to top it all off

Bacon Day was a great success, despite my not having three whole meals. A couple slices for breakfast, a few on a late lunch BLT and I found I wasn't hungry for supper.

That just meant there was more room for dessert.

(& yes, that's brown sugar cinnamon pig candy with chopped nuts on ice cream...and it was good.)

Extra long bike ride tomorrow. Oink.

Celebrate!

You might not be aware of this but the Saturday before Labor Day is perhaps the most underappreciated holiday of the entire year...International Bacon Day!

So in honor of this very special day (and of all the delicious hogs who die to give us this very special meat) I've decided to have bacon with every meal, maybe even dessert.

For breakfast, I'm having a large coffee and a bacon cheese wrap from Dunkin'. I'll keep you updated.

What bacony delights do you have planned for your day?

And as requested, here's the link to my famous pig candy post. I might use it as a topping for vanilla bean ice cream today.

- Posted from my iPhone

panty patrol

A while back, SayUncle reviewed his tactical manpants and I got to wondering if they made a version for those of us who don't require a flap in front.

A quick search revealed that, yes, women's styles are available, even tacti-thongs and tacti-granny panties, if that's your sort of thing. I ordered myself a pair to review (& no, I will not be roadtesting them for the advertised "17 countries, 6 weeks, and one pair of underwear." Ew.) Still can't figure out why they'd be offered in a color other than proper mall ninja matte black, though.

the new menace

Oh, and you all were so worried about zombies. Fools!
And if these little bastards team up with octopi, we're all doomed.

(Book find of the day! I LOLed.)

Yes, we are having a show!

After taking a week off, Bonnie and I will be back on the air this evening. We plan on discussing, among other assorted things, the bystander effect - made most famous by the 1964 case of Kitty Genovese. Newspapers at the time reported that 38 people witnessed her murder and yet did nothing. This was later proven false, but the fact remains - the more people are present when a person needs emergency help, the less likely any one of them will lend a hand.

The psychology surrounding this phenomenon is fascinating - but what interests me more is the one person who chooses to step out of that crowd and act. What type of person is that, what makes them different than the rest?

Join us tonight on B B & Guns at 7PM eastern!

We're hoping for a lot of caller input on this show, it'd be great to hear from you. I know that calling in can sometimes be a little daunting - everyone tells me, "But I wouldn't know what to say!" - so for a little inspiration, and to get those mental gears turning, I'm giving everyone a bit of preshow homework.

Watch this:

swirled

I've always loved the marbled fore-edges and endpages of old tomes. Seems such a frivolous, unnecessary thing in this age of e-books and PDFs, but someone spent the effort on beauty, making sure the world is aware that contained within is A Very Important Book. The unabridged dictionary at the library is dappled in a very simple pattern and yet it rests on its own wooden stand in the reference department, apart from the miscellaneous rabble of the rest of the 400s.

Marbling paper is a somewhat magical process - float and swirl pigments on a liquid, dip paper in and you have one of the oldest and most beautiful forms of decoration in history. So imagine my delight when I learned I could carry this sort of design with me, on any day I chose.

(click for detail)

say what you want...

The victory will never belong to you, Barry.

instalanche!

Well, Glenn Reynolds linked to my little blog today and I've gotta tell you - it's both a blessing and a curse.

Your first thought is all, "Whoohoo! I've hit the blogosphere jackpot! My hit counter is a blur! More readers! Yay me!"

"Oh, no. People are reading me," usually follows shortly thereafter.

As an extra fun bonus though, you start getting comments from people who are completely unfamiliar with your blog. A guy who calls himself Android, for instance, not only went completely off topic but also seems to lack a sense of humor :

"This really cant be a basis for policy preference. B/c he looks like a dork or a father screwing around on his kids bike really cant be a substantive basis to favor or not favor a president. Carter was a dork but people now seem him as an effective president."

Ah, the internets...where any weirdo with a keyboard can say any stupid crap they want. Even me.

So thanks for reading, folks. I'm honored.

I'm sorry.

My previous post was really a bit unfair.

Perhaps this might be a better comparison. More apples to apples, you know.

versus

I called Mike at work this morning, after I had gotten my usual news fix.

Me: "Um...did you happen to look at Drudge this morning?"

Mike: "No, why?"

Me, sighing : "Just look."

I heard a bit of clicking as he found the page, and then...



..."Oh, great. The bad guys have Dr. Evil and all we have to save us is Pee Wee Herman."

Argh

You know it's got to be Monday when you wake up and can't find your leg.

More blog later - after I pull myself together.

- Posted from my iPhone

Smokin' hot butts

We've gone full redneck.


Mike got a smoker for his birthday.

(sides mostly by Heart 'N Soul Restaurant).

- Posted from my iPhone

Kick Ass

This kid is a real life superhero...



(It's not the size of the girl in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the girl.)

ooh, pick me! pick me!

Holy crap, where do I apply?

fail FAIL...

...because sometimes things work out well after all.

Succeed blog, love it.

bigotry and BS

While I don't deny that there is still much to be done for gay rights*...

(from SOTM)

...no one will ever call the cops on you if you walk down the street holding hands with your boyfriend.

__________________

*& speaking of...a bigwig member of the GOP who just came out this week had this to say:

"What I will try to do is to persuade people, whenI have conversations with them, that it is consistent with our party's philosophy, whether it's the principle of individual freedom, or limited government, or encouraging adults who love each other and whowant to make a lifelong committment to each other to get married."

Yes. More of this, please.

Sorry

Tonight's B B & Guns has been postponed until next week because of a little scheduling mix-up at the library. We do this show for fun, and we do it for free - there's no law that says we have to do it every week.

Bonnie could have done the show alone, but really? Since doing a couple shows myself, it's clear that the shows are better with both of us co-hosting. Also, the topic we had agreed on is really pretty awesome and I'd hate to miss out on the conversation.

So until next week, BBGunners...

Dare I say it?

I think I'm really starting to feel the Hopenchange!(!)

WTF, News Herald?

It's never good when a small town photojournalist tries to get creative.

(although, honestly? if I was one of those boys, I would so have that photo blown up and framed to hang in my office until the day I die.)

sweet!

I've been busy enjoying my first somewhat pain-free day in almost a week - doing things around the house, answering emails, shopping, and experimenting with new flavors of simple syrup, which is totally our new favorite thing.

If you go into a liquor store, you'll find what is sometimes called "rock candy syrup" although why anyone would ever buy it is beyond me. Simple syrup was called that for a reason, you know - making it is as easy as boiling equal parts water and sugar and then adding a flavor to steep as it cools. The syrups dissolve instantly, add sweetness and flavor, last up to two months in your fridge, and are excellent as a healthier alternative for soda when added to plain sparkling water.

It all began with the quest to make the perfect mojito. Mike didn't like crushed mint leaves cluttering up his drink and we both certainly liked the idea of nearly instant cocktails - a little rum, a little seltzer, a little syrup and bingo bango, Mojito Monday in a flash. (the first batch taught us that the second batch needed fresh lime juice.) We've also made a lemon ginger syrup and have plans for fizzy creamsicles - orange juice, vodka, seltzer and vanilla syrup. Yummy, right? I'd also like to make a hot and sweet chile pepper syrup, although I have no idea what use I'd have for it.

(Have you ever made a simple syrup? If so, leave the recipe in the comments!)