Happy Birthday Jane!

I would like to start today by wishing my “cousin” (on the Labor Day side of my family) Jane a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I won’t tell you which birthday this is for Jane… I’ll just tell you that she is older than me but younger than Sonny. Jane has also been helping me raise money for my Memory Walk… so on behalf of everyone at I’m just sayin…, I would like to thank Jane for her support and wish her a happy birthday!

Speaking of the Memory Walk… I’d like to thank my cousin Susan for her donation. As promised, I think higher of her now than I did before she donated. I would also like to thank Sonny and my friend Michael for their donations. They waited for me to send an email before they donated, so I don’t think as highly of them as I do Susan… but I do think higher of them. Word on the street is that one of my loyal readers was going to donate before he read my last post. It seems he took exception to a story that I told that may or may not have been true. I would like to take a second right now to remind this loyal reader that I could have made that story a lot worse for him than I did. Don’t make me prove it. Anyway, the clock is ticking… don’t miss out on your chance to join me in my fight against Alzheimer’s. Give here. By the way, I was able to raise $800 before sending my first email. Not bad, I’d say.

A big thank you to my friend KC over at Our Life for giving me his pass for the game this past Friday night. If you haven’t had a chance, you need to read this post (just make sure you have about 4-5 hours free before you start reading). It has a great shot at taking the #1 spot on my favorite non-I’m just sayin… Top 10 posts. It’s great stuff, so make sure you go over there and read it.

Thank you, also, to my friend Danny (yes, that Danny) and his wife Jen (yes, that Jen) for letting me sit by them. Their seats aren’t quite as good as KC’s, but they are still pretty good. I behaved about as well as could be expected. I knew JI was in trouble when the refs would throw a flag and then run over to Coach McKissick to ask him what he thought they should call. I also had a bad feeling when I found out JI was going to be without their starting QB (who got hurt the previous week). But, the Trojans still put up a good fight. There is no shame in losing to guys in their early 20’s… ;)

Speaking of the Summerville game… it was Homecoming for the Green Wave. I don’t know if they do this for every game or just that game, but they were selling yearbooks from previous years at the game. I’m thinking of seeing if I can get my Mom and my Aunt Yvonne’s old yearbooks and selling them at the next game. Oh, and it seems the dress code for football games is a lot different than when I was in high school. My goodness, if the girls dressed like that at football games when I was in high school, I would have been at every one of them. As it stands now, I’m thisclose to getting season tickets to Summerville and USC football games. If you don’t believe me, just ask my friend Danny… my man gets a new smart phone and next thing you know he’s taking pictures like it was a photo shoot.

Just a couple more thoughts from the game… I’m pretty sure the lights on one side of that football field are lower than on the other side. At least, it felt that way to me. I’m also pretty sure that field was built before Coach McKissick invented the forward pass. If you take half a step out of the back of the end zone on one end of the field, you’ll hit a fence. On the other side you’ll hit a small hill that is at just the right height and angle to break an ankle. I’m not a violent man, but I was ready to punch the PA guy by the end of the game (much like I was ready to punch the USC PA guy after the Navy game). I don’t know if they do this kind of thing at James Island or Navy or Clemson or any other place… but if they do, then I’ll want to punch their PA guys too. What am I talking about? At the USC game after every first down the PA guy would yell, “That’s another Carolina!” and the fans would yell, “First Down!” It was cute the first time, but it got old real fast. It wasn’t any better at the Summerville game… in fact, it was probably worse since at least when I was at the USC game I could pretend it was something that they came up with (and as far as I know, it is).


The I’m just sayin... Football Predictions

High School
James Island at Summerville – Well, I picked JI to win this game and I was WRONG! James Island lost, 0-17.

Ashley Ridge at Colleton County – I picked Ashley Ridge to win this one and I was RIGHT! Ashley Ridge won, 41-14.

Dorman vs. Boiling Springs – I picked Dorman to win this one and I was WRONG! Dorman lost, 28-31.

College
#18USC vs. Kentucky – I picked the Revolutionary War Heroes to win this game and I was RIGHT! USC won, 54-3.

#8Clemson vs. Boston College – I picked the Tigers to win this one and I was RIGHT! Clemson won, 36-14.

Navy vs. Southern Miss – I picked Navy to win and I was WRONG! Navy lost, 35-63.

CSU at VMI – Oops… I was so ready to pick CSU to lose that I forgot they were off last Saturday. Check back later in the week to see me pick VMI to win this game.

Wyoming at Utah State – I picked Wyoming to lose this game and I was RIGHT! Wyoming lost, 19-63.

Appalachian State at The Citadel – Wow… I did it again. I was so torn up over having to pick against DG’s Bulldogs that I picked the game a week early.

NFL
Pittsburgh vs. Tennessee – I picked The Steelers to lose this game and I’m happy to say I was WRONG! Pittsburgh won, 38-17.

Miami – Bye.

I’m just sayin… Football Prediction Record

High School: 22-5

College: 25-6

NFL: 4-5

Overall: 51-16


Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Cary (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on January 21, 1915 on board the USS San Diego. His citation reads:

For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on the occasion of an explosion on board the U.S.S. San Diego, 21 January 1915. Lt. Comdr. Cary (then Ensign), U.S. Navy, an observer on duty in the firerooms of the U.S.S. San Diego, commenced to take the half-hourly readings of the steam pressure at every boiler. He had read the steam and air pressure on No. 2 boiler and was just stepping through the electric watertight door into No. 1 fireroom when the boilers in No. 2 fireroom exploded. Ens. Cary stopped and held open the doors which were being closed electrically from the bridge, and yelled to the men in No. 2 fireroom to escape through these doors, which 3 of them did. Ens. Cary's action undoubtedly saved the lives of these men. He held the doors probably a minute with the escaping steam from the ruptured boilers around him. His example of coolness did much to keep the men in No. 1 fireroom at their posts hauling fires, although 5 boilers in their immediate vicinity had exploded and boilers Nos. 1 and 3 apparently had no water in them and were likely to explode any instant. When these fires were hauled under Nos. 1 and 3 boilers, Ens. Cary directed the men in this fireroom into the bunker, for they well knew the danger of these 2 boilers exploding. During the entire time Ens. Cary was cool and collected and showed an abundance of nerve under the most trying circumstances. His action on this occasion was above and beyond the call of duty.

Corporal Anthony Casamento (US Marine Corps) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on November 1, 1942 on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands, in action against the enemy Japanese forces on 1 November 1942. Serving as a leader of a machine gun section, Corporal Casamento directed his unit to advance along a ridge near the Matanikau River where they engaged the enemy. He positioned his section to provide covering fire for two flanking units and to provide direct support for the main force of his company which was behind him. During the course of this engagement, all members of his section were either killed or severely wounded and he himself suffered multiple, grievous wounds. Nonetheless, Corporal Casamento continued to provide critical supporting fire for the attack and in defense of his position. Following the loss of all effective personnel, he set up, loaded, and manned his unit's machine gun. tenaciously holding the enemy forces at bay. Corporal Casamento single-handedly engaged and destroyed one machine gun emplacement to his front and took under fire the other emplacement on the flank. Despite the heat and ferocity of the engagement, he continued to man his weapon and repeatedly repulsed multiple assaults by the enemy forces, thereby protecting the flanks of the adjoining companies and holding his position until the arrival of his main attacking force. Corporal Casamento's courageous fighting spirit, heroic conduct, and unwavering dedication to duty reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Private David Casey (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on June 3, 1864 at Cold Harbor, Virginia. His citation reads:

Two color bearers having been shot dead one after the other, the last one far in advance of his regiment and close to the enemy's line, this soldier rushed forward, and, under a galling fire, after removing the dead body of the bearer therefrom, secured the flag and returned with it to the Union lines.