Is There Any End To His Greatness?

Yesterday, The Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.  Personally, I think it's long overdue.

 

He's far from finished.  Vegas oddsmakers have him favored to wrap up the Heisman Trophy, the American League MVP award, and a Pulitzer Prize for a funny email he forwarded around the office last week.

 

GOBAMA!!!

Tech-UGA in Georgia Dome?

Discussions are being held about the possibility of the Jackets and the Dawgs playing in the Georgia Dome during the opening weekend of the 2011 season. This is a terrible idea for a few reasons.
1. The game would lose its significance being played during the first week.
2. Both Tech and UGA would have to find replacement games for the last week of the season. These games would likely be against lower-tier FBS teams or FCS teams.
3. Neither team would be able to schedule a good out-of-conference game to start the season.

I have a feeling that both fan bases will be vehemently against this, so I doubt it will come to fruition.

Lamar Owens Update

From Paul Johnson's call in show last night:

Wes: Lamar Owens, former Navy player on sideline, what's his role?
CPJ: He's a graduate asst., understands the offense, works with QBs and BBacks as an information resource between series to answer questions or help make adjustments

We Lost To Beach In '96...

Not the time to hang your heads, Cadets. Friday night you proved you can compete with anybody in the region. I won't make it in town for homecoming because I'll need to save up taking Friday afternoons off for mid-November...

I Blame Bush

So Chicago lost their bid for the 2016 Olympics. Some liberals have immediately blamed W for this. Is it so hard to believe that the golden boy is not going to get what he wants for once (socialized health care is still undecided).

Cautious Optimism

Are they for real?



We'll find out tonight.

Too bad I'll be in Bourbon Street during the 4th quarter. Expect score requests via text message.

Awesome Bonehead HS Football Play

Starts at 1:20.

Is it 2010 Yet, Part II

http://www.gallup.com/poll/123101/Americans-Likely-Say-Government-Doing-Too-Much.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/poll/123362/Independents-Lean-GOP-Party-Gap-Smallest-Since-05.aspx#

http://www.gallup.com/poll/123332/Many-U.S.-See-Health-Insurance-Personal-Responsibility.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/poll/123326/Renewed-Desire-Gov-Promote-Traditional-Values.aspx

What Would Meat Loaf Do??

P.E.R.I.O.D.

I'm Lovin' It

Just finished a $2.99 double cheeseburger combo with a coke from McDonald's. It tasted amazing, and the best part is, I'm actually full from it too. I've never understood why folks who claim to be looking out for the poor constantly bash the very companies (McDonalds, Wal-Mart) that help the poor and middle class save money every day. McDonald's not only delivers in the food department, but it has now pissed Starbucks and the intellectual class off by making lattes, capuccinos, and iced macchiatos available to Mexicans and white trash for $1, things only the rich were drinking 20 years ago. Thanks capitalism. Keep on getting bashed by politicians, intellectuals and business incumbents for deliverin' the goods.

Now I know you're thinking "sure, the combo's only 3 bucks, but it's really bad for you," to which I would respond "that's the whole point! bring it on!" Look, here's the deal: all three of my remaining grandparents are in their 70's/80's, and trust me, all three of them are miserable. They hate their lives. I do not want to live nearly as long as them. I want to go out somewhere between 55-65, maybe even earlier if possible. Thanks to McDonald's, I get to save my money now and the taxpayers' money down the road because I won't be sucking off Medicare or Social Security (neither of which are solvent nor will likely be in existence when we reach that age anyway).

Mark Mizelle in AJC

Congratulations to Mark Mizelle for being recognized in the AJC for his very impressive weight loss. Good stuff, buddy.

The Quotable JPH

I just randomly googled "beach music boat shoes" and discovered that a website called Freedom Works copied and pasted one of Pat's old posts back in the day.

http://www.freedomworks.org/news/why-hillary-will-win

On the Third Day, He Rose Again

In fulfillment of the Scriptures.

Happy Friday

I may have to drive to North Carolina to play the lottery:

Nice

Obama will spend more on welfare in the next year than Bush spent on the entire Iraq war: http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=54400

Is It 2010 Yet?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-09-24-party-money_N.htm

http://www.cookpolitical.com/node/4886

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Independents-desert-Obama_-putting-2010-in-play-8284762-60716767.html

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/generic_congressional_ballot

Great Move

The College Football Hall of Fame is rumored to be moving to Atlanta. I know we all grew up Notre Dame fans, but having the HOF attraction in South Bend doesn't make business sense.

Do You Like Phil Collins?

The year is 1985. The month is September. President Reagan's approval rating stands at 66%. The economy is undergoing an unprecedented expansion. And Phil Collins is ruling the charts with a seemingly endless string of hits from No Jacket Required. This one peaked at #4, exactly 24 years ago this week:

Halfway There!

Livin On A Prayer - Bon Jovi

Mr. Ray-Man, make mine a Dr. Peppuh

Sixty-eight seniors were commissioned as Cadet Officers this past Saturday night. None of them made the "Holland Leap".

*The Holland Leap references Jack Holland being promoted from Squad Leader to Brigade XO in the fall of 2002.

John Stossel Leaving ABC For Fox

I am sure you are a big fan of John Stossel.

Congratulations

'09 Benedictine Cadets. Region (3)AAAAA City Champs.

Next up: Jeff Davis and 7 other schools no one has ever heard of. Wait, why do we keep playing in AA? Oh wait, I forgot, that way we don't have to keep making the exhausting 0.4 mile drive to Varnedoe Drive to continue dominating 5A rivals and easily afford ourselves the press and prestige that comes from a first-round playoff bid in the state's highest classification.

Ugh!! Who would want that anyway?? Bring it on Jeff Davis!! We're ready!!

P.S.: Does anyone know what/where Jeff Davis is and is anybody actually going or even thought about going?

Begin the Countdown

10 days until Beatles Rockband comes out.

Friday Haiku

Stroud got his first win.
The defense needs improvement.
Goodbye spread offense.

What Would Tim Tebow Do?

This is a story about a really awesome minor league promotion night. Be sure to read the end where they talk about the on-field antics.

BC Broadcast

The game will be on the internet tonight starting around 7:15. Just to help put the word out, I am copying this post from one of the guys at Only in America:

To listen to the game tonight use this link:
http://www.eteamz.com/bcathletics/news/index.cfm?cat=375585

The website is no longer listed as bcathletics.net. If the link above does not work try:
www.eteamz.com/bcathletics/

And then push up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, B, A, select, start on your keyboard and it should come on.

Change

Some people have been begging for a new helmet design for years. I was not one of those people, but I can live with this. It's hard to see, but there is a white stripe down the middle. This is the first helmet logo BC has used since 1992, which was a script "Cadets". I still thinks the school needs to establish one definitive logo. Currently, all we have are two letters that are arranged in a number of different ways and in a number of different fonts.

Double Down

This is KFC's new Double Down sandwich. It is made of two Original Recipe fillets, bacon, Swiss and pepper jack cheese and something called the Colonel's sauce. Currently it's being tested in only two states, so, Pat, you'll have to be patient.

No Peanuts Due to El Nino

Less than 48 hours until kickoff at Memorial Stadium!

BC '09 Season Predictions

Post yours below.

A Show for Snuffy

Variety reports that FX has picked up drama project "March to Madness" from executive producer Don Cheadle. The series chronicles the glory and the seedy side of college basketball. The project comes from writer Joel Silverman, while Pete Segal ( The Longest Yard ) is set to direct. Also attached to the project alongside Silverman, Segal and Cheadle are former college basketball coach Dave Miller and Segal's producing partner, Michael Ewing. "March" will revolve around a corrupt college basketball program that cheats its way to the "March Madness" NCAA basketball tournament. The story will be told through the eyes of the college coach, whose idealistic approach to the job has slowly been eroded by the compromises he's forced to make.

Why Twitter is better than Facebook

I have been on facebook since 2004 and it is something that has always kept me interested. When we are 50 year olds' we can look at what the status is of our friends and people we met along the road of life. That is great, but facebook has become too involved with stupid applications. For instance, a girl I dated for a month sent me a application on How Jacksonville am I? What the Fuck. I took the test and scored a 89 and was listed as a 10-15 year resident. Last time I checked I have been living here for 2 1/2 years. I will always get on facebook, but enough is enough.



Now in comes Twitter, a forum where you post what you are doing or thinking in 140 words or less. Even though I do not get on that much, It is the new fad that is catching on. I follow Stewart Cink, Colin Cowherd and Tony Barnhart just to name a few. I also follow fellow Blogger Snuffy, and there is always a interesting read with him. As for my favorite celebrity it has to be Stewart
Cink. He is hilarious,plus he lets you know where you need to eat, what to drink and how he is playing. He has never responded to me but when he realizes I am a huge Techie he will reply sooner or later.



All I ask is to just try Twitter out b/c it is a lot better than leaving a facebook status.

Capitalism: A Love Story

If anybody is interested, here is the preview from that big fat piece of shit Michael Moore for his new movie. He basically just tries to storm the AIG office, then interviews some people that are upset because the rich people got everything, and they got nuthin, and that ain't right. And he keeps asking where our money is. Michael, it's probably stuck in one of your fat folds, which means we will never find it.

Let's not go there...

Okay

Just in time for football season

From the looks of it, this may be served in a dip can. Only in Athens.

Seven More Months!

Tonight at Kevin Barry's
Holland & Fleming
Live & Unplugged

Who Says It's a "Little" League??

Has anybody else seen the massive pitcher for Southern California in the Little League World Series?? This kid is a 6'2, 205lb twelve year old. Hats off to his father for his potent seed. I couldn't find a picture of him in action on the mound, but I was able to find some pictures from him myspace profile.

Here he is just chillaxin' on the couch:




And Here he is staring down Hulk Hogan in a leotard.



And here he is on a family vacation to New York City.




...Those kids don't stand a chance.

Liberal Bumper Sticker Graveyard

"Dissent is Patriotic" bumper sticker. b. 2001 d. 2008.

To Our Brothers in the ATL

In the past, I know I've taken every opportunity available to trash Atlanta. After the last few days I've spent here, however, I've got to say you have a pretty A-OK town here. Traffic, crime, and bums notwithstanding, Atlanta actually seems like a decent place to live.

After all, you've got:

- the Braves - You've got a good team in a great park right in the city! Admittedly, I'm not as big of a fan as I should be, but at least I've managed to hold on to most of my sanity, unlike Chris who is left with mere shreds of his own during a given season.

- Taco Mac - I love Taco Mac. Without question, Taco Mac has the best wings ever. While I don't condone their approach of making their new locations all Wild Wing-ey, this place is Mecca for wing lovers with no desire to ever go to Buffalo.

What else...

Ok, so maybe this list didn't fill out quite like I hoped. But still, the Braves and Taco Mac are good enough reasons to move anywhere.

Go Braves.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Watch Me Watch "The Happening"

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Chris' production up in August

Best of Craigslist: Toilet for Two

I have come to the conclusion that I must sell my TwoDaLoo, and that saddens me. I purchased this baby for my wife. Well, it was our 4 year anniversary and I really wanted to give her something special, something that I put a lot of thought into, and most importantly something we could do together. I thought what better thing to do together than to poo together. After countless hours of research I found The TwoDaLoo. The TwoDaLoo is billed as the world's first toilet two people can use ... at the exact same time. It’s supposed to bring couples closer together and conserves our water supply all with one flush. My wife was disgusted and has since left me. I explained to her that we could be as one if we could rock a big one out together. I can’t think of a better way to end a romantic dinner out. And how cool would Taco Tuesday have been had she been just a little more open-minded. It’s just not the same when you use it alone and the empty seat next to me just reminds me of her.

The TwoDaLoo features two side-by-side toilet seats with a modest privacy wall in between. I purchased the upgraded version; you know the one that includes a seven-inch LCD television and iPod docking station. I will provide my personal play list (should you choose to by her) songs like I’m Coming Out, You Dropped a Bomb on me, Love Stinks will be just a few.
I truly hope that someone can use my T for T (toilet for two) and find the happiness that I was so looking for.

· it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 909076509

F My Life Stories of the Week

From www.fmylife.com.

#3- "Today, I went to a bookstore and asked the sales woman,"Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose. FML."

#2- "Today, I found out that I was held back in preschool because of some developmental issues. My parents didn't think it was important enough to mention it to me. Why hadn't I figured it out? They also lied to me about how old I was. FML"

#1- "Today, I was picking my daughter up at day care. She was outside playing kick ball. A red ball strangely rolls over to me, and trying to impress the kids, I kicked it over the slide. I turn around to see three crying six year olds. It was their hamster ball. FML."

The skank next to me just ordered a "Sex at Sea"... Gonna be a minute.

I'm at the bar at the Bohemian. Slowest service ever. Nice decor.

"Watch yer ballothole, man"

I know my posts are no fun. I only want to call out a few more things and then I'll crawl back into whatever hole I recently crawled out of (...from which I recently crawled...??).

Let's review what we have to look forward to in regards to the 2010 election.

-First, and perhaps most alarming: Obama and Holder's justice department dismissed charges against three New Black Panther members who were arrested for charges relating to voter intimidation in PA on election day last year. Bartle Bull, a civil rights attorney and campaign manager for RFK in the 1960's, stated in an affadavit that it was "the worst instance of voter intimidation (he has) ever seen." The men, brandishing weapons, and in full N.B.P. uniform outside of the polling place, informed white voters that they "were about to be ruled by a black man, cracker". They "pointed a nightstick at voters and then tapped their fist with it menacingly." Here is just one video of an N.B.P. "security detail" at a polling place in Philly (these are not even the men discussed earlier!) This is an appalling intrusion on Democracy. The Obama administration's encouragement of this kind of behavior by dismissing all charges against these thugs tells you how much they cherish our individual freedoms.

-ACORN (Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now) publicly supported Obama's candidacy from the beginning of the campaign. As the campaign wore on, they were accused of extreme voter registration fraud (falsifying thousands of registration forms for the purpose of casting illegal votes). Watch this AP Video explaining the FBI's investigation for a quick refresher.

Obama publicly denied any intimate associations with ACORN in October 2008, saying that his campaign "doesn't need their help" getting voters registered. That denial came a mere six weeks after the Obama Campaign had to amend spending reports to officially declare that they had paid an offshoot of ACORN $800,000 to bolster their voter registration efforts. Wow.


Worse still, the same ACORN under investigation from the FBI has volunteered to help raise 1.4 million temporary workers to help conduct the 2010 census. Control of the Census + Control of Both Houses of Congress = Massive Redistricting. That's right, gerrymandering (greatest word ever).

All of the things that you thought would Never Happen In America are happening. No one will ever just come to office and say, "I am fixing elections and silencing the opposition." It takes time for them to build a status quo, and it takes a sleepy citizenry to allow it to happen.

18th Century Wisdom

Ever wonder what the Founding Fathers would say about the pressing issues of the day??

They told us. Just a few centuries in advance.

Healthcare and other social programs?

"If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy." -Thomas Jefferson

Obama's plan to "spread the wealth around a little bit"?

"The Utopian schemes of leveling (re-distribution) and a community of goods (central ownership), are as visionary and impractical as those which vest all property in the Crown. These ideas are arbitrary, despotic, and, in our government, unconstitional." -Samuel Adams, Brewer, Patriot.

What would they think about all the citizens at tea parties and town hall meetings?

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be...No other sure foundation can be devised for the preservation of freedom and happiness...Let our countrymen know that the people alone can protect us against the evils of misgovernment." -Thomas Jefferson

Everything You Need To Know About Georgia

Take 5 minutes to watch this video all the way through. It is the procession of the remains of a fallen soldier, Sgt. Beale, from Peachtree City to McDonough after arriving from Iraq.

This random display of patriotism by thousands of Georgians is perhaps the best evidence against the disgraceful "Angry Mob" propaganda coming out of the White House. The video linked is a publication of the DNC . Both parties are responsible for the accelerated erosion of individual freedoms in this country, but this is a despicable escalation.

The DNC and White House are simultaneously questioning the motives and character of concerned citizens while shamelessly attempting to discredit and outright silence opposition. I find it ironic that the same administration who is so willing to legitimize human rights violators such as Ahmadinejad and Chavez through open dialogue would go to such lengths to dehumanize Americans who are concerned enough to lobby their government representatives for change.

How dare anyone question The Obama??

Two words: Slippery. Slope. Even W. publicly supported his protester's rights to assemble and speak their voice, and remember that he was frequently hung in effigy.

Recent demonstrations of citizen outrage at congressional Town Hall meetings and Sgt. Beale's homecoming give me faith that Americans will not let their Republic be stripped away while politicians try to distract us with garbage about birth certificates and beer summits.

Homework:
The 5,000 Year Leap: Freedom 101 - Skousen
1776 - McCullough
Common Sense - Beck
The Great Upheaval - Winik

Unemployment: Day 31

It's been 30 full days since I was laid off. I haven't kept it a secret; I've got nothing to be ashamed of. Being open about my experience may end up helping someone else.

As scary as it sounds, young professionals like ourselves are especially vulnerable to layoffs in economic downturns. That being said, the best advice I can give after all this is to constantly evaluate not only your work performance, but your position with the organization as a whole. Don't let yourself become expendable.

But enough about that, let's talk about what I've been doing.

When I first got laid off, after the shock wore off and I realized this wasn't the worst thing ever, I thought, "this would make a great blog post series. A day-by-day chronicle of today's unemployed everyman."

A month later, this is post numero uno. Sorry. Aside from the job hunt, for someone who doesn't have anything to do, I've been busy.

Top priority has been the scramble to get into grad school. I had been kicking the idea around, but I felt this was the time for action. Getting shit-canned doesn't build character, it reveals it. GSU's application deadline for fall semester is July 31, so I didn't have much time. I had to study for and take the GMAT, get my transcripts sent, get financial aid, and get my immunization record updated. That was big thing I had to get done. I actually got my acceptance today, so I start on my MBA in August.

Other than that, I've been finding ways to fill my time:

- I got a library card, so I go to the library a couple times a week.

- I've sort of become the stay-at-home-mom at the Casa De Esteban, so the dish pile in the sink stays under control.

- I talk to Ryan on G-Mail Chat sometimes. It should come as no surprise that though he is employed, he has even less to do than I do.

- Last week, I found time to completely organize my iTunes by album name and genre. I corrected numerous instances of iTunes calling albums "compilations," and every song now has album artwork. This is my second proudest achievement of the month.

- Today, I typed this entire post from my phone while getting my oil changed.

I hope you've enjoyed my update.. Enjoy your weekend. Happy Friday.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Seriously, Jack. Quit doing this.

Miley Cyrus stalker set free after Tybee arrest.

"McLeod, 53, first drew attention during the carnival scene shoots for 'The Last Song' last month because he was walking up to young girls and making 'inappropriate comments,' Tybee Island police said."

On second thought, maybe this is Donnie.

Guinness

I am now a Guinness fan. Yes, it took me too long, and yes, I am a tool. Hear me out, though. My favorite beers are still Miller High Life and Keystone Light, so obviously I like the piss water variety of beer. The only time I tried Guinness was some night in Athens years ago. I had already been drinking the piss water when we arrived at Molly O'Shea's. Someone either bought me a Guinness or talked me into it, but either way it was the wrong situation to be drinking it, especially for the first time.

I gave it another try last week, and everyone was right: it's great. I get it now. So, apologies for all my past dude comments. However, I do still think it's really weird that Chris Lane brought Guinness cans to binge drink in Chippewa this year.

I am man. Hear me tweet.

Follow Snuffy on twitter.

Jimmy Dean

This old Texas gentleman is not happy with Jimmy Dean.

Things Are Starting To Get Interesting

Let's not kid ourselves. The president is still a relatively popular guy. His numbers are about the same as those 6 months into Bush's first term.

But there is no mistaking that over the last 2 months, support for his policies have begun to drop significantly, as the independents who put him into office begin to side more and more with the Republicans on the economy and health care. The political landscape is becoming increasingly similar to the situation Bill Clinton faced during his first two years as his agenda centerpiece stalls in a Congress controlled by his own party while the Republicans sit back in unison, vote "no" on everything, and watch their popularity numbers surge back to life.

Let's also not kid ourselves about the fact that the American health care system is a mess and needs serious reforms. The main reason the system is in disarray, as I've previously argued, is that consumers aren't in control of their own dollars, so the market is not permitted to function. 60% of dollars spent in the health care sector are government dollars, and most of the rest are spent by insurance companies, not consumers. The trouble is that Obama wants to make the situation even worse.

The solution is abandoning the employer-based model, which we've had since the 1940's and receives tons of unnecessary tax incentives, in favor of individual plans with high deductibles, which are unnecessarily taxed and thus not properly incentivized. Cato's new website has more on this. I encourage y'all to check it out.

JJ

I was at the Braves game last night and let me tell you, Jair Jurrjens is the real deal. In a pitching matchup against San Fransisco's 13 year old phenom Tim Lincecum, JJ lowered his ERA to 2.67, 5th in the National League. And Frank Wren is paying him something like $400K this year AND next year! We traded Edgar Renteria to Detroit for him and Gyrowrap Hernandez a couple of years back, and it appears we've made out like bandits. I hope Wren signs JJ to a contract before his arbitration period begins at the end of next season. KEEP HIM A BRAVE!

Also, Calvary.

Friday Morning Musings from Facebook

Chris Connolly: If you want goverment healthcare move to Holland Ass wipes.

Power Hour Blues - 5th Anniversary Collector's Edition

It was the Summer of 2004. Trucker hats, "W THE PRESIDENT" decals, and girls in white tennis skirts were ubiquitous. We were at a party at Patrick Leonard's house in midtown one night when a few of us came up with the novel idea of burning a collection of our "favorite" tunes from our "favorite" bar, Bourbon Street. The CD would be aptly titled "Power Hour Blues."

In the 5 long years that have passed since that fateful July, the CD has unfortunately been scratched and is seeing its last days. But not to worry, because I am re-downloading the entire collection, and now YOU TOO can own this timeless anthology by...finding the songs online somewhere and putting them on your ipod. It is strongly recommended that you do not disturb the order of songs, however, because the album is meant to "flow" much in the same way that a Pet Sounds or Sgt. Pepper does.

1. Sweet Southern Comfort - Buddy Jewell (trying to find the "Go Dogs Go" version is a mission impossible, but if anyone does PUH-LEEZ let me know!!)
2. Song of the South - Alabama
3. Two Pina Coladas - Garth Brooks
4. Calling Baton Rouge - Garth Brooks
5. Dixieland Delight - Alabama
6. Girl from Athens - Pat Green/McGee??
7. Wave on Wave - Pat Green/McGee??
8. A Great Day To Be Alive - Travis Tritt
9. All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie
10. Should've Been a Cowboy - Toby Keith
11. Something Like That - Tim McGraw
12. Only in America (Bush/Cheney '04 Theme Song) - Brooks & Dunn
13. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham
14. Whiskey Girl - Toby Kieth
15. I Wanna Talk About Me - Toby Keith
16. I Love This Bar (Bourbon Street Theme Song) - Toby Keith
17. Closer - Nine Inch Nails*

* = Songs they never actually played at Bourbon Street but we needed filler.

New Poll!!

Please participate!!

BRUNO

Shane, this is the clip I was telling you about.

Bruno on Spring Break - watch more funny videos

Spotted Just Over the Talmadge Bridge

George Will at His Best

A few great quotes from his latest Washington Post column:

The president says the health care market "has not worked perfectly." Indeed. Only God, supposedly, and Wrigley Field, actually, are perfect. Anyway, given the heavy presence of government dollars (46 percent of health care dollars) and regulations, the market, such as it is, is hardly free to work.

As market enthusiasts, conservatives should stop warning that the president's reforms will result in health care "rationing." Every product, from a jelly doughnut to a jumbo jet, is rationed -- by price or by politics. The conservative's task is to explain why price is preferable. The answer is that prices produce a rational allocation of scarce resources.

And then, my favorite part:

Regarding reform, conservatives are accused of being a party of "no." Fine. That is an indispensable word in politics because most new ideas are false and mischievous. Furthermore, the First Amendment's lovely first five words ("Congress shall make no law") set the negative tone of the Bill of Rights, which is a list of government behaviors, from establishing religion to conducting unreasonable searches, to which the Constitution says: No.

Tribute

I could go on and on about how big of an icon this guy was to anyone born in the 1980's, but I would really just be rehashing everything the news networks have already said.

I was trying to think of a list of his best songs, but it looks like someone over at Only in America has already done that for me, and he's nailed it because those are my top 10 as well. ("The Way You Make Me Feel" comes in a close 11th).

Anyway, it's a very sad day. That's all I can say right now. I don't have anything creative or sarcastic to say. And I can't paste any other youtube videos here because for whatever reason it's not letting me.

Debating Obamacare

If we were back in college right now, I'd have plenty of time to write out a long, detailed argument against government-run health care. I would spend paragraphs explaining how the "public option" that Mr. Obama is pushing for would slowly but surely crowd out the private sector by forcing taxpayers to subsidize a "free" plan that private insurers wouldn't be able to compete with. And I would demonstrate how the real problem in this country is that too many people have too much insurance, and not the other way around like we always hear.

Whenever the vast majority of decisions are made by third parties (whether those third parties are insurance companies or government bureaucrats), markets aren't permitted to function. It's like if your car insurance policy covered your oil changes and all of your fill-ups at the gas pump: you wouldn't care how much these things cost because you're not paying for them, so you'd consume as much as possible while prices spiral out of control (the same is true, by the way, with college tuition - costs skyrocket as kids spend 5-6 years in undergrad because they aren't paying for their education; parents, federal grants, and subsidies are). Meanwhile, doctors spend most of their time dealing with needless paperwork and fighting with HMO's and insurers instead of doing what they entered the profession for in the first place: focusing on the needs of their patients. That is the fundamental problem with our health care system.

But thanks to ABC's John Stossel, I don't even need to make the case. Because he's already done it for me, in this superb hour-long special on 20/20:

Beatles Albums, Ranked From Worst to Best

Let's go ahead and get this out of the way.

12. Magical Mystery Tour
11. With the Beatles
10. Let It Be
9. Please Please Me
8. Abbey Road
7. A Hard Day's Night
6. Sgt. Pepper
5. Beatles for Sale
4. White Album
3. Revolver
2. Help!
1. Rubber Soul

All of these albums are amazing, of course, except Magical Mystery Tour, which was downright awful.

Could it be?

I just heard on PTI that Johnny Depp left a $4000 tip at a Chicago steakhouse. Now, I'm not concerned with his immense generosity. What I am concerned with is the fact that he was in Chicago in the first place. Chicago has been the setting of Gotham City for both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight and Depp has been rumored to have accepted the part of the Riddler in the next Nolan brothers Batman film.

Is this evidence?

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Don't Know Much About Terry Pendleton.

To be honest, I still thought he was playing third base. But here's one thing I do know: we need to find a way to round up all of California's politicians and ship them to the far side of the moon. There are countless reasons why we ought to do this for the good of (what's left of) that state and the country as a whole. Here is the most recent:



True, there's isn't much to do on the moon, but I'm sure they'd still somehow manage to tax, spend, run deficits, mock the military, and brag about how hard they've worked to earn the right to spend other people's money. At least we wouldn't have to deal with the consequences of their behavior back on planet Earth.

Response to Firing TP

I didn't write this, but since I read it it changed my mind about the TP situation. From Chris Gesner at 680 The Fan:

The Bravos aren’t scoring a ton of runs and aren’t hitting all that well in the clutch. In fact, despite a few notable exceptions, the Braves aren’t hitting much of anything this year. Home runs, batting average, slugging percentage, etc. are all down. Damn you, Pendleton! Firing squad, enter stage right. Even certain 680 the Fan hosts have been calling for TP’s early retirement (I won’t name any names...John Kincade). Many callers during that Pendleton-bashing segment agreed with the unnamed host, save for one thoughtful listener who suggested that somebody among the Dickey Broadcasting staff be tasked with researching stats that would prove TP’s brilliance/incompetence. Since we are always fan friendly here at 680, your resident roadie is up to the task. Should Terry Pendleton be sent to the bread lines? No, and here’s why.

Point One: We Are What We Are For my opening salvo, I’d like to you all to welcome Rick Pitino. “Fred McGriff is not walking through that door. David Justice, Ron Gant, Mark Lemke, Andres Galarraga, Edgar Renteria, Marquis Grissom, Dale Murphy, and Terry Pendleton (ahem) are not walking through that door.” Thanks, Rick. If there is a disconnect between what the Brave’s roster consists of now and what came before, it needs to end. There are only three reliable batters in this lineup; Chipper Jones (178 AB, .303 BA, 31 RBI, 8 HR), Yunel Escobar (214 AB, .294 BA, 33 RBI, 6 HR), and Brian McCann (145 AB, .324 BA, 26 RBI, 6 HR). Three hitters out of nine on any given day. And the difference between these three and the rest of the roster can be equated with the distance between the Earth and Alpha Centauri. The trick is keeping them healthy, but we can hardly hold TP accountable for bad feet, bad eyes, and bad luck (Or can we?). NOTE: Brian McCann is our clean-up hitter. He has the fewest at-bats of the three and is tied with Escobar for the second most HRs on the team. Clean-up hitters on most competitive teams are in the double digits by now. Chipper’s eight HRs are the most any one player has hit for the Braves this season (McLouth has hit 10 for the year, but only one for Atlanta). That means that our very best power hitter has as many home runs in 2009 as Troy Tulowitski. That’s good for 32nd in the league. By comparison, Philadelphia has three players top ten in the league in HRs. Bottom line, we have no power and what little we do have is not very difficult to pitch around. You can’t teach power, they either have it or they don’t. Maybe if TP gave our guys some HGH (my bad, Jordan Schafer), he’d have a better chance of keeping his job.

Point Two: The Outfield Like my Pappy always says, “Cook the big fish first.” Jeff Francoeur needs to go. Corner outfield positions are usually reserved for guys who can flat out rake. Not so on this roster. Frenchie’s legend was born from local high school heroics, which pushed him fast through the farm system and a major league debut. Whatever glow he once had on him is now wearing off as evidenced by the AJC’s new poll question, “Should Jeff Francoeur be traded?” Absolutely, I say. Assuming any team would be willing to deal more than a set of old Jane Fonda workout tapes. I wrote recently of Mike Vick’s diminishing stats over the course of his career. That argument certainly holds many parallels here. In the beginning, Francoeur was an insanely popular and productive player. Under Pendleton’s tutelage, Francoeur hit .260, and .293 in his first two full seasons respectively. In those years, Francoeur drove in 103 and 105 runs. These last two seasons have marked a sharp decline in his production. Batting averages of .239 in 2008, and .253 so far in 2009. He’s also on pace to match last year’s 71 RBI total. Over his brief career, Francoeur has struck out a whopping 464 times and walked a piddling 125. Further damning, there are multiple signs of a player who just doesn’t get it. Without even a tweet to his teammate/hitting coach, Francoeur consulted the hitting coach of the Texas Rangers (That’s really paying off dividends, by the way). Jeff’s response to any possible insult to TP, “...it is what it is.” Way to be disrespectful and classless at the same time, Jeff! Then there was the curiously unreported, profanity-laced, childish tirade during spring training that Francoeur unleashed upon a member of the Atlanta media who had been critical of the right fielder. Dismissive of his coaches? Check. Can’t take criticism? Check mate. He’s just a water bottle, a dead dog, and a bad outbreak of herpes away from drawing a real cult following in the ATL. Pendleton would have a better shot at teaching Helen Keller to recite the Gettysburg Address than he would at teaching Jeff Francoeur to be a patient, selective, consistent hitter to all fields. Nate McLouth? Hate to beat up on the kid since he’s new to the train wreck, but here it goes. A lot of the buzz surrounding him is that he was an All-Star with the Pirates. Let that sink in for a minute. The Pirates had one representative in the 2008 All-Star game. Each team is guaranteed at least one All-Star berth. He only hit .276 that year. He’s never driven in more than 100 runs in a season. Yea, Frank Wren! If McLouth never wins the triple crown, I’m sure it’s because Terry Pendleton is incompetent. Somewhere warm, Andruw Jones can't stop laughing. Left field has been been vacant since the departure of Gary Sheffield. Name me the team that has been successful without power, average, or run production from each, or any, of its outfield positions. Coming up empty? Me too! The Matt Diaz/Garrett Anderson platoon is cute in theory, but lacks common sense in actual practice. Heaven forbid the Braves make an offer to Raul Ibanez this past off-season, we might have actually had an outfielder that could hit the ball over the fence. That must be TP’s fault too.

Point Three: The Infield Third base, shortstop, and catcher are good, as we’ve already established. Was it Meatloaf that said “3 out of 5 ain’t bad?” No. His percentage was much better than that. We have Casey Kotchman at first. A guy who, when not on the DL, had his best season with 12 homers. TWELVE HOMERS! First base, last I checked, was a power position (like the corner outfield positions, but I repeat myself). Was Rico Brogna not available? I like Kotchman’s defense, I do, but the man has never driven in over 100 runs or hit over .300. That’s with over four years in the AL before he came to Atlanta. He may not do worse here, but I don’t think TP (Or the ghost of Ty Cobb) could get him to hit much better. Kelly Johnson is not Ryne Sandberg. A bold statement, I know. Were it not for the grace of Bobby Cox (the guy that let him start his career 0 for 30 without benching him), this guy would be bagging groceries with kids still waxing poetic about the time they spent bagging with Kurt Warner. Who started the rumor that this gibrone deserved to hog a starting gig in The Show? He’d make a passable 8th hitter (.238 AVG), but we’ve stuck him at the top of the order for reasons passing understanding. He doesn’t have lead-off speed. He doesn’t work the count (Almost 2-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio for his career). He did, however, hit .287 last year. Not that TP had anything to do with that. The Braves organization was once stocked with talent up the middle. O’ Elvis Andrus, where art thou? Oh, that’s right, we traded him to Texas for a rent-a-player who didn’t have a single meaningful hit in a Braves uniform (I’m talking to you, Teixeira). Mark DeRosa, why hast thou forsaken us? Oh, that’s right, we let you go for nothing and now you are an integral part of the success of every franchise you are with (Then Cubs, now Rangers). I guess TP is making all of the personnel decisions too.

Point Four: The Real Culprit Roger McDowell is an amazing pitching coach. This year, the Braves are 4th in the majors in strikeouts, 8th in ERA, 1st in fewest home runs allowed, and 10th in fewest runs. He’s amazing. This year, he’s amazing. From 2006-2008, Roger was a terrible pitching coach. The bullpen couldn’t hold a lead and the starters couldn’t get out of the 6th inning. That is, of course, when they actually made it into the 6th inning. Bob Wickman, Chris Reitsma, Chuck James, Jo Jo Reyes, Kyle Davies, Mark Redman, and Joey Devine were among the many hurlers who peddled their dreadful wares during those years (To say nothing of the conspicuous absence of Mike Hampton). What magic elixir did Roger drink this past offseason to imbue the current staff with such great prowess? That’s right, we got rid of all those guys and signed professionals. You could rub a million lamps and wish that Kelly Johnson, Jeff Francoeur, Casey Kotchman, Nate McLouth, Jordan Schafer, Matt Diaz, David Ross, Martin Prado, Omar Infante, Gregor Blanco, Greg Norton, and Garret Anderson were forces to be reckoned with and future Cooperstown inductees. They’re not, they never will be, and the genie you wish upon will laugh in your face. Magic, it would seem, has its limitations. A coach, a manager, a boss, or whathaveyou, is only as good as the talent he is given to field. Frank Wren has done nothing to help Terry Pendleton in this regard. NOTHING. Nothing but trade away the only center fielder the Braves had in camp that had any record of success in the majors (Josh Anderson). Nothing but alienate both John Smoltz and Tom Glavine (Who are those guys, anyway?). Nothing but allow every capable left fielder in free agency to disappear before settling on the 36 year-old who’s riding the sharp down slope of a solid career (Sorry, Garret). No real attempt was made to address first or second base (That bit with Furcal made zero sense). No real attempt was made to address serious concerns in the outfield (The answer: Ken Griffey Jr. The question: “What player hasn’t been relevant in nearly a decade?”). Then again, I guess every team relies on their hitting coach to negotiate with Scott Boras. It was posited on this very station that if an employee doesn’t respond to the message preached by his or her manager, then the manager should be replaced. Funny, maybe it’s my military background talking, but every job I have ever held has taught me the exact opposite. If an employee is not willing or able to do the work, you hold the employee accountable. If an employee is incapable of making adjustments, you find someone who can. Barring that, you fire the guy that keeps hiring substandard labor. Frank Wren's previous GM credits include driving a wrecking ball into what was once a proud Baltimore Orioles franchise (With no small amount of help from Peter Angelos). Check the Turner Field parking lot, I think he's at it again. All Terry Pendleton has ever done is win the National League MVP Award, win a batting title, play in five World Series, be a vocal clubhouse leader and a major contributer to the reason people actually care about baseball in this city. He has also done his dead-level best to polish the turds that Frank Wren keeps leaving in the dugout. Bobby Cox has done his best too (Better than all but three major league managers in over a century). So, yeah, maybe we should follow Jeff Francoeur’s lead and hire that guy in Texas nobody ever heard of.

Georgia Theater is no more

The Georgia Theater in Athens burnt to the ground this morning. I've seen a lot of shows there. Never more, never more.

Seinfeld Quote of the Day

"Every day it's something else with you. I don't know anything about you any more. Who are you? What kind of life are you leading? Who knows what you're doing? Maybe you're making porno films."
"Yeah. I'm Buck Naked."
- George's mother and George, in "The Outing"

Fire Terry Pendleton

I've never been one to call for the firing of any coach, mainly because I'm not that smart about that stuff. I let the big boys handle their business, and I accept my role as the simplistic fan who just wants to win. However, I need some counterargument for why Terry Pendleton should continue to be the Braves' hitting coach. Yes, there are other players and staff who seem the more obvious choice for being discharged, but I'm just thinking pratically here.

Wikipedia defines the hitting coach:

A hitting coach, as the name suggests, works with a team's players to improve their hitting techniques and form. He monitors players' swings during the game and over the course of the season, advising them when necessary between at-bats on adjustments to make. He also oversees their performance during practices, cage sessions, and pre-game batting practice.

From my view from the couch, it appears that TP isn't good at his job. And I'm not just talking about Francoeur, Kelly Johnson, and the other underachievers of the 2009 Braves. Think back to Andruw Jones and even Mark Teixeira, who really was just pretty good with us. Think about how Andruw and Francoeur went to work with the Rangers' hitting coach in the offseason. Now Andruw's hitting much better, and Francoeur's improvements dropped off after the first month or so. So, I say fire TP's lazy ass. What's the worst that can happen? Could the replacement hitting coach really make this team be anymore impatient at the plate?

*I googled "fire terry pendleton" and came upon this recent write-up at the AJC about the very same subject. Mark Bradley says that TP should not be fired, and argued that Francoeur's and Schafer's problems existed before they came to the big leagues. Then shouldn't it be the hitting coach's job to help fix those problems? What else is he expected to do?

Damn Confounded Technology!

Dear Stephen,

I know you are very scared and confused right now. You came home after a sweat-filled day of hard labor last Friday, turned on your picture box, but it was all fuzzy! You banged it a couple of times. You adjusted the rabbit ears - still nothing.

It's going to be okay, Papa Bear. Just follow this clicky-linky, www.dtv.gov, and carefully follow the steps!

St. Patrick's Day Conception Celebration

Join us tonight at Kevin Barry's as we celebrate the conception of our favorite holiday. In nine short months, we will give birth to a liquor-drinkin, green-jacket-wearin, hows-your-mom-an-em-in middle-aged man named Ted Brogan.










Mom, it's me, Teddy...Gaga, etc.

Braves

So we are back to .500. It is a brand new start. Braves are 5 and a half games back of the Phillies; 3 games back on the piece of trash Mets. We got one of the top 5 starting rotations in the majors. We just added a 30/30 all-star in "Nasty" Nate McClouth. The top half of the lineup will make an opposing pitcher sweat: McClouth, Escobar, Chipper, and McCann. I would even say our set up dude and crazy closer, Soriano and Gonzo, are at least top three in the National League. Shoot, even Moyland and O'Flaherty have been showing up to PLAY.

We need to win tonight. When Greg Counsel was asked how the Brewers got to the postseason last year he said, "We just beat up on the Pirates." If you want to win your division or get a wild card birth in the playoffs, you HAVE to beat the bad teams. We can't split a series with the Pirates, lose a series to the Rockies or Diamondbacks. We should win every single game played against the Nationals this year.

Braves need to beat the Orioles in the series this weekend. Starting next Tuesday, they go on a 15 game stretch where they play Cincinnati, Boston, Yankees, Boston, and Philly. They even have to make-up a game with the Cubs sometime in there.

Will the finish above .500 this year?

Tech Terrorist

I thought I would put this up before the Only In... network got to it.

Ex-Ga. Tech student convicted of video terror plot.

There Goes $50

While we usually spend our time lamenting the garbage that Hollywood produces on a monthly basis, I have to say I'm quite excited about this summer's releases. There's lots of great stuff either out already or coming out soon:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Terminator Salvation
Up
The Hangover
GI Joe: Rise of Cobra

Have I missed any?

Happy Friday

Individual Income Tax Revenues are Down

Revenue from individual income taxes fell 44 percent in April 2009 from the level in April 2008, according to new statistics from the Treasury Department. Corporate, estate and gift and federal excise taxes also posted declines. Individual Income Taxes April is traditionally the month with the highest collection of individual income taxes.

In April 2008, the Treasury Department collected $244 billion in individual income taxes. The government collected $136.7 billion in April 2009. This represents a decline of $108 billion, or 44 percent. According to the American Institute of Economic Research (AIER), the 44-percent drop is the steepest decline since 1981...

Raising taxes on the rich fixes everything...

Article in the WSJ stating how much money the state Maryland is losing this year after deciding to raise taxes on the upper tier of income earners to make up for their shortfall. I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh, but he's now stated he's moving to Florida to avoid income tax after it looks like New York has decided to do the same thing. Good for him. I'm sure he isn't the only one.

Jon Minus Nine

As most of you know, I have been married to my beautiful wife Jennifer for over two years. Because I get to watch the Braves almost every night and 10 to 30 hours per week of football in the fall, I have to compromise and watch reality shows like American Idol, The Real Housewives of Whatever, and Jon and Kate Plus 8.

The big season premier of "Jon and Kate Plus 8", or as I like to say J&K+8, was last night!!! I don't like Kate. I never liked Kate. She yelled at Jon about not using a coupon. She tells him to be quiet during the interview portions of the show. She is very controlling. She has a reverse-mullet haircut.

Since last season, the couple has been on the cover of many tabloid magazines for alleged cheating. The whole show last night was Kate complaining about the paparazzi. Two things: it is funny reality TV stars are being stalked by the paparazzi, and you have a TV show where people follow you around with cameras already. How can you tell the difference? I bet most camera men look like Ryan and MAR had a baby together then peed on it. Does it matter if the peed-up camera dude has a TLC or a TMZ shirt?

Divorce is a terrible thing. I hope they can get past this and stay together for their kids and for America. Tomorrow: Patrick's review of 18 Kids and Counting.

Ghostbusters 3: The New Generation

In light of Pat's tribute to the timeless classic, it looks like it is a done deal that the whole gang is coming back for a 3rd installment with a whole new Generation of ghostbusters http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/05/dan-aykroyd-says-ghostbusters-3-may-start-filming-in-winter.html

I say this could be a great idea as long as it is a thoughtful process, and not a piece of junk that sums up Hollywood these days.



Opinions?

One More Time

Silicone Sister tonight at Pour Larry's. Doors open at 8, Show starts at 10.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

As Serious As It Gets

In America today, death lurks around every corner. While compiling a comprehensive list would take years and millions of dollars, I’ve narrowed them down to the absolute worst scourges we face in this country today. Here they are, The Top Five Worst Threats to the American Way of Life:

5. This Rain – Seriously. Customer and co-worker alike have never seen continued rain like this. It’s cloudy and everything is wet. Boo.

4. Bird Attacks – Released this week, a study conducted at the University of Florida found that Mockingbirds can identify individual people after encountering them as few as two times. They were found to attack those individuals who repeatedly threatened their nest, while ignoring bystanders. You have been targeted for Termination.

3. Sexting – Sending a nude photo without the consent of the subject in the photo. $2,500 fine or a year in prison for the perpetrator, monthlong embarrassment for the victim. No one wins in this cruel game.

2. Swine Flu – H1N1 virus. 6,552 confirmed (or probable) cases nationwide, 27 in Georgia alone. No vaccine, no known cure. Combine the films Outbreak, I Am Legend, and 28 Days Later. That’s what we’re facing here.

1. Kris Allen – According to everyone I work with, it’s an unconscionable travesty that Adam Lambert didn’t win American Idol. Even Simon thought so. Clay Aiken, however, agreed with America and declared in his infinite wisdom and negligible talent that Kris was the rightful winner. Wait a minute… an election where the result didn’t please everybody? This is still America, right?

Stay sharp, America. We’ll get through this. Godspeed.

It's Not Fair

I'm surprised this hasn't surfaced on OIA yet.

UGA officials discuss future of UGA-Fla. game.

I used to have a lot of respect for Richt. This is just gutless. Tech gets tired of losing to Georgia, so they hire a coach who can beat them. Georgia gets tired of losing to Florida, so they want to move the game? If I was a Georgia fan, I would be embarrased by this movement.

Some choice quotes from the article:

"There are things we want yet out of the city of Jacksonville that can even the playing field a bit." - Michael Adams

"I have very strong feelings about that, but the problem is I change my mind about once a week." - Bob Bishop

45-42. Love you, got to go.

Trivia Question

I'm sitting up at The Distillery which, I must say, is a very nice place. I'll have to make this a weekend night stop. Anyway, they're showing this silent film on one of the TV's and it got me thinking...

Which came first, color motion pictures or motion pictures with spoken dialogue?

I'll put this to the film buffs (Ryan, MAR).

Go.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

BMBS: The Movie

Following OIA's lead, here is the cast for the greatest movie ever made. The plot? A mockumentary about the rise and fall of The Seersuckers, an oldies and beach music cover band. Go ahead and mark this one down for post of the year.

Chris: Mark Paul Gosselar



Joe: Bull from Night Court



Mike: Michael J. Fox



Patrick: Norm MacDonald



Ryan: Tom Green



Hank: Chris Kattan



TC: Drew Carey



Snuffy: Philip Seymore Hoffman


Sorry Tim and Michael. I couldn't come up with anyone for you two.

Boog vs. Chip

I was flipping channels between American Idol (Gays vs. the rest of America) and the Braves game on Sports South last night. Braves won and the rest of America won, but I digress. Joe Simpson has been a great analyst since Turner picked him up in '92. He is doing all the games this year (unless Fox or ESPN picks up a game), but he switches between Peachtree TV with Chip Carey and Jon "Boog" Sciambi on Sports South. I think Boog does a great job, better than Chip, and he and Joe have a great chemistry. Boog has a cooler nickname, too. I want to call someone Boog. Snuffy kind of looks like Boog. Maybe I'll call him Boog. Chip has one thing going for him: he shares the same nickname as the single best wrestler in the history of BC wrestling, Chip Anderson.

Baseball is a story-telling game. Boog and Joe related the catcher's gear to the Wizard of Oz's tin man and Sigourney Weaver's outfit in the Alien movie, and it kept me watching a 12-1 game.

Tonight: Cheney vs. Obama. Patrick will be tweeting his thoughts the whole time.

Fromance

noun. A love for afros and everyone with afros.

"Stephen has a fromance with Fro-Double-YO."

25th Anniversary

"We're Ready to Believe You."

Jaywalkers Beware

Damn Swedes.

Savannah police to warn, cite unlawful pedestrians.

A Well-Deserved Endorsement

Good live music is hard to come by in Savannah, but if you're in town Saturday, May 23rd, join me at Pour Larry's to watch Silicone Sister. They're an 80's hair metal cover band and they are incredible. You will not be disappointed. I will be attending after CTC's Retirement Party. Show starts 8ish.

Hedge Fund Manager vs. Obama

Check out Clifford S. Asness' defense against Obama's attack on hedge fund managers.
This is going to be a long eight years.

"Let’s be clear, it is the job and obligation of all investment managers, including hedge fund managers, to get their clients the most return they can. They are allowed to be charitable with their own money, and many are spectacularly so, but if they give away their clients’ money to share in the “sacrifice”, they are stealing..."

"...The President’s attempted diktat takes money from bondholders and gives it to a labor union that delivers money and votes for him. Why is he not calling on his party to “sacrifice” some campaign contributions, and votes, for the greater good? Shaking down lenders for the benefit of political donors is recycled corruption and abuse of power..."

The best part is the ending:

"This is America. We have a free enterprise system that has worked spectacularly for us for two hundred plus years. When it fails it fixes itself. Most importantly, it is not an owned lackey of the oval office to be scolded for disobedience by the President.I am ready for my “personalized” tax rate now."