Ginny from the Blog debuts a one-time only video show

I’m so jazzed to be presenting you with this fun video I made today after finishing a video blogging class.

The only catch is I don’t have any of this software, so who knows if I’ll ever be able to produce anything like this again. But it was fun scouring local blogs, writing a script, playing with incredible software and getting in front of the camera. Let me know what you think:

• Girl on Camera
• Bull City Rising
• Bull City Mutterings
• The Raleigh Connoisseur 

Nothing like a half-pound of pork to get you energized

I am ashamed to say this was my lunch today:

I was in such disbelief when the waitress delivered all this meat, that I had to take a picture. Co-worker Wayne Sutton thought this was funny, so he took a picture of me taking a picture of my pork:

So then I had to take a picture of him because I thought it was funny that he was playing with his iPhone while his pork was right in front of him:

We’re in Charlotte, and this BBQ was OK. But I’m always interested in good BBQ. Any suggestions of places I should go when I get back to the Triangle?

Imagine if you could take a ride a train around the Triangle

There’s proof in Charlotte that light rail can work in North Carolina.

Don’t be fooled by the empty seats around Ginny from the Blog on Charlotte’s Lynx tonight (I’m in the Queen City for more training) , because ridership on this new light rail system is booming:

Ridership on the Lynx Blue Line has so far been better than CATS projected. Average weekday ridership in December was more than 12,000 boardings per day. It estimated first-year average weekday ridership would be 9,100 boardings.

So Triangle residents, I’m curious, would you pay increased sales taxes or increased fees on your vehicle registration if it would help bring the light rail here?

Nothing like a little improv to make you laugh

If you’re looking for some laughs between now and Sunday you have a couple of options. You could take your hairdryer outside and point it at passing cars and see if they slow down … or you could check out the Dirty South Improv Festival in Carrboro.

Last night was opening night at the DSI Comedy Theater (which is tough to find, BTW, so make sure you leave early if you’ve never been before). In two hours, I was treated to four acts of varying degrees of talent. It was definitely worth the $10 ticket. Also, there’s beer ($3.50 a can), which helps make everything a little funnier.

I most enjoyed “We Live Together” a group of four hat-wearing guys who have good chemistry on stage. They all seemed to have a pretty perverted sense of humor, and I have to admit I’m a sucker for a good deviating joke every now and then.

Let me know if you go. You can order tickets on-line or reserve them by calling 919-338-8150.

Also, I love me some improv, so let me know if there are any local performers I should watch for.

Ever wonder what happens when a bunch of gnomes play poker?

This is just the beginning. Blogger and co-worker Jeremy Baker spent a little too much time photographic his beloved gnomes, resulting in a pretty funny sequence of gnome photos. You can see how this scene played out on his “Gnomadic Gnome” blog.

In case you missed it and are confused about Jeremy’s love of all things gnomes … check out this video I made last month. It explains it all:

Dude, bet you didn’t know you could buy this at Wal-Mart

Raleigh blogger Brandy found this hilarious confection yesterday when she went to Wal-Mart. Her blog “Girl on Camera” is filled with random nuggets like this. Thanks to her, guess what all my friends are getting around Easter time.

Buying gourmet goodies may help save some land

I haven’t been to A Southern Season in Chapel Hill since I moved back to the Triangle. For those of you who have never been, it’s a gourmet market that you can easily spend hours in if you’re hungry and love to shop (it’s so fabulous that I have a girlfriend who actually shrieks every time you say you went without her). You can take cooking classes there, sample wines on the weekends, dine in its restaurant (the Weathervane) and shop for delicious candies, coffees, housewares and oh so much more. OK, I’ll stop now, I’m starting to sound like a commerical.

I bring this up because I found out today that A Southern Season is teaming up with the Triangle Land Conservancy for a day-long fundraiser next month. On Tuesday, March 17, the market is giving the conservancy 5 percent of all retail sales. The conservancy works to protect open space and other natural areas in Durham, Wake, Orange, Chatham, Johnston and Lee counties. The nonprofit is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, according to a news release I read today.

Anyway, if you haven’t been to the market in a while or *gasp* not at all, this might be a good excuse to check it out.

Do you check a restaurant’s sanitation score before dining?

Does that little framed certificate sporting a restaurant’s sanitation score make a difference to you? Because it does to 73 percent of the people surveyed by the Wake County Environmental Services Food Sanitation Section (now that’s a mouthful). In an online survey administered last month, 1,000 people detailed their thoughts on restaurant cleanliness.

Among the findings: 55 percent say places that serve food should be inspected at least quarterly while 31 percent said those inspections should happen monthly. Also, it seem a score in the 90 to 93.5 percent range is what triggers diners to think twice before ordering. The full results can be found here.

BTW, Wake County’s Food Sanitation Section is responsible for inspecting 1,795 restaurants and 502 food service establishments, in addition to 160 temporary food booths at the State Fair. That’s a lot of check ups.

As for me, sometimes I take notice of a restaurant’s score (usually if it’s displayed prominantly) but I don’t seek it out. I remember Joe & Jo’s in downtown Durham (RIP) had a pretty low score for a while (90 percent if I remember accurately). I remember joshing Chris the bartender about it a lot, but he always defended it, saying something like the inspector just so happen to come on a day a cooler was broken (or something like that). But I never got sick from eating there.

What about you? How important is the rating system to your dining habits?

Oh, and here are some handy little Websites that let you check restaurant scores in Wake County, Durham County and Orange County. Or you can search by state.

“That’s right, my flag is bigger than yours”

I saw this man riding down Peace Street in Raleigh on Saturday morning. Wish I knew his story. Since I don’t, anyone up for writing a caption for this photo? Better yet, if you know why he cruises around town towing these flags, please fill me in.

Fashion Blogging: A summer trip to the city leads to a man to some shoes

When David Millsaps bought these Diesel shoes in New York this summer, he took a little ribbing: “I got made fun of real bad by my friends for picking them up,” he said. I’m glad he decided to buy them anyway. Millsaps is one of the folks behind the New Raleigh blog. When I first met him last week, I couldn’t stop staring at his shoes. The pointed gray, leather-toed shoes jutting out from his jeans were so unusual. I don’t care what anyone says, there’s something to be said for men who sport stylish shoes.

And is wasn’t just Millsaps shoes that were stylish, his entire business casual look was well done. It’s hard to tell in this picture, but that Forsyth of Canada shirt is a woven combination of pinks and lavender. He said the thicker fabric makes the shirt versatile, allowing him to wear the designer shirts with just jeans or a full suit. The look was pulled together with a blue and red pinstriped navy blazer. The jacket is part of a Yves Saint Laurent suit he found at the Salvation Army.