I Wish I Could Tell You Why, But I Don't Have An Answer .....It Just Is.

Florence County Drops the Taxes On My Hoopdie ....



Love us or hate us, you have to admit we always try to be fair on an issue, unless it involves our Congressman.... A few weeks back, we got our property tax bill, and it was pretty surprising - a 43% increase from 2009 to 2010 !! We actually did see this coming after property taxes were lowered in 2008.... It's easy: one taxer leaves, another takes it's place. It's rare for taxes to ever really drop. But, we did get a bit of a surprise this week, and it was good news for once....




My car tax bill for my 2005 Avalon came in, and it is $96 LESS than in 2009! I'm a pretty tolerant person when it comes to paying taxes, so in the end result between my house and car, I paid $491 in 2009, and $472 in 2010, so netwise, my taxes were $19 less, or about 4% lower.... No, I am not about to complain.... However, I have one question: WHY ????





I actually did try to get answers, but when you're a well-known blogger, no one wants to talk to you, unless you're Britton Pruett... I e-mailed a Councilman I know, but he's kind of busy right now. Then I e-mailed my County Treasurer, who collects the money. No answer. Granted, these are not the guys who decide how much to charge, but they should be a little familiar with it, right? So, I'm left to ponder on my own.....




The only thing I can think of is the book value on my car dropped like a stone this year. Each year, I'd pay just slightly less than the year before - maybe five or ten dollars. But the car is a 2005, and five year old cars do tend to be worth much less, particularly when they crack 60,000 miles. Either that, or it's worthless because it's a Toyota..... BTW, she's still running like a champ - no unintended acceleration yet. Ray LaHood can kiss my ass.....





So, this post has been quite masturbatory: In the end, nothing happened. I have no answers, and nobody called me back to explain it. I apologize, and I'll get these five minutes of your life back somehow. I promise...............



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Rob Miller Seems To Be Drinking From the Same Kool-Aid Stand as Dobbs....

Second District Candidate Goes For the Same Populist Play ...

I never attended a candidate seminar when I ran for office. The main reason was I always assumed they told all the candidates the same thing, no matter what office they were running for, so everyone would end up using the same BS pitches, and not have any semblance of honesty of self-thought. It turns out, I was right - as usual.

Not long ago, I ripped First District candidate Robert Dobbs a new a-hole, for railing against the Big Banks about TARP, in support of Barack Obama's proposed tax. To review, the big banks have all paid the Treasury Dept. back, with interest, so why tax them now? Chances are your local bank is the one who still owes you your tax dollars... Anyway, I was on Jamie Sanderson's blog, just to comment that I thought the name of his consulting company was a little too long, but I passed on it. However, I found a press release from Rob Miller's camp, where they bitch about AIG giving out $100 million in incentive bonuses earlier this month. Here's the clip:

http://bluesouthcarolina.com.blogspot.com/2010/02/miller-lets-end-paying-wall-street.html

Sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it? Now, I'll be compleetly fair and honest here. AIG is a better example than one Dobbs used, which was really no example. AIG was the poster child for what was wrong with Wall Street, and yes, there was plenty wrong. They were the company 'Too Big To Fail'....There always needs to be a certain amount of regulation to protect citizens from irresponsible investments, but the fact is that private enterprise is still the driving engine of American business, and it always will be. President Bush and Congress (which was controlled by Democrats at the time) chose to lend them $182 billion, and bail their stupid asses out. The US Government now owns 80% of AIG...... These are facts.

Fast forward to the present. The TARP payouts were a separate deal from AIG's bailout, so their records are not on the chart I pulled out when discussing Dobbs' release. But, they are available. How much of that $182 billion has AIG paid back? As of December 31, 2009, it was $52.7 Billion, or about half of what The Obama Administration wants to spend on Health Care for one year. How you view all of that depends on your priorities, but I'll let you decide which is the bigger enemy to taxpayers - Wall Street or Washington DC. But they are paying it back, with interest, in a pretty quick manner. Most business loans are anywhere from 3 to 7 years, so they're on pace to pay it back in 4 1/2 years.

The point lost on people here is as long as it gets paid back, the move was a good one - it's one of the few government programs that actually MAKES money..... No, I'm not suggesting that the US Government go into the bank bailout business, but so far, it's all working as planned. If the govenment can get t's financial act together, these profits will actually get us in the black again.

Now, let's address that $100 million dollars. That money was guaranteed before the bailout took place, much like a government budget is made a year ahead of time. It was also approved by Kenneth Feinberg, Obama's Master of Compensation for all TARP related lendees.... So, out of the $52.8 billion AIG had, they used 2/10th of 1% of it to pay bonuses, and 99.98% of it to repay the taxpayers..... Yeah, they should be paying us back, but they also spent $6.2 Billion in fees related to the money in just the last quarter alone, which was 75% of the loss they incurred. Yes, AIG is still losing money, and they're losing employees... Over 20,000 of them so far from selling off subdivisions of the company to pay the debt.

Miller makes the suggestion that the Treasury should have taken that money to lend small businesses money, instead of Wall Street. Well, the point could be made that we spent $787 Billion on 'stimulus', but most of it was used to fill the coffers of every dead end (re: spending that doesn't create a job) agency around. You don't get a second chance to spend 3/4 of a trillion dollars, but hindsight is 20/20, right? SBA loans are almost a moot point right now, because no companies are expanding this year, but it does make for a good populist talking point.....

So far, Rob Miller's strongest point has been that he had the good fortune to be Joe Wilson's opponent when he said "You Lie". Aside from that, he has done little to separate himself from the hundreds of 'Business Bad' Democrats flooding the playng field across the country. Perhaps if he wrote his own page or two, he'd get some points for thinking for himself - but not with ideas like this.

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More Stupid Infomercial Products ...

From the Industry That Brought You Slap-Chop and Kinoki Foot Pads ...... It's Shoe-dini !!!

The general rule of thumb in television advertising seems to be 'the more annoying, the better'. In a business that made Billy Mays, Anthony Sullivan and Vince stars, you can never go over the top. So, how can you make your product's commercial even more fingernail-pulling fun? By getting comedian Gilbert Gottfried to do the voiceovers for it!

Yes, we give you Shoe-dini ...... It's basically a shoehorn on a stick, so you don't have to bend your lazy ass over to put on/take off your shoes. But, it does have an ingenious(?) bar that holds the shoe in place too ..... WOW !!!! Fortunately, my feet don't swell or retain water, so I have a pretty easy time with shoe removal and installation. If you aren't as lucky, just watch.....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SltsgYuSHrw

Yes, it's not just a shoe..... it's a shoe on a stick. If you think that it's a silly product, think again. For there are times in life that being able to take that shoe off a split second faster makes all the difference. Need proof ??? Just ask this guy.....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVH6tVKKwCo&feature=related

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Paterson's Dropping Out: The Impact

Say Hi to the Next Governor of New York .....

What a eight billion dollar budget deficit couldn't do, the girlfriend of a staff member did for David Paterson. The Governor of New York, who replaced Eliot Spitzer after Spitzer's prostitute scandal, decided to not run for election, after Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office announced they were investigating if Paterson used his influence to get a domestic violence charge dropped by the girlfriend of one of his closest staffers... It's always the women that take us down.... My proposal is for every elected official to either be 1) Barred from interacting with women on the job, or 2) be turned into a Eunuch.....

More interesting than Paterson's walking out (there was no doubt he would lose), is the void it leaves, and all the other players who now have to readjust to the new playing field. First off, there is no doubt that Cuomo will be elected this year. He now has no competition on the Democratic side, so the $10 million plus he has in the bank can now be used to hammer the Republican candidate. Speaking of which, there really aren't any strong contenders. Rudy Giuliani would have been a good match, but by no means a slam dunk win. The Cuomo's are held with the same reverence in New York that the Clinton's have nationally. The funny part is how Cuomo showed both Henry McMaster and Andre Bauer how to clear the road for your own political gain, and not look bad doing it....

With Cuomo now able to run for Governor, his job will likely go to Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice, who has a decent reputation, and is good looking enough to make Upstaters forget that she's from Long Island. the Upstate/Downstate rancor DOES still exist, folks...

And what of Kirsten Gillibrand? Paterson's choice to replace Hillary Clinton, which was greeted with 'Kirsten Who?' has her work cut out for her. Right now, she's about a half-step above Roland Burris, and her only saving grace is that the Republican Party hasn't found a name candidate to run against her. Is the GOP missing a golden opportunity for Seat Number 42? Yep... Of course, it's not too late, but when your party has been getting bitchslapped for 15 years, it's hard to have a candidate with a strong resume... George Pataki, Washington is calling you.

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Honoring George Washington's Birthday ...

John Marshall's Famous Speech on Washington ....

When we were kids, we remembered both Abraham Lincoln and George Washington's birthdays separately. Since they got shuffled and combined into President's Day, we kind of forget to honor either of them. This week was the 278th Anniversary of George Washington's birth. We're going to commemorate it by giving you the text of the eulogy of Washington by John Marshall - Congressman, Secretary of State, and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. They guy obviously wore a lot of hats... Most people know the first words, but we have the whole commentary for you.....

"First in War, First in Peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in humble and enduring scenes of private life. Piuos, just, humane, temperate and sincere.. Uniform, dignified, and commanding, his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effacts of that example lasting: Correct thoughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues."

If you wonder sometimes why I post these, it's becuase I think it's necessary for the times we live in... Yes, things are different than 230 years ago, but if our officials used the same values and thought that our founding fathers did, instead of perverting the system the way both sides do now, doing what's right for America would be a lot easier....

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Cartoon of the Week....

Confirming our feeling that nothing significant or newsworthy really came out in politics this week, TIME Magazine only had 2 cartoons for this week, and neither involved politics.... Of these slim pickings, we picked Tiger Woods' apology. The other will be used soon....




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Where Are Our F**king Girl Scout Cookies ?

SC6 Has the Answers On Where They Are.....

Here at SC6, we love Capitalism. We don't envy those who make more than we do, and we encourage others who strive to make an honest dollar... For about 80 years, one of the great success stories has been Girl Scout Cookies. Every year, we don't fear - WE EXPECT to be attacked by six and seven year olds hawking slightly overpriced boxes of cookies...... and we love it. Where else do you spend $3.50 for ten cookies, then have to wait two months to get them, and still get excited when they finally show up? Nowhere...

Yes, Girl Scout Cookies are the only thing that I've seen to make adults act like children who git shut out by Santa Claus at Christmas.... Case in Point: I bought three boxes back around Christmas. I can't even tell you what I got anymore by this point, but about two weeks ago, I was in the break room, and there were five boxes of Girl Scout Cookies on the counter. My first thought was, 'Cool, my cookies will be here soon' . That hasn't happened yet.... So, I asked Dawn where she got the cookies from, and here is the poop.....

First off, Dawn is a Ringer. She's worked with the Girl Scouts for 20 years, so she's the first to get her hands on a box every year. Secondly, and the main reason I am still waiting, is that the Girl Scouts have a very sophisticated distribution system set up. Yep, they have the whole efficiency set-up down pat. Each truck has one specific cookie in it. They stop in certain areas exclusively with all the trucks, and the Den Mothers and kids pick them up. For example, Dawn lives in Nassau County, NY, so she got her cookies two weeks ago. In Suffolk County, where I live, they don't get their cookies until March. That is why I am cookieless and insane. Next year they alternate back, Suffolk first, Nassau second.

So, that's your reason why you might be in Columbia, waiting on your cookies, but your cousin in Florence is already enjoying her box of Tagalongs, which along with Samoas, are the best Girl Scout cookies. I will give kudos to the new 'Thank You Berry Munch' entry as well. However, you may want to avoid the Lemon Chalet Cremes this year - unless you like stinky cookies.....

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/reviews/blog/2010/02/tainted_girl_scout_cookies.html

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Charlie Rangel, Ignorance Is Bliss - But It's Not an Excuse For Being a Crook.

That's EXACTLY How Big the Congressman's Balls Are ...

If you've read our blog for a while, you know that there are different levels of people in Congress. There are the few who try to do the right thing, whether we agree with them or not. There are the ones who think their job is to suck as much milk from the Government Tittie as possible. Then there are guys like Charles Rangel - the ones who are so full of shit, that they must assume we are all fucking idiots....

The Harlem Democrat with the Harvey Fierstein voice is probably on the Top Five of Congressmen who we wished would drop off the face of the Earth. Yes, Rangel should go even ahead of Jim Clyburn.... How's that for honesty? Why Rangel? Becuase he has been a prime example of what is wrong with Washington, and Thank God, it's finally coming back to nip him in the ass.....

This week, the House Ethics Committee bitchslapped Rangel with illegally accepting trips to the Caribbean (where else?) from a lobbyist, and other violations. Rangel, who is the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee - which writes all the tax policies - is almost guaranteed of losing his gig. Good. For years, Rangel has been exposed for dodging every policy that he writes in his legislation - and he had the balls to challenge his critics to find them. Well, they did. Careful what you wish for, Moron...

Rangel, alogn with four other Congressional Black Caucus members, went on trips that were paid for by HSBC Bank, but only Rangel knew that HSBC, which routinely lobbies Congress, was picking up the bill. For those of you who don't know, a Congressman acnnot (or isn't supposed to) accept any type of gift from a lobbyist - except millions in campaign contributions, of course. Like any good citizen who did wrong, Rangel took full responsibility - by blaming it on a staffer. Here is his comment:

"I don't want to be critical of the committee, but common sense dictates that members of Congress should not be held responsible for what could be the wrongdoing or mistakes, or errors of staff unless there's reason to believe that member knew or should have known. And there is nothing in the record to indicate the latter...."

Rangel said he didn't even know what HSBC was. Uhhh, it's one of the largest banks and finance companies in the United States, dipshit. You're a friggin Congressman that writes Tax Legislation on businesses, and you we're supposed to believe this? At this point, if he's lying about that, he's lying about everything, otherwise, why lie about 'have you ever heard of HSBC?' But, if you need more, it's there....

In 2006, Rangel asked the very same Ethics Committee if he could solicit sponsorship for the trip to St. Maarten, he was cc'd in numerous e-mails on how to solicit corporations, including HSBC, and Rangel's name was listed in letters sent to several corporations for the events, promising special time to discuss issues and photo ops... Slam Dunk! I love when Congressmen say they need to take these Pacific and Caribbean trips to 'learn and gather information'..... Funny, they always seem to be able to decide what South Carolina, Detroit and Wisconsin needs without visiting..... If you are too lazy or stupid to ensure that a trip that reeks of bullshit is legitimate, then don't act surprised when the bullshit hits the fan.

Nope, it's just another example of how DC has lost it's collective mind, and why we're pretty sure nothing positive will come out of there for the next decade. The best thing that could happen is that they do nothing, becuase we all know that sometimes, inaction IS better than bad action. Our best hope is that Rangel and his buddies will eventually retire and die, and maybe their replacements will do better.... There's always hope, right?

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SC6's Fuzzy Thoughts: The Cameron Frye Edition

'Rooney, This Is George Peterson. We're Gonna Make This Short and Sweet'.

Another week, and not much else has gone on in the political world - or anywhere else for that matter. We're kinda liking the lack of drama, because we've had a pretty good run of it for about the past 20 years... Why Cameron? Because this week, Facebook is asking users to change their status by putting a line from their favorite movie instead. I really don't have a single favorite, but Ferris does have a line that describes me perfectly- 'He has built IT up in is mind as the be-all, end-all of human existence. He'll end up marrying the first girl that gives IT up - and she'll treat him like shit, becuase you can't love someone you don't respect.' Or something like that.... Onto the blurriness.

First the weather report. After three days of rain, we finally got to the point where the only snow left was piled up stuff on the roadside - until it snowed another 8 inches here Thursday Night and Friday AM. I saw grass for all of three hours.....I think that makes about 3 1/2 feet of the white stuff this Winter..... Joe's been stuck in Williamsport, Penn. for about 12 days with work, but he's coming back today - in fact, he's pulling up as I type this. Not to sound fruity, but I'm not sure if Carol or I miss him more.....

Bad news. I won't give names, but one of SC6's loyal readers and buddies was laid off this week. If you know anyone in the Chucktown area who needs help, let me know, and I'll get you in touch. Meanwhile, out thoughts and prayers are with you..... Tonight, we'll be going out with The Cougars to Katie's, where I'll be enjoying a few Blue Moons. They put the orange wedge in it, which is a bit embarassing, but it does add a few IU's of Vitamin C....

In politics back home, it looks like the dullness is causing some guys to manufacture 'news'. Maybe it's just me, but it' pretty boring to read the same article about Jim DeMint and Joe Wilson just done over again in a different wrapper... Does anyone really want to read Richard Eckstrom's e-mail's to Kelly Payne? Last time I read the rules of dating, it was 'guy's pursue, women shoot them down - even if they are interested'..... Florence had another great turnout at it's GOP meeting this week, and Sumter has had to change venue's to accomodate the bigger crowds. Now if Orangeburg can get enough people to go somewhere besides Capt. Bill's on 301, then I know we have some real progress going...

Speaking of dating, my friend in KC (whom I've never met) has agreed to get married in 2012 - if we haven't met anyone by then. Shabooty, as we will call her, also wants to get matching tattoos, but I only get stick-on ones.... Maybe we should meet first.....

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Today's Quote From a Founding Father Who Doesn't Have Beer Named After Him..

"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."

- John Adams.

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This Couldn't Wait Until Sunday.....

BTW, You and I Are On the Bottom ....

Since most of us don't know exactly how government works, we found this handy flowchart for you to refer to, in case you forget how it works. No need to thank us.... but, thanks to The Patriot Post. Just make sure to keep you mouth closed at all times!

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Keeping You Up On New Music ....

The one thing I remember about South Carolina - and especially the Pee Dee - is that there was it was almost impossible to hear any new music. That problem's been solved for me, but we remember what it was like, so we're trying to help you get some exposure to new stuff going on.

This is the latest from 30 Seconds to Mars, the project of actor Jared Leto, who you might remember from 'My So-Called Life' as Claire Danes dream guy, or 'Chapter 27', 'Fight Club' (he was the pretty boy Ed Norton pummeled into ugliness) or 'Prefontaine'. the most amazing thing about Leto? He broke up with Cameron Diaz after about six years, because she thought his dreams of rock stardom were a waste of time. See, she isn't all that bright... We give you 'Kings and Queens' - no, it has nothing to do with Kevin James.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx364Lm53Aw

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SC6 Remembers Big Tony ...

Tony Paolucci - The Best Scoutmaster There Ever Was ...

As I had said earlier this week, I haven't been all that enthused about blogging or discussing politics. Even for me, it gets boring... Other things have also kept me away from the laptop. Yesterday, it was to attend the funeral of Anthony Paolucci, the only Scoutmaster I had growing up. We always called him Mr. Paolucci (pronounced puh-LOO-chy) in person, but away from him, he was always Big Tony. He passed away this weekend at the age of 69, after battling cancer for years.

Scoutmasters have sometimes gotten the reputation as being a half-step above a Catholic Priest, but the truth is that Scoutmasters are one of the most influential people there are in a kid's life. Big Tony was my leader in Webelos, and then in Boy Scouts, because his son Michael was the same age as me. Basically, he watched over me from when I was 11 until I quit at 16. Those are some major formative years. Big Tony and the other leaders taught me how to build a fire, fish, camp, do CPR, live in the wild, do Morse Code and cook a hamburger without a frying pan. If I ever got lost, I would have had it made. They also helped me overcome my fear of the water, and earn my Half-Mile Swim card.

Here are some of my best memories of Big Tony: He had a loud, booming voice that could scare the crap out of you. He was obsessed with having the cleanest camp every year at Camp Wakpominee - and we never let him down. He would argue with Michael endlessly, and Mike would always go 'AW, COME ON, DAD !!' in his thick, NY accent. It was hilarious.... When I cut my left index finger open with a bowsaw (klutz), Big Tony took me to the hospital. We waited so long, it healed itself, but I do remember us reeking of campfire smoke in the waiting room - and we got to spend hours just bullshitting. I also remember him being a big hugger, which was not something my dad did often. Big Tony gave out hugs like Thank You's....

Maybe for some of you guys, things like camping and fishing seem ordinary, but in my neighborhood, Dads were either working menial labor jobs, or they weren't there at all... That was the beauty of Scouting, and we never realized it at the time, but we do now, as evidenced by the two days of endless visitors at Big Tony's wake. In that small neighborhood of ours, there are probably 100 guys now in their late 30's to mid 40's who owe a lot to Tony Paolucci. He gave a lot of his time for us, and there are thousands of guys like him every day who do the same. Hopefully, I've paid tribute to him in a fitting way today. Thanks, Mr. Paolucci - God Bless You....

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Barrett and Crawford Headline Flotown GOP Event

Gubernatorial Candidate Hits Florence Up ...

Thursday will be the monthly meeting of the Florence County GOP. The main speaker will be Congressman and candidate for Governor, Gresham Barrett. In case you were wondering, yes - the phone calls have ceased from Barrett's staffers to my cellphone at work. Thanks for caring.... Depending on who you listen to, Barrett is a guest of State Representative or Hugh Leatherman's arch enemy. Either way, it is Kris Crawford. The speakers begin at 7:00PM, and a free buffet (as far as I know, it's free...) begins a bit earlier. Come early, because last month's meeting was SRO. See you at the Ramada Inn on Hwy 76 and I-95, aka Young's Plantation....

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It's Our Olympics Edition of Fuzzy Thoughts ...

Lindsay Vonn Gets the Gold Medal in HOTT With Us ...

For starters, we'd like to apologize to our readers... We've been taking a bit of a tumble in the rankings on BlogNetNews, and for good reason. We really haven't been putting out a ton of posts recently, and where we once were a Top Ten mainstay, even cracking Top Five at times, we dropped to Number 18 this week. In all honesty, we're focused on other things right now. We're doing everything we can to insure that 2010 is a turnaround year, and so far, it's going great. Truth is , there are more important things than who our next Governor, Lt. Governor or Congressman are going to be. We're true Republicans here, and the fact is you (and I), can do more to turn your life around than anyone in office. Being too busy to blog everyday is probably the best thing that's happened to me in ten years.....

Anyway, onto our musings this week...... We're halfway thru the Olympics, and I've watched about ten minutes of it. All we know is Lindsay Vonn is way hotter than Picabo Street was, Anton Apolo Ohno is still gay, and there's a Russian Ice dancer (female) that I'd like to get to know... The place I caught this action? My old drummer Brian's bar, where I was catching up with an old friend from the beach. Hadn't seen Julie in 15 years, but she looked pretty good, and didn't leave, so i'd say it was a success..... Wouldn't quite call it a date, though.......

So, the rumor that Richard Eckstrom is dating Kelly Payne is true. Big deal... Yeah, he's a bit older, and he shouldn't be e-mailing her on company time. Except for that, what's the problem, aside from her not dating me? Sure I'm jealous......One side tells me that Will Folks saw it as a good opportunity to take out Echstrom, who is probably Mark Sanford's closest ally in Columbia. The other side is pretty quiet on the matter......P-Luv at www.behindthepine.blogspot.com has a nice post on Florence's work on cleaning up all the abandoned and unkept lots and houses in the city. Yeah, Stephen Wukela is a Democrat, but he's pretty much done what he promised, which is more than most politicians can say......

Speaking of that, Tiger Woods finally did a Mea Culpa in front of TV cameras to clean up his image. No, he doesn't owe me anything personally, so who cares if he was sincere enough or not? One thing I'll give him credit for - he didn't call any of his ho's his 'Soul Mate'........ Here in New York, they moved my favorite Sunday morning political show, 'Fox News Sunday' to 10:00AM. Too bad I caught it at about 10:52 ....... Honestly, I could skip the bullshit from the politicians, and just listen to the panel. FNS probably does have the most even panel on Sunday. I watched Rachel Maddow and David Gregory on Face the Nation last week, and I thought I'd puke....

SC6 weather report: Sunny today, and a high of 44..... The ground is still covered in snow, but some spots are beginning to melt away. I think by Tuesday, we'll be able to see grass again........ Signs of an improving economy: the mall was PACKED yesterday, thanks to tax return season, and an appearance by some girl signing autographs who I had NO IDEA who she was. People were lined up for about 300 feet, but I could have walked to her table unobstructed with ease... Morons. I finally got to ditch my fat clothes after buying new jeans, shoes, shirts and - not that anyone wants to know - boxer briefs. Gotta keep the guys in check....

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Good Advice From the Guy On the $10 Bill ..

"The Natural Cure for an Ill Administration , in a Popular or Representative Constitution, is a Change of Men."

-Alexander Hamilton

Kind of reminds me of Term Limits... Give me a set of new, inexperienced and honest people, rather than a guy who knows the in's and outs anyday. Experience only leads you to know how to embezzle and corrupt a system. Of course, this one is our favorite Hamilton quote - or is it Dr. Evil??

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxfE35Rao7U

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SC6 Cartoon of the Week...

No doubt the Olympics were the theme for political cartoons this week. There were a couple to choose from - the 'Olympic Incumbent Politician Toss' earned an Honorable Mention this week, but we like ones that don't need to say things. Sometimes the picture says it all...

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This Is Why I Never Drive With P-Luv ....

Insurance.com Lists Their Ten Worst Drivers By Profession ....

No, this isn't footage of P-Luv on his way to the Florence City-County Complex ..... but it could be. Thanks to a note from our buddy Christa, aka The Planters Girl, we got a list of the worst drivers in America, generalized by profession. This is America, where we like to lump all people into categories - I believe it's called Prejudice - and here is the list, worst first....

1. Attorney/ Judge

2. Financial Professionals

3. Government Worker

4. Bartender/ Waiter

5. Business Professionals

6. Dog Groomer

7. Marketing/ Advertising

8. Barber/ Hairstylist

9. Coach

10. Nurse

To analyze briefly, some of these make sense. Jobs where you are on the phone all day, or have to make appointments will cause you to drive more aggressively and have more accidents. Bartender/Waiter is pretty obvious.... Coach makes little sense to me - what, they're in rush to get to a game? Even Barber/Hairstylist makes more sense to me, because you're expected to have great hair, so you spend the entire drive looking in the mirror, instead of the road. But what the f**k is with the Dog Groomers at Number Six ????!!!!! Help, please....

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For Once, We Warn You AHEAD of Time.....

When You're Wondering 'What the Hell Is That Noise?' Thursday AM, Remember This Blog Post ......

Let it not be said that even from 750 miles away, we don't look out for you.... At about 10AM Thursday morning, you will hear a noise in the Effingham area. It will be the alarm siren coming from the Florence County Detention Center, and about ten minutes later, a huge black man in an orange jumpsuit will be knocking on your door.....

Although we are kidding aout the visitor at your door -chances are more likely that it will be a vacuum cleaner salesman, or a friend from Florence Baptist Temple - the warning about the noise is true. The FCDC, as we people who have involuntarily 'visited' the place call it, will be testing it's escape siren. They will subsequently be tetsing it once a month thereafter. To avoid you wondering if they're crying wolf all the time, if there is an actual prison escape, the siren will run continuously for 15 long, annoyingly agonizing minutes..... It will sound something like this........

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNenY4vQD_I&feature=related

This is only a test......

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Cat Fight !!! J-Woww Ticks Kim Off ....

There's Nothing Like Showing Up Where You're Not Wanted, Eh Jenni?

We all know that Eve was the first woman on Earth. I have no idea who the second one was, but my guess is that ever since Number Two came around, the first catfight began. Yes, two young women arguing over nothing with each other has a long and illustrious history: Tiffany & Debbie, Britney & Christina, Lindsay & Hilary, Lindsay & Paris, Lindsay & Nicole, and now.... J-Woww & Kim!

It's a bit ironic here that the two are now in a spat, because J-Woww (aka Jenni Farley from 'Jersey Shore') went to Kim Kardashian's opening of her new Bebe-Kardashian clothing line to meet Kim. What happened was typical: in comes J-Woww, photographers go 'WOW!!', and start taking pictures, show gets delayed 40 minutes from the hysteria, Kim gets pissed off, and tells J-Woww to 'f' herself in so many words. Could have been worse..... Kim could have had J-Woww decked ala Snooky......

My guess is that J-Woww crashed the NYC event, and Kim wasn't having any of it. From what I've seen, J-Woww has a habit of nudging herself in with A and B-list'ers. Now onto the more important part: who'd you rather hang out with... For me, I already have 15 girlfriends that talk just like J-Woww... Seriously, the girl has the voice of a truck driver. Jenni, kick the Camels, and try a cigarette with a filter! For my money, I'll take Kim. She's got slightly more class, a lot more money, and judging by her video with Ray J, she's good enough in the bedroom for me.....

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I'm Nancy Pelosi ..... I'm Your Density.

Scientists Identify House Speaker as Most Dense Element On Earth?

No, I can't take credit for this one - I got this from The Patriot Post today.. Thought some of you might enjoy it...

" Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has identified with certainty, the heaviest element known to Science. The new element, Pelosium (PL), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it a total atomic mass of 312....."

"These 312 particles are held together by forces called Morons, which are surrounded by vast lepton-like particles called Peons. Pelosium is inert, and has no charge and no magnetism. Nevertheless, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Pelosium can cause a reaction that might normally take less than a second, to take anywhere from 4 days to four years to complete...."

"Pelosium has a normal half-life of 2 years, but it does not decay, rather it undergoes a bienneial reorganization in which the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. Pelosium mass will increase over time, as each reorganization will promote many Morons to become Isodopes. This characteristic of Moron Promotion leads soem scientists to think that Pelosium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration - this hypothetical quantity is what scientists call Critical Morass."

"When catalyzed with money, Pelosium becomes Senatorium, an element that radiates just as much energy, since it has half as many Peons, but twice as many Morons." C'mon, that's pretty good.... Speaking of density.........

www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8bRciuMLqQ

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More Good Quotes From Dead Guys ...

"No Government, any more than an Individual, will long be respected without truly being respectable."

-Federalist 62.

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Time For Another SC6 Jukebox Pick....

We'll close out today with a song that we think you'll hear a lot more of soon. It's from a band in NYC called Vampire Weekend. For a band with such an odd sound - and a scarier name - they actually look pretty normal - for New Yorkers, that is.....





I was going to add this onto my Fuzzy Thoughts yesterday, because the song is called 'Cousins', which is where I was all weekend...... but I forgot. Damn ADD... It's peppy, short, and the video is interesting enough to keep your attention. Hope you like it, and we'll see you soon !!





www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e0u11rgd9Q



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For a Job That 'No One Cares About', These Guys Sure Are Working Hard For It..

Ard and Connor Break Out the Bigger Artillery This Week....

This year, we've heard over and over how unimportant the Lt. Governor position is. Well, it IS important - just ask David Paterson, Rod Blagojevich, Kirsten Gillibrand, Elliot Spitzer, James McGreevey and Roland Burris if it matters.... While we joke about how impotent the VP spot is, the truth is that Governors go down with a lot more regularity. Mark Sanford was a rare case of not quite enough to have to quit. Give Ken Ard and Bill Connor some credit: they are probably the two hardest working guys out there in the statewide races....

The battle between the two camps - and their mostly anonymous commenters on the blogs - ahs been the most interesting race this year. This week, they played another game of one-upmanship. Connor broke out his first television commercial before the Daytona 500 in the major markets in South Carolina. No Florence, you didn't get one.... This is the second time Connor has slipped a well-placed ad before a highly watched TV event. The first one kind of escapes me, but I'm sure Joshua Gross would be glad to tell us what it was.... ;)

No to be outdone or left flatfooted, Team Ard released a list of 26 endorsees from the South Carolina legislature, along with an expanded Finance Team that includes heavy hitters like Egerton Burroughs, Joe and Michael Edens, and Stephen Imbeau and Conyers O'Bryan of Florence. I've been to a couple fundraisers at Dr. Imbeau's, and he throws a good party! Of course, I couldn't scrape up a dime, but hey......

Yep, despite all the complaining of the lack of importance of the Guv Lite's job, Connor and Ard are working full bore to be the Republican nominee. Now, we leave it to those anonymous commenters to cut them both down to pieces...... Ready, GO !!!!!

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Anderson Sue-per ....

Yeah, Show Off Them Pipecleaners, Coop !!!

Damn Will Folks for beating me to the punch on Kevin Smith's airplane fiasco..... I had my title all ready - 'Well, Pot DOES Give You the Munchies'..... No problem - I've got another celebrity story in my hat. Such is the one advantage here: every newspaper has a Page Six....

Here's the poop..... CNN heartthrob anchor Anderson Cooper is always on the road whenever a disaster hits. Like his recent trip to Haiti, he always is there when people need help. Well people, Anderson Cooper is going to need your help soon, and bad.... You see, Anderson Cooper just got sued, and from what we read, it don't look too good for Coop....

The big fad in Manhattan nowadays is to buy an old firehouse, and convert it into an apartment. It makes sense: the ceilings are high, they look cool on the outside, and you already have a garage door to park your car, which saves a ton on parking. Cooper recently bought one, and in September, he sent his interior decorator, Killian O'Brien, over to check it out, and make recommendations. O'Brien was on the second floor, when she came to the area where the firepole is - or at least, where it USED to be... Cooper didn't have the hole covered, and O'Brien fell smack dab 17 feet down the hole, and onto the ground floor.......

O'Brien survived, and her injuries haven't been made public, but they will soon, because she is suing - and hwo can blame her. If I fell like that, and it was a CNN anchor who is the heir to the Vanderbilt fortune (his Mom is Gloria Vanderbilt, as in Gloria Vanderbilt jeans) ,I'd sue too.... P-Luv, time for a ruling.... My guess is that the attorney that Coop's had on retainer will make a nice offer to make this all go away - and we'll never know how much she got. Good thing he's already gone gray.....If you want to help, call the Anderson Cooper Defense Fund at 866-SAVE-COOP......

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Dear Gresham, Please Stop Calling Me....

Dear Gresham,

Hey, it's me, Mike Reino.... I'm not sure if you remember me, but we both were running for Congress in 2004. I met you at the State Convention. You were addressing the delegates, and I got to be there. No, I didn't think it was fair either, but you snooze, you lose, right?

Anywho, I wanted to drop you a quick note, and ask for a small favor. You see, I got four phone calls from you today. Not you actually, but four of your robocalls... No, I wasn't at dinner, I was at a place a bit more important than being interrupted at the dinner table. It was my job... You see, if I get an assload of calls while I'm working, then my bosses get ticked, and then I don't have a job, then I won't be able to get dinner interrupted by robocalls from politicians four months before Election Day - because I won't be able to afford to eat. Catch my drift here?

I know, you're a Congressman, and you guys think we are just waiting to hear from you every day, but we really don't give a shit about you - at least until about 2 weeks before the Primary. Yeah, it's typical Washington fashion to piss away money four months before anyone's paying attention, so I kinda understand... Seriously though, I currently don't have to put my cellphone on vibrate at work, and i'd like to keep it that way. And while you're at it, ask the SCGOP to stop giving my phone number to everyone without permission. Thanks, and good luck!

Mike Reino

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Some Good Advice From a Founding Father on President's Day ....

"It is Error alone that needs the support of government.... Truth can stand by itself."

-Thomas Jefferson.

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SC6's Fuzzy Thoughts - The Keystone Edition

Look at the Size of the Noggin On That Dog !!

Say hi to my Cousin Denise, and her and Cousin Johnny's dog, Sarge.... He's a Bull Mastiff, weighing in at over 200 pounds - which is about the total amount of slobber he creates per day. He's huge, but he's a big softie. Between Sarge and Aunt Dina's boxer, Micky, my black flet coat looks like it's Mohair..... I'm back from Pennsylvania to visit the cousins and my Aunt for the first time in ten years. As the family Press Secretary/Apologist, it's is my civic duty to periodically visit the family, keep them apprised of the latest, and apologize for none of us visiting...... well, since the last time I visited. Here's the cliff's notes version of my weekend......

Couldn't believe it, but I made it there in under three hours...... BTW, the toll for the Verrazano Bridge is now $11.00.... I think I pushed a lady into a speeding ticket in Staten Island by tailgating her. Either that, or it was when she drove onto the shoulder for no reason in front of a cop. Guess it was that on second thought.......Funniest billboard I saw: 'I Hate Steven Singer'. That's it, but they even have a website, http://www.ihatestevensinger.com/ . I'll keep you updated.... Also saw a sign for the Pennsylvania Turnpike that read 'Florence' underneath it - mad me feel like I was home.....

Speaking of which, who are the Ass Clowns who devised the 202-322-422-I76,I-276 can of worms that ends with STOPLIGHTS ??!!!! Now I know why Pops always f**ked up getting on the road when I was a kid.... Speaking of which,everyone asked why I don't help Pops out anymore. I explained. Their answer? 'OHHHHHH'....... First thing I did there? Cheesesteak. Second thing? Scrapple. Third? Beer. Tried to take pictures of the Brandywine Creek Battlefield, but under 3 ft of snow, it kinda loses it's depth....

Family Tree....... Big bombshell: Aunt Dina told me that the reason my grandfather left Sicily was because he uh........ uh, kinda......killed somebody. Yeah... Explains a lot. Luckily there is hope. Somehow , all of my cousin's kids seem to be well-adjusted, upstanding young people. It shows that with the right woman, any bad trait an be eventually washed away in the gene pool...

It's almost assured that Christopher will be headed to Afghanistan soon - and he can't wait to go. Those Airborne guys are crazy, but he's been detached from his brothers in the 82nd while training in Fort San Angelo, Texas, and he misses them bad. This will be his second tour in the War on Terror, and he's ready. His main focus is Intelligence, but man, that kid knows a shitload about guns............ Next up, the Family Reunion in Luzerne, Pennsylvania on August 29th. I'm getting my scorecard ready to keep track of all the relatives. Picture a giant, 150 person Mario Brothers Festival........

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HA, HA,HA,HA,HA,HA !!!!!!!!!

See, there is justice in the world.... Hope you guys are enjoying a taste of what I have gotten this winter. It's not the 3 feet on ground in Pennsylvania right now, but it's enough to probably close school til April.... Bobby sent me plenty of good pictures of the storm, but I thought this was the most symbolic - I call it 'Snow on the Palmetto'....

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Cartoon of the Week ....

No doubt that the cartoon of the week would involve all the snow we've had this week. I thought there might be a Valentine's Day themed one, but alas, no luck. I skipped picking on Sarah Palin again, but this one combined the snowstorm, along with some witty commentary on just WHY nothing ever gets done in DC ....

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Fuzzy Thoughts Blizzard Edition...

The Snow Must Be Clouding My Brain ......

Got another 14 inches yesterday and this morning. It came in two separate strands, so I ended up shoveling the driveway twice - then the snow plow came through at 3:30AM, leaving a 4-foot high snowbank blocking my drive again. Make that shoveled it three times..... I needed the exercise anyway........ I had to apologize to all my friends up here for the snow. I DID ask for it, and I got it.... For those of you laughing at me, don't. I already slapped a Malocchio on you guys this Summer - it's gonna be a friggin 100 degrees plus from June to Labor Day . HAHAHAHA !!!!!!!

On to other things..... So when will drinking and driving officially be termed 'pulling a Dwight Drake'?.......... I still think he looks like Tommy Lee Jones in 'Blown Away'....... The differences between Republicans and Democrats came out this week: Barack Obama uses a teleprompter to talk to schoolkids, and Sarah Palin writes notes on her palm at the Tea Party convention..... Personally, I'd write on my palm too, cause it's cheaper, but the sweat would make me think it read 'Eleanor, Bridget Fonda, Fox, Left Agassi, Sphinx..' No idea what that speech would sound like, but I bet it'd keep their attention....

I forgot to post on Clarendon County's meeting tonight. No more Blue Moon's on the Slough for me, I guess...... So the Saints beat the Colts, which makes that dog 7-0 now..... Bobby, might I suggest after your 1-8 record, you start letting Sandy pick the games. Valentine's Day is coming, and I'm going to my Aunt's house - how sad is that? Funny, while I was in SC, no girls missed me until after I left.... When you start looking at co-workers, it's time to get out! ...... My sister sent me a study by some kooks that are linking soda consumption and pancreatic cancer. Tell that to Patrick Swayze .........That reminds me, I'm thirsty for a Diet Coke......Lastly, word that Bill Clinton has two stents installed in his heart today. Looks like all those trips to McDonald's are finally starting to pay off........

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The Timing Drips of Irony ....

Congressional Allies Pass Away a Day Apart .....

We apologize for the lack of posts this week. I've been shoveling another 14 inches of snow from the driveway, so free time has been at a minimum. I did want to make a small point about the irony of both Charlie Wilson and John Murtha passing away one day apart. Not since John Adams and Thomas Jeffrerson both dying on July 4th, 1826 - on the 50th Anniversary of the Declararation of Independence - have two people so inextricably tied to one another passed away so close to each other.

No, they weren't exactly alike. Although both Wilson and Murtha had military backgrounds, once they got to DC, their views differed, as well as their methods. Wilson was 'Good Time Charlie', whose main weapon was to collect favors, where Murtha was more of a hammer. Murtha also unabashedly admitted he loved The Other White Meat if it benefited his district, where Wilson kept the frills to a minimum. Obviously, in our book, Wilson was as good a Democrat as you could get in DC. If we had more like him, we all might be better off......

Now, onto the tie-in... If you've seen 'Charlie Wilson's War' - one of our favorite movies this decade - you already know it. Wilson served on the Appropriations Committee, which oversaw the military budget, so he was able to procure money for the Mujahadeen's battle against Russia in Afghanistan, with the assistance of Chairman Doc Long. In the late 1970's, there was this little thing called ABSCAM - I think some of you in South Carolina had heard of it. Well, Murtha's desire to do almost anything to help his district got his ass in hot water up to his eyes, and he barely escaped trouble, in part to Charlie Wilson's vote on the subcommitte handling the scandal. Again, someone owed Charlie Wilson a favor.....

Soon afterwards, when Wilson was seriously getting his plan in gear, Doc Long lost his re-election bid, where he was replaced as Chairman by - you guessed it - John Murtha. Seeing

the opportunity to increase the pressure on Russia, Wilson cashed the favor in, and Murtha obliged. Quid Pro Quo is a common practice in Washington, but it does show that some good can come of compromise. Twenty-one years later, Murtha and Wilson are buddying up again. My guess is that Murtha wasn't 100% sure he would get through the Pearly Gates, and Charlie went up to talk God into letting them both in. Quid Pro Quo .....

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SC6 To Take It On The Road ....

I'm not sure if this is an Amish Funeral, or the Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite Chapter of the Hells Angels. One thing I can tell you is that the scenery is quite covered up by snow right now..... After five months of being locked up in New York, we're finally going to cross a bridge, and get off Long Island for a couple days....

Yes, I'll be in Southeastern Pennsylvania to visit my cousins and my godmother, also known as Aunt Dina. Dina is the only person to ever successfully tell my Dad to shut up. I'm going to get pointers while I'm there. The main reason I'll be going is that my cousin Chris is on furlough for two weeks, and then he will be reporting back to the 82nd Airborne in Fort Bragg for deployment. Officially, he hasn't been told where yet, but we're all pretty sure he will be sent to Afghanistan. He was part of the surge that finally got Iraq straight, and hopefully, he can do the same there, and return home safe.

It's been about ten years since I saw the crew, so we'll spend lots of time measuring how much weight we gained, and how much hair we lost.... And of course, I'll endure endless hours of how much better the Eagles and Flyers are than the Giants and Islanders. But, I can always fall back on the Yankees !!! I'll try to send reports from the field, and maybe I'll put a pic of a real Philly Cheesesteak on a post for you!

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This Wasn't the 2nd Black Congressman That Jim Clyburn Was Hoping For In SC...

Like it has been reported for a week or so in the blogosphere, Republican Tim Scott has decided to end his campaign for Lt. Governor in South Carolina, and run for the US House of Representatives in the 1st Congressional District. We've known Tim for about six years now, and he would make a nice addition to the South Carolina delegation in Washington.





This by no means ends any speculation as to who the party nominee will be, but we think Scott would likely be considered a favorite. It's a smart move by Scott, who will find a much easier time running in the Lowcountry (his home area) and the Grand Strand, than statewide, where, honestly and sadly so, some people still have trouble voting for a single, African-American candidate. Besides, we would just LOVE to see Jim Clyburn meet with Tim, and try to show him 'how things are done here' - and let Tim tell The Whipper off......





In related news, this now turns the Lt. Governor's race into a two-horse battle between Ken Ard and Bill Connor. We look forward to the numerous internet comment battles to continue unabated until June...... At least now, the paranoia may be justified !



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Congress Decides to Quit Drinking Tomorrow ....

Congressmen Clavin and Peterson (D-MA) Hail Contradictory Bill

We're not sure if you caught this week during the week, but the House passed a bill to install Pay As You Go to it's spending bills - at the exact same time that they raised the debt ceiling to over $13 Billion...... just to give themselves a little breathing room. To us it's sounds like the guy who's goes on one last nice bender because he's quitting drinking tomorrow. How does that usually work out anyway???

Nothing like a dedicated group of people doing the people's work, and showing a little fiscal restraint, is there?

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SC6 Opens It's Super Bowl Coverage With 'Who Dat Done Started Who Dat?'

About six hours left until the big game, so we thought we'd wet your whistle, and give you a few stories that you might not get anywhere else..... We all know the Saints' unofficial motto is 'Who Dat?' Actually the NFL now owns the rights to the term, but we'll avoid calling them money-grubbing scumbags for today, and just focus on finding out where Who Dat came from....




Liek most things, it was a term used locally in Louisiana in the 1800's. The first known reference to it can be traced to a song by E.E. Rice, called 'Who Dat Say Chicken In Dis Crowd?' In the late 1800's. During the jazz and big band era's high point in New Orleans in the 1920's and 30's, many bands used 'Who Dat?' to be a go-between sing-along with the audience. The rest was entirely made up, but 'Who Dat?' was always the lead-in? For example.... I'd say 'Who Dat Thinks SC6 Sucks?', and you'd reply 'We Dat Think SC6 Sucks!!!" Follow? And so it sat in anonymity locally for decades...... til 1983.





Back then, many of the local schools teams used Who Dat before a game, and former New York Met and local sports reporter Ron Swoboda covered a game for St. Augustine High in 1983, when the Saints started out 4-2, and dreamed of the Super Bowl. The team chanted 'Who dat say they gonna beat St. Aug? Who Dat? Who Dat?' Swoboda got it on tape, played it on TV, and it caught like wildfire. Soon, a local duo wrote a parody to 'When the Saints Go Marching In' with Who Dat, and the song took off too...





Of course, the Saints fell apart that year, but Who Dat always bubbled under the surface, rising up whenever New Orleans fielded a good squad. Now, 'Who Dat' is everywhere, and it's become a sports lexicon, right up there with 'Dem Bums', 'Cowboy Up' , 'You Gotta Believe' and 'I Shit You Not'..... Well, MAYBE that last one hasn't caught on....





www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLCy46NWO4s



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Take Heart, Saints Fans... Lady Says You're Gonna Win Tonight !!

German Shepherd Is 6-0 Picking The Super Bowl .....

Bobby, not to pick on your football picking skills, but when a dog can totally kick your butt..... Anyway, everyone has put in their picks for the score of today's game, and it seems that few outside of Louisiana give the Saints that much of a chance against the Colts today - except perhaps the one who may know more about football than any bi-ped around......

Say hello to Lady, a 14 year old German Shepherd mix who lives in Glen Cove, New York. According to her owner, Vera Von Wiren-Garczynski, Lady has predicted all of the last six Super Bowls correctly. Exactly how does she do it? Well, it's not quite pulling out the scouting reports or watching NFL Network 24/7... Nope, her owner says it all depends on how Lady is feeling a day or two before the game. Like Punxsutawney Phil, if Lady wants to stay out after her walk, the newer AFC wins - if she wants to go in, the the older NFC wins. By this reasoning, a good dose of Glucosamine during Super Bowl week would guarantee an AFC victory every year.....

According to Von Wiren-Garczynski, Lady said 'enough', and went in early. Saints win. She didn't tap her paw on the ground for the Under-Over, so that's all the info we have.... This reminds us of a certain Kenny Rogers song:

'Lady.... you pick the Super Bowl winners, and I love you. You made me $2000 on..... last year's game.'

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Maybe If They Call It The Ice Bowl ...

And finally, we close out our Super Bowl spectacular with the news that the NY Jets/Giants are making a major push to get the 2014 Super Bowl (tentatively Super Bowl IIL , or XLVIII, whichever way is Roman for 48) at the new Giants Stadium in the Swamps of New Jersey. Good Luck, fellas.....

In case the NFL is in a locked closet down in Miami right now, here is today's weather forecast for New York: Sunny and cold, a high of 30 degrees and winds at about 15 MPH, which would make the Wind Chill about 15 degrees - before the 630PM start, where it will drop fast. Oh yeah - IT SNOWED ALMOST 2 FEET YESTERDAY !!!! Imagine Peyton Manning and Drew Brees guiding their high-powered offenses in this mess - or the fans paying thousands of dollars to freeze their asses off....

Nope, New York shouldn't get a Super Bowl. The game should be played in optimal conditions, and this ain't it. If they wanted a Super Bowl, they should have put a roof on the place....

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Cartoon(s) of the Week...

Our favorite types of political cartoons are the ones where they incorporate non-political events with current political events. We found two this week that were pretty appropriate. For those of you not stuck on politics, the Oscar nominations were announced, and Tuesday was Groundhog Day...

No need to tell the people on the East Coast that we have six more weeks of Winter - and 3 more years of no fiscal restraint...

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And One For the Other Side....

See, I can give equal time occasionally.........




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Who Should You Be More Ticked Off At For Making $9 Million Last Year ??

In Our Book, Goldman-Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfeld Was a Much Better Buy Than Panthers' QB Jake Delhomme.....

While we weren't happy with the Golden Parachutes and excessive bonuses that were thrown around before TARP, it makes us laugh to see just how Anti-Capitalist some people can be. We don't react to other bloggers too often, but seeing Waldo's one sentence comment on Goldman-Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfeld's $9 million pay for 2009 was great. As usual, his analysis was about as in-depth as the comment....

Yeah, $9 million is a lot of money. But, a look around at exactly what $9 Million gets you nowadays makes Blankfeld seem like a good deal. Need an example? You don't need to go far, just drive up I-77 from Columbia for 90 miles, and there's a great example: Carolina Panthers QB Jake Delhomme....

The Cajun QB signed a 5 year/$42.5 million extension before this year, of which $20 Million is guaranteed , or as Jake might say, GAR-ON-TEED !! What did Panther fans get for that $8.5 mil per? Delhomme threw 8 TD's and 18 Interceptions. Only once did he throw 2 TD's in a game, which is five times less than the number of times he threw 2 Ints in a game. Matt Miller then took over and showed them how to win again. That's a pretty poor return on investment, or ROI....

As for Blankfeld, let's check out his year.. In all honesty, he was a good example of what was wrong with Wall Street. In 2007, Blankfeld was given a whopping $68 million bonus. Short of owning a company, no one should earn that much, but when the shit hit the fan, he was one of the few to actually get it. Last year, he wasn't paid. How did Goldman-Sachs do in 2009? First off, they paid all the TARP money they borrowed ($10 Billion) back with interest fully in June, so they owe Barack Obama nothing. Besides that, they did pretty well... They earned a profit of $13.3 Billion, which earned their stockholders dividends of over $66 million last year. Most of those people are middle class citizens who have stock as part of their 401(k) to save for college, retirement, etc.

Now for the part that Waldo didn't mention, or probably didn't even notice: Blankfeld didn't even actually make $9 million. He got only $600,000 in cash, and $8.1 million in stock that he can't sell for at least 5 years. Yeah, you probably gagged when I said 'only', but $600k for running a Wall Street Multinational is nothing. That kind of money won't even get you a Co-Op in Manhattan. That $8.1 could be more if the stock price rises, but with the current price at $154 a share, it could be worth way less too...

So, how do guys make $9 million a year? Maybe a little luck, but the right guy in the right spot is worth it. I know a guy who bills clients $550 an hour. Last week, he went into a company currently losing about $4 million a year, went through their books, and made recommendations that will turn that $4 million loss into a $4 million profit - without firing anyone, or cutting pay. Think that $22,000 was a good investment for the company? You bet. Just like paying Blankfeld .0067% of the profit was a good idea. Real talent is worth that much....

But the real question is this: Can he throw a football?

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