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TODAY'S
FOCUS
The uses of
social media -- in life and in death
By HOLLY FISHER
Step Ahead PR, Social Media and Internet Marketing
Special to CharlestonCurrents.com
Editor's
note: We recently spotted this interesting perspective on social
media -- Facebook, Twitter and the like- - on a blog at the Web
site of Step
Ahead PR, Social Media and Internet Marketing. Author Holly
Fisher, an account executive with Step Ahead, kindly agreed to
let us share it with you.
AUG.
17, 2009 -- My first real foray into the land of Web 2.0 was a blog
I started in fall 2005. It was mainly a way to record and share
the moments in my life with friends and family. Since then, I've
jumped on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. I feel immersed in the
world of social media and its capabilities as a personal and business
tool.
Fisher |
But
earlier this month, I discovered an entirely new use for social
media and the Internet when a professional colleague and friend
passed away after a battle with brain cancer. Terry Harper was the
executive director of the Society of Professional Journalists, an
organization with more than 8,000 members. I served on the SPJ national
board of directors for six years so had worked with Terry during
my board service.
When
we found out about his cancer, members of the organization rallied
their thoughts and prayers and put full support behind Terry and
his family for many months. But a few weeks ago, we found ourselves
coming together again, this time to pay our respects to our colleague
and friend.
What struck me as most interesting was the method for our collective
sadness. With SPJ members scattered about the country, the majority
of us couldn't physically attend the memorial service or other events
that would honor Terry's memory. So we pulled together online. We
posted messages on Terry's Facebook page as well as a special group
page that had been created to support Terry's fight with cancer.
We tweeted our grief on Twitter. We posted hundreds of comments
on Terry's blog, Thumping
My Melon. SPJ created a memorial page on its Web site where
members and friends of the society could post comments, donate to
a memorial fund or simply remember Terry in pictures.
I
couldn't help but think about how social media has changed the way
we do everything, including celebrate lost loved ones and friends.
In the past, we could only send a card of condolence, make a phone
call or give a memorial donation to a particular charity. And while
those are all still quite appropriate and important, now we have
a chance to create a living, breathing memorial, a place where a
person's friends and family can read the many touching and inspiring
comments as long as they like and friends can continue to post their
thoughts.
Terry
wrote a final blog post that his wife posted the day of his death.
At last check, that post had 241 comments. Many of the comments
are from people who knew Terry well; other comments are from people
who didn't know him at all - just another example of the far-reaching
power of the Internet.
Housed
online, these blogs and Facebook pages live on forever, a touching
reminder of a person's contributions here on Earth. And, I have
to admit, I've been thinking: What would my final blog post say?
CURRENTS
Remembering
an old friend, cranky about health care debate
By
ANDY BRACK, publisher
For CharlestonCurrents.com
AUG.
17, 2009 - Saturday was spent cleaning out our old 1999 Ford Explorer,
which has been replaced by a new vehicle, thanks to the federal
Cash for Clunkers program.
Brack |
As
I found lost coins, pens and paperclips under seats, I remembered
how this was the truck that ferried my wife to Roper St. Francis
hospital for the delivery of our two daughters. It took me back
and forth to Columbia for five years to cover the legislature for
S.C. Statehouse Report. It transported us on long trips to
visit the in-laws in Louisiana (before Katrina) and to meet with
former governors and top leaders in every Southern state.
If
even possible, the vehicle has an eccentric personality - not quite
spunky, but eager to do whatever job it is called to do. It seemed
to delight in the beaches at Okracoke, Pawleys Island and places
along the Gulf Coast in Florida. It weaved with abandon through
the windy mountain roads of northeast Georgia and North Carolina.
It hummed in traffic - literally hummed when at rest due to some
odd configuration of the air conditioning system. Randomly, windshield
wipers would sweep its front glass once, twice, maybe thrice, for
no reason at all.
Quirky
and, yes, certainly clunky, the Ford has been faithful for just
over 200,000 miles. But it was time for it to retire and go to truck
heaven. And while we'll get better gas mileage in the next few years,
we'll miss the old gold Explorer, recall its idiosyncrasies and
vividly remember its faithful service.
*
* *
By
the time you read this, South Carolina's own stick-in-the-mud U.S.
senator, Jim DeMint, would have finished a much-heralded morning
semi-open forum on health care on Daniel Island.
Here's
a prediction -- either he or some wingnut in the audience will say
something so outrageous that it will bring the national cameras
or Jon Stewart to South Carolina yet again to portray the state
in an unflattering way. DeMint's deep-seeded opposition to the Obama
health care plan so borders on the obsessive that it's hard to believe
he'll do nothing on this day manufactured not for constituents,
but for the media.
DeMint's
Senate press folks and volunteers have been drum-beating about the
event for weeks (it's even been on our calendar). Perhaps the cleverest
thing about the whole made-for-media event is how they're chilling
real openness by charging admission. According to The Post and
Courier: "Space will be limited. DeMint is scheduled to
be at a Daniel Island Neighborhood Association meeting, where priority
will be given to those who pay the group's $12.50 attendance and
breakfast cost."
Instead
of an old-fashioned poll tax, maybe what we now have for a so-called
public forum is a debate tax to chill opposition. More frustrations
with the whole health care debate were fodder for the past week's
commentary in S.C. Statehouse Report. More: Click
here.
Andy
Brack, publisherof CharlestonCurrents.com, can be reached at: publisher@charlestoncurrents.com.
FEEDBACK
Send
us your comments on local issues
Have
a comment or want to vent? If you have something to
say about leadership in South Carolina, the state of baseball
today, good barbecue or something about your community's government,
drop us a line to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
Please send no more than 200 words and include contact information
(phone number, hometown) so we can get in touch with you.
SPOTLIGHT
Joye
Law Firm
The
public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents
to you at no cost. In this issue, we highlight the Joye Law Firm.
Committed to fighting for the rights of the wrongly injured in South
Carolina for more than 40 years, the experienced, dedicated personal
injury lawyers of the Joye Law Firm want to help you get every dollar
you truly deserve for the injuries you've suffered. Whether you've
been injured in an auto accident, by a defective product, in a nursing
home, or on the job, we may be able to help you. For more information,
contact Joye Law Firm at 843.554.3100 or visit online at:
http://www.joyelawfirm.com.
GOOD
NEWS
Entrepreneurial
magazine recognizes local companies
Inc.com,
the online arm of Inc. magazine, recently named seven Charleston-area
companies to its Fastest-Growing Private Companies list. The magazine
and Web site annually rank the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies
in the country. "The list is the most comprehensive look at
the most important segment of the economy - America's independent-minded
entrepreneurs," the magazine said in a press release.
The
seven Lowcountry companies that made the list were TrySports in
Mount Pleasant (ranked 890th), Terry Environmental Services in Summerville
(2,268th), JSJ Pharmaceuticals in Charleston (3,086th), Low Country
Case & Millwork in Ladson (3,200th), Call Experts in Charleston
(4,088th), Urban Nirvana in Charleston (4,160th) and Hire Quest
in North Charleston (4,368th). Overall, 31 South Carolina companies
made the list.
The
highest-ranking company in the state was Greenville-based Customer
Effective, which ranked 541st.
The
full list, as well as company profiles and a list of the fastest-growing
companies that can be sorted by industry and region, are available
online at http://www.inc5000.com.
Battle of the
Bands to benefit United Way projects
Trident
United Way will host the fourth annual Battle of the Bands beginning
at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Music Farm, located at 32 Ann St. downtown.
Thirteen
bands composed of local professionals will perform until 11 p.m.
The cost of admission is a $10 donation to the United Way, along
with a business card, and that provides for all you can eat and
drink as well.
In
addition to showcasing some of the Lowcountry's most talented artists
and musicians, the Battle of the Bands raises awareness about the
work of Trident United Way and its nonprofit partners within the
tri-county area. As a requirement to compete in the Battle of the
Bands, each band had to take part in a volunteer project with one
of Trident United Way's funded partners this summer.
The
local businesses that helped make the Battle of the Bands possible
are Roper St. Francis Healthcare, W. Scott Palmer Law Firm, Prime
Ticket Inc., Tidelands Bank, Brown Construction, Charleston Regional
Business Journal, Catcon, Grubb & Ellis Barkley Fraser, Bluefish
Fitness Club, Crew Carolina, Crazystix Productions, Firefly Vodka,
Gil Shuler Graphic Design, Henry J. Lee Distributors, Irvin House
Vineyards, Mackenzie Image Consulting, Magwood Seafood, Morrison's
Cafeteria, Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co., South Carolina Embroidery,
The Body Shop, TBonz Restaurant Group and Awendaw Green.
College
of Charleston to be featured on ETV program
The
College of Charleston campus will be featured on the Aug. 18 episode
of ETV's popular "Making It Grow" gardening program. Monica
Scott, the college's vice president for facilities planning, and
head groundskeeper John Davis will lead a botanical tour of campus,
including the cistern yard and arboretum.
Rowland
Alston Jr., the show's host, calls the C of C campus "one big,
gigantic garden" as he surveys the cypress, magnolias, buckeyes
and other campus trees and shrubs.
The
hour-long show airs from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on SCETV; the segment
featuring the college is expected to air shortly after 7:30 p.m.
REVIEW
What's
your favorite?
HAVE
A REVIEW?
If you have a review of a book, movie, restaurant or local arts
endeavor, please send no more than 150 words to editor Ann
Thrash. Make sure to include your name and full contact information.
HISTORY
SPOTLIGHT
Carolina
I-house
"I-house"
is a relatively new architectural term. Fred Kniffen first coined
it in 1936, when he used it "in the absence of any common term,
either folk or architectural," to describe the house type he
identified initially in the "I" states of Indiana, Illinois,
and Iowa. More a description of a house form or shape than a distinct
style, "I-house" was not a term used by eighteenth- and
nineteenth-century architects and builders. The distinguishing characteristics
are a full two-story height, a one-room depth, and a length of two
or more rooms.
The
I-house conveys a tall, narrow appearance. It is constructed of
wood, brick, stone, or log with its entrance on the long side. Kniffen
traced the origins of this house form evolving from the English,
single-room, end-chimney house to full-blown examples in the Middle
Atlantic region of Delaware and the Chesapeake by the late seventeenth
century. It was carried southward as part of the great mid-eighteenth-century
migration along the Appalachian Mountains into the backcountry of
the Carolinas. From there it was carried into the Deep South and
by way of the Ohio River into the Midwest. The ubiquitous I-house
had become the symbol of economic success in the rural landscape
of South Carolina's upcountry by the middle of the nineteenth century
and remained so well into the early twentieth century.
Carolina
I-house |
The
early I-house had two rooms on the ground floor. One room, the hall,
functioned as the kitchen, workroom, or dining room; the other,
the parlor, was used for more formal activities. By the nineteenth
century and with increased attention to symmetry, a center hall
containing the stairway was present in most floor plans. Examples
in Carolina typically have three to five windows across the front
on the second story; a chimney on either gable end; a front porch;
a back porch, which is often enclosed as a lean-to; and/or a kitchen
ell added to the rear. As an occupant's wealth increased, a simpler
house form such as a single-story dogtrot could evolve into an I-house
with the addition of a second story, conversion of the breezeway
into the hall, and covering the whole with weatherboards. Its tall,
shallow form with short spans was easy to construct, provided excellent
ventilation through the main rooms, and presented an impressive
public face to signal the economic status of the owner.
The
architectural historian Michael Southern has argued that the durability
of this form through time may in part be attributed to its adaptability
to receive detailing and ornamentation from the various popular
styles of the nineteenth century, such as the Federal, Greek-revival,
Italianate, and even Gothic styles. While retaining a traditional
floor plan, the occupants were able to dress up their homes outwardly
to indicate that they were attuned to the latest architectural trends.
Thus, the Carolina I-house established itself as the signature house
form of the upland part of the state throughout the nineteenth century.
--
Excerpted from the entry by John C. Larson. To read more about
this or 2,000 other entries about South Carolina, check out The
South Carolina Encyclopedia by USC Press. (Information used
by permission.)
SISTER
PUBLICATIONS
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encourage you to check out our sister publications:
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CREDITS
CharlestonCurrents.com
is provided to you twice a week by:
Address:
P.O. Box. 22261 | Charleston, SC 29413
©
2008-2009, Statehouse
Report LLC. All rights reserved. CharlestonCurrents.com is published
every Monday and Thursday by Statehouse Report LLC, PO Box 22261,
Charleston, SC 29413.
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 THE
LIST
The lunch
bunch
What's for
lunch? With Charleston County schools back in session tomorrow,
we thought it would be fun to take a look at what's on the menu
for elementary-age kids during this first week back to classes.
Anybody hungry?
- Tuesday:
Hamburger with lettuce and tomato, potato wedges and green beans.
- Wednesday:
Chicken Parmesan with noodles and tomato sauce; broccoli.
- Thursday:
Baked chicken; mac and cheese, lima beans, peas and carrots.
- Friday:
Cheese pizza or manager's choice entrée; corn on the cob,
tossed salad, fruited gelatin.
- Every
day:
Fresh fruit, juice or canned fruit; milk.
QUOTE
On
tact
Newton |
"Tact
is the knack of making a point without making an enemy."
-- Mathematician
and physicist Sir Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727)
CALENDAR:
THIS WEEK
Going
Green for the Girls II: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20,
Halls Chophouse, 434 King St. Green Drinks Charleston, Carolina's
Eco-Unit, and Halls Chophouse are throwing a second cocktail hour
to help fund some simple energy-efficiency upgrades and retrofits
to the historic building downtown that houses the Center for Women.
Donation of $10 (cash or check at door) includes food samples. There
will be a cash bar. More
info online.
Health
Care Films, Forum: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20, North Charleston
Picture House, 1080 E. Montague Ave., North Charleston. The Greater
Park Circle Film Society will offer a forum on health care reform
in conjunction with the premiere of two independent films, a documentary
called "Charleston Health Care Stories" and a musical
comedy called "Damaged Care." Following the films, panelists
will react to the movies and discuss issues related to health care
reform. Tickets: $2 film society members; $5 nonmembers, available
at the box office starting at 6:45 p.m. the night of the event.
Seating is limited, and a standing-room-only crowd is expected.
More info: Online
or 478-3911.
Buy
or Burn Book Sale: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 22, Village
Square Shopping Center, 1650 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. (formerly The
Map Room); sneak preview ($10-per-person admission) from 2 p.m.
to 6 p.m. Aug. 21. Event to benefit Trident Literacy Association.
Wide variety of books, CDs, DVDs and other electronic media will
be priced for quick sale; only cash or check will be accepted. Book
donations will be accepted at the sale site from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
daily Aug. 17 to Aug. 20, or books can be dropped off at any Trident
Literacy location. More
info online or 747-2223.
RiverDogs
Cow Bingo: 6 p.m. Aug. 22, Joe Riley Stadium. The Charleston
RiverDogs' inaugural Cow Bingo contest will give participants a
chance to win $5,000. The baseball field will be marked off as a
grid with 10-foot-squares. Fans can purchase a square for $25, and
if a cow "drops a chip" in a purchased square, that square's
owner will win the money. There will also be line-dancing, hillbilly
horseshoes, "moo'shine," "Ye Haw" contests,
food, a dunk tank and more. The $25 fee for a square also includes
two tickets to the event. Regular event tickets (square not included)
are $5 (free to ages 12 and under). Tickets/more info: Online
or 577-DOGS.
CALENDAR:
ONGOING AND SOON
Women
in IT: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 27, Tate Center,
College of Charleston, Room 207 and Gallery. The forum will explore
the challenges and opportunities for women in the IT industry with
a panel of local industry leaders and educators. An MIT Enterprise
Forum video from Technology Review's EmTech08 Conference will be
shown, featuring successful female entrepreneurs in the industry
with companies such as ZipCar, GoLoco, Ziggs.com and Daily Grommet.
Lunch and networking opportunities included. Registration (required):
$20 (includes lunch). More
info/registration.
Surf
Seining at Sullivan's: 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28, Station
30, Sullivan's Island. The Station 30 area on Sullivan's Island
area has been a seining hotspot for generations. Join the experts
from Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission to catch and
discover a variety of marine critters at the first CCPRC seining
program on Sullivan's Island. A registered and paid chaperone is
required for participants ages 15 and under, and pre-registration
is required. Open to ages 6 and up. Cost: $7 Charleston County residents,
$9 nonresidents. Registration/more
info, or 795-4FUN.
Chamber
Grassroots Meeting: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 1, Charleston
Metro Chamber of Commerce, 2750 Speissegger Drive, Suite 100, North
Charleston. The chamber will join the S.C. Chamber of Commerce and
other area chambers in preparing for the 2010 legislative session
with the annual Charleston Grassroots Regional Meeting, an open-forum
session that's the first step in creating the 2010 Competitiveness
Agenda and the business community's annual list of legislative priorities.
Free. RSVPs/more info: Julie
Scott by email or 803-255-2628.
Wine
+ Food Launch Party: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 3,
Founders Hall, Charles Towne Landing, 1500 Old Towne Road. Barbecue
and beverages will be available, and the latest news about next
year's BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival, including the lineup
of chefs and authors, will be announced. Entertainment by the Blue
Plantation Band. Tickets: $10 per person cash or check at the door,
with proceeds benefiting the festival's charitable efforts. Reserve
tickets by Aug. 31 by e-mailing
or calling 727-9998, ext. 4.
(NEW)
Rice Plantation Program: 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 5, Caw
Caw Interpretive Center, Ravenel. Investigate daily life and practices
on a South Carolina rice plantation in the colonial era. Examine
the details of field construction, planting, cultivation and harvest
to reveal an endeavor of amazing scope. Advance registration required;
a registered and paid chaperone is required for participants age
15 or younger. Open to ages 9 and up. Cost: $7 Charleston County
residents, $9 nonresidents. More info: 795-4FUN or click
here.
Wednesdays
on the Waterfront: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through mid-October,
Pier Plaza at Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park. Free concerts
for the community. Beverages available for purchase at pier shop.
Bring a chair or use the benches and tables at the site. Upcoming
performers include Nick Collins, acoustic guitar, Aug. 12, and Jeff
Norwood, Southern Blues revivalist, Aug. 19. More info: Online
or 884-8517.
ON
THE BOOKSHELF
In this section,
we offer a list of good reads that you might want to consider reading:
- A
Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson
- The
Book of Marie, Terry Kay
- Charleston
Jazz, Jack McCray
- I'll
Be Sober in the Morning: Great Comebacks, Putdowns, and Ripostes,
Chris Lamb (List)
- Plain
Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman, Merle Miller
- Suggest
a book to us
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
11/5:
McCutcheon:
Work gap
11/2: Ohl:
On carpooling
10/29: Wiedman:
Women at Gibbes
10/26: Matouchev:
Bear markets
10/22: Conover:
BarCamp buzz
10/19: Wilson:
Symphony update
10/15: Bender:
Special Olympics
10/12: Baron:
Breast Center
10/8: Ginn:
Growing prosperity
10/5: Buffum:
Waterkeeping
10/1: Personal
branding
9/28: Acker:
Designer fashion
9/24: Spencer:
Art galleries
9/21: Riley,
Moryl: MOJA
9/17: Gaither:
Green Room
9/14: Chesson:
Museum Mile
9/10: Barnette:
Chas. Ballet
9/3: Deaton:
Thrive Prize
THRASH
ARCHIVES
11/5:
Improving
turnout
10/29: Celebrating
a year
10/22: Good,
bad signs
10/15: Bob's
new food show
10/8: Robot
ice cream
10/5: Costumes,
snarks
9/24: Must-see
TV
9/17: Fall
leaves
9/3: Cold
comfort, more
8/27: Being
a fan
8/20: Good,
bad, spineless
8/13: Locals
on Runway
8/6: Cookie
contest
7/30: Vote
on car tags
7/23: True
confessions
7/16: New
way of tithing?
7/9: Lookout
for manatees
BRACK
ARCHIVES
11/2:
Boeing
highlights needs
10/26: No
place for prejudice
10/19: Have
fun at Halloween
10/12: Renovated
Gaillard?
10/1: Napa
wine trip
9/28: Anti-crime
measures
9/21: Caw
Caw park
9/14: Debris
policy
9/10: Mystery
solved
8/31: This
and that
8/24: SC's
treasures
8/17: RIP
to old clunker
8/10: Lots
to squeeze in
8/3: On
flying Delta
7/27: Conspiracy
theories
7/20: Protect
carriage animals
7/13: Economic
thaw here?
LIST
ARCHIVES
11/5:
Weather
watching
11/2: 5
cooking classes
10/29: Best
lists of year
10/26: Oyster
recycling
10/22: Howl-o-ween
fun
10/19: Literacy
10/15: Giving
blood
10/12: Top
ratings
10/8: Major
league
10/5: Book
sale
10/1: Citadel
football
9/28: Taste
of Charleston
9/24: Feeding
the need
9/21: Hugo
9/17: History
for sale
9/14: Shrimp
baiting
9/10: Day
of Caring
9/3: Free
legal clinics
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