Belinda Gergel is at the lectern, with Daniel Coble to her right. That's Mike Miller in the khaki suit to your right, and behind him to his right is Kathryn Fenner. Steve Morrison is the tall guy in the dark suit at the back, and Walid Hakim is on the viewer's far left, with the walking stick.
OK, so I made it over to Chez Gergel for the announcement previously mentioned. Not much new to report, except to say that this was a major boost for Daniel Coble. If next Tuesday’s voting follows a logical course, he should at least make it into a runoff now.
In addition to the aforementioned big endorsements, Kit Smith was there (with a new grandchild). So was our own Kathryn Fenner, and Walid Hakim, last seen being an unleader of the Occupy Columbia movement. And of course Bud and Julia Ferillo.
There was such a frenzy of endorsing going on that I almost got swept up in it, through no fault of my own. A nice lady wearing a Coble sticker came up to me while I was speaking to Walid, and, gesturing with a camera, said she would need me in a moment. I paused to say “What for?” She said she needed my picture with Daniel. I explained that unlike all the neighborhood folk there, I was not there to endorse Daniel, but to cover the event. I was pretty emphatic about it, since Daniel had just taken out an ad on the blog, and I didn’t want anyone to get confused and think that meant I was on board.
The lady seemed surprised at my words. I found out why a few minutes later. She thought I was Mike Miller. This has happened before, back in our newsroom days. Yes, I sort of generally look vaguely like Mike, particularly if our hair is cut the same and I’m wearing my wirerims (which you seldom see, although that’s what I was wearing in that Ariail caricature I referred to recently). And Mike had been wearing a khaki suit during the formal announcement, but had taken it off, and I had on a khaki suit coat.
Anyway…
Later in the day, I may post video. Now, to lunch…
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Why do people feel the need to stand behind a speaker? Is mugging for the camera really that big of a deal?
Does Walid Hakim have a job or is he just the modern day Kevin Gray?
I have no idea in what way Walid is employed. I’ve never asked.
The people are standing behind the speaker because Belinda asked them to. She said she wanted some of the “hoodies” (as in, people from the neighborhood) who were standing in her front garden looking on to get behind her and Coble and Miller and Morrison. That’s when Kathryn and the rest moved into the picture.
Alway’s make sure the tall guy wearing toe shoes gets to the front of a group photo.
It looks to me like the more serious people found their way to the back of the picture. Are they hiding from the front row crew?
If Walid Hakim is who I think he is, he used to be a Ft. Jackson civilian policeman but had an incident with a City of Columbia officer, and is no longer at Ft. Jackson. His family also used to own the “College Mart” and maybe the Subway restaurant in 5-points. I think he worked there after the Ft. Jackson stint. He might get some sort of salary from Carolina Peace, but I don’t know.
Anyways, he’s a pleasant enough fellow, if he’s the guy I’m thinking of, but I couldn’t disagree with him more on most issues.
Will someone please take Walid to Goodwill and buy him some socks and shoes? How classless does one have to show up at any event barefoot?
He’s not barefoot. As Mark notes, he’s wearing “toe shoes” — shoes shaped like human feet, right down to the separate toes. Sort of like a foot glove.
Like these.
@ Steven – perhaps he doesn’t want to support the evil industrialist shoe companies and their ilk?
His walking stick, pants, shirt and glasses may have been crafted by local indigenous unionized craftspeople in the Columbia area who use only recycled, green materials and are paid a fair, living wage and who deliver their products by bicycle or by foot.
@Brad – other than the red dot between his “market piggy” and his “stayed home piggy”, the toe shoes must be flesh colored, white or “nude” colored…
Can you provide a higher resolution image of the alleged shoes? We should investigate before he is wrongly convicted of wearing white shoes before Easter…
Glad to have the happy feet issue cleared up.
http://birthdayshoes.com/j-j-casuals-shoes-that-look-like-feet
Oh you mean the idea that was stolen from Al Bundy.
http://www.defynewyork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Screenshot2011-06-29at70915PM.png
Okay, so there just might be something dumber than showing up to an event in flip-flops.
Since suspicion has been raised as to a possibly heinous act on Walid’s part (“wearing white shoes before Easter”), I took a look at the original image and blew up the feet.
They appear to be a sort of silvery-gray, with a reddish color between the toes.
The happy feet visuals may be “gay code” — what are the Harpootlian’s thoughts on this?
Brad, please post the closeup for our collective inspection.
Kathryn is not going to be happy that Daniel Coble got upstaged by a pair of shoes. And not even his own shoes.
My dears–surely one knows that the custom in colonies of only wearing white footwear between Memorial Day and Labour Day is a misinterpretation of the correct attire; to wit: one wears white when it is warm out of doors. In civilized places, this coincides with the summer. In many of the godforsaken colonies, one may safely wear white most of the year.
(The horror!)
@ Kathryn http://carolshouse.com/carolsblog/?p=10
perhaps you were not indoctrinated?
@Rick–One does not take one’s style rules from this thing they call a “blog.” Heavens!
This first came to one’s attention when the then Duchess of York, commonly referred to as “Fergie,” wore white shoes to a function in Washingtom in April or May. Miss Manners averred that the Duchess was quite correct as the weather was rather warm.
What I want to know is: Who sold/gave Daniel Coble their email list? I definitely didn’t sign up to get his campaign emails, and yet I get them. Some low-down-dirty-good-for-nothing politico has sold me out, and I am not pleased about it.
And Miss Manners is ALWAYS right!
Geez, Silence–I think I’ve gotten maybe ten over six months? Is this so horrible?
@’Kathryn – I just want to know who sold me out is all. I actually read them, otherwise I wouldn’t know who is endorsing him, or when to go to cousin Belinda’s.
I see Walid “aka/ Alvin Green, Jr. Jr.” Hakim has thrown his name into the hat for a State House seat.
@Kathryn – “@Rick–One does not take one’s style rules from this thing they call a “blog.” ”
Even if her name is The Shop Tart?
@ Steven Davis II
A State House seat?! What do you think Walid Hakim’s latest ‘message’ is with that ridiculous get up?
Walk gayly and carry a big stick? That guy has more props/identities/slogans than a high school drama department.
One does not take style cues from the chic Madame la Tart. She is in a wholly different league financially, age, figure type, lifestyle….one is far more constrained.
@Silence– If BFG is indeed your cousin, I’d look there. Also, Charles “Bud” Ferillo….
@obie – I don’t think he knows what message he’s is… which is why he was a leader of the Occupy Columbia movement. “What do we want? We don’t know. When do we want it? We’ll let you know.”
@kathryn – nah, not on their email lists. Maybe cameron or mayor Benjamin? I’m not even in that district. Maybe another former dem candidate or their advisor shared their list. Somehow i also got on the ” wonen in politics” email list. Havent figured that out either. Maybe Walid signed me up?
Steven Davis II: Walid is /not/ the ‘leader’ of Occupy Columbia. Occupy Columbia does /not/ have any leaders. There are prominent members of Occupy Columbia who through whatever set of circumstances were seen more in the media, but Walid does not think of himself as any kind of leader for Occupy Columbia. Occupy Columbia does have a very clear message. It’s really not our fault if you just haven’t made the effort to inquire about it. Occupy Columbia wants our Government to stop allowing lobbyists and corporations to override the power of a single persons vote to the point where the importance of a community to go out and vote is drastically diminished.
@Justin – Okay then, “spokesman”/”chief camera mugger”.
Good luck as his campaign chairman… it appears that’s the message you’re trying to push. He’s still doesn’t have a chance in hell of ever winning a political seat in this state.
How’d that Occupy thing work out for you? Time would have been better spent sitting on a bus stop bench.
@ Steven–You will never understand why what Justin and Walid did mattered to them and to us, but I see it clearly.
Rregrettably, I have only literally stood up (as opposed to writing or speaking at a meeting) a few times in public for my beliefs, and it changes you deeply. Sitting behind a computer screen doesn’t even come close.
If we didn’t have such a robust social safety net already – those occupy hippies would have needed to be working at jobs instead of woodstocking it up at the State Capitol.
The Occupy movement is just another example of a small special interest group wanting undue influence on the legislative process – no different than a lobbyist or a corporate person.
“@ Steven–You will never understand why what Justin and Walid did mattered to them and to us, but I see it clearly.”
Vagrancy and not bathing for weeks changes your life for the better?
@ Steven–Like I said….
@ Silence–Most of the Occupy “hippies” have jobs. They protested in their free time.
@ Kathryn – but we can agree with the statement that the OWS folks are just another special interest group trying to achieve special influence on the legislative process?
I still maintain that “Most” of them don’t have jobs.
“@ Silence–Most of the Occupy “hippies” have jobs. They protested in their free time.”
What about the ones were were there 24/7?
The Occupy movement is just another example of a small special interest group wanting undue influence on the legislative process – no different than a lobbyist or a corporate person.
-Silence
The Occupy movement is nowhere near as influential as the corporate elitists who have successfully lobbied for huge government largesse. But at least the occupiers can serve to balance the scales a tiny bit.
“But at least the occupiers can serve to balance the scales a tiny bit.”
Oh really… like putting an ocean liner on one side of the scale and a paper clip on the other?
@ Steven – You mean the hippies that were there illegally camping while the Democratically run city of Columbia did nothing to enforce the law?
@ Silence – Yep, the ones you’d see brushing their teeth in the morning and spitting in the trees… to include one Mr. Walid Hakim as recently as their failed revival attempt.
The County sent an extra voter registration card to my house addressed to the previous occupant – WHICH MEANS I NOW GET TO VOTE TWICE! My vote(s) now counts 2X as much as everyone elses.
2X the Silence tomorrow in the City of Columbia! Will I vote against myself and cancel out my vote? Who knows?
A photo ID requirement would stop me from fraudulently voting the second time (or will it be the first time?) Fortunately, all I need is the slip of paper that the County erroneously sent to my house!