If You Want It, Go For It!

Arrived at Bobby's: Sat, Feb 25, 2017, @ 7:30 AM.

#SecuredThePorch: Accomplished

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BK Movie Review submitted by Team Widdoss

My wife and I have been trying to see as many of the Oscar-nominated movies as we can before the Oscars air on TV. Recently we saw three movies about three very different real life stories (Patriot’s Day, The Founder and Hidden Numbers).  To me, each movie has the same underlying theme. The theme being that despite numerous setbacks and poor odds if you set a goal and have the determination to keep going forward you will succeed.  

Patriot’s Day tells the story of the capture of the Boston Marathon bombers. The determination of the multiple law enforcement teams and civilians was apparent as thousands of pieces of evidence were analyzed including store security cameras, civilian cell phones and television network’s footage of the marathon. The smallest clues were pieced together and eventually led to the capture of the bombers in five days.   This feat was in a city of 48 square miles with a population of close to 675,000 people where the bombers had no previous arrest records.  

The Founder tells the story of Ray Kroc a moderately successful traveling salesman who always wanted more success. When selling milkshake machines he stumbled across the McDonald Brothers. The brothers’ ingenuity and packaging of food created a very successful hamburger walk-up restaurant.  Ray Kroc had the vision and determination to use the McDonald Brother’s concept  as the nucleus to create an empire. Today, McDonald's is one of the world's largest restaurant chains, serving approximately 68 million customers daily in 119 countries across approximately 36,615 outlets.

Hidden Figures tells the story of three black women (Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson) working at NASA as female black mathematicians in the early 1960’s.  Katherine’s job title was a “computer” and she was the only black women on her team. Katherine eventually proved to be instrumental in many of the NASA missions at the time. Most notably  she served a key role in the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Dorothy was a supervisor without the title of supervisor title since supervisors could not be black.  Dorothy had the vision and determination to teach herself and then the other black mathematicians she supervised how to program “the IBM”. Mary Jackson persevered and overcame segregation in the classroom to earn her engineering degree and become NASA's first black female engineer.  All three women overcame many obstacles through perseverance and determination that eventually led them to their successes.

Each of these 3 stories ended in a success because they had a goal and the determination to achieve that goal. 

I tell this tale as a reminder to us all that in this great country we live in if you want it bad enough the only thing stopping you from achieving your goal is not being determined enough to do whatever it takes to get you there.  You can catch a bomber, build an empire, or fly into space to name a few things if you just keep at it.

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On Saturday, Feb 25, 2017,  all participants in the BKWRP(Breakfast Club Weight Reduction Program) weighed in. This marks the end of the 8th week with only 2 weeks remaining.  From week 4 to week 8, we have 2 entrants who gained weight, 2 who lost weight, 1 stayed the same and 1 declined to weigh in. The excitement of winning has been greatly diminished when $100 of entrance fees were wagered on the Super Bowl and lost leaving only $20 for the winner. However, there still appears to be a very tight race between BC-3 & BC-6. BC-6's failure to weigh in could be all part of a sophisticated plan to gain a mental edge leading up to the final weigh-in on Saturday, Mar 11. But, I'm not sure if BC-3 is going to let up.

Key:
BKWRP - Breakfast Club Weight Reduction Program
BC-x - Beauty Contestant

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It was great seeing Rob Sarosy & Billy Rooney this Saturday. It's always good to hear some fresh ideas. God knows the BK Club can get pretty stale at times.

I did hear some rumblings about me being very generous with my selection of Vince Vaughn to play me in the BK Comes to Broadway play. All I have to say is I think I was VERY generous with everyone. 

Mike Ballanco has been removed from the BK Lottery Board. It had something to do with the abysmal return during his tenure but great thanks have been extended for his service.

There have been several updates made to the BK Club Bylaws as reported by Coach Al, the BK Recording Secretary.  The updates appear to be very benign and fail to address the retirement issue, i.e. when a member retires, receives a retirement party, goes back to work and retires for the 2nd time, is a 2nd retirement party warranted? Hey - sounds like a good excuse for all of us to get together and have a few laughs. 

I have been asked to back up a claim I made stating, "since Obama was elected President in 2008, the Democrats have lost significant ground on the local, state and federal levels." (Because I exaggerate a claim every now and then I get put in the "must fact check" box. Geesh!!!) Here is a sampling. 

House of Representatives
Pre-2007 D-236, R-199
2008 election D-257, R-178
2016 election D-194, R-241

Senate
Pre-2008 D-49, R-49, I-2
2008 election D-57, R-41, I-2
2016 election D-46, R-52

Govenors
Pre-2008 D-28, R-22
2008 election D-29, R-21
2016 election D-16, R-33

Any bets on this trend reversing with the 2018 & 2020 elections?

The BK Club Comes to Broadway

Arrived at Bobby's: Sat, Feb 11, 2017, @7:30 AM.

#SecureThePorch: Accomplished
Technically, Coach Rick & Coach Tom arrived before me but only about by 1 minute. They have me wondering if they don't approve of the job I am doing as the Head Security of the BK Advance Team. 

Arrived at Bobby's: Sat, Feb 18, 2017, @7:30 AM.

#SecureThePorch: Accomplished

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I was so happy, and surprised, this week when my lovely daughter Carly asked if she could drop in on the Breakfast Club. Of course, all children of the BK members are welcome and do show up from time to time but this would be her first time. 

Carly is currently enrolled in The New School in Manhattan and is working for Dodger Theatricals, a producing partnership that has an extensive list of Broadway shows including Jersey Boys, Matilda, and A Bronx Tale. She already has produced a few shows off off Broadway and is rapidly climbing the latter. Carly had a particular interest in discussing the role sports has played in all the BK members as a coach as well as a participant. In addition, a number of questions were directed towards the 'C' level BK members regarding leadership styles, motivation, effectiveness, team dynamics, and inspiration.

Why would I not be surprised if 5 years from now there was a play about the BK club and it's members? With that in mind, I along with Cindy, my assistant casting director, took the liberty of sketching out some possible cast members for "The BK Club Comes to Broadway". Let me know what you think and please share any thoughts you may have. I do need suggestions for who will play BK wives.

BK Member	Actor	BK Member	Actor
Ed B	Vince Vaughn	Jim W	John Goodman
Tom R	VP Mike Pence	Steve B	George Hamilton
Rick B	Ed Harris	Mike H	Pierce Bronson
Mike B	Phil Dunphy	Al D	Robert Deniro
Perry B	Justin Bateman	Bobby	Seth Rogen
Auxiliary Members
Jerry C	Keiffer Sutherland	Mark C no photo available	Charlie Sheen
Rich S	Rainn Wilson

A couple of notes:
Yes - I know Mike Pence is not a thespian but he is doing a heck of a job performing for President Trump.

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Happy Birthday Mike B!

We had a bit of a kerfuffle(impressed?) between Mike B. and me over water discharge from a home owner's sump pump. My claim is a homeowner is in violation when a pipe is punched into the street to handle discharged water from a sump pump. Mike's claim is that it is perfectly legal... "What else are you suppose to do with the water?" That sounds very reasonable and logical but to suggest townships are always reasonable and logical is a bit of a stretch. I know it's commonplace but that doesn't mean it's legal. For starters, a homeowner typically breaks through the curb to allow discharged water to flow to the sewer. Wouldn't breaking the curb compromise the integrity of the street and or the sidewalk? It is a bit daunting taking on the 'master plumber' in the group but I stand by my claim until proven otherwise. A Heady Topper shall go to the winner. Please weigh in.

Congratulations to Tom Rooney for winning the BK fantasy Football league. Last year's champion, Mike Hagerty, graciously handed over the trophy. Enjoy your victory, it's not often that the Hagerty boys lose a sports bet.

Someone had an interesting take on the Super Bowl. "If  I was the owner of the Atlanta Falcons, the head coach would have been fired before he left the stadium on Super Bowl Sunday." Hey - we roll hard at the BK Club. As a side note, the Falcons just hired disgraced ex-Rutgers Head football coach Kyle Flood. Clearly, that would never happen if the BK club owned the Atlanta Falcons.

Al - let's set a date for A Bronx Tale. This play has your name written all over it.

One issue that is bubbling with the BK club is whether or not a BK member is entitled to a retirement dinner if said person has already received a retirement dinner but is retiring for the second time. It's not fair to mention anybody's name because that would be personalizing the issue. But, as they say in Brooklyn, "it's not personal, it's just business." Of course, we could always look this up in the bylaws but no one knows exactly where the bylaws are. We know they are somewhere in South Florida but that's about as specific an answer as we ever get.

Congratulations to the Team Connelly for coming up winners in the Super Bowl pool(s). Team Connelly consisted of Jerry C, Tom R, Steve B, Mark C, and Perry B.

Congratulations to Rick Black on his Super Bowl victory.

I'm not going to even ask you how much money was spent to come up with a winning box. I wouldn't want to take away from the victory parade. Am I bitter? Damn right I am!!!

Rutgers University - The Real Super Bowl Champs

Arrived at Bobby's: Sat, Feb 4, 2017 @7:35 AM.

#SecureThePorch: Accomplished

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So, the New England Patriots won another Super Bowl. Yawn! Tom Brady gets his fifth ring and was named MVP. Yawn! Lady Gaga gave a great halftime performance and the Atlanta Falcons give up the biggest lead in Super Bowl history. Another yawn! The real story is Rutgers University had more players playing in Super Bowl XLIX than any other college. Yes, that includes Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, LSU, USC, et al. Hopefully, this can give a nice bump in the recruiting efforts. The Rutgers players are:

Mohamed Sanu, Atlanta Falcons, WR
Devin McCourty, New England Patriots, DB
Logan Ryan, New England Patriots, DB
Duron Harmon, New England Patriots, DB
Jonathan Freeny, New England Patriots, LB(injured)

Rutgers actually had more than twice as many players in the Super Bowl as any Big Ten school. That makes Rutgers the real Super Bowl Champs...bam...mic drop!!!

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The Library - Submitted by Coach Tom

The Library is one of the cornerstones of a town. It’s right up there with City Hall, the Court House, Police, and Fire Stations. Where else can you rent a book for free, use a computer, read the local newspapers and current magazines? Teachers use it to prepare lesson plans, students to do research, adults to job hunt, seniors to relax and get caught up with the news and parents to read to their children.

Recently I had a problem with the rent a book for free part. When a new book comes out I go online and place it on Hold. When it becomes available, the Library sends me an email informing me that it is ready to be picked up. Then you have three days to pick it up. Recently I received one of those emails. Actually, I received three of them. So off to the library I went to pick up the three books. I have two weeks to read three books.

I finished and returned one of the books in six days. By then I knew I couldn’t finish the other two in the remaining eight days. So I had to decide between Jeffrey Archer and Lee Child. After a lot of reflection and prayer, I decided that Jack Reacher’s Night School would have to wait for another time.

So on a Saturday I left BK early and drove over to the library to return Night School. As I walked towards the library I decided to drop Night School into the outdoor book drop instead of going inside and returning it.

I check my online account every day. After a few days, I was surprised that it showed Night School still checked out. When the 14 days were up, I had finished Jeffrey Archer and returned it on the due date. The next day I checked online and Jeffrey was shown as returned but Night School was showing as out and now a $.20 fine was due.

After three days I started to panic. The fine was up to $.60. I decided a visit was necessary. Upon entering, I picked out the most friendly looking clerk and explained my situation. This nice lady explained how sometimes books get stuck in the outdoor chute. She had a young person go out and check the chute. When he came back empty handed she immediately went on the offensive. She said a lot of people forget books in their car. Books slide off the seats. She kept mentioning the book cost $28. I explained again that I made a trip just to return the one book. That I didn’t get out of the car and walk to the book drop without the book. She was no longer the friendly person. Now she was the Accuser. She told me I should go back to my car and look under the seat or on the side. I left frustrated. I went back to the car and checked under the seat and on the side Nothing. I started questioning myself. Am I getting old? Did I really return the book?

To make matter worse when I went home my family wanted to know if a poster of me was on the wall at the library. Would my daughter still be allowed to take books out?

Two days later while at home I received a voice mail. It was the Accuser. They found the book.

For the next few days, I checked my account online. The book was no longer outstanding but the fine was still there. So I decided another trip was warranted. This time when I entered the library the Accuser greeted me with a big “Hi Tom.” (Tom!!!) She explained how one of the young people put the book in the donation pile instead of the return pile. She happened to be working when someone wanted to buy the book. She claimed she yelled, “that’s Tom’s book.” Now she’s a hero! I told her the fine is still showing up on my account. She walked me over to the counter and told the clerk to offset my fine. The clerk asked why. She told her just do it. I think the clerk muttered something like “another President Obama pardon”.

Now that I was back in good graces I went to find a book. Guess which book I found and am reading right now, Jack Reacher Night School.

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Although this is the second consecutive blog that involves a Breakfast Club member being accused of committing a crime, there have been no convictions. Which means, for the moment, the BK Club is still in good standing in the community.  Let's see what next week brings.

The sheets were being passed around the BK table and I had to get in on the game. There were $10 boxes, $20 boxes, $50, $100 and $500 boxes and I was in on every sheet. For the bigger boxes, I had a partial stake but I was in on every possible bet. It was all playing out in my head too. After winning, we would all be smoking big fat cigars and drinking martinis celebrating out good fortune. While slapping each other on the back, we would be discussing out next big sports betting opportunity and of course, that would be college basketball. Well, it didn't work out as planned. Not a single box turned up a winner. It kills me to think how I allowed myself to get pulled into the gambling world. I am praying Cindy, my wife does not read this blog.

Praise for the Franklin Township Police Department, of Somerset, NJ!

We at the BK Club would like to give special recognition to the Franklin Township Police Department located in Somerset, NJ for their dedicated and selfless work for the community. It is through our personal experience and observation that we can attest that the FTPD lives up to and goes beyond their mission statement; which is:

"to protect and enhance the quality of life ... to promote a safe and secure environment, free from crime and the fear of crime, for all who live, work or visit our community ... while maintaining public peace and order through fair, impartial enforcement of the law ... and challenging the future with a spirit of optimism and innovation."

It is always a pleasure for the BK Club to share the back porch at Bobby's on Saturday mornings with the FTPD. It gives us an opportunity to get to know and eat alongside Franklin's Finest. Keep up the good work. You have our unwavering support and hope we continue to see the Franklin Township Police Department on Saturday mornings at Bobby's.

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The 4th week of the BK weight loss program has arrived and all of the six entrants have voluntarily weighed in on the official BKWRP scale. It appears that we are all moving in the right direction, however, anyone who says "it's not about winning, it's about getting healthy" is serving up a load of garbage. It's all about winning!

The BKWRP committee has approved a proposal by BC-2 to invest $100 of entry fees collected in a single box of a Super Bowl grid pool. Should the box return any winnings, the winner of the BKWRP is entitled to those winnings. If the box fails to return any winnings, the winner will be awarded the $20 remaining from the entry fees collected. This proposal was received far better than the other proposal by BC-2 which was to punish contestants if they did not reach a specified threshold. Although I do admire the creativity of BC-2, it does suggest a high level of intimacy with gambling. This has some members in the BK Club concerned. 

BC-6 - This new proposal was instituted without your consent but we all felt you would be ok with the prospect of increased winnings.   

Please note, I have gone to great lengths to protect the identity of all plus-size BK members. 

Key:
BKWRP - Breakfast Club Weight Reduction Program
BC-x - Beauty Contestant

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BK Public Service Announcement: A large imposing man was seen getting into a luxury SUV in a local school parking lot. Witnesses have stated he was somewhat disheveled, dressed rather haggardly and was prone to excessive profanity. The perpetrator was observed pressing buttons on the dashboard in an attempt to start the vehicle when the owner of the car appeared. A confrontation ensued but the owner of the vehicle was able to diffuse the situation without any violence. The perpetrator then quickly jumped into a strikingly similar luxury SUV and sped away while shouting out the window, "I'm in the BK Club. We don't steal cars."

BK Members & family - Please be aware of your surroundings and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. The BK Club does not, in any way, condone this type of behavior. If it is shown that a BK Club member was in fact involved, the situation will be handled internally. 

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There has been talk of the BK Club producing a podcast about who we are and what we do but talks seemed to have come to a halt. Discussions were going fine until the subject came up about who's voice would be more suited for a podcast. The first arm to go up was the BK member who claims to be the best bus driver in the group as well the best plumber. I can vouch for the plumbing claim but have no veracity for the bus driving claim. This may be a project that will take some time to develop.

All Roads Lead to The Ruck

If you like craft beer, you must get to The Ruck.
#GetRuckedTroy, #EnjoyTroy, #CraftBeer

From my home in Somerset, NJ, the Adirondack Park is about 350 miles north located in "upstate" New York. This is a trip I have made countless times before and it can be rather boring and monotonous. I can recite from memory all the landmarks that I pass along the way as I drive north. I first cross Route 78, then Route 80, Route 23, and then pass through Mahwah before crossing the state line at my hometown of Suffern, New York. Then it's on to Harriman, New Paltz, Kingston, Woodstock, Catskill, Albany, Troy, and on and on and on. It's not a trip I specifically look forward to but the reward has always been an outdoorsmen's paradise at the end of the line. Mid-way between my home and the Adirondacks, I discovered a craft beer lovers paradise called The Ruck, which has made my 5-hour trip something to look forward to.

The Ruck, located in Troy, NY in an urban barn of a building, is advertised as the "Capital District's Premier Craft Beer Destination" and with good reason. Owned by David Gardell, The Ruck derives its name from the sport of Rugby. In the parlance of rugby, a ruck is a tightly packed group of people contesting for the ball. Well, if you find yourself contesting to find a warm and hospitable place that serves some of the best craft beer in the North East, get over to The Ruck. As I walk in the door, I am immediately hit with the aroma that only an old bar with character could have; the kind of character that a bar acquires after years of serving up good food and drink to locals and travelers alike. Tap handles decorate the ceiling in between old wooden beams and exposed ductwork, longboard shuffleboard is in the back and an open view kitchen is off to the side. The weathered wooden floors creak and crackle under my shoes as they have been doing for decades to the high and the low of Troy society. On any given day you may find tradesman, gamblers, politicians, students and faculty from RPI, families celebrating birthdays, lawyers, rugby players, yoga practitioners, and more. It is commonplace to see employees of The Ruck on their day-off eating, drinking, and celebrating. The staff makes a point of assuring all are welcome and all are comfortable.

Mr. Gardell appears to have done a masterful job of hiring people who share the same passion he has for serving quality craft beer. Under his direction, a handful of employees have achieved Level 1 Cicerone certification. Cicerone certification is to the beer world what Sommelier certification is to the wine world.  It recognizes those certified as highly knowledgeable in selecting, acquiring and serving beer. It is no small task to understand and be familiar with the many styles, flavors, and nuances of craft beer. Dave is currently pursuing advanced Cicerone certification which has only awarded two certifications in New York and twenty-seven worldwide.

When I find myself in craft beer bar, I want to be educated on what is on tap and all the little details of the beer and its properties. For instance, what is the ABV(alcohol by volume), IBU(International Bitterness Unit), what style is the beer, is the beer hoppy, how is it selling, what is the bitterness, etc. At most other purported craft beer bars, I don't get a sufficient answer. At The Ruck, I get my answer and much more. I asked Mr. Gardell to explain exactly what IBU is and he did an AP Chemistry brain dump on me and explained on a molecular level how a beer gets its bitterness. Dave and his staff have a very high understanding of craft beer.

At last count, The Ruck was serving beer from 28 taps, 11 bottled, and 13 canned beers. Although the list of beers is constantly changing, the selection is often representing the best breweries from across the United States, Canada, and Europe. A quick glance of the taps reveals beers from Hill Farmstead and Van Trapp breweries from Vermont, Brooklyn, Six Point, and Newburgh breweries from New York, Allagash and Main breweries from Maine, Founders All Day from Michigan, and Kulmbacher Kapuziner Weissbier from Germany just to name a few. On occasion, they will have a "Tap Takeover" which is a promotional event where most or all of the bar's taps will be pouring different beers from the same brewery.

It's worth noting, The Ruck always seems to have one or more offerings from the Hill Farmstead Brewery. Hill Farmstead is part of what I call the holy trinity of Vermont Craft Breweries that include The Alchemist, Lawsons Finest Liquids, and Hill Farmstead. All three breweries are making world class beer but distribute mainly in the state of Vermont only. For The Ruck to serve beer from any one of these breweries is quite the score.

While I was at The Ruck, I also had a delicious lunch consisting of Deviled Eggs, Buffalo Wings and Fried Pork Belly with Lime and Sour Orange Mojo. The Executive Chef, Rachel Mabb, educated at the Culinary Institute of America, is serving food that matches up real well with the eclectic character of The Ruck. The usual pub fare of burgers, wings, flatbreads, grilled sandwiches(chicken, meat, fish), and salads are available, But, you will also find Singapore Noodles, Empanadas, Falafels, and a wide assortment of vegan offerings. It seems apparent that the servers behind the kitchen have the same passion as the servers behind the bar.

Do yourself a favor and get to The Ruck! Tell them the Bauer boys sent you.

The Ruck
104 3rd St
Troy, NY 12180

#ShowerBeer - #beentheredonethat

Arrived at Bobby's: Sat, Jan 14, 2017 @7:30 AM.
#SecureThePorch: Accomplished
#ShowerBeer: #beentheredonethat

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The Breakfast Club prides itself on being up to date on sophistication and the finer things in life and because of that, I have an obligation to share the latest in the world of craft beer. There is a beer that is about to take the nation by storm and it is called Shower Beer. Created by PangPang, a one man Swedish Brewery, Shower Beer was designed specifically to be consumed while taking a shower. The beer is heavy on hops with a citrussy, soapy, and herbal profile. Founder/brewer, Fredrik Tunedal, has commented "the idea for a Shower Beer is a universal thing. Looking through the hashtag #showerbeer, it's easy to see that people all over the world love that feeling of a hot shower and an ice cold beer." He was not the first to come up with the concept of drinking a beer while taking a shower, however, he may be the first to brew a beer specifically for drinking while taking a shower. Shower Beer is distributed in 6 oz bottles and has a 10% ABV(Alcohol by Volume); the perfect size for a 10 minute shower. But, there is more...the beer recipe was designed to be used as a conditioner as well. Am I the only one who is thinking of the word "Genius"? Why would someone want to drink a beer in the shower?...you may ask?

1. Save time
2. Shower, beer, pee all in one
3. Stimulate a little romance while showering with a friend
4. Brings a little excitement to an otherwise boring task
5. All great stories always start with a beer(have you ever heard of a great story starting with a salad?)

Can anyone else think of a reason for drinking a beer in the shower???

If anyone reading this blog has any selfies of drinking beer in the shower, you may forward them to me and I will include them in a future blog.

I would like to point out that generations of Bauer's have been drinking beer in the shower for centuries...dating way back to the Bauer clan in Bavaria.

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Steve B. - Happy Birthday! It's not often I find myself down your end of the table like I did this past Saturday but, it was exciting to talk to another hard core conservative. Discussions down your end of the table seem to be a bit more cerebral. The great Ted Bruchalski from Don Bosco would be proud of us. 

Brother Al - It's a joy to have you back in New Jersey for a while. I know you must anguish over the decision to stay down in Florida during winter or come back to New Jersey and spend time with the Breakfast Club. We always have a seat waiting for you. I found our conversation regarding stretching,  yoga, and health to be very helpful. You set the standard in the Breakfast Club for all things having to do with health........and Brooklyn...the borough that is.

Say the word Jim if you need a partner in the ginseng farm you were talking about. Retirement is still a good many years away but this may be the job I need to bridge the gap. I sure don't mind getting my hands dirty and I know you don't mind slopping around in the mud.  

Can somebody please explain to me why a painting depicting the tragedy that unfolded in Ferguson, MO, which portrays policeman as pigs, is hanging in the Capital building? Don't tell me it's a first amendment issue either. Nobody wants to legislate what art people produce but the first amendment does not give license to hang vile, offensive and hurtful art that fails to depict history in our nation's capitol. Our own Attorney General and Justice Department stated "the facts do not support the filing of criminal charges" against the officer in question. This painting does not reflect reality. In the same way, it would not be acceptable to hang a painting making a mockery of the Holocaust or slavery. Shouldn't Washington be making an effort to improve race relations in America? I am finding myself asking "what am I missing here" so often lately.

Who wouldn't want a pint of Ass Clown Stout?

Arrived at Bobby's: Sat, Jan 7, 2017 @7:35 AM.
#SecureThePorch: Accomplished

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Big Jim - Thanks for the Craft Beer playing cards you gave me. The cards are themed with craft beer and celebrate 53 different Brewmasters. Each of the 53 breweries is profiled on the card faces and celebrated for embodying the spirit of American entrepreneurship. While many craft breweries are noted for having unique names, such as Dog Fish Head, Turtle Anarchy, Belching Beaver, etc., I did find a very strange brewery name in the deck and that is Ass Clown Brewing Company out of North Carolina. According to Matt Glidden, the founder, he had a friend that used the term ass clown very often and "it became burnt into his skull. Why does a name of a brewery have to be so serious". Who wouldn't want to drink a pint of Ass Clown Stout. I have to get down to North Carolina some day to give this place a visit.

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 The BKWRP committee has turned down a proposal by BC-2 to levy a $20 fee against any BKWRP contestant who has not lost a pre-determined amount of weight by Week 4. Initially, I was against this proposal but was warming up to it with a 1-pound per week threshold. However, BC-1 was dead set against it as was BC-4. BC-1's reasoning was, "Hey guys, I'm just trying to lose a few pounds here".  BC-4's reasoning was, "My home scale is stuck on the metric setting so I don't think that would work for me". Please note, I have gone to great lengths to protect the identity of all plus-size BK members. Wait...that's all BK members...not named Al or Mike.

Key:
BKWRP - Breakfast Club Weight Reduction Program
BC-x - Beauty Contestant

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Congratulations to Ryan Hagerty on winning the College Football pool. You started out with modest success and had a big spike mid-way through the bowl season and went on to hold off the Widdoss boys. Second and third place will be decided in the championship game between Alabama and Clemson. If Alabama wins, Zach and Patrick Widdoss will get 2nd and 3rd place. If Clemson wins, Tim Hagerty gets 2nd place and Zack and Rick Cooper will share 3rd place. Congratulations to Steve B. for falling under the BK rule and getting your $25 back. It is not often that one gets money back at the BK club.

There has been some talk of raising the BK monthly dues to increase our lottery winnings. If I'm not mistaken, last year's winnings totaled $51 with an investment of $770....or something close to that. I'm all for 'doubling down' but I like to double down when we are winning. If we increase our winnings fourfold we are still losing $500 on a $770 investment. But wait, it's all going to education...talk about a good laugh.

All of the local Super Bowl box pools are starting to fill up rather quickly. The money that was changing hands this morning would have made Bernie Madoff blush.

Mike H. - Happy Birthday. The rules are, if anyone wishes you a Happy Birthday, it must be noted on the blog. To fail to do so would be disrespectful. Hey - I don't make the rules.

Coach Connelly - It's nice to see your new hip is healing well. You should be good for a while with all the replacements you've had the last couple of years. Is there anything else you're looking to get replaced? Let me know if you need any suggestions?