Weekend Cat Blogging #269

Yum-o. Today's entree will be duck with a side of duck.

Vincent is this week's entry for Weekend Cat Blogging hosted by Pam at Sidewalk Shoes.

The Age of Social Networking

Your girl is lovely, Hubbell.

She moves the cursor across the monitor in an effort to brush the hair from his forehead.
Click.
Monitor goes black.

A Katie Girl

Feel Good Friday

Human Ignored

I don't know when I'll adjust to having ducks at the bottom of the stairs. They certainly don't allow me to disturb them. I snapped their photos, I started the car, and I closed the car door. They never looked up.

See. I'm completely ignored.

Ain't That America?

Nothing says freedom like trying to take away an adult's legal personal choice.

Parked at Caldwell Park at beautiful Highland Avenue was the Pro Life Freedom Ride bus. Priests for Life held their first pro-life freedom ride rally in Birmingham on Friday night. 

The attempt to link anti-abortion/anti-choice activists with Dr. Martin Luther King and the fight for civil rights seems eerily...wrong. Watching the 20-minute online video of the rally and hearing someone invoke the beautifully written and emotional words of Dr. King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail made me wince in its inappropriateness.

• 
  
  I regret that women may have found themselves in this situation for whatever reason;
• 
  
  I regret that women may have found themselves in a situation they were not psychologically or emotionally prepared to handle;
• 
  
  I regret the finances of some situations make it impossible to provide the absolute best scenario to raise a child;
• 
  
  I regret that people feel the need to shame a female for decisions that may or may not have been difficult to make;
• 
  
  I regret that many women may have been unable to reach out for support out of fear of being harshly judged;
• 
  
  I regret the vigilante acts of those who oppose the "freedom" to choose; and,
• 
  
  I really regret a woman's legal medical procedure was politicized to the point of completely polarizing the country.

 But, I will never, ever regret the Supreme Court's decision to allow a woman's right to make a decision about her health care or a medical procedure. If one regrets her decision then seek counseling, a psychologist, a spiritual advisor, a pastor, but do not stand in the way of other women, safety, and choice. We will not go back.

Lots of This, Lots of That

Completing my visit of 2nd Avenue North on Saturday was a visit to What's on 2nd?, a store with just about everything you could think of from your past - three floors of collectibles and memories.

Remember this from I Love Lucy (1951)?

[after many takes - and many spoonfuls of Vitameatavegamin (containing alcohol)]

Lucy Ricardo: Well, I'm your Vitavigavegivat Girl. Are you tired, run down, listless? Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular? [pause]

Lucy Ricardo: Well, are you? The answer to all your problems is in this little ol' bottle, Vitameatavegamin.

[Checks the bottle label]

Lucy Ricardo: That's it. Vitameatavegamin contains vitamins, meat, megetables and vinerals. So why don't you join the thousands of happy peppy people and get a great big bottle of Vitaveatyvemeanyminimoe. I'll tell you what you have to do. You have to take a whole tablespoonful after every meal. It's so tasty too. It's just like candy.  [Takes a bit of time, if not too much, trying to sample the liquid. Finally... ]

Lucy Ricardo: So everybody get a bottle of... [pointing at the bottle]

Lucy Ricardo: this stuff.

Aerosmith Promo Poster

Crude? Maybe. But, I loved the piercing.

Unique Grocery Shop: Mamanoes

I don't know if 'Mama knows', but Antonio Boyd knows.  I had a delightful conversation with the young downtown entrepreneur and current graduate student at The University of Alabama when I was enjoying my Saturday on what is quickly becoming the Main Street of Birmingham's loft district - 2nd Avenue North.

It all felt very big city. Antonio told us that he selects a variety of items that would appeal to his customer base. He selects the freshest of produce that he feels is equal to or exceeds the farmers' markets. Less common meats, such as buffalo, can be ordered. If a particular item is requested, he can have it in the store the next day.

Outside the shop we were greeted with the potential area for a pet valet when, for example, people are walking their dogs and wish to shop. Currently, orders can be placed and picked up but the customer still has to go inside to pay. Eventually, curbside service will be available that includes iPhone orders and receipts!

There was a wide variety of items, from soy milk to pet food.

Upstairs housed tables for customers to use the WiFi service and for special events. Housed under the upstairs floor were the alcoholic beverages - a varied selection of wines and beers (wine seen here, beer on opposite side).

This Thursday night at 6 p.m., Antonio is hosting a wine tasting of South American wines, specifically Brazil, with music by a bass guitarist.

Mad Men: Season Four

Reminder: Season 4 of Mad Men premieres on AMC Sunday night, July 25th at 9 p.m. CT.

It is 1964.

Four things that happened in 1964:

1. James Meredith, an African American, enrolls at The University of Mississippi.

2. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution - Congress authorizes war against North Vietnam.

3. Muhammad Ali beats Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight championship.

4. The Beatles come to America and appear on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Above: MadMenYourself.com

Review: Rogue Tavern

Kudos to the young (and older) entrepreneurs for not giving up on downtown Birmingham and allowing it to turn into a potential ghost town. There are an estimated 4,000 loft district dwellers, 1,000 of whom live around 2nd Avenue North. These residents together with downtown businesses have brought venues like this one to The Magic City. Rogue Tavern is located on 2nd Avenue North between 22nd and 23rd, a bar/live music venue that just so happens to serve good food.

Writes bhammag.com:

Matt Lagace, Rogue's executive chef, comes from a fine-dining background, and his burgers bring a certain inventiveness to casual tavern fare, just as Rogue itself is a couple steps classier than your typical bar/music venue. Yes, the burgers are made from fresh ground chuck, with a seasoning blend created in-house, but the real appeal of Rogue's burgers are their toppings. The fiery Bloomin' Jalapeño Burger ($7.95), with onion rings, lots of the eponymous peppers, onion dip and cheddar, is my favorite, though you can also get the Southwestern Burger ($7.95), with green chiles, guacamole and Monterey Jack; a trio of mini burgers with caramelized onion and blue cheese ($7.95); or a plain ol' burger ($6.95, plus 50 cents each for cheese and bacon). If you're up for a challenge, there's also The Big "E" ($27.95), a two-pound version of the Southwestern Burger.

Rogue Burger with Homemade Garlic and Peppercorn Chips

It was the "plain ol' burger" that took me to Rogue Tavern for lunch. I was able to order it medium and topped it with cheese. The accompanying item was homemade garlic and peppercorn potato chips. The burger was wonderfully juicy and flavorful and the potato chips non greasy and also flavorful. The burger definitely lived up to its reputation and recommendation.

Portobello Mushroom Burger with Homemade Garlic and Peppercorn Chips

We passed on the desserts.....today, but I am excited to know that the white chocolate bread pudding appears to be the same or similar to what was served at the now closed Prairie Fire Grille - the best bread pudding ever.

Good service, good food, good atmosphere
5 of 5 stars
See menu here.

A view from the inside:

Note: We weren't crashing the place; we were the first customers at noon opening. More customers had drifted in by the time we left.

The Obama Paradox

I've been reading a lot about the so-called Obama paradox, i.e., President Obama has passed so many important bills yet his approval ratings aren't great. Our (my) great hope for change shifted into the race to pull the country from the brink of economic collapse considered by some economists to be the second Great Depression.

Despite what one does, it does not appear to resonate until one controls the message. Democrats have yet to catch up with the well-oiled GOP communications machine, the one that can cause a reasonable person to repeat some of the most unreasonable things.

Within the last year and a half, President Obama and administration have passed:

The most historic financial reform since the Great Depression


Health Reform, although lesser coverage than that proposed and lost by President Richard Nixon


An economic stimulus package, with the largest middle class tax cut in history and historic investments in infrastructure and alternative energy


Credit Card Reform


Student Loan Reform


Civil Rights Legislation: Lillie Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and Hate Crimes Act


Historic Nuclear Agreements: one on international nuclear terrorism and one with Russia regarding nuclear weapons


And, he has achieved economic growth as stated above, along with turning job numbers back in the right direction.


The man WON THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE, for goodness sake! Yes, we can argue that he inherited and is continuing two wars, much to my dismay, but that is a post for another time.


Just this week, despite stalling by the GOP, he restored unemployment insurance for 2.5 million Americans looking for a job AND signed a sweeping Wall Street Financial Regulatory Reform Bill. (source)

How is this being lost on the public resulting in poor approval ratings? Here is my list: 1) apathy, 2) the inherited and continued, although improved, economic collapse, 3) the opposition noise machine (Fox News, conservative activists), etc., and 4) the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Washington Post reported the Chamber has spent $3 million/week or $150 million since Jan. 2009 fighting policies of the Obama administration.

If Americans aren't comfortable to go out and spend their hard-earned money on anything and everything they desire or just be able to make ends meet more comfortably, it won't matter that so much historic legislation passed in this short period of time. But, despite the economic situation, President Obama can still fight for what he believes in and for the change many of us had voted. Take those stands and lives will still be positively affected. The approval ratings and votes will follow.

This is, by all accounts, a nation of independents (although it doesn't feel like that sometimes). Forget the ones that believe liberals have cooties. Focus on doing the right thing and don't lose your soul. The approval ratings and votes will follow.

This is my 1,000th post.

Weekend Cat Blogging #268

Vincent has so many new things to see now that we are in our new home. He was checking out the neighborhood ducks who came to visit yesterday (see here).

Vincent feels he might as well be comfortable while stalking from a distance.

Vincent is this week's entry for Weekend Cat Blogging hosted by Nikita Cat at Meowsings of an Opinionated Cat.

Happy weekend!

The Visitors

I'm officially obsessed with our neighborhood ducks. At noon, I watched them successfully beg for and receive part of the landscapers' lunches. This afternoon, a family showed up in our backyard looking for shade in this 95-degree plus weather.

Waiting for everyone to catch up.

Leaders of the pack ---- mom and dad?

The family.

Headed back to the lake, all in a row.

What the heck is that??

Pimps and Predators

No.  I'm not referring to the Tennessee Volunteers; however, I have heard about their new Vols for Life Club --- i.e., 20 years to life.  Just joking!

UA Coach Nick Saban called the agents out to land clients at any cost "pimps", while UF Coach Urban Meyer called them "predators" (source). The universities, coaches, football players, fans, and families have paid the price of these agents. It is time for the agents to be held responsible for their actions.

SEC Media Days 2010 in Hoover, Alabama: the college football spirit is officially in the air! Let the insults begin!

Feel Good Friday

Peaceful, Easy Morning

Pepper Place Summer Market

Every Saturday morning in the summer, Birmingham residents gather to purchase farm fresh produce, cheeses, artisan breads, and much more. Music accompanies the shoppers, both recorded and live. It has become a Birmingham tradition and is located in the Design Center area.

Chilton County peaches

Artisan Breads - Continental Bakery

Fruits and vegetables - reasonably priced and delicious

This Saturday's chef was Chris Dupont from Cafe Dupont, who was discussing, preparing, and serving recipes featuring watermelon. He buys his watermelons from an Alabama local, Averiett Branch Farm.  However, he says good watermelons are becoming more difficult to find and the best watermelons are now coming from China.

We were served: 1) watermelon sorbet as a popsicle and difficult to keep from melting in the heat, and 2) a salad of watermelon, arugula, goat cheese, pickled watermelon rind, thinly sliced onion, and toasted watermelon seeds with a watermelon vinaigrette (watermelon juice and a raspberry vinaigrette). Delicious!

Strollers and dogs are common at the market but, in this case, we saw a stroller for dogs.

I had the opportunity to meet the self-named "Tomato Snob", and she has every reason to be a snob about her tomatoes. She claims if you eat one of her tomatoes you will come back for more, and she is right! Next Saturday, same time. I'll be there!

NOTE: I am looking for a pickled watermelon rind recipe. The bowl of pickled watermelon rind had fresh sage and thyme. Most of the recipes I have found contain cinnamon and sugar. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Weekend Cat Blogging #267

Strange noises to my right....

.....and noises to my left.

Hey! Am I seeing things or is that a duck out there?

Jules, seen here enjoying our one ray of morning sunlight, is this week's entry for Weekend Cat Blogging hosted by Othello at Paulchen's FoodBlog?!. This week's WCB is in remembrance of Sher.

Feel Good Friday

Customer Satisfaction

I've never been the customer who plays one company against another to get a better deal or who shops around to find the absolute bottom line price. I tend to be more loyal, particularly when service has been dependable; there's a certain reassurance in knowing one has someone to rely on in a crunch.

My automobile insurance is with MetLife and has been for just over 30 years. During my recent move, but more so because of my total inability to acknowledge snail mail, I failed to pay my auto insurance installment. Initially, I was told that I would have to reapply. The rate I was quoted was well beyond my financial means for the moment and they asked for a 100% payment.

Aaugh!!! I did NOT expect that. Yet, I was guilty, guilty, guilty and I knew it. So...I called my Credit Union and applied for a loan.  Don't get me started on how much I do NOT want to owe any money!

Out of character for me, I decided to make one final plea to MetLife. I made my case about my customer loyalty and, much to my surprise and my delight, I was reinstated at my original rate! I hope the agent felt the same happiness at helping out a customer as I did hearing that news. I promptly called and canceled my loan request. Happy Days! I sometimes learn life's lessons the hard way but I learn.  I'm setting an iPhone alert right now!

We sometimes tend to complain more than we praise. Therefore, I wanted to thank MetLife for their cooperation and share my positive experience with you. Thanks MetLife! Thanks Sherrie! You will have me another 30 years!

Images: MetLife, Web Images

Cats: Home Alone

A dog did it.
 ~ Jules and Vincent

Billboard in Tuscaloosa

I took this with my iPhone on a very stormy day. By the time I made it home, I had seen three of these billboards. This read it was paid for by Ronnie Holmes. Like it or not, hooray for free speech!

PSA: Drunk Dialing

07/11/2010 - Thanks to Anonymous for correcting an erroneous statement. See below.

When D. C. Douglas left a voicemail message at FreedomWorks, the money behind the so-called "grassroots" tea party, all hell broke loose and the guy lost his job*. I refuse to link to this organization but if you decide to goggle it then be sure to notice which media organization acts as their personal megaphone.



*D. C. Douglas is was the voice of the GEICO gecko. 
From http://www.dcdouglasblog.com/: I was NOT the gecko or the main vo tag announcer. That was a conflation by Matt Kibbe. (Matt Kibbe is from FreedomWorks.)

Maxine on Saturday

© John Wagner / Hallmark, Inc.

Maxine on Saturday is hosted by Mary at Work of the Poet. Visit her blog to see other Maxine cartoons and/or to join the weekend fun.

Weekend Cat Blogging #266

Vincent adapted to his new living arrangement faster than expected, but he still doesn't have that perfect daily routine, and so, he paces and grumbles. You know the sound: "mmm", "mmm", "mmm", that throaty closed-mouth meow? Here he is testing my laptop bag for early evening.

Grumbling grumbleweed Vincent is this week's entry for Weekend Cat Blogging, hosted by Breadchick and LB at The Sour Dough.

Feel Good Friday

Happy Birthday, Ringo!

Review: Urban Cookhouse

In a perfect Homewood location sits the unpretentious and very busy Urban Cookhouse, which describes itself as a farm-to-table restaurant. My companion and I found it to be casual, yet attractive; small, yet comfortable.

Lacking any visible directions when we walked in, it fell to one of the patrons to tell us where to order. My objective was to first try what I had read to be the specialities - the chicken salad and Millie Ray's orange rolls. I ordered the chicken salad and fresh fruit with a basket of orange rolls to share and strawberry lemonade. The chicken salad was served as a plain scoop on a bed of lettuce, along with the fruit (cantaloupe, red and green apples, orange, watermelon, red grapes) and an orange roll. There was a container of dressing that could not be identified, one that visibly looked like honey mustard but had no distinguishable flavor to suggest how it could be used and that neither of us thought tasted good. The orange rolls were crunchy on the outside but moist inside. My companion said they were comparable to those served at The Club of Birmingham. The strawberry lemonade was somewhat bland, but the fresh fruit was absolutely delicious. The cantaloupe was perfect.

The chicken salad was packed but not dry, mayo-based but not watery. It had a great flavor; I only saw a possible small pimento as an added ingredient. My best bet, though, might have been the chicken salad sandwich: crushed pecans, housemade pickles, pimentos on wheat bread with lettuce and local tomatoes.

My companion ordered the B.A.L.T. (applewood bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato) sandwich on toasted bun with mayo and the broccoli salad. The salad appeared to be a popular item and contained (my guess) red grapes, bacon, and sunflower seeds mixed in a light, but creamy vinaigrette.

My food was very good, although not outstanding. There was nothing I wanted to buy to take home, although container items were for sale. I would definitely go back to try some of the other menu items and plan to visit their Saturday morning market featuring local farmers. Prices were $10 to $12 per meal.

Urban Cookhouse menu here and on Facebook.