Category Archives: North Carolina

May 18, 2011 · 5:02 pm

Ocracoke Island Vacation Journal: Part 2

We are a little more than halfway through our vacation on Ocracoke and I can already tell it’s going to be too short.

I’m not blogging much due to a dicey internet connection.  That also means I’m not really following the news….

It’s nice to take a bit of a break from it all and focus on simpler things that are more immediate and real…

We went for a walk on the beach yesterday.  The beaches here are amazing.  They are all protected National Seashore….No houses, condo’s, hotels, restaurants or bars are allowed.  They are natural- just as they have always been.

I’m not much for actually sitting on the beach.  That concept is, to me, much better than the reality.  I hate sand getting into everything.  I don’t like sticky smelly seawater and oily sunscreen makes my face break out…

When I first saw “From Here to Eternity” and the famous scene of Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr kissing and embracing in the surf as the waves crashed over them, all I could think of was that they had to be getting sand all up their bathing suits and that they couldn’t possibly be comfortable.  It seemed to me that they should have just checked into the Hilton like normal people in their, uh, situation…

But, still, I do love Ocracoke.   I do enjoy these walks and being around such beautiful isolation.

It’s nice to be away from it all and I could definitely use another week.  It’s been a stressful year and Ocracoke is the perfect place to de-stress and focus on the simple things in life.  Like reading and deciding where to have dinner.

There are really some excellent restaurants on this island.

Our favorite restaurant is easily “The Flying Melon”.  Imagine country French food made with local seafood only hours out of the water.  And fabulous deserts.  We eat there several times when we are here…

“Jason’s” is also a favorite.  In this case, imagine a New York Italian Restaurant that does seafood.  Great pizza’s and sandwiches and the best Pesto Pasta- with fresh shrimp or scallops- that I’ve ever had.
“The Back Porch is probably the most famous restaurant on the Island.  We ate there last night.  They are coasting on their reputation.  We only go every few years to check it out and see if it’s improved.  It hasn’t.  It’s just okay.  “The Flying Melon” has them beat in every conceivable way…

Tonight, it’s off to “Dajios.”  This is a new restaurant in a very nice space that use to be
“The Pelican”.  The food is much better than the former incarnation.  It’s great place with an outdoor patio and live music.  Tonight we are going to hear Katy Mitchell, a local artist who’s CD we bought a few years ago and greatly enjoyed.  There are a lot of talented musicians on Ocracoke and good live music is often available here…

Tomorrow night is a wine tasting at “Zillies”.  We always enjoy that, but usually end up too drunk to do anything but order pizza afterwards…

Our friend Michael, now from Portland, and his- now our-friend Jim were on Island Monday night.  We celebrated Michael’s birthday with a very nice meal at “Cafe Atlantic” and stayed up til midnight having entirely too much wine.

Tonight and tomorrow, we’ll be enjoying the company of our friends Lee and  Michael- fellow Greensboro residents and Ocracoke devotees who usually come the same week we do.  It will be great, as always, to spend time with them here on the island.

The weather has been good, but questionable.  Always seeming to be on the verge of rain…

As I said, it’s a great place to get away– but not from too much!

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May 16, 2011 · 12:12 pm

Ocracoke Island Vacation Journal: Part 1

One of the joys of being on Ocracoke is getting away from it all.

That used to include the internet, cable television and, occasionally, electricity.

Things have changed a lot over the last 14 years that we’ve been making this trip.

As you can see, I can now even post on my blog from Ocracoke.

But that is still a challenge.  The internet at our house is only available by using my phone as a hotspot, so my access is still somewhat limited.

Ocracoke still has the ability to take you away.  Being on an Island off the North Carolina coast that is only accessible by ferry can’t help but change your perspective.  With only about 800 year round residents, Ocracoke is a very special place.  Fresh seafood for our meals- either bought from local fisherman at the community seafood market, or cooked from one of the local restaurants.  There are no chain restaurants or stores on Ocracoke.

Yes, local food and local restaurants.  If they can do this on an island why can’t we do this at home?  It’s really quite wonderful.

Normally, the best way to get around on Ocracoke is to walk or ride a bicycle.  I’m sure I must have ridden a bike as a child- I dimly remember it- but only until I discovered the cross town bus.  It has been a challenge trying to get back in the bike mode.  They say riding a bike comes back to you.  It does.  But stopping does not.

When I last tried riding a bike on Ocracoke a couple of years ago, I ended up in a muddy ditch half full of water.  This time, I’ve already run into a fence and possibly sprained my hand.  Much to the amusement of the folks getting drunk at McNally’s Saturday afternoon.  Something about bike riding immediately seems to turn me into Eddy from an “Absolutely Fabulous” episode from the 1990’s….

Golf carts are becoming increasingly popular on the island.  Maybe I should take the hint….

What else do we do?

Enjoy the beach and nature.  Well, not too much…I still can’t spend much time in the sun due to my previous history with Melanoma, but it’s nice to spend short periods of time at a beach that is all protected natural seashore.  No houses or condo’s blocking it.  Just natural, as it’s been for thousands of years…

Read.  Books and magazines mainly as the internet is a challenge.

I’ve already read one wonderful book on my Kindle.  The Cranberry Hush by Ben Monopoli was just wonderful.  He really captures what it was/is like the first couple of years out of college when one is still finding out who one is and what the world is about.  It really took me back to how it was for me almost 30 years ago.  It’s nice to know it hasn’t changed all that much.  The characters where memorable and still with me a couple of days after I finished the book.  I wish it were available in print format so I could more easily share it.

Now I’m on to The Paris Wife, a novel by Paula McLain about Earnest Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley, and their years in Paris in the 1920’s.  I’ve always been enthralled by that era- and by Paris- so I’m enthralled by the book.  At least so far…

Watch Movies on DVD:  We’ve also been watching some pre-code movies from the 1930’s.  They really make me aware of how the movie production code manipulated public opinion  and hid harsh reality from the American people.  It explains a lot about the older folks who went to these movies and formed their life view based on these depictions.  I’ve always said MGM screwed up generations of Americans….

More to come….

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April 1, 2011 · 6:36 pm

Prosecutors Weighing Whether to Indict Edwards

The latest news in the on-going Soap Opera….

From Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire:

Prosecutors investigating John Edwards spent several hours re-interviewing his former aide, Andrew Young, “suggesting they are weighing the strength of their chief witness before deciding whether to indict the former candidate,” the AP reports.

“The prosecutors could be interested in taking a closer look at Young to see how he’ll hold up as a witness, since his credibility could be problematic.”

via Prosecutors Weighing Whether to Indict Edwards.

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March 30, 2011 · 7:24 pm

North Carolina bill would prohibit cities from upgrading Internet access | The Raw Story

More proof that Time-Warner is Evil…

And more proof Republicans are owned by the Corporations that fund them…

The Republican-dominated North Carolina State Assembly this week approved a bill that would prohibit communities from upgrading their internet access, forcing individual municipalities into a private monopoly of managed broadband services by companies like Time Warner and Comcast.

Both firms have been restricting the amount of bandwidth users can consume, even though bandwidth itself is not a tangible, meter-able commodity.

The bill, which was heavily supported by telecom giant Time Warner, comes on the heels of several communities successfully launching their own fiber-optic broadband programs. One program in Wilson, North Carolina, called Greenlight, even features speeds up to 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) at a lower price than its corporate competitors.

That’s because Greenlight is a public utility, instead of a profits-making scheme, that places access and quality of service above harvesting dollars off customers. Instead of focusing on margins or how to impose fees on metered bandwidth use, they’re able to focus on simply providing the best the Internet has to offer.

Prior to the arrival of Greenlight, most Internet users in Wilson only had access to 7 Mbps speeds, at a much higher price than the public utility’s plans. For about the same price as the slower connection, Greenlight users get access to 20 Mbps speeds, with options to upgrade to 100M for about $150 a month.

However, in a Monday night vote, North Carolina assemblymen voted 81-37 to bring that to a halt, banning any other communities from upgrading their own connections and forcing them to continue patronizing private providers.

Currently-existing community broadband services like Greenlight, which five North Carolina communities have already set up, would not be affected should the bill clear the state senate.

The cities of Asheville, Bladenboro and Momeyer have all passed resolutions condemning the statewide bill.

via North Carolina bill would prohibit cities from upgrading Internet access | The Raw Story.

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March 15, 2011 · 10:23 pm

Don’t be wedded to every tradition – Other Views – NewsObserver.com

Great Op-Ed from the Reverend Douglas Long in the Raleigh News and Observer yesterday about people using the Bible to define “traditional” marriage.

As Shakespeare said, “the devil can cite scripture for his purpose.”

So, let’s give it a rest.

It’s also a great response to the infamous Dr Laura Schlessinger comments/letter about Leviticus and homosexuality floating around the web…

Here’s an excerpt and a link to the full editorial at the bottom…

Hat tip to Pam’s House Blend where I originally saw part of this….

The truth of the matter is that the Bible is not a good source supporting monogamous and mutual marriage that our society and culture has evolved to embrace.

More systematically than considering a favorite passage here and there, Vaughn Roste, the son of two Canadian Lutheran pastors with a seminary degree of his own, has undertaken a comprehensive study of passages in the Bible, researching more than 800 Biblical references that deal with marriage. He distilled from that study what he refers to as “The 12 Biblical Principles of Marriage.” In summary, in the Bible:

  • Marriage consists of one man and one or more women.
  • Nothing prevents a man from taking on concubines in addition to the wife or wives he may already have.
  • The concept of a woman giving her consent to being married is foreign to the biblical mindset.
  • If a woman cannot be proven to be a virgin at the time of marriage, she shall be stoned
  • For those who claim these are all Old Testament laws and that the New Testament supersedes them, consider in the New Testament that:
  • Women are allowed to marry the man of their father’s choosing … because women are the property of their father until married and their husband afterwards.
  • Interfaith marriages are prohibited.
  • If a man dies childless, his brother must marry the widow
  • Divorce is forbidden, and finally …
  • It’s better, according to St. Paul, to not get married at all.

The point is this, anyone can pick and choose a verse or phrase from the Bible which, taken alone and literally, will appear to support their argument. While people of the Judaic-Christian tradition may disagree on the propriety of same-gender marriage, can we at least agree to not misuse the Bible in the process?

More: Don’t be wedded to every tradition – Other Views – NewsObserver.com.

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March 11, 2011 · 5:54 pm

Absolute power: An examination of Art Pope’s dominance – Independent Weekly

While everyone is watching Washington and Wisconsin, we need to keep our eyes out here in North Carolina as well…

The rich are trying to buy North Carolina as well…

This is not a coincidence…

Former legislator, millionaire, political insider, Art Pope is a public figure and one of the most powerful people in North Carolina.

This project of the Independent Weekly and Facing South, the online magazine of the Institute for Southern Studies, analyzes both the extent of Pope’s influence and its ramifications for public policy.

In short, Pope and the organizations he finances are shaping how North Carolinians live. As Chris Kromm reports, the Pope family—through the John William Pope Foundation—has been funneling millions of dollars into a network of conservative research, media and legal centers. Pope’s groups have larger ambitions to shift public opinion and the political debate toward a pro-business, anti-government agenda.

That’s being played out in the Republican-dominated Legislature. Those lawmakers and their regressive agenda for social services, education, the environment and tax policy are brought to you largely by Pope and Pope-backed groups.

We’ve also scrutinized the Pope Foundation’s tax documents and found that, despite his groups’ persistent calls for public accountability, the foundation itself failed to file timely tax returns for eight years. Pope’s excuses? Hurricane Fran. Single fatherhood. For eight years.

via Absolute power: An examination of Art Pope’s dominance | News Feature | Independent Weekly.

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March 8, 2011 · 8:58 pm

Should Edwards Really Be Indicted? | The Daily Caller

This is an interesting take on the Edwards Affair…

If he’s not indicted, this may be why he gets off- so to speak….

From Mickey Kaus via Political Wire:

Here is the problem I have with indicting John Edwards: Apparently the prosecutors’ idea is that if Edwards used money from “Bunny” Mellon and others to keep his mistress stashed away and quiet, this was really a campaign expense and should have been paid for out of campaign funds. But suppose Edwards had paid for it with campaign funds. Don’t you think prosecutors would now be thinking of indicting him for an improper use of campaign funds? (You can’t pay for most meals using campaign funds. You can’t buy mittens with campaign funds. Are mistresses going to OK?) …

via Should Edwards Really Be Indicted? | The Daily Caller – Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment.

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March 4, 2011 · 7:43 am

Chapter 51: Sex in the South: Part 1- Setting the Stage | My Southern Gothic Life

There is a new post up on my other blog:  My SouthernGothicLife.com

Here is the intro and a link to the full post:

To put it bluntly, when we were growing up, we knew sex was everywhere in the South.  It was poorly hidden, but not a topic of socially approved conversations.   Or at least it once wasn’t…

We came from, perhaps, the last generation to be fed totally screwed up information about sex.  At least, I hope so…

MORE:   Chapter 51: Sex in the South: Part 1- Setting the Stage | My Southern Gothic Life.

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March 3, 2011 · 6:23 pm

Pigeon O’Brien: How the John Edwards Affair Ended Up in the Enquirer

And now a little Democratic hypocrisy…

This is a fascinating story on The Huffington Post about how the John Edwards affair came to the attention of the press.

And even more information on who Rielle Hunter really is…

I encourage you to click the link to read the entire story.

It’s worth your time…

This is the function of the press in a democracy: It is to present the truth so that we may cast our votes knowledgeably. We have absolutely no right to know who kisses whom in a darkened car or pokes someone on Facebook. But other personal choices tell us if this person is fit to govern. What is this person’s essential character? What might this person do once given trust? Does this person respect women as human beings? Does he take responsibility for his actions? Does he betray those who trust in him behind their backs? We don’t just have a right to know, we have a responsibility to know. Our constitutionally mandated free press serves this role.

MORE:   Pigeon O’Brien: How the John Edwards Affair Ended Up in the Enquirer.

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March 2, 2011 · 6:56 pm

Jesse Helms is Spinning in His Grave…

From the Winston-Salem Journal:

More than half of North Carolina residents now support legal recognition of same-sex couples, and more than one-quarter believe they should have full marriage rights, according to a poll released Monday.

The Elon University survey found that 29 percent of respondents in the state support civil unions or partnerships for same-sex couples but not full marriage rights. About 28 percent of people support full marriage rights.

Meanwhile, only 35 percent of respondents opposed all legal recognition for same-sex partners, down from 44 percent when the question was asked two years ago.

“That’s a substantial move,” said Elon poll director Hunter Bacot. “We’re seeing people becoming more comfortable with the issue.”

About two dozen Republican senators in North Carolina have proposed a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex unions. Similar measures have previously been filed in the General Assembly but have gone nowhere, but Republicans now control both chambers of the legislature for the first time in more than a century.

The bill’s primary sponsors did not return phone calls seeking comment Monday.

via NC poll: Many support rights for same-sex couples | JournalNow.com.

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