Charlotte Off Topic

[abttown]

Anyone on here play cornhole? It seems to have quite a following in this town. In order to play, do you have to have been in a frat, be holding a beer in one hand and wear a baseball cap backwards?

LOL! Those seem to be pretty common prerequisites! It's a pretty cool game though and is certainly quite popular around the area.

[Norm2]

Um....what is "Cornhole" exactly? It sounds rather disturbing.....

[abttown]

According to the American Cornhole Association: "Cornhole or Corn Toss is similar to horseshoes except you use wooden boxes called cornhole platforms and corn bags instead of horseshoes and metal stakes. Contestants take turns pitching their corn bags at the cornhole platform until a contestant reaches the score of 21 points. A corn bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the platform scores 1 point."

The platforms are usually made of plywood board with a small hole cut into the middle of the board. The bags that are tossed are filled with corn kernels (much like a bean bag). The game is much like horseshoes, with two teams tossing the corn bags back and forth until one team reaches 21 points. It's a really simple game, but pretty fun at picnics or barbecues. You should all try it sometime.

[tozmervo]

IMO, Cornhole was developed as Horseshoes for drunk people. After all, flinging heavy chunks of metal around carries a certain amount of risk.

Having said that, I've always thought Cornhole was pretty boring by comparison

[HopHead]

The tailgate spot I go to for every Panther home game has corn hole there... Though, most of us were never in a frat but we always have a beer and wear a hat, though usually not backwards I have played a variation of that game too. Forget the name, but you throw washers into 1 of 3 holes for points. You play to 21.

[queensguy06]

I grew up playing a different game that falls into the cornhole/horseshoes category called Washers. The general gist is you throw large, metal washers at a wood box that has a PVC cup in the middle of it. I find it more enjoyable than cornhole, but very few people have ever heard of it.

EDIT: Apparently dbull has heard of it. I have a set here at my house anytime someone wants to play!

Edited July 27, 2009 by queensguy06

[southslider]

I haven't played washers since I lived in St. Louis. I don't even think you can buy game sets here, but they're not too hard to make.

I also wonder if there is a map showing where such games are largely played and what they are called similar to maps of whether you drink soda, pop or coke.

[HopHead]

I grew up playing a different game that falls into the cornhole/horseshoes category called Washers. The general gist is you throw large, metal washers at a wood box that has a PVC cup in the middle of it. I find it more enjoyable than cornhole, but very few people have ever heard of it.

EDIT: Apparently dbull has heard of it. I have a set here at my house anytime someone wants to play!

"Washers"... well, I guess that would be the logical name for it! LOL... My mind must have been in a fog yesterday.

[49er]

I bought a cheap cornhole/washers game set at Target recently so yeah, the stuff is around here.

[InitialD]

Also don't forget about that game where you have two golf balls teathered together and you try to toss it onto several rungs. Popular at tailgating as well. Most of them are homemade with PVC pipe but lately I've seen some commercial ones that were designed to look like football goalposts.

[tozmervo]

^ That's Ladder Toss. I've also heard it called Bolo Toss.

[grodney]

Anybody know of any bar-type places that open for breakfast on Saturdays for some college pre-game bloody marys and omelettes? Had a couple places like that back in the Midwest, and really miss it.

[nashbill]

^ That's Ladder Toss. I've also heard it called Bolo Toss.

I have played this and we called "Horse Balls". Pretty fun when you've been drinking and it gets dark.

[U4ick]

Anybody know of any bar-type places that open for breakfast on Saturdays for some college pre-game bloody marys and omelettes? Had a couple places like that back in the Midwest, and really miss it.

You cannot go wrong with Tavern On The Tracks - South End! They have a Sat/Sun Brunch (11-2 only), and excellent Bloody Mary's in a carafe! p.s. - They pull HEAVILY for Michigan on Sats and

Bills on Sun. Enjoy.

[HopHead]

You cannot go wrong with Tavern On The Tracks - South End! They have a Sat/Sun Brunch (11-2 only), and excellent Bloody Mary's in a carafe! p.s. - They pull HEAVILY for Michigan on Sats and

Bills on Sun. Enjoy.

I would add a VERY heavy to Bills on Sundays. All of the Buffalo transplants hang there for Bills and Sabres games. It's always packed.

[Charlotte_native]

I have played this and we called "Horse Balls". Pretty fun when you've been drinking and it gets dark.

I love these names. This is what I've heard it called too. Corn Hole is much more interesting -- I just wonder how many guy know what that means away from the game.

[tozmervo]

I love these names. This is what I've heard it called too. Corn Hole is much more interesting -- I just wonder how many guy know what that means away from the game.

If not, the Urban Dictionary can provide hours of endless entertainment, including "Oh dear GOD that's sick" and "Ohhh that's what that means"

[voyager12]

I got the blue lights last week on Providence near Wendover...god that is the worst feeling......I thought I had left this habit behind in Charleston...Anyway, the officer did say that if I went to Traffic Court they would drop it and I would not have to pay. He was cute Right after the cop said "let's get out of here, it's not a good spot", three cars got into a fenderbender right in front of us, because each driver had turned to see what was going on. He told me it happens all the time. Well if had not pulled me over, that accident would not have happened

Edited August 30, 2009 by voyager12

[voyager12]

The topic is very relevant to what we discuss on here.Free, registration required on WFAE.og. Anyone else going to go?

WFAE Event:

Date: Tuesday Sep 1, 2009

Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

A Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins taping adds a twist to our next Public Conversation that examines Charlotte's growth and "growing pains." Host Mike Collins will moderate the discussion about visions for managing and shaping the region's future growth, and views on how to keep Charlotte a "livable" city.

Panelists:

+ Hon. Pat McCrory, Mayor of Charlotte

+ Tom Low, Principal, DPZ Charlotte/Founder, Civic By Design Forum

+ Mary Tribble, President, Tribble Creative Group

+ David Walters, Director, Master of Urban Design Program at UNC Charlotte

Admission is free and reservations are required.

Topic Questions:

+ How well has Charlotte's growth been managed to date? Are we a victim of uncontrolled "urban sprawl?"

+ Is Charlotte on its way to becoming a major metropolitan area, on the order of Atlanta, or is Charlotte likely to remain "mid-size for life?"

+ What would be the advantages and disadvantages of Charlotte becoming more "like Atlanta?"

+ Who (and/or what factors) will determine the degree and nature of Charlotte's growth in the future?

+ How well is the Charlotte region doing with traffic management?

+ Can Charlotte remain "cosmopolitan" but "still friendly?"

+ Which quality-of-life factors have the most impact on Charlotte's "marketability" and competitiveness in attracting and retaining corporations, organizations and residents? What threatens those quality-of-life factors?

+ What's the future of Charlotte's neighborhoods (older and newer)?

[HopHead]

I got the blue lights last week on Providence near Wendover...god that is the worst feeling......I thought I had left this habit behind in Charleston...Anyway, the officer did say that if I went to Traffic Court they would drop it and I would not have to pay. He was cute Right after the cop said "let's get out of here, it's not a good spot", three cars got into a fenderbender right in front of us, because each driver had turned to see what was going on. He told me it happens all the time. Well if had not pulled me over, that accident would not have happened

I'm not sure what it is about North Carolina, but 4 out of my 5 speeding tickets have occurred in this state for the 17+ years I've had a license. I've lived in state a total of 5 years in that time. Two of them have been in Charlotte too... Unbelievable.

[tozmervo]

The topic is very relevant to what we discuss on here.Free, registration required on WFAE.og. Anyone else going to go?

Aye, I'm planning to go.

Bad timing found a new target. Got new marching orders at work that will have me out of town all day tomorrow. I was looking forward to it, too

Edited August 31, 2009 by tozmervo

[grodney]

I don't know if this qualifies for Off Topic, but it didn't seem to warrant its own thread.

Anyway, below is an intersection near my home -- Ardrey Kell and Community House Rd.

As you can see, on Community House (north-south), the left lane is for left or straight, while the right lane is right-turn only.

The obvious(?) problem is that people going straight get caught behind left-turners that are waiting for oncoming traffic (oncoming straights and oncoming right-turners). Not only is this frustrating, but it also means that people (idiots) jump out of the clogged left lane into the right lane, and then continue straight through the intersection. This is obviously quite dangerous.

By the way, the intersection has signals, but they are just standard red-yellow-green, no fancy arrows or anything, and it's just two cycles: Ardrey Kell, then Community House. If the Comm House lights were chopped into northbound-first, then southbound, the problem would go away.

Questions:

1. This setup is dumb, right? Is there a reason I'm missing that the left lane couldn't be left-only, and the right lane be right-or-straight?

2. Is this common?

3. What is a realistic way of going about getting this changed? Call, e-mail, letter? To Charmeck DOT? Or some other dignitary or body?

Thanks!

Edited August 31, 2009 by grodney

[tozmervo]

Sounds like the signals were created for a Community House Rd that had less traffic on it. It's probably just a matter of having the signal timing adjusted. If you see counter strips (the black tubes across roads) show up on CH, you can bet they're updating traffic counts.

Incidentally, before I read your text, I looked at the image and my first thought was how much that intersection blows for pedestrians.

[ontap]

I don't know if this qualifies for Off Topic, but it didn't seem to warrant its own thread.

Anyway, below is an intersection near my home -- Ardrey Kell and Community House Rd.

As you can see, on Community House (north-south), the left lane is for left or straight, while the right lane is right-turn only.

The obvious(?) problem is that people going straight get caught behind left-turners that are waiting for oncoming traffic (oncoming straights and oncoming right-turners). Not only is this frustrating, but it also means that people (idiots) jump out of the clogged left lane into the right lane, and then continue straight through the intersection. This is obviously quite dangerous.

By the way, the intersection has signals, but they are just standard red-yellow-green, no fancy arrows or anything, and it's just two cycles: Ardrey Kell, then Community House. If the Comm House lights were chopped into northbound-first, then southbound, the problem would go away.

Questions:

1. This setup is dumb, right? Is there a reason I'm missing that the left lane couldn't be left-only, and the right lane be right-or-straight?

2. Is this common?

3. What is a realistic way of going about getting this changed? Call, e-mail, letter? To Charmeck DOT? Or some other dignitary or body?

Thanks!

It must be fairly common that intersection usage is not well thought out. I've been working for months trying to get the intersection at Camp Greene & Freedom changed. In my case one side of the intersection is just like yours (outside lane - right turn only/center lane - left & straight) but to compound things the oncoming lanes are stripped differently (center lane - left only/outside lane - right & straight). The intersection has many wrecks due to the lanes not lining up on both sides of the intersection and impatient drivers going around the left turning traffic.

Intersections are a Charmeck DOT issue. They are very nice and willing to 'look into it' but that's as far as I can get. I can't get a reason why they won't change Camp Greene & Freedom. Seems to me, all that's needed to make the intersection safe is to change the lane markings. Hell, I'll buy the gallon of white paint if it's a budget issue!

[southslider]

According to the City's website, the through-left will remain in the future design of a "Farm-to-Market" project.

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/City+E...unity+House.htm

Click on the "final alternative" in the "fast facts" right-side box, and look at the intersection on page 1 of the PDF.

Looking at aerials, it seems most vehicles would be turning (not going across) and that Ardrey Kell is the busier street (less green for Community House).