What Would You Call The SGA If They Made $48,000 A Year?
The Baltimore City Council! Here is an email I just sent to my council members:

Council Members:

I am writing to strongly encourage you to pass a new ethics code that bans employment of any family members by the City Council.

The new code should not have a grandfather clause exempting current employees who are relatives of City Council members. In addition, violations of the existing code (such as employment of siblings by members Cain, Carter, and Dixon) should be swiftly punished.

The employment of family members and the efforts of this council to pass a watered-down ethics code only reinforce the popular image of the council as corrupt and ineffectual.

Isn't $48,000 a year enough for you people? You have to get your relatives a spot at the trough, too? When considering the state of the City Council, my only consolation is that there will soon be four fewer members.

Write to your members, fellow citizens! Here they are: Tony Draper

Marc

Latter Day Lombardi
The Ol' Ball Coach says:

"It seems like when we run more and pass less, we win the game. You can put your quarterback back there, and if he gets hit and sacked and fumbles and they pick it up and score, you're a fool. If you run it up the middle and punt, it seems like at least you're making the other team beat you."

Marc

More McNabb
Rush was not alone in thinking McNabb is overrated.

McNabb has played the race card in the past:

McNabb ends holdout, agrees to seven-year deal with Eagles

(AP) - Donovan McNabb agreed to a seven-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday night, ending contentious negotiations that were marred by racial accusations by his agent. Eagles spokesman Ron Howard said McNabb, the No. 2 pick in the draft, agreed "in principle" to the deal, which had not yet been signed. McNabb's agent, Fletcher Smith, and Eagles executive vice president Joe Banner were preparing to discuss the deal on an evening conference call. The contract is believed to be worth approximately $50 million, including a signing bonus of about $12 million. It was not immediately known whether the deal included "voidable years," which would allow McNabb to earn another signing bonus after 3-or-4 seasons. McNabb missed his fifth day of practice Friday and second day of full-squad workouts. He is slated to back up starting quarterback Doug Pederson. McNabb, the star quarterback from Syracuse, had been absent from training camp because Smith and the Eagles reached an impasse over the structure of the final few years of the contract. The Eagles were against voidable years and a buy-back clause, the kind of deal given to other top quarterbacks like Tim Couch, Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf. The negotiations became embroiled in controversy when Smith asserted that the Eagles were unwilling to give McNabb such a deal because he is black. Smith cited another black quarterback, Steve McNair, who didn't get a voidable deal from the Oilers. The Eagles reacted angrily, and negotiations stalled for several more days before the announcement came Friday night. It is believed McNabb will report to training camp at Lehigh University by Saturday.

Marc

Hail To The Deadskins
Well, T-Bone, we will see if these Skins are the real deal. If they pull it off in Philly, Andy Reid will be roasted over a spit and served in cheesesteaks - but I foresee many Ramsey turnovers and star quotaback McNabb shredding the Skins D for 120 yards on 42% completion. Philly wins, 13-10.

Sunday we get Dolphins-Giants at 1 on CBS - I am assuming we get this instead of Broncos-Chiefs.

On Fox, we have Cardinals-Cowboys at 1, and the Skins at the Linc at 4.

Fox is screwing us out of seeing the Seahawks go into Lambeau so we can watch the goddamned Cardinals? For some reason we get that, while everyone in Pennsyltucky gets to see the Seahawks game. Boo.

Funny aside to that Dolphins-Giants matchup: Ron Dayne is on the practice squad playing Ricky Williams during defense practice. That's what you get for winning the Heisman.

Marc

Big Media Plantation Gives Rush The Boot
Rush didn't resign quick enough to preempt the media offensive - NY Daily News is saying that he's a junkie.

As for the McNabb stink, well, there wasn't anything Rush said that I can disagree with. The only defense for McNabb is that he's stuck in a lousy West Coast offence (3-yard pass and a cloud of dust). You just can't talk about race on TV.

Obviously there is an effort to produce a star black quarterback - the NFL and its sponsors have a huge financial stake in it. McNabb is the perfect choice because he is well-spoken and non-threatening, and is supposedly a genuinely nice guy.

This is the downside of affirmative action. When minorities (blacks, hispanics, and the 52% minority, women - but not Pakistanis or Indonesians) get special privileges, their achievements become suspect. The losers are blacks who are actually good at what they do, because nobody can be sure if they got where they are through hard work or because of a quota.

Do you think Marvin Lewis will get fired anytime soon? I think he's a decent coach, but odds are he will be as unsuccessful as everyone else who takes a job with that shitty organization. When they finally do give him the axe, the stink will overpower the aroma of that rotting carcass of a football team.

The NFL already has a quota system for hiring head coaches. The next step is financial incentive for hiring black coaches and front office personnel - salary cap exemptions, bigger slices of the TV pie, etc.

Marc

Oh, You've Got A Job All Right
You're to be in Maryland Monday, and have your white ass ready to shop clerk on Tuesday.

This means you, Joe!

Marc

It's A Mighty Rough Road From Lynchburg To Danville
Our black greasy fireman will be arriving in Charm City the weekend of the 10th. He's staying in town that weekend, going back to Cumbertucky for a few days and then coming back for good later that week. Stock up on Nutella.

Marc

Fucking, miserable, wanker bastards.
Hi.

Anyhoo, I am now gainfully, er...make that ruefully employed at Waldenbooks, and no, I don't have to work Sundays, ever for eternity...so our little detente can continue...

I rode today, it was good.

Shouldn't That Be A Duff?

Marc

Mao In The Moon
This isn't good.

I was bitching to Liz about the Red Chinese space program the other day. Her response was, "Well, if the Chinese land on the moon, I owe you a Coke." I said, "There won't be any Coke, we'll all be drinking Panda Cola."

I wish more people were as paranoid about this as I am.

Marc

Who Is Wesley Clark?
And why is he running for president? From the looks of this story, he was pretty positive about Bush and his foreign policy team not too long ago:

"And I'm very glad we've got the great team in office, men like Colin Powell, Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice... people I know very well - our president George W. Bush. We need them there."

Best of all, it's on tape! What a dumbass. I'm starting to wonder if this guy will still be in the race by NH, or if he'll pull a Perot and bug out.

Marc

Arnie Sez: Nix Sex Pics
HOT!

South Park Republicans
Just read some interesting pieces on the aforementioned phenomenon. I guess I fall into this category, which is ironic, since I can't stand the show.

Anyway, the gist of it is this:

"South Park Republicans each vote Republican for their own reasons. Some agree with every plank in the party's platform, in spite of having a nose ring and purple mohawk. However, most view Republicans as the lesser of two evils. Due to the quirks of our electoral system, candidates require a plurality to win, not a majority. If Libertarians wrested away half of the Republican votes in every major election, Democrats would hold nearly every seat in Congress. South Park Republicans want to avoid that, even if it means voting for Republicans when third party candidates may better reflect their views."

This piece mentions Ehrlich as an example of a Republican who fits this category - being pro-choice and pro-medical marijauna, yet vehemently opposing higher taxes.

This is really just watered-down libertarianism, which is the best I can hope for in this country, I guess.

Ha! South Park Republicans are real! A little Googling turned up this.

Marc

Old Time Hockey
The NHL is circling the drain - teams lost a combined $300 million last year. The league spent 76% of its revenue on salaries.

Are you fucking kidding me? The average NHL salary is $1.5 million. There are 30 teams (including such hockey hotbeds as Columbus, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta) It ain't working.

Bobby Hull is trying to take advantage of the NHL's money troubles and upcoming labor talks (which will almost certainly result in a strike/lockout) by starting a new World Hockey Association.

So long, hockey. Bring on spring football!

Marc

Monkey
The wee one is within a couple or three weeks of arrival.

Hooray.

Draper