Happy Halloween to Sad Clemson Fan

Happy Halloween from PP to the sad Clemson fan in Atlanta. Keep that pumpkin-chin up, bro. You just need to beat Wake Forest to clinch your division. No problem. You've got it in "the bag". Right?

Remember Those Endangered Polar Bears?

Remember this?

“This is a watershed decision in the way this country deals with climate change. The science of global warming and the impact to polar bears are so clear that not even the Bush administration can deny that polar bears are threatened with extinction because of global warming.” U.S. lists polar bear as "endangered"; 2006

Well, it turns out that the polar bears are actually doing quite well these days. We actually have 5 times as many polar bears as we did fifty years ago. I know, you're shocked. Want me to blow your mind even more? Ok....

The guy who wrote the "scientific study" that led the U.S. government to put the polar bears on the endangered list with one report and undertake policies costing millions of dollars...was a bird expert.

Drowning polar bears made no sense since polar bears are sturdy swimmers. But then considering Jeffrey Gleason is an avian biologist, perhaps the researchers did not know that...Jeffrey Gleason now faces a lie detector test to determine his integrity, the London newspaper reported.

Delicious. In any event, the polar bears are ok. [H/T Instapundit]

Occupy Herbstreit

A loyal reader from Louisiana bring my attention to a movement that I think we can all get behind. I may have to crash the Occupy Columbia movement with a sign. Feel free to post suggestions in the comments.

At least student loans can be refinanced. There's no hope for the Big 10.

PETA Files Serious Lawsuit in Ninth Circuit

PETA has filed a lawsuit to stop a company from violating the 13th Amendment. That's right. Did you know that there is an evil corporation out there earning money through slavery? No more. PETA is going to stop this slavery.

The Plaintiffs were forcibly taken from their families and natural habitats, are held captive at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld Orlando, denied everything that is natural to them, subjected to artificial insemination or sperm collection to breed performers for defendants' shows, and forced to perform, all for defendants' profit," the lawsuit says, arguing that those conditions amount to enslavement and/or forced servitude.

That's horrible! How dare SeaWorld take people from their families and force them to breed and perform in shows. How has this gone unnoticed for so long! Where is the justice? Oh wait...you mean these guys are your Plaintiffs?

You know, sometimes I think PETA is a group that has the sole purpose of discrediting the animal rights movement by taking such outrageous positions that people otherwise inclined to be sympathetic to them are driven away. I mean really. The lawyer who represents these Orcas is a knuckle-head. Also, how does he know that the orcas wanted to bring this suit? Did he discuss this with them? Maybe they're happier hanging out in San Diego than in the North Sea. I mean, have you seen San Diego? It's really nice. How does he convey offers of settlement? If the case isn't dismissed, can we take some depositions? That would be fun.

If I were SeaWorld, I would offer to settle this case with an offer of free food for life and protection from other animals for all the Plaintiffs. Oh wait, they already have that now? Doh!

If the Court doesn't impose Rule 11 sanctions against the lawyer bringing this suit, the entire rule should be eliminated. The 13th Amendment only applies to people. Always has, always will. When it was adopted in 1865 these slaves were the main way that people got from place to place. Not slavery. There is no way you can even contort yourself into some kind of legal "knot" and say that it is even possible that this is a serious or legitimate lawsuit. If I were a judge hearing this, I would be annoyed that my time is being wasted when there are actual important things to do. Court is not a kid's game or a way to get your agenda some publicity.

Occupy Columbia: Day 11

Breaking Hard: Our PP reporter in the field sends us a picture from the Occupy Columbia protest movement as of 10/25.

As you can see, it's Day 11. There are a few people milling about on the right-front area of the statehouse steps, and they appear to have some camping gear. Perhaps they're in this for the long-haul. I'm still not 100% on what their demands are, but at this point, one of their demands ought to be for more protesters. They don't even have enough people to need a "people's microphone" yet, and that's one of the trademarks of the Occupy movement. Stay tuned to PP for all your Occupy Columbia news.

Scrooge McDuck on the Occupy Protests

Scrooge McDuck kind of has a point. If you want to be rich, go out and work for it. Also, he'll back you in a venture which could make you rich. Sounds pretty good to me.

True Colors to Be Revealed on Saturday?

Andy Demetra has a good article about the way losing a valuable member of a team exposes a team's true character.

An injury doesn't strip a team of an impact player, so much as it magnifies a team's true colors. Can you rally together? Do you have confidence in your ability to get the job done? Can you play with resolve and focus, and believe as tenaciously in your goals as you did before?

He discusses how the Gamecock baseball team rallied from losing three starting outfielders in a week to come together as a team that would ultimately win the NCAA Championship. If the Gamecock football team can take a page from that book and win the next three games, it would certainly be a season for the storybooks. Lattimore won't be in Knoxville with the team on Saturday, but you know that his work ethic will be there, pushing everyone to be the best they can be. Connor Shaw will have a chance to rally the team and put his stamp on the season.

The baseball team did it last year, with all the injuries: Bradley, Marzilli, Matthews, and Walker. The question on everyone's mind is: Can the Gamecocks win anyway?

One Actual Merger and One Potential Merger (Tea Party and #Occupy)

Via The State, the two groups will be meeting in Columbia.

 I'm not sure what their "exit strategy" is. Are they just going to stand around until....what exactly? Also, I thought this Venn Diagram was pretty accurate:

I think we can all agree on the middle statement. Who's ready for the Tea Party and the #Occupy movement to merge! That would be fun.

Man Arrested for Intent to Steal Burrito

For everyone who liked the taco for ID story, we have another one. In other Mexican food/crime, we have this.

No word on the status of the tempting burrito, but you know, they are delicious.

.45 vs. 9mm

Even Bugs and Daffy can't agree.

I like my 9mm because it's not as expensive every time I burn through two boxes at the range. The expensive Corbon JHP's are what go in the mag when it's not on the range.

President's Teleprompters Stolen!

Ok, which one of you did this? The authorities are looking for the people who stole the President's stuff. You know the Secret Service and the local police must be really embarrassed. How hard is it to guard a truck full of the President's A/V equipment?

Sources said inside that vehicle was about $200,000 worth of sound equipment, several podiums and presidential seals, behind which only the President himself can stand.

I think the Secret Service should take a page out of my parents' playbook and say: "If you put it back, we won't be mad." However, I doubt they will do that. Someone is going to get either fired or assigned to writing parking tickets for the rest of their career.

Maybe the thieves will try to unload the stuff on the next episode of "Pawn Stars".

Nice South Carolina-Made Knives

Quintin Middleton is making some really nice knives in South Carolina's lowcountry. He's also doing it the old-fashioned way - by hand. If you're looking for that perfect gift for the South Carolina chef who seemingly has "everything"; you can never have too many good knives.

I like this 8" Chef Knife:

 

[H/T Garden &Gun]

#OccupyColumbia

So, we've got about 75 people sleeping on the front lawn of the capital here in Columbia. Awesome. Why are they there? Are they upset about unemployment? Are they upset about our foreign policy? Or maybe it's one of those controversial social issues like abortion or gay marriage.

The protesters are part of demonstrations taking place across the country that criticize the influence of corporate money in politics, tax policies that favor the wealthy and policies that don’t show good stewardship of natural resources. -The State

 Well, isn't that special. Let's take these three issues in turn:

1. The influence of corporate money in politics. Corporations are groups of people working together to make money. They donate money to candidates who support their agenda. This has happened since the dawn of democracy. It's not a new phenomenon. Read your history books, kids. If you don't like it, you're not going to get very far by protesting the corporations. They should be protesting at Capitol Hill and at the White House.

It's like this. If you have a friend who drinks too much, you don't go protest the liquor store for selling him booze. You try to convince your friend not to drink too much. There's always going to be someone who will sell him alcohol. It's the same thing with money in politics. If you don't like it, hold the politicians accountable. They are the ones you vote for, not the donors. Finally, if you're really upset about the contributions of big Wall Street banks, guess who the #1 recipient of money from Goldman Sachs is? Also, if you don't like the bank bailouts, maybe you should join the TEA Party, bro.

2. Tax policies that favor the wealthy. Currently, our main federal tax system is based on your income. The more you earn, the higher your marginal rate. However, the tax code is full of deductions, loopholes, and exemptions that are the result of the government trying to encourage or discourage certain types of behavior. Example: The government wants people to own homes (for some reason) so they encourage it by making your mortgage interest deductible. Same with having kids, same with donating to charities, and so on and so on....If you don't like this system of taxation, what do you propose? Simply raising the marginal rates? That's not really going to change much since you'll still have the swiss cheese of the deductions and exemptions. If you really want to change the system, you need to make the tax code simple.

3. Policies that don't show good stewardship of natural resources. All three of these points are broad, but this point is really vague. I'm not sure what they're upset about. Are they upset that the internal combustion engine is the most efficient way to power a car? Are they upset that America is too large and spread out for efficient mass-transportation? Are they upset that the wind doesn't blow all the time, or that it's not sunny all the time, making wind and solar pie-in-the-sky ideas at this point? We have an EPA that seems more worried about CO2 levels than anything else. Also, what does Wall Street have to do with this? Doesn't the guy over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have a small role on what America does as far as natural resources are concerned? I think you're protesting the wrong people, bro.

The Truth About Railroads

Our President likes to invoke the greatness of America building the intercontinental transcontinental railroad to make the case for government spending. Here's a look at the reality of the government's spending on railroads through our history.

The transcontinental railroad lost tons of money. The government never covered its costs, and most rail lines that used the tracks went bankrupt or continued to be subsidized by taxpayers. The Union Pacific and Northern Pacific -- all those rail lines we learned about in history class -- milked the taxpayer and then went broke. One line worked. The Great Northern never went bankrupt. It was the railroad that got no subsidies.

Read the whole thing.

Friday Happy Hour (OctoberFest Edition)

It's October. Yes, you can haz Octoberfest.

Jesse Jackson Jr. Isn't Worried About the Constitution

Jesse Jackson, Jr. has been doing some serious thinking. He's decided that since the GOP is not in agreement with the President's economic plan (the Jobs Act) that our President should do something dramatic.

Jesse Jackson, Jr. told The Daily Caller on Wednesday that congressional opposition to the American Jobs Act is akin to the Confederate “states in rebellion.” Jackson called for full government employment of the 15 million unemployed and said that Obama should “declare a national emergency” and take “extra-constitutional” action “administratively” — without the approval of Congress — to tackle unemployment. “I hope the president continues to exercise extraordinary constitutional means, based on the history of Congresses that have been in rebellion in the past,” Jackson said. “He’s looking administratively for ways to advance the causes of the American people, because this Congress is completely dysfunctional.”

As a threshold issue, simply disagreeing on economic policy and refusing to vote one way on a bill is not "akin" to rebellion. It's just a disagreement. We have them all the time. Rebellions are done with weapons and seek to overthrow authority. The two things are not even in the same ballpark - they're not even the same sport.

“President Obama tends to idealize — and rightfully so  — Abraham Lincoln, who looked at states in rebellion and he made a judgment that the government of the United States, while the states are in rebellion, still had an obligation to function,” Jackson told TheDC at his Capitol Hill office on Wednesday.

Ok, to make sure I understand this correctly, Jesse Jackson, Jr. is saying that Congress disagreeing with the President is the same as states attempting to secede from the Union? That's just stupid. Our government is functioning. Part of the system of the government is that people can't just force their ideas through...you know....checks and balances...that basic stuff we learned in Civics class. And now for the crowning stupidity:

“On several occasions now, we’ve seen … the Congress is in rebellion, determined, as Abraham Lincoln said, to wreck or ruin at all costs. I believe … in the direct hiring of 15 million unemployed Americans at $40,000 a head, some more than $40,000, some less than $40,000 — that’s a $600 billion stimulus. It could be a five-year program. For another $104 billion, we bailout all of the states … for another $100 billion, we bailout all of the cities,” he said.

Several occasions?  The Civil War was one time we had a rebellion. When exactly were the others? If you know of any, don't be shy...just shout it out. In any event, on with the stupid. So! We're going to "directly hire" (whatever that means) 15 million people and pay them about $40k each. Awesome. What exactly are we going to hire them to do? Do you just fill out an application? How many people who make less than $40k in some job are going to quit that job to become "unemployed" and eligible for this awesome new program? Maybe you even get some people who make the same amount, but are working harder for it than our government is going to make them work. What then?

Also, where is this $600 billion going to come from? I don't think we have a ton of money just laying around. And we're going to do this for five years? This is the dumbest idea I've ever heard. Really. Ever. Oh, and to top it all off, he's acknowledging that this is unconstitutional, but we should just do it anyway...because it's real important.

Jesse Jackson, Jr. should resign.

Caption Contest Winner

Can you do better?

You see Elizabeth? These are fish. We go out on boats and use nets to catch them. We bring them back and pack them in ice and sell them. Its called working for a living. Maybe someday you will do the same.

[Via Instapundit]

Drunk Man Uses Taco as ID

Ok, who hasn't done this at some point, right?

A deputy awoke Falkner and then asked for his ID. Falkner said no before reaching into his bag and presenting the officer with a taco. Another deputy clarified they were asking for an ID, not a taco.

In all fairness, in some parts of Southwest Texas, I believe a taco does pass for a form of identification.
[H/T to Ace's sidebar]

Michael Roth's Thoughts on Garcia and Being a Student-Athlete at South Carolina

Michael Roth, who is not only a great baseball player, but more importantly has great character, shares his thoughts on being a student-athlete at USC both on the field and off.

As athletes we have the opportunity to define the legacy we leave behind. This doesn’t just end with our performance on the field but our performance off of it.   I’m not asking you to be perfect.  We are going to screw up but life is about learning from those mistakes.

Indeed.

So What's up with the Occupy Wall Street/We are the 99% Folks

So, you may have heard of the "Occupy Wall Street" thing that has been going on up in NYC. What's up with that? I took a quick look around on their website, and it appears they are protesting to restore democracy. In their own words:

Occupy Wall Street is a horizontally organized resistance movement employing the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to restore democracy in America. We use a tool known as a people's assembly to facilitate open, participatory and horizontal organizing between members of the public. We call ours the NYC General Assembly and we welcome people from all colors, genders and beliefs to participate in our daily assemblies.

Ok, Mr. Cool Guy, you're standing around in the street to "restore democracy"? Good luck with that. The last time I checked, you just vote every once in a while, and it's all good. Also, they keep using the phrase "We are the 99%" to differentiate themselves from the 1% who are....evil or something. Anyway, the evil 1% of people are keeping 99% of the people down because...ummm...that's what the 1% do. You know, evil stuff. Think sharks with freakin' laser beams on their heads.

Anyway, I ran across a 99%'er posting this:

"I graduate college in 7 months with a “useless” degree in Classical Studies. I have worked very hard and am on track to graduate with highest Latin honors. I am in a Greek organization with many volunteer hours under my belt.
MY JOB PROSPECTS?
0
I am one of the lucky ones, but I am still the 99%.
Welcome to the American nightmare."

OK! This person is going to graduate from college in the spring. Good for them, right? Not so fast my friend! They're going to graduate with a degree in "Classical Studies" with "highest Latin Honors" which the evil 1% of America doesn't value. So who forced this poor soul to major in Classical Studies? Oh, you mean they chose to do this? Why would they do this? Really, who majors in "Classical Studies" and then complains about not getting a job? That's a...how do I put this.... classical major for people who aren't going to immediately go out and get a job. I would be really interested to know where this person applied for jobs.

Getting to the real fun: Who is to blame here? Well, I guess we could blame the University for leading you down the primrose path of having you study whatever you want without advising you that being a Classical Studies major isn't going to impress anyone. Maybe you should have thought more about that expensive college degree you were buying, and what the point of getting it was. Were you going to college to just "check a box" on your life's to-do list?

So what does this classical studies major event want? I don't really know. I guess they want the government to take money from people like me (the gainfully employed) and give it to them because they failed to get a job. The key thing here is that this person is college educated but still isn't capable of taking the responsibility for their own actions.

Time to learn how to take people's dinner orders, bro. Maybe you can write their orders down in Latin.

[Update: Welcome, readers from The Well-Trained Mind!]

#TeamGarcia is No More

So, Garcia is officially done. I'm sad it had to end this way. He had some great wins while he was here and helped bring the program to where it is. In the end, I think his story will be more of a "what if..." than anything else. Thanks for the memories, you ol' swashbuckler.

Senseless Double-Homicide in Baton Rouge

This past Saturday, Florida was the victim of a brutal double-homicide, in which not only was the Gators' chance at an SEC Eastern Championship killed, but the Gator egos were left dead floating in a Louisiana bayou. Local authorities are looking for this man. If you see him, please contact law enforcement. Do not approach him, as he is considered armed and awesome.

As an initial matter, Permanent Press approves of anything that mocks/humiliates the Florida Gators. Yes, this was taunting, and by the letter of the new rule, the penalty forced the resulting touchdown to be called back. This rule doesn't really make sense to me. First, was there a rash of player taunting on the way to the end-zone last year that I wasn't aware of? Second, just enforce it on the PAT or kickoff, bro. Let the players have a little fun, you're not paying them, so you might as well let them show off a little.
[H/T to EDSBS for the photo]

Hank Williams Jr. and ESPN

Jeff Goodwyn brings this to my attention in a Letter to the Editor format.

I am writing in response to ESPN’s pulling Hank Williams, Jr.’s opening performance from Monday Night Football for commenting that a golf outing with Barak Obama and John Boehner is like Hitler golfing with Netanyahu.  This is a good illustration of how hypersensitive the public has generally become of the mere mention of a potentially offensive topic and how institutions are willing to fire the speaker regardless of whether or not what was said was actually derogatory toward anyone.  The joke would have been perfectly acceptable if he had said that an Obama/Boehner golf outing would be like Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker golfing together.  While people are rightfully angered by Hitler’s persecution of the Jews, Mr. Williams’ comment can in no way be rationally interpreted as him showing support for Hitler or him comparing Obama to Hitler as some suggested.  He was simply trying to provide and extreme example to illustrate how far apart Obama and Boehner are politically by suggesting that their relationship compares to that of well known arch enemies.  Unfortunately, I think it is now safe to say that the H word is a forbidden term for people in the public light unless you are explaining how horrible his crimes were.  I would like to think that ESPN would have the spine to say that while they wish Mr. Williams would have used Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker instead of Hitler and Netanyahu, Mr. Williams didn’t actually make any derogatory or offensive comments toward anyone or any group and were therefore standing by him.  As unfortunate as it is, it appears as if cries of being offended, regardless of whether or not they are rational, still prevail over what is right and fair.  Many people including me will miss Hank’s introduction to Monday Night Football and especially so knowing that he was fired for no good reason.

I agree. I can't believe ESPN was surprised that he said something like this. When I heard they fired him, I thought: "Have you not met Hank Williams, Jr.?"

Greed.

Happy Columbus Day!

A history of Columbus Day in the USA is here. Lots of people like to downplay Columbus' voyage by saying that the Vikings were here first, that he found America by "accident", or that he was an evil conqueror who brought disease to the native Americans.

For anyone who wants to discount what Columbus did, I have one question for you: Have you discovered anything at all? I didn't think so. So shut it. Columbus undertook a hazardous voyage and brought the new world to the forefront of the European mind. What have you done lately?

Also, Instapudit has some similar thoughts and a book recommendation.

David Allan Coe Sings About Missouri Joining the SEC

This is really just too funny not to post. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
[H/T: EDSBS]

For the heathen among you, it's a parody of this song.

Conservative White Males Are Less Likely To Believe in Global Warming

The NYT has an article about why people like me are skeptical of global warming.

To test for the trend amongst conservative white males, the researchers compared the demographic to "all other adults." Results showed, for instance, that 29.6 percent of conservative white males believe the effects of global warming will never happen, versus 7.4 percent of other adults. In holding for "confident" conservative white males, the study showed 48.4 percent believe global warming won't happen, versus 8.6 percent of other adults. 

My thoughts:

1. Maybe conservative white males are more skeptical of things in general (especially if it's the government telling us something).

2. Why are the liberal white guys less skeptical? Duh. Doesn't it seem that by controlling for political ideology, it would be more interesting? Obviously conservative folks would be skeptical of a liberal theory, right?

3. The NYT uses the words "skeptical" and "denial" almost as synonyms. They do not mean the same thing. As a famous man once said, "I do not think it means what you think it means".

As to my particular views:

Is global warming possible? Sure, most anything is possible.

Is global warming man made? I highly doubt it.

Is global warming even necessarily a bad thing? Unsure.
Will it end life as we know it on this planet? Definitely not.
Will life adapt to changing climatic conditions that may, or may not occur? Definitely.

The Wonder Years is Now Streaming on Netflix

Winning.

Star Wars Pictures via Legos

I think this is pretty cool if only for the fact that I appreciate the photography skills. A taste:

(Yes, I'm a dork, but you probably already knew that).

[H/T to Gabe at Ace's Site]

No. 1 County in South Carolina for DUI and My Thoughts on Federalism

Kershaw County is getting some help from the Feds in stopping DUI.  One interesting tidbit is that Kershaw County is the worst county in South Carolina for this particular crime. I didn't know that, and I wouldn't have guessed it. I'm not sure what's going on out in Kershaw County, but apparently, it's not good.

The Feds are stepping up with some money for some additional cops. I'm not against more police officers out stopping people for DUI, but isn't this a local problem? The SC Highway Patrol says they don't have the resources due to "budget cuts". Ok, so what are they spending their money on? What else is Kershaw spending their money on? I bet you that there is waste in the system that can be cut so we can get more actual experienced officers on the street keeping us all safe. Or maybe I'm completely wrong.

What's On the Grill?

This looks delicious. I may do this over the weekend. Fall weather is here!

What New Gun Should I Buy?

To celebrate the birth of my firstborn son, I have decided to purchase a new firearm. I'm leaning towards a second pistol, but a good rifle is always a nice hand-me-down. I've already got a good quality shotgun that will be his someday so dad can get another one. Any suggestions?