SC6 New Music Pick: Ray LaMontagne 'For the Summer'

     We've got some babysitting duties to tackle this afternoon.  Such is the price you pay for staying with friends free for a year.  It'll be nice to get out of the apartment for a couple hours anyway... We should drop another post or two later tonight, but just in case, we'll do our New Music pick...


   We'll keep it quiet and relaxing this Sunday. Ray Lamontagne first came to us when we found him on Ms. X's old MySpace page.  You've probably heard his first hit, 'Trouble' on commercials.  The dog taking his bone to the bank, freakign out, and eventually burying it in his backyard? Today, we'll play 'For the Summer'....


    Maybe becuase it's been cold for so long, but we like this one.  It reminds us of old Neil Young, except LaMontagne sings much better than Young does.  Hope you enjoy it, and thanks as always for reading.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAJM0Jgir4I

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SC6 Recaps the Winter of 2010-11... In Midseason.

   You know that it's cold when 35 degrees feels like a Heat Wave.  That's what it's pretty much like today... We get lots of cartoons sent to us, and these that Ben sent this week hit the nail on the head in this year of Snow, Snow, Snow...

   Right now, we pretty much are.. Ten inch snow storms for five straight weeks.  One day above 40 since mid-December. Sixty-plus inches of snow... Looking forward to Spring.

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Those Silly Egyptians, Wanting Their Freedom..

      Egypt - and the Unites States for that matter - are in a Pig In a Poke situation here.  We'll start off bluntly... We don't really have an answer for a smooth resolution here.  Short of Hosni Mubarak stepping down, and leaving some sort of strong government behind him, Egypt will be a turbulent mess.  In transitioning from a auticracy to real democracy, these things will happen.



    Yes, sometimes it involves blood - so far about 35 people - and political upheaval.  Things are breaking down as we speak.  Violence between the Cairo police and protestors, looting across the nation, and the rock solid demand that Mubarak stepping down is the only reasonable fix.. These are not factors that lead to peaceful resolutions.  The Obama administration appears to be working towards a Mubarak resignation.  Terms like 'smooth transition' are definite signs they want him to end his reign at 30 years...



    The obvious problem is that there are HUGE unknowns: who takes over? what new freedoms will the people be given? how do they fix the economic troubles? Mubarak is not a favorite of the US - he is no Anwar Sadat - but, he is a known at least.  Israel may be our bets friend in the Middle East, but Egypt is definitely second.  Israel has it easy compared to Egypt... It's no picnic to be an Arab state and support the United States there.  The fear that the people expect too much from whoever takes over, and eventually Egypt takes a step back and becomes a fundamentlist Muslim state, is a worst case scenario.  The Suez Canal - the gateway from Europe to the Indian Ocean - under extremist control.  Big Problems there...



    Does Mubarak put his country over himself, and leave it better than it is now? We'll see.... Being a ruler for decades makes you think that you're invincible, and that it will last forever. But, nothing lasts forever.  Ask Saddam Hussein. Ask the Shah of Iran.  Ask dozens of 'Presidents For Life'... Everything ends at some point - except this blog, maybe!  The bigger question may be will it end peacefully .... or does it get ugly? We'll see.  We'll see.....

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Today's Founders Quote: Anchor of Hope

"I have been happy ... in believing that ... whatever follies we may be led into as to foreign nations, we shall never give up our Union, the last anchor of our hope, and that alone which is to prevent this heavenly country from becoming an arena of gladiators."
-Thomas Jefferson, 1797.


We wouldn't mind being anchored onto Bahara Golestani for a little while either...

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Cartoon of the Week.... With a Freebie!

      With the cartoons usually being a week behind, we haven't seen any Egypt related 'toons, but we're sure they'll be here next week.  So, with little esle politically to talk about, we chose this one...

But, we couldn't pass up this one to remember the Godfather of Fitness, Jack LaLanne...





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Happy Birthday, Uncle Buzz Lightyear !!

Ranger Ron McGill Hits the Big ...... Uhh, We Don't Know.


      Just a note to tell you to wish Florence GOP workhorse/technical guru and all-around good guy Ron McGill a happy birthday. We're not sure how old he is - we suggest you either ask him, or cut him in half and count the rings....


     We make a point to note our loyal readers and commenters birthdays, although we don't know everyone's DoB.. We suspect West Rhino has no birthday, but rather a date of creation in a secret government lab in New Mexico of Glaptorth 7 of the Ganna Galaxy. We'll get back with you on that. Congrats, Ron, and keep an eye on that nephew of yours !

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Today's Founders Quote: Smiles of Heaven

"There exists in the economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness … we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained."

- George Washington's 1789 Inaugural Address


   Yes, there is a direct correlation between Virtue and Happiness.  A virtuous person never has to worry about his conscience, which most directly leads to happiness.  We're not sure of her virtue, but poker player Katie Porrello makes us happy.  We imagine it'd be hard to notice your Royal Flush with her at the table.. Lokks like she's holding Two of a Kind!

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SC6 Has It's Own Katrina Moment ...

       Okay, Okay ..... No, we didn't get stranded without food and shelter for a week from a Category 5 hurricane.  But, we did have an odd past 24 hours here at our new digs.  Last night, we looked forward to a quiet night and day off today after 12 hours at work.  It didn't work out that way....


    It started when we noticed a watery glaze on the driveway (it's been below freezing for a month here).  In the darkness, we unlocked the door, and on our first step in - SPLASH !!! I got the lights on, and noticed that half of my apartment was underwater - and the busted water pipe from the cold was right behind the wall.  Luckily, most of the valuables (my guitars, clothes, and my autographed Joe Wilson photo) were on the high end of the apartment.  Still, there was no water, and the carpet was soaked...


   It was a nice team effort there.  My landlord's whole family came down to vacuum up, move my stuff, and get it fixed later that night.  They even offered to put me up in a hotel, but Carol and Joe gladly had me over.  No, it's not 100% back to normal yet:  the carpet padding is still a bit wet, and will have to be replaced probably.  Also, my stuff is all pushed to one side until it's fixed.  But, it could have been a lot worse.  It's snowing ANOTHER foot tonight, so commuting to work in the AM is more of a concern right now.  We'll live... This post is brought to you by ServPro..

ServPro - Like It Never Even Happened!





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Proving That Congressmen Are Every Bit the Asshole You Are ..... And Then Some.

       The award for Moron Congressman goes to Dennis Kucinich... Yes, the congressman from Lilliput, Ohio - he's so short, he probably would have beaten James Madison for tiniest President - is suing the catering company that gave him a wrap with something so disgusting, we can hardly mention it.  it was - GASP !!! - an Olive Pit.   For $150,000 , or roughly 90% of his annual taxpayer-paid salary......



      Maybe we're all screwed up, but this sounds a bit excessive to us.  From the court filing, he apparently bit into it, and damaged a tooth.  Unless it incapacitated his from doing his duties for 10 1/2 months, we'd throw it out, but that's P-Luv's specialty.  Did we forget to mention it happened in 2008 - the year he ran for the White House?  Case closed. Go home, retard.....



     Actually, we do have some experience in this matter.  Back in 1996, when I managed a Roy Rogers, we had a customer accidentally get the end of a rubber glove in her salad. She damn near choked on it, and came to me... I apologized, paid for her meal, took her name and put it on the wall in the manager's office, and told her she ate here free whenever she wanted.  She left stunned, yet happy....


    That's the way things get handled when it's done right and in a courteous manner.  Yeah, I got a little lucky, but when people put things in perspective - and not be assholes - our judicial system is free to take care of REAL business....

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Color Coding Gets Phased Out....

Illiterate Xenophobes Scream Out For Justice !!!


     Yes, it's true.... The Department of Homeland Security has announced that it's olor-coded alert system, adopted by the Bush Administration, will be eliminated by this April.  Those of you who couldn't tell the difference between 'Guarded' and 'Elevated' (isn't Guarded WORSE than Elevated?), and relied solely upon Red, Yellow and Orange are officially screwed.. We recommend you do like we do - live life in blissful ignorance. Better you don't see it coming anyway....

According to our sources, this is the new system DHS will now use.  Got a problem? Call Janet Napolitano....







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SC6 Celebrates Another Milestone ...

We Have the Power For Post Number 3K .....


     Welcome as we turn the corner on yet another landmark post number.. Thanks for joining us as we mark our 3000th Blog Post.  With that, we will look forward to our automatic induction in the Hall of Fame.  Wait a second, that's hits and baseball... Hey, like a 3000 hit batter, we might not have ever been the best blog or a perennial MVP, but we've always stuck around with a timely game here and there....


    No, we aren't celebrating with any great fanfare or giveaways - just a quick note to thank you guys for reading and contributing to SC6 for the past 5+ years.  Also, we want to address what our plans for the future are with the blog.. We had planned to get to 3000, and then call it a day.  But, a funny thing or two occurred in the past month.  Mainly, we got our own place again, so our time is ours, andsometimes we get pretty bored. SC6 is still our outlet when time is aplenty, and we found out that 10-20,000 people hit us up a month.  So, we'll just keep going, and we'll make more of an effort to keep up with the latest in SC politics...

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Today's Founder Quote: Rainy Days

"As on the one hand, the necessity for borrowing in particular emergencies cannot be doubted, so on the other, it is equally evident that to be able to borrow upon good terms, it is essential that the credit of a nation should be well established."

-Alexander Hamilton, 1790.

    It's no different for you, I or the Federal Government - good credit and financial restraint are important.  Then again, if bootylicious Melanie Walsh asked me to give her five bucks, we'd give it to her...

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Cartoon of the Week ...

     Chinese president Hu Jiantao's visit to the White House - and all the pomp and circumstance surrounding it - was the talk of the cartoon world this week.  We thought this one was the funniest - and unfortunately, the most true...

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SC6 Tells Who Punches Their Super Bowl Tickets

Will Big Ben and the Steelers Fall Victim to the SC6 Photo Curse ??  Ask Tom Brady About It...


      Yep, we purposely put Tom Brady on our photo highlight last week, and it worked... We're like 5-0 in getting a team knocked out with the picture.  Yeah, picking Matt Cassel was no miracle choice, but we're entitled to an easy one now and then....


     We've got 2 nice games lined up. All four could make the Super Bowl, but only 2 can go.  We tried to line up all the empirical data, enter it into our supercomputer, and make our picks.  But, in the end, we just guessed.  After all, we're not that smart.  Hey, we're friggin' 0-4 on Saturday, but 3-1 on Sunday.  Onto the picks:



Green Bay at Chicago
      Word is, Julious Peppers is realy, really bummed about leaving Carolina... Aaron Rodgers was absolutely unconscious last week against Atlanta, but Soldier Field isn't the track meet in the Georgia Dome.  Yes, Rodgers is waaaaay better than Jay Cutler, but this is an outdoor game, and that favors defense, which Chicago is better at.  I usually think that teams that let someone in the playoffs later regret it.  However, the Bears played the Packers even, before sitting everyone. Meanwhile, Rodgers struggled just to get the W.  We'll go with the home team....Bears 20-17.



New York Jets at Pittsburgh
       Say what you want, but Mark Sanchez is 4-1 in the playoffs.  Then again, he's 0-1 in AFC Championship games... Ben Roethlisberger is pretty good in the playoffs, adn he's got the rings to prove it.. The Jets defense is excellent, but The Steelers is even better.  Yeah, Darrelle Revis will clamp off Hines Ward, but Mike Wallace will eat up Antonio Cromartie on stop routes all day - just enough.  Meanwhile, Sanchez is due for one of his patented 'bad games', and as he goes, so goes the Jets.  I can't win either way - not with all the Steeler and Jet fans that are my friends - but we're going for one more lucky Steeler win... Steelers 24-14.


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A Big Birthday Week in SC Politics

Some of Us Prefer to Celebrate Anonymously ....


      Since we respect the right to privacy, we found this picture of P-Luv from a recent Duck Killing trip to Arkansas. We suppose it's enough to keep Mayor Wukela's right hand man anonymous. His birthday is tomorrow, and we suspect he will celebrate with an Purple Haze and a Bombay Sapphire & Tonic.  But hey, he's not the only one this week celebrating a birthday...

It's also SCFYR Chair (and bride to be) Britton Pruett's birthday as well. Congrats Britton, and best wishes for wedded bliss...

Lastly, two-time SC6 candidate Nancy Harrelson is celebrating her birthday as we speak.. It's been a busy couple years of campaigning for her, so we're sure she's enjoying the day..






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Today's Founders Quote: Sublime Comforts

"Give up money, give up fame, give up science, give the earth itself and all it contains rather than do an immoral act. And never suppose that in any possible situation, or under any circumstances, it is best for you to do a dishonorable thing, however slightly so it may appear to you... From the practice of the purest virtue, you may be assured you will derive the most sublime comforts in every moment of life, and in the moment of death."

- Thomas Jefferson, 1785.

Kinda fits in with our previous post. Hollywood may disagree, but it sounds like good advice to us.  France's Angelique Boyer gives us some comfort as well.. Oui, Oui !!

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Taking a Look Back With the Help of a Movie ....

       For a while now, and in this past decade in particular, the relationship between Washington DC and Hollywood has been a huge topic.  While the rich and powerful in both places have no more direct power on Election Day - it is still on person, one vote - the discussion has been on Hollywood using it's influence to direct an outcome in DC...



    Director Robert Levinson's 2009 documentary, 'Poliwood', focuses on the 2008 Presidential race - particularly the RNC and DNC national conventions, and how many stars in Tinseltown worked to educate themselves - and others - and take part in the process...


     No, it's not a perfect picture by any means.. It tries to be impartial, but with the obvious liberal tilt in LA, it's impossible to be so.  There is plenty to argue over, which is funny, because it futile when no one listening to each other.  It's 2008, and at that point, budget deficits weren't the overlying concern.  In 2010, the argument for adding to school spending for things like music and arts is moot....


    That's where the real value and reward in watching 'Poliwood' is: as a reference piece of how stupid things were just two years ago... The idealistic left, who now realize that there isn't enough money for everything. And the extreme right, who my have finally learned that bipartisanship is important.  In all of the speeches from the Hollywood elite and Middle America saying "It's not us, it's them", Levinson found one voice of reason - from all places, it was country musician, Charlie Daniels...


    Daniels talked about the polarization of the political climate.  Democrat and Republican became more important than being an American.... Instead of doing what is best for America, people put party ahead of country. it's thinking like that - where people lose their jobs for supporting a Democrat or Republican - that puts us in a bad spot.  Sometimes they put up better candidate than we do. Not usually, but sometimes.. The thought that one philosphy is always 100% correct, and the other is 100% wrong is ridiculous...



     Sometimes it takes an old redneck like Charlie Daniels and opinionated loudmouths like me to set things straight.  We might not have millions, a beautiful face or nice breasts, like Spike Lee or Anne Hathaway.  But for all their influence and power, Hollywood really doesn't know any more than you do - and they sure as hell don't live the same life you do.  Make is hard to truly understand what matters to you, doesn't it?

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Civil War History Post 1: Secession Week

       As promised, we're marking the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War - the event that singularly made America the country it is today - by noting major events as they occured chronologically.  January, 1861 was generally a slow month - with one major exception....


    South Carolina was the first states to officially secede from the Union on December 20, 1860, after pulling both their Senators from Washington DC.  For three weeks, they stood alone in their resistance. Then, the dominoes fell fast and in rapid succession, what we call Secession Week.



     Yes, the call from the South to leave the Union caught momentum on January 9, 1861, when Mississippi vote to secede, followed by Florida on the 10th, Alabama on the 11th, and Georgia on the 19th. Louisiana also left on the 26th, and Texas quickly joined the Confederacy on February 1st. 


     These were the states that left the Union up to the point of Fort Sumter, when Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina left - guess that's why they're called Tar Heels... Kentucky went the Swiss route and declared itself neutral - until Confederate forces entered the state in September.  Nice try, guys....  



    It was said that South Carolina was too small to be a country, and too big to be an insane asylum. After that week, the asylum got much larger - and the chances of reforming the Union peacefully became much less likely.   The stage was set for conflict, and the South soon took the next step - forming a Government.  It happened 150 years ago this week....

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SC6 New Music Pick: Adele, 'Rolling in the Deep'

      To end today's posting, we give you our latest music pick.  This is the second time we've featured Adele.  The first track from her latest CD '21' (her age) is called 'Rolling in the Deep'.  In this day of American Idol - where how you look is more important as your talent - Adele is refereshing.  Yeah, she's a chubby British girl, but she can sing her ass off like a woman twice her age....  Hope you enjoy the clip, and have a nice weekend!



www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYEDA3JcQqw&ob=av2em

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Fuzzy Thoughts: The Trading Places Edition

Oh Sure ..... Like HE Went to Harvard !!


     It's been some time since we visited the Fuzzy Place in our blog.. There hasn't been all that much little stuff that generally doesn't merit a blog post. The news has either been huge or nothing.  But, now that the holidays are over, the planning for 2011 has begun.


    'Wait a sec, Reino... We just finished the midterm elections and South Carolina just had their state elections. What planning?' is your question right now.  Well, 2011 is a big year for the party at the local and state level, organizationally speaking.  But, we'll start with the big stuff...


    The entire GOP state elected officials took office this week.  Nikki Haley is now Gubner, and we'll soon find out if she can make any headway with the Senate and Legislature is finding ways to cut the budget and find jobs for South Carolina.  The Republicans got what they wanted - now it's time for someone to bridge the gap and work together. Stagnation at this point will not be accepted, even by our own party.


    Party-wise, the race to succeed Karen Floyd as Chair of the SCGOP begins.  There are a few names being bandied about, but there is no clear frontrunner at this point. Locally, all the County Chairs are up for grabs in the Spring.  One thing we will miss is the end of the Braden Bunch Show, aka Sumter County Chair.  Word is that Braden is leaving the gig because it's cutting into his freetime to watch Da Bears' pursuit of another Super Bowl run... Maybe once the Packers end Chicago's season next week, he'll reconsider.


   Need more change?  Contrary to what I thought, South Carolina will be getting a 7th Congressional District.  With it, begins the fight for who runs for the seat.  It likely will be the Grand Strand/Pee Dee areas.  Names being mentioned right now?   Alan Clemmons, Tracy Edge, Luke Rankin, former 6th Congressman/ Democrat Robin Tallon and even Lt. Governor Ken Ard.  Ard running makes no sense to us, and we think it's just loose talk.  We'll see...


   Heck, there's even change within the Four Horsemen.. No, no one has been kicked out..... But the baby of the group, Earl Capps, will be hitting the Big 4-0 soon.  He has a huge party to note the event (special invites only - sorry Gov. Sanford!), and once again, he will have some of his closest friends to roast him.  Since my last roast of him is still legendary, I've been getting phone calls for material...


    Getting out of politics for a minute here, the band is still practicing, but I did finally put my foot down a bit.  We hadn't learned a newer song for 2 months, and once I vowed to not be in an 'Old Guy Band', we started working on newer stuff.  Can't wait til we play that Justin Bieber song !!


     I'm noticing a trend on my football picks: I'm 0-4 on Saturday, and 3-0 so far on Sunday.  This is why Pro Football should only be played on Sunday.  Speaking of which, I'm convinced that after the Steelers got all those gift turnovers against Baltimore yesterday, Mike Tomlin has a Horseshoe jammed in his ass...


     Socially, there is nothing going on.  I dropped Match.com again, and basically going out are just social engagements, with no shot of meeting anyone.  Right now, I think I'll just not even try.  Ignorance is bliss...



     Lastly, we go back to politics... I was watching Fox Sunday Morning, and i got a pretty good dose of why politics is so messed up.  First up was NJ Governor Chris Christie. I really hadn't watched him before, but I was pretty impressed with his grasp of the issues facing the state budgets.  He was poised and well-versed. I have no idea of his social policies, but fiscally, he seemed like a solid moderate.  Then Tim Pawlenty, ex-Gov of Minnesota came on, and looked pretty shaky, considering he's on there all the time.  Then they discussed Sarah Palin, who depends too much on tape media to look 'presidential'.... The sad part?  Palin and Pawlenty are likely running for President in 2012.  Christie said no way - absolutely.  Damn ......

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