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.

Why I Despise the Daily Show

Watch this clip first. All of it:



Now I realize this is just a comedy show. But this is just one in a thousand of segments Stewart has done that attack conservative stances on positions without providing his audience or viewers any remote semblance of the opposing rationale behind those stances.

It's one thing to mock the president. It's a natural and even a healthy part of living in a Democracy where we are blessed with the right to free speech. We all laughed when Clinton was mocked for his sex life, and similarly I laugh at Bush's inability to speak the English language.

But it's quite another issue to mock conservative policies without providing a single ounce of objectivity providing viewers with the rationale behind them. By taking tiny soundbytes out of context Michael Moore-style and ignoring the reality of the actual debate that is going on in Washington, Stewart successfully convinces his audience that Republicans are anti-poor and anti-children.

Again, Bush (who, much to my own chagrin, has actually spent the last 7 years expanding the welfare state more than any president since LBJ) vetoed the Democratic version of the SCHIP expansion because it would have unnecessarily expanded medical care to middle-class kids, most of whom already have private health insurance. This would prompt many parents to switch them to free government-run care, crowding out market incentives and essentially leaving the door wide open for the implementation of socialized medicine across the board. Bush was actually the original one pushing for expansion of the bill, but only to children living below the poverty line (hence his "poor kids first" quote). From watching this clip, you wouldn't have the slightest idea that this was the case, because the segment lacks any notion of objectivity and is instead bent on making Bush look ignorant, oblivious, and insensitive.

I guess the reason for this is that objectivity simply isn't funny. It wouldn't get ratings or laughs from brainless college kids. Statistics show a rising number of politically active voters get their news solely from this show. If that's the case, then we have serious problems.

Smug Alert: 11-30-07

Today in Orange County, California, residents will begin drinking recycled sewer water. That's right, The Orange County Water District has turned on their new system which purifies sewage into drinking water.

Not surprisingly, there was little uproar in the community; no one in Orange County thinks their shit stinks anyway.

I Have Officially Lost All Respect for CNN as a Network

Don't get me wrong, I've long been frustrated with CNN ever since it moved its headquarters from Atlanta to New York and started drifting to the left to counter Fox. Anyone forced to watch "debate" shows like Lou Dobbs Tonight or Crossfire for more than, say, 30 seconds, will know what I'm talking about. But last night was the last straw; I simply can't watch this network anymore.

For those of you out of the loop, CNN hosted a "Youtube" debate last night for the Republican candidates. A month ago or so, they used the same format for the Democrats, and it worked well: undecided liberal/Democratic voters would submit questions via Youtube for the Democratic candidates to answer, with CNN selecting the "best" questions, thus helping Democrats decide who to support.

Last night, one would think an equal format would be followed: undecided conservative/Republican questions would be used to help distinguish the Republican candidates on their positions, which is really the whole point of the primaries. One small problem: many of the the questions chosen by CNN were from Democratic supporters, not Republican ones.

So instead of helpful questions meant to evaluate each candidate's conservative credentials (some examples: "who has the best plan to overhaul the tax code?," "who's the most pro-life candidate?," "how will you reform Social Security?" or "do you think free trade is good or bad for America?"), we got a slew of planted non-questions meant to take a general swipe at the GOP as a party and that served no journalistic purpose: "Do ya'll really believe every word of the Bible?", "What do you think of the Confederate Flag?", "I'm Gay. Why should I support Republicans?", "The Death Penalty: What Would Jesus Do?", "You want to spend tons of money on national defense but what are you gonna do for black neighborhoods?", "I'm a retired general, and I'm gay. Why can't gays serve in the military?", "Would you sign a federal law that would criminalize all abortions and force young women to go to prison?" These were just some of the "questions" posed last night, all by individuals who turn out to be supporting various Democratic candidates.

The most frustrating aspect of all of this is the Democrats weren't subject to near the same standard. All of their questions actually came from their supporters. The question remains whether CNN was just lazy in screening the clips or if they intentionally chose them.

More Like "Pat Sage-ak"

I saw this on Drudge. It's nothing big, but I always appreciate discovering that an already likable celebrity is also level-headed.

Celebrity Endorsements: Does Anyone Really Care?

by Pat Sajak

Posted 11/28/2007 ET

There have been so many debates and interviews and columns and profiles and polls, it’s hard to believe the election for president is still about 11 months away. Recently, celebrity endorsements have been making news, with Oprah Winfrey saying she would campaign for Barack Obama and Barbra Streisand making the not-so-stunning announcement that she was supporting Hillary Clinton.

There are reasons, of course, why candidates welcome such help. First, there’s the bonanza of free publicity. With so many names and faces vying for attention, what could be better than the burst of news such endorsements bring? There’s also the burst of money these high-profile celebs can bring in themselves and attract from others. Then there’s the extra attention and excitement these stars engender when they appear at a candidate’s political events. It’s far easier to attract a crowd in Des Moines if a big TV, movie or recording star is standing next to the politician.

Putting those obvious benefits aside, the question remains: do these endorsements really translate into votes? Does anyone decide which candidate to choose based on the recommendation of a TV talk show host or a singer/actress? If any group of citizens is uniquely unqualified to tell someone else how to vote, it’s those of us who live in the sheltered, privileged arena of celebrityhood. It’s one thing to buy an ab machine because Chuck Norris recommends it (he’s in good shape, isn’t he?) or a grill because George Foreman’s name is on it (he’s a great guy, so it must be a great grill!), but the idea of choosing the Leader of the Free World based on the advice of someone who lives in the cloistered world of stardom seems a bit loony to me.

This is America, and we celebrities have just as much right as anyone else to speak up about any issue. The problem is that more attention is paid to what we say because we’re well known. But why should that matter? O.J. Simpson is one of the world’s best-known celebrities, but I can’t imagine anyone following his lead in a voting booth.

I suppose anything that gets people engaged in the political process is a good thing, but the idea that a gold record, a top-ten TV show or an Oscar translates into some sort of political wisdom doesn’t make much sense to me. Trust me, one’s view of the world isn’t any clearer from the back seat of a limo.

It's Official

BC to play in AA next year.

Why Hillary Will Win

Superb article by Dick Armey, one of my favorite members of the GOP, over at Freedomworks. It's pretty long, but I encourage ya'll to read it if you have time, because it will save me and everyone else a lot of breath trying to predict how this thing will unfold in the next 11 months:

If the 2008 presidential election were held today, Hillary Rodham Clinton would win.

Hillary’s minor stumbles in the MSNBC debate notwithstanding, she is simply running the most disciplined and effective campaign. She’s one of the most able politicians in America, and no one should underestimate her desire to be President and her calculating focus.

What you need to understand is that Hillary Clinton is, quite simply, craftier and more aggressive than the rest of the field. I know this firsthand, having battled with the Clinton Administration throughout the 1990’s while serving as a leader in Congress.

She’s only gotten tougher since then.

Early on, there were many fights, but one of the most important was over Hillary Clinton’s 1993 plan to expand government control of the health-care system. We were lucky to stop it, and we did so by standing our ground on the principle of putting patients ahead of bureaucracies. But now she’s back, and the health-care issue is a perfect example of the way she’s learned on the job and evolved her tactics.

Her latest health-care plan is more of the same stuff—greater federal control of our lives—but this time she’s presenting it in a way that is far more politically savvy. She leaves open questions of funding and enforcement, and is actively working to buy off the groups who opposed her plan in 1993.

Hillary Clinton and her agenda are not going to fade away. She is relentless and determined. Once she resolves a course of action in her mind, she is not going to be wishy-washy. The other candidates, and the rest of the world, will quickly learn that Hillary Clinton means business.

No doubt, Hillary Clinton has the Democrat primary all wrapped up. A couple of one-term senators are simply no match for the political machine she and her husband have built. I won’t go so far as to say that it’s not possible for a Republican to defeat her in the general election. But as things stand today, the GOP has a very real set of problems that are larger than any of the party’s candidates.

First and foremost, the Republican brand as effective stewards of the taxpayer dollar is in tatters, and the shredding doesn’t look to stop any time soon. Just last week, 138 House Republicans joined the Democrats in voting to override the president’s veto of a wasteful and pork-ridden Water Resources bill. That vote was a shameful display of personal politics over the national interest, and it contains the seeds of destruction of whatever conservative principles remain in the Republican party.

The callow accommodation to big-spending Democrats in Congress is one of the ways the Republican party will return itself to the days of serving as a compliant, permanent minority. Happy for table scraps, elected Republicans will simply abandon the ideas of their party in order to “get along”.

No wonder Americans prefer Democrats on the economy, taxes, and spending issues, according to recent polling data. When the choice is between Democrats, and the Democrat-lite ideas the GOP has become so comfortable offering, the Democrats will win every time.

The only way the Republican party will beat Hillary Clinton is to return to its limited-government roots. That’s the only way to rebuild a majority coalition.

For example, today religious conservatives are confused, disillusioned, and somewhat fractured. Too many of the current crop of self-appointed social conservative leaders have embraced an agenda that splits the GOP coalition. Big government ideas— runaway spending on “conservative” social programs, social engineering in the tax code, and greater government intervention into Americans’ personal lives—are the wrong path. This pandering has hurt the GOP in swing states, especially in the Mountain West and Great Lakes states.

To counter Hillary Clinton’s perfectly oiled political machine, Republicans need to return to their Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan roots. They need to present an alternative vision for America—a positive vision that limits government and trusts individuals and leaves families, churches, and businesses free to make their own decisions, and not have bureaucrats and politicians calling the shots.

Right now, the country is headed toward a date with Hillary Clinton, and big government is on the agenda. The only way to change that rendezvous is for candidates to offer a clear, principled, limited government alternative.

He's dead on. '08 will be another blue year unless Republicans start acting like Republicans again. No more "compassionate conservatism" B.S. (which will likely go down as the worst governing strategy in American political history), no more trying to win over the other side with senseless big government programs like No Child Left Behind and Medicaid Prescription Drug expansion (which, in case you haven't noticed, haven't won over the other side but have only served to alienate our base), no more boondoggle spending, you get the idea.

At this point, I don't care who we nominate. I'm willing to forget everybody's shady history on the hopes that, after February, the nominee will take some time off from kissing babies and start reading Reagan speeches from the 60's and 70's. Otherwise, the race is Hillary's to lose.

Hate Week Begins....

Clean Old Fashioned Hate is renewed on Saturday, but for most people, it's an all year event. The spread looks to be UGA -3.5, but I don't think it should be that close as long as Chan Gailey is coaching. All signs point to Chan having to win this game to keep his job, so the Tech players might try to use that as motivation, but I doubt it will matter. All are invited to my tailgate, located on the 5th Street bridge. If you don't know how to reach me, contact Hank or Snuffy.

Praying for Rain in Atlanta: No, we're not kidding.

Ok, so our state leaders are totally out of ideas. The continuing drought in the Atlanta area has forced water levels to all-time lows and how does our state government respond?

Pray for rain.

Governor Sonny Perdue has organized a public prayer service to appeal to God for some much needed rain. This is the most ingenious, if not irreverent, pass of the buck I have ever seen. If it fails to rain in the next few days, this will no longer be an issue of resource mismanagement.

"It's not our fault the city is having a water shortage; God wouldn't let it rain. We asked and He wouldn't do it."

Come on, publicly praying for rain? We all know that government is impotent and useless, but these are elected public officials. They at least need to pretend they have a clue about what's going on. Why don't we all get our dowsing rods and wander around Gwinnett, Fulton, and Cobb Counties looking for water in the ground?

This is 2007 and we need to behave like it.

New Classification Numbers Released

After calculating enrollment figures from this year, the Georgia High School Association has finally realigned all schools into their prospective classifications for 2008-2010. You can check out the new figures here. As expected, BC, whose enrollment figures have plummeted to 337, is now slated to play in AA.

Each high school has between now and Monday, November 26 to contact the GHSA by written notice if they wish to play up.

I think it goes without saying that we all should start an intense lobbying effort addressing everyone surrounding the alumni and athletic assocations to ensure that BC plays up and moves back into AAAAA where it belongs. And by "intense lobbying effort," I really just mean a couple of posts here and there over the next few weeks on this blog than no one reads anyway.

I mean no disrespect to Michael, but we don't want BC to become the Aquinas of Savannah, and despite football's recent successes, it looks like we'll ultimately be heading in that direction unless action is taken.

Look forward to seeing everybody at the game tonight. Go Cadets.

Were we cheated?

For those of you that haven't heard, there's been some kafuffle over a recent incident of cheating at a high school football game. Last Friday, Lakeside-Evans High School was playing Effingham County High School. In the closing seconds of the game, Lakeside-Evans had the ball and were down 7-0. The coach called for a Hail Mary and when the pass went up, a Lakeside-Evans player snuck onto the field from the sidelines. No one saw him. Fittingly, the pass was intercepted. Time expired and Effingham won 7-0. It wasn't until Effingham's coaching staff reviewed the film and discovered what had happened. The story was outed and the coach has been reprimanded, but will likely not be fired.

Now you're asking, what does this have to do with us? I'm getting to that.

Lakeside-Evans High School is in Evans, GA. In today's (Friday's) Savannah Morning news, there is a letter to the editor from the publisher of the local paper in Columbia County. He tells the story of another act of cheating from 1987 in the game between Evans High and Effingham County High where the Evans High coach put a radio headset in the quarterback's helmet.

Is it just a major coincidence that both cheating attempts came against Effingham County? Or could it reasonably be assumed that the football programs in the city of Evans have had a tradition of cheating for twenty years, possibly more? Is it so unbelievable to think that these teams could have been cheating all along?

Now, to my point. We all remember the 2000 BC football season. We suffered a 17-0 loss at the hands of Evans High School. I don't recall if the game was televised, but I want to see the film. If they beat us fairly, I can accept that, but if those bastards cheated, I demand the game be replayed with the original players from both teams that year. Maybe then I'll see some playing time against the Knights.

A Reading From the Book of Snuffy

Go forth now to the Boro of Wayne. A maroon-clad cavalry approaches from the South. In their path lies the bear's den. Slay the beast and a crown awaits. Huteth One! Huteth Two!

The History of Global Warming

A new British book has been released detailing the history of "Global Warming" promulgated by Al Gore and many over zealous scientists. Along with it's 5 historical stages, the book spells out the evidence contradicting each apocalyptic claim that CO2 emissions are producing higher temperatures.

The article is rather lengthy, but it should shed some light on the ridiculousness of Al Gore and his cronies.

So, don't worry about recycling and buy whatever car you can afford since Earth is cooling off anyhow.

The Economic Update

Beware of Democrats in November of 2008. Besides the attacks on the justified war in Iraq, the Communist Democrats will use ridiculous arguments to push universal health care, closing the income tax "loop holes" used by the rich, and improving our "disastrous" economy.

Even with the busted housing bubble, America's economy has never been better. Here are a couple of clips I received in my daily tax news update.

Americans' personal income increased $47.4 billion in September, according to figures released by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis on November 1, 2007. Revised figures for August show an increase of $52.8 billion. Personal outlays in September increased $33.0 billion, after an increase of $54.3 billion in August. Personal consumption expenditures increased $30.1 billion in September, compared with an August increase of $51.4 billion. Personal saving was $89.7 billion in September, compared with $82.1 billion in August.

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 3.9 percent in the third quarter of 2007, according to advance estimates released by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis on October 31, 2007. In the second quarter, real GDP increased 3.8 percent. Real gross domestic purchases, or purchases by U.S. residents of goods and services wherever produced, increased 2.8 percent in the third quarter, compared with an increase of 2.4 percent in the second quarter. The major contributors to the increase in real GDP in the third quarter were: personal consumption expenditures (PCE), exports, federal government spending, equipment and software, nonresidential structures, private inventory investment and state and local government spending.

Is Donny real?

While discussing The Big Lebowski with a coworker, something was brought to my attention. Throughout the film, Walter (John Goodman) is seen conversing with Donny (Steve Buscemi). If you pay close attention, no one else addresses him. Is he a figment of Walter's imagination? Is Donny real?

There are a few instances where this is debatable, specifically during the scene when the three of them go to little Larry Sellars house looking for the briefcase. After Walter smashes the Corvette, the owner runs out to smash the Dude's car, which is where they left Donny. However, next time we see the Dude's car, Donny's gone. Did he go to In-N-Out? Was he ever there?

This myth is laid to rest after the failed drop with the kidnappers. As Walter, Donny, and the Dude are leaving the bowling alley, Donny says, "Phone's ringin', Dude," to which Dude replys, "Thanks, Donny."

I found this interesting and I hope you all have as well. If you haven't seen The Big Lebowski, this has been a waste of your time.

You Got Listserved 11/2/07

This post is in response to a girl accused of beating puppies to death:

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14491979/detail.html

I don't know a lot about how the legal system works but I guess if you
are indicted by a grand jury, there must be at least some evidence of
possible guilt, enough to go to trial I guess. Poor, poor pupplies,
whoever hurt them, I hope to see them one day at Rainbow Bridge
and tell them I love them and smell their little pupply breath. :```(