Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The GOP Abandons Ship ....


Less than a week after Mark Sanford's stunning announcement that he had spent six days in Argentina with his girlfriend, it appears that the damage control and contrition attempts he has made are not making things better for his future. At first, there were catcalls for his resignation from likely sources - Democrats and his political enemies within the GOP. But after today's latest press conference, Sanford is getting thrown under the bus from more and more former supporters.
No, i didn't watch or read all of the comments made by Sanford today, but what I have heard was odd. By far, the most cringe-inducing comment was call his lover his "Soul Mate". For starters, guys do not have Soul Mates. That is exclusively for women. Ladies, if a man calls you his soul mate, then it's official - he wants to sleep with you. BADLY! It's an extremely poor choice of words to call anyone within earshot of your wife. Honestly, if Sanford had any plans on keeping his wife, I think that may be over - and it doesn't even sound like he's that interested in it.....
Here is my bit of advice... Governor Sanford, forget about Maria. You've pretty much ruined her life. She is not just famous, she is now infamous... Do you really expect her to want to go back to the guy who destroyed everything she had? Trust me, I've had plenty of experience with ticked off women. It doesn't matter how powerful or famous you might be, when you tick off a woman, they move on, and that's my advice.
Public speaking has never been Mark Sanford's strong suit, and it's really showing this week. Where a more talented speaker (aka- Liar) would be able to maybe spin this, Sanford has only made things worse. This isn't soemthing you can explain, and he's even tried to keep everyone happy. That won't work. To see if he's really gone off the edge, I suggest that someone ask him what he thinks of Jim Clyburn - if he says anythign nice about him, it's all over...
Now, i've had bad weeks where it seemed like I would never get my mojo back, but it eventually does. Mark Sanford needs to quit quoting Bible verses to the press, bcause it seems disingenuous right now. In fact, avoid aby microphone or camera right now. Lock yourself in a bunker, focus on just being Governor, and if you want to, try to repair your marriage. As far as the Argentinian tail........ VAYA CON DIOS, MARCO.
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Monday, June 29, 2009

Bernie Madoff Goes To Jail.... Before He Spends the Afterlife In Utter Hell ...


Hey, It LOOKED Like Everyone Was Busy Working There....
Actually, all the employees were on MySpace and Chickapedia.com - which you MUST visit sometime.... Anyway, scam artist extraordinaire Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years to life for bilking investors of nearly $50 Billion. Madoff admitted that he never invested a single dime of his victims' money. At nearly 70 years old, it's safe to say that Madoff has spent his last free day on the outside. He'll soon be wondering what happened to his old life, and it will eventually be a distant memory - kinda like i am when trying to remember the last time I got laid......
Now, I do have to admit, there is a part of me that laughs at the idiots back in Long Island, who are bitching and whining about losing thousands and millions of dollars with Madoff. Some of them are asking for restitution from the US Government - a bailout , if you will... One of them was former Congressman and conservative firebrand Tom Tancredo. I have listened to your arguments carefully and thoroughly, and here is my reply.... HAHAHAHAHA !!!! Too bad. If there is one thing that Americans have no sympathy for, it's rich people whining about having to 'alter their lifestyle' - like having to clean THEIR OWN homes and cut THEIR OWN grass. My heart goes out to you.... Not.
But, back to the root of the problem.... If there is any justice in this world, Bernie Madoff will be caught in the Seven Circles of Hell, being poked and prodded with Wiffle Ball bats in holes that my pinkie finger wouldn't fit in. Wait , I forgot the nails in the bats too. You get the point... Satan is oiling up all of his torture tools just for Madoff. He'll have to wait a little while, but in time, he'll get him....Unless Satan hires these guys.....
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Judge Sotomayor, Don't Take It Personally ...

Welcome to The Club !! SCOTUS Overturns Sotomayor's Most Notable Appeals Court Case ....

There can't be more embarrasing things for a Supreme Court Justice-To Be Than to have one of his/her decisions be overturned, right before they're getting ready to be appointed. It's like when little lids first try to learn to ride a bike - they're so cute when they're still learning !!!

Well, that happened today, when Judge Sonia Sotomayor's landmark Appeals Court ruling on the New Haven Fire Fighters Case was overturned 5-4 by the US Supreme Court. The complaint was filed by 17 white and 1 Hispanic firefighters that passed a promotional exam, but the City of New Haven disallowed the results, because no African-American firemen passed the exam. The essential ruling of the majority opinion was that even if the end result is unfair, unless the plan itself is racially unfair, then it is OK.

For those of you wondering if the case would have been ruled differently, Justice Souter voted with the minority opinion, so Sotomayor wouldn't have changed anything - except that no one would be listening to her..... Hey, I just found a nickname for her.... Sonia Sotomayor - SoSo !!!! That's about how great a justice she'll probably be too....... Think I'll have it copyrighted.

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Sunday, June 28, 2009

How Facebook Can Be Really Cool ....


I know I've harassed a lot of you about getting on Facebook to be organized with other Republicans, and for other political purposes. But, there are a million other benefits of being there. Need proof? No problem, I have it here for you....
I've picked up a lot of friends on Facebook - I'm up to 268 now . Some are friends from politics, some are from my hometown, and some are my old buddies from Oswego State. One of them is Andrea Solan-Cohen. She lived on the same floor as me, and she was always very cool. During hockey games, my friends would flip me end over end whenever we scored a goal - yeah, we were usually a little inebriated. Once, I accidentally kicked Andrea when they flipped me, but she didn't mind. One of us were always dating someone, so we never dated each other, but the thought crossed my mind once or twice, but college ended, and we went our separate ways. However, we did keep in touch for a little while.
I hadn't heard from her for probably 12 years, but I found her on Facebook last week. She's married to the same guy she first told me about after college. I told her last week that I had an old letter from her, but that I think I tossed it out. Wrong... While looking for some old set lists for my old band's upcoming gig, I found it!
It's dated Aug. 8, 1992, and there is one particular passage that was great. I'll quote it here for you: "Mike, I'm seeing a new guy. His name is Paul, he's 23, and he's a Grad Student at SUNY-Albany. He's really sweet, and we really have a lot of fun together. We've been seeing each other for about a month. I'll keep you up to date.."
That was 17 years ago, and after 15 years of marriage and two kids later, they're still going strong. To have a letter from her from that particular time - when you're still figuring each other out, and everything is new and unknown - made me realize that I needed to give that letter to her, because it means more to the two of them than it does to me. So, that letter is on it's way back to Utica, New York, so Andrea, Paul, and their two kids can see it, and see that true , long lasting love does exist....
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So Much For Threes ....


Man, this has been one really strange week. We always say that bad news comes in threes, but that theory has been absolutely blown out of the water this week. Word today is that Billy Mays, probably the most well-known TV pitchman around, was found dead at his Florida home this morning. He was 50.
For those of you keeping score, that makes four passings this week, and if you're counting unbelievable news stories on top of that, the Mark Sanford tryst would make Number Five. Are we really having that bad of a week, or is it just that there are some amny people that we classify as 'celebrities', that their loss seems like a daily event? Yes, the media is everywhere now, so it's no surprise that these deaths seem to be coming so fast and furious. With Mays' passing, it now leaves it between Vince and Anthony Sullivan to fight for the title of Top TV Pitchman....
Billy Mays hawked everything from OxyClean to MiniBurger Grills to Health Insurance, which we discussed previously. But , half of advertising is breeding familiarity and confidence. Billy Mays sure had familiarity. You knew him when you saw him, and everyone can do some type of imitation of him - usually by talking at the top of your lungs - but hey, it worked.... I ran into a website on Mays, and it has some Chuck Norris-type 'Facts' about him. Here are the best ones......
Billy Mays interrupted Bill O'Reilly once, causing O'Reilly to profuselyapologize for speaking out of turn.
The GDP of Billy Mays is greater than the entire European Union - before the Recession.
In 2006, a man in Arkansas accidentally hit the Bass Boost button during a Billy Mays informercial. We know this because a forensic team in radiation-proof suits recently had finished their meticulous inspection of the blast crater.
Narwhals wash their tusks with OxyClean...
Billy Mays attributes the power of his on-screen persona to an incident as a teenager, when he accidentally ingested the Cap Lock button on his IBM PS/2 keyboard..
Vin Diesel waxes his head with Liquid Diamond....
After hearing a Billy Mays infomercial, R. Lee Ermey (Gunny Sgt. Hartman) reconsidered his own personal commitment to perpetually yelling.
Billy Mays once sold Pain to Chuck Norris..
Joe Piscopo tried to outsell Billy Mays once.......... ONCE.
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Saturday, June 27, 2009

P-Luv Ain't Gonna Like This One...

It's a Slow News Day, So We'll Pass On a Joke Instead ....

It's 10:00 PM, and I almost forgot to post today. Since I'm finding myself a bit short on time and material, I decided to just print a joke I got from a co-worker today. You might have heard it already. After all, these jokes seem to make the rounds, don't they? It's the story of the Lawyer and the Redneck ......

A lawyer and a reneck are sitting next to each other on a long flight. The lawyer thinks that ednecks are so dumb, that he can get one over on them easy.... The lawyer asks the redneck if he'd like to play a game. The redneck just wants to get some sleep, and he declines. The lawyer persists, and assures the redneck that the game is a lot of fun. "I ask you a question, and if you get it wrong, you owe me $5, but if you ask me a question and I don't know the answer, I have to give you $500." The redneck agrees.....

The lawyer asks the first question.. "What is the distance from the Earth to the Moon?" The redneck reaches into his wallet, and hands the lawyer a $5 bill. Now it's the redneck's turn. He asks, "What goes up a hill with three legs , and comes down with four legs?" The lawyer has no idea. He gets on his laptop, searches all possible refernces, including the Library of Congress. He gets on the Airfone, and calls every friend he has. After an hour of trying, he finally gives up, and hands the redneck $500. The redneck turns over, and goes to sleep.....

After a little bit, the lawyer can't take it anymore. He wakes up the redneck, and asks him "So, what is it that goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four legs ??!!!!". The redneck reaches back into his pocket, hands him $5, and goes back to sleep....... BA-DUM- BUM !!!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=icMTVV5Lwaw

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Friday, June 26, 2009

SC6 Exclusive: Has Andre Bauer Already Taken Over at the Governor's Mansion ?

Again With the Loaded Finger? Dead or Alive, You're Coming With Me !

Thanks to Michael Jackson's passing, the weight of the media has let mark Sanford off the hook - at least for the moment. However, just because the spotlight has died down, that doesn't mean the machinations of political gain aren't in full motion. Hold on a second, while I make sure the previous sentences are gramatically correct. Yeah, I think I'm okay....

While other blogs give their opinions on what the future holds, why Sanford did what he did or where he goes from here, or asking 'insiders' for information, we got down into the heart of Columbia's political nerve center, started snooping, and boy did we find some real gems there...

Eevn though Mark Sanford was reported to be on Sullivans Island, we decided to go to Columbia anyway - like something told us to go.. While walking past the Lace House, we spotted Sen. Jakie Knotts, causing an obviously contrived disturbance with the driver of a Mister Softee Ice Cream truck - some BS about not enough Sprinkles on his Double Cone.. As the crowd grew, we saw a shady figure slip into the Governor's Mansion. We slid under the window, and we found Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, checking out the place. We couldn't tell you exactly what he was doing, but he was motioning his hands like you do when you are organizing furniture in your head...

Intrigued, we snuck down through the chimney, and shot the following video... Careful - it is NOT for the faint of heart.......

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiPDL9S552s

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

It's Official: You And I Are Getting Old .....




For those of you who don't know everything about me, I'll be 41 in a couple weeks. It's an age that is very disconcerting for a lot of us. Things begin to change... You start to feel a bit slower, you can't do all of the things like you used to - and then there are days like today, when life slaps you directly across the face, and you realize that you're getting old. Or at least you're not a kid anymore.....
Yes, legends die, and not all people are meant to grow old - Elvis, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, James Dean, Jimi Hendrix..... Most of those were before my time, except for Cobain, who we all knew was going to kill himself ... Today has hit a little more at home. I was JUST old enough to remember the original 'Charlie's Angels', and if I knew one person who had the Farrah Fawcett poster, I knew twenty.... She had been sick for a long time, and, as a person who watched his mother suffer through cancer, I felt some relief for her. I was all set to find a clip of her on the Tonight Show to put on the blog, when I got home, and heard the other news today......
Michael Jackson's passing wasn't a total surprise. There were rumors of him having some type of cancer and needing kidney dialysis. That, and he always was so frail that 40 years of the industry takes it's toll on your health. But, whether or not of whether you were a fan (which I wouldn't classify myself as one), the sheer scope of what he accomplished in his career, before all of the idiosyncrasies, the lawsuits, and the questionable choices made, you have to recognize him as probably the biggest worldwide name in Music....
I always picked on my Dad when someone he was familiar with passed away - mostly because their average age was about 97. But these are two people who were young and vibrant when I was, so it kinda puts that extra little reminder that you ain't a kid anymore..... Sure, I've lost close friends younger than this, and more suddenly. But, two people dying like Fawcett and Jackson on the same day reminds you of the fact that eventually, we all will die. That, and maybe the things we all were arguing about yesterday were a bit petty.....
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Pardon Me, As I Tiptoe Through a Minefield Here ..


I am probably the last blogger in SC to comment on this, but I had the common sense to wait and see what exactly what was going on with the whole Sanford Appalachian-Argentina trip fiasco. While many bloggers thrive and love red meat topics like this, I have to be more careful than probably all of them. You may not have noticed this, but I am the only political blogger in SC that actually holds offices within the party. There is a chance of me losing positions that I have worked very hard for. But I have a legion of readers that depend on me to see things as they are, and to give an honest opinion on politics. So, we're going to give our thoughts on some of it.....
Knowing that this may end up on various computer screens in Columbia, here is our disclaimer: the opinions given here are mine, and not those of the SCGOP nor should they be viewed as those of any official view of the Republican Party. There, if you want an official viewpoint, call the SCGOP directly..... You know, Ms. X had a comment on her MySpace page today that said "Before you criticize anyone, walk a mile in their shoes first. That way, you're a mile away from there, and you have their shoes". I'm not sure what that means, but it seemed appropriate to today's news.
I feel a little bit like a duck hit on the head today. Mark Sanford is one of my favorite guys in politics. No, I didn't agree 100% on everything with him, but we had a lot in common. Fiscal responsibility above everything, a dash of libertarianism, and that bit of smartass and thumbing your nose at the establishment. Ask Jim Clyburn who he hates the most in South Carolina, and he'd probably mention the two of us. Marital infidelity was the last thought on my mind, until right before Sanford's press conference. I find myself caught in my own words from last week, when Senator Ensign admitted to the same thing. In it, I had some definite opinions on what kind of person a man is who cheats on his spouse is. It is what it is, and as much as I think Sanford was a damned good Governor, I don't know him personally. Safe to say, he has really let us all down. That's as far as my judgement goes. I find it a little too uncomfortable to pray for a person who just cheated on is family - that's his job, and his choice.
What have, or least what should we learn from all this? It's pretty simple. First, don't cheat on your spouse. Secondly, and this is a byproduct of it all, is don't lie. I learned this a while back, because I am the world's worst liar. Cheating begets lying, and worst of all, it causes your associates (Ex. - Your staff) to lie for you, and it just makes things worse...
Now, there seems to be calls for him to step down, and there's a lot of outrage from certain people. I would advise you to look where the criticisms are coming from.... John Land? Please.... Jakie Knotts? C'mon. Mark Sanford gets along better with Gilda Cobb-Hunter than Jakie Knotts... Lastly, Andre Bauer is looking to replace Sanford as Governor, but they aren't the tightest pair in Columbia. It's pretty apparent that Nikki Haley is Sanford's choice to succeed him. If only for that reason, I would advise Sanford to finish his term. We have a wide open race for 2010, and if Sanford were out, then just give Andre Bauer the nomination next year, barring a disaster in office. Not that I'm against Bauer, but I'd rather see it decided on an even field. Haley is the big loser in this one, without a doubt.......
Personal aspects aside, is the possibility of a Sanford impeachment real? There have been lots of comparisons to Bill Clinton on this. Clinton didn't get impeached for cheating, he was impeached for lying to a grand jury under oath about it. Sanford has come clean, although the details of the trips aren't fully out there yet. Once again, the infidelity causing the behavior that actually gets politicians in trouble.....2012 is over, and that is the only silver lining I can see out of all this. I liked Sanford, but I didn't want to see him run for President.....
A couple weeks ago, I posed that question to Karen Floyd about who is driving the GOP bus. It seems a bit prescient in hindsight, because Karen has a challenge the likes of which she could never had imagined. While Mark Sanford is a big wheel on the bus, he is only a part. Over and over again, including from Karen Floyd, I heard that the GOP is made of thousands of people like myself, Moye, Earl, Tommy and others who volunteer and give to the party. That includes YOU too. WE drive the bus. WE choose the path the bus takes, WE fix the flat tire on the bus. And what about when when the bus seems like it blew an engine? WE REBUILD it...
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Goodbye to Ed McMahon ...


Just a quick so long to The Tonight Show's Ed McMahon, who passed away today at the age of 86. Ed was the King of the Sidekicks, never trying to steal Johnny Carson's thunder for 30 plus years. He simply rode shotgun every night, and he did it better than anyone.
The man loved his Budweiser too, which we here can empathize with... McMahon did get out of Carson's shadow after Johnny retired in 1992, hosting Star Search, and doing numerous commercials as well. Ed McMahon was a true TV legend, and we salute him as he gets ready for his Reunion Show with Johnny.....
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Monday, June 22, 2009

It Might Be Vacation Time Again...


Just a quick note today.. I don't if it's writer's block,boredom, or flat out depression, but I'm going to take a short sabbatical from blogging. Who knows, I could be writing again tomorrow, but today, I'm not very enthused about writing on anything.....




It's not like I don't have anything to blog about - I have a stack of articles a foot high. There's just been a lot of stress flying around lately, and this past weekend didn't help much. I've been very unhappy lately, despite finally getting out fom the debt I had. There's nothing to get excited about in life right now. So, I'm going to try and avoid writing crappy posts for writing's sake, and relax for a bit. Sorry, but I need to find my smile again...



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Saturday, June 20, 2009

Seriously, Who Would You Name Your New School After - An NBA Star, or Janet Reno ?




Yeah, Alonzo Mourning Is SLIGHTLY Cooler Than Janet Reno ..
Poor Janet Reno. First Waco, Then Will Ferrell does his Janet Reno's Dance Party spoof, now this.... The Miami-Dade School Board met this week to choose who to name their newest campus in Biscayne Bay after. They had an unusual pair to choose from. First was former Miami-Dade State Attorney and US Attorney General Reno, and secondly was former Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning. On the surface, it doesn't seem to be a difficult choice. How many schools are named after NBA stars - aside from Cazzie Russell Reform School in Nacodogches, Texas? OK, that one doesn't exist.....
Well, surprise of surprises, they board decided to name the school after Mourning and his wife Tracy. It turns out that the pair have done a lot of work with kids in the Greater Miami area - and being an NBA star didn't hurt. Meanwhile, it appears that Reno past mistakes came back to haunt her in this case - you might remember a little Cuban kid named Elian Gonzalez that Reno back to Communist Cuba. Well, the locals haven't forgotten about it, and it didn't help her chances much. Better luck next time, Janet. If you call your Congressman, theyd be glad to name a Post Office after you - it's their specialty !!!
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Next Time Lady, Pay the 99 Cents ...

The I-Pod: That Little Crack-like Pez Dispenser of Music, and Problems

I love music. It's an integral part of my life. Sometimes, I think music has saved me on numerous occasions where few things are able to let me let the stress in life out. You'd think that for someone who loves music like me, I'd own an I-Pod. Hell No....

For starters, you can bankrupt yourslef filling that little thing up with music that you might be tired of in a month or so. Secondly, I'm against having to pay 99 cents just to listen to music. There are plenty of legal ways to get music for free. Thirdly, the industry has cracked down hard on offenders who are illegally sharing or downloading music without paying. Ask Jammie Thomas-Rasset of Brainerd, Minnesota......

You see, the Recording Industry Association of America has busted and sued over 30,000 people for illegal sharing over the past four years, but Thomas-Rasset is the only one who has gone to trial - and she probably wishes she had settled. RIAA usually settles for between $3000-5000, but Thomas-Rasset refused to settle. She eventually went to trial and lost, where she was ordered to pay $222,000 for 24 traceable infractions (RIAA said she had more like 1700). However, the judge in that case decided that he had given the jury incorrect instructions, so Thomas-Rasset had one last chance to settle......

Nope, she still went to trial, and she lost - bigtime. The jury found her guilty of not only illegal sharing on Kazaa, but also of willful infringement, and they slapped her with a judgement of $1.92 MILLION !!!! Whoops.... P-Luv, you're the lawyer here - what the hell was her attorney thinking here? The $80K per violation charge actually was less than she could have been hit with (the max is $150k per violation).

Now, Mrs. Thomas-Rasset has said that she will not pay the judgement, for obvious reasons - like , she doesn't quite have that kind of cash sitting around currently!! RIAA has said that they would still be glad to settle with her, despite the judgement. Of course, that $3-5k has gone up a bit , thanks to some hefty legal costs... Thomas-Rasset hasn't indicated if she will go that route, because she still hasn't admitted that it was her. She indicated that it may have been her ex-husband or one of her kids, despite RIAA's tracing the username to the same name she used on her e-mail and her MySpace account. Parents, this is not a good example to send to your kids.....

As for loading my computer up with tunes, no thanks. I'll keep listening to Pandora, like I'm doing as I write this.....

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Friday, June 19, 2009

SC6's Verdict: This Deal Is a Clunker ...

Yeah It's Cool, But What Kind of Mileage Does It Get ?

Excuse if my thoughts are a little jumbled tonight. The heat and a lack of sleep this week are taking it's toll, but we'll blow out one post for you tonight. Actually, the car we're showing runs on biodiesel... But for most of us, the cars we have run on straight gas.

We're pretty hard on Washington, DC most of the time, but thy usually deserve it. Why because they always write legislation that they say is for our benefit, but their true motivation is to benefit their providers, and save their own asses. With that in mind, we salute Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan....

When you think of Michigan, you think of Detroit, and then you think of crime, smell, and massive unemployment. Wait, I mean you think of Detroit, then you think of CARS.... Yeah, that's right. the crime and smell are right after that. We all know what a hole the American auto industry is in right now. The problem is that Detroit spent the past 30 years making bigger, inefficient trucks, and a crappy, plasticky fleet of passenger cars. Washington has spent billion getting them out of water, but for Stabenow, that isn't enough....

Stabenow wrote the 'Cash For Clunkers' program to try and boost US auto sales. Here are the nuts and bolts of the program. If you own a car that gets 18 MPG or less and you trade it in for a new car that gets 22 MPG or more, you get a $3500 voucher. The same goes if you trade in a truck for a new one that gets a mere 2 MPG more. If you buy a car with 10 MPG, or a truck with 5 more MPG, you get $4500. Seems like a lot of green for buying a car, isn't it? It is. If you got the car with the extra 4 MPG's, at the normal driving rate, you would save about $375 a year in gas, so they're paying for nine years worth of the gas saving. The truck would be 18 years worth - about 5-10 years longer than you'll own the truck. While it may seem like a great deal, it starts the same problem that got us here....

What got us in the decline economically that we're in now? Overspending. Buying crap that we don't need, and worse, what we can't afford. Stabenow isn't worried about Americans running up excessive debt and putting themselves back into a hole right after they got out of it. She just wants to funnel as much of taxpayers money into Michigan as she can. She found out that even $40 billion doesn't put a nick in Michigan's problems, so now she's going after the big bucks. She's tried to design a plan that drives consumers to the dealership like lemmings to the sea, or moths to a flame. The moth usually gets burned.......

The ironic part of Stabenow's plan is, like most legislation, the end result will probably be much different than they intended. The plan is supposed to benefit Detroit, but when Americans think of fuel efficient cars, where do they turn? You guessed it - Japan. Buyers will flock in droves to Toyota and Honda, and all of Washington's and YOUR money will likely end up overseas, to the tune of another $1 Billion tax dollars. Nothing like financing the guys who ruined your industry, isn't there?

Of course, this plan will probably be great for my business. But even I can see that getting the Average Joe to buy a house and and a car with $11,000 in tax credits is stupid. Good luck comign up with that extra $700-800 a month in cash, and I'll see you back in bankruptcy court in 2011 !!! I'd tell you to call your Congressman or Senator, but it's too late. It's already passed both houses, although the Senate bobtailed it onto the War Spending Plan this week, and it's waiting on Barack Obama's signature.

Folks, you buy a car or house because you need one and you can afford one - not because you get a tax credit. That is how you get steady, sustained growth. Someday, DC will learn this... Class is over, Professor Reino needs a good night's sleep.....

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Let It Not Be Said That I'm Not Nice Sometimes..

Just In Case You Forgot, It's Gonna Be 100 Degrees Today .....

So, what's under all that ice? Keyrock, the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer? Maybe Ted Williams or Walt Disney ? Nope. It's a nice supply of Mountain Dew, Gatorade and Green Tea ..... For most of you guys, heat like this isn't all that bad, cause you work in an air-conditioned office, or you can escape to your car on the road.

For those of us in the car business, we spend almost the entire day in the heat - and it's usually our busiest time of year for us. I can't do the work for them, so the best I can do is make sure they're hydrated and as happy as possible. See, I care. I do this everytime it hits 100 degrees. Have you ever noticed that the weathermen on TV never seem to be able to tell you it's going to be 100, like their screen is incapable of displaying triple digits.

It's gonna be 100 Friday. Be properly armed - hydrate !!

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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

I'm Sorry, So Sorry... Yeah, Right!

I'm Not Gonna Say It, But You Know What I'm Thinking ....

It's Wednesday, so time is short. The guitar is all set, so I'm ready to rock tonight - I hope. But, we had to send a special tribute to Senator Ensign of Nevada tonight. We don't like to pick on Republicans here too much, but if you deserve it, then we'll gladly give it to you....

Ensign admitted this week that he had a pretty lengthy affair with one of his staffers. He has also said that he is very sorry for the affair. Oh yeah, he's sorry - like most people who screw on their wives, he's sorry he got caught. If he was really contrite and sorry, he wouldn't have been poking this lady for nearly a year. Yeah, people slip up once in a while - once. But when you go back to the same trough a second, third or 50th time, you officially become a piece of shit.

Good job, Buddy !! Good Luck on your re-election....

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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Get Off The Road, You S.O.B. !!!!!

Guess Who Won For America's Angriest Drivers ??

After the last post, i figured I needed to blog about something we can all agree on. Crappy Drivers... Now, we here in SC are pretty considerate for the most part. Plus, there isn't that much traffic, except for race weekend or a football game. But, go to some other areas in the country, and drivers flat out lose their minds.....

Last year's winner for most aggressive drivers was Miami, but they were beaten this year by - SURPRISE !! - New York. How couldn't they be? No room, too many taxi's, mostly driven by insane foreigners used to screaming at each other.. It's a natural. Miami reall worked on it's image this year, dropping all the way to Number 7, behind Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Washington DC... Most of those make sense, except Minneapolis. Then again, they could be angry because they're in Minnesota......

Want a friendly city? Try Baltimore, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Portland and Cleveland. No these top and bottom cities don't really correspond to anything geographically. So what ticks off drives the most? Talking on the cellphone while driving, which is illegal in NY, driving too fats, tailgating (Bobby??), Eating and Texting behind the wheel, and - that South Carolina favorite - changing lanes or turning without signaling....

As bad as New York might be, you may want to be most careful in DC, where 4% of all drives surveyed admitted to ramming their vehicle into another car on purpose - a full four times higher than the national average.....

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Monday, June 15, 2009

The Axe Falls At Work Today...

Luckily, My Head Wasn't In the Hole... But Not By Much.

I'm going to take tonight off, folks. Not exactly in the smartass blogging mood today. After 8 years in the auto business, I have one skill - I can tell when someone is going to get fired days in advance. I got it late last week, and I was right. I was a bit worried that it might be me, but I escaped temination today, but not by much....

They fired my boss, Bobby, when he got back from vacation today. You see, Bobby is the one who hired me, so when the guy who hired you is gone, they tend to look at you and say "I didn't hire that guy, I don't want him." I've had that happen probably at least three times in my career, so I'm not feeling very comfortable right now. Especially when the guy they fired said they did want to fire me too, but he talked them out of it...

Right now, I'm concerned that I work for a company that has unrealistic expectations, without really being aware of how impossible perfection at my job is. Worse, I feel a little guilt that if I had done my job a bit better, then my boss would still have his job. A Service Department is like a team or family - it just the three or four of you, fighting off the techs, management and some of the customers all at the same time. When one of you gets lopped off, it's like losing an arm...

My one saving grace is that they moved the Parts Mgr to cover our department too, so at least it's someone I get along with. Hopefully, things will calm down, I'll keep kicking ass like I have been, and everyone above me will calm down...

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Sunday, June 14, 2009

SC6: Solving People's Problems Everyday !


Some of SC's Most Important People Know Where To Go For Help ....

After 3 1/2 years, i've decided to change SC6's format. Instead of politics, we're going to change this blog into a Dear Abby-like service. Why not? I've figured out that I can solve any problem , and fix anything - even if i'm not looking at it !!

Need proof of my skills? Sure. This week was a perfect example. I'll leave names out to protect people's privacy, but let's just say if you know anythign about SC Politics, it was one of the most influential and powerful people in the party. Well, this person was having car trouble. They took it to a dealership in Columbia, where they changed the key cylinder and the computer. But, a week later, the car still would not work. They e-mailed me in desperation, asking for an opinion. Here is what I wrote back:

" I have heard of a case or two where the keys don't work, and the computer has to be replaced. Perhaps they got the wrong computer , and it isn't programming, but there are other variables."

I put this person in touch with Chris, who is a Toyota Master Technician, not to mention the other guitar player in my band. He gave suggestions , and offered the dealer in Cola to call him. I got a message back a couple days later..... And I was dead-on the money - the computer they installed was bad indeed. My guess is they got the wrong one, but i decided to quit while I was ahead.....They're back on the road, and we can take a little credit for getting them there..

SC6: Making Lives Better Thru Blogging..

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If You Ain't Flying a Flag Today, You Are a Commie, Pinko Loser !!!!!

Happy Flag Day !!!

In case you forgot, today is June 14th, and that means it's Flag Day, where we get to show our respect for one of the few symbols that uniquely represents our great country. This is the flag hanging off my front porch today. I finally replaced the old one about 2 weeks ago. One piece of advice - don't buy a flag anytime near Flag Day - they double the prices of them... It's like buying fireworks on July 3rd.....

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This Week's Big Controversy: To Tax and Build, Or Not to Tax and Build ??

Florence Mayor Proposes 2% Tax Hike to Pay For Fire Stations ....

This should be an interesting post. It has all the earmarks for an argument: Taxes, services, it's local, and it involves both political parties. Too bad I'm writing this on a Sunday..... I should have saved it for Tuesday...

In case you've missed it, Florence City Mayor Stephen Wukela has proposed raising taxes on city residents by 2% over the next two years. From what I'm told, the money will be used to build additional fire stations. While it may seem like a really bad idea in these times of wnat and woe, Wukela says he has his reasons, and fiscally, it will save Florence money in the long run....

How? Well it all has to do with insurance. You know , that thing we all pay for, and never hope we have to use. Get ready for some really exciting info here, folks. One of the major factors in determining your homeowners insurance is your ISO rating. No, I don't know what ISO stands for, and I don't remember the standards are. I think it's 1-to-9, but I'm probably wrong.... All i know is that city and county leaders all freak out over ISO ratings.

Wukela says that Flotown's ISO rating will go through the roof without adding some fire stations, so that residents aren't too far from help. They are rated by reisdents per station I presume. The more stations , the better. Where Wukela says the savings are in keeping those insurance costs down for city residents. Like the census, ISO ratings are done every ten years, so if the ratings go up in Florence due to it's expansion, residents will be paying for it for a decade.... I'm sure P-Luv could cover any details that I forgot, but that is the synapsis of it....

I'm a South Florence resident, so i do find this issue to be interesting and , rarely for city politics, pertinent to myself. My side of town has grown a lot since I moved here 11 years ago, but I'll be honest - I haven't the slightest idea where the nearest fire station is. I think it's the one across from Greenwood Elementary, which is about 3 miles from home. I can think of about 5-6 other fire stations off the top of my head across the city, so there is the definite possibility that my side of town is being underserved. Wukela specifically mentioned SoFlo in is statement, so will we have one on Third Loop or Church St. Extension soon?

I've already read a Facebook message from some of my GOP friends, but here are my thoughts: like most things for me, it's a numbers deal. Will this tax be offset by my lower homeowners insurance, which I current pay about $525 a year for? If so, it may be worth it. Now onto the other questions...... With $787 BILLION flying around DC right now, is there any chance of DC footing the bill for this infrastructure project. Ed Robinson apparently is driving to DC all the time, so his rock solid connections should bear some fruit, right? Yeah, i laughed when i wrote this, but seriously, have those feelers been put out? Secondly, if we are short on needed infrastructure like fire stations and EMS, why are we pissing away ten of millions of city and state funds on Theaters, Museums and other lavish projects? That's like me getting plastic surgery, so I can look like Brad Pitt, and that maybe I'll become Brad Pitt. Gotta cover the basics first.

I know that part is a bit rough of Mayor Hickory Head..... I know this is a problem that he has inherited, and he's only been in office six months. I don't know everything, I'm just a numbers guy... What I do know is that I spend a lot more on homeowners insurance than I do on property taxes, so if a TEMPORARY 2% jack in my taxes will lower my insurance 2%, 5%, or 10%, then it makes sense to me. Someone please throw me some numbers - I hate discussing taxes in theory only, it totally defies how to approach the subject....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY0dVF9LoZw

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Hey, We Didn't See This One Coming....


The election results are in, and SURPRISE !!! - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad beat his opponent in this week's Iranian Presidential elections... In fact, he even beat his opponent in his own hometown ! Wow, that is one hell of a campaign he ran, and is a true testament to the love that the Iranian people have for Ahmadnejad....
C'mon people, were you expecting some other result? This is Iran.... 'Free Elections' don't exist here, or probably anywhere in the Muslim world. The guy is a puppet of the Mullahs that really rule the country. There are plenty of protests going on, and America is hoping that the continue to build and take over - the Shitstorm reaching a state of critical mass that Agent X spoke of in JFK. That went on in China 20 years ago as well...... How did that turn out?
Iran has been like this for 30 years now, when they deposed the Shah. The longer it goes on, the stronger they get, but often these things turn around, and the right way takes over. It took 30-40 years for the Shah to be overthrown - maybe it's coming around again. Just don't be so stunned about the election results this week. Legal ways are far more difficult to achieve, especially in Iran..
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Friday, June 12, 2009

Time For a Personal Post....

Is It Me, Or Did I Look Like Roger Daltrey As a Kid?

Facebook is unbelieveable sometimes. I showed you guys my first grade class picture, but here is a picture of me that i had never seen , until my old neighbor, Joy, showed it to me today. This is a picture of me and my next door neighbor and bts friend in elementary school, Tony. I think I was about 9 or 10. The funniest part? Look what we're sitting on !! Joy's Dad did drink a lot of beer, from what I remember......Memories !!

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Not All Mudslinging Is Political ... Come Out to Motojam For a Redneckin' Good Time !!!!

Take That 4x4 Out, and Let the Dirt Fly, Baby !!

This is South Carolina, and we do things differently here. We like weird stuff, and we love mud. If there is a big enough pile of it around, someone is going to try to drive their truck across it - and someone else will be there to time and judge it. With that in mind, we invite you to Motojam's Mud Racing Series...

It'll be at the Carolina Ampitheater on Hwy 501 in Marion County this Saturday and Sunday . the cost is $15 for a one day pass, and $20 for both days. This isn't just a collection of local guys in their Jeeps - most of the top mud racers in the country will be there, as well as DJ's and live bands. Now, am I a big fan of mud racing? No, I've never been to one, but we try to keep you up to date on any kind of fun going on in SC. Secondly, the event is the brainchild of my boss, Bobby Poston. He has spent endless months, and possibly years working on this event. Come on out, support Bobby, wear white, enjoy, and be prepared for some fun !!

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There's Nothing Like Being 24 Hours Late...

Caribou Barbie and Letterman Go to War .... Over Very Little.

Yeah, this would have been a lot more pertinent had I written it yesterday, but it was pretty busy last night - lots of fires to put out. So, Sarah Palin and David Letterman are at each other's throats this week. Sort of... In case you've been under a rock the past 72 hours, here's the poop: Letterman made a joke about Palin's trip to New York this week. Palin went to a Yankee game, and Letterman joked that everything went great, except that 'her daughter got knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.'

It was an obvious jab at Palin's daughter, Bristol, who recently had a child out of wedlock. The problem was, Bristol Palin wasn't at the game - Willow Palin, her 14 year old daughter was..... OOPS!! All of a sudden, it sounded like Letterman was talking about raping a minor - at least to Palin and he husband , Todd, it did. That's when Letterman began to backtrack, and what sounded like a great joke turned into a lot of bad press...

Letterman did apologize, and then he offered to have Palin on the show to discuss it. Palin declined, not allowing Letterman to get ratings at her expense. Maybe she IS smarter than Oprah.... Maybe, but I don't think Palin is a total innocent in this matter. She's allowed this to blow more out of proportion than it had to be. A simple "it was in poor taste" would have sufficed, but Palin DOES like the spotlight, and this incident sure helped stretch out her airtime...

And what about Letterman? Yeah, a 62 year old guy that jokes about a 14 or 18 year old girl being assualted is a bit creepy. But, I doubt that he even wrote the joke. Perhaps you didn't know, but comedy shows have teams of writers who work on the show. Letterman probably was just reading someone else's joke, but when the show is in your name, you better cover your bases (and something else) when you tell it. He forgot to....

So, what is today's summary on the incident? Well, things aren't always as they seem. People sometimes like to play the victim, and others just plain don't think.......

http://www.hulu.com/watch/39808/saturday-night-live-update-palin-rap

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

K-Flo Fever Hits Flotown ..

The SCGOP Chair Came Well Prepared For Our Question Tonight ....





Maybe it's me, but this blog might actually be starting to get somewhere. It was pretty arrogant of me to post a comment directly to the state party Chair, and expect it to get to her, but damn if Karen Floyd didn't get the question ahead of time - and even better, she made it her first question to answer, without me even having to ask it ! It's official - my head no longer fits in standard doorways....





It was an interesting meeting in Florence tonight. It was by far the most attended meeting I've been to. It was hard to jam 80 people into the conference room at First Reliance. If this keeps up, we're going to have to start renting out the Civic Center. I would guess that having the SCGOP Chair definitely helped attendance, much like my birthday parties always had a billion kids because it was in July, and we had a HUGE pool.





It was the first meeting under Dr. Joe Griffin's leadership, and he let it flow without interjecting too much, so it was nice, but there were some ugly parts too. I was in the hallway, but I heard him, Dean Fowler and another person do a GOP Rap bit. I still haven't regained my hearing, and word is that tomorrow morning, Dean will be resigning his position as County Treasurer out of shame......





Now, onto my question. I'm not sure Karen liked it all that much... When the first comment is "That sounds like a question the Democrats would ask", you start to wonder if your political career just suddenly came to a screeching halt. South Carolina has less of a problem with finding the face of the party than we do nationally, but Floyd assured us that there are strong leaders in Washington that will chart a positive course for us, although I wanted to ask who she felt they were. But other questions came - sort of.






We had our buddy who owns the pickup truck with the odd comments on the side ask Karen a question, but as usual, he went off the deep end, declared that the top of the party is fractured, then decided that he had enough of the GOP, and he walked out. Thank you, Karen !!! Why didn't you come years ago? Yeah, we all disagree at some point, but have some friggin' decorum.... Here's a couple pics.






Standing Room Only !!










SCFYR Chair Britton Pruett and Jamie Rogers flanking SCGOP Parliamentarian Todd Kincannon. Britton's interview will be up this weekend...










Then the members of the Grand Old Par-tay gather at Creek Ratz to celebrate Todd's Birthday. Bunny Ears, Britton? Real Mature !!! Kidding..








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Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Hey, Who's In Charge Here ??



I was watching all the drama going on with the big GOP fundraiser in New York this week. First, Sarah Palin was going to be the keynote speaker, then she wasn't. Then she was invited to speak, then she was disinvited. Newt Gingrich ended up being the Keynote Speaker. So, my first question was, "Who decided that Caribou Barbie shouldn't be on stage."

Now, this leads me to the bigger picture within the GOP. We have an identity crisis. Nationally, statewide - the problem is there. Who is the leader for the party right now in DC? Gingrich? Rush Limbaugh? Michael Steele? Palin? Here in South Carolina, we have a lame duck Governor, and no apparent successor to him. Is the next face going to be his replacement, or will it be a name behind the scenes?

Thursday night, Karen Floyd will be at our County meeting in Florence, and here is the prepared question I have for her: When I was a kid, they had a public service message they showed in class once. A student on the bus hung a mouse in the bus drivers face, and she passed out. The bus went out of control, and crashed into a river because none of the kids had the foresight to grab the steering wheel. The GOP is the same right now. We seem to be a bus without a driver. Who is at the wheel to drive the bus ?

I know there are few people in the SCGOP that read SC6, so I figure someone will pass this on to Karen, and she'll have plenty of time to prepare for this question. I look forward to her answer. As for the rest of us, what is your answer? Who is running the show here in SC, and in DC? Or, is the machine to big and complex for one person's vision to dominate?

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Mark Has To Take His $700 Million Medicine...

I Hope That Isn't Hillary's ....

Yeah, I know. I'm showing a naked boobie on my blog - just to get your attention, right? Nope. I've had this pic for a while, but I think it best represents the conundrum Mark Sanford has had with this whole Economic Stimulus money thing.....





Think about it.. You're the little kid, and you have this thig that was made to feed you. It has all the vitamins and nutrients and DHA that you need. And best of all, it's free. That Enfamil stuff costs like what, $20 a can?? Yet, despite all this, you don't want it, because for as good as that Boobie looks, you know that milk is rancid. Hence, the baby's face.





That has to be Sanford's feeling right now. He doesn't want it, we don't necessarily need it , but you have to take it. Doesn't taste so good I imagine..... Use it or lose it, hundreds of job losses in law enforcement and schools. Lots of reasons to take it, lots of reasons not to... But it's all over now. Num-Num.



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What To Do When The Drummer Is Missing...

He Was Here a Minute Ago .....

The real challenge of being in a band is gelling all of the parts together, so it actually sounds good. I've been in bands with guys that are probably more talented than my current band. But, this band kind of exceeds the talent in it, because we all contribute, and everyone just does their part. Bass, Rhythm Guitar , Lead Guitar , Vocals and Drums all are crucial pieces, and when one overdoes or underdoes his job, it can get ugly.

So, what do you do when one of the guys isn't there that day - or if no one can play a certain instrument? You get creative. Like these guys. No one played drums, so they found something else that keeps steady time. The only thing they forgot was the Harlem Globetrotters....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbN-jO11vKg

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Monday, June 08, 2009

Colbert Shaves His Head For The Troops? What Happened to the Waterboarding ??


Whether you agree politically or not with the guys over at Comedy Central, you have to admit that Stephen Colbert is a pretty funny guy, and that he does put a positive light on South Carolinians... And he does care about the troops.
Colbert has been on special assignment this week in Iraq, to remind America that this dangerous and expensive war is still going on. Tonight is the first installment, and he starts off with a bang. First, he underwent training for ten hours at Fort Jackson to prepare - and failed miserably. Then , he got to Iraq, and the first thing they did was shave his head. And not just anyone, but Gen. Ray Odierno, who accepted a videotaped order from Barack Obama, did it himself!
Colbert, a Charleston native, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Yellow Ribbon Fund, which assists injured service members and their families, and he is also a Board Member of DonorsChoose.org, which raises money for the education of children of parents in the military. While he has made a very good living mocking Bill O'Reilly, even he might admit that Colbert is a bit of a Patriot.... and he's pretty damn funny too.
The shows will be airing this week at 11:30 , Monday thru Thursday, or for those with early bedtimes like me, they rerun at 8:30PM the following day....
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Here's Our Picture of the Day...

Any Guess What It Is ???

Just like you, I get pictures sent to me all the time. One of the guys who sends me pics is Chad, the bass player in my band. Most of the stuff he sends is unfit for public display, but the guy is a True American Hero. Why? Chad is in the National Guard, and he's been to Iraq and Afghanistan FOUR TIMES already...

Maybe it's fact that this pic wasn't a shaved coochie or the fattest naked woman I ever saw, that I thought it was pretty funny. Or maybe it's just funny. So, the question has to be asked - what is the Jiffy Pop Popcorn hanging on a wall supposed to be? The answer? It's a Redneck Fire Alarm .....William Conrad would be proud of the ingenuity....

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Sunday, June 07, 2009

The Four Horsemen Storm The Beach at Graham Slough ... You're All Safe, People .




Welcome to the next installment of the 'Mike, Get Yo' Ass Out Da House' Series... After the Tech Summit, I hopped into the Avalon, and made a B-line straight to Lake Marion, to team up with the other Four Horsemen of the Political Apocalypse. Well, almost..... Tommy had to run to Augusta, but we had enough for quorum....





It was a marathon of Beer and Politics - mostly Politics. What did we talk about? Everything South Carolina politics, that's what. You name it, we talked about it. State, District, Local - everything. The general consensus? The next year is going to be real interesting. We have some Big Dogs running for Governor, and some of them are going to be disappointed when those poll numbers start coming in. The Lt. Governor's race is very muddy and wide open - and some of the current candidates should like it that way.




In the statewide party, we have some people that have a lot to prove in their new offices. They're in a bit of a no-win situation. With all but one of the statewide elected offices being held by Republicans, there's not a lot of room to go up. Will they make in-roads with minorities and independents? Has the Conservative Right Wing taken total control of the party, and are they worried at all about the party becoming a Regional, and not National Power? We discussed all of this, but then it was time to have fun...



Earl had to head back home, so Moye and I hit The Palms at Wyboo, and Rob Alt was a gracious host, as usual. Since the fire last year, th place is a lot different. No restaurant in front anymore - it's the bar in front, and another bar and stage in back. But I do like the Yankees motif ....




After my best night of sleep in months, I ate eight tons of BBQ, grits, eggs and Sunny-D for breakfast. Then , it was off to burn some gas on the Lake...




Going out Graham Slough....







Lake Marion's version of Hell's Angels....







Hey, it's the Tater Creek Bar & Grill. P-Luv, where the heck were ya ???








Lastly, I saw this on Hwy 301 in Davis Station as I was leaving.. Dear Congressman Clyburn, it has been 7 months since the Election - please pick up your frickin' signs already !!!!!!!!!
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Choosing New Leaders, Learning New Skills ...





Yesterday was a big day for the Florence County GOP, and for all Republicans in South Carolina, as many of us caught up to the technology that we lacked in recent elections at the first GOP Tech Summit in the state yesterday.






It was a nice mix of some tech savvy members helping out, a chance for a few of us to brush up on our skills, and many more senior members who had never even seen Facebook or Twitter before. But before we entered the 21st Century, we had business to take care of....



When Ken Ard had to resign his job as Chair, we had been without once since. That ended yesterday morning, when Dr. Joe Griffin moved up from First Vice-Chair to Chairman by unanimous vote. Honestly, I had no idea who was going to be chosen as the new First Vice-Chair, but I was pleasantly suprised to hear that Glynn Willis decided to accept the job. And all is right with the world...




Now, onto the fun. It was a long day of learning - about seven hours worth, and it wasn't without it's glitches. It was a bit ironic when the Tech Summit got delayed due to router problems, but Ron McGill and Jamie Rogers eventually worked the bugs out. First Reliance Bank also blocked MySpace from it's training facility, but that's OK - MySpace sucks compared to Facebook with regards to networking anyway. Try finding anyone when they use nicknames there sometime....





The group learned all about Facebook from Dana Moody Shriver, who admitted that she is an SC6 addict - and who we later found out was the first NASCAR ZMAX Girl, before she retired to raise a family. Yeah, chicks dig bloggers !!!! She even helped some of the group register themselves and start their own facebook pages. Dum-Dums were given out for questions, and Mal Weatherly won a $100 gift card from her, which was justified, because Mal and his wife Beth made an AWESOME lunch ..... Chicken Salad, Cornbread Salad, Pasta Salad and Cappucino Brownies - which put me into outer space for a minute...




Celia Urquhart did a presentation on Twitter, and she also entertained the group between segments by showing some of the pics from previous events, and her Day Lily collection ! Lastly, Earl Capps and I did a segment on Blogging. I mostly just told them how I got into it, answered some questions (like "Who is Ms. X?" - answer: she doesn't exist, i made her up - not!), and gave soem pointers on how to make your blog interesting and respected. Then, I gave way to Earl. Only a few of them knew who Earl was before, but he dazzled them all with his seminar on the New Media. I might be fun, but Earl knows his stuff about Politics and Blogging. My advice is to have him at your local Tech Seminar - and to pay him well for his time !! Here's some pics....


Ron and Jamie, Bug Zapping....










New Chairman Joe Griffin, flanked by Dana Moody Shriver and Celia Urquhart, who is not married to a plumber !!!!








SCGOP 3rd Vice-Chair Adam Piper stops in between visits to Berkeley and Spartanburg. That's one busy guy....








Ron McGill, Mal Weatherly, Stephanie Rawlinson, Celia Urquhart, Me, Jamie Rogers, Dana Moody Shriver and Earl Capps..








This was a crucial first step in organizing the GOP, and to be well prepared for future elections. If you are not on Facebook, and are a Republican, you are doing your party a disservice. And if your local party hasn't made plans to have a Tech Seminar yet, they are doing you a disservice as well. Get Tech Savvy, and Get Organized, People !!! Not like these guys ......



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Friday, June 05, 2009

This Is What We Call Karma ...



Let's play a little game... This looks like a lot of houses in America, but this one is different - or at least the owner is different. It's a 5 BR home in Larchmont, New York, one of those suburbs North of New York City that everyone takes the train into Manhattan to live the rat race lifestyle that we in South Carolina miss out on - but don't miss at all. My roommate in college Junior year was from Larchmont, and I never heard him once worry about money. Yeah, I was jealous....

Anyway, the owner has been trying for the past three months to sell the $1.635 million dollar house, but he hasn't been able to. No surprise there. In this overinflated market, and with the glut of homes available still, especially in the Metro New York area, he had to end up renting the place out for $7500 a month. While that seems like a lot, it still doesn't cover the two - yes two - mortgages on the place, and the $27,000 a year in property taxes. Yes, the property taxes are $27,000 PER YEAR.....

So, who's house is it? It belongs to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Barack Obama's main man on handling the Financial Crisis this year. Even he has gotten sucked into the housing debacle, where he can't unload his overpriced, overmortgaged home. Yes, he truly is uniquely qualified for the job. Just a question - did Hank Paulson lose his house too ?

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Thursday, June 04, 2009

SC6 Is Kickin' It Old School In Sumter at the Braden Bunch Show ....



Braden's Guests Tonight.... SCFYR Chair Britton Pruett, Musical Guest Theory of a Deadman, and ME !!!!






Sorry gang, I missed my usual 900 PM deadline, but I was in Sumter tonight, for the local GOP Monthly Meeting. It had been so long since I had shown my face there, that I kinda felt a bit guilty, but it was a great meeting.





I'm telling you, if you want to be entertained while discussing politics, go attend a meetign in Sumter, and watch Braden Bunch. It felt like I was at a taping of a talk show. Braden is relaxed , fun, interesting, and just aloof enough to really make the time fly by. He used to write for the Sumter Item, so you know that not being able to give an opinion was probably pretty tough. No doubt, he's letting it fly a bit more, but without having it all be about him, which many Chairmen seem to do.





Sumter couldn't have picked a better Chair. As much fun as Braden is, I discovered his best quality during his time on Mark Sanford's staff, and his time with the Giuliani campaign. Everytime Braden needs your help, he feel like you are doing him a big favor, not like you should be honored to work for him. He is truly a class act, and if you don't get to work with him, you are missing out on a privilege. Hopefully, this will make up for the picture that pops up when you Google his name - all thanks to me.....




I only ended up taking two pictures tonight. I got a pair off, then I was suddenly was beaten senseless by a couple people who thought I was from a rival hotel. Those innkeepers don't mess around...





A Pair of Chairs, where's the end table? Britton Pruett and Tommy Grimes discuss Planetary Domination, and the Salisbury Steak for dinner. Britton will be doing her first interview here soon - once I finally pick the questions !!
Aside from the rabbit I ran over on Hwy 76 in Mayesville, the night was pretty great. And speaking of the musical act ??
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