Shark Attacks Redfish Video

Amazing video of a shark attacking a fish [Courtesy Garden and Gun.] I think this is why my wife doesn't like swimming in murky water.

Ray Tanner Named AD

DEVELOPING STORY: Per Twitter, Ray Tanner will be announced as the new Athletics Director for USC.

Columbia Police Switching to FN Pistols

The City of Columbia Police Department will be switching their regular sidearm. The're dropping the.45 caliber Sig Sauer and picking up a 9mm FN.

First of all, I'm not going to get into the 9mm vs. .45 debate. They're both fine. With modern ammunition, both are highly lethal when shot accurately. With proper training, both can be shot accurately. So just stop.

“FN provides not only a superior weapon but a superior price and, I’m happy to say, a superior work force,” Benjamin said. “I am hoping this turns into a real opportunity for FN to break into other law enforcement markets in the United States.”

That's the real reason the deal was done, and I agree with Mayor Benjamin. FN has a production facility here in Richland County, and maybe they'll grow and expand. that only helps Columbia and South Carolina. Maybe another police department will see this and make a similar move.

Also, I think the Columbia Police Department is getting a good deal. I did some quick math and it seems like the City is getting each pistol, holster and belt for a little over $300.00. I applaud the Mayor and the City of Columbia on this move.

Full disclosure, I own an FN 9mm myself, and it's spectacular.

Tree Rings and Climate Change

You know how the folks who keep pushing the global warming theory like to scream that "The science is settled! Stop being a denier!"? I think I figured out why they are saying that. They don't want anyone performing any scientific research that might prove them wrong. And that's understandable, no one wants to be proven wrong. 

Nevertheless, some brave scientists have continued to conduct studies and be all scientific and stuff. The nerve of those people.

The latest study of tree rings by some German scientists have revealed that it was warmer in Roman times than it is now, and the earth has been cooling for the last 2,000 years. It sounds like science itself is starting to be a science denier.

How did the Romans grow grapes in northern England? Perhaps because it was warmer than we thought. A study suggests the Britain of 2,000 years ago experienced a lengthy period of hotter summers than today. German researchers used data from tree rings – a key indicator of past climate – to claim the world has been on a ‘long-term cooling trend’ for two millennia until the global warming of the twentieth century. 

So over the last 2,000 years, the earth has generally cooled down. Excuse me if I don't go into a tizzy about the earth warming up a little over the last 50 years.

Frankly, it sounds like we were due for a little break from the cooling trend.

Cooking With a Cast Iron Skillet

The cast iron skillet is a great tool to have in your kitchen, and every Southerner ought to have one. Here's everything you need to know about cooking with one and caring for it.

Mrs. Permanent Press already knows all this, and that's one of the reasons I married her.

That's Some Clown Defense, Bro

Whenever you feel like you're having a bad day, just enjoy the fact that your screwups aren't on national television for everyone to see. Bryce Harper is going to be a great player, but everyone has a bad day.

I could watch this all day.

Access Does Not Mean Free

Apparently, Governor Haley vetoed some spending. Among the spending she vetoed was spending for the SC Arts Commission.

Of course, the folks who like to spend our tax money were quick to criticize:

“It is disappointing that she would put a target on the Arts Commission and the Sea Grants Consortium,” he said. “It’s been proven over and over that having access to the arts helps attract industry to South Carolina... [House Minority Leader Harry Ott]

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/07/07/2344499/haley-issues-budget-vetoes.html#storylink=omni_popular#storylink=cpy

Having access to the arts? What the hell is he talking about?

I'm so tired of people using the word "access" incorrectly. Access is the freedom or ability to make use of something. It doesn't mean that you get to force someone to pay for it. I have the "access" to purchase a handgun, but the State of South Carolina isn't denying me access just because they won't buy me a sweet Colt Gold Cup.

Stop saying "access" when you mean subsidy. The Planned Parenthood crowd always talks about "access" to birth-control. Everyone has access to birth-control, you idiots. Most of us just buy it, and don't expect it for free.

Everyone has access to the arts. Art is all around you. I'm sure that the SC Arts Commission really thinks what they are doing is a good thing. I'm sure they have good intentions. But stop saying that people don't have "access" to things, when what you really mean is I want this thing for free.

Just say what you mean. And quit acting so damn entitled to my tax money. It's not a god-given right to have a stupid arts commission, and it's certainly not a core function of our state government.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/07/07/2344499/haley-issues-budget-vetoes.html#storylink=omni_popular#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/07/09/2347583/arts-groups-plan-rally-against.html#storylink=cpy

Deliverance: Released Forty Years Ago

Do know what's gonna be here? Right here? A lake. As far as the eyes can see. Hundreds of feet deep. HUNDREDS of feet deep. Did you ever look out over a lake and think of somethin' buried underneath it? Buried underneath it. Well man, that's just about as buried as you can get.

Released in 1972, Deliverance, is a movie that punches you in the face. Remembered mostly for the grisly rape scene, and the banjo music, it has much more than that. Friendship, survival, ethics, civilization vs. nature, and on, and on...

One of South Carolina's celebrated sons, James Dickey comes at you in the book with all he's got, and the movie rings true.

Here's a great article interviewing Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox forty years later. 


Read the whole thing.

You don't beat the river.

One Year Blog Anniversary!

One year ago today, I started this little ol' blog. I mostly did it because my wife said I needed an outlet for my thoughts. When I first started, I didn't really think that it would be much more than a digital journal for my own thoughts. If you haven't been reading my blog since the beginning, you have a lot of reading to do, so you better get started.

However, something funny happened along the way: I started to get some traffic here and there. Since the blog started last year, I've had over 25,000 page-views, and I'm averaging between 80 - 120 page-views each day. Every once in awhile, I get a spike when another blog picks up some content from me, but mostly, I think it's pretty steady.

Together, we've seen USC football players look pudgy, learned from other people's mistakes, and had a few laughs at Clemson's expense.

My numbers are piddly compared to "serious bloggers" but they're real and they're spectacular. Twitter has been pretty big, and I get linked from FaceBook on occasion, even though I'm holding out against the FaceBook Mafia. Some days I have time to blog, some days I don't. Thanks for sticking with me.

This has all been better than I could have hoped, so if you've been reading my blog at all, I want to take a post to say: Thank you! Extra thanks to anyone who has linked or shared my blog with another.

I've learned a ton about HTML code, found other blogs that I like, made a few friends along the way, and I've developed a bit of my own thoughts. If the next year of blogging is halfway as good as the first, I'll be overjoyed. In the last few months, the e-mails coming in for ideas on blog posts have started to ramp up, and even though I don't take all of them and turn them into posts, I do read them all. So keep them coming!

I'll try to keep up with this as long as I can, but for now, thanks to all of you who come here!

Clemson Hostage Situtation Resolved

For you Clemson fans out there, the past week has been a nail-biter, with the hostage standoff between Dabo Swinney and Nkemdiche. It's now over.

The hostage crisis began in early July, when Nkemdiche laid out his demand to have Clemson offer a teammate in early July in order to "lock up" his commitment to Clemson. After much controversy and diplomacy, the strike team was called in. The hostage taker was captured, water-boarded, and is now no longer a threat. The New York Times has the story:

“Of course I would want to play with him,” Nkemdiche said of Carter. “But if it doesn’t work out, I’ll still go to Clemson.”

Crisis averted, Clemson. Just be prepared for the BeastMode invasion on 11/24.

Your BCS Football Team as Drug

Once again, the brain-trust over at EDSBS reveal their true genius by figuring out what drug every major college football team would be. I highly recommend giving the whole thing a read. It covers the main conferences. Here are South Carolina, Clemson, and a few of my other favorites:

SOUTH CAROLINA: Gas-huffing. Hard to explain the appeal to non-devotees. Headaches, vomiting, delusions. Users are loyal beyond all reason.

Saturday Open Post

Like Barack Obama, this thread is a blank screen onto which you can project your hopes and dreams.

Hope that went well for you.

How to Handle a Mountain Lion in Your Office

I think that most people would be happy to be in an office because that means they would be employed. In any event, here are the tips. My favorite part:

If it’s not attacking, “Don’t start macing it. People think they can walk up to an animal and gently deal with it. You can’t. Just get away from it.”

Good idea. Don't antagonize a wild animal. As always, Permanent Press is always here to help in situations where wild animals are loose. Mountain lions in the office, tigers in the bathroom...you know...whatever.

Top Five for Fried Chicken in Columbia, SC

Apparently, someone important [probably a Southerner] decided to make today “National Fried Chicken Day”. Only in America, right? In honor of the best way to eat chicken, here are the top five places to get fried chicken in Columbia, SC:

1. Bernie’s Restaurant: If you live in Columbia, you owe it to yourself to go to Bernie’s for fried chicken at some point. The “3 piece special” is the standard order, and it’s always perfectly crispy and delicious. Being over by Williams-Brice, there’s always a good crowd during the fall over at Bernie’s, but they keep the line moving. It’s the best fried chicken in Columbia. If you say otherwise, it will be pistols at dawn.

2.  Zesto’s Their trademark may be the big soft-serve ice cream cone over the building, but make no mistake – they do some serious fried chicken here. (They also own Rosewood Dairy Bar, which is excellent.)

3. Yesterday’s. Their fried chicken is topped with white gravy, but I eat it so fast, I don’t ever let it get soggy. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

4. Bojangles. It’s a national chain, but they have some awesome chicken. What I really like about theirs is the spicy rub that goes under the skin.

5. Chick-fil-A. Yeah, it’s not really “fried chicken”, but it’s so good that it deserves to be in here. I recommend the Jackie Bradley, Jr. combo. Go the one in Five Points and ask for that.

If you're looking for the top places to get fried chicken in Columbia, SC, you could do much worse than these places. I ranked both Bojangles and Chick-fil-A down because they weren't local places. If you have problem with that, start your own list, bro.

Disagree with any of this? Have I left out anywhere that deserves to be ranked higher?

Cayce Fire Mystery Solved

The intrepid investigative journalists over at Brad's place figured out how the Cayce fire started.

Happy Fourth of July

Seen on Twitter:

Independence Day:  America's original "conference realignment."

Enjoy your holiday.

Stephen Garcia: Warrior for Peace

In our latest episode of the soap opera that is Stephen Garica's life, we find our intrepid hero in the great white north of Montreal, Canada. He's been signed by a CFL team, but suddenly, tragedy struck our hero. An injury!

On Wednesday, the team signed a fourth quarterback, Stephen Garcia, immediately placing him on the one-game injured list. Garcia injured two fingers getting off the bus and flashing a peace sign, according to the organization.

I'm not really into flashing the "peace sign", but I just tried it out a few times here at my desk. I'm no athlete, but I feel ok (for now). I'll keep you updated if I start to feel an injury coming on.

Only Stephen Garcia.

[H/T Logan A.]

DOJ Says No to SC Voter ID Law (Again)

Lawyer, sea kayaker, and world traveler, Ashley Kutz, brings this article to my attention:

“I remain unable to conclude that the State of South Carolina has carried its burden of showing that the submitted change in Section 5 of Act R54 neither has a discriminatory purpose nor will have a discriminatory effect,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Perez wrote in a letter Friday to an attorney representing South Carolina in its lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder."

I guess that South Carolina will have to go before the three-judge panel. See you in Court, boys. Maybe we should claim that it's valid under the taxing power. I hear that's all the rage now.

Gamecock Football 2012: First Impressions

Last summer, I accurately predicted that the South Carolina Gamecocks would go 11-1.  Specifically, I predicted that the Gamecocks would lose to Mississippi State and beat Auburn, so that washed out. Other than that, I ran the table with my picks.(Suck it, Phil Steele) This year, probably towards the latter part of August, I’m going to give my overall season prediction for 2012.

This year, in addition to my general preview, I’ve decided to up the stakes and give a Friday prediction against the spread for each Carolina game (and maybe a few others), just for fun. However, I don’t recommend that you use my college football picks for anything other than fun.

For now, I’m going to look at the 2012 schedule for the Gamecocks and let that marinate a little. My first impression is that the month of October is pretty much going to decide the team’s fate.

10/6    Georgia

10/13  @LSU

10/20  @Florida

10/27  Tennessee

Wow. That’s a brutal stretch. The boys will have to battle.

Also, my (probably only) road trip game this year will be a trip down to Baton Rouge with Mrs. Permanent Press. We’re looking forward to some seeing some LSU friends and getting the inside scoop on the best food, drink, and atmosphere that a tailgate at Tiger Stadium has to offer.

Origin of the word "Bacon"

Time for some learnin' here at Permanent Press.

Here's everything you wanted to know about bacon, but were afraid to ask.