"Crawl Inside Coco the Colossal Colon."
Thanks, but no.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Arrival
Via the US Postal Service:
Spyderco Tenacious, with 8Cr13Mov flat-ground steel blade and G-10 handle scales. This was the first of the Spydercos built in China, and the fit and finish seems to be of the same high quality as the Japanese or US production. $30.64 from Amazon, with shipping a total outlay of $36.22. A bargain by Spyderco standards. I'll do an update if I encounter any problems with it.
Spyderco Tenacious, with 8Cr13Mov flat-ground steel blade and G-10 handle scales. This was the first of the Spydercos built in China, and the fit and finish seems to be of the same high quality as the Japanese or US production. $30.64 from Amazon, with shipping a total outlay of $36.22. A bargain by Spyderco standards. I'll do an update if I encounter any problems with it.
Nostalgia of the Day
Gainesville, Florida, my home town, is thinking about renovations to Ironwood Golf Course.
The course was private when I was a child, and was the favorite destination of my maternal grandfather, Author William S-----t, affectionately known as "Whitey" to all of his golf buddies. He spent much of his time on the course, either playing or raking golf balls out of the water hazards. When I was a teenager he and I fished in the water hazards, which contained some nice Largemouth Bass, as well as alligators. Going into the rough after balls could be dangerous, as rattlesnakes as well as cottonmouths could be found on the course. My grandfather played golf well into his eighties, stayed in good shape walking the course.
The course was private when I was a child, and was the favorite destination of my maternal grandfather, Author William S-----t, affectionately known as "Whitey" to all of his golf buddies. He spent much of his time on the course, either playing or raking golf balls out of the water hazards. When I was a teenager he and I fished in the water hazards, which contained some nice Largemouth Bass, as well as alligators. Going into the rough after balls could be dangerous, as rattlesnakes as well as cottonmouths could be found on the course. My grandfather played golf well into his eighties, stayed in good shape walking the course.
Enforcing A Gun Law, What A Novel Concept
In Alaska, a criminal received a ten-year prison sentence (the maximum) for being a felon in possession of a gun.
So the stupid SOB will have ten years to reflect on whether he might possibly straighten up and fly right once he gets out, and during that time, the people of Alaska (and the rest of the US) don't have to put up with the crimes he might have committed while free.
I like that sort of gun law.
So the stupid SOB will have ten years to reflect on whether he might possibly straighten up and fly right once he gets out, and during that time, the people of Alaska (and the rest of the US) don't have to put up with the crimes he might have committed while free.
I like that sort of gun law.
Monday, March 29, 2010
In Disarmed UK...
...police are entering unsecured homes without warrant, collecting valuables and placing them in a "swag bag" where the homeowner can find them, all as an object lesson in burglary prevention.
You object? What are you going to do about it, Disarmed Englishman? What if those police had found some of that contraband in your home, that substance you snort up your nose, those pictures hidden on your computer hard drive? What if they had less noble intentions, and planted such contraband in your home?
So, go ahead and complain to your Member of Parliament; and what if he agrees with the police, Disarmed Englishman? You gave up your right to arms, traded your freedom for a little security (as you thought) and now can't even take up arms to prevent the tyranny of the jackboot that enters your home.
You object? What are you going to do about it, Disarmed Englishman? What if those police had found some of that contraband in your home, that substance you snort up your nose, those pictures hidden on your computer hard drive? What if they had less noble intentions, and planted such contraband in your home?
So, go ahead and complain to your Member of Parliament; and what if he agrees with the police, Disarmed Englishman? You gave up your right to arms, traded your freedom for a little security (as you thought) and now can't even take up arms to prevent the tyranny of the jackboot that enters your home.
Weather Report
It was a little bit of an adventure in this part of the world last night.
Sara mentioned that hail fell at her location,and a few tornadoes were reported, one of them was photographed by some motorists:
Sara mentioned that hail fell at her location,and a few tornadoes were reported, one of them was photographed by some motorists:
Volcano Blog: Icelandic Eruption Continues, Great Photos
via the UK Daily Mail:
And:
Icelandic volcanoes aren't of the explosive, gaseous type such as Mt. St. Helen's that lie quiescent for centuries and then explode, blowing their guts out, so thus are rather non-threatening as volcanoes go. Civilized volcanoes, you might say.
And:
Icelandic volcanoes aren't of the explosive, gaseous type such as Mt. St. Helen's that lie quiescent for centuries and then explode, blowing their guts out, so thus are rather non-threatening as volcanoes go. Civilized volcanoes, you might say.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Restaurant Review: Burk's BBQ, Rock Hill, SC
Since we had spent last weekend at the beach with a lot of driving involved, Sara didn't wish to drive long distances today for our weekly BBQ excursion. I recalled reading about barbecue hash in a recent Charlotte Observer food article, and had noted that the restaurant, Burk's BBQ, was in nearby Rock Hill, SC, so we decided to go there.
It's easy to find, right on US 21 in Rock Hill (called Cherry Road there), in a storefront:
A photo of the menu:
You order at the counter and the staff brings the food to you. Sara ordered her customary small pork plate, I ordered my customary large pork plate, and we decided to share a plate of the barbecue hash between us, since it had been the point of the food article.
Here's my plate, with mustard-based sauce, hush puppies and steak fries:
Here's Sara's plate, with the red tomato-based sauce, sides same as mine:
And here is a photo of the barbecue hash. The article from The Charlotte Observer describes it thus: "Take beef brisket, Boston butt pork, sweet red pepper, onion, cook them in a pot for five hours, maybe more, till the meat's just falling apart. Remove any fat. Then add back some of the broth, a little mustard, a dash of vinegar."
The barbecue was outstanding, being moist and succulent, finely chopped, with a good mixture of outside brown meat and inside white meat. The mustard-based sauce on mine was very tasty; in color it wasn't as obviously yellow as other mustard-based sauces I've tried, but there was still a definite mustard tang to it. The tomato-based red sauce in Sara's 'cue was good too, but not quite as good as the mustard-based sauce.
The hash was good, but suffered in comparison with the barbecue, which, as I said already, was outstanding. Sara and I divided the hash between us, and we ate it all in addition to our own plates. It would be a good dish to eat by itself as a change of pace from the barbecue.
The sides were good. The hush puppies were sweet and freshly cooked, as were the large steak fries. Sara had iced tea for her drink, I had Diet Dr. Pepper (it comes in 20-ounce bottles at Burk's).
Still wanting to fill up the corners after that great meal, we decided to try another item from the menu, "apple sticks," which turned out to be small deep-fried turnover-type treats filled with apple pie filling and rolled in cinnamon sugar after frying:
Same size as fried mozzarella sticks or chicken fingers, and simply delicious, cooked to order, so they come to the table hot and fresh. Wonderful.
The restaurant is, as I have said, in a storefront in a strip mall. The walls are covered with photographs of TV and movie stars, mostly from the '70's and '80's. Sara reported that the ladies' room is covered with beefcake pictures of Tom Selleck. Intrigued, I checked the men's room for cheescake pictures of female starlets, but no such luck, the walls there were bare.
Folks, I have to give Burk's BBQ my first 5 out of 5 on my rating scale: 5 out of 5: great; excellent food, cooked fresh. Staff attentive and proactive, management responsive to complaints. Restaurant spotless.
It's well worth visiting.
update: Burk's BBQ is no longer in business as of 10 July 2013.
It's easy to find, right on US 21 in Rock Hill (called Cherry Road there), in a storefront:
A photo of the menu:
You order at the counter and the staff brings the food to you. Sara ordered her customary small pork plate, I ordered my customary large pork plate, and we decided to share a plate of the barbecue hash between us, since it had been the point of the food article.
Here's my plate, with mustard-based sauce, hush puppies and steak fries:
Here's Sara's plate, with the red tomato-based sauce, sides same as mine:
And here is a photo of the barbecue hash. The article from The Charlotte Observer describes it thus: "Take beef brisket, Boston butt pork, sweet red pepper, onion, cook them in a pot for five hours, maybe more, till the meat's just falling apart. Remove any fat. Then add back some of the broth, a little mustard, a dash of vinegar."
The barbecue was outstanding, being moist and succulent, finely chopped, with a good mixture of outside brown meat and inside white meat. The mustard-based sauce on mine was very tasty; in color it wasn't as obviously yellow as other mustard-based sauces I've tried, but there was still a definite mustard tang to it. The tomato-based red sauce in Sara's 'cue was good too, but not quite as good as the mustard-based sauce.
The hash was good, but suffered in comparison with the barbecue, which, as I said already, was outstanding. Sara and I divided the hash between us, and we ate it all in addition to our own plates. It would be a good dish to eat by itself as a change of pace from the barbecue.
The sides were good. The hush puppies were sweet and freshly cooked, as were the large steak fries. Sara had iced tea for her drink, I had Diet Dr. Pepper (it comes in 20-ounce bottles at Burk's).
Still wanting to fill up the corners after that great meal, we decided to try another item from the menu, "apple sticks," which turned out to be small deep-fried turnover-type treats filled with apple pie filling and rolled in cinnamon sugar after frying:
Same size as fried mozzarella sticks or chicken fingers, and simply delicious, cooked to order, so they come to the table hot and fresh. Wonderful.
The restaurant is, as I have said, in a storefront in a strip mall. The walls are covered with photographs of TV and movie stars, mostly from the '70's and '80's. Sara reported that the ladies' room is covered with beefcake pictures of Tom Selleck. Intrigued, I checked the men's room for cheescake pictures of female starlets, but no such luck, the walls there were bare.
Folks, I have to give Burk's BBQ my first 5 out of 5 on my rating scale: 5 out of 5: great; excellent food, cooked fresh. Staff attentive and proactive, management responsive to complaints. Restaurant spotless.
It's well worth visiting.
update: Burk's BBQ is no longer in business as of 10 July 2013.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Understatement of the Day
"In the earlier planes, [Douglas SB2C Helldiver] the pilots were told to not dive for fear the planes would fall apart," said Gurling. "Which wasn't good for a dive bomber."
The remains of a Navy WWII dive bomber have been found in the forests of Oregon by loggers.
The remains of a Navy WWII dive bomber have been found in the forests of Oregon by loggers.
Shipwreck Blog: Unidentified, NC Outer Banks
It might be the earliest discovered on the US coast; coins date it from the time of French king Louis XIII (1601-1643).
Since the ship was constructed of Live Oak (quercus virginiana, probably) its origin was in the New World rather than the Old.
Since the ship was constructed of Live Oak (quercus virginiana, probably) its origin was in the New World rather than the Old.
I Don't Know, But I Think It Will Be Cold...
...when the volcano blows.
Why you should be worried about the antics of a volcano in far-off Iceland:
"When Katla went off in the 1700s, the USA suffered a very cold winter," says Gary Hufford, a scientist with the Alaska Region of the National Weather Service. "To the point, the Mississippi River froze just north of New Orleans and the East Coast, especially New England, had an extremely cold winter.
Mr. Buffett, from before he was a corporate brand and still had his mustache, the shaving off of the one signaling the beginning of the other. Not certain, but that looks like Timothy B. Schmidt (Eagles) on bass; he played with Buffett for a period, I saw them together in Norfolk back around 1983.
Why you should be worried about the antics of a volcano in far-off Iceland:
"When Katla went off in the 1700s, the USA suffered a very cold winter," says Gary Hufford, a scientist with the Alaska Region of the National Weather Service. "To the point, the Mississippi River froze just north of New Orleans and the East Coast, especially New England, had an extremely cold winter.
Mr. Buffett, from before he was a corporate brand and still had his mustache, the shaving off of the one signaling the beginning of the other. Not certain, but that looks like Timothy B. Schmidt (Eagles) on bass; he played with Buffett for a period, I saw them together in Norfolk back around 1983.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
UK: Paramedics As Death Panels?
Looking like it:
A paramedic failed to carry out CPR on a heart attack patient and then left his dead body in a doorway, a hearing was told today.
Bryan George left the man in 'public gaze' collapsed outside his house and drove off, the Health Professions Council heard.
He failed to undertake CPR or take an electrocardiogram and then did not complete a diagnosis of death form before going, it is claimed.
This is the second such story I have found in the UK newspapers recently.
If they aren't actually acting as death panels, they at the very least can be accused of a level of callousness that is unprofessional.
A paramedic failed to carry out CPR on a heart attack patient and then left his dead body in a doorway, a hearing was told today.
Bryan George left the man in 'public gaze' collapsed outside his house and drove off, the Health Professions Council heard.
He failed to undertake CPR or take an electrocardiogram and then did not complete a diagnosis of death form before going, it is claimed.
This is the second such story I have found in the UK newspapers recently.
If they aren't actually acting as death panels, they at the very least can be accused of a level of callousness that is unprofessional.
Obama's Twitter Account Hacked
Story.
Seems like The One is just as clueless as the rest of us when it comes to thinking up account passwords.
Seems like The One is just as clueless as the rest of us when it comes to thinking up account passwords.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Number Of Men Applying For TSA Jobs Skyrockets
"Surgeons are putting exploding breast implants into female suicide bombers that are nearly impossible to detect, The Sun, the British tabloid, reported."
Yah, but you can have a lot of fun doing the bomb checks, at least until one goes off, and dying with a pair of DD's in your sweaty hands ain't too bad a way to die, when you think of it...
Ma'am, we have to inspect those things...form a line, guys, damnit!
Yah, but you can have a lot of fun doing the bomb checks, at least until one goes off, and dying with a pair of DD's in your sweaty hands ain't too bad a way to die, when you think of it...
121 Merit Badges
Eagle Scout Michael Liebig has 'em.
Pic:
Is it possible to actually wear that many simultaneously? Congratulations and well done, in any event.
Pic:
Is it possible to actually wear that many simultaneously? Congratulations and well done, in any event.
Wasn't This A Stephen King Book?
They thought that their cat was dead...but here it was, back again.
There's the cat...and there is a young son, too.
Ooo, I don't think that this is going to turn out too well.
There's the cat...and there is a young son, too.
Ooo, I don't think that this is going to turn out too well.
Like Bacon?
Rhetorical question, I know, but in some parts of UK with large Muslim populations, getting bacon with your sandwich could be problematical.
It's just bacon; you can do without bacon, right? Right?
It's just bacon; you can do without bacon, right? Right?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Who Made You King? LOL!
UK Chef Jamie Oliver, visiting the US on a crusade to combat obesity, encounters some difficult reactions from the people he is trying to "help."
The TV chef’s first stop took him to a radio station where the interviewer made him about as welcome as a bowl of broccoli.
‘We don’t want to sit around eating lettuce all day!’ said DJ Rod Willis on the Rocky n’ Rod morning show at a country radio station.
‘Who made you king?’ he added.
And in West Virginia, no less. Where the populace is made up of the descendants of the Scotch-Irish, who have little reason to love the English.
The TV chef’s first stop took him to a radio station where the interviewer made him about as welcome as a bowl of broccoli.
‘We don’t want to sit around eating lettuce all day!’ said DJ Rod Willis on the Rocky n’ Rod morning show at a country radio station.
‘Who made you king?’ he added.
And in West Virginia, no less. Where the populace is made up of the descendants of the Scotch-Irish, who have little reason to love the English.
Yeah, It Just Ain't The Same, Y'Know?
Liberal anti-war protestors are unhappy.
"I’m not against protesting war, I’m just saying the rallies were so much more focused and fun when Bush was as at the helm."
Yah, you were warned it would be different when you didn't haveNixon Bush to kick around anymore.
h/t Hot Air Headlines.
"I’m not against protesting war, I’m just saying the rallies were so much more focused and fun when Bush was as at the helm."
Yah, you were warned it would be different when you didn't have
h/t Hot Air Headlines.
Today's Quiz
Here is today's quiz, taken from a news story in a prominent newspaper:
People are having sex in public in a lovely wooded area. The solution to this problem is to:
A. Arrest the perverts.
B. Chop down all the trees.
The solution by the Lancashire (UK) government was, of course, B, chop down the trees.
So, we know it's advisable not to report a termite problem in UK, lest your house be burned down to solve the problem.
People are having sex in public in a lovely wooded area. The solution to this problem is to:
A. Arrest the perverts.
B. Chop down all the trees.
The solution by the Lancashire (UK) government was, of course, B, chop down the trees.
So, we know it's advisable not to report a termite problem in UK, lest your house be burned down to solve the problem.
Monday, March 22, 2010
We Speculated That It Might Be A Toyota
While driving back to our hotel from dinner this past Saturday in Southport, we saw the results of an accident at the Kerr Drug store in which a driver went through the store wall.
We didn't get a look at the car involved in the accident at the time, but given all the publicity that Toyotas have received recently, speculated about it being a Toyota. Son of a gun, it looks like our speculation was correct.
We didn't get a look at the car involved in the accident at the time, but given all the publicity that Toyotas have received recently, speculated about it being a Toyota. Son of a gun, it looks like our speculation was correct.
So The Science Ain't Nowhere Near Settled?
All that loss of arctic sea ice? Wind blew it out to sea. That's the new scientific theory.
The answers, my friend, are blowing in the wind...
The answers, my friend, are blowing in the wind...
Volcano Blog: Eyjafjöll, Iceland
Story, with video of eruption.
The volcanoes of Iceland are rift volcanoes that lie upon the mid-Atlantic ridge, where two tectonic plates are pulling apart. These volcanoes typically feature comparatively quiet eruptions, and in sparsely-populated Iceland don't pose much threat to life. The volcano is southeast of the capital Reykjavik, buried under a glacier. Sub-glacial eruptions such as these can pose flooding dangers as the ice is melted from beneath by lava.
Here's a pic taken from video footage, you can see the elongated crater opening that is typical of Icelandic volcanoes.
The volcanoes of Iceland are rift volcanoes that lie upon the mid-Atlantic ridge, where two tectonic plates are pulling apart. These volcanoes typically feature comparatively quiet eruptions, and in sparsely-populated Iceland don't pose much threat to life. The volcano is southeast of the capital Reykjavik, buried under a glacier. Sub-glacial eruptions such as these can pose flooding dangers as the ice is melted from beneath by lava.
Here's a pic taken from video footage, you can see the elongated crater opening that is typical of Icelandic volcanoes.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Update
Still on vacation, but the hotel's wi-fi isn't behaving, so further updates will have to wait until Sunday afternoon when I return home. My apologies.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Vacation Day 2, Southport, NC
Weather-wise, today was absolutely perfect from sunrise to sunset. I finally rolled out of bed at 9:30; Sara had already showered and gone down to breakfast. Our plan was to go to Orton Plantation Gardens for a photo expedition.
The day was warm enough for me to realize that we would likely see reptiles, possibly even alligators. As we drove along the entrance road a turtle sunning on a log confirmed my guess. We stopped off to pay admission, then drove to the parking area to begin our walk. The tour starts at the plantation chapel, which can be booked for weddings:
The doors of the chapel were open, and there were some Carolina Wrens flying around inside, probably looking for nesting sites, since it's mating season for the little birds.
At this point of the season the camellias are in full bloom, and they are everwhere throughout the gardens:
The azaleas aren't yet in bloom, but the flower buds are showing on the bushes, and promise to make their appearance in a week or two, at which point the gardens will be even more full of color than with the camellias.
The paths of the gardens lie along the shores of the Cape Fear River, with a fringe area of flats that had once been given over to rice growing; now there is what appears to be volunteer rice plants growing in the old agricultural area.
The gardens are beautiful in places, as you might imagine:
What is that I see across the lagoon? Is it...yes, it is!
This was the first of four allgators we saw at the gardens; here's #2:
We also saw a rabbit, what looked to be a swamp rabbit, the same species that attacked former president Jimmy Carter:
Here's my personal favorite of the photos I took today, a tree that was leaning over, probably from early in its life, as the branches that originally grew straight outward now had grown to point toward the sunny sky:
It was just a lovely day:
The walk around the gardens (approx. 1 mile) combined with the cool, sweet spring air gave us a good appetite for lunch. We stopped off at Fuzzie Mae's, a soul food restaurant in Southport that we had noticed on a previous trip. Sara ordered fried chicken, I had cheeseburgers. The food was good, and my burgers were truly great. The restaurant was filled with local workers from the Southport area. The only thing that marred the lunch was the unprofessional behavior by one of the waitresses, who complained about a stingy tipper loudly enough for me to hear her. I thought about mentioning her to the manager at the cash register, but ultimately decided not to.
After lunch we sat at the waterfront in downtown Southport, where there were a lot of people out, enjoying the sun.
Sea gulls and other birds flock on the green, waiting for handouts:
After a while we drove out to Caswell Beach and sat beachside, watching the ocean and the people enjoying the beach. A small pod of dolphins was swimming offshore, feeding. After an hour or so we drove back to the hotel, where Sara had a well-deserved nap before supper, which was at Captain Stanley's seafood restaurant. After dinner we went to Oak Island beach to watch the sunset:
The day was warm enough for me to realize that we would likely see reptiles, possibly even alligators. As we drove along the entrance road a turtle sunning on a log confirmed my guess. We stopped off to pay admission, then drove to the parking area to begin our walk. The tour starts at the plantation chapel, which can be booked for weddings:
The doors of the chapel were open, and there were some Carolina Wrens flying around inside, probably looking for nesting sites, since it's mating season for the little birds.
At this point of the season the camellias are in full bloom, and they are everwhere throughout the gardens:
The azaleas aren't yet in bloom, but the flower buds are showing on the bushes, and promise to make their appearance in a week or two, at which point the gardens will be even more full of color than with the camellias.
The paths of the gardens lie along the shores of the Cape Fear River, with a fringe area of flats that had once been given over to rice growing; now there is what appears to be volunteer rice plants growing in the old agricultural area.
The gardens are beautiful in places, as you might imagine:
What is that I see across the lagoon? Is it...yes, it is!
This was the first of four allgators we saw at the gardens; here's #2:
We also saw a rabbit, what looked to be a swamp rabbit, the same species that attacked former president Jimmy Carter:
Here's my personal favorite of the photos I took today, a tree that was leaning over, probably from early in its life, as the branches that originally grew straight outward now had grown to point toward the sunny sky:
It was just a lovely day:
The walk around the gardens (approx. 1 mile) combined with the cool, sweet spring air gave us a good appetite for lunch. We stopped off at Fuzzie Mae's, a soul food restaurant in Southport that we had noticed on a previous trip. Sara ordered fried chicken, I had cheeseburgers. The food was good, and my burgers were truly great. The restaurant was filled with local workers from the Southport area. The only thing that marred the lunch was the unprofessional behavior by one of the waitresses, who complained about a stingy tipper loudly enough for me to hear her. I thought about mentioning her to the manager at the cash register, but ultimately decided not to.
After lunch we sat at the waterfront in downtown Southport, where there were a lot of people out, enjoying the sun.
Sea gulls and other birds flock on the green, waiting for handouts:
After a while we drove out to Caswell Beach and sat beachside, watching the ocean and the people enjoying the beach. A small pod of dolphins was swimming offshore, feeding. After an hour or so we drove back to the hotel, where Sara had a well-deserved nap before supper, which was at Captain Stanley's seafood restaurant. After dinner we went to Oak Island beach to watch the sunset:
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Vacation Day 2, Southport, NC
When we woke up this morning the weather was looking lousy, with the forecasters predicting rain and clouds both today (Thursday) and Friday, with some clearing on Saturday. Not good. We decided that we would drive around downtown Southport and Oak Island, get ourselves more familiar with them, and possibly do some shopping at the antique stores.
Breakfast was at the hotel, and rather blah. Rather than the full cooked buffet available at my own hotel, this Comfort Suites' breakfast is little more than a glorified continental breakfast, with pre-packed biscuit sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs for the guest to pop into the microwave. Ugh.
After breakfast we got underway, heading to Oak Island to do some exploring. It was grey, overcast and there was a drizzling rain coming down, so driving around was pretty much all we were prepared to do. The island is a mix of some moderately luxurious homes on the beach and in some of the newer neighborhoods, but there are plenty of trailers and prefab houses on the island that a working family can afford. Places right on the beach command a premium, as you might expect, with prices over 1 million dollars being commonplace for rather ordinary-looking houses.
After our exploration of the we drove around a bit more, heading up NC 87 and NC 133 in a generally northerly direction. We decided that, having driven that route on a previous visit to the area, that there was no point in continuing in that direction (it's mostly rural wooded area) and turned around, headed back to Oak Island for lunch.
Lunch was at The Bar-B-Que House on Oak Island:
It's a small place, with about a half-dozen booths and some wallside barstool seating. It seems to cater to local residents. Sitting down, I was immediately impressed by the smart array of sauces:
Here's the menu:
We both ordered pork plates, Sara a regular, a large for myself. Here's mine:
Sara's was similar, except for different sides. The pork was good, a nice mixture of outside brown meat with inside white meat, a smoke ring much in evidence on some of the outside brown pieces. It was reasonably moist and very flavorful.
The sauces ran the gamut of Carolinas sauces: Eastern NC vinegar-based sauce, Lexington-style dip, South Carolina mustard-based sauce, and a sweet Memphis-style tomato-based sauce. None of them were particularly good, I'm sorry to say.
Hush puppies were good, being sweet, small and shaped like crescent moons. The hush puppies are also used to make "redneck doughnuts," a dessert in which the pups are rolled in cinnamon sugar immediately after being taken from the oil. Here are some redneck doughnuts, along with some fresh-made banana pudding that Sara had:
I actually liked this restaurant, and the food was good. The waitress was pleasant and attentive, and the management went the extra mile by offering four different sauces, even if they weren't particularly distinguished as sauces go. A fun touch was that the restrooms were labeled boars and sows. They were good, clean restrooms, not pigsties, thankfully.
I'll give The Bar-B-Que House a 4 out of 5 on my rating scale: 4 out of 5: good; tasty, well-prepared food, staff alert, restaurant clean.
After lunch we went down to the Southport downtown to shop, as it looked like the clouds might break and some sunshine break out. This proved to be the case, so we managed to get in a bit of antique shopping. I purchased a "famous Southport Pickle Fork" for $10, here's a pic:
Fork You.
You'll notice that it appears to be a left-handed pickle fork.
Sara, a rabid fan of the old I Love Lucy show, scored bigtime with 3 tin signs and 2 electric switch coverplates.
The weather by this time had gotten so nice that we decided to try visiting Brunswick Town and Orton Plantation Gardens. We thus headed back up NC 133 for the second time of the day.
Brunswick Town is a ghost town of a Revolution-era town on the banks of the Cape Fear River. It was burned by the British during the Revolution to prevent the Patriots from shipping naval stores to the other colonies. During the Civil War the Confederacy built a fort over the ruins as a backup to the defenses at Fort Fisher. The site was preserved mostly unmolested because the owners of nearby Orton Plantation owned the land that the ruins were on.
Archaeological excavations have been done at the site, laying open various homesites; there are also graves from the time of the Revolution and earlier, and the ruins of St. Philip's Church which lie open to the sun and stars:
One of the houses showed evidence of one of the old battles, as a cannon ball is embedded in the brick wall (click the image to get the full sized photo and a helpful arrow pointing at the cannonball).
The weather in this mid-March has been fairly warm; probably the reptiles are stirring a bit, although we didn't see any on our walk around the site. I did find an alligator wallow, where one of the large reptiles regularly enters the water and possibly built a nest nearby:
The visitor's center is informative; one of the artifacts on display is a cannon from a Spanish privateer, the Fortuna, that blew up in the Cape Fear River when its powder magazine exploded during a battle with the Brunswick Town colonists in 1748:
Also in the visitor's center is a wonderful mosaic showing scenes from the history of the colony:
We also saw some dolphins in the Cape Fear River, which was pleasing to both of us.
After leaving Brunswick town we returned to the hotel. Sara had a nap, while I began this entry. I finished it after dinner, which was at a local restaurant, the Surfer. I had a steak and Sara some pork chops; rather ordinary, about the level of a Western Sizzlin or Ryan's. And so back to the hotel and the end of our second day of vacation.
Breakfast was at the hotel, and rather blah. Rather than the full cooked buffet available at my own hotel, this Comfort Suites' breakfast is little more than a glorified continental breakfast, with pre-packed biscuit sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs for the guest to pop into the microwave. Ugh.
After breakfast we got underway, heading to Oak Island to do some exploring. It was grey, overcast and there was a drizzling rain coming down, so driving around was pretty much all we were prepared to do. The island is a mix of some moderately luxurious homes on the beach and in some of the newer neighborhoods, but there are plenty of trailers and prefab houses on the island that a working family can afford. Places right on the beach command a premium, as you might expect, with prices over 1 million dollars being commonplace for rather ordinary-looking houses.
After our exploration of the we drove around a bit more, heading up NC 87 and NC 133 in a generally northerly direction. We decided that, having driven that route on a previous visit to the area, that there was no point in continuing in that direction (it's mostly rural wooded area) and turned around, headed back to Oak Island for lunch.
Lunch was at The Bar-B-Que House on Oak Island:
It's a small place, with about a half-dozen booths and some wallside barstool seating. It seems to cater to local residents. Sitting down, I was immediately impressed by the smart array of sauces:
Here's the menu:
We both ordered pork plates, Sara a regular, a large for myself. Here's mine:
Sara's was similar, except for different sides. The pork was good, a nice mixture of outside brown meat with inside white meat, a smoke ring much in evidence on some of the outside brown pieces. It was reasonably moist and very flavorful.
The sauces ran the gamut of Carolinas sauces: Eastern NC vinegar-based sauce, Lexington-style dip, South Carolina mustard-based sauce, and a sweet Memphis-style tomato-based sauce. None of them were particularly good, I'm sorry to say.
Hush puppies were good, being sweet, small and shaped like crescent moons. The hush puppies are also used to make "redneck doughnuts," a dessert in which the pups are rolled in cinnamon sugar immediately after being taken from the oil. Here are some redneck doughnuts, along with some fresh-made banana pudding that Sara had:
I actually liked this restaurant, and the food was good. The waitress was pleasant and attentive, and the management went the extra mile by offering four different sauces, even if they weren't particularly distinguished as sauces go. A fun touch was that the restrooms were labeled boars and sows. They were good, clean restrooms, not pigsties, thankfully.
I'll give The Bar-B-Que House a 4 out of 5 on my rating scale: 4 out of 5: good; tasty, well-prepared food, staff alert, restaurant clean.
After lunch we went down to the Southport downtown to shop, as it looked like the clouds might break and some sunshine break out. This proved to be the case, so we managed to get in a bit of antique shopping. I purchased a "famous Southport Pickle Fork" for $10, here's a pic:
You'll notice that it appears to be a left-handed pickle fork.
Sara, a rabid fan of the old I Love Lucy show, scored bigtime with 3 tin signs and 2 electric switch coverplates.
The weather by this time had gotten so nice that we decided to try visiting Brunswick Town and Orton Plantation Gardens. We thus headed back up NC 133 for the second time of the day.
Brunswick Town is a ghost town of a Revolution-era town on the banks of the Cape Fear River. It was burned by the British during the Revolution to prevent the Patriots from shipping naval stores to the other colonies. During the Civil War the Confederacy built a fort over the ruins as a backup to the defenses at Fort Fisher. The site was preserved mostly unmolested because the owners of nearby Orton Plantation owned the land that the ruins were on.
Archaeological excavations have been done at the site, laying open various homesites; there are also graves from the time of the Revolution and earlier, and the ruins of St. Philip's Church which lie open to the sun and stars:
One of the houses showed evidence of one of the old battles, as a cannon ball is embedded in the brick wall (click the image to get the full sized photo and a helpful arrow pointing at the cannonball).
The weather in this mid-March has been fairly warm; probably the reptiles are stirring a bit, although we didn't see any on our walk around the site. I did find an alligator wallow, where one of the large reptiles regularly enters the water and possibly built a nest nearby:
The visitor's center is informative; one of the artifacts on display is a cannon from a Spanish privateer, the Fortuna, that blew up in the Cape Fear River when its powder magazine exploded during a battle with the Brunswick Town colonists in 1748:
Also in the visitor's center is a wonderful mosaic showing scenes from the history of the colony:
We also saw some dolphins in the Cape Fear River, which was pleasing to both of us.
After leaving Brunswick town we returned to the hotel. Sara had a nap, while I began this entry. I finished it after dinner, which was at a local restaurant, the Surfer. I had a steak and Sara some pork chops; rather ordinary, about the level of a Western Sizzlin or Ryan's. And so back to the hotel and the end of our second day of vacation.
Vacation, Day 1
We hit the road around 8:30 on Wednesday morning, heading to the coast. We went via North Myrtle Beach this time, as Sara wanted to pick up some pralines in a favorite candy shop there. The pralines were absolutely fresh, still on the metal sheet that they had been made on, as a matter of fact, and the clerk had to transfer them from that to a box with a spatula. These pralines are chock-full of whole pecans.
After leaving the candy shop we headed up the coast to Calabash, where we dined on seafood at Captain Nance's, right on the Intracoastal Waterway. Sara had a plate of Calabash-style shrimp (breaded lightly, deep-fried) while I had the same with the a deviled crab thrown in for good measure.
After lunch we did some shopping in Calabash; there is a holiday-themed store there that sells every sort of gift you can possibly imagine, including nautical stuff, since it is on the coast. Apparently the place started as a single store in a strip mall, then acquired other stores in the same complex as time went by, until now they own the entire strip mall and you can walk from one end to the other without leaving the inside of the store, walls between the individual shops having been altered to allow shoppers easy access. Sara found a porcelain "I Love Lucy" mug (she's a huge fan of the old show); I didn't buy anything, but looked longingly at some brass ships' bells (the real thing, huge and expensive).
Shopping finished we got underway again, and headed up the coast to Southport, arriving at the hotel just around 3 o'clock, check-in time. The room is nice; two queen beds, alcove with pull-out couch, free wi-fi. We spent some time unpacking and catching up on Facebook until dinner time; dinner was at a pizza place we had discovered on a previous trip to the area; Sara had lasagna, I had linguini alfredo. After dinner we drove through the downtown Southport area, both of us happy to see the small, attractive town again, with its wood-framed Victorian-era houses everywhere, its many antique shops and boutiques, and the public park down by the banks of the Cape Fear River, across which you can see Oak Island (the lighthouse prominent there, its light active and flashing) and Bald Head Island. We saw several houses we'd be tempted to buy if we ever hit the lottery, a few of them right on the waterfront.
And so, since it was soon too dark to continue our drive, we returned to the hotel, happy and content with the day's progress.
After leaving the candy shop we headed up the coast to Calabash, where we dined on seafood at Captain Nance's, right on the Intracoastal Waterway. Sara had a plate of Calabash-style shrimp (breaded lightly, deep-fried) while I had the same with the a deviled crab thrown in for good measure.
After lunch we did some shopping in Calabash; there is a holiday-themed store there that sells every sort of gift you can possibly imagine, including nautical stuff, since it is on the coast. Apparently the place started as a single store in a strip mall, then acquired other stores in the same complex as time went by, until now they own the entire strip mall and you can walk from one end to the other without leaving the inside of the store, walls between the individual shops having been altered to allow shoppers easy access. Sara found a porcelain "I Love Lucy" mug (she's a huge fan of the old show); I didn't buy anything, but looked longingly at some brass ships' bells (the real thing, huge and expensive).
Shopping finished we got underway again, and headed up the coast to Southport, arriving at the hotel just around 3 o'clock, check-in time. The room is nice; two queen beds, alcove with pull-out couch, free wi-fi. We spent some time unpacking and catching up on Facebook until dinner time; dinner was at a pizza place we had discovered on a previous trip to the area; Sara had lasagna, I had linguini alfredo. After dinner we drove through the downtown Southport area, both of us happy to see the small, attractive town again, with its wood-framed Victorian-era houses everywhere, its many antique shops and boutiques, and the public park down by the banks of the Cape Fear River, across which you can see Oak Island (the lighthouse prominent there, its light active and flashing) and Bald Head Island. We saw several houses we'd be tempted to buy if we ever hit the lottery, a few of them right on the waterfront.
And so, since it was soon too dark to continue our drive, we returned to the hotel, happy and content with the day's progress.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Vacation Time!
Sara and I will be heading for the coast today, specifically Southport, NC and environs. We'll be visiting Brunswick Town and the gardens at Orton Plantation, in addition to antique shopping in Southport itself and, of course, beach activities.
I'll be taking my netbook and camera, and will try to do some blogging from the road.
I'll be taking my netbook and camera, and will try to do some blogging from the road.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Well, What Did You Expect?
He had to be shamed into wearing a flag lapel pin, so of course he'll have to shamed into flying a flag in Haiti.
Patriot of the Year Award...
...goes to Karl Winn of Taunton, Somerset (UK). Mr. Winn, the head of a net design company, would rather employ pedophiles than military veterans:
Karl Winn, 60, said he would rather 'recruit ex-drug dealers, convicts and child molesters' than employ former servicemen or women.
His comments came after he was contacted by Forces Recruitment Services and asked if he would consider taking on ex-soldiers at his net design company Webeurope.
Mr Winn, of Taunton, Somerset, wrote back: 'Personally, I'd rather recruit ex-drug dealers, convicts and even child molesters rather than consider anybody who has been in the pay of the British Government.'
'Anybody who has been in the pay of such a military force, and by their silence and complicity has condoned such illegal and immoral actions while accepting a monthly bloodstained pay-packet , certainly won't be considered for employment by us.'
'The reality for the families of their victims is that there will never be any justice, and there never will be any closure, for the loss of a son, a husband, a child, or a family member who has fallen victim to British Military personnel who are going beyond 'just doing their job'.
Time for a little Kipling, I think:
TOMMY by Rudyard Kipling
I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.
Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.
We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.
You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!
Karl Winn, 60, said he would rather 'recruit ex-drug dealers, convicts and child molesters' than employ former servicemen or women.
His comments came after he was contacted by Forces Recruitment Services and asked if he would consider taking on ex-soldiers at his net design company Webeurope.
Mr Winn, of Taunton, Somerset, wrote back: 'Personally, I'd rather recruit ex-drug dealers, convicts and even child molesters rather than consider anybody who has been in the pay of the British Government.'
'Anybody who has been in the pay of such a military force, and by their silence and complicity has condoned such illegal and immoral actions while accepting a monthly bloodstained pay-packet , certainly won't be considered for employment by us.'
'The reality for the families of their victims is that there will never be any justice, and there never will be any closure, for the loss of a son, a husband, a child, or a family member who has fallen victim to British Military personnel who are going beyond 'just doing their job'.
Time for a little Kipling, I think:
TOMMY by Rudyard Kipling
I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.
Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.
We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.
You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!
Looks Like The US's Newest Serial Killer Is...
...Antwan Maurice Pittman of Rocky Mount, NC.
Hee Haw salutes the city of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, population fifty-seven thousand...and ten.
SAAAAAAALUTE!
Hee Haw salutes the city of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, population fifty-seven thousand...and ten.
SAAAAAAALUTE!
Monday, March 15, 2010
It Had A Mind Of Its Own, Apparently
In a local Charlotte story, a gun (inanimate object) decided to take matters into its own hands:
An apparent episode of road rage in south Charlotte ended with five teenagers in custody and another teen injured.
Police were still sorting out details Sunday night, but said a teenager driving a Ford Focus got into an argument with a group of teenagers in a Ford Explorer on Fairview Road near Carmel Road.
The fight escalated, and the first teen, who has not been identified by police, confronted the five teenagers in the SUV, officers said.
“He actually got out of the car because he saw the driver of the other vehicle with a gun,” said Sgt. Bob Cooke of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Dept. Cooke said the gun looked “like an AK-47.” During the confrontation, said Cooke, the gun fired and injured the first teen.
Get that? Not one of the punkass teenage delinquents opened fire, but "the gun fired and injured the first teen."
You know what? Here on the desk near my left hand is a .45 Ruger revolver; a few feet away is a Russian surplus bolt-action rifle; neither of them has fired in this house the entire time I have owned them. And further, neither of them has fired anywhere else except when myself or someone with me was holding said gun, and placed finger pressure on the trigger. As a general rule, guns won't fire except in such circumstances.
I know that reporters have to qualify their statements, but damnation, guns don't fire themselves. People fire them.
An apparent episode of road rage in south Charlotte ended with five teenagers in custody and another teen injured.
Police were still sorting out details Sunday night, but said a teenager driving a Ford Focus got into an argument with a group of teenagers in a Ford Explorer on Fairview Road near Carmel Road.
The fight escalated, and the first teen, who has not been identified by police, confronted the five teenagers in the SUV, officers said.
“He actually got out of the car because he saw the driver of the other vehicle with a gun,” said Sgt. Bob Cooke of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Dept. Cooke said the gun looked “like an AK-47.” During the confrontation, said Cooke, the gun fired and injured the first teen.
Get that? Not one of the punkass teenage delinquents opened fire, but "the gun fired and injured the first teen."
You know what? Here on the desk near my left hand is a .45 Ruger revolver; a few feet away is a Russian surplus bolt-action rifle; neither of them has fired in this house the entire time I have owned them. And further, neither of them has fired anywhere else except when myself or someone with me was holding said gun, and placed finger pressure on the trigger. As a general rule, guns won't fire except in such circumstances.
I know that reporters have to qualify their statements, but damnation, guns don't fire themselves. People fire them.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Earl Robbins, 1923-2010, Catawba Indian Potter: R.I.P.
"End of an era" is how this Charlotte Observer story describes the passing of Catawba potter Earl Robbins.
He did beautiful work, as clicking on the slide show at the link will attest; here's a sample:
He did beautiful work, as clicking on the slide show at the link will attest; here's a sample:
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