We Picture People Lost All Over America, Getting Into Car Accidents If This Actually Happens

Bob Dylan Giving Directions on Your Satellite Navigation? C'mon ..

Sign Number Six that the world is coming to an end has just hit us... Bob Dylan, perhaps the most incomprehensible voice of Folk and Rock and Roll Music history this side of Keith Richards, is contemplating an offer to record his voice for SatNav GPS navigation systems... I shit you not...

Yes, for a minimally ridiculous charge no doubt, you can have Bob Dylan tell you 'Left Turn at Elm' , or 'Right Turn Ahead' - which will more than likely sound like 'Riiii tuhhhh a-HEEEHHHHH !!!!!!" , with some harmonica comping, I hope... If you someday see a guy pulled over in his 750IL, lost, confused and yelling at the center dash of his car, you'll know why...Seriously, I saw him 1988 at Jones Beach, and no one could even tell what he was singing, but let's try this one....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nej4xJe4Tdg&feature=related

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Today's Commentary on Health Care ....

And the Public Option gets flushed down the drain ..........

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Should You Be Concerned With the Toyota Recall? Here's Why or Why Not...

Floor Mats That Kill? It May or May Not Be a Problem For You...

By now, you may have heard about Toyota having the largest recall in it's history yesterday. As a Service Advisor that has worked for Toyota, and an owner of one of the affected cars, I was intersted enough to check the details. Hopefully , this will assuage your fears, or cause you to take the necessary action, which isn't much... Time to eliminate the hysteria....Or see if you're one of the 3.8 million victims of TFMI (Toyota Floor Mat-Itis). Swine Flu didn't get me, but a defective floor mat did....

First question: do you own the following vehicles: 2007-2010 Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2004-2009 Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350, 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350? No ? Well, then you're fine - feel free to smoke and eat a Whopper. You do? Well, I hate to say it, but you're gonna die....

Of course not ! If you do own one of these, go out to the car right now, and see what kind of floor mats you have. We'll wait......... OK. Are they cloth mats, or all-season rubber mats? If they're cloth, you're fine. The cloth mats are held in place by a hook in the back and about 1000 divots undeneath to keep it from moving. If you have a rubber factory or dealer bought mat, go back out and bring it here. Yes, we'll wait again.......OK. Take the mat and throw it away or put it in the trunk. Hey, don't bitch about it, just do it. Jeez ........

What's wrong with the mat. Well, flor mats are supposed to protect the carpets from getting dirty, but they didn't keep them from avoiding drink spills, so they started making them with a big lip around the outside high enough to hold a Big Gulp. Now, you see all those different models? Those cars interiors are nothing like each other, but Toyota made one generic mat for all of them, and that lip to hold the spill was high enough to possibly get caught over the accelerator, flooring the gas pedal down. Don't aks me how people do this, but somehow 5 people were killed in accidents from this. Yep, five people died because a bunch of haus frau's didn't want to clean up a dirty carpet...

Now, if you would rather get instructions from someone else, feel free to call the Service Department of your local Toyota or Lexus dealer. I'm sure they would be glad to explain it to you, along with the OTHER 75 people that are calling about the same thing.....

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Picture of the Day: It Might As Well Be a Funeral Home, But It Isn't..

No, it's not the Eternal Rest Funeral Home... It's actually Port Jefferson Village Hall, although it does look like a funeral home. I guess in a way, it is ..... This concludes our visit to Port Jeff for the most part. I really need to get out of the house today...

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Florence City Council Gets SOMETHING Done..

It Ain't Easy When One of the Pigs Is Ed Robinson, But ...

Change takes a while sometimes. Nine months after getting two new City Council members and a new Mayor, Florence City Council finally was able to pass something aside from the usual budgetary junk. Granted it will like costs taxpayers a little more on their annual bills, but for one, there should be some tangible evidence of those 4 mills...

First off, Flotown will have 18 new police officers, some of which were paid for by Obama money. The most important part for locals will be the South Florence Fire Station. Yeah, I'm a southie, but here's where Florence basically had it's back against the wall. For years, the City would annex properties like friggin' Pac-Man (not Jones, he can't cover his own ass). However, you need to add services or else, the insurance companies end up dropping your ISO rating, and then your rates go way up. That was the case for Florence, and we all know we pay way more for insurance than property taxes - it was a no-brainer...

So, what was the problem? When you're faced with the first tax hike in over 20 years, you don't want to be the guy/gal who signed onto it. Also, for some reason, half of council felt it was more important to quibble over proceedural stuff. Real stupid ego-driven stuff. Lastly, there were some who asked "what's in it for my district?" Billy D. Williams said exactly that at the last meeting. Aside from more cops, streetscapes and park improvements, not much. Granted, I don't think the streetscapes, park stuff and money for the Animal Shelter are priorities, but I'm a realist - you gotta sweeten the pot..

Not that everyone was happy. Ed Robinson, despite being given kid gloves treatment by Mayor Stephen Wukela, still was ranting and bitching. Here are his exact words. You judge if it makes sense....

'We are going in the wrong direction...Are we going to build an animal shelter before we deal with our own kids? This is wrong... You are just taking everything from us, and I'm gonna fight you with everything I've got..... We ain't crazy y'all. We're getting robbed...What are we getting out of this? We're losing our children every day. They have no place to go, nothign to do, yet we want to hire another 18 police officers. This is not right. it is ungodly what Council is doing. Were suffering and no one cares."

I get the animal shelter part along with the tennis courts previously approved. You don't put dogs and cats above kids, but the rest is nuts. Robinson wants a Teen Center, becuase the kids can't go out for their own safety. He is upset because the city is adding cops and improving the parks so kids DO have a place to play? Yes... Becuase in Mr. Robinson's neighborhood, the cops' sole purpose is to put young black men in jail, not to protect the citizens from criminals. By the way, Robinson also thinks that there are no gangs in Florence. Wake up and smell the Bloods and Crips, Ed..

Robinson would rather not pass any legislation until every kid in North Florence has their own basketball court and Ice Cream stand. OK, maybe not that bad, but he will piss and moan until he gets his Teen Center, which he likely will get eventually - but that's not fast enough. Personally, I think they should have increased the budget to buy a Taser to keep him in line at meetings..

The important part is that City Council finally cut out the BS, got to business, and staved off an impending problem for all of it's citizens. Mayor Hickory Head may never get everyone off of his back, but he somehow managed to rein in most of the dissenters, and get something positive done.....

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As Long As Diapers Are Brown Inside, These Guys Will Be In the Green...

PHEW !!! At Least It's Empty ....

Today's economics lesson from Professor Reino .... To find true signs of economic recovery, you need to search for the most basic of evidence that things are getting better. Forget housing starts and artificially inflated new car sales - we have REAL evidence that our economy is making a comeback....

News today out of Marion County - perhaps one of our poorest areas (it has to be, it's in the 6th District) - that Softee Supreme Diapers Corporation has experienced such growth (of poop I suppose), that they will be expanding and hiring an additional 262 employees. For some lucky umemployed people in the area, they truly have stepped in shit. Ben Bernanke was right after all.......

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36 Hours Til the Quarter Is Over, And For the Candidates, The Push Is On !!

Please Give.. Somewhere, a Starving Candidate Needs Your Help !

It's Noontime, September 29th, and across the state, the candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor and the other statewide and Federal seats are in full overdrive mode right now, trying to squeeze every last penny of donations that thy can before the quarter ends at midnight tomorrow.... I swear, last week I dropped my wallet and one of the Gubernatorial candidates picked it up and wouldn't give it back until they got my credit card number !! Good thing that card was maxxed out...

Some candidates will tell you that fundraising isn't that important. As a former candidate with no cash in the coffers, I can tell you unequivocally that's total bullshit - money is almost everything!!! Some of the candidates will need to start gaining traction this Fall, or they will quickly hit the 'also ran' category faster than an Alka Seltzer fizzles...

In the Big Seat race in Columbia (no, not Budget and Control Board), Larry Grooms, and to a lesser extent, Nikki Haley, need to make a good move to crack the Big Three. Even Andre Bauer has gotten lost in the shuffle a bit. In the Lt. Governor's race, we already know that Tim Scott and Ken Ard had so much good news, they couldn't wait to let it out. My guess is that Bill Connor will good, maybe not as good as Scott and Ard, but well enough to be a player in the race. Honestly, if Ted Pitts doesn't get some traction financially or otherwise, he may not last til Saturday's candidate forum in Goose Creek....

Yep, they're all balls to the wall today and tomorrow. If you want to avoid it, my advice is to shut off your laptop and cell phone, or at least stay off of Facebook and Twitter for the next 36 hours....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk2zoEZuEPg

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Picture of the Day

Since Moye liked yesterday's picture so much...... I ran the exact same pic again! No, it's actually a different shot of the Port Jeff Marina. I've almost run through all my pics from that day, which means it's time to get out of the house once more.....

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Prison's a Bitch, Ain't It Allen?

Stanford Finds Out That Inmates Are Tougher Than Charles Gibson ..

Financier R. Allen Stanford, who duped investors for about $8 billion, then threatened ABC's Charles Gibson for lumping him in with Bernard Madoff, got the First Class treatment in a Conroe, Texas jail as we awaits trial....

Apparently, Stanford, who refers to himself as 'Sir Allen' after being knighted in Barbados (which is why I call myself King Michael ever since my visit Medival Times) did get along with a fellow inmate. Stanford got jacked up in a major way - a concussion, a broken nose and two black eyes. Not word on if he pooped his prison shorts...

Welcome to the Big House, Allen!

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SC6's Message to America's Youth: Stay in School, and This Could Be Yours Too..

Blogging Paid For This - REALLY .......

No, I don't own a Viper SRT-10. Heck, I don't technically even have a job right now, unless you count babysitting a job. But, I do know people who do. My buddy Joe didn't hit the lottery (although I do know someone who did), he doesn't play in the NBA or make a hit record, and he didn't get hit by a train. Nope, Joe is my inspiration in life - he earned this. And he should be for all the kids in America as well. Hard work pays off eventually....

Truth be known, Joe didn't have much when he was younger. But, he worked hard in school, got an intership with a CPA firm in New York City - and he never left. It's been the only place he's worked for 25 years now, and he is now a partner. Yes, he does very well, by anyone's standards. That is why we in America shouldn't resent all people who are well off. Some of them worked extremely hard to get there. It's OK to resent second generation or later rich people. Finding them is easy - they're usually nicknamed Skip, Chip or Trey.....

Now, would I buy a Viper? Hell no, it's not my thing, but fast cars is Joe's thing. However, if I were him, I'd take that car to every elementary and Junior High school in America. Forget NBA and Pro Baseball players - who can identify with them? But, show me a guy who made it using the stuff he learned in class, and I'm there....I know you want more pics of the car, so here you go.

Booty Shot...

The view from your rearview mirror....

What 600 HP looks like from behind....

Treehuggers have heart attacks when they hear how much gas gets sucked under that hood. DUH-DUH, DUH-DUH.....

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The Dear Abby of Politics Says Henry Mac..... Give the Cash Back.

With all the millions of dollars I make from consulting and advising politicians - if you believe anyone - it's rare that I give advice for free, especially to Republicans. No one listens to me anyway, but I usually reserve my advice for Congressmen that REALLY couldn't less of a crap what I think...

Over the weekend, the buzz has gotten around about Henry McMaster's campaign recieving $7,000 in donations from a pair of attorney's that he hired for no-bid work a few years ago. I kind of envision this whole Dear Abby - Ann Landers thing.....'Dear Abby, I am a candidate for a major office in a Southern State......" So, what's a guy to do ??

No, I don't know jack about campaign finance laws, but if the rule that everyone is referring to is correct, then it seems to me that this is a no-brainer. Just give the money back...

My first thought is that McMaster's camp should know either the rule, or an easy way to circumvent it, like having a friend donate the cash... Oops, did I say that? We all know that doesn't happen, but I digress. But they dropped the ball, and from the initial statement, they're going to hardass it, and make this error that almost every campaign makes turn into a bigger problem.

They tell you don't sweat the small stuff, especially in politics. This is small stuff. My advice is for them to find $7,000 , return it, move on, and wait for that $7000 to somehow magically make its way back......

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Beatles Trivia Fans Lose Their Lucy ...

Beatles fans have always been the most curious types. They have spent the past 45 plus years searching for any hidden meaning they can from every track the Beatles ever recorded. From 'Paul is Dead' to 'Revolution Number 9', and dozes of others, they seem to have a conspiracy theory on it all. One of the biggest errors is 'Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds'...

Everyone seems to think that the song is about drugs, particularly LSD (Lucy, Sky, Diamonds). With such trippy lyrics, how can you doubt it, but the true inspiration for the song is much more innocent. John Lennon's son, Julian , came home from school with a drawing he made. Lennon asked him what it was, and Julian said it was 'Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds'..... That's it. The inspiration came from a sketch and comment made by a 4 year old. Such is Rock and Roll. I've written my share of music, and most people have no idea what some of the songs are about. Then again, no one understands what I'm talking about most of the time....

Lucy was Lucy Vodden, a classmate of Julian Lennon's. The sad news is that she passed away today, after a 5 year battle with Lupus. She was 46. Being associated with a song like that was tough for a young person - I imagine everyone on the planet offering her acid at least once a week - but she and Julian were reacquainted when Lennon learned of her illness. He sounds like a pretty nice guy... And somehow, Yoko Ono still walks the Earth.... Anyway, we'll take a minute to honor Lucy here.....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7F2X3rSSCU

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More Bad News For Social Security ....

Hope Granny's Arthuritis Is OK, Otherwise Her Finger Might Be Locked in Place Like That Forever .....

Ever since we started this blog nearly 4 years ago, we've been warning you about the impending failure and insolvency of Social Security and Medicare. We've tried to give solutions to helping it, without raising taxes, but thanks to a Congress that prefers to build additional programs while ignoring the responsibilities they already have, nothing has happened. Where the f**k is that cartoon I had of Nero playing a fiddle?

Previous reports had that Social Security would begin spending more than it takes in by 2017, and that by 2041, the $2.5 trillion they have hidden in a magic box in Washington (aka, it doesn't exist, except for IOU's) would be bankrupt. So, for my 73rd birthday, Uncle Sam will likely cut or end a fund that I spent 55+ years paying into. Well, the news this week is that those numbers will get sped up a bit, and it's all because of the bad economy....

Here's the poop..... The economy sucks, so people get laid off. Many of them are older people 62 years old and over. Many employees see them as 'Dead Wood', so they get dropped in favor of younger employees with more of a future in the company. So, what ends up happening? Instead of finding another job, many of them are deciding to retire earlier than planned, and accept the Government Tit. Others are filing for disability claims from Social Security as well - a lot more. How much more? How about 25%???

Yep, over 400,000 more of those eligible for retirement are now drawing Social Security than last year - over 2.2 million. It is so bad, that instead of 2017, Social Security will be in the red for 2009 and 2010. That gives you an idea of just how much the program is teetering on collapse. Kinda like how we keep running deficits every year, but we don't cut anything from the budget. Notice, I'm not blaming Barack Obama for this - I'm being completely non-partisan on this. This is a Congressional issue. It's pretty retarded of them to do nothing, while trying to add 15% of the US economy onto their plate. Like loading up on the buffet fried chicken at Rogers', when you already have an unhealthy amount to BBQ on your plate - and yes, I just Congress a bunch of retards, again....Have a happy heart attack..

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SC6 Pic of the Day ...

I told you I had plenty of pictures that day... Thought you might enjoy a lazy day on the Marina. It's Yom Kippur today, which is a state holiday here in Yankeeville, so most people, along with the schools, Post Office and everything else, are closed today. They never have Yom Kippur sales around here ....

Anyway, I hope this picture takes you away from any stresses you might be having, and makes everything better. I have some awesome leftover Lobster Bisque in the fridge. Think I'll heat it up and watch 'The Perfect Storm' for the 50th time.... Here's a video that for some strange reason, makes me think of fishing. 'Sail Away to Catfish Bay' ......

www.youtube.com/watch?v=paQOO0KnLGA

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Picture of the Day - Who's the Guy With the Camera Hiding in the Bushes ?

I know it looks like I'm hiding in the hydrangea bushes here, but I'm actually in the street at the gate to the famous Danford's Inn and Hotel. I have no idea how old it is, but I'm pretty sure George Washington slept there. I'd find out, but the damned place is so expensive, I was worried that I'd have to pay $20 if I walked on the grounds (which is exactly how much the Marina charges to park), so I chose not to take any chances....

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Dean Allen's Machine Gun Social Goes National

AK-47 Giveaway Gets Free Nationwide Publicity..

I don't know how tight Dean Allen and Joe Wilson are, but I bet they can agree on one thing - there is no such thing as bad publicity. I was all set to do a few boring non-political blogs today, and what pops up on MSN? Non other than the Adjutant General candidates fundraiser, giving away an AK-47 machine gun......

It was pretty matter of fact, and for once, the national media decided it wasn't another opportunity to say 'There goes SC again !!!", so Allen has to be more than pleased. The downside of all of this is that he only raised about $12,500, which he could spend that on the little silver coins he was giving away earlier this year alone. The money just doesn't seem to go as far as it used to. However, the free exposure could suddenly draw cash in from all over the place if he's lucky. The comments are pretty standard, although there was one person who wondered why he didn't give away an American-made weapon, like an M-16..... It's all Greek to me. But, congrats to Allen for getting his name and campaign out there....Reminds me of a ZZ Top song...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=plF_EtuF5qo

and here's the link to the story....

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33047176/ns/politics-more_politics/?GT1=43001

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NYC Can't Help Itself From 'Butting' In...

If there's a group of people in America that we love to perpetually screw with, it's Native Americans. We moved in, stole their land, and sent them off to live in our most undesirable of locations across the country, totally dependent on the country that f'ed them over in the first place. 'I AM FROM THE GOVERNMENT, AND I AM HERE TO HELP'.... Yeah, right. There is no finer example of this than in Long Island. There were 11 tribes here before Europeans came, and the Indian influence is everywhere still: Massapequa, Quogue, Nissequogue, Peconic, Montauk, Amagansett, Sachem, Mastic. All these towns are named after Indian tribes. All that is left now are the Shinnecocks stuck out at the Poospatuck Reservation near the Hamptons.

The Shinnecocks are like the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina - they're not federally recognized, so they can't organize for gaming , like the other tribes do, and they can't get loans on their property, because banks aren't allowed to foreclose on tribal land - and if you can't take it, you can't borrow on it. All they have are tax-free cigarettes. Problem is, they are only able to sell them to each other tax-free. Of course, some retailers ignored that, and the word was always around that if you went to the Shinnecock Reservation, you could get cigarettes cheap. No small deal here, where a pack of Marlboro's go for about $7 a pack..... I shit you not...

Like I said, word got out about the tax-free butts, and a local store was prosecuted for it. The ironic part is who sued them. It wasn't Suffolk County, where the tribe is located. Nope, it was The City of New York - about 75 miles to the west! NYC felt that they were losing millions of dollars in revenue - as they termed it - and sued the Mom and Pop store. Were they really losing that much? No way. People don't drive 75 miles each way to save $20 bucks on a carton of generic Kools....

So, how did this all happen? My guess is someone from the city went to the Hamptons once, found out about the deal, anf accidentally blabbed it to some jerkoff at Consumer Affairs or the DA's office. Suffolk County never made a move , or even joined in on the suit, but NYC was more than happy to 'protect their consumers' by making them pay the tax. 'I AM FROM THE GOVERNMENT, AND I AM HERE TO HELP'...

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Picture of the Day - Inspiration Strikes !

Mickey D's..... My Muse ????

This is the McDonald's on Route 25A in Port Jefferson, but more importantly than that, seeing my second really fancy House of Ronald in a month just lit the fire of imagination in my noodle. Remember how Kramer had the Coffee Table book? How about a book of the most unusual McDonald's in America?

Like most flashes of brilliance, I'm sure it's been done already, but if not, who wants to loan me some cash until the book publisher fronts me some duckets? Anyone? HELLO ????

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Said What's the Time? It's Time to ..... Uhh, Exactly What Time Is It?

Is It Just Me, Or Does My Clock Say It IS Time to Get 'IL' ??

It might be time for a new clock-radio.... It's a bit hard to see, but the LED is really starting to fade out. It still works, but I'm having a really hard time telling what time it is... I suppose I shouldn't complain - after all, it is about 22 years old. Seriously, I bought it for college !!!

Piece of crap. They don't make stuff like they used to, although I have had worse purchases of $10....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIVVVL0Ger8

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Happy Birthday to the King of SC Blogging ..

I haven't checked FITS News yet to see if he's admitted yet, but today is the 35th birthday of the disputedly undisputed King of SC Political Blogging, Mr. Will Folks. Love him or hate him, there is no doubt that Will's blog has the juice that many of us wish we had.

Blogging can be a very competitive game. We all try to get the big story out first, but FITS News is the standard all the other blogs are compared to. I've known Will since he worked in Mark Sanford's office, and I was a once-failed Congressional candidate. Then we found blogging, and I think we both found our voice. The difference is that - like I've told Will - is that three people hear my voice, and 50 hear his. The ratio is probably even bigger than that...

Word is that Peyton Manning was going to present Will with a cake that Erin Andrews would jump out from, but restraining orders from both of them kept that wish from coming true... Happy Birthday, Will...

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To Get Your Weekend Off to a Nice Start...

Friday is usually a light readership day, so to reward you for your dedication, I left this. This is Meggan Mallone. She's from Houston, Texas and she's a Sagittarius. I'd like to tell you that this picture was taken in MY bathtub....... but I'd be lying. I'll be doing the DD thing tonight with Carol. Better to be straight and with an attractive girl than drunk and alone, I always say.......

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Hey Scotland, This Is How It's Done...

I'm going to be a bit of a prick on this one. Occassionally, I am entitled to be an unsympathetic hardass. Today, word is that Manson Family member Susan Atkins , who was referred to as 'Sexy Sadie' by Charles Manson, passed away at Chowchilla State Prison in California yesterday, after battling brain cancer. She was 61. She was denied parole less than a month ago, despite being terminally ill, and having a leg amputated. Even her former prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi had asked for parole, but it was denied. I may sound like a scumbag here, but good.




For once, the parole board listened to the victims. Atkins admitted to being the one who stabbed Sharon Tate. When you tell an 8 month pregnant woman "Listen Bitch, I don't care about you or your baby", that statement will resonate forever. Tate's sister hasn't forgotten. Like she told the parole board, if it wasn't for Susan Atkins, she would have a 40 year old nephew today....




I do believe that people can repent for their crimes. There's a good chance that God has forgiven her for her sins, and maybe she can apologize to Tate up there. Many people are worthy of being paroled, and leading constructive lives again. But some people commit crimes that are so terrible, they must be locked up until they die. The Manson family is one, and the guy who was released last month for the PanAm 103 bombing was as well.... I imagine Sharon Tate's sister feels a bit more like justice was done than the families of the 270 victims in Lockerbie....

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Enter Post Title Here....

Yeah, the Win Over Ole Miss Is Big, But .......

There's no title, because Wes Wolfe had the same title as mine today, so I kind of left it blank... You all know me as the voice of reason. The antagonist. The guy who always sees both sides of things. That being my lot in life, i'm here to calm all of you Carolina fans down a bit after last night's game. If they were 0-3, I'd be here telling that they're not that bad. Well, they're getting better, but they still ain't that great. I know P-Luv is on his office computer right now, getting airline and hotel prices to all the BCS cities on Priceline as we speak...

"IIIIIIIIIII........ Need a Price......On a 4-Star Hotel....for P-Luv and Von........ Near.......... The Sugar Bowl!!!"

Yes, the D looked pretty awesome last night, but Mississippi was OVERATED big time. Remember two years ago, when the Gamecocks were 6-1, ranked #6 and facing LSU? Well, Ole Miss is what Carolina was 2 years ago. There are teams that Carolina seems to beat - Kentucky, Mississippi State, even Georgia every couple years, and Ole Miss is the same. They beat the Rebels last year. USC has a harder time with Vanderbilt than Ole Miss... They'll be 5-1 after the 4 game homestand, then comes road games in Alabama and Tennessee, and a home game against a little team called Florida. In case you were asking, Jesus wears Number 15 for the Gators...I do think they can beat Clemson this year, and go 8-4.

I might sound like I hate Carolina, which is hardly the case. I kinda like them. After all, I'm a Republican in the 6th District, so I can identify with losing a lot.... They are like the hot girl across the street you used to be friends with - it's a lot of fun, and you love being there, but in the end, she always breaks your heart....

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SC6 Pic of the Day - Port Jefferson 9/11 Monument

Obviously, September 11th hit the New York area unlike anyplace else. People from all over take the trains into Manhattan to work, and some of them, even from 60 miles away like Port Jeff, never made it home that day.




This is a statue that overlooks the harbor area.. It has a huge crack on the right side of it, but just like the people here, it still stands. On the front it reads "In all our days, we've never seen a day like this. 9/11/01 - In memory of all those lost." I always thought it sounded like something a person would say after a bad day at work - like 'Geez Honey, you wouldn't believe the day I had at work'. But maybe it fits. Most of them made it out fine, they went home, and then the next day - they got back on the train like nothing ever happened. Crazy. New York....


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School Foundation Honors The Right People for It's Fundraiser Tonight..

A month or two ago, I gave the Boy Scouts a ton of crap for giving Jim Clyburn an award as part of it's annual fundraiser. It sparked off a ton of problems, namely for one of my friends who received a phone call or two later on. The big beef was that there are plenty of local people who deserve to be honored. Well, it seems that The School Foundation in Flotown knew what I was talking about....

Tonight, they will be holding their Annual Gala at the Florence Civic Center, and their main honoree will be retied Lt. General Charles W. Bagnal, a 1952 graduate of McClenaghan High in town. Bagnal later graduated from West Point, and served in Vietnam before retiring and going in law. Others from the local area will honored as well, and the featured speaker will be former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers, who served the post under President George W. Bush...

It's a fitting way to honor those who do something, rather than a Congressman pimping themselves out for more plaques to throw in a box... Also, we always try to support groups that find ways to help local school districts privately, rather than ask for more tax dollars. You always get a thumbs up from us. Shoot, I even went to a United Negro College Fund Event once - although I did feel kinda lonely there...

I am a bit last minute on this. The event is tonight at the Civic Center, and individual tickets are $100 each...

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Big Government Blocking Progress - Or Another Bloated Development Project ..

Come See THE FUTURE .... It's Always Sunny and Happy in the Year 2065.

For those of you who wonder about my philosophies sometimes, allow me a second to clarify it a bit. I am for smaller government. I think the private sector and a good business climate will provide almost all the opportunities a country's citizens need. However, we do need some regulations, and we need some government to provide the basics for and to protect it's citizens. So, I am often fascinated by the tug of war that goes on when Business and Government collide head-on, like two cars blowing a stop light at the same time....

Last month, we discussed the Kingsburg Coal Plant, which Santee-Cooper scrapped due to the added expense of Cap and Trade regulations, costing Lower Florence County a $2.2 billion investment. We felt it was a perfect example of government run amok, and it dictating what the private sector should do, but we disgress - it's already been discussed. Today, we have another battle raging here in Long Guyland - the $3.8 billion Lighthouse Project.

What is the Lighthouse Project? It will either be the greatest economic boom to suburbia in history, or a perfect example of a bloated boondoggle. It is the brainchild of Charles Wang and Scott Rechler. Wang is the owner of the NHL's New York Islander franchise, a team that ruled the league and packed the Nassau Coliseum in the 70's and 80's... Tough times have plagued the Isles for the past 15 or so years - bad drafts, bad signees, and the inability to get good players because the Coliseum is a ...... well, it's a shithole. I went to a game once - I was in the Upper Deck, about 5 rows from the top, and all I saw was a giant cement pillar blocking my view of the whole game. And they lost as well....

Yes, after 40 years, the Nassau Coliseum is the Ebbets Field of the modern day Sports/Entertainment venue. It needs to be replaced. And just like 50 years ago in Brooklyn, a fight between owner and local government goes on. Wang has proposed a massive project that includes a new Coliseum and Sports Medicine facility, a shopping area that includes 2 canals, a pair of 35 story office buildings, a 5 star hotel, 2300 new apartments and condos, a movie theater, and over 1.5 million square feet of new retail space. They did forget about the NASA launching pad, but that might be part of Phase III.... Mammoth indeed.

Now, the local township board (Long Island has townships, not invidual city governments) has and wants it's say in the matter. They need to approve environmental aspects, rezoning, and a bunch of other things as well. Depending on who you're listening to, they're either protecting their community, or trying to bust the balls of a major power broker in Long Island. It's not like Nassau County and Uniondale aren't already developed - the whole county is one giant parking lot - you can't even tell what town you're in because they just run from one into the next.... But, they have a lot to look over. The DGEIS environmental report is over 4000 pages alone - 4 times longer than the Health Care Bill Washington is currently mulling over....

There was a contentious meeting in town this week, where Wang and his staffers tried to answer the Town Board's questions, and it was not pretty. Meanwhile, the Islanders were playing a preseason game - in Kansas City's new Sprint Center - hint, hint. Unfortunately, only 9000 fans came to the 19,000 seat arena. And the Islanders lost... Sometimes, it seems odd to give a developer so much grief for a project that involves no public money, but....

So, what is the right thing to do? Loveable losers they are, keeping the Islanders and a viable concert hall in the 11th largest market in America is paramount. The Coliseum needs to be replaced, but what about the rest? I've been thinking about this for a bit, and as usual, the answer is in Economics. I have a good buddy, Joe, here. He's a partner in a CPA firm in Manhattan - yeah, he does pretty good financially. The guy is one of the smartest fiscal minds I've seen. I try to learn all I can from him, but even my Economics degree brain has trouble keeping up with him at times. Here is Joe's take on Lighthouse, and it makes a lot of sense.......

Build the Coliseum. There is only one other, and it's going to close when the new one opens. However, all of this retail and office space is the problem. Right now, the local office and commercial Real Estate market is glutted with excess space. There are buildings and land of all kinds available as it is. Joe says the private housing foreclosures are about done, but the Commercial foreclosures haven't even started, and the banks holding the notes on those are getting ready to get slapped again. Wang doesn't have $3.8 billion in his wallet - he has to borrow it, and if he defaults, the bank holding the note goes down as well - TARP 3.0 then begins....

Either of two things will happen: Lighthouse is a success, and many of the smaller office space owners go belly up, or Lighthouse bombs, and a project that very few companies can afford to invest in fails, leaving a huge dinosaur on the landscape. That, and apartments and condos that cost anywhere from $230,000-500,000 each are no bargain either. Either way, Lighthouse has the potential to be an epic sinkhole for the entire local economy. We don't need another shopping center.. I'm 60 miles outside of New York, and I can buy Swarovski crystal, Michael Kors shoes, Williams-Sonoma and high end clothes from 50 different stores around the corner. We already have it all.....

The Town Council may not be aware of it for the right reasons, but they may be doing the local merchants a service. Of course, there is a compromise. Build the Coliseum, and save one of the things that gives Long Island it's own identity. Brooklyn lost the Dodgers, and they're still trying to get it's feet back. As far as the rest, there is a huge downside to it. It seems a bit arrogant of me to tell a guy who makes more in a year than I will in my whole life what to do, but I'll do it - keep it simple, Stupid....

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Paterson, Wife Tell Obama to MYOFB ..

It Appears That Barack Obama Isn't the Only Black Politician With an Opinionated Wife Named Michelle ......




Two days after getting a request from President Obama to decline running for re-election as Governor of New York, David Paterson is giving his answer: Kiss my Ass - and his wife is right there with him...




Michelle Paige Paterson was quite peeved at Our President's asking through a local congressman for her husband to step back for the sake of the Democratic Party. When asked at a NYC TV station, she had plenty to say.. "I have never heard of a president asking a sitting governor not to run. I thought it was very unusual, and very unfair." Mrs. Paterson also felt that her husband, who's approval rating is about 20%, is hurt by his legal blindness. "most definitely, I think that's why David really has to come out - people have to see who he is." So much for taking one for the team....




The Governor was about on the same level. Falling short of putting the blame at the feet of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is thumping all comers in the polls so far, Paterson instead placed Cuomo's staffers with the blame. Cuomo's people denied starting the rift.... But Paterson says he will be running in 2010,which sets up an expensive statewide battle for both candidates in some very expensive media markets. Now, if the Republicans could find a decent, viable candidate.....




What does this mean for the Paterson's? They're on an island unto themselves from this point on. They are fighting a battle that ultimately they will lose. After all, you don't screw with the Big O... But, it is interesting to watch the battle. Maybe the Two Michelle's can have a MMA Cage Match - or maybe thumb wrestle....


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A Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Before Many of Them Even Came Home...

Today, we take you to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Not the one in Washington DC.. Although it looks like the Washington Monument, this is actually a memorial in Suffolk County, New York.... Sitting atop the highest point in Long Island, it is right in the middle of Patchogue - Mt. Sinai Road in Coram, on what used to be called Breakneck Hill. Back in the 1800's, Breakneck Hill was a toll road for people riding their bicycles on the way to Port Jefferson - yes, they even charged tolls back then !! Some things never change....

The ironic part of this monument was that it was completed in 1972 - a year before we began removing troops, and three years before the fall of Saigon. Was it built in the hopes that it would bring the troops home earlier? I dont know, I was four, and I don't really remember Vietnam. I was busy learning to ride a bicycle without training wheels.

I must have driven past this park and monument at least twenty times in my life, and I never stopped in it, until this week. There were a few guys there, all of them in their 50's and 60's. I imagine the memorial gives them a little peace, a little thanks for the sacrifice they gave - and a place to remember their friends who didn't come home.... If you're driving through sometime, take ten minutes to check it out. Just take the Long Island Expressway to Exit 63 North, and go about five miles - you can't miss it. By the way, it's free....

The monument from the South parking area...

The view from the base of the monument. The stuff in the back is the Great South Bay, Fire Island and the Atlantic Ocean - about 15 miles away....







The tip of the monument, draped like an American Flag...






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Tim Scott Ain't The Only One Raising Money In the Lt. Governor's Race ....

Ard Campaign Nets $127K at Pee Dee Event ....

When Tim Scott made headlines last month by raking in $150,000 in the first ten days of his campaign last month, I told you Ken Ard would be doing something similar very soon. Well, last night was the night. In a single local event at the home of Keith Buckhouse and his wife, Ard was able to raise $127,500 for his campaign. And the race to raise money begins.......

Yeah, this is his backyard, but considering that he has been in the race for almost 5 months, to have an event in the second round of fundraising like that is pretty impressive. How much aside from that has been raised? We'll find out in a few weeks, when the reports come in. No doubt we'll be hearing lots of pro and con comments here, so let her rip !!!! Although it's hard to find many negatives about raising six figures in a single night at a house in the Pee Dee.....

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Hey Khadafi, What's With the Porn Star 'Stache?

Libyan Leader Adopts the Phil Spector Meets Ron Jeremy Look ...

So Libyan President Col. Moammar Khadafi (choose your own spelling , cause any is correct) is at the United Nations to speak - and Jimmy cracked corn, and I don't care. I wasted an hour of my life listening to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad do the same thing once, and even though TV is free, I still felt I was owed something for wasting my time. I blame it on the translators - they make everyone sound like an idiot, which is why I never use them when overseas. I can do stupid all by myself......

Buy, I did pass by a TV at the mall as it was playing, and I couldn't help but laugh at Khadafi's new look. It's like the picture above, but he shaved off the chin stubble, so all that's left is this 1970's era porn star cheesy mustache . Pretty scary. Let's hope the tent where he's staying at Donald Trump's house has a mirror somewhere.....

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SC6 P of the D ...

One of the Tugboats at Port Jefferson Harbor getting ready to leave port .... No sign of Quint on board. 'Farewell and adieu all you fair Spanish ladies '...

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Getting to Know Your Blogger-Propagandist ..

No, That's Not My Lotus in the Picture .....

Maybe SC6 isn't a special blog. I'll be the first to admit, I'm no political genius. I'm a schmuck just giving his opinions on stuff, and I try to make it entertaining. Sometimes I'm wrong, most of the time I'm right. But what makes this blog different is, I think, is we have a heart. We don't try to build ourselves up into some stone-hard blown out of proportion to our actual importance of a blog. We just try to have fun, and we don't mind letting you just a little into our life....

Here's a small snippet of it today... I took a short drive to Port Jefferson. It's a small port town, straight out of Amity Island from 'Jaws' - old guys sitting at the Marina, ferries to Connecticut, and tons of seafood restaurants and gift shops. We'll be trying to give some examples for Flotown to emulate to develop the downtown shopping district, but that's for another day - maybe tomorrow.

This is a small bit of nostalgia for me. This is the Village Way Restaurant , right in the middle of town. About 20 years ago - if not more - I took my first real crush, Laura Mackenzie, on a date. I can't tell you what I ate, only that I borrowed my brother's MR2, because it was really cool . It's still open, and except for some renovations, it looks the same....I do remember that it cost $31, pretty pricey for a college kid making $7 an hour on his Summer Job....

I lost touch with Laura after college, but I think she went to Med School ... Yeah, I can pick 'em. And no, I didn't get lucky.......

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SC6 Pic of the Day - Check it Out - A Park Not Named After a Congressman !!

Welcome to the Honorable James E. Clyburn Park in Lake Grove, NY. Okay, it's not named after The Whipper. It's actually Robert Henke Park. Honestly, I don't remember ever seeing anything named after a Senator or Congressman, but it's been a while since I've been here....

It's a nice little park with a 1/3 mile paved walking trail - that's what $18,000 a year in property taxes gets you. That, one of the best school districts in the country, and the highest paid cops and teachers in America. I'm not sure it's worth it either....

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We Took the Weekend Off, But SC6 Picture of the Day Is Back !!

I'm watching 'Wonder Pets' on Noggin with Steven, and as he's munching down some Chocolate Chip Teddy Grahams, Pugsley is just STARING at him... following his hand to the bag, back to his mouth, and back to the bag. From six inches away. The dog has NO SHAME - and no Teddy Grahams, 'cause Steven doesn't share his Teddy Grahams...

When Noggin, Nick Junior or Disney Channel start doing political reports, then I can blog again I guess...

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This All Sounds Familiar to South Carolinians, Except Backwards, Doesn't It?

An Unpopular Governor That Won't Listen to His Own Party Begging Him to Not Run ? Welcome to the Bizzaro World That Is NY-SC Politics .....

Ready for me to piss off every South Carolinian - except for those of you who live South of Broad in Charleston? New York is JUST LIKE South Carolina! Oh sure, it's the polar opposite of New York in culture, food and just about everything else - yeah, maybe Hillary never ran for Senator of South Carolina - but in some ways it's exactly the same... Need proof? Look no further than the top of the heap...

To be honest, politically, New York is the reverse of South Carolina: The Dems are in charge. They have all the offices, they raise all the money - and they manage to screw it all up as well, just like the GOP in the Palmetto State. Where SC has the Mark Sanford/Andre Bauer/Henry McMaster/ Jakie Knotts/ Bobby Harrell/Glenn McConnell/ Nikki Haley (did I forget anyone?) mess, New York has David Paterson. Paterson is the Andre Bauer of New York - an unknown Guv Lite, he rose to Governor when Eliot Spitzer got caught buying call girls.

Paterson, who is legally blind and the first African-American Governor of New York, hasn't endeared himself to voters, and worse yet, to the Obama Administration. His approval ratings last week were somethign that would make even Mark Sanford or George Bush cringe - 20 percent! A few points lower, and you'd swear he was in Congress... He royally pissed off Obama last year, when he appointed Kirsten Gillibrand - WHO? - to fill out Hillary Clinton's term last year. Obama wanted and owed Caroline Kennedy, but couldn't convince Paterson to give it to her, probably to his credit.

Obama wants Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who's dad Mario ran New York from 1982 to 1994, before losing to George Pataki. Cuomo already has $10 million in the bank, twice what Paterson has, and is beating Paterson in the polls by almost 3-1.... Cuomo hasn't announced he is running yet, but Obama is not waiting... On Friday, he sent Congressman Greg Meeks to have dinner with Paterson, and give him the bad news - Obama doesn't want him to run. Even though the Dems control everything for the first time since 1935, the hold is extremely shaky. They only control the Legislature by 2 seats, and three major offices - Governor , Comptroller and US Senator - are appointees. If Paterson loses, then Gillibrand will likely lose, the US Senate loses it's Democratic supermajority , the GOP will be able to redistrict the legislature - and soon afterwards, the entire world will cease to exist, leaving only cockroaches and primitive plant life ......

Now before you get all excited, the GOP in New York is a lot like the Democrats in South Carolina - they're stupid. Very, very stupid..... No one in the GOP is primed for this race. My old Congressman, Rick Lazio, will announce his intention to run. He is the guy who couldn't beat Hillary's obvious carpetbagger run in 2000, and he has only $185k left in the bank. Then there is Rudy Giuliani. He hasn't decided on a run or not. They guy is making so much money in the private sector, I don't know why he'd run - and we all know how half-assed campaign fare. Oh, he also only has $7245 in the campaign coffers. That's a high mountain to climb.

The pressure is on Paterson to decide to not run, and let Cuomo take over in 2010. Part of me sees this as Obama being politically savvy. Part of me sees this as Obama doing a reenactment of Joe Clark, minus the baseball bat, and I'll skip the 4 letters Clark used. Just like in South Carolina, you have to deal with bad decisions made previously. Sure, the Empire State and the Palmetto State are exact opposites, but in the end, it'll end up the same - we'll both have new Governors in 2010....

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All's Right With the World In Football - So Far.

Everybody Wins - Including Dusty Lombardi !!

It's nice getting off to a good start. Although Carolina and Clemson aren't undefeated, they are both at 2-1 after winning this past weekend. There is still hope for both teams to get bowl bids, although they both appear overmatched for league championships this year.

Speaking of championships, both the Jets and Giants pulled off wins to go 2-0, and my fantasy football team will lock up it's second win, barring Dallas Clark getting a minus 11 tonight.... It's early, but the Jets D looks awesome, and beating Dallas in front of 105,000 fans at the opening of the ginormous Cowboys Stadium showed some guts - now how about some Red Zone efficiency??? That reminds me - is Lawrence Tynes available in my league? Of course, both me and the g-Men were 10-1 last year, before we both caved in. Time for another Gust Avrakatos moment - We'll see ...........

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Even All the Way In New York, They Can Smell Rob Miller's Naked Opportunism...

In case you didn't know, I'm back in Long Island again, and I have been for the past five days, which just goes to show that you can leave South Carolina for five days and still do your job - and most people won't even notice. Take it in whatever way you wish.....





Anyway, aside from Pizza, White Castle and real bagels, one of the nice things about here is the newspaper. I've been reading Newsday since I was a kid - it is a bit of a liberal rag, but they do cover most stories in the area in depth, and they have one hell of a sports section... In today's edition, they have a weekly page call - no inventively - The Spin Cycle: Guide to Politics and Politicians. It's like an SC6 for New York, except it's not nearly as funny. One section of it is called Naked Ambition. It's a weekly poll of the national events, and the readers pick one that best typifies being political for one's own benefit - and South Carolina made the top of the chart !!




Particularly, Rob Miller won the survey, for his labeling Joe Wilson a 'GOP Elitist'. See, even in the land where Democrats rule (Atty. General Andrew Cuomo has $10 Million in his coffers currently - Henry McMaster, eat your heart out!!), they can tell when a politician is blowing his horn unnecessarily. I don't blame Miller for going out and raising a boatload of cash from Wilson's gaffe - and it WAS a gaffe - but it sounds like he could use a little spit and polish on his commenting. Here is how you do it......




"It was unfortunate to hear Congressman Wilson use such a time to make a statement like he did. The President deserves a certain amount of decorum when addressing both the House and Senate, and he chose not to. However, we certainly do appreciate the benefits we've recieved since."




That's it. Rob Miller's 15 minutes in the national radar are just about up. He knows he only got the money not because hes don anything spectacular as a candidate, but because he just happened to be there when lightning struck. But it only strikes once.....



www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAMnjzU-6UQ


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Are People Lining Up For a Crack At Jim Clyburn in 2010 ?

The Whipper, Assisted By Nancy Pelosi and Sheila Jackson-Lee, Is Given an Explanation By Diagram... 'Sir, This Is Where Your Ass Is - And THIS Is Where Your Elbow Is'.......AAAAAHHHHH !!!!

Part of my job as Vice-Chair of the 6th District for the Republican Party (sorry for the hornblowing there) is to help recruit and support viable candidates for slots in my district. Most people are a little derelict in that duty, but I do try to take that part seriously. Especially since I have run for the seat once, I have a realistic idea of what it would take to - if not win - run a serious campaign in the 6th Congressional District of South Carolina.

While the field has gotten a bit crowded in some of the races - can we get a few more people to run in the 4th please - the race for the GOP nomination in the 6th has been quiet - or has it? Here's a quick report on the latest. I can't say that any of this is rock-solid information because, honestly speaking, no one in the party bothers to ask for my help or advice. Shit, I find out when anyone is in town by word of mouth - or afterwards. This is just what I'm hearing. To hell with anonymous insiders.....

I was told that the state party had been on the verge of getting not one, but TWO candidates interested in taking on Jim Clyburn next year. I sent a message to the person who it supposedly came straight from - and never heard a word. Damn shame, because it appears that one of them just joined Facebook - and requested me as their first friend. That is a good first move, and I commend whoever they talked to that suggested the start by talking to me. Too bad it probably wasn't the SCGOP, but you never know....

So, we could have the two candidates, and maybe even more in a Primary next year. Do I think this is a good thing? Maybe , maybe not. How qualified and serious are these candidates? That remains to be seen. No one wants to see two candidates wipe each other out financially in June, with nothing left for taking on The Whipmaster. And Gary McLeod is still lurking around the dairy farm in Manning... What do I want? I want a candidate with a real resume , one with a grasp on the issues, and on reality on what goes on in Washington DC.... No, it isn't me, and is hasn't been anyone we've had the past 17 years... The theories abound on what the ideal candidate is - Black, White, Male , Female, Moderate, Conservative..

This might not sound good coming from a guy in my position, but I haven't seen that person yet - but when I do, I'll know it, and so will you. I'm still waiting right now. Maybe next year.....

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Picture of the Day - Hey Look, Progress !!

I told you I took a lot of pictures of downtown that day.... We could do this series well into 2010, and why not? It's important. This I am pretty sure is the Performing Arts Center, but t could be the New Florence Little Theater. Things seem to be going well, although it was a Saturday, so they had the day off. One suggestion when they're done. Once again, please bury the phone lines .....

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Asking The Big Questions ...

I went to the Stop & Shop with Carol and the kids today - $9.79 a pound for Boars Head Ham - Yikes!!! Anyway, here is my question: Is it wrong for a 41 year old guy to ride the shopping cart back to the cart rack? Not in it, just kinda riding the back.....

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Time to Pull Those Signs Down - Or Check For Dead People...

This is one of my more favorite pictures from the Patriotic Parade last weekend. It's from the apartment building on the corner of Evans and Irby. I'm not sure the building is vacant or not, but judging by the signs for Dean Fowler and Stephen Wukela - from last year's election - I'd say no. Just to be safe, I'd have the cops stop by, and check for any odd smells ....

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SC6 Pictura De La Dia ..

It's been another long day today. Personal stuff has distracted me from blogging the last couple days, but we should have some big news tomorrow - no, nothing about Joe Wilson, Kanye West or Mark Sanford... Just yours truly. For today, we'll go with a picture of the Florence City-County Complex - the place where all the big decisions are made that affect the lives of us here in the Pearl of the Pee Dee....

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