Zipping Through Artsplosure

We went downtown to Artsplosure today and had a great time doing it. We went with our friends John and Marne and their daughter, Suzanna. The kids had a blast while we walked around, checking out art and music.

I heard a band playing on the city stage, so I popped over to take a look (picture here). It was playing the Squirrel Nut Zippers’ song Put a Lid On It, and doing it like it wrote it. It turned out they did: it was the Maxwell/Mosher band, two former members of the Zippers. I wondered where Katharine Whalen – the signature voice of the song – was, but then I forgot how nasty band break-ups can be. Whalen isn’t on speaking terms with Maxwell or Mosher due to the lawsuit [Correction: arbitration. See comments below] the two filed which effectively bankrupted the band. (See my Zip-RDU-Dah, Zippity-ay post about my previous Whalen sighting).

Earlier tonight, I read this writeup from the N&O’s David Menconi detailing the nasty breakup of the band. It made Maxwell and Mosher sound like total dicks for tearing up the partnership agreement under which the Zippers shared publishing royalties. It was insult to injury after the two fled the band. Are they talented musicians? Sure. But backing out of a deal like that, no matter how crummy it seems in hindsight, is just not cool.

Katharine Whalen takes the stage tomorrow with Europa Jazz Quartet at 1 PM. Go check her out.

Adios, South Of The Border?

It was once said that Pedro’s fire works, but that may no longer be the case. Ibiblio’s Keeper Of The Chicken Paul Jones is on the story that the monument to roadside kitch, South of the Border, appears to be closing up shop.

To add a story to the legend of South of the Border, a onetime neighbor of ours once played basketball at the University of South Carolina. Coach Frank McGuire was friends with owner Alan Schafer and would bus the team there each season for a basketball clinic. Schafer feted the team during their stay, offering outrageous gifts. He would treat them like absolute kings.

Its said that Schafer basically owned Dillon county, and allegedly had the sheriff’s department on his payroll. Schafer was allegedly tight with the mob, too, enough so that when Interstate 95 was being planned, the route got moved closer to Schafer’s property. At least, so says the rumor. If you look at a map, you can see a little jog in the route right around Pedro’s house.

Boy, I-95 will be pretty dull without South of the Border around. Never thought I’d say it, but I’ll miss those tacky billboards. What other tourist trap could possibly take its place?

Rested

Yesterday morning I awoke from a good night of sleep. Same for this morning. Amazing what a little rest can do for your health.

The weather’s been gorgeous, too, which has put me in a great mood: sunny, mid 70s, and not so humid with an occasional shower or two thrown in for good measure. Man, I don’t remember the last time Raleigh has had an actual spring, but now I see why I missed it so much!

Now, if I could only figure out how to get in a good sail or two, I’d be happy!

Marines Slaughtered 15 Iraqi Civilians, Says Murtha

Marines seeking revenge for the death of a Marine allegedly slaughtered fifteen Iraqi civilians in November, says MSNBC. Rep. John Murtha, a former Marine himself, claims the allegations are true (emphasis is mine):

Murtha, a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq, said at a news conference Wednesday that sources within the military have told him that an internal investigation will show that “there was no firefight, there was no IED (improvised explosive device) that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood.”

Our troops are being pushed beyond the breaking point in Iraq and Bush wants to deploy National Guard troops along the Mexico border? Does this sound like sound, rational leadership to you?

Beleaguered

That’s how Kelly described me: beleaguered, when I returned from yet another trip. I guess its starting to show. I found out today that another SE resigned due to too much travel. Quite a shame. Now one wonders if one (uh, me, in particular) will be asked to fill the void.

I got back this evening from a day trip to New Yawk and couldn’t keep my eyes open on both flights. I’m thinking its time to find a more static occupation. That, or let the world come to me! 🙂

Moral Dilemma: Headlights

Imagine this scenario: you’re walking through the parking lot of a multi-office office park. You pass an empty car with its headlights on. The car is unlocked and there is no one else around. Enough offices are in the office park to make it impractical to notify every one. Leaving a note on the windshield would be funny but obviously pointless.

What do you do? Do you enter the car and turn off the lights? Or, do you respect the owner’s property but leave it to slowly drain the battery?

What would you do?

Back From Vegas

I got back to Raleigh from Vegas around midnight last night, a good fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. As always, the crew on the Southwest flight were entertaining and fun.

The flight attendants spent the whole time teasing the two Canadian guys in the seats in front of me. It was easy to tell they were Canadian because they said “beauty!” dozens of times! They hadn’t spent much time in America and had lots of questions. They were here to visit MCI‘s NOC in Cary, so I piped up with some things they could see while they were here. High on their list are visits to a good steakhouse, Hooters and maybe a strip club or two. Heh.

Once we landed, I offered to give them a ride to their hotel since it was a mile away from the airport. They were starved so I drove them through the drive-through at Wendy’s beforehand. They seemed pretty grateful and it was fun introducing them to North Carolina. I think MCI might still have a luxury suite at the RBC Center, so I hope they can see some hockey while they’re here. Make ’em feel at home, y’know.

Good to be back with the family for a change, though it won’t be for long. I go to New Jersey Wednesday for a day trip, then to Maryland on the 23rd. In June, I go to Amsterdam for the week. Man, my head spins sometimes!

Cheap Thoughts: Flashy Vegas

As I was eating my lunch near UNLV today, I heard a siren approaching. A yellow fire truck went roaring by, lights flashing. It got me to wondering: what good are flashing lights on a fire truck in Las Vegas? I mean, there are flashing lights everywhere here. Even the CVS and McDonald’s are covered in flashing lights.

If emergency vehicles really want to get attention in Las Vegas, they shouldn’t flash any lights.

They’ll stick out like a sort thumb.