I 'moth' 'fly' to visit this local museum 'ant' some point

(First of all, apologies for the horrible pun of a header.)

Did you know that there's an Insect Museum in Raleigh? I didn't either until yesterday. In fact, the museum has been around in some form since the 1950s!

"Housed in the Department of Entomology and the College of Agriculture & Life Science, the NCSU Insect Museum is dedicated to the acquisition and preservation of resources in systematic entomology useful to the NCSU Department of Entomology, the citizens of North Carolina, and the systematics community."

And, with "close to 1,400,000 prepared specimens, the Museum is vital to our Department, University, and State, serving a variety of research, extension, outreach, and teaching activities. Holdings of North Carolina insects and of Homoptera are especially outstanding. The worldwide collection of Homoptera, along with NCSU's extensive literature collections on this order, form an unduplicated resource for homopteran research. The NCSU Insect Collection has several other outstanding research collections (Lepidoptera, Acarina, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, Heteroptera, Orthoptera, and Collembola) within it and associated assemblages of literature that are of national and international importance. Collectively, these resources have played an extraordinary role in systematic entomology."

In case you were wondering, yes, you can visit the Insect Museum -- by appointment only, and only in groups less than 10.

Some history:

The Department of Entomology began developing an institutional insect collection (rather than a number of personal collections) during the early 1950's. Metcalf was initially in charge of the departmental collection, which incorporated his extensive personal collection of Homoptera. In 1955, the NCSU Insect Collection and the Department moved into room 4321 of the newly completed Gardner Hall. Soon after Dr. Metcalf's death (early 1956), leafhopper specialist David A. Young accepted a faculty position at NCSU (1957) and took on the administration of the Collection, which continued to grow in size and importance under his direction. In the late 1970's David L. Stephan assumed responsibility for the Collection, a task by then of such magnitude that the need for a full-time collection manager became apparent. In early 1979, Carol S. Parron was hired to fill this newly created staff position and a Departmental Museum Council was established. In mid 1980, Lewis L. Deitz was appointed Director of the Collection. Robert L. Blinn, who replaced Parron as the Collection Manager (1987), designed a database application to inventory holdings and manage accessions and loans (1992). Molecular systematist Brian M. Wiegmann initiated the Museum's Genome Bank.

Rapid growth of the Collection during the 1980's and 90's made it necessary to expand into two adjoining rooms (4317 Gardner in 1995; 4317 Gardner in 1996) as planned in the original design for Gardner Hall. In December 1980, an inventory of the Collection estimated holdings at approximately 719,178 prepared specimens. Current holdings are estimated to exceed 1,144,170 prepared specimens (December 1997). In 1997, the National Science Foundation funded a grant for the expansion of the Collection, including the incorporation of recent large acquisitions.

Here's a top five list you DON'T want to see the City of Oaks on

Charles Meeker may not be Mr. Personality, but at least he has never been charged with eight felonies!

In March 2008, Kwame Kilpatrick was charged with eight felonies, including perjury and obstruction of justice. In August, he violated his bail agreement and was thrown in jail. His actions were deplorable for anybody, but Kilpatrick was no Average Joe — he was the mayor of Detroit.

Unfortunately for the Motor City, Kilpatrick, 38, is just one ripple in the area's sea of crime. Detroit is the worst offender on our list of America's most dangerous cities, thanks to a staggering rate of 1,220 violent crimes committed per 100,000 people.

"Detroit has, historically, been one of the more violent cities in the U.S.," says Megan Wolfram, an analyst at iJet Intelligent Risk Systems, a Maryland-based risk-assessment firm. "They have a number of local crime syndicates there — a number of small gangs who tend to compete over territory."

Detroit was followed closely on the list by the greater Memphis, Tenn., and Miami metropolitan areas. Those three were the only large cities in America with more than 950 violent crimes committed per 100,000 people.

The other two in the top five of Forbes' America's Most Dangerous Cities were Las Vegas and Stockton, Calif.

Making it in the top 15 were Charlotte (No. 14 with 721 violent crimes per 100,000) and Charleston, S.C. (at No. 8, 824 per 100,000).

The top 5 most dangerous cities, according to Forbes

1. Detroit

2. Memphis, Tenn.

3. Miami

4. Las Vegas

5. Stockton, Calif.

We may not be as desirable as we were a year ago, but we can still kick your butt!

OK, so maybe Raleigh dropped from No. 2 to No. 10 in Kiplinger's Best Cities for jobs list. (As if "barely" making the top 10 is a bad thing.) But here's yet another list of which Ralwegians (and Caryites) should be proud.

Residents of the Raleigh-Cary metropolitan statistical area are in better shape than those living in the Charlotte MSA, according to a new study," says the TBJ.

The American College of Sports Medicine’s American Fitness Index ranked the Raleigh-Cary MSA as the 20th most fit MSA of the nation’s 50 most populous metropolitan areas. Charlotte came in 34th. ...

The annual ranking rates cities on personal health factors, such as the percentage of the population considered obese, who smoke and who have chronic illnesses such as asthma or diabetes. The rankng also factors in how frequently people exercise and the percentage of the population with health insurance. In addition, the index takes into account community and environmental indicators, such as the number of parks and playgrounds per capita as well as the number of farmers markets and the percentage of people who bicycle to work.

The report credits Raleigh-Cary for having low unemployment and plenty of parks, but it concludes that the area could use more primary care physicians, dog parks and golf courses, as well as people who bike or take public transportation to work.

The top five metro areas in the report were Washington, D.C., Minneapolis-St. Paul, Denver, Colo.; Boston and San Francisco. The bottom five were Houston, Las Vegas, Birmingham, Ala., Detroit and Oklahoma City.

Not too flabby - er, shabby.

(Images from Hyatt & Broadmoor.com)

Changes likely for Wake libraries

According to NBC17, a couple of Wake County library branches may be closed because of tight budgets this year.

The two branches are Duraleigh and the Athens Drive High School branch.

"Signs greet patrons entering the other library slated for closure, the Athens Drive High School branch, reading 'Athens Drive Public Library to close!'

"The signs encourage people to contact county commissioners, who have to pass a final budget by July 1, or comment at the two public hearings scheduled for June 1."

" 'Some of the people who live in the immediate neighborhood really depend on this as their primary branch and they're devastated. We're devastated,' said librarian Chris Meyer. ...

"The county is also proposing to cut hours at all branches, bringing the total amount of savings from library cuts to $1.5 million.

"Fourteen positions would be eliminated, but the county said all staff members would likely be able to find employment at other branches."

Well done, Canes & Goobers

Well, it wasn't pretty. The Pittsburgh Penguins dominated the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals, sweeping the Canes in four straight games. And not even Coach Cowher could bring the mojo for Carolina last night. But, honestly, who would've thought two months ago that the Canes would even still be playing this long into May?

From today's N&O:

While the conference finals will be remembered for the power and scoring of the Penguins' Evgeni Malkin, the speed and playmaking of Crosby and all the things the Pens did right, it shouldn't ruin all of the good things the Hurricanes did this season.

It can't erase the strong push down the stretch to make the playoffs, Carolina's first postseason appearance since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, or the series victories over the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins that ended with thrilling Game 7 wins. The late-night receptions at RDU by jubilant Canes fans after those victories also will be long remembered.

"What a heck of a ride," said forward Scott Walker, who had the Game 7 overtime winner against the Bruins.

"Maybe in a week or two I'll be able to put it in perspective," Canes winger Chad LaRose said. "But we just lost a series, and right now that's all that's in my mind."

It should also be noted that the Goobers showed up and -- on TV, at least -- continued to vociferously back their team to the very end. There's been quite a bit made of the so-called loudest building in the NHL. But what impressed me the most was the enthusiasm from start to finish for the team. Nice job, Goobs. And there's always next season.

Todd Zehz articulated the sense of satisfaction Canes fans have, even after Tuesday's loss.

"They should not have beaten Boston. They should not have beaten Jersey. We're gonna root for them until we die," he said.

Wait -- so we DON'T want people all over Downtown Raleigh?

"Road races through downtown Raleigh happen nearly year-round," says WRAL. "As runners and walkers lace up, many times for a good cause, the race can also cause headaches for people living along the route.

"Pam Wilson lives along a popular race route. She says she often feels trapped in her neighborhood due to heavy foot traffic through downtown Raleigh.

" 'I had two Saturday meetings with a non-profit organization and I literally couldn't get there,' Wilson said.

Actually, I can understand Wilson's concern. My wife had a situation a couple of years ago where she was supposed to meet some friends at Cameron Village for lunch one Saturday morning. She got stopped in Cameron Park (she was attempting to bypass a road race course) and a police officer never allowed the auto traffic to make the jaunt across Clark/Peace to CV. An hour and a half later, the missus turned around and make the roughly 2-mile drive home. There were numerous times where there was more than enough gap between runners where the cars could have quickly been allowed to cross, but no.

As the article stated, having road races (and even dog walks and other events) only adds to making downtown Raleigh a viable place with a heartbeat. I'm thankful that there are so many of these events (and it seems like there is one every weekend).

“People, just not in Raleigh, run in these races with people outside the city, so it brings visitors in. But we need to be able to find a very good compromise in this situation,” Councilmen Thomas Crowder said.

“I think the most important thing is that we make sure we communicate with the public, (and) neighborhoods know when the routes are going to take place. And more importantly, where are the detour routes."

Can't argue with that.

RailHawks' partner club Burnley promoted to EPL

Not trying to make this a soccer-specific blog or anything, but it is nice to see that Burnley FC -- the same club that the Carolina RailHawks' under-23 team beat last year -- has been promoted to the English Premier League. The Clarets will play in England's top division for the first time in 33 years.

Burnley beat Sheffield United 1-0 on Monday. Midfielder Wade Elliott struck the crucial goal in the 13th minute at venerable Wembley Stadium, "surging forward past two challenges before getting the ball back and curling it from the edge of the area into the top corner."

"That's probably the best goal I'll ever score," Elliott said. "My mum and dad were sat up in the opposite corner and I thought about running over, but it was too hot."

Read here for a bit more on the Clarets' trip to the Triangle last summer.

Another honor for The Pit

CNN Travel has done a Quest for the Best BBQ -- and Raleigh's The Pit made the list of five Great BBQ Joints.

The others on the list are the Cozy Corner in Memphis; Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas; Martinsville's Checkered Pig; and the Whole Hog Cafe in Little Rock.

The article states that 'cue is enjoying a renaissance, securing its place as "America's original comfort food."

Stamp to honor St. Augustine's graduate

From the News & Observer:

Raleigh native and St. Augustine's College graduate and professor Anna Julia Cooper will be featured on a U.S. postage stamp that will be dedicated at the college next month.

Cooper was born the daughter of an enslaved woman and her master in 1858 and went on to become a teacher, scholar and civil rights advocate. She is perhaps best known for her book "A Voice from the South: By a Woman from the South," published in 1892. She later received a Ph.D. from the Sorbonne in Paris and lived to be 105.

The 44-cent stamp featuring Cooper is part of the Black Heritage series. The U.S. Postal Service and St. Augustine's College will dedicate the stamp at a ceremony on campus on June 18, according to the postal service. The event will be open to the public.

(Image via the N&O)

The changing face of USL, or how Raleigh could get its second major professional sports franchise

OK, this may be a bit of stretch, but there has been some talk (rumor?) of late on a couple of soccer-related sites/blogs that suggest that the United Soccer Leagues First Division (home of your FIRST PLACE Carolina RailHawks) could be in dire trouble, victims of its own success, if you will.

The problem stems from the fact that perhaps four of USL's marquee teams may wind up very soon in Major League Soccer. (Seattle has already made the jump with great success, and Portland is right behind. It is very likely that Montreal and Vancouver's USL teams will do the same.) If things play out this way, and if large-market USL teams in Miami and Atlanta fold, then USL may need to re-shape its destiny.

One rumor circulating out there is that if the chips fall where they may, and USL has to change things up, then the remaining USL clubs will join forces with USL2 or with MLS to create a possible relegation level, not dissimilar to the English Premier/Championship leagues (and just about every other sports league in the world, for that matter). And it must also be understood that USL and MLS do not currently appear to have the best relationship, so this talk could all be for naught no matter what happens to USL.

It should be noted that one person who follows USL closely, Brian Quarstad, suggests that any chance of a USL/MLS marriage is hogwash.

However, USL is indeed going through a tremendous time of sorting things out from the USL-1 league owners to the USL front office. There will be changes coming in the near future but what those changes look like are up in the air with both the League front office and the Team Owners Union, as reported by IMS previously. However, the idea that the league owners would pull their teams from USL-1 and form some sort of second division with MLS just made me laugh. (Emphasis his.)

(Quarstad's post -- linked above -- shows game summaries with attendance. Miami's recent match with the Hawks brought in just over 1,800 fans, for what it's worth.)


If that were to happen, then there's a chance that the RailHawks would begin in the lower tier but with the chance (if relegation/promotion is used) to move up to MLS down the road, thus giving the Triangle with a second major league sports franchise. This would be potentially bad news for USL, which has been around for almost a quarter of a century, but possibly good news for the Raleigh area.

And, yes, I understand this is all quite dependant upon a number of circumstances. But, there you go.

Best nectar of the Gods in Raleigh?

We haven't done one of these "best of" posts in a while, but this article from Garden & Gun (written by the aptly-named Glock, no less) made me think of the wonderful Southern staple of sweet tea.

When you drink sweet tea, your body starts to pump out insulin like water from a fire hose. Then, you have the caffeine. Which stimulates your adrenaline. Which confuses your metabolism. And keeps you from feeling sated, as one normally would after swallowing that much sweetness. Only a select few can eat seven pieces of cheesecake at a sitting, for example. But nearly everyone I know nods and says, "Just one more" when the lunch lady comes around toting the clear pitcher with the rubber band snapped around the handle. Say what you will, but sweet tea is the real hillbilly heroin.

To say Southerners drink sweet tea like water is both true and not. True because the beverage is served at every meal, and all times and venues in between—at church and at strip clubs, at preschool and in nursing homes. Not true because unlike water or wine or even Coca-Cola, sweet tea means something. It is a tell, a tradition. Sweet tea isn't a drink, really. It's culture in a glass. Like Guinness in Ireland. Or ouzo in Greece. ...

Theories abound: Southerners prefer sweet tea because back in the day we used sugar as a preservative and our palates grew to crave the taste. Southerners like sweet tea because it is served ice cold and it is hot as biscuits down here. Southerners like sweet tea because we are largely descended from Celts and Brits, making a yearning for tea a genetic imperative. Southerners like sweet tea because Southerners are poor and tea is cheap. (Cheaper than beer anyway.) Southerners like sweet tea because it is nonalcoholic but it still gives you a hearty, if somewhat diabolical, buzz.

No matter the source, our affection for sweet tea characteristically reaches religious fervor. Ask any Southerner where the best sweet tea is served, and he or she will have an opinion. I once knew a man who would drive forty-five minutes to a south Georgia Chick-fil-A because it had what he deemed the tea of the gods. This is not the sort of devotion one finds with other beverages, even coffee. Coffee is an addiction. Sweet tea is an obsession.

No doubt about that. In fact,the South Carolina rock band Cravin' Melon once sang, "and on the eighth day, God made sweet tea." But the mere fact that we have to describe the good stuff as "sweet" tea shows how diluted this Southern liquid heaven has become. I can remember just ordering "tea" back in the day and assuming it would be sweet.

Oh, well. At least you can still get sweet tea in Raleigh. Which brings us to the question: Where can you get the best sweet tea in the Raleigh area? Off the top of my head, the following places have the best. And I'm not sure what it says about the area that the majority are national/regional chains:

-Bojangles

-McDonald's

-Chick-Fil-A

-Ole Time Barbecue

-Smithfield's Barbecue

Where else can you get really good sweet tea?

(Image from mostlymedia)

Rest those lungs, Goobers!

After all, there's more hockey to be played!





(Image from the AP)

RIP, Miss Betty

WRAL is reporting that "Miss Betty" has been killed.

For many N.C. State students and other Raleigh residents, Miss Betty was an institution at the Hillsborough Street Waffle House. I'm not proud of all the times I found my way to the "Awful House" at around 2 a.m. or so while in college, but Miss Betty was always there with her quick wit.

Through the years, my friends and I got to know her fairly well (as I'm sure did hundreds of others). I seem to remember her telling my buddy Hugh about her massive horse farm. We were stunned; why on Earth would you work at the Waffle House if you had such a wonderful horse farm? Well, she worked there at night so she could spend her days with her horses up. So she would drive 80 miles from Warrenton to Raleigh to dish out "smothered, covered and topped," waffles and wisecracks.

"Ms. Betty always had a way of telling them, 'If y'all don't quiet down, y'all won't be eating tonight,'" co-worker Maria Winkler said. "They always had a deep respect for her. She was definitely grandma amongst us."

Winkler said Ms. Betty loved her job – so much so that she would make the 80-minute commute five days a week from her home in Warrenton to Raleigh.

"She always said that the day she stopped working was the day she was going to die," Winkler said.

On Wednesday, Ms. Betty was driving home on U.S. Highway 401 in Wake Forest, when state troopers said, a car driven by Chad Rodman, 37, crossed the center line and collided with hers.

She never made it home.

"We're all gonna miss her very much," Winkler said. "I don't know if Waffle House is going to be the same without Ms. Betty here."

Bonjour, y'all!

We've discussed some before about Raleigh's Sister City relationship with Compiegne, France, a relationship the cities have enjoyed for two decades.

Well, today a delegation of nine (including Councilwoman Nancy McFarlane) left for a three-day visit to Compiegne.

Also going is Todd Culpepper, executive director of the Raleigh-based nonprofit International Affairs Council. Culpepper will be blogging (via WRAL.com) about the trip.

Here's some of his first post as they all get ready to depart.

"Even though the Raleigh-Compiegne Sister City relationship has been established for 20 years, I am just stepping into it and look forward to the time in the homes of local Compiegne host families. It’s my turn to enjoy being hosted as an 'international visitor.' When I read the names – Cordier, Thurotte, Dadier – I know I’ll be a long way from Raleigh, but that’s what I really like in all this international stuff: the chance to be around others who have completely different perspectives on many issues yet have the same basic needs for safety and family and friendship."

(Image of the Place de l'Hotel de Ville in Compiegne by F. Mertens)

Wanna show your Society support?

Many thanks to StickerCafe.com for putting together a "RPS" oval auto sticker.




If you are interesting in purchasing one, go here.

Hey, did you know Raleigh was in NORTH Carolina?

Listen, I'm not so naive to think that Raleigh is such a huge metropolitan that everyone in America knows where it is or that it's even in North Carolina, not South Carolina. And I also know that the Associated Press' Stylebook probably recommends putting ",N.C." after "Raleigh on datelines. But I have to think that if you're a reader of the Boston Globe, and you're keeping up with your Bruins in the Stanley Cup playoffs, then you're at least knowledgeable enough to know that your team's opponents, the Carolina Hurricanes, are from Raleigh. Period. Not Raleigh, N.C.

But article after Globe article this morning following the Bs' absolute thumping of the Canes last night contains nuggets like this. [Bold emphasis mine.]

"... The venue switches to the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C., for Game 6 tomorrow night. ..."

"However it happened, the simple fact is the Bruins found their rhythm after two games in Raleigh, N.C., in which they appeared to have forgotten everything they had ever learned about how to play this game. ..."

"For two games in Raleigh, N.C., the Bruins barely made their way into Carolina's end of the sheet, ..."

And so on.

Interestingly, the Boston Herald's main game story from last night has this line: "In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last night at the Garden, the B’s crushed the ’Canes, 4-0, to force a Game 6 tomorrow night at the RBC Center." (Trust me, NHL players and fans know about the RBC Center.)

And The Herald's Steve Buckley even writes about last night that, "By the time it was over, the Bruins had themselves a festive 4-0 victory over the Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, forcing a Game 6 tomorrow night in Raleigh. The Bruins still trail the series 3-2, but at least now there is hope."

Do you think this is just an oversite on the part of the Globe? Or is it a subtle slap at the Triangle to say, "you're not THAT important of a metro area." Maybe the News & Observer should refer to Beantown as "Boston, Mass."

(It could be worse. This article points out the identity crisis that Charlotte sometimes has to face when folks get it confused with the Charlestons and Charlottesville.)

Side Street gets a makeover

One of our favorite little Raleigh institutions is Side Street, over on N. Bloodworth. Well, the venerable old cafe is getting a fresh coat of paint. The good news is the iconic Coca-Cola motif on the side is being enhanced, as this (admittedly taken from a car-)photo shows.

Novella takes place in Historic Oakwood

"The Door to Destiny" is a 100-page novella by Raleigh resident Greg Johnson. You can purchase it (for just $9.99) or download it at lulu.com.

Here's a description of the book:

Something strange occurs after Cameron Lane inherits his grandfather’s old home. Cameron discovers a window through time, and enters the Roaring Twenties. There he meets the true love that he couldn’t find in his own world. Yet this is not a love story. As Black Tuesday comes and the Roaring Twenties turn into the Great Depression, Cameron decides to leave this new world and go back to a time that he understands. But something goes wrong. As Cameron travels through time, he ends up in a totally unexpected era, and this one is full of danger. In this adventure Cameron escapes perils and learns about himself and also learns of a dark family secret that only he can resolve, and to resolve it he must risk his own life. Set in Raleigh, North Carolina, The Door to Destiny draws you in with each succeeding chapter daring you to put this book down.