We dined at the Southern Rail Restaurant for lunch. The building is made of railroad cars conjoined by a glass structure. We dined in one of the rail cars. Very cool!

Obligatory blog portraits (and to show off the interior):

Grilled Avocado, Tomato and Provolone Sandwich with Spring Mix salad for me:

House Braised Pork Sandwich (with coffee BBQ sauce!) for Matthew:

A walk in the park after lunch, with an amazing sand sculpture to marvel at:

And locally made mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert, the end to a wonderful day:

[wp_caption id="attachment_17" align="alignleft" width="96" caption="Butler 5 Star Rating"][/wp_caption]

Caldwell Butler: My Aunt Jennifer introduced me and my family to the Fiesta Grill restaurant which is probably the best restaurant of it's kind outside of Mexico! From the North Carolina highway on which the restaurant sits, it might be mistaken for a fast-food joint... But don't judge a book by it's cover! The Fiesta Grill is owned by a jolly Mexican family and will greet and seat you without haste. The Fiesta Grill is great for either sit-down or take-out meals. You have a wide selection of fajitas, tacos, burritos, chimichangas, etc... My aunt's and my personal fav is the Burrito Del Mar, a seafood burrito bigger than a rolling pin packed full of shrimp, crab, rice, and many other yummy treats... When you've picked your Mexican delight, you can give your selection to one of the warm, friendly waiters or waitresses... You'll receive numerous baskets of chips with homemade salsa while waiiting for your meal, but I like to save up for my monster burrito. The Fiesta grill is a must for anyone who likes authentic Mexican food...

Kaufman Butler: Fiesta Grill in my opinion is probably the best Mexicen restaurant in the U.S.A.  I am serious. My favorite thing is the Burrito de Pollo (a large soft flour torilla filled with chicken, beans, and cheese topped with ranchero sauce, sour cream, and cheese) for $6.95. And they have the best guacamole you'll ever find. You have to order this extra. Fiesta Grill you may think is a little fast food place. It's small but very cute and decorated in greens and reds. My Aunt said that whenever you go there on your birthday, you get to wear a large sombrero through the whole entire meal. And they even sing in Spanish. How cool is that?

Mom Butler: The kids are right again with their critique of the Fiesta Grill. This restaurant has been written up in Gourmet magazine and other prestigous publications with good reason. This is some of the best Mexican food you'll find. On the weekends they have many authentic specialties, such as Menudo. I've had both the offerings that Caldwell and Kaufman wrote about and they will definitely ruin you for Mexican food anywhere else. The Bravo's Burrito, dubbed "The Big Daddy of Burritos", is enormous and is filled with chile verde pork, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, and rice, then covered with ranchera sauce and cheese for $8.25.  Good luck eating this at one sitting. The owner and employees always greet you with a smile. It's obvious they really enjoy sharing their wonderful recipes with patrons. Very affordable at between $6.95 and $12.95 per entree. The children's menu has a wide variety, all at $3.95 each. I sincerly doubt you will be fed any better for the price. An absolute must if you are in Chapel Hill, NC, or the surrounding area.

Murder In The City - The Avett Brothers

KEXP Performance - 05/19/2008 - The Avett Brothers

A Community Oriented Private Enterprise (COPE) which has in its mission to manage a small business launchpad in Downtown Greensboro.

We hope to share our intention with our potential landlord, Mr. A.B. and Ms. Lillian Rauch, then gather letters of intent from hopeful and existing small business owners who may want to locate there. In order that these letters of intent may be taken seriously by our potential host, we plan to take an administrative filing fee for each of them proportional to the amount of space the potential candidate business is hoping to occupy.

The organization will hope to lease the building as early as September 1st, 2008 with an option to buy the building as soon as it is available.

Location:

121 S. Elm St.
Greensboro, NC 27401 is the proposed available location

FREE VERSION OF THE STORY

http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/Gift_of_the_Magi.html

MUSIC

Squirrel Nut Zippers has an album called Christmas Carivan

you can find the discography at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Caravan

Track 8 is called "The Gift of the Magi"

ORGANIZATIONS WITH A SIMILAR NAME WHICH MIGHT BE RELEVANT

Susan Zuidema, Director
Giving@TheMagiGifts.com
Phone: 616-878-9900
Fax: 616-878-9921

Office Address:
2470 Byron Station SW
Byron Center, MI 49315

Mailing address:
P.O. Box 43
Byron Center, MI 49315

http://www.themagigifts.org

Recipient Qualification Application
http://www.themagigifts.org/upload/MagiRecipientQualificationApplication.pdf

]]> http://progressiveuncc.wordpress.com/?p=11 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:23:47 +0000 unccearthman http://progressiveuncc.wordpress.com/?p=11 Happy belated 4th of July to everyone!

In the spirit of Independence Day, I wanted to share with you an article that was forwarded to me from the SURGE mailing list. It's a great read and discusses xenophobia in the US and how North Carolina's latest trend to bar undocumented residents from its community colleges falls in line with the trend. The author is Dan Pollitt, a professor emeritus at the UNC Chapel-Hill School of Law.

The Texas court case to which Pollitt is refers in his column is Plyler v. Doe (1982). At the time, Texas had established a statute which withheld "from local school districts any state funds for the education of children who were not 'legally admitted' into the United States, and which authorize(d) local school districts to deny enrollment to such children." However, the Supreme Court found the statute to be unconstitutional as it violated the 14th Amendment and its Equal Protection Clause.

As Dan Pollitt writes, "(t)here are dozens of cases in which the court has ruled in favor of immigrants' rights—legal or undocumented. The theme of these decisions, as one justice wrote, is that 'Resident aliens, like citizens, pay taxes, support the economy, serve in the Armed Forces, and contribute in myriad other ways to our society' and cannot be denied an equal opportunity to engage in the normal ways to earn a livelihood."

Every person deserves a chance to be reap the benefits of living in the United States, and I'll leave you with the Equal Protection Clause for your post-Independence Day reflection:

"No State shall...deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

Happy 4th, y'all, and let the discussion commence.

By Tiffany Thompson, Staff Writer

Thursday, July 3, 2008 July 03, 2008 01:34 pm

— History was made Tuesday in the city of Locust as Assistant Police Chief Frank Hartsell purchased the first legal bottle of malt liquor in the city.
After making the purchase, which was part of the grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration for the city’s new ABC store, Hartsell then donated the bottle to the Locust Historical Society and Museum.
The store opening came after residents of Locust voted in February to allow the sale of alcohol within the city limits.
“I want to thank the people of this town who came out and voted for the alcohol referendum. They are the ones who made this possible,” said Joe Bishop, chairman of the Locust ABC board.
Other members of the Locust ABC board include Lee Timberlake and Mike Harwood. Former Councilman Harry Fletcher is the store’s manager.
“We have a great staff here. I couldn’t be anymore pleased with the way this store has come together and the people we have working here,” Fletcher said.
After nearly five months, two of which were spent waiting on approval for the ABC site, the store finally opened. It will be open Mondays-Saturdays from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
The store is in West Main Plaza on N.C. 24-27 beside Stanly Community College (SCC) Crutchfield Campus.
Locust Mayor Harold Greene, along with several members of the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce and the state ABC board from Raleigh, were in attendance at the ribbon cutting.
“I want to thank the city for voting for the sale of alcohol. Now the dollars our residents spend on alcohol can stay in the city and benefit us,” Greene said.
The opening of the store came just in time for the Fourth of July holiday, so Greene reminded everyone to have fun, but stay safe and obey the laws.
Contact Tiffany Thompson at (704) 982-2121 ext. 24 or snaponline24@carolina.rr.com.

You can buy this image online.

Look very closely to see why this is Fireworks. (See the landscape, the little house and trees on the dark horizon of this sunset scene with floral fireworks.)  I saw this wonderful painting by Donna Phipps Stout this past spring where it was still available for sale.  Can't vouch for its availability now, but interested parties should contact the Jerald Melberg Gallery in Charlotte, NC.  Please mention that you saw Stout's painting here!  I think her fireworks are lovely for celebrating this Fourth of July.  Our hot dogs (actually "Good Dogs by Yves" -- we're vegetarians) are heating up right now.  To all Americans finding this post, Happy Independence Day to you!  To visitor's from other countries, wish you could be here for our party!  Please consider yourself a virtual guest!  And welcome!

[Top of the post:  Fireworks, by Donna Phipps Stout, oil on panel, 48 x 50 inches, Jerald Melberg Gallery, Charlotte, North Carolina]

The former senator from North Carolina Jesse Helms died at age 86.

Lo mas importante es -- Dios nos ha hecho libres, El nos salbo, y vivimos para El.

Charlotte ranks #3 behind Atlanta and Portland.

Charlotte is one of the largest banking centers in the world, and is second only to NYC in that respect. But the “Queen City” also benefits from a powerfully funded arts community and offers wonderful museums, entertainment venues, and an eclectic mix of 19^th century neighborhoods and sleek urban downtown architecture. Neighborhoods like South End and NODA (North Davidson Street) enjoy a thriving GLBT presence and the city has other desirable and affordable enclaves including tree-lined Windsor Park.

Read the whole post of the Gay Ghetto Top 10 for 2008 for yourself here.

This Sunday we all fly back to Belfast, Northern Ireland to spend five weeks in the UK.  I'll still be blogging, twittering, facebooking, YouTubing, etc. as normal as there is Internet in Ireland now.

We're really excited about catching up with friends and family after our eight month stretch here in the States.  It will be so good to see them all again and it will be nice to attend our church for a few Sundays and get the chance to lead some worship.

We hope to get away for a weekend break to Donegal, or even Bray.  We'll also visit London to spend some time with Liz's family.  I'll try to get some photos up during our stay.

We will miss North Carolina though - our new friends, the weather, and NHC.

p.s. Liz has a blog now... she just needs a little encouragement to start blogging...

So when will they realize that the global billionaires aren't going to include them either (the millionaires and the middle class)?

Probably when they can't get any food either. Then they will have to leave their houses and fancy jobs to head wherever there might be food.

Of course, right now the middle class doesn't see it.  In that way, the impoverished are advantaged, because they are already used to being pushed around and marginalized and controlled by food supplies, etc.

Just my opinion.

From the Charlotte Business Journal:

Redevelopment of Central Avenue is Piece by Piece

Parcel by parcel, developers are remaking the face of Central Avenue near Plaza Midwood.

But they’re hoping the changes won’t compromise the character that attracted them to the neighborhood in the first place.

“People need a place to get away from the franchise, cookie-cutter places you find all over the city,” says Andy Kastanas, a part owner of Cosmos and The Forum uptown.

He is transforming a nearly 80-year-old building on Central Avenue into a restaurant and lounge. “This is one of the last outposts in the city for cultural developments.”

At least a handful of projects are planned or under way for about a half-mile stretch of Central Avenue between Louise Avenue and The Plaza. The only thing connecting the development: a desire by owners and tenants to be a part of one of Charlotte’s last “unique” neighborhoods. And most expect the proposed streetcar line that would run along Central Avenue through uptown and several new housing developments to boost the neighborhood’s popularity.

Kastanas is investing about $400,000 to rehabilitate the top floor of 1500 Central Ave. for what he calls a gastro-lounge. The building, constructed in 1932, needed extensive structural work, he says. The 1,900-square-foot restaurant, called Soul, will have about 60 seats and serve dishes such as sushi and tapas.

Downstairs, neighborhood tattoo artist Rodney Raines is opening a wine store and art gallery, which will also occupy 1,900 square feet. Raines, owner of Ace Custom Tattoo on nearby Thomas Avenue, plans to have monthly art exhibits and possibly outdoor seating at the shop, which will be called Twenty Two.

Bernadette Delgado, who owns the building, says she was picky about who she offered leases to.

“The thing that I was so cautious about was that I wanted something that would add to the neighborhood,” Delgado says. “I think the two will really complement each other and the neighborhood.”

Around the corner, the owners of the Jackalope Jack’s restaurant and bar will renovate a triangular building at 1212 Pecan Ave. previously occupied by The Steeple Club. Owners Rob Nixon and Andy Wilson plan to add two floors to bring it to about 8,300 square feet. “Of all of the places in Charlotte, this area has got uniqueness,” Nixon says. “It’s got an old downtown feel that no other place in Charlotte has.”

Other developments include:

•A restaurant and retail complex proposed by Conformity Corp. for the corner of Pecan and Commonwealth avenues. Construction of the building, which could be as large as 14,000 square feet, should begin in about six months and be complete by the end of 2009. “People are looking for spaces that are ‘real’ as opposed to contrived,” says Monte Ritchey, Conformity president.

•A 10,000-square-foot warehouse at 1117 Pecan Ave. occupied by a paint store. Sherwin Williams should be moving out by fall. The space would be ideal for an art gallery or yoga studio because of its large open space, says John Nichols, president of The Nichols Co.

•A 20,000-square-foot building renovated by Rudolph Moore Properties at 1401 Central Ave. The firm is investing about $3 million in the 1950s building, which will be home to offices and shops and should be complete within a few months.

•A 10,000-square-foot building being renovated for two restaurants at 1101 Central Ave.

•A 3,700-square-foot space in the Family Dollar-anchored strip center on Central Avenue proposed for a restaurant. John Hatcher, who owns the 10-acre tract the strip sits on, plans to add large windows along the Central Avenue side of the building and a patio. Hatcher has taken his time developing the site, which has been in his family since 1907. “People have great visions for what they’d like to see, but when you put the economics with it, it doesn’t always work out.”

Most of the developers involved in Central Avenue projects think the proposed streetcar line will bring more development.

“We’ve got to have the density to keep the area alive,” Nichols says. “The streetcar will only strengthen this area’s connection to the core of the city.”

I'm researching an ancestor of mine (or piggybacking off the research of my step-father), McDonald Clarke- known by many as "The Mad Poet" and revered for his eccentricities and his innocence.  He often found himself poor and alone, but many, including the best poets of his day, marveled at his uncanny ability to smile in the face of cruelty, to find decency in anyone and to seek out the stars through a large hole in his attic-room roof, rather than suffer the misery of defeat of being poor.  In his poem, Humility, Clarke writes,

"Do you call me poor, you slugger? // Won't Posterity let me hug her, // And won't she hug me back again? // Isn't my pen // The Sceptre of Eternity, to wave //  Over Earth's grave?"

And we are by no means poor, but we feel the pinch and empathetically are suffering with the worst off for we know these are families not unlike our own.  And because we have had to worry at times in our own lives about from where our next meal might come.  

The beauty in these times is that they are less superficial.  Sincerity seems to flow in all art, music, from the pen.  These are times when we build strong foundations - not of brick and mortar, but of friendships that will lead us through the hard times.  

"By calling me poor, you slugger,

Psho!  Psho!

I'm sure I don't feel so -

So I should think

From this hurricane of ink."  -MC

photo off of internet

Jedd and I haven't been out of town in almost a year. We haven't been back to Pigeon Forge in almost two years. We have decided to take a longer vacation this year. I have finally planned and booked our lodging for next week. We are leaving on Sunday, July 6, 2008. We will be visiting Pigeon Forge and The Biltmore...and many more sites. I had to book two places in two different states-aaahhhh! I have been researching and reviewing reviews on TripAdvisor.

We will be going to Pigeon Forge for four nights. We like to stay in a cabin and I finally chose one (a little more expensive than the last one) at Legacy Mountain Resort. We will be staying at one of the Tremont cabins. When I made the reservations, I asked about construction-it is at the top of the resort, and about neighbors. She put us near the bottom on the end of a road. So we are not near the construction, we don't have to travel up and around, and we will only have one cabin on one side of us. I love staying in a cabin. I just purchased 3 new books to take with me too. Jedd won't let me start reading them because the last trip I purchased three books-and I read them the week before we left-lol!

In Pigeon Forge/Sevierville we will definitely be visiting Smoky Mountain Knife Works. It isn't just about knives-this store is absolutely awesome. I can only find a link to their catalog-it doesn't do the store justice-the store itself is beautiful! Here are some reviews that describe the store better. We will also be visiting The Apple Barn. I love this place too. I love their wine and you get to taste it there. These are the two places I always stop by when I am in that area.

We want to see a show and check out some attractions, but we want to try out some new ones (even though I could go back to Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede-it is an awesome place including an opening act, a wonderful show, and a scrumptious dinner). We have also been to The Comedy Barn and watched their show-no meal included. It was hilarious with lots of doggies everywhere. We will probably drive up to Gatlinburg for a bit. Browse the shops and eat at a fantastic pancake house-Pancake Pantry. We have already been to Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies-Awesome aquarium! We have also done Earthquake the Ride - Do NOT waste your money on this attraction. Maybe we will drive through Cades Cove too-we haven't done this yet.

Anywho~back to deciding on shows to see in Pigeon Forge. I have narrowed it down to two shows and one attraction (again by reading reviews-and ignoring some reviews-lol) Now I need to pick one (or maybe two-lol):

1. Black Bear Jamboree Dinner Dinner & Show
2. Hoot N' Holler Dinner & Show (this is located in the Wonder Works Building and can also be purchased as a combo deal with tickets to Wonder Works)
3. Wonder Works-you gotta click on this site-I just love the introduction-then click on Pigeon Forge, Tn-of course. I'm not sure about this attraction-if it is more for children or if we can have just as much fun too.
   

WOW! I feel like I am doing reviews myself. I was going to tell you more about some more sites we have been to, but I didn't realize how long this post was. Well I am going to tell you anyway-ha! We have also been to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and we drove up to Clingman's Dome. Absolutely breathtaking.

OK~fast-forward to Thursday, July 10, 2008. Check-out time from our hopefully wonderful cabin. We will be hitting the road to Asheville, NC. I have booked us 2 nights at the Holiday Inn Express-Biltmore Square Mall. This site doesn't show you everything unless you click around and get lost then do it again-lol. We will be staying in a suite. I had to really research hotels...I am not a huge fan. We will probably visit part of the Biltmore Estate (winery and possibly the stables) Thursday afternoon, then return on Friday to visit the Biltmore House and the Gardens. I am hoping to also take a short road trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway and back Friday evening. We will pack it up Saturday morning and head on back home.

I am in a story-telling mood, but I know this long, so I better stop now. Do I have enough links in this post-hehe! I will have to do a review of the places we do visit and see if the other pics and reviews were correct.

I have a surprise pertaining to this post for you all (if you would like to be included). I will post about it tomorrow. So if you made it to the end of this post and you aren't falling asleep-lol-tell me what ya think. Do you have any other tips or suggestions?

It is my pleasure to be associated with Dr. Stan and to offer a series of Boot Camps for Women in collaboration with him. The first of its kind will be held on Saturday, October 11 at the Carolina Theatre in Durham, NC.

One of the things Dr. Stan loves to talk about is how women must take their vision and passion for their businesses and put it into guerrilla warfare street fighting.

Well, that's what we're going to do at the Durham Business Boot Camp for Women. We're going to get down and dirty and deal with the issues that hold us back as businesswomen. Celebrity actresses Bern Nadette Stanis and Debbie Zipp will be on hand to share their experiences about Hollywood's treatment of aging actresses and how they were forced to shift career gears. There will also be other women on hand to share their start-up business struggles and what they did to overcome them. You'll be armed with information and other "goodies" to take home with you to help give your business the extra "boost" it may need. You'll also be able to network with other women during a special luncheon.

This is a MUST seminar for every woman who has a business or is thinking about starting one. Why? Because Durham's Business Boot Camp for Women is the only place where you're going to be Educated, Empowered---and even Entertained in the process!

FREE BUSINESS HOW-TO BOOKS TO BE GIVEN AWAY. One lucky woman will receive a prize package valued at more than $500! (includes a free business consultation).

Boot Camp plus Friday night hotel accommodations is only $97.

© 2008 Pamela Mullins/Serenity Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Serenity Photographers are Raleigh based specializing in on-location, natural light contemporary children and family portraiture. Available for assignment in the Raleigh/Durham area, Serenity offers wedding photography including trash the dress sessions, model portfolio development, senior portraits, pet portraits, event photography, and commercial photography.

© 2008 Pamela Mullins/Serenity Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Serenity Photographers are Raleigh based specializing in on-location, natural light contemporary children and family portraiture. Available for assignment in the Raleigh/Durham area, Serenity offers wedding photography including trash the dress sessions, model portfolio development, senior portraits, pet portraits, event photography, and commercial photography.

About Us:        

What We Do!

Roman Hauling; is a full-service junk removal  company. We’ll remove All Types of Junk,Trash - from old furniture and appliances to garden waste and renovation debris. Plus, we do all the loading and cleanup, wherever the items are -

How Do We Price?

We charge by volume, not by the time it takes us to remove your junk. Our truck teams are dispatched to the job, we are scheduled to do work at and give an on the spot free estimate. Our truck team will confirm the price with you before they begin removing your junk.  We do the work right then and there or reschedule for a better time that better suits our customers needs.Remember we are a full service; we do all the lifting, loading and sorting; just sit back  and reclaim your space.

                                                       

About Us:        

What We Do!

Roman Hauling; is a full-service junk removal  company. We’ll remove All Types of Junk,Trash - from old furniture and appliances to garden waste and renovation debris. Plus, we do all the loading and cleanup, wherever the items are -

How Do We Price?

We charge by volume, not by the time it takes us to remove your junk. Our truck teams are dispatched to the job, we are scheduled to do work at and give an on the spot free estimate. Our truck team will confirm the price with you before they begin removing your junk.  We do the work right then and there or reschedule for a better time that better suits our customers needs.Remember we are a full service; we do all the lifting, loading and sorting; just sit back  and reclaim your space.

                                                       

About Us:        

What We Do!

Roman Hauling; is a full-service junk removal  company. We’ll remove All Types of Junk,Trash - from old furniture and appliances to garden waste and renovation debris. Plus, we do all the loading and cleanup, wherever the items are -

How Do We Price?

We charge by volume, not by the time it takes us to remove your junk. Our truck teams are dispatched to the job, we are scheduled to do work at and give an on the spot free estimate. Our truck team will confirm the price with you before they begin removing your junk.  We do the work right then and there or reschedule for a better time that better suits our customers needs.Remember we are a full service; we do all the lifting, loading and sorting; just sit back  and reclaim your space.