Columbia Off-Topic

[TheCarolinaKing]

I really love Mississippi for its spelling but the name that just reigns as the best name is probably Hampton, VA

[CorgiMatt]

There's a good article about Columbia's riverwalk in the new edition of South Carolina magazine.

[803metlife]

A city I would love for it's name has to be NYC or Washington,D.C.

[sonofaque86]

Cromers is moving back downtown on Huger Street!!

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/15608750.htm

[Captain Worley]

Next to Cogdill Carpets no less!

Anyone remember Nevin Broom's Cogdill Carpet ads in the 70s where he always mispronounced Huger? Mr Knozit, aka Joe Pinner was on them as well.

[waccamatt]

Next to Cogdill Carpets no less!

Anyone remember Nevin Broom's Cogdill Carpet ads in the 70s where he always mispronounced Huger? Mr Knozit, aka Joe Pinner was on them as well.

I think you're referring to Nevin Broome's Carpet Wholesalers where Joe Pinner would say, "save, save, save" at Carpet Wholesalers. They're out on Broad River Road now and they have the best carpet prices in town. I looked everywhere when I got carpet for my house and they were the best.

[Captain Worley]

I think you're referring to Nevin Broome's Carpet Wholesalers where Joe Pinner would say, "save, save, save" at Carpet Wholesalers. They're out on Broad River Road now and they have the best carpet prices in town. I looked everywhere when I got carpet for my house and they were the best.

Gosh, you're right. It was Carpet Wholesalers.

[sonofaque86]

Has anybody realized the blue lights around the Bank of America tower on Main St. Near the salvation army. I didn't realize them until friday night. I lived in downtown forever and just realized them for the first time. Are they new? It looks pretty cool ontop of it!

Edited October 3, 2006 by sonofaque86

[emerging.me]

CoolTownStudios has done a couple of posts mentioning Columbia! The most recent mention is in a post about "innovation overload" -- a trendwatching phenomenon in which there are too many developments of various kinds going on that nobody (even informed online communities like ours) can keep up. Not a bad problem to have, I suppose.

[waccamatt]

Has anybody realized the blue lights around the Bank of America tower on Main St. Near the salvation army. I didn't realize them until friday night. I lived in downtown forever and just realized them for the first time. Are they new? It looks pretty cool ontop of it!

Are you referring to the white neon that is topping the building after an absence of about a dozen years? I like it too.

[krazeeboi]

CoolTownStudios has done a couple of posts mentioning Columbia! The most recent mention is in a post about "innovation overload" -- a trendwatching phenomenon in which there are too many developments of various kinds going on that nobody (even informed online communities like ours) can keep up. Not a bad problem to have, I suppose.

Wow that's pretty cool, considering the other cities and projects listed. Little ol' Columbia is starting to make some noise.

[TheCarolinaKing]

Yeah I remember along time ago when those lights were used and then they stopped using them. When I went downtown Sunday after being out of town I noticed that they were back on , which made me a little happier...for some reason I missed them!

[CorgiMatt]

I'm not into wrestling, but I have a boarder who is and I let him watch it to avoid a disagreement every Monday night. Well, this past Monday they advertized that their season premiere three-hour special will be at the Colonial Center in Columbia this coming Monday. This is the fake world wrestling show. It draws thousands to every venue it visits and has millions of tv viewers.

[803metlife]

That's good news for the Colonial Center which has been having a great year on attendance and ticket sales. Once the Hilton is finish we can all expect a boost in the local revenue and more hosted events

[803metlife]

Are you referring to the white neon that is topping the building after an absence of about a dozen years? I like it too.

Waccamatt I swear I just notice the exact same thing last week.... While existing Greystone from 26 I metioned the Bank of America tower looks different than usual. I like the neon topping because it's more noticable with the rest of the skyline.

[803metlife]

Wow that's pretty cool, considering the other cities and projects listed. Little ol' Columbia is starting to make some noise.

Great News again. Los Angeles also had an article in their paper this summer about Columbia's recent trends and how the area is suppose to double it's population in years to come.

[BrasilnSC]

Jim Casey's burned early this morning. I woke up and noticed the outside air smelled like a wet ashtray. Got on Rosewood and it was blocked off. Went around and got back on Rosewood at Kilbourne and that's when I saw it. The roof was completely gone and water was being sprayed inside. It looked to be just the bar portion of the establishment but I'm not completely sure. I don't think the fireworks shop was affected, as I would have heard that. A news crew was there around 7:15, so more details should be available soon.

Edited October 6, 2006 by BrasilnSC

[pricemiller]

An AOL feature this morning mentioned Columbia as #14 in top cities for jobs by measuring the numbers of jobs posted on CareerBuilder.com. Interesting for Colubmia watchers:

Survey: Top Cities and Industries

for Jobs

Matt Ferguson, CEO, CareerBuilder.com

Following trends in hiring in the last six months, U.S. employers anticipate they will be recruiting at a moderated, yet stable, pace through the remainder of the year.

The latest GDP report from the U.S. Commerce Department shows subdued economic growth in the second quarter, which clocked in at an annual rate of 2.6 percent compared with a brisk clip of 5.6 percent in the first quarter. The National Association for Business Economics is forecasting that the GDP will hold steady at 2.6 percent through the end of the year, warding off some speculation that a slowing in the economy will lead to a recession near-term.

Job growth has decelerated since March, dropping from a monthly average of 176,000 in the first quarter to 128,000 in the third quarter, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Uncertain about the economic impact of higher energy costs, mid-term elections, the war in Iraq and other factors, companies and workers are likely to apply caution in regard to recruitment and job changes going into the fourth quarter.

According to CareerBuilder.com's Q4 Job Forecast, the number of hiring managers planning to add jobs in the upcoming quarter dropped from 47 percent in June to 37 percent in the most recent survey completed in September. At the same time, 17 percent of hiring managers reported plans to cut their headcounts before the end of the year, up from 13 percent in the previous survey. Forty-three percent of hiring managers do not expect to make any adjustments to their staff levels.

Those adding headcount in the fourth quarter are recruiting for a mixture of both permanent and seasonal positions. While 21 percent plan to recruit 10 or fewer employees, 18 percent expect to recruit more than 50.

Although workers may be skeptical about the job market, some plan to take advantage of the tightening labor pool for better opportunities. Eight percent plan to change jobs by the end of the year while 14 percent plan to do so in the next six months.

Top Spots for Hiring

For those workers seeking a change in employment, CareerBuilder.com designed a fast guide to strong areas for hiring. Tracking its own data of more than 1.5 million jobs posted in real-time, the guide serves as a leading indicator of locations and professions that are offering more opportunities to today's workers. The following areas for job postings on CareerBuilder.com have increased by more than 20 percent year over year:

Top 10 Job Areas for Hiring

1. Health Care

2. Sales

3. Accounting

4. Finance

5. Engineering

6. Information Technology

7. Customer Service

8. Administrative/Clerical

9. Skilled Labor and Trades

10. Retail

While large metropolitan areas have more jobs listed by default because of their size, they may not always be the ideal places for a job search because of the number of people competing for each position. Measuring the number of jobs posted on CareerBuilder.com in relation to the overall population in the area, the following designated market areas (DMAs) are identified as having the most job openings per resident:

Top 20 DMAs Based on Jobs Per 100,000 Residents

1. Jackson, Tenn.

2. Lafayette, Ind.

3. Phoenix

4. Boise, Idaho

5. Biloxi-Gulfport, Miss.

6. Reno, Nev.

7. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

8. Palm Springs, Calif.

9. Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.

10. Tucson, Ariz.

11. Baltimore

12. Orlando, Fla.

13. Philadelphia

14. Columbia, S.C.

15. Lafayette, La.

16. Fort Myers-Naples, Fla.

17. Binghamton, N.Y.

18. Utica, N.Y.

19. Rockford, Ill.

20. Wichita-Hutchinson, Kan.

[krazeeboi]

That's interesting. I knew Phoenix was experiencing a lot of economic growth, but this ranking demonstrates that the jobs are really there in abundance.

[803metlife]

An AOL feature this morning mentioned Columbia as #14 in top cities for jobs by measuring the numbers of

Top 20 DMAs Based on Jobs Per 100,000 Residents

1. Jackson, Tenn.

2. Lafayette, Ind.

3. Phoenix

4. Boise, Idaho

5. Biloxi-Gulfport, Miss.

6. Reno, Nev.

7. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

8. Palm Springs, Calif.

9. Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.

10. Tucson, Ariz.

11. Baltimore

12. Orlando, Fla.

13. Philadelphia

14. Columbia, S.C.

15. Lafayette, La.

16. Fort Myers-Naples, Fla.

17. Binghamton, N.Y.

18. Utica, N.Y.

19. Rockford, Ill.

20. Wichita-Hutchinson, Kan.

This has been a great year in rankings for Columbia and the whole Midlands area. Columbia is starting to catch alot of peoples attention

[CorgiMatt]

The State Newspaper reports today that The Richland County Recreation Commission is the first in South Carolina to win accreditation from the National Recreation and Park Association. It had to meet many criteria to be eligible. Only 59 recreation commissions in the nation and only 22 in the Southeast have gained this accreditation since the founding of the national organization in 1989.

[krazeeboi]

It would be good to see the city of Columbia's website include a strategic planning section, like that of the city of Raleigh. Very detailed, extensive plans for urban and economic development, transportation planning, etc.--quite impressive. The streetscape plans in particular are very detailed and I like that; it gives you an idea of what to expect from a streetscaping on a particular street.

Edited November 3, 2006 by krazeeboi

[Spartan]

It would be good to see the city of Columbia's website include a strategic planning section, like that of the city of Raleigh. Very detailed, extensive plans for urban and economic development, transportation planning, etc.--quite impressive. The streetscape plans in particular are very detailed and I like that; it gives you an idea of what to expect from a streetscaping on a particular street.

Agreed.

[krazeeboi]

I read on another message board that Cafe Paradiso on Assembly St. is closing, on the heels of Roly Poly on Lady Street also leaving. What's up with that?

[waccamatt]

I've never heard of Cafe Paradiso, where is it? Since I work downtown and go out for lunch every day, if I haven't heard of a place it is probably a good indication of why they are closing, lol.