The Bushido has been busy at the CofC Sports Fan Desk

If you can't have self-promotion in this world, then what can you have? I have been busy working on my College of Charleston sports-blog, aptly named the CofC Sports Fan. If you get the chance please check it out for updates on College of Charleston Sports-mainly basketball right now, as March Madness is right around the corner. (Photo of the Bushido and Goldfinger at the game courtesy of WB.)

Harry Connick, Jr. feat. Kim Burrell -

Happy Mardi Gras! A special tribute to those who can be with us to celebrate this year in Naw'Lins!

Nothing says, manliness and SEWE like a brand-new Honda Civic

SEWE: Marion Square camel rides and a pony-carousel for the kids!

Robert Adler, inventor of the remote-control passes at age 93!

In somewhat of an ironic twist, Robert Adler, who co-invented the remote control, the catalyst for a generation of couch-potatoes, died in Boise, Idaho-a city and state well known for their staple crop of potatoes. Adler, 93, died of heart-failure. Although not a couch-potato himself, Adler had over 180-patents at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office but he is best known for improving Eugene Polley’s, (a fellow Zenith engineer) photo cell wireless remote control device (the Flashmatic) by using high-frequency sound (ultrasonics) thus changing the world as we know it. The duo received an Emmy Award in 1997 for their invention. (Photo compliments of Gulf News.com)

Indeed, I am aware there’s a generation of tele-chubbies out there who never had to get off the couch to turn the dial and adjust the “rabbit-ears” if they wanted to watch something else on the tube, and you all have Mr. Adler to thank for that luxury. RIP Bobby!

Happy Valentine's Day-Gym Class Heroes - Cupids Chokehold

Happy Valentine's Day to all of the Bushido's readers-much love! I am diggin' this video, smart and funny with a guest appearance by Fall Out Boy's lead singer Patrick Stump. Enjoy! -JET

Death and Taxes musings and angst from a member of the Middle-Class

The old adage, "you can be certain of two things in this world, death and taxes", seems to really hit home this year. Granted I learned growing up on a farm that death is of course part of the circle of life, it usually comes suddenly and without regard to what you have accomplished, finished or in the process of doing. But now I am finally certain that taxes are just as much a part of the life-aquatic as death. (Photo compliments of Common Place Book)

I just had my taxes done last week and now I feel the pinch of being finally considered "Middle-Class". As a single person claiming one, and a raise last year that put my head just above the water-line of the next tax bracket, I will be sending a check to the IRS for the first time in my life. I know, bummer-join the club-think about what really wealthy have to pay. (Hmmm, bad idea, especially considering all of the "tax-shelters" and capital losses wealthy people can take advantage of that I don't have access to and when we crunch the numbers/percentages, I guarantee-I along with a majority of other Americans pay more!)

The interesting thing is that I am not living high on the hog from my day job and the paltry amount made from the advertisements on this blog (roughly $40 since last March) definitely doesn't require a wheelbarrow to carry to the bank. Factor in student loans, rents, car insurance, gas, Utes and (What is that extravagant thing I do each day called?) that's right, eating and I find myself behind the proverbial "8-ball".

This brings me to my main concern: why are we so hesitant to make the uber-rich pay their share? Is it because of the Horatio Alger Jr ideal behind the American Dream-that we can all pull ourselves up by our boot-straps and become very wealthy? With all of the political-double-speak about cutting taxes for the wealthy and helping the poor, the one group of people being forgotten are the "Middle-Class" and frankly folks, we are getting the short end of the stick.

Cha-Ching or not to Cha-Ching that is the question...
President Bush has these "unique" plans to balance the budget within the next 4-years, by cutting Medicare, (crucial) government programs and cutting taxes for the uber-wealthy, all while waging a War on Terror. Now let's think about this for a minute, we have billions of dollars going out the door in tax-cuts and money used (and abused) to fight the WOT, but less money coming in-we are definitely going to bounce a couple of checks-would you even let this guy (President Bush) balance your checkbook? Hell no! But the party doesn't stop there, as the deficit rises and the value of the dollar decreases, interest rates go up-meaning you pay more for your homes, cars and for such variable-rated loans such as Stafford Student Loans. Answer me this, what ever happened to our Daddy's Republicans? I am referring to the Pre-Reagan, fiscal-conservatives who approached policy and spending pragmatically and didn't dip into the troughs of Education and Social Security to help line the pockets of their friends' and donors' pockets with gold. It took us twenty-years to pay off the tab left by Reaganomics; I think that our grandchildren will be paying off the tab left by Dubya's legacy (Iraq and tax-cuts).

And the nail in the coffin is the AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax) a tax from the 1960's used to catch those making $100,000 plus (a lot of money back then) is instead of being repealed or altered to catch those making a million dollars or more, is going to catch 3.5 million HENRYs (High Earners, Not Rich Yet) this tax-year (2006) and approximately 23 million Americans (HENRYs) in 2008. How does that translate dollar per dollar, well if you make between $70,000 and $100,000, you will pay upwards of $5,000 more in taxes once the AMT gets you.

It's not just the Republicans
Democrats have really turned a deaf ear to their constituencies as well. With all of the big talk on the Hill about the War and Oversight of the wasteful spending of a two-year study of the spending in Iraq, the AMT and the tax-oppression of the "Middle-Class" is sitting on the back burner right next to the green beans. Granted the Minimum Wage increase was both necessary and accomplished quickly, but sadly, this too came with a Faustian-deal to cut taxes for the wealthy in this country.

Presidential candidate John Edwards preaches about "two-Americas" all while taking advantage of the aforementioned tax-breaks for the "upper-crust" and while building a multi-million dollar estate on a substantial piece of property. Now, I am not knocking him for having earned his money and enjoying the fruits of his labor, but what did Senator Edwards do for the "Middle-Class" and the "Working-Poor" while in office? I'll give you a hint, it rhymes with "zilch" or "goose-egg". Fine, it doesn't rhyme with those two words it is those two words.

Empty promises and rhetoric obviously gets you votes in this country, but I think it is well past time to hold our politicians to their promises. It is time we Americans who actually have to adhere to a budget, work and don't live off the backs of those who do (politicians) make it known to our elected leaders that our patience is wearing thin. The workers and Middle-Class Americans have the biggest stake in what is going on in Washington right now, not the elected millionaire megalomaniacs making the decisions from a top a snowy hill-they stand the most to lose by listening, but they stand even more to lose (their jobs) by not listening.

Sunday Samurai: The Greek Tragedy of Anna Nicole Smith-thanks for all of the mammaries-RIP!

In the crazy mixed up world in which we live there always seem to be some beautiful buxom blonde whose tragic life ends "like a candle in the wind". Since modern infatuations produced by Hollywood and various publications (i.e. Hef's magazine) have given us worldwide crushes, we have sadly watch Marilyn, Jane Mansfield and now, Anna Nicole Smith leave us after a short but tantalizing stay in our hearts. Anna Nicole was 39.




The Greek Tragedy of Hollywood Starlets
Sadly, there is not a safety net to catch all of the beautiful, scared, insecure and young starlets who come to Hollywood with dreams and aspirations to become an actress or fulfilling a desire to be loved and accepted-something they were missing at home-before they are taken advantage of and cast to the side by the powers that be. The motivations and circumstances behind the stories of these women is a story as old as time itself. In Plato's Republic, we are reminded that the desires of men are primal in nature as our quest for sex and power over and from the opposite sex are our main motivators. For women, their desires are for security and gold for themselves and their children by aligning themselves with powerful and wealthy men. Of course, this doesn't apply to everyone, but for the majority, it does.

Vickie Lynn Hogan worked as a waitress at Jim's Krispy Fried Chicken. A beautiful girl with all of innocence and laughter of life one could want. Her baggage was a troubled past and she searched for love in her humble town of Mexia, Texas. She met and fell in love with a line-cook named Billy Wayne Smith and with the math in play, it seems a shotgun may have been involved with their wedding as she bore a son, Biblically named Daniel 9-months later. But a transition of destiny was in play and the small town girl would leave her tumbleweed town to pursue a new life for herself and child.



The result of this transformation would be the former Guess and Playboy model, Anna Nicole Smith-a platinum blonde, full of energy and joie de vie. Anna Nicole found a special place in the Bushido's heart as she became Miss March 1992 in Hef's magazine and then she would win PMOY in 1993. (What can I say? I have a special place in my heart for my birth month Centerfolds). A promising billboard modeling career with Guess Jeans would soon bring her sculpted face and body to the rest of the world. But under the microscope life would change for Ms. Smith. (Photos compliments of Playboy)




Anna Nicole was no different than any other person who searches for a father figure to fill a void in their life. Albeit Anna Nicole found her love with an elderly, oil-tycoon named, J. Howard Marshall. She was 26, he was 89. Once again, all of the elements of a Greek Tragedy were in play-found love and happiness soon to be cut short by the Gods. Their love and her security was cut short after a year of marriage by Marshall's untimely death-but I am sure he died quite happy. But the loser in this union was Anna Nicole-she lost her security and her love. Marshall's family fought Ms. Smith quite diligently in her efforts to claim her security. This fight would result in numerous court battles and find its' way to the highest of courts last year. Indeed, the history books will read that Anna Nicole Smith was the first Playmate to testify in front of the Supreme Court. The fight would take its' toll on the young beauty; she would gain weight, become questionably unstable mentally but TrimSpa baby! Would make her somewhat hole again, until she lost her son this year, just days before the birth of her child, Dannielynn. (Photo compliments of Intomyhealth.com)

The jury, so to speak, is still out on the cause of Ms. Smith's death. It would be hard to think that it wasn't a sad, tragic and repetitive overdose on prescriptions pills that ended her life, just as many before her. The pressures of death, birth, lack of security, fighting a horrible court battle and losing one's joie de vie is enough to bring anyone to their knees in the depths of fear and loathing. And just like a candle in the wind, Anna Nicole is gone!

Regina Spektor - Fidelity

Here's a hit from this Russian Song Bird about the walls we put around our hearts to protect our selves from getting hurt. I found this a couple of months ago, but didn't have a chance to post it! Enjoy!

Wagon Wheel -- Old Crow Medicine Show

OCMS will play tomorrow night at the Music Farm. The show starts at 8 pm; tickets are $18 today on ETIX or $20 tomorrow on ETIX and at the door!

Tarheels Anniversary and Win as Coach Cremins shows he is the ultimate road warrior!

Today the UNC (22-3, 8-2 ACC) Tarheels killed Wake Forest (11-13, 2-9 ACC) 104 to 67 at the Dean Dome. Rayshawn Terry led the Heels with 23-points against his hometown team. Psycho-T put 16-points on the board and the youngster Wayne Ellington added 11.

Anniversary
Although the game was very important as the season begins to unwind, the show was at half-time as the Tarheels celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the 1957 Championship Team and the 25th Anniversary of the 1982 Championship Team. The list of former-players announced by Woody Durham was long and distinguished, but it was the final four (from the 1982 team) who garnered the most attention: Sam Perkins, James Worthy, Mike Jordan and Coach Dean Smith. (Picture courtesy of the AP). Indeed a group of champions celebrating their heritage and Coach Smith finally getting the NCAA Championship Title banner that eluded him for so many years.

Coach Cremins in the House!
With such a great group of honorees in the Dean Dome, it was a pleasant surprise to hear the announcers mention the College of Charleston's Coach Bobby Cremins' visit to the Dean Dome to scout players during the earlier game between Fork Union and UNC (JV). Coach made a quick drop in to check out the talent before today's game against UNC-G. The announcers mentioned that Coach is doing a great job down in Charleston, taking over a program made great by Coach John Kresse! Tony Cuiffo wasn't joking when he said that Coach was always recruiting!

Wagon Wheel -- Old Crow Medicine Show

Wednesday's WTF? Jackson State University Marching Band Flaming Twirler

Sorry guys, there was a lot of competition this week for the title, but somewhere there is a very proud father saying that's my boy! WTF???

Hillary Clinton Sings National Anthem

And so it begins, butchered even worse than the job Roseanne did at the ballpark-at least Clinton didn't "shift-gears" at the end!

Laugh of the Day -- Why Alec won the Golden Globe

I still haven't caught the show yet, but after watching these clips, I'll be tuning in on Thursday.

Silversun Pickups -"Lazy Eye"

If you harken back to the "fuzz" of Velvet Underground or cut your teeth listening to the Pumpkins in the 90's, then you will find this 4-some from Silver Lake, California delightful. (Full disclosure: I had to watch the video twice to make sure the Brando in the leather jacket was a chick.

Lily Allen - LDN

Lily performed this on SNL this past weekend.