I first heard the Raleigh-based band American Aquarium on March 16, 2009. I remember the date so specifically because that was the night before St. Patrick’s Day, generally the wildest night of the year in Savannah. By mid-evening, downtown was…
Winter Dance Concert at the Savannah Arts Academy
Last night I attended the 2011 Winter Dance Concert at the Savannah Arts Academy. I imagine many hear “Savannah Arts Academy” and assume that it’s a private school. It’s obviously not. The arts magnet high school is one of the…
This morning’s employment report
This morning’s data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding December employment was somewhat worse than expected. I wish I had a dollar for every time economic data over the last few years has been “worse than expected.” Maybe there…
Morning headlines: a brighter outlook, Auburn football, other issues
Here are some things that have caught my eye this a.m.: A post from yesterday on my favorite blog Calculated Risk (chosen by the WSJ as one of the top 10 economics blogs) about the reasons to be optimistic that…
Savannah implements a smoking ban
In my Tuesday Savannah Morning News column this week, Smoking ban comes at tough time, I discuss some of the issues and challenges as the city implements a new smoking ban. The ban affects a variety of different establishments, but…
In memory of Clinton Powell
I don’t remember where or when I first met Clinton Powell, but there’s a pretty fair bet it was eight or nine years ago at The Sentient Bean just south of Forsyth Park here in Savannah. The Bean was brand…
Some thoughts on Just Kids by Patti Smith
About a year ago, when I first heard that Patti Smith had written Just Kids, a book about her long friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe, I immediately flashed back to 1995. I was working at a Borders in Philadelphia when Patricia…
Krugman on the “recovery”
In my year-end column here, I mention in passing that the unemployment rate seems likely to remain elevated for years. In his most recent column in the NYT, Paul Krugman explains why that’s a certainty, even assuming a fairly rapid…
Spoleto 2011 season announced, tickets on sale
Spoleto USA’s 2011 lineup was announced on the web earlier today. As usual, the famed Charleston festival presents a variety of art forms over its 18 day run. Spoleto obviously brings some incredible richness to the southeast coast each year,…
How to promote a small business
I got a lot of positive feedback from this column about how small businesses miss good PR chances. Willow Ridge Media discussed it and expanded on some of my ideas in this post. I’ll be returning to this subject in…
What will the Savannah economy look like in 2011?
In my City Talk column for Jan. 2 in the Savannah Morning News, I envision two scenarios for 2011. One scenario is for “slow but steady growth,” with the local economy buoyed by public infrastructure projects, ongoing strength of major…
A new blog
I’ve decided to start a blog to give me a place to explore various events and issues that I cannot cover as a freelance columnist.