Why I Dislike John McCain

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I'm no John McCain fan, and one of the basic reasons for this is that I do not consider McCain to be conservative. But this may frustrate some readers because "conservative" is a word that gets tossed around a lot by a lot of different people. Just what exactly does it mean? Obviously, everybody interprets the word differently, so I will attempt to better explain why I am turned off my McCain's candidacy instead of simply resorting to obscure labels and categories.

Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan were limited-government conservatives. In other words, they were Republicans because they were inherently skeptical of the federal government's ability to plan the economy and solve all of society's problems. Instead, they believed individuals could better plan their own lives themselves, and that a large welfare state created more problems than it solved. They saw a large, powerful, expanding bureaucracy (whether it be at home in Washington or abroad in Moscow) as a threat to individual freedom and prosperity. They subscribed to the belief that "a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have," and their mantra was individual liberty consistent with transcendent order. We could also refer to these types as "leave us alone" conservatives.

McCain, on the other hand, is what we may consider a "national greatness" conservative. In other words, he is Republican because he's a hawk with an astounding war record who made the most honorable of sacrifices for his country during Vietnam, which I have the deepest respect for. He loves this country more than anything else in the world, and this is no doubt a reflection of his impeccable moral character. But this unfortunately leads to his biggest flaw: his long-held, deep-rooted belief that greatness can only be achieved through some great "crusade" that we all have to fight for, some overarching cause that we're all in together, and fulfilling this overarching duty is what makes people decent and good Americans. For example, in a speech the other day he said he's discovered that "nothing in life is more liberating than to fight for a cause that encompasses you but is not defined by your existence alone," and that "there is no honor or happiness in just being strong enough to be left alone." He's always quick to remind us that he served the country "not for profit, but for patriotism."

So unlike Goldwater or Reagan, the maximum goal for McCain isn't individual liberty, but is instead duty, sacrifice, and moral righteousness instigated by the same bureacracy Goldwater and Reagan so vociferously opposed. This is what drives McCain, and whether it's regulating baseball, curtailing campaign finance, fighting climate change, or lambasting hedge funds, it's all about the "duty" politicians and Americans have to "step in," join the "cause," and "do the 'right' thing," which ultimately translates into a political philosophy that is not only inconsistent with traditional conservatism, but often stands directly antithetical to it.

For more on this, check out Prof. Bainbridge's recent post on the topic, which breaks things down a little more elaborately with more direct quotes and analysis.

Recession, Part 2 of 2

Okay, ya'll lucked out. Turns out this will only be a 2-part series. We conclude things today by looking at the consequences of the housing boom and what political leaders can and should do in the future.

V. The Fallout

As we saw from last time, the Federal Reserve began fueling an unsustainable boom in housing by cutting interest rates to rock-bottom levels beginning in 2001, but eventually had to allow rates to rise back up to contain inflation. As rates began to rise in 2005, a trend which continued up until last year, many adjustable-rate borrowers began to take a hit as their mortgage payments increased. In addition, as rates rose, purchasing new homes became a much less attractive idea. This led to a drop in home prices, making it tougher for short-term borrowers to "flip" their properties as they had originally intended. All of this translated into a surge of foreclosures as banks were forced to recoup what they could as borrowers defaulted.

Beginning in September of '07, as foreclosures continued to skyrocket and many subprime mortgages (loans given out to lower-income borrowers) went into default, investors who normally purchase mortgage-backed securities began to get cold feet and stopped providing the cash necessary to finance these mortgages . This has led to what the media has referred to as the "liquidity crisis" or "credit crunch." It has become much harder for people to get financing as banks are far more cautious about who they lend to.

As a result of the above developments, there have been massive layoffs across the housing and real estate sector. Many employees hired during the boom period have recently been laid off. The "cluster of errors" I mentioned in yesterday's post are revealing themselves, and the market has begun to prune back these unfruitful investments.

VI. Politicians to the Rescue (Lord Help Us)

Just this past week, President Bush told the press he's "on top" of the economic situation. The only small problem with this statement is that it's entirely impossible. The president doesn't "control" or "run" the economy. Heck, he hardly even runs his own staff. For him to suggest he's somehow on top of a $10 trillion entity where hundreds of millions of people enter into countless unseen transactions with each other every day is beyond laughable, yet the majority of voters think this way.

Politicians don't run the economy, and considering all of the damage that government intervention and central planning has been shown to cause, we should certainly be thankful that they don't.

VII. What Bush Can Do

But while the recession is inevitable, there are certain things the President and Congress can do to strengthen the country's long-term economic fundamentals for the future.

1. Call for a large, across-the-board reduction in both income and capital gains tax rates.

This would encourage more risk-taking and would raise returns on investment and work by allowing people to keep more of the fruits of their labor. It would also help keep somewhat of a lid on federal spending by straight-jacketing Congress' spendthrift ambitions.

The Democrats' plan to "soak the rich" (i.e., raise taxes on the people that already pay all of the taxes) doesn't make much sense: it would discourage growth and help finance an even further growth of a federal bureaucracy that's already way too big.

2. Approve drastic reductions in federal spending.

Getting out of Iraq would be nice, as would overhauling entitlements and vetoing any new pork-barrel spending. Freeing up money that would otherwise be spent on bridges to nowhere would be used more productively and efficiently in the private sector.

3. Tell the Fed to keep a tight lid on the money supply.

Inflation corrodes the very seed of economic growth (people's savings) and distorts the calculations entrepreneurs and business owners try to make. Tightening the money supply would slay inflation and preclude the fueling of another unsustainable boom.

4. Unconditionally support free and open trade.

This would unequivocally signal to the rest of the world that the United States is ready to benefit from and contribute to global trade. Welcoming investment and cheap goods from abroad lowers costs and raises living standards; embracing protectionism does just the opposite.

VII. Concluding Thoughts

As we've seen, recessions aren't necessarily bad things: they are the market's way of correcting the mistakes of government (Fed) intervention so that things can be brought back on an even keel. Think of them as economic "fevers": they serve as a painful but short-lived indication that the free market is doing its job cleansing uneconomic investments so that things can be brought back to normal.

Thus, the best medicine for recessions is to sit back and allow them to run their course. Attempting to inflate the money supply further (which is what the Fed has been doing since August) and handing out "stimulus" checks will only prolong and possibly worsen the hangover's inevitably.

In the meantime, the President and Congress could get to work on the 4 proposals I've outlined above. I won't hold my breath.

Recession, Part 1 of 2

This will be the first in a short series of posts (maybe 3, maybe 2, not really sure how long it's going to take) on the current economic situation. Today, we'll look generally at what a recession is, what causes one, and how this applies to the current slowdown we're experiencing. You will also get a general sense of how big of a loser I am.

The headlines are everywhere: there's a good chance the economy is either in a recession or rapidly headed towards one. After 6 years of decent growth, the economy is losing jobs.

I'm proud to say this blog mentioned the possibility of a recession around a year and a half ago, and I agree that we're in some form of a recession now and may be for the next few months. But it is necessary to explain what a recession is, how we got in one, and what, if anything, could be done to avoid another one in the future.

I. Just what IS a Recession?

The word gets thrown around loosely in newspapers, although very few people know how to actually define what it is. And to determine just what a recession truly is, we must also determine what causes a recession in the first place.

The textbook definition of the word is when the nation's gross domestic product fails to grow for at least two consecutive quarters. In other words, when the total value of all goods and services bought and sold shrinks during a 6 month period, the nation has technically experienced a recession. But this definition is flawed in that it's directed more to the effects of the recession instead of its actual causes. Sure, the economy contracted for 2 straight quarters, but how? Why? What made this happen? What causes this sudden downturn in business activity? If we break these things down we can better understand why we're in a slowdown and what, if anything, can be done about it.

II. A Two-part Process

The way I see it, a recession can best be viewed of as a two-part, cause and effect, process:

1. MALINVESTMENT: A situation where firms and their investors collectively make bad economic decisions by pouring $ into projects that originally looked profitable, but turned out not to be.

2. LIQUIDATION: The negative effects are felt as the bad investments must be "cleansed." A cluster of errors is revealed as balance sheets turn from green to red and firms are forced to cut production and layoff workers. These layoffs of course translate into lower incomes for workers and their families, which means people have less money to spend, which can translate into further layoffs in industries that produce consumer goods, and the ripples disseminate further.

So in essence, a recession is an inevitable transitionary period during which investors and businesses pull their $ out of bad investments so it can be returned it to truly sound and profitable ones.

But there is still more to this. To be sure, in a free-market economy, bad investment decisions are made all the time. Business go under, risks are undertaken and many fail (this, of course, is why the are called risks). But a crucial question to ask is just how could so many bad investments have been made all at the same time? Is it just a mere coincidence that, every 8-10 years or so, millions of businesses across the country all happen to get it wrong simultaneously?

The reality is we experience what is known as the business cycle. The reason (and blame) for this cycle and the recessions it creates lies not with any inherent failings of free-market capitalism, but instead with the Federal Reserve Board's ability to lower interest rates, which sends a false signal throughout the economy.

III. How the Fed Causes the Business Cycle

Interest rates are determined by the supply and demand of loanable funds. In other words, when people are saving more, banks have more deposits, making rates low. When people are borrowing more and saving less, banks don't have as many deposits and rates are higher. So the "price" of a loan is simply determined by the supply of and demand for savings. Makes perfect sense, right? But here's the kicker, and this is key to understand: the Fed is able to step in and manipulate interest rates by printing new money out of thin air and injecting it into banks. This lowers the interest rate (at least in the short term) and induces investment and economic activity that otherwise would not take place.

The Fed did this in the wake of the dot-com bubble burst at the end of the 90's to "soften the blow" from the previous recession. Between 2001 and 2004, the Fed's printing presses were in full gear as Greenspan lowered rates to unprecedented lows. This induced all kinds of economic decisions that would have otherwise never taken place: Home buyers took advantage of ridiculously cheap mortgages. People that usually wouldn't have been able to afford a home used interest-only, no money down financing and bought up new houses like they were going out of style. As home prices skyrocketed, homebuilders ramped up production to fill a seemingly insatiable demand for new inventory. Mortgage companies, banks, brokers, contractors, and anyone involved in the housing sector hired millions of new workers to keep up with the boom. Basically, tons of resources (money, land, people) were allocated toward a sector that looked in, say, 2003 or 2004, to be insanely profitable.

Unfortunately, there comes a point where the Fed realizes it cannot keep these "artificially" low rates down forever: by continuing to print more and more dollars, the economy inevitably begins to experience the worst of all economic evils: inflation. The nature of inflation and its harmful effects are for another post, but suffice it to say that the Fed realizes it cannot go on creating money out of thin air and has to eventually allow rates to rise back up to their natural market level. This is what happened between 2005 and 2007.

IV. Concluding Thoughts, For Now

So you can think of the Fed's lowering of interest rates and the inflationary boom it creates like drinking alcohol or caffeine: the good effects are felt immediately, while the bad effects come later. Like Snuffy on St. Patrick's Day, inflation of the money supply creates a period where no pain is felt and you do lots of things you otherwise wouldn't have in a normal setting. But, as we all know, these good times are short-lived, and a hangover is inevitable. This is where we'll pick up next time. Class is dismissed for now.

Congratulations, Will

Former BMBS contributor Will Fleming got engaged yesterday, which none of us saw coming. In the hope that Will still reads this blog, we wish him the best of luck with his marriage. I guess this means no more trips to the strip club or Video Heat.

Snuffy P. Smith's Guide to St. Patrick's Day Style, Vol. 3: Attire

The jacket seems to be the most controversial of all clothing items related to St. Patrick's Day style. My personal opinion is that a green jacket should be worn. St. Patrick's Day is about celebrating Irish heritage, and what better way to honor the patron saint of Ireland than donning a tacky, kelly green blazer. On the other side of the argument are those who insist on wearing suits because that's what their daddies wore, despite the fact that if green jackets existed back then, they probably would have wore them.

Ladies love the green jacket.

Now, let's talk about pants. If you're wearing a suit, you obviously wear the pants that match the jacket. Another option is a navy blazer, paired with green pants, or green seersuckers. When wearing a green jacket, you have a few options. Navy, gray and black are all acceptable, however, I prefer khaki. In recent years, we have seen the emergence of shamrock "critter" pants. J. Parker carries them in navy (w/ green shamrocks) and green (w/ navy shamrocks). I was always disappointed that that Jimmy never had a khaki pair w/ green shamrocks. Well, Orvis answered my prayers. These badboys will be making their debut March 14th.

Mike Is Our Man...

If you haven't heard, Stephen and I will not be attending the parade in Savannah this year, as our dad was elected Grand Marshall of the Augusta parade. If you were not aware Augusta even had a parade, you aren't alone. Sorry guys, no catchy tunes celebrating the Grand Marshall here. This is the only picture I could find, as the Augusta press seems to be lagging on coverage of the event. I need a drink.

The Papparazzi Are After Us

First, the picture of Mike and I at the Grand Marshal election, and now this.

The UK, the EU, and the end of Christian Europe.

Has anyone heard of this potentially devastating news? On March 5, 2008 Britain's MPs have approved the Treaty of Lisbon, which is a disguised "substitute for the Constitution that failed in 2005 after being defeated by the Dutch and French..." For those of you not up to date on current affairs, a big push is being made by the socialists on Europe to create an autocratic type government to encompass all the Euro nations, more commonly known as the European Union. This European Union would in fact become a nanny state, redistributing resources from one country to the next, all the while suppressing each nations right to bear arms, limit immigration, and (most importantly) to protect it's own borders. The EU was first organized as merely a trade union, like OPEC. But, more recently a different animal has been born. With the rise of Islam in Western Europe (notice how I don't say "Extremist Islam" or "Radical Islam" since the whole of Islam is both extreme and radical) this creation of a politically correct welfare state could result in the end of Europe as we know it.

Also, there is a connection here between the conflict in Serbia over Kosovo's new independence. Kosovo is a region of Serbia, and the birthplace of the Serbian Orthodox Church. After years of conflict, Kosovo became a haven for ethnic Albanians, the majority of whom are Muslim. Kosovo has now declared independence from Serbia... throwing fuel to the fire of that region's historical conflict between the Christian and Mulsim population.

On the face of it, a normal American may say "Hey, good for Kosovo to seek independence. We are all lovers of liberty, let's go Kosovo! Those mean Serbians, just let the Kosovar's have their own country." But, dig a little deeper, and you'll find a more sinister motive to the Kosovar's actions. The independence of Kosovo is backed by 1. European Union and 2. Islamic Terrorists. The EU's interest is to create a model state. When Kosovo declared it's independence, the EU practically handed a pre-written constitution to the usurpers. Not only does this constitution permit same sex marriage, but abortion and welfare are so call "human rights" guaranteed to every citizen. The EU has teamed up with the Albanian Muslim UCK terror group, who have been forceably ruling whole areas of Kosovo for years know, much like the Taliban in Afganistan.

With the EU's actions in recognizing and aiding Kosovo's independence, it legitimizes Islamic terror in mainland Europe. The UCK has even been given a leadership role in Kosovo's new life. The sad end to the story is the Kosovo's independence is also backed by the UK and the US. With the support of the West, a precedent has been set for future rogue radicals to establish dictatorships all over the world.

The media has demonized Serbia for it's past conflicts and genocides. Those past evils were a result of a Hilter-like dictatorship. Serbia has been a democratic country for about a decade now. Don't be fooled by CNN. Support the Serbians, they are our Christian brothers.

Below is a once beautiful Christian church, now in rubbles as a result of an EU backed Islamic nation in Europe.

Snuffy P. Smith's Guide to St. Patrick's Day Style, Vol. 2: Undergarments

Irish-themed undergarments are completely optional. Only flair enthusiasts, like myself, would dare to wear shamrock-laced clothes that nobody else will see...unless they're lucky. (J/K, Jennifer. Only you can see my shamrock boxers.)

Snuffy P. Smith's Guide to St. Patrick's Day Style, Vol. 1: Ties

My personal St. Patrick's Day tie collection.

The tie is what makes or breaks a St. Patrick's Day outfit. And yes, ties are mandatory. The tie is the one universally accepted piece of flair for men. Therefore, your tie should be reflective of your own personality. A St. Patrick's Day tie should obviously have an Irish theme, or at the very least, have some green in it.

When choosing a tie to wear on St. Patrick's Day, you should consider the color of the jacket you will be wearing (jackets are preferred, but not mandatory). When wearing a green jacket, you should avoid a green tie. You want contrast. A navy or gold/yellow tie would work best. Orange is acceptable, as long as you understand that the orange in the Irish tricolor flag represents Protestantism (Ryan). A pink tie is unacceptable, fratastic, and makes you look like a watermelon. When wearing anything other than a green jacket, or no jacket at all, a green tie should be worn.

RIP William F. Buckley, Jr. (1925-2008)

BMBS mourns the loss of conservative writer William F. Buckley Jr., who passed away yesterday at the age of 82. Buckley was a prolific, intellectual heavyweight credited with making conservatism cool at a time when it was considered reactionary and geeky. He founded National Review in 1955 and oversaw the growth of the movement from a fringe ideology to a dominant political creed during the latter half of the twentieth century. He was also a devout Catholic who attended Latin Mass regularly.

And no, he wasn't in any way related to Bray Buckley.

Man of the Year and Will Flemming....

Doing their civic duty in line for the marshall's vote...

Chippewa

Can you guys please explain to me what the situation is this year with the square business? Do we have to buy a spot or something like that? Should we? What is guaranteed?

God, I hate people.

Frank Is Our Man

Dr. Francis P. Rossiter, Jr.
2008 Grand Marshal

Frank is our man.
He'll ably represent the whole Irish clan.
He'll lead the best parade in the land,
As only he can.
We salute Francis, our man!

New Michael Jackson Outtake from Thriller

This song, "Got the Hots," is an unreleased track from the Thriller sessions. It was just released for the first time on the Japanese version of the Thriller 25th Anniversary edition. Great song, and easily beats those Beatles Anthology "new" songs.

Pass in Review: 1983

Screw 2007. How bout we do a year that actually mattered, like the greatest year in modern U.S. history:

THE NATION

- The controversial Reagan tax cuts, enacted 2 years earlier, finally come into effect. In addition, the Federal Reserve's politically risky decision to tighten the money supply to fight inflation begins to bear fruit. As a result, starting in January, the U.S. economy emerges from its worst depression since the 1930's and commences the longest peacetime expansion in history. Inflation and unemployment plunge as economic growth soars to unprecedented heights. R&D investment in Silicon Valley firms like Dell, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, and Whelan's Furniture surges, paving the way for the boom years of the 90's. Despite 2 mild hiccups in 1990 and 2001, the prosperity we enjoy a quarter-century later remain the direct result of Reagan's administration and the sound money policies of his Fed chairman, Paul Volcker. Both men pursued a bold agenda that defied the political and economic orthodoxy of the time, and set the nation on a completely new economic course.

- In March, President Reagan addresses the nation, announcing his plans for the "Strategic Defense Initiative." The program calls for billions in new defense spending to launch a system into space capable of firing at and taking down any inter-ballistic missiles fired by the Soviets. Dubbed "Star Wars" by the media, the announcement strikes more fear into a Soviet leadership already intimidated by Washington's new defense buildup and "rollback" policy aimed at bankrupting communism. Three short years prior, after invading Afghanistan and watching American influence wane under Carter's policy of "peaceful coexistence", the Soviets knew they'd have little trouble carrying out their master plan of eventual world domination. It is an extraordinary tribute to the capabilities of one man's leadership, convictions, and communication skills that merely 36 months later, the tables had completely turned and officials in what had been the world's most powerful totalitarian empire were already shaking in their boots and whispering to one another about the sudden reality of an impending collapse brought about by military and economic inferiority.

AT THE MOVIES

- Speaking of Star Wars, the final (and best) chapter of George Lucas' epic trilogy opens to sold-out theatres in May. It ends in the greatest 20 minutes in all of cinema. Tom Cruise is introduced in Risky Business. The year also saw the release of timeless classics like Jaws III, Flashdance and Mr. Mom. The best part about most of these movies is that there isn't a whole lot of complex thinking required. The good guys win and the bad guys lose, and everybody gets their $2 worth.

MUSIC

- There is officially no cussing on the radio or on TV. Pop-stars are busy creating hot new dance routines, not molesting 6 year-olds. Black artists actually sing songs, using lyrics you can actually understand. Musicians actually want to entertain their audiences by singing and dancing and producing catchy music videos that MTV would actually play. None of it involves mumbling about "how many times I've been shot" or "how mom and dad screwed up my life," because no one gave a damn about these things anyway.

- Michael Jackson releases the best-selling album in history. And if that's not enough, he goes ahead and decides to make the best music video of all time too. In May, he performs the moonwalk for the first time in front of a live audience at a Motown special.

- The Police are clearly the biggest rock band in the world. They release their final and most successful album, Synchronicity. Meanwhile, an underground college band from Athens, Georgia releases their studio debut Murmur. Rolling Stone hails it as album of the year. This is the only time you will hear me cite Rolling Stone on this blog.

SPORTS

- Dale Murphy wins MVP, and Herschel turns pro after winning the Heisman in late '82. Professional athletes are busy promoting Wheaties, milk, and wholesome living, not getting juiced or electrocuting dogs.

MISCELLANEOUS

- I am born in January in Marietta. My two favorite TV shows are Romper Room and Pinwheel. If I disobey my parents I actually get this thing called a spanking.

Three Years and Still Going Strong

That's right, fellas. We missed it. Our three year anniversary was last week.

Here's to many more until it becomes too lame!

Something That Really Matters

Enough of this political broohaha. Let's talk about something that really matters.

Like the fact that the Benedictine Cadets have won a post-season basketball game for the second year in a row. Write it down. BC will win a state playoff game in basketball next year and make a run at the state title in two years.

What a bunch of B.S.

There's so many things wrong with this, I don't know where to start.

Congress Sends Economic Stimulus Bill to White House

Seeking to get tax rebate checks into the hands of consumers who will spend them and stimulate the U.S. economy out of a slowdown, (Not true.) the House on February 7 voted 380 to 34 to approve the Economic Stimulus Package Act of 2008, an amended version of the Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 2008. The House passage of the bipartisan legislation came quickly after Senate lawmakers modified the measure to boost the number of elderly and disabled veterans who would receive assistance. The White House has signaled that President Bush will sign the measure, which was first negotiated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr.. The bill does not contain revenue offsets and will increase the federal budget deficit by $124.5 billion over 10 years, according to Senate estimates.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel, D-N.Y., said he hopes that, after the slowdown is over, Congress will recognize that millions of poor Americans are having trouble meeting their basic needs, while affluent Americans are unaware that a problem exists. (Are you kidding me? Then why are 90% of America's "poor" severely overweight?) Ranking member Jim McCrery, R-La., said the stimulus bill is an excellent example of the House and Senate working on a bipartisan basis. He noted that the best way to stimulate the economy is to give businesses tax breaks to create jobs that provide paychecks that Americans can spend. (Agreed.)

Senate Passage
Intense negotiations between Senate leaders and the White House on February 7 lead to an agreement on a slightly altered version of the House stimulus package that the Senate quickly approved by a vote of 81 to 16 (Ridiculous) and sent to the House for that chamber's approval. The revised version extends rebate checks to some 22 million low-income senior citizens and 250,000 disabled veterans and denies rebates to illegal immigrants.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., declared victory despite failing to advance a package that included extended unemployment benefits and low-income home heating assistance. Nonetheless, he vowed that Congress would quickly assemble and pass what he termed a "housing package" that would provide much-needed financial assistance to the troubled mortgage industry. "We were able to make the House bill better, and while I am pleased with that result, there is still more to do," he said. Reid added that lawmakers would continue to monitor the economic downturn and consider developing a second stimulus measure.

Note to reader: Harry Reid is a Communist.

Under the House version, individuals would receive rebate checks up to $600; married couples would receive up to $1,200, and an additional $300 for each child under the age of 17. The minimum rebate amount is $300 ($600 for married filing jointly). Taxpayers will receive this amount if they have at least $1 of tax liability or $3,000 in qualifying income, defined as the sum of earned income, veterans' disability payments (including payments to survivors of disabled veterans) and Social Security benefits. Income eligibility for the rebates is capped at $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married couples. The measure provides employers the opportunity to fully expense equipment up to $250,000 in the year it is purchased with an overall annual investment limit of $800,000. (The only positive out of this bill.) In addition, the measure increases the loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and FHA-approved mortgages.

"There are Two Americas"

Great Drew Carey video here (Hat Tip: Cafe Hayek, Club for Growth). Really does an excellent job taking CNN to task.



One phrase the video mentions that we often hear is how it's tougher now than it has ever been to "make ends meet." You will hear all the candidates, particularly the Democrats, in the coming election talk about this. But how can "make ends meet" really be defined in 2008? I stopped by Wal-Mart the other day to buy some groceries. While there I passed by the electronics department and noticed a lot of customers who, judging by their dress, looked relatively "lower-income" (most, also, were Mexican). I observed them all stocking up on cell phones, flat-panel TV's, new ipods, and DVD collections. I guess they desparately need all of these things just to get by and make ends meet. Seriously, who could afford these things 15 years ago?

February 5th,... 1958

On February 5th, 1958 a nuclear bomb was dropped in Wassaw Sound off the coast of Tybee Island in a botched training exercise. The bomb poses no threat to the surrounding area.

I wish this incident never occurred, because now the crackers of Tybee refer to themselves as "The Tybee Bomb Squad"... adding fuel to the fire which is 16th St.

The Irish Hurricanes Gael Force Run

Gentlemen, The date has been set. The inaugural Gael Force Run will take place on Thursday, March 13th at 6pm. This time was selected not in spite of its proximity to the parade day, but because of it. Many Hurricanes live out of town and this allows them the opportunity to come and compete. This will also afford our run and our group the public exposure they so richly deserve. This run is not meant to be merely an athletic competition, but also an exhibition of buffoonery. That being said, costumes and flair are strongly encouraged.

I've posted the map of the course, which is the exact same as the 2007 St. Patrick's Day Parade route. The only refreshment stop is Skyler's, which has been noted on the map for your pre-race planning purposes.

The rules for this race are as follows:

1. Runners must stick to the parade route. No cutting through squares. The barricades should be up anyway.
2. ALL runner's must stop at Skyler's and chug one beer before continuing the race. No travelers.
3. The runner who finishes last must purchase no less than four cases of domestic light beer for all runners to enjoy at the post-race social.
4. Runners who choose to compete without flair in their dress and/or demeanor will be teased mercilessly.

All members and pledges are expected to attend.

Final Endorsement

First off, I know what many of ya'll are thinking: here Patrick goes again - politics, politics, politics; boring, boring, boring. All the time, every time, every post has to do with conservative vs. liberal, Democrat vs. Republican, nothing is funny, this doesn't affect my life, who cares, everything comes out in the wash, nothing will change, none of this has to do with boat shoes or beach music, etc.

A lot of the above is true, but I have but one desperate plea; I have never asked ya'll to do anything else before: please go to the polls and cast your ballot for Mitt Romney tomorrow.

Why Romney, you ask? Well, now that Fred and Rudy (my previous choices) are out, it's coming down to who can actually win 9 months from now. Let's be clear: Romney has flaws, serious flaws. He implemented the equivalent of Hillarycare when he was governor. Despite these drawbacks, this sudden rational for supporting Romney is becoming clearer by the day: if John McCain wins the Republican nomination, we are going to get demoralized in November. Sure, McCain leads both Obama and Hilary in some polls now, but this in no way reflects the reality of circumstances voters will face an entire baseball season from now. The truth is that Romney can rally conservatives while McCain cannot.

With the exception of Iraq, voters are going to be turned off by McCain's me-tooism in debates with Hilary or Obama. Want to give amnesty to 12 million illegals? Sure, that's cool, I just helped write such a proposal last year with Ted Kennedy that allows that. Want to repeal the the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy? No problem, I fought hard against them in the first place, using the same class-warfare arguments as Dennis Kucinich. I agree with you on most everything Hilary, except the troop surge of course. I'm also 71, really grumpy, have never run a business, and enjoy bashing those who have. Domestically, I've had no guiding principles or philosophy in the Senate other than to rebuke my evil right-wing critics at every opportunity. The media loves me and continues to support me because they know I will effectively render the GOP irrelevant.

Romney, on the other hand, would be undoubtedly able to articulate a strong, energetic conservative response to the warm, fuzzy, feel-good proposals the Dems put forth. He would offer voters a choice instead of a mere echo. And despite his blemishes as Governor of Massachusetts, he is unfortunately our only hope for a GOP victory. He is the only remaining candidate that "gets it", while McCain never has and apparently never will.

Again, Americans deserve a choice in November, not an echo. For this reason, I am now forced to endorse Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination for President of the United States.

How to Solve the Housing Crisis?

The Department of Labor reported that the economy lost a net of 17,000 jobs last month. This is the first time the economy has shed jobs in 52 months and makes a recession look more likely in the coming months. Politicians are scrambling to formulate a response. Below I've attempted to distinguish the responses put forth by various factions. Let me know if I've left anything out.

Liberal response: Somehow "freeze" interest rates and give direct federal assistance to those who've been foreclosed upon. Prosecute "unscrupulous" lenders who made loans they shouldn't have and prevent them from making such loans in the future. Require lenders to provide additional disclosure documents to borrowers. Extend unemployment benefits for those out of work and increase foodstamps. Rollback the Bush tax cuts for those making over $200,000 and provide immediate relief to middle and lower income families because, unlike the rich, "they actually need it."

Bush Administration response: Send everybody rich and poor $1600 and hope new consumer spending will somehow "stave off" a recession. We're all Keynsians now so let's prime the pump and party like it's 1973.

Conservative response: Do nothing. Allow lenders and borrowers to take the hits they deserve for making bad investment decisions as this will prevent them from making these same mistakes again when the Fed fuels its next unsustainable boom. "Freezing" interest rates would have disastrous unintended consequences: all lending would cease because banks would have no incentive to lend money at rates below what the actual supply of savings and risks involved are. It would also signal that the U.S. is willing to undermine that basic tenants of contract law just for political expediency. Stimulus packages and more federal intervention would only serve to further distort and prolong the miscalculations that brought about the recession in the first place. A correction in housing is inevitable and necessary in order for the economy to recover and for the market to return itself to equilibrium. Unprofitable investments must be liquidated so capital can be reallocated into sectors that are truly profitable. Handouts, rate freezes, and rebate checks will only delay this process.

Another One Bites the Dust

It's always interesting to see things come full circle. In August of 1999, I became a taxpaying part of the American workforce at the Georgetown Piggly Wiggly. For seven months, I was a punctual, dilligent, and drug-free employee. I bagged groceries with speed and finesse. In March of 2000, I resigned from my position to pursue gridiron glory for the Benedictine Cadets.

After today, Piggly Wiggly #219 will close its doors for good. Slumping sales were blamed on competition mainly from Food Lion. Food Lion had the better location in Georgetown as it was on the south side of Abercorn on King George Boulevard. All of Georgetown's limited growth since the stores opened has occurred on this side of Abercorn. Though the Pig is just on the other side of Abercorn and visible from the Food Lion, many would not cross. Rightly so; that light is a total pain in the ass.

BMBS Political Dictionary

mav-er-ick
pronunciation: [mav-er-ick, mav-rick]
function: adjective

1. not conservative

example: The New York Times loves John McCain because he is a maverick politician.

How to solve Kenya's conflict:

Step one: Stop machete production.

One More Reason to Hate Florida...

I could be wrong on this, but it looks like McCain is going to win the sunshine state tonight (barely). This will effectively give him front-running status and lead to his winning the nomination.

So the question now becomes: which Democrat to vote for in November? One who supports the war or one who opposes it? There is always the side chance, of course, that McCain will end his campaign sometime in the Spring and ask to be Hilary's running mate.

Somebody wake me up when the GOP emerges as a political party again...

Rebublican Debate

Chris Matthews interviewed Rudy Giuliani after the debate, and the two joked about "if every person owned and carried a gun on the New York subway, what would happen?" What would happen?

More on the Fallacies of "Stimulus"

Good morning. If you get some time today please read this short 2-page editorial. Every day it seems I come across an article that better and more fully explains just how bad of an idea this stimulus package is that Bush & Co. are about to hand out. In addition, it briefly explains in simple terms what recessions are, what causes them, how inflation is created, etc. Understanding these terms is crucial to understanding why stimuluses never work and why they usually prolong and worsen downturns instead of ending them. Finally, the article lays out what Bush can and should be doing instead of throwing dollars around.

I'm sure you all are really sick of me beating a dead horse on this issue but let's face it: we're all 25 now and nothing funny happens on this blog anymore. Might as well bore everyone with something about economics for the 90th time.

Thompson Out

To Fred Thompson supporters:

Now that he's out of the race, which candidate will you endorse? And, yeah, I get that it's not an easy decision. Don't embarrass yourself by making a very unfunny joke - just answer the question.

A St. Patrick's Day Parade Route Race?

This past weekend at City Market's officially new "Country Day kid" hangout, Rooftop, Joe presented a brilliant idea to Patrick and our old blogger friend Stephen. (This new idea is in addition to the idea of creating a St. Patrick's Day-like men's social club to celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade... for white guys)

A week or so before March 17th, the Irish Hurricanes should host a footrace that follows the sacred parade route through The Historic District, which spands about 3 miles. And, from a suggestion by Patrick, each runner must chug one beer at Skyler's on Bay Street.

The prize?

There is no prize... your reward is the opportunity to run the greatest parade route on Earth.

But, the contestant finishing last (which most likely will be Snuffy) must purchase the post race beer for all participants. The party is to be held at Joe and Stephen's downtown apartment... (assuming they get the apartment they want by March 1st.)

Spectator Permits Floated for St. Patrick's Day Parade

The SMN had an interesting article today about the possibility of purchasing a permit to reserve your spot along the parade route. My favorite line in the article is:

Chippewa Square has drawn a rowdier group known to urinate in public and destroy vegetation.

I have no earthly idea where they got that idea from...

John McCain (D) for President

Hello, I'm John McCain. I want to be the President of the United States of America. I have no idea how economics work.

Bush Rebate Plan

Can anybody give a breakdown on President Bush's stimulus plan he is announcing today? I'm too lazy to do the research.

Get Ready: NFL Playoffs

I'm usually not one for putting up cutesy, silly youtube clips that serve no real purpose. But I'm willing to make an exception for this one:



Probably the only funny thing that's been on Saturday Night Live in the last 7 years.

That 70's Economic Policy

In Washington we are unfortunately seeing the return of a demand-side economic philosophy. Democrats (and some Republicans) are calling for an "economic stimulus package" to soften the blow from a possible recession this year. Such a package would include new spending projects and temporary tax breaks to "get the economy moving again" by putting money into consumers' hands.

Recall from Coach Yeckley's class that demand-side (also known as "Keynesian") economics is a philosophy that basically says if the economy isn't doing well, it must be because the government isn't doing enough to put money in people's pockets. Thus, Washington must spend more to "prime the pump" in order to keep things afloat. More and more dollars must be "injected" and allowed to circulate to ensure growth. This philosophy dominated American economic policy following the Great Depression all the way up until the Carter Administration, and remains one of the most fallacious concepts ever developed.

The first fallacy is the assumption that the source of economic growth is consumer spending. This is false because without investment, you won't get any goods or services produced to buy in the first place. The second is the notion that money can just "come out of nowhere" and be placed into consumer hands through federal spending. Clearly this is false because there's no such thing as a free lunch: the money that would otherwise be spent in the private sector is being "crowded out" as it is sucked out and redistributed by politicians.

All of this may sound a little complex to some of you (Ryan), so to simplify things, let's illustrate these fallacies by using an easy real life example. Let's say you own a bar in downtown Athens. One night, Felton the frat guy is at your bar. After 7 jager shots, he is loaded and feeling no pain. He sees a Florida fan approaching the bar from a distance, and throws his Miller Chill bottle toward him at break-neck speed. Unfortunately, it misses the UF fan and smashes through the window directly behind him, breaking it. You and all the surrounding bar patrons are of course angry at Felton for doing this.

But the Keynesians would argue that Felton should be praised because he's actually done everyone a favor by "stimulating demand" for a service that previously did not exist. Think about it: you must now hire a window glazier to come fix the broken window, thus providing him employment. And the glazier will in turn spend this new money he wouldn't otherwise have on other things, where it will circulate throughout the entire economy. Had the window not been broken, the glazier would be out of work with less money to spend, but thanks to Felton, unemployment is reduced and dollars are circulating. Heck, maybe Felton should walk down Broad Street and break all the windows in every building he passes. Then we'd really have an economic boom, right?

The problem with this way of thinking is that it completely ignores the concept of opportunity cost: had the window not been broken, you the bar owner could and would have spent the money on something more productive: Maybe help to save up for a new plasma screen for bar patrons to watch Georgia games in high-def. Maybe to provide cleaner bathrooms. Maybe to hire an additional worker. Who knows. The point is, that money can't be spent on these additional luxuries now because the window must first be repaired. What originally looked like a $500 gain for the economy was actually a $500 loss.

Despite its flaws, Keynesian views were dominant for so long because they were hugely popular with politicians. It allowed them to see the economy much like a car engine that could be accelerated or slowed by providing the correct amount of inputs. The idea that the economy was a machine that could be fine tuned by the State's technocrats was very attractive to presidents like FDR, JFK, LBJ, and even Richard Nixon.

But the truth is the economy is not at all like a car engine; it is instead far more complex and organic: think of it like a large ecosystem where millions of organisms interact on a day-to-day basis. In this view the environment for growth, not the amount of "oil you put in the engine," is what matters. Low taxes, light regulation, sound rule of law, and open trade are all you need to have an environment where the economy is productive and prosperous.

Instead of pandering to economic ignorance, policymakers should reduce spending, keep taxes low, and focus on reforming what caused the recession in the first place: the Federal Reserve's ability to artificially cheapen credit.

Why LSU Will Not Win

You can analyse statistics, home-field advantage and strength of schedule all you want but the bottom line is you cannot win a national championship with a white tailback. It's scientific fact.

New Orleans in the Spotlight

With the BCS National Championship Game kicking off in New Orleans tonight, I read some articles on espn.com covering the event. One particular article on the Katrina recovery was pretty good, but this excerpt near the end really said something: Today, the help continues. There is no more hopeful sight in New Orleans than the large boxes covered by pink tarps that now dot the moonscape of the Lower Ninth Ward. Each represents a house that will be built on that spot, thanks to the philanthropy of actor Brad Pitt and the Make It Right Foundation.
The group has raised millions of dollars, with a goal of building 150 houses. Pitt and his family now live in New Orleans, and Meeks said he has been a regular presence at the site.
Not far away is Musician's Village, an area funded by Habitat For Humanity to provide affordable housing for musicians and artists -- a demographic that is part of New Orleans' lifeblood. Dozens of brightly colored houses have sprung up there.
In both cases, the private sector is moving much more quickly than the public sector. Individuals and charitable groups are accomplishing what the bureaucracy is not.
"The people have clearly led the recovery over the government," Meeks said.

I think this first-hand knowledge of the situation down there really says something. Maybe the government should get out of there altogether if the private sector is actually going to get things done.
And on a side note, is anybody else disgusted with FOX's horrible coverage of the BCS games?

Yuckabee

As I've already explained, we've reached a moment in American politics where both the left and right are equally calling for bigger government and more personal and economic intrusion into people's lives. The constituency for a small government, market-liberal philosophy based on individual liberty continues to shrink, as it has throughout Bush's presidency, ripping apart the Reagan coalition and throwing the GOP's November chances into complete disarray.

Thursday night's results in Iowa demonstrated this: Mike Huckabee, AKA John Edwards with a bible, won in a landslide victory over the "Reagan" candidate Mitt Romney. Polls show that only something like 10-20% of voters are actually concerned that the federal government is too big. The rest are simply looking for handouts, funny one-liners, and bible quotes.

Again, to be clear, I don't mean to denigrate the social conservatives that have played a crucial role in the GOP coalition of the last 30 years. Evangelicals have helped spread a message that faith in God, not government, is the answer, and this has been key in pushing the message that our rights come not from Washington, but instead from a higher power. Preservation of the family and traditional values is key to maintaining an electorate that guards itself from an ever-expanding welfare state: single parents and unmarried couples are overwhelmingly more likely than any part of the electorate to vote for big government. The notion that families, churches, and civic organizations are better at solving society's ills than politicians and bureaucrats in D.C. has also been central to the Republican message.

But things are starting to change: we now see evangelicals willing to elect leaders who will embrace big government instead of attacking it. In the past, social conservatives, like libertarians, advocated a "leave us alone" philosophy: stop telling us we can't pray in school, stop teaching my second-grader about lesbian sex, stop funding programs that allow my 14-year old daughter to terminate an unborn life without my permission, etc. Today, by contrast, these same folks support federal amendments to the constitution banning certain things, new regulations preventing CEO's from making "too much," wealth redistribution to "preserve the middle class," bans on smoking, trans fats, and other "dangerous" activities. This is very frightening because it means evangelicals are now just as bad collectivists as our liberals opponents.

It it vital for Republicans to remember that the hugely successful Reagan coalition of the 1980's was built on three pillars: a strong and free economy (economic conservatives), a strong military (foreign policy conservatives), and strong families (social conservatives). The current debacle is tearing apart this coalition: Huckabee clings to the social part but ridicules the economic and military aspects. Giuliani stands for a strong military and a free economy but ignores the culture of life issues. McCain is a foreign policy hawk and a social conservative but has never read an economics book and thinks taxes are too low. The GOP simply cannot be successful unless all three legs of the stool are firmly attached and embraced, something that Romney has done over the last 2 years but not convincingly enough. Something that Thompson has done his whole life but it fails to make any noise because he never wanted the job in the first place.

In the meantime, it should be interesting to see how New Hampshire plays out. The folks there seem to have a little more sense than Iowans do.

2007 MOTY Winner: Michael A. Reardon II

The results have been in for over a day now: the people have chosen Michael Reardon as 2007's Man of the Year. If there's anything we've learned over the last 3 weeks it's that Mike is one hell of a salesman. From day one he was working the bars and phone lines convincing potential voters of his credentials. Heck he may have even cold-called random people to come on here and vote, we aren't really sure. This was fair though considering it looks like Hagan's people tried to do the same thing.

Congratulations to Mike for winning this prestigious award, and to Snuffy for his second straight successful nomination.

And finally, how about Georgia last night? Even though we have an impossible schedule next year (Arizona State and LSU away) I think '08 will be our year, which is perfect considering I've been in Athens waiting for this for 7 straight years now. Three degrees and tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt later, I am now forced to come home and watch the dogs make their national title run from Coach's Corner.

The 2008 Sugar Bowl in One Word

BC vs. Calvary

Today at 2:30 in the Wiley Wilcox gym on Savannah State's campus. If you're in town, plan on attending.

Transplanted Northerner Has His Say

This letter to the editor was in today's paper.

Colloquial pronunciations annoying

Hey, Savannah! If you are going to study DeRenne, how about studying how to pronounce it correctly? It is a French word. It is not pronounced "Du-ran" or "Da-ran" it is pronounced Day-Ren-Nay (three syllables). While you're at it Whitemarsh is not pronounced WHIT-Marsh but WHITE-marsh, there is a silent e in the word making the "I" long, not short.

Yes, I know that is how you say it around here, but it makes y'all sound ignorant, not quaint or cute.

James Martin
Savannah

This guy is an idiot. DeRenne is a family name and Whitemarsh is one word. Maybe to an outsider, pronouncing these words the way we do might make us seem ignorant, but his pronunciations make him sound like an uptight, transplanted yankee with nothing better to do than complain.

Voting Begins

...and will continue until midnight on New Year's Eve.

Man of the Year: Stephen W. Bruce

Why? I'll give you two reasons (in chronological order).

1.

2.

Honestly, who's had a better year than this guy?

Man of the Year: Michael A. Reardon II

Now, I know what all of you are thinking. Michael Reardon? Are you fucking kidding me? But here me out.

After moving to Jacksonville in January, Mike has become the best under-5'8" corrugated box salesman in northeast Florida. His not-at-all-awkward small talk has not only enhanced his career, but has also translated into success in the bedroom. Throughout 2007, Mike has juggled numerous girlfriends, many at the same time. From doctors to Gator fans, Mike has conquered them all with his cuddly smile and suggestive pick-up lines.

Mike also deserves consideration for getting tickets to the Tech-ND game for Hank and I.

Mike was born in San Antonio, TX on June 23, 1982. He moved to Savannah at the age of 2 and has been a "Burnside Man" ever since. At St. James Catholic School, Mike excelled in hustling and being clumsy. After graduating from St. James in 1997, Mike enrolled in Benedictine Military School, ushering in the third generation of Reardons at BC. While at Benedictine, Mike participated in the Chorus, Key Club and Student Government as LTC Owens' Homeroom Representative. During the spring of his senior year, Mike took a nasty spill in C-Wing, shattering his jaw and getting blood everywhere.

It was during his time in the hospital, following his accident and related surgery, that Mike discovered his love of attention. Look at me, I tripped over this football on the floor. Look at me, I'm so drunk. Look at me, I have a small cyst on the back of my skull that caused me to blackout while walking in C-Wing and shatter my jaw and get blood everywhere. It is this love of attention that has made Mike the man he is today.

Mike matriculated at Georgia Southern University in the fall of 2001, rooming with BMBS blogger Joe. Being the charitable person that he is, Mike brought in a Georgia Tech dropout the following year and nursed him back to health. During his college career, Mike became the punchline of many jokes and memorable memories. He starred as a two-sport standout for the Your Mother intramural sports dynasty. He got sooooooo drunk just about every weekend. And he tried to start numerous fights, including one particular incident when he chased after a girl that had just flashed her tits for a dollar for everyone at the "Marvin Pyramid House" to see. Mike's legacy at GSU, however, will be the night he passed out at Campus Club, only to be lit on fire minutes later by Lee McCurry.

Lastly, Mike's poetic tongue has inspired many a Facebook quote over the years. I will leave you with a few of Mike's more tasty morsels to chew on.

She's so hot, she could melt down the Varsity.

I want to get into her garden.

It's not your fault, Colonel. Pink Floyd didn't do that shit to your face.

Michael Aloysius Reardon II
2007 BMBS Man of the Year

BMBS Man of the Past Two Years: Rick Schwarz

I realize this nomination lacks any real imagination unlike the previous two, but I felt it would be a disservice to many of our contributors/readers who have clamored for Rick's re-nomination to not put him up again. Another reason is because Joe and I made a deal that if I put Rick up he would put up an equally interesting candidate that we all love here at BMBS, whose identity you will soon discover.

I mentioned last year that 2006 was Rick's last full year at Georgia, but actually 2007 was, so in some way he is more deserving of the award now more than ever. A seasoned veteran of Athens nightlife, Schwarz's downtown connections range from bar owners/tenders to the entire Georgia backfield. Whenever the football team shows up at Bourbon Street or General Beauregard's, they are always happy to see Rick and communicate with him through an unspoken code of Ric Flair gestures and free jager shots.

But it is worth nothing that Schwarz's influence will soon expand past the confines of the Classic City: as of this month he is also a talented Grady College of journalism graduate who will soon be making major contributions in the world of sports broadcast media. Wouldn't be surprised to see him on WTOC on even Sportscenter one day. But regardless of the fame and fortune that comes Rick's way, you can be assured he'll never forget his Bourbon Street roots.

Man of the Year: Kevin Hagan

My nomination for 2007 BMBS Man of the year goes to Kevin Hagan.
Some of his credentials include:
Graduate of BC and UGA
Attends Sacred Heart Church
Member of Ancient Order of Hibernians (maybe not officially)
One of the more well known and outgoing Irish Catholics in Savannah.
Indie Rock enthusiast
Beginning in 2006 and continuing into 2007, Mr. Hagan hit the streets.....literally. Like Forrest Gump, one day, he just started running. To his credit, Kevin lost quite a few pounds through his excursions, and recently completed a half-marathon in Atlanta. He should parlay his new figure into a new lady friend, but I digress.
The day of this half-marathon coincided with the UGA-Florida game, where I personally witnessed Kevin doing the worm in a bar in Buckhead to celebrate. You will find no shame in those eyes.

One drawback to Kevin's nomination is his stance as a staunch democrat. I once had to tackle him onstage at a Wilco show, as lead singer Jeff Tweedy had gotten the crowd quite riled up with his liberal rantings. In a drunken stupor, Kevin rushed up there to defend his honor. This lean to the left seems to be a Hagan tradition, which we should not fault him for in this contest.

What say ye?

Box of Chocolates

If anyone is looking to get me anything, don't get me one of those boxes of randomly assorted, unmarked chocolate candies. They are outdated, impractical, and downright disgusting.

Sure, there's simple ones in there containing combinations of normal ingredients such as peanuts, caramel, nougat, etc. However, mad scientist concoctions of vomitous quality are also thrown in.

Someone sent a box of chocolates to our office and, going against my better judgment, I sampled one. Hoping for some chocolatey/peanut-buttery treat, I instead bit into a dark chocolate covered blob of Vicks Vaporub filled with black olives and sardines. No shit.

I spit the revolting "candy" into the garbage. Never again. I'll take a Reese's Cup any day.

BMBS Man of the Year: Tim Blackston

Before I begin lobbying for Mr. Tim Blackston as BMBS Man of the Year, I'd like to credit the ever elusive and mysterious "calvary fan" for inspiring me with this idea. I was struggling with my nomination. I was going to go with Justin Timberlake, but I figured that even as a half-serious nomination it wouldn't even go over for laughs. But, seriously, Justin Timberlake is awesome. No joking about that. But, with calvary fan's joking suggestion, I actually think I've found a gem here.

I first met Mr. Blackston during my middle school days at ol' Calvary Baptist. He was a very straight-laced type of fellow and kind of intimidating, but because he was so young for a teacher, I could tell he was cool. It wasn't until a few minutes ago when I saw his current age - 35 - that I realized he was just 23 when he taught me and was my homeroom teacher (no match for Mr. Bill Curley, though). But who wants storytime? Lists are so 2007.

Why I believe Tim Blackston is BMBS Man of the Year:
-He graduated from BC.
-He disregarded faculty policy by hooking up with another (and older) Calvary teacher and ended up marrying her.
-He graduated from The Citadel, where he also played baseball.
-He shops at the Wilmington Island Publix.
-He interviewed for BC's head coach vacancy last year (seriously).
And most importantly:
-Instead of bringing grief to our football program, he disemboweled Calvary's, valiantly leading their team to a combined 2-17 record for the past two seasons. He was recently relieved of his coaching duties.

Thank you for believing.

Forum: 2nd Annual Man of the Year Contest

I want feedback from everyone:

- First, should we even do this at all? I don't think it's worth doing unless there are at least 4 or 5 nominees. Last year was perfect, but I get the feeling this year it will simply be just 1 or 2 people nominating while everyone else sits back and tries to act "cool" or "busy."

- Second, if we do it, should we allow previous nominees to be renominated or should it be like the Grammies or Academy Awards where each year is a different year w/ different people? There are pluses and minuses on both sides here.

- Third, voting. Joe, you mentioned you wanted American Idol-style voting. Not being an avid follower of that show, I don't know what that means. But I guess what it boils down to whether we allow unlimited voting per computer or a one-man, one-vote system. I have a feeling that if we allow unlimited voting then Ron Paul will somehow end up being Man of the Year, and we don't want that to happen. Again, let me know what ya'll think.

TC the Viking

You've probably seen this Snickers commercial before, but watch it again and pay attention to the Viking's facial tics when the pilgrim tells him they are out of Snickers. This is the exact same look that a drunk TC Madison makes when it takes him a minute to register someone's comment that he finds stupid or shocking. Actually, he sometimes does this when he's sober, too. It's like having a little piece of TC in my living room every 20 minutes.

BMBS Man of the Year, 2007

It's that time again, the time when we must select the BMBS Man of the Year for 2007.

This will follow the same format as last year. Pat, we're going to need another poll. I think American Idol style voting should be done this year. If nothing else, it will keep our hit-counter spinning.

Nominations must be in by Friday. Voting will begin Monday, December 17 and will end 11:59PM, December 31.

I know we've all got a good idea who should win, but let's get those nominations in anyway. Pictures and a short essay are required.

I Hate Huckabee

Over the last month or so, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has surged in the polls. He's now first place in Iowa and second nationally. This is all great news except for one small problem: Mike Huckabee is by far the worst candidate in the GOP field.

He's essentially the John Edwards of the Republican party - he uses populist sentiment to justify government intervention in the economy and in our personal lives. He thinks we need a nationwide ban on smoking, and that new guidelines should be enacted to ensure Americans exercise and remain healthy. He has no respect for the concept of federalism and the responsibilities of individual decision-making, instead favoring a top-down command and control structure.

He raised taxes countless times in Arkansas (more than Bill Clinton, by some measures). He's an opponent of free trade and has said as president he will take the necessary steps to "preserve the middle class" by "creating good-paying jobs here." As I've said a million times on here, presidents don't create jobs, businesses do. But who cares, right? As we've seen, economic fallacy is typical and key when campaigning for president or any public office. But usually, such fallacies are preached by those on the left, not the right. This is what surprises me.

So this all begs the question, how in the hell is this guy leading in Republican polls? If this man's stand on the issues is no different than John Edwards, how is this possible? Huckabee's candidacy truly demonstrates the fractures that have emerged in the GOP over the last 7 years or so. "Values" voters have taken over much of the party while free-market libertarians have largely been left behind and alienated.

To be fair, I agree with these values voters on most things (abortion, for example). I'm not just some yuppie Patrick Bateman Wall Street Republican that says to hell with values and fetishes property rights and markets merely because they are a way to make everyone rich. Quite the contrary: I support private property rights because they are the foundation of civilization and are a necessary means of keeping Leviathan in check. I support markets because they allow decisions to be made at the local level by those on the ground who actually know what's going on, instead of some out-of-touch and idealistic Washington politician trying to re-make society.

So this is where Huckabee and many of these values people go wrong: they are unhesitatingly willing to implement big-government, federal solutions to advance their agenda. They are fine with big government so long as it's their big government. This is a serious problem and will only serve to drive true conservatives like me further away from the party should Huckabee win the nomination.

I Can Feel Your Anger

This quote I saw in the AJC really raised my eyebrows. I'd really like to read y'all's responses to this (that includes you, Only in America guys).

"Hawaii should not be playing in the Sugar Bowl. They should be playing in a bowl where they belong.

"The BCS Championship Game. . . .

"The truth is, the SEC doesn't play anybody of note. The conference has perpetuated this myth of invincibility by refusing to play anybody of note in the non-conference schedule, then living off the legend of being a tough conference. But the truth says otherwise when the SEC ventures outside the South, because they get beaten badly. Kind of like the Confederacy."

— Adam Rank, aol.com's The Fanhouse

Suck It Up

Alright Bulldog nation, we have had 24 hours to bitch and moan about something that we didn't even deserve in the first place (there should be an official BCS rule that if you loose to South Carolina then you are automatically out of the title game). We are playing in the Sugar Bowl, and it is against one of the most exciting teams that I have ever seen play. I keep hearing this talk about boycotting the Sugar Bowl. You deserve to have your Dawghood(I thought Pat would like that one) taken from you if you do that. If I didn't have to be at work on Jan. 2nd, I would be "blacked out" in New Orleans crankin' my soulja boy up and down Bourbon Street. We had three freshmen on the o-line this year. Enjoy the hell out of getting to a BCS bowl.

Dear God...

To be continued...8pm tomorrow.