This Old State

I wonder the cost of continued legal challenges vs...

2012-02-02T14:56:23.284-05:00

I wonder the cost of continued legal challenges vs. the cost of buying property to protect such locations... Has a study been done that looks at these types of questions? Seems to me the Nature Conservancy does well buy buying property and getting property donated through the use of conservation easements...

Zanesfriend, no one is asking for you opinion on h...

2011-11-20T12:33:27.881-05:00

Zanesfriend, no one is asking for you opinion on here about your health concerns. The fact is this is the best way to cook a country ham without having to waste energy and comes out great everytime! Soaking prior to cooking removes much of the unwanted salts.

I have heard a lot of great things about VA Energy...

2011-05-24T15:43:01.009-04:00

I have heard a lot of great things about VA Energy and their Virginia Wind power ideas. Check out their website for more details and information. Thanks!!!

Say it ain't so, Jack!

2011-05-23T15:29:21.989-04:00

Say it ain't so, Jack!

Aw, thanks for the kind words, Jack. I've been...

2011-05-23T08:12:51.084-04:00

Aw, thanks for the kind words, Jack. I've been on the road and missed this until a guy in church turned around Sunday and started speaking to me in tongues about Mouli graters. It's been an honor working with you, sir.

Aw, thanks for the kind words, Jack. I've been...

2011-05-23T08:11:07.193-04:00

Aw, thanks for the kind words, Jack. I've been on the road a lot and missed this until a guy in my church turned around Sunday and started speaking in tongues to me about Mouli graters. It's been an honor working with you, sir.

Wow - the Observer is laying everyone off.

2011-05-23T07:37:13.955-04:00

Wow - the Observer is laying everyone off.

Hope you keep the blog going.

2011-05-23T07:06:49.035-04:00

Hope you keep the blog going.

Aah, the Mouli Grater!! My Mom had one for many y...

2011-05-21T16:46:26.766-04:00

Aah, the Mouli Grater!! My Mom had one for many years before she gave it to me when she found something she thought would be better! To her dying day, she regretted making that gift to me and several times tried to con me out of it, to no avail! Twenty five years later, I still have this marvel of a grater and pray that it lasts until my dying days! it is over 60 years old and still works great! Thanks Jack for reminded us of the value of older things!

Foley Food Mill.....the Raspberry jam maker's ...

2011-05-16T21:50:26.060-04:00

Foley Food Mill.....the Raspberry jam maker's nuclear weapon in spreading consistency. The days when quality cooking tools were made to wear out, not fall apart. Thanks, Jack.

That orange and green ball screwdriver ratcheting ...

2011-05-16T14:47:20.035-04:00

That orange and green ball screwdriver ratcheting handle allowed for more driving power into hard substances, and grip in removing partially stripped screws. Worked great, and I haven't seen one for sale in years. Would be great for older people and those with arthritis, also.

Mouli used to make excellent Food Mills too, great...

2011-05-16T11:35:50.446-04:00

Mouli used to make excellent Food Mills too, great for getting soups to the right consistency and making tomato sauces as well. I haven't been able to find one by Mouli in a while, though.

Jack, you captured early spring in our cool mounta...

2011-05-13T14:47:38.855-04:00

Jack, you captured early spring in our cool mountains. Now try for the drama that is bird nesting time!

Jack, you have missed the story. 1) Stanly County ...

2011-05-07T01:13:42.316-04:00

Jack, you have missed the story.
1) Stanly County led by Tony Dennis, Roger Dick and Lindsey Dunevant have spent north of $3m chasing jobs in this fiasco. Not a single new public company has created a single job. The only jobs generated by this misguided crew is for lobbyists and lawyers in Raleigh and Washington DC. Stanly County is now too toxic to compete effectively for new industries to support a an increasingly needy population.
2) Stanly County has closed a scholl (last year) and is currently dismantling their school system because they are out of money. The money wasted on the ALCOA farce could be used to buffer the current shortfall until the economy improves and educate children to more effectively compete in the 21st century.
3) Jack, you need to lose your tree-hugger attitudes about putative wilderness close to Charlotte and cover this story which about equipping the people of Stanly County for the future instead of providing limousine liberal tripe as you wax poetic over "nature"and the "environment" at the expense of the lives of others.
Mack Mabry

Among the presidents we elected back when poll wor...

2011-05-06T11:26:52.475-04:00

Among the presidents we elected back when poll workers actually asked for ID and there was no early voting are a decent Democrat (JFK), a decent Republican (Reagan), a couple of awful Democrats (Carter, LBJ), and a couple of awful Republicans (Nixon, W).

Have you been to the Dr's office lately? They ...

2011-05-06T06:59:43.875-04:00

Have you been to the Dr's office lately? They require ID.

Seems ironic that the description of his organizat...

2011-05-04T09:24:11.288-04:00

Seems ironic that the description of his organization makes specific reference to expanding voter participation by CITIZENS, yet he denigrates what amount to efforts to insure that those who vote are in fact citizens. (With a tiny area of exception, naturalization as a citizen requires one to be able to read, write and speak English, and to pass a test on that ability. Why in the world would one NEED ballot instructions in other languages when no one who cannot understand English is eligible to vote??)

Jack [and Damon], let's next start a movement ...

2011-05-04T06:53:02.900-04:00

Jack [and Damon], let's next start a movement to ensure that all folks who claim to be consumers of Chivas Regal get to vote at the annual meeting of the Pernod Ricard Group. Will you recognize the parallel?

McCrory would make a far better governor than Perd...

2011-05-01T09:57:34.623-04:00

McCrory would make a far better governor than Perdue. The only reason Perdue won in 2008 was riding Obama's coattails. Now that the vast majority of the voters have turned on Obama because of his marxist idealogy and idiotic, destructive policies...Perdue is toast. Support McCrory for effective governorship. North Carolina needs a great governor and that would be McCrory.

"On one hand, if the leadership does not hand...

2011-04-27T18:46:42.683-04:00

"On one hand, if the leadership does not handle the conservatives carefully, it could rekindle the Tea Party, leading to costly primaries and a divided base. On the other hand, if the leaders go out of their way to appease conservatives as a preemptive tactic to keep them in the fold, then they risk the loss of independent voters ..."

That's some really deep and insightful analysis right there. Never heard that one before.

On a non-sarcastic note, Obama will absolutely invest heavily in '12. To even bring it up as a question is kind of amateur. Don't forget that the OFA infrastructure stayed active in '10.

Maybe this time Charlotte people can get it right ...

2011-04-27T08:48:12.497-04:00

Maybe this time Charlotte people can get it right and vote for the RIGHT guy not THE JOKER.

ANOTHER poll post? Hey Jack, aren't you due f...

2011-04-26T21:59:51.058-04:00

ANOTHER poll post? Hey Jack, aren't you due for one of those "long weekends" they've been giving Newsom and Fowler? Or are you so old you're tenured?

>> A number of great UNC teachers have retir...

2011-04-25T22:08:49.073-04:00

>> A number of great UNC teachers have retired
>> and no response from the news media.

You mean like that professor who exhibited “deliberate neglect” of a computer system yet got reinstated (with back pay and $175K in legal fees) so she can receive a full pension and lifetime healthcare?

P.S.: Woody Durham was an employee of Learfield Sports, NOT of the University, so taxpayers weren't paying him (unlike the multi-million-dollar bill they'll be stuck with for the aforementioned prof).

Jim, Agreed that ol' Jack is going senile and...

2011-04-25T20:15:34.357-04:00

Jim,

Agreed that ol' Jack is going senile and is just regurgitating yesterday's oatmeal all over his bow tie.

At this point in 1991 nobody outside Arkansas had heard of Bill Clinton, and at this point in 2003 John Kerry was polling at 2% among Democrats.

Well, you're set to say "I called it!&quo...

2011-04-25T12:24:46.939-04:00

Well, you're set to say "I called it!" in November, 2012 no matter who wins, huh. Last week, in reporting on the PPP poll, the Repubs were toast -- this week, on the authority of the 'John Davis Political Report', they're close to a lock. Eat that cake and put it in the breadbox!