Senator Schumer Tackles Serious Problem: Grill Brushes

So, let's say you're a United States Senator. Maybe you're from the great state of New York. The economy is stagnant, unemployment is high, the US doesn't have a budget, and Europe is imploding. What important topic should you address first?

George Bush Returns to White House

Today, George W. Bush will be heading back to the White House for his portrait unveiling. Since President Obama has blamed President Bush for the unemployment rate, the housing market crash, the pollution levels, Iraq, Iran, Russia, terrorism in general, mosquitos, sunburns, and pretty much everything wrong in the world, I'm sure that this day won't be awkward at all.

I'm sure they'll play nice today. Right?

Caption This

Six More Family Court Judges On the Way

Normally, I view additional government spending with a healthy dose of skepticism. However, even as someone who extols the virtues of fiscal restraint, I can absolutely say that we need more judges here in South Carolina.

Finally, the State Legislature has realized that South Carolina needs more judges to help manage the rising caseload here in the Palmetto State. Today, the SC Senate passed a bill approving the creation of six new family court judges and three new circuit court judges; nine in total.

This has been long overdue. South Carolina has the fewest number of judges per population and more than twice the national average of case filings per judge. Each year, Justice Toal tells the legislature these facts in her State of the Judiciary Report.

As a practicing lawyer here in South Carolina, I can tell you that wait times for hearings are longer than they need to be. I do a fair amount of family court work, and I do it throughout the state. Some counties run a tight ship, and others are an absolute nightmare.

In a certain county, in family court, just to get a hearing scheduled, not heard, can take up to six months. That's insane. I know the wheels of justice are slow, but six months to get a hearing scheduled means the wheels of justice have fallen off. If you want to get the dockets moving, you have to have more people available to get the cases disposed of. Alternative dispute resolution (mediation) has taken some pressure off the court, but you cannot force people to agree. Sometimes, especially in family court, you have to have an adjudication.

These new judges need to be assigned to the counties in South Carolina that have seen the population grow the most since the last judges were added. As a conservative, I am normally loathe to grow the size of government, but this is actually a legitimate need. I applaud the move to add new judges. The judiciary we have is comprised of some great people, but they're downing in the current workload.

Now, the next step is to get the South Carolina state courts to go to an e-filing system modeled after the Federal System. Automatic discovery and scheduling orders to push parties along is what keeps the Federal Court system moving. Time to get modern, South Carolina.

College World Series Field of 64 Released

The NCAA released the field of 64 for the 2012 College World Series. The full .PDF bracket is here, and the interactive, updating bracket is here. The South Carolina Gamecocks are one of the top eight national seeds, so they can host a Super-Regional if they survive and advance out of the Columbia Regional. To do so, they will need to get past Manhattan, Coastal Carolina, and Clemson.

A few friends of mine were moping around when they found out that Clemson was in our Regional. They are so worried that Clemson is going to come into Carolina Stadium and stop the Gamecocks from advancing to the Super-Regional. They are worried that Clemson will be looking for revenge, and will be too much to handle.

Hey y'all...the games are being played here in Columbia. We're the #1 seed. We haven't lost to Clemson in the post-season in years. We have Clemson worried. They don't want to see us. The Clemson fans should be the ones thinking "Oh crap, we have to go to Columbia and play the Gamecocks." Stop all this negativity; it's crap.

Let the Clemson fans worry about us.

Via @JustinKing224:

I will be in Alabama helping my in-laws move this weekend, but thankfully the games will be on ESPNU.

Memorial Day: Pointe-Du-Hoc

This is probably one of the most moving speeches that President Reagan ever gave. In the Normandy invasion, a group of US Army Rangers scaled sheer cliffs under merciless enemy fire from above. Today, we remember their sacrifice, and the sacrifice of all those both before and after them. If you haven't heard this speech, you need to make some time. If you have, you'll probably want to hear it again today.

These are the boys of Pointe-du-Hoc:

Clemson to Offer Swinney a Six-Year Deal

Per ESPN's Joe Shad, it looks like the Clemson Tigers are going to go "All In" for Dabo Swinney and give him a six year deal. Even with Clemson's ACC title last year, I'm a little surprised that Clemson is giving him six years.

Swinney has a record of 25-10 over three full seasons, and he's had some big wins (and a title), but I'm just not sold on him. I also know plenty of Tiger fans who aren't 100% sold on Swinney.

But hey, I'm a Gamecock Fan, so if Clemson wants to roll the dice and write a big check for six years...that's cool with me. I love that he gets really fired up when Spurrier whoops his team's ass, and I'm looking forward to year number four and the ensuing Swinney press conference.

Oh, and just for fun, let's listen to this again (skip to 1:50 mark):

Oh, Dabo...I hope you never leave Clemson.

Memorial Day 2012: Arlington National Cemetery

If you haven't been to Arlington National Cemetery, it's something you should put on your to-do list. The property was confiscated by the United States during the Civil War when Robert E. Lee (the owner) didn't show up in person to pay his property taxes. (I think he was otherwise occupied)

Since then, Arlington National Cemetery has become one of the most hallowed places in the United States. When you visit, the tone is much more somber and subdued than even the other war memorials around the DC area.

The Tomb of the Unknowns is probably the most famous area, but there is much more to Arlington. Kennedy's gravesite, with the eternal flame is there, and there is also a plethora of monuments and memorials to battles and other events. Arlington National Cemetery captures a truly special note of the history of the United States.

However, the Tomb of the Unknowns is famous for a reason. It is guarded 24 hours a day, every day, all year, no matter what. During the fall and winters the guard is changed every hour. In the spring and summer, they change the guard every half hour. From the official website:

The Tomb Guard marches 21 steps down the black mat behind the Tomb, turns, faces east for 21 seconds, turns and faces north for 21 seconds, then takes 21 steps down the mat and repeats the process. After the turn, the sentinel executes a sharp "shoulder-arms" movement to place the weapon on the shoulder closest to the visitors to signify that the sentinel stands between the Tomb and any possible threat. Twenty-one was chosen because it symbolizes the highest military honor that can be bestowed -- the 21-gun salute.

Here's the full ceremony:

Professor Walter Edgar Retires

Professor Walter Edgar is retiring.

History has always been one of my favorite subjects. Its like listening to story-time. Edgar was one of the best story-tellers around. He was the kind of Professor who really makes the past come alive, and he had the amazing ability to go over even the most well-trod paths and find something new.

His final public lecture before he becomes professor emeritus will be delivered on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in USC’s Belk Auditorium to the national meeting of The Historical Society, a Boston University organization. The title of his talk, appropriately enough, is a subject near to Edgar’s heart: “Whose History is it Anyway? Reaching Real People.”

You know the people that have forgotten more about a subject that most people will ever know? That's Professor Edgar. He's one of the best. Hopefully, his retirement is simply the end of a chapter, and his story isn't over.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/27/2291753/at-usc-edgar-is-history.html#storylink=cpy

Alleged Rape Victim Admits to Lying

The intrepid Will Vereen brings this story to our attention. It's a classic story: Boy meets girl. Girl accuses boy of rape. He's charged and pleads guilty to avoid what would have been a "he said - she said" rape trial, where if convicted, he would have faced up to 41 years.

So, after the boy spends five years in jail, the girl gets $1.5 Million in a civil suit. THEN the girl admits to making the whole thing up. Pretty good deal for the girl, especially considering that she didn't actually get raped. Not so great for the boy, though. He spent five years in jail, misses out on his college football career, and oh yeah, HE SPENT FIVE YEARS IN JAIL.

Oh, and by the way, there's no charges pending against the lying liar of a girl who started this whole process in motion. Tar and feathers would be too good for her.

Piracy Law Update: 4th Circuit Decision on "Piracy"

Ahoy, me hearties! The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has just released an opinion defining "piracy". It includes acts of violence even if there is no robbery. Full opinion here.

According to the defendants, the crime of piracy has been narrowly defined for purposes of § 1651 as robbery at sea, i.e., seizing or otherwise robbing a vessel. Because they boarded the Nicholas only as captives and indisputably took no property, the defendants contest their convictions on Count One, as well as the affixed life sentences.

The Court didn't buy it, holding:

We also agree with the district court that the definition of piracy under the law of nations, at the time of the defendants’ attack on the USS Nicholas and continuing today, had for decades encompassed their violent conduct.

That means you can't just attack someone's vessel, run them through with your cutlass (or shoot them with your AK-47), and then hope to go free just because you didn't steal anything.

Shiver me timbers!

New Gamecock Football Video for 2012

What Happens After History?

If this doesn't get you excited for college football, you don't like football.

New Credit Card Parking Meters Coming to Columbia

PROGRESS: Columbia to get new credit-card parking meters. I'm pleasantly surprised that Columbia will be taking a step forward with getting these new meters. It will make it more convenient for people like me who rarely carry around rolls of quarters.

War on Women...By Other Women

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Honestly, this kind of gave me the creeps to watch. There are certainly people I don't like, but I'm never going to hit a pinata with their face on it. I can't even fathom doing it. Can you imagine the stories if it had been a man hitting this?

But I guess this is the new civility we've been hearing so much about, right?

College World Series Field Projection 5/21/12

The NCAA Men's College World Series gets underway on June 15, 2012. The only thing left between the start of the Regionals (the first round) are the individual conference tournaments. If you're interested in seeing who's in and who's out, check out Chasing Omaha. They do a great job at breaking down all the teams.

To sum it up for those too lazy to click the link, South Carolina is on the bubble for being a top eight national seed, which would guarantee home field advantage all the way to Omaha. Also of note, my law school alma mater, Valparaiso, looks like they may make the tourney.

Notre Dame Files Suit Against HHS Regulation

The University of Notre Dame has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Obama Administration's Department of Health and Human Services. The University claims that the federal government of the United States does not have the power to force it to provide for or pay for services (birth control) that violates its own conscience.

“We do not seek to impose our religious beliefs on others; we simply ask that the government not impose its values on the university when those values conflict with our religious teachings,” University of Notre Dame President Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C., said in a May 21 letter.

I'm honestly surprised that Obama is fighting this battle. I know he is going to try and spin this as a "war on women" but the funny thing about Court is that Judges don't really put up with "spin". They kind of have this hang-up for legal arguments. HHS is going to lose this suit. They cannot force a religious group to violate their beliefs. It doesn't matter what those beliefs are. If you doubt me, I would refer you to this.

Talk about shaking down the thunder. Notre Dame is stepping right into the center of what is going to be a very controversial issue, but that's what people do over matters of conscience and principle.

I wonder how Notre Dame is feeling about awarding Obama that honorary degree now.

Thanks for the degree, suckers. 

New Week: Still Smelling Fresh

It's Monday! Welcome back from the weekend. The week is so new, it still has the classic "new week" smell to it - is smells like a man. Or maybe it's the new candle line from Yankee Candle Company, with new "men" smells.

It may come as a shock to some of y'all, but I'm not really into candles. Apparently, in an effort to break into the demographic of 18-35 (which I still am a member of), the Yankee Candle Company is trying to come up with manly candles. Newsflash to candle manufactures: all candles are kind of girly.

Oh, and if you name your candle "Man Town" I think you're going to get an altogether different demographic. Just sayin'.

Enjoy Your Weekend

Open blog all weekend. I'll be back on Monday. Cheers!

Great Southern Men

Some cool old photos.

The Importance of the Rose Bowl

Rachel Bachman likes the Rose Bowl. How much does she like it? Apparently, she likes the Rose Bow so much that she is advocating for the Big Ten and the Pac 12 to secede from the NCAA (and form their own little football league) in the face of a playoff system, because a playoff system might hurt the prestige of the Rose Bowl. How quaint.

I like the Rose Bowl, too. It has a great tradition. But let's be serious here. If the Big Ten and the Pac 12 decided to leave the rest of the college football world, literally taking their ball and going home, they're going to be missed. But not that much.

They need to renew their vows and pledge themselves to serve the greater glory of the best thing about college football: the Rose Bowl.

The Rose Bowl is great, but it isn't the "best thing about college football". It's one piece of the puzzle. There's so much that's great about college football, you could abolish the Rose Bowl today, and college football would survive. You would still have Army/Navy game, Notre Dame's Irish Guard, Alabama would still have the Bear, Florida would still have memories of Spurrier, Clemson and Carolina would still be feuding, Texas would still have Bevo and huge egos, Ole Miss would still have the Grove, and that's just to name a few. I could go on all day. College football is bigger than one bowl game: even the Rose.

So what would happen if the Big Ten and the Pac 12 packed it in to save their precious Rose Bowl?

The Rose Bowl would become a joke. It would be HEY THERE'S A PLAYOFF SYSTEM, and "Oh yeah, they still have the Rose Bowl". Rather than be part of the system, the Rose would be all alone. The Big Ten and the Pac 12 can say goodbye to getting any good recruits, they can say goodbye to the millions of dollars that come from the TV deals revolving around the new playoff system, and they can say goodbye to legitimacy in the college football world. This may be news to Ms. Bachman, but the TV networks don't care about basking in the greater glory of the Rose Bowl. They care about basking in the greater glory of MONEY. It's all about the money.

Also, I don't accept the premise that the playoff system would diminish the Rose Bowl. I went to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando last year to watch my Gamecocks trounce the Cornhuskers. It didn't bother me that there were other games to be played later that would determine the champion. Having a playoff system won't really marginalize any other bowls to the extent they aren't already marginal games anyway. In fact, we should probably eliminate some bowl games. (PapaJohns.com Bowl, I'm looking in your direction.)

I'm not sure what Ms. Bachman thinks she knows about college football, but she's seriously misguided. Seceding from the larger union of college football would have disastrous effects on the Big Ten, the Pac 12, and the Rose Bowl. Let's all get on the same page and get a playoff system. And maybe we can toss in relegation. That would be fun.

Lawyer Dog On Stand Your Ground Laws

Maybe we'll get into the Martin/Zimmerman case later. Lawyer dog has been busy researching the news, though. If you have any legal troubles, feel free to write in to Lawyer Dog. He's always looking for new clients.

Summer-Time Skills: Trailer Your Boat

If you don't already know how to back up a trailer, learn how to do it.

Remember, the smaller the trailer, the quicker it will jack-knife on you. Don't start with a jet-ski.

Looking for a Big Hot Rack?

If you're looking for a big, hot rack this weekend, go to Greer on Saturday. I would go, but I'm already signed up for a charity sporting clays tournament in the AM and a wedding shower in the PM. Sorry folks, my dance card is full for this weekend.

I'm counting on the readership to get to the Bovinova in Greer and report back.

RIP Carroll Shelby

Epic racer, car designer, and war hero, Caroll Shelby, passed away at the age of 89. We should all be so lucky to leave behind anything that is half as iconic as the AC Cobra.

The AC Cobra: It's not a hybrid.

On a totally unrelated note, he shared January 11 as a birthday with yours truly. That's about where the similarities end for me and Mr. Shelby, though.

More of Mr. Shelby here.

Living in the "Full House" House

Postcard Row was made semi-famous in the intro to the early ninety's sitcom "Full House". If you're my age, you know this sitcom pretty well. If you ever wanted to see what it looks like inside of one of the houses on Postcard Row, check out this article. 

My favorite part:

The two things they could happily do away with: the tour buses that go by with megaphones (the neighbors are actively trying to ban the double deckers) and the frequent loud parade of drunk people walking by in the middle of the night, screaming up at the windows for DJ and Uncle Jesse.

I may or may not have done that on my trip to San Francisco.

What Mom Actually Wants for Mother's Day

I've had this information brought to my attention from several "experts" in the field of motherhood. All I can say is that I'm going to do my best to be a good shade tree to my wife (she's a new mom) this Mother's Day.

Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.

The gift of 8 hours of continuous sleep is a pretty rare commodity around these parts, so that might be in the cards tomorrow. Happy Mother's Day.

Ever Wonder What Baseball Players Do to Pass the Time?

UPDATED: PICTURE OF THE RIFLE AND BINOCULARS.


One of my favorite parts of going to watch Gamecock Baseball is to see the players having fun in the dugout and in the bullpen. The Gamecock baseball team is currently #4 in the country, but they don't take themselves too seriously. From Michael Roth's warm-up music (Whitney Houston) to LB Dantzler's pet betta fish in the bullpen, the boys are having fun out there.

I didn't make it to the game last night against Furman because the rain delay pushed it too far back, but I did listen on the radio. Additionally, Andy Demetra conveys some of the late inning levity via twitter. If you don't follow him, you should. Last night, he had these two gems:

Christian Walker has fashioned a hunting rifle using a fungo bat, Gatorade cups, and athletic tape. That's what you do on your off night. [Link]

If anyone has a picture of Walker's rifle, I would love to see it. Not to be outdone, another Gamecock gets into the act. Later Demetra updated the dugout action with:

C. Holmes now has binoculars (w/athletic tape croakies) to match Walker's sniper rifle. Yes, they're pointing it at batters on 2 strikes. [Link]

We won the game, in case you were wondering.

Secret Door

If you had a secret door that opened up into another room, what would you put in that room?

Personally, I would have an awesome gun collection/library/card room, and there would be a fireplace.

Negotiating With Pirates

It's an interesting economic analysis of the dynamics of hostages and pirates.

The typical instance of Somali piracy isn't that different from what a young Julius Caesar experienced when he was kidnapped by pirates and held for ransom on his way home from political exile in Asia Minor. One interesting detail in Plutarch's report is that, "When these men at first demanded of him twenty talents for his ransom, he laughed at them for not understanding the value of their prisoner, and voluntarily engaged to give them fifty." 

Read the whole article to find out how Caesar eventually dealt with the pirates.

How to Train a Great Gun Dog

Five Quick Tips

I would add: Train your dog to like water at an early age. You want water to be a fun place to earn praise for your dog right from the start.

Moose Shoots Hunter; Straps Him to Car

The cops didn't think it was funny.

This falls under Rule #35: The cops never think it is as funny as you do.

270-Year-Old Book Found in Charleston

It's a book about parties in the 1780s. I actually think the bigger finds are the letters that they came across in the same search.

The recent search of the archives has already turned up several other gems that librarians didn't know were there.

They include two letters written by Alexander Hamilton and a unique third letter written by John Marshall, chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, to South Carolinian Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, who helped draft the Constitution.

"It was written the day that Thomas Jefferson was sworn in (as president)," Kometer said. "John Marshall was the one who actually swore him in. He started a letter to Charles Coatesworth Pinckney in the morning and then he took a break and came back at 4 o'clock to finish the letter and said I have just administered the oath."

I don't have much of an interest in party etiquette, but a letter from Chief Justice John Marshall to Charles Pinckney would be pretty cool to see. I hope they will put the letters on display. I wonder what else is just laying around in the vault. It kind of reminds me of the last scene from "Raiders of the Lost Ark". I'm sure some "top men" put those letters in that vault.

Massachusetts Bans Bake Sales in Schools

No sugar cookies, no peace!

Congressmen Who Resemble Muppets

Our Congressmen act like Muppets most of the time, so why should you be surprised that they resemble them? My favorite: Shumer/Gonzo.

Via Insty

Sunday Sporting Clays

Sometimes you need to get out of the house and have a mental health day. When the summer weather hits one of my favorite ways to enjoy the outdoors is at the sporting clay range. It’s a great way to enjoy some time with the guys, and it keeps your wing-shooting skills sharp come fall.

Sporting clays is usually described as "golf with a shotgun", but I can tell you from personal experience that it beats the heck out of golf. Oh, and those earmuffs are the awesome Howard Leight ones that I reviewed awhile back. They're still awesome.

Yours truly turning a clay target into a fine powder.
 (Photo courtesy Chad Horne)

Saturday Open Thread

Big weekend here in the midlands; if you want to do some eating, there's the Crawfish festival. If you're into history, you can go see the Battle for Columbia, and if you're looking for something more upscale, there's the Camden Cup. I guess if none of that works for you, there's some horse race in Kentucky today.

If you can't find something to do this weekend, it's your fault. My day may or may not involve a kiddie pool in the backyard.

Sammy Watkins Arrested for Weed

I'm shocked that #2 smokes weed!

HMAV Bounty Coming to Charleston

It's not the original HMAV Bounty, but a pretty good replica will be in Charleston next week. I love seeing these pieces of history. If you're in the Charleston area next week, this should be a sight to see.

The story of the mutiny always makes me wonder what I would do in a similar situation.Faced with an idyllic life in Tahiti versus severe discipline on a British ship, I can certainly see the attraction of Tahiti. However, the mutiny is also a good example of "be careful what you wish for" as almost all of the mutineers eventually were killed in conflicts with the natives (and each other). Say what you will about the British discipline system, but it did have the advantage of not devolving in to a massacre.

Being a rule follower, I would have probably not joined the mutiny, and I would have ended up in the small 23' boat with Bligh. In what is probably one of the top ten feats of seamanship, Bligh sailed that little boat 3,618 nautical miles back to Timor (the Dutch East Indies) with out any maps or charts. He did it with only a sextant and a pocket-watch. Bligh may have been a harsh taskmaster, but he knew how to sail. Pretty damn impressive if you ask me.

2012 Kentucky Derby Poster

LB Dantzler Enjoying Success at SEC Level

The #5 ranked Gamecock Baseball team is doing very well this year thanks to some talented freshmen starters. Additionally, newcomer (from junior college) third-baseman LB Dantzler is doing very well on the field, and fits in with the weird clubhouse vibe that the Gamecocks have with his whole "Fear the Fish" deal.

The Post and Courier has a nice story on LB's background here.

Dantzler must have listened, because he is enjoying the buzz surrounding his pet betta fish, Reptar, which he brought to Auburn late last month when his neighbor was unavailable to watch the fish. As word of the strange traveling partner hit Twitter, Dantzler smacked two homers in the series and decided to continue keeping the fish in the dugout or bullpen at games.

He even brought Reptar — which he named after a character from the cartoon TV show “Rugrats” — into a postgame press conference during last weekend’s series against Alabama. By then, “Fear the Fish” T-shirts were being sold, with a garnet betta fish at the center of the USC’s black “C” logo rather than a Gamecock. Brad bought 15 of them and gave them to friends and relatives.

 That's right. He brought his pet fish with him to a press conference. Baseball players are...different.

LB Dantzler's Pet Fish: The new Gamecock Baseball Mascot

Perigee Super Moon this Weekend

For all you astronomy geeks out there, the moon will be very close to earth this weekend. In related news, I believe Newt has timed the suspension of his campaign to coincide this event. Coincidence? I think not.

Anyone Ready for Duck Season Yet?

Turkey season is over and duck season doesn't start until November, so until then, get out to the clay range and stay in practice. Eventually, it will be time for this:

Perfect weather for duck hunting.

For more photos, check out GunDogMag.

Rep. Tim Scott Pumps Your Gas

Whether or not you think that our government can do anything about gas prices, it's not a bad way to get out and meet the constituents. Personally, I believe that the less time that politicians spend in the fever-swamp of DC, the better.

Someone Alert Sandra Fluke

An 18-wheeler full of condoms will be stopping in Columbia to give them out for free.

On Friday, May 4, the "Condom Nation" tour will stop at the corner of Millwood and House Streets in Columbia from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and then from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m., the tour will be at Tony's Snack Shop on Bluff Rd. just east of Interstate 77.

Free condoms! I'm sure that Sandra Fluke would want to know about this so she can protest and complain about how they aren't giving out birth control specifically for women. This is just another example of how men are so sexist.

Rep. Trey Gowdy Grills Secretary Sebelius

Via the NY Sun, this five minute video shows local upstate boy, South Carolina Representative Trey Gowdy, absolutely destroy Secretary of HHS Kathleen Sebelius. This really highlights the divide between the parties today:

Imagine that. A lawmaker wants to talk about the law.

I want to puke when she says that she doesn't pretend to understand the nuance of Constitutional law. She understands it fine - she just doesn't give a damn. Her goal is to advance contraception/healthcare/whatever she wants in any manner that she can regardless of the Constitution.

On a related note, what kind of idiot wants insurance coverage for birth control? Birth control is a regular, predictable, and recurring expense that people have. Insurance is for irregular, unpredictable, and catastrophic expenses that can be spread out over a large group.

Asking for insurance to cover your birth control is like asking for insurance to cover your deodorant.

One Third of Chicken in Charleston, SC Has E-coli

I actually would have thought it would be higher, you know, like 100%, because that's why you don't eat raw chicken.

About a third of the chicken samples taken from two major Charleston area grocery store chains tested positive for E. coli bacteria, according to the results of a 10-city food safety study released last month.

 I guess I picked the wrong time to open up a chain of chicken sushi restaurants.

Safe Chicken

South Carolina Sues over Yucca Mountain

On Wednesday, an appellate court panel will hear oral arguments in a lawsuit filed by South Carolina and Washington state seeking an end to a political stalemate over the Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste repository.

Here's my favorite line from the article in discussing what happens until the Court rules:

Until that decision is made, nothing can move forward unless Congress decides to act.

Right. Because Congress is all about "acting" on stuff. I think it would be safe to say "Until a decision is made, nothing can move forward." Full stop.

What's the deal with Yucca Mountain anyway? Wasn't it originally designed to be a nuclear waste storage facility? All the waste has to go somewhere, and putting it under a mountain in the Western US desert seems like a good as place as any. If Nevada doesn't want to store nuclear waste, that's fine, but why did they start doing this in the first place? Seems like South Carolina and a bunch of other states relied (to their detriment) on the promise that Yucca Mountain was going to take all this waste off their hands.

Also, why is nuclear the n-word in the headline of the article? Are we not supposed to say nuclear?

New Blog to Check Out: Josh's Muse

There's a new link in my "Gun Blogs" category on the sidebar: Josh's Muse. It's a nice blend of gun-related topics and what he's listening to on his iPod, along with some random thoughts.

Sound familiar?

He also is a proud owner of the best semi-automatic pistol ever designed. But hey, I might be a little biased.

Check him out if you're so inclined.