What you see here, constructed out of cinder blocks and rebar, sitting in my garage, is what I'll call a "Pig Pit". On this pit, this September 11th, our church is going to roast a whole hog.

The pit is based on instructions from the 3 Guys from Miami, who do up a mean looking Cuban pig bbq. Being from Hawaii, I've had enough kalua pig, so it's time to expand the horizon. For sure pig photos will be available after the roast on the 11th.

Click to see a few more pics if you want.

Ah, you may have seen this TV before in my other entries. So here's the story: Once upon a time, Sony made this TV for the millionaires of the world. Truly a dream TV. This baby retailed for $10,000 like 20 years ago. We got it with the house when we bought it from my in-laws. No way could we possibly afford something like it. So one day many years ago it broke. I called a repair shop about it, read the model number off to them, and the guy calls me back the next day. He explains how Sony only made a few hundred of these, and flew technicians out to each location to service them when needed. They were truly the Rolls-Royce of TVs. Unlike Rolls-Royce, though, there ain't no more parts for these things. No parts, no TV. So I gutted out the now-dead innards and plugged in a TV in the hole.

So that brings us to March, 2010; five years after the "Fill the hole with a TV" changeout. For my lovely wife's birthday, I got her this flat-screen TV; a 42" Sharp model. Ah, but how to get it in there? The "hole" where the original TV showed through was not wide enough to fit the new TV's width. My only practical choice was to mount the entire flat-screen TV in front of the cabinet, rather than within it. I don't have blueprints, and seeing how this is probably one of the few remaining cabinets of it's type, I don't think you'll need them. So, for those who may want to convert an old bit of TV cabinetry to something modern, here's what I did: I mounted two 1/2" galvanized steel pipes inside of the TV. I did up two 2x4s with u-bolts to mount a swing-arm flat-screen mount to. By loosening the u-bolts, I was able to adjust the TV's vertical positioning. The swing-arm itself allowed me to get easy access to the back of the TV for mounting wires.

Now here's the hard part, the TV was, what $500 or so, but the swing arm alone was $200. Argh! $200 for a mount? The swing arm mount was necessary, though. At least it should survive the TV. I'm sure the next TV will be twice as good and half the price. But for now, the cabinet lives on, and overall, we like the result.

Every few years a story emerges about how researchers have discovered what they believe to be Noah's Ark. Just this week such a story is making the rounds.

Usually the story goes along the lines that researchers doing sonar have found a large mass that could be the coveted Ark.

I say it will never be found.

Here is why: Imagine Noah and his family emerging from the Ark. You offload your cargo, a year passes by, and you're looking to build a house. Your options for building materials are to start by cutting down a tree, or going to that big ol' Ark, stranded on land, never to float again. Millions of board feet of lumber. Pre-cut, many boards sized nicely. They probably stripped out entire walls, took the doors, the decks, everything. I'm sure the Ark was the first successful large-scale recycling program ever carried out. The ship breaking industry was born.

Snipped from "NORTH KOREA NEWSLETTER NO. 103 (April 22, 2010)"...

N. Korean Leader Kim Jong-il Sees Art Performances by Security Organs

SEOUL (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il enjoyed performances by the art squads of the country's two key security agencies for two days running, shortly after the 98th anniversary of the birth of his late father on April 15, state media reported.

In a report monitored in Seoul, the (North) Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on April 18 that Kim watched a performance given by the art squad of the (North) Korean People's Army (KPA) Unit 10215 on the occasion of the Day of the Sun.

"Art Squad"? In the military? Hm. I mean, I'm sure they're formidable combatants, and all, but... how do you end up in the Art Squad? Bust a move while in basic training I suppose. "Hey look, either you dance or you clear the unexploded mines out of that rice paddy over there." Who knows?

Star Wars Uncut - Scene 235

No, "Star Wars Uncut" is not something nasty. Rather, it's an ongoing project where people volunteer to produce a 15-second segment of the original Star Wars, Episode IV, A New Hope. This clip here is just one of 'em. While the project isn't complete yet, you can view most of the segments now, and boy, they are a hoot. This is 10x better than The Phantom Meanace.

Check it all out. www.starwarsuncut.com

For the last couple days, I've had a horrid itch on my right arm. Tried lotions, no luck. Finally went to the doc and went through the expected questions. No new laundry soap, pets, and do on. I did mention I did prepare a pig head last Wednesday night. "A pig head?" "Oh yeah." "Hm. That's a first" So after more talk the conclusion is dermatitis, likely from the cleaner I was using afterwards to clean the kitchen sink. Or was it Porky's revenge? Did he exude some toxin from one of his piggy glands? Some anti-predator poison? I'll never know.

There is simply no better place to shop in Anchorage. Red Apple has everything! I started out looking for some chicken, but these treats caught my eye instead.

At the end, I saw Barbara the manager lady. I asked her if they had any pig heads in. She said they had some on the truck and if I waited, I could have one. I decided not to wait, much to Justin's happiness. Next time, maybe.

Ice fog, Anchorage, Alaska. There is a fully lit 5-story building just a couple hundred feet beyond, right in the center of the photo.

Ice fog is the name folks give to fog that rolls in when it's freezing. In the daytime, I love it. It's ethereal. Buildings you know are just over there are gone. Things slowly appear out of the mist. Plants and trees all have this incredible pure white coating on them. The most beautiful picture of winter one could conjure. It's also an interesting cold, as there is humidity in the air.

At night, though, driving is a nightmare. Zip for visibility. Can't figure out where you're at because all points of reference, even the intangibles such as the lights in a particular neighborhood, they're all gone. Driving on the freeway is a game of "chicken". Don't know what's ahead, don't know when the turns are coming up, can't see overpasses, nothing. Creepy. Oh, and of course we're always wary of moose. Nobody is telling 'em to not go out in front of cars.

Today is Sunday, Decenber 13, 2009. For about a week now, Anchorage has been shrouded in this hypnotic, mysterious fog. Some folks like myself enjoy the phenomenon, others wish it to be gone. I have never seen ice fog like this, it has been quite a treat. For a few days we walk amongst the clouds.

The photo says it all. At last, Anchorage Alaska can be called a civilized place. At last we may partake in a proper plate of Curry Katsu! Oh, I am so looking forward to it!

I was in the Dimond Center (no, that is not a misspelling), and next to the bowling alley in the little food court, there I spied it. I was shocked, blown away, all that. Called Deanna up on the phone right away. "Honey, there is an L and L in the Dimond Center!"

I didn't have the time to eat right then, and wasn't hungry, but I shall return with a roarin' appetite, and am anticipating hopefully accurate mac salad. Teri mix plate, chicen katsu, mmm.

Note, let it be said, I told Deanna years ago I'd like to open up an L&L up here. Now, somebody else did! I'm not grousing, rather, I hope they enjoy huge success and expand to our side of town, as we're a few miles away. This is the best food suprise Christmas gift ever! L&L, right here in Anchorage!