Not Culled

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

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

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.