Cold Breakdown of the SC CWP Bill

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I'm both a lawyer and a gun owner with a CWP here in South Carolina. The new CWP bill that is about to become law hasn't really received an in-depth analysis other than focus on "you can carry in restaurants" line.

I'm not just blaming newspaper journalists here. Even the NRA's legal blog team has a cursory few sentences about this law that don't really tell you much. When you dig into this bill, there are actually some serious things that people need to know.

So, I (your humble blogger) have done the hard work of looking at the actual legislative language of the bill to let you know exactly what this bill does and doesn't do. So, here goes. (The alphabetical list is my own. It doesn't refer to any specific subsections. It was just a way to organize the points.)

A.     Carry Allowed into Restaurants and Bars: This is what most people know, as it's the big headline getter. As it stands right now, a person with a valid CWP (like me) cannot carry concealed into a bar or restaurant that sells alcohol for on-premises consumption. That means I can't carry into Apple-bee's or Rosso tonight because they serve alcohol. So, this law now amends that provision to say that a person who has a valid CWP license may carry concealed into a a business which sells alcoholic liquor, beer, or wine for consumption. However, that person may not consume alcohol at all. If you drink while carrying, you lose your CWP, and can go to jail for up to two years.

B.     Restaurants and Bars May Prohibit Carry: Now, there are a good number of people who don't like the new tweak to the law as described above. Accordingly, there's a second tweak. Any restaurant and bar may simply post a sign that prohibits carrying concealed, and no one will be allowed to carry concealed. If you ignore the sign and carry concealed anyway, same penalty as above. I like to think of this as the "If you like your gun free zone, you can keep your gun free zone" provision.

Additionally, even if the bar or restaurant doesn't post the sign, they can still request that any particular person carrying concealed leave on a case-by-case basis. If that person refuses to leave, same penalty as above. So if you're a bar or restaurant, you can either chose to have an entirely gun free zone, or a selectively gun free zone.

C.     Tweaks to CWP Applications/Requirements: Before, you had to have a valid SC driver's license. Now, any photo ID issued by a state will work, as long as you qualify as a resident. The residency definition is also modified to allow certain classes of applicants (former and/or current military, police, law enforcement) to be exempt from most the training certifications.

D.     Elimination of the 8 Hour Training Requirement: Before, pretty much everyone had to go through a class that was a minimum of 8 hours as a requirement for your CWP. The 8 hour class length requirement has been eliminated. You still have to do the same things (including actually firing a handgun in the presence of the instructor) but there's no time minimum for each class.

E.     Online Applications: You can now submit your application to SLED online.

F.     Express Written Consent In Contradiction of Posted Sign: Kind of an interesting amendment. You can now, post a sign in front of your business and completely prohibit concealed carry. This bill now has a provision that would allow the owner to issue someone a written exemption from the sign generally prohibiting carrying.

G.     Renewals/Vehicle Storage: Currently, your CWP is valid for four years, then you have to renew. The bill changes that to five years. The renewal fee is still $50.00. Also, it allows CWP holders to store a pistol under their seat in their vehicle or in any storage compartment. (Although I wouldn't recommend that.)

That's basically it. So on to the opinion part of this.

Is this a good bill or not? The substantive part about carrying in places that serve alcohol is not as big of a deal as either side would probably want you to believe. If you run a bar or restaurant and you want to keep CWP folks out, then all you have to do is put up a sign. The good thing about this law is that it doesn't force anyone to do anything. It offers a set of rules for everyone to follow according to whatever choices they want to make, and I like that.

Just because I like to carry CWP doesn't mean everyone does. I'm sure there are people out there who own restaurants that don't want guns in their establishments. That's fine. This law respects their wishes.

As for the other provisions, I'm not really wild about eliminating the 8 hour minimum class time. I took the class, and it was really informative, even though I already had a solid background in guns and shooting. There were some people in my class who has zero knowledge going in, and they needed every minute of that eight hours to get comfortable. At the end, they felt very much empowered by their knowledge of how a gun actually works, the different parts of a gun, and all sorts of other basics. I just don't feel like 8 hours is too much to ask for if you're going to want to carry CWP, if you're going to take it seriously.

Also, if you read the NRA's summary of the law, they say this bill "improves training standards". I kind of think that's misleading at best.

I'm fine with the online application, since you have to send all the same information anyway. It's just an acknowledgement that e-mail is a simple way to communicate.

The express written consent is an interesting tweak. It means that someone can selectively allow CWP into their place by giving written consent to whomever they choose. I guess if a bar or restaurant wanted to ban CWP, but then wanted to allow a regular guy they know really well to carry, they can exempt him. Kind of interesting, and since it's all left up to the individual owners, I'm fine with that. I doubt this will happen much in practice, though.

So is it a good law? I think it's a good law in that it has taken an existing law and given more flexibility for each individual citizen and business to decide how they want to conduct themselves. Will it actually change that much of what goes on in practical terms? Probably not. All the folks who say this bill will turn SC into the "wild west" with shootouts in saloons are blowing smoke. Guns are a hot-button issue, so each political "team" will try to amp their base up by either saying this law is horrible or that it's panacea. To me, it's very vanilla stuff that could have easily been included in the first CWP Bill.

If you're an anti-gun person, I hope this analysis has calmed you. If you're pro-gun, I hope this has shown you that you don't have the freedom to carry anywhere anytime, and that there are stiff penalties for breaking the law in this regard.

So there you have it, campers. I feel that I've done my public service for the week and made up for not posting yesterday. If you have any questions or comments about the CWP bill, I'd be interested to hear them. Also, if you think I got any interpretation of the law wrong, let me know.

Colorado to Require Education Classes Prior to Marriage?

Per the Denver Post, I don't even know where to start with this.

Lumped onto the hours spent debating centerpieces, picking a photographer, finding the perfect dress and corralling future in-laws, the proposed Colorado Marriage Education Act calls for 10 hours of pre-wedding marriage education.

Yes, that's right, campers. State sponsored marriage school. There are people out there who think the State of Colorado should be involved in counseling you on your impending marriage. The mind boggles.

First (and let's get this straight right from the start) the government has absolutely no business trying to prescriptively tell people what does and does not constitute good marriage advice. Second, assuming they do this, what are they going to teach people?

I've been married for nine years, have a good matrimonial litigation practice, and I still don't consider myself qualified to give other people marital advice.

Here's the thing, though. The people pushing for this program are doing it with good intentions. Their stated goal is to: "better prepare individuals going into marriage to fulfill their new roles as spouse and potentially as parent, to furthermore protect children given that marriage is the foundation of a family unit."

That's an admirable goal. Who could be against protecting children, right? Is there anyone out there against protecting children? This group of people is probably a really "family values" group that has a foundation in historical Christian values, and they probably truly want to see children protected and marriages succeed. They're probably Republicans. Those are certainly admirable goals.

However, the manner in which they are going about achieving these goals is the problem -- they're using the legal force of the law and the arm of government to require people to sit through their education classes.

This strain of Republican really bothers me. Like their Democratic counterparts, they think they know better than the rest of us, and if only we would let them be in charge everything would be better. Democrats tend to think they can do this in almost every aspect of our lives, so they're usually in favor of using the government to force people to do things that they might not voluntarily do.

Can't people be just left alone to marry anymore without some scolds or nags telling us everything that we need to do? I mean, isn't that going to happen anyway once we get married?

Just kidding, ladies.

In all seriousness though, there's nothing wrong with attending classes prior to getting married. Heck, I did that through my church about nine years ago. But that was a voluntary choice. A voluntary choice is the polar opposite of the government requiring you to do something as a precondition.


C. S. Lewis had a quote about this: 

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."

Indeed.

Goodell: NFL Might Get Rid of PATs

While I was busy working yesterday, the NFL Commissioner was busy coming up with weird ideas. Specifically, he floated the idea of eliminating the PAT.

“You want to add excitement with every play,” Goodell said. “So there have been some proposals. Some are still going through the process of creativity, but there’s one proposal in particular that I’ve heard about (where) it’s automatic that you get seven points when you score a touchdown, but you could potentially go for an eighth point, either by running or passing the ball. But if you fail, you’d go back to six.”

So we're talking about scoring a touchdown, getting seven points for that, and then having the ability to gain an extra point by going for the two point conversion, with the idea being that if you fail, you go back to six.

This is a silly idea. First, it's not going to motivate any coaches to go for two (or should we call it one?) with the conversion "bet", unless they otherwise would due to the score being odd. If you didn't know, there's actually a chart that you can use to determine when to go for the two-point conversion. I'm told there was math involved.

Anyway, my point is that eliminating the PAT kick won't really change the game at all, other than to have the effect of going directly from TD to kickoff most of the time. Does that really make the game "more exciting"? Not really.

It does move the game along a little, but the PAT only takes a few seconds. The big delay is really a feature of the TV timeouts they take between the TD, the PAT, the kickoff, and then the first offensive possession of the other team. In that span of time, you can get a TV timeout (a commercial) between all of those, resulting in about 4-5 minutes before more actual football occurs.

So, it's really the commercials. Also, do you know anyone who complains about PATs? Hey bro! You know, the thing I hate most about the NFL is those darn PATs. They're soooo boring! I wish they would get rid of them!

No, you don't know anyone who says that, because no one says that. You know what I would like to see? I would like to see the NFL tell advertisers that they can only show a certain commercial a limited number of times during each game.

Think about it. How many times have you watched a football game and seen the same commercial for three hours, over, and over, and over? Being overexposed to the same commercial makes you start to loathe the product. Case in point: Before he saw this commercial, my friend Will probably didn't have any strong feelings about the Nissan Rogue. Now I bet you a nickel he would never buy one, because he's had that stupid commercial force-fed to him about a billion times in the span of a few football games. If you bought one, he would probably make fun of you.

Keep the PAT, drop the repetitive commercials.

This Osprey Is a Better Fisherman Than You

But you probably can't see as well as he can. And you probably don't have talons. 

This is just a video of an osprey catching fish, but it's kind of mesmerizing.

This is how you fish with style.

Fairly Comprehensive List of American Whiskey Distilleries

This list is an attempt to catalog all current American whiskey distilleries and brands. The idea is that if you see a bottle of American whiskey on the shelf, you should be able to consult this list and figure out who makes and markets it. 

The list has two parts. Part I lists all American whiskey distilleries which are currently producing whiskey, or have plans to produce whiskey in the near future, along with their brands, listed by state. Part II lists independent bottlers of American whiskey; that is, companies that buy whiskey from the distilleries listed in Part I and bottle it under their own labels. Note that some of the distilleries listed in Part I also source whiskey from other distilleries.These lists do not include all blended whiskey brands or brands that are for export only, though some are mentioned. It also does not include American bottlers of foreign whiskeys (i.e. American bottling companies that bottle Irish or Canadian whiskeys). It also does not include "spirit whiskey," which is whiskey in name only.

Obama Considers Raising Minimum Wage

Through supporting a law to be passed by Congress? You know, the normal way laws are passed?

Nah, who needs the legislative body, amirite? He's considering doing it via Executive Order, which surprises me not at all.

Dictators gonna dictate.

Why I'm Fine to Let Chris Christie Drown

Not literally drown. I mean politically.

Prior to the lane-closings on the GW Bridge turning into an abuse of power scandal for Governor Christie, he was viewed as one of the primary front-runners for the GOP Presidential nomination in 2016. He has been described as a practical governor who was willing to work across party lines to advance his state's interest, and that he was a "moderate".

That is certainly true. However, I would like to recap a little recent history for everyone:

2008: McCain gets the GOP nomination for President because he was a pragmatic moderate who had worked across the aisle to get things done. He lost.

2012: Romney gets the GOP nomination for President because he was a moderate who had worked across the aisle in his home state of Massachusetts to pass a health insurance regulatory scheme that was the forerunner of Obamacare. He lost.

So, does the GOP really want to nominate another moderate republican candidate who has worked across the aisle for the 2016 Presidential race? What's the definition of insanity, again?

There are two basic reasons I don’t want to see Christie be the GOP nominee besides historical precedent. He supports immigration amnesty and he accepted ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion in his state. If he had only done one of these, there would only be a red flag. Both of these are a disqualification to me.

Here's the thing. No matter what anyone says, one of the major points of the 2016 debate will be Obamacare. It will likely be a flaming train-wreck of a program. The GOP cannot have a nominee that is tainted by the program.

Remember back in 1940 when Winston Churchill won the Prime Minister job? He won because he wasn't tainted by the Munich Accord. He was always against appeasement of Hitler, and the men who had either tried to do so or had accepted the trying were not able to convince enough of the electorate that they were the men for the job.

Christie won't be able to convince enough of the electorate that he's the man for the job because he's tainted by his going along with Obamacare's medicaid expansion. It's Romney all over again.

Get someone who isn't tainted. 

Question for All the Central Planners Out There

Question for all the super-smart central planners out there: How do you lower the cost of a product or service?

It is an iron-clad rule of economics: The only way to reduce cost is to increase supply or decrease demand. 

Forget reducing demand. That's not happening, because we're not talking about a luxury good like wine or iPods. We're talking about getting your head stitched up when you fall off a ladder, or getting your gall bladder out. Demand isn't going anywhere, so that leaves us with the supply of health care. Not health insurance. Health care.

And Obamacare does nothing to address cost, because it doesn't increase the supply of health care. If you wanted to increase the supply of health care, you could come up with lots of ways to do that. However it does nothing of the kind.

In fact, Obamacare is chock-block full of policies and regulations that further artificially limit supply.

A bill that increased the supply of health care--not health insurance!--would be a bill with majority support.

Alas, the same folks who wrote this failure of a law will likely be the ones to write the single-payer law to follow.

And. Here. We. Go.

But in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Humana disclosed to investors, "as a result of the December 2013 federal and state regulatory changes allowing certain individuals to remain in their previously existing off-exchange health plans, the Company now expects the risk mix of members enrolling through the health insurance exchanges to be more adverse than previously expected."

Can you say "death spiral"?

Math doesn't care about your good intentions. It just likes to watch the world burn.

Almost to the Weekend, But Not Quite There

It's been a busy day. I'm still working. However, I decided to bring you this picture of a dog, as a content-free post this Friday afternoon.

 

Enjoy your weekend. I'm still trying to get there.

You Don't Need An AK-47 Unless...

You actually happen to need it.

There's just no substitute for the right tool for the job.

Rifle Maker Is Loving SC After Leaving CT

PTR Industries, a rifle manufacturer that left Connecticut for South Carolina, is getting a healthy dose of Southern hospitality.

“I have personally been able to get a very good feel from South Carolina, from the governor down to the local beat cops to your average citizen,” he said. “The welcoming has been tremendous. People on the street, cashiers at the gas station or the pizza place, or even TSA agents, they know who we are and they’re happy to have us. In Connecticut, we always felt like a dirty little secret. Down there, it’s very much the opposite.”

Looks like South Carolina is doing something right.

Trigger Discipline (Do's and Don'ts)

Brad had a post today about some Jihadists who wear knock-off clothes. I'm not really sure what his point was, but the guy in question had some poor trigger discipline. (Finger directly on the trigger; go see for yourself) Also, it was an RPG, so we're not just talking about a stray round from an AK here. Don't be this guy.

If you're a regular reader of this blog (or just have good gun safety) you know the rule. Say it again, this time with feeling: 

Keep your finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until you have acquired your target and made the decision to fire.

Here's an example of good trigger discipline.

Obamacare Actually Cancels More Plans Than It Creates

Remember way back, a long time ago? Back when we were debating Obamacare having Obamacare shoved down our throats because it would result in more insured people? For our own good, of course.

Yeah, about that.

More than 4.7 million Americans had their health insurance canceled as a result of any of the thousand-plus-page law’s new rules, The Associated Press reports, but the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed Tuesday that between federal and state exchanges, just two million Americans have signed up for Obamacare coverage. (RELATED: Obama administration announces net loss of at least 3 million insurance plans)

So, we're down 3 million insurance plans due to this law. I guess this is what the Ivy-League folks call a "sub-optimal" outcome, right? I'm only asking because I'm a moron from South Carolina.

Just to recap: Less people have insurance, it costs more, and it covers less.

That's one hellava a system you came up with, guys.

Florida State vs. Auburn (My Pick)

It's a beautiful backdrop in Southern California, perfect for the last game of the season. It's also the last BCS Championship ever. Next year will be the first year of the playoffs, so there's a special quality to this game.

Auburn has gotten here due to some magical plays down the stretch. Some people are calling them the "Team of Destiny". Florida State has gotten here by beating the snot out of what is admittedly a weaker schedule than most. However, they're for real.

I don't know if the Auburn magic will continue for one more game, or if Florida State will continue their dominance, but we should be in for a good one.

Relax, crack open a cold one, and enjoy the majesty of this beautiful game. For a die hard football fan, it's really nice to be able to watch a game without really having too much stake in the outcome. My new brother-in-law has Auburn in his family, and my mom has some Florida State in hers.

Being a good southern boy, I'll go with my mama and the Seminoles.

Enjoy the game.

Midlands Schools to Have Delayed Opening Because of Cold Weather

No precipitation, but we're now having a delayed opening for the cold? I could understand if it was going to be icy due to snow, or sleet, but there isn't any actual precipitation being forecast. It's just going to be cold.

I don't really think that two hours is going to make much of a difference.

Bart Starr in the 1967 Ice Bowl

Put on a coat, y'all. Or don't. Bart Starr didn't need a coat in the Ice Bowl. Man up.

George Will on "Fox News Sunday"

Oh, there’s nothing better for American conservatism than periodic examples of untrammeled liberalism. 

Indeed.

You've Lost Another Ship?

Remember the ship full of global warming scientists who are stuck in the Antarctic ice? Yeah, the ship is still suck, but that's not why I'm updating you.

You've lost another ship?

I'm updating you because a second ship (sent to rescue them) is stuck. So at this point, the score is:

Massive Anarctic Ice Sheet: 2

Scientists: 0

At some point we need to talk to these supposedly smart people who keep getting stuck in the ice. I'm not being filled with confidence that these are our best and brightest. This is comedy gold. I'm sure even the penguins are laughing at these idiots.

You know what's even funnier? When Al Gore got a Nobel Prize in 2007, he said in his Nobel acceptance speech that the arctic would be ice free in 2013. Oh well, at least I have a new theme song for the global warming dopes:

Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it.

Elections Have Consequences

Remember Colorado's decision to enact stricter gun control last year?

Magpul Industries has finally made good on their promise to leave Colorado. They've announced that they will be taking their 250 jobs and moving to Texas and Wyoming. I'm sure the anti-gunners are probably happy to have Magpul gone anyway.

That's fine. I'm sure Texas and Wyoming are happy to welcome manufacturing jobs to their state. If you're going to be hostile to a particular industry, you shouldn't be surprised when they leave.

Maybe Colorado can make up the loss of jobs and revenue by selling more marijuana.

Spurrier is OG

Allow me to sum up the awesomeness of the Capital One Bowl for you in one GIF (via @BuzzFeedSports):

1. Connor Shaw takes the snap from the shotgun
2. Shaw hands off to Pharaoh Cooper on what looks like a sweep left
3. Cooper laterals it back to Bruce Ellington
4. Ellington then throws it back across the entire field to Connor Shaw, who has slipped into the endzone unnoticed until it's too late.
5. Touchdown

Spurrier is original gangsta.

Capital One Bowl Pre-Game Thread

Happy New Year! I stayed in last night, but apparently I was the only person who decided to do that. It sounded like there was a Revolutionary War battle going on last night from around 10:00PM until about 12:30AM.

Anyway, it's one of the best days of the year. Today is the day when college football gives us an overflowing buffet of football games to watch as we enjoy the beginning of a new year.

Enjoy the day, y'all. If you need to get pumped up, here's the scene setter.

To begin the New Year I'll be smoking some wings, enjoying frosty refreshment (required when using the smoker) and basking the glory of college football.

Go Gamecocks!

Be Responsible This New Year's Eve

I will be enjoying a nice, quiet New Year's Eve at home with the family tonight. However, if you are going out to celebrate, remember to be responsible. If you see any police, let other people know in advance, like this:

Be responsible and be safe. Happy New Year, y'all.

That's no moon...

It's an ice cube.

Scientists Trapped by Antarctic Sea Ice

Some scientists pushing the global warming climate change theory went on an expedition to the Antarctic to measure the decline of sea ice due to global warming. Guess what happened?

They got stuck in the record levels of sea ice.

The irony here is thick. How thick exactly? About 3 meters thick. The ice is so thick that not even a Russian icebreaker can rescue them, so it looks like they may need to be airlifted out of there.

FYI, it's summer time in the Antarctic. Good thing they didn't go in the winter, amirite?

I'm not a scientist, but it sounds like there is plenty of ice to go around.

Enjoy Your Weekend

Happy Friday.

Not much going on. It seems like everyone is still in holiday-mode.

Enjoy your weekend playing with your new Christmas presents. I know I will.

My Dialect Map - I Can't Name the Area Between the Sidewalk and the Road

You see that picture? I have no idea what to call the grass between the road and the sidewalk.

You've probably already taken this quiz from the New York Times. It's exploded across the internet faster than knife fight in a phone booth. Likely, it's gone viral because people love to talk about how they talk.

I don't normally take quizzes (online or otherwise) but since I had plenty of time this Christmas Day, I decided to go for it. It actually doesn't take very long and it pegs you pretty close to where you live. (At least it did for me and Mrs. Permanent Press). I can't show you my map because it's not linkable for some reason. Take my word for it, it's pretty accurate for someone who lives in Columbia, has a father from Augusta, GA and went to college in the Shenandoah valley of Virginia.

To me, the most interesting question was "What do you call the grass strip between the sidewalk and the road?". It just blew my mind. It's so common and everyday, but I've never given that a second thought and I don't have a word for it.  It's not like some weird thing that only exists in Norway.

Anyone got a word for that?

Anyway, I used to think that I had no accent at all, but that changed when I went to Northwestern Indiana for law school. Most of my classmates were from the midwest or the upper midwest. I certainly didn't sound like them. I'd be interested to see their maps. Maybe they have a word for what the grass between the sidewalk and the road is.

Monday Before Christmas - You Got Your Shopping Done?

Make sure to get all the Christmas shopping done, y'all. If you're still trying to decide on what to get your wife/girlfriend, I saw this ad.

I've taken care of everyone except for three people, and they'll all be getting something from Morganelli's.

In other news, today is the last day to sign up for Obamacare!

Enjoy your Christmas. If you get a chance, gather the whole family around, and enjoy the best Christmas movie ever.

Best Eggnog Recipe (Using Bourbon)

I don't normally like alcoholic drinks that are sweet. I avoid White Russians, drinks with excessive fruit, and other overly sweet drinks. However, one exception to this is a little (very little) bit of eggnog at Christmas.

Most eggnog recipes call for rum and/or a blend of alcohols. However, I like Alton Brown's version most, as the only alcohol you add is bourbon.

Ingredients

4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pint whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 ounces bourbon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 egg whites

Enjoy!

Gear for Guys: Christmas Gifts for the Southern Man

For the most part, we guys are easy to shop for. We tend to have hobbies of one sort or another that make for easy gift giving. However, if you have a guy on your Christmas List and are struggling to come up with something, Permanent Press is here to help. All of these gifts are Permanent Press Lifestyle™ approved.

For the Sportsman/Hunter: If you're looking for a gift for a shooter/hunter, you're in luck. There are endless accessories for the Southern Sportsman. Even if this guy already has a pocket-knife or a flashlight, he could always use another. For pocket-knives, I recommend Benchmade. For flashlights, I recommend Mag-Lights.

Also, this guy is always going to need ammunition. You literally can never have enough. So if you're looking for a cheap stocking stuffer, a box or two of ammo will be a big hit. If you don't know what kind to get, look and see what he already has in his gun safe. You can buy it online, and it will ship right to your door. My favorite online ammo retailer is Lucky Gunner, but there are plenty out there.

For the Well-Dressed Gentleman: If the Southern guy in your life dresses up during the workweek, there are accessories he might need. For instance, every guy needs a good shoe-shine kit, but it's not something that we would normally buy for ourselves. Allen Edmonds has a nice kit, but there are plenty of others out there. Don't buy this guy another tie or more cufflinks.

For the College Sports Fan: If the Southern man on your list is a college sports fan (and he likely is) then you can get him something to show his team spirit in the fall. If he's an SEC sports fan, there's always this awesome koozie. But even if he isn't an SEC fan, this link should still probably have you covered.

For the Guy Who Likes a Drink: If the Southern man on your Christmas list is over 21 and enjoys a nice cocktail, bourbon is always a nice gift. Belle Meade Bourbon is an easy-drinking boubon with a smooth finish. It also has a little bit of a horse-racing history, so it would be an appropriate drink this spring when the horse racing gets into full swing.

There you have it. If you have any other ideas, I'd be interested to hear them. Hope this little holiday guide helps!

Columbia City Council members Courted by Individuals Charged with Corruption

The State has the whole piece here. From a cursory reading, it looks like lots of circumstantial evidence without any hard ties between the criminal defendants and Columbia City Council members. However, that aside, it doesn't look good.

Maybe there's something here, and maybe there isn't. All I know is that it doesn't look good.

Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company. -George Washington

Indeed.

Federal Appeals Court Rules SC Occupy Protesters Have a "Viable Claim"

Remember back when "Occupy" was a thing? It was was back in November of 2011 or so. The protesters who were forcibly removed from the Statehouse grounds back then haven't just gone away. Maybe the Governor should have consulted with Permanent Press first.

Anyway, the Occupy folks have taken their case all the way to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which just decided that the Occupy protesters "have a viable claim" that the State of South Carolina violated their First Amendment rights.

You can read the full text of the opinion here.[PDF]

Here's where I am on this: Let's assume that the State did violate the Occupier's rights by forcibly removing them from the Statehouse Grounds. Ok, so what are the damages? The Occupy protesters want damages for the State violating their First Amendment rights. Well, for you law-geeks out there, there is a whole area of jurisprudence on who to measure such damages. You can read about it at length in this law review article, which just happens to be published by my law school alma mater.

I'm not sure I would award them much money, but I'd be fine with letting them go back to the Statehouse Grounds and protesting as much as they want, as long as they don't fall asleep. Sleeping isn't political speech, it's...well it's sleeping.

All I know is that if Governor Haley had followed my advice and just ignored these people, they'd probably be gone by now.

240th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party

I couldn't let today go by without mentioning that it's the 240th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. Maybe it was an act of lawlessness, but it was certainly a turning point in the relationship between the colonists and the British government.

What would our government have to do to provoke a similar response now?

Peter O'Toole Dead at 81 - Lessons from Lawrence of Arabia

Peter O'Toole, best known for his role as T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, passed away on Sunday after a long illness.

If you haven't seen Lawrence of Arabia, it's a great movie, dealing with certain issues that are  timeless, and other political issues that are still relevant today.

Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia

One theme through the movie is the West's relationship with the Middle-East. In the movie, the relationship is against the larger backdrop of WWII, but the relationship is still fractious and unstable today. The British have the Arabs as a small appendage to their army, but it's not until T.E. Lawrence figures out how to properly use the skills and resources of the Arabs, do they become a serious fighting force.

The movie deals with racial issues, in how the British view the Arabs. In one scene, after walking through the desert, Lawrence and a young Arab boy is picked up and brought into the British Headquarters. Lawrence pushes forward with the young boy and goes into the officer's club demanding a glass of lemonade for each of them, much to the consternation of the British officers there.

The movie also explore how the Arabs themselves struggle to find their place in the world. In the setting of the movie, the Arabs are dealing with the same issues they confront today, perfectly summed up by Lawrence in this line:

Sherif Ali! So long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe, so long will they be a little people, a silly people. Greedy, barbarous and cruel, as you are.

Sound familiar? In 2013, the Middle-East is still dealing with the problem of sectarian, tribe on tribe violence. We know about Shiites fighting the Sunnis, as was made clear in the Iraq War. Much of that issue still plagues the Middle-East today.

Finally, the most over-arching theme is the idea of a man's fate, and how a man can make his own fate through his free will and actions. The idea that nothing is written deals with what is preordained by God, and how man can shape his own destiny.

In one instance, Lawrence sets out against all extreme odds to avert an event (someone's death) that a Muslim companion (Omar Sharif) declares "is written," and has accepted. Lawrence resuces the man and then caps off his act by emphatically declaring, "Nothing is written."

Later, Lawrence even goes so far as to proclaim of his own bold plans, "That is written — in here" (tapping his head). Eventually Sharif is forced to admit, "Truly, for some men, nothing is written, unless they write it."

If you've never seen Lawrence of Arabia, now might would be an appropriate time to do so.

Sunday Morning Thread - Test Taking Tips

No, the Obamacare website isn't fixed yet, but I did make you some tasty french toast. Don't worry, french toast makes everything better.

On an unrelated note, here are some funny answers to test questions from what appear to be elementary school and middle school students. A few of my favorites are:

1. Name the quadrilateral.

2. How do you change centimeters to meters.

Duh.

Study hard, kids.

Go Army, Beat Navy!

One of college football's best games of the year is today. At 3:00PM today, Army and Navy meet for their traditional battle. This game represents everything good in college football: teamwork, sacrifice, and discipline. No one from this game will be going to the NFL next year. No one will be getting a big paycheck and driving a fancy car next year. They'll be going into harm's way.

All the graduating seniors (or first-classmen) will be going into their commissions as officers with either the Army or Navy. These boys play football because they love their school, and they love the game.

It's what college football is all about.

Army-Navy Program from 1945

For over a hundred years, West Point and the US Naval Academy have played each other. However, in the recent years, the series has been one-sided, with Navy winning the last eleven games.

Pretty much everyone in my family comes from the Army side of the military, so I'll be cheering for the Black Knights to break the losing streak today.

GO ARMY, BEAT NAVY!

Friday Open Thread (Slow News Day)

Happy Friday.

Not much for news out there, other than a "meh" kind of budget deal in Congress.

Not much is new with the complete failure of Obamacare, other than it's still a train-wreck. The most recent news is that HHS is requiring that insurers allow people until December 31 to pay for coverage that would start January 1. How in the world is that going to work? You've got to at least have time for people's checks to clear. Remember, insurance is a contract - you don't get coverage unless you pay.

This is shaping up to be a serious mess come January 1. In other related news that's depressing here are three reasons that today's teenagers can't find jobs. (And why this is really bad for America.)

If you want, you can keep up with my profile on the Farmer's Only dating website.

Devine Night Out is Tonight!

The 2013 Devine Night Out is tonight. About 50 different stores and restaurants will be open late for an evening of shopping, and festive cheer. There will be food, drinks, and an oyster roast at Home Advantage Realty. You can find more details here.

Devine Street is one of the few retail locations in Columbia where pretty much every business is locally owned. If you want to support local business in Columbia while having a great time, come on out and enjoy a Devine evening. It's also a great way to get your Christmas shopping done. Last year, I knocked out about 80% of my shopping in one night.

Mrs. Permanent Press and I will likely take Permanent Press, Jr. out for this event, since he's enchanted by Christmas lights. Also, I believe that Fig Columbia will be there as well.

Hope to see you there!

365,000 Have Signed Up for Private Insurance through Obamacare

I say "signed up" for insurance rather than "obtained" insurance because I still think it remains to be seen how many people have actually had their information properly transmitted to the private insurance company. I'm not assuming a 100% success rate like the Washington Post seems to be. I'm also not sure this number is requiring that people to have actually mailed a payment.

 

 

Remember, an insurance policy is a contract. It doesn't exist until a payment is made. Let's assume everyone's paid though. (Ok, try to suppress your laughter. I'll wait.) I'll tell you what the real problem is.

Done laughing? The real problem is that 803,000 have been enrolled onto Medicaid. That's not exactly the same as private insurance. That means most of the people who have "signed up" aren't paying any premiums at all. They're getting free health insurance from the taxpayers.

Here are also a couple of things to consider. First, millions of people have had their private insurance cancelled because of Obamacare, so the 365,000 number still means that we're in net negative territory for total private plans.

Second, the 365,000 total is still far below what the original estimate of success was. Sure, measured against a total trainwreck of ZERO, it's better. Sure, anything is better than zero. But let's not start congratulating ourselves just yet.

Remember that HHS has a goal of 3.3 million signups by the end of the year. That means we're going to need another three million more people to get the private insurance (not Medicaid option) in the next two weeks. Don't forget, that's what the prices are based on. If they don't hit that total number, the policies are getting re-priced, in the upwards direction.

Finally, there's still no information on the demographics of who has signed up for these plans. Personally, I'm not optimistic that the necessary number of young people have signed up. Don't forget, getting enough premiums from the young, healthy people is one of the necessary conditions to make this whole thing work.

This whole business is going to get out of control. It's going to get out of control, and we'll be lucky to live through it.

TSA Agent Confiscates Sock Monkey's Gun

As part of our government's ongoing efforts to keep us safe as we fly commercial airlines, the TSA has done us all the favor of disarming rogue sock monkeys of their tiny toy pistols.

Rooster Monkburn: Thwarted by valiant TSA agent

Yes, this desperado, who goes by the outlaw name "Rooster Monkburn" tried to make it through the TSA security checkpoint in St. Louis, but a sharp-eyed TSA agent acted quickly to make sure that the threat was neutralized.

“She said ‘this is a gun,’” said May. “I said no, it’s not a gun it’s a prop for my monkey.”

“She said ‘If I held it up to your neck, you wouldn’t know if it was real or not,’ and I said ‘really?’” said May.

The TSA agent told May she would have to confiscate the tiny gun and was supposed to call the police.

Luckily the ruse didn't work. The TSA agent didn't fall for the ol' Sock Monkey With a Toy Gun ploy. As we all know, that's the oldest trick in the book.

I know, being a TSA agent isn't always safe. There are late nights and dangerous terrorist agents who are ready to pounce upon an unsuspecting public. Only the watchful eye of the highly trained TSA agents stands between the unsuspecting public and evil sock monkeys bent on world domination.

Yes, for the true TSA agent, the reward is knowing that you've made the world a safer place. As true evil never rests, the TSA agent must likewise be on constant guard against Little Army Men with their plastic guns, crayon drawings of cowboys and Indians shooting it out, toy aliens with their highly dangerous toy laser blasters, and all other manner of evil toys.

Luckily, a TSA agent was astride the ramparts of liberty, protecting you. Next time you see a TSA agent, thank them for having the courage to stare down such dangerous toys every day.

Top Hospitals Opting Out of Obamacare

Remember the "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor" promise that President Obama made? Yeah, about that. I have some bad news. Well, it's only bad news if your doctor works at a premier hospital. If your doctor works at a podunk hospital in the middle of nowhere, I'm sure you'll be fine.

If your doctor works at Sloan Kettering, M.D. Anderson, or Cedars-Sinai you're probably out of luck.

Amid a drive by insurers to limit costs, the majority of insurance plans being sold on the new healthcare exchanges in New York, Texas, and California, for example, will not offer patients’ access to Memorial Sloan Kettering in Manhattan or MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, two top cancer centres, or Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, one of the top research and teaching hospitals in the country.

Hey, it's just Sloan Kettering and MD Anderson. Those just happen to be the top two cancer treatment hospitals in the world. No biggie, right? You don't really need the best cancer care, right?

This Obamacare thing keeps getting better every day.

So just to recap: You can't necessarily keep your plan, you can't necessarily keep your doctor, and you might not be able to sign up for a new plan because the website is all wonky, and you'll pay a tax if you don't get that new plan that you've been ordered to purchase. And if you do get a new plan, it will cost you more in premiums, if you're young and healthy.

The Five Worst Christmas Songs Ever

Happy Monday.

Brad's got the list of worst Christmas songs over at his place, and my only quibble with it is that I like Frank Sinatra's version of Little Dummer Boy. Otherwise, I concur.

On a related note, one of my pet peeves with Christmas music is people who play it before Thanksgiving. There should be a law allowing people to make a citizen's arrest when that occurs.

Anyone got any other Christmas songs they could do without?

Is a South Carolina Sheriff Defying President Obama?

The Pickens County Sheriff has decided his police department won't be lowering their flag to half-staff in honor of Nelson Mandela. 

I'm kind of surprised that this story made CNN, but it did. It's seems like a nothing of a story, really. Some guy isn't going to lower his flag for Nelson Mandela. Ok. So what?

And this angle of this county sheriff "defying President Obama's order" is ridiculous. The President can order the military to lower their flags. The President can order the FBI lower their flags. He can even order US embassies and the Agriculture Department to lower their flags.

But Pickens County? They don't take orders from the President of the United States. The President can't order the Pickens County Sheriff to do squat. Seriously. Where does a journalist get off saying crap like this?

You can debate whether or not it's proper to lower the flag for Mandela, but ultimately it's a judgment call, and it doesn't really mean anything. It's a symbolic thing. But I'm sure that this won't stop everyone from saying the guy's a racist or something.

Last College Football Saturday

The college football season always goes by too fast. It seems like just a few weeks ago we were looking at this season with all sorts of anticipation. Gamecock fans were looking at this season with expectations that the SEC East was ours for the taking.

Heck, Clemson fans were thinking that this year could be the one where they take the next step and make it to the national title game. No one was giving Auburn or Missouri a chance, and no one knew how bad Florida would be.

All that's gone now.

The Grove at Ole Miss will see you again next year

There won't be anymore tailgates with all your friends in the shadow of your team's stadium. The tailgates (which you put more planning into than D-Day) are going to be dormant until next fall. Even if you're going to a Bowl Game to support your team, it won't be the same.

Sure, yeah, there are the bowl games. Too many of them in fact. But the last few months of waking up early on a Saturday like a five year old kid on Christmas morning and watching college football all day are over. No more changing between channels and avoiding yard-work all day while you drink beer all day and bask in the glory of college football from noon until midnight. That's all gone.

We bid farewell to the likes of JD Clowney, Connor Shaw, Aaron Murray, Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins, and a host of other great players who amazed us with their skill on the field.

Here's to the 2013 college football season, with all it's craziness, drama, and maddening twists and turns that make us all love it so much at times, and make us all hate it so much at times. Your wives and girlfriends will be glad to reclaim Saturday again.

Until next year, that is.

To All the Other States: Bless Your Heart

You know how South Carolina is always at the bottom of the state rankings when it comes to things like poverty, education level, obesity, and other related bad things? 

Well, whenever someone tries to throw that in your face, you can let them know that South Carolina is the top of the class in politeness, among all fifty states. Maybe if the other states were as polite as South Carolina, things would be better here in America. You know, more civil?

That's right, South Carolina is the most polite place in the United Staes. Numero uno. So next time someone tells you that South Carolina is first in heart attacks or something, just politely tell them to shove it.

And can you guess which state ranked at the bottom in politeness? The rudest state in our nation? I'll give you a clue: Lots of people from this impolite state come to Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Prohibition Ended 80 Years Ago Today

Eighty years ago today, everyone decided to end Prohibition. Good thing, too.

Try to celebrate appropriately.

Stolen Radioactive Material Found

If you hadn't heard, some radioactive material went missing in Mexico the other day. The first thing I thought was: Good thing the ol' border with Mexico is secure...

The radioactive material was something called Cobalt-60, and as far as I can tell, it seems to be some pretty scary stuff. You remember the guy who got his face melted in Radiers of the Lost Ark? It's that bad. This is the kind of material that could be used to make a "dirty" bomb. It's wouldn't have a nuclear reaction, but a conventional explosion would scatter radioactive material all over the place. Not a good scenario.

Also, by the way, here's a PROTIP from Permanent Press: Don't open things that have this marking on them. It's the international sign for "Don't touch".

The best news is that the Cobalt-60 was recovered, even though it was removed from it's casing. It seems like the thieves didn't know there was radioactive material there, and they weren't prepared to deal with it. Then they found it and took it out of the container, which was literally a weapons-grade stupid thing to do. So they're probably all going to die.

I'm sure the container had all sorts of scary looking radioactive markings all over it. Even thieves should know not to open radioactive containers, but apparently they decided to take a look. Now, they're probably dead in the desert somewhere.

The Strange Development Story of the Original Ford Mustang

There's a really interesting back-story on the development of one of America's most iconic sports cars. We all know the original mustang. Seeing the prototypes and variations in the development stage is like looking at an alternate universe.

For instance, I never gave a serious thought to which direction the emblem faces. Can you see it right now in your mind's eye? Which way does the galloping horse face?

It faces left, like this:

That looks normal, right? Apparently, the horse was made to gallop to the left because it's "going West" like America did. Whatever, right? However, I'm so used to it that looking at it the other way is strangely disturbing:

That top picture just looks wrong, doesn't it? I'm now trying to figure out why that the left-facing horse looks normal, since we Westerners read everything left to right. All I know is that right facing horse really creeps me out. Anyone else feel like that?

If you think that's weird, check out the article to see how really weird the Mustang might have been with other variations.

My Child Doesn't Make Me Happy

I have a two year old son, and he's great. We have a lot of fun together, but we also have some tough times. For instance, he was not really able to sit quietly at dinner last night. That's because he's two years old. It certainly would have been less stressful to leave him with a babysitter and have a quiet meal without milk spilling all over the place and constantly getting him to sit still.

Anyway, I saw a post on Matt Walsh's blog, and I think he hits the nail on the head, as he usually does.

All of the pain, sacrifice, and suffering of parenthood dismissed with a shrug and a sigh — “it might be tough sometimes” — and covered up in a layer of rainbows, puppies, sunshine, and gum drops. And lies. Because that what it is when you tell someone that having kids will make them happy: a lie. Kids won’t MAKE you happy. Nothing will MAKE you happy.

My own kids do not, in fact, make me happy. I love them to death. I am a proud father. I am honored that God gave them to me. I am overjoyed. I am in awe. I am in love. I am happy. But my kids do not MAKE me happy.

My kids don’t make my happiness. That isn’t their job. My happiness isn’t a responsibility that falls on their tiny little shoulders.

I can't excerpt the whole thing, but you should go read it.

As usual, Matt is spot on. He goes on to make the point that being happy is a choice. It's a decision that we all make every day, and that's exactly right. The happiest people I know are happy simply because they decide to be.

This isn't to discount the fact that there are some people out there who just aren't "wired" to become parents. There are plenty of people I know who choose not to have children, or even get married. And they're happy people for the most part. The larger lesson is that happiness is a personal decision.

Break's Over; Back to Work

Ok, y'all, everyone back to work. Break's over. So what's going on in the world today?

1. Did healthcare.gov get fixed over the weekend? Well, sort of. If you define "fixed" as a website that still doesn't really work all the time. It's kind of like Sex Panther Cologne. But hey, for the people who don't have to use the website because they're either exempt or already have insurance, the site works perfectly.

2. Abandoned Sites That Would Make Great Super Villain Lairs. In other news, if you have that hard to shop for person on your Christmas list, here are a list of six abandoned sites that would make great super-villain lairs.

3. Speaking of Super Villains, our "strong mayor" referendum is going to be on Tuesday. Here's everything you need to know, courtesy of The State. Funny, I don't see anything about the mayor getting a cool lair. That seems like a requirement, right?

In all seriousness, I don't have too strong of a position on the "strong mayor" thing. If you elect good people to office, they'll mostly do a good job. If you elect corrupt goobers to office, you'll have a poorly run city. Maybe it's easier to find one good person than it is to find a whole council of them. Who knows? All I know is that I doubt this will solve any of Columbia's problems.

4. Global Cooling Returns! The arctic ice cap grew 29% from 2012. Here's a picture:

Al Gore, call your office.

College Football This Weekend

So....who had Auburn Missouri in the SEC Championship Game? I mean anyone besides Biff Tannen and his sports almanac.

First, the Alabama-Auburn Game ended like this:

Roll Tears.

In other news, South Carolina beat Clemson. The difference in the game was the grindingly sold performance of Connor Shaw vs. the let down performance of Tajh Boyd. Shaw goes down in USC history as probably the best QB in USC history. He's got the most wins, the most rushing yards, and never lost to Clemson. Not bad.

For Tajh Boyd, he's going to have a weird legacy at Clemson. He took them to an ACC Championship, and he's broken all kinds of records, but he's going to have "he never beat South Carolina" grumbled after his name is mentioned.

One problem was that Clemson had last night was that they turned over the ball a few times. Well, more that a few. How many turnovers did Clemson have?

Six.  Six of them. One less than seven. By the way, this would make an excellent Christmas Gift for any Clemson fan on your list.

What a crazy game this is.