The 38th Tar Heel Tavern

This week, we skip around in theme a bit at the 38th Tar Heel Tavern. We have entries about the arts, politics, photography, cooking, news videography and finally private-public service announcements. The variety is great and the writing/photography is wonderfully representative of the diversity of our wonderful State. Please enjoy our Tavern this week, and while you are visiting our sites, browse a bit. You might find a source for regular reading.


Jane at Pratie Place writes this week of a visit to a recent production of Swan Lake by the Carolina Ballet with her friend from New York. Afterwards, they appropriately visited a shoe-store called “Envy Shoes” which seems fitting given all the dancing on point that they must have just witnessed. I am glad they simply dropped by Casket World and didn’t need any of their wares. Filled with beautiful photos of old Russian illustrations of childrens’ stories, this posting is visually stunning. Thank you Jane! Parenthetically, I found a place in Madrid this summer that sold shoes as well and had to take a photograph of their store-front. The name of their business was “Very Dangerous Shoes”.

From BlueNC we have a posting about the introduction of and support by four Republican NC Representatives for a bill that would withhold federal transportation funds from North Carolina if the state doesn't strengthen it's diver's license requirements. BlueNC questions, ”Who Do They Think They Are?”.

An analysis of the 2005 Election Results in Cabarrus County - with a quick aside about the 2005 Mecklenburg School Bonds results comes to us from The View from the Cheap Seats. Justin Thibault analyzes the results of Tuesday’s election and provides commentary on our obligation to vote in honor of those who fought or who continue to fight for our freedoms in 2005 Post-Election Thoughts.

Bora, of Science and Politics presents an article about the many people who are recognizing our former Senator John Edwards in their blog entries and links. Link_Love: Blogging John Edwards will show the enormous amount of attention that former Senator Edwards is receiving in the blogosphere.

A beautiful reminder of the season, Mandie’s photo entitled Driveway reminds me, at least, of one more reason I choose to live in North Carolina. You can visit Mandie at Capitivated by Mandie. About this photograph, Mandie says, “My best photo so far this year - a little cliché, but I love the fall colors and the flow, and hope everyone else enjoys seeing it as much as I enjoyed taking it.” If this is cliché, then I love clichés.

Laurie of Slowly She Turned says that she has been busy writing this week and has had a difficult time choosing which entry to submit. Sounds like an invitation to drop in and check out her other work when you are finished getting all mouth-watery from
Minced Clam Bisque Plus Shrimp. She says that she had “a socks and bacon kind of day last weekend when she cooked up some minced clam bisque (well, sort of) for her weekly soup post.” I didn’t know what role the socks might play in making bisque, but bacon sounds nice. After reading the post, I understood a little better and will erase the image of a spoon with a sock draped over it from my mind.(By the way, my mom once left the strawberries out of a strawberry salad at her restaurant. She didn’t realize it until the customers started commenting on it.)

ZhaK of A Fine Dish also submits a culinary theme, but this time in honor of Pat and Dan Billeci who quietly celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary on November 8. In this touching entry, we are invited to wonder how people sacrifice and succeed to make their marriages work for forty-seven years, all the while drooling over the menu that would be offered in their honor.

Mel of Mel’s Kitchen sends us into intrigue and international cuisine in an entry spoofing the Iron Chef program called Jack Bauer Vs. Iron Chef Chen Kenichi. Is it just me, or does the Iron Chef Program seem just a tad bit gay?? I love it. The intrigue, the drama, the suspense…..the gloves!

If you have watched the news at all this week, you have no doubt heard about the cell-phone bandit. At Words Fitly Spoken, we find Cell-Phone Bandit, a potential transcript of a conversation that might have gone on during one of the robberies. Handcuffs!??

Lenslinger, as usual, has presented us a well-written and touching entry about a family devastated by a hit-and-run pedestrian accident on I-85. He takes us Once More Up the Widow’s Porch in this poignant story.

Terri-Lynn of Nearest Distant Shore reminds us that November is Diabetes Awareness Month in this family account of life with diabetes entitled Awareness. Diabetes is quite difficult to manage. In fact, I have found it more difficult to manage than my HIV has been for me. I found out about six years ago that I have type II diabetes, and have known for years about my maternal and paternal family-lines’ histories. I applaud Terri-Lynn for sharing her story and Liam for enduring his testing and treatment. Until we live it or hear a testament about it, we just don’t seem to grasp the impact of the disease.

I hope that Erin, at Poetic Acceptance will forgive me for picking her post from yesterday for our Tavern this week. We know that there are difficult times in all our lives and that people step up to the plate. Last week, Erin hosted our Tavern for us despite an ongoing family crisis. Tonight, I am including her post No Words To Say where she expresses her thanks for us and we can show her that we love her too. Hang in there, my friend and much love to your family.


Finally, I am taking this space to remind everyone that World AIDS Day will be held on December 1. This yearly event is intended to remind us of the more than 40 million people worldwide who are still living with this illness and how we can help them. A shining example of love and compassion, my former co-worker Donna Kline, who now lives in the Bay Area of California, ran in the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s Honolulu Marathon in 2003 and recently wrote me to tell me that she is running in the upcoming 2006 SF AIDS Foundation’s Miami AIDS Marathon in my honor. In a A Tribute to My Hero Donna Kline I recognize her for her efforts and link to the webpage where you can watch her progress or make a donation to her cause. You can also read my other posts about HIV/AIDS and other topics this week at 2sides2ron.

That is our Tavern for this week. I hope that you found it useful, entertaining, informative and addictive!!

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