It’s BACON!

I don’t know what “baconaise” is, but I want it in mah belly.

Though not literally made from bacon, the bacon coffin is painted to look as if it is covered in savory strips. An article from Seattle’s King5.com reports that local company J&D’s Foods created the casket. This isn’t the first time the company has found inspiration in bacon. J&D is also responsible for unleashing Bacon Salt and Baconnaise on the world.

Archery Range Planned for West Bend

Cool.

The West Bend Park, Recreation and Forestry Department is developing a permanent outdoor archery range in the City of West Bend. 

The range is planned on a parcel near the city’s wastewater treatment plant on Municipal Drive. The range would feature six ground level targets, a shooting platform with three targets, shooting stairs and bow racks.

It would also feature handicap accessibility and be free to the public.  

What Would You Do With $500 Million?

The Mega Millions jackpot is up to $500 million. If you were to win, what would you do with the loot?

A Weakness

It’s hard for me to turn away from watching Braveheart whenever it’s on. My ancestry traces back to ancient times, as does everybody’s who still breathes the sweet air of life, and one of my ancestors was Aongus Mór MacDonnell. He passed down his name to the MacDonald Clan. My brother, father, and grandfather were all named Donald. Yet poor Aongus, the “Gallowglasses of Ulster,” was imprisoned by Robert Bruce in Dindonald Castle where he died.

Another side of my family went back into English history and they fought fiercely with others of my ancestry. Thank goodness some of them lived to pass on their genes to my children.

Holy Hot Dog!

There’s a new concession item for sale at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington this baseball season…  the 1-pound hotdog.

Sounds like a challenge!

Poplar Inn

Wendy and I had a wonderful dinner at the Poplar Inn this evening. I think we’ve eaten at almost every restaurant in West Bend and we’ve been to the Poplar Inn several times. No offense to the other great restaurants in town (of which there are several), but I think the Poplar Inn is the best place in West Bend.

Tonight we had a couple of cocktails and started with our favorite appetizer, the Spicy Tuna Tar Tar. It always hits the spot. Then I continued the theme with the Black and White Yellowfin Tuna. It was seared to perfection and the wasabi vinaigrette added that perfect little zest. Wendy had the Butternut Squash Ravioli. I had a bite of it and it tasted like a full Thanksgiving meal - with all of the fixin’s - in one glorious bite. We finished up with a Creme Brulee that was just enough sweetness to put cap on the meal.

Throughout it all our waitress was perfectly delightful and attentive. The pacing of the meal was perfect and I never set down an empty glass.

For a full meal with drinks, appetizers, and desserts it’ll run you something around a $100 and it’s worth every penny (and then some). They do have a nice fish fry, I hear, but I haven’t personally tried it. You could probably get out of there for around $50 for a couple, but it’s difficult for me to resist some of their menu items.

Anyway, if you’re looking for an excellent meal with outstanding service, take a swing by the Poplar Inn. If you see a guy in the corner stuffing his face with the Spicy Tuna Tar Tar, it may be me.

Booming Clintonville

Makes sense.

CLINTONVILLE — Federal geologists say a minor earthquake occurred this week near the Wisconsin city where researchers have been investigating a series of unexplained booming sounds.

The U.S. Geological Survey said Thursday the 1.5 magnitude earthquake struck Tuesday just after midnight in the eastern Wisconsin city of Clintonville.

Geophysicist Paul Caruso says loud booming noises have been known to accompany earthquakes. He says it’s possible the mysterious sounds are linked to the quake.

Expanding Kyle

Wow.

Currently in the SEC, Kyle Field stands as the seventh largest stadium in the conference with a capacity of 83,002 fans. The word on the street, however, is that the university’s possible expansion/renovation plans would fill out the arena to a whopping 115,000, effectively passing Michigan’s “Big House” for the largest stadium in the nation.

While the discussions are still being kept tightly shut behind closed doors, small leaks have allowed for the media to uncover that a step-by-step renovation is one of the top choices for the A&M administration. This would include stages in which each of Kyle’s three decks on both the East and West sides would be upgraded.

The further expansion of the stadium would follow, but as of now, everything is still on the table. This ranges from playing at Houston’s Reliant Stadium for a season to completely revamping the south end zone so as to allow a relief valve as soon as possible. 

Point is, Kyle Field will be greatly increased to accommodate a much larger capacity over the course of the next decade. The SEC move is an ideal point in which to start putting this project in the works, especially since A&M will begin receiving an increase in cash flow with their change of conference.

A full-blown jump up into the 100,000 person capacity would create one of the top destinations for college football in the country. Fans of the sport would travel thousands of miles to visit what could become the loudest and most deafening stadium in all the land.

Sean Payton Suspended for One Year

Wow.

Roger Goodell laid down the law once again. The NFL commissioner issued a harsh one-year suspension to New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton for his role in the team’s bounty system that rewarded defensive players for laying injurious hits on opposing players.

The system’s creator, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams who is now with the St. Louis Rams, was suspended indefinitely by the league. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for eight games. Assistant head coach Joe Vitt will serve a six-game suspension.

All suspensions are without pay. Payton won’t earn any of his reported $6 million salary during the ban, which begins April 1.

It’s harsh, but appropriate. These kinds of actions can’t be tolerated and I’ll bet that any other bounty systems like this in the league were put to bed today.

Amos Moses

I spent a couple of days in Nashville this week and met a man named Amos. Given the location and the name, I couldn’t get this song out of my head.

Rolling in the Deep Drums

Since we’re celebrating drums, check out the drumming behind this song.

I love the vocals, but I can’t take my eyes off of the drums…

Sheila E

Nothing like sequins and 4-inch heels to bring a drum solo to life.

Stolen Heart

Strange.

The heart of a 900-year-old saint has vanished from Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, police and the Cathedral said.

St. Laurence O’Toole’s heart was kept in a heart-shaped wooden box in a cage bolted to a wall in Saint Lauds Chapel, Irish police said.

It disappeared between Friday evening and Saturday noon, police said.

Adding to the mystery, there was no sign of a break-in or of damage, police told CNN.

Where In The World?

We haven’t done one of these in a while. Where is it?

UPDATE: Congrats to Joey. This is Bekal Fort.

Dirty Saints

Wow. The Saints have come so far and now it’s all undermined by this stupid and destructive behavior.

New Orleans Saints players and at least one assistant coach, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, maintained a bounty pool of up to $50,000 the last three seasons, the NFL said Friday. Payoffs came for inflicting game-ending injuries.

Among the targets were Brett Favre and Kurt Warner, with “knockouts” worth $1,500 and “cart-offs” $1,000. Payments doubled or tripled for the playoffs, and, according to an investigation by NFL security, pool amounts reached their height in 2009 — the year the Saints won the Super Bowl.

“It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it,” Williams said after the league said between 22 and 27 defensive players were involved in the program he administered, with the knowledge of coach Sean Payton.