#Clemson is in the lead

[sarnai4]

Expectation Subversion

Penguins of Madagascar has some of my favorite examples of subverting expectations for personalities. They also gave me something that I try to use when creating my own characters. It seems like the characters can easily fit into a one-dimensional stereotype, but then there's more. Let's start off with Rico.

At first glance, Rico is just a loose cannon. In lesser shows, he might have been. After all, he just needs to be the silly one who spits up weapons and sure, he is, but that's not all. Rico is also fiercely loyal. He's the same one who was terrified of a "haunted" car and still braved it head-on when it had hurt Skipper. Comically enough, he can just as easily turn on the others when Ms. Perky wants him to do something else (cue Rico attacking them because of that darn voice box). An underrated skill of Rico's is how resourceful he is. He always knows exactly what weapon is necessary for the moment. With these skills, his loyalty, and his fun/unhinged flair, he really comes to life as a character.

Private is seemingly just the nice guy of the group. He's the young one who's innocent. Again, this is a part of him. He is very nice, not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings like when he was supposed to win a rude-off against Clemson. He's also pretty naive with a lot of things, being unsuspecting about Hans actually being bad. Despite this, there's more to Private than niceness. He's got the most common sense of the group, being the only one to see that grabbing the plant needed to save Maurice's life would be easier than continuing to use the jaws of life AND realizing how unlikely it was that Santa was spending Christmas Eve in a random building. I also love how he's got a backstory of being this almost ruthless mini golf player. His underrated skill is that he's the second best fighter of the group. Solely looking at fin-to-fin combat, Private is the only one who's been on par with Skipper.

Kowalski could have just been the "science nerd." He definitely has this as a core part of him, but he's also such a drama queen. I love it. He's the poster boy for book smarts because this penguin has a score of 0 for practical reasoning. Heck, he had to figure out which instincts to use. His struggles with this leads to him continuously making inventions that almost kill everybody. Kowalski is always an invention away from turning into a mad scientist. I'm convinced this actually has happened before and then he just snaps back to his senses (thinking about times like Jiggles and more). Something else which adds an interesting layer to him is how much he wants to be in charge. He's technically the second-in-command and has made it clear that he'd like to replace Skipper when the time comes. "Kowalski's log...too soon?"

Skipper seems like he's just the tough boss. In a comedy like this, he easily could've been an incompetent leader. Rather than that, he's honestly a very good leader who is clever with his plans. Seriously, his escape plans shown in Pets Peeved and more episodes really demonstrate how thoroughly he can think out a strategy even when he's on the spot. Along with this, Skipper tries to act hard and rough, but he makes it clear that he cares about his team more than anything. He even faced his fear of needles (this show singlehandedly taught me what trypanophobia was) for Private when he learned that the soldier would've been hurt otherwise. It even stretches beyond them. Skipper really cares about everyone in the zoo, going so far as to look out for Julien who is probably one of his least favorite zoo mates. I also really like how much being a leader means to Skipper. When he thought he couldn't be in charge anymore, he was having a meltdown. He even put Private as leader just so that he could make it clear who actually deserves the position. It's so petty, that it's almost beautiful.

[emilybeemartin]

Inktober Days 13-15

Day 13: "Rise"

Rangers sometimes talk about their “heart parks”—the intimately special ones that make us go dreamy-eyed and nostalgic. Grand Teton is my heart park. During undergrad, I was going through a rough patch, missing my backcountry work in New Mexico and feeling out of place at Clemson. I told my friend that I “just wanted to go somewhere.” He asked if I wanted to go for a walk. I told him no, I’d like to go to the Grand Tetons. I don’t know why I decided on that particular place in that moment—I’d never been there and had only ever seen photos of the famous mountain group. But my friend said sure, we could go to the Grand Tetons. He proceeded to lead me outside student housing, checked the cardinal directions in the sky, and struck off northwest. I followed him. We walked around campus for hours that night, talking about a hundred different things. It was the first time after returning from New Mexico that I’d felt really heard, really understood, really happy.

A few months later, that friend became my boyfriend, and a few years later, that boyfriend became my husband. There was no question about where we would honeymoon. We went to Grand Teton.

Day 14: "Castle"

I’ve been struggling with what to say about Mesa Verde, because this site was so incredible to visit that I almost can’t put it to words. I experienced it while conducting my master’s research between stops in Navajo National Monument and Chaco Canyon. Visiting these cultural sites, tied together by sociopolitical events and natural disasters over the span of centuries, drove home how vast the network of humanity was in the Ancestral Puebloan era. These places were huge hubs of activity and massive feats of architecture—not castles, but communities humming with life, love, loss, struggle, wealth, and beauty.

Mesa Verde was also the only place I saw a ranger bring an audience to tears with the emotion in his program. I audited over two hundred interpretive programs that summer, but I remember lowering my clipboard during this particular tour of Cliff Palace, in awe of how powerfully the ranger was able to connect visitors with his own familial ties to the Ancestral Puebloans who had lived there so long ago. The goal of interpretation is to facilitate a meaningful connection between the visitor and the resource, but never have I ever seen anyone do it so profoundly as that ranger in Mesa Verde, 2011.

Day 15: "Dagger"

White Sands preserves practically the entire span of human history, from fragments of ancient blades up to the space shuttle and missile launches. But it's the beginning of that timeline that draws me toward this gleaming gypsum dunefield.

I remember where I was when the news dropped—in the Apgar ranger office with a handful of other Glacier rangers. I was working on my hunting and gathering program, where I discussed old facts about projectile points and atlatls, but I stopped when another ranger swore in shock. An email had come through to our NPS accounts with new research out of White Sands. Human footprints preserved in the ancient sediment had been dated--- not to the 13-16 thousand years old we typically associated with the earliest humans in the Americas, but to 23 THOUSAND YEARS OLD. In one short email, our whole office's reckoning of human history almost doubled. Our minds were blown. We celebrated like a bunch of lads after a World Cup win. This world that we walk! Footsteps over footsteps over footsteps! What a privilege.

[odinsblog]

Since the founding of the United States, politicians and pundits have warned that partisanship is a danger to democracy. George Washington, in his Farewell Address, worried that political parties, or factions, could "allow cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men" to rise to power and subvert democracy. More recently, many political observers are concerned that increasing political polarization on left and right makes compromise impossible, and leads to the destruction of democratic norms and institutions.

A new study, however, suggests that the main threat to our democracy may not be the hardening of political ideology, but rather the hardening of one particular political ideology. Political scientists Steven V. Miller of Clemson and Nicholas T. Davis of Texas A&M have released a working paper titled "White Outgroup Intolerance and Declining Support for American Democracy." Their study finds a correlation between white American's intolerance, and support for authoritarian rule. In other words, when intolerant white people fear democracy may benefit marginalized people, they abandon their commitment to democracy.

The World Values Survey data used is from the period 1995 to 2011 — well before Donald Trump's 2016 run for president. It suggests, though, that Trump's bigotry and his authoritarianism are not separate problems, but are intertwined. When Trump calls Mexicans "rapists," and when he praises authoritarian leaders, he is appealing to the same voters.

Miller and Davis' paper quotes alt right, neo-fascist leader Richard Spencer, who in a 2013 speech declared: "We need an ethno-state so that our people can ��come home again’… We must give up the false dreams of equality and democracy."

Ethnic cleansing is impossible as long as marginalized people have enough votes to stop it. But this roadblock disappears if you get rid of democracy. Spencer understands that white rule in the current era essentially requires totalitarianism. That's the logic of fascism.

(continue reading)

[bongaboi]

Washington: 2022 Alamo Bowl Champions

No. 12 Washington knocked off No. 20 Texas 27-20 in the Alamo Bowl to get its first 11-win season since 2016.

The Huskies weren’t troubled by the Longhorns for much of the game. UW took a 17-point lead early in the fourth quarter thanks to a TD pass from Michael Penix Jr. to Jalen McMillan. Texas cut the lead to seven with 1:40 to go, and got the ball back with a chance for a potential game-winning TD and two-point conversion with 31 seconds left. But the last-ditch drive with no timeouts remaining didn't get a first down.

The win means Washington finishes the season at 11-2 in Kalen DeBoer’s first season as head coach. Washington fired Jimmy Lake nine games into a tumultuous 2021 season and finished the season at 4-8. It hired DeBoer from Fresno State and the former Indiana offensive coordinator quickly landed the former Indiana QB Penix as a transfer.

That move paid off as Penix was one of the nation’s most productive passers in 2022 and the Huskies won seven more games than they did a season ago. Washington made one of the biggest improvements of any team at the top level of college football in 2022 and is well-positioned to be a contender in the Pac-12 again next season.

Penix will be back in 2023 as the Pac-12 will boast one of the strongest quarterback groups in college football. Heisman winner Caleb Williams is returning for USC while Oregon’s Bo Nix is coming back along with Washington State’s Cam Ward. Oregon State landed Clemson QB D.J. Uiagalelei, former Notre Dame QB Drew Pyne is transferring to Arizona State and Kent State QB Collin Schlee is transferring to UCLA.

Texas, meanwhile, finishes the season 8-5. The Longhorns entered the game without running backs Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson among other transfers and NFL draft opt outs. That allowed players like freshman Jonathan Brooks to get playing time and Brooks scored two TDs.

The Alamo Bowl might have also been the last game of the pre-Arch Manning era at Texas. QB Quinn Ewers didn’t have a terrible game by any means — his stats would look a lot better if it wasn’t for drops on back-to-back plays in the third quarter by star receiver Xavier Worthy — but the Longhorns will have the highest-profile QB competition in college football over the spring and summer thanks to Manning’s presence.

Manning signed with Texas earlier in December and plans to be an early enrollee. That will allow him to practice this spring and potentially get the chance to start as a true freshman. Or if Ewers plays well like he has flashed at times in 2022, it’s very possible that he could keep the starting job for his second season with the Longhorns.

[cfbtransferportal]

12/26/2022 CFB Transfer Portal Update #2

Since my last post, 11 of the players that I discussed have made their commitments. In this blog post, I am going to cover the choices these student-athletes made and their potential fit with new programs.

The once five-star prospect will look to take over as the starting Quarterback for the Purdue Boilermakers after Transferring from Texas where he was the backup to Quinn Ewers. This could prove to be a good move for Card because He was already a backup at Texas and next year will have another five-star top-ranked quarterback joining the room to bring even more competition. He joins a system with much less competition at Purdue where last year's starter in Aidan O'Connell is leaving for the NFL draft.

Shedeur Sanders did exactly as most thought he would which was to follow his dad to Colorado. Shedeur will step on campus as the immediate starting QB and be a share to the face of the program with his father, Deion, and teammate, Travis Hunter. He also is a big asset to future recruiting for the Boulder program as he can message players and talk with other athletes in grace periods when his father is not allowed by the NCAA to recruit.

After seeing Oregon State Quarterback Chance Nolan enter the transfer portal earlier in December the program is bringing in D.J. Uiagalelei to compete with last year's starter, Ben Gulbranson. This can be a fresh start for D.J. after a shakey 2 years of starting at Clemson. His brother recently committed to the University of Oregon so they will be able to play each other every year in the Civil-War rivalry game.

LJ Johnson will look to prove why he was so highly touted coming out of high school and take over as the lead back at SMU which had run by committee backfield last season where 5 different running backs split a majority of the workload. In my opinion, this can go either way for LJ. With so many capable runningbacks in one room, it will be hard to steal all of the reps and be a clear-cut #1 on the team. With that being said, if 5 running backs shared the majority of touches last year then Johnson has the potential to show the coaching staff that he is their do it all back and can perform the same capabilities as some or all of the other running backs at SMU.

RaRa Thomas committing to Georgia is huge for the Bulldogs as they add even more weapons to their already #1 ranked team in the country. With Stetson Bennett running out of eligibility and leaving for the NFL before next season, it is unclear who will be the QB throwing RaRa balls in 2023. If Georgia finds a ready-to-win QB for next season, they and RaRa are going to be a force to be reckoned with in CFB.

Ajani Cornelius committed to the University of Oregon where he will most likely make an immediate impact starting at either the left or right tackle position. This was a huge get for Oregon as they look to protect their returning starter at QB, Bo Nix, who was on the fence about going pro or returning for his final season of eligibility. This also brings a lot more national attention to Ajani that he wasn't necessarily getting at Rhode Island.

Amari Kight found a new home at the University of Central Florida where and will hope to shine as one of their best lineman in order to boost his draft stock in his final season of eligibility. The Big bodied tackle the frame and mobility that the NFL loves.

Braden Fiske decided to go with the East coast and commit to Florida State rather than the likes of USC on the West. The massive interior defensive lineman will look to not only prove that he can compete against the best playrs in a power-5 conference but will also hope to gain attention from NFL scouts.

Tunmise Adeleye is leaving the heat of college station Texas for the shivering cold of East lasing Miching to join the Michigan State Spartans. This move makes sense for Adeleye because he in joining a much more run-heavy conference in the BIG10 as compared to the SEC. This will allow Tunmise to display his run-stuffing abilities as there will be far more opportunities.

Travis Hunter decided to follow his head coach and top hall-of-fame cornerback, Deion Sanders to Colorado. Travis will fit right back into Coach Sander's system where he played on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball last season for Jackson State University.

Tony Grimes decided to join the Texas A&M Aggies who have seen the departure of 4 defensive backs through the transfer portal in just this past month. Grimes will make an immediate impact at corner as there isn't much competition for his spot.

Thank you for reading my post that covered all of the now-committed players from the transfer portal who I talked about in my last blog. In the near future, I will post my update #3 and talk about programs that have been the most successful in replenishing their teams with talent from the CFB transfer portal.

[nyaruhodou]

football is going very well for me today on 2 out of 3 fronts

carolina beat clemson for the first time since 2013 💜 and bama is currently leading 35-14 at halftimr

[whitesinhistory]

On September 11, 1895, South Carolina officials met to rewrite the state constitution with the express purpose of disenfranchising the state’s African American voters and restoring white supremacy in all matters political. The convention’s most prominent figure was Benjamin Tillman, a senator and former governor nicknamed “Pitchfork Ben." A well-known orator, Tillman spoke at great length during the convention.

"[A]ll that is necessary to bring about chaos," he warned the convention delegates, "is for a sufficient number of white men, actuated by hate, or ambition, or from any unpatriotic motive, to climb up and cut it loose, mobilize and register the negroes, lead them and give them a free vote and fair count under manhood suffrage." He continued:

The poor, ignorant cotton field hand, who never reaped any advantage, nor saw anything except a pistol, blindly followed like sheep wherever their Black and white leaders told them to go, voted unanimously every time for the Republican ticket during that dark period, and these results were achieved solely and wholly by reason of the ballot being in the hands of such cattle. Is the danger gone? No. How did we recover our liberty? By fraud and violence...How did we bring it about? Every white man sunk his personal feelings and ambitions. The white people of the State, illustrating our glorious motto, "Ready with their lives and fortunes." came together as one. By fraud and violence, if you please, we threw it off. In 1878 we had to resort to more fraud and violence, and so again in 1880. Then the Registration Law and eight-box system was evolved from the superior intelligence of the white man to check and control this surging, muddy stream of ignorance...

The delegates followed Tillman's guidance and enacted a constitution that effectively disenfranchised Black residents, with little federal interference, for nearly 70 years. Today, a statue of Tillman stands in front of the South Carolina State House and his name adorns a number of buildings throughout the state—including the main building on the campus of Clemson University.

[mybookplacenet]

Featured Post: Do You Believe in Magic | Book 1 by Jim Melvin

About Do You Believe in Magic | Book 1: Recommended Review by Kirkus Reviews (top 25% of Indie books): "A delightful beginning to a promising series that’s sure to appeal to teen readers who feel like outsiders." — Kirkus Reviews, October 2024 The winner of 11 international awards. In this exciting and enchanting fantasy novel, readers are invited to journey into a world where magic is not merely a fairy tale but a powerful reality. This gripping story revolves around an everyday boy leading an ordinary life until a chance encounter transforms his world forever. Suddenly, faced with inexplicable happenings and being able to perform magical feats, Charlie grapples to understand his newfound abilities. Little does he know, he has become central to a battle between forces beyond his comprehension, a war underway in the invisible realms around him. Book 1 of the teen fantasy adventure "Dark Circles" explores the timeless human question – do you believe in magic? – in a context that feels entirely fresh and unpredictable. It takes readers on a fantastic adventure, filled with wit, mystery, action, and a touch of romance to tie it all together. Targeted Age 13 and older Written by: Jim Melvin Buy the ebook: Buy the Book On Amazon Link to Series Buy the Audio Book: Buy the Book On Amazon Buy the Print Book: Buy the Book On Amazon Author Bio: I grew up on the shores of western Florida and spent much of my childhood swimming in shark-infested waters long before the movie Jaws put a scare into everyone. At the time, I was too skinny to attract a shark’s attention. About ten other boys my age lived on my same street, and we hung out morning, noon, and night playing the usual sports that young boys love — football, baseball, “kill the carrier,” etc. — but as a group, we also played fantastical games that contained magic, monsters, and superheroes. It was in this setting that my imagination as a writer of magical fantasy was born and nurtured. I moved from Florida to Upstate South Carolina about twenty years ago and drove from Tampa-St. Pete to the Clemson area on Interstate 75 many times. It’s about a 10-hour drive, which is quite wearisome. And the traffic around Atlanta can be horrendous. I’ve always found the rest stops to be a bit spooky, especially at night. My MC Charlie Magus also found them to be spooky. If you read Do You Believe in Magic?, you’ll get the picture. My first home in SC was on forty wooded acres that included a creek that wound through a forest to a waterfall. It wasn’t as magnificent as described in my books 😀, but it did serve as the inspiration for the story. I am at home in the mountains. It’s where I now live, and I do long hikes at least three days per week. Characters in fantasy novels tend to wander around a lot in the wilderness, so I feel comfortable writing about natural surroundings. I have written “Dark Circles” with young teens in mind. I tell potential readers that it is appropriate for 13 and older, though readers as young as 10 and as old as 80 have enjoyed it. When I say appropriate, I mean that there are no sex scenes and only very limited profanity. But like most epic fantasies, the series has its violent moments — sort of like the later Harry Potter books. But just because a series is appropriate for young teens doesn’t mean that it has to be sophomoric. To the contrary, “Dark Circles” is a sophisticated work with a lot going on between the lines in terms of themes, allegorical elements, symbolism, foreshadowing, literary tropes, etc. My newsletter (Jim Melvin’s Realms of Fantasy) goes into extensive depth about this. Some of the themes in my series are obvious: bullying, good vs. evil, coming of age, heroism. But in the end, the most important theme of all is the idea that only the best among us are willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good — the literary equivalent of a soldier throwing himself on a hand grenade. Follow the author on social media: Learn more about the writer. Visit the Author's Website Facebook Fan Page Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Read the full article

[stubobnumbers]

CFB Breakdown - Week Eight, Part Two.

CFB Breakdown - 2024 Week Eight, Part Two.

We're starting off a bit different. There is a huge FCS game on Saturday.

Dakota Marker South Dakota State (5-1) at North Dakota State (6-1)(Both teams undefeated in the FCS) - 7 PM ESPN2. This will be the 116th meeting. North Dakota State leads the series, 63-47-5.

SEC:

The Golden Boot LSU at Arkansas - 6 PM ESPN. LSU leads the series, 44-22-2.

Georgia at Texas - 6:30 PM ABC. Texas leads the series, 4-1.

The Third Saturday In October Alabama at Tennessee - 2:30 PM ABC. Alabama leads the series, 59-39-7.

Auburn at Missouri - 11 AM ESPN. Auburn leads the series, 3-1.

South Carolina at Oklahoma - 11:45 AM SEC. First meeting.

Texas A&M at Mississippi State - 3:15 PM SEC. Mississippi State leads the series, 9-8.

Kentucky at Florida - 6:45 PM SEC. Florida leads the series, 53-21.

OOC Game: Ball State at Vanderbilt - 6 PM ESPN+. First meeting.

B1G:

Nebraska at Indiana - 11 AM FOX. Indiana leads the series, 10-9-3.

Michigan at Illinois - 2:30 PM CBS. Michigan leads the series, 72-23-2.

Iowa at Michigan State - 6:30 PM NBC. Iowa leads the series, 25-22-2.

Wisconsin at Northwestern - 11 AM BTN. Wisconsin leads the series, 62-38-5.

UCLA at Rutgers - 11 AM FS1. First meeting.

Southern Cal at Maryland - 3 PM FS1. First meeting.

ACC:

Virginia at Clemson - 11 AM ACC. Clemson leads the series, 40-8-1.

Da U at Louisville - 11 AM ABC. Da U leads the series, 11-4-1.

NC State at California - 2:30 PM ACC. First meeting.

SMU at Stanford - 7 PM ACC. Stanford leads the series, 1-0. (Last meeting - 1936).

OOC Games: Notre Dame at Georgia Tech - 2:30 PM ESPN. Notre Dame leads the series, 30-6-1.

Wake Forest at Connecticut - 11 AM CBSSN. Wake Forest leads the series, 2-1.

Big 12: Central Florida at Iowa State - 6:30 PM FS1. First meeting.

Baylor at Texas Tech - 3 PM ESPN2. Baylor leads the series, 41-40-1.

Colorado at Arizona - 3 PM FOX. Colorado leads the series, 16-10.

TCU at Utah - 9:30 PM ESPN. Utah leads the series, 5-3.

Kansas State at West Virginia - 6:30 PM FOX. Kansas State leads the series, 7-6.

Arizona State at Cincinnati - 11 AM ESPN+. Cincinnati leads the series, 2-0. (Last meeting - 1976).

Houston at Kansas - 2:30 PM ESPN+. Kansas leads the series, 4-0.

[tsmom1219]

‘Clean’ hydrogen research led by Clemson University could have broad impact

Read the full story from Clemson University. Clemson University researchers are leading a project aimed at creating a new way of producing hydrogen with renewable energy instead of natural gas, a critical step toward weaning the world off fossil fuels. The research focuses on developing new advanced materials and manufacturing methods to produce solid oxide electrolysis cells, or SOECs. Those…

[themeatlife]

the Meat Life College Football Preview 2024

Hey hey!

This is probably the latest and closest to the start of week 1 that I have made this post. Week 0 has already come and gone! I've been spending a lot of my spare time (outside of family time) like I did 20 years ago on the newly resurrected EA Sports College Football 25 game. I'll have a separate College Football 25 appreciation post soon, but for now I'm going to take a look at the upcoming season.

Lots of change. The Pac-12 is now the 2Pac for one last season. Lots of schools starting their first season in a different conference, Oklahoma included. And there is a new 12-team playoff debuting at the end of the season with home games for the higher ranked seeds in the opening round!

I'm going to try to keep my preview pretty much the same as before. Since there are now only four power conferences, my four categories will go well to parallel: Heisman Hopefuls, Conference Champ Predictions, College Football Playoff Predictions, and my Oklahoma Sooners Outlook. I'll follow the same format that I've followed the last few years - Frontrunners, Contenders, Darkhouses, and my prediction. For the playoff predictions, I'll do things slightly different and actually make my picks for who will make the playoff and then my national championship matchup and predicted champion.

Word of warning, this will probably be the most chalk filled preview I've ever done.

So let's get started!

Heisman Hopefuls

Dillon Gabriel emerges as the Heisman frontrunner

The Frontrunner: Dillon Gabriel - QB, Oregon The Contenders: Carson Beck - QB, Georgia; Jalen Milroe - QB, Alabama, Ollie Gordon - RB, Oklahoma State The Darkhorses: Quinn Ewers - QB, Texas; Jaxson Dart - QB, Ole Miss; Nico Iamaleava - QB, Tennessee; Shedeur Sanders - QB, Colorado the Meat Life Prediction: Dillon Gabriel - QB, Oregon

I had a conversation with some Sooner friends who found it funny that DG is now a Heisman favorite when there wasn't as much hype behind him when he was at OU. This is my take on it, Gabriel is coming off a 10-2 season at Oklahoma where he had 42 total TDs and the offense at times moved very well. The season before, OU went 6-6, DG essentially missed 2 games to injury, and there were various times where the offense looked stalled. So DG is going to Oregon with some momentum. And Oregon turned Bo Nix (who previously struggled as the starting QB at Auburn) into an NFL ready QB in the two years he was a starter. The long way of saying both Gabriel and Oregon have positive momentum to thrust DG to Heisman frontrunner status in his sixth year of college football.

Out of the others that I listed, I really like Milroe and am interested to see what new Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer will do with him. Beck is on there because Georgia is a powerhouse right now. If Gordon from OSU has a big year rushing, we could see him in New York. Ewers is on there because you have to have a Texas QB hyped so he can disappoint. The Dart and Lane Kiffin combination is good and will lead to some numbers, I'm just interested to see how Kiffin manages a team of basically free agents picked up in the transfer portal. Nico out of Tennessee has a shot under Heupel to do great things, so we'll see how that goes. Shedeur is just on there because he has the talent, but that Colorado o-line and defense will hold him back.

Power Four Conference Predictions

ACC

The Frontrunner: Florida State Seminoles The Contenders: Miami Hurricanes, Clemson Tigers, NC State Wolfpack The Darkhorses: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets the Meat Life Prediction: Miami Hurricanes

Is it cheating that we already saw one ACC game? Florida State is the defending ACC champ, but they looked nothing like a defending champion. The offense seems stale with DJ U under center. Georgia Tech on the other hand looks tough and should be in a dog fight every game. The popular pick this preseason is Miami with transfer QB Cam Ward at the helm of the offense. Clemson still has Dabo calling the shots so they will still be a contender for the conference he dominated for so many years. NC State taking the same approach as Miami with an experienced transfer Grayson McCall of Coastal Carolina fame.

No love for the new teams in the ACC though. SMU looked rough having to scratch out a win against Nevada last weekend. Stanford and Cal have not made an impact on the national or even conference scene in quite some time and probably still won't this season.

Big Ten

The Frontrunner: Oregon Ducks The Contenders: Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions The Darkhorses: Nebraska Cornhuskers, Iowa Hawkeyes the Meat Life Prediction: Oregon Ducks

This is probably the opposite of impact pick ups on the conference level. Oregon may not have won the Pac-12 in its last season, but they have all the pieces including the trigger man to win in their first season of the Big Ten. They'll get to prove it as they host Ohio State and travel to defending champ Michigan.

Michigan will be in its first season of the official Sharrone Moore era as Jim Harbaugh has moved on to the Los Angeles Chargers. They will still have the defense and run game that won the Big Ten last year. Ohio State will have transfer QB Will Howard and new OC Chip Kelly to try to get over the hump in probably the most pressure-filled season for Ryan Day since he got there. Penn State will only have to face Ohio State on the schedule this year, though they do have conference newcomer USC. And then I just put Nebraska and Iowa as dark horses because it'll be interesting to see two of the teams that benefited from the divisional format in a division-less Big Ten.

On a related note, is USC's Lincoln Riley on the hot seat? Riley's squad will have LSU in the opener and then play Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame on the schedule. Oof.

Big 12

The Frontrunner: Utah Utes The Contenders: Oklahoma State Cowboys, Kansas State Wildcats, Kansas Jayhawks, Arizona Wildcats The Darkhorses: West Virginia Mountaineers, Colorado Buffaloes the Meat Life Prediction: Utah Utes

Another former Pac-12 school getting picked as the front runner of their new conference. Utah is stacked on defense and QB Cam Rising entering his 20th year (haha) leading the offense. Arizona is also another interesting former Pac-12 team, having returning many of the same personnel they had for the bowl win against Oklahoma last season.

The stallworths of the remaining "old guard" of the Big 12 will be in contention. Ollie Gordon running the ball and 22nd year QB Alan Bowman (haha) will have OSU in a good position to contend for the conference. Kansas State's QB Avery Johnson and Kansas's QB Jalon Daniels are great stories and will keep the offenses flowing.

I feel like West Virginia always overperforms and will make the conference race interesting. And I have to put the hype train Colorado as a dark horse, but I don't believe they will go to the title game. Too many variables, even with the talent in certain spots.

SEC

The Frontrunner: Georgia Bulldogs The Contenders: Alabama Crimson Tide, Ole Miss Rebels, Texas Longhorns, Tennessee Volunteers The Darkhorses: Oklahoma Sooners, Missouri Tigers, LSU Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies the Meat Life Prediction: Georgia Bulldogs

Until anyone else can knock Georgia off, they will be the lead. So much talent, particularly on the lines of scrimmage. They took the torch from Nick Saban's Alabama dynasty from a few years ago. I do thing DeBoar will have a great team to challenge Georgia.

The rest of the field has strengths to varying degrees. On offense - Ole Miss, Tennessee, and LSU will have it cranking. Ole Miss just has a lot of great talent but most of them just got there from the transfer portal so that'll be interesting to see how they mesh. Tennessee is breaking in a new QB in Nico. LSU as well, but LSU does not have a defense.

Missouri I put on there as a dark horse mainly because they have the easiest schedule outside of Austin. A&M has talent, and has been having talent. But they are the opposite of West Virginia, constantly underperforming. And then there is Texas. Many key pieces from last year are gone but they have a ton of talent. It will be interesting for them because they have lost two RBs to injury in Christian Clark and CJ Baxter, both trying to fill the void left by Jonathan Brooks who has moved on to the NFL.

The 2024 Outlook for the Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners break in new co-offensive coordinators in Seth Lattrell and Joe John Finley and a new defensive coordinator Zac Alley. While this might cause some pause, Lattrell is a former head coach at North Texas whose offenses ranked among the top in the country. Alley is a Venables disciple from his days at Clemson who DC's at Jacksonville State to the top third in the country in total defense. And all three are former Sooners.

Oklahoma breaks in sophomore QB Jackson Arnold, the 5-star phenom who has talent and is surrounded by talent but who will be behind a bit of an experiment in line ups at offensive line.

The defense has many familiar faces in the second and third levels and is probably the strongest unit. LB Danny Stutsman and S Billy Bowman are difference-makers and have made most of the preseason player award and All-American lists. They have a mix of established players and newcomers on the defensive line.

Looking at all of this, I think this team is a contender in the SEC. Now, the SEC didn't do any favors with the schedule. 6 ranked opponents, the most of the SEC team schedules. But as they say, diamonds are created under pressure.

I think it is realistic to say that this team goes 9-3 and be in contention for a playoff spot. I think if OU does that, the season will be a success given this is the first season in the SEC. I can easily see a case where the Sooners finish anywhere between 7-5 and 10-2, but I think 9-3 is correct. I think the losses will be Ole Miss and LSU on the road and Alabama at home. I hope I'm wrong and we go into the Alabama game undefeated and in the hunt for an SEC championship spot. But wishful thinking, I suppose.

College Football Playoff Prediction

The seeding is a bit funky since the top four seeds are the top four ranked conference winners and then the top Group of Five conference winner gets a bid (in my prediction - Boise State). The rest are just based on who I think would make it in the seeds left. This is the first year doing one of these, so I would imagine it would feel more natural every year following this one.

I'll drop my EA Sports College Football 25 appreciation post soon. I've also been working on a Christopher Nolan post that's saved in my drafts.

Enjoy the college football season, everyone!

[sportscarolinamonthly]

Dabo Swinney on Cade Klubnik’s growth: ‘We’ve seen what we need to see in practice’

Published by On3 Dabo Swinney is ready for Cade Klubnik to take the next step as the leader of the Clemson Tigers, and lead the team back to the College Football Playoff. Those are the expectations for the program, fair or not, after the immense success Swinney has enjoyed with Clemson. The talented quarterback looks ready to continue improving in 2024, as his head coach continues to rave about…

[meret118]

“C.P.I. has gathered the most talented people in the conservative movement by far,” someone close to the organization told me. “They have thought deeply about what’s needed to create the infrastructure and the resources for a more anti-establishment conservative movement.”

. . .

C.P.I. is categorically different from its peers. It’s not a think tank—it’s an incubator and an activist hub that funds other organizations, coördinates with conservative members of the House and Senate, and works as a counterweight to G.O.P. leadership. The effort to contest the 2020 election results and the protests of January 6, 2021, were both plotted at C.P.I.’s headquarters, at 300 Independence Avenue. “Until seven years ago, it didn’t exist, and no entity like it existed,” Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, told me. “It’s grown by leaps and bounds.”

C.P.I. and its constellation of groups, most of which are nonprofits, raised nearly two hundred million dollars in 2022. The organization has bought up some fifty million dollars’ worth of real estate in and around Washington, including multiple properties on the Hill. A mansion on twenty-two hundred acres in eastern Maryland hosts trainings for congressional staff and conservative activists. Four political-action committees have rented space in C.P.I.’s offices, and many more belonging to members of Congress pay to use C.P.I.’s facilities, such as studios for podcast recordings and TV hits.

The House Freedom Caucus, a group of three dozen hard-line anti-institutionalist Republican lawmakers, and the Steering Committee, a similar group in the Senate, headed by Lee, hold weekly meetings at C.P.I.’s headquarters. Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, called the organization a “gathering site” that offered “regular contact” with the power brokers of the conservative movement. He told me, “You walk into the building and you can talk to Mark Meadows or Jim DeMint if they’re there, or Russ Vought.”

. . .

In 2010, as the Tea Party emerged as a force in conservative politics, the think tank launched an advocacy arm called Heritage Action, which issued scorecards evaluating legislators’ conservatism and deputized a network of local activists as “sentinels” to enforce a populist agenda. Vought, who’d previously worked as a staffer in House leadership, helped lead the operation. Under DeMint, the group became merciless in its attacks on rank-and-file Republican lawmakers. “Heritage Action was created to lobby the Hill, but they took it one step further,��� James Wallner, a lecturer in political science at Clemson University, who worked with DeMint in the Senate and at Heritage, told me. “They had a grassroots army. They used tens of thousands of activists to target people.”

. . .

Feulner later told the Times that Heritage saw a greater opportunity to influence policy under Trump than it had under Reagan. “No. 1, he did clearly want to make very significant changes,” Feulner said of Trump. “No. 2, his views on so many things were not particularly well formed.” He added, “If he somehow pulled the election off, we thought, wow, we could really make a difference.”

. . .

According to a study by the Brookings Institution, there was more staff turnover in the first thirty-two months of Trump’s Presidency than there had been in the entire first terms of each of his five predecessors. Inside the White House, a former senior official told me, Trump was constantly enraged that his Cabinet wouldn’t break the law for him. He wanted the Department of Homeland Security to shoot migrants crossing the Rio Grande, the Defense Department to draw up plans to invade Mexico, and the Internal Revenue Service to audit his critics. Trump didn’t understand why the government couldn’t revoke the security clearances of former intelligence officials who criticized him on CNN. The official said that Trump “talked about firing large numbers of the federal workers,” to eliminate any further checks on his agenda.

The tumult presented an opportunity for outsiders like DeMint. He and his associates had started brainstorming their next moves before their flight from San Diego touched down in Washington. “You don’t need a think tank,” Wallner recalled telling DeMint. Their collective expertise was in Congress, where Party leadership always seemed to have the advantage of better and more extensive staffing. What if they levelled the playing field by helping to recruit conservative personnel, and schooling them in how to be more effective activists? DeMint and his group could train a new class of staffers and place them within the system.

. . .

“We work very closely . . . with the Office of Presidential Personnel at the White House,” Bovard said, in footage obtained by Documented, a Washington-based watchdog group. “Because we see what happens when we don’t vet these people. That’s how we got Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, O.K.? That’s how we got Marie Yovanovitch. All these people that led the impeachment against President Trump shouldn’t have been there in the first place.”

By then, conservative activists, including Ginni Thomas, the wife of the Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, were assembling lists of “bad people” in the government for Trump to fire or demote. Government officials on the lists were often identified as either pro-Trump or anti-Trump. But behavior that counted as anti-Trump could be little more than an instance of someone obeying the law or observing ordinary bureaucratic procedure.

In one memo, in which a Trump loyalist argued against appointing a former U.S. Attorney who was up for a job at the Treasury Department, a list of infractions included an unwillingness to criminally investigate multiple women who had accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, according to Axios. In October, 2020, Trump issued an executive order that was largely overlooked in the midst of the pandemic and that fall’s election. Known as Schedule F, it stripped career civil servants of their job protections, making it much easier for the President to replace them with handpicked appointees.

. . .

From the start, C.P.I. was involved in efforts to cast doubt on the 2020 election results. One Freedom Caucus member recalled, “Election Day was Tuesday, and we got back to the Capitol the following Monday. Tuesday, they’re meeting at C.P.I. and talking about how to get Trump sworn in on January 20th.”

. . .

Much of the effort to turn people out for the January 6th protest took place at C.P.I. “There were a series of conference calls,” the Freedom Caucus member told me. “Mark Meadows was on a lot of them. Trump was on more than one. The rally was a big thing that C.P.I. and Freedom Caucus members were involved in. The idea was that they were going to get everybody together on the Mall. That was all discussed at C.P.I.”

Much more at the link.

----

I'd read about The Heritage Foundation before, but this is the first time I've heard about the Conservative Partnership Institute. Project 2025 is a blueprint written with and for trump by the people who got him elected the first place, to turn the US into a christo-fascist state with trump as the dictator. This chilling article shows how it all came about.

[bongaboi]

Georgia: 2022 Southeastern Football Champions

ATLANTA - Georgia swatted away the field goal attempt, the ball spinning to a stop at its 4-yard line. The LSU players trudged off the field, thinking the play was over.

Christopher Smith knew better. He suddenly scooped it up and took off the other way, sprinting 96 yards for a touchdown that epitomized the Bulldogs program.

They were a step ahead of LSU on Saturday.

They've been a step ahead of everyone for two years now.

With all sorts of turmoil behind them in the rankings, Georgia headed to the College Football Playoff as the clear No. 1, dismantling the No. 11 Tigers 50-30 in the Southeastern Conference championship game Saturday.

Stetson Bennett's threw a season-high four touchdown passes in another stellar postseason performance, while Smith's heads-up play gave the Bulldogs an early spark.

"I've got good players around me. I'm not that bad at football, either," Bennett said with a smile. "We've got a good team."

Georgia (13-0, No. 1 CFP) also caught a big break when Smith deflected a pass that bounced off an LSU receiver's helmet and wound up being picked off by the Bulldogs, setting up a score that contributed to a 35-10 lead by halftime.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels re-injured a sore right ankle late in the second quarter, giving way to Garrett Nussmeier in the second half.

The backup guiding the Tigers (9-4, No. 14 CFP) to three second-half touchdowns, but it wasn't nearly enough.

Georgia accomplished something that not even last season's national championship squad could could do - win its first SEC title since 2017. The Bulldogs were denied in this game a year ago by Alabama, before bouncing back to beat the Crimson Tide in the title game.

"I don't want one kid to walk out of our program without an SEC championship ring in their careers," coach Kirby Smart said. "That could've happened. They said enough is enough and got 'em one tonight."

Georgia heads into the playoff assured of a return trip to Atlanta for a de facto semifinal home game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, just 75 miles from its Athens campus.

LSU's outside hopes of crashing the four-team playoff field were wiped out a week ago by a stunning loss at Texas A&M, one of several upsets that will give the selection committee plenty to think about before its announcement Sunday.

Tennessee and Clemson also ruined their playoff hopes with losses late in the regular season, while No. 4 Southern California is presumably out after getting blown out by Utah in the Pac-12 title game Friday night.

Just as the SEC game was kicking off, No. 3 TCU lost to Kansas State in overtime for the Big 12 championship, further clouding a playoff picture that suddenly looks much more favorable for No. 5 Ohio State and No. 6 Alabama.

No matter who makes the elite field, Georgia is firmly focused on becoming the first repeat national title since Alabama in 2011-12, having won all but one game this season by double-digit margins.

"I've tried not to play attention to any of it," Smart said of all the chaos. "It didn't matter to me. That's so far away."

The Bulldogs showed they are more than just a bunch of talented athletes - this is a smart, well-coached group.

When Nazir Stackhouse burst through the middle of the line to block LSU's 32-yard field goal attempt late in the first quarter, Smith knew what to do.

"That's a scenario we go over a lot in practice," he said.

He looked toward the sideline to see if it was OK to grab it.

"You're not allowed to pick it up unless you can score with it," Smart said.

Smith took care of the rest.

LSU coach Brian Kelly blamed himself and his staff for allowing the play to happen.

"Obviously, we did a poor job if coaching," he said. "It's our responsibility to have our guys alert in that situation. They were not alert."

LSU quickly tied it up on Daniels' 53-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte, only to have Bennett take control from there.

The sixth-year senior, a former walk-on who was offensive MVP of both Georgia playoffs wins a year ago, struck for four TD passes in a less than 15-minute span: 3 yards to Brock Bowers, 22 yards to Ladd McConkey, 14 yards to Darnell Washington and 3 yards to Dillon Bell.

Just like that, Georgia led 35-7.

"I was in a zone," Bennett said.

It's been that way for two years now.

THE TAKEAWAY

LSU: Kelly's debut season turned a bit ugly the last two weeks, but the Tigers are on the right track. "We want to get back here next year. That's our goal," Kelly said. "Get back here and win it."

Georgia: Win or lose in the SEC title game, the Bulldogs were assured of a spot in the playoff. But Smart continues to impress with his ability to keep the team motivated. While there were some huge defensive lapses in the second half, this game was never in doubt.

GOING FOR 2

When Georgia scored its final touchdown early in the fourth quarter for a 48-23 lead, Smart surprisingly called for a 2-point conversion.

The Bulldogs converted it with a trick play, but Smart insisted that he wasn't trying to run up the score.

"The books says you go for 2 there," he said.

When asked about the play, Kelly stumbled over his words a bit before finally saying, "I don't get too caught up in what other teams are doing."

INJURY REPORT

While Daniels went down for LSU, Georgia also lost a couple of players to injuries in the first half.

McConkey landed awkwardly making a catch along the sideline, inflaming a knee issue that's been bothering him all year. Tight offensive tackle Warren McClendon sustained what appears to be a mild MCL sprain.

Neither returned after halftime.

[oldsalempost-blog]

The Old Salem Post

Our  Local Tamassee-Salem SC Area News each Monday except holidays                                          Contact: theoldsalempost@gmail.com                              Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library.                            Volume 7

Issue 28                                                                                                  Week of July 1,  2024                https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog                                                         Lynne Martin Publishing EDITOR: My family always watched the 6 o’clock news on television with Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather.   That was back when news could be a trusted source of information.  Anything trust-worthy is difficult to find anymore.  Nothing is like it used to be nor easily repaired.  But, as I grow older,  I am content to place my trust and hope in our Lord, and I am grateful to be free and live in America!  That is the best news I know.LRM                                                                        

TOWN of SALEM: 5 Park Avenue The Town Hall will be closed to observe the July 4th Holiday.  Join us on the ball field for fellowship and fireworks. The annual July 4th celebration is on! Open to all!  Bring a chair or blanket to be comfortable.  Gates open at 8PM.  Fireworks at 9:30PM.  Contact Salem Town Hall to participate or donate  864-944-2819    * Visit the Downtown Market every Sat, Hours 8am-12pm.                                    Salem Library will be closed July 4th to observe the holiday.                                                                                            Clemson Rural Health Mobile Unit Coming to Salem:  July 25th  Time: 9AM-3PM Location: gravel parking lot across from the Salem Fire Department.  They will offer comprehensive primary care that includes chronic disease management and acute care.  The website: https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/clemson-rural-health/patients.html                                    

Jottings from Miz Jeannie  by Jeannie Barnwell      INDEPENDENCE DAY RECOLLECTIONS        An organization that I had held in high regard gradually morphed into a place of bullying and oppression.  Two "despotesses" arbitrarily changed the name of the chapter and changed the rules to suit themselves.  Most of the membership were blindsided by their devious tactics.  Many women were brought to tears learning that we were to have policy changes WITHOUT representation.   As I recall, a similar scenario loomed before our ancestors centuries ago. And our ancestors fought the oppressors.  We couldn't let modern day oppressors  trample on our rights. That would be UNAMERICAN!!!  Since January,  twenty members have resigned from the abusive chapter, and we are forming a new chapter to honor the true spirit of the DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.  Birthing a new chapter is a daunting task, but it is minimal when compared to birthing a  New Nation!  Happy Independence Day! Love Ya Lots! Miz Jeannie                 

ASHTON RECALLS by Ashton Hester REPRESENTATIVES GREEN AND KING REELECTED - (The following story was in the June 9, 1954 Keowee Courier). . .Oconee County voters Tuesday returned Representatives Ray Green of Salem and Harold B. King of Oakway to the House of Representatives for another two years. . .(Footnote: This was the Democratic primary election. Since there were no Republican candidates in the November general election, the Democratic nominees were declared winners). . .Green led the ticket with 2,512 votes and King followed with 2,167. Ira W. Gilstrap of Seneca was third with 2,058 votes, and James F. (Joe) McCarey trailed with 1,788. . .In the early counting Gilstrap and McCarey surged into the leads with small boxes reporting. However, Green began edging up slightly on Gilstrap, who kept his lead until the municipal boxes began to come in. . .When the Westminster and Seneca boxes reported, they shoved Green into the lead and pulled King into contention above McCarey. . .The Walhalla box then came through with heavy pluralities for Green and King. It shoved Green well into the lead and leap-frogged King into second place, which he never relinquished. . .(Footnote: Ray Green, a Salem businessman, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1952 at the age of 25, making him Oconee County's youngest-ever representative. His wife was employed as Oconee County librarian and was elected to the Salem Town Council in 1953 by a unanimous vote, being chosen on every ballot.)                                                                                                                                                                                                          

JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC) & COFFEE SHOP* 13412 N Hwy 11 Opening on Tuesdays 12pm-7pm during the summer season. Wed–Sat 9am-9pm and Sunday 12pm-7pm.            Events this week: Wed: BLUE RIDGE GRILL Fish Fry 1PM-8PM BLUE GRASS JAM 7PM.  Thursday: Food Truck:  WHEELIE GOOD FOOD  & Music JAGUAR 4 at 6:00PM  Fri: Music: CRANK DOGS 6:30PM   Food:  JUST A SMILE     Sat–  Food: Carolina Classic Diner  Music: Spare Parts  at 6:30pm    Sun: 12pm-7pm Food: Carolina Classic Diner  Music:  Milestone Talents 4PM.    *Serving Pisgah Coffee Roasters hot or iced coffee all day long.  BOOK CLUB AT JVBC:  July’s book is The Guardians by John Grisham.  We will beet July 17th at 10AM at the Jocassee Valley Brewing Company. I look forward to seeing everyone and discussing the book.             

Crippling America– Are people becoming more dependent and less independent one strategy at a time?                                            All Electric Vehicles Across America Agenda?  Help me understand how America can go to all electric vehicles, when electric companies are already strained to meet the demands of today?   When the grid is down how will you get to work?  Good thing about rural areas—  Hang on to your  farm, your  horse and mule, your chickens and cows.   You will still have food and transportation!  LRM

EAGLES NEST ART CENTER, 4 Eagle Lane, Salem SC

2024 UPCOMING EVENTS     Treasure Store open every Sat morning 9AM-12PM.  For donations  call 864-557-2462.                                                                                                                                 ENAC is excited to partner with YOUNG APPALACHIAN MUSICIANS– YAMs is the group from Pickens County willing to help ENAC get started with an evening class each week on Tuesdays at 5:30PM. Cost will be $50 each month.  Instruments are available for rental if needed at $20 per month.  For 3rd grade through adult.   Call 864-280-1258.  Lessons have started in June!   

Oconee Mountain Opry– July 20th at 7PM.  We have confirmed a great variety line up of Talented musicians!  The Lilly Anne String Band, Neil Conway and Adam Hopkins!  Tickets $10 available online  or website and available at the door.

2nd Annual Talent Showcase:  July 27th 6PM  This Talent Showcase is open to everyone so get your friendly act together and call 864-710-8758 or 864-888-5663 to sign up.  Tell your friends to join the fun!

Beverly Chesser with Beverly Exercise is coming to ENAC on Saturday, August 3 at 1PM to speak on wellness and fitness.  Beverly has shared her ministry for almost 50 years and is now 80 years old. She leads an exercise group at her church in Anderson, SC every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Admission is donation only.  Plan to be encouraged spiritually, mentally, and physically. 

August 24th, 7PM  Make Reservations for  Dinner and a Show with Luke Riley Smith– Tickets $25    Call 864-280-1258.

                                               CHURCH NEWS   Bethel Presbyterian Church (PCUSA),  580 Bethel Church Rd Walhalla, 29691. Worship at 10:30 a.m.  Message:  July 7  by Stephen Graves    July 14 Mel Davis.  July 28  Mel Davis Come Visit Us!                                                                                                                         Salem Seventh-Day Adventist Church, located 240 W Main St , Salem,  cordially invites you to join us every Saturday at 9:30am  Salem Methodist Church: located 520 Church Street, Salem 9am for breakfast, 9:15am for Sunday School, and 10:30am for Worship.  Live service on Facebook or view it later on our website  Our church has multiple missions. Help be the hands & feet of Christ.   

            AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM at TAMASSEE   STUDENT SUCCESS for the 2023-2024 school year-  K-5th Graders. Transportation available from select schools.  Registration Fee waived if enrolled before  July 12th! Academic Support.  Enriched Activities.  92% improved in reading.  85% improved in math.   (864) 944-1390 ext. 102                                                       

    FOR YOUR HEALTH  

*The sign of a good doctor is how many medications he or she is trying to get you OFF of rather than On.   *Do not be forced or coerced to take a medication or vaccination until you fully understand the research (or lack of research) provided to you.  Lack of research indicates you are being a laboratory mouse for the benefit of future findings.  It should be your own educated, well-informed freedom of choice.                                                                          TREAT YOURSELF to “Beverly Exercise” 30 minutes each day to help decrease depression, pain, and low self esteem! LRM             

GAS PRICES:  Pay attention to the price of gas wherever you are.   There are price differences of 35 cents a gallon within 8 miles of gas stations.  On a 20 gallon tank that is a $7 difference. It pays to pay attention!                                                                      Celebrate the oldest festival in Oconee County:  Hillbilly Day in Mountain Rest July 4th 9AM-3PM                    Thank God for America!                               Happy Birthday USA!    LRM     

[lboogie1906]

Samuel Benjamin Watkins (born June 14, 1993) is a football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Clemson and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills fourth overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. He has played for the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, and Green Bay Packers. He became a Super Bowl champion as a member of the Chiefs.

He became the all-time leading receiver in the history of Lee County with 133 catches for 2,997 yards and 36 touchdowns during his career. As a sophomore, he had 33 receptions for 537 yards and 10 touchdowns. In his junior and senior years, he was a first-team all-state selection. In his junior year, he added 46 catches for 1,192 yards and 14 touchdowns. As a senior, Watkins had eight 100-yard receiving games on the season, accumulating totals of 54 catches for 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led an undefeated South Fort Myers team into the 3A state semifinals, where they lost 44–28. He played in the US Army All-American Bowl.

He ran track & field for the Wolfpack, where he was one of the state’s top performers in the sprinting events. As a junior, he finished fifth in the 100 meters and sixth in the 200 meters at the state meet. As a senior, he captured the AA state title in the 200 meters, with a PR of 21.11 seconds. He won the 100 meters at the Tarpon Invitational, recording a personal-best time of 10.45 seconds.

He was a highly-touted recruit before the college football season. Regarded as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, he has been rated the third-best wide receiver prospect in the nation, behind only George Farmer and Trey Metoyer. He was ranked fifth-best by Scout.com. He committed to Clemson University. Recruited by dozens of schools, he chose Clemson over offers from Florida, Florida State, Michigan, and Tennessee.

His older brother, Jaylen Watkins, is a defensive back who is currently a free agent. Both he and Jaylen were selected in the 2014 NFL Draft, 97 picks apart. He has three daughters. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence