...

Harvard Red & Old Gold
to blend with Orange & Blue?

While I was just recently way wrong about O&B, I don't think anyone can deny we've been seeing Phi Tau-related comments since the Drayton Scandal of summer past. While I'm not on the ground, my two remaining (credible) Greek sources insist that something will be happening from within the walls of a house long overlooked thanks to its larger, more connected neighbors ATO & Phi Delt.

Both insiders claim that the current Chomp the Vote director, unlike Robert Mack in 2005, could deliver his house - wherever he'd decide to go. Source #1 says Phi Tau is hungry and nearing a triple-digit active member roster -- a big accomplishment for a medium-sized house to be sure.

Source #2 says the house allegedly pulled away from a summer pact with SG-powerhouses Theta Chi & Sig Ep. This source claims Roth's house is exploring an early alignment with AEPi, as well 'entertaining continued proposals from the Independents.'

If anyone has anything to add, I would really appreciate it (esp. since neither one of my sources are in Phi Tau or on IFC-Exec., so I'm really mostly in the dark). I will say, that there is a bit of truth in my Bracco Q&A.

For some time now, people have been asking me why the Q&A won't come out and if "I've got something on Frank." That's simply nonsense. However, there is a question I fielded as to Roth's job performance - Bracco failed to reply and insisted he would not address the issue when I brought it up.

I will say, I found this a wee bit fishy, but I doubt that O&B is actually courting Roth, though I don't think it would be a complete setback for them to go into Spring with the backing of a house or two -- but at what cost?

R&A Transparency Committee?

Who's its chair? members? meeting times?

Johnson has distanced himself from Dale, Bell in recent articles. I don't have the time to investigate, but I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't interested. I look forward to reading some good comments.

I, for one, am quite skeptical of the forming of committees as viable options for solving some of today's most pressing issues.

StrengthAddicts.com

This will be a new project coming November 2008. Expect footage featuring some of the strongest athletes in Mid-Michigan. In December I will show you a technique that will put up to 20lbs on dumbbell-curls, upwards of 25% on your bench press, and several techniques to master the Leg Press. Below, I've listed some of my best lifts; these are not max lifts, but lifts for reps (good form, no cheating):

Bench Press: 365lbs (4 Reps)
Smith Bench Press: 405 lbs (2 Reps)
Incline Bench Press: 275 (3 Reps)
Decline Bench Press: 405lbs
Dumbbell-Curls: 85lbs (4 Reps)
Close Grip Bench: 315lbs (4 Reps for Tri's)
Leg Press: 1,240lbs (4 Reps)
Deadlift: 495lbs (3 Reps)
Shrugs: 675lbs. (2 Reps)
Tricep Pull-Downs: 275lbs (5 Reps)

AND THAT AIN'T NUTHIN!
Wait till you see some of the lifts of my fellow Michigan gymrats, as I check out gyms throughout Grand Rapids, Lansing, Detroit, Flint, Chicago, Columbus, Ohio during Thanksgiving Break!, and much, much more.

Dan Fitzpatrick Speaks!!!

A look back @ TR's first Q&A

UF Admissions Ad

Bracco Q&A Tonight

SG -- Related

Frank Bracco's Q&A will be posted here at midnight; it's a good read, so check it out. I'm hoping we'll see between 30-40 comments, hopefully some tougher questions too.

Fmr. Senate President Chris Carmody wrote in to let me know a great thing he and his boss (two members of Florida Blue Key) are doing this year; check out the article: No GrayRobinson xmas party this year. Instead, a donation.

I also want to give a shout out to Orange & Blue Sen. Alan Yanuck. We've been going back and forth on facebook the last few days. I'm really trying to get him to concede that O&B's eagerness to deal is contrary to their constituents, but if he's yielded so much as an inch in a week, I'd think it much. If he can handle himself half as well in chambers as he can over email, I expect this one to go far in the Senate, perhaps even chair a standing committee - in a 'fair & balanced' SG (if that will ever be possible at UF).

Per the Alligator...I'm glad they've hired someone who's even less informed of how SG operates today than myself. Why Mike Belle is permitted to pen columns calling for sweeping reforms sans any factual or supporting data is beyond me. I had considered firing off an email, but what good would that do? The paper only wants to publish my letters, guest columns, or write about me when I'm controversial -- well why should they get the controversy when my readers are all the more deserving :).

Pedro Morales - I'd like to see him become more active in the blog. I also think I may dial the turncoat-treatment down a few notches. The difference between Morales and the others, is that Pedro actually dislikes the term and even if he won't necessarily admit it, I don't think it was a such an easy decision for him back in the day. The past being the past, I think Pedro possesses a great deal of knowledge that should be shared with the young Fall incoming O&B Senators.

Also to whoever has been posting under "Old School," you are not James Argento. Please don't try and hijack others screen-names, it's dishonest. Posting anonymously is already pretty cowardly as it is, but impersonating others is just plain wrong.

On Ken Kerns... if anyone (or even he himself) thinks I am upset with him, I'm 100% not. I can't stress how much I value Ken's opinion, especially when it's contrary to my own -- as it makes me pause to reflect. I will say, however, that I would like to see Ken cover SG far more actively though. This is a critical time for the Independent movement and we all need him, like Pedro Morales & Bruce Haupt, to dazzle us with their insightful and often profound assessments on SG-related topics of interest to the student body.

And in a creepy way... Sam is still my hero.

Powell Endorses Obama!

Great news for the Obama camp as Dubya's first Secretary of State crosses party lines and endorses Obama/Biden. In Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has joined the Democratic Party of Maine in asking the McCain camp to stop the robocalls which link Obama to 1960's radicals. Meanwhile an ABC Poll says only 4 out of 10 surveyed believe animal-hunting-cunt Sarah Palin is experienced enough to be vice president.

The McCain I respected from just three years ago is no longer with us. McCain's ambitions to finally be the nominee, I believe, eroded away at the very qualities that separated him from the pack and allowed him two key primary victories against George W. Bush in 2000.

On SG....Gator fuckin sucks!, Orange & Blue sucks a little less.

Yeah Ok. I've Calmed Down.

I still side Orange & Blue, but I fuckin hate caving before the Machine. It only serves to move backwards for the MOVEMENT. 12 seats and 10,500+ in a Fall election is HUGE. I hope these kids do some major work. If Sam, Mark, and Frank aren't the real leaders, then I'm not really interested in who is. I was never really interested in behind-the-scenes-types, those kinds of people have the power, but they're usually chicken-shit-weasels to quote Chuck Norris in Delta Force II.

Will Orange & Blue Fight?

And if so...for how much [this time]?

Disassociation

Esteemed Senators,
Sen. Jon Ossip,
Sen. Gary Benedix,
Sen. Alan Yanuck,
Sen. Dave Schneider,
Sen. Zach Mori,
Sen. Dylan Billodeaux,
Sen. Travis Baker,
Sen. Stacey Gray,
Sen. Jacob Fyda,
Sen. Alden Gillespy::

Congratulations on your election to the University of Florida Student Senate. I too was elected to this prestigious body in the Spring 2004 and I can honestly relate to the hard work, the sacrifice, and the abuse you all must have taken on the campaign trail.

The Orange & Blue Party was a party that evolved from a very special line of independent parties at UF. O&B went back to basics and raised an old, GDI plan of attack from the dead. No racial cards, no celebrity candidates, no renegade ruling party hacks -- just 'plain, in your face independent kids ready to fight to the wire and kick some FBK ass.' And you did that and in the many races you didn't, you were shy by just enough of votes for others to have allegedly cooked the numbers enough to have escaped your wrath.

You have a great deal to be proud of, but your hard work and sacrifice should be exchanged for a select few to collect titles and selfishly align themselves (bargaining with your name and your networking) to receive larger benefits for themselves.

To quote one of your leaders, Sen. Mark McShera, who currently 'won' a post a Member-At-Large of the Senate's most powerful committee:

"I hope to be able to run for re-election this Spring for CLAS, serve out a second Senate term ending in March 2010 and then graduate in May 2010. To quote General William Sherman, "If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve."

All I'm saying to you fine, newly elected leaders is to be weary of colleagues more interested in themselves than in the pursuit of the greater good. I want all of you to look at Senators Miorelli (party president), McShera (plan re-election), & Cavatero (re-elected)... look at what they get during this session and then look at your group and see what you get. If at the end of the day you're subsisting of bread and water and your collective voice is brokered several meetings in advance -- then please consider doing the honorable thing: disassociation from the Orange & Blue Party. You will still be able to fight the O&B Platform, only you will not subscribe to the shady backroom deals.

Remember. Once they get their fill & graduate -- you're all on your own. Believe it.

Remember, you were elected to serve the students, not serve the party. You were told by your leaders that you were Independents, but today your 'Independent Leaders' break bread and cavort with the very scoundrels that have bogged down this University's Student Government since the 1930's.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE PART OF THE PROBLEM;
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE PART OF THE LIE.

From The Vault

TheRadikal.com will be releasing select material from 'the Vault' in the coming days. The last time this feature was effectuated was June 17, 2007. Only emails of graduated sources will be published -- so unlike 6/17/07 no flurry of emails from current students. Thank You.

Sadly This Ain't Italy.

What we're dealing with is Student Government, a Student Government now equally controlled by despots. One side rationalizes its control through secret clubs, racial & cultural intimidation, and dusty, old legacies that are in all places but UF, backward relics of the past. The other side... is advised by one who mocks me through posts on other sites... It's a party that obtained the support of thousands through what's seemingly apparent false pretenses.

Change! That was the driving force behind this historic election. Ben! R&A Seat! Deals! JJ for President! O&B to back JJ for President! -- These type of slogans would not have drawn out enough GDI's to win even the Family Housing seat for O&B.

It's all one giant mafia now and the Independent movement must once again begin from scratch...soon there will be another Bruce Haupt, another Ken Kerns, another Charlie Grapski. Orange & Blue has been the closest party yet, but now like Fall Access '04, it's become a System Party.

And even if after the deal, even if O&B'ers start raising hell? So what? It'll just be a ploy. Gator has fucked O&B hard and left them $20 on the nightstand. Who knows, if O&B raises enough hell, maybe Gator will kick in an extra gratuity.

Who Is Jamel Langley?

A Q&A request has been sent & I truly hope to hear back. My instincts tell me this young man will go places in UF-SG.

NO REPLY -- SHOCKING!

Southwest Michigan Bodybuilding

I just got back from my first bodybuilding show. I really want to thank my friend Josh for driving and inviting me.

This is a photo taken with Phil "The Gift" Heath. Phil won the 2008 Iron Man, received runner-up to Dexter Jackson at the 2008 Arnold Classic, and placed 3rd at this year's (his first) Mr. Olympia contest. Phil also did a amazing guest posing session; he truly is The Gift!!!

2 Kappas, 2 Outcomes

What do Jamal Sowell and Paul Drayton have in common? Aside from both being Student Body Treasurers and both being Kappas -- not a heck of a lot. Jamal Sowell climbed the ranks from senator to 2x-elected-SG Executive. He unified the African American community and with the help of Francis Harrell & James Argento, consolidated that community with the Independent movement.

It's arguable when the Black Caucus at UF was stronger: during Sowell's reign or immediately thereafter. Today, however, if I were to ask you to name a single prominent [African American] name for Student Body President in 2009, few names come to mind. [Radikal Prediction: look to a BSU splinter to offer a deal to O&B pre-Christmas break; this prediction carries a small bit of speculative backing w/ it]

Paul Drayton in one summer undid all of the prominence that Jamal Sowell, Crystal Caesar, & Diane Kassim left for posterity. Sam Green was no leader, he was merely a victim. To be Senate President Pro Tempore and get blocked from Florida Blue Key is a humiliation not only to candidate, but to the entire community. Had Green crossed over to the GDI's and organized with them for rebel run, I believe he would have redeemed his stock in SG HIstory.

Sadly, Green took the humiliation and swallowed it. Paul Drayton compounded that humiliation by walking out on the students, re-defining the Student Body Statutes, and ruling by proxy -- making promises to the Alligator that this blog debunked through Rene Medina's own word.

The only time Drayton really acted (or reacted) is when after tirelessly pushing, I flat out announced that a call should be made for his impeachment and that call was finally made by the brave (and now handily rewarded) independents of the Orange & Blue Party.

My advice was worth its weight in gold. Now I have advice worth its weight in platinum and the advice is to the Gator Party for Spring 2009: "Stay Home. You will be annihilated come Spring."

BSU doesn't normally lose Murph. Rule out coincidence. The Black Community has spoken. O&B should remain open to dialogue with BSU and at least a couple Greek Houses I can think of right off the bat.

Reilly Must Go!

Patricia Telles-Irvin & the UF Administrative apparatus should not be permitted to give the FBK-backed Gator Party yet another pass on morally questionable behavior. As recent as 2005, UF showed just how little it respected Florida's Public Record laws when Fmr. SG Cabinet Director Peter Gruskin received dozens of partially-to-completely redacted documents. In Gruskin's case much of the redacted material was problematic in a number of areas -- here -- the emails were clear, the actors concede their involvement, and except for a brief visit to the Vice President of Student Affairs office by disgraced Student Body President Kevin Reilly, I think it's safe to say that Patricia Telles-Irvin has done nothing!

Student Body President Kevin Reilly should resign immediately, as he is unfit to serve as the chief executive of the student body of the University of Florida. It's time UF took a bold step and sent a strong message.

Congratulations O&B!!!

It's hard to believe, but O&B secured just one seat shy of the Access Party of 2004 and they did this all on their own GDI dime. Sam Miorelli has been re-elected and a fresh new crop of SG'ers are on their way in. I've only been saying this for months now, but Gator is on the way out. They can change the name to Swamp, Innovate or Ignite but that won't change things.

I hope that Kellie Dale & Marygrace Bell get dealt with by Patricia Telles-Irvin just like Reilly. I think being called to her office sends a very, very strong message. NO CALENDARS FOR YOU THIS YEAR!

So anyway, congratulations to Orange & Blue! Look to 'Ken Is Speaking' for a better morning-after post -- I have a cold.

Keating Economics

Can We Trust John McCain?

http://keatingeconomics.com

Rogue House(s)?

I don't know what all the hype is about and I don't know what exactly the problem is, but so far I've received dozens of emails over the course of Drayton Gate up until now from highly respected sources claiming that at least three houses are 'considering' another party than Gator for Spring 2009.

Once again the houses I've heard most speculation about are Sig Ep, Theta Chi, and Phi Tau. I'm not sure how Phi Tau fits in and/or why two major houses would take on a third, far less connected house. Again, I speak from 2005 knowledge. Perhaps IFC has seen drastic changes in three years that it hadn't seen in the twenty years before I graduated -- but somehow I doubt it.

An anonymous email and related comment also spoke to members of O&B and Phi Tau dialoguing sometime last week. The email stated that a closed door, 'informal' meeting took place at an apartment in The Courtyards.

Orange & Blue seems poised to do real damage come this Spring, but unless they know how to make magic potions, I think we'll see the Seminoles win an national football title before the likes of Sig Ep & Theta Chi back a GDI Party like Orange & Blue.

No... I think if anything, a party will form from right under Gator and if anything a JCB-authored coup d’état will put at least these two houses, possibly even their sidekick third in positions of unquestioned authority over the nascent breakaway Greek faction. Again, based solely on speculation this is the only logical assessment I could make of such a hypothetical twist come Spring.

It would be interesting though. In Spring '05 the GDI's split in three. If in Spring '09 there was O&B, Gator, and this speculated TC/SE/PT Faction...I see a lot more sororities joining the breakaway power-faction than staying back with the dead-weight of medium to small houses, greedy cultural orgs, and sellout GDI Turncoats.

I also don't think it would be much of a choice for the vast majority of Keys and the wannabes eager to get tapped. Gator is doomed, only an idiot would consciously want to sink to the seafloor.

I'm So Proud

Thornburg Mortgage has come a long way. Just a few short months ago the stock was trading at $0.66 and looking to be the next victim in the mortgage crisis. I was really upset to see Indymac get seized by the government, especially since I bought five hundred shares of it earlier in the year. They say over 150 banks have been seized in 2008 alone!

TMA just recently went about a reverse-split and has amended various proposals to meet the demands creditors. Just a few moments ago on www.yahoo.com I read that a woman purchased an abandoned home in Saginaw, MI on an ebay auction for $1.75! President Bush enjoys 27% approval rating, beat only by Nixon, as the nation's least popular president. Will America re-elect Bush through his clone John McCain? Even the conservative-leaning AOL polls are now leaning for Obama - thank God.

The President created such a mess in his eight years that he literally had to beg the Congress on the headlines of newspapers across the nation to vote for the plan. The vast majority of the Congressmen that voted down the initial bailout were members of his own party! Not many, except for that corpse with a pulse (Joe Lieberman) still hail the chief on the floor of America's Legislature.

Back to stock predictions... I'm really sad to see what's become of Rite Aid. I know the chain is all but out of Florida as of the late 80's/early 90's, but not so in Michigan. In fact, a Rite Aid seems posted up against every Walgreens in Lansing. RAD spends big money in its mailers, stores are generally well-stocked, employees are nice too. Sadly, however, most Rite Aids don't have 1hr Photo and don't even process any film on site. Also, I yet to see a single RAD open 24hrs.

RAD is the nation's third largest drugstore chain and has acquired partial rights to GNC. Every Rite Aid store has a sizeable (3-5 aisle) section of GNC goods and therein may lie the problem.

GNC is still working a mid-to-late 90's sales strategy were bodybuilding & fitness goods are largely inflated and reduced by piecemeal "sales." Selling 2lbs of protein powder for $45-$50 is ridiculous. Walmart, Meijer, and even select Publix Supermarkets are selling whey, soy, & casein proteins for $20-25 per tub. Bodybuilding.com allows a customer to 5lbs of superior whey isolate protein to GNC's bulk whey concentrate for less money & includes shipping that has your tub by your door in 3 day via Fed-Ex/UPS.

While RAD turned heads by the buy, it's spend-spend-spend strategy has yet to give any results. Earlier this year the share traded at $4+, today it's at $0.99. "RAD" needs to step it up!

A Look From The Web

I'd like to commend both parties on one special detail - neither one has listed the FALL ELECTION DATES, just a minor detail you know...

Neither party has candidate profiles, although Orange & Blue has gone the extra distance to make hyperlinks - that lead to another page with the candidates name in larger font. If I were one of those candidates I'd tell all my friends and family about...but really.

GaYtor's page offers a lovely form letter by its powerless, figurehead president. It doesn't say much, but he gets to sign it. You can really tell Ryan Day has moved on, GaYtor's page looks like it was made by a Xanax abuser with Down Syndrome.

Seriously, I'm not advocating a return to Action'esque pages, but both parties have pages that look like they were made in cold-war-era East Germany. Talk about snoozers!

Orange & Blue's page openly challenges GaYtor's cheesy platform and speaks to its advances in chambers and on the campaign trail.

We're dealing with two different parties. One that's bold, hungry, & united - and - another that's broken, dying, & fledgling. Although you wouldn't know it from looking at these websites, lol.

---

1. Pants used YouTube; O&B could use YouTube.

2. Make a Page explaining What Gator has not done since Spring.

3. Online Voting

4. The Tasering (which is still news out there)

5. A whole page on the Conduct Rules issue, with quotes, photos, live audio

Just basic shit. Both party' pages seem to look like blogs. That's boring! You're not blogs, you're political parties.