Not everyone is in a holiday spirit this year.

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My goodness, don't you people in New York have any shame? Why are you still whining about the D-Jack run to end the Eagles Giants game last week? Stop it; it's almost Christmas for crying out loud! Not letting go after a heartbreaking loss is not what the Christmas spirit is about.

I know who probably won't be in the Christmas spirit this year; August Busch IV. My man might have some "splaining" to do:

"ST. LOUIS – For generations, the Busches of St. Louis were the first family of American beer-making, the city's most devoted boosters, and bearers of the most famous name in town. But they have also been touched by scandal, tragedy and allegations of reckless behavior.

Now the Busch name is in the headlines again, this time after an aspiring young model was found dead in the gated home of August Busch IV, the former Anheuser-Busch CEO and heir to the Budweiser fortune. The death is under investigation.

The woman, Adrienne Nicole Martin, was Busch's girlfriend and there was "absolutely nothing suspicious" about her death, said Busch's attorney, Art Margulis.

The 27-year-old woman was dead when police and paramedics responded to a 911 call from Busch's estate Sunday in Huntleigh, a wealthy St. Louis suburb. St. Louis County forensic administrator Suzanne McCune said there were no signs of trauma or illness, and an overdose was among the possible causes of death.

Busch IV, 46, joined the family business in the mid-1980s and worked his way up. He was chief of marketing when the brewer rolled out many of its most popular TV ads, including the Budweiser frogs.

When Busch IV took over as chief executive upon his father's retirement in 2006, Anheuser-Busch owned roughly half the U.S. beer market thanks to its two giant brands, Budweiser and Bud Light. Two years later, Anheuser Busch Cos. was sold to Belgian company InBev in a $52 billion deal that created the world's largest brewer.

With the merger, Busch IV turned out to be the last in a long line of Busches to run the company, whose roots dated to the mid-1800s. He is a member of the InBev board but no longer has any role in day-to-day operations.

"He had a reputation as a bit of a risk taker," said Terry Ganey, a veteran journalist who co-wrote the 1991 book "Under the Influence: The Unauthorized Story of the Anheuser-Busch Dynasty." `'That is demonstrated by the fact that he drove powerboats, motorcycles, jet planes and helicopters and participated in sports that could do him some physical harm. But as an executive, I think he operated in his father's shadow."

InBev maintained St. Louis as its U.S. headquarters after the merger, but many in St. Louis felt the region had lost an icon that rivaled the Gateway Arch and baseball's Cardinals — which used to be owned by the Busch family.

"Rightly or wrongly, it will always be recalled that he was the CEO when the company was sold," Ganey said.

Trouble seemed to follow Busch well before he got out of the family business.

In 1983, Busch IV, then a 20-year-old University of Arizona student, left a bar near Tucson, Ariz., with a 22-year-old woman. His black Corvette crashed, and the woman, Michele Frederick, was killed. Busch was found hours later at his home. He suffered a fractured skull and claimed he had amnesia. After a seven-month investigation, authorities declined to press charges, citing a lack of evidence. " [Article]

Oh oh August, it looks like "the ghost of Christmas past" might e coming back to haunt you.

Finally, there is one other person who is not in the holiday spirit; it's Renardo Sidney of the Mississippi State University basketball team. Renardo is not a good dude. Fighting your teammate in the stands at a holiday tournament? WTF? You two clowns embarrassed yourselves, the university, and your families.

Santa, please skip Renardo and Elgin's house tomorrow morning.

Holiday cheer!!

You all are going to have to hang with me for a little bit. I am going all Willie Nelson on you and going "on the road again." I am off the plantation but thanks to modern technology I can still do my thing. For the next week or so my posts will just come at some odd times, that's all.

Anyway, tis the season of giving, so I hope that you all, like me, are in a giving mood. (Amex, you are welcome.) The Malls are packed and Internet traffic is crawling at a snail's pace because of all the online shopping. (Aren't we supposed to be in a recession?) I guess Santa doesn't care who is president; little Johnny better have a gift from him under the tree come Saturday morning.

I am in the holiday spirit, because, in spite of what the naysayers will try to tell you, things ain't looking so bad here in the land of the [some are]free. The lame duck congress ain't looking so lame; no terror attacks; (knock on wood) the housing market looks like it's picking up; the stock market is up; violent crime and teen pregnancies are down; the unemployment rate is still not good but holding steady, and FOX NEWS ratings are down by almost double digits. Life is good!

Santa, you don't have to bring me anything this Christmas, you have already delivered.

SHOW THEM THE MONEY!

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I swear you white folks don't like to give us black folks money. Even when we earn it.

Come on FOX, break off *Gabe and Brittany. Stop splitting hairs and playing word games because you don't want to get up off your money.

Anyway, the gig is up, thanks to the Internet you all have been exposed:

"Think 'Deal Or No Deal' Is Too Brainy?" read Linda Holmes's headline Monday at NPR.org's Monkey See blog. "Try Fox's 'Million Dollar Money Drop.'" Now it seems the show's contestants might be quite a bit brainier than its producers.

In the "Drop" premiere episode Monday night, contestants Gabe Okoye and Brittany May decided to try their luck in the category "Inventions." Host Kevin Pollak asked them which product was first sold: the Macintosh computer, the Sony Walkman, or 3M's Post-It Notes. Okoye was confident that the answer was Post-Its. But was it?

According to the answer supplied to Pollak, Okoye was wrong (as, by extension, was the much more hesitant May). But late yesterday afternoon, Richard Lawson of Gawker.com expressed his doubts. Post-Its first started trickling into the marketplace as early as 1977 — so, earlier than the Sony Walkman, which debuted in 1979 (and not, as Okoye guesses on the show, in "the '90s").

Lawson has updated his original post with comment from personnel attached to the show: An unnamed rep for Fox says that producers contacted 3M to fact-check the question, and were told that Post-Its date from 1980, when they were first sold nationally. The phrasing of the question did not make the distinction of how widely available the products were, and it's reasonable for the show's producers to write their questions based on information supplied by the Post-It manufacturer.

With regard to the controversy, Jeff Apploff, the executive producer of "Million Dollar Money Drop," is standing firm, issuing this statement to Gawker today: "The integrity of the questions and answers on our show are our No. 1 priority. In this case, our research team spoke directly with 3M, and they confirmed that although they had given out free samples in test markets in 1977 and 1978, it wasn't until 1980 that Post-Its were sold in stores. Million Dollar Money Drop stands behind the answer that was revealed on the show." Unfortunate news for Okoye and May — but, given the product in question, it's fitting that the show should stick to its original answer." [Story]

Oh, they didn't SELL IT IN STORES. Lawd you white folks is tricky.

Finally, I have a quick question: Is Mignon Clyburn (I guess her parents loved a good steak) related to James Clyburn? I was just wondering. She is on the FCC regulatory panel and......never mind.

Haley, Rogerio, and the FCC.

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Who says Haley doesn't have Negro friends? There he is, right there, with a Negro.

Anyway, I am going to leave Haley alone tonight. He is what he is: a good ole boy from another time who happens to be still with us, and who holds a considerable amount of power and admiration from his fellow southern whites; members of his conservative gang; and certain black apologist here in A-merry-ca. Yes, he made a racial gaffe, but it was only a gaffe because he said it publicly. We all know that what he thinks he says privately, like so many folks in the majority population, (present company excluded of course) is much worse.

Folks in the National media are already writing off this latest little verbal faux pas and they are saying that it should not have any effect on his 2012 run. (I don't know who I want to come out of the republi-clown primary more; Haley or Sarah.) Good luck with your run Haley, you will be just fine.

Hold up, did I read the following headline correctly?:

"MAN KILLS BRIDE, BEST MAN, SELF AT WEDDING."

Yes, I think I did.

"RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- A bridegroom fatally shot his new wife, his best man and then himself after announcing to horrified guests that he had a "surprise" for them, authorities said Monday.

Witnesses reported that 29-year-old Rogerio Damascena, a sales manager in Camaragibe, outside the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife, did not give any previous indication that anything was wrong at his wedding reception, police investigator Joao Brito said.
Brito would not speculate on a possible motive, saying family members were in shock and he had not interviewed them yet.

Brito did say the killings are believed to be premeditated because of the groom's announcement and because he had hidden a gun in his father's pickup truck.

Twenty-five-year-old bride Renata Alexandre Costa Coelho and best man Marcelo Guimaraes were both killed in Saturday's murder-suicide. A brother of the bride was treated at a hospital and released.

The website Globo.com quoted a sister of the bride who left before the shootings as saying she didn't believe it was a crime of passion.

"My sister was a wonderful person who loved and wanted to be loved," Lucia Helena Coelho was quoted as saying.

"He was happy, she was happy, the party was beautiful. His family adored her and doesn't understand this," Coelho told Globo.com. "He revealed himself as a sociopath who fooled the entire family and killed his best friend, who was ... the best man."'

Maybe the poor guy was a New York Giants fan.

Finally, I see that the FCC passed some form of "net neutrality" rules today. I am still not sure how I feel about this latest move on the part of the feds. I know that wingnuts are against it so it can't be all bad, but then there are some folks I respect who are on opposite sides of this particular issue.

I should really care more and do a better job of educating myself about this subject because I stay on the Internet. I have been sitting on the sidelines and letting other folks fight this particular battle because, quite frankly, a lot of this stuff goes right over my head. But I am getting better thanks to some really smart folks on this subject who keep me in the know.

Still, It looks like his O-ness and his people had some kind of compromise (What else is new?) and decided on the something is better than nothing approach.

We will see.

What's a little civil rights between friends?

Today is the 150th Anniversary of the first secession from our great Union. South Carolina holds the honors. And, to commemorate that great day, they are holding a "Secession Gala" in Charleston. I wish I could be there.

"Organizers say the "Secession Gala" in Charleston tonight will commemorate the event as a show of courage in the face of encroachment by the federal government on state's rights. But some historians and civil rights groups are protesting the event as the glorification of a defense of slavery.

Dozens of Civil War buffs and Confederate reenactors are expected to attend the $100-a-head event, where they will sip mint juleps, nibble on Carolina crab dip and mingle to the tune of "Dixie" in the presence of the state's original Ordinance of Secession, signed in 1860." [Story]

Ahh come on. You "historians" and "civil rights groups" need to chill out. You are just jealous because you didn't get an invite.

I bet Haley Barbour was invited. My man Haley is considering a run for 2012, and he is already reaching out to minorities. He fondly remembers the days he kicked back and listened to MLK as a youngster in Yazoo City, (that doesn't even sound right) Mississippi.

"In an interview with the Weekly Standard's Andrew Ferguson, the GOP governor offers up some provocative comments about growing up in the racially charged deep South in the 1960s. By Barbour's account, things weren't "that bad" in his hometown of Yazoo City, Mississippi, which escaped some of the violence other nearby towns suffered during the civil rights movement.

"I just don't remember it as being that bad," Barbour, who was in high school at the time, tells Ferguson. "I remember Martin Luther King came to town, in '62. He spoke out at the old fairgrounds and it was full of people, black and white."

Barbour, who was 15 at the time, says he attended the rally because he wanted to hear what King had to say but ended up spending most of the time talking to his friends. "The truth is, we couldn't hear very well. We were sort of out there on the periphery. We just sat on our cars, watching the girls, talking, doing what boys do," Barbour tells Ferguson. "We paid more attention to the girls than to King."

Asked why Yazoo City was more peaceful than other parts of the South, Barbour offers credit to the Citizens Council, a controversial group that has been likened by its critics to the Ku Klux Klan. But Barbour says this critique is unfair and that the group actually cracked down on the KKK.

"In Yazoo City they passed a resolution that said anybody who started a chapter of the Klan would get their ass run out of town," Barbour says. "If you had a job, you'd lose it. If you had a store, they'd see nobody shopped there. We didn't have a problem with the Klan in Yazoo City."' [Article]

You tell em, Haley. Those kids getting their bones broken as their bodies were thrown against the concrete with fire hoses were all just thrill seeking. ----It's no worse than bungee jumping. Right Haley? And those civil rights workers who were hung not far from your hometown committed suicide. Right Haley? And those little girls that were blown to bits when bombs went off while they were worshiping with their families was not real. It was a PR stunt by a few trouble makers to garner sympathy for their [so called] civil rights movement.

"But Think Progress's Matthew Yglesias suggests Barbour is presenting a revisionist history on race, noting that historians have described the Citizens Council as a racist organization that also worked to intimidate people who signed on to NAACP petitions at the time. A Barbour spokesman defended Barbour's comments, telling TPMDC's Eric Kleefeld that Barbour was addressing "the business community in Yazoo City" and was not talking about the group's history as a movement."

Here we go again with those "historians" and other groups starting trouble.

Why does everything have to be about race with you people?

Dream on.

"The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you.”
~Tom Bradley~

You, as well as republi-clowns and wimpy dumb-ocratic poli-tricksters. They can kill your dreams as well. Especially if you are a child of immigrants.

How could someone block the path to citizenship for someone who has been in this country before they were 16 years old; lived in this country for at least five years; and served in the military or attended college? I thought these were exactly the types of immigrants we were looking for in this country.

The poor dumbocrats couldn't even hold their own together to get this done. Proving, once again, that some folks are dumbocrats in name only. I will give a pass to the republi-clowns, because I expect no better from them. They are who they are: Anti immigrant. Anti people. Anti progress. And, most important, short sighted.

"Americans love the underdog. Our culture is based upon coming from behind. We cheer the hero, who battles despite short odds, and defeats the bully. Republican Lindsey Graham was a bully in the Senate when he told students they were “wasting their time” because the most powerful country in the world had not sealed the border, so it was going to take it out on juvenile immigrants instead. He said they were playing a "Silly stupid game" aimed at turning Hispanics against Republicans, reported the SunTimes.com.

Clearly, after Republicans blocked hopes for comprehensive immigration reform for 2010, they could have saved the day by passing a token immigration bill called the Dream Act. Republicans refused, and launched a smear campaign against the Act, calling it Amnesty, something it clearly was not."

Lindsey, I hope that Hispanics remember how you republi-clowns reacted to this bill come election time.

"When it comes to immigration, our primary focus must remain on regaining the American people's trust by fully securing our borders that are threatened by emboldened and violent gangs, and fixing our broken immigration system," said Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, once a chief sponsor of the DREAM Act who now opposes the bill.

Senator, violent gang members are not in college or trying to serve in the military. But I am sure you don't care about that. You are too busy shoring up your ignorant bigoted base.

It's about time!

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It's nice to see that the US military can join the rest of us in the 21st century. "Don't ask don't tell" can finally be buried in the trash heap of history where it belongs. And please spare me the lecture about the camaraderie of men and women in the military being compromised because they have to serve with openly gay soldiers. I think we have been down this road before, and things didn't turn out so bad. I just wonder how many folks like Glenda Jones had to suffer before we finally got to this point.

Also tonight, I see that yet another mentally challenged business person is drawing attention to his business by letting his ignorance flow.

"The fuss over a sign in Alabama at an electronics store reading "BBQ PORK RESTURANT (sic) IS SAFEST NO MUSLIMS INSIDE" shocked its longtime owner who said he doesn't understand why it's such a big deal.

Electronic Repair Company owner Chuck Biddinger, who put up the sign last week, said he meant the message as a joke. But he said this sign, which has garnered national attention, has gotten more positive reaction than negative -- and he has no plans to apologize to anyone offended.

He told local television station ABC 33/40 that while it was meant as a lighthearted joke, it was true.

"Muslims do not eat pork," he told the television station. "It's a known fact that Muslims have tried to commit crimes in this country."

On Friday, Biddinger said he planned to take the sign down sometime soon, but hadn't quite had the time to do it -- and was still looking for something equally eye-catching. Signs outside his shop are changed every week, usually with jokes he receives via e-mail chains. " [Story]

Say Mr. Biddinger, did you hear the one about why black folks like Tylenol?

Finally, I am sure you are all familiar with Heidi Jones by now. Let's give Heidi some credit; at least she didn't say it was a black man who tried to rape her in Central Park. Heidi apparently realized the black man did it line is getting old, so she tried the next best thing: The Hispanic guy did it.

"NEW YORK (AP) — A meteorologist on ABC's local New York station was suspended Wednesday after police said she made up claims she was assaulted in Central Park.

Heidi Jones of WABC–TV told police Nov. 24 that a man had tried to rape her a month earlier as she ran in Central Park. She said the same person harassed her outside her apartment Nov. 21 at 7:50 a.m.

Police investigated, speaking to possible witnesses and canvassing the area for a person matching description she gave of her alleged attacker: a stocky, Hispanic man dressed in a black jean jacket and blue jeans, about 5 feet 9 inches tall. Police said Jones admitted fabricating the story when investigators went back to her to discuss the case.

She was given a desk appearance ticket for false reporting, which is akin to a traffic violation and does not require the suspect be taken into custody. The charge is a misdemeanor and she was scheduled to appear in court Jan. 15. If convicted, she could face a year in prison and fines.

Jones' attorney, Paul Callan, told The Associated Press (News - Alert) that his client would plead not guilty to any charges.

"Ms. Jones has had a distinguished career as a broadcast journalist and urges all concerned to refrain from jumping to conclusions about the unproven charges against her being discussed in the press," Callan said.

Jones also fills in on "Good Morning America." WABC said Wednesday that Jones has been suspended pending an internal investigation. She worked previously in Billings, Mont., and Houston and has been with WABC for about five years.

She has a blog centered on running, where she talks about her love of the sport and her time spent running in Central Park and other locations. Her motto, according to the site, is "if you knew you wouldn't fail, what would you try?" (Story)

Excuse me counselor, I don't want to rain on your parade, but she admitted to fabricating the story. What type of "conclusions" are we jumping to here? That she lied about being assaulted? That's not too much of a leap when she actually said that she made it all up.

Oh well, she was given a "desk appearance" ticket. No harm no foul. She will cop a plea, pay a fine, and her career will take off thanks to all the publicity. My girl will be on the air doing weather in San Diego before you know it.

Isn't A-merry-ca great?

*Pic lifted from the Grio.