#Clemson Class

[lonestarbattleship]

Aerial views from a U. S. Army blimp of the Statue of Liberty and the Atlantic Fleet in New York Harbor. Shots include USS UTAH (BB-31), USS PENNSYLVANIA (BB-38), a minesweeper, a Nevada class battleship, USS WORDEN (DD-288), several Clemson class destroyers and other shots of fleet and of Luna Park, Coney Island.

Filmed on June 10, 1920.

Univerity of South Carolina library: MVTN_A0321_Acc1

[hugshughes]

Pretend C. Loveland

Cole Loveland x fem!reader

synopsis - You're right there next to him when Cole wins the big one, and he realizes he can't pretend with you anymore.

wc - 4k

contains - based off this request! barely edited sorry. it starts on like January 3rd, not like cause it's exact just after the rose bowl and before the champs. cursing, kissing, makin out, hugging, touching, allusions/talks of sex but no smut, fwb relationship (for part of it), nothing else??? L WORD.

an - this one is pretty long, and all over the place, but it's cute and i love Colston so. so happy someone requested him. he's so cute and hot. i LOVED this request. i read it the night i got it (night of the cfp champs) and thought about it all night. I LOVED WRITING THIS.

-

Your phone rang from its place on the couch. You were sat on the floor of your childhood living room, watching some college basketball game, Miami was beating Clemson by 7. You grabbed your phone, seeing Colston's name across your screen.

"Who is it?"

Your brother's voice sounded from across the living room, where he laid on the worn recliner, your cat in his lap. Your mother and father's eyes were now on you, expecting an answer. You were home for winter break, and they were nosy as ever.

"It's Cole, give me a minute."

You stood up rounding the corner into the kitchen, leaning back against the counter, sliding the answer button.

"Hi Coley, what's up?"

Colston smiled on his end of the call, he'd missed your voice, missed you saying his name. Although, you two had called two nights before, after they'd won the Rose Bowl.

"Hey sweetheart, I have a question for you. It's kinda big."

Your eyebrows furrowed, though your heart clenched at the endearment.

The situation with you and Cole was a little messy. You were friends with benefits. You two were very good friends, but one night in the first semester of freshman year, when you were both a few drinks in, you decided to sleep together. It was good, the best you'd ever had. It was kind of unspoken, you guys went home together, slept in each other's beds, but were still only friends. You knew that Colston had a lot going on in his life, with football on top of school, he was busy. He'd never told you that, you'd just assumed he wasn't looking for anything other than someone he could call when he needed to.

You couldn't lie and say you didn't have more intimate feelings for Colston, but you would never tell him that. Not when you assumed they were definitely unrequited. You'd been in the same situation with each other for over a year now, why risk it?

"Yeah? What is it?"

Colston took a deep breath, he didn't want to be embarrassed if you said no to him.

"Do you want to come down to Houston and watch us play on Monday?"

Woah. You weren't expecting that at all. Colston wanted you to come watch his game? Like you specifically, over anyone else? You were speechless for a few seconds, and Colston got nervous and filled the silence.

"Like it's all covered, you wouldn't pay for any of it obviously. I've got another ticket like where all the families are and I just would like if you were there. But obviously like you don't have to-"

"Colston, you're the sweetest. I really would love to. Are you sure, though? There's no one else you'd pick over me?"

You said it jokingly, but you seriously wanted him to be sure that you were the person he felt deserved it. You filled with nerves though, thinking about sitting with his family, thinking about sitting with other player's families.

"Of course. You're the first person I thought of. It's Monday and classes don't start till Wednesday so everything's fine there. So you really wanna go?"

Colston was giddy. You're the first girl he'd ever been giddy over. You seriously were the first person he thought of when he realized he had an extra ticket. He wanted you there, so badly.

"Yeah of course, Colston. What girl doesn't want to go support her best friend in the biggest game ever?"

Best friend. Colston's smile faltered for just a second, he knew that's all you two were, but God, did he want to be more. He quickly snapped out of his haze of disappointment, his smile returning.

"Perfect. I'll send you the stuff for your flight and ticket, okay? You'll be sitting with my parents, they're excited to meet you."

He'd already told his parents about you? That made your heart glow in warmth.

"Yeah that's perfect Coley. I know we'll talk sooner but I'll see you on Monday, okay?"

He said another sentence and then you two said goodbye. You giggled to yourself, extremely excited to go watch Colston play.

You walked back into the living room with a small smile, one that your mother immediately recognized.

"What'd Colston say that has you smiling like that?"

You blushed immensely, your eyes widening at your mother's bold question. She could tell you had a crush on him, even if you swore up and down you didn't.

"Oh well um, I'm going to Houston for the game on Monday now? Cole just invited me."

Even saying it out loud was surprising, you don't even belive it yourself. Your whole family gasped, passing shocked looks to each other.

"What?! You get to go to the college football playoff championship for free just because you like the tight end!"

Your brother shouted from across the room. You immediately threw a pillow at him, telling his to shut his mouth. Your mom giggled, giving your dad a knowing look.

-

You'd just landed in Houston, it was Monday morning and you could tell by the airport crowds that the city would be crazy. Everywhere you looked you could spot someone in either Michigan or Washington merchandise. You personally, were wearing your Michigan football sweatshirt that had LOVELAND and 18 splayed across the back.

You got an Uber to the hotel Colston had sent you the address of. Apparently, it was the same one the team was staying at, so you knew it would be ballistic. You had to fly out extra early so that you could get to the hotel before the send off for the boys, so Colston could try to see you before the game.

You reached the hotel just after 9am and the lobby was already filling up with Michigan fans. You checked in quickly, filing into a packed elevator and calling Colston as you scanned your key card for your room, opening the door.

"Hey Colst, I just walked into my room."

Colston excitedly sat up on his bed where he'd been laying for the past little bit. The guys had to head to the lobby a little before 10 so they could leave to the stadium. His roommate for the night, AJ Barner was in Donovan and Blake's room currently.

"That's perfect. You should come hang in my room for a while before I gotta go."

You agreed, talking for a few minutes before hanging up the call. You quickly made sure your hair looked good and you didn't look like you just woke up before you left your room, entering the elevator and going up two floors to Colston's. You walked down the hallway, knocking on the door he'd told you to.

The door opened quickly, Colston immediately pulling you towards him, wrapping you up in his arms. He smelled familiar, warm and strong hands around your hips. Your arms squeezed around his shoulders, savoring this feeling.

"Hey sweetheart."

"Hi Colston."

You both giggled as you pulled away. Colston closing the door behind you and guiding you through the front hall of his hotel room, his hand on the small of your back. His eyes made contact with the 18 on your back, his hand coming up to move your hair over, his eyes darkening when he saw his name. It was so fuckin' hot to see you proudly wearing his name.

"Nice sweatshirt."

You giggled, turning around and making a joke about it, before sitting on the bed that you could tell was his, since the other one was covered in AJ's stuff. You kicked your Uggs off as you scooted back onto his bed, leaning against his headboard. Colston looked down at you from his place standing at the end of his bed. He'd missed you a lot. He threw himself onto the bed next to you, using his tattooed hand to grab your legs and pull them over his. His love language was physical touch.

You two sat there for about thirty minutes, talking about the couple weeks since you'd been home for break and he'd been busy with football. You check your phone, seeing it was 9:50.

"Cole you gotta get downstairs."

He sighed, agreeing with you. You both got up, Colston grabbing everything he needed before you both exited his hotel room, seeing a couple other players out in the hall as well. You greeted the guys, getting in the elevator. The elevator stopped on your floor, so you grabbed Colston's hand giving it a quick squeeze before saying bye and wishing all the guys good luck.

The other players in the elevator all looked at Colston with smirks, making comments on how down bad he was.

"Bro, you need to make a move. You are in love, boy."

"You guys need to get together already."

He quieted them down, insisting there was nothing more than being friends in the books for you two. None of the guys believed it, they all saw the way you two looked at each other. You were like the sun, and Colston was the moon, the moon only glows when the sun shines on it. You made Colston the happiest he ever was, his mood significantly increased whenever he saw you, and everyone saw it. His mom hadn't met you yet, but she already loved you, because she saw how happy Colston got when he talked about you.

You reentered your room, laying down on your bed. You had to leave for the game at 5:45, so you took a nap. You woke up around 4, getting up so you could get ready. You pulled your outfit out, laying it on your bed. Your favorite jeans and your navy Colston Loveland jersey. He'd gotten it for you as a joke for your birthday, but you loved it.

You headed into the bathroom, fixing your hair up, doing a half up half down with a little maize ribbon bow. You did your makeup and then checked the time. It's was just a little after four, so you had a good amount of time still.

You changed into your outfit, slipping on your navy sambas to match your jersey. You sat in your room until 5:35, before heading downstairs. You were immediately recognized by Colston's mom, whom he had shown multiple pictures of you to.

"Hey honey!"

You turned and saw a smiling woman, wearing a maize Michigan top and a navy hat that had 18 embroidered onto it.

"Hi! Are you Mrs. Loveland?"

She nodded, grinning at you. She hugged you introducing herself and her husband and insisting you call her Rachel. You spoke with them for a couple minutes before they led you to the car that was waiting to escort you three to the game. When you pulled up to the stadium, Mrs. Loveland gave you a lanyard game pass, telling you to put it on.

You guys go through security, showing your passes to get into the stadium. When you sat down, it was 6:40. You talked to Colston's mom for a long time, she wanted to get to know the girl who had her son so enamored. She told you about life in Idaho, Colston's career in rodeo, all of it.

"Colston would hate me for asking this, but are you two dating? He doesn't like telling me too much about his love life."

You blushed, even his mom was wondering if you were together. You laughed, shaking your head.

"No ma'am, we are not. Colston is insanely sweet, though."

She gave you a look you knew all too well. It's a look that was given to you almost everyday at this point. A look you received whenever you were with Colston, or he was the topic of conversation. Everyone knew, everyone except for him of course.

The conversation between you two fizzled out, comfortable silence taking over before a girl a few years older than you, sitting on the other side of you, started talking to you. She was one of the D-Line's sister and she was super sweet.

You spoke more with the people all around you as the game proceeded, standing up sometime in the second quarter and never sitting back down.

The score was 13-20, and there was 9:15 left in the fourth quarter, we needed something big this drive, at least a field goal. You stood, hands on your hips as you drummed your fingers back and forth in stress. You closed your eyes and crossed your fingers, taking a deep breath before opening your eyes again.

The ball was snapped to JJ, and your eyes latched onto Colston as he sprinted out, cutting across the field as JJ sent the ball soaring down the field. Colston jumped up catching the ball perfectly. You jumped up and down, shouting his name as stumbled a little before he took off down the field.

You hugged the sister next to you as she gave you the look. Colston's catch had gotten them deep into Washington territory, the drive ending in a touchdown!

You hugged everyone around you as you watched the final seconds run out. You chanted and clapped with the Michigan fans one last time as some began to leave. All the family members stayed for a while longer. You watched as the boys ran onto the field, smiles on each and every one of their faces. You watched them put their hats on, holding the trophy, hugging each other.

Your focus on Colston was interrupted when his mom grabbed your attention to tell you it was time to go so all of you could get down onto the field. You followed behind his mom as you were led back into NRG then through a hallway that led to the tunnel. You walked down the tunnel, staying right behind the Lovelands.

As the three of you descended into the crowd of boys, coaches, reporters, and more, you made sure to keep your eyes on the back of Mr. Loveland's head, so you didn't lose them.

They found Colston rather quickly, burying him in a tight hug. They laughed and teared up as their son hugged them, you couldn't help but take a couple candids of them. When Colston lifted his head from his dad's shoulder and his eyes caught on you, he practically lunged at you, wrapping you up in his arms and lifting you up swiftly, laughing.

Your arms wrapped tightly around his neck, squealing as you were no longer on solid ground.

"Colston! Oh my God babe! You did it, you played so good!"

"Well, you were here! You're seriously my good luck charm."

You shook your head, denying it. But if anyone ever cared to look at the stats, Colston always played better at the games you attended. He was on an adrenaline rush, his head going at a thousand miles a minute. He pulled away just slightly, so he could see your face. You both smiled brightly, you were so proud.

Colston saw something different in your eyes, something he hadn't ever seen before. His breath still lightly heaved form the activity of the games but his heart rate increased as you looked at him. He had to, he had to.

He put you back down, not letting go of you. His bright smile changed into something much more serious, worrying you.

"I know the title of whatever we are has always been weird, and iffy, and whatever but I just- Like I can't keep pretending with you."

He looked anywhere but your eyes, you had no clue what he could say next. You cupped his face, forcing him to look into your eyes.

"What, Colst? You can't pretend what?"

"That I'm not in love with you. That I haven't been in love with you since we first starting bein' whatever it is we are. I really love you. And I understand-"

You smashed your lips onto his. Colston immediately responded, pulling you closer, tightening his grip on your waist. You pulled away from him when you needed air, but he just tried to chase your lips. You put a hand on his chest, laughing as you stopped him.

"And you had me sitting here for the last four hours trying to convince all these people we were just friends?"

"Well you're the one who kissed me, so."

He cut off your next sassy remark with his lips, kissing you again. Your hands ran through his sweaty hair as his warm body engulfed you. You again were the one pulling away from him when you realized exactly where you were again. You blushed insanely, catching sight of his mom, who just smiled knowingly, sending you a wink.

Colston laughed as he followed your line of sight, turning back to you. Before he could let a word slide through his smirking lips, you pulled him down by his jersey, kissing him one more time. You both smiled into the kiss, laughing like 15 year olds who'd just kissed for the first time ever.

Soon it was time for everyone to get off the field, the guys had to head back to the locker room. You walked back up the field to the tunnel, while Colston held your hand the whole way up, until you two had to part ways.

"Wait for me, okay? We should be back by like midnight. I'll come to your room."

You nodded, smiling up at him, urging him to go. Colston couldn't resist tugging you into him by your connected hands, crashing his lips onto your once more. When you pulled away, the air between you two was filled with nothing but love.

"I'm so proud of you, Colst. You're so talented, and hot, and good at football. I love you."

"I love you."

"Now go! Go celebrate, and have fun, and smoke a cigar but don't come to my room smelling like one."

He pulled you closer again, your attempts to urge him towards the locker room failing.

"I wanna celebrate with you later."

His hand slipped down to the curve of your ass, his fingers rubbing back and forth. You quickly slapped his hand, your face inflamed as you looked around, making sure no one saw or heard him. Thankfully no one had.

You pushed him towards the locker rooms, and he finally went. Not without blowing you an exaggeration kiss, which you "caught", and pressed against your heart.

You made your way over to Mr. & Mrs. Loveland, who were talking with other parents. When they noticed you come up, they both smiled. Colston's mom asked if you were ready to go, to which you nodded with a grin.

You were back in your room around 11, surprisingly. You showered and dried your hair, putting on pajamas that consisted of one of Colston's football tees and shorts too short to see under it. You laid in your bed, looking through the TV. You smiled to yourself as you seemed to flip to the ESPN channel at the perfect time, a clip of Colston's catch being discussed. You kept flipping until you stopped on a channel playing a movie you knew nothing about, but knew Colston liked.

It was a while after midnight when you heard a knock on your door. You giddily jumped up, running over to the door. You opened the door with a smile, seeing a smiling and clean Colston.

"Hi Coley, come on in."

You grabbed his hand as he laughed greeting you and shutting your door behind him. He took his backpack off and slipped off his shoes.

"Are you sleeping over? Shouldn't you be in bed with AJ right now?"

He threw his sweatshirt he had been pulling over his head at you. He was now shirtless, and you stared at his toned body.

"Shut up, we do not share beds. And also this'll be our secret. You don't snore as loud as AJ does."

He tried to give you a cute and innocent smile as he finished his sentence, to not act like he was about to burst out laughing. You tossed his sweatshirt onto his backpack, giving him a middle finger.

Colston covered the few feet between you two in no time, pinching the material of "your" shirt with his fingers.

"Nice shirt, wonder where you got it?"

"Some hot guy, don't remeber his name."

Colston laughed as you turned around letting in an amused 'oh yeah?' as you climbed into your bed, signaling for him to do the same. He climbed over you, pulling the covers up to his torso. You quickly scooted over to him, turned into him and sitting on his lap.

Your hands wandered his now bare chest before finding their way to his hair, the ends were still a little damp from his shower. You tug his hair lightly as you plant your lips on his. He quickly deepened the kiss, sliding his hands onto your hips.

You'd made out with Colston many times before, but this time it was so different. This time it was more than just making out, because you wanted to. It was you making out with the boy that was finally yours. When you pulled away, Colston smiled at you, his eyes glazed over in love.

"Can I be your boyfriend?"

Hearts swarmed in your eyes, you smiled at Colston, nodding gladly.

"It's almost like I've waited over a year for you to ask that."

Colston rolled his eyes sassily, and you giggled as he pulled you into a kiss. This kiss was sweet and chaste, full of love and nothing else. He pulled away from you, leaning his head back, the biggest smile on his face. He tilted his head to the side, looking at you.

"Hi girlfriend."

You giggled, leaning forward to hug him, burying your face in the crook of his neck.

"Hi boyfriend."

It was muffled into his shoulder, but didn't fail to make Colston incredibly happy. You were finally his, fucking finally. You didn't have to pretend with each other anymore, you were proudly and openly in love.

"I love you, Colston."

"I love you more."

[suzy-queued]

DVD Commentary: Under Lock and Key

@callivich invited me to share behind-the-scenes commentary from a fic. I hope you dig this deep dive into Under Lock and Key!

Give us some stats - (when you wrote it, word count, how long it took to finish, is it a one-shot/multi-chapter, etc) I wrote it in 2021. I posted a chapter a week, and I was actually writing those chapters each week as I went along. 15 weeks of their life = 15 weeks of my life.

What was the initial inspiration for your story? I have general non-specific angst about college. It feels like an earworm, a time in my life where so many things were unfulfilled or unresolved. So many roads not taken. I needed to write something to put those thoughts to rest.

If the story is written from a character’s POV, why did you choose this character? I alternated Ian's and Mickey's POV, because I love seeing both of their sides. That also helps increase the tension, because you can leave one person's thoughts on hold while you go see what the other person is doing.

What was your favorite scene to write? Any of the scenes in chapters 5-8, the simmering time before they actually get together. I love to write their push and pull.

How did you come up with the title? Because hair metal rules.

Did the storyline change in any way as you wrote the story? The story started as a college radio station, where Mickey was a shock jock and Ian was a new volunteer. It would be told via journals that Ian wrote for one of his classes.

I wrote a couple of Ian's journal entries, but nothing was gelling. Once I changed the setting to the lost keys office, the story took off.

Initial ideas, original opening, the day I decided to switch the setting.

Oh, by the way, I usually handwrite everything.

If you are writing a particular trope or genre, was it your first time writing this? This is the sweetest story I had ever written. I had always tried to write compelling plots before, things with adventure and intrigue. For this one, I wanted no villains, hardly any angst, just two people falling in love.

Are there any deleted scenes that didn’t make it to the final story? So, so many.

The original chapters from the radio station.

That night after the mid-semester party, I had about 5,000 more words of them making their way back to Ian's dorm.

I had more descriptions of Mickey being completely into the Chicago music scene.

I outlined an epilogue from 10 years in the future.

Would you ever write a sequel to this story? I do have that epilogue outlined. Not sure if it'll ever see the light of day!

Are there any ‘easter eggs’ in your story - e.g. references to other stories you’ve written, a trope you often use etc? There aren't references to my other stories. I had only published one fic before that. But, man oh man, are there references to my college experience.

The lost keys office was the most fascinating place on my campus. It lived in the basement of the next dorm over. I never needed it, but many people I knew did.

Mickey is based on my friend Sam, who I spent late nights with in the architecture building. He hated every guy I had a crush on and wasn't afraid to tell me. We climbed on yellow steel-beam sculptures, stole signage from the parking garage, scaled buildings and sat in windowsills, talked about music, and harassed each other endlessly. It was one of those "lightning in a bottle" friendships.

Trey Kanahele is based on Gordon, who lost his keys so many times, usually while in the shower. He made it a point to walk across campus in his towel, with his long black hair flowing.

Hannah is based on Leslie, the coolest girl I met in Moore Hall my freshman year.

"Charlotte" and "Clemson" were my top two picks for colleges.

Dr. Neal is based on my current friend Jayme, who is a forensic nursing professor and takes her students to Africa in the summers.

The bulletin board, the grounds of the school, the fire drills in your pajamas, the dining hall, the crazy late-night games, the challenges of registering for classes, the meetings with advisors … all of it is plucked from experience.

If you’ve chosen your most popular story, are you surprised by the popularity? This one has the most hits of any of my stories. I'm surprised that it's the one that people keep coming back to. I've written a bunch more since then, but this one has staying power.

Were you nervous or excited to post this story? I'm nervous to post everything. Even now.

Did you have a beta or a friend who helped you as you wrote? No, I'm stubbornly beta-less.

Anything else you’d like the readers to know about the story? I make my own merch for the stories I write. Here's me in actual college and me today re-imagining college through a Gallavich lens.

This is open to all writers! Pick your favorite story you’ve written or your most popular or the one you think deserves some more love! Or ask your followers to suggest their favorite fic of yours!

And hey, if there's another story of mine you want to hear about, I can share more!

[swiftsmlb]

5- tee higgins

tee higgins x fem!reader

warnings: none!

in which: tee gives you the best birthday gift.

warnings: none really? fluff. (this is short) - sorry. more tee imagines coming soon! i promise!

the bright sun came through the blinds of the huge windows in your shared bedroom with tee. your eyes fluttered open, making you groan a little. you absolutely hated mornings - but this was different. it was your twenty-third birthday today.

you stretched out, to wake tee up. but to your surprise - he was already up. you were confused, usually on a day off - he didn’t wake up this early.

you got up, making your side of the bed. before putting one of tee’s hoodies on, that went below your knees. before looking into the bathroom - maybe he was taking a shower? you thought.

but tee wasn’t there either. you decided to check downstairs to see if he was there. he would’ve told you if he was leaving. tee and you always told each other when you were going to leave.

and there he was. in the kitchen, making your favorite breakfast. a huge smile appeared on your lips. before walking into the kitchen.

“mornin',” you spoke

“morning beautiful. happy birthday.”

tee pressed a kiss onto your cheek, wrapping his arms around your shorter frame. the comment made you blush. tee made it worse by kissing your cheek.

tee was a gentleman, always treating you right. it was only eight-thirty in the morning and he was making you breakfast?

the two of you met at clemson. having the same classes together. you were partnered up for a project for one of the many classes you had with one another. and the two of you hit off. ever since then — you two have been together.

you were by his side through it all. you supported him through everything. even when you had classes - you still showed up to his first ever nfl game. you were there on draft night. and of course when the bengals went all the way to the super bowl.

and then you graduated. tee was there for that as well. you found a job in downtown cincinnati so the two of you could be closer to one another.

“breakfast is almost done. go sit and i’ll be over soon?”

you nodded in agreement. the smile never leaving your face. gosh, you loved tee so much. he was so beyond perfect.

you sat down on one of the barstools you had on the breakfast bar the both of you picked out. your e/c watched as tee placed the breakfast items on two plates. he really was beautiful.

tee came over, sitting next to you. placing your plate in front of you — and his plate in front of him. tee made some eggs, bacon, and pancakes and cut up some fresh strawberries.

“it looks good. thank you tee.”

“anything for you. it’s your birthday. you deserve to be treated like a queen.”

“i love you so much.”

“i love you more.” tee smiled. before the two of you met in the middle for a kiss.

“hurry up and eat. i have a gift for you— that i can’t wait for you to open.”

the two of you began eating your breakfast. making small talk and making jokes. it really was the perfect morning so far. tee always knew how to make you feel special. he knew you so well.

the two of you finished up. with you telling tee you would wash the dishes. but the man wouldn’t let you, grabbing the plates before you could even say anything else.

tee was giddy. he was very excited to give you this gift. you got excited by the minute. wondering what it could be. why he was this excited for a gift?

“alright. this is it… i hope you like it.” tee handed you a box.

you opened the box. your eyes landed on the beautiful item inside. it was a necklace, but not just any normal necklace. it was tee’s number 5. covered in diamonds. it had to be really expensive — but above all, it was so beautiful. it was perfect.

“i love it.” you look up at tee, with happy tears escaping your eyes. it was probably the best gift you’ve ever received.

“really?”

“it’s beautiful! can you um.. help me put it on?” you asked, taking it out of the box carefully.

tee nodded with his famous smile. helping you put it on and attaching the two pieces together. your fingers traced the “five.” it was beautiful, no words can describe how much it meant to you.

“i love it so much tee. thank you so much. it means a lot. it’s so beautiful.”

the two connected their lips once again. tee’s arms wrapped around your waist against. you leaned your head onto his chest.

“i love you so much.” you whisper

“i love you more princess. so much more, you have no idea.”

_

hey!!!

i hope you all liked this!!8 had this idea for so long. and figured i would do this idea with tee!!

only a couple people write about him - and he just deserves so much more!!

so sorry this is short. i have more imagines in the works of tee. so be on the look out for that!

anyway, i hope you all are doing well! and have a good day/night

[the-football-chick]

Philadelphia Eagles 2024 Draft Class _____________

Round 1: No. 22- Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

Round 2: No. 40 (from WAS through CHI)-Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa

Round 3: No. 94 (from SF)- Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian

Round 4: No. 127 (from HOU)- Will Shipley, RB, Clemson

Round 5: No. 152 (from WAS through SEA)-Ainias Smith, WR, Texas A&M

Round 5: No. 155 (from LAR through PIT)-Jeremiah Trotter Jr, LB, Clemson

Round 5: No. 172-Trevor Keegan, G. Michigan

Round 6: No 185 (from NYJ)-Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State

Round 6: No. 190 (from NO)-Dylan McMahon, C, North Carolina State

[yankstrash]

was daydreaming in class today and started thinking about how if all 3 hughes brothers had girlfriends they would definitely all become best friends and the 6 of them would go to michigan in the summer and the girls would all be super close and cute and make funny tiktoks (and be like the clemson football gf’s if yk what i’m talking about) and yk lukes gf would definitely be the baby (like him) and quinns gf would be like the mom and they’re just super close and love life with the boys HDUFHWBHDSB 

[millerhughcs]

— a new bombshell re-enters the island. introducing miller hughes.

intertwined in the magic fabric of our dreaming — old habits die screaming.

basics.

full name: Miller Dean Hughes nicknames: Mills, High Life (used exclusively by his college friends), Hughes, Chef (after his friends binged the Bear) title: Chef age: 29 birthdate: November 23rd, 1994 birthplace: Kiawah Island, South Carolina gender: Cis Male pronouns: He/Him sexual orientation: Heterosexual relationship status: Newly single after being engaged for nine months occupation: Chef  religion: Agnostic          current living conditions: Recently moved after leaving New York City with no plan. Currently lives in his grandparents beach home in exchange for taking care of & running their nearby beach rental property when they moved to a retirement community. 

relationships.

parents: birth parents — Leanne Wilde — Dean Hughes  adopted parents — Victoria Hughes, Director of Events and Operations  — Elijah Hughes, Chief Marketing Officer for Clemson University siblings: —Blaire Hughes, 25.  family dynamic: (fertility issues tw) Miller’s family is extremely tight knit. Victoria and Elijah had always wanted a lot of kids, but fertility issues got in the way of that. Nearly a year of failed IVF treatments and being on the waiting list for adoption, they were ready to give up, when Elijah’s nephew admitted that he got his girlfriend pregnant at the start of their senior year. They didn’t feel ready to be parents, and as they were discussing their options, Elijah offered up a kinship adoption. It ended up being the best option, and nine months later Miller came along. And four years later when another IVF treatment ended up working, his little sister Blaire was born. The family of four, along with Miller’s grandparents spend almost every day together, meeting for dinners and events on weekends. They are also close to their extended family, though most of them are on the mainland. Miller is extremely close with Blaire, but also extremely protective. She has gotten into some trouble along the line, and he has felt like he’s the one that has to get her out of it. He considers Blaire one of his best friends, though sometimes he doesn’t agree with her actions.  significant other: None children: None pets: None

education & career.

spoken languages: English current occupation: Chef at Golden Cove Country Club, Handyman, cooks for friends and family parties. financial status: Upper Middle Class notable accomplishments: Graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and worked in the kitchen of a michelin star restaurant in New York City. 

physical & mental health.

height: 6’ build: Toned & Muscular hair: Dark brown curly hair eyes: Brown scars: Plenty of scars on his hands & arms from kitchen accidents, also one cutting into his right eyebrow after a car accident his senior year of high school.  tattoos: he’s covered in random tattoos. He has half a patchwork sleeve down to his hand on his right arm and a bunch of tattoos across his collarbone and left arm.  piercings: None notable features: a diagonal scar cutting into the middle of his right eyebrow addictions: Caffeine & cigarettes physical illness: nearsighted faceclaim: Mason Gooding voiceclaim: Mason Gooding

personality.

personality type: ENFJ-A zodiac sign: Sagittarius Sun, Cancer Moon, Scorpio Venus, Libra Rising  vices: Risk-taking & impatience strengths: charismatic, passionate, honest weaknesses: idealistic, reckless, strong-willed intelligence: When it comes to book smarts, Miller is of average intelligence. When it comes to emotional intelligence, Miller is highly intelligent.  confidence & self image: Miller knows he’s good at what he does. He’s not cocky about it, he feels that actions speak louder than words when it comes to these things. In a similar vein, he knows that he’s attractive. When he’s with his friends he’s a little bit more cocky about it through good natured ribbing. However, after current events his ego and self esteem has taken a pretty bad hit. 

full blurb.

Miller Hughes was born a small town boy and he’d, apparently, die a small town boy. A kinship adoption and grandparents that lived just down the road, made the Hughes family extremely close. It was hard to be lonely as a Hughes, and that was by design, but sometimes as a teenage boy, it could feel suffocating to be surrounded by family or someone who knew you as Victoria’s son! or Charles’ grandson! So when it came time for college, Miller took his love for food (fostered and encouraged by his family) to a professional scale by attending the Culinary Institute of America and diving headfirst into the competitive world of restaurants in New York City. He made friends, fell in love, and was generally anonymous in the big city. And he thought that’s what he wanted. Until his fiance sat him down and told him, mid wedding planning, that she was in love with her childhood best friend and couldn’t keep doing this. Within an hour she was gone, taking friends with her and leaving the usually chipper and friendly Miller feeling isolated and cold. Feeling alone, he did what he always knew how to do. He called his family. They didn’t waste a second. A friend of his father’s had a job opening at a restaurant on the island and Miller had an interview a few days later. His grandparents were downsizing to an apartment that needed less maintenance than their home, and needed help maintaining their rental property next to the house. So Miller packed his life in the city up, moved back home and started trying to rebuild himself piece by piece, trying to ignore the fairytale written about him by those people that saw him as Just Another Hughes. 

[materialsscienceandengineering]

A team of Clemson University chemists has constructed a novel two-dimensional electrically conductive metal-organic framework (MOF), a breakthrough that could help advance modern electronics and energy technologies. MOFs are nano-sized architectures, which resemble miniature buildings made of metal ions linked by organic ligands. The structures are mostly hollow and porous with an extraordinary amount of internal surface space. As a result, MOFs can store guest molecules, catalyze chemical reactions and deliver drugs in a controlled manner. Certain MOFs can even conduct electricity, making them potential next-generation semiconductors. "We need new materials for semiconductors for electronics and energy technologies, and this class of materials has shown great potential," said Sourav Saha, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, who led the study. "These materials (MOFs) are much easier to synthesize, process and tune their electronic and optical properties than traditional inorganic semiconductors."

Read more.

[wutbju]

Michael Harriot has written a lengthy and detailed documentation of South Carolina's War on Education. Make a cup of tea before you settle in to digest it. There are four parts: part one above, two, three, and four.

If you scroll down to Harriot's screenshot of the endnotes on the anti-CRT primer, you see his highlighting of Christopher Rufo. But a sharp WutBJU reader saw something else. All BJU students from the 1990s would see it too:

Joshua Matthew Dunn, BJU Class of 1995.

Professor Dunn doesn't like to highlight his BJU connections, but they are all over his scholarship.

His dad, Professor Charles W. Dunn, was well known for "preaching" in his Clemson classroom. WYFF would always highlight Professor Dunn at election time. If you want to read his not-yet-quaint screeds against President Obama, you can go to his old blogger blog.

Who's surprised that Charles Dunn's progeny would be part of the next wave of Klandamentalism?

God help us all.

[lonestarbattleship]

USS HOUSTON (CA-30) and USS PEARY (DD-226) at Darwin, Northern Territories, Australia, in February 1942. "Houston departed Darwin on February 15, 1942 with a small convoy to reinforce the garrison on Timor and was not present when Japanese aircraft raided Darwin four days later."

Australian War Memorial: P05303.011

[danim05]

Fieldwork Activity #1 : Making Telfars Unfamiliar

The history of Telfar

The first Telfar bag was created by self -taught queer black designer Telfar Clemens. Telfar was born and raised in Queens , New York and created his self -named fashion house in 2005. While in high school at New York's P.S. 206, Clemens's teacher wrote monograms for all of their students. The monogram the teacher gave to Clemens later became the brand's signature logo. Clemens won the Vogue Fashion Fund award which led him further into the spotlight.  It was very important for the Telfar bag to seen as completely unisex bag that any , and everybody could wear without the labels. In 2014 the first bag was introduced at the Autumn/Winter 2014 runway show , but did not receive a lot of recognition until 2018. For a long period of time queer black people in New York City were ubiquitous supporters of Telfar , that is until celebrities such as Solange, A$AP Ferg, and Kelsey Lu begin to wear the bag publicly. In August of 2020, Telfar introduced the Bag Security Program, a one-day-only online event in which allowed thousands of people to preorder guaranteed bags. During the New York Fashion week Telfar Clemens hosted his first pop-up shop in Brooklyn where thousands of people showed up shutting down traffic for hours. This caused Clemens to host another pop up except this time online. Since the Telfar bag has been launched there has often been conversations about whether it is considered a luxury item or not. Telfar bags typically retail for $200-$500, far less than other highly-desired handbags by the likes of Chanel, Prada. Telfar bags are now one of the most sought after bags in the world.

Manufacturing of Telfar Bags

Telfar bags like most luxury bags are manufactured in China. The logo featured on telfar bags are of a T inside a C, a form of his initials created by one of Telfar’s childhood teachers. Telfar's financial model is unique due to the fact that it is a self financed production. The massive increase in demand, has caused Clemens to have to double the size of the headquarters in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and have leased a 10,000-square-foot warehouse in New Jersey to manage their own fulfillment. To manufacture a Telfar bag factory workers use vegan leather and it features both cross-body straps and handles so it can be worn multiple ways. It contains a 45 degree sticking angle with two types of straps, double top handles and shoulder straps. Every bag contains an additional brand tag that reads "Telfar / EST . 2005, NYC". It comes in a variety of colors and blends fashion and function, and has a decent amount of carrying space.

Impact of Telfar on Me

In the past I would never be caught dead considering myself a purse kind of girl" that is until I discovered Telfar bags. Whenever it came to wearing purses or bags I would avoid it at all cost because it made me feel to girly. When I first ever saw someone with a Telfar bag my initial thought was that it was cute but I would never get one. Fast forward to today and I have now found myself being a collector of these bags. I grew up in a working /middle class household and was not always able to afford designer bags such as Chanel , or Luis Vuitton. As these Telfar bags became more popular I officially decided that I wanted one and once I saw that they were not as expensive as I thought , i never went back. Telfar bags have not only allowed me to express myself but make me feel good anytime I wear it.

Conditions of Factories

There is little to no information on the condition of the factory workers , however Telfar Clemson has stated that there is an exceptional quality of work and flexibility when working with manufacturers.

Citations

Parisi, D. (2022, September 28). How TELFAR captured luxury customers with a contemporary price point. Glossy. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://www.glossy.co/fashion/how-telfar-captured-luxury-customers-with-a-contemporary-price-point/ 

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, January 25). Telfar Clemens. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telfar_Clemens 

TodayShow. (2022, September 23). Telfar is restocking all of its shopping bags today - how to get one before they sell out. TODAY.com. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://www.today.com/shop/best-selling-telfer-shopping-bag-t213233 

[cfbtransferportal]

12/20/2022 CFB Transfer Portal Update #1

Starting last year, the NCAA Transfer Portal has become a major topic of interest and opened doors for players and schools that weren't available ever before.

Here are some of the highest-rated players by position to have recently entered their names into the college football transfer portal.

Quarterbacks: Hudson Card (Texas), Shedeur Sanders (JSU), D.J. Uiagalelei (Clemson)

Running Backs: LJ Johnson (TAMU), Trey Sanders (BAMA)

Receivers: RaRa Thomas (MSU)

Offensive Line: Ajani Cornelius (RI), Amari Kight (BAMA)

Defensive Line: Braden Fiske (WMU), Tunmise Adeleye (TAMU)

Defensive Back: Travis Hunter (JSU), Tony Grimes (UNC)

The Schools showing interest and why...

Hudson Card's name has come up mostly when talking about TCU as their Quarterback is leaving for the NFL and Cards is already in the state at the University of Texas.

Shedeur Sanders is probably the easiest uncommitted Player to project his destination as his dad, NFL hall of Famer, Deion Sanders recently accepted the head coaching job at the University of Colorado Boulder.

D.J. Uiagalelei has been getting a heavy recruiting buzz around schools like Fresno State and Hawaii. He most likely has an interest in these schools because Fresno State is closer to his parents and where he grew up while Hawaii is where his family was from before they moved to Southern California. Both of these schools give D.J. the opportunity to start day 1 with not as much competition as other schools that had offered him.

LJ Johnson joins a large group of players entering the portal that were listed on the Texas A&M roster last season. He was barely used last season only warranting 10 carries. With that being said 2 of these carries went for touchdowns. He has been predicted to commit to SMU by 247 sports analysts.

Trey Sanders was once the number one ranked RB prospect in the country coming out of high school where he played at IMG Academy. He joined a crowded running back room at Alabama where players typically have to wait their turn to get the starting job or get in the rotation. He was behind at least 2 other proven guys this past year which ultimately is the reason for his departure from the program. Sanders is from Florida and showed interest in Miami, Florida, FSU, and Georgia. Expect him to return to his home state.

RaRa Thomas is the number 1 receiver in the transfer portal after averaging 14.2 yards per catch with 7 touchdowns last season. He is a bigger body receiver who can play on the outside and has been gaining interest from school like Alabama and Georgia.

Ajani Cornelius is the top-rated offensive lineman in the portal because he has played out of his mind at Rhode Island. He has the size and athleticism you want to see in a lineman with massive upside and potential. He has shown interest in Oregon and USC.

Amari Kight is a tall and athletic tackle and a previous starter for the Crimson Tide. Schools such as USC and Georgia have shown interest in him. He is from Georgia and played high school football there before going to Alabama in 2019.

Braden Fiske is a 6'5 310-pound defensive lineman at the top of everyone's recruiting priority. He has recently shown interest in Texas A&M and USC. USC could be a good fit because of their need for defensive lineman and help on the defensive side of the ball.

Tunmise Adeleye is a big-body interior D-lineman who has posted multiple pictures with USC's head Coach Lincoln Riley at his house for recruiting visits. This would be a huge get for the trojans as they need help filling interior gaps and stopping the run. Knowing this, he has also grew a relationship with the coaching staff at Auburn.

Travis Hunter was the number one player in the class of 2021 and committed to Jackson State to play for Deion Sanders. He played like a top talent in 2022 and will look to continue showcasing his talent as well as develop at a power 5 school. Colorado is the favorite to land Hunter as Deion Sanders recently accepted the Coaching job there. He named Alabama, USC, and Miami as potential transfer destinations as well.

Tony Grimes is a plug-in starter for any defense in the country. He has proven that he is a top corner and has gained a lot of attention from schools in every conference. Texas A&M, USC, Alabama, and Georgia are considered the front runners for the talented North Carolina DB.

I will follow up this blog with updates on commitment decisions as well as the cover players that entered the transfer portal since this first update. If you have any questions, concerns, or players and schools you suggest I cover, please leave a comment or email 19tottenct@gmail.com. Thank you for reading. Until next time.

The following is a link to the 247 sports list of players in the transfer portal with constant updates and news.

[lboogie1906]

Derrick Deshaun Watson (September 14, 1995) is a football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Clemson, where he led the team to a national championship in 2016. He was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.

He was born in Gainesville, Georgia to Deann Watson and Don Richardson. He attended Gainesville High School, Gainesville head coach Bruce Miller had planned to start a rising junior at quarterback to execute his spread offense, but he won the starting spot, becoming Miller’s first-ever freshman starting quarterback.

He set numerous state records, including those for total yards (17,134), total touchdowns (218), career passing yards (13,077), and career passing touchdowns (155). He rushed for 4,057 yards and 63 touchdowns. He excelled in his junior year, winning a state championship and earning accolades such as Junior All-American, 2014 Player to Watch, and 2014 Top 100 Recruit. During his sophomore and senior years, he led Gainesville to the state semifinals.

He received offers from numerous colleges before committing to Clemson University. He was ranked as the top quarterback recruit for the 2014 class by ESPN 300.

He guided the Texans to consecutive division titles in 2018 and 2019 and led the league in passing yards in 2020. He received Pro Bowl honors in each of his three seasons as Houston’s primary starter. He has the highest career completion percentage of all time and is second in all-time career passer rating.

Disagreements with the Texans’ front office and multiple sexual misconduct lawsuits kept him out for the entire 2021 season and led to a trade to the Cleveland Browns. In March 2022, he signed a five-year contract worth $230 million, one of the most expensive contracts in NFL history.

He is a Christian and converted to the Southern Baptist Convention after coming to Houston. When he was 11, Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn donated a home to his family. He donated his first NFL game check to three cafeteria employees affected by Hurricane Harvey who work at the Houston Texans’ NRG Stadium. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[ledenews]

Brett Phillips: Managing the Monster Called Crohn’s and Playing Bethany College Football

This Saturday at Bison Stadium in Bethany, W.Va., Brett Phillips will win. Maybe or maybe not on the scoreboard in his team’s season opener against Allegheny, but a victory he still shall have. The first-year quarterback and 2023 graduate of Wheeling Park High School, see, has been chasing physical stability for longer than even he knows. Crohn’s Disease and colitis haunted him during his high school days just as it does one in every 100 Americans, and it’s buckled him, secluded him, grounded him, and it’s scared him, too. Crohn’s is an inflammatory bowel disease and until an individual is diagnosed, prescribed medications, and then adapts to a different diet, their guts will twist, throb, bloat, cramp, punch, and hurt a person to tears. It causes diarrhea and frequent trips to the nearest restroom, and the disease doesn’t care if you’re watching a movie or marching the Park Patriots’ offense down a football field on Wheeling Island. Ya gotta go, ya gotta go whether you’re on a bus heading to an away game or if it’s third-and-one on the six-yard line. Nature calls. Brett and his father, Keith - a football coach for Wheeling Park - have worked together on his game, and on his health since Crohn's Disease was diagnosed just a few years ago. Despite his everyday battle against the disease, Phillips, a multi-sport standout in high school and one of three Phillips sons (Zach, 29, and Nate, 24), completed 326 passes in 541 attempts for 4,906 yards and 52 touchdowns in 26 games for Wheeling Park. He signed with Frostburg State but was struggling with his health when he reported. Brett returned home to his family after just three weeks in Maryland, but that Phillips family sure came to his rescue. His father, Keith, contacted Crohn’s specialist Dr. David Rubin at the University of Chicago, who actually (and miraculously) consulted on Brett’s case. Keith also touched base with Kelly Bryant, a former Clemson and Missouri quarterback whose played a few pro seasons in Canada despite digestive issues that’s required mayor surgery. He’s helped Brett, as well. And his mother, Terry, mastered diet after diet for her son so, following a semester of classes at West Liberty University, Phillips could transfer to Bethany College in time for the Spring Semester of 2024. In August, he reported to preseason camp, and head coach Brandon Robinson has named him QB1 for Game One against the Gators. Allegheny will be Brett’s first “real” on-field opponent since he guided the W.Va. North All-Stars over the South All-Stars 23-10 at South Charleston’s Black Eagle Stadium in June 2023. Phillips was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, and now, finally – FINALLY! – he’ll return to live action this weekend for the first time in more than a year.    “I came to Bethany,” the young man said, “because I believe I can do something special here.” That’s why, this Saturday at Bison Stadium in Bethany, W.Va., Brett Phillips will win. The Phillips family enjoyed Brett's high school success, but when it was time to go to college, Crohn's Disease forced him to the sidelines. How have you prepared differently for this season than you did at Wheeling Park? Preparing for this season at Bethany has had some similarities, as well as some differences to my time at Park. One major difference being the game itself. Playing at any college level will provide new challenges that you have to prepare for. The game gets a little more complex, and the teams you go against are more talented. Preparation is a big key to being successful at this level. Breaking down film, learning the playbook, and learning about the other team will all factor into whether we will achieve success or not. What’s your secret to being a successful double-threat quarterback? I think the biggest secret to being successful is staying healthy. In order to run the way I do, I have to take great care of my body. The season is long, and in order to maintain my ability to be a threat on the ground, I have to make sure I am always feeling my best. To make this happen I do a variety of different things, including taking ice baths, stretching, flexibility/mobility work, and eat a good diet. Brett suffered far more than most of his friends and teammates ever knew during his high school days at WPHS. What are the keys to keeping a healthy balance while a student/athlete with Crohn’s Disease? The disease provides a numerous set of challenges. However, one of the biggest challenges is managing your diet. There are certain things that I can eat and that I cannot eat. It is all about learning what is best for your body in order to keep it healthy. I also make sure taking my Humira injection once a week is also a top priority, and another major factor is keeping stress levels down. As a college quarterback, I can be exposed to stress in a variety of majors, and that’s why it’s important to have good stress relief methods. My stress relief is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My faith is something that I have relied on during hard times, however, Crohn’s made me truly understand my religious calling. What’s the best advice your father – “Coach Phillips” – has ever given you? He’s always told me to have confidence in myself. I always play my best when I believe in myself, my ability, and in the hard work that I have put in. There truly is a difference when I play or practice with confidence compared to when I don’t. In addition, when you play with confidence, the game becomes more fun. When you play with confidence, and when you have fun while playing, your game excels to a new level. This is some of the best advice that he has given me, and it is something that I tell to my teammates. Phillips was outstanding his junior and seniors for Wheeling Park, and very few people realized at the time how his health was affected by Crohn's Disease. Why is Bethany your best choice? I originally signed with Frostburg State University to play football. However, I had a Crohn’s flare-up and had to return home to seek treatment. I then proceeded to take a year off in order to get healthy. The time away from the game made me realize how much I love the game, and this led to Bethany College. Bethany was the best choice for me because of a variety of reasons. The first is that I am close to my friends and family. It is very important to me to be close to the people that I love, and playing at Bethany gives me the opportunity to see my family, and they can also come to my games. Also, the coaching staff at Bethany truly led me to the school. Coach Robinson is a great coach and a better man. He is someone I truly look up to, and I am excited for our future. Plus, Coach Desanti also played a big part in my decision to come to Bethany. He brings a lot of experience to the table, and I enjoy being coached by him. These two coaches already have played a big part in my Bethany football career. Read the full article

[the-football-chick]

Atlanta Falcons 2024 NFL Draft Class _____________

Round 1: No. 8- Michael Penix Jr, QB, Washington

Round 2: No. 35 (from AZ)- Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson

Round 3: No. 74-Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington

Round 4: No. 109-Brandon Dorius, DT, Oregon

Round 5: No. 143-JD Bertrand, LB, Notre Dame

Round 6: No. 186- (from AZ through MIN)-Jase McClellan, RB, Alabama

Round 6: No. 187-Casey Washington, WR, Illinois

Round 6: No. 197 (from CLE)-Zion Logue, DT, Georgia

[whereareroo]

TAKING A BREAK



WF THOUGHTS (7/31/24).

Where did July go? You’re probably reading this on the 1st day of August. Happy August!

My August is booked solid. The fun starts tomorrow morning. We’ll be on the road for two weeks, and then we have two busy weeks at home. Don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me regularly. I’ll do my best. You can probably use a break from my harangues and diatribes.

I probably won’t get to The Pier in August. I just made my final visit for July.

South Carolina is a very conservative state. When people talk about “Red” states, they’re talking about places like South Carolina. How Red is South Carolina? In every presidential election since the election of Ronald Regan in 1980, the Republican candidate has won the race in South Carolina. The Republicans totally control the political game here. Right now, our Governor and Lieutenant Governor are Republicans. Our state House has 124 members, and 88 of them are Republicans. Our state Senate has 46 members, and 30 of them are Republicans. Both of our U.S. Senators are Republicans. In the U.S. House, we have 7 seats. Six of them are held by Republicans. The other seat is Democratic for a very peculiar reason. To avoid claims of racism, the Republicans in the state legislature created an extremely odd congressional district that has a huge Black population. The strange configuration allows our Black neighbors to send a single Democrat to the U.S. Congress. Except for that seat, South Carolina is Red, Red, Red.

During the summer, folks come to South Carolina for a beach vacation. It’s a vacation spot for working class people. Most of our visitors drive from nearby states. That means that most of our visitors are from Red states. For instance, we get many visitors from Kentucky and West Virginia. Both of those states voted Red in the last six presidential elections.

Why am I telling you about the “Red” folks? Because that’s the population at The Pier. The Pier is always full of Trumpers. I don’t need Fox News. To keep up with the views of the MAGA folks, I just walk to The Pier and listen.

I overheard a funny conversation today. Both participants were male Trumpers in their late 50s. (I could tell from their hats.) One guy was local, and the other guy was from Virginia.

Both guys were complaining about the fact the Biden was able to drop out of the race and replace himself with Kamala Harris. They think that the switch is unfair. Here’s how the local put it: “Let’s say that Clemson was supposed to play South Carolina in football. That’s going to be an easy win for Clemson. Clemson will spend weeks devising a game plan to kill South Carolina. Nobody would let South Carolina change its mind at that last minute and announce that it had picked Notre Dame as the substitute. Clemson was prepared play South Carolina, not Notre Dame. Nobody would stand for the last minute swap. Why should Biden be allowed to make a last minute swap?” The guy from Virginia totally agreed with the football analogy. He also thinks that the Republicans should be able to demand that Biden play the game.

I’m going to miss the intellectual discussions at The Pier. I’ll let you know what I hear in the campgrounds of Pennsylvania and New York.