HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASEY!!!!! (3 days and counting)

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Rear Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on April 21-22, 1914, during the engagements of Vera Cruz. His citation reads:

For distinguished conduct in battle, engagements of Vera Cruz, 21 and 22 April 1914. Under fire, Rear Adm. Fletcher was eminent and conspicuous in the performance of his duties; was senior officer present at Vera Cruz, and the landing and the operations of the landing force were carried out under his orders and directions. In connection with these operations, he was at times on shore and under fire.

Lieutenant Frank Jack Fletcher (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on April 21-22, 1914, during the engagements of Vera Cruz. His citation reads:

For distinguished conduct in battle, engagements of Vera Cruz, 21 and 22 April 1914. Under fire, Lt. Fletcher was eminent and conspicuous in performance of his duties. He was in charge of the Esperanze and succeeded in getting on board over 350 refugees, many of them after the conflict had commenced. Although the ship was under fire, being struck more than 30 times, he succeeded in getting all the refugees placed in safety. Lt. Fletcher was later placed in charge of the train conveying refugees under a flag of truce. This was hazardous duty, as it was believed that the track was mined, and a small error in dealing with the Mexican guard of soldiers might readily have caused a conflict, such a conflict at one time being narrowly averted. It was greatly due to his efforts in establishing friendly relations with the Mexican soldiers that so many refugees succeeded in reaching Vera Cruz from the interior.

Boy Thomas Flood (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on April 24-25, 1862, on board the USS Pensacola. His citation reads:

Served on board the U.S.S. Pensacola in the attack on Forts Jackson and St. Philip and at the taking of new Orleans, 24 and 25 April 1862. Swept from the bridge by a shell which wounded the signal quartermaster, Flood returned to the bridge after assisting the wounded man below and taking over his duties, "Performed them with coolness, exactitude and the fidelity of a veteran seaman. His intelligence and character cannot be spoken of too warmly.


We’d like to take a minute today to wish our cousin-in-law Casey a Very Happy Birthday! We hope she has a great day! I’m not sure her exact age, but I believe that like No-Name Teri, Casey is in her 30s. Unlike No-Name Teri, Casey will be in her 30s for many years to come. No-Name Teri only has a couple of days left before what has come to be known as the most important post in the history of this (and any other) blog.

My Aunt Yvonne’s Top 5 Movies

5. Beverly Hills Cop

4. Ten Commandments

3. Miss Congeniality

2. Gone With the Wind

1. It’s a Wonderful Life


The I’m just sayin… Top 2,613 Movies of All-Time Countdown

700 Storm Warning
Stuart Heisler
Ronald Reagan, Doris Day, Ginger Rogers
1951

699 Muppet Treasure Island
Brian Henson
Tim Curry, Jennifer Saunders, Kevin Bishop
1996

698 Fargo
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, Harve Presnell
1996

697 Escape from Alcatraz
Don Siegel
Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Fred Ward
1979

696 Fast & Furious
Justin Lin
Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster
2009

695 Julius Caesar
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Marlon Brando, James Mason, John Gielgud, Greer Garson, Deborah Kerr, Louis Calhern, Edmond O'Brien
1953

694 Arlington Road
Mark Pellington
Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Hope Davis
1999

693 Clerks II
Kevin Smith
Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawson, Trevor Fehrman
2006

692 Captain America: The First Avenger
Joe Johnston
Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke and Stanley Tucci, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Kenneth Choi, Toby Jones, Richard Armitage, J. J. Feild, Samuel L. Jackson
2011

691 Stagecoach
John Ford
John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Berton Churchill
1939

690 Next of Kin
John Irvin
Patrick Swayze, Liam Neeson, Adam Baldwin, Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton
1989

689 Home Alone
Chris Columbus
Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Catherine O'Hara
1990
Kevin McCallister: "This is my house, I have to defend it".

688 War of the Worlds
Steven Spielberg
Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin
2005

687 Ride 'Em Cowboy
Arthur Lubin
Abbott and Costello
1942

686 Scream 2
Wes Craven
David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O'Connell, Jada Pinkett, Liev Schreiber
1997

685 Code Name: The Cleaner
Les Mayfield
Cedric the Entertainer, Lucy Liu, Nicollette Sheridan
2007
Kevin McCallister: "This is my house, I have to defend it".
Jake Rodgers: "I'm married?... to a white woman?... Am i Lionel Richie?"

684 The Company Men
John Wells
Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Maria Bello, Rosemarie DeWitt, Craig T. Nelson
2010

683 Poetic Justice
John Singleton
Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur
1993

682 For Love or Money
Barry Sonnenfeld
Michael J. Fox, Gabrielle Anwar
1993

681 Goonies, The
Richard Donner
Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Anne Ramsey, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano
1985
[the Fratellis are interrogating Chunk]
Francis Fratelli: "Tell us everything! Everything!"
Chunk: Everything. "OK! I'll talk! In third grade, I cheated on my history exam. In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew School play. In fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog... When my mom sent me to the summer camp for fat kids and then they served lunch I got nuts and I pigged out and they kicked me out... But the worst thing I ever done - I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa - and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life".
Jake Fratelli: "I'm beginning to like this kid, Ma!"

680 In Harm's Way
Otto Preminger
John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Henry Fonda, Brandon de Wilde, Paula Prentiss, Burgess Meredith, Carroll O'Connor, Dana Andrews
1965
Captain Rockwell Torrey: "Get a message off to Pearl. 'Have taken two torpedoes.' Fill in our position. 'Extent of damage unknown. Will advise'".
Commander Burke: "And break radio silence, sir?"
Captain Rockwell Torrey: "Burke, don't you think the Japanese know by now where we are?"

679 Death Wish II
Michael Winner
Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Vincent Gardenia
1982

678 Clash of the Titans
Desmond Davis
Laurence Olivier, Harry Hamlin, Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress, Judi Bowker, Claire Bloom
1981

677 Police Academy 3: Back in Training
Jerry Paris
Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, Leslie Easterbrook
1986
Capt. Proctor: Mahoney must think he's as dumb as we are.

676 The Muppets
James Bobin
Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones
2011

675 Flying Leathernecks
Nicholas Ray
John Wayne, Robert Ryan
1951

674 Groundhog Day
Harold Ramis
Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell
1993

673 Jackie Brown
Quentin Tarantino
Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton, Bridget Fonda, Chris Tucker
1997

672 Hercules
Ron Clements, John Musker
1997

671 Dogma
Kevin Smith
Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Kevin Smith, George Carlin, Alanis Morissette
1999

670 Grumpier Old Men
Howard Deutch
Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Sophia Loren
1995

669 The Devil Wears Prada
David Frankel
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Adrian Grenier, Simon Baker
2006

668 Never Been Kissed
Raja Gosnell
Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Molly Shannon, James Franco
1999

667 The Lincoln Lawyer
Brad Furman
Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Peña, Frances Fisher, Bob Gunton, with Bryan Cranston and William H. Macy
2011

666 Family Business
Sidney Lumet
Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, Matthew Broderick
1989

665 Date Night
Shawn Levy
Steve Carell, Tina Fey
2010

664 Hollywood Homicide
Ron Shelton
Harrison Ford, Josh Hartnett
2003

663 For Me and My Gal
Busby Berkeley
Judy Garland, Gene Kelly
1942

662 Young Mr. Lincoln
John Ford
Henry Fonda, Alice Brady
1939

661 Behind Enemy Lines
John Moore
Gene Hackman, Owen Wilson, David Keith
2001

660 Loaded Weapon 1
Gene Quintano
Emilio Estevez, Samuel L. Jackson
1993
Colt: "Nice weather? You think we're having... nice weather? I guess you didn't lose the only one that meant anything in your life. I guess you don't feel burned out by the human misery and despair perpetrated by the criminal vermin that infest every pore of this decaying city, forcing you to guzzle cheap wine and cheaper whiskey to dull the pain that shatters your heart, rips at your soul, and keeps your days forever gray. What flavor Icee you got today?"

Jack Colt: "Claire and I rode together for seven years".
Wes Luger: "York and I were in academy together. Then we partnered for five years. Before that, we dodged the draft together. Before that, we played high school football together. Before that, we were in grade school together. And before that, we breast fed together".

659 Righteous Kill
Jon Avnet
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Carla Gugino, Curtis Jackson, Donnie Wahlberg
2008

658 The Aviator
Martin Scorsese
Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, John C. Reilly, Alan Alda, Jude Law, Kate Beckinsale, Danny Huston, Ian Holm
2004

657 The Spy Who Loved Me
Lewis Gilbert
Roger Moore
1977
James Bond: "Bond, James Bond"

656 The Recruit
Roger Donaldson
Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan
2003

655 American Gangster
Ridley Scott
Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe
2007

654 Hondo
John Farrow
John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, James Arness
1953

653 Love & Other Drugs
Edward Zwick
Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Josh Gad, Gabriel Macht, Judy Greer, Jill Clayburgh
2010

652 Mission: Impossible II
John Woo
Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton, Ving Rhames, Richard Roxburgh, Brendan Gleeson
2000

651 Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
Peter Segal
Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson, Fred Ward, Anna Nicole Smith, Kathleen Freeman, Pia Zadora, Raquel Welch
1994

650 Men in Black
Barry Sonnenfield
Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Vincent D'Onofrio, Linda Fiorentino, Rip Torn
1997
Jay: "Did you ever flashy-thing me?"
Kay: "No".
Jay: "I ain't playing with you, K. Did you ever flashy-thing me?"
Kay: "No".

649 The Odd Couple
Gene Saks
Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau
1968

648 Chicago
Rob Marshall
Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, Taye Diggs
2002

647 The Players Club
Ice Cube
Bernie Mac, Ice Cube, Lisa Raye
1998

646 Se7en
David Fincher
Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow
1995

645 The Outsiders
Francis Ford Coppola
C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Leif Garrett
1983

644 The Only Game in Town
George Stevens
Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty
1970

643 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Steve Barron
Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas
1990

642 Armageddon
Michael Bay
Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton, Will Patton, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan
1998

641 Pardners
Norman Taurog
Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis
1956

640 Moneyball
Bennett Miller
Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, Casey Bond, Stephen Bishop, Royce Clayton, David Hutchinson, Kathryn Morris
2011
Billy Beane: "Would you rather get one shot in the head or five in the chest and bleed to death?"
Peter Brand: "Are those my only two options?"

Scott Hatteberg: [Responding to being asked to play first base for the Oakland A's] "I've only ever played catcher".
Billy Beane: "It's not that hard, Scott. Tell him, Wash".
Ron Washington: "It's incredibly hard".

639 John Tucker Must Die
Betty Thomas
Jesse Metcalfe, Brittany Snow, Ashanti, Sophia Bush
2006

638 Along Came a Spider
Lee Tamahori
Morgan Freeman, Monica Potter, Dylan Baker
2001

637 M*A*S*H
Robert Altman
Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Sally Kellerman. Tom Skeritt, Jo Ann Pflug, John Schuck, Robert Duvall
1970
Hotlips O'Houlihan: "I wonder how such a degenerated person ever reached a position of authority in the Army Medical Corps".
Father Mulcahy: "He was drafted".

636 The Help
Tate Taylor
Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Anna Camp, Dana Ivey, Leslie Jordan, Brian Kerwin, Chris Lowell, David Oyelowo, Sissy Spacek, Cicely Tyson, Mike Vogel
2011

635 The Social Network
David Fincher
Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella, Brenda Song, Rooney Mara, Dustin Fitzsimons, Joseph Mazzello, Rashida Jones
2010

634 Shark Tale
Bibo Bergeron, Vicky Jenson, Rob Letterman
Will Smith, Jack Black, Renée Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese
2004

633 Nixon
Oliver Stone
Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, James Woods, J. T. Walsh, David Hyde Pierce, Ed Harris, Paul Sorvino, Powers Boothe, Mary Steenburgen
1995

632 The Man
Les Mayfield
Samuel L. Jackson, Eugene Levy
2005
Andy Fidler: "You shot me!"
Special Agent Derrick Vann: "I grazed you".
Andy Fidler: "Well, that's still shooting me!"

631 Parenthood
Ron Howard
Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Keanu Reeves, Martha Plimpton, Jason Robards, Rick Moranis
1989

630 X-Men
Bryan Singer
Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen
2000

629 Hard Rain
Mikael Salomon
Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, Randy Quaid, Minnie Driver
1998

628 The Rookie
John Lee Hancock
Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez, Brian Cox
2002

627 From Here to Eternity
Fred Zinnemann
Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed, Ernest Borgnine
1953

626 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Mark Waters
Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Emma Stone, Anne Archer, Robert Forster, Amanda Walsh, Noureen DeWulf
2009


The I’m just sayin… Know Your South Carolina Athlete

Kevin Slowey (born May 4, 1984 in Conroe, Texas) is perhaps the best pitcher to ever play at Winthrop. At the very least, he’s on the list of the best pitchers (I admit I’m a little weak in my Winthrop baseball history). Slowey was selected by the Minnesota Twins with the 73rd pick in the 2nd round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. Slowey is considered to be a control pitcher and his repertoire includes a low 90s fastball considered to be his best pitch, a good changeup, a good slow curveball, and a tight slider. He is known for his exceptional control and command of the strike zone and is often compared to former Minnesota Twins pitcher Brad Radke, due to his excellent control. Slowey's delivery is much simpler than Radke's; however, mainly due to the absence of Radke's high leg kick. Slowey attended Winthrop University on an academic scholarship after scoring a 1420 on his SAT. He went on to be named as a third-team All-American by Baseball America in 2005 when he had 14-2 record with 126 strikeouts, only 13 walks issued, and a 2.16 ERA. In his three seasons at Winthrop, he set school records with 331 strikeouts and 29 wins. He has had some ups and downs in his pro career and has been hampered by various injuries. Currently, Slowey is pitching for the AAA Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians (the Columbus Clippers). This hasn’t been one of his best years… right now he’s got a 2-3 record with a 5.89 ERA. In 36.2 innings pitched, Slowey has given up 44 hits (7 home runs), walked 8 batters and struck out 26. Here is a quick look at his stats at various levels of play:

College (3 years): 29-8 record with a 3.00 ERA. He pitched in 53 games, starting 40… he had 13 complete games and 1 save. Slowey pitched 342 innings giving up 297 hits… and, most impressive – 26 home runs, 41 walks and 331 strikeouts. Mind you, this was in the “live ball/live bat” era.

Minor Leagues (6 years): 24-19 with a 2.47 ERA. In 81 games he has started 73, with 7 complete games and 1 save. He’s pitched 459 innings giving up 362 hits. He has given up 31 home runs, walked 69 batters and struck out 426 batters.

Major Leagues (5 years): 39-29, 4.66 ERA. 100 games (90 starts), 3 complete games. In 533 innings he gave up 606 hits… including 84 home runs and 84 walks. He also struck out 395 batters.

Most of my info for the post today came from Wikipedia and The Baseball Cube.