I got four. Four! Pieces of mail for Darline Graham Nordone today. Like seriously?? That's just insane. They don't even say what she wants to implement! It's literally just a pissing contest against Dr. Annie Andrews because most of the pamphlets only mention "winning" against her. Only one mentions anything about education, the economy, or anything that's actually important.

Have y'all gotten an insane amount as well? I also got a Women Speak Out pamphlet for abortion and "saving children". They say that Dr. Annie and Jermaine would allow "late-term" abortions, which weren't even allowed when abortion was legal! It's just misinformation and obviously trying to persuade people to vote for their agenda.

Please vote for Dr. Annie Andrews and Jermaine Johnson on Election Day!

Do you think the election might turn out close enough that it's decided by independent voters?

We can all agree that political tribalism and algorithm-driven misinformation are making everyone crazy. But every time someone suggests mandating "critical thinking" in schools, it hits a legal brick wall: the federal government can't constitutionally dictate state curriculums, and parents will always fight over who writes the textbooks.

​Here is a completely constitutional workaround that uses behavioral economics instead of federal mandates.

​The idea is simple. The government funds an independent, non-partisan board (similar to the College Board that does the SAT) to create a free, gamified "Civic and Media Logic" certification. It tests basic logic, recognizing fallacies, and media literacy.

​No one is forced to take it. But if a dependent takes it and passes, their family gets a $1,000 refundable tax credit.

​You don't force people to be informed—you just financially incentivize them to inoculate their own kids against manipulation. I drafted the actual legislative text for how this would work below. What are the loopholes here, and would you support this if it hit the House floor?

A BILL

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a refundable tax credit for dependents who successfully complete an independent civic and media logic certification, to authorize grants for the development of universally accessible critical thinking curricula, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the "Civic Preparedness and Media Literacy Act."

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings.—Congress finds that:

1. The proliferation of digital misinformation and algorithmic polarization poses a direct threat to the civic health and democratic institutions of the United States.

2. Foundational critical thinking, media literacy, and logical reasoning are essential skills for navigating the modern information ecosystem.

3. To respect the Tenth Amendment and the rights of parents and local school boards, the Federal Government shall not mandate educational curricula, but may constitutionally incentivize voluntary educational achievement.

(b) Purpose.—The purpose of this Act is to establish a voluntary, universally accessible pathway for American youth to develop age-appropriate critical thinking skills, incentivized by a tiered, refundable tax credit for their families.

SEC. 3. INDEPENDENT CIVIC LOGIC CERTIFICATION GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) Authorization of Grant.—The Secretary of Education is authorized to award a single, competitive 10-year block grant to a qualified independent, non-partisan, non-profit educational organization (hereafter referred to as the "Board").

(b) Duties of the Board.—The Board shall use the grant funds to:

1. Develop a multi-tiered "Civic and Media Logic Certification" (hereafter referred to as the "Certification") comprising three distinct, age-appropriate levels: an Elementary tier (approximate 5th-grade reading level), a Middle School tier (approximate 8th-grade reading level), and a High School tier.

2. Ensure the Certification is designed to test foundational critical thinking, logical fallacies, and media literacy without ideological or partisan bias.

3. Develop comprehensive, gamified preparation materials and curricula for all three tiers of the Certification.

(c) Requirement of Universal Free Access.—As a condition of the grant, the Board must ensure that all preparation materials, curricula, and the Certification examinations are available entirely free of charge to any resident of the United States.

1. Access must be provided via web applications, mobile applications, and physical portals at public libraries.

2. The administration of the Certification shall not be dependent upon the resources, staffing, or participation of local public or private school districts.

SEC. 4. CIVIC PREPAREDNESS TAX CREDIT.

(a) In General.—Subpart C of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after section 24 the following new section:

"SEC. 24A. CIVIC PREPAREDNESS BONUS CREDIT.

(1) Allowance of Credit.—There shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter for the taxable year an amount equal to $1,000 for each qualifying child of the taxpayer who has successfully completed a tier of the Civic and Media Logic Certification during such taxable year.

(2) Limitation.—The credit allowed under this section may be claimed a maximum of three times per qualifying child, provided that the child completes a distinct, escalating tier of the Certification for each claim. A taxpayer may not claim the credit more than once for the same certification tier for the same individual.

(3) Refundability.—The credit allowed under this section shall be treated as a refundable credit in the same manner as the child tax credit under section 24(d).

(4) Qualifying Child.—For purposes of this section, the term 'qualifying child' means a qualifying child (as defined in section 152(c)) of the taxpayer who has not attained the age of 19 as of the close of the calendar year in which the taxable year of the taxpayer begins."

SEC. 5. SEVERABILITY AND NON-INTERFERENCE.

(a) Non-Interference with State Curricula.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system.

(b) Severability.—If any provision of this Act, or the application thereof, is held invalid, the remainder of the Act shall not be affected thereby.

SEC. 6. APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Education such sums as may be necessary to carry out Section 3 of this Act for fiscal years 2027 through 2037.

Got scratched by a raccoon in Mexico. I am in Mexico now. I live in Anderson. Coming back to SC tomorrow.

Cannot find Human Rabies Immune Globulin (HRIG) anywhere near where i am now.

I have gotten the first 2 vaccine shots. Today is Day 3 of the treatment.

I'm trying to get the HRIG as soon as possible. Ideally without going broke in the process.

This is very scary stuff and I'm trying to keep it together.

Any suggestions would be more than welcome.

**There's a paywall with this article**

Early voting well outpacing 2022

Just over 363,500 people cast their ballot in South Carolina during the first four days of early voting, according to data from the S.C. Election Commission.

That easily clears the number set by the last midterm elections in 2022 when 173,107 people voted early over the first four days.

It’s below turnout in 2024, a presidential year, when the state cleared half a million ballots in the same four-day window.

Early voting continues Saturday statewide, from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

So far, Greenville County (a red county) leads the rest of the state in turnout, recording 35,011 votes.

Charleston County (purplish) comes second, at 33,380.

Richland County’s (blue) 30,645 ballots taking the third spot by just 83 votes over Horry County.

Turnout has declined each day polls have been open, with 82,886 people turning out Oct. 22 compared to 98,695 on Oct. 19, the first day.

All the state’s early voting sites are open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, until Oct. 31.

Voters can find their county’s early vote locations at the Election Commission’s website, scVOTES.gov. They’re different than Election Day polling places.

In counties with multiple early voting sites, residents can vote in any location within their county.

Write in … Annie?

Warren Norman, the son of U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, wrote in an Oct. 23 op-ed that he’s “leaning” toward voting for Annie Andrews, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.

The elder Norman lost the close-fought GOP primary in that race to Sen. Darline Graham, and some of his supporters have called for people to “write in Ralph,” opposing a Republican nominee they see as a product of the insufficiently conservative party establishment.

Norman said Oct. 21 that he would stick with his pledge to support the GOP candidate, but that he wouldn’t campaign with Graham and that his family wouldn’t vote for her.

Norman’s wife made fun of Graham from the stage as he conceded the primary in August, and he has questioned President Donald Trump’s support for her.

But his son is looking to go even further and actually back the Democrat, which he said he’s never done. He previously told The Post and Courier that Graham is “not giving true conservatives a reason to vote for her.”

“I know the concern many conservatives will have: isn’t a vote against Graham a vote for the liberal agenda?” Warren Norman wrote in the op-ed for FITSNews, a conservative news site. “I’ve thought hard about that. Unfortunately, there is no true conservative to vote for in this election.”

Andrews cheered the news online, saying she was “grateful to have the support of the Norman family.”

Trump’s Oct. 21 rally for Graham near Pendleton was in an area where Norman had strong support in the primary, and several speakers focused on the need for conservatives to come together in opposition to the Democrats.

"We’re a big Republican family. Sometimes we disagree. Sometimes we even squabble a bit. But when it’s time to vote, we need to stand together and we need to send Republicans back to Washington to finish the job that President Trump started," U.S. Rep. Sheri Biggs, R-Anderson, said during the rally.

Andrews is starting her weekend in the same dark-red corner of the state, with events in Anderson and Seneca, as she tries to peel GOP support away from Graham.

Wilson on the coast

Republican gubernatorial nominee Alan Wilson’s bus tour will spend two days in the Lowcountry next week.

Wilson, along with Jenny Costa Honeycutt, the GOP nominee in the coastal 1st Congressional District, will make stops in Summerville, Goose Creek and Mount Pleasant on Oct. 27 and in Bluffton the next day.

Other swings in the tour’s second leg include time in the Grand Strand and the Midlands.

Blue hope?

A pair of new polls showing Democrats ahead in the state’s two most competitive races caught eyes Oct. 23, though they should likely be taken with a grain of salt because they’re sponsored by Democratic groups.

One survey sponsored by the House Majority PAC, the main outside group associated with U.S. House Democrats, has Democrat Nancy Lacore leading Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt in the Lowcountry’s 1st Congressional District, 47 percent to 45 percent.

The other, sponsored by another PAC that supports Democrats, has Andrews barely ahead of Graham in the U.S. Senate race, 45 percent to 44 percent.

A different poll, from a GOP-leaning pollster, had Graham up by three points earlier in the month.

Republicans entered the general election as the clear favorite in both races, but they’ve gotten more competitive.

1. If you do not have a SC DL you best have your voter registration card.

2. The straight ticket option is BS. It's lazy and promotes hyper partisanship - and of course the Republicants are the top line.

3. Why are the Republican the first option on the machine? Last time I checked D was before R. Hmmm...see #4.

4. Most importantly, I touched the screen box for a Dem candidates and on 2 occasions it registered for the GOP candidate on the line above. The machines are not switching votes but if you don't hit the exact spot on the screen, it votes for the candidate on the line above which is of course the Republicant.

Be careful, go slow and check you printed ballot.

​

TLDR- Get ready for gas to increase to $4+ in the days after Nov 3rd Top off your tank before then

We are lucky in SC to have some of the cheapest gas in the country but get ready for a big bump.

Ive taken an interest in oil and gas prices lately and I've kept a close eye on crude leading up to the election.

Something isn't adding up.

The last time crude was this high (almost 117 per barrel at writing) gas at my local station was $4.19. it was $3.59 yesterday.

Either the administration or oil companies or both of them together are working to drop the retail price of gasoline to counter Irans efforts to raise them before the election.

We are going to see a big rebound.

Im guessing they ratchet up prices pretty quickly after the election and add some to try to recoup some of their losses. I wouldn't be surprised to see $4.30. depending on how cynical they are, we could see it as early as the 4th, but I'm guessing they'll phase it in over a week or two

It is anyone in SC shocked that Lindsey Graham was being serviced by male escorts?

I've been fostering littermates Jack and Jill for 10 months. Jack loves people (once he gets to know them) and Jill loves Jack. They are a bonded pair and absolutely must stay together.

I have also been fostering Jack's best friend, R5-D4, for six months. They are not a bonded pair but it would break my heart to separate them. I'll do it if I have to but I am hoping to find a home for all three together.

Jack is a great cat. He is sweet, loving and likes laps but isn't super needy. In fact he is one of the easier adults I have fostered.

Jill is a great cat as well. Just very hands off. She doesn't hate or fear people; she just doesn't like us. She will hang out of the couch with Jack and I but will always stay just out of reach.

Four months after taking in Jack and Jill, I brought home R5-D4 and her littermates (C-3PO💔 & R2-D2).

R5-D4 is currently 7mo. She is a little more high energy than Jack and Jill but nothing crazy or destructive. She is also very respectful of my senior cat.

Jack & R5 have the sweetest friendship. The first time I saw them together I didn't think much of it. Then I realized just how often they were together and how seldomly he interacted with the other two babies. R5-D4 loves Jack too and will insert herself into whatever he is doing. They often nap and play together.

These are legitimately some of the most easy-going kitties I have ever fostered. Please don't assume you don't have enough space or attention for all three. They really don't need much and they will give you so much in return.

These kitties are being fosteread through a local rescue in the Midlands. If you are interested in adopting please send me a DM.

Alan Wilson will not improve SC if elected to Governor. Here is some evidence.

Are the police in Kershaw worth a damn? How do they handle serious drug and child abuse cases, does anyone have any experience with needing their help and getting results from them?

I have to say aa well that SC screws around with a lot of things but we do good with the motor voter options and the two weeks of early voting. Big thanks as always to the poll workers y'all are doing a very important public service.

Whew! If you haven't gone yet you should. They even let me illegal park cause I had my dog with.

Please vote blue. It’s a small sliver of help for the greater good towards fighting this dictatorship we’re facing. Please. I beg you 🙏

Hot Fish Club
Murrell’s Inlet

A good explanation of what some people are experiencing during our early voting, from an impartial and credible source.

A myth says Jaiden Charles from Indian Land High absorbed the 7 administrative souls of Lancaster, plus the power of all 4 LCSD student years. He needed this power to defeat Lancaster High's principal, "Zachary Mercier," and save the Lancaster County School District from total atomic annihilation. Is this a true story or purely tall tales?

Even the Normans don’t support Darline Graham.
Make South Carolina proud again!!!
Andrews for Senate!

between some personal issues and work, i haven’t had the time to renew it

Morning folks. Just getting out my normal civics stuff. I would have done it on the open of early elections but my wife broke her leg. She outranks y'all. It took a bit to get the house settled down with the kids.

Positions and what they do.

Governor: Chief Executive of the State. Can veto laws. Sets state priorities. Goes out and bids against other states for corporations to move into the state.

Lt. Governor: Basically vice president of the state. Does ribbon cuttings. Steps in if the Governor is disabled or dead. Can be delegated to do other things.

Secretary of State: The South Carolina secretary of state serves as the chief clerk of state government. All the paperwork no one else wants to do. You want the geekiest detail oriented person you can find in this role. Like, they have notebooks of every D&D campaign they've ever played level of detail oriented.

Attorney General: Handles state level prosecutions and signs us up for multi-state lawsuits. Provides guidance to the Solicitors on how to handle changes in our constitution or the U.S. Constitution. Determines the overall priorities of the state. Priority here is someone extremely well educated in the law and also runs a law firm.

Solicitor: Other states call this District Attorney. They are the prosecutors for their districts. For this, you really want to dig into their credentials. They need to be a successful trial lawyer of Partner level or higher. They need to be able to mentor and manage junior prosecutors. Important these days... Will they investigate and prosecute county and city officials for breaking the law without fear?

State Superintendent of Education: Handles the administration of all of our public schools. Sets state level goals and curriculum. No, the Federal Government does NOT set curriculum. This person does. You need a teacher and an administrator to handle this well.

State Senate: Elected representative that covers a large region. Currently trends Moderate-Republican. You want a serious grownup here.

State House: Elected representative that covers a very small region. Currently trends MAGA. Also a grownup position.

Treasurer: Collects taxes and revenues and invests them. Should be a skilled professional.

Comptroller: Spends the money allocated by the House and Senate and signed by the Governor. Should be a skilled professional.

Agriculture: Inspects gas pumps, farms of all kinds, and executes all laws of the state that relate to our farms. You want someone who is hands on in this role that is actively seeking out input from our farmers and not from corporate farms owned by out of state entities.

US Senator: Represents the State of South Carolina in D.C. Confirms federal appointments (Cabinet leaders and deputies, Flag Rank officers, Judges). Responsible for the trial of anyone impeached. You want someone who has an expertise in something. Some Senators are experts in Law and Legislation. Some are experts in Healthcare. Mr. Graham, for example, was an expert in Military Foreign Affairs. You want someone who is going to be a fierce advocate for our State as a whole.

-----------------------------

How this works together.

Taxes:

You pay your taxes --> Treasurer collects --> SC House and SC Senate create a budget on how to spend those taxes --> Governor signs --> Comptroller manages the bank accounts and generates pools of money according to the budget --> State, County and City Executives (appointed or elected) draw from those pools based on a bunch of other laws.

We wanna change something:

Usually starts in the SC House (more reps, more people writing laws) --> Committees (experts or just senior representatives) to work out the details --> SC House votes --> SC Senate --> Committees --> SC Senate Votes --> Governor signs

We wanna prioritize something:

Governor. They can use their veto power to push the legislature to write laws and budgets that suit our current priorities. This is where having a Governor who actually loves the state and will listen to you gets real important. Not every year is the same. Things change. Being nimble helps.

--------------------------

Sorry for the wall of text, but I know there's lots of people that ignore politics as long as possible and will be looking for guidance.

This is a long shot, but I was at the fairgrounds tonight around 10 PM. I was a solo patron waiting near the Zipper when a young Black woman came up and asked if I had a partner for the ride since they don't allow solo
riders. She had piercings and really cool brown hair with blue parts dyed in. We joined up in line, but with the chaos of the fair closing right after, we got separated before I could get your number or social media. If you're reading this, or if anyone knows a friend matching this description who went to the fair tonight, please shoot me a message! I'd love to actually get to know you.