Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette Blogs

Britney Spears and Osama bin Laden are nothin' but a pair of Showboat Johnnies

Posted by elizfarrell at 11:35 am, Sunday, September 9th, 2007
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I used to be scared of Osama bin Laden -- even back before the Sept. 11 attacks when he was just the Crazy Billionaire in Caves Who Hated Americans. He reminded me of Great Tiger from Mike Tyson's Punch-Out (and, yes, I know that Great Tiger was Indian and that's not the same thing). Here's the similarity: Great Tiger would teleport into the ring and then seemingly disappear, kicking your butt from out of nowhere, giving him an unfair and seemingly insurmountable advantage (this felt like terrorism even back then). Until I was able to find the special Punch-Out move to conquer Great Tiger (via an underground Nintendo magazine) -- wherein you block his punches until he gets dazed and confused, giving you an opening for a knockout-producing uppercut -- I felt like it wasn't even worth playing the game. Turns out the big secret was in this guy's turban jewel. His fancy accessory would flash before he'd teleport into a mostly invisible missile-like punching machine -- it was a signal for you to make your move. That's right, his "fancy accessory" gave away his weakness. Great Tiger clearly had a touch of vanity. And now we know bin Laden does too.

It was Ravenel\'s daddy\'s fault, sniff sniff

Posted by dlauderdale at 2:53 pm, Friday, September 7th, 2007
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[img_assist|nid=24194|title=Ravenel|desc=Lindsay Semple/The State
Former State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel leaves court Thursday arm in arm with his sister, Suzie Ravenel, and his mother, Louise Ravenel.|link=node|align=center|width=450|height=288]

  • Divorce: Ex-state treasurer Thomas Ravenel says his cocaine use is linked to "childhood issues," his parents' divorce when he was about 10.
    • 1053 reads

    Made by God

    Posted by dlauderdale at 1:12 pm, Friday, September 7th, 2007
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    [img_assist|nid=24191|title='Closed for the Day'|desc=A painting of the Bluffton Oyster Co. by West Fraser|link=node|align=center|width=354|height=450]

  • Letter to the editor: The Beaufort Gazette started its editorial today with this sentence:

    Quote:
    Since God created the Lowcountry with its meandering tidal creeks, abundant marshland and waveswept coastline, the view from the heavens has been of an ever-changing canvas.

    I wanted you to see the letter I've fired off to the editor:

    • Sherman\'s \'Firetrail\' burns again

    Posted by dlauderdale at 11:37 am, Thursday, September 6th, 2007
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  • Great line ... get it??: People are passing around this line from the comment section below the latest Post & Courier story on our fallen state treasurer:

    Quote:
    With the bridge named after Arthur Ravenel, any thought of naming the white lines on the bridge after Thomas Ravenel?

    [img_assist|nid=24151|title=Columbia burns, and other unspeakable horrors|desc=|link=node|align=center|width=450|height=354]

    • From picking tomatoes to conspicuous consumerism; welcome to America

    Posted by dlauderdale at 2:06 pm, Wednesday, September 5th, 2007
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    [img_assist|nid=24128|title=|desc=|link=node|align=center|width=369|height=450]

    'Lowcountry Latinas Come of Age': Of course, the quincea

  • era is much more than consumerism. It's a cultural tradition. And it's here in the Lowcountry, as told with words and a nice photo essay in the Charleston City Paper.

    • A new look at snapshot in time

    Posted by dlauderdale at 6:16 pm, Tuesday, September 4th, 2007
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    [img_assist|nid=24094|title=Charlotte|desc=Students taunt Dorothy Counts' on her first day of school.

  • Don Sturkey, 1957 North Carolina Collection, Univ. of N.C. Library at Chapel Hill.|link=node|align=center|width=450|height=258]

    • The Charlotte Observer has a wonderful multi-media "online extra" today on the integration of Charlotte schools 50 years ago this week.

    • 571 reads

    Steve Witowich

    Posted by dlauderdale at 5:25 pm, Tuesday, September 4th, 2007
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  • Teacher: A letter to the editor in today's Packet pays tribute to a remarkable Lowcountry teacher.

    An obituary for Steve "Wito" Witowich indicates that he continued to inspire students when he moved to Pennsylvania.

    A pastor in his hometown shares a glimpse into Wito's unusual impact on students.

    • Where I went on my summer vacation

    Posted by dlauderdale at 5:35 pm, Tuesday, September 4th, 2007
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    [img_assist|nid=24090|title=Lowcountry summer|desc=|link=node|align=center|width=450|height=336]

  • Lowcountry the best: The Atlanta Journal Constitution got hundreds of responses when it asked readers to submit photos of "Where I went on my summer vacation." A Lowcountry beach shot came out on top.

    • Lightning rips hole in his hat, but man survives

    Posted by dlauderdale at 10:21 am, Friday, August 31st, 2007
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    [img_assist|nid=23948|title=Lightning burns hat|desc=Nita Birmingham/The Post and Courier
    Greg Schneider, 37, holds the cap he was wearing Thursday when he was struck by lightning in Summerville.|link=node|align=center|width=363|height=450]

  • 'Greg, are you OK? Your hat's smoking': Lowcountry lightning survivor refuses to go to hospital.

    • \'Everybody was freaking\'

    Posted by dlauderdale at 10:05 am, Thursday, August 30th, 2007
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    [img_assist|nid=23902|title=Cabana|desc=By Randall Hill/The Sun News Ocean Isle Beach considers ban on cabanas|link=node|align=center|width=450|height=285]

  • Shady deal: Getting out of the sun down at the beach casts a cloud over North Carolina beach community. Public feedback was so negative, the town is reconsidering a proposed ban of cabanas.

    Quote:
    This year, town employees said, they have been carting away 10 to 12 pickup truckloads a week of items people leave on the beach.