LOOKING at Charleston ©
Looking at Charleston is a unique perspective of the homes, churches, and buildings on the peninsula. Rather than the standard historical tour, it provides a glimpse into how these buildings were built, by whom, and with what purpose in mind. Of particular note is that so many of them were designed by “gentlemen architects” during the period before architects received formal training in the United States. Read more ~>RECOMMENDED
Digital Nation: a PBS video. If you have kids or are yourself knee-deep in email, messaging, cell phone, and computer use, you will benefit from this insightful video about the pervasiveness of technology in our lives. There is no conclusion on the matter, but this video casts light on it and gets you thinking. ~> watch the video
aNuff
Harriet and Goodwin Nuff are regular columnists at CharlestonToday. “Hattie” is a social critic and technology watchdog who comments on local issues, corporate incompetence, consumer frustrations, and more. Her husband “Goodie” is a part-time gardener who takes life pretty much as it comes, especially on the weekend. Not as acerbic as his better half, he nevertheless scrutinizes the news to form his own conclusions. We hope you will enjoy their insights and repartee. A Nuff is a Nuff © 2009 • all rights reserved.
Hospitality at our Hospitals
I know. They’re there when we really need them, thank the good Lord. But something’s gotta change. Fact is, we don’t need health care reform. We need health cost reform and health administration reform. First you get hit with big charges that are only hinted at prior to the “procedure.” Then all that mystifying paper... Read »
Coffee in Restaurants
Why don’t restaurants get it? If you’re gonna do one thing right, then at least do coffee right. Put a little more in the darn filter each time. Pay a little—just a little—more for some decent beans. And, please, enough of those thick mugs I can barely get my old lips around. I know they... Read »
Recommended Remedies for Doctors
NOBODY LIKES TO GO to the doctor. And it’s no accident that we all say, I’m going to the doctor, because it’s the same everywhere. There are exceptions, but they’re easily forgotten in the maze of mediocrity. How did this happen? Who started the trend of office assistants being surly, nurses seeming matter-of-fact, and doctors... Read »
Chintzee-Katchip at Chic-Fil-A
It’s a nice (for fast food) place. Clean, attractive, good chicken sandwiches, fun desserts, and an indoor playground for my grandsons. But they better be careful before they go the way of McDonalds, as in fries—waffle fries no less—that taste a little stale. But my bigger concern is those itty-biddy packages of catsup (and how... Read »
A Rebate Revolution
Thank you all (you know who you are) for your empathetic notes in response to Hattie’s last diatribe. No, it was not easy coming down from my “appliance” experience with Sears and Best Buy, but I’ve recovered and even had a little brain storm. What I’m thinking now is that we customers ought to start... Read »
How to Drive Customers Away: by Sears and Best Buy
Sears and Best Buy are up to their devil-in-the-details shenanigans again. They still think that boondoggling customers is good business: “pull ’em in the door with a lure and then… ‘wham’… you got ‘em.” How can they not realize by now that it is no more than a cheap tactic that turns customers off? My... Read »
Lurches on Lockwood
I’m almost taking them for granted—almost. Except there’s this one bump, particularly in the left lane, about a quarter mile after you turn onto Lockwood coming from the Ashley River Bridge, right before the overpass. That thing is like one of those equestrian jumps (what kind of word is ‘equestrian’ anyway?) where the horse, instead of... Read »
Recycling at Costco
Ever wonder why all those odd-shaped boxes are piled up next to the wall on the other side of the checkout stands at your Costco “club” (how come I never see boxes that shape anywhere else)? Well, I finally figured it out; finally saw through the scheme. It’s their way of recycling. Sure, under the... Read »
Educational ? Lottery
Hey, I’m in favor of a good thing. Especially when it comes to kids. After all, their potential—regardless of their roots—is unlimited. So, is it just me, or am I the only one wondering where the millions (billions?) generated by the educational lottery has gone? Certainly not into the schools. I mean, whose education, or... Read »
Old Age in the New Age
My dear Hattie, how I love her. I came home one day last week and noticed that, after all these years, she had backed her car the entire way up our narrow driveway so as to be facing out. She’s not a particularly good driver, and I smiled. But same thing the next day and... Read »
