Friday Odds and Ends

Congressman Bob Etheridge - You might remember US Congressman Bob's violent outburst and assault on two college students earlier this year. There was little coverage by the main stream media after that but his Republican challenger Renee Ellmers ran a grass roots campaign and beat Etheridge by 2,100 votes. Etheridge has of course called for a re-count. You can watch Bob go nuts here and support Renee's effort to throw out the old goat and close the door on his recount challenge here, it will be the best $25.00 you ever spend.

General Stanley McChrystal - The retired former commander of US forces in Afghanistan will lead a 66 mile bike ride Saturday. The ride called "Honor the Warrior" and sponsored by the Military Family LifeStyle Charitable Foundation, is one of several events in the Charlotte area to mark Thursday's Veterans Day.

That event starts at 7:40 a.m. with colors posted at Mint Hill's Fairview Park near Interstate 485 and N.C. 218. After a brief ceremony, riders will set out at 8 a.m. for the 66-mile ride, the first of three rides - McChrystal, 56, leading the way.

"He wouldn't have it any other way," said Rick Cantwell of Charlotte, who's known McChrystal since West Point and served with him in Army special operations at Fort Bragg. "Stan's always been up for a challenge. He's getting it." More at the Daily Fish Wrapper which is here.

Veterans Parade - Charlotte has a strange habit of having parades far from the day the parade is paying tribute. So get off the couch and climb out of your metal box and come uptown for the annual Veterans Parade on Saturday.

The parade steps off at 11 AM from 7th and North Tryon streets uptown. Runs south on Tryon to 3rd Street and takes a left to Marshall Park. The parade will include 100 marching bands, Shriners and their cars, veterans and 1,000 Boy Scouts and 400 Girl Scouts. Military trucks and Humvees.

Angel Tree - Cedar Posts will carry the Salvation Army's Angel Tree on the right hand side of the blog from now until Christmas. The Angel Tree is just one of many ways you can help make Christmas special for someone less fortunate this year. Look for more about the Salvation Army's work here in the comings weeks.

Colonial Cup Camden, SC - If you're a life long Carolinian you certainly know about the Carolina Cup, the annual spring sundress and college frat house party that features a couple of steeple chase horse races. The sister event to the Carolina Cup is the Colonial Cup which is next weekend at the Springhill Race Course in Camden. Just one hours drive straight down 521 south of Charlotte. This considerably more family ordinated event features wagon rides, the US Army's Golden Knights parachute team six races over the steeple chase fences. Details are here.

Time Change - The return to Standard Time takes place this weekend. Most of us hate the time change. Nothing worst that spending your day under the fluroesent bulbs driving home in the dark. But besides the pain of the time change what do you do with the extra hour? Sleep or use the extra hour doing something from that long avoided list? That's the poll this week.