Brennan Wesley is inspired at a Maine Photography Workshop

So, thank goodness Christmas has arrived. With all the heat, I’ve burned through all my magically cool refreshment options. But dehydration’s not so bad, at least I’ve managed to duck the swine flu bug, unlike poor Liz. While I’m waiting for the first lowcountry snowfall, I guess I’ll turn up the AC and dive into another roundup.

Another mystery boom echoed across the area. Park West Palazzo, and The Owens Blog speculate.

Caterpiller art is down with the Kronic.

Sock monkey does the rounds.

Hugging the Coast shares a ridiculously tasty concoction for Mexican Fiesta Salad with fried Garbanzo beans.

Folding kayak superfreaks Folbot have started using hypalon strips to pad their longerons.

Jason Bradford shares a rare commodity these days: good, new, rock music.
(This little gem alone made me glad I did the roundup today)

Rather Moore also has a nugget of good, new, rock music. How can you not like a video of saucy Australian girls rockin’ out in gold uni-suits?

Davidfarrow shares a story about the time a guy pulled a gun on him when he was a census taker.

Jared was interviewed by Live5 news during the #smcchs meetup. (Did anybody see it?) But mostly, he’s stoked on all the people that came out. Taco Boy is a great location for that kind of thing.

<compliment> Cheers to both Jared and Heather for walking around and seeking out the people who showed up for the event, and, um, talking to them. It’s that kind of effort that keeps these get-togethers human and welcoming. </compliment>

Joshua Curry is that guy who writes the headlines for LOVE | HATE at the Charleston City Paper.

Ok, so here’s my first roundup. I have to admit it’s been a while since I really dove into the LCB deep feed and swam around. After an hour of flowers, food, mangled pitbulls, and all-things-Sanford, I’ve come to the conclusion that you’re all freaks! But, my kind of freaks. I’m glad to see so many local blogs continuing to thrive here.

First up, Geoff’s saga turns for the better as his community stocked coffers grow to  $4,000:

I was also somewhat embarrassed, certainly humbled to the extreme when I spoke to my man Ken at TheDigitel yesterday and found out that the various help Geoff pages that were spawned off of Mondays events has got me around $4000 in donation money from people – which is just staggering.

And ponders an NRA membership:

We got talking to other residents in the Greensboro neighbourhood yesterday where we were staying. Turns out that a few other cars had been broken into in the last few weeks – it wasn’t an isolated incident. A girl in a car who was driving by and stopped and talk to us, told us that she had gone out “And bought herself a 9mm because of it”. And what was really shocking is that my reaction wasn’t one of “A Gun! My goodness, a GUN!” like it might have been a while ago – instead I just duly nodded and said “Uh hu”, and understood completely where she was coming from.

Meanwhile, Mark “Marky Mark the Megastud” Sanford continues to elicit reaction in the Chucktown blogosphere:

Uncle Zoloft:

Hypocrites are not accepted into heaven so grab what you can now.

Rev. BigDumbChimp:

I think I’d rather have Sanford sit up there spinning around bringing more shame to himself, his party and his supposed Christian moral values. Bauer is terrifying in a “who gave that drunk 7 year old a loaded 12 gauge” sort of way.

Shadow of Diogenes notes 3 things that will not happen

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford will not get the “soul mate” of the year award.

Jonathan Pearson

Integrity is rare to find in today’s world. It seems like every week we are learning about another leader doing something to disqualify themselves to lead. It seems like all people, especially leaders have forgotten the importance of integrity. It seems to be an epidemic that continues to spread.

The Column Reloaded

President Bill Clinton said oral sex wasn’t sex. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says in his latest revelation that he “crossed lines” with women other than his wife and Argentine mistress, but “didn’t cross the sex line.” He wouldn’t say what that meant.

Earl Capps

One must wonder how a Governor who disappears for days at a time can exercise proper stewardship of state government. The failures of SC DSS resulted in mega-million dollar fines which compounded the state’s budget shortfall, allowed millions to be embezzled, and asked no questions when children died in DSS care. Similar problems of neglect and lack of leadership plague other agencies under the Governor’s authority, including Corrections and PRT.

But, there are other questions to ponder. On learning that OJ is bad for your teeth, Old Controller asks:

What if you cut the orange juice with vodka? Is it still bad for your teeth?

Badbadivy shares her love for volume shopping:

I’m a fan of warehouse store shopping- there’s nothing that thrills me more than a giant thingy of toilet paper.

On a more serious note, New Wars comments on Russia’s potential yard sale of Project 636 Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine:

If anyone doubts the utility of old fashioned diesel electric submarines when navies now operate nuclear attack submarines, fast attack supercarriers, and very sophisticated anti-missile destroyers, apparently Russia does not share this skepticism. Realizing that to a minor power, a conventional sub is a capital ship, and also that such silent and stealthy craft cause even superpowers major concern, the former communist power plans on selling to anyone with a need, according to Ria Novosti.

Joshua Curry is head web dude at the Charleston City Paper, leaving behind a graveyard of now defunct blogs including Today’s Special and Lucid Beaming.