We’ve noted with pleasure all of the instances in recent years in which “Famously Hot” has been adopted, co-opted and embraced by Columbians, as well as folks from other parts (who were the actual target audience).
Seldom, however, have we received praise as direct as that in an editorial by Editor Ken Allen in the latest edition of Columbia Business Monthly. An excerpt:
One of the cleverest things city tourism officials have done was to finally embrace that image and turn it to our advantage. In 2008 the Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, and the ADCO marketing firm adopted the slogans “Famously Hot” and “New Southern Hot Spot” to brand all things Columbia. In the five years the “Famously Hot” slogan has been in use, it has been attached to New Year celebrations, music festivals, foot races, career fairs, and countless other events….
It is that kind of creativity and problem solving we could use more of in Columbia….
And we stand by ready to provide it. Give us a call.
Just when you begin to doubt Mother Nature, she comes through in fine style.
There we were, worrying about the baby doves being homeless, out on the street, without sustenance, friends or protection. We scrambled yesterday to build them a new nest, buy them some food, and document their plight without terrifying them (they don’t like you to get in their faces with a camera).
And at least one of us was grumbling, “Where are their parents?”
Well, it seems the parents are still in the picture, and seem to be getting along fine with their offspring, in spite of the fact that the younger generation seems to have reached adolescence.
When we arrived at ADCO today, a disaster had occurred — the dove’s nest, with the two hatchlings in it, had fallen and crashed to the floor of our front porch.
Fortunately, the babies — who now look less like babies, and more like adult doves — are able to fly short distances now.
Steve tried building them a new nest from pine straw (see below), but they weren’t going for it. Instead, they fluttered over to a bush on our front lawn, and spent the day sitting in its shade — unless someone got close enough to take a picture, in which case they hurried to the other side of the bush.
It’s a dicey situation — they’re just three or four yards from the street. Where are their parents? We have no idea. (Isn’t that so often the case, with kids in trouble?
Lora ran out and bought them some mealworms, which apparently is something that sounds appetizing if you’re a dove. She put that out with some water.
Here’s hoping they’re OK when we get there tomorrow.
They wouldn't have anything to do with the nice nest Steve built them.
It was hard to get a clear picture of them both, as they were camera-shy.
In providing a sneak preview of his star turn on “Downton (or as he calls it, ‘Downtown’) Abbey,” Sean “P. Diddy” Combs breaks the color barrier, the time barrier, the genre barrier and of course the comedy barrier.
PBS denies that Combs has joined the cast of the wildly popular period drama, but “Funny or Die” provides video proof to the contrary. Besides, P. Diddy said it was so on Twitter, so whom are you going to believe?
There’s a new denizen at ADCO, and she (or he; we’re not positive) completely buys into our work ethic.
About a week ago, we found bits of twigs and other organic debris littering the porch, right at our front door. Looking up, we saw the new nest perched on the cornice above the entrance.
As you can see below, it was a bit of a sloppy nest-building job — not really up to the ADCO standard for design or production.
But we have to give the bird an A for effort on the follow-through.
There were no eggs in the nest when we first looked, but there must be now. We can’t check, because this dove never leaves the nest. We can come in, go out, slam the door, whatever — she continues to apply herself to her duty. You’ve got to hand it to her. Or him. Whatever.
The photo is by Boston Globe photographer John Tlumacki, and was taken seconds after the bombs went off at the Boston Marathon. The image was so striking, it was chosen for a rare non-athlete cover for this week’s Sports Illustrated. It’s a cropped version of this wider-angle photo.
A shout-out to Boston Globe photographer John Tlumacki, who snapped the dramatic photo of 78-year-old Bill Iffrig, who hit the deck after the first of Monday’s two bomb blasts near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The image, which went viral almost immediately, says it all about the frantic, scary moments after the explosions. And Sports Illustrated seems to agree. The magazine chose Tlumacki’s pic for the cover of the issue it is racing onto newsstands. Explaining the decision to use the picture of Iffrig, SI managing editor Chris Stone said: “We felt it truly captured the horrific moment at the end of the race — there’s a fallen runner, police with their guns drawn, and loose debris from the explosion.” We’re told it’s the first Sports Illustrated cover with a non-sports figure — not counting the magazine’s annual swimsuit issue — since Sept. 26, 2011.
Here’s another picture you might have seen from Tlumacki, taken apparently a split-second later.
The image, and Oswalt’s words, represent the best in law enforcement, photojournalism and the American spirit. We were inspired.
OK, so technically, the artisan barbecue outfit, which has been voted one of the top 20 food trucks in the country, parked in the lot of our next-door neighbor, The Wolfe Co.
But that put them only about 25 yards from our back door. We all availed ourselves of the opportunity.
Above, you see our own Brian Murrell placing his order.
The low brick building beyond the truck is The Wolfe Co. The gray roof you see beyond it is ADCO.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. We estimate that child abuse and neglect costs South Carolina approximately $1 billion dollars annually, in direct and indirect expenses. We also know the devastating, long-term negative effects of child abuse can have on individuals.
In South Carolina, there were 11,321 children were confirmed as abused or neglected in 2011. Children younger than one year old were 12.4 percent of the cases. Children three and younger were 34 percent of the cases. Of all child abuse in South Carolina, 65.5 percent is from neglect….
A happy and uplifting symbol being used to draw attention from the problem of abuse and neglect to the solution of effective prevention. More than a million pinwheels have been displayed across the nation since April 2008 when Prevent Child Abuse America launched the campaign.
Chosen to represent an imagery of hope, safety, health and most importantly, happiness; the pinwheel signifies efforts to change the way our nation thinks about prevention. Children’s Trust of South Carolina aims to enhance statewide child abuse prevention efforts and provide visibility in your community through the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign.
