Being Anti-Big Government Isn't Anti-Community

I didn't want to totally ignore the "You didn't build that..." line from Obama a few days ago. If you've been living in a cave for the last week or so, check the link.

The thing about that line (and the thought behind it) is that it totally discounts two important ideas.

1. It discounts the idea of risk in starting your own business venture and risk is pretty much the name of the game. If you're thinking about leaving a big company to go out on your own and start your own business, it's risky. If you're successful, you stand to make more money, and maybe you can employ a few folks down the line. However, if you fail (and most businesses fail) you lose everything. If you sign any loans personally, you're on the hook for that. If you put your house up for collateral for a business loan (hey, the banks don't just give money away anymore) you stand to lose your house. The bottom line is that it's risky to start your own business.

2. It discounts the fact that firefighters, road builders, police, and teachers are paid for by you, the individual. The government didn't just show up with magic money and provide all the road, fire service, and police protection for you free of charge. The individual people voted for their elected officials who levied taxes, and then paid for all that. It's already been paid for by the citizens who pay taxes - small business owners. So don't expect me to say "THANKS!" to a firefighter, teacher, road builder, or teacher for simply doing their job. I'm paying them for it.

Also, trying to shrink the behemoth federal government and all of it's problems is not the same thing as being against working together as a community. That's also what is insidious about this line. Obama is conflating the idea of working together as a community to do things, and owing your federal government some kind of extra credit for your business success. It's not the same thing. Katrina Trinko has an excellent column about this. Read the whole thing here, but this is the salient point, and it's my personal strain of thought. As usual, someone else puts my own line of thinking more eloquently than I can.

The conservative argument is for freedom, not for all-around individualism. In fact, there’s a case to be made that communities are stronger under smaller government, when voluntary associations and cooperation are especially crucial for getting projects done and ensuring that all in the community (such as the poor and sick) are taken care of.

Exactly bang on. Related thoughts from Ann Althouse.

Lawyer Dog on Bacon

49 Yards of Beauty (Shaw to Ellington)

For no particular reason other than: just because it's beautiful. It was almost a dropped pass, but not quite. In any event, I would like to see this play a few more times in 2012. If the offensive line can give our receivers time to get downfield...we will.

Everyone Can Calm Down Now

Thanks to the legislature that loves to spend your money, the SC Arts Commission is back in business...doing whatever it is they do. You know...um....making sure children get enough art in their diet or something.

By the way, if any of you have even heard of the SC Arts Commission before it got vetoed, let me know. In the spirit of the arts, I've dropped some art on you below the jump (for free).

Wednesday is Over; Battle on Thursday

I have a contested hearing tomorrow in family court. Tomorrow morning, we turn the Nimitz into the wind.

Michael Roth's Blog

If you're a Gamecock fan or just interested in reading about life in the minor leagues, I encourage you to check out Michael Roth's new blog, and it's the latest addition to my side-links.

There is always a level of discomfort when uncertainty lies ahead, but once I inked the contract, I knew that, at least for the foreseeable future, I would continue to wear spikes and baseball pants, rather than a suit and tie. I would be able to “live the dream,” as they say. 

Michael Roth has always been a funny and smart guy, so I'm looking forward to his insights on the minor leagues and life in general. Here's hoping that he continues to live the dream for years to come. Welcome to the blogosphere, Michael!

Bryce Harper vs. Ozzie Guillen (Pine Tar)

If you missed it, last week, Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper was accused of having pine tar too far up his bat by Miami manager Ozzie Guillen. In his next at-bat, Harper used a different bat and maybe seemed to point it at Ozzie in a playful manner as if to say "You want to look at this bat, too?"

Ozzie (being insane) took exception to that, and blew up. Here's the video.

I love that Ozzie calls Harper "unprofessional". If anyone is an expert on acting unprofessional, it's Ozzie, so he's at least qualified to talk about it. Personally, I think the 19 year old kid handled the incident with more maturity that Ozzie, but that's not very surprising, since Ozzie Guillen has the maturity level of a 12 year old.

Rifle Shooting Tips

From a former US Army Ranger, no less. It's pretty safe to say that he knows what he's talking about.

Fifty Years of Music, Rated

If you're interested in that sort of thing, Brad has a list of the top pop songs for the last fifty years and rates them. Even if you don't agree with his ratings, I think you'll agree that they don't make 'em like they used to.

Businesswoman Fails to Give Credit to Government

It's a wonderful small business success story in the lowcountry.

She employs 11 people in Mount Pleasant, another 11 sales representatives across the country and 16 more at a site in Indonesia. The 85 factory workers who stitch together are contractors.  

Some of her local employees do market research as well, working months ahead for next year’s fashions. 

She’s always looking for talented people to add to her work force, saying if she finds the right person, she would create a job for them. 

This lady is so ungrateful, right? Nowhere does she give anyone else any credit for her business success. As much as Castillo is smart to spot trends and works hard to grow her own little business, we all know who should really get the credit for her business succeeding.

New Miss South Carolina Crowned

Miss Laurens County is the new Miss South Carolina. Any girl who wears boots with her ball gown is certainly living the Permanent Press lifestyle.

Saturday: No College Football Yet

Until then, try to stay calm. The next six weeks are where time slows down to the point where it almost stops. In France, it's Bastille Day. I think they celebrate that by giving up something for a little while, right?

Only six more weeks to go, Charlie Brown.

Columbia DUI Lawyer Markets With Wristbands

Targeted marketing.

Wristbands have been placed on wrists at New Brookland Tavern in West Columbia and Red Hot Tomatoes and Sharky’s in Five Points. “I thought it was a unique opportunity to get my name out there,” Cromer said. “I just thought it was innovative. There's nothing wrong with using a sense of humor if you can.”

It's probably going to work.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/07/13/2351505/on-the-scene-columbia-dui-lawyer.html#storylink=cpy

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.

Will Mack Brown Use This Power for Good?

Or will Oklahoma and TCU find themselves victims of a drone attack?

Friday Happy Hour (Southern Beer)

If you like to beat the heat by enjoying a cold beverage, Garden and Gun has some Southern summer beer recommendations.

I've never had any of these. If you have, let me know.

Isaiah Crowell Arrested

I'm shocked. Crowell has always been such a model student-athlete. He was probably doing some sort of community service project, reading to blind orphans, or something like that.

Crowell was arrested on charges of carrying a weapon in a school zone, and having an altered ID mark, both felonies. He was also booked on a misdemeanor charge of possessing/carrying a concealed weapon.

Crowell's arrest resulted from a vehicle checkpoint on East Campus Road and Greene Street on the UGA campus, around 2:20 a.m., according to Athens-Clarke County spokesman Hilda Sorrow. Crowell was booked at 3:37 a.m. and remains in Clarke County jail, according to the jail's web site, with bond set at $7,500.

Kids aren't in school during the summer at 2:20AM, so what's the big deal? Bro was just exercising his 2nd Amendment right to go strapped. I hope Coach Richt keeps Crowell on the team. Crowell is such a team leader and a great guy to have in the locker-room...if you get into a gun battle.

maya
Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/06/29/2103737/isaiah-crowell-arrested-on-weapons.html#storylink=cpy

Summary of Obamacare Opinion

Too busy to read the 193 page opinion? Here's a two sentence sumamry:

The commerce clause doesn't allow Congress to just do whatever the hell wants. However, Congress can tax whatever the hell it wants.

You know, Courts are funny. The lawyers get all worked up about a certain issue and the Court comes out and issues a decision on the basis of what everyone else thought wasn't a great argument. That's happened to me before.

Full Opinion Here.

If you don't like people in Congress telling you what to do and taxing you, don't elect those kind of people to Congress. The Court isn't going to save you.

CNN Troll Can't Handle the Truth

CNN has been going downhill for quite awhile, and at this point, I think they’re just trolling to try and get better ratings. Case in point, the latest op-ed from “CNN Contributor” LZ Granderson in which he provides his valuable insight on the hearings that the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is holding on the DOJ’s Fast and Furious operation and claim of executive privilege that is being asserted by the Federal Executive Branch.

Oh, you haven’t heard of CNN Contributor LZ Granderson? Here’s how CNN describes him:

A senior writer and columnist for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, Granderson has written several guest columns for CNN.com on topics ranging from Sarah Palin to Charlie Sheen to the younger Barbara Bush’s endorsement of same-sex marriage. His pieces have been among the most widely read and commented on by CNN.com’s users.

Basically, he’s a professional troll.

So, what deep insight does Mr. Troll have for us on the topic of a Congressional oversight committee seeking documents that have been refused under the claim of executive privilege?

I know that's hard to digest in a society where pregnancies and marriages of D-list celebrities make the cover of People magazine, but there comes a point where the public's right to know needs to take a back seat to matters like national security and diplomacy.

Snooki’s pregnancy and the Kardashian divorce aren’t exactly in the same ballpark as a Federal agency being asked questions by a Congressional Oversight Committee. The whole point of an oversight committee is to provide “oversight”. You know, being accountable to the people’s elected representatives? Nevertheless, LZ doesn't need facts! He's ready to start making some serious decisions.

Heads should roll because of the Fast and Furious debacle. We don't need every detail of that operation to be made public in order for that to happen.

Great. Exactly whose head “should roll”? If we don’t need the details of who decided to green-light the operation and/or cover it up, are we just going to start drawing names out of a hat? Some people like to have all the facts before they decide who loses their job and possibly faces criminal charges, but ol’ LZ, he’s ready to start axing people now.

Much in the same way, Project Wide Receiver and Project Road Runner -- the earlier versions of Fast and Furious under President Bush -- were executed with the hope that they will do more good than harm. Hardly anyone in the public knows the finer points of these programs.

Were they legal?

Hell no.

Were they effective?

Who knows?

Were they done as a way to keep America safe?

Yes.

So the Department of Justice is acting illegally, and we don’t know if it the illegal operations are even effective, but since these illegal operations were done with good intentions, so STOP ASKING QUESTIONS! Just roll some heads! Any heads!

LZ brings his tolling to a dramatic conclusion with this:

By allowing guns to infiltrate Mexico's drug cartel, we thought we could trace them up the ladder to the leaders. Take off the head and the body dies. As for the innocent people who lost their lives? Collateral damage. That's the uncomfortable backstory to this scandal. And there are likely other operations like it in our nation's history that we don't even have a clue about.

And maybe it's better for us not to be so nosy, not to know everything because, to paraphrase the famous line from the movie "A Few Good Men," many of us won't be able to handle the truth.

You can’t handle the truth? Dude, have you even seen this movie? Col. Jessup is insulting Lt. Kaffee when he says that.

But if that’s what you want, fine. The adults in the room are going to handle the tough decisions and hear about the bad things that go on in the world. If you don’t want to hear about the bad things, or make tough decisions, you can go play outside with the rest of the children and assume that everyone does everything with the best intentions. Seriously, how childish are you, LZ? Man up.

Personally, if I was going to go with a Nicholson line from A Few Good Men on this topic, I would have gone with the best line from the whole movie:

Maybe AG Holder just wants the Committee to ask him nicely.

Tommy Rees Practicing With the First Team

The last time we saw young Tommy Rees, he was showing off his UFC fighting skills against local law enforcement in an attempt to distract everyone from the fact that he's a poor decision maker with weak arm and bad downfield vision.

So, to all the Notre Dame fans who are looking to get rid of the troubled quarterback who can't seem to stop throwing the ball to the other team: Your coach has decided to give him another chance, and Reese is practicing with the team.

Get used to this image, Notre Dame fans

Welcome to #TeamGarcia, Notre Dame fans. Only this version of #TeamGarcia doesn't have naked girls in hotel rooms, keg parties in the front lawn, and he's going to get you a loss against Michigan State.

Oreos Are Gay?

Has anyone else seen this?

 

Apparently, it's caused quite a commotion in the cookie world. In any event, congratulations to the LGBT community are in order! Your demographic can now be successfully marketed/pandered to just like anyone else. That's some serious equality.

Capitalism doesn't discriminate.

No NASCAR for Democrats

You know the DNC Convention in Charlotte? Apparently, some genius at the DNC had originally decided to have a big opening event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. They even had planned for a DNC stock car to be there. So, how's that going?

Just last month, the local host committee unveiled an official stock car for the Democratic National Convention – and said it could have taken a spin around the speedway at the Labor Day event. The event was touted by organizers as being family-friendly and something that would engage “more Americans in the convention than ever before, and celebrate Labor Day, our democracy, the Carolinas, Virginia and the South.” But the Speedway festival had attracted little interest among correspondents planning to cover the DNC.

I'm shocked that a bunch of Democrats don't want to go to a NASCAR track for their little party. Maybe they should have planned to have it at a light-rail station, instead.

McDonalds in Prague

It looks like it was outfitted by Ikea.

Supreme Court to Decide ACA Fate on Thursday

Per SCOTUSBlog, the Supreme Court will be issuing it's decision on Obamacare on Thursday at 10:00AM. Should be an interesting week. My official prediction is a 5-4 decision (Roberts writing for the Court) striking down just the individual mandate.

I'm reminded of the old Chinese curse along the lines of "May you live in interesting times". The big spin will be how the decision (whatever it is) impacts the Presidential race. Just a wild guess here, but look for both sides to declare the outcome to be beneficial to them.

New York City Before Air Conditioning

Before air-conditioning, in the South, buildings were designed to circulate air and maximize cooling effects. I don't think this took place to the same degree in the North, but Arthur Miller has a great article about life in NYC before air-conditioning.

People on West 110th Street, where I lived, were a little too bourgeois to sit out on their fire escapes, but around the corner on 111th and farther uptown mattresses were put out as night fell, and whole families lay on those iron balconies in their underwear.

Read the whole thing.

Woman Sues Little League Player

Maybe you should watch the game, lady.

Saturday in Daytona Beach

I didn't say it was this Saturday.

South Carolina in the College World Series

I've been trying to think up a good way to explain how hard it is to defeat the South Carolina Gamecocks in the College World Series. Every time you think you've punched them right in the mouth, they hit you back twice as hard. Every time you knock them down, they're right back up. Every time you think you've killed them, they come back.

They never get tired, they never give up. They keep playing hard every pitch until you get tired and make a mistake. BAM! Then they strike.

They have the uncanny ability to turn the double play when they need it, get a strikeout when they need it, or get a hit at the right time. They're confident, loose, easy with a laugh, and calmly zen-like in their focus on the field. They're dangerous in the post-season. Dangerous, deadly, dream killers, these boys. How dangerous are they?

[Click for photo representation of the Gamecocks in the College World Series]

The Most Arrogant Man in the World

Haha.

Stay thirsty, my friends.

Pimento Cheese of the Month Club

Sign me up!

Clemson Tigers Spotted in Omaha!

I was reading the newspaper in Omaha the morning after the Gamecocks beat the Gators in the 2012 College World Series, and I saw that the Clemson Tigers had made it to Omaha also. Congratulations, Clemson!

George Washington's Personal Copy of the Constitution

If you're a history dork (like me) and have a couple of million dollars that you don't know what to do with (not like me) you might be interested in bidding on President George Washington's personal copy of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other Acts from the First Congress.

I'm sure Ezra Klein isn't interested in some old confusing document, though, so at least you know he won't be bidding against you.

New Scoreboard at Williams Brice Looking Good

This new board is going to be awesome!

Via SEC Sean.

The Shop Tart Reviews Cola's

As always the Shop Tart has a great review of the new and exciting things here in Columbia. If you're one of the "beautiful people", her blog is a must. In any event, her glowing review of Cola's is a good indication that this place is going to be great.

Lawyer Dog: Insanity

I'm feeling a little overworked and insane today, so this seems appropriate:

Cooking Underground

This seems like a lot of unnecessary work. Just cook it, you know?

Sporting Clays Review: Harris Springs

I wanted to take my dad out for some sporting clays for a Father's Day outing. We've shot around the midlands some, but I wanted to branch out a little. I found Harris Springs Sportsman's Preserve though the South Carolina Sporting Clays Association website and decided to give it a try.

Harris Springs Sportsman's Preserve is a wonderful little hidden gem located in Waterloo, South Carolina, not too far from lake Greenwood. From Columbia, you just drive up I-26 towards Greenville for awhile, and then head towards Greenwood. All in all, it took us about an hour and a half driving at a leisurely pace. On our drive up, we passed a BBQ place that indicated it was only open on Friday and Saturday, but that's a whole other post.

Arriving at Harris Springs, I was immediately impressed with the elegant simplicity of the place. The main lodge was filled with wonderfully soft leather furniture, and we were greeted by Mark Seay, who was wonderfully hospitable. There is an expansive deck with an immense outdoor fireplace, a guest house, and a group dining facility that looked perfect for a corporate retreat event.

As an aside, it's nice to have a welcoming atmosphere at a gun club when you're there for the first time. It's so easy for experienced shooters/gun club owners to view new guests with a standoffish or skeptical eye. At Harris Springs, we instantly felt welcomed and at ease. We were given a quick tour of the property, and then wished well as we headed out to start our shooting. It was evident that they really take their hospitality seriously.

Getting out to the shooting, the stations were well marked, solidly built, and the surrounding grounds were well maintained. The sporting clays course at Harris Springs isn't the toughest one I've been to, but it certainly had a few challenging stations. One thing that was quite nice was all of the different looks presented. One of my favorite stations was shooting from a tower with the birds crossing below you.

Station 7 at Harris Springs

In it's entirety, it is a wonderful sporting clays course. I think it is well-suited for a beginner or a group just looking for interesting shot presentations in a welcoming atmosphere. It's mostly report-pairs, and there aren't a great deal of long-range shots. Competition shooters would probably grouse about it being a "soft" course, but since I'm not a competition shooter, I thought it was great.

After shooting, we ended up back at the main lodge, and settled up. One of the interesting comments from our host was that Harris Springs didn't really focus on Sporting Clays. Having just shot the course, and being impressed with it's quality, I was a little surprised. Mark explained that the club's main focus was the great quail, turkey, and deer hunting they provide. With the sporting clays at such a high level of quality (and not being the main focus) I could only imagine how well the hunting is managed.

Overall, Harris Springs would be a wonderful place for any size group, it presents a comfortable and hospitable atmosphere, and the shooting facilities are quality. If the sporting clays are any measuring stick, the bird hunting there has to be amazing.

Happy Father's Day Weekend

For Father's Day, Permanent Press, Sr. and I are going to enjoy some time "bird-watching". We're hoping to see a lot of birds that look like this:

They're no good for eating, but they sure are fun!

Why are Tomatoes Red?

The answer may surprise you.

We suspect that the meteorite crash [the one that killed the dinosaurs] and the resulting solar eclipse had created conditions difficult for plants to survive. A distant ancestor of the tomato plant then reacted by expanding its genome considerably in order to increase its chances of survival.

Wow. Who knew that your tomatoes were prehistoric?

Sympathy for the Cubs

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man without wealth or taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a fan’s soul and fate

I was 'round when Sianis
Had his moments of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Wrigley
Ejected his goat and sealed his fate

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my team, oh yeah
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game

I stuck around the Northside
Even though I saw it was a time for a change
Killed their hope every summer

Andre Dawson screamed in vain

I hate Big Frank
I’m not a Yank
And when the wind blows in
I smell the bleachers stank

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my team, but
What's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game...

I watched the glee
While my favorite players
Fought for ten decades
For the Gods they made

I shouted out
"Lets go Cubbies!"
But after all
Everyone was there for the beer

Let me please introduce myself
I'm a man without wealth or taste

And I lay traps for talented pitchers
Who’s arms get hurt before they reach Triple-A

Obama Tries to Cut Government Spending

You know, Obama's out there trying to cut all the wasteful government spending on programs that we don't need, but the House of Representatives won't let him do it. Cutting this program would have saved $12.5 million.

Vikings With Nuclear Weapons

I'M SOLD. In the year 3991 A.D., Vikings will surprise attack, often with nuclear weapons.
[H/T @GabrielMalor]

Henry Hill Dead at Age 69

Henry Hill, the inspiration for one of my favorite movies, "Goodfellas", passed away at the age of 69 from natural causes. Not bad for a guy who ran with the Mafia back in the 1970's and 80's.

If you didn't like the movie "Goodfellas" you don't like movies.

Don't Like Extreme Members of Congress?

Most of the folks I know, even if they aren't exactly in line with my political beliefs, and even if they're miles to the left (most of my law school friends) are really reasonable folks. We can all sit down and in in the span of about four or five beers, pretty much agree on how to solve the big problems that Congress can't ever seem to fix. Maybe we can't agree on everything, but mostly, we can.

We also note how Congress simply seems to have devolved into a place where the most partisan and extreme folks dominate the debate (on both sides). The big difference between me and my friends is that no one in Congress actually listens to each other. They don't have to.

Ever wonder why this is? I'm glad you asked. I'll tell you. It's the crazy districts that have been carved out to make certain seats virtual locks for either a Republican or a Democrat.

When you take a group of people with diverse points of view (say the state of South Carolina) and start dividing them up in a gerrymandered way to get certain groups of like-minded folks in the same district, you're going to send the more extreme folks to Congress. Obviously, South Carolina leans pretty heavily towards the Republicans, but chopping it up into weird districts amplifies that.

Right now, both Jim Clyburn and Joe Wilson are going to cruise to re-election. The races won't even be close.

Wilson's second district goes from Hilton Head in a little narrow tunnel up to Lexington, and curls around downtown Columbia (wonder why) and around to Northeast Columbia. It's insane.

Clyburn's sixth district has Charleston surrounded, but avoids the high dollar real estate in Charleston, then goes onto Edisto, oh...and then it goes into the little void of downtown Columbia. It's insane.

These districts look like an acid trip gone bad. Why do we have these? Well, the politicians get to draw them up to put us (the voters) into little groups of what they think are like-minded people so they can get easy elections. When you have these artificial divisions amplified to such an extreme, you're absolutely going to get more extreme candidates. Heck the only way to probably defeat Wilson will be to run to the right of him, and the only way to defeat Clyburn will be to run to his left. And where does that leave the voters? We get the most extreme voices going to Congress who have no interest in actually getting things done. Both political parties are guilty of it. Heck, they probably make deals over it. We'll give y'all this district shape if you give us this district shape. 

It has to end. Show me some nice regular polygons, not an LSD trip. Even the most extreme voices in the US Senate aren't as extreme as our house members. It's because the whole states vote. You get Senators who know they aren't going to go back to their little crazy district filled with their supporters. Whole states moderate out the extremists. The house districts do the opposite, and the only people who benefit are the political parties.

If you claim to be a moderate who is frustrated with Congress' inability to actually solve problems, pass budgets, or you know...do stuff, you need to advocate for an end to all this crazy districting. Brad Warthen, I'm looking in your direction.

Can't Wait for Trader Joe's

With the new Trader Joe's planned for Forest Drive here in Columbia, here's a nice little preview of what Columbia residents can expect. Sounds great.

Gamecocks Heading to Omaha

The South Carolina Gamecocks are heading to Omaha again.

Enjoy the road, boys.

Sweden Requires Men to Pee Sitting Down?

Occasionally, you'll hear someone claiming how great life is in Scandinavia. They have great health care, great schools, and it's full of blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauties. Sounds great right?

However, they seem to be quite interested in telling you what you can and can't do. I always have an aversion to anyone telling me what to do, especially when it's "for my own good". However, this government edict in Sweden, goes too far:

The Left Party in Sörmland is taking a stand to ensure men take a seat when emptying their bladders in the county council's own toilets.

According to the party, there are two very important reasons for the proposal encouraging men to sit instead of stand when they urinate.

That's right. They want men to sit down when they pee.

According to the folks pushing this law, there are two "very important" for making the men in Sweden do something extremely emasculating, unnecessary, and personal. Even though this should be dismissed out of hand, let's at least hear the sissies out. Are you ready? Here is reason number one:

One reason has to do with hygiene and a desire to ensure that no one who uses the toilets at the county council's offices will be required to walk through puddles or residue left by stray urine which happens to splash out of the bowl and onto the floor when male employees pee standing up.

Whoa! This  is a little gross, but we're going to have  serious discussion. First of all, where are the janitors? Being a janitor is a specific job here in America. You know, janitors: the cleaning crew that comes through buildings to clean the restrooms? They mob the floor, they refill the little towels, fill up the soap, and generally...clean the restrooms. Does this job not exist in Sweden? Also, where are the urinals? A urinal pretty much makes it impossible to leave a "puddle" and solves your problem right there. Also, maybe this could be accomplished with a little personal responsibility. You make a mess, you clean it up. It's not complicated.

We here at Permanent Press are all for bathroom cleanliness, and as a spokesmen for all men out there, I'm sure that we could all do a better job of bathroom hygiene. I freely admit that. However, a law, an actual law, with the coercive power of the government behind it, that requires men to sit down while peeing is beyond absurd.

Ok, so I think we can all agree that reason number one is not so great. Maybe reason number two is a humdinger. I really doubt it though, because if reason number two was so much better than reason number one, then reason number two would probably have moved into the position of reason number one. Everyone still with me? Anyway, let's have a look:

The Left Party also cites medical research it claims shows that men empty their bladders more efficiently when they are seated.

Umm...really? I don't really want to speak for all men everywhere, but I'm pretty sure that after I finish, I'm empty. That's the point. It's also pretty efficient in any position. Someone let me know if they have a different experience. Maybe if you've got a medical problem it's a different deal, but that's not something that requires a law for all men to take a seat.

If the men of Sweden go along with this, they are doomed. Where's the Viking spirit that made Sweden great? They are descendents of men who pillaged all along the European coast and were feared and respected. This is the land of Beowulf. The were men.

I'm pretty sure that these guys didn't pee sitting down.

And it's come to this? If the men of Sweden go along with this, I hope their Viking ancestors come back to haunt them. Some busybody regulator is taking away their personal bathroom freedoms: they have to fight this.

On the list of emasculating things, being forced to sit down while peeing is got to be in the top five. I can't come up with a comprehensive list, but it's got to be up there. Any women out there want to date a guy who pees sitting down? I don't think so.

Men of Sweden: Don't take this sitting down. Better to die on your feet than live on a seat.

[H/T: @Maetenloch]

Save the Planet - Move to the South

From time to time, I have been accused of criticizing the idea of man-made (or anthropogenic) "global warming". Well sir, no more. I've read an article that has made me realize how much some of our brothers and sisters living in the Northeast are killing the planet for their lavish lifestyle. I'm fully on the global warming train, and I'm here to address a large factor in energy consumption in the United States.

As you may be aware, the more energy you use, the more the planet dies a little. As you can see from this chart below, one of the main sources of household energy consumption is space heating. (It's the sky-blue part of the bar at the bottom of each column.) Note how the energy used for heating in the Northeast is significantly higher than everything else. By comparison, heating is far and away more of an energy waster than air-conditioning in the South and the West.

So, if you live in the Northeast, you're really being a wasteful energy consumer. You're living in a cold place that you have to use a great deal of energy to heat, just so you can continue to live there without your little toesies getting frostbitten. I, as the new global warming sheriff am here to tell all y'all up North: It's time to move down to the South.

So if you want to help save the planet, move out of Vermont and get yourself to Alabama where people know how to live in harmony with Mother Gaia. Moving out of New England could be the purest form of environmental activism; your selfish, earth destroying choice of living in Massachusetts in killing us all. And as for Canada, Gaia’s message is clear: shut it down, now.

I guess that if you don't want to move, being a selfish person who cares only about living in Connecticut, we could come up with a cold-climate heat-waster surtax. As a citizen of the earth, I'm sure that you Yankees would be happy to pay it.

You do care about the earth, don't you?
[H/T Insty]

Blogging Vacation: Back to Work on Monday

Ok, fine. I took little holiday from the blogging to go to the beach with my wife and eight month old son. It's hard to blog from the beach with a beer in your hand. So sue me.

Anyway, here's what I was looking at besides a computer screen. Regular blogging will return on Monday.

Edisto Beach, South Carolina

D-Day: Sixty Eight Years Ago Today

Sixty-eight years ago, the allies began to take back the continent of Europe.

Into the Jaws of Death: Robert F. Sargent, CPoM, USCG 

At the time (and I think still) the Normandy invasion was the largest amphibious assault in the history of the world. No one knew how it would turn out. Today, we take it for granted that the allies succeeded in retaking Europe, but this was a gamble. In fact, Eisenhower was so worried, he actually drafted a letter in case the invasion failed. As it turned out, we prevailed, and he didn't need that letter.

No complaining about your day today. 

Art of the Road Trip

Don't plan, just go. Get lost!

Lawyer Dog: The First Amendment

Carolina Advances to Supers (Photo of the Final Out)

Here's a nice photo of the final out from my seats:

Zimmerman's Bond Revoked

This is why you don't lie to Judges.