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Obamanomics

medAn Opinion by Luan Zuccarello

I have refrained from bashing the POTUS (check out west wing – great show) on this site but the gloves are off now.

Last night Barrack Hussein Obama stood before congress and urged their support for HIS health care bill. Under HIS health care bill the United States government would spend 900 billion dollars to run health care and to offer free health care to every citizen.

Now every Republican and a good handful of Democrats do not support this. So instead of “reaching across the aisle” (catch phrase of the Obama campaign) he is still shoving it down people’s throats! He has not changed one major thing in the bill and told his die-hard opponents that he will not bother with them. Is this not a democracy? Don’t we elect congressman and senators to be our voice and have a say and a vote? He said last night he has already put the plans into motion for “demonstration projects” in certain states. How is this going to work? How can you deem one state have free health insurance and one not, even in a trial period? My next question where in the fuck are you getting 900 billion dollars? We are a deep recession with people trying to make payments to mortgage companies, utility companies, credit card companies, etc. Where do you think this money is going to come from? Ummmmm – new taxes.

I only took 2 economics classes but I think if I proposed this situation I would have got laughed out of the class. I am strongly against universal health care, but I agree some changes should be made. I think all children should receive health care, health care insurance and premiums should be lowered, and there should be some reform in medical malpractice. But for the government to step in and give me the same healthcare options as the druggy on the corner is ludicrous! The big question that everyone keeps ignoring is the impact of insurance companies? Insurance companies will stop picking up regular doctor’s visits, they will stop picking up physicians rebates, and the cost of surgery and treatment will go through the roof! All this so crack head can shoot more shit into his vein and then go to the hospital for free. I love how instead of focusing on the real problem of how to get America back on its feet as the leading global economy we are focusing on a segment of our population that doesn’t pay taxes and already takes advantage of government programs. Here is a thought – create more jobs so people can take advantage of employer’s health care and they will pay taxes. But since Barrack Hussein Obama spent 787 billion dollars on his “recovery plan” unemployment is almost in double digits – 2 % higher than when he took office. Ronald Reagan took office under some of the same conditions as Barrack Hussein Obama . I will admit Reagan’s conditions were not as bad as the current ones, but the man did a damn good job getting us out of the hole. Instead of creating programs for us to spend money on he created programs for us to invest in.

How many people can take advantage of buying things right now – when all their money is going to bills? The smart thing would be to make people money! Don’t get them to spend it, have them invest it, the spending will come later. Cut income taxes that will encourage people to work more thus making them more money and cutting capital gains taxes will encourage investment.

Luan Zuccarello ’12 Bitches!!!!

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I’ll just park here in the middle of the street

stopped
No Parking Spot. No Problem... Park in traffic.

By: Billy BeerSlugger

You know something that really pisses me off is someone taking up a whole lane of traffic, stopped with their flashers on.  This seems to happen a great deal in Philadelphia and an Avenue I traverse daily; Girard. However, that does not preclude this behavior from happening all over the city, on South and North Broad St and Washington Ave. as well.

I realize that in some instances it is necessary. I don’t particularly mind the box trucks that are doing deliveries because they really do not have a place to park.  They are also big enough to see in advance and plan to go around.  What I do not get is people parking their cars in a lane of traffic that are going to the bank, picking up things in a convenience store or just seem to be there for no apparent reason.  I don’t see a real good reason why someone is that selfish that they cannot find some decent valid street parking for your 5 minute jaunt into a local business.  While you may not think it fouls up traffic much because there is another lane, IT DOES! Everyone is in just as much of a hurry as you are and when you park in the street, blocking a lane of traffic with you flashers on, it narrows an Avenue to a street.  People have to change lanes to avoid your obstruction thus cutting the amount of cars that can make it through a green light in half and causing problems for everyone behind you.

One time I saw 3 successive cars parked with their flashers on in the street while the owners went into a Bank of America on East Girard Ave.  The funny part is that there was plenty of street parking less than a half block down.  I don’t know if this is just accepted practice in some places in the city but it needs to stop soon. There’s no reason to stop in the middle of the street unless you break down, then use your flashers.  You wouldn’t stop in the middle of a busy one lane street so don’t do it in on a busy two lane avenue.

I know the Philly Police have better things to do but I also know we have a budget shortage, I’d love to see some kind of ticket for doing this.

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The Evolution of The Music Industry

An artifact for later generations to discover
An artifact for later generations to discover

By: Robby RipChord

I Want My MTV MP3!

With the sale of The Pirate Bay to a company and their plans to turn it into a legal file distribution site (the same route Napster went) it would seem to be a monumental victory for the Recording and Motion Picture Industries.  As monumental or bigger than the fall of free Napster.  However, what these organizations fail to realize is that they are treating a symptom, not the problem and effectively putting a band-aid over a bullet wound.

The RIAA has an antiquated business model particularly.  You won’t even see a CD in 10 years the way you don’t see a Vinyl Record nowadays.  While for the last 70+ years recording labels have had a monopoly on where music could be sold and at what price, those days are gone.  The distribution of music for our and subsequent generations will be the digital way, downloads.  The problem with this and the problem that the Recording industry has not yet come up with a solution for is the unlimited amount of copies that a digital version of a song can birth.  As they are leaked onto the internet the copies go up in numbers exponentially. There have been tries to mitigate music piracy, Digital rights management (DRM) is a systematic approach to copyright protection for digital media.  This endeavor has failed miserably to curb illegal downloading although I believe is still used in iTunes.

What some of the smarter Record Labels are realizing is that the money from artists is shifting from CD sales to concert ticket sales.  That’s one part of the equation. Though to really weather the storm that is file sharing, the Record labels and or Artists need to adapt their business models.  Artists like Trent Reznor (a born Pennsylvanian I might add) have shown that you can give your music away for free and still make buttloads of money. Of course Trent and band Nine Inch Nails became famous before the tide turned the way of illegally downloading music and this business model probably would not work in most instances given NIN’s already large fan base but Trent began growing weary of the corporate greed earlier.  A quote from Reznor in states, “…the climate grows more and more desperate for record labels, their answer to their mostly self-inflicted wounds seems to be to screw the consumer over even more.” in response to Interscope’s price gouging of NIN’s latest offering. He even encouraged people to steal their albums online.

I’m not necessarily a Nine Inch Nails fan but I don’t think there’s doubt that Reznor is a true visionary on this battlefront.

Other artists have begun to embrace a new way of distributing their music online, offering something tangible.  Mos Def has offered a free t-shirt with the purchase of his album or rather a free album with the purchase of a t-shirt.  Some artists have experimented with sending autographed album or other band related artwork in poster form to fans who buy limited edition albums. The concept of offering a physical product with a digital download of an album is a novel one and somewhat makes up for the lack of a material album in fans hands.

Whatever the idea, it has been proven that real fans will shell out money for their favorite artists for their newest release no matter if they can get it free or not.  That does not help the struggling garage band make it to the big time without an already large following but if their ideas are smart enough, viral enough and the band is actually good enough that people will want to see them then they will survive.  Just as Music Video’s catapulted artists in the 80’s and 90’s into mainstream consciousness so can it’s cousin YouTube.

The Music Industry needs to embrace these ways of selling albums rather than relying on and defending a dying business model.  There will be piracy no matter what now that we have entered the digital age, the Record Labels that adapt will be around as long as they have a product that is relevant to fans. And true, die hard fans are always going to be there and support their favorite acts.  It is now a matter of making these acts matter to the public and I’ll leave that up to the music industry and the artists themselves to figure out.

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This Guy and That Guy’s Cooking Corner – Italian Pork Chop

porkcutlet6Beerslugger is proud to dish out a new segment – This Guy and That Guy’s Cooking Corner. We are going to bring you recipes that:

1. Work

2. Great Food

3. Easy

4. No Bobby Flay gourmet shit – just straight man food and some things you can make for the mistress or slump buster you are banging.

This week we bring you the Italian Pork Chop.

Ingredients

– 4 Boneless Pork Chops

– Mozzarella Cheese

– Parmesan Cheese

– 2 Garlic Cloves

– Quarter of a Red Onion

– Quarter of a Red Pepper

– 1 Egg

– Bread Crumbs

– 1/2 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes halved

– Cup of Wine

– Red Pepper flakes

– Parsley

– Basil

– Olive Oil

– Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions

Butterfly each of the boneless Pork Chops. Be careful to not separate the top from the bottom. Keep intact. Stuff your mozzarella cheese in between the pork and close. If you stuff them thick put 2 toothpicks in the pork to keep it closed. Salt and Pepper the pork. In a bowl crack and mix 1 egg. In another bowl pour the bread crumbs. In the third bowl grate your parmesan cheese. With each piece of pork dip into the cheese, then egg, then bread crumbs. Make sure you coat the pork with each ingredient. Heat olive oil and when it is hot put the pork in. Only flip the pork once it will need about 5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove the pork and put on a plate. Pour cup of wine into the pan to deglaze it. The wine will lift up all the brown bits (huge flavor) to be used in the sauce. Add garlic, onion, and red pepper and continue to cook on medium. Once the red pepper and onion are soft add in the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, parsley and basil. Drop the heat to low and let simmer for 3 minutes. Add the pork back in and cover for 3 minutes. Grate the rest of the parmesan cheese over the pork when you are serving it. I served this with a salad on the plate and did not need to use any dressing because the sauce was so good.

Good beers to pair this with would be lager style beers – Stella Artois, Pilsner Urquell, Sam Adams.

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How cool is this guy?

megan_vanessa
Brian Austin Green, God's gift to Women?

By: Luan Zuccarello

Let’s just say for the sake of argument that reincarnation exists and you have your choice of who or what you are going to be in your next life. That question is too easy for me and number one on my big board is the artist formally known as Brian Austin Green now just Brian Green. Think about how cool it would have been growing up on Beverley Hills 90210. Every day you’re hanging out with Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth. Your learning about the birds and the bees from Luke Perry, and when you get bored with that you go bang a couple extras in your trailer. Then Tiffani Amber Thiessen decides to join the show and tries to make over her girl next door image by playing a slut!

Ahhh there is a God! Seriously every guy between the ages of 24 and 30 has choked their chicken to her multiple times.  Imagine “being there” for her during this transition. He dated her for a couple years then moved on to Vanessa Marcil when she came on 90210. For those who don’t know Vanessa Marcil – first shame on you and second she is of the TV show “Vegas” fame and plays Nick Cage’s girlfriend in “The Rock”. Great scene in “The Rock” where she is riding him like a champ and Nick Cage says like only he can say “Oh yeah. The pigtails are very naughty. Naughty! Naughty!” So he fucks her for awhile, screws up and has a kid with her. Then like every kind, gentle, providing guy he breaks up with her for Megan Fox. Do you blame him? The guy has money, possibly the best kill count ever recorded, stories upon stories and all this at the tender age of 32.

So Beersluggers, I leave you with these questions to ponder: What or who are you going to be in your next life? Who has the best kill count of all time?

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Eagles Receivers

Sports with Bob McFlurry

You know hindsight is always 20/20 but with Eagles first round draft pick Jeremy Maclin not likely to crack the starting lineup or be a force in the return game it begs the question of whether or not the Eagles really do want to “Win Now”.  You had the chance to give up a first rounder (which was spent on Maclin) and a later round pick or two (which you had about 50 of) to get a proven, top flight receiver.  Instead we got a question mark in Jeremy Maclin. I realize that Desean Jackson seemed to work out well but is it going to work again?  Did the Eagles go with the draft to get another Desean Jackson on the cheap instead of overpaying for a proven receiver?

[poll id=”6″]

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Philly Naked Bike Ride

nbr002By: Billy BeerSlugger

This past Sunday a horde of people got together for the Philadelphia Naked Bike Ride which was supposed to spotlight bikers being able to share the road with drivers (bikers rights) or something to that effect.

Now I cannot believe I missed this, not that I could really participate without a bike but I am a proud oggler of naked women in all shapes, sizes and ages. Not that most of these people were naked, most wore underwear, bathing suits and or body paint but still I’m all for a cause that has women take their clothes off.  Do you know those ads for PETA that have celebrities and models take their clothes off for fur abuse, I’m now a proud member of PETA just because of that? Well not really but now I know what PETA is and this was before the Mike Vick thing. And the same is now true for the Philly Naked Bike Ride, I’m all for biker rights and stuff like that, provided they don’t slow me down whilst driving.

There’s really nothing that can help your cause like naked people.  If I was organizing a benefit or cause or wanted to attract attention to atrocities committed by something/body, the first thing I would do is get girls naked. Dude’s, not so much but chicks definitely.

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Lucero: Hard Drinking Country Rock Band

luceroBy: Robby RipChord

I have been following Lucero since about 2004 and have seen them in concert about 3 or 4 times.  They’re a real tried and true rock band from Memphis Tennessee with various influences ranging from The Pouges to The Ramones but most notably Springsteen.  It’s country(ish) music with stories of love, hope and despair at a faster, more unique pace with often sweeping and or crunching guitar, sweet piano and Ben Nichols’ whiskey soaked voice. Lucero lacks the banal copycat nature of traditional country rock. It’s music that lends itself as much to a rock show as it does to an acoustic session without missing a beat.

I just found out they officially got signed to Universal for 4 albums, the first to be released in October, and couldn’t be more happy for them.  The band makes a living on the road, touring all over America, and apparently hard work does pay off in the music business if you don’t suck or sell out.

Last October I saw lead singer Ben Nichols in Chuck Ragan’s Revival Tour and the man was on crutches. I met him as he was hobbling along amongst the crowd at the First Unitarian Church and he had explained to me and some other people how he had hurt his ankle but I was too drunk to remember.  All I know is the guy got up on stage on one leg and played guitar and sang like nothing was wrong.  The first time I saw Lucero in concert at the North Star Bar, one of the guitarists messed up a bunch of songs towards the end of the last set, as i have heard drinking is something they also do pretty well.  The shows are usually sing-alongs, with every audience member screaming along with Nichols.

There has been steady progression in their work from the self titled Lucero in 2001 to the well produced Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers in 2006 and Im sure their upcoming release 1372 Overton Park will be another step in the right direction.

Check them out in Philly on October 16th at:

Starlight Ballroom
460 N. 9th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Tickets are $16.

Check out most of their albums on MySpace

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What’s the big deal of having a date?

By: F.X. Galvin

Next weekend W.J. Beerslugger and I are attending the wedding of a high school buddy down the Jersey shore. Due to many factors including the size of the families and the cost that comes along with the location, the couple had a difficult time slashing their guest list. Furthermore, dates are more scarce than the pit bull population in Virginia after Michael Vick’s dog fighting operation was busted. Specifically, their rule was that anyone who has not been with someone over a year straight (no off and on bullshit), did not get a date. Needless to say, Beerslugger and I will not be taking dates.

My friend called me apologetic due to the fact that I did not receive a date and even more apologetic that more of our high school buddies were not invited. I told him I could give a shit less and am happy that I made the cut. Then, I explained to him that I have no clue why people get offended in these scenarios. A young couple is trying to have a nice wedding which you are invited to and some people feel the need to bitch about the fact that they did not get a guest. Think about it, the couple has more to do, plan, and worry about then why you were not entitled to a date. Every person who got a date is one less friend my buddy could invite. Some people are just ungrateful.

My buddy explained to me further that everyone who bitched about having to fly solo was a female. I thought about this further and thought about the numerous weddings and events that I have gone to where people bitched and did not bitch about receiving the all important “guest.” Essentially, every time someone whined that she did not get a date it was a girl or one of my friend’s girlfriends after her boyfriend was not awarded a guest. I really tried to think of this from the girl’s perspective but it was difficult so I will delve into it after I analyze the guy’s perspective.

Guys do not want to lead a girl around a wedding or event because it hinders his own good time. If the couple getting married does not know your date well enough to invite them, chances are no one else really knows her either. This translates into a babysitting adventure to make sure your date is comfortable with her surroundings. Also, when you attend weddings of old friends it is common that conversations of the past typically come up. These are the type of conversations that you love to be in if it is not about you or if your significant other is not present. The kind you hate if it is about you and you can see the disgust of your main squeeze mounting by the sentence. Finally, and most practically, you save money.

Women (I should say girls), on the other hand become offended and pissed if they do not get a date. Hold up ladies, I am not saying every female gets mad but from my limited experiences of weddings and such, girls are the people who bitch about not getting a date to an event. The only rational explanation and theory that I have comes from my miserable ex-girlfriend who refuses to attend one of these events without a date. I’ll admit she is on the extreme side as she will not even attend a Christmas party, banquet, wedding etc. without a date. She went as far to take another guy to a wedding when we were in a fight, even after I said I would go several days before. Consequently, a couple of weeks after we broke up last month she text me to tell me she was on her way home from Virginia from fucking him. Real sweet girl. . . and admittedly not the best example. However, her theory was that “at a certain age a woman should be entitled the accompaniment of a man.” I tried to gauge other girls’ theories on this but most of my female friends are cool as shit and said they would not care. The most I could get is “it is about respect.” That makes no sense. They had the respect to invite you, it does not take an additional level of respect to garner you a date. Therefore, I am stuck. I would love to hear more reason why women get mad about not having a date. Please e-mail me or comment.

What baffles me more is when a girlfriend is pissed because her boyfriend was not invited with a guest. This is a place where I have a difficult time searching for answers. Is it a trust issue with your boyfriend that he will cheat on you? Is it a self-esteem issue that the couple getting married does not like you? Outside of trust, dependency, and insecurity I cannot fathom why this would bother a woman. Again, please e-mail me or comment with an explanation because even my crazy ex would not be offended by this but I have heard several angry friend’s girlfriends freak out over this.

I just do not get it. One night in your life you can go out and have a good time without needing a date. Enjoy the company of your friends/family. More importantly, enjoy going to a friend/family members’ wedding and being a part of the most important day of her life. Nobody wants to hear you bitch.

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5 Worst College Social Scenes in the Philadelphia area: #1 Eastern University “GPS Your Career”

By: F.X. Galvin

Sorry that it took me so long to write this article. Hopefully my article yesterday explains my absence and delay. W.J. Beerslugger has been harassing me to write this article so here it is.

Eastern is located off the main line a stones throw away from Villanova in St. David. It is a “University” (not sure how they pulled that off) strongly rooted in the Christian faith. Everyday that I drove to bar review class this summer on I-95 I passed a billboard sponsored by Eastern that proclaimed “GPS your career.” This maybe the most misleading billboard I have ever read and Eastern should be ashamed. Eastern does have many of the same majors other colleges do but it boast its youth ministry program where you can get your B.A. in youth ministry as well as a minor in biblical studies. . . why not give a degree in leisure studies it may be as useful. Also, it has a joint program where its students can go to a seminary and receive their B.A. This false advertising may trick some normal kids of coming to this school, which is terribly wrong. Overall, this school is packed with Christian extremists who have a promising future creating their personal Jonestown or becoming the next David Koresh. These freaks are strange enough to believe themselves to be the final prophet like Koresh did.

I know I gave you a brief background on this school above but it has nothing to do with partying. This is because there is no partying. Drinking is forbidden on this campus. Yes, absolutely forbidden. If you violate this rule you will be cast down with the Sodomites. Seriously, I am not kidding these people will try to rewrite the Bible to scrutinize you while they cannot even be honest with themselves. If you get caught with drugs they may hang you at high noon. (just a rumor)

The rules that this school make it sound more like cult training camp getting you ready to drink the Koolaid instead of a college. First, drinking it outlawed as mentioned above. I know several kids got kicked off the soccer team for good because they drank. That type of punishment is worse then high school and is completely ridiculous. Furthermore, you cannot show up on campus drunk. Yes, you will be in deep shit if you are wasted even if you are not caught drinking on campus.

Now for my favorite rule . . . What happens if the opposite sex comes to your dorm room. The light has to be on, the door has to be open, and two feet have to be on the floor at all times, meaning no one is allowed to be chilling on the bed. You cannot be serious! I was allowed more action in my Mom’s basement in the 10th grade. How could you possibly put these constraints on grown adults. Also, how could you go to a school that mandates this absurdity. I know these rules to be fact because one of my friends from college dated a girl from Eastern and refused to ever go there after one visit . . . do you blame him? Consequently, the same guy ended up marrying the girl this past year. Go figure, he has told me several different stories from weddings she has forced him to go to, in which her college friends got married. My favorites are the two weddings that alcohol was not served . . Yes, completely dry. What, are you fucking Muslim? Even JC rocked some wine from time to time. . . Lighten the fuck up, a drink would do you some good.

The abusive rules at Eastern may work mentally for many, but it will definitively serve as chaos for many others. Some of these kids leave campus, taste freedom and go insane. Two of my buddies in college met two of these freaks walking through the mall. They came over to their dorm and fucked them unmercifully for 24 hours until they demanded they checked the fuck out. Seriously, this is the chaos that results from people who are constrained their whole lives.

One final story I have about this college comes from when I interned for a politician on the state level my senior year of undergrad. The politician took me to a check presentation at Eastern as they won a state funded grant for winning a contest in recycling. You may wonder how a school with an enrollment of 4,000, which includes its undergrad, graduate, and seminary program can win a recycling contest over the massive state schools within Pennsylvania. Answer: These people are insane, and recycling contests are the shit they do for fun. I’m all about saving the earth but when I was in college and for that matter, right now, I am more concerned with myself and people I care about. Sorry, guess I’m a dick. Well anyway, back to the story . . . to get a laugh out of the crowd, which was filled with school dignitaries, the student council, and other relevant students and faculty, the politician starts off with a one liner “Wow, you must have drank a lot of beer to win this contest.” Complete silence, crickets. To this day I bet she has no clue what she did wrong. That speech hurt her re-election campaign, she lost six votes. She would have been much better off with some bullshit line on how God inspired the student body to recycle every piece of paper, aluminum, glass etc. to win this contest. Usually, the God line is a cliché but in this instance it is the standard.

I will not lie to you, I have a problem with religion and especially my religion, which I will not disclose. I will not delve into my personal views on the subject because I do not want to ruin a future article. However, have faith in yourself, believe in yourself do not let a group of fanatics tell you how to live your life. WWJD . . . Get wasted.