I'm not much of a birder. But that's not to say I don't love birds. I just have one of those minds that can't aurally distinguish a vireo from a flycatcher. Sure, I can distinguish the mournful call of a loon and the grating rasp of a bluejay. Yet the finer points of successful birding depend upon a sharp ear and a gifted mind. Oh, oh -- gradually you are finding out the truth about me...
Yesterday afternoon, my wife cajoled me into attending the monthly meeting of the Hilton Head Island Birding Society. If that's not what it is officially called, please forgive me. It was held at the Coastal Discovery Museum, AKA as the Honey Horn. The Honey Horn is a wonderful museum on oyster alley -- just before one leaves Hilton Head Island for the mainland. It's a nice place and offers significant insight into the history of the island. I love the grounds and the architecture of the museum itself. And the exhibits are absorbing. Currently, one can immerse herself in the Gullah culture.
One of the things that I've grown to appreciate about Hilton Head Island is its vibrance. There are lots of retirees here, but that doesn't mean they resign themselves to big-wheel walker strolls on the beach. Hilton Head Island is alive with energetic people who refuse to grow old and exercise enough to embarrass me.
Upon arriving at the Coastal Discovery Museum or the Honey Horn, at it is known locally, for a talk by the Savannah, GA maven of birding, Diana Churchill, [http://www.dianachurchillbirds.com/Diana_Churchill_About.html]. we had to walk a good five hundred yards to the lecture venue because of this Saturday's wine-tasting festival. I immediately decided I was a day early and $80 short of a good time at a sold-out venue.
At any rate, we arrived early enough to catch a seat. Not long afterwards, Ms. Churchill began passing out toy birds with squeezable personal bird calls. My wife and I received a painted bunting, which, of course, I did not know very much about since I'm from northern NY. The woman on my right quickly pointed out my fallibility, and patronizingly filled in my Southern gaps.
Finally, the show began. Scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., after announcements and introductions, we got rolling at 3:35. I was already about to head out for an early cocktail hour (another insidious draw to Hilton Head's cultural norms).
Diana Churchill, once she got started, was a thrill. Down to earth and with an admirable sense of humor, she did her schtick. She was delightful. Ms. Churchill possesses the gift of birding, the acuity to aurally identify impossible warbler distinctions, etc. Eventually, we arrived at the question and answer period. The first question dealt with identifying miniature ibises. I finally settled the question by noting that they were probably pygmy ibises. Hiss, hiss from my right...
Mature bird watchers on Hilton Head Island are like Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi." The room was filled with them. And on my right, there she was, the female reincarnation of Joseph Goebbels. Speaker Diana Churchill covered every question with uninhibited honesty. When one woman asked how to tell the difference between a male and female Great Blue Heron, Diana pondered the question momentarily and then noted that it would probably be the male who was on top. This in liberal South Carolina. I applauded.
I had a fun time; my wife enjoyed it too. Yet I have to admit -- I didn't learn too much new. I have what is called a tin ear.
Regardless, I will not give up. If one perseveres, eventually the synapses connect. I have faith.
Stay calm and carry on...
Paul in Hilton Head, SC
http://www2.potsdam.edu/loucksap
http://loucksap.smugmug.com
http://madstop68.blogspot.com
Friday, March 9, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Infatuation with Wealth
Through historical inquiry, coupled with steadfast genealogical digging, I recently started searching a new family line in my paternal record. I noted once again, and not too far back in chronological time, that my great grandmother's maiden name was Schermerhorn. In my hometown, Jamestown, NY, this is no big deal. Schermerhorns abound there. I simply figured that one day I'd get around to it.
What I did not realize was that the Schermerhorn line, quickly and easily traceable on-line, goes back many generations in America -- in fact -- all the way to the Dutch Colony of New Amsterdam and before. I did some investigating and discovered that my own Schermerhorn roots were not all that distant from Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor. For me there is considerable irony here, and the revelation of this connection brings me to what may spark the next blog or so.
Just so you know where I'm headed, let me begin with Caroline Webster Schermerhorn and her List of Four Hundred: "Caroline Webster (Schermerhorn) Astor was the self crowned queen of New York (and Newport) Society, who set herself the task, to regulate society and keep the new rich of the Gilded Age out. Assisted by social arbiter Ward McAllister, she started in the winter season of 1872-73 to build up her list of socially prominent New Yorkers, therefore designating twenty five patriarchs, who would define society, by inviting to each ball of the season, four ladies and five gentlemen. [Equilibrium would obviously require the opposite.] In addition to the thereby convened 250 people, an undefined number of visiting guests, prominent people from other cities, and debutantes would be invited directly by Mrs Astor." <http://www.raken.com/american_wealth/OTHER/newsletter/chronicle111103.asp>.
What I did not realize was that the Schermerhorn line, quickly and easily traceable on-line, goes back many generations in America -- in fact -- all the way to the Dutch Colony of New Amsterdam and before. I did some investigating and discovered that my own Schermerhorn roots were not all that distant from Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor. For me there is considerable irony here, and the revelation of this connection brings me to what may spark the next blog or so.
Just so you know where I'm headed, let me begin with Caroline Webster Schermerhorn and her List of Four Hundred: "Caroline Webster (Schermerhorn) Astor was the self crowned queen of New York (and Newport) Society, who set herself the task, to regulate society and keep the new rich of the Gilded Age out. Assisted by social arbiter Ward McAllister, she started in the winter season of 1872-73 to build up her list of socially prominent New Yorkers, therefore designating twenty five patriarchs, who would define society, by inviting to each ball of the season, four ladies and five gentlemen. [Equilibrium would obviously require the opposite.] In addition to the thereby convened 250 people, an undefined number of visiting guests, prominent people from other cities, and debutantes would be invited directly by Mrs Astor." <http://www.raken.com/american_wealth/OTHER/newsletter/chronicle111103.asp>.
 |
Caroline "Lina" Webster Schermerhorn
|
Other resources show that Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor (September 22, 1830 – October 30, 1908) was perhaps the most prominent American socialite of the last quarter of the 19th century. Famous for being referred to later in life as "The Mrs. Astor" or simply "Mrs. Astor", she was the wife of real estate heir William Backhouse Astor Jr. Four years after her death her son John Jacob Astor IV was the richest man on the RMS Titanic and perished in the disaster of that ship. A very short biography of "Lina" Schermerhorn can be found at <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma01/davis/newport/biographies/csastor.html>.
I care little about any of this other than having a historical curiosity attached to my connections with Mrs. Astor, and to remind me of how divergent life histories can be within the same family. Aside from her penultimate role in America's Gilded Age, Mrs. Astor represents, from my point of view, very nearly the antithesis of the great egalitarian society envisioned by several of our forefathers. She gave new meaning to elitism and snobbery, and was certainly unrepresentative of the ideals of the so-called American dream -- that dream, of course, being the ability to rise to positions of wealth and power on the basis of one's own intellectual gifts, physical abilities or simply through diligence and hard work.
It is my opinion that the popular PBS Masterpiece Classic Downton Abbey, set in the first quarter of the 20th century, and in another country, sheds considerable light into how much society had already changed during that time, and only 25 years after Mrs. Astor ruled in America. I think we love Downton Abbey because it combines our fascination with the power elite of that day with a rapidly changing strata of social and cultural roles. WWI accelerated it surely, but what we fell in love with were the characters who recognized the change underway and largely embraced it. So in one sense we had the opposites of an established elite and a rising middle class, all of whom, in a pinch of time, moved all of us into a new era. Yet despite the dawn of that new era, most folks continued to maintain a certain sense of awe for established wealth, position and celebrity. And they still continued to draw the same distinction between old and new money.
I remember well my literature teachers in college who always emphasized that in its development important literature focused on or revolved around the lives of royalty by necessity. They were the more interesting subjects, and when they broke absolute moral codes of behavior the common man or groundlings applauded. Then that very same audience could also say: "I told you so!" And it was us mere mortals who provided the comic relief or cathartic release from their excesses or follies.
And now we have flashed forward to the age of pop culture where achievement may be old, new, instant, outrageous, or whatever grabs our attention on-line or on television or in news print at the time. We have Lady GaGa, Madonna, Jeremy Lin, Tiger Woods, Eli Manning, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, David Letterman, Michael Bloomberg, Donald Trump -- and they are just for starters. Wasn't it Andy Warhol who declared that everyone now has his/her 15 minutes of fame? And then there's Paris Hilton, and Dick Cheney, and Rush Limbaugh. It goes on and on. We have new ways of discerning fame and/or notoriety. That's good, but sometimes it's built upon a foundation of pompous, over-stuffed egos or extraordinary shallow material.
Frankly, although it dates me terribly, I still long for that anti-hero or the Common man -- those Willie Lomans and Santiagos created by the likes of Arthur Miller and Ernest Hemingway.
And can you imagine making a list of The Four Hundred today? Creating such a list (and given my distorted frame of mind) would drive me crazy!) It would seem quite safe, however, and given our directionless compass, to concentrate on the new royalty, which still seems to have much to do with the divine right of kings -- "Deo et mon droit" (God and my right). No, that's probably too difficult. Probably easier to look at the Forbes list: <http://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/>. Not much seems to change... Please continue shopping at Wal*Mart.
Carry on,
Paul in Hilton Head, SC
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Slavery...
When I started this blog, it was my intention to keep it light, and I sincerely attempt to be accommodating. However, every once in a while, my carefully constructed little world just goes awry...
One of the ways that I spend quiet evenings is catching up on reading. I'm currently in the midst of two books: Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella, and a serious history tome, The Colony of New Netherland: A Dutch Settlement in 17th Century America by Jaap Jacobs. First of all, I take golf a wee bit too seriously. Rotella is helping me to realign my emotions (and this is the second time I've read the short book). Be grateful he says, concentrate on the positive. Visualize, set a routine, and reach new horizons. So far, my handicap has changed from 11.8 to 11.8. Then again, I'm playing on tougher courses. And blah, blah, blah. It is what it is.
On the other hand, spending spring in the Southland affords me the opportunity to get away from my home computer and its usual applications -- one of which is Reunion, a genealogical data base. So reading Jacobs is exciting for me because I have ancestors who literally appear in this book, and I take notes. I'm not all that far into it yet, but tonight, in Chapter Two, a sub-topic, "Enslaved Blacks" brought more than one sigh out of me. I find slavery appalling.
I learned from Jacobs, for instance, that in 1639 there were about 100 blacks who worked in the colony, a number that grew to approximately 250 in 1664 and doubled upon the arrival of 291 more slaves on the Gideon in August of that year. They made up about 8% of the total population, concentrated in New Amsterdam, where the rate rose to about 17%. Slaves in New Netherland typically did not come directly to the colony but through a circuitous route that involved Spain and the Caribbean. The Gideon was a rare exception. Prices for slaves averaged 140 to 375 Guilders in the 1650's. By 1664, the price for a healthy slave approached 600 Guilders -- they did not come cheap! About 12% of New Netherland landowners could afford slaves. But most astonishingly, by 1730, 41% of the households in New York City owned slaves, and by then New York had the toughest slave laws in the colonies. [Jacobs, pp 55-56].
This revelation about a northern colony made me wonder about the southern colonies, so off I went to Google.
Although sometimes couched in generalities, I found a few Web sites that gave me realistic and authentic broader statistics. Perhaps the best of them was <http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/wahl.slavery.us>. Although it might seem a bit inconvenient, simply click on the site and then hit return. Astonishing!
Another site that I found and liked was this one: <http://listverse.com/2009/01/14/10-fascinating-facts-about-slavery/>. This one brought me to a new perspective. Worth your time...
Naturally, it occurred to me that slavery is not a new human problem, and for centuries it has included children and orphans in the sex trade. Pretty abysmal. To look at some statistics on current (21st century) slavery go to <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_slavery>.
I'm apologetic to lay this on you. And I'm not sure what can be done about it. I can't even offer you a means to help eliminate the problem.
All of this makes me less and less tolerant of my species. If you know of a way to change cultural mores, please respond -- not to me but to the appropriate, new found organization. I'm just sitting here feeling somewhat stunned.
Yes, I know, it's a downer. Kindly forgive me for occasionally bringing us all back to reality.
Stay calm and carry on,
Paul, temporarily in South Carolina
http://www2.potsdam.edu/loucksap
http://loucksap.smugmug.com
http://madstop68.blogspot.com
One of the ways that I spend quiet evenings is catching up on reading. I'm currently in the midst of two books: Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella, and a serious history tome, The Colony of New Netherland: A Dutch Settlement in 17th Century America by Jaap Jacobs. First of all, I take golf a wee bit too seriously. Rotella is helping me to realign my emotions (and this is the second time I've read the short book). Be grateful he says, concentrate on the positive. Visualize, set a routine, and reach new horizons. So far, my handicap has changed from 11.8 to 11.8. Then again, I'm playing on tougher courses. And blah, blah, blah. It is what it is.
On the other hand, spending spring in the Southland affords me the opportunity to get away from my home computer and its usual applications -- one of which is Reunion, a genealogical data base. So reading Jacobs is exciting for me because I have ancestors who literally appear in this book, and I take notes. I'm not all that far into it yet, but tonight, in Chapter Two, a sub-topic, "Enslaved Blacks" brought more than one sigh out of me. I find slavery appalling.
I learned from Jacobs, for instance, that in 1639 there were about 100 blacks who worked in the colony, a number that grew to approximately 250 in 1664 and doubled upon the arrival of 291 more slaves on the Gideon in August of that year. They made up about 8% of the total population, concentrated in New Amsterdam, where the rate rose to about 17%. Slaves in New Netherland typically did not come directly to the colony but through a circuitous route that involved Spain and the Caribbean. The Gideon was a rare exception. Prices for slaves averaged 140 to 375 Guilders in the 1650's. By 1664, the price for a healthy slave approached 600 Guilders -- they did not come cheap! About 12% of New Netherland landowners could afford slaves. But most astonishingly, by 1730, 41% of the households in New York City owned slaves, and by then New York had the toughest slave laws in the colonies. [Jacobs, pp 55-56].
This revelation about a northern colony made me wonder about the southern colonies, so off I went to Google.
Although sometimes couched in generalities, I found a few Web sites that gave me realistic and authentic broader statistics. Perhaps the best of them was <http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/wahl.slavery.us>. Although it might seem a bit inconvenient, simply click on the site and then hit return. Astonishing!
Another site that I found and liked was this one: <http://listverse.com/2009/01/14/10-fascinating-facts-about-slavery/>. This one brought me to a new perspective. Worth your time...
Naturally, it occurred to me that slavery is not a new human problem, and for centuries it has included children and orphans in the sex trade. Pretty abysmal. To look at some statistics on current (21st century) slavery go to <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_slavery>.
I'm apologetic to lay this on you. And I'm not sure what can be done about it. I can't even offer you a means to help eliminate the problem.
All of this makes me less and less tolerant of my species. If you know of a way to change cultural mores, please respond -- not to me but to the appropriate, new found organization. I'm just sitting here feeling somewhat stunned.
Yes, I know, it's a downer. Kindly forgive me for occasionally bringing us all back to reality.
Stay calm and carry on,
Paul, temporarily in South Carolina
http://www2.potsdam.edu/loucksap
http://loucksap.smugmug.com
http://madstop68.blogspot.com
Monday, February 27, 2012
Hugo
Well, I hope you all watched the Academy Awards show last evening. For me it was a toss-up between the Oscars and Masterpiece Classic's new series, The Old Curiosity Shop. The former won.
Before I go any farther, I need to comment on Billy Crystal's appearance. His make-up was over the top. In fact, I thought he looked as though he was embalmed. And Ms. Jolie appeared bony and out of sorts. I like my women a bit more zaftig. And her overdone lips; well, I'm just not going to go there.
I was not terribly surprised by the results. About the only movie I had not seen earlier (in the Best Motion Picture category) was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close . It only played a week in Potsdam...
Today it was rainy on Hilton Head. Not much to do beyond indoor swimming, reading or going to the movies. We chose to go down to Coligny and enjoyed Hugo, which. likewise, only appeared in the North Country for a brief period.
In short, I LOVED the Scorsese-Depp production. And for me last evening the Academy Awards ceremony was all about "the magic of movies." Most notably, it was a nostalgic trip back into time. As a kid Dipson's Palace and the Winter Garden in Jamestown, NY were all that was necessary to set the tone for me. Both theatres were Art Deco at their finest. And the balcony was the supreme place to sit. The Kodak venue in L.A. was Dipson's Palace ten-fold.
But let me not digress too far. I need to run through the list of nominees.
War Horse -- A movie of epic proportions, but no producer or director wins Best Picture with a non-human entity. Still a fine movie, but not worth #1.
The Artist -- Okay, the dog was great! And Peppy Miller was as peppy as peppy can be. I loved her. And this movie was about movie history, and movie history (The Artist) was the theme that engendered nostalgia last evening better than any other. I saw the film here in Hilton Head, and was glad I did. This is the way it used to be, and it was a fine thing. The acting was superb. Quite deserving of the top award, but it had an even stronger contender.
Midnight in Paris -- Woody Allen at his best, and I loved Owen Wilson's and Marion Cotillard's performances. Yet when all is said and done, Midnight is a bit fluffy in the nostalgia department. Doesn't mean that I didn't adore the film. It just didn't meet nostalgia's level of honesty.
Moneyball -- Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill were superb. Baseball movies, especially concerning front office politics, however, don't win Oscars. It's a shame. This was a topical theme in today's untidy world of sports as entertainment and big money. Politically, it spoke to me in spades. Brad Pitt is all grown up, even if he's a bit too self-assured.
The Descendants -- I wanted George Clooney to win everything. In the end he had to be gracious. His time will come. The Descendants was too much about acting. It was also kind of creepy. Pretty dysfunctional family in the end...
The Tree of Life -- I did not like this film. It was pretentious.
The Help -- Eat shit and die! Great performances and a sympathetic plot. Neither was enough to carry the day.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close -- I did not watch this film and have no immediate plans to do so. I've had enough of 9/11. And frankly, I am tired of my wife asking me if we need to take tissues to the movies.
Hugo -- Martin Scorsese and Johnny Depp scored 125 out of 100. Hugo won five academy awards and should have won six. In the nostalgia department, IMHO, it was superior to The Artist. It tugged at my heart. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every character -- from Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour, to Sacha Baron Cohen, to Chloe Grace Moretz and Asa Butterfield, the performances were absolutely wonderful. Hugo had the MAGIC. I don't understand why the academy didn't award the film's brilliance with a first place. Say what you will, Hugo was the real winner! No, let me take that back. It was silent film and Paris that finally captured my heart. And was it Gare St. Lazare or Gare Nord or an earlier version the Musee d'Orsay...? In the end it didn't really matter. The wrong film won the Oscar for BEST motion picture.
Take a serious look and then decide for yourself...
Stay calm and carry on,
Paul, temporarily on Hilton Head Island
http://www2.potsdam.edu/loucksap
http://loucksap.smugmug.com
http://madstop68.blogspot.com
Before I go any farther, I need to comment on Billy Crystal's appearance. His make-up was over the top. In fact, I thought he looked as though he was embalmed. And Ms. Jolie appeared bony and out of sorts. I like my women a bit more zaftig. And her overdone lips; well, I'm just not going to go there.
I was not terribly surprised by the results. About the only movie I had not seen earlier (in the Best Motion Picture category) was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close . It only played a week in Potsdam...
Today it was rainy on Hilton Head. Not much to do beyond indoor swimming, reading or going to the movies. We chose to go down to Coligny and enjoyed Hugo, which. likewise, only appeared in the North Country for a brief period.
In short, I LOVED the Scorsese-Depp production. And for me last evening the Academy Awards ceremony was all about "the magic of movies." Most notably, it was a nostalgic trip back into time. As a kid Dipson's Palace and the Winter Garden in Jamestown, NY were all that was necessary to set the tone for me. Both theatres were Art Deco at their finest. And the balcony was the supreme place to sit. The Kodak venue in L.A. was Dipson's Palace ten-fold.
But let me not digress too far. I need to run through the list of nominees.
War Horse -- A movie of epic proportions, but no producer or director wins Best Picture with a non-human entity. Still a fine movie, but not worth #1.
The Artist -- Okay, the dog was great! And Peppy Miller was as peppy as peppy can be. I loved her. And this movie was about movie history, and movie history (The Artist) was the theme that engendered nostalgia last evening better than any other. I saw the film here in Hilton Head, and was glad I did. This is the way it used to be, and it was a fine thing. The acting was superb. Quite deserving of the top award, but it had an even stronger contender.
Midnight in Paris -- Woody Allen at his best, and I loved Owen Wilson's and Marion Cotillard's performances. Yet when all is said and done, Midnight is a bit fluffy in the nostalgia department. Doesn't mean that I didn't adore the film. It just didn't meet nostalgia's level of honesty.
Moneyball -- Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill were superb. Baseball movies, especially concerning front office politics, however, don't win Oscars. It's a shame. This was a topical theme in today's untidy world of sports as entertainment and big money. Politically, it spoke to me in spades. Brad Pitt is all grown up, even if he's a bit too self-assured.
The Descendants -- I wanted George Clooney to win everything. In the end he had to be gracious. His time will come. The Descendants was too much about acting. It was also kind of creepy. Pretty dysfunctional family in the end...
The Tree of Life -- I did not like this film. It was pretentious.
The Help -- Eat shit and die! Great performances and a sympathetic plot. Neither was enough to carry the day.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close -- I did not watch this film and have no immediate plans to do so. I've had enough of 9/11. And frankly, I am tired of my wife asking me if we need to take tissues to the movies.
Hugo -- Martin Scorsese and Johnny Depp scored 125 out of 100. Hugo won five academy awards and should have won six. In the nostalgia department, IMHO, it was superior to The Artist. It tugged at my heart. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every character -- from Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour, to Sacha Baron Cohen, to Chloe Grace Moretz and Asa Butterfield, the performances were absolutely wonderful. Hugo had the MAGIC. I don't understand why the academy didn't award the film's brilliance with a first place. Say what you will, Hugo was the real winner! No, let me take that back. It was silent film and Paris that finally captured my heart. And was it Gare St. Lazare or Gare Nord or an earlier version the Musee d'Orsay...? In the end it didn't really matter. The wrong film won the Oscar for BEST motion picture.
Take a serious look and then decide for yourself...
Stay calm and carry on,
Paul, temporarily on Hilton Head Island
http://www2.potsdam.edu/loucksap
http://loucksap.smugmug.com
http://madstop68.blogspot.com
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Fools and Idiots...
When was the last time you heard of a naked man stealing a fire truck? Well, in nearby Beaufort-Port Royal, SC, off-island from Hilton Head, the local fire department was answering a medical call and attending to a needy person. The next thing they knew, an individual sans clothing, jumped into their fire engine and sped off with it. On-lookers noted the high speed of the fire engine. The first bad thing happened at the next intersection when it plowed into seven vehicles. That didn't stop the fellow though. His next feat of stupidity was striking one of two pedestrians walking beside the highway in front of the Dollar General store. That individual was declared dead at the scene.
One rubber-necker declared: "I've never seen a fire truck come out of nowhere like that. The truck did not have its lights on. I knew it wasn't a fireman behind the wheel. It was faster than I've ever seen any fire truck go. And I've seen my fair share of fire trucks." Was this guy's name maybe Bubba?
The collision with the pedestrian caused the fire truck to spin out of control, whence it next crashed into a wooded area between the Dollar General and a bowling alley. The crash extensively damaged the truck and pinned the driver inside. When Port Royal Police arrived, the captive driver began fighting them and had to be subdued. It made me wonder if the jaws of life needed to be employed to extricate him, and if so, just how carefully they had to be utilized. At any rate, Mr "free-as-a-bird" is currently incarcerated and charged with two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, as well as resisting arrest. Nothing was mentioned about any charges of vehicular manslaughter or even about property damage... [information drawn from the 24 February issue of the Island Packet]
Okay, so now you're beginning to seriously wonder about the sanity of the nearby crackers when only two days previous to above's amazing incident it had probably already been confirmed.
In the outbound or west lanes on Highway 278, a four-lane, high speed thoroughfare, and the only egress (other than by boat) from Hilton Head Island, two cars overturned on the Graves Bridge above Skull Creek. Traffic was clogged for hours as medics extricated the victims from the wreckage of their automobiles, both of which actually climbed onto the guard rails and dangled precariously upside-down. One driver had to be taken by helicopter to Savannah, while the other was treated at Hilton Head Hospital and later released.
As it happened, I was traveling with Mike my golfing buddy back onto the island and passed the scene of the accident in one of the eastbound lanes. It was absolutely spectacular and as bad a crash as I've ever seen. I thought perhaps it was a sudden lane change gone crazy and genuinely made me wonder how either driver or passengers could have survived. But that was all I knew at the time...
The next day's paper showed the crash scene, but didn't contain much information. It wasn't until the day after that [24 February issue of the Island Packet] that details emerged. So here's what occurred. A 42 year old local woman was traveling west, mid-morning, in her Mustang at highway speed and in traffic when she was bumped from behind by a 34 year old male driving a Honda. She was able to keep control of her vehicle. However, the Honda then backed off, sped up and suddenly intentionally smashed into her full force. This impact sent both cars careening in different directions, with both vehicles finally landing atop the bridge guardrails, one on either side.
A lover's quarrel gone crazy? The worst case of road rage imaginable? Most likely. As it turned out, the female driver was from nearby Bluffton. The male was from Minnesota and did not even possess a valid driver's license. Right now I suppose he's slowly recovering in that Savannah hospital.
There are a few warnings that immediately come to mind. First, if you are a regular reader of my blog, by all means stay away from Dollar General stores. They are bad business whether you're a welfare mom, Amish or a South Carolinian pedestrian.
Second, always remember that there are genuinely crazy fools out there. It doesn't matter how good a driver you might be. Watch out for the other guy!
And third, if you are traveling in these here parts, keep in mind that NASCAR aficionados take their driving pretty seriously. That said, even they manage to screw up every once in awhile, especially the deranged ones.
Stay calm and carry on,
Paul on Hilton Head Island, SC
http://www2.potsdam.edu/loucksap
http://loucksap.smugmug.com
http://madstop68.blogspot.com
One rubber-necker declared: "I've never seen a fire truck come out of nowhere like that. The truck did not have its lights on. I knew it wasn't a fireman behind the wheel. It was faster than I've ever seen any fire truck go. And I've seen my fair share of fire trucks." Was this guy's name maybe Bubba?
The collision with the pedestrian caused the fire truck to spin out of control, whence it next crashed into a wooded area between the Dollar General and a bowling alley. The crash extensively damaged the truck and pinned the driver inside. When Port Royal Police arrived, the captive driver began fighting them and had to be subdued. It made me wonder if the jaws of life needed to be employed to extricate him, and if so, just how carefully they had to be utilized. At any rate, Mr "free-as-a-bird" is currently incarcerated and charged with two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, as well as resisting arrest. Nothing was mentioned about any charges of vehicular manslaughter or even about property damage... [information drawn from the 24 February issue of the Island Packet]
Okay, so now you're beginning to seriously wonder about the sanity of the nearby crackers when only two days previous to above's amazing incident it had probably already been confirmed.
In the outbound or west lanes on Highway 278, a four-lane, high speed thoroughfare, and the only egress (other than by boat) from Hilton Head Island, two cars overturned on the Graves Bridge above Skull Creek. Traffic was clogged for hours as medics extricated the victims from the wreckage of their automobiles, both of which actually climbed onto the guard rails and dangled precariously upside-down. One driver had to be taken by helicopter to Savannah, while the other was treated at Hilton Head Hospital and later released.
As it happened, I was traveling with Mike my golfing buddy back onto the island and passed the scene of the accident in one of the eastbound lanes. It was absolutely spectacular and as bad a crash as I've ever seen. I thought perhaps it was a sudden lane change gone crazy and genuinely made me wonder how either driver or passengers could have survived. But that was all I knew at the time...
The next day's paper showed the crash scene, but didn't contain much information. It wasn't until the day after that [24 February issue of the Island Packet] that details emerged. So here's what occurred. A 42 year old local woman was traveling west, mid-morning, in her Mustang at highway speed and in traffic when she was bumped from behind by a 34 year old male driving a Honda. She was able to keep control of her vehicle. However, the Honda then backed off, sped up and suddenly intentionally smashed into her full force. This impact sent both cars careening in different directions, with both vehicles finally landing atop the bridge guardrails, one on either side.
A lover's quarrel gone crazy? The worst case of road rage imaginable? Most likely. As it turned out, the female driver was from nearby Bluffton. The male was from Minnesota and did not even possess a valid driver's license. Right now I suppose he's slowly recovering in that Savannah hospital.
There are a few warnings that immediately come to mind. First, if you are a regular reader of my blog, by all means stay away from Dollar General stores. They are bad business whether you're a welfare mom, Amish or a South Carolinian pedestrian.
Second, always remember that there are genuinely crazy fools out there. It doesn't matter how good a driver you might be. Watch out for the other guy!
And third, if you are traveling in these here parts, keep in mind that NASCAR aficionados take their driving pretty seriously. That said, even they manage to screw up every once in awhile, especially the deranged ones.
Stay calm and carry on,
Paul on Hilton Head Island, SC
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