16-15 GameCOCKS!

How bout them Gamecocks!?!

For the first time in 13 Years, the South Carolina Gamecocks Beat the Tennersee Volunteeerssss.

Hell yes!

Now in case you were wondering, that was the game I was first hooked on Gamecock and SEC football. In 1992 I was a first year Graduate student at South Carolina. I didnt know much about SEC and USC football, I just came there from Big Ten country. And LO...I was at a game on a crisp fall afternoon when the Gamecocks upset the mighty Volunteers in Columbia. The crowd was INSANE. Cups were flying through the air. HIllbillies wearing orange overalls were MOCKED. It was a group emotion I have never experienced since.

"Spurrier, wearing glasses and not his trademark visor, improved his record against Tennessee to 10-5. It was his first visit to Neyland Stadium since 2000, a 27-23 win by the Gators after a controversial touchdown catch. "

``I've finally got a new line -- God is smiling on the Gamecocks. That was my line after close wins at Florida,'' he said.

-- The new Coach, Spurrier...

13 Years later and we beat them again. I had no clue how long it would be.

This is sweet.

Cocks are BOWLBOUND!

Media and the War

The media is now trumpeting the 2000th American Soldier casualty in the war in Iraq. I swear if I didn't know any better I would think that the media in conjunction with 'peace' groups are rooting for our soldiers to die just because they don't like our current president. These 'peace' groups are planning all sorts of demonstrations, rallies, and marches (read celebrations) to mark this ghoulish 'milestone'. I use their word 'milestone', because it is not a milestone. A milestone used in the proper sense gives a connotation of accomplishment, a marker on the way to a goal. Do the media and these 'peace' groups regard this as a milestone because their goal is to see our military fail and all our soldiers die in combat? Some, many actually, would say 'yes'. Read this from someone much more well written than I.

Once again this reinforces my exasperation with the state of politics in this country, because we actually hear about these 'peace' groups and the media is totally slanted against this effort in Iraq, talking constantly about all the casualties and not about the successes and the fact that we are winning this war. Need proof?

The Iraqis just passed a National constitution.

Didn't hear about it? Not surprised, the media didn't play it up at all because it makes President Bush look good, although he is not directly responsible for this. The Iraqi people are.

I fail to understand how anyone with any sense at all can think that the right thing to do now is to just pull up and leave from Iraq because of some overblown sense of defeat, or because it was the 'wrong thing to do' in the first place (even though it wasn't and there are mountains of evidence and UN resolutions supporting the invasion of Saddam's Iraq). Give me a break. We totally kicked their asses, and still are over there kicking more ass. Tell me where we've lost?

I pray for the day that Americans as a whole, and in particular the media, overlook political differences and understand that this war is bigger than George W. Bush, or Republicans, or abortion rights, or whatever the hell their pet issue of the day is.

Until then I am sure the beat will go on, and eventually the media may get its way, a Democrat will get elected, and we will lose. Be careful what you wish for, idiots.

UPDATE: For a follow up to what I was saying about this 'milestone' crap - check out these people in full party mode. Ghouls.
-Courtesy Little Green Footballs

the Beer Machine

now after 5000 years of wasting time brewing beer the old fashioned way, you can make it at home in just 5 to 7 days!

As seen on TV!
Courtesy of Coach Thugg

I mean everyone knows you can make beer in just 5 to seven days with a plastic keg and a plastic bag of beer mix.

*smacks self in head*

now why didn't I think of that! I wonder if it comes with its own Ginsu blade?

From the Looney Department

So what's the story with this Hugo Chavez guy in Venezuela? Is he trying to take away the 'Most Deluded and Paranaoic Person' Award away from Cynthia al-McKinney?

Check this out!

Here's a paragraph that makes perfect sense. If you're on Venezuelan coke.

"We have detected with intelligence reports plans of a supposed invasion, one that would never happen. But we have to denounce it," Chavez told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

I couldn't even think of writing this stuff it's so rich! but Wait! it gets better!

"It is an imperialist government, one that says it fights against terrorism but protects it. The U.S. throws stones to Latin America," Chavez said.

'Throws Stones'? Boy do I want some of what he's smoking. This wouldn't be so dang funny if he was the leader of an actual country with an actual government and military.

Oh well, I guess we'd better invade them anyways to get more oil supply because this Iraq thing only brought our gas prices down to just 3 dollars a gallon. Maybe we can get it even further down.... muwahHAHAHAHA!!

Their Perspective

For the "we just need to understand them" crowd. This pretty much explains it all.

Courtesy of Cox and Forkum.

Own your piece of the Caribbean

Wow. Check out this link and you can own your own island!

I reckon I'd better start saving....

*dreams*

Losing the Faith..

A funny thing has been happening to me over the past year or so since the 2004 election. I can't quite figure out what to call it, or what to think about it. Am I experiencing another growth phase in my life? Do I now have other priorities that I must focus on? Am I the only one who feels this way? Is this country doomed?

What the hell am I talking about?

I just have had it with politics. *gasp*

This may not sound like a big deal to some of you all who might stumble on to this page to read my little diatribes and such, but alot of you know me and know that I follow and talk a good deal about politics, usually National and International politics. What has happened, you might ask??

I am losing faith in everyone I used to have faith in.

It has been a steady decline since before the election in 2004, the head of the Republican party, and the man I voted for in the last two elections, is really letting us down. But wait! Before you think 'ahha! He's finally got a clue and hates President Bush!' That's not it at all. I don't hate anyone, or anything. It's bigger than him, it's the system. Let me explain.

I can remember very clearly the afternoon I was driving home from work listening to the news on talk radio, as I usually do. The announcement was made that President Bush has promised 250 billion dollars to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. My stomach dropped. I shouted 'what?!?!?!?! Who's gonna pay for all this???? wha wha WHA?!?!' Is it the federal governments responsibility to do this? Is this duty outlined in the Constitution as a specific role for our federal government? Is it our responsibility beyond all the charitable contributions and effort we have offered to help those people to pay for even more out of our pockets? Because that's what's gonna happen. I know it. You know it. It's already starting with this 'tax reform panel' that the President has commissioned. We're gonna pay more taxes. Plain and simple. We give billions of dollars to people around the world for whatever cause they need. Then the government spends $500,000 to paint a freaking airplane to promote the salmon industry in Alaska? What is wrong with these people? I'm paying for this. WE'RE ALL PAYING FOR THIS.

I voted Republican because they said they stand for limited government, and it ain't happening. They've held the majority in the Congress for six years or so now, and the spending is STILL getting worse. I feel lied to. The Democrats are even worse, and have never been an option for me. Until they start acting like grown ups, they aren't even worthy of consideration for my vote. What other option is there to support someone who is serious about bringing some sanity back to our overbloated Federal government? Should I vote Libertarian? They're against the War on Terror. Should I vote Constitutionalist? ummm.. who? Green Party? hahahahahahaha! (just kidding). Unfortunately the Republicans are turning into Democrats spending-wise, and the Democrats are just getting worse every year. These guys are all being paid off by some lobby or another and it's sickening. ALL OF 'EM.

When will all this spending and power tripping on our tax dollars end? Will it? Not as far as I can tell, so I'm pretty bummed about the whole situation and I'm tired of thinking about it. Because when my wife calls me to tell me that we had to take the car into the shop to get an oil change, and they found a problem with the air conditioning filter, and they need to replace a hydraulic on the door, and it's gonna cost us a cool grand, I worry. We need to replace our roof, we want to get new floors, we need to insulate the attic, we have a list of things that need to be done that continues to grow, and I worry. I worry alot more now with a beautiful child to take care of. And it gets even bleaker when I hear that the government is thinking about raising our taxes AGAIN. Just to pay for a bunch of pork. and it IS pork.

At what point will the American people .do something about all this garbage that's coming out of Washington?

Needless to say, I will post every once in a while on something politically oriented - but otherwise I won't spend too much time on this crap.

I'd rather talk about more important things like Brewing and Sports. Wake me up if something good happens, like real tax cuts, or a President who will fight our wars seriously, and treat our enemies as such.

In the meantime, I will part with this question for you all, is there hope for us?

Is Fall finally here?

Must be because I had my annual version of Curley-Aerator SMACKDOWN WWE!

This past weekend was the first weekend that actually felt like fall. Low 70's and yesterday it was gray and drizzly all day with a high in the uper 60's. I almost could smell the fireplaces burning... Not only that, but I spent all day yesterday preparing the yard for aeration. My neighbor and I went to Lowe's at 8 AM to rent an aerator and they were all out. We didn't end up getting one until about 1:30 or so, and by that time I had just started scalping the lawn and raking up the thatch. Ouch. By the time it was my turn to aerate, the drizzle faucet was on full, I was wet, the lawn was soggy, and the behemoth of an aerator sunk down good and deep into the soil. If you have no idea what aerating is, its basically using an oversized lawnmower/tiller thingy with spikes under it to run over your lawn while the spikes pull up little 5 inch cores out of your lawn. This allows oxygen and other nutrients to get into your soil through these holes. Oh did I mention that in order to do this effectively, the aerator has to be HEAVY?? Cripes. Turning it is a feat in itself. I got maybe 30 yards of grass aerated before the behemoth just stopped moving - I looked down and saw the drive chain lying on the grass, snapped in half. Nice.

So I stood there in the drizzly rain all wet with a 200+ pound machine sinking into my lawn with no drive chain at 4:30 in the afternoon. I was a happy camper. Not. We took it back to the rental center and I'll be finishing the lawn tonight, if they have another aerator on hand when I get there, that is. Then I can happily apply the lime and grass seed, all so the lawn will be green next spring.

The things we do for a pretty lawn. *sigh*.

Well at least I got a chance to brew a stout on Saturday evening, oh and the Gamecocks won a game. So I guess it wasn't too bad of a weekend. :)

Another HHI Vacation

Hey there faithful Blog Readers...

We have returned. Packed up the family and went to Hilton Head South Carolina for more fun in the sun. The weather was much better temperature wise this time around, but it was rainy and windy. Thanks Tropical Storm Tammy. It was a good trip, my Dad turned 60 on Tuesday so we took him out for ribs and a nice dinner at Truffles Cafe on Sea Pines Plantation. Very very good meal. The Babygirl got to be the center of attention the whole week also, which she enjoys immensely.

Now we're back in the ATL trying to get readjusted to the fast city life. *sigh* At least it's been a short work week and I have aerating and overseeding to look forward to tomorrow. yay.

Hope everyone is doing well, we've been keeping mega busy round here.