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Copy and pasted from NC "Ourstate" web site.

 

Perhaps the best way to answer these questions is to ask ourselves yet another: Why is North Carolina called “The Tar Heel State”?

It’s okay if you don’t already know the answer, really. Here your character is only measured by how much you love this place, not by how much you know about it. Plus, the details about how this state got its nickname are actually rather fuzzy in some parts. We’ll explain.

During colonial times, North Carolina was a key supplier of naval stores. The tar, pitch, and turpentine produced by our longleaf pine trees, bountiful in the eastern part of the state, were used to coat wooden ships to prevent leaking and damage from shipworms.

The relentless black substance would produce a displeasing smell, so some would use the term “Tar Boilers” to describe the people who harvested it.

And, of course, it was messy to work with, too, inevitably winding up on the feet of workers, says Bill Ferris, a professor of American studies at UNC.

Like tar to heels, the nickname stuck. It would take a while for “Tar Heels” to be used to describe the state and its people as a whole. As for what is likely the first documented use of the phrase “Tar Heels,” we can look to the Civil War. One of the most popular explanations for the name gaining traction is recorded in Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-1865.

As the story goes, North Carolina troops managed to singlehandedly and successfully fight in the battle without the aid of other states. When it was all said and done, most of the other regiments were gracious about it with the exception of one from Virginia.

(Insert another oh-so-subtle reminder here that North Carolina is the “vale of humility between two mountains of conceit.”)

“Any more tar down in the Old North State, boys?” the regiment asked, condescendingly.

“No, not a bit. Old Jeff’s bought it all up,” the North Carolinians replied, alluding to Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy.

“Is that so? What is he going to do with it?”

“He is going to put it on you’ns heels to make you stick better in the next fight.”

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4 hours ago, Ceptorman said:

It's amazing how much better bread taste when snow is predicted:D

 

I thought of you earlier today. I DVR a show called Aerial America, the last episode was about North Carolina, the Tarheel state. It's ironic, the even said the Tarheel state, but never mentioned what Tarheel meant, and I still don't know.  It was a great episode, lots of history in NC. The part about the battleship USS North Carolina and what it accomplished in WWll was awesome, gave me goosebumps. The DOD was going to destroy the ship for scrap metal, then the people of NC stepped in and said no, we will keep her. 

One story is that during the civil war a group of North Carolina soldiers were outraged that some of their comrades were quick to leave the battle when things got tough.  They threatened to stick tar to the heels of those comrades to keep them fighting.  Robert E. Lee is reported to have said "God bless those tar heel boys".

Tar, pitch, and turpentine were significant commercial products at that time. 

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4 minutes ago, Tarheel said:

One story is that during the civil war a group of North Carolina soldiers were outraged that some of there comrades were quick to leave the battle when things got tough.  They threatened to stick tar to the heels of those comrades to keep them fighting.  Robert E. Lee is reported to have said "God bless those tar heel boys".

Tar, pitch, and turpentine were significant commercial products at that time. 

Thanks for that. Very cool story. It's cool that people remember and quote certain sayings and phrases for hundreds of years. I wonder if anything anyone says in current times will be quoted for eternity:huh:

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Took the day off from work to get a drain and drain pipe installed. The weather gods are being co-operative so far. Supposed to get a lot of rain over the weekend. Better half was playing spiderman last night standing on a counter putting Xmas stuff away. She lost her balance and fell, dislocated one of her pinky fingers and thumped the back of her head pretty good. Spent several hours in ER last night but I think she's going to be OK. That's why I'm getting such a late start on my task for the day. So one more cup o' coffee and get busy.

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Good afternoon, Friday eh? had to check.

 

Welp, up from nap, now i suppose i better shovel up some dirt/berm building in the back 40.

Heavy azz dodge, has over time created pits, and those turn into small lakes.

 

Bloddy Mary will taste better here in a little wile.

Time to burn off some retirement belly :mellow2:

 

 

 

loading_weekend.jpg

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47 minutes ago, CECAA850 said:

Gotta love the ER.  I hope all heals well.

I've been twice to the ER in the past 3 weeks! You know about my cut finger. Also, I've been fighting a dizzy/lightheaded/spinning sensation for about 3 years now. It comes and goes. My job sometimes requires me to be 35' or so in the air, and it's not fun not knowing when I'll get another dizzy episode, my confidence suffers. One day about 2 years ago I jumped from a 3' height, and the world started spinning and I passed out! It really scared me, I was thinking the worst. I've saw my family doctor the next day. The results...

Blood pressure 115/75

Pulse 50

Blood sugar 90

Cholesterol 150

Lungs/breathing excellent. I don't smoke, hardly ever drink, eat pretty well, have a physical job so I get a workout. I'm 5'11" weigh around 215 lbs.

Why was I feeling so bad?

My Dr did claims that I had a massive ear infection, but I had absolutely no pain. I didn't know any better, I've never had an ear infection. He put me on a antibiotic.

I fought this for years, and my Dr keeps claiming I have another ear infection and prescribes more antibiotics.

After the third visit to my Dr, he wants more testing. Sends me to a balance specialist, then a Neurologist, then an ENT, they all saw my doctors report about an ear infection. The ENT actually claimed my ear infection was so bad that it permanently disfigured or pinched my Vestibular nerve in my ear, causing all these problems. He claimed it will probably ease over time and I should feel much better....I thought ok, I can deal with this.

 

I fought this feeling on and off, continuing to take antibiotics prescribed by my Dr. The dizzy feeling started getting worse a few months ago. You know that feeling you get when you went WAY too long without eating? That shaky, weak, dizzy feeling that goes away after you eat. I felt like that almost constantly. Last week my wife and I went to my daughter's swim meet at the Indiana University Natatorium. It's a huge building. As soon as I walked in the place started moving, I got very dizzy and had to sit down. My chest was pounding, shortness of breath, sweating, feeling miserable. It scared me but terrified my wife...she wanted to call an ambulance, I calmed her down. She called my doctor and made me an appointment for the following morning.

 

Later that night, that awful feeling came back, I'm thinking stroke, heart attack, aneurism, something's wrong, she convinced me to go to the ER. They saw me walk in, must have looked terrible, and took me to a trauma room. They hooked me to a heart monitor, a nurse and a doctor working pretty quickly hooking up all kinds of wires My wife broke down and had to leave the room, she was terrified. I  kept thinking "I'm healthy, strong, there's no way I'm having a heart attack. They did an EKG, blood sample from an IV, and  a brain scan. My blood pressure was 144/82, way higher than I've ever had. The EKG and brain scan looked normal, so they decided to do a brain MRI. The young ER doctor, maybe 28, did say that I had a nasty ear infection, the same ear that all the other folks said was infected for years previously. I'm thinking that ear must really be bad. My MRI and blood work came back all clean, excellent news. No signs of a stroke or heart problems. The ER doctor prescribed more antibiotics for the re-occouring ear infection. I spent 7 hours at the hospital, but I walked out a little tired but feeling better.

 

Monday I called my niece, she has a masters degree in nursing, but just got a new job as the director of research for a heart clinic here in Indy. I wanted to ask her her opinion as who I should see next? She said if the problem appears to be in my ear, go get another ENT opinion. I saw an ENT she recommended on Wednesday. They started with a hearing test. A nurse did the test, they bounced some sounds off my eardrums to measure the amount of movement from my eardrums. They did a moisture test on my ears. They did a whole hearing test, I felt like I did well on it, I heard a whole lot of sounds. Then I saw the ENT doctor. She looked in both of my ears and claimed that I did not have any signs of an infection. She asked if I had any ear pain? I said no, I've never had any pain in the ears. She looked baffled. She said all of their test were negative. No infection, ears look fine. She said I have exceptional hearing for a 53 year old man. Great news, so what's wrong? 

 

I'm actually angry. I saw my family doctor 8 times, a Neurologist 5 times, a balance specialist twice, and an ENT that all claimed I had numerous ear infections. How can all these people mis-diagnose a simple ear infection? The ENT I saw Wednesday claimed any med school student should be able to diagnose this. I've probably taken 200 antibiotic pills over the past 3 years. 

 

The last ENT doctor said it could be neurological. So I guess I'll look for another neurologist.

 

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to get that  off my chest.

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, JL Sargent said:

We have snow in tonight's forecast. The bread isle.

 

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Ha!  This is the yin to our (OMG it's 85 degrees in July - weeping and gnashing of teeth in the streets because we can't get cool) yang.  We'll have snow in the forecast and people say "finally!"  I'm pretty sure something bad happens to our brains after a while up here!  BUT - We're gaining 3min/day of daylight and 5 min/day by the end of the month!  Woo Hoo!

 

Stay safe Alabama - snowy roads when you are used to them can be legitimately treacherous!

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Sounds like an ear infection.....just kidding.  You have been through the wringer so good luck getting it figured out<_<

 

I spent the morning getting a physical.  A tear in one arm muscle from lifting dumb bells ( no not Carl) and a referral for physical therapy.  Looks like I will be well enough to give some martini lessons after all:P 

 

Where is Luther and how goes the job search?

 

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