Clint Eastwood's Speech at the RNC

I heard everyone buzzing about Clint Eastwood's speech at the RNC last night. I didn't see it live because I was watching the Gamecocks win their first game of the 2012 campaign. (As a sidebar, quit complaining, you Gamecock fans. You know who wishes they could have an ugly win? The team who lost). But I digress....However, I've had a chance to watch the speech now. Here it is in it's entirety.

 

The thing is, all the Democratic folks were telling me how crazy Eastwood sounded, with some chair, and an imaginary Obama. I went into the speech with expectations that Eastwood was going to start stammering like a crazy person and go off the rails. Also, did anyone think of the cartoon, "Doonesbury" who has used invisible Presidents and Vice Presidents for years? That was the first thing I thought of.

Having watched Eastwood's speech (a few times) it's clear that Eastwood is an old guy. He rambles a little, as old folks do, and he takes a little longer (maybe a half second or so) to get a line or word out than normal. I found myself waiting for him to just lose the thread when I watched it the first time, but he really doesn't do that poorly in the delivery. It's not a great oration, but he's 82 years old. I don't know any 82 year old folks who don't take a little longer to get a word out than they used to - and they're plenty sharp. Age just has a way of slowing you down.

But the first time I watched it, I was hanging on every word...wondering...where is he...going...with this?

See what I mean?

But watching it the second time, I realized that he's got some zingers lined up. The line about Biden was good. The part about Air Force One and being "ecological" was funny. And Eastwood does the whole thing in his deadpan, dry tone. When you look at the actual substance, it's pretty cutting. It's a solid speech. Not delivered in soaring oration, but solid.

All the Democrats who want to push this speech as a huge failure (and keep running clips of it) might want to think twice. It's pretty biting stuff. I wouldn't want to keep pushing those words out there, slowly delivered or not, if I was advocating to re-elect the President.

I predict this isn't the last we're going to see of the "empty chair".
What did you think?

Rejoice!

Rejoice with the unbridled enthusiasm of a young child. Game day is upon us. The long slog through darkness, having to suffer through the Olympics, a brutal political season, and just generally live your life without what makes you happy is over.

Enjoy your day.

Ann Romney Tebows During Speech to RNC

Last night Ann Romney addressed the RNC. If you're interested, the full text of her speech is here, but this part seemed a little familiar:

But -- but let me say this to every American who is thinking about who should be our next president. No one will work harder. No one will care more. And no one will move heaven and earth like Mitt Romney to make this country a better place to live.

It reminded me of a certain speech that I heard one time before:

You will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season. You will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season.

To respond, my sources tell me that Michelle Obama will respond by incorporating a Lou Holtz quote into her speech at the DNC.

In all seriousness, Ann Romney delivered a heck of a speech. She is certainly a credit to her husband. I'm not an "undecided" voter by any stretch of the imagination, but I would guess that anyone who is might look at Mitt Romney more favorably today.

I guess time will tell, but I don't think she "humanized" him as much as I thought she needed to.

South Carolina at Vanderbilt (Against the Spread)

This year, I'll try to handicap every game for the South Carolina Gamecocks against the spread. As a disclaimer, this is for entertainment purposes only. Sports betting is generally illegal, so this is a mental exercise. DO NOT RELY ON THIS FOR BETTING MONEY.

Ok, having said that...my thoughts and pick against the spread are below the jump.

The Ten Commandments of College Football

Clay Travis is on the right track but I would remove #2 and substitute the following:

If you're a guy, and you come into a room or place where other guys are watching a football game on TV, you may ask what the score is. Thou shalt not ask who is playing.

Your man-card shall be revoked it you cannot tell who is playing in the football game simply by looking.

SC Voter ID Goes to Court Today

The SC Voter ID law goes to Federal Court today. I can see the court ruling against the law but knowing that SCOTUS will overturn them and find to uphold the law, after the harm is done.

The SC law is modeled largely after the previously upheld Georgia and Indiana laws. However, when politics and the law collide, the law usually comes out worse.

Saturday Open Thread

I'll be out breaking clays, so talk among yourselves. If you get lost, this retriever will bring you back to the main topic.

I Love Weddings

Don't you?

If Star Wars Launched a Law Firm

Pretty funny. He's not mentioned in the article, but I think Han-Solo would be one of your friends who is a wildly successful solo-practitioner.

I think R2-D2 would be the best personal injury lawyer. He’s brash and confident. He can take on foes much bigger than him. He’ll look into the jury box and play a holo-recording of an injured client saying, “Help me, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you’re my only hope.”

The article totally pegs Obi-Wan. He's an old Constitutional Law professor.

USC Freshman Caught With Five Handguns

Handguns are not on the list of things you bring with you to college. You're a freshman at USC. You move into your dorm room, and you're going to want to have all sorts of cool stuff. You bring your laptop, your clothes, some cool posters, and you're all set. Maybe a mini-fridge and your books. But that's pretty much it.

What you don't do is bring five handguns with you when you move into your dorm room. FIVE! What in the world was he thinking?

Look, I'm a gun guy. I like to go shooting more than almost anyone I know. I'm pro-gun. But I'm also a big fan of following rules and using the common sense God gave ya. What could this kid have possibly been thinking?

It's debatable whether the University should allow guns on campus, but it's the rule. You don't get to break a rule just because you disagree with it. And if you want to get all Ghandi on me, just remember, Ghandi was fine with accepting the punishment he was handed. He didn't expect to get off scott-free. Follow the rules or suffer the consequences. It's that simple.

I don't want to hear any lame excuses about him fearing for his safety or some variation on "guns are just an ordinary thing for him" so no big deal. Rules are rules. I would refer you to Viper for more explanation.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/08/23/2409045/usc-student-arrested-expelled.html#storylink=omni_popular#storylink=cpy

He's been arrested and suspended, as he should be.

Texas Hold'em Is Not Gambling

According to a Federal Judge. The judge said that it is a game "predominated by skill" and is therefore not gambling. Luck doesn't hurt, though. But obviously, luck is good in all things. Farming is mostly skill and a little bit of luck.

I'm not sure I would have used as many pages as the Judge used in his opinion, though. I probably would have just tossed a Rounders reference at you.

Breaking: Northerner Hates the South, Writes Book

So a liberal guy from Oregon doesn't like anything about the South. Nothing new here, but he decided to write a book about it, which inspired the funniest book review that I've ever read.

On the first page, the author wonders why the American electoral system must be "held hostage by a coalition of bought-and-paid-for political swamp scum from the most uneducated, morbidly obese, racist, morally indigent, xenophobic, socially stunted, and generally ass-backwards part of the country." You expect him to let up, to turn the argument around, to look at the other side of question. But he never does. For more than 300 pages, Mr. Thompson travels through the South observing customs, outlooks and people and subjecting them to an unremitting stream of denunciations.

That's from the noted Southern publication, The Wall Street Journal. We Southerners could write a similar book detailing all the things that we don't like about the North, but I guess we're too polite to do that. In any event, I always enjoy hearing how horrible the South is from the point of view of a liberal, know-it-all, Yankee.

Bless his little heart.

Obama...Bless His Heart

Mitt Romney just dropped a big ol' Southern-style "Bless his heart" on Obama. Honestly, I'm not sure that the rules of procedure allow someone from Michigan to use such a Southern expression. However, until I find a definitive case on point, I'll allow it.

In any event, I believe the appropriate responsive pleading to "Bless your heart" is: "He hasn't got the sense God gave a goose".

I would pay good money to hear Obama say that.

LSU's Tiger Stadium at Night [PHOTOS]

Via @ErinAndrews, check out these awesome photos of LSU's Tiger Stadium at night. Place looks amazing. Here's a taste:

I'll be making the trip to Tiger Stadium on 10/13 to watch my Carolina Gamecocks take on the Bayou Bengals - hopefully it's a night game.

Steak Magic

You had me at hello bone-in filet.

Lawyer Dog (Palate Cleanser)

With all of the rampaging morons out there today, a pallet cleanser is in order. Sometimes you want to just nuke the entire political system from orbit and start over again.

What You Learn as President (Or Kindergarten)

So, our President had a press conference the other day. Among other things, he said this:

“The truth of the matter is you can't just make stuff up. That’s one thing you learn as president of the United States. You get called in to account."

To use a phrase that our President is fond of: let's be clear - he means lying when he says "make stuff up".

Not for nothing, but most of us learn not to lie much earlier in life. Also, not to get to philosophical on this riff, but the fear of getting found out on your lies isn't supposed to be the motivation not to lie. You're not supposed to lie (make stuff up) because...oh yeah...it's morally wrong.

It's like saying: The truth of the matter is that you don't take things that aren't yours. That's one thing you learn as president of the United States. Oh, and washing your hands before you eat, that's a biggie, too".

The Quotable Attila the Hun

Quote for Tuesday:

More here.

Augusta National Admits Women

Ok, they finally admitted some women. Nice job, y'all. I'm sure sure this is really as big of a deal as everyone is making of it, but I didn't really think it was a big deal that they didn't admit women before.

It's just a private club. It's not symbolic of anything larger. This didn't solve all the gender and race issues today with this, so let's not blow it out of proportion.

2012 Gamecock Football Prediction

This prediction took me a little longer than I thought. After much analysis, crunching numbers, reviewing opposing teams, and throwing some bones into a pot filled with Alligator blood, and smoking some peyote, I have seen a vision. Behold: Gamecock Football 2012, Permanent Press Prediction.

Gamecock Football 2012 Prediction

August 30: @Vanderbilt

The season starts on Thursday night, under the lights in Nashville. The Vanderbilt Commodores have been looking towards this first game during the entire off-season as their “coming out” party to show that they aren’t going to be the doormat of the SEC anymore. The South Carolina Gamecocks have high hopes for 2012, and it all starts with this conference game.

On the Gamecock offense, I see Lattimore getting the ball early to take the early pressure off of Shaw. If #21 and the offensive line starts to get into a rhythm early, this game is going to be over before it starts. If the Commodore defense starts to stack the box, then it will be time for Shaw to show why he’s the leader of this team. If USC is up late, guess what? More running plays.

On the Gamecock defense, they need to pick up where it left off last season. Everyone knows about the great DEs that the Gamecocks have, so my guess is that the Commodores are going to try and neutralize that with quick screens, draws, and slants. Hard running between the tackles will also be expected from Zac Stacy, who had a great year last year (1,193 yards and 14 TDs). If the Gamecock defense can keep Stacy from grinding out yards and make Jordan Rodgers try to beat them through the air, the less than stellar Commodore O-line will not be able to hold.

Ultimately, I think this game is a win. One thing that Spurrier is good at is winning the games that he is “supposed to win”. The Gamecocks have more talent than Vanderbilt and going to be the favorite going into this game. Apparently, the Commodores are going to “Blackout” this game, in an attempt to get the crowd to become a factor in the game. I predict that #21 scores the opening touchdown and the crowd doesn’t get a chance to get into the game.

South Carolina 1-0 (1-0, SEC)

September 8: East Carolina

The Gamecock’s home opener for 2012 comes against the East Carolina Pirates, who put up more than thirty points last year in Charlotte against a very good Gamecock defense. This year, the pirates have to come to WB and face a fired up crowd. I don't think they're going to get as many points as they did last year.

South Carolina 2-0 (1-0, SEC)

September 15: UAB

South Carolina’s first night game of 2012 (the new video-board is going to look AWESOME at night) will be against the UAB Blazers. This should be a final tune up before the SEC schedule starts, so look for the coaching staff to work out all the kinks. If Carolina gets a lead early, this would be a great game for the backups to get some reps while protecting the starters.

South Carolina 3-0 (1-0, SEC)

September 22: Missouri

The first conference game played in Williams-Brice in 2012 will be against the Missouri Tigers. Time to see what our new conference foes in "the other Columbia" will be able to bring. The Mizzou offense likes to go up and down the field, so this should be a great test for our defense. If the Gamecocks can keep Mizzou in check, we will know our defense is ready and loaded for bear. Mizzou will be coming of a two game stretch of UGA and Arizona State, so this may be a nice time to pounce on them. Look for QB James Franklin to be the center of attention - he's getting hype already. Hopefully, Clowney and Co. will make this a long day for him. Mizzou seems to have the playmakers, but I question their skill and size in the trenches. Look for Lattimore to have a big day, and TE Adams makes a solid contribution with a TD of his own.

South Carolina 4-0 (2-0, SEC)

September 29: @Kentucky

After a three game home-stand the Gamecocks head to Lexington, KY to take on the Wildcats. We whoop some Wildcats and come home. Every road win is a good win in the SEC, so I don't care if it's pretty or not. Get in, get a win, get home, no injuries. Get ready for Georgia next week.

South Carolina 5-0 (3-0, SEC)

October 6: Georgia

The month of October holds four games that will define the season for the Gamecocks. This date is circled on the calendar for both teams. You know the Bulldogs want to avenge the two game losing streak they have, they want to show that they are still the big brother program, and Spurrier probably wants to beat Georgia more than any other SEC team. This game is going to be a slug-fest of two heavyweights who know that everything is on the line. Can the defense get to Murray, will our O-line be able to open up some running lanes and give Shaw time to find the open man? I think this game will return to the old-fashioned, low scoring affair from several years ago. Turnovers will be the story of this game, but a field goal could likely be the difference.

South Carolina 6-0 (4-0, SEC)

October 13: @LSU

I'll be at this game in-person, as this will be my one road trip of the year. LSU will be without the Honey-Badger, but that's fine. They have a bevy of highly talented guys just waiting to step in and replace him. This isn't going to be a pretty game. I have to give the advantage to the home team here, and LSU knows how to win.

South Carolina 6-1 (4-1, SEC)

October 20: @Florida

Coming off the first loss of the season, the Gamecocks head to Gainesville to take on a Florida Gator team that has a lot of questions. We'll know more about the Gators than we do right now, but this isn't going to be a Florida team that runs up points. I think the first team to 28 wins this game. The Gamecocks will need to play disciplined and grind the clock out to get another win in the Swamp. Lean on Lattimore time at the end, but freshman WR Shaq Roland will contribute in this game early.

South Carolina 7-1 (5-1, SEC)

October 27 Tennessee

I like Derek Dooley as much as I can possibly like a UT head coach. He actually seems like a classy guy, which is more than I can same for the asshat that he replaced. Unfortunately, Tennessee is going to fire Dooley after the Gamecocks hammer the Volunteers. Ellington has a big day. Think kickoff-return for a TD-type big.

South Carolina 8-1 (6-1, SEC)

November 10: Arkansas

The Hogs. They've had our number for years. I just can't sit here at my keyboard and type words that predict us to win this game. I try, but the words just come out alksd adifojee rejadsoiew jeejielkdx. See? I tried. Arkansas continues to roll over us despite their lack of Petrino.

South Carolina 8-2 (6-2, SEC)

Will 6-2 be good enough to win the SEC East? I really don't know. This could be a repeat of last year where the Gamecocks sweep the East, lose two games to Western division foes, and the Georgia Bulldogs go to Atlanta. That could happen. Again.

November 17: Wofford

Yeah, Wofford. Am I looking ahead to the next game? Yep.

South Carolina 9-2 (6-2, SEC)

November 24 @Clemson

State Championship Game. The three-time defending Champion South Carolina Gamecocks travel up to Clemson to try and make it four in a row. Just think about that for a moment. Trying to make it four in a row. Clemson is going to fight like hell, the crowd will be fired up, and this will be a tough game. In the end, Carolina breaks their Tiger hearts for the fourth time in a row. Mass suicides may take place at the Esso Club after the final whistle. What makes this even sweeter is that Spurrier gets to become the winningest coach at South Carolina but sticking the knife into Clemson.

South Carolina 10-2 (6-2, SEC)

___________________________________________

There you have it. A ten win season, four in a row over Clemson, sweeping the SEC East (again) and Spurrier becomes the all time winningest Gamecock Football coach. Sounds like a hell of a season. Who's with me?

Unexpectedly!

Good news, environmentalists! The amount of CO2 being released into the air by the U.S. is at its lowest level in 20 years. I'm sure all the scientists are staying "I told you so" right now.

Many of the world’s leading climate scientists didn’t see the drop coming, in large part because it happened as a result of market forces rather than direct government action against carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere.

Or not. These scientists seem like the folks at CIA, who didn't know the Berlin Wall was coming down until bricks started hitting them in the head.

As Glenn Reynolds would say: Unexpectedly!

Black Lab Ready to Go Hunting

I like everything about this picture.

More pictures where this came from.

USC's Last Open Scrimmage [PHOTOS]

On Wednesday, the South Carolina Gamecocks held their final "open to the public" scrimmage at Williams-Brice Stadium. Here are a few photos. UPDATE: Videos at end.

UGA Students Walk Out In Protest

The students who run the student newspaper at UGA have walked out in protest and have started a blog.

The Red & Black’s student editor-in-chief, Polina Marinova, along with other top student editors and staff members, walked out after Ed Morales, who had been the paper’s editorial adviser and then became editorial director, was given full editorial control of the newspaper.

Good for them. I primarily use newspapers to help light charcoal, anyway.

Savannah River Dredging Doomed

If you haven't heard, the Panama Canal expansion is scheduled to be completed in 2014. That is why the Savannah River is being deepened. The idea is that more shipping can come up the Savannah River, and both Georgia and South Carolina will benefit from this major river artery being used by large shipping traffic. Sounds great right? Jobs, commerce, stuff like that...

Not so fast, my friends. The environmentalist folks have challenged deepening the river - because they always challenge projects like this. Heaven forbid that we make the river more navigable for commercial shipping traffic, right? In any event, the Federal Court Judge has decided to appoint an "expert" to mediate. You're thinking that an expert in this matter might be someone who deals with commercial shipping, or river conservation, science, or something that has anything to do with this case, right?

Well you would be wrong. Federal Judge Gergel has appointed former Rep. John Spratt to mediate the case - a freaking democrat politician.

Great, I'm sure this will turn out well.

Shotgun Shell Cufflinks

They make a statement.

Football Culture in the South

Rick Bragg has a great article in ESPN The Magazine about the culture of college football in the South and what we believe.

And we believe -- well, maybe all but the Unitarians -- that God himself favors our football teams. On Friday nights and Saturday afternoons, our coaches, some of them blasphemers and backsliders and not exactly praying men the other six days of the week, tell their players to hit a knee and ask his favor at the same exact instant the other team is also asking his favor, which I have always taken to mean that God, all things being equal, favors the team with the surest holder on long field goals.

It is gospel -- the gospel according to Bear. After a rare Alabama loss in the Bryant era, Bear's sidekick on his weekly television show told him: "The Lord just wasn't with us, Coach."

"The Lord," growled Bryant, "expects you to block and tackle."

Read the whole thing.

Gamecock Football Scrimmage Report

Via the Post and Courier:

At one end of the stadium, a new video board towered over the bleachers, as workers applied the finishing touches to a screen that will replay the Gamecocks’ most memorable moments this season. On the field below, two highly regarded true freshmen showed why they could contribute to those moments, and to an offense in need of more receiving threats.

Read the whole thing. Damn, I'm getting fired up for some actual football.

If the Gamecocks start getting the ball to the TE downfield, this offense is really going to be clicking. An opposing defense can cover Lattimore at RB, Sanders and Byrd at WR, TEs going down the seam, and Shaw scrambling...but they can't cover them all at the same time.

BREAKING: 74% of Americans are Racist

According to a poll conducted yesterday by the Washington Post, 74% of Americans favor a requirement to have voters show an official, government-issued photo ID (like a driver's license) when they cast ballots on Election Day.

Only one explanation for this: 74% of Americans are racist.

PGA Championship at Kiawah

The PGA Championship at Kiawah was a resounding success for both Rory McIlroy and South Carolina at large. For a state that has a “First in Golf” license plate, expectations were understandably high. Kiawah did not disappoint. The setting of the South Carolina coast struck awe (and possibly some fear) into players and patrons alike. The wind was downright brutal at times, but that’s the way we like it. Also, it’s not every day that there is a “gator delay” on a golf course.

Even though there were some doom-and-gloom folks who were saying that traffic was going to be a nightmare, the folks at Kiawah and the PGA did an excellent job with what was admittedly a tough situation.

Although Permanent Press was not able to obtain press credentials this year (although I will be doing that eventually if the readership continues to climb) we had secret agent "Scorecard" infiltrate the highest levels of the Ocean Course. Scorecard traveled to Kiawah via mini-sub, then swam ashore in a wet-suit that pulled away to reveal traditional golf attire underneath, James Bond-style.

At great personal risk of being caught by the “mobile device policy enforcement” police, Scorecard was able to obtain a beautiful shot with the beach in the background.

Courtesy: Secret Agent "Scorecard"

Notice the name "Woods" on the top? Yeah, that didn't last too long. On Sunday, McIlroy made it look easy the way Tiger did a decade ago. Good for McIlroy; this won't be his last win, either. On a related note, wow, doesn't it feel weird to say “a decade ago” for Tiger? Could the window be closing on his run to eclipse Nicklaus’ major championship record?

If you're not familiar, Nicklaus, who many would label as one of the greatest golfer of all-time, has the record for major championship wins at eighteen. Tiger is currently sitting at fourteen. When Tiger was at his zenith at the turn of the century, it looked like he was going to obliterate Nicklaus' record. Now?

Four more wins looks like a pretty tall order for the man who at one point won four in a row. I'm going to call it right now, though: Tiger Woods won't win four more majors in his PGA career. Just remember you heard it here first. Hey, maybe you should save this photo, since we may not see Woods' name on the top of a leader-board too many more times.

Powerball Lotto Simulator

I like a friendly wager as much as the next guy. I enjoy Saturday night card games with the guys, the friendly wager of a few beers on the outcome of a football game, that kind of stuff. However, one thing that holds no interest for me is the lotto.

I don't get any enjoyment out of picking some numbers and seeing if they match other numbers. There's no skill, no strategy, nothing. You just pick some numbers at random. It seems silly to me, and I refer to the lotto as a tax on people who are bad at math, because that's what it is.

If you would like to simulate playing the Powerball, here's a nice little app to keep track of how much you would win and spend. Just click on the "Start" button, and watch the numbers start to roll. I simulated buying two tickets each week for a year, and I lost $276.00.

Anybody hit the big one?

Paul Ryan Picked for Vice President

All you need to know about Paul Ryan:

1. He used to drive the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile as a summer job. That's the kind of awesome that cuts across party lines. It doesn't get more American than that. Someone who can handle the responsibility of the Weinermobile can handle being Vice-President.


2. He's a hunter, and he doesn't even need a gun to kill deer. Paul Ryan kills deer with a bow, but some people have alleged that he unfairly draws the deer in with his dreamy good looks.

In all seriousness, Paul Ryan should at least get the Presidential campaign back to a debate of serious ideas instead of fussing about people's car elevators, people's tax returns, people eating dogs, people strapping dogs to the roof of their car. He's not here to waste time talking about contraception, gay marriage, or any of the other stupid culture issues. Ryan's here to talk about numbers. Math.

You want to talk about the federal budget? You want to talk about specifics? Paul Ryan is the only guy in Washington DC who has actually proposed a budget with specifics. There are plenty of folks out there who are quick to criticize, but it's pretty rare to find a politician who will put themselves out there, because there are so many people ready to tear you down.

I'm sure there are some people who think the Ryan pick was a disaster for Romney, but this guy isn't Sarah Palin. He's capable of effectively delivering the message of conservatism, he does it with a smile, and he's smart.

All across the country, actuaries are going weak in the knees.

Gov. Haley Is Wrong on Health Insurance Rate Hike

Ok, so here's the deal: Governor Haley got the State Budget and Control Board (which I believe is under the executive branch of our government) to raise the amount of what state workers pay for their health insurance. The only problem is the legislature had already decided not to do that. Per The State:

Haley’s move to raise state workers’ health insurance costs did more than just anger some workers and lawmakers. It also it upended a legislative deal that helped produce the state’s $6.7 billion budget. Lawmakers’ decision not to raise the amount that state workers pay for their health insurance was part of an elaborate compromise between Republicans and Democrats to pass the budget.

Democrats wanted to give a 4 percent pay raise to state workers, who had not received across-the-board raises since 2007. Republican budget writers countered with a 3 percent raise.

Democrats agreed, but only if Republicans would agree the state would pay the increase in state employees’ health insurance costs. That compromise was a big part of securing his vote for the budget, said state Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland, who joined Courson and state Sen. Joel Lourie in calling for the budget board to reverse itself.

I don't necessarily disagree with the idea of requiring state workers to pay a little more for their health insurance, but it seems like the legislature considered that idea and rejected it. A deal is a deal. Case closed. If you don't like that, elect some different folks next time around. Frankly, this sounds a little too much like the action that we are seeing from the Federal Executive, where the Executive Branch of the government is trying to make an "end run" around around existing law and unilaterally impose their will.

I think Governor Haley is just wrong on this one, just like I believe President Obama is wrong on some unilateral (e.g. altering illegal immigration enforcement).

It's too bad most people are blinded by their partisan tendencies to apply principles in an even-handed manner. Be consistent, folks.

Man Orders TV; Receives a Sig Sauer Rifle Instead

Why doesn't this kind of stuff happen to me? Guy (who lives in DC, I would note) buys a TV from Amazon and ends up with THIS. Some free legal advice to Amazon: it's somewhat illegal to mail firearms to non-FFL people. Sending it to DC should have been a red flag as well, bro.

Mrs. Permanent Press and I order diapers from Amazon all the time now. It would great if we ended up with a nice Colt Gold Cup or a Beretta Silver Pigeon. I promise not to tell.

[h/t Uncle]

Robin Hood Explained

If you've been following politics lately, you may have noticed that the political campaign for the President of the United States of America has devolved into name-calling. The current President has called his opponent "Romney Hood", and the response has been that this is "Obamaloney".

Leaving that aside, there's a huge error here, and I want to take a moment to correct the record on Robin Hood.

The presidential race is a dirty, negative affair, and I don't want to see a celebrated figure like Robin Hood tarnished. For some background on this, Obama said that Romeny's policy was to raise taxes on lower income earners to offset the lowering of taxes on higher income earners. This taking from the poor and giving to the rich, Obama said, was "Robin Hood in reverse" ergo, "Romeny Hood". Let's leave the politics out of it and focus on Robin Hood.

Robin Hood didn't take money from the rich people and give the money to the poor people. That's not what happened at all.

Does anyone remember who Robin Hood's enemy was? It wasn't rich landowners, or nobles, it was The Sheriff of Nottingham. The Sheriff, as the official agent of the government, was levying extreme taxes on the people of Nottingham in order to enrich himself and expand his power. Robin Hood repeatedly fought the Sheriff's men (i.e. government tax collectors) and he stole the tax money, then gave it back to the people who were taxed so highly to begin with.

Robin Hood didn't steal private property from the rich landowners to give to the poor; he stole tax money from the government and gave it back the poor people who couldn't afford to be taxed that much.

I just wanted to clear that up for our President, since he appears to be a little fuzzy on the whole Robin Hood story.

Sullivan's Island Lighthouse Turns 50

The State has a nice little piece on the history of the lighthouse on Sullivan's Island. One of the more interesting parts of the history was how much say the residents of Sullivan's Island had over the development of the lighthouse. I would have figured that the government came in, said: "BAM, here's a lighthouse, have a nice day." However, that isn't how it happened.

Designed by Jack Graham, who studied under architect Louis Kahn at the University of Pennsylvania, the light was the second-brightest in the Western Hemisphere when it was commissioned with 26 million candlepower. That proved much too bright for the locals, and the Coast Guard reduced the light to 1.5 million candlepower.

Also, island residents didn’t care for the lighthouse’s original red-orange color – like that on Coast Guard helicopters. So tower was painted black and white.

I can understand that some picky Charlestonians (or Gamecock fans) didn't want an orange lighthouse. Changing the color to black and white doesn't seem like too big of a deal. However, I'm still mildly surprised that the government listened.

What truly surprises me is that the residents were able to get the lighthouse dimmed. Getting 26 million candles reduced to 1.5 million candles is a huge reduction, and the whole point of a lighthouse is to shine a light out to sea that is easily visible. Make it bright as you can, right? Having a light is the only purpose of a lighthouse. It isn't there to look pretty, it's a functional building.

I would be interested to hear the background of how and why the governmental authority in charge of the lighthouse decided to reduce it's brightness.

I was trying to find a good picture that shows the triangular shape of the lighthouse, but this is the best picture I could find. The idea of making it a triangle is an idea that never would have occurred to me.

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Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/08/08/2389387/sullivans-island-lighthouse-at.html#.UCJ0Q45j7zI#storylink=cpy

Molon Labe

On August 7, back in 480 BC, there was a battle along the Greek coast that you might have heard of. It involves 300 certain Spartans.

In the event that you haven't heard of it, Victor Davis Hanson has a good article about the fact and fiction about the battle of Thermopylae. If you've seen the movie, you may remember that some of the lines that seem too good to be historically accurate.

Many of the film's corniest lines - such as the Spartan dare, "Come and take them," when ordered by the Persians to hand over their weapons, or the Spartans' flippant reply, "Then we will fight in the shade," when warned that Persian arrows will blot out the sun - actually come from ancient accounts by Herodotus and Plutarch.

This expression of defiance in the face of a large enemy "Come and take them" (in Greek: Molon lable") has actually been adopted by military units throughout subsequent history including, the Greek First Army Corps (duh); the Texas Revolutionaries; and the United States Special Operations Command Central. I've even heard that the Michigan State Football Team has stitched this into their uniforms, but I cannot confirm that. I'll reach out to some sources I have.

Statue of Leonidas (note the inscription)

Two Things I Like (But Not At The Same Time)

Shooting sporting clays and smoking cigars. I just can't figure out why this guy is so intent on doing them both at the same time. Here's the advice, straight from Permanent Press:

Step One: Shoot clays.

Step Two: Relax on front porch of lodge with cigar.

Rinse, lather, repeat. 

There are plenty of things that I like, but I don't try to do them at the same time. For instance, I don't drive fast and try to grill hamburgers at the same time.

[Via Insty]

Dollar Shave Club Commercial

I liked this commercial so much, I think I'm going to sign up.

I'll let you know how it goes. If you want to sign up, here's their website. I love the part about Federer.
[h/t Ace]

$1.1 Million in Charleston Wrongful Death Settlement

The lawyer gets $490,000.00 of it. And they didn't even have to try the case.

Yeah, I'm in the wrong line of work.

USMC Goes From 9mm Back To .45

So the Columbia City Police recently switched to 9mm. But now, the United States Marine Corps is going to .45, back to the future.

The Colt .45 M1911 is making a big comeback, now that the U.S. Marines have placed a $22.5 million order for the Connecticut-made pistols

The 1911 is making a comeback? In the words of LL Cool J: "Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years".

I don't believe the 1911 has ever been actually taken out of service. I think the M-9 was a "supplement" to the 1911, but I could be wrong.

The argument about going into combat zone with 18-19 rounds of 9mm ammo vs. going in with 8-9 rounds of .45 ammo seems a little silly to me. The military's primary weapons are long guns. The main purpose of a sidearm (for the military) is to give them enough time to bring the long guns (carbines, rifles, etc.) to bear, but I digress.

Saturday Open Thread

Enjoy your day, and don't worry if you burn dinner. The beer still tastes great.

Oh 1950's sexism....bless your heart.

This Is Why I Need A Dutch Oven

Because someone with skill can do this. And it has beer gravy.

The Waffle House In Five Points

I'm excited to see the new Waffle House construction in Five Points is moving along so well. It's located on Harden Street, right next door to El Burrito. Here is a picture that I took on my way to work this morning with my Droid:

As you can see, the iconic yellow lettering is already up, and it will soon be a beacon of hope for lost, drunken students in the wee hours of the morning. Honestly, I'm surprised that it has taken so long to get a 24-hour diner into Five Points. With all the bars and student foot traffic there during the school year, this place is going to be printing money.

This Waffle House will also be a good place for folks to sober up a little before driving home. Sometimes, simply having a place to go is enough of an alternative to deter a person from just getting in their car and trying to immediately drive home. So there's a public benefit here as well.

On a related note, hope they put a juke box in there. The Waffle House in Lexington, VA, where I went to college, had a juke box that must have made about as much money as the Waffle House itself. At 3:00AM, after a few drinks, that juke box looks like the best idea in the world.

The southern institution of Waffle House will be a welcome addition to the Five Points area, and I cannot wait to get some of those delicious hash browns.

Happy Friday!

Rise and shine. Here's your Friday motivation.

You love the game of football. You just don't know it yet.

Cool Visual Data for James Bond Movies

If you like James Bond movies and visual data, check this out. Be sure to click the tab to "adjust for inflation".

I was not surprised by what the highest grossing Bond film was after adjusting for inflation.

IRS Taxes Olympic Athletes

Did you know that athletes who win medals also get monetary awards? Clearly, the IRS knows about it. The IRS takes about a third of what the Olympics awards each US athlete.

Summer Olympic Events (SEC Style)

As usual, EDSBS is so full of win. A taste:

Triathlon: Shoot protected game fish with unlicensed handgun. Swim away from state game and wildlife officials. Steal children's bike when you reach shore. Ditch bike, run until caught. Competitors ranked on "Total Distance Before Tasing."

There's so much more. As is customary at EDSBS, you come for the original post, you stay for the comment section.

The Beretta DT-11 Shotgun

If you have $8,000.00 burning a hole in your pocket, check out Beretta's latest shotgun, the DT-11, as reviewed by Garden and Gun.