Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette Blogs

"Ocean's Thirteen"

Posted by pmitchell at 12:12 pm, Friday, November 16th, 2007
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It's time for more big-time heist fun. After an impressive "Ocean's Eleven" and an unimpressive "Ocean's Twelve," the series continues and comes out with a decent entry, "Ocean's Thirteen." The action is taken back to Las Vegas, which could have been risky seeing as how that's where the first one took place, but it managed to avoid any territory that was too familiar other than the actual location.

"Deck the Halls"

Posted by pmitchell at 12:10 pm, Friday, November 16th, 2007
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Hey guys, Paul Mitchell here. So this is a new blog commenting on the latest and greatest not only on DVD, but in the entertainment world in general where something might deserve to be said (or defended). You might have even recognized the "Packet Picks" column each Friday on the bottom of the Lowcountry Life section of the Packet. Well since space is limited there and not here, a more drawn-out and detailed version will be presented. So stop by a couple of times each week and get your pick for what to check out at the video store over the weekend.

Tourism: Help foreign visitors

Posted by dlauderdale at 11:39 am, Friday, November 16th, 2007
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  • The earth is flat: American tourism industry leader tells business gathering in Myrtle Beach:

    Quote:
    Tourism is the key to developing other industries in South Carolina, and the U.S must increase the number of international visitors coming here and make it easier for them to arrive.

    • Immigration, tourism the biz buzz

    Posted by dlauderdale at 1:49 pm, Thursday, November 15th, 2007
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  • Big business: Grant Jackson reports in The State newspaper today: "Immigration reform, tourism and tax reform top the agenda as the state's business community gathers in Myrtle Beach through Friday for the annual meeting of the S.C. Chamber of Commerce."

    Quote:
    South Carolina's two largest industry segments - agribusiness and hospitality - are heavily dependent on immigrant labor, much of it admittedly illegal, and are very wary of state action.

    • 1105 reads

    Dumpster diving for Extra Credit

    Posted by dlauderdale at 6:37 pm, Wednesday, November 14th, 2007
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    [img_assist|nid=25699|title=Trash|desc=College of Charleston sophomore Lizzie Kirk grimaces at the smell of the mounds of trash she and fellow students sorted through to find recyclables Tuesday. Kirk described the smell as "stale" and "mostly of beer."|link=node|align=center|width=450|height=327]

  • College of Charleston: Lowcountry students haul trash to the middle of campus to make a point. Aubry Straub reports in The Post and Courier:

    • A crack addict by any other name would smell just as sweet

    Posted by elizfarrell at 3:47 pm, Wednesday, November 14th, 2007
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    Remember former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry? I do. All that awesome policy-making ... just lots and lots of great making of the policy. Like, that one time he decided to fix something ... was there something? Did he fix it?Remember former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry? I do. All that awesome policy-making ... just lots and lots of great making of the policy. Like, that one time he decided to fix something ... was there something? Did he fix it? OK, I have no idea what he did while he was in office.

    Bailing out the oceanfront, literally

    Posted by dlauderdale at 3:58 pm, Wednesday, November 14th, 2007
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    [img_assist|nid=25692|title=Isle of Palms|desc=Wade Spees/The Post and Courier|link=node|align=center|width=300|height=450]

  • Beach battle heating up: The Charleston News and Courier reports today about the growing dilemma with beach erosion at Wild Dunes.

    It goes to show how fortunate Hilton Head Island is to have its beach preservation program. The Town of Hilton Head Island fought through a court challenge to collect a 2 percent tax on overnight lodging that pays for beach nourishment.

    • Asleep at the wheel on I-95

    Posted by dlauderdale at 2:29 pm, Tuesday, November 13th, 2007
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    [img_assist|nid=25670|title=|desc=|link=node|align=center|width=450|height=450]

    Greg Hambrick looks at I-95's death stretch by the numbers in the Charleston City Paper article: Interstate 95: South Carolina's most dangerous sleepy hollow

    Jasper County Coroner Martin Sauls wrote:
    "It's such a long, straight road. People are at the outer limits of what's physically possible when they get here. They're pushing themselves to go a little bit farther, and it catches up with them."

    • 1212 reads

    Pat Conroy

    Posted by dlauderdale at 1:41 pm, Monday, November 12th, 2007
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    [img_assist|nid=25655|title=Pat Conroy|desc=On The Citadel campus to deliver the eulogy for "The Boo"|link=node|align=center|width=330|height=450]

    First of all, here's the last line that somehow got cut off of the printed version of Friday's column: "Despite bans, Conroy's art mirrors life as we live it":

    "Conroy should see the book-banning as a badge of honor."

    If Dumbledore is gay, then why was he dating my grandma?

    Posted by elizfarrell at 10:13 am, Monday, October 22nd, 2007
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    J.K. Rowling's announcement last week that Harry Potter's mentor, the deceased former headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, was no fan of the lady-folk, came as one very big surprise to my family. You see, Papa D was my grandma's longtime boyfriend.

    And, let me just tell you, in addition to many tender moments, Papa D and Grandma shared a love of the Red Sox, books from the Oprah Book Club list and weekend cruises to Nova Scotia. And, no, they weren't gay cruises. I don't think Papa D was gay at all. Nothing he ever did screamed "gay" to me. Well, OK, there was this one time when I accidentally went into the men's bathroom at Logan Airport. I was in the second to last stall, when all of a sudden these hands appeared from under the wall next to me. At first I thought the person needed toilet paper but then there were these signals. Something told me it wasn't paper the person was after. I panicked. Finished up. Left the stall. And when I opened the door, there was Papa D waiting for me with a big smile, a bottle of Boone's and two plastic wine glasses. When he saw it was me, he looked a little shocked. Again, I was in the wrong restroom. I was relieved to see him, though: "Oh good. It's just you. I thought I was getting in the middle of a gay airport tryst." He laughed heartily and reassured me with his kind voice and wise stare, "No. No. That back there? I uh ... I have to take a wide stance when I go. I don't want my warlock robes to get wet."