Saturday I was flying solo, my partner-in-crime Sara was battling an illness of some sort. I decided to go to the Albemarle, North Carolina area to visit Morrow Mountain State Park to see fall foliage. There are also a couple of barbecue restaurants in the Albemarle area that I haven't yet visited. Both of these are on US 52.
I first tried Whispering Pines BBQ:
Whispering Pines BBQ is a very small restaurant, not much bigger than a classic diner, with a half-dozen booths and a lunch counter; they also have a huge woodpile out back, always a promising sight to a barbecue lover:
Unfortunately for me, Whispering Pines was already full of diners at just after noon, all booths and counter space taken, so I headed up the road to the other BBQ place on US 52, Log Cabin BBQ:
Here's the menu:
Aaaaand here's the food, a pork plate:
The pork was a good mix of outside brown and inside white, chopped fine. It was a little dry, so I added some of the Lexington-style sauce: mostly vinegar, but some tomato and red pepper flakes; pretty good sauce, actually. Since the "roll" listed on the menu turned out to be a toasted hamburger bun, I used part of the pork to make a sandwich. Fries were the usual crinkle-cuts, and the hush puppies were edible, if a little bland. The drink, a Diet Coke, included a small pitcher so I could pour my own refills, a nice touch. The waitress was polite, friendly and prompt.
I'll give Log Cabin BBQ a 3 on my 5-rating of BBQ restaurants: 3 out of 5: average; reasonably good food, moderate effort by staff/management.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Want.
A Haynes auto repair shop manual for the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701).
Sample pic:
I'm glad they show the old-fashioned tubular warp nacelles from the original series, rather than the rectangular ones that were introduced with Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
I used to have a very similar book called Mr. Scott's Guide To the Enterprise that was published back in the 1980's.
Yah, I'm a Star Trek geek. So sue me.
Sample pic:
I'm glad they show the old-fashioned tubular warp nacelles from the original series, rather than the rectangular ones that were introduced with Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
I used to have a very similar book called Mr. Scott's Guide To the Enterprise that was published back in the 1980's.
Yah, I'm a Star Trek geek. So sue me.
Can I Hate These Particular Muslims?
A couple decided to renew their marriage vows in the Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean, which is a Sunni Muslim country. An employee of the hotel they were staying at asked to give a "blessing" in the native Dhiveli language.
The blessing, which was taped and uploaded to YouTube, wasn't quite what the couple expected:
"You are swine. The children that you bear from this marriage will all be bastard swine. Your marriage is not a valid one," he intoned as the couple held up their hands in prayer, blissfully unaware of what was being said.
Dismissing them as pork-eating "infidels", the employee went on: "You are not the kind of people who can have a valid marriage. One of you is an infidel. The other too is an infidel and, we have reason to believe, an atheist who does not even believe in an infidel religion.
"You fornicate and make a lot of children. You drink and you eat pork. Most of the children that you have are marked with spots and blemishes."
Several other staff members were present at the ceremony but said nothing. One appeared to be stifling a laugh.
The "celebrant", identified as Hussein Didi, made reference to bestiality and "frequent fornication by homosexuals". Close inspection of the official-looking document in front of him reveals it to be a copy of the staff employment regulations.
The video was shot by hotel employees who can be heard sniggering in the background and debating whether or not the bride is wearing a bra. "Don't look at the breasts!" says one as the bride leans over in her white wedding gown to plant a coconut palm. "My beard has gone grey watching those things. I have seen so many of them now that I don't even want to look any more when I see them."
A similar situation existed in Morocco when I was living in Spain in the 1980's. USO tours to Tangiers had to warn tourists against buying a particular t-shirt featuring a camel and Arabic script, because the script translated to Infidels Suck! Idiots who get tattoos featuring Chinese or Japanese "Kanji" characters are also in danger from pranksters, even celebrities such as Britney Spears have been conned in such a manner.
The blessing, which was taped and uploaded to YouTube, wasn't quite what the couple expected:
"You are swine. The children that you bear from this marriage will all be bastard swine. Your marriage is not a valid one," he intoned as the couple held up their hands in prayer, blissfully unaware of what was being said.
Dismissing them as pork-eating "infidels", the employee went on: "You are not the kind of people who can have a valid marriage. One of you is an infidel. The other too is an infidel and, we have reason to believe, an atheist who does not even believe in an infidel religion.
"You fornicate and make a lot of children. You drink and you eat pork. Most of the children that you have are marked with spots and blemishes."
Several other staff members were present at the ceremony but said nothing. One appeared to be stifling a laugh.
The "celebrant", identified as Hussein Didi, made reference to bestiality and "frequent fornication by homosexuals". Close inspection of the official-looking document in front of him reveals it to be a copy of the staff employment regulations.
The video was shot by hotel employees who can be heard sniggering in the background and debating whether or not the bride is wearing a bra. "Don't look at the breasts!" says one as the bride leans over in her white wedding gown to plant a coconut palm. "My beard has gone grey watching those things. I have seen so many of them now that I don't even want to look any more when I see them."
A similar situation existed in Morocco when I was living in Spain in the 1980's. USO tours to Tangiers had to warn tourists against buying a particular t-shirt featuring a camel and Arabic script, because the script translated to Infidels Suck! Idiots who get tattoos featuring Chinese or Japanese "Kanji" characters are also in danger from pranksters, even celebrities such as Britney Spears have been conned in such a manner.
You Sell the Tickets, I'll Sell the Popcorn...
...while we watch these two poor buggers drown.
In UK, two men drowning in a frozen lake were refused help by firefighters.
In UK, two men drowning in a frozen lake were refused help by firefighters.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Well, It COULD Happen, But It's Not the Way To Bet
A 70-year-old Kentucky woman was inspired to become a National Rifle Association-certified gun safety instructor after four evangelical Christian men tried to force their way into her house while proselytizing her.
Which is a sort of weird home invasion scenario, if you ask me. Here in Charlotte your usual suspects are young, black, wearing dreadlocks and answer to names like "Dantoine" or "DeMarcus" or "Demetrius" or "DeAngelo," and they sure as shit don't care if you've asked Jesus into your heart.
Update: Just for an example of what I mean: "Dajuan Marquis Avant."
Which is a sort of weird home invasion scenario, if you ask me. Here in Charlotte your usual suspects are young, black, wearing dreadlocks and answer to names like "Dantoine" or "DeMarcus" or "Demetrius" or "DeAngelo," and they sure as shit don't care if you've asked Jesus into your heart.
Update: Just for an example of what I mean: "Dajuan Marquis Avant."
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Madonna To Open Gymnasium Chain
Because Lord knows, we all need arms like chimpanzees:
Or:
Madge's arms have gotten so repulsive that she typically has to wear arm-length gloves in public to prevent people vomiting when they see her.
Or:
Madge's arms have gotten so repulsive that she typically has to wear arm-length gloves in public to prevent people vomiting when they see her.
Happy Birthday To Meeeeeeeeeeeee...
...*SPLAT*
Mix: 1 21-year-old UKman boy;
Lots of alcohol, and
1 30-foot high bridge, and you get:
The newest temporary resident of the Exeter morgue.
Mix: 1 21-year-old UK
Lots of alcohol, and
1 30-foot high bridge, and you get:
The newest temporary resident of the Exeter morgue.
Looks Like Tempers Flaring...
...between the hippies and the rednecks.
h/t Confederate Yankee.
If you're convinced of the existence of a cold civil war in this country between the ideologues on the extreme left and the extreme right, as I am, this shouldn't surprise you.
h/t Confederate Yankee.
If you're convinced of the existence of a cold civil war in this country between the ideologues on the extreme left and the extreme right, as I am, this shouldn't surprise you.
Creepy-Crawlies of the Carolinas
I don't want to boast, but I could probably teach this class myself.
Pic:
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
Pic:
Now That He's Killed Jesus...
...maybe he'll finally see some serious prison time.
Here in North Carolina, like all too many jurisdictions throughout the US, a drunk can get away with DUI almost indefinitely, as long as he doesn't kill anyone. The drunkard Kevin O'Hagan his finally killed someone.
*shakes head sadly*
Here in North Carolina, like all too many jurisdictions throughout the US, a drunk can get away with DUI almost indefinitely, as long as he doesn't kill anyone. The drunkard Kevin O'Hagan his finally killed someone.
*shakes head sadly*
If You Accept Our Apology, Drool Once; If You Reject It, Drool Twice
Over in UK, a registered nurse with the National Health Service turned off the life support machine of a quadriplegic, leaving him without oxygen for 21 minutes, which resulted in brain damage that rendered him an idiot.
The worst part about this is that the man, Jamie Merrett, apparently had so little confidence in the NHS staff to do its job properly that he had a closed-circuit camera installed in his room that filmed the disaster. His fear turned out to be well-founded.
The paragraph in the story that outrages me the most, however, is this one:
NHS Wiltshire declined to answer questions but said in a statement: “We have apologised to the patient and his family for this, and have put in place a series of actions to ensure that such an event will not occur again either for this patient or others.” (bolding mine).
Sorry about that, m'lad. These things happen, you know.
The worst part about this is that the man, Jamie Merrett, apparently had so little confidence in the NHS staff to do its job properly that he had a closed-circuit camera installed in his room that filmed the disaster. His fear turned out to be well-founded.
The paragraph in the story that outrages me the most, however, is this one:
NHS Wiltshire declined to answer questions but said in a statement: “We have apologised to the patient and his family for this, and have put in place a series of actions to ensure that such an event will not occur again either for this patient or others.” (bolding mine).
Sorry about that, m'lad. These things happen, you know.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Hard To Justify Self-Defense...
...in this case:
Police also arrested a Williston man Friday evening at Whispers.
A call was received from Whispers at 8:15 p.m. Friday that a customer had used a handgun to shoot a urinal in the men’s bathroom.
*voice of Time-Life cowpoke advertising The Gunfighters:* "Jason D. Pietrzak, who was so mean he once shot a urinal for stinkin'..."
Police also arrested a Williston man Friday evening at Whispers.
A call was received from Whispers at 8:15 p.m. Friday that a customer had used a handgun to shoot a urinal in the men’s bathroom.
*voice of Time-Life cowpoke advertising The Gunfighters:* "Jason D. Pietrzak, who was so mean he once shot a urinal for stinkin'..."
Saturday, October 23, 2010
It's Been a Long Time...
...since I've read a book by Louis L'Amour; I'd forgotten how good a writer he was.
End of the Drive. I hadn't read this one before, it's a short story collection, one of them a William Tell Sackett story; you L'Amour fans know what that means.
I had the great fortune to get L'Amour's autograph the year before he died, it's one of my treasured possessions.
When I've been reading too much news, especially of the mean-spirited political sort, escaping into a Louis L'Amour novel is a great antidote. I recommend it heartily to anyone.
End of the Drive. I hadn't read this one before, it's a short story collection, one of them a William Tell Sackett story; you L'Amour fans know what that means.
I had the great fortune to get L'Amour's autograph the year before he died, it's one of my treasured possessions.
When I've been reading too much news, especially of the mean-spirited political sort, escaping into a Louis L'Amour novel is a great antidote. I recommend it heartily to anyone.
Dial For Men, The Soap Of Mall Ninjas
It has 3D odor-fighting ability! It is in a manly blue color! It has finger grooves just like a Glock, because when you're a manly Mall Ninja, you don't want to be dropping the soap in the shower, If You Know What I Mean And I Think You Do (wink, wink).
Here's a pic so you can see what I'm getting at:
Here's a pic so you can see what I'm getting at:
One Very Lucky Sailor
He went overboard off Cape Hatteras, but was rescued.
And he utilized training all sailors get in boot camp, using his uniform as a makeshift life preserver (catch a bubble of air in it by slapping it down on the surface of the water).
He's lucky because it's extremely hard to see a swimmer in the open sea, unless the water is very calm. In any sort of windy conditions it's nearly impossible to spot someone, especially when they are little more than a head sticking out of the water. US Navy life vests usually have dye marker packets attached to them, but of course this sailor wasn't wearing a life vest when he went overboard (wearing life vests during anything other than abandon ship drills isn't usually done, except by boat crews and flight deck personnel on aircraft carriers).
And he utilized training all sailors get in boot camp, using his uniform as a makeshift life preserver (catch a bubble of air in it by slapping it down on the surface of the water).
He's lucky because it's extremely hard to see a swimmer in the open sea, unless the water is very calm. In any sort of windy conditions it's nearly impossible to spot someone, especially when they are little more than a head sticking out of the water. US Navy life vests usually have dye marker packets attached to them, but of course this sailor wasn't wearing a life vest when he went overboard (wearing life vests during anything other than abandon ship drills isn't usually done, except by boat crews and flight deck personnel on aircraft carriers).
Demise of the Bidet
Not that you were ever likely to see one here in the US, save in places like Hollywood.
We had one in our apartment in Spain, but we never used it; we'd usually take a quick shower, instead. Only now, when I'm fat and have lots of folds and creases in the area of my privates, do I see the utility of being able to rinse off your privates without taking a full shower. TMI, no doubt.
We had one in our apartment in Spain, but we never used it; we'd usually take a quick shower, instead. Only now, when I'm fat and have lots of folds and creases in the area of my privates, do I see the utility of being able to rinse off your privates without taking a full shower. TMI, no doubt.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Note
I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, with a slight fever, chills, and general queasiness. I'm going to take the day off and rest. Naturally enough this happens on my payday.
*shakes head sadly*
*shakes head sadly*
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Mario Vargas Llosa On E-Books
Vargas Llosa just won the Nobel Prize for Literature, if any of you are uncertain of who he is.
``I have also seen many people reading e-books while traveling on planes,'' he said. ``And I have to confess that I felt some shudders the other day when I went to a book store on [New York's] Fifth Avenue and I found that the whole first floor was in effect dedicated to promoting e-books. Paper-made books, which in my mind has always been what I have associated with the idea of a book, have been expelled to the upper stories of the book store.
``Paper-made books will survive, but they will probably be condemned to the margins, and at the end of the day they will be on their way to the catacombs,'' Vargas Llosa said. ``Perhaps this marginal book will somehow compensate its lesser audience with greater rigor, greater quality, greater creativity.''
In the future, paper books will be relegated to the craftsman, who will painstakingly produce beautiful books for the wealthy and the collector to accumulate, much as someone might collect Ming vases now. The masses will all read books electronically, and won't need or be able to afford such books. As time goes on, the contents of such books will be less important than the skill of the craftsman to make them, so these books will become symbols only, a way for a (supposedly) educated person to preen about their education and taste.
``I have also seen many people reading e-books while traveling on planes,'' he said. ``And I have to confess that I felt some shudders the other day when I went to a book store on [New York's] Fifth Avenue and I found that the whole first floor was in effect dedicated to promoting e-books. Paper-made books, which in my mind has always been what I have associated with the idea of a book, have been expelled to the upper stories of the book store.
``Paper-made books will survive, but they will probably be condemned to the margins, and at the end of the day they will be on their way to the catacombs,'' Vargas Llosa said. ``Perhaps this marginal book will somehow compensate its lesser audience with greater rigor, greater quality, greater creativity.''
In the future, paper books will be relegated to the craftsman, who will painstakingly produce beautiful books for the wealthy and the collector to accumulate, much as someone might collect Ming vases now. The masses will all read books electronically, and won't need or be able to afford such books. As time goes on, the contents of such books will be less important than the skill of the craftsman to make them, so these books will become symbols only, a way for a (supposedly) educated person to preen about their education and taste.
Treasure Blog: Bulgari Blue Diamond
$15.75 million.
Pic:
It's a lovely thing, isn't it? How did Sherlock Holmes describe a similar stone?
"It's a bonny thing," said he. "Just see how it glints and sparkles. Of course it is a nucleus and focus of crime. Every good stone is. They are the devil's pet baits. In the larger and older jewels every facet may stand for a bloody deed. This stone is not yet twenty years old. It was found in the banks of the Amoy River in southern China and is remarkable in having every characteristic of the carbuncle, save that it is blue in shade instead of ruby red. In spite of its youth, it has already a sinister history. There have been two murders, a vitriol-throwing, a suicide, and several robberies brought about for the sake of this forty-grain weight of crystallised charcoal. Who would think that so pretty a toy would be a purveyor to the gallows and the prison? - - From The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.
Pic:
It's a lovely thing, isn't it? How did Sherlock Holmes describe a similar stone?
"It's a bonny thing," said he. "Just see how it glints and sparkles. Of course it is a nucleus and focus of crime. Every good stone is. They are the devil's pet baits. In the larger and older jewels every facet may stand for a bloody deed. This stone is not yet twenty years old. It was found in the banks of the Amoy River in southern China and is remarkable in having every characteristic of the carbuncle, save that it is blue in shade instead of ruby red. In spite of its youth, it has already a sinister history. There have been two murders, a vitriol-throwing, a suicide, and several robberies brought about for the sake of this forty-grain weight of crystallised charcoal. Who would think that so pretty a toy would be a purveyor to the gallows and the prison? - - From The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.
Good Thing We Won The Cold War...
...otherwise we might have been in a great deal of trouble.
I Told Monica They Were Cheat Codes For Grand Theft Auto, Now Look What's Happened...
Notice the coincidence about the two Presidents who didn't take good care of the nuclear codes? Both were DEMOCRATS.
update: additional information here.
Notice the coincidence about the two Presidents who didn't take good care of the nuclear codes? Both were DEMOCRATS.
update: additional information here.
Even the SMELL of Frying Bacon Offends Them...
...so you'll have to remove that ventilation fan from your diner.
Wouldn't want a fatwa on you now, would you? Be a good littlecitizen subject and do as you're told, hey?
Of course, if even the smell of frying bacon is so offensive to Muslims, maybe we have a great new weapon in theWar On Terror Overseas Contingency Operation. Just get some giant fans, and a lot of bacon, and...
Wouldn't want a fatwa on you now, would you? Be a good little
Of course, if even the smell of frying bacon is so offensive to Muslims, maybe we have a great new weapon in the
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Treasure Blog: Letter From Sailor, Battle of Trafalgar
A 205-year-old letter written by a sailmaker on board the HMS Temeraire at the Battle of Trafalgar has been given to the UK National Maritime Museum.
In the letter, the 25-year-old sailmaker, Robert Hope, describes the action of the battle as he saw it from one of Temeraire's gun decks.
Pic:
In the letter, the 25-year-old sailmaker, Robert Hope, describes the action of the battle as he saw it from one of Temeraire's gun decks.
Pic:
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Quote of the Day
Maureen "Mo" Tucker of the Velvet Underground (Tucker was recently re-discovered in a YouTube video in which she expressed sympathy for the Tea Party):
When you consented to an interview with that television reporter, did you envision that your words would be spread online a year and a half later?
No. I'm amazed at this.
What are your feelings about the online reactions? Many people seem upset or outraged.
I'm stunned that so many people who call themselves liberal yet are completely intolerant. I thought liberals loved everyone: the poor, the immigrant, the gays, the handicapped, the minorities, dogs, cats, all eye colors, all hair colors! Peace, love, bull! Curious they have no tolerance whatsoever for anyone who doesn't think exactly as they do. You disagree and you're immediately called a fool, a Nazi, a racist. That's pretty f'd up!! I would never judge someone based on their political views. Their honesty, integrity, kindness to others, generosity? Yes. Politics? No!
When you consented to an interview with that television reporter, did you envision that your words would be spread online a year and a half later?
No. I'm amazed at this.
What are your feelings about the online reactions? Many people seem upset or outraged.
I'm stunned that so many people who call themselves liberal yet are completely intolerant. I thought liberals loved everyone: the poor, the immigrant, the gays, the handicapped, the minorities, dogs, cats, all eye colors, all hair colors! Peace, love, bull! Curious they have no tolerance whatsoever for anyone who doesn't think exactly as they do. You disagree and you're immediately called a fool, a Nazi, a racist. That's pretty f'd up!! I would never judge someone based on their political views. Their honesty, integrity, kindness to others, generosity? Yes. Politics? No!
It's Official: The Royal Navy Is No Longer World Class
The UK is scrapping its only remaining aircraft carrier, the HMS Ark Royal, so will be without aircraft carrier capability until at least 2019. If even then.
Meanwhile, tourists at St. Paul's Cathedral in London report a strange, angry whirring sound coming from the vicinity of Lord Nelson's tomb...
Meanwhile, tourists at St. Paul's Cathedral in London report a strange, angry whirring sound coming from the vicinity of Lord Nelson's tomb...
Hey, Gun Control Works! The Robbers Didn't Have Guns!
They had pitchforks, machetes and baseball bats, though, which is all you need when you're robbing unarmed victims.
I'll bet that the victims are happy that they don't live in a society plagued by gun violence, huh?
I'll bet that the victims are happy that they don't live in a society plagued by gun violence, huh?
Meanwhile, In The United Arab Emirates...
...the country's Supreme Court ruled that it is okay, according to Islamic Sharia law for a husband to beat his wife, so long as he doesn't leave marks when he does so.
Which is the only scenario under which I'd be willing to marry Rosie O'Donnell or Joy Behar...
Which is the only scenario under which I'd be willing to marry Rosie O'Donnell or Joy Behar...
At Christ Covenant Church Here In Matthews, NC...
...Mormons just ain't quite Christian enough to serve as leaders in the church-sponsored Cub Scout program.
Which is sad for the family involved, but probably happy news for all you Glen Beck haters out there (and you know who you are).
Which is sad for the family involved, but probably happy news for all you Glen Beck haters out there (and you know who you are).
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wouldn't It Be A Great Idea...
...if trails in the wilderness were marked in such a way that a person hiking could use a trail marker as a reference point when calling for emergency help? Especially if those trail markers were input into the local 911 calling system, so that emergency workers would know exactly where to go to help the injured person?
A Boy Scout had such an idea, and made it happen in Guilford County, North Carolina.
A Boy Scout had such an idea, and made it happen in Guilford County, North Carolina.
Now This Is What I Call...
...a good start.
And it's something I've been advocating for the last few years. Nice to know that these guys will give up their ability to father children for as little as $320.
And it's something I've been advocating for the last few years. Nice to know that these guys will give up their ability to father children for as little as $320.
There's No Escape, No "Present" Button, Either
Dude, you are so screwed.
President Obama's first two years in office, described as an 80's-style text-based RPG game.
From the mind of Iowahawk.
President Obama's first two years in office, described as an 80's-style text-based RPG game.
From the mind of Iowahawk.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
It's A Crying Shame
Christina Hendricks is going on a diet.
She thinks this body is too fat:
And where did she get that insane notion? From endless articles in the MSM, from designers who refuse to dress her for awards shows, from catty little comments by other actresses who won't be happy until Christina is a bulimic bonesack like all the rest.
Buck up, Christina. You're gorgeous the way you are.
She thinks this body is too fat:
And where did she get that insane notion? From endless articles in the MSM, from designers who refuse to dress her for awards shows, from catty little comments by other actresses who won't be happy until Christina is a bulimic bonesack like all the rest.
Buck up, Christina. You're gorgeous the way you are.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Punch, the Drink of Dickens (and Pirates)
A New York Times feature story on the return of punch to the public consciousness.
The article focuses on the link with Charles Dickens, who was a punch aficionado, and with the modern renaissance in punchmaking in Manhattan.
But back in the 18th century punch was a favorite among pirates, and many primary historical accounts mention pirates manufacturing punch after taking a prize, using the punch to loosen the tongues of the crew so they would disclose the location of hidden loot. It was also used as a hazing ritual to torment captured prisoners, forcing them to drink large quantities of the stuff just for the entertainment value.
The pirate punch was made of found ingredients, and could include rum, gin, brandy, wine, sherry, port, and madeira, mixed with sugar, water, and fresh fruit or fruit juice.
The article mentions one recipe that probably originated at sea:
He made two batches for me recently at the JakeWalk, a bar he likes in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, using recipes from “Punch.” One, Meriton Latroon’s Bantam Punch, combined an Indonesian rum of sorts called Batavia Arrack with ambergris, which Mr. Wondrich defined as “clotted whale cholesterol,” and gula jawa, a funky Indonesian palm sugar. The drink tasted of spiked molasses, with some Worcestershire dribbled in, and entranced me.
Good article.
The article focuses on the link with Charles Dickens, who was a punch aficionado, and with the modern renaissance in punchmaking in Manhattan.
But back in the 18th century punch was a favorite among pirates, and many primary historical accounts mention pirates manufacturing punch after taking a prize, using the punch to loosen the tongues of the crew so they would disclose the location of hidden loot. It was also used as a hazing ritual to torment captured prisoners, forcing them to drink large quantities of the stuff just for the entertainment value.
The pirate punch was made of found ingredients, and could include rum, gin, brandy, wine, sherry, port, and madeira, mixed with sugar, water, and fresh fruit or fruit juice.
The article mentions one recipe that probably originated at sea:
He made two batches for me recently at the JakeWalk, a bar he likes in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, using recipes from “Punch.” One, Meriton Latroon’s Bantam Punch, combined an Indonesian rum of sorts called Batavia Arrack with ambergris, which Mr. Wondrich defined as “clotted whale cholesterol,” and gula jawa, a funky Indonesian palm sugar. The drink tasted of spiked molasses, with some Worcestershire dribbled in, and entranced me.
Good article.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Treasure Blog: 1st Edition of George Orwell's "1984"
Found in a charity donation bin in Australia.
Only 25,000 first edition copies were printed, so it's a relative rarity.
Only 25,000 first edition copies were printed, so it's a relative rarity.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Sarah Palin Has An Obama In The Woodpile...
...not that there's anything wrong with that.
You younger folks may have never heard this old expression. For that matter, you younger folks have probably never seen Walt Disney's Song of the South, either, at least not in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
You younger folks may have never heard this old expression. For that matter, you younger folks have probably never seen Walt Disney's Song of the South, either, at least not in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
Mark Twain's Autobiography Released This Saturday...
...100 years from the date of his death, as was his wish.
It's only Volume 1 of a multi-volume set. Among the revelations in the book is the attack on Twain by zombies one night in his Connecticut home, which he fended off with a pistol; here's a pic of Twain reenacting the event, executing a tactical reload:
Now you really want to buy the book, don't you?
It's only Volume 1 of a multi-volume set. Among the revelations in the book is the attack on Twain by zombies one night in his Connecticut home, which he fended off with a pistol; here's a pic of Twain reenacting the event, executing a tactical reload:
Now you really want to buy the book, don't you?
Monster Hunter Input Needed
Larry Correia has been tasked by his publisher with writing a Monster Hunter short story, and is soliciting story ideas.
Me? I want to hear how Holly was captured by vampires and endured in their feeding pit. Or a story about Ray "The Boss" Shackleford, how he lost his hand.
Me? I want to hear how Holly was captured by vampires and endured in their feeding pit. Or a story about Ray "The Boss" Shackleford, how he lost his hand.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
He's High Strung, Let's Leave Him Alone...
...we don't need the basement anyway.
Maybe the reason more parents don't kick out their layabout offspring is...they're afraid of being murdered.
Maybe the reason more parents don't kick out their layabout offspring is...they're afraid of being murdered.
Larry Correia, In His "About Me" Page On His Blog...
...had this to say about living in the South and Southerners:
I did fall in love with the South though. I had one assignment where I spent four months living out of a car and driving from small town to small town across Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi, so I saw a lot of country. The South is a wonderful place, and I decided that southerners get a bad rap. People ask me why MHI is set in the South, and that’s why. Southerners get screwed in fiction. They’re portrayed as hicks, racists, and illiterates. In real life they’re proud, heroic, smart, hard working, good people. So I made MHI a Southerncentric organization.
I find that kind of neat. Thank you, Larry.
I did fall in love with the South though. I had one assignment where I spent four months living out of a car and driving from small town to small town across Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi, so I saw a lot of country. The South is a wonderful place, and I decided that southerners get a bad rap. People ask me why MHI is set in the South, and that’s why. Southerners get screwed in fiction. They’re portrayed as hicks, racists, and illiterates. In real life they’re proud, heroic, smart, hard working, good people. So I made MHI a Southerncentric organization.
I find that kind of neat. Thank you, Larry.
Monday, October 11, 2010
USS Cole Bombing Ten Years Ago: Did the Terrorists Win?
Ten years ago, the USS Cole was bombed in the harbor at Aden, Yemen by bombers linked to Al Qaeda. This Navy Times article discusses the lessons learned.
But about halfway down the article is this:
Asked whether Navy ships still stop in Yemen’s Aden Harbor to refuel, Derrick-Frost replied, “U.S. Navy ships have not actively visited the port of Aden since the Cole tragedy.”
If the sole aim of Al Qaeda in the Cole bombing was to take American lives, then they succeeded in doing that; if they had a secondary mission to force the US Navy to stop using Aden as a refueling stop, then they succeeded with that, as well.
I'm reminded that Ground Zero, nearly ten years after 9/11, is still just a hole in the ground, and that we suffer horrible indignities when we travel by air. We haven't caught Osama bin Laden, either.
So are we really winning this thing, or are the terrorists simply absorbing the punishment, and will be ready to re-constitute the minute we stop pounding them?
But about halfway down the article is this:
Asked whether Navy ships still stop in Yemen’s Aden Harbor to refuel, Derrick-Frost replied, “U.S. Navy ships have not actively visited the port of Aden since the Cole tragedy.”
If the sole aim of Al Qaeda in the Cole bombing was to take American lives, then they succeeded in doing that; if they had a secondary mission to force the US Navy to stop using Aden as a refueling stop, then they succeeded with that, as well.
I'm reminded that Ground Zero, nearly ten years after 9/11, is still just a hole in the ground, and that we suffer horrible indignities when we travel by air. We haven't caught Osama bin Laden, either.
So are we really winning this thing, or are the terrorists simply absorbing the punishment, and will be ready to re-constitute the minute we stop pounding them?
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday Ramblings
Saturday Sara and I decided to visit Love Valley, North Carolina. Love Valley was created by Andy Barker in 1954; he wanted a Christian community in his native state that looked like a cowboy town from the Old West.
The Wikipedia entry notes that the community is "100% white." Sara and I can vouch for that; we didn't see anyone in Love Valley who wasn't extremely white. To emphasize their whiteness, many of them wore the Confederate Battle Flag either as a clothing device or an accessory; we saw a Confederate Flag horse blanket on one horse, and even saw one bearded rider in a Civil War Confederate Kepi cap. They were very white. Very polite and gracious, too.
There were lots of riders there, apparently the place is a favorite weekend destination for horse owners.
Here's a few pics I took:
We decided to refrain from "dinning" (sic) at the "resturant" (sic) on the principle of if they're sloppy with their spelling, they're sloppy with the food. I'm sure we probably missed a great meal. There was a chili cook-off going on in part of the complex, with vendors and all-you-can-eat chili, but we decided to pass that one by, too, on the principle of lots of very white people and lots of very strong chili don't rightly mix.
There were lots of horses in town, and the resulting excreta had Sara exclaiming every few feet, "Ohmygod, this horse poop stinks. Don't step in it. Ohmygod, this horse poop stinks. Don't get it on you. Ohmygod, this horse poop stinks." I think that it was the horse excreta more than anything else that drove us out of town after only a half hour of investigation.
Love Valley. A fun place if you like horses. And if you're white.
The Wikipedia entry notes that the community is "100% white." Sara and I can vouch for that; we didn't see anyone in Love Valley who wasn't extremely white. To emphasize their whiteness, many of them wore the Confederate Battle Flag either as a clothing device or an accessory; we saw a Confederate Flag horse blanket on one horse, and even saw one bearded rider in a Civil War Confederate Kepi cap. They were very white. Very polite and gracious, too.
There were lots of riders there, apparently the place is a favorite weekend destination for horse owners.
Here's a few pics I took:
We decided to refrain from "dinning" (sic) at the "resturant" (sic) on the principle of if they're sloppy with their spelling, they're sloppy with the food. I'm sure we probably missed a great meal. There was a chili cook-off going on in part of the complex, with vendors and all-you-can-eat chili, but we decided to pass that one by, too, on the principle of lots of very white people and lots of very strong chili don't rightly mix.
There were lots of horses in town, and the resulting excreta had Sara exclaiming every few feet, "Ohmygod, this horse poop stinks. Don't step in it. Ohmygod, this horse poop stinks. Don't get it on you. Ohmygod, this horse poop stinks." I think that it was the horse excreta more than anything else that drove us out of town after only a half hour of investigation.
Love Valley. A fun place if you like horses. And if you're white.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Game Show Idea
Call it Redneck vs. College Professor, and make it a simple knowledge test, similar to Jeopardy. Categories would include the usual ones, but also such subjects as breeds of hogs, tractor parts, growing season, fertilizer types, fishing lures, rifle calibers, etc. So not only would the redneck have to answer questions about opera and broadway, but the college professor would have to know the difference between a shoat and a sow.
I think that you could have a lot of fun with such a concept.
I think that you could have a lot of fun with such a concept.
Unfortunate Headline Juxtaposition of the Day
"Police Dispute Rating For Violent Crime."
"Human Skull Found Near Uptown Charlotte."
And both stories are talking about the same area of uptown Charlotte, where a recent survey found that particular neighborhood among the worst 25 in the US for violent crime.
"Human Skull Found Near Uptown Charlotte."
And both stories are talking about the same area of uptown Charlotte, where a recent survey found that particular neighborhood among the worst 25 in the US for violent crime.
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Can We Hire Him For The Charlotte Police Department?
A North Dakota man was arrested for castrating a woman's dog without permission.
The Stutsman County sheriff's office said the purebred poodle was found at Gienger's home, along with scalpels and syringes.
Authorities said Gienger didn't have the owner's permission to castrate the dog.
Gienger told The Associated Press that the dog was running wild in the neighborhood and causing a nuisance.
I know a few neighborhoods here in the Queen City that could use Mr. Gienger's services. And not just on the four-legged critters, either.
The Stutsman County sheriff's office said the purebred poodle was found at Gienger's home, along with scalpels and syringes.
Authorities said Gienger didn't have the owner's permission to castrate the dog.
Gienger told The Associated Press that the dog was running wild in the neighborhood and causing a nuisance.
I know a few neighborhoods here in the Queen City that could use Mr. Gienger's services. And not just on the four-legged critters, either.
Heh.
Instapundit mentioned me.
No linky love, though. He hasn't linked me since I wrote this post back in 2009.
*laughs*
update: link fixed. Thanks to Wally for pointing it out.
No linky love, though. He hasn't linked me since I wrote this post back in 2009.
*laughs*
update: link fixed. Thanks to Wally for pointing it out.
With Liberty and Justice For All...
...except in Chancery Court Judge Littlejohn's courtroom, where failure to recite the Pledge of Allegiance can find you jailed for contempt.
And yah, it didn't happen in San Francisco, as you might expect, but in good ol' Mississippi.
It'd be interesting to know if Judge Littlejohn was an elected or appointed judge. I'm guessing elected. In any event he has no understanding of the First Amendment.
And yah, it didn't happen in San Francisco, as you might expect, but in good ol' Mississippi.
It'd be interesting to know if Judge Littlejohn was an elected or appointed judge. I'm guessing elected. In any event he has no understanding of the First Amendment.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Quasimodo, Driven Deaf By...
...the bags.
Those noisy Sun Chips bags. Have you heard them? Just grabbing one off the shelf can make you shudder and whimper a bit.
Those noisy Sun Chips bags. Have you heard them? Just grabbing one off the shelf can make you shudder and whimper a bit.
Monday, October 04, 2010
Sometimes They Come Back*
Rachel Lucas is re-activating her blog.
This is a Good Thing. If you read Rachel's blog in the past, you know this. If you haven't, you really should.
*Bonus points given for the commenter who identifies my inspiration for the blog post title.
This is a Good Thing. If you read Rachel's blog in the past, you know this. If you haven't, you really should.
*Bonus points given for the commenter who identifies my inspiration for the blog post title.
"So We Were Just Glad We Didn't Choose The Patio"
What with there being a corpse lying in the creek just a few feet away, you know.
That's about a mile from where I work.
That's about a mile from where I work.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Friends In Life, Friends In Death
Travis Manion and Brendan Looney were roomates at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Manion became a Marine and died in Iraq in 2007. Looney, motivated by Manion's death, became a SEAL and died in Afghanistan. Now they're to be buried side-by-side in Arlington National Cemetery.
Manion became a Marine and died in Iraq in 2007. Looney, motivated by Manion's death, became a SEAL and died in Afghanistan. Now they're to be buried side-by-side in Arlington National Cemetery.
Everybody Hates the Joos*
Rick Sanchez of CNN certainly does.
Make that formerly of CNN. Evidently the Joos heard the recording of Sanchez' radio rant and fired his dumb ass in a tersely-worded statement:
"Rick Sanchez is no longer with the company. We thank Rick for his years of service and we wish him well."
Of course, hating on the Joos doesn't have to be the end of Sanchez' broadcast career, he can always get a job at Al-Jazeera. Or the BBC, for that matter.
Sanchez was a dumb scoundrel, too, once asking a scientist who expressed a measurement using the Metric system "how much is that in English?" and musing on-air about the Iceland volcanic eruption from earlier this year, apparently thinking that volcanoes are a warm-weather phenomenon only.
*I came up with the blog post title thinking of this old Motown song:
Make that formerly of CNN. Evidently the Joos heard the recording of Sanchez' radio rant and fired his dumb ass in a tersely-worded statement:
"Rick Sanchez is no longer with the company. We thank Rick for his years of service and we wish him well."
Of course, hating on the Joos doesn't have to be the end of Sanchez' broadcast career, he can always get a job at Al-Jazeera. Or the BBC, for that matter.
Sanchez was a dumb scoundrel, too, once asking a scientist who expressed a measurement using the Metric system "how much is that in English?" and musing on-air about the Iceland volcanic eruption from earlier this year, apparently thinking that volcanoes are a warm-weather phenomenon only.
*I came up with the blog post title thinking of this old Motown song:
Friday, October 01, 2010
Ladies! Worried About Chemical Warfare Attacks?
We knew that you would be, so we've invented the gas mask bra.
No, I'm not joking.
Pic:
Think about it, ladies: no more worrying when Hubby has eaten too many brussels sprouts or baked beans. If you're in the New York subway and Al Qaeda executes a chemical attack, presto! Whip off the bra and live while those around you die! Presumably you can save one of your children, because the bra has two cups, or if you're one of the unfortunate polycephalics in this country, your second head will also be protected!
Get yours now!
No, I'm not joking.
Pic:
Think about it, ladies: no more worrying when Hubby has eaten too many brussels sprouts or baked beans. If you're in the New York subway and Al Qaeda executes a chemical attack, presto! Whip off the bra and live while those around you die! Presumably you can save one of your children, because the bra has two cups, or if you're one of the unfortunate polycephalics in this country, your second head will also be protected!
Get yours now!
Gallery: Coastal Flooding
After the storm at Wilmington and the Cape Fear area beaches.
A nice gallery of photographs. Looks like Wilmington's Riverfest will be a damp one this year, if it hasn't been cancelled.
A nice gallery of photographs. Looks like Wilmington's Riverfest will be a damp one this year, if it hasn't been cancelled.
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