I just knew they would find a way to blame this on us….
This guy is so old he doesn’t care if he is proved wrong…
He knows, for him, it’s only a matter of time and he goes out with a lot of publicity…
And I hope he takes a lot of the hate and ignorance with him when he goes…
By the way, I plan to be in a very nice little Italian Restaurant in Washington, NC on Saturday, December 21 at 6:0o pm. I hope the Rapture doesn’t happen until after they serve the main course….
Well, yesterday didn’t go quite as planned.
But that’s okay.
We’re on Ocracoke.
We had been looking forward to hearing Katy Mitchell sing at “Dajio’s” last night, but unfortunately, she canceled at the last minute. We still had an excellent meal that seals Dajio’s place, along with “Jason’s” and “The Flying Melon” as one of the top three restaurants on Ocracoke- and on the whole Outer Banks. I’ve never eaten anywhere else on the Outer Banks that could touch these three…
Hopefully, we’ll get to hear Katy Mitchell someday. Her CD is really excellent. This just give us something to continue to look forward to….
I just finished Michael Parker’s brand new book, “The Watery Part of the World.” Anyone who loves Ocracoke and the Outer Banks should read it. It is a work of fiction set on fictional Islands on the Outer Banks, but you will readily recognize Portsmouth Island, Ocracoke and their history as being an inspiration.
Speaking of history, there is a lot of it on Ocracoke. Blackbeard, the pirate, was killed here. There is a great historical museum on Ocracoke, run by the Ocracoke Preservation Society, that gives you a lot of other local history and a real feel for how life used to be on the Island.
For more history, visit Philip Howard at “The Village Craftsmen” and take one of his Ghost Walks. They may touch on the supernatural, but they really offer a great deal of fascinating local history. Philip also publishes a great blog at the Village Craftsmen’s Website. http://villagecraftsmen.blogspot.com/
Speaking of the Village Craftsman, this is one of several great shops on Ocracoke. A lot of the art in our house- and we have a lot of art- came from these shops and Orcracoke and Outer Banks artists and potters. Kathleen O’Neal’s shop- Island Artworks- is another stand out shop. Just take the time to roam through them all…
We had a great walk down the Ocracoke Nature Trail, across from the Campground, this morning. In all the years we’ve been coming to Ocracoke, we had never done that before.. It’s nice to know we still have more to discover here as we intend to keep coming back.
We also had another lovely walk on the beach…
Tonight it’s off to the wine tasting at “Zillie’s Pantry” with our friends Lee and Michael. Then we will try to pull together dinner at their cottage. But who knows? Anything can happen on Ocraoke and those wine tastings can always lead to a change in plans!
More to come…..
Filed under North Carolina, Travel, Uncategorized
Another great satirical article…
This one from Michelle Cottle at “The Daily Beast”.
Here is an excerpt and a link to the full article:
Honestly. We’re talking about a man who is absurdly rich and famous, not to mention hitched to a celebrity princess from America’s premier political dynasty, and he doesn’t have the self-preservation instinct to take double—no, triple!—precautions when he starts diddling the help? Forget governor of California. This man is too dense to be night manager of the local Gas ’n Gulp.
The last dozen or so political and celebrity sex scandals have left me with a strange reservoir of cynicism mixed with astonishment: No longer am I remotely surprised when these masters of the universe cheat, but I continue to be amazed by the sloppy, self-destructive, often moronic manner in which they do so. Giving one’s phone number to a D.C. escort service? Trolling for action in the Minneapolis airport men’s room? Looking for love on Craigslist using your real name (and shirtless photo)? Hiring your mistress as a videographer for your presidential run, impregnating her, then claiming the child is the progeny of a political aide? Harvard B-School could spotlight any one of these as a case study in how not to conduct an extramarital affair.
via Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Secret Child: 7 Basic Tips for Horny Politicians – The Daily Beast.
Filed under Politics
Believe it or not, this is not satire…
It appears to be real…
From Rawstory.com:
WASHINGTON — When judgment day comes — which some US Christian fundamentalists insist will happen on Saturday — have you thought about what you’re going to do with the family dog and cat?
In 26 US states, you could have them rescued and adopted by enterprising atheists who have set up a business to care for the animal companions of any Christians who are selected to go to heaven when Jesus Christ comes back.
“You’ve committed your life to Jesus. You know you’re saved. But when the Rapture comes, what’s to become of your loving pets who are left behind?” Eternal Earth-Bound Pets says on its website, offering to “take that burden off your mind.”
The post-doomsday pet rescue service already has 259 clients, who have paid $135 for the first pet and $20 for each additional pet at the same address, to ensure the faithful animal companions are looked after and loved even when their Christian owners have gone to the other side.
All the rescuers are sworn atheists, which means they will definitely be left behind on Earth, ready to rescue pets after the Rapture, which one US Christian fundamentalist group has penciled for Saturday.
When judgment day happens, Eternal Earth-Bound Pets co-founder Bart Centre “will notify all of our rescuers to go into action and they will drive to the homes of anyone who’s signed a contract with us, pick up their pets and take them home and adopt them as their own, keeping them happy and healthy for the rest of their lives.
“This will happen only if and when the Rapture happens. So we do not expect to have to do anything on Saturday,” Centre told AFP.
via Atheists offer to rescue Christians’ pets after judgment day | The Raw Story.
Filed under Religion
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!
Filed under North Carolina, Travel, Uncategorized
I hate to miss this, but we’ll be on our way home from Ocracoke….
Still, here is someone explaining why we don’t have to worry anyway….
For the Huffington Post:
Those who claim to have knowledge of the situation say “Judgment Day” will take place May 21. A Christian radio network has gone so far to “guarantee” this will happen.
As the date gets closer, the panic has spread. Billboards are being put up and people are walking with signs on the streets. There are even Craigslist ads seeking to make out on the pending fire sale.
But is May 21 really the end? Nope. And we have the top 21 reasons why.
Filed under Religion, Uncategorized
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….
Filed under North Carolina, Travel
I’ll post this without comment also….
Except to say, that I’ve read, in numerous places, about the unexpected issues many fundamentalists of all religions have with porn…
From the London Daily Mail:
First it emerged Osama Bin Laden spent hours watching videos of himself as he callously planned new terror attacks against the ‘decadent’ West
But now it appears the Al Qaeda mastermind may have watched something else as he hid in his squalid lair – pornography.
Today officials revealed U.S. Navy SEALs discovered a stash of x-rated films in the terror leader’s final hideout.
What was he watching? Today it emerged U.S. Navy SEALs found a stash of pornography videos in Osama Bin Laden’s squalid lair
It’s the latest in a series of chilling revelations about the years Bin Laden spent in the specially-built compound, as investigators trawl through the treasure trove of evidence recovered by the SEALS.
According to officials, the commandos found a ‘fairly extensive’ collection of modern porn films as they searched the building after Bin Laden was shot.
via Osama Bin Laden’s stash of X-rated pornography found in his squalid lair | Mail Online.
Filed under Religion
I just warned to let you know postings will be few and far between until around May 22.
I’m on vacation on Ocracoke Island on the North Carolina Outer Banks with limited Internet access.
I’ll catch up with you when I can– and have much to say when I get back…
Time is a different concept on Ocracoke….
Filed under Uncategorized
Lost in the 21st Century 
Nation Down To Last Hundred Grown-Ups | The Onion
Great satirical article from “The Onion”, of course….
Please click the link at the bottom to read the entire article.
It’s worth it….
MORE: Nation Down To Last Hundred Grown-Ups | The Onion – America’s Finest News Source.
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Tagged as politics, satire, Social Commentary