Victory in Tripoli: How America's War with the Barbary Pirates...

Victory in Tripoli: "At the dawn of a new century, a newly elected U.S. president was forced to confront an escalating series of unprovoked attacks on Americans by Muslim terrorists sworn to carry out jihad against all Western powers. As timely and familiar as these events may seem, they occurred more than two centuries ago."
Pirates / Pirates of the Caribbean

WIStv.com Columbia, SC: Summerville cat survives 80-foot fall from tree

Summerville cat survives 80-foot fall from tree: "(Summerville-AP) March 21, 2006 - Piper the cat may have used up a life or two but was unharmed after falling nearly 80 feet from a tree.She had been in the tree for eight days when a rescuer started up to save her Monday.But a scared Piper crept away until the limb underneath her snapped. She fell 80 feet, twisting and turning in the air before slamming onto the ground.
It looked like a catastrophe, but Piper wasn't even dazed, scampering off before her owner Rodney Colvin could catch her.Piper was found a few minutes later under a vehicle. Her owner says she had no broken bones and was only a little dehydrated."

Uh, they forgot to mention the cat now resembles a fur-covered pancake 18 inches across....When I was little and worried about my cat being stuck up a tree, my dad would 'console' me by saying it would come down, "You never saw a cat skeleton in a tree, did you?" >>>Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook

The Truth about BBQ Sauce

The Truth about BBQ Sauce: "Because the nations first European arrivals lived on the East Coast of America, that part of the country is credited with spawning the original barbecue sauce styles.

First and foremost, there are the various Carolina barbecue sauces. The most widely known are East Carolina, Piedmont, and South Carolina varieties. East Carolina barbecue sauce consists of vinegar, salt, black pepper, and crushed or ground cayenne peppers. Its a very simple sauce that penetrates the meat nicely for a deep flavor. Piedmont barbecue sauce only varies from East Carolina in that it often includes molasses or Worcestershire sauce and thus clings to the meat more. South Carolina sauce is entirely different, using a mustard base instead, producing a much tangier and sharp flavor."

I personally prefer a thicker, tomato/ molasses-based sauce with the right blend of sweet, smoke, spice, and savor... but that's another story.
BBQ / Barbecue / Barbecue Ribs

Great joke from 'Walk this way' -Charleston,SC blog

Walk this way....: "Tonight's joke is from Read My Lips-
There were two good ol' boys from the South who love to fish, and they wanted to do some ice fishing. They'd heard about it up in Canada, so they took off up there.
They stopped just before they got to the lake at a little bait shop to get all their tackle.

The clerk advised them that the lake was frozen nicely and to be sure to get an ice pick. They added the item to their order and took off.
In about two hours, one of them was back at the shop and said, 'We're gonna need a dozen ice picks.'
This perplexed the clerk, but a sale was a sale, so he sold the man what he'd asked for.
In about an hour, the same fellow returned and said, 'We're gonna need all the ice picks you've got.'
The clerk couldn't hold back his questions this time and asked, 'How's the fishing going out there anyway?'
'Not very well at all. We ain't even got the boat in the water yet.'"
Charleston, SC / South Carolina

BBQ Blog - On a BBQ Mission

BBQ Blog - Barbecue, Barbeque, Bar-be-que, Bar-b-que... : "If you've always had a desire to purchase a 'real' bbq cooker, whether it's a Lang, Klose, Backwoods, Stumps, or one of the various styles of pellet cookers on the market; bite the bullet and do it. If you've always had a dream of owning your own restaurant, or to start a catering company...develop some goals, write a plan, tie them to a definitive time schedule, and get started on your journey.

It's time to get off the porch and get fired-up about bbq. Don't let it pass you buy. It's fun. It's challenging, but perhaps most of all, your abilities to learn new things and to meet interesting new people will surprise you.

But, when you really get down to it and boil it down to the brass tacks perhaps the most compelling reason is that there's really and truly nothing stopping you.

All things are possible." >>>BBQ USA
BBQ / barbecue / barbecue ribs

Blackbeard and Blenheim Ginger Ale

Blackbeard's Realm - Blackbeard and Blenheim Ginger Ale: Hey matey, ol' Blackbeard has gleaned a few pearls of wisdom over his 325 years, so you need to listen up. There's enough misinformation about yours truly out there to sink a Man-O-War, and nothing puts crabs in me breeches quicker than the 'Rum and Gunpowder' rumours. Don't go thinkin' I never emptied a few tankards of fermented molasses every once in a while...you think I survived this long drinkin' the water?"
Ginger Ale
Blenheim Ginger Ale
Pirates
Pirates of the Caribbean
Blackbeard

Saint Pat's and Pirates

No, they don't have anything to do with each other, (unless he converted a few in the 4th century!), but it has a nice ring to it.
Happy (belated) St. Pat's from someone with more than a bit of Celtic blood in him.

I have no idea what wearin' green and parades have to do with St. Patty whatsoever. The Irish are a proud lot, and that makes for great parades. Green is a fine color; lots of living things like it. I have heard that the dying St. Pat bid his friends not to mourn his death, but to have a bit to drink, and rejoice. I do drink beer, but it's all non-alcoholic, as in the terrific Guiness Kaliber.
I've read enough of St. Pat's life to say he was a tremendous follower of Christ. I'm sure there's bits of myth and legend here and there, but without the framework of an extraordinary life, what could you hang them on?
I know of one famous pirate who most likely wound up in the land of Erin: Henry Every. Check him out here.
Pirates
Pirates of the Caribbean

Avast! Ahoy! Arrrgggg!

I watched the new Blackbeard movie on National Geographic channel the other night. Very good.
Mr. Purefoy did an excellent job portraying the king of pirates, if I do blog so, myself. Blackbeard emailed me the next day and said he gave it an Arrrr rating, which I suppose is pretty sweet.
I have a great site all about Mr. Blackbeard that you can see here.


Fair Winds,
Captain Sage
Pirates
Pirates of the Caribbean