I succumbed to the hype and marketing and visited a new fast food place in West Ashley this afternoon. I know that this branch is brand-new, because I've been monitoring the progress of construction on my morning commute and saw the Port-au-Prince style camp out out front several days ago. I was more than slightly tempted to join in the wholesome fun, but I didn't want to put a damper on anyone else fun by my inevitable drinking and swearing (essential camping activities where I hail from).

Tonight I was overwhelmed with a feeling of safety by the over-illuminated-parking lot. I was immediately comforted by the soft Christian-rock or Christian soft-rock (I'm not sure which). My feeling of comfort was enhanced by the flack-jacket bedazzled police officer standing behind me collecting a free sandwich and refreshing beverage.

The staff, however, is by far what impressed me the most. The predominantly Caucasian waiters, cooks, and cashiers seemed to be filled with the Holy Spirit as they prepared my deluxe chicken sandwich. The attentiveness of a certain young lady to my every need made me feel as though I was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself mowing down on those deliciously seasoned waffled fries. The captain of the ship, really seemed to motivate those whippersnappers to crank out a high quality product while keeping the ole bottom line lower than 50 Cents sag. I must admit I feel like a bad influence; the underage staff kept telling me how much pleasure I was giving them. I believe I heard "My Pleasure" more times than than a sex-therapy seminar.

Tonight was children's night, and what a joy it was to have so many blessing of the Lord running about, underneath my table, shrieking to escape the linebacker sized cow mascot. Speaking of cows, how funny is the species-specific bovine-chauvinistic marketing? Ha, those cows desperately attempting to save their lives pleading with the pear-shaped humans to eat their barnyard companions! It's like a mash-up of Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies, absolutely brilliant if you ask me.

It's just so edifying to find so many things we cherish as Americans in one convenient location. Freedom fries, bacon, supersized parking spaces, and all the helium your kids could inhale in bold primary color balloons. Well, I'm gonna go get a refill of that Dr. Pepper (best damn drink on the market if you ask me) and head back to the burbs.

I absolutely love Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead series. He has reinvented and revitalized the zombie survival genre. It soon becomes less about the zombies and more about the morals, the laws, and the standards of human society. A great question is asked in the theme of one story arc, "Do the rules still apply?" And aside from the walking corpses wanting to eat your face off, Kirkman explores every scenario with believability. And it's that said realism that I continue to read this book. It's not about the zombie hordes overrunning the entire world but about the human drama that's going on among the survivors. Furthermore, Kirkman goes as far as making the world for the survivors utterly bleak. Just when you think they've been put through the worst, something else happens - often resulting in another beloved character getting the axe. That's right, Robert Kirkman is not afraid of killing off a main character. Kirkman has put so much thought in each situation. He's even touched on the common answer any jackass would come up with (i.e. grab some guns and hole up in a mall, or anything to that effect). And the result? A group of zombies build up by the hour because they either heard gunshots from killing other zombies or are just mindlessly following another group. Defenses eventually run out or prove no match for all of them, and the zombies eventually break through and kill everybody. And what about the ever optimistic plan to help others in need or seek help from another established group of survivors? Yeah...right. Good luck not dying from that experience.
Bottomline: Best zombies series ever.

Where is the Love/Hate? I need my Love/Hate! I am dying with out Love/Hate. My life can only sustain me for so long. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I want to say thank you to the boy who held his umbrella over my head after he saw me standing by a crosswalk drenched by the rain. It was the nicest thing anyone could have done and it's wonderful to see an example of kind people in the world.

IT'S A THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE & HATE, its a thin line between love&hate...one o'clock in the mornin' and I'm just gettin in.She never asks me where I've been, she never raises her voice, sweetest woman in the world.....I just haven't found her yet,but I have hope.

I love that City Paper has dropped what little pretense of journalistic integrity they had left to start this feature....
but then, their paid opinion writers show less insight than most of us using this forum. I guess it was management's last shot at thoughtful comment. Sorry kids, it didn't work!

Thank you to the kind (stranger) lady who bought my 8 y/o toys in a major dept. store. on Saturday. You said he was "A Special Boy". I tell him, but thanks to you he might just believe it.

-singlemom

Eliza@Seels: new years eve,green dress&boots,rockin'dancer,bengal fan i believe,focus,focus...obviously i didn't. where r u ?

-B Boy

To my lovely fiancée who is asleep right now. I love you. I would do almost anything for you. I say almost because I do not like killing people. I hate most people but I love you somehow. Maybe its because you make me laugh. Maybe its because you are beautiful. Maybe its because of your red hair or freckles. It is all of these and more. I love you love.

Dear Charleston Sunsets,
I'm convinced you're the most beautiful sunsets in the world. Whether you're over the Ashley River, the skyline downtown, the Ravenel Bridge, or over the beach, you're always changing, colorful, and always stunning. Thanks for helping me end my day so wonderfully.

I know most people would call me crazy, but I love when it floods downtown. Provided my belongings are protected on higher ground, there's nothing more exhilarating than seeing the city underwater, wading through the muck, and watching a few idiots flood out their cars. Yeah, hopefully one day they'll fix the roads so driving isn't such a hazard, but until then I'll enjoy our little Atlantis.

technology+alchohol=my apologies to those who have witnessed my behaviour via said technology. alcohol=me thinking i'm uber-clever via drunken texts....and somehow seductive in the process... 4GIVES?

apologies to the person who posted last week as...well let's just call it the person who attempted to communicate with "meaningless hugger"....i totally get it, yet i don't. please communicate with me in a more straight forward manner...for if it is in fact "you" i perceived as that "love-hate-city-paper-thingy-which-referenced-bliss" then i beg of you....we have THE TECHNOLOGY to effectively communicate mutual feelings; it's called ENGLISH, we both speak it...yours with a weird Moncks Corner controlling mother dialect....stop torturing me with your inadequate communique'. you claim you're as complicated as x+x, but i beg to differ...

Alright, so I'm going to be frank with you. I have a 15 page paper and studying for an exam due by tomorrow at noon. The funny thing is that it is on American Philosophy. So what could be more American than grabbing a few beers, paying a few games of pool, winning some, loosing more, smoking too many cigarettes with the occasional shot of whiskey; and being polite to every beautiful southern belle around me? The answer is: news to me. So I'd like to give a big shout out to those going through finals, grades, job dependencies, and future societal contentedness, and ask; how do you do it? Much respect and even more envy.

I think I just solved my anti-holiday, family-gathering riff for the most part. Instead of comparing my life to those who are much more fortunate around me, I think I should give thanks in comparison to those great writers that I just learned about. Last night I watched a movie called "Stone Reader". It was about this guy who picked up the book "Stones of Summer" back when he was a kid in the early 70's. He didn't think much of it then although a New York Times review claimed it was the book of their generation. Twenty years later he picked it back up again and realized that it was the most amazing book that he ever read. He decided to do a documentary about the man and his other works, only to find out that he never wrote another piece and fell out of altogether. The documentary continued to interview many famous and respected literary critics, teachers and well known writers - none of whom had ever heard of the man, but after reading the book, all agreed that it was the work of a genius. In the end they find the mysterious writer pulling 12 hour shifts as a newspaper bundler and welder, living in his mother's home that he grew up in. After the documentary aired the book went back into publication after thirty years.
Seeing someone that incredibly talented who was not the least bit perturbed by his current situation in spite of his genius talent, I came to realize that my shitty minimum wage job, sums of debt and peculiar family situation is nothing in compare. I should give thanks for their support even if it is miniscule in comparison to other spoiled CofC students, because at least it is support after all. No matter what my problems are with my life, nothing can compare to the amazing world of literature that anyone no matter how unfortunate can take a part of. Any support I can have from my family and friends to continue enjoying that world is more than I could ever ask for.