Okay I finally got around to writing about Ireland...

I'll begin the tale of this epic adventure with the planning process. As most of you who've read any of my blog know, I'm an Army Officer and a pretty good one if you believe my propaganda, I've been involved in planning military operations for 25 or so years but the unsung Operations Officer for this adventure was my wife. We actually started the planning about a year out while I was still deployed. By the time I returned home in July she was in full planning mode, our kitchen table looked like the Allied Operations Center in England shortly before D-Day - it stayed that way for much of the year.




The G-3 (Military lingo for the Operations Officer - in this case, my wife) began to develop the air movement tables (look at flights for cost and dates). After this experience, she probably knows as much about booking trips to Ireland as any travel agent in the world. She saved us about $500 a ticket on airfare just by tweaking the dates to the left a little (hours, not days). My sister-in-law bought the same tickets and spent considerably more because she couldn't get to the computer to book at the same time.



The G-3 and her sister spent innumerable hours on the phone looking at flights and drafting proposed itineraries. In February we had the supreme war council to settle on the itinerary. Being brave (foolhardy?), we decided to drive ourselves rather than participate in a group excursion. Once we had the dates for the trip and the places we wanted to see listed out, we began to lay out the route of March. Our plan was ambitious - we planned to travel to all four corners of the island and hit just about everything in between.



This map shows the major destinations and generally agreed upon route we planned to take:



 Oh, one thing I left out, we were going to do all of that in about 10 days

Our Excellent Irish Adventure

For our twentieth wedding anniversary, my wife and I are headed to Ireland.  Join us over the next several weeks as I recount our visit The Emerald Isle.  I hope to provide my many friends who have expressed an interest in visiting Ireland with a starting point for where to go and what to do.

Oh, the big rock in the picture above?  That's the Lia Fail, the "stone of destiny" from the Hill of Tara, site of the coronation of Irish kings prior to 500 A.D.

Ten Things I Plan to do Before January 1st

As an admitted lover of all things South Carolina and one who has been deprived of all things South Carolina for almost a year now, I’ve begun thinking about the things I want to do when I get home. I’ve created a bucket list of sorts – no, I’m not planning to die anytime soon, just couldn’t think of anything else to call it.

So here in no particular order (well, number 1 is pretty dang important) are the top ten things I want to do before the end of the year:


10. The Georgetown Wooden Boat Show (Saturday October 16, 2010)

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before but I am a boat nut. I love all things nautical, even pursued a degree in marine science because of this addiction. I don’t need a special reason to go to Georgetown but throw in a boat show and you might consider getting out of the fast lane if you’re in front of me on the way to the Low Country.

What will you see? Boats! Boatbuilding! What more could you ask for? Yeah, I realize that if you weren’t born with Docksiders on that this may not be your cup of tea but check it out anyway. They traditionally have family boat building, a National Boatbuilding Challenge (two man teams try to build a boat the fastest and then race it on the Sampit, the whole thing lasts less than 4 hours to give you some idea of just how fast these guys move). There is music, food, art, plays and all kinds of kid’s activities. There are wooden vessels of every type from surf boards to antique speed boats to tall ships. It’s been a while since I’ve been but I will not miss it this year. Cost – mostly free until the boat bug bites.


9. Family Camping (date to be determined, but not October 16th)

For the last 15 or so years, a group of friends has gotten together to go camping in the mountains, sometimes in North Carolina, sometimes in South Carolina. Other than deciding what camp ground to go to and the menu, we don’t make many plans for the weekend. The cell phones, IPods and TV are exchanged for some conversation, singing and quiet contemplation. We’ve hiked trails, fished, roasted marshmallows and mountain biked. The group varies from year to year, loosely organized around a Sunday School Class though membership has never been a requirement. A great friend is the impetus behind the trip; he has led it every year save one when his wife had to have an appendectomy. Cost –minimal, I spent $200 the year I bought a new tent but $70-80 a family usually covers the food and campground fees, the reward is priceless.

Here's a link to help get you started - South Carolina State Parks


8. Summerfest – York, South Carolina (August 27-28, 2010)

Okay, I’ll admit it, York is a Podunk little town but it happens to be my wife’s birthplace and where we got married so I’m a bit partial to the place. The festival began in the 1984 after the demise of two other local festivals. Every year, 50,000 people from all over the NC/SC line and beyond converge on York for a little slice of what life used to be like. Many of the local churches and civic organizations use Summerfest as a fund raiser – it is small town Americana at its best. There’s a craft show on Main Street, a car show, live music, runs, rides, an antique sale and tons of other stuff. Frankly, there is something for everyone. My three boys can stay entertained the whole day for about $5 each – in fact, several years they’ve actually made money selling rubber band guns with their grandfather. A couple of “fair” warnings; we’re talking about York SC in August, it is hot and you will need the Sun Screen. Cost – the $5 cost of a vendor lunch to “the sky’s the limit” for antiques (BTW, if you're at the antique sale and  talk to two old bald guys, one with glasses who answers to Johnny and the other a bit shorter who answers to Bobbie, feel free to buy something from them)


7. Beach Sweep/River Sweep (9 a.m. to 12 noon - September 18, 2010)

Need a little political statement here – A real environmentalist picks up trash, bumper stickers on your Prius don’t get it done.

River Sweep is a half day event designed to clean up the places we play in Columbia (and Statewide), namely the Congaree, Saluda and Broad rivers as well as Lake Murray. I’ve filled my canoe with trashbags in two different years and will be back on the river this year for the first time in a long time. You’ll see more about this in another blog but put it on your calendar now.

Cost – One day, three hours really to make a world of diference

6. Viva La Vista (September 25, 2010 - 2 p.m. until the last encore)

Food, fun and music in the Vista centered on the intersection of Gervais and Lincoln. Most restaurants are open with specials for this event; most of the stores are open with sales and specials as well. The only oddity for this event is that you use tokens (purchased at the event) to pay instead of cash so that the organizers can get their cut. This event generally draws a good crowd but it probably is not a “family event” if you plan to stay late for the entertainment. If you need a new idea for a date night, this is a good event because not only do you get credit for this date night but you can preview most of the better restaurants in the Vista for the next one. Parking is free if you’re willing to walk a block or two. Cost – the event is free but the cost is variable depending on how much you eat and drink, count on at least $20 an adult.



5. Charleston Scottish Games and Highland Gathering (September 18, 2010)

Okay, I’ve already admitted that I don’t need a special reason to drive to the Low Country but this is one of those events I’ve always wanted to attend. Here’s the problem, I’m going to participate in River Sweep as well (also on the 18th) so I’ve got a little planning to do. The event is held at Boone Hall plantation in Mount Pleasant – Boone Hall, for the uninformed is worth the drive to visit even if there isn’t a gathering or festival going on. (http://boonehallplantation.com/) Few people realize the significant number of Scots/Irish descendants that populate our fair state. There’s music, games (Scottish Games, not for the faint of heart) food (including real Scottish food – again, not for the faint of heart), dancing and hairy legged men in dresses – what more could you ask for?

4. Candlelight Tour of Historic Brattonsville

Another disclaimer here, I’m a member of the Cultural and Heritage Museums (C&HM)that run Historic Brattonsville and the York County Museums (at least I was, I may be about time to renew). Additionally, my father in law's wife is a docent for the C&HM.

Historic Brattonsvile is one of those places that you see the signs for and wonder, “…what is that?”. Put simply, Brattonsville is upstate SC, circa 1760-1880 or so. Remember the Scots Irish thing? Well Brattonsville is the living embodiment of it. A gentleman named William Bratton purchased land and built a home on Fishing Creek in what was then North Carolina sometime in 1770. Bratton rose to prominence during the American Revolution and at the conclusion adopted that most southern of monikers, Colonel Bratton. The fortunate sighting of the homestead allowed him to take advantage of the trade in that area and to prosper financially and socially. His obituary said of him, “…He was one of the old revolutionary characters, worthy to be remembered. . . His services were zealously devoted to his country throughout the Revolutionary war and for many years afterward in the [State] Legislature. . . He has left a widow and numerous family, besides a large circle of friends and acquaintances to lament his loss.” Many of the original structures, altered through history and restored now stand on the site of the original homestead. Every year in December, they have a candlelight tour that I’ve always wanted to see – this is the year. The Candlelight tour is December 11th and 12th from 3-9 p.m. Cost - $6 for adults, $3 for youths, children under 3 are free.

A couple of other events that I’ve been to at Brattonsville and definitely worth a “look see” are the reenactment of “The Battle of Huck’s Defeat” on July 10 and a “Civil war Reenactment” 23-24 Oct. Both events will fascinate “children of all ages”. They involve period dressed re-enactors, encampments and re-enacted battles complete with formations, muskets, drums and horse mounted cavalry.

3. Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo, November 19- January 2

I’ve been and I’m going back, it’s just that much fun. From their web site:

The only place in town where it snows every night!

Bring the kids and the camera and see why Lights Before Christmas

has continued as a family tradition for more than 20 years.

* Nearly one million twinkling lights *

* Countless animated images *

* Dazzling Music in Motion Lights Spectacular *

* Larger-than-life holiday cards created by local students *

* Nightly visits with Santa-through Christmas Eve *

* Warm memories and holiday cheer around the Jingle Bell Bonfire *

* Hot cocoa, marshmallows and other festive foods available for purchase *

* THE POLAR EXPRESS 4-D Experience *

Cost – Free for Zoo Members (a worthwhile membership BTW), Prices for this year aren’t published yet

2. Carolina – Clemson Game, Nov 27th

If I have to explain the importance of this one, you, to use the vernacular, “…ain’t from around here…”. This game is such a big deal that it used to be held on Thursdays and was a state holiday known as “Big Thursday”.

I’m a USC Graduate but I’ve never been to Death Valley, for one reason or another, I just never made the trip. It may be that my aversion to orange has prevented me from making the trip or it might be that every time I get that close to the mountains I keep going till I find a trout stream but for one reason or another, I just never made it. This is the year – anybody got tickets?  Cost - whatever you budget will bear.

Number one was easy:


1. Have dinner at my own table, with my own family, go to church on Sunday and sit on a pew with my wife, my kids and my parents, meet friends at San Jose’s for lunch after church, go to Wal-Mart, cast a line, paddle the Congaree (once again, if I have to explain this one to you, you ain’t from around here.)



For a great list of events and festivals in South Carolina, go to SCIWAY (South Carolina’s Information Highway – I don’t know what happened to the H either).

If you’ve got an idea for an event that all three of my readers might be interested in, send me a note, I’d love to hear from you.

To Hell in A Handbasket

We’re “going to Hell in a handbasket”. I’ve heard that “alliterative locution” used by people from all walks of life, all ages and all regions of the country. The phrase dates back to at least 1865 in a book entitled The Great North-Western Conspiracy In All Its Startling Details by I. Windslow Ayer.  Ayer was referring to the steadfast determination of the Confederate Soldiers held under deplorable conditions at the Union’s prisoner of war camp at Chicago, IL named Camp Douglas. What he said was were the Confederate Soldiers given half a chance, they would "...send their captors to Hell in a handbasket..." (For the record, slavery was wrong and so was Ayer – most of the confined Confederates just wanted to go home, the book is interesting nonetheless)

Since then, the phrase has come to mean someone is headed to certain disaster without effort or in great haste.

I read about a Supreme Court decision today that makes me think we’re not “going to hell in a handbasket” but rather, we’re going in a shopping cart, full speed, downhill, just as fast as those little wheels can turn.


Actually, it wasn’t officially a Supreme Court decision at all, it was a “non-decision”, known as Certorari Denied. To quote Rush’s song (the band, not the pundit) Freewill, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” In effect, the Supreme Court said the case lacked sufficient merit for their august body to look at it.


Here’s the case, Boy Scouts v. Barnes-Wallace, 08-1222. Fundamentally, the American Civil Liberties Union, which generally is interested in none of the above, sued the Boy Scouts on behalf of a lesbian couple and an agnostic couple. The two couples felt the city of San Diego was violating the oft misinterpreted “separation of church and state” by leasing 18 acres to the Scouts. 18 acres that the Scouts have leased since 1918.


Wait, it gets much better. Neither couple had ever made any effort to visit the area in question, nor had either of their children expressed a desire to join the Boy Scouts. Hold it, I’m not done yet, the Scouts, who had been paying roughly $2,500 dollars a year for the right to use the space exclusively for a few weeks each year offered to make $1,700,000 dollars worth of improvements to the area and had already contributed $2,500,000 to the city owned aquatic center in Mission Bay. On top of all that, the Scouts only had exclusive use of the area for the few weeks of the year that they ran summer camp and allowed anyone to use the area the rest of the year.


The case has been going on since 2003 when the ACLU, sued in US District court. The presiding judge, U.S. District Judge Napoleon Jones Jr. “ruled in 2003 that the city failed to follow its usual procedures and engaged in “private, exclusive negotiations” with the Boy Scouts, culminating in a long-term lease of the park property.  Judge Jones found the lease violated federal law that prohibits government promoting religion, noting that belief in God was central to the Boy Scouts of America’s principles.”


Judge Jones got one thing right; a belief in God is a requirement to be a Scout. The most basic part of Scouting is the Scout Oath:

On my honor I will do my best

To do my duty to God and my country

and to obey the Scout Law;

To help other people at all times;

To keep myself physically strong,

mentally awake, and morally straight.

 
Every boy learns that oath as one of the first requirements to earn the title “Tenderfoot Scout”. Unfortunately he got the rest of it wrong.


Here is the entire "religious dogma" of the Boy Scouts:


The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God and, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life.

Only persons willing to subscribe to these precepts …shall be entitled to certificates of leadership.

That’s it folks – recognize that we have a responsibility to God. If that makes them a religious organization and forbids them from using public property, we need to kick the House and Senate out of the Capital because they open with a prayer at every session – we’ve gone too far towards the politically correct lunatic fringe and the Supreme Court was wrong not to correct the District Court Judge’s idiotic ruling.

(Colonel's note: After I wrote this, I reflected on something I had heard during a visit to Washington, D.C. many years ago - each session of the Court begins with the Marshall entering the chambers and intoning this behest: "God Save the United States and this Honorable Court".  I confirmed that this is in fact the way every new session begins to this date and I wholeheartedly support the sentiment - that said, the Court needs to vacate their building, they're promoting religion)


As for the Scouts being an organization that promotes religion, I guess he missed the fact that 1/3rd of the “chartering organizations” or sponsors are civic and educational groups. He probably also missed that there is in fact at least one organization of every major flavor of religion in the United States from LDS to Jewish Synagogues to Buddhists serving as the chartering organization for the other 2/3rds. It only makes sense that churches would sponsor an organization that holds as a tenant a belief in God. However and this is a big however folks, a requirement for a belief in God isn’t establishing a religion. Nowhere in the camp was there a religious symbol, nothing in the scout emblems displayed had any religious connotation.


Every one of our last 19 Presidents has realized the value of Scouting (Theodore Roosevelt was already out of office in 1910 when the Scouts were founded but he was named the first and only Chief Citizen Scout because of his vigorous support). Our 34th President summarized the value of Scouting best:

“The Boy Scout movement merits the unstinted support of every American who wants to make his country and his world a better place in which to live. Its emphasis on community service and tolerance and world friendship promotes a speedier attainment of the enduring peace among men for which we all strive. By developing among its members both a spirit of sturdiness, self-reliance, and a realization of the need for cooperative effort in every major enterprise, the movement is a prime force in preparing tomorrow’s men for their duty to themselves, their country, and their world. Here in the United States, the Boy Scouts of America have accomplished much in its years of service. But today, more than ever before, we need expansion of its membership and influence.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower, US President 1953-1961


It's time to put on the brakes, climb out of the cart and start planning our course rather than just going along for the ride.  The Supreme Court should have heard the case and ruled for the Boy Scouts.  The case will now bounce back to the lower courts where, hopefully, more intelligent rulings can be found.


I’ve been involved with Boy Scouting for more than 20 years. Oddly, only two of those years were as a Scout. I wasn’t much of a Scout frankly, I wanted to camp and hike, the rest didn’t seem important.


Years later, I was asked to help run a Boy Scout Camp. That experience changed my life. For the first time, I understood what the Scout Oath and Law were about. At about the same time, I was leaving active duty in the Army to return to college as an ROTC cadet. That sense of duty and basic belief has carried me through the last 23 years. The groundwork laid in those two years as a Scout and the summer on the staff has made all the difference for me. Since then, I’ve served as a Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster, Merit Badge Counselor and just a dad driving the van. Scouting changes lives and that positive model is needed more now than ever in an age of “whatever”.


Want to avoid the "whatever" ethical standard in your boy? Try Scouting, he may hate it, that's okay, but he may get it and it just might make all the difference. He may find a meaning in the Scout Law that I didn't internalize till later.

A Scout is

 trustworthy,

 loyal,

 helpful,

 friendly,

 courteous,

 kind,

 obedient,

 cheerful,

 thrifty,

 brave,

 clean

 and reverent.

So what can you do if you'd like to support the Boy Scouts on this issue?  If your work place has a United Way Campaign, designate your donation to support Scouting. Consider a direct donation if not.  Volunteer to help a troop, you don't need to be Bear Grylls (an Eagle Scout by the way) or Clive Cussler (ditto - he found the Hunley), or Bill Gates (Eagle Scout) or any of the 39 Eagle Scout Astronauts, innumerable military or business leaders, sports stars or just "Average Joes" who have been Boy Scouts, you just need to be someone who recognizes that there is a God, and who wants to help.  Write a letter to the editor about the case or just talk about how you feel about the issue with your friends - maybe you'll find a kindred spirit who feels the same way and realize that there are others out there who think that values and character count.  Believe me, there are more of us than there are of the "whatever crowd". 

Trust me on this one, I'm a Boy Scout.


P.S. If you want to know what religious freedom really is, the freedom of religion the US Constitution is talking about, you can find it in the Bible, in the book of Joshua:


Joshua 24:15 - But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.


As ol’Bob Dylan said – But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed. You're gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord…

"Daddy, where were you when the volcano blew?"

Jimmy Buffett wrote a song about Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano  in the late 70s. In the song Volcano, he laments not knowing where “Im’a gonna go when the volcano blow”. (By the way, Jimmy was a bit prescient, the volcano would erupt in the 90’s nearly destroying Monserrat’s tourism industry)

Well, I never thought something like that would happen to me but believe it or not, it did. I’ve come up with a lot of inventive excuses for being late, but “...the volcano...” was never part of any of them.

I was supposed to return to SWA on the 16th of April. On the 14th, the completely unpronounceable volcano Eyjafjallajokull decided to rear its ugly little head out from under a glacier where it had sat peacefully for several weeks after a minor eruption on 20 March. The last time this thing got serious was back in the 1800s so who knew?

Having more than a passing interest in the R&R program I was curious to see exactly how the Army would handle this. Perhaps surprisingly, the Atlanta PAP handled it as if volcano’s popped up every day. We were placed in a holding pattern around the USO for a few hours while the echelons above reality developed a work around for the fact that our normal refueling sites in Ireland and Germany were no longer an option. A plan was developed in about 18 hours and the test flight took off with just over a 48 hour delay. Based on what I’ve heard from the other end, there were no glitches enroute.

In the mean time, the Army arranged for the housing, transportation and feeding of 350 incoming soldiers every day, no mean task.  By the time I leave, the backlog will have grown to more than 900 and by mid week, it will be completely gone.

All of this probably sounds like no big deal to most of you but the reality is that it was a minor logistical miracle. Contracts had to be amended, crews moved, country clearances adjusted, a “not through customs” deplaning area for the soldiers had to be set up with basic amenities and on and on – like I said, a minor miracle in 24-48 hours.

Hopefully, I’ll be back in my office on Tuesday to write something better but until then, you’ll just have to enjoy this flash back to the 80's, Jimmy Buffett with hair, shoes and a then new song, Volcano:

Friday, May 8, 1981, ABC's comedy show Fridays,

South Carolina's "Gubamint Edukashun Leedr"

Updated 18 May 2010!  Updated again on 1 July.  Updated one final time on 27 October

27 October - My final thoughts for Nov 2nd on the SC Sooperintendent of Edumicashun race:

Mick Zais is the only real choice; he's a proven leader with demonstrated success at turning a failing educational institution (Newberry College) around. He has taught in the classroom (West Point) and more importantly, he managed large staffs (As a BG and at ...Newberry) with competing agendas. He is a retired Brigadier General and holds a PhD in Social Psychology. You won't see “Zais for the next office” signs appear shortly after he wins like you did with Rex and Tennebaum. You won’t see the political cronyism that has marked our last 12 years – Zais isn’t part of that system. He has a reputation for being somewhat ruthless in dealing with problems - something we've lacked here in "Good Ol #49"*.

His opponent, Frank Holleman, represents more of the “educrat” nonsense that we've suffered from for the last 12 years. His only executive education experience was as Dick "the edumicashun goobenor" Riley's chief of staff while he was screwing up education at the national level. The DOE was under constant criticism for Holleman’s poor management while he was there. He's been on a lot of committees and such but he has no real leadership experience as the top man of a major institution.

* For my out of state friends, “good ol #49“, is a reference to our perennial 49th place in "quality of education measures", we also use “thank God for Mississippi” as a suitable alternative…

See More


1 July - Folks, this one is real simple: 
If you believe that Inez Tenenbaum and Jim Rex have done a good job for South Carolina as the Superintendent of Education, vote for Frank Holleman. 

If you think it is time for a change, vote for Mick Zais.

If you're not sure, read the rest of this blog and then do your own research. 

Jim Rex has been an abysmal failure.  He started running for governor almost as soon as he was elected to the superintendent job.  Inez did almost exactly the same thing but wisely backed out when she realized she hadn't a prayer of winning.  All indications are that Mr. Holleman is cut from the same mold as Rex and Tenenbaum (and his onetime boss Dick Riley).  He's been the chief of staff and in other bureaucratic flunky positions but he's never been the boss.  This appears to be his foray into elective politics as "the candidate".  If he wins, you can expect to see "Holleman for (fill in next elective office)" signs almost as soon as the votes are counted. Holleman has NO experience running any educational organization, he has tons of experience sitting at the right hand of the bureaucrat in charge.

Dr. Mick Zais on the other hand is a retired brigadier general and the retiring head of Newberry College.  He has taught in the classroom, he took a failing private college and turned it around, doubling the enrollment and endowment while holding tuition costs down.  He's not afraid to say no or to cut failing programs or staff.

Mick Zais is exactly what we need to begin reshaping the educational system in South Carolina. It's time for a change; Mick Zais is that change agent.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Original Post - It’s Saturday here in the desert – for once it’s quiet so I thought I’d lay out your choices for the SC Superintendent of Education. SC spends roughly $12,000 per student (we're in the top 20 nationally on expenditures per pupil). Depending on whose numbers you trust, something like 45% of that is actually spent on instruction. That's criminal. Utah spends roughly $7,000 per pupil and wears us out on all measures of performance.

Around half of all funds allocated for schools are spent on administration. It is time to cut the bureaucracy and get the bucks into the classroom. Lexington county has five school districts for its 40,000 students – by comparison, Charlotte, NC has one district for its 160,000 students.  I’m not advocating the monstrosity Char-Meck has created but five districts for 40,000 students?  I’m in favor of local control but that may be just a little too local.

Republicans

Kelly Payne
Garnett Spy has covered her fairly well, High School Social Studies Teacher, BA PolySci and M.Ed USC. Published experience is limited to teaching High School. Managerial/executive experience unreported -apparently extensive work with student organizations. Earned Wal-Mart’s Teacher of the Year Award for Lexington/Richland School District 5. Started Alive at 25 program to reduce teen highway fatalities, earned SC National Safety Council's Leadership award for the program.

Mick Zais WON THE PRIMARY AND THE RUNOFF
President of Newberry College, BS Engineering USMA, Masters & PhD Social Psychology, Univ of WA. Experience, retired Army Brigadier General. Lead organizations to the Brigade level (6,000 personnel), served on executive staffs at all levels. Taught organizational behavior and leadership at USMA. President of Newberry since 2000, 2008-09 Newberry named in US News and World Reports America’s Best Colleges. When he started, Newberry was in dire straits, underfunded and losing students – since his tenure began, the endowment has doubled, enrollment has doubled and they have not raised tuition.

Brent Nelsen HAS ENDORSED MICK ZAIS
Was Political Science Department Chair at Furman, PolSci Wheaton College, PhD Univ of WI Madison. Executive/Managerial experience: staff of 21, student population of 270, president of the South Carolina Political Science Association and past president of Christians in Political Science. Teaches Political Science at Furman. On-camera political analyst for WYFF Channel 4. Published author.

Elizabeth Moffly FINISHED SECOND IN THE PRIMARY AND LOST THE RUNOFF
Owner of several small businesses in the low country, Unknown, attended Queens College and College of Chas. Executive/managerial experience: Owner Moffly Construction and other businesses. School Choice Consultant.


Gary Burgess
Researcher, Burgess Research Action Group BA Wofford, M.Ed, Ed.S. Converse, Ed.D USC. Taught High school, served as a principal, professor at Converse and the Citadel, Superintendent Anderson County Schools.

Glen Price (Just Added)
Band Director at Lugoff Elgin High School, BA from ECU.  Taught band for his entire career apparently

Democrats
Frank Holleman EASILY WON THE PRIMARY
SC Attorney Wyche group, BA Furman, JD Harvard, Masters London School of Econ and Pol Sci. Executive/Managerial experience: Chief of staff and Deputy Secretary US Dept of Education for Dick Riley.  No classroom experience. Chairs the Alliance for Quality Education, a nonprofit education reform initiative.

Tommy Thompson  (Just Added)
Chair, Department of Education as SCSU, BA, MEd and PhD from UI.  Staff of about 40, 600 students.  Tremendous amount of educational administrative experience from HS Teacher to College Dean. No political experience.

Here’s my take on this crowd:


Holleman is in it for political experience – he’s a democrat in the Riley vein. Riley's tenure 20 years ago is still part of what’s wrong with schools in SC. Think "educrat" - we can not afford more money, more programs and more failure. He has a lot of campaign money compared to the rest. Hollerman is probably the man to beat but we don't need this "more of the same crap" candidate.

Nelsen is in it for the political experience. You can expect to see him running for something from now on. Very little money, struggles to raise any. No real agenda except to win elective office.

Burgess can’t raise the money to be successful has significant baggage related to a morals charge in Anderson and allegations of abuse of staff. The shame of it is that he has the education and experience to be successful - however, character counts.

Moffly is a curiosity, who ever heard of her? No meaningful education experience, had $350 in her campaign fund last time I checked.

Payne just doesn’t have the executive experience, has some potential baggage regarding her relation with Richard Eckstrom. Struggling to raise money. Supported by people who think we need a teacher to run the Department of Education - most of them don't realize the Rex was a teacher and he's been an unmitigated disaster. We're not hiring a "state teacher", we're hiring a "director of instruction", someone who has run an educational institution well (see Mick Zais)

Zais has been alleged to be ruthless in dealing with staff and faculty, vast experience at all levels of management and significant experience education – his biggest weakness is that he has not worked in the K12 “industry” – that may be a benefit though depending on your perspective. Has some money but not doing great at fund raising. Turned Newberry around. To old to be looking for a political career launching pad. My choice for the record.

The Last Two

Price is a High School Band Teacher, albeit a very good one.  Maybe he ought to just stick to that.

Thompson is your candidate if you must vote Democrat, he has the real experience that will allow him to be successful.  His self stated reason for wanting the job "...I want to be the State's top teacher..." strikes me as a little niave.

Dignified Transfer

If you've read the "about me" piece, you know I'm an Army officer - if you haven't; I'm an Army officer.

The other night I was trying to get from one South West Asian hot spot to another and happened to find myself stranded in Qatar at Al Udeid Air Force Base. I and 153 of my closest friends were well and truly pissed at the Air Force for stranding us. They had promised a tailgate swap. (you walk off one plane and on to another to continue the flight) That was 20 hours earlier. By early evening, we were all tired, dusty, needed a little attention paid to personal hygiene and were generally ready to get the "&^#% out of Dodge".

Just after dark work on the airfield ceased.

Prior to dusk, the "aerial porters", the young airmen assigned to handle the myriad tasks on the runway and taxiway of the air field had been running around seemingly without focus. It seemed without focus, but based on the amount of "stuff" they had shoved into the back of the C-17s, C-130s and the occasional 747 on the runway, they must have known what they were about.

Anyway, all activity ceased.

Pilots, "Aerial Porters" and generic airmen began to assemble on one of the taxiways behind a C-17. They sort of "formed up". I would say they "...got into formation..." but this is the Air Force we're talking about and formations ain't their long suit. After about 10 minutes, four unmarked panel vans pulled up and backed towards the loading ramp of the C-17 and again suddenly the “formation” stopped moving about. Soldiers in the holding area with me were drawn to the strange occurrences on the aircraft ramp and they accumulated along the fence where I was standing.

There appeared to be no rhyme or reason to this new inactivity.

After a minute or so, a small detachment broke off from the "formation" and made its way to the rear of the first panel van. The detachment formed two neat rows and manhandled a box from the rear of the van. As the box came out of the back of the van we could tell it was covered with an American flag. A hush fell over the mob I was standing with. Many of the soldiers moved into a position to better observe the goings on and then without command and apparently all of one accord, we came to attention.

The detachment moved smartly into position and the "formation" came to attention simultaneously. Apparently someone ordered the formation to present arms and surprisingly smartly for the Air Force, the entire formation presented arms. The detachment carefully made their way through the formation, up the ramp and into the hold of the C-17. The formation held their salute but there was no other activity to be seen.

Shortly the formation dropped their salute and the same detachment made their way down the ramp and to the rear of the next panel van. After a moment, the detachment manhandled a second box out of the van, got into position and began to make its way back to the ramp. The formation presented arms again and the process repeated itself three more times. The formation fell apart and the "Aerial Porters" were very quickly back at it, running hither thither and yon, afoot and “aforklift”.

The mob I was a part of fell apart and some when back to smoking and joking while others quietly made their way back into the “passenger terminal” (as the tent we were waiting in was grandly referred to).

I had a little time to think as I reassumed my perch on the steps to the latrine to await the inevitable “we’ve got another problem” song and dance, from the aircraft scheduler who was trying to get my “friends” and I back in the air.

I had just witnessed Airmen, who didn’t know the Soldiers in the “transfer cases” (a euphemism for the temporary coffins we use to move human remains) stop whatever they were doing to pay a final respect to a fellow warrior. They did it with a sense of reverence, not begrudgingly or because it got them out of something they’d rather not be doing, but because it was the right thing to do. There wasn’t a “band” or a “color guard” or even an “honor guard” in the polished and practiced sense of the word, just a bunch of tired Airmen doing their best for four comrades, they didn’t know, who had given their “last full measure of devotion”.

The really curious part to me wasn’t the Airmen though – they sadly perform that ritual many times a week. The curious part was the reaction of the Soldiers I was with. We were far enough away to not be a part of the proceedings but became a part anyway. Because we were not official members of the honor party, we didn’t salute and really weren’t “standing tall at the position of attention” but we were quiet, reverent and reflective. There was a palpable sense of “there but for the Grace of God go I”. When it was over, we went back to “hurrying up and waiting” though far quieter and more introspective than we had been.

A couple of hours later, the Air Force had managed to find some of those big rubber bands they use to power the propellers and we were back on our way to our original destination. We were 154 people, a little more tired, a little more “aromatic” and more than a little pleased to be on the final leg of our journey. We were not the same 154 people though. In some way, that unpolished, unrehearsed ceremony that we had participated in vicariously had touched each one of us.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.