Hugh Hollowell

I told you last week about the great BBQ debate on Twitter… you’ve read the blog post, now see the movie!

Abby and I were interviewed and our edited clips made it into the weekly 30threads “threadcast”. It was a lot of fun to do this, but in the future, when I am asked for a recommended place to do an interview, I must try to get it done inside. My ADD and pretty cars passing by are NOT a good mix when in front of the camera.

Check out the video here.

And, for the record, I like “Talk 30 to me” much, much more than “threadcast” as a name for this feature on the 30threads website.

I think I started the whole thing with a random observation. I have tried NC BBQ several times since I have been here and I just don’t get it. It is sorta sour, sorta flavorless and kinda mushy. Some places even put hot sauce on it. *shudders*

On the other hand, in Memphis, which is home to so many real BBQ joints it is hard to walk a mile and not see one, the BBQ is sweet and tender and actually has texture and taste. If you order ribs, you can get them dry or wet (dry is better, but this is sorta a theological debate) and they almost, but not quite, fall off the bone. If you are a real hard-core Memphis BBQ fan, you eat your sandwiches on thick Texas toast instead of a hamburger bun. And, of course, with cole slaw and sauce.

In any event, apparently the Twitter crowd here in NC takes their BBQ seriously. Within an hour, the talk was all about sour vs sweet, pork vs. beef, yellow vs red and the only reason no one got into wet vs. dry is because here in NC, they just don’t know enough to intelligently discuss it. But, I am open to trying new things.

So, I have some questions, NC BBQ lovers:

• Where in Raleigh can I get ‘good’ NC style BBQ?
• Several people mentioned getting it ‘Memphis style’ locally. Where can you do that? (I have not seen that option)
• Red Hot & Blue comes closest to anything edible I have had here. Where do you go for bbq?
• Anybody know where you can get bbq bologna locally? or bbq pizza?

Note: just before I hit publish, Abby posted about the twitter bbq smackdown…

Bust-a-gut funny.

but I won.

Read about my tangle with the State Police. By the way, you do know YOU are the one I am calling to bail me out, right?

Also, I posted some “First Day of Summer” pictures from Pullen Park on Flickr.

I saw these on Critter today at the Tweet-up at the Mellow Mushroom on Glenwood.  Are they not frickin’ awesome?

Ever since I got to Raleigh, I have wanted one of these. Thanks to the generosity of some very cool people, now I have one. It will do about 45 mph max, which means it is safe on all the city streets (most of which are 35 mph).

My reasons for getting it and not a car were several:

• It is eco-friendly. It uses very little gasoline.
• On a related note, it is wallet friendly. I can drive about 80 miles on a gallon of gas. I splurge and get the high-test.
• It is also low-overhead. I tend to minimalism, and the attraction of owning a vehicle that I can drive with no paperwork requirements of any kind is hard to pass up.

However, I have found one downside: Driving this thing when the temperature is below 40 is just damn cold. But at 80 mpg, I can afford a lot of padding.

I tend to be very NOT political. Politicians do what they do, and being mad about that is sorta like being mad the grass is green.

When I was a small lad, (I think it was the 1980 presidential election) I remember asking my mom who she had just cast her vote for, and she told me that was private and that you never had to explain to anyone who you had voted for. That always made an impression on me, and to this day, I am very closed mouthed about who I will (or have) voted for.

Today, I got an email from a high school friend who I reconnected with last year. Now, I am on her email list, where she forwards me dire warnings of computer viruses,  various urban legends and poems about Jesus superimposed over huge memory hogging pictures that end with the admonition that if I too love Jesus, I will forward the email to every person I know, post haste. Normally, I just hit the delete button. I am sure you do too.

Today I was informed by an email she forwarded to me that Barak Obama is the anti-christ.  Who knew? Maybe he is, I do not know. Heck, for all I know, you are the anti-christ. However, there were a lot of allegations in the email that I have heard again and again and are just plain untrue.

For instance, Barak Obama  is NOT a Muslim, radical or any other sort. He is an active, baptized member of the United Church of Christ, a rather liberal mainstrean Christian Church, and has been for over 20 years.

Barak Obama was NOT sworn in to office on a koran.  That was Keith Ellison, from Minnesota.

Yes, his middle name is Hussein. So What! One of my best friend’s middle name is Sherman, but that does not mean he burnt Atlanta.

He has NEVER refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance. He has NEVER refused to put his hand over his heart when saying the Pledge. The infamous picture you have no doubt seen was during the singing of the National Anthem. The last football game I went to, well over half the people did not cover their heart with their hand during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner.  Many of them went to get beer and peanuts. Give the guy a break, for crying out loud.

His father is NOT from the Middle East. He is from Kenya, which is to the Middle East what Mississippi is to Wisconsin. This I found curious, but if you cannot be bothered to do research, I guess geography is beyond your reach as well.

Look, next time you want to forward me a dire warning about people stealing kidneys, Obama being the Anti-Christ or some dying kid who will get free chemo if I save my coke can tabs, check it out first on Snopes.com. You will save yourself much embarrassment.

For example: http://snopes.com/politics/obama/

As I wade through my backlog of email, I found out that a letter to the editor I had sent in while I was gone was published. You can read all about it on my other blog.

One of my favorite holiday traditions growing up was watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special. It turns out you can get your own Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

Gawd, I love the internet.

Yesterday was St. Crispins Day, a minor feast day in the Catholic world, but an important day to lovers of English Literature. For on St Crispins day in 1415 was the Battle of Agincourt. It was immortalized by Mr. William Shakespeare (he wrote some plays) as the centerpiece of his play Henry V.

I love the speech given by Henry in the play just before the battle. He is outnumbered at least three to one. Most of the nobles know if captured, they will be ransomed, but the common soldier will be put to death, so they need to fight for their lives. Henry stirs them to action, boldens their spirit and promises that

gentlemen in England now abed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

Old Henry could give a speech, I will give him that. (Actually, Billy Shakespeare wrote the speech 100 years after the death of Henry, but that is really beside the point.)

Here is the full text of the speech.

What’s he that wishes so?

My cousin Westmorland. No, my fair cousin:

If we are marked to die, we are enow

To do our country loss; and if to live,

The fewer men, the greater share of honour.

God’s will, I pray thee, wish not one man more.

By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,

Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;

It ernes me not if men my garments wear;

Such outward things dwell not in my desires:

But if it be a sin to covet honour,

I am the most offending soul alive.

No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:

God’s peace, I would not lose so great an honour

As one man more, methinks, would share from me

For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more.

Rather proclaim it presently through my host,

That he which hath no stomach to this fight,

Let him depart. His passport shall be made

And crowns for convoy put into his purse:

We would not die in that man’s company

That fears his fellowship to die with us.

This day is called the Feast of Crispian:

He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,

Will stand a-tiptoe when the day is named,

And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

He that shall see this day and live t’old age,

Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,

And say “To-morrow is Saint Crispian”:

Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars

And say “These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.”

Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,

But he’ll remember with advantages

What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,

Familiar in his mouth as household words

Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,

Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,

Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered.

This story shall the good man teach his son;

And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,

From this day to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remember’d;

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he today that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition:

And gentlemen in England now abed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

I saw her in Moore Square today; I thought it was just hilarious.

(no handicapped people were injured in the taking of this picture)