Of course there is art about Trump

The following post dominated the discourse on Bluesky for an hour or two on Monday and drove me moderately insane.: I blurred out OP's name because it's not my intention to be mean to a person who, for all I know, is a perfectly nice and

In 1913 America's greatness did not yet exist

In 2012, reality TV star Donald Trump applied for a trademark of the old Ronald Reagan campaign slogan "Make America Great Again." Thirteen years later, it remains the most effective slogan in American politics. The staying power of that phrase is a testament to its ability – like Trump

The human brain is not a computer

Don't make me tap the sign. Read to the end for two good sci-fi short stories and a trailblazing sci-fi movie from 1956.

Super Bowl ads have always been terrible

The reason you thought Super Bowl ads were good once is that you were a child at the time.

The linguistic tyranny of the 'doorbuster'

Let's end this stupid, made-up word's reign of terror. Read to the end for quick takes on the Gamecocks, The Penguin, and Mrs. Davis.

Why the newsletter is called 'Hell of a Bird' now

For those who require one, an explanation on the aesthetic overhaul. Read to the end for some thoughts on the BlueSky Boom.

James Carlen vs. the University of South Carolina

I went to the National Archives to unpack one of Gamecock Football's greatest mysteries: why, exactly, did we fire Jim Carlen? Behold Part 1 of a multi-part series.

In 1974 USC made an 'abortive' attempt to hire Lou Holtz

Twenty-five years before his triumphant return to Columbia, the Gamecocks tried to hire a former USC assistant and rising star, Lou Holtz, away from N.C. State.

I am being systematically haunted by underqualified university presidents

Wow, can't believe they're already doing a reboot of the Bob Caslen saga. (Plus a few other things on my mind this week.)

Overdue

It's easier to make hard decisions you've been avoiding when other people basically make the decisions for you.

The case for 2000 as USC's best Georgia win

Since the Gamecocks are almost certainly not going to beat Georgia in 2023, let's seek refuge in our memories of the year 2000, a time when they did.

2023 is USC's first Spider-Man Meme year since 1983

Plus, what the infrequency of this phenomenon says about the futility of the "real Carolina" debate.