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Columnists

Legislative Report

Well, with this being a short week for the Legislature, we didn’t accomplish much, but mostly because one issue dominated State House discussions - the election mess. The State Senate rejected a proposal that would have reinstated many of the c ... full story

Finding Mudville

I love talking to the moms during baseball and softball games. It’s fun. You can’t talk to dads about their kids on the field because they’ll try to convince you theirs can do things they really can’t between the lines. I&rsqu ... full story

Smith Says

You know what the difference is between men and women? Hats. That’s right, hats. Or… maybe that’s just me and Widdle. Let me explain. In one of my frequent thrift-shop forays a few weeks ago, I snagged a jaunty straw fedora accente ... full story

Fanfare for the Common Man

The Book of Awkward Moments Life is a series of moments … awkward moments … one leading into the next, spanning all the days of your life. Sometimes the odds are in your favor, other times they’re not. I remember my first ... full story

Legislative Report

A quote in a Columbia newspaper this week said, "The State Supreme Court just dropped an A-bomb on the electoral process." That's exactly what happened when the State Supreme Court Justices ordered the political parties to remove candidates from the ... full story

Smith Says

All-you-can-eat buffets The late actress Rosalind Russell was famous for this line: “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death.” Obviously, she never saw me tackle an all-you-can-eat buffet. I like to eat. I especi ... full story

Fanfare for the Common Man

Me and a Mazda 3 This past weekend I rode in the backseat of my son’s Mazda 3. Mazdas and I have history you see, and it’s not pleasant. Driving my dad’s Mazda Miata was like driving a Hot Wheel. Getting out of the Miata involved ... full story

Legislative Report

After two weeks of furlough, the House came back energized and ready to tackle some hard issues. Committee work continued in debating bills and hearing from agency heads and constituents. The week started with a joint session of the Senate and House ... full story

Smith Says

Cat lovers, turn the page. Just kidding! When you write a weekly column, there are some “gimme” dates: Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, wedding anniversary… you don’t re-run the same columns, o ... full story

Fanfare for the Common Man

I hate games. I hate games because I want to win. Why else would anyone want to play a game if not to win? Is there another reason to play games? Surely it’s not to have fun. If you don’t win you can’t be having fun so the way I s ... full story

Finding Mudville

This is a pitcher’s year for sure. I’m not complaining. Hitters have had it made for years. First they lowered the mound. Then they shrunk the strike zone, not to mention outlawing novelty pitches like the spitball, which is difficult e ... full story

Smith Says

Smith Says There’s a bright spot in the black hole of our kitchen remodel: Dozens of cookbooks are stacked in the guest room (next to the fridge and stove), and I’m taking inventory. Before you turn to the sports page, know this: Most of ... full story

Fanfare for the Common Man

Playing the Lottery Last week I succumbed. I caved to the temptation. I jumped into the fray. I bought my first ever lottery ticket. I stood in line with others just as hopeful as I on a Friday night spending money they don’t have on lots ... full story

Smith Says

Bored? Want to put the spark back in your marriage? You don’t need therapy or a romantic getaway. The solution is closer to home: Remodel your kitchen. Bwahahahahahahaha!!! It will start off with a few sweet words: “Wouldn’t a new f ... full story

Fanfare for the Common Man

Living in the Country

According to a U.S. Census Bureau report released Monday, eight out of 10 Americans are now urbanites. Or, as my daddy used to say, “Country come to town.” I used to be an urbanite. But before that, I grew up in the sticks—miles fro ... full story

It’s a Wonderful Life … Facebook Style

No man is a failure who has friends. Clarence the Angel said that to George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) at the end of the Frank Capra film “It’s A Wonderful Life” right after he received his wings. The movie follows George’s life f ... full story

Smith Says

My eyeballs feel like they’ve been boiled and hurled back into my head. With a slingshot. And someone apparently took a ball-peen hammer and went to town on my eye sockets while I slept. If this is spring, you can keep it. I’ve seen 51 sp ... full story

Education policies hurting South Carolina

South Carolina has a good vision for education. Three recent news stories show how this vision is failing. And three words tell us why: stupid Republican policies. First, the vision. The last time that South Carolina did anything really big and ... full story

Legislative Report

You would think that with the passage of the budget from the House things would quiet down. Quite the contrary … bills are coming out of committees and being debated on the House floor. One bill from my subcommittee was S. 710 that required t ... full story

Smith Says

Finding Mudville, My Final Four

I’m liking this year’s NCAA tournament. Duke got beat in the first round even though my lone tournament bracket selection had Duke winning it all. The Blue Devils couldn’t get past Lehigh. Michigan lost – and it’s alwa ... full story

Are you ready for some adventure?

If you crave adventure then mark April 6-7 on your calendar. Held in and around the waters, swamps, upland forest and beaches of Lake Moultrie and the surrounding area, the Santee Endurance Adventure Race is designed for both novice and veteran adv ... full story

Fanfare for the Common Man, Surviving the Apocalypse

It’s 2012. If you subscribe to the Mayan calendar method of tracking time, we’re nearing the end. The clock – or sundial in this case – is ticking. A long, long time ago in Acapulco some Mayan math teachers decided to play a ... full story

Education policies hurting South Carolina