For everyone else, it’s a day to drink green beer, listen to bad amateurs attempting Irish folk music in loud, crowded bars, and eating way-too-salty corned beef & cabbage. And-I-love-it! Unfortunately, out here in Phoenix, we don’t do St. Patrick’s Day in either the same way (heck, the other company in this building is celebrating with green chili, for gawdsakes!) or with the same intensity they do back east, where every corner bar and local tavern in the Lowell-Dracut metroplex will be mobbed by pub-crawlers decked out in gaudy green clothing with shamrock tattoos stuck to their cheeks (or worse).

For the Goodboys, this is TRULY a high-holy day, where discussions about the July Goodboys Invitational tournament get underway in earnest. Without the traditional Executive Committee in place this year, I have no doubt Killer, El Dandito, Hit Dog and The Funny Guy will use this day to hammer out the general parameters and details of this year’s event over a couple-two-three drafts between haggard renditions of “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and jukeboxes blasting my own personal favorite, former Boston City Councilman Albert “Dapper” O’Neill’s “The Irish Belly Dancer”. Boys, I wish I could be there with ya…

For those interested in a more historical view of this day, Red State has an interesting read.

For you rabbit lovers out there (or if you hate them, but have kids who love them), my friend Dona has forwarded this item linking rabbits and the Easter Bunny for your enjoyment. Very cute. Thanks, Dona!

I don’t want to get into politics too much today, but I am pretty disgusted about Senate Republicans votes on the budget and “immigration reform”. From Senator Arlen Spector comes this especially galling quote (thanks, Red State):

“The Republican Party is now principally moderate, if not liberal!” exulted Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), after the Senate — including a majority of Republicans — approved his budget-busting amendment to spend an extra $7 billion on domestic programs.

I suspect in the days ahead, the Republican base and conservatives in general will finally realize just how out of touch their Senate representatives are in Washington. We can only hope fiscal restraint and a wake-up call on true immigration reform comes from the House. If it doesn’t, Republicans risk giving Democrats two important issues they can run to the center on in 2006 and 2008 that would all but guarantee an end to the Republican’s domination in Congress, perhaps even a change in the White House (think: Hillary Clinton).

And, thanks to the Arlen Specters of the world, they’d deserve it.