The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian

Downtown Trolley, Free Ride

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 02:10:00 +0000

Today the occasion arose to take advantage of CARTA's downtown DASH service. I have got to remind myself to do this more often now that the downtown trolley is free! Recent business maneuvers by CARTA (the trolley's owner/manager) have also expanded this free service up to Spring Street, which now makes running around downtown oh so much easier. And so that's where CARTA's Dash bus made this Saturday morning a bit more convenient.

The iMac Mighty Mouse died around 10:00 a.m. in a not-so-timely fashion considering new sites needed attention, emails were drafted to send, and social media work was starting to pile up. The mouse is a vital piece of hardware for any computer user. Even where simple plastic mice come into play, the old saying remains true: you don't know whatcha got until it's gone. And, so, this is where a laid-back Saturday morning turned into a scramble to get to the Apple store.

CARTA's free trolley came to the rescue. No driving, no parking, no money needed, and, hey I got great exercise walking two blocks to hitch the ride down King Street to the nearest Apple location. I hopped onto DASH and noticed the usual collection of Charleston tourists (DASH's primary demographic) hawking over their typical, newly acquired, unfurled downtown maps. The group today was wearing the signature Tommy Bahama shirts, sunglasses and some kind of sandals with socks (it's February, people). They were probably from Ohio, but that's besides the point. While on DASH the tourists are always busy figuring the city out - studying each landmark, chatting quickly amongst themselves while constantly comparing the map, minute-by-minute, to their current location.

The observation that I live in the middle of "the plan" never fails to humor me. The plan being: that long-ago push to attract tourism in great numbers to downtown Charleston. The bus system seemed to cave to the tourism mantra. Rather than incorporating the DASH system to cater to locals, transporting tourists from famous churches to theatres, the battery, and exceptional dining venues, remains the main function of the bus trolley.

It is true, however, that the old plan is changing. Mayor Joe Riley does adhere to tourism-drawing traditions, but within the last few years there has been more noticeable attention paid by the city to the idea of weaving the needs of Charlestonians into the public systems available to ease our daily lives. So, thanks, city of CHS for making my morning easier by providing me with an extended free dash service...and yeah, I enjoyed that ten-minutes worth of tourist-watching.

So, hats off to the future. Ride DASH, locals! You'll love it. Here's a bus schedule if you want to try it out.

Final Destination Pic: Apple Store on a normal Saturday morning in February, King Street, Charleston, SC.

Hug Marketing?

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 16:51:00 +0000

Earlier this morning I was leafing through the latest Charleston City Paper, and ran across this ad. With an immediacy I found this marketing ploy a little questionable. Who would hug me if I went to this restaurant? The Pig? The Manager? The Cashier? With raised eyebrow, I also wondered about the person who hatched & designed this ad campaign as well...needy?

Questions aside for a second, here's what the ad did achieve: it caused me to look the joint up on the web. But here there were a few problems as well. It seems The City Paper or the expressive person whom planned this ad did not pay particularly close attention to all the little devlish details, such as the website text, which is completely wrong. The correct address is www.thebarbequejoint.com

Sadly, upon finally googling, finding and arriving at the barbeque joint website, I found zero information regarding any free hugs. Hmmmm...what kind of marketing campaign is this anyway? I'm not sure...but I am pretty positive that the pig is behind this in some way.

Going Gaga 2011

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:33:00 +0000

Saturday we went Gaga in Charleston! In support of a good cause, The Cosmpoplitan Charlestonian donned its Gaga digs and went on over to the Joe Riley Stadium for a good old fashioned mass dance party. Some of you may ask...why? This past weekend we asked...why not?

Despite the fact that we neither worship Lady Gaga, nor personally know the College of Charleston student, Joe Quinn, creator of the event, we were interested to learn that Gaga Day was started by Quinn on a whim as a social networking event via Facebook. Obviously Quinn has a flare for cultural trends/icons and his Lady Gaga Day fund raiser has simply blown up! While enjoying one of his favorite musical artists, he simultaneously raises contributions for his favorite charities (so enterprising)! So now, Gaga Day, is a yearly thang - and don't we all just want to support a good cause? So, yeah, we went. And here it is. Gaga Day 2011. Joe's charitable cause this year was in support of the Trevor Project, which funds the only crisis and prevention hotline in our nation for gays, lesbian, transgender and youth questioning sexuality. For further information on the Trevor Project, see wikipedia, here.Although we feel Joe Riley stadium was a little impersonal as a cultural event venue, the day, the costumes, and the sheer fun still bubbled over in true Gaga style as the crowd poured onto the baseball field. Charleston Scene captured some of the goings-on in their video click here.Anyway, you may not think there's a whole lot going on in January, but if you want events, just come to Charleston....we've got plenty of causes and events going on right here, and if you like, you can even get your Gaga on...except now you gotta wait til 2012!

Christmas Spirit - Flash Mob

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 23:56:00 +0000

Recently I wrote about the "new thing" in Charleston, the closing of King Street on the Second Sunday of each month. Charleston's infamous, King Street, is open each second Sunday to pedestrian traffic only, and this temporary redirection of auto traffic has been a total hit. As far as shopping, lots of cool deals and specials are there to be found. The experience seems a bit more fulfilling when one does not have to contend with traffic. Best of all - you are able to walk the street without the foul smell of exhaust wafting up your nostrils. Trust me, that IS the best part! People are loving this and a lot of cool things appear to be happening.

I admit, I did not get out this past Sunday, and there is a small part of me that is devastated to have missed the Christmas party "flash mob." But I heard about it, and thankfully the moment was professionally captured in this beautiful video, made for the Charleston Symphony Orchestra whom, pardon the pun, orchestrated the flash mob scene. This little holiday gathering must have been a real treat to anyone that caught it, and was conceived as a "sneak peak" of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Celebration coming this Saturday night, December 18th, Gaillard Auditorium. The show begins at 7:00 p.m.

Merry Christmas from Charleston - enjoy!

Thanksgiving History

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 23:23:00 +0000

Here's a great little tidbit relevent to the Thanksgiving Holiday. I found this in The New York Times, the article, an expose on civil war era graphic artist, Winslow Homer, featuring his work, Thanksgiving Day, 1860, The Two Great Classes of Society from Harper's Weekly.

Click Here to View Thanksgiving Day, 1860.

Obviously, there's a lot going on here, but it's important to remember that in 1860 a war among the states was brewing and Thanksgiving was simply a regional holiday, celebrated mostly by Northern states and mandated by each state independently. Mr. Homer's artwork captures a snapshot of a moment in time, yet some may wonder how much has really changed, afterall. What I found intriguing is the short mention of the South (as usual) in a rebellious snubbing of the Thanksgiving Holiday back in 1860.

In 1860, South Carolina – perhaps in a show of secessionist defiance – carved its turkeys a week earlier than the rest of the country. (In 1863, Lincoln would issue a nationwide Thanksgiving proclamation, as would all his successors from that day to the present: yet another instance in which the war elevated a newly powerful Union over states’ rights.)

Happy Halloween from Haunted Charleston

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 01:43:00 +0000

Personally, I am convinced that Charleston is one of the most haunted cities in all of the Americas. From the revenge of Blackbeard himself to war victims, criminals and bereaved Victorians, Charleston is awash in much more than just residual energetic imprints. Believe it or not, hardly anyone whom has spent any great deal of time here, cannot deny that on the occasional late-night stroll, and that in the silent midnight hours, there are certainly things that go "bump in the night" in the Holy City. Some of our ghosts still cause turmoil, some watch out over us, and some...well, they just cannot part from this lovely city regardless of how much time passes before them.

So, to celebrate the spirit of Halloween, and the many things unseen that continue to walk to streets of an old, old city we present this special series of videos which feature a few of Charleston's more famous departed inhabitants.

Special Props to Edward Macy. Hope you are well, my friend.

Bluesphere: portion of earth art expo in Marion Square

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 01:32:00 +0000

If you've walked into Marion Square any time within the last two weeks, you may have noticed a new, strange, stick-like structure near the corner of Calhoun and King Streets. Similar to skinny Lincoln Logs, the spindly structure weaves itself into a canopy over the west corner pathway of the square. It popped up, seemingly overnight, and resembles a giant Jenga game. You'd almost not notice this piece of artwork since it blends so well with the scenery. But then evening falls, and the blue lights designed into the wooden slats shimmer a bit more brightly, easily catching the eyes of passers-by. Most people inquisically paused asking, "what is it," as I stood there considering the structure and its representation.

Sustainability. That's the point of each of the Bluesphere exhibits recently erected in various locations around the City of Charleston. The City Paper says of it - "From sculptors to photographers to graphic artists, Bluesphere includes seven exhibits around the peninsula that will make viewers think more deeply about environmental issues."

As is usual for Charleston, our artistic movements merge cultures from around the world. An American photographer documenting consumption American style in his still frames is mirrored by the work of Brazilian photographer, Pedro Lobo, actively documenting the recycling of necessity blossoming from the depths of extreme poverty in Rio de Janeiro's shantytowns.

Then, from the 2-D photographic showings swell the 3-D world where one can literally walk into the art, much like the new exhibit at Marion Square. Once inside the Marion Square structure, lit blue panels explain the project and provide more information about Bluesphere. This partiuclar exhibit was planned and built by the Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston’s Studio V. Bluesphere is supported by the College of Charleston's Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art.
From the Halsey Institute's website, more on the project

bluesphere: Earth Art Expo was initiated by the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art and made possible by collaborations between many of Charleston's art and education organizations. We seek to bring sustainability education to the residents of Charleston, SC through a mixture of visual art exhibitions, lectures, films and activities focusing on the environment, conservation and how views of our world's resources are presented and expressed through art.

Alright, last but not least, The Post & Courier has provided an excellent video highlighting all of the exhibits to be found around town. The Earth Expo exhibits will be on display until December.

Charleston Pouring into the Streets

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 21:06:00 +0000

Today was the first official Second Sunday Event here in downtown Charleston, and people seemed to be loving every minute of it. As of today, every second Sunday of every month, King Street will close to automobile traffic and be open for pedestrians and bicyclists only. It was gorgeous today, so I walked down to King to stroll the street myself without fear of becoming urban road kill. I must admit, it was very strange a few times when psychological programming related to "never walking in the middle of the street" kicked in causing me to instinctually want to jump back onto the sidewalk. Charlestonians came out in droves to hang on King Street today. All the stores were open with several offering sidewalk sales. A few restaurants were giving away samples while most had street dining set up. Pop's NY Pizza was giving away sample slices, too! YUM! Close to Market & King, one group decided to shag in front of a local retail establishment. They added in a "big band" tune and then it really looked fun. All in all, I'd say this event will gain momentum.

The important thing to remember is that the closing of the street runs from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. every second Sunday of the month. If you are traveling by car, you will obviously have to take a detour as residents and visitors swagger up and down King, finally, sans traffic.

P.S. Here's something interesting I noticed. Without traffic, there's time to take a look at all those bricks people purchased back in the 1990s to help rebuild King Street (remember that project?). Apparently Jimmy Buffett bought one, or did he?

Transportation Hub

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:56:00 +0000

Well, it's about time! Thank God Charleston's elected officials are finally thinking about merging and unifying several major transportation hubs. Today's announcement included a fabulous rendering presented by Mayor Keith Summey, North Charleston. The newly planned hub will finally link major transportation hubs, CARTA, Charleston's bus system, Greyhound, a National Bus System, and, Amtrak, a National Railway System, together in one area where transportation can finally find some synchroncity.

Back in the olden days [think current times], all the transportation hubs were miles apart. The old Greyhound station was located on Dorchester Road, set miles from the airport, and way more than a stone's throw from the CARTA Bus terminals farther down old Rivers Avenue. The poor taxi cab companies were relegated to "zoned" areas where only strip clubs and tatoo parlors resided. BUT...Behold! The Future! Here we are in 2010 and the PTB (powers that be) have finally figured it best to put all of these tranportation instruments into one big band orchestrated together into a finely tuned rhythm. Well, imagine the ingenuity!

I for one, am absolutely ecstatic at this turn of transport efficiency. Believe me. Now, guys, let's get that high speed rail into perspective, and on track, pardon the pun.

New Station on Track (North Charleston, South Carolina).
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/oct/05/new-station-on-track/

Comeback Song Filled with Charleston Charm

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 01:20:00 +0000

Homegrown Charlestonian, Darius Rucker, just released his video for Comeback Song, from forthcoming album Charleston, 1966.

It's not often I am stricken by a feeling of breath-taking awe in the knowing that I am so very lucky to be able to take such enchanting landscapes for granted. Darius shot his walk down memory lane video all around downtown Charleston, truly capturing the antiquity, timelessness and beauty of this place a certain strange lot of us call home. Actually, I'm pretty surprised he climbed right out there into the marsh for a couple of those shots (lol). It would've taken some pretty sporty rubber fishing boots and an ice cream cone to lure me out there into the pluff mud just beyond the pebbled, natural walkways lining the park harborside.

The work has a comfortable, familiar sound, even though Darius jumped into the country arena a few years ago. He still pulls out all of his old, inviting personality characteristics - that hidden depth veiled by an upbeat rhythm. In the video he calls upon the spirits of regret, aplenty here in the holy city, to walk with him along shaded cobblestone alleyways in the heart of the peninsula; yet, he only conjures them up within daylight, making the crossovers, and soul-digging all that much less threatening.

But, beyond these twangy country licks, I'm appreciating the videography. A throw-back style slideshow, simple and raw, reminisces in old-timey, rolling film, the kind like your parents might have had circa 1966. Darius uses his own beautiful city as the backdrop, showcasing the landscape that has so molded his life and influences. And, as usual, Charleston, and her charm, rise to all opportunities to show off. And, yes, this old city does hold in her care and confidence the guilts, regrets, and the unspoken wishes of all who reside here, Mr. Rucker included.

Darius Rucker

More CMT Music

More CMT Music Videos

CMT's review is here.

King Street Closing to Traffic

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 00:08:00 +0000

It seems to have been a long time coming, with little hints here and there that city officials were watching and listening to public cries toward maintaining walkability in the holy city. I'm elated to see this bit of news...

Second Sunday of every month King Street will be open only to pedestrian traffic. Restaurants will be able to bring out street dining and no more will one have to scoot across the asphault, frogger-style, skipping between cars lumbering slowly down the old arterial street. The Digitel posted a great article giving further details.

Soon I'll be strolling down King sans traffic. Can't wait!

Not Culled

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:52:00 +0000

Thankfully, The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian is still listed as a readable, unculled, active part of the local Post & Courier's Lowcountryblogs list.

Thanks, P&C. Still reading you, too. ;)

If you haven't checked out the rest of the blogs in the Charleston area, please visit the Big Blogroll by the Post & Courier to get to know some of our local best.

Charleston's The Post and Courier is one of the oldest daily newspaper in the South and the eighth oldest newspaper still in publication in the United States. It is published in Charleston, South Carolina. It traces its ancestry to three newspapers, the Charleston Courier, founded in 1803, the Charleston Daily News, founded 1865, and The Evening Post, founded 1894. Along with The Greenville News and Columbia's The State, it is one of the three largest papers in the Palmetto State.

- Wikipedia

Saturday, Two Murders

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:40:00 +0000

There are two worlds in Charleston, and I live caught between them.

As tour books hum a siren song of beauty, grace, plantation tours and southern breezes, the daily dramas of the cities' residents continue, as they have for generations, to play out on Charleston's wrought iron gate lined streets. But what transpires in the daily grind, especially here on the east side will never be found in history or guide books.

There was no gentlemen's duel, no street fight with fists old school style, rather a drive-by last night. It was close enough to hear the gunfire, followed by lots of commotion as family and friends ran toward the scene with the news spreading like a computer virus via cellphone. Knowing the shooters were already long gone, and curious, for some reason, this time, I ventured out into the mayhem, which is not what I normally do when there is restlessness on the city thoroughfares. The police were just arriving, spectators were gathering, and someone was shining a light on a man lying face up on the sidewalk. He was not moving. Well, I picked a great time to be nosy, now didn't I? There is a lot of bliss in ignorance, and death just looks so much more palatable when its on our tv screens, doesn't it? As I stood for a second, stunned, a man shreiked, "Noooooo."

I turned around and walked back down the block thinking about the stillness in the victim. He was gone. I did not know this person, yet I am sure there is a story that led him to this particular sidewalk on the east side on this particular night. Someone else out there in the world obviously knew which sidewalk the man was standing on too. But where does an average white girl living in the hood go with this story? We'd have to dive into drug violence and personal vendettas being carried out the streets of Charleston. We'd have to talk for REAL about vengence, and not cover it up with race or vocabulary stifled by politically correct censorship. We'd have to talk about raising kids. And where do we go with solutions, anyway? Legalize? Declare War? How exactly do you stop, eradicate, distinguish...a mindset, a lifestyle? These boys are horse-traders of a different sort, that's all.

I understand what's going on here. Maybe it's time to get the hell out. Summer always seems to make people ornary "up in here." I love my neighborhood, but this sh*t hits (pardon the pun) too close to home.

Saturday, August 21, one of the drive-by murders occurred very close to this little blog's home-base. May the Universe take in the energy, and God rest the sole of one, Darron Heyward. Our thoughts are with the people that loved him.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/aug/22/2-men-killed-in-separate-shootings/

Update by Live 5 News: Neighbors React to Deadly Shootings

Totally Random

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:25:00 +0000

What's going on in this head right now? Ugh. Totally random thoughts. Lots of them.

There's so much sh*t going on in the world, it's hard to pin-point one specific thing to write on, which sometimes leads to a bit of writer's block going on over here. So, I'll update you on some random stuff...

CARTA just got eleven great, new buses, and they're green too! The new low-emissions buses come to Charleston, "powered by low-sulfur, clean diesel that will mean a carbon emissions reduction of about 90% compared to older models, officials said. The additions mark the first time CARTA has updated its fleet since purchasing buses from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics," so says the Charleston Regional Business Journal. Sadly, though, most of the work I do now is within walking distance of the home headquarters, sooooooo...unfortunately, not using CARTA as often as I once did. Yet, I cannot wait for the first opportunity to hop aboard one of the newbie buses. Also, somebody told me they have wi-fi....do they really have wi-fi!?!?

Totally Random Thought: So, when people say, "things happen for a reason," I have to laugh and say, "no, things happen because we didn't know any better...and if you can fix it, then fix it."

On another note, thank Gawd damned BP has finally plugged the hole. Now, I'd like to see a bunch of BP employees (not volunteer fishermen) slapping on wetsuits. It's about time they go diving to find hidden under-water plumes and figure out how to extract them. This business of using satellites and fly-overs to "find" oil is ridiculous considering the P.T.B. used tons of disbursements to break up the oil as it spewed from its source. Am I the only person completely unsurprised by reports stating that the oil wranglers are unable to find oil on the ocean surface? Earth to......

Another Totally Random Thought: OMG, the PGA tournament is coming to Kiawah! That's kind of exciting, and actually got me thinking for a moment that I should head over to the range and pretend I didn't throw my clubs out years ago. Rumor is they're already running low on tickets.

Last, it's totally hot here. I'm so sick of the heat and sitting inside I cannot wait for fall. How about you? Never thought I would wish away the remainder of a random summer.

Out of Site, Out of Mind

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:47:00 +0000

Regarding the U.S.'s insatiable energy needs, I wonder...

Will we forget about this (6:45)...

Like we collectively forgot about this...

Reminder - Real Estate is Local

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:23:00 +0000

Charleston and its surrounding islands provide a veritable cornucopia of luxury property. Like Spanish Moss, there is no shortage here in the beautiful Southeast, of spectacular pieces of paradise carved among Live Oak trees and Magnolias. Despite what I wrote just yesterday regarding the overall big - big picture in real estate markets; today, we're presented with the perfect opportunity to be reminded that real estate truly is a local thang.

From the Post & Courier, June 21, 2010:

Charleston County recorded its largest residential real estate transaction ever June 10 when an oceanfront Kiawah Island home changed hands for $14 million.

There are still some amazing sales out there. Oh, and mind you, this one sale is approximately equivalent to 10 houses selling all at once on the Isle of Palms; or 5-7 luxury homes selling simultaneously South of Broad. These are just hypotheticals, of course, but it provides a frame for the perspective of this sale. Wow. So, that's the good news. The bad news is that it might skew June's real estate sales statistics a bit once the final figures are tallied in the weeks to come. Nonetheless, good for Charleston County.

Macro Issues Predict More Housing Trouble

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:18:00 +0000

Admittedly, I haven't written about housing issues in a while. A false bottom created by the $8,000 tax credit kept things aloft for a bit, so I got busy working on other stuff finding it pointless to throw around opinions while buyers found motivation in the form of government issue tax credits. As many of us realized, the end of the tax credit hasn't been such a good thing for sellers in real estate markets across the land. I've held firm that remaining buyers out there will simply begin writing random $8,000 concessions into their future real estate purchase offers. Agents and sellers will probably be pretty surprised by the creativity of buyers who may, in the absence of the official government sponsored credits, quickly figure out how to privatize the loss via sellers already battered by housing deflation and negative equity.

Since the credit ended housing starts have declined sharply showing a drop in builder confidence. We've also seen new mortgage applications fall signaling fewer buyers entering the housing market. It seems even talking heads in the financial realms have begun to hum along to the double-dip housing market tune, and I can certainly understand their on-air laments, as I foresee a long period of flatness about to commence. After all, you can't re-inflate a bubble without more hot air. On the other hand, multitudes of factors affect national housing markets. Any one of them can sway the scales at any time. More importantly, housing is, and always has been local. Some locations see minute housing recoveries while others still suffer blindly with no idea when recovery will ever begin, undoubtedly, along with broken housing support mechanisms, like the GSEs and their ilk, clawing at the hope of any real near-term economic stabilization. In any case, I have found nothing to unglue my belief that it will take until 2011-2012 for real estate to level out. But, a whole lot of things can happen until then.

So, I leave you with Sunday morning reading should you desire to further examine current events contributing to the housing market correction. Of this set, I find China's announcement to allow the Yuan to appreciate this morning to be the most intriguing. As creditor to the United States, China's new-found flexibility will certainly be a market mover by next week, and over time, influence currencies, interest rates, manufacturing and global trade. It will be interesting to watch the outcomes unfold in this bold new move.

U.S. Economy: Factories Lead Rebound as Housing Falls, Bloomberg.

Housing Market Slows as Buyers Get Picky, New York Times.

Cost of Seizing Fannie and Freddie Surges for Taxpayers, New York Times.

World hopes China's yuan will rise, bring relief, Yahoo News.

Alvin Greene As Real As It Gets

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:54:00 +0000

Between Argentinian mistresses, primary campaign racial slurring and a hodgepodge of state investigations, its hard to tell at any given moment what's really "real" when it comes to South Carolina politics. Just when you think you've got some of the madness worked out in your head, in swoops one, Mr. Alvin Greene, to twist the political spectrum in the Lowcountry even more ascew.

On Tuesday, it seems Mr. Greene somehow won the primary race for Senate with little campaigning, no fund-raising, no bellowing street-side signage, without setting a platform, creating a campaign website or attending a single democratic event. Something is smelly in South Carolina and it's not the oil slick yet.

Wednesday I heard a tidbit of this latest foul political tale while running past the television cleaning up the house. With few details, I thought to myself, surely, there was some mix-up with this Alvin Greene guy which would be cleared up in a day or two. Unfortunately, I was wrong. In just one day's time his story got freakier and freakier. As details have been published, we now also know that Mr. Greene is facing felony obscenity charges. When I finally caught the entire spread splashed in the headlines of the New York Times , I was shocked at the rate of speed with which South Carolina politics can go from simple weirdness to total twightlight zone.
Now Congressman and House Majority Whip, Jim Clyburn (D) wants the mystifying events surroundingMr. Greene's win investigated, calling him a plant. My gut instinct tells me that Mr. Clyburn might be right in his suspision. But who can really be sure at this point, anyway? While South Carolina's politics continue to both alarm and surprise, it seems Mr. Greene is about as real as it gets for the moment. Here in the Palmetto State political plants and other surreal beaurecratic hijinx occur with certain regularity, and unraveling Mr. Greene's questionable tale is just a spell in our current political reality.

Quiteness

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:08:00 +0000

Aside from a few informational tweets and such, indeed, I have remained somewhat quiet on the oil disaster occurring real-time in the Gulf. I think we all realize we're right on course for an epic environmental drama with far-reaching ramifications. From seafood prices to massive job loss, this historic event we watch unfold before us has only just begun, and I seem to be shocked silent in awe.

Yet, this disaster is simply a reflection of all the things that don't work/aren't working in our agreed upon social structure. We have done this to ourselves.

With fingers crossed we wonder what will happen here in Charleston. They've estimated oil could reach the Carolina coastlines around October, dependent upon the oil's entry into the ocean loop current. As if the oil isn't bad enough, reports show that nearly a million gallons of disbursements have been dumped into the Gulf as well. Oh, and by the way, hurricane season just started too. Imagine for one moment, a storm surge of pasty oil pushing itself up into pristine estuaries, harbors, marshes and onto land.

It's safe to say, I feel and sense the devastation. At the same time, I recognize this is a game-changing card for the oil industry.

In the meantime, I am making it a point to go out to the beach this week. And next. I'd like to enjoy the places I love....just in case. I'll try to pretend nothings wrong, and make some jokes to hide my pain for the insanities of man playing themselves out via a gushing hole miles under the ocean.

While I'm out, I leave you with the following -

July, 2008 Bush Lifts Ban on Offshore Drilling

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Not Quite Twilight

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Mon, 24 May 2010 01:10:00 +0000

Walking out onto the porch this afternoon, the sun had already moved across the sky to beat harshly against the west side of the house. The dog ran off in front of me half way down the front steps into the garden, then stopped dead in his tracks. His ears went up and he leaned forward carefully sniffing, taking in big breaths of something foreign there in front of him. He jolted back towards me, head tilting, as we both heard a sharp click. Something strange was in the wisteria bush winding along the front gate just a foot in front of us. The sad thing is, the dog, being more in tune with nature than his human counter-part, had the 411 long before I would've had I been left to my own devices.

Capturing the dog's keen awareness, I peered into the bush, then jumped back, startled that I may have disturbed it (which, in my imagination, led to its leaping out on me and chomping off my face). Luckily, once its small size registered in my small brain, I regained composure. There, a wayward bat hung upside down in the bush along the iron front fence, its tiny wings folded into its body, little feet holding onto a small branch swinging in the wind. The dog held his alert stance behind me, staring at me as if I'd lost my mind by moving in for such a close look.
Bats are often misunderstood. You know, what, with all the vampire associations and bad dracula movies out there, who knows what to think half the time. In reality, bats are GREAT for the environment! Who needs to spray toxic pesticides when a bat can eat up to 1,200 insects per hour? I look at it this way - I'd rather have bats in my belfry than roaches in my kitchen.

The only mammal able to fly, bats rid gardens of bugs, are generally clean (spending their days grooming), and most do not carry rabies as so often believed. The little, brown Eastern small-footed myotis (Myotis leibii) that hung suspended from its back feet in my garden is South Carolina’s smallest bat.

Throughout the afternoon the dog simply refused to go back outside. He seemed offended something unknown to him occupied "his" outdoor space. From time to time I checked on the little bat. Around dusk, it dropped out of the bush and disappeared in the undergrowth. As if knowing it was gone, the dog finally joined me later on the front porch. He patrolled with satisfied sniffs around the brick bottom step, then up into the air. Hopefully, the bat was off to eat the next roach it could find...thereby keeping that random roach, and its family from occupying my kitchen in their next hostile real estate takeover.

Strawberry-Palooza?

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:57:00 +0000

OK, so I've gone overboard - just a bit. But then, who doesn't love organic strawberrys and all of the lovely things one can do with them? Lemme just go Forrest Gump for one second: strawberry jam, strawberry bread, strawberry margueritas, strawberry shortcake, strawberry gorgonzola salad, strawberry puree, strawberry smoothies, etc., etc., etc.

So, how did I go overboard and how did it happen? Well, according to local news reports, Ambrose Farms, a Charleston area CSA and You-Pick farm, is experiencing a record strawberry yield in 2010, so I had to go check it out since the season ends June 1st. Upon arrival, and armed with several buckets including plastic bag inserts, handily supplied by a helpful farm attendant, it was evident that reporters and the Ambrose Farm ownership had not over-publicized the strawberry season of 2010! The berries are GIANT, a beautiful sanguine red, each neatly grown bush clustered with clump upon clump of juicy, fresh berries. I walked through the rows, climbed over a few sections and finally bent down and started picking. It seemed like hardly any time had passed at all, when I realized my berry bag, neatly placed inside of the small berry bucket, was already brimming over with delicious, ripe fruits. I mean, these berries are BIG!! They started to fall out, hence, I took the bag out of the bucket. It seemed a reasonable solution, because then I had the berry bucket as well as the rest of the extra space in the plastic bag to fill! Apparently, though, my inability to limit myself to the pre-defined bucket size was where it all went wrong.

As every berry dish I could think of ran through my head, I happily picked. But, much to my chagrin, my bag was soon full. And when I picked up the plastic shopping bag to move further down the row to finish filling the little plastic bucket, I couldn't believe the weight of it! Uh oh. The bag felt like it already held about ten pounds of berries. Ugh. I had to stop mindlessly running amuck on this strawberry picking frenzy!

With reason behind me, I corraled my partner-in-strawberry-picking-crime, whose bags were also brimming with dozens and dozens of beautiful strawberries.
"Yeah, I think we need to get out of here," I said.
"Why? This is kinda fun."
"Yeah, I'm digging it too, but, uh, I just picked up my bag...and if I keep picking strawberries, I'm going to need a back-hoe to leave this place."

Sixty dollars later, the pair of us departed Ambrose Farm. Do you have any idea how many pounds of organic strawberries can be purchased for sixty dollars? Ultimately, my only advice is: don't lose self control in the strawberry patch - it's not like you can put them back....

....so, don't bother to call or write for a while. I'll be busy canning, freezing and planning entire meals made solely out of strawberries for probably the next two weeks.

First Charleston Harbor Air Show

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 19:45:00 +0000

The rattling, the windows shaking, the unfounded fear of potential sonic boom - everyone in the downtown area has endured the screaming engines of the Navy's elite, Blue Angels, for four days now. All of this high turbo, F-18 action above us was all in preparation for the first ever Charleston Harbor Air Show.

In an apparent move to add some flare to the annual Navy Week held in Charleston, while mollifying those dissatisfied with the earlier cancellation of the air show typically held at the air force base, our city teamed up with the Town of Mt. Pleasant. Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, which lie on either side of Charleston Harbor, dually invited the Angels to use the harbor airspace for a spectacular finish to the week's militaristic celebrations.

Bringing in six F-18s and a C130, the Angels spent Thursday and Friday practicing for the show. From our windows many of us watched the military craft roll and tumble each day in preparation for their Saturday and Sunday performances. Work was impossible as the roaring jets sped around above us. Personally, I was involved in a conversation with a neighbor at one point. Needless to say we gave up. Even shouting at one another was useless as the jets circled above. We both put our hands up and went inside to escape the deafening sounds of the engines.

Sunday being the last day, and the weather being perfect, we decided to slip out and have a photo shoot. Some of the tricks were astounding.

Spring in Charleston

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:36:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that just three weeks ago we had a snow storm in Charleston. Of course, this being a twenty-year event, meaning, it rarely snows here, The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian had to run right out and participate in all things snow-related, like, catching a snowflake on one's tongue, bombarding people with snowballs, making a snow angel, and walking about gawking at the ironic site of snow accumulated atop palm trees (this isn't supposed to happen here!). Now, just three weeks later, Spring is Springing in Charleston. Thank goodness the cold has broken and the Spring Equinox is just around the corner. It's a time of rebirth, renewal and growth. After a long, cold, hard winter in the South, the first signs of Spring are welcome, beautiful and appreciated.

Another Rehabilitated...

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:34:00 +0000

...bridge? I thought "rehabilitated" was a humorous word to describe the updating of the Ben Sawyer Bridge, a span that links Mt. Pleasant, an outskirt of Charleston, to the small Island where Edgar Allan Poe, and other renowned personalities, have stayed and/or called home at one point or another.

At any rate, here's the info. If you're into bridges you'll probably dig this.

Ben Sawyer Bridge Design & Information

Hurricane Hugo Twenty Year Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:56:00 +0000

Twenty years ago Hurricane Hugo swept through South Carolina's Lowcountry with a hurling force that only mother nature can muster. A category four storm with wind gusts estimated up to 135 miles per hour, Hugo changed our landscape, lives and sense of security all in one night.

Days before September 21, 1989, Charlestonians had already begun preparing. Hugo was coming right at us. Bottled water, coolers, ice and batteries had disappeared from grocery store shelves. Lumber and plywood had been bought up. Flashlights, candles and camping equipment had vanished. My own hurricane supply checklist assembled, I spent the morning scrubbing the bathroom tubs and refilling them with water (for general water use & toilet flushing in the aftermath), cleaning up and listening to officials on the news warning residents to, "get out." Located in the town of Summerville (at the time), I figured we'd be alright considering the twenty miles between my humble abode and the coast. Several friends were even scheduled to arrive at the house later that afternoon, themselves escaping to higher ground in anticipation of Hugo's ravaging visit. I taped the windows, as directed by neighbors (taping is the cure du jour for inland residents in the event windows shatter). After taping, I walked the exterior of the house collecting items that could be picked up in the wind, and I got a strange feeling. Then it hit me! It was the calm before the storm (I learned it was true; not just an old saying). The air was completely still. There was not a cloud in the sky. Nothing, NOTHING was moving, except people. It almost seemed like even the birds had gone away somewhere. Still today, I give a nervous laugh over my youthful ignorance, for I had no idea the magnitude of what was going to unfold later that evening. Yes, I was twenty years younger and twenty years stupider (lol).

As the hours passed, I noted the alarm in officials' voices heightening. They were now taking the air waving pointed fingers and making grave announcements that it was our very last chance to, once again, "get out." With only hours before Hugo was scheduled to make landfall, it was quickly becoming too late to leave. Police and Firemen had been deployed on the islands to collect dental records, I had heard. There were stragglers on the barriers who refused to leave for various reasons. Some were concerned about their property, while others wanted a rush, and stayed on the islands to throw hurricane parties. Dental records help identify bodies.

As you can imagine, the calm outside broke sometime toward dusk. A brisk breeze picked up. The friends had already arrived with food and more water. And the wind blew harder. I allowed the dog to go out one last time. The outer bands of the storm started to move over the area at intervals that grew closer and closer together as the giant storm lumbered onto land. Hugo had arrived. I watched out the windows as the rain poured down in sheets. Once the wind really sped up, it was too dangerous to stand close to windows, but in my last look, with a bolt of lightning filling the sky, I saw that it was raining horizontally. Downtown, the news told us, they were worried about the storm surge which had already begun pushing the sea up into the creeks and onto land.

Somewhere in the thick of things I remember clearly thinking about what a stupid idea it was to stay behind, even twenty to thirty miles inland, because I was pretty sure in that moment it was possible that we were all going to die. The walls were shaking - visibly, and the power and cable had gone out. All that was left was the little radio and things weren't sounding so good there. 96 Wave was taking live call-ins. We listened out for callers from downtown Charleston knowing that whatever they were getting, we would experience within about a half hour's time according to our distance. With each passing hour, the storm got worse. The sound of the wind outside had grown so loud that our little group didn't even bother trying to talk anymore. With many of the radio callers-in reporting spin-off tornado action, we simply turned up the radio as loud as possible and huddled near the center of the house.

After what seemed to be a lifetime of screaming winds and unknown objects loudly smacking against exterior walls, finally, Hugo's eye immersed us in a serene calm. Everything was completely still in the center as Hugo's devastation hoola-hooped for miles around us. Within about five minutes it went from sounding like multiple locomotives were running through my living room, to an absolute eerie stillness. Hugo was right over top of us and we had what was estimated to be about an hour of eye-time based on his size to think about our existentialism. I peaked out the windows. Then I dared to open the front door. Crap was everywhere. Hugo's front side had already snapped trees and uprooted anything untethered. Timidly, I walked the front yard in the dark for a few minutes, then suddenly realized I was completely exhausted. I didn't want to participate in further exploration with the others anyway, what, with the threat of downed power lines looming in the dark, and all. No, if I was going to die on this night, Hugo would have to take me because I was not about to be electrocuted by South Carolina Electric & Gas. Everyone else was going outside, but I went to my room to catch a few z's. I slept instantly, although for what seemed to be only minutes. The howling winds shook me awake again and the whistling was like an annoying alarm clock I could not turn off. Hugo certainly was not going to let little me sleep through his wrath when he was only half way finished with Charleston and her surrounding islands, towns and villages.

It's difficult to provide many details from this point. I think I was so tired, I was slipping in and out of consciousness. At any rate, the second storm wall was worse. We knew things were bad on the flip-side when a caller on the radio dropped the f bomb on live air as he screamed something about bricks being blown out of an exterior wall. To this day, I don't know if that story was ever confirmed.

Eventually, the wind stopped. For the next morning, there is nothing else to say but that it was a complete disaster. I had never seen anything like it until that point and I have never seen anything like it since. Things are different in the daylight. And things are very different when your neighbor's roof has been neatly lifted off of his house to be set in the middle of a street totally covered over by detritus and organic debris.

In Hugo's wake, the power was out, the water was unclean and bees were everywhere. The best I could figure, a nest nearby had been destroyed. For hours we walked around awestruck by the damage. One by one, people emerged to observe Hugo's toll. But, within the day, people also began to organize. Charleston has been through many disasters before. These people are proud, and resilient. We started to dig our way out street by street, clearing and sweeping, and generally helping out friends and strangers whenever necessary. We also learned on that first day that we were under Marshall Law. No one was allowed out past dark to deter looting and possible injury.

Within days most of the roads were passable. But a full two weeks would go by without power. The water came back on within the week, but when it did, it ran brown; and without power, only cold showers were on tap. We lived by candle light and played cards. There was nothing to do. There were no computers to pass the time, no tv, and we weren't allowed to go anywhere. Ugh. I fried eggs in a pan on a charcoal grill and had to figure out how to cook everything in the fridge/freezer before it went bad. How exactly does one cook useless microwave meals without a microwave? Say, on a grill? I couldn't wait for the electricity. To humor myself, I left a light switched to the on position so that I would know the exact minute when power was restored! Hurricane Hugo was a formidable reminder of just how fragile our modern lives actually are.

Hugo's devastation was drastic and took years to repair, yet, somehow we got through it. There were cases of price gouging and looting, but there was also genuine goodness and compassion shown by the greater majority of people as we worked together to repair our infrastructure and lives. So, with that I say, Happy Anniversary, Hurricane Hugo. Several of us here at The Cosmopolitan Charlestonian rode you out, and we will never forget being in the eye of your storm.

Here's a gallery of pics I scanned in for posterity. I remember not having a lot of film and not being able to go far. But, enjoy.

And here's a bunch of old news footage if you want to watch.