding their faces?"
- I’m okay with the food and drink carts at the Parade, but the junk vendors have to go. Everyone knows who I’m talking about. I’m not proposing a ban; the City doesn’t need to get involved. Just don’t buy their crap and they’ll go away. You kid does not need a horn or plastic sword or inflatable baseball bat to enhance his enjoyment of the Parade.

Dishonorable Mention:
"Educate yourself and become a senator or don't and become president."
- Oh that’s cute. Hinting that our president is uneducated; that’s precious. Our president is a graduate of one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Where did you go to college? Where’d you go to high school for that matter? Did you even finish?

Third Runner-up:
"It breaks my heart that our historic downtown is going to condos and hotels. It really takes away from our beautiful city, and parking is terrible. Oh, how I miss the old Savannah."
- I disagree. The hotels are vital to our tourism industry here. Say what you will about the annoying tourists; and they are annoying, but they spend disgusting amounts of money here and I’m okay with that. As for condos, I want to see more built. If there are a lot of condo units available in the historic district, then prices will go down and I might be able to afford one.

Second Runner-up:
"Payday lenders are vultures who prey on the working poor and politicians who support vultures should be tarred and feathered."
- Payday lenders provide a service. They do so because it’s profitable for them. A payday advance is a high-risk loan because those who use them generally have little income and little or no personal savings. Because there is more risk, the interest rate is higher. This practice is not predatory. Save money, live within your means, and pay your credit card off every month. This is the path to sound financial living.

First Runner-up:
"The mafia of big oil and its local henchman have begun their yearly economic terrorism with 10 percent hikes in the price of gas in just a couple of weeks. Gas prices of $3 per gallon are predicted, and economic stagnation will follow just like last year. The gouging of hard working Americans must end."
- Here we go again with the gas prices. What we’ve seen over the past month is natural market fluctuation. Pat made this point over a year ago, but I’ll reiterate: gas was less than $2 a gallon three weeks ago. Was “Big Oil” less greedy three weeks ago?

And your Gem of the Week:
"What on Earth is a thesaurus?"
- I swear I did not make this up.

Happy Friday, folks.

Two more weeks.....

Endorsement

Assuming anyone actually gives a damn, I announce tonight that I will be supporting Rudy Giuliani for president in 2008. There are undoubtedly many reservations I have regarding this choice, but the process of elimination has forced me to reach this conclusion. I realize we have a long-ass time until election day and that countless things could happen between now and then that could make me regret this, but right now I see Rudy as the best all-around shot for the Republican party.

Don't get me wrong, in a perfect world I'd support someone more conservative (whomever the libertarian candidate ends up being). But the truth is, in practical terms, Rudy looks like our best shot at beating Hillary. He'd do a lot to help return the Republican party to its Goldwater roots. He'd demonstrate that conservatism isn't about bashing hippies and gays or being in Lambda Chi, but instead about embracing limited government, market economics, and individual liberty. He's so electable that I wouldn't be surprised if California even turned back into a red state like it was in the 80's. His commitment to small government, entitlement reform, and free markets helped revitalize New York City. Imagine what it could do for America.

While Rudy's record of failing to protect the lives of the unborn and the Second Amendment is downright atrocious, I think his position on these issues could change once he actually leaves New York City for once. He would also do well to name a social conservative (Newt) as VP to help rally the party. Because I know how Newt thinks, he probably won't enter himself into the race until September. This is smart, but it shouldn't stop the Giuliani team from opening up some kind of dialogue with Newt now about joining a single ticket once the smoke clears after the primaries.

Most say that Rudy's toughest fight will be getting through the primaries, but with all the polls already showing him 10-15 points in the lead among Republican voters, this might not be as hard as once thought.

All of you Rudy supporters who will be joining my ranks can find campaign apparel and merchandise at the new Spalding Group website (the same company responsible for the brilliant "W the President" product line in '04).

In Praise of Sweatshops

I know what you're thinking: what a heartless thing to say! How could someone in their right mind actually be for sweatshops?!?! Well, first watch this short 4 minute clip from a recent 20/20 Special and then tell me what you think.

Kudos to ABC's John Stossel for being one of the very few journalists in network news that actually gives both sides a fair shake.

Of Course This Would Happen

You can't make this up.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/26/sharpton.thurmond.ap/index.html

The Battle Continues...

As you may have noticed, the list of contributors to your immediate right has shortened a bit. Two of our distinguished founding members, Will Fleming and Stephen Leonard, are no longer with us. Rest assured, the reasons behind their departure were not in vain or related to any ill will among the contributors. Both simply decided it was time to move on.

Over the last two years, Fleming and Leonard played an integral role in shaping this blog. Leonard's tried and true die-hard conservatism will be sorely missed, as will Fleming's commentary on BC and local eating establishments. However, while both have left enormous shoes to fill, I am confident we can and will continue to carry out our purpose.

In filling the political void, I must say I am most confident with the evolution of Joe Wood's role here. Wood's development over the past year from a relatively quiet presence to a staunch defender of the virtues of free markets is very assuring. His cynicism towards blind ideology over reasonable practicality, displayed weekly in his Vox Populi Gems commentary, helps confirms this. And I further can personally testify to Wood's right-minded convictions which were demonstrated yet again last night during a discussion about the affordability of private health insurance while playing bumper pool at Doc's Bar at 2:30 in the morning.

As for the BC side of things, Fleming will continue his regular commentary on Cadet sports over at BC Gottum, which has grown from a small side project to a flagship site in its own right. I wouldn't be surprised if Gottum's traffic regularly exceeds ours on any given day.

So while we wish our first two BMBS "Alumni" the best of luck in future endeavors, this is no time to lose hope. The battle continues...

Creepy

This looks like a damn good high school. The "about BHS" part sounds eerily familiar. Does anyone know if they got the plan for the school from us since we were founded before them? Also, they have the #1 ranked basketball team in Virginia.
http://www.benedictinehighschool.org/home/home.asp

Friday Morning YouTube Grab Bag

At age 4, this guy was my idol. Damn I miss the Eighties.

Vox Populi: Gems of the Week

Oh man, we had some GREAT sumbissions this week, but this isn’t the BCS and I picked one winner. Here they are, your Gems of the Week:

Dishonorable Mention:
"What kind of self-absorbed twit thinks people set a goal in life of earning minimum wage?"
- People unconsciously set that goal when they choose to drop out of school and not work hard when someone finally hires them.

Dishonorable Mention:
"Georgia Power makes family members on Social Security and welfare suffer with the high power bills. They are ripping off the public."
- Georgia Power is not picking on you. Everyone pays the same rate. Regardless, Georgia Power still sucks. They were recently allowed to increase their rate due to rising fuel costs under the condition that if fuel costs go back down, Georgia Power must reduce their rate or repay their customers. Don’t hold your breath for either.

Dishonorable Mention
“What closes clubs is the behavior people use in them clubs.”
- Wow. Ok, I’m not smug to the point that I make fun of people who use bad grammar in casual conversation. I don’t. However, when you call or write in to Vox to publicly make your point (which is really no point at all), clean up your grammar or everyone who reads your comment will think you’re a total idiot. People will automatically assume you’re an idiot just for contributing to Vox; don’t give them more evidence.

Third Runner-up:
"I confess. I'm the father of Anna Nicole's baby. Write me the check."
- Oh! How ruthlessly absurd! For you, a resident of Savannah, GA to say you’re the father of a rich, deceased California woman’s baby is simply ludicrous! But seriously, guys have only been telling that joke for what, three weeks now? You’re a quick one… NOT!!! Oh I got you good.

Second Runner-up:
"People in India were protesting Valentine's Day. Isn't that a waste of time? If they don't want to buy a valentine, don't buy one and let those who want to alone."
- Yes. That’s exactly why the Indian people were angered by Valentine’s Day; they didn’t want to buy cards. The Hindu and/or Muslim people in India were so upset over the commercialization of a Christian holiday that they took to the streets in protest.

First Runner-up:
"I picked my dogs up from doggie daycare at noon and they had not been walked yet."
- I wish we all had time to pick up our dogs from doggie daycare at noon on a week day, but we have to work. I’m completely certain that you are a used-to-be-hot, trophy housewife who does nothing but spend your rich husband’s money and flaunt your ever-sagging features at the lawn boy, pool boy, tennis coach, country club golf pro, gardener, cable guy, mail man, UPS guy, FedEx guy, auto mechanic, local cops, fire fighters, and your adolescent son’s friends. Walk your own dogs, hag.

And your Gem of the Week:
"I think all American law enforcement should stage a walk out for a day in protest over the border guard who was unjustly put in jail for doing his job when he shot an illegal alien drug dealer."
- Holy shit, are you kidding? I came across this on Wednesday and was literally stunned. This is by far the DUMBEST thing I’ve read in months, and I read Vox every day. This person can’t be serious. Just think what would happen if all law enforcement walked out on their jobs. It goes without saying that this is the front runner for Gem of the Year, 2007.

Happy Friday, folks.

Disclaimer

In light of recent controversy, I've decided to issue this warning to all our visitors, past, present, and future:

The views and opinions expressed on this First Amendment-protected blog are those of independent and free-thinking Irish-Catholic American citizens (except Ryan, who is Cracker-Methodist and can thus handle any lawsuits you may wish to bring). Love us or hate us, we will always strive to facilitate discussion in the great marketplace of ideas on every topic ranging from St. Patrick's Day, downtown eating places, Thirsty Thursdays, politics, the great debate of Barnes vs. Carey Hilliard's, and yes, sometimes even BC.

Anyone who can't deal with that can start their own blog, visit another blog, or get a life.

You might be a Cracker on St. Patrick's Day if...

Okay men, it's about that time of year. This is by far my favorite post, started by our illustrious Colonel, Will Fleming. I'll start off with a couple of my own.

You know St. Patrick's Day as "St Paddy's Day."

You're first name is other than a saint's name.

You're idea of dressing up is to stroll down to the 7-11 and buy a "Saint Patrick was a Saint, but I ain't" t-shirt

You have no idea people watch the parade from the squares.

You believe the Shriners have an inalienable right to be in the parade.

You think the K of C is Kentucky Fried Chicken.

You search far and wide for green beer.

You tell your buddies to meet you in front of Wet Willies, because that's where it's at.

New BC Website

The new website is up and running. The address is still www.bcsav.net. It is not completely finished, but it had to be up for RFI, which goes down 22 FEB.

No Girls Allowed

It was brought to my attention last night that a certain female companion who reads this blog is interested in coming down for St. Patrick's Day. The reasons for her previous two years of 3-17 absence were being underage the first year, and being in Italy last year. She's genuinely excited about the whole thing, but I want to make sure she knows the bad stuff that comes with the good.

So if you have any insight into what it's like to bring a girl for the parade, especially one who isn't from Savannah, please post them here. Even if you've never brought a girl for the day's festivities, feel free to give her some advice.

The Squeaky Wheel Gets The City Ordinance

During my daily review of Vox Populi, I came across something that wasn’t a gem; rather it was something of genuine concern to us all. I had read about the new ordinance regarding the setting up of tents on St. Patrick's Day weekend, but this Vox submission shook me from my silence:

"The new rule to restrict tents in the squares on St. Patrick's Day will hurt families that support the festival every year. Why must the city always regulate law abiding citizens?"

See, I know how the whole thing started. Rich, transplanted Yankees moved into the Historic District so they could live in the increasingly expensive townhouses, drink their cappuccinos and bitch about the squares to anyone who will listen. They read the book* and thought, “My, what a quaint and genteel little town with their gender-confused performers and voodoo priestesses. Savannah looks so cute. They drink alcohol there. They say cute things like ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ and ‘thank you.’ I’d love to live there.”

These people have no idea what St. Patrick’s day is about, so when that one day a year rolls around where everyone is out having a good time, the Yankees are displeased and if there’s one thing a Yankee can do, it’s complain. So the Yankees call up their councilman and start complaining. Since NOTHING is more annoying than a complaining Yankee, the City caves and passes these new ordinances that really won’t do anything but quiet the Yankees, at least for a minute.

If the City Council had a spine, they could have just reminded the Yankees that this year’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities will generate more revenue for the city of Savannah than their property tax dollars ever will and if they don’t like it, then they can shoot on over to I-95 and go north.

* - The book, of course, is Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil.

Mitt Romney: Flip Flopper

Is Mitt Romney the Republican version of John Kerry? If you watch clips from his debates with Ted Kennedy in 1994, and his campaign for governor in 2002, both of which I've posted below, this seems to be the case. Professor Bainbridge nailed it yesterday on his blog:

I am deeply suspicious of politicians whose views on abortion, stem cells, and the rest of the culture of life issues "evolve" just in time for them to run for higher office.

And Erik at Redstate had this to say:

"...like Hillary Clinton, (Romney) is a political opportunist who I increasingly see as someone without principle, only a weather vane."

I agree with them. What assurances do we have that this man will keep his word on core conservative issues once he gets the Republican nomination? In '94, he said he wanted to work to "overturn" the era of Reagan/Bush. Now he's pretending to be Reagan. The problem is, McCain is even more guilty of doing this in many aspects. Both McCain and Romney called Bush's tax cuts deeply irresponsible when they first passed. Now they're celebrating them. Bush's abandonment of limited-government principles since 2000 has been bad enough, so what makes us believe these guys, who criticized just about the only conservative aspect of Bush's agenda, will be any better?

I really hate the field right now. Many, surprisingly, seem to be turning their support towards Giuliani by mere process of elimination. At least he's been somewhat consistent in what he stands for and at least seems to have some form of backbone, even if 70% of that backbone isn't conservative.

Any inkling of support any of you may have had for Romney will probably die after watching these two clips:

One More Month

A Revolution in School Choice

The State of Utah recently passed a sweeping education reform bill that provides for complete and total K-12 school choice as well as school vouchers (ranging from $500 a year to $3,000 a year based on family income) for private school. Unlike the entitlements our friends on the welfare-state left love to hand out, laws like this actually help the poor.

The bill makes Utah's school choice law the nation's most progressive by far (and when I use words like "progressive," "diversity," and "choice," they actually mean those things). It's a great piece of legislation because it's about getting the decision-making process, particularly for low-income families, out of the hands of bureaucrats and unions and into the hands of parents and their children. It's about giving teachers more leeway in using discipline and more local control over the teaching methods they use. It's about transforming education from a Soviet-style "one-size fits all" system into a diverse and competitive market-based one. It's about giving people the freedom of choice instead of merely throwing dollars at a broken system.

European countries, which on average spend substantially less per pupil than we do, have allowed for school choice for years and their kids outperform American students on just about every comparable test (if you have time, you can watch this 20/20 Special on YouTube for more details and facts). American schools were the same way until the 1960's. Thanks to states like Utah, it looks like things may finally be trending back in the right direction.

I'm willing to bet you will start to see Utah's students perform better on nationwide tests over the next few years. Georgia, whose school choice law only allows for the creation of charter schools on a limited basis, should follow Utah's lead.

House Hearing On "Warming of the Planet" Cancelled After Ice Storm

(I saw this on Drudge Report and thought it was too funny to pass up.)

HEARING NOTICE:

Tue Feb 13 2007 19:31:25 ET

The Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality hearing scheduled for Wednesday, February 14, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building has been postponed due to inclement weather. The hearing is entitled “Climate Change: Are Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Human Activities Contributing to a Warming of the Planet?”

The hearing will be rescheduled to a date and time to be announced later.

DC WEATHER REPORT:

Wednesday: Freezing rain in the morning. Total ice accumulation between one half to three quarters of an inch. Brisk with highs in the mid 30s. North winds 10 to 15 mph...increasing to northwest 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows around 18. Northwest winds around 20 mph.

Kickass Reagan Quote, #412

During a soundcheck before a radio address in 1984, unaware that it was being broadcast:

"My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've just signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."

This little Goldwater-esque quip got the Gipper in quite a heap of trouble with the news media, but the people saw through it and his approval ratings actually went up. The audio clip can be found here.

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.