OK, OK... It's Only Half That Many Teeth
On a personal note, we will be off from work on Wednesday, as we are getting two wisdom teeth pulled. Yeah, most people get them pulled at 25, but dental coverage was a lost item for us the past five years or so.
In hindsight, we've had a ton of related health problems from it: tooth pain, swollen glands, sinus problems, dizziness, etc. Our hope is that these all end with the impacted tooth being yanked out at long last.. We'll see.
Whether we are just out for the day, or longer depends on if my face looks like a chipmunk, or if it goes as well as the last time I had a tooth pulled. Didn't even take an aspirin last time. But wisdom teeth are supposed to be another matter. Wish us luck!
.
The Pee Dee Getting it's Own Congressional District Even Has Johnny Drama Yelling 'Victory' !!!!
Maybe we should find it a coincidence that the day after we recommend the new 7th Congresssional district be given to the Pee Dee and Grand Strand, it gets passed.... We used to think that, but after six or seven times, we have to accept the fact that someone somewhere important is listening to us. Yeah, we have THAT much pull....
While we will be sad to have to give up our Vice Chairmanship of the 6th District, and we are losing our Muse, Jim Clyburn, we can't helpbut feel that we will finally be represented well, and by someone who actually cares about the Pee Dee and Grand Strand, other than appreciating our golf courses..
.
OK, so Congress has pulled out some kind of compromise with the Debt Ceiling. So far, all we've heard is that $1 Trillion in cuts will come over the next ten years. Now it might be $2.4 Trillion. So, what is it??
Basically here is our opinion based on the lack of solid information: any cut is better than defaulting and sending the economy and financial markets down the shitter. Businesses are actually doing relatively OK, but they are holding off hiring or spending because Washington has no set agenda on what it will be doing in the future. With no clear picture, business will hold back and the economy will remain stagnant. If DC can let Wall Street and Main Street know what the playing field will be, then they can plan. It's like buying a car. If you think you might be fired tomorrow, you ain't gonna hit the dealer lot yet...
Our hope is for cutting the budget deficit in half in Year One, and balanced in three to four years, which often happens on it's own with a gowing economy. When the numbers come, then we'll see. Until then, we'll reserve judgement...
.
"Would it not be better to simplify the system of taxation rather than to spread it over such a variety of subjects and pass through so many new hands."
-
Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1784.
Damn straight, TJ! The Flat Tax's time has come. Everyone should pay a little. Forget the deductions and loopholes. Just put a two tiered Flat Tax with one credit at the poverty line and get it overwith. One thing that definitely is not flat is Brazilian beauty Fran Slaverio. We'd like for her to pass through our hands...
.
While the top story is undoubtedly the budget negotiations and Debt ceiling, we thought we'd give you a break from it for this post. With Borders Books going down for the count (with Barnes & Noble not far behind), we liked the nifty use of a slogan to signify the death of all paper media... Same goes for the Post Office closings. Think I'll buy some stock in Dinosaurs while I'm at it...
.
Two Plans For the 7th Leave SC Republicans Battling Themselves ...... Almost Literally!
We've been keeping an eye on South Carolina's new 7th District planning go on for a while now. With a majority in Congress, Senate and House, you'd think Republicans would have an easy time gerrymandering the districts (oops! did we say gerrymander?) to make everyone happy. You'd be wrong....
Thanks to the wonders of Facebook, we've been able to keep up with the little war going on between the House and Senate plans for the 7th. From what we've seen, the main combatants are Rep. Alan Clemmons(R-Horry) and Sen. Larry Grooms (R-Bonneau Beach). Not that it's 100% confirmed, but the whispers that Clemmons is setting up the 7th for a 2012 bid have been around for some time, even to the chagrin of fellow Grand Strand Republicans. Grooms' motivation is slightly different...
Berkeley County is Grooms' home county, and it is one of the areas being flipped back and forth. Florence County is in the same boat as well... Right now, Grooms is in part of the 6th - just barely. In this case, and in the case of just about every Republican involved, the motivation is the same - the wish to be out of Jim Clyburn's district....
Give them both credit for trying to get the hell out of Dodge... That is about where the credit ends. We don't like the comments sent back and forth - and to their fellow Republicans. Clemmons jab that Grooms is more in cahoots with the Democrats then Republicans, and Grooms noting that the House plan was called the 'Clyburn Plan'... Not pretty stuff.
So, what do we think of the two plans? Honestly, we prefer the House plan, and it's not just because Florence County ends up in the new 7th, not the 6th. As far as the GOP is concerned, the House plan gives Republicans the best shot at six seats. Yes, Jim Clyburn actually strengthens his hold on Congress with the House plan (we've already said that). As for the Pee Dee and Grand Strand, the 7th would be pretty solid GOP, at least for a new district.
Grooms' plan has a couple weaknesses. First off, Williamsburg, western G'town, and all the way to the Georgia line - with the exception of southern Berkley and Beaufort Counties - are solidly Democrat. Any Republican candidate would start out with an automatic 50,000 vote disadvantage. Impossible? No, but much tougher.. Secondly, what candidate can afford to put ads in the Charleston, Savannah/Hilton Head and Columbia markets? Yet another tall order. The House plan is set up much smarter in the media markets..
No, they're not done yet. The bickering will go on for a while longer, but we will respect the motivation by both Clemmons and Grooms. It's a long ten years before they get another chance to get out of the 6th. Clemmons is hoping the Pee Dee can push him through, and Grooms is going for the inland coast support. Can't blame either of them for trying...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUpBSvN1a50
.
A Major Battle Is Fought.. And a Legend Is Born.
At long last, we get to the meat of the Civil War - an actual battle! Not to get too excited about people dying, but until now, it's all been talk and conjecture. On the field is usually where wars are won and lost. Not that 90 days is really proper time to prepare for a war, but in 1861, both sides thought the Civil War would be a quick and relatively bloodless fight. July 21, 1861 put a quick end to that theory...
Like we said, neither side was well prepared for war, but by July, the itch to mix it up was too great. From the North, the cry to race to Richmond - only 110 miles from Washington - and put down the Confederacy was too strong. Troops moved out from well fortified Washington, and headed South...
To give a short explanation, most battles in the Civil War have 2 names: the North used the nearest body of water (in this case, Bull Run), and the South used the nearest city (Manassas, Virginia). Gen. Irvin McDowell was in charge of the Army of Northeastern Virginia (???), and he was reassured by President Lincoln victory was possible. Lincoln's words were 'Yes, you are green, but they are green too - you are all green alike'. What we found out was there are varying levels of green...
With 28,000 men, McDowell moved near Manassas with a plan to engage Beauregard's left flank, and sweep his extra troops (Beauregard had 21,000) around to the South, cut off his rail lines, and seperate Beauregard from Richmond. The ironic part is Beauregard was also planning a left flank attack. had they both doen so, the field would have been completely spun around , with the Union on the South, and the Confederacy on the North - then what ???
Like any battle with inexperienced troops, it was a mess... McDowell struck first, including hitting Beauregard's HQ at the home of Wilmer McLean (he'll be back in 4 yrs), but the paths were tighter than expected, and they got bottled up. Still, the Union had control of the field early... The South was disorganized, but McDowell failed to advance his troops. In the center of the flank were Confederate Gen's Francis Bartow , Nathan Evans and Barnard Bee. Pinned down on Henry House Hill, they were finally helped by Thomas J. Jackson , with help from Col. Wade Hampton and JEB Stuart's cavalry...
Jackson set up on the backside of the hill, where he engaged in a cannon battle, as the Union troops continued to press. Bee warned to Jackson they were close to being overrun. Jackson's answer? 'Then we will give them the bayonet.' A pious man, with almost no fear of dying, Jackson held firm. this is where history and rumor split. The legend is that Bee was saying to inspire his troops " "There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer. Rally behind the Virginians." Others think that, out of an anger for Jackson not him support earlier, Bee's 'Jackson is standing like a stone wall' was a comment of derision... Which ever one is unknown - Bee was shot in battle soon after, and died the next day. Either way, it matters little - the name stuck.
Jackson held firm, telling his troops to wait until the Union got close, then attack with bayonets and yell like furies - the very first Rebel Yell, which lasted until 1984, when Billy Idol stole it.... The actual turning point was, course, a mistake - a military turnover. Union gunners mistook a rebel brigade for the North, and the Condererates overran them, took the guns, and blew a hole in the Union lines. Combined with supplemental troops from Gen. Jubal Early and Kirby Smith, the South was in control of the field, and McDowell was retreating...
Ahh, the retreat.... It was relatively calm crossing Bull Run, but at nearby Cub Creek bridge, a Union wagon was knocked over by Confederate artillery, and the troops began to panic. Many dropped their guns and they then ran into civilians. Yes, people actually thought it would be FUN to watch the battle. It soon became bedlam.. One commander asked a retreating Union soldier to stop and fight. "Don't you love your country?" asked the commander... "Yes, and I'm trying to get back to it as fast as I can!!" replied the soldier...
With inexperience once again showing, the South was unable to capitalize and cut off the troops from DC. Thus it ended, and both sides chose to regroup and train a bit more. McDowell was replaced with George McClellan, who proceeded to inflate the army to 125,000 men before being forced by Lincoln to go into Virginia again.
That day was the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil. Between the two armies, 847 men died, and 2706 were wounded. It gives you an idea of how small the battles of the American Revolution were. But, unfortunately, this was a minor skirmish compared to the carnage that was to follow in the next 4 years...
.
"The value of liberty was thus enhanced in our estimation by the difficulty of its attainment, and the worth of characters appreciated by the trial of adversity."
- George Washington, in a letter to the people of South Carolina, 1790.
Yes, that which does not kill us can only make us stronger.... Nothing valuable was easy to come by. One thing we value here are ho redheads, and Penny Drake definitely fits the bill for us...
.
Is there something still going on in DC? That's a big wave ..... and a small and porous-looking gate. Good luck with that, Mr. President.
.
Amy Winehouse's Passing Proves An Old Post of Our's Right
We're sure all of you know by now about the death of Amy Winehouse by now. Musically, we don't know if her best days were already past her at age 27, but we know two things for sure: First, we'll never know the answer to that, and secondly, drugs robbed it from her...
For those longtime readers of the blog, you may have remembered a post from a couple years ago, stating ours worries that this day would come. Rumors then that her husband had turned her into a heroin addict, and hearing this past month that she walked out of rehab was not a good sign.
The toughest part in becoming a successful singer or musician is to be able to differentiate yourself. Listen to the cookie cutter music that Disney Channel and Pop Music churns out, and you'll know what I mean... Winehouse not only did that with her voice, but her music as well. Yes, it was a rebirth of music from the past, but still, no one else was doing what she was. Today, singers like Adele, who we absolutely love, owe a kudo or two for blazing a trail for non-trad pop singers to break through.
Of course, the toughest part of BEING a star is handling the fame and success, and Winehouse did that badly. Fame turns you almost into a cartoonish figure, where the normal parts of who you are gets lost. It seems that she spent too much time feeding the bad girl routine, and the drugs soon follow. There is a hard, cold fact: Heroin kills. I know of one person who did heroin, and he is dead. Riding the snake is a dance with Satan that ends in one way: The House Wins.
Amy Winehouse now joins the long list of other rock stars who didn't make it to 28: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and a few others... many of them involved Heroin. If there is anything to learn from stupidity like this, that is it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUmZp8pR1uc&ob=av2n
.
Got it? Okay..... The sooner you learn this, the easier life will be to figure out. Got this from my friend Tina's Facebook page....
.
"The eyes of the world being thus on our Country, it is put the more on its good behavior, and under the greater obligation also, to do justice to the Tree of Liberty by an exhibition of the fine fruits we gather from it."
- James Madison to James Monroe, 1824.
I always find letters between presidents to be interesting, especially from that time. It always lets us know that they were fully aware of the importance of America's success. One bit of fruity goodness? Faye Steinbeck's body... Yikes!
.
And ........ We wait some more.
.
While we don't spread nasty rumors, we found it funny to hear on the slander wire that the husband of Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesoota) is gay. Not that there is anything wrong with it - the uncomfortable transition to The First Lady to The First Gentleman would be a bit smoother that way...
We don't quite believe the rumor. Anyone who thinks that homosexuality can be prayed out is obviously not gay. We're not sure how yet, but once we lose one from our team, they never come back. Maybe he's bisexual, but who knows. If he is, voting for Bachmann may be a smart choice then. After all, anyone who can perform a 'conversion' can handle anything DC can dish out....
Making a gay man straight? That's the most amazing thing I've heard a girl do since I heard the Mick Jagger say 'you make a Dead Man come'. Start Me Up indeed....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG2b3VhSCC4
.
It's been a while since we put up a New Music Pick (or anything aside from Cartoon of the Week or Founders Quotes for that matter). Anyway, once in a while, we'll hit a music rut. Then we'll switch channels, and find something new. Today, we highlight Gomez....
Not sure where they got the name, but we doubt it was from John Astin's character on 'The Addams Family'... Hailing from Southport (England, not North Carolina), they are made up of singer/guitarist Ian Ball, bassist Paul Blackburn, singer/guitarist/keyboardist Tom Gray, singer/guitarist Ben Ottewell and drummer/synth Olly Peacock, they have a standard peppy English sound. kinda reminds me of Spoon, but they're a rarity - not many bands have 3 singers, so who knows who's singing what? But, it does giving you room to be well rounded and balanced.
Here is a clip of their song, 'Options'. Enjoy, and we'll see you soon!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFeIW_6PCe8
.
The Captain Sends David Price's Third Inning 3-2 Curveball Into the Seats...
OK, we're lying..... This was actually Hit Number 2999. On Number 3000, I got the back of the guy in front of me's shirt. Thanks for jumping in front of me at the last second, shithead !! Still, this is a pretty good pic, considering I had to guess the timing based on the windup. Take enough pictures, and one of them has to come out good, right?
Maybe the pictures weren't perfect, but for me, the day sure was.. Saturday was yours truly's 43rd birthday. I have to thanks Carol and Joe for the great gift. At first, I told them I didn't care what I wanted for my birthday. Fearing the usual dinner - cake thing, I was honest: I hadn't been to a game at Yankee Stadium since 1981, and Bombers were playing at home, so I wanted to go. Then stuff got crazy.... All I wanted was to get seats - anywhere. But Joe is a nut with funds, so the next thing I know, were only eleven rows behind the Yankee dugout, and luck would put us right in front of Derek Jeter going for 3000. Thank God for the Friday rainout....
It was a day full of first time in a long times: first time on the train and subway in 16 years. No, I don't like going to the city... Joe, Carol and Matty are ready to hit the park - and the bar!
We had an hour to kill, so we got a beer, then headed up the Audi Lounge, where we found out that you can't bring beer into the elevators. Just got number 2, so we pounded that one, had another at the lounge, then discovered it was 5 minutes to game time, so we slammed another one. Beer number four in an hour is a bit ahead of my schedule, but I managed to not puke....
The place looks almost fake. BTW, Reid Brignac, this will be the ONLY time you make my blog!
There were only 2 things hotter than the July sun: One was AJ Burnett (9k's in 5 2/3 innings). Aside from a couple gopherballs, he was dominant...
Make that three things... Carol's looking pretty badass before the game. How the Hot Chick cam missed her is beyond me. Still, top honors went to someone else.....
I like Derek Jeter a lot, although you always kind of hold back a bit because he's always been a favorite of the girls, and he's so damned perfect. But, the way he took over the game on Saturday, when all eyes were on him, was legendary. Not many guys can make 55000 people jump up and down, hugging and high-fiving total strangers.... It was almost unbelieveable that the greatest franchise in all of sports never had a player get 3000 hits. Going 5-5 with the game winning hit in the bottom of the 8th is perhaps Jeter's finest stamp on a Hall of Fame career. No dinky broken bat single in the waning moments of a too long career here, but only the second 3000th hit Home Run ever. The rumor mill about when Jeter will be replaced has been humming for a year. DJ silenced those whispers in a big way with his game Saturday.
The game couldn't have been better. Even Mariano Rivera came in to close out the win, although I wasn't in the stands for it. Didn't need to be - I heard every pitch... Then, the real fun began!
After yelling 'Best Birthday Ever !!!' about 20 times, we headed next door to the Hard Rock Cafe for another beer, and wait for the train... Good times make for new friends - and we made a couple.
Say hey to Molly and Courtney.. They're from Buffalo originally, but Molly (the tall one) works in the city now, and damned if Courtney's fiancee works at the Robinson Plant in Hartsvegas. Matty got to take their pic....
But tell 'em your a famous blogger, and the Ass Shots just seem to come out of nowhere.. Even talked them into coming out to Long Island, but that's a story for another day. Shake it, girl !!
.
"There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."
- James Madison, 1788.
JM is right as usual.. Rarely do the people ever lose their freedoms by coups or sudden change. It usually happens slowly, bit by bit. Then one day, we wake up and go "Hey what happened?" As for Meredith Parker, we know exactly where she went to - she took the express train to Hottieville!
.
With the last Space Shuttle takeoff this week, we close out the longest continuing NASA program. Budget cuts are nothing new to NASA - the Apollo program lost it's last 2 scheduled missions back in the 70's. With at least five years with no planned flights, we enter another quiet period in Space Exploration. Will NASA's dreamers be able to work on the next step in manned flight..... or have we hit a dead end?
.
Calling P-Luv ...... We Need A Barrister's Explanation of Today's Casey Anthony Verdict .
Here is our question for today: is it possible for seven female and five males jurors to all be thinking with their dicks? We'll be the first to admit that we thought Casey Anthony was hot, but today's ruling was unbelievable... As bad as the OJ Simpson trial? Pretty damned close...
A profound thing has hit us: in this day of CSI solving EVERYTHING in under 60 minutes with 3.5 billion to 1 probability, without a solid eyewitness, juries are finding it impossible to convict anyone..
Circumstantially, the case seemed pretty solid. People don't bury their 2 year old daughters with duct tape and three plastic bags if they accidentally drowned in the pool, or whatever alibi she gave. But, the instructions are beyond a reasonable doubt. Do we think that was met? Oh yeah.... But, there will always be sympathy for a 22 year old single mom who couldn't handle raising a child, and killed here. The only place that didn't seem true was on my block ten years ago in Florence....
Its been a while since we got guidance from P-Luv to try and make legal sense of the almost inexplicable. We'll call in our chits now. We promise - a free Bombay Sapphire and Tonic the next time we're in Flotown...
.
Oh Yeah... This Is What the 4th of July Is About!
While we too enjoy fireworks, cookouts and an extra day off from work (actually, we worked Saturday, so we only had a two day weekend), we try to remember exactly what the Fourth of July is all about... We're spending our day watching the John Adams miniseries on HBO...
Not that we haven't had our fair share of fun too.. Saturday was one of those unforgettable days, as we went to Joe and Carol's annual 4th of July bash, except it was even more special this year, as we celebrated my brother Matt's 50th birthday the day earlier. Headlining the party was the two of us, along with Phil and Big Brian, as Narcdog rocked the patio, pool and a fiev squeare mile area around the house. Yeah it was loud, but word wa the neighbors loved us last year, so we weren't worried about the cops. We were right.
As much of a goofball as Matt is, he has a certain lovability - one that I lack - that makes people do special things for him. We had a big surprise for him this year, as my siser Monica flew in from Florida for the weekend. We'd like to thank Southwest Airlines online special for making this possible. She walked in as we just finished our secons song, and Matt was floored. Nice.... As usual, we kicked ass for three full sets, including me doing Neon Trees 'Animal' by myself...
Luckily, the hot summer weather held off until after we played. For here, it is kinda warm today - mid to upper 80's and it is sunny. Probably about 7-8 degrees above normal, but no where near the heat in the Palmetto State this time of year. Yes, this is the time of year where we get to laugh at you!
Again, I want to take a minute to apologize for the lack of posts and communication with most of you. The band had 2 shows in the past 3 weekends, with practices as well, and I am trying to spend my days off with those I care about here, which is no easy task. Suffice to say, when I get home to the studio apartment, and the bed is only three feet from the laptop, the bed often wins the battle....
.
"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country."
- Noah Webster, 1788.
We read an article last week that said 80% of kids grduating high school have little to no basic knowledge of US history. What once was a standard part of our education seems to be getting lost in the shuffle of technology. The fact is, both are important. Keeping up to date, along with learning what mistakes and victories got us here should be a part of every child's upbringing. Some things are classic - like Ashley Hartman's beauty.... Surely, you didn't think I'd forget that!
.
Modern technology has even hit the Vatican, as even Pope Benedict XVI has opened an account on Twitter. Ashton Kutcher, been warned - The Pope can take take out any takers in 140 spaces or less !!! Meanwhile, we prefer not to bore you with our tweets....
.
