Ring Day

"There are two types of men in this world: B.C. Men and those who wish they were."

Party at "The Field" this afternoon. Ryan is going to shave his head again.

Good List

8 Insulting Ways People Act "Irish" on St. Patrick's Day

Spring Break '12

Ok bros, it's time to find your oversized sunglasses with the neon stems, your zinc oxide sunscreen for your nose and your ironic '80s t-shirt. It's Spring Break 2012! Instead of Destin or PCB, I thought this year, we would call on the port of Savannah. I hear they throw one helluva party for St. Patty's Day. So, prepare to get "River-faced on Sh*t Street." All the ladies at Wet Willie's wil be shakin' their shamrocks, if you know what I mean, bro-dog. WOOF WOOF!

Can I Make Pat Cry?: Returning Soldiers Edition

I asked a lot of our misanthropic friend in my first attempt. Not only is the subject matter and presentation of "Dear Zachary" a rough experience, but it also demanded ninety minutes of his invaluable time. Though his reply could have been constructed just by reading the movie's Wikipedia page, I choose to believe he actually did watch the whole thing. I say that mainly because the last time I talked to him on the phone, he said he doesn't get any channels on his TV and just watches Netflix on his laptop in his warm and inviting and not at all creepy apartment.

Here's an indisputable fact about JPH: he's a Republican who loves America. Though he's always extolled more of the conservative economics of the GOP than any war hawk attitude, I'm sure he's at least kind of a sucker for a good ol' fashioned, rah-rah, G.I. Joe, armed forces lovefest.

I'm putting that to the test today with a three-part compilation of soldiers returning home and doing non-emotionally-charged things such as surprising their kids at school and being immediately recognized and loved on by their dogs. This attempt makes for a more quick and efficient groin kick to Pat's tiny, tiny heart than an hour and a half movie that really puts a strain on his restless leg syndrome. The short length also leaves him more time to put $50 on Southeast Missouri State tonight, and for that maybe he'll be in a more receptive mood.

Spotted: Election Sunday

The SMN seems to be drawn to me and Mike on Election Sunday.

2012 Election

2008 Election

Timmy's Our Man

Timmy's 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 Timmy, our man!

At least the Slovaks get it right.

This will undoubtedly be the most elusive and strongest bridge in Europe the Word the Galaxy the Universe.

Sham-Rock You Like a Hurricane

Honor Unit With Distinction

For 27 straight years...

Aldi Right Prices

Look at all the stuff I bought. Now look at the final price. A new grocery store opened up down the street that is cheaper than any other I've been to. This place is called Aldi, and let me tell you about this bastion of capitalism and how they deliver such low prices:

-Everything in the store is Aldi's private brand; no name brands. Time to get over your trust issues with store brand Slim Jims.

-Each item only comes in one size (the most popular). So if you need mayonnaise, you get the one Aldi brand mayo in the one size. No chin-rubbing, aisle-clogging debates over a squirt of Hellman's vs a tube of Duke's that fits into a Super Soaker.

-You pay a quarter to unlock a cart and get your quarter back when you return it. This means there are no carts in the parking lot to ding your 1998 Sebring convertible.

-There are no baggers, and you're expected to bring in your own bags and pack them yourself. When your cashier is done checking you out, you get your ass out of everyone's way and bag your groceries on a table lining the front wall. It reminds me of the hurried frenzy of getting your clothes on in the high school locker room before everyone sees...it.

-They only stay open from 9am to 8pm.

All of these brilliant, detailed choices trickle down to savings for the customer. I can only hope Aldi brings its streetwalker prices to Savannah some day. Also, I don't want to hear it about the "Imitation Cheese" on the receipt.

One Month

Can't believe I beat Snuffy to this.

PLAYOFFS!?!

The 9th-seeded Cadets destroyed #8 seed Camden County Monday night 64-48 to advance the the Region 3-AAAAA Quarterfinals tonight against #1 seed Johnson at 8:30 at the H.V. Jenkins gymnasium. A win will secure a State Playoff berth for the Cadets, who would go down in history as the worst team to ever qualify for the GHSA State Basketball Playoffs. A few weeks ago, the upstart cagers from Benedictine led Johnson at halftime by 4 points, before losing by 25. Crazier things have happened...

Halftime in America

BBR

Invitation only. Time and room number TBD.

7 and Counting

Seven years ago today we started the blog. As you re-read the inaugural post, ask yourself how well we are living up to our charter.

5th Annual Gael Force Run

It was five years ago today, that the idea for the inaugural Gael Force Run was posted by former BMBS member, Joe. Never in our wildest imagination did we expect this event to last five years. We weren't even sure if people would show up for the first race back in 2008. A lot has changed in those five years, but two things remain the same: 1) Hank will win the race and 2) the first round of PBRs will be on Snuffy.

Inaugural Gael Force Run in 2008

Happy February 2nd

Can I Make Pat Cry?

If there's one thing our old friend Pat is known for, it's not for his cuddly nature. That frosty, reptilian demeanor hides little warmth or sympathy; this much I'm sure of after twelve years of knowing him. But just like how you see Darth Vader not immediately dismissing Luke's claims of hidden goodness on Endor, Darth Holland offers up small nuggets of human potential every once in a while.

When I saw Pat's post regarding the BC-Camden game, I saw words that I never thought I'd see the man admit himself: "I cried." There was no sarcasm, no cynicism, and no mockery. He was so emotionally moved that his tear ducts activated and produced physical evidence of...feelings. Now, I'm not ready to believe Pat is on the verge of a face turn, but every good villain has more than one dimension.

I now will begin a series of challenges in order to see if I can make the man cry again. It'll be tough, because any video or movie I present to him will have none of the nostalgic weight that gave the BC video its power. I also have to rely entirely on Pat's word, since no one will be there to see if he indeed held back tears.

And I'm starting big. Going for all the marbles right at the start. Rolling only for Yahtzee. Starting with the essay portion of the test first. And if it doesn't work, I may be SOL. I recently watched a documentary that is infamous for breaking people down, and I can attest to this. I put off watching it for over a year, and having seen it now, I must say the intensity of this movie is unparalleled.

The movie is called Dear Zachary, and my first advice to Pat and to anyone else interested in watching would be to not read a single thing about it. No googling and no reading the description. This is what I had always read people say online, and it really does matter, especially for this challenge. The bare minimum I can offer you is that the filmmaker sets out to make a movie about his childhood friend who was murdered, but that's only the set-up in the first 15 minutes. Here is the link to stream it on Netflix. It has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes if you need some critical backing in order to watch. It's 90 minutes long, so Pat, don't act like you have anything else to do. Report back to us. We want your tears.

Eleven Dollars Wasted

Don't go see the new "Iron Lady" movie in theaters right now. 70% of the film portrays Thatcher in her current state as a helpless 90 year-old struggling with dementia. This would be no different than putting out a film called "The Champ", complete with badass promotional displays of Muhammad Ali in his 1960's prime, only to have it be a 2-hour portrayal of the former boxer's present-day struggle with Parkinson's. Sorry, no time for scenes from the height of his popularity - you know, the ones that people might care about and that actually made the man famous. Not entertaining and in no way pays tribute to the main character's defining triumphs.

And that's probably the whole point. Why pay tribute to one of the greatest conservative leaders of our time? Far better to portray the right-wing pro- (or is it an-?) taganist at her weakest and hopefully cast aspersions about whether such mental deficiencies existed during her time in power.

I'm a huge Reagan fan but I have to say my favorite politician of all time was Thatcher. More so than any 20th century politician, she cut against the political consensus of the time and fought tooth and nail to revolutionize her nation's economy. All four of her successors, split across both parties, have credited her with positively transforming Britain.

A far better account of Thatcher and her reign can be found in Part 4 of the BBC's History of Modern Britain, which came out a few years back:

2000 BC @ Camden County

The greatest BC victory I've ever witnessed. I cried watching this last night. Says a lot about my social life I guess but I don't really give a damn. I would give anything to go back to this night and relive it.

Thanks to Brooks for continuing to post these.