Articles by: Andy Brack

BRACK:  “Conservative” doesn’t mean much anymore

BRACK: “Conservative” doesn’t mean much anymore

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | You don’t see political yard signs in South Carolina that say, “Vote John Smith, liberal.” All over the state, however, it is common for candidates to tout they are “conservative.”

In today’s media-saturated world of buzzwords, does the word “conservative” actually mean anything? Hasn’t the word lost its meaning, just like the words “liberal” or “progressive” are relatively simplistic frames of reference that do little to outline a candidate’s full perspective?

by · 05/30/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views
CALENDAR, May 23+:  Cycling, festivals, Gibbes, more

CALENDAR, May 23+: Cycling, festivals, Gibbes, more

Calendar events for week of May 23, 2016: Gibbes Museum reopens; Piccolo Spoleto and Spoleto Festival USA commence; Cycling talk, Nunsense, Grace Tea Room, more

by · 05/23/2016 · Comments are Disabled · calendar
BRACK: Legislative turtles enough to make some run for office

BRACK: Legislative turtles enough to make some run for office

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | There’s so much frustration with politics as usual that maybe this is the year for grassroots candidates who are trying to win without big piles of money.

Anybody with a lick of common sense has got to be more than a little annoyed by what’s been going on in the Statehouse. Just look at the recent week as GOP lawmakers, knowing a primary is just three weeks away, trotted out the always divisive abortion issue to throw a little red meat to voters and prove their “conservative credentials.” At issue is a ban on abortions after 19 weeks, a measure that opponents are shouting is unconstitutional and scary because it will harm women (not to mention that men again are making decisions about women’s bodies).

by · 05/23/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views
CALENDAR, May 16+:  Friday lunch to Bulls Bay Nature Festival, more

CALENDAR, May 16+: Friday lunch to Bulls Bay Nature Festival, more

Calendar for the week of May 16 and beyond: Lunch in Hampton Park with the Charleston Parks Conservancy; Bulls Bay Nature Festival; Cycling speech; Gibbes Museum to reopen; more.

by · 05/16/2016 · Comments are Disabled · calendar
FEEDBACK:  Surprise — Jasper has family left

FEEDBACK: Surprise — Jasper has family left

Carol Jordan: “The article (History: Sgt. William Jasper) says that there appear to be no living relatives even though he apparently had at least two children. I would like to inform you that there are actually quite a few of us. “

by · 05/16/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Features, S.C. Encyclopedia
REVIEW: Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

REVIEW: Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

Nonfiction by Ruth Reichl Ruth Reichl, a world-renowned food critic and former editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, needed a plan to effectively critique high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the world.  If they knew she was coming, she would be treated as a queen with the best prepared entrees and service.  The only way to get the real picture was […]

by · 05/16/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Reviews
BRACK:  Fix squishy campaign residency laws

BRACK: Fix squishy campaign residency laws

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | You, like most people, probably figure that candidates who run for state House and Senate are required to live in the district in which they run.

You’d be pretty much right. But there’s a big loophole: You only have to live in the district on election days and on the day you file for the office.

by · 05/16/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views
Contributing edition Michael Kaynard is offering 11-inch by 14-inch limited edition prints of the above photographic collage as a way to honor the life of librarian Cynthia Graham Hurd.  All of the proceeds will go to a memorial fund.  More information is outlined below.

GOOD NEWS: New Hurd Foundation to have month-long children’s’ book drive

Staff reports  |  A new foundation is honoring the life of a much-loved librarian who was one of the nine people murdered last year by a gunman at Emanuel AME Church. The Cynthia Graham Hurd Foundation for Reading & Civic Engagement has been set up by her family to increase literacy and spread a passion for reading throughout Charleston, where […]

by · 05/16/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Good news, News briefs
MYSTERY:  Tiny house

MYSTERY: Tiny house

This tiny house isn’t anywhere near Charleston but it’s a sweet spot for lots of lovers of one of the South’s heroes. Fourth correct guess wins a pair of ticket vouchers good at any RiverDogs’ game. Send your guess to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com — and make sure to include the name of the town in which you live.

by · 05/16/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Mystery Photo, Photos
BRACK: Why you should take a vacation in November

BRACK: Why you should take a vacation in November

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | This may be the only political prediction that will become true by the time we head to the polls in November: The weirdest presidential election in American history will get weirder.

In a rational world, presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump’s bloviated reality show of a campaign that scares world leaders because they can’t predict him would get so tangled in misinformation, negativity and hyperbole that he wouldn’t be taken seriously by November.

by · 05/09/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views