I’ve got tons of topics on my mind this weekend, but I am also feeling a little lazy. And then it hit me - why not give some love to my links? I’ve got some great links on my page and they deserve major props.
BlueNC is the preeminent progressive blog in North Carolina. The site has a good mix of political opinion and news. Even if you’re on the other side of the aisle and care about state politics, this is a good place to catch up on the latest scoop. And starting soon, yours truly will be a contributing blogger over there.
I know I am way late to the party, but I’ve recently found I Can Has Cheezburger? and I Has A Hotdog. Oh my God. If you need a time-waster at work, scroll through the dozens upon dozens of funny pet pictures. (And no, I am NOT turning in my man-card for posting that… 
)
Even though he’s a conservative, Hurricane Mikey has become one of my favorite bloggers. I am one of those strange people who loves Las Vegas. It’s like Disneyland for grownups. Mikey had a job as a day-trader and when the market was much better off, he’d go to Sin City and blow some of that cash. As the market soured, Mikey decided to cash in his chips, move to Vegas and become a dealer. His blog is all about that experience and his daily life out there.
The Smithfield Justice campaign is near and dear to my heart. There is a hog processing plant in Tarheel, NC (God help anyone who lives in a town named Tarheel… ) owned and operated by Smithfield Packing. This isn’t just any old slaughterhouse. The Smithfield operation down there probably the largest in the country and certainly one of the largest in the world. The workers process thousands of hogs per hour. The work is physically demanding and workers have been seriously injured. (Think about how hard it is to wield a sharp object hundreds of times an hour.) If anyone needs a union these workers do.
I love college football, I love tailgating, and Southern Fried Football combines those two loves as well as anyone on the web. There is just something about a warm fall day in the South, drinking beer under a tailgate canopy, while trying to avoid getting busted by Mrs. SMD for checking out the co-eds. As proud as I am of our tailgating at NC State, I must admit to a serious case of SEC envy. Those folks in the deep South are professionals.
During the last decade, the college sports fan message board business has exploded. I used to be a frequent poster on a couple of the NC State sites. However, as the popularity took off, the quality discussion of most message boards declined — with one exception. Statefansnation was started by some guys I know who founded the original Statefans.com years ago. By using a heavy hand in moderating the discussions, this site maintains a quality conversation. And they frequently report ACC news missed by major media. Even if you’re not a State fan, I highly recommend adding this site to your favorites list.
Last but not least is my dear friend, The Inadvertent Gardener. The “IG” was one of my co-workers at a previous job in Washington, DC. She now lives in Iowa where apparently she has found her green thumb. I think what I enjoy the most about the IG is that she relates much of her gardening back to the food on her plate. In this day and age of picking up a few items at the Harris Teeter, it’s easy to forget that much of this stuff can be grown in our backyard. It’s cheaper and better for us.
Check out these links. You’ll be amused, entertained and maybe even informed!
