U.S. confirms two more freed Guantanamo inmates have repented and joined Rotary International

Did I say Rotary International? Sorry, I meant to say they've rejoined ISIS.

In the first six months of 2016, two more militants released from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have returned to fighting, the U.S. government said on Wednesday.

Great. I'm so glad we let these nice young men go free.

Hey Richland One Administration - What would you say it is, you DO here?

So the federal Department of Education has these programs where it helps fund local school districts. Essentially, all the school districts have to do is qualify and apply, and presto, the school district gets some free federal dollars.

Richland County School District One happens to be one of these school districts. Accordingly, you would think that this would be a pretty straightforward process. The Dept. of Education wants to give out this money. I mean, hey, if there's one thing the federal government can do, it's shovel dollars out the door. All we have to do is go around and scoop it up.

So, what happened last year with Richland School District One? Well...the folks in charge of the budget failed to spend the money correctly, so they missed out on the reimbursement from the feds.

Last year, Richland School District One missed out on $1.4 million in federal funding designed to help the poorest students succeed because, according to South Carolina Department of Education Chief Communications Officer Ryan Brown, “the district unfortunately suffered from a lack of procedures and mismanagement of funds.” The total amount of that FY 2014-15 mistake – $1,413,482 – was the result of not spending a one-time carryover in Title 1 funding from the previous year.

So, it's like they essentially had this money "in the bank", but if they didn't spend it, it would disappear - and Richland One just did nothing. Poof. Money gone.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for thriftiness in budgeting, but I'm pretty sure that there was something  worthwhile that Richland One could have found to spend $1.4 million bucks on.

So you would think that the folks at Richland One would really make sure they got all their ducks in a row for the next year, right? I mean, sure, we're all human. No one's perfect. Let's just take this as a $1.4 million dollar learning experience, and try to do better going forward.

All good, right?

Nope.

Brown said despite extensive email and phone correspondence to Richland One from the department of education’s Office of Federal and State Accountability in the months and weeks leading up to the Aug. 15 deadline, Richland One’s Title 1 office failed to meet the federal deadline to be reimbursed for $3.1 million in FY 2015-16 funds it already had spent.

Again! Even with the state office holding their hands like little children, the folks at Richland One still failed to get things submitted by the deadline! We're just talking about paperwork here. No one's asking them to build a rocket. Just do the paperwork. Push the paper. That's it!

For those of you scoring at home, that's roughly $5.5 million dollars in money that the federal government is trying to give Richland One, but the folks in Richland One are too incompetent to figure out how to get it.

So now the children who go to school in Richland One at the poorest, most needy schools are missing out, or will have money from other programs diverted, because the people whose sole job it is to budget and spend the money for the schools can't get their act together?

To quote the Bobs from Office Space, "What would you say, you do here?" It's just amazing that this happens two years in a row. You would think these folks would be ready to go this year after looking like nincompoops last year.

People have to be fired. People have to be told "You failed once, we gave you another chance, and you failed again in exactly the same way. Get out." Punishments need to be real. Consequences need to be real. No probation, no shuffling to another department, gone. Bye. Out the door, don't come back.

What is our school board going to do about this? Are they going to just continue to accept failure upon failure? The federal government is trying to hand out money to the most needy students, and we can't even get people competent enough to figure out how to accept the gift.

Damn, this is why people hate the government.

USS Yorktown and the Twin Towers

Yesterday was the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11, and there were lots of remembrances around the country. One of most interesting ones, visually, was this photo tweeted out by the Patriots Point twitter account:

When the #USSYORKTOWN passed by NYC in 1975 on her way to our museum, the WTC's twin towers were new. #September11 pic.twitter.com/YJuHsFTF3T

— Patriots Point (@Patriots_Point) September 12, 2016

It's amazing to see the USS Yorktown off the coast of New York City in 1975. It sort of feels like some sort of time warp were a WWII aircraft carrier is dropped into the seventies. Amazing.

Also, that's not to be confused with the movie where a modern, 1980's era carrier is time-warped back into 1941, with all its armament and crew.

Neighborhoods Near USC Having Issues - Kit Smith is Concerned

"Within the first week of school at the University of South Carolina, a girl woke up naked on the bench of Suzanne Keenan’s front porch in the Hollywood-Rose Hill Neighborhood."

The thousands of USC students living right downtown mixed in with residential folks is certainly a big issue. There's no perfect solution, but there needs to be significant involvement from the University, the neighborhoods, and the city.

I mention Kit Smith in the headline only because she's a pretty solid advocate for Columbia neighborhoods, and she knows what she's talking about. Friend of the blog and neighborhood advocate, Kathryn Fenner is also quoted, but it sounds like USC patrols have helped in her neighborhood.

Kids are going to do dumb things, but steps can be taken to deal with folks who aren't good neighbors. Hopefully, everyone can try to work together to figure out how to live in diverse neighborhoods and live in harmony.

Coach of USA Hockey Not a Fan of Sitting Down for National Anthem

"If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game."

First, it's Team USA, folks. It's the national team, the team of our country - so it sort of has a different feel than if, say, the San Jose Sharks coach said this. Does anyone else feel like it being Team USA makes a difference? I mean, if you're protesting America's anthem, maybe you might just opt out of being a representative to the world via the team, no?

Also, hockey isn't a sport where you stand out as an individual. I would have to say that, even more than football, hockey players are very, very team oriented guys. No one wants to be "that guy" on the hockey team.

Take Wayne Gretzky for example. Every time you hear Gretzky interviewed, you come away with him saying stuff that essentially amounts to how lucky he was to play on a great team with lots of other great players who really made his play better than he could have done on his own.

When the best player in your entire sport ever comes across with an "Aw, shucks..." kind of humility, that gives you a sort of flavor of how team-oriented hockey is. (Maybe excluding goalies).

Pictured - Team USA celebrating a win over the commies in 1980.

Development in Columbia on North Main

Columbia chef and restaurateur Kristian Niemi plans to help boost the revival of North Main Street with a multi-use complex that will include a restaurant, beer garden, bocce courts and concert hall.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/shop-around/article100166347.html#storylink=cpy

Magnolia Open Thread

Magnolia in bloom at The Hermitage, near Nashville, TN

Enjoy the last full blossom of summer, before the cool air of fall comes creeping in.

Who's Ready to Start Yelling at Their TV Again?

As a friend of mine said yesterday, "Tomorrow's the day I start yelling at my TV again." Well, that day is now upon us. It's time to get up, get through the workday, and get ready for some Gamecock football.

Our long slog through the dog days of summer are over. Now, with the official start of college football and September, we have finally made it to the promised land.

I haven't done one of my traditional game-by-game season predictions, mostly because I've been super busy, and I haven't had time to really give the season much thought. Also, with all the new players and coaches, there are a lot of unknowns.

Suffice it to say that I would be happy with six wins, satisfied with five wins, and overjoyed beyond belief if the Gamecocks somehow managed to upset Clemson at the end of the year.

Tonight though, it's all about beating Vanderbilt and getting off to a good start. The most important game of the season is the one you're about to play, so let's hope the boys get after it.

As a trial lawyer, I often take solace in a quote from John Adams which goes "“We cannot insure success, but we can deserve it.” I like to think about that when situations are not entirely in my control, and I think that if I work as hard as I can and do everything I can, then that will at least allow me to deserve a good result, even if I cannot guarantee one.

For the Gamecocks, I just hope they can work hard enough to at least deserve to win. Work ethic counts a lot with me.

Jerk Quarterback Isn't Standing Up for National Anthem Until Country Changes

He's a whiny crybaby who annoys me because he's such a moron.

I guess it's also his lack of awareness that makes it so annoying. There are things that everyone doesn't like about America. This country isn't perfect, but it's pretty darn nice. If you don't like something about the country, that's fine, but that doesn't make you special, m'kay?

When we stand up for the national anthem, it doesn't mean that we think America is perfect. We're not endorsing all the bad parts. We're endorsing the country as a whole, and as a whole, America's doing pretty good. Yeah, we've got some issues to work on, but who's perfect? I mean, what country would this jerk-face rather live in?

I also find it really dumb for this guy to say America isn't doing things right, and he's going to publicly complain about it...but then not actually do anything concrete to fix what he alleges is the problem.

Too many people think that doing something symbolic is actually doing something. Newsflash campers, your completely symbolic gesture is...completely symbolic. If this guy thinks that African-Americans are being oppressed by law enforcement, then I would have infinitely more respect for him if he quit the NFL, joined a police force, and had the courage of his convictions. Roll up your sleeves and get rolling, Sparky.

As it is, he's just blowing hot air. I'm not offended by his actions, mostly because I really don't care about what morons do or don't do.

Members of the 49ers organization who I completely support.

"Students and activists opposed to the campus carry gun law that went into effect this month protested the measure on Wednesday by carrying sex toys on the University of Texas campus on the first day of classes."

Anti-gun people are...strange.

“If there are guns in your bags, there will be dildos in mine,” she shouted, as she brandished one over her head. “If you pack heat, we’re packing meat! We’re going to make you as uncomfortable as we are (with guns).”

First, what the what?

I get that some people have an irrational fear of weapons. I get that some people are anti-gun, and wished that guns didn't exist. I get that some people don't think protecting yourself is a big deal.

But this? I don't understand the thought process here. A person carrying a concealed weapon is carrying it concealed. That means out of sight. The handgun isn't being waved around or being paraded around like some sort of trophy. It's being kept out of sight at all times.

So the response of publicly, openly carrying anything around seems odd. It's not really a parallel response. Really, these people should be carrying concealed sex toys around, right?

Second, what makes these people think that just because they're carrying around sex toys, it's going to change the mind of anyone who carries a concealed weapon? Virtually no one makes the decision to carry a concealed weapon lightly. It's a thought out, deliberate decision, not something on a whim, mostly because of the seriousness of the issue.

These "students and activists" carrying around sex toys are just outing themselves as unthinking, childish bird-brains. But that's fine, I guess. Everyone has the right to expose themselves...as dumb.

Finally, do these bird-brains think that carrying around a sex toy is going to be persuasive to anyone else? Frankly, it's more of a self-pleasing act for the people carrying the sex toy, in that they get to publicly show off their indignation. It makes them feel good, but that's it.

As I think about it, that seems appropriate for what they're carrying, no?

Men Chant "Black Lives Matter" Before Attacking Their Victims

I guess it was a "mostly" peaceful protest, huh?

A group of men chanting "Black Lives Matter" was accused of viciously beating up seven white victims in Akron early Sunday morning.

I'm sure that the thing these guys were chanting right before a violent attack, has nothing to do with their motivation for the crime.

Police said seven white men were walking when they were approached by five black men and two white men, shouting, "Black lives matter." The suspects started hitting them with bottles, punching and kicking the victims. One victim fell to the ground and was kicked in the head several times before losing consciousness. The suspects then took the victims' belongings before running off.  

Just some normal protesting, right? You chant, you beat random people up, and then steal their belongings.

As @exjon said so long ago, "My favorite part of the Obama era is all the racial healing."

History of the Sailing Warship in Marine Art

An English Ship with Sails Loosened Firing a Gun, by Peter Monamy

Check out the whole website.

Can you see it?

I can see the weekend from here.

Enjoy your weekend in the dog days of summer.

Says Who?

When you go to school to be a lawyer, they teach you things. One of the things they teach you at lawyer school is, don't be a complete moron. It's a good rule to abide by, because being a complete moron really hurts your ability to advocate effectively for your client.

One way lawyers can be complete morons is by refusing to admit basic facts. Now don't get me wrong. It's perfectly acceptable to have a dispute over facts. That's actually what jury trials are for - deciding which side's version of the facts is correct.

However, when a certain fact is plainly obvious that is beyond dispute...and yet it's disputed, the person disputing the perfectly obvious fact looks like a complete moron.

For instance, if you have a divorce case, it's fairly commonplace to dispute the value of a marital asset. Reasonable people can differ over what a parcel of real estate might be worth. However, you look like a complete moron if you take the position that your client was never actually married to the person suing them for divorce, when there is, in fact, a marriage licence, photos of them getting married with their friends and family, tax returns of them filing "married filing jointly" for years, and they've got four children.

The argument that these people aren't married just ain't gonna fly, and you look like a complete moron if you try and argue that position.

So what I'm getting at is that lawyers should know better than to take unreasonable positions because of this rule.

Unfortunately, Michael Cohen was absent the day they taught this rule in lawyer school.

Keep in mind, this guy's job, allegedly, is to make Trump look good. Trump hired him to help the campaign and speak for the campaign.

Trump keeps saying he's going to hire "all the best people".

Says who?

40,000 Russian Troops Arrayed Along Border With Ukraine

Is this a thing?

The Pentagon has identified eight staging areas in Russia where large numbers of military forces appear to be preparing for incursions into Ukraine, according to U.S. defense officials. As many as 40,000 Russian troops, including tanks, armored vehicles, and air force units, are now arrayed along Ukraine’s eastern border with Russia.

So, this sorta sounds like bad news, huh?

“Russian units will likely practice reinforcing the [Crimean] peninsula through such activities as amphibious landings and air defense exercises, and this may involve the change out of equipment and long convoys of military vehicles,” one defense official said. The military exercises are an ominous sign. Similar large-scale Russian exercises were conducted near Ukraine a month before Moscow carried out the covert military operation to take over the strategic Black Sea peninsula in March 2014.

So now the Ukrainians will have to send their troops to their Eastern border to respond to the Russian troop deployment, which means it will weaken them in the Western portion of their country. If nothing else, Russia will gather some intelligence on Ukrainian mobilization rates. 

Is this the beginning of the "Death Spiral"?

I guess losing $430 million in two years isn't a super good business model.

Aetna’s announcement Monday night was the latest sign that large insurers are losing money in the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces, heightening concerns about the long-term stability of a key part of Obama’s domestic policy legacy. But addressing this issue could open the door to a nasty political fight, given that some Republicans have vowed to repeal the law outright.

Hey, if you like your legacy, you can keep your legacy, am I right?

What a Real Man Cave Needs - And What it Doesn't

The big craze of "man caves" is overblown. You don't need a bunch of bar-ware and kitch stuff. You just need a good fireplace, a good chair, and some books.

Rescuers free squirrel with head stuck in cup

Our long, national nightmare is over.

Members of Enfield Emergency Medical Services responded Friday after the rodent got its head stuck in what appeared to be a plastic or paper cup. Video posted on the Enfield EMS Facebook page shows the critter wildly jumping and flipping into the air in an effort to dislodge the cup. Responders' first attempt to remove the cup was unsuccessful. The wily rodent hopped out of one officer's hands and through the legs of another.

 Looks like it was a tough battle, but the courage and resolve of the Enfield EMS team would not be denied.

Shootings on a Record Scale This Week

Nearly 100 people were shot this week in Iraq's dangerous Northern region. More below the jump...

New Candidate for 2016

The press conferences alone would be worth it.

Democrats Openly Celebrating and Laughing about Scalia's Death

"The death of Scalia saved labor from a terrible decision." -@Ted_Strickland to AFL-CIO https://t.co/UVM4Mn77ai

— Liam Donovan (@LPDonovan) August 10, 2016

It's not the fact that he frames Scalia's death in the context of what's good for his policy preference, it's all the laughter and clapping in the audience that really gets me.

h/t Ace.

Words Fail.

A high school classmate of mine is no longer with us. As often happens, I didn't keep up with her after high school, and we all grow so much as people after that time, so I can't claim to know her as an adult.

The girl that I knew in high school so many years ago was bright, shining, and full of life. She was athletic, smart, and had the world at her fingertips. I certainly can't begin to understand the hurt and the despair that she must have felt, and it must have been deep, because the girl I knew was so strong and vibrant.

It's important that we remember her as she lived, that young girl - full of energy with a flashing smile that we all knew so well. She will be missed, and we're all a bit poorer for her absence.

New Top Dog at LLR

My friend, Emily Farr is on the left, in green.

South Carolina's Department of LLR has a new head honcho. She's a friend of mine, so if I find out that your elevator isn't in good working order, you're in big trouble!

Iranian Nuclear Scientist Executed for Treason

His name was openly discussed on Hillary Clinton's private server hosted e-mails.

"I'm not going to comment on what he may or may not have done for the United States government, but in the emails that were on Hillary Clinton's private server, there were conversations among her senior advisors about this gentleman," he said on "Face the Nation." Cotton was speaking about Shahram Amiri, who gave information to the U.S. about Iran's nuclear program.

So we're not 100% sure that the Iranians found out that one of their scientists was providing information to the US from Hillary's e-mails. We'll never be. However, we are sure that they found out about him helping the US and then killed him for doing so. I'm assuming he didn't just randomly confess, though.

I know she didn't intend for him to be outed to the Iranians, but when you're extremely careless about intelligence matters, sometimes your enemies capitalize on them. And people die.

We'll obviously never know what happened, because the Iranians aren't going to tell us how they found out this scientist was helping us. It's just something to think about when one of Hillary's supporters tells you the e-mail thing "doesn't matter".

Busy Day - Putting out Fires

Doing four real estate closings today. I love having a lot of work on a Friday, since it makes the time go by so quickly.

What lawyers do for people. You got problems, we have solutions.

Enjoy your weekend, peeps.

Physical Fitness Goal Achieved!

Back in January, I resolved that I would get back in shape. For the previous four years I had used the "excuse" of having small children as why I didn't have time to work out. In January, I was so sick of being out of shape I decided to do something about it and I joined Workhorse Fitness.

Since then, I've been doing a Cross-Fit style workout with Workhorse, and I can't say enough good things about it. The head trainer has been phenomenal, the other people at the gym have become great friends. Not only have I lost weight and gotten stronger, I just feel better about myself in general. I've done things that I did not think possible, and I may even compete in a Spartan Race this fall.

On Tuesday, I finally hit one of the physical fitness goals that I set for myself back in January. I've set many goals for myself since January, but my goal for doing pull-ups was a big one. Now that I've met that goal, I'm going to set some new ones and keep pushing.

If you are someone who's been sitting at their desk day-in and day-out for years, and you want to make a change, I highly recommend Workhorse Fitness. Just like anything, the hardest part is starting out, but what makes Workhorse great is the team that is there for you every day so you don't feel like you're doing it alone.

"The main thing the holiday accomplishes is to create a constituency for itself, to go along with the constituencies we have for our other 110 or so sales tax exemptions."

"That reduces the chance that the Legislature will ever get rid of any of the exemptions. And that means our state will continue to exempt as many purchases as it taxes, which is the main reason our sales tax is 6 percent to 9 percent, among the highest in the nation."

Cindi Ross Scoppe makes a compelling case for a flatter, less complicated sales tax.

Read more here: http://www.thes

Dtate.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/cindi-ross-scoppe/article93062392.html#storylink=cpy

Ann Althouse Dissects Hillary's Position on Heller

I don't watch the Sunday news shows, so I didn't see this. Apparently, Chris Wallace had a pretty good interview with Hillary Clinton that touched on her views on Heller and the Second Amendment.

Ann Althouse has the dissection.

Sick - Back on Monday

Summertime Open Thread (No Worries)

Today's open thread brought to you by chillin' on the beach without a care in the world.

Islamic Jihadists Storm French Church and Kill Priest During Mass

The JV team strikes again. 

It was also revealed that the Catholic church was on a terrorist 'hit list' found in the apartment of a suspected ISIS extremist last April.

Maybe it's time to let people and places know if they're on the hit-list. Protect yourself and your families.

Fridge 2016

Lion Ted - Rising Above Partisanship

Godfather II opens with a scene in a small town in Sicily where a young Vito Andolini is driven from his home after his parents and older brother are both murdered by a local mafia chieftain, Don Ciccio. At the time, Vito is about six years old, and he goes to America to start a new life. But he never forgets what Don Ciccio did to his family.

Last night, Ted Cruz did something that we don't see very often in politics. Frankly, we don't see if often in life. He decided that he wasn't going to "go along to get along". He decided that he wasn't going to just back Donald Trump because he was the Republican nominee and that was supposed to be "his team". 

Lots of people have said that that Cruz refusing to endorse Trump was a "selfish" act. That's because the Cardinal Rule in American politics is that you support your party no matter what.

Supporting your party above all other things is what has led to such a partisan divide in American politics. For example, there are partisan Democrats who will refuse to admit that Hillary broke the law. It's not because they really believe that in their heart of hearts - they're just following the Cardinal Rule of: "Support your party no matter what".

The rationale behind the Cardinal Rule is that your party is better than the other party in matters of important policy goals, so you do whatever you have to do to win, because you can't govern if you don't win.

It's win at all costs, basically, and both parties are guilty. Just win, baby. It's why so many normal people hate politics. It's why I hate politics. It's why Brad Warthen hates parties.

Last night, Ted Cruz addressed the Republican party convened in Cleveland. Everyone who had already addressed the party had followed the Cardinal Rule and bent their knee. Christie, Walker, Rubio, Giuliani, McMaster, and countless other party members put their own principles aside in observance of the Cardinal Rule and endorsed Donald Trump.

When Ted Cruz came to the moment in his speech when he was supposed to kneel before the party and swear fealty to Trump, simply because he was the nominee of the party, Cruz broke the Cardinal Rule. Instead of saying "Vote for Donald Trump" he said "Vote your conscience." In response, the party faithful booed him off the stage. They didn't want this heretic in their midst. In the party's mind of group-think, the only satisfactory answer is unswerving, unyielding, unthinking loyalty to the party.

Last night, Ted Cruz showed why he's so disliked in the Republican party. It's because he's never followed the Cardinal Rule, and anyone who has paid attention to him over the years knows that. Last night, Ted Cruz stood up in front of the Republican party faithful and told them to "Vote their conscience" and all the men who knelt at the altar of the Cardinal Rule were revealed. Cruz's refusal to submit his principles highlighted their lack of principles. Hence the vitriol and the outrage.

An easy way to make someone mad is to point out their flaws and hypocrisies.

Last night, Ted Cruz took the principled path and put his personal beliefs above the party's. If you think that is "selfish" then you're obviously someone who believes in the Cardinal Rule.

Last night, Ted Cruz was a lion for his beliefs. He refused to meekly submit to the Cardinal Rule, and he retained his dignity. Maybe he'll be run out of politics, and maybe he'll be cast out of the Republican party. But he won't be a hypocrite, and he won't have compromised his beliefs. He was a Man of Respect.

I like to think that last night, Ted Cruz was a bit like the adult Vito Andolini who returned to Italy to confront Don Ciccio. Rather than simply submit to the old Don, Vito exacts his revenge and becomes a Man of Respect in his own right.

Last night, Ted Cruz stuck a knife into Donald Trump. Maybe it won't kill Trump like Vito killed Don Ciccio that day, but my guess is that Donald Trump is already a dead man when it comes to this election, which makes the fealty to him even more appalling.

Lexington County Changes 911 System

One thing about this piece struck me:

What does this mean for a caller? For those suffering from emergencies such as a heart attack, officials say the system will save precious seconds and get an ambulance there more quickly. Those who call with what the system classifies as less urgent matters, such as the common cold or flu symptoms, will have to wait longer. (emphasis mine).

People are calling 911 with "cold or flu symptoms"? I mean, I know a flu can get pretty bad, but a cold? What are people doing?

DISPATCH: Hello, 911, what is your emergency?
CALLER:  Yes, [sniff] I have a really stuffy nose, and I feel really run down.
DISPATCH: Is someone attacking you?
CALLER: No, I'm just really feeling stopped up and my eyes are so watery.
DISPATCH: Are you in immediate danger?
CALLER: I really need some tissue. I'm all out of the lotion-kind, and all I have left is the really scratchy kind.
DISPATCH: We're on it. Kleenex will be there forthwith.

I can't imagine calling 911 unless (1) my house was uncontrollably on fire; (2) someone was having a heart attack or some other sort of instant, life-threatening issue; or (3) if there was some other sort of imminent danger.

When I have "cold or flu symptoms" I do what every other red-blooded American guy does - I complain to my wife about it and act like I'm five years old.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article90781932.html#storylink=cpy

It's way past time for the good people to leave Chicago's South Side.

The good people who live in Chicago need to leave. 

The Chicago mother thought she knew when it was safe to take her children outside, that she could protect them by sizing up and avoiding the people whom trouble seemed to follow. Then a bullet fired from a gun that D'Antignay Brashear never saw pierced the cheek of her 4-year-old son, Kavan Collins. It fractured the boy's jaw and shattered some teeth before it went out his other cheek, all while he held his mother's hand.

Let the gangs have the South Side. Move. It's a free country. Move somewhere else where you don't have to worry about your child being shot in the face in broad daylight walking down the street.

I'm not sure this is the optimal way to prevent a fire.

A man here in Richland County tried to light himself (and a home) on fire Tuesday morning, but was stopped by his father...who shot him...to prevent him from starting the fire.

Is this a Smokey the Bear approved method, now?

How to Make Perfect Ribs on the Smoker (Illustrated)

In an effort to branch out from the soul-crushing drudgery that is politics, I'm going to try and do a cooking-related blog post more often. I've always enjoyed cooking, as you have an actual, tangible result at the end. In that way, it's sort of like construction - you work with your hands to create something that you (and others) can enjoy.

Let's start with a classic American dish that everyone likes. Ribs. If you don't like tender, fall-off-the-bone, slow-smoked ribs, please discontinue reading this post. If you do, read on. I got you.

A father and son from Texas and 10 children are among the 84 people murdered Thursday night when a terrorist plowed an explosives- and weapons-laden truck into a crowd of thousands gathered along a seaside promenade in Nice, France, to watch the city's Bastille Day fireworks.

"Such a monstrosity," French President Francois Hollande said Friday morning. "France is deeply saddened, but it is also very strong. I can assure you we will always be stronger than the fanatics who are trying to attack us."

This got me thinking on the various ways to be strong. You can be strong in mind and your resolve. You can be strong in your physical actions. It's possible to be strong in one way without being strong in the other. Also, there's the idea of the "strong horse vs. the weak horse" which is attributed to Bin Laden.

Does the West seem like the strong horse?

Happy Bastille Day!

Today in 1789, the French people stormed a government fortress to acquire arms and powder to use in their own revolution.

Also, one of my favorite paintings by Monet depicts a later celebration of the French Republic, so this is an appropriate day as any to share it.

Claude Monet, Rue Montorgueil, Paris, Festival of 30 June 1878

First Date Questions - Don't be a Pop-Quiz Queen

My friends play a game on first dates now where it's ask men to name three books they've read by female authors.

It never goes well.

— holly wood (@girlziplocked) July 13, 2016

I mean, you signal what a strident feminist you are on the first date, and you are surprised that it "never goes well"? Fortunately, she's clearly doing most guys a favor by revealing this up front and letting them bail before the appetizers arrive.

If I had been asked this question on first date, I would have thought, "Boy, here's a real keeper! I can spend the rest of my life arguing with this harpy, or more likely, her lawyer. I wonder if I can kick out the window in mens' restroom and get out of here..." No one likes Pop-quizzes. It's not endearing.

Or, after I answer with "Harper Lee, Anne Frank, and Mary Shelley" I follow up with my standard first date question. If a girl doesn't get this right, you immediately know she's not the one:

What...is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

CDC Study Shows Firearm Homicides at All Time Low From 1993 Peak.

Facts are stubborn things.

The 10,945 firearm homicides in 2014 represented a 40-percent drop from the peak hit in 1993, when there were 18,253 firearm homicides in the country,according to CDC data.

You wouldn't know it from watching television, but there are actually fewer firearm homicides and more firearms than there were back in 1993. Weird, huh? It's almost like guns aren't the problem.

I bet if you took out all the data from large cities in the US, the rest of the country would have a firearm homicide rate similar to New Zealand or something.

Police Robots: Helpful Tools or a Precursor to SkyNet?

“This is not the beginning of killer robotics, domestically, but it is hard to distinguish this and a drone strike,” Calo said. “The police had exhausted their other options, they thought.”

I don't really have any problem with the police using a robot to kill the Dallas shooter like they did. The guy was cornered, but still a threat to innocent people, and it would have been a risk to storm his position. Just waiting the guy out wasn't an option.

I'm not really concerned with how the application of lethal force is applied. I think we should be concerned with the decision in applying lethal force. Once the decision to use lethal force has been made, the manner in which it is applied seems rather inconsequential.

What's the difference between killing a guy with a sniper's shot, blowing him up with a bomb, hitting him with a drone strike, or just knocking him in the head with a big rock? Assuming you're only killing the target and there's no collateral damage, then all of these things are equal to me. Killing is killing.

I actually applaud the Dallas Police Department for their ingenuity in this tactic. It ended the standoff quickly, probably saving lives. If the guy had been barricaded in a house in the middle of the woods and wasn't an immediate threat to anyone, I wouldn't want deadly force used.

I just hope the weaponized robots don't become self-aware.

Five Police Officers Killed in Dallas - The falcon cannot hear the falconer

A suspect who died after a standoff with Dallas police said he wanted to kill white people -- especially white officers -- and that he was upset about "the recent police shootings," and that he acted alone, Dallas Police Chief David Brown told reporters Friday.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Morning News Headlines 7/7/16

Just thought I'd put some headlines out there since I haven't done that in awhile. Here's the news that I've seen so far this morning:

1. No end to the Afghan war: Looks like the next President will be handed the war in about the same situation it was before.

2. Rare Thomas Jefferson letter discovered in family's attic: It's valued at over $300k and is from 1815. I'm amazed that it's survived. Very cool.

3. Drones reported flying over the Savannah Nuclear Site. I think this is against the rules. Hopefully, it's people just being extremely careless, rather than casing the joint for some sort of attack.

4. Another fatal officer-involved shooting. In Minnesota this time. Looks like a police officer shot a man who was legally carrying concealed. We've got to figure out a way to train police better.

Buying Guide to American Muscle Cars

Interested in buying an old American muscle car? Here's your primer.

Everyone wants a 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda so they’re very expensive. Meanwhile, a ‘Cuda powered by a 340 small-block V-8 will not only be much cheaper, but likely drive better than the temperamental Hemi. Don’t get hung up on a particular muscle model; that’s almost a sure way to get ripped off.

Buy what you like, and enjoy it. Don't expect to get rich off it, either. Personally, I wouldn't mind having an old Ford Bronco like this one:

1966 Ford Bronco

No it's not fast, and no it's no muscle car, but damn if ain't nice lookin'.

Random Quote of the Day: The Edge of No Return

I was talking to someone who had toured Gettysburg last week, and every time I think of that battle one of the links my mind brings up is this passage from Faulkner's Intruder in the Dust:

“It's all now you see. Yesterday won't be over until tomorrow and tomorrow began ten thousand years ago. For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it's still not yet two o'clock on that July afternoon in 1863, the brigades are in position behind the rail fence, the guns are laid and ready in the woods and the furled flags are already loosened to break out and Pickett himself with his long oiled ringlets and his hat in one hand probably and his sword in the other looking up the hill waiting for Longstreet to give the word and it's all in the balance, it hasn't happened yet, it hasn't even begun yet, it not only hasn't begun yet but there is still time for it not to begin against that position and those circumstances which made more men than Garnett and Kemper and Armistead and Wilcox look grave yet it's going to begin, we all know that, we have come too far with too much at stake and that moment doesn't need even a fourteen-year-old boy to think This time. Maybe this time with all this much to lose than all this much to gain: Pennsylvania, Maryland, the world, the golden dome of Washington itself to crown with desperate and unbelievable victory the desperate gamble, the cast made two years ago; or to anyone who ever sailed a skiff under a quilt sail, the moment in 1492 when somebody thought This is it: the absolute edge of no return, to turn back now and make home or sail irrevocably on and either find land or plunge over the world's roaring rim.” 

Faulkner is such a master of capturing the history and ethos of the South.

NY Times Piece on the Law School Bubble

A law school classmate of mine brought this NYT article to my attention. It's an in-depth piece on the small law school that we went to back before the law school bubble burst.

Valparaiso was, in effect, caught in a deflating financial bubble, one most law schools were slow to heed because of the government’s role in financing legal education. Applications ultimately tumbled about 40 percent nationally between 2010 and 2015, and by a roughly similar percentage at Valparaiso.

Although the piece focuses on Valparaiso, it could have been written about any number of law schools around the country. Things that can't go on forever...won't.

Happy Independence Day Weekend

Yeah, we'll be phoning it in starting....now. Below the jump are some patriotic images (or just ones that I like for no particular reason).

NCAA Championship for Coastal Carolina!

The boys from Conway have done it!

Way to go, Coastal! Welcome to the promised land of college baseball!

Will Muschamp on Second Chances

"I know that at South Carolina, I'm replacing a legend in Steve Spurrier. I also know that I was by no means a sexy hire. I told my new athletic director, Ray Tanner: Let's not win the press conference; let's win football games."

Last year the Gamecocks won three games. It won't take much to improve on that. I don't think South Carolina will be in the race for the SEC East anytime soon, but we should start laying the foundation for it by getting better every day.

Do you even lift, bro?

Over the weekend, some friends and I lifted an approximately twenty-foot, 805 lb. steel beam, moved it about thirty yards, and then used a chain hoist to raise it up about nine feet.

Steel beam is pictured in the back.

We were helping my parents rebuild their house in the aftermath of last October's flooding, and this big steel beam is the new main structural support beam for their kitchen.

Thanks to the Workhorse Gym, friends, neighbors, and McBeal from F3Columbia for the assistance!

That's how you lift.

Coastal Carolina to Start Freshman in Elimination Game Tonight

"While Coastal Carolina now faces a must-win game Thursday night against Texas Tech if it wants to continue this unforgettable postseason run, the Chanticleers will not rush ace right-hander Andrew Beckwith back to the mound on short rest."

It's the biggest stage there is in college baseball. Looks like they are going to send a freshman to the mound to start the game, but I'm sure that all hands are on deck for this one.

I hope the Chanticleers can keep the magic going!

Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/sports/college/big-south/coastal-carolina-university/article85215092.html#storylink=cpy

Thoughts on the latest Game of Thrones Episode: "Battle of the Bastards"

Brad put his thoughts on the episode up over at his campsite, and my comment ran a little long, so I decided to make my comment a stand-alone post. Brad's good at getting me thinking about stuff, which is why I like his blog so much, even if I don't agree with him on everything.

In any event, I kinda figured that Rickon was not going to survive the episode, and for the reasons Brad mentioned, I didn't really feel much emotion when he died. I mean, I could barely remember anything about Rickon at all. He's Ned's son. Okay. Other than that, I got nothing. Did anyone really feel that bad when he died?

I was sort of surprised that Jon Snow did exactly what Ramsay wanted, but the Starks sort of have this streak of "damn the torpedoes" in them, so it's not entirely out of character.

Once the Bolton army had Snow surrounded, I was thinking "No, not like this! It's supposed to be the other way around!"

I was really hoping the battle would unfold like the legendary Battle of Canne, where a numerically inferior force defeats a numerically superior force by letting the Boltons attack, bending back, and then folding in the flanks. I really wanted Jon Snow to have a glorious victory over such an evil foe and reclaim his family's home.

Jon Snow was supposed to be the force in blue. He turned out to be the force in red. You never want to be the force in red on this type of map.

However, the battle goes exactly the other way, and Sansa had to give us the deus ex machina to save the day, which was sort of satisfying in the way a surprise ending can be. Before that, I was thinking, "This is Canne in reverse! GoT is just evil."

The ending with Sansa starting to get into all the intrigue and killing Ramsay seemed to be her moving from the character that had things happen to her to becoming the character that actively did things. It's also made her a darker character, which fits with the overall GoT ethos.

Overall, I would have liked to have seen a Canne style victory for Jon, and you could still have had Sansa ride in late and keep her character development the same. Daenerys needs to really move along to Westeros. I'm sort of getting tired of her foolin' around with all these slave holders. Let's get her into the fight. I'm sure the season finale will lead us up close to that happening, but not quite all the way. 

The Etymology of "The Devil To Pay"

Happy Monday, you lovely coves.

I thought I'd share an interesting passage from The Mauritius Command, which is the fourth book in the Aubrey-Maturin series that I'm making my way through.

One of the enjoyable things in reading these books is learning the etymology of so many figures of speech that have their origins in sailing. Here's one I came across last night:

"Stephen involuntarily brought them back by asking the significance of the devil, among those that followed the sea, as in the devil to pay, a phrase he had often heard, particularly of late - was it a form of propitiation, a Manichaean remnant, so understandable (though erroneous) upon the unbridled elements?
     'Why the devil, do you see,' said Jack, 'is the seam between the deck planking and the timbers, and we call it the devil, because it is the devil for the caulkers to come at: in full we say, the devil to pay and no pitch hot; and what we mean is, that there is something hell-fire difficult to be done - must be done - and nothing to do it with. It is a figure.
     'A very elegant figure, too.'"

Pretty cool.

The Gadsden Flag is Back and It's Super-Fabulous!

These posters appeared all over West Hollywood the other day. When you think about it, women and LGBT folks ought to be on the front lines of gun rights. Armed women don't get raped and armed LGBT folks don't get slaughtered en masse.

Maybe this is the beginning of something. A new group of folks realizing that they are responsible for their own safety?

Thursday Open Thread

My feelings today:

Talk among yourselves, I'm busy.

Deadliest Terror Attack Since 9/11 - What can we do?

By now, you've seen and heard what happened in Orlando on Sunday. With the death toll at "at least 50" it's now the deadliest terrorist attack in America since 9/11.

In the coming days and weeks, you're going to hear lots of people say that they have a solution to this problem.

Democrats and anti-gun folks are going to say that banning certain types of guns will solve this problem. They're wrong. Donald Trump and his supporters are going to say that banning certain types of people from entering the country will solve this problem. They're wrong, too.

The hard truth is that there isn't an easy solution to this problem, and anyone who tells you differently is lying to themselves or lying to you. So what can we do?

We can be prepared.

First, we're all responsible for our own safety. The police aren't able to be everywhere all the time. By all accounts, the police did everything right in this instance, but they aren't able to just instantaneously appear. What does that mean? Well, it means that we all need to do some thinking about how we're going to keep ourselves safe.

I'm not saying that we should live our lives in fear, but we should be prepared. For example, every school conducts fire drills on a regular basis. Now, school fires aren't very common at all, but we still conduct fire drills because we know that if there was a fire, we need to have school children leave the building in an organized manner to avoid chaos. In fact, I can't even think of an instance of a fire at at school, but I sure can remember all the fire drills that I was a part of.

We need to apply this same type of preparedness to our daily lives. So many people walk around in a blithe state of unpreparedness, the only thing that can save their lives when confronted with danger is dumb luck or the ineptitude of the attacker.

You don't need to go around armed all the time, but you certainly could. However, being armed isn't the most important thing. The most important thing is your mindset. You have to be mentally prepared to defend yourself. In fact, if you're armed, you need to be in the right mindset, or you're just going to be part of the problem.

I know it's not pleasant to go around thinking about the fact that the world is a potentially dangerous place, but it is. If you want to work on getting into the right mindset and believe that self-defense is something that you want to engage in, I would highly recommend this short essay by Jeff Cooper. It's only 41 total pages and you could read it over your lunch break. Here's a brief sample:

                                                Principle One: Alertness
"'A commander may be forgiven for being defeated, but never for being surprised.' This maxim is among the first to be impressed upon new lieutenants. It is equally applicable to individuals who aspire to a degree of physical security in today's embattled society. Alertness is, to some extent, an inherent personality trait, but it can nonetheless be learned and improved. Once we accept that our familiar and prosaic environment is in fact perilous, we automatically sharpen our senses."

The rest of the essay goes on to detail the other principles, which Cooper lists as: Decisiveness, Aggressiveness, Speed, Coolness, Ruthlessness, and Surprise.

There's no magic solution to violence, but we can at least try to be in the right mindset in the event that we find ourselves in a situation where you find yourself in a violent situation.

Intimidating Pre-Game Ritual?

Every country plays sports of some kind or another. We, as humans, love competition. In every sport, you'll find pre-game rituals that vary in type, but the main core of all pre-game rituals is to mentally prepare yourself for the competition, and possibly to intimidate your opponent.

One interesting pre-game ritual is the haka performed by the New Zealand National Rugby Team. Here's a clip of the New Zealand team performing the haka before playing the French in 2011.

By the by, the New Zealand "All Blacks" are the pretty much the best around (basically since the invention of rugby) when it comes to international rugby. It's kind of what they do.

Also, how cool of a nickname is "All Blacks"? It's just a no-nonsense kind of nickname, where you sort of think: Hey, these guys don't even have bright colors or anything. They just show up in all black like this is a business meeting for them.

I bet the New Zealand players sort of kid the other teams for their colorful uniforms. Hey France! That blue looks adorable, or is it cyan? We picked black because we were too busy practicing rugby to worry about silly little things like colors. (but I digress)

What do you think about the pre-game haka? Intimidating, or not so much?

Trump Supporters Assaulted by Lefty Protesters; Riots, Destroying Property, and Physical Violence Short of Murder is Encouraged by Vox Editor

NBC has the report.

Everyone is complaining that Trump is a fascist, a strongman, and doesn't care about the rule of law. If you're one of those people, then guess what, buttercup? Don't go 'round assaulting people, rioting, and trashing things. That's what actual fascists do, mmmkay?

You can't call Trump the second coming of Hitler and Mussolini, and then act like a Brownshirt when you see people who support him. Direct violence against people who disagree with you politically isn't acceptable. Stop it.

The other thing is that for every event like this, these violent, rage-filled idiots are helping Trump. The people who do this are doing more to help Trump win votes than a whole week of Trump rallies will ever do.

And apparently, there are people (credentialed people) who are encouraging this. From the deputy editor of Vox:

Advice: If Trump comes to your town, start a riot.

— Emmett Rensin (@emmettrensin) June 3, 2016

Oh, and in case you weren't clear on what he meant, he meant, do anything short of actually committing murder.

@michaelbd Destroying property is legitimate. Shouting down is legitimate. Disruption of all events is legitimate. Murder isn't.

— Emmett Rensin (@emmettrensin) June 3, 2016

Seriously? Destroying property is legitimate? Hurting someone, but you know, just not killing them, is legitimate?

Time for the obligatory quote:

Blue Angel Pilot Killed in Crash; Thunderbird Crashes, Pilot Unhurt

F/A-18s in the Missing Man Formation

Sad to hear about the Blue Angel pilot who was killed in a crash yesterday. In a bizarre coincidence, a Thunderbird crashed the same day. Luckily, the pilot was unhurt.

We all go to airshows and can easily think these guys are invincible flying around at high speeds far above the enemy, but it's important to remember that these guys are doing a dangerous job. Keep all the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines in your thoughts and prayers.

These two incidents are only a drop in the bucket of what the men and women of our armed forces endure on a routine basis.

Why did America fight the Korean War?

If you don't know the answer, here's a quick primer from Victor Davis Hanson.