The Deck at 260 Part 25

It's officially bonfire season on the deck. I have a fire burning, my coveralls on and ready to discuss nearly two weeks of topics. 

Lane Kiffin, Christmas lights, Diddy, CFP, ND, Gaffney shootings, SNAP ban

College football is really heating up the deck this time of year as it's bowl/playoff season! In the midst of upsets and notable omissions from the CFP, Lane Kiffin is once again headed to another program. Ok he is clearly not the person at 50 that he was at 30. However he has a track record for not staying long at any program so why would anyone hire him with long term expectations? Also I see nothing wrong with allowing him to coach Ole Miss throughout the playoffs. He has made this program relevant again and wants to finish what he started. There is still so much to correct in college football. 

Notre Dame was left out of the playoff and has opted out of their bowl bid with BYU. I honestly have no problem with either. College playoff selection committee should expect this for a while. Outside of money and a strong finish, if the national championship isn't at stake, there isn't a strong reason for any team (especially one with upperclassmen headed to the pros) to stay, play and risk injury. I respect those like Kirk Herbstreit but that's a dated way of thinking. 

The biggest topic that we can't avoid is the newest (yep another) Diddy documentary. Just know this is parallel to OJ in the 90s. Fans and media are going to run this into the ground, at least until his sentence and sentencing are over. I'm done watching it at this point. Yes what Diddy and those did were heinous. However what are we accomplishing by rehashing the same story over and over? It's time for solutions and a way to move forward. 

I'm into the Christmas spirit more than ever. However I cannot believe how much people are paying to see overglamourized Christmas light shows. These are honestly people with more money than sense and failing to go to places with similar value but for lower prices. Why are many failing to see.the capitalism behind all of this? This is one of the aspects about the holiday season that I despise the most. 

There are far too many shootings in Gaffney, SC in the same area just recently and in the city the past few years. When are law enforcement going to focus more on effective solutions? There's mitigating the violence proactively, attacking the drug addiction problem and making it harder to obtain guns. There are already gun laws out there, no need to take away firearms from law abiding citizens. It's time to think outside of the box to keep them away from those that don't deserve them. 

We knew stuff would change with SNAP. And now at least in South Carolina sodas and candy cannot be purchased. I said years ago these are items that shouldn't be restricted. One modification could be an itemization of SNAP items based on household. For instance a single parent of 1 child that receives $800/month should only be allocated $200 for "junk food". There are ways to combat this and I cannot stand when the powers to be lack both compassion and critical thinking skills. 

It's getting colder but there's much more to discuss weekly on The Deck as we get closer to 12/25. 

The Deck at 260 Part 24 (Thanksgiving Edition)

Thanksgiving 2025 got intense especially once the masses realized I cannot stand deviled eggs. There are some good debates around Thanksgiving, many involving food. 

Deviled eggs or nah? 

I apparently am in the minority (nothing new for me) since I don't like nor eat deviled eggs. I got people wanting to kick me off of my own deck, family threatening to disown me, etc. It seems not only do the majority of people love deviled eggs, those that known me most of my life did not know that I do not like them. My two points of order are: is it so bad given all of the foods that I eat that I not like deviled eggs. Shouldn't that be more for you all?  2. Apparently many folks don't listen to me nor pay close attention. My best guess is because I weigh over 300 pounds that people think I will eat almost anything. Guess what, no? 

Dressing v stuffing: 

Dressing is cornbread based (also based in the South) baked in the oven with ingredients such as onions, celery, chicken broth and stock. Stuffing os the Stove Top type that is stuffed into the turkey that honestly is nasty. This is a when in Rome type deal. Basically you eat what you want but know the difference. It's serious around here even if gravy can go on either. 

Fried or roasted turkey 

This is more of a preference deal. Fried turkey typically is more juicier, quicker to cook and more zesty. Roasted turkey is rarely juicy, dry as the Sahara desert and takes more preparation. Smoked turkey is also an option. Ham is also an option. I like ham also. 

Thanksgiving dinner early or late: 

I'm not a stickler on the time. I will just say many folks (like yours truly) like to househop. Therefore, please try to committ to whatever time you choose. If not, don't be suprised if someone comes late or cannot come. This is Thanksgiving not the club. Get yourself and your family there. If you're hosting, have stuff ready or rethink hosting. 

Eating before the Thanksgiving meal: 

It seems to be a deal to starve yourself before the Thanksgiving meal given how much you plan to consume. If you are eating earlier and/or cooking, this shouldn't be a problem. However if you are eating late, please read with understanding. You are an adult on this deck. PLEASE eat like a grown up and don't let anyone dictate your snacking. A pack of crackers or a banana (anything light) will not spoil your appetite. We need to unlearn these toxic, ridiculous behaviors and wives tales. 

Sweet potato or pumpkin pie: 

Believe it or not, this debate has historical and cultural roots. However given the growing love and obsession over pumpkin pie and the difference in texture, I gotta go with sweet potato pie here. 

No time to experiment. 

Even with YouTube and Tik Tok being great sources for helping someone make great Thanksgiving dishes, it may be best to stick to what you know. 

Major holidays like Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Christmas and Easter aren't the ones where one should bring or make obscure dishes or ones they haven't made before. I have earned the right to make many traditional Thanksgiving dishes but it takes work, practice and patience. If you have a small gathering or even a Friendsgiving, that may be the place. And with the next topic 

Suspect menu items at Thanksgiving: 

This is definitely up for debate depending on where you are at and what the custom is. However the following are items that are getting tired and untouched at many Thanksgiving dinners: 

Anything with green beans

Blackeyed peas 

Cranberry sauce

Anything dry (again we have the Internet and traditional recipes to mitigate this)

Anything with raisins in it that's not a dessert

Any breakfast item (one of few times I might not eat bacon)

Deviled eggs (of course I'm saying this)

Any pasta that's not mac n cheese (which can cross over to the casserole/pie family) 

Casseroles made from random items and vegetables (no-one asked for a corn and hamburger casserole Susan lol)

That's all for now. Hope everyone had a great and safe Thanksgiving holiday! 

The Deck at 260 Part 23

We're back on the deck with this warm weather. This is perhaps the last time this month we will be on the dock and/or have weather this warm. Winter is coming! 

WU Homecoming, ICE, TXAM office, council woman Kasey, mother being attacked by children

WU Homecoming 2025 was overall a vibe. I didn't get to every weekend event and I wore out prematurely. There were several things the University got right. Two in particular were how they recognized those with milestone anniversaries and extending tailgating longer. Now they have to figure out parking logistics especially for on campus events. I loved the golf cart shuttles but perhaps for on campus events have designated parking for alums thst RSVPed. Also do similar for the tailgate. Since other areas surrounding the Coliseum were free and it was the Wild West at around 3pm, anyone that prepaid should have certain spots (incentive to pay for parking). You could even do suggested donations for folks that park on campus or in designated places for free and shuttle to the Coliseum. WU Homecoming has come miles from were it was just a decade ago, now it's time to continue leveling up. I look forward to completing the survey when it is sent. That said, I don't think it's the worst idea to charge for parking at the Coliseum given the crowd. Overall logistics just could be tightened up better. 

ICE being in Charlotte the past week has been a mess. Employees and children have been scared to go to work and school due to fear of being detained. Despite immigration laws being in placed I think after the vote was passed there should have been more clearer avenues and options to protect families against this. The current way it's being conducted is both tyrannical and borders (pun non intended) on a bugaloo type deal. 

The state trooper at the SC/Texas A&M was 100% in the wrong and deserved to be fired. Whether the attack was racial or not, that's not how you do an innocent person. I'm happy that more law enforcement are being held accountable for malicious acts. We now need to work on how ICE agents conduct themselves (see above). 

The city and county council in Gaffney have been under scrutiny over the past couple of years. Now they have/had a councilwoman that got caught for not even occopying a residence in her district. This woman didn't even defend herself and resigned. I will say that the zoning committee needs to be more sharp on candidates regarding when they run (unsure of the exact protocol but I will find out. ). Also, there should be a binannual residence check(again not sure of the exact protocol here.). The takeaway here is that this vetting process definitely needs to be reviewed. I'm sure it happens in other towns and cities. However multiple occurrences within a few years time definitely warrants a resetting of expectations. 

The latest viral video of the week was a woman and her child being beaten up by aggressive and unruly school children. I have so many questions here, the top one being how was this allowed to happen on school grounds? I see the woman has received countless monetary gifts. However this puts into question the safety of this school and how they are keeping track of their students. 

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving holidays! 

The Deck at 260 Part 22

Ok back on the deck with lots to discuss. I should have know it was going to be this type of week leading to WU Homecoming this weekend. 

Trump pedo, shutdown ending, ESPN still out, WU Homecoming, penny going away, church kids, artic blast

The Epstein emails have been released has the government shutdown has ended (for now). It's no suprise Trump has been a pedophile for so long. I don't get deep into politics on the deck but some things are so visible. Why is this man not in federal prison making toilet bowl moonshine with Diddy and Sebastian Telfair. It's not even about Republican or Democrat: it's leadership here. Obama and others were awesome leaders regardless of their party and I wish more people would realize who they are voting for. 

Speaking on the government shutdown, SNAP benefits and other things are restored now. Bear in mind the final congressional session of 2025 is on December 6 and this isn't over. Healthcare and other items could be affected by then. Please stay woke and don't call this a celebration. 

This Disney blackout is getting old and childish. I have learned with these services to keep a converter box and a Firestick and a couple of extra streaming services. YouTubeTV seems good but it's turning out to be a lot like DirecTV was. Recall how cheap Direct was at one point. When I finally cut the cord last year I was paying $180 plus dollars a month. I'm awaiting a package from a competitor that's around $100 with your favorite 5 streaming services. 

The penny is officially going away as the US Mint has stopped manufacturing them. I have mixed feelings on this one. What are we going to do with all the pennies we currently have. How will retail and restaurants thrive. Most of all, if I am mad at a restaurant, do I tip a nickel instead of a penny. I honestly get the American dollar isn't worth what it used to be. I just hope there is an influx of pennies.

We had quite the artic blast here in the South on Monday and Tuesday. Temps dropped from 73 to 33 overnight and Monday afternoon it started snowing! If that's a preview of winter I do not want it! I can't remember that type of conversion in a while. It's currently rising to the 60s on the deck.

I'm realizing that church kids (people raised in church with religious values) simply tend to act better. I've really been deep on psychology lately and the evidence doesn't lie. Proper education is a factor also. I'm wanting to align mhself with better behaved, high vibrational individuals and it seems the church bred crowd is checking on the boxes. Now church people as a whole, that's another rant and topic. 

It's Christmas, my birthday, the Super Bowl, 4th of July, all rolled into one this weekend: Winthrop University Homecoming or WUHOCO2025! My Winthrop days were some of the best in my life and I love reuniting with those folks. I even enjoy being around the ones I don't associate with that closely. We're like one big family and with Thanksgiving so close it gives all the feels.  

See you next time! 

The Deck at 260 Halloween edition volume 21

We're out here on the deck before we go enjoy Halloween. My sleep schedule has already been altered but we're getting this solidified before I head out. 

Meg new vid, Versuz winner, Halloween, running the heat, 6/7

Halloween of course is on a Friday this year. It's the best time to have one of my favorite holidays. I used to love it as a child on these days as we didn't have to rush off from trick or treating and my mom would actually let us eat our candy in real time. Being an adult means the actual holiday is celebrated on the day or the Saturday afterwards. I always love the creativity and of course the sexiness by the females. 

 Meg Thee Stallion couldn't be left out of the female rapper triumph in 2025. She posted her  "Lover Girl" video and at 30 years old shows she still has it and is happily in love. GloRilla also has a new boo that also plays in the NBA but we can perhaps dive into that on another week. 

The No Limit v Cash Money Versuz was so epic especially if you're in my age group. It would have been better with Lil Wayne and no Silk the Shocker though. Mia X came through at the end and shined. We've been waiting on this for years and glad both camps made it happen. 

I did a poll online as this was the first really cold week of the Fall season. I was appalled how many are STILL not running their heat. I'm aware of more people using their space heaters, people being broke and just more frugal than I. However if you (and especially a partner) are both gainfully employed, what's the deal? I honestly don't like getting into grown folks financial business but dang. Why are you all sitting around freezing when you don't have to? Your electric and gas company are about to overcharge everyone for winter so why not run that heat?

The 6-7 trend continues! If you still do not know, it of course is a Tik Tok trend. Tik Tok is such a force on our youth that I haven't seen perhaps ever. I won't lie I get on there in spurts. 90% of youth trends come from that platform and I don't know if it's truly all good. 

SNAP benefits (food stamps) are being paused for November amidst the government shutdown. I will only be positive here. I did not think our government would let this happen. However here we are and the government may not be done. It's both sides also and it's sad. Beware as Medicaid/Medicare, housing and healthcare could all be next. Eithe way, we need to pray and come together. 

Happy Halloween and let's welcome November!

The Deck at 260 Volume 20

Halloween is here in a week and we're enjoying this Fall weather out on the deck. Mosey has went back inside and Spud has now taken over. Here's what we're talking about: 

Ashanti body pics, Internet outage, SNAP benefits, Perfect Neighbor, NBA arrests. 

Ok Ashanti has had two babies in the past 3 years and is going through postpartum. Her body has changed but let's not rush to judgment. She has a lot of confidence and can bounce back to form. People are so quick to judge someone else's body when they don't have the entire story. These same critics have been on Serena Williams for years. 

We've have two huge Internet outages this week alone. Only thing I believe we need to know is not to be so independent on technology, ensure everything is backed up, and keep an ample supply of cash around. 

Speaking of being dependent, the government shutdown is getting real for those receiving SNAP/EBT benefits. Now listen, I've been here before as a child and an adult. There are folks gaming the system and there always will be. There are also good, honest, hardworking folks that NEED to have EBT. It's not a handout, it's part of what our country does for families in need. These past couple of months have made some of you so nasty and inconsiderate. 

Ok by now many of you have seen The Perfect Neighbor on Netflix. This woman is the epitome of Karen, douchecoffin and simply disturbed. It all happened in the state of Florida also where stand your ground laws are prevalent. I'm glad Susan Orincz is serving this time. I didn't like the preferential treatment she got mostly due to her skin color (argue with ya momma). The EBT pushback is coming from folks that claim they can't get any because they're "too white". Welp that is unfortunate; however despite what I said earlier, I would rather be too light to qualify for food stamps than to feel greater danger due to a crime. It isn't the same and I'm glad the entire world could see this sad, disturbed racist put on blast. #schoolsinsessiondrew74. 

Just a few days into the NBA season we have a coach and player arrested for cheating. I say often this isn't the first time this has happened nor are they the only ones. These got caught and yes in professional sports there is a lot of dirty business.  

Next week is Halloween on the deck! 

The Deck at 260 Volume 19

Fall is in full swing out on the deck! We have stew, football, baseball, even basketball going. It will be nice when these spiders are gone until April or May. 

Chris Brown forgiveness, D'Angelo death/neo-soul, MTV going, Angel Reese fashion, Gaffney v Wilson

Ok first of all we do our best when out on the deck to avoid what I call "Coke v Pepsi" or even "Michael Jackson v Prince" debates. To get everyone up to speed, these are topics that are very much similar and are almost siblings in the grand scheme of things. It all boils down to preference and even a sense of loyalty. 

Enter high school Homecomings. There were a few major ones in South Carolina this week (and still ongoing as there are church services/brunches on Sunday). Gaffney and Wilson out of Florence are the top two anywhere you're going to find. This is the first year I can recall in a long time that both were on the same weekend in October. Both are different from a nuance sense but are still great in their own right. I have personally been to many Gaffney Homecomings and will make it a mission to go to a Wilson Homecoming in the future. 

Chris Brown has had a great 2025 with his Breezy Bowl tour. There will be folks that refuse or cannot look past his 2009 mistakes. It's honestly easy not to since Chris Breezy has a history of violent offenses. However at the same token it's almost 2026, time has passed, new evidence has been presented. Why are we still talking about 2025? Are we not giving this man a second chance as a society? It appears millions of women (black women at that) nationwide, hundreds that I know, do forgive him. They also do not tolerate domestic violence. 

2025 has been sad for neo-soul as now D'Angelo has passed away. I felt like I was living under a rock because I did not know that he and Angie Ston even dated let alone had an adult son. I know how rough it is to lose one parent and this man has lost both parents in a 6 month time frame. I really hope (as I said about Angie Stone) that every major musical awards show and outlet properly celebrates these two icons. Neo-soul was indeed a popular and a pioneering era. 

Speaking of music, MTV is FINALLY going away for good.  I feel like MTV is like a hospice patient that fought the good fight but is done. It's truly time to acknowledge what has been and now is gone. I just mentioned the Neo-Soul era. 2025 has not been easy for GenXers like myself. We have lost Ananda Lewis, Theo Huxtable, Hulk Hogan, Ozzy Osbourne and now MTV. I am finally seeing what my elders have discussed for the longest. 

Angel Reese being on the big stage in the Victoria Secret fashion show is a game changer. Angel is doing so much to advance herself and the WNBA. She is a superstar and a brand. Angel has a natural model presence and this show fit her personally. I love seeing more representation in a predominantly white space. 

Next week is likely going to be discussing Halloween and some other deep topics heading in November/Christmas I