Feb 10th 2012 07:46 am Digitaliced

Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
Most of this week, I’ve been snatching the retro cartoons from five years ago, from 2007. Today, I’m reaching 10 years further back, to 1997. I regret that I don’t have access to the exact message, but when this cartoon originally ran, I got a funny story (It had a happy ending!) about a reader’s medical emergency that was exascerbated by faulty instrument readings which the staff were reluctant to question, because the instruments were digital! I suppose we all had a lot to learn about the digital revolution 15 years ago.

I approve of the recent conversation about barbecue! Has Hurd weighed in yet? As far as I know, he’s the only professional among us. I must say from experience, Memphis barbecue is way up there. Memphis is one of those places that doesn’t have “a” good barbecue joint; it’s one of those places that is itself a genre.

Don’t forget! I’ll be at Lemuria Books in Jackson, Mississippi, tomorrow at 1 p.m. Can anyone recommend a good barbecue place in Jackson?

Posted by jimmyjohnson / Vintage A&J

50 Responses to “Digitaliced”

  1. Jean from Dahlonega Ga aka Trapper Jean on 10 Feb 2012 at 8:30 am #

    I don’t know about Jackson, but if you’re ever in Dahlonega I’ll take you to Smokin’ Gold. It’s a little bitty place and the owner uses the Big Green Egg smokers and turns out some really good pork and chicken barbecue, but the best is the smoked brisket. Amazing, melt-in-your-mouth brisket! Now for me to say this it has to be good because as a rule I am a “barbecue IS pork” person.

    I have to agree with Janis here. I don’t care what the thermometer says if I’m cold, the heat has to be turned on!

  2. Hurd in Bay Minette, Alabama on 10 Feb 2012 at 9:10 am #

    I can’ believe I missed the whole BBQ conversation yesterday. That’s what I get for not checking in one day. I’m sort of partial to Brothers BBQ in Bay Minette, Al. Then again I am sort of biased.

    Jimmy I am checking on Jackson. There is one place that is pretty good but I can’t remember its name. I’m checking with my brother in law. Maybe he will remember.

  3. Old Dawg on 10 Feb 2012 at 9:28 am #

    Chimneyville BBQ on High St. is good ‘Q in my opinion. Not too far from the bookstore.

  4. Steve from Royal Oak, MI on 10 Feb 2012 at 9:39 am #

    Yes, the “if it is digital, it must be accurate” comment often bothers me. I had a runner complain that his GPS watch showed a race that he ran as long. I happened to know the guy that certified the course using a wheel, walking the course twice. While a few extra yds are often tacked on, most runners do not take the shortest distance. I walk around my building everyday and it is .32, .33 or .34, depending upon exactly where I walk.

    I am dieting and will buy a digital scale tonight as my eyesight isn’t good enough to read the dial. However, I know that the read out will vary, depending upon the time of day that I weigh myself.

    I also had an issue with some automotive parts The customer was measuring the parts using digital calipers. I suggested duplicate go-no go gauges, one at our plant and the other at the customer. The customer was sure that the digital calipers were much more accurate. So I asked 10 people to measure the same part and compare their measurements. All 10 were different and the range of measurements were surprisingly wide. Once we used the same gauges, the defect went away.

  5. Larry Sheldon on 10 Feb 2012 at 10:03 am #

    I remember when major project (and their dollars) went in the ditch because the stupid was printed on 11 x 17 fan-fold greenbar.

  6. Larry Sheldon on 10 Feb 2012 at 10:04 am #

    I can explain all those terms, on request.

    Well, maybe not “stupid”.

  7. Carole in Wesley Chapel on 10 Feb 2012 at 10:19 am #

    I try to avoid digital measuring devices if I can. I tried baking by weight for a while and found my two supposedly “best” digital food scales gave different results and I was never happy with the end result of the baked good so I went back to volume and always use the scales as a “suggested weight could be.” When I was on a diet the weight on my digital scale would change as much as a pound if I got off and then got right back on so I went with a balance beam type of scale which I find to be very consistent. The digital thermostat reading on my “high tech” oven is always different from my regular old fashioned oven thermometer so I go by the average. I know part of it has to do with where in the oven the measurement is being taken but even so. I have a built in probe on the oven that I use for turkey and roasts but I always verify with a second instant read, again to get the average. It goes on and on. I still use an old fashioned “mercury” fever thermometer, or whatever they have in them these days. Takes longer but is more accurate, I think.

    And whether I put on a sweater has nothing to do with the thermostat. My husband is just like Arlo. He always trying to show me with the thermostat why I should not be cold.

  8. Bob, near Mark on 10 Feb 2012 at 10:27 am #

    A commonly used phrase applies here. “It’s not the temperature, it’s the humidity.” :)

  9. apco on 10 Feb 2012 at 10:36 am #

    Don’t know about Jackson, MS., agree about Memphis. WHEN (not if and soon, I hope) you come to Nashville, we’ll take you to Jack’s (excellent BBQ).

  10. Bob in Orland Park on 10 Feb 2012 at 10:46 am #

    My cat Suzi took offense at today’s strip as she struggled to get on top of her favorite chair.

  11. Alan in Nashville on 10 Feb 2012 at 10:56 am #

    I missed most of the BBQ discussion. Ever since I got a Bubba Keg smoker 2 years ago, I have rarely eaten BBQ out; however, a little place near Dickson TN called the Perfect Pig has some of the best around. Based on today’s retro strip, I guess I should not rely on my digital thermometer for my ribs.

  12. Leroy on 10 Feb 2012 at 11:18 am #

    No, but if you find an excuse to MT, might be able to find you a decent steak :)

  13. GulfportGene now in Phoenix on 10 Feb 2012 at 11:41 am #

    20 miles down I55 to Crystal Springs. Louise’s Pit Bar-B Q Pretty good. Ask for Crispy fries.

  14. MINDY on 10 Feb 2012 at 11:59 am #

    If the ice cubes melt on the back porch, it’s hot. If the cup of water on the back porch turns into a solid, it’s cold. If the string handing from the railing flops around a lot the wind is blowing and if that string is dripping water, it’s raining. That’s about as simple as it gets. I don’t need instruments to know that the white stuff on the ground is either frost or snow, both of which I loathe and despise! :)

  15. MINDY on 10 Feb 2012 at 12:00 pm #

    [It may not be hot, but with the melt is is warmer!]

  16. Mark from Maine on 10 Feb 2012 at 12:22 pm #

    As a child, when my mother was cold, she’d say, “Mark, I’m cold. Put on a sweater.” We still laugh about this one.

    Bob, near Mark: I prefer “It’s not the heat, it’s the stupidity.” I don’t know why I do, I just like it.

    I love trying all different kinds of BBQ, and agree that Memphis is a genre onto itself. I got a Big Easy Smoker Roaster Grill last summer, which claims to use “infrared” heat. I like to think of it as radiant heat. It cost about $200 and makes not just the best meat I have ever made, but the best I have ever tasted. if you’re looking for a new rig, I highly recommend it. Because it cooks warmer than most, it takes some getting used to, and you must season it properly to get the best out of it, but boy is it worth it. It was originally marketed as the oil-less turkey fryer, but it is so much more than that!

    Here is a very thorough review of the Big Easy, and suggestions about seasoning, etc. to get the most out of it. Enjoy! (I’m not affiliated with CharBroil or Grillin Fools.)

    http://grillinfools.com/blog/2010/07/14/product-review-charbroil-big-easy-smoker-roaster-and-grill/

  17. Mark in TTown on 10 Feb 2012 at 12:34 pm #

    Oh, and as for BBQ in Tuscaloosa, Dreamland is the big hog here. Although they are franchising now and the original owner/cook has passed on. Speciality is ribs.

  18. sideburns on 10 Feb 2012 at 12:42 pm #

    Carol, the reason you’re told to sift flour isn’t because it’s the only way to avoid lumps, it’s to make sure there’s the same amount of flour in every cup. Professionals always measure things by weight whenever possible and they use real balance scales, not spring or digital. Balance.

  19. soleil on 10 Feb 2012 at 12:53 pm #

    Oh, how I long to fire up a smoker here in my backyard in France….but then, the neighbors would probably call the fire department, convinced I was burning the place to the ground. The French like barbecue sauce, though — and they LOVE Buffalo wings.

    We’re in the midst of a deep-freeze here — it hasn’t broken the freezing point (0°C or 32°F, depending on whose scale who choose) — so the house hovers around 18.5°C, which is 65°F. Monsieur Soleil has pretty much accepted that he won’t see much except my hands and face until it thaws out a little. Just a dusting of snow, but the roads are good and slick every morning.

    Carol, I have to have two sets of measuring devices in my kitchen – I use my US cups and spoons when I’m using a US recipe — but European recipes are all by weight, so my digital scale is the tool of choice. You get used to it, and my most-favorite recipes are now scratched out in both, because I’ve been asked to share a lot of recipes, so I have to convert them, because my friends only have a scale…

  20. Hurd in Bay Minette, Alabama on 10 Feb 2012 at 1:56 pm #

    Smokehouse BBQ off 471 north of I20. It is in a old house and is pretty good. Chimeyville is also good.

    Have fun on the trip. I’ll see you in mobile.

  21. CW in 617 on 10 Feb 2012 at 2:08 pm #

    If I get started on measuring devices, there’s no telling where I’d stop.

    A while ago, when some of us thought it would be neat to teach some basic electronics, we used analog meters as much as possible, partly because being able to read a scale, and getting any eyeball measurement, was a good thing. Students disagreed, but had to do what we said.

    Back in the fifties, my grandpa bought an old farmhouse (still in the family!) that had, and still has, a real barometer with a vernier scale (this allows reading the height of the mercury column to the hundredths of inches); another lost art.

    I used to have a paperweight that was supposed to be precisely one kilogram. However, there was a small hole drilled in the bottom. A guy from Cairo explained that this was used by market merchants to cheat customers, so regulars would always bring their own weights.

    (This last is related to a huge plot element in James Clavell’s “King Rat”.)

  22. Dave in MA on 10 Feb 2012 at 2:09 pm #

    “As far as I know, he’s the only professional among us”……..

    I take exception. You don’t say professional WHAT, and I am a professional in my profession, U must profess!

    Dave

  23. emeritus Minnesota biologist on 10 Feb 2012 at 2:50 pm #

    Dave:

    Well, there are at least two retired profs on board, but JJ knew that. In context, he presumably meant professional BBQers.

    40-50 years ago, on commercial radio, there was a PSA. I cannot remember its message, but its gimmick was a gender switch. The male announcer asked a married couple what they did. The woman clearly and brightly said, “I’m a doctor.” The husband, in a low-IQ voice, said, “I’m a nurse.” The announcer then said, “Whatever your profession or occupation, . . ..” Oooh, my wife [BSN, RN] was burned. This kind of thing is still an issue in the health field, despite a lot of lip service / how wonderful and essential nurses are.

  24. debbie on 10 Feb 2012 at 3:15 pm #

    thanks JJ; today, I might have barbecue for supper.

  25. Bob, near Mark on 10 Feb 2012 at 3:34 pm #

    soleil,
    My daughter and son-in-law, who live in Bavaria, have been complaining about the unusually cold temperatures, also. They don’t care for the -16.5C weather.

  26. Mark in Boston on 10 Feb 2012 at 4:49 pm #

    What a difference there is between asking who’s the oldest professional here and who here is of the oldest profession.

  27. Mike in Missouri on 10 Feb 2012 at 5:58 pm #

    I’d like to put in a good word for tangy barbeque sauces. In my opinion, if the sauce doesn’t put tears in your eyes, and open up your sinuses, then it has too much molasses in it.

    As to hickory-smoked versus mesquite-smoked, it all depends on the kind of meat or fowl you’re cooking. Just sayin’.

  28. Jim from NC on 10 Feb 2012 at 6:30 pm #

    I missed yesterday, but come to Eastern North Carolina. Not Western Carolina, but Eastern North Carolina. Drive down a back country road and look for a cinder block building with a lot of local traffic. Or visit larger communities and sample places like Parkers.

  29. TruckerRon on 10 Feb 2012 at 10:48 pm #

    The oldest profession? If you accept the Biblical tale, it was farming (Adam had to grow his on food long before any progeny invented prostitution). If you don’t, then it was hunting/gathering that came first. Either way, prostitution depends on people having money (or goods) to spare.

  30. Tom (Somewhere in Georgia) on 11 Feb 2012 at 6:21 am #

    Jim- what’s the barbecue place off Rt 11- (Is it in Griffin?) the building has a small dome-like feature that makes it look like a miniture, if not decaying, state capitol building? They had great barbeque. I love all of the different, regional barbecue styles. I haven’t tried any in Memphis though. Here in Eatonton, Ga there’s a new place called “Georgia Butts” -it’s really good.

  31. MWL on 11 Feb 2012 at 7:04 am #

    Just a question concerning last Monday’s current strip. The one about the the whoopie lamp. Does that mean that Arlo bet on the Patriots?

  32. sideburns on 11 Feb 2012 at 12:50 pm #

    Mike, if you want to taste some great barbecue, try using oak. If you look around, you may be able to find bags of oak chips made from old Jack Daniels barrels. Wonderful flavour it gives to just about any type of meat.

  33. Larry Sheldon on 11 Feb 2012 at 2:12 pm #

    If I mention that I am cold around here, it means that for some reason I want another pointless argument.

  34. Robin in FL on 11 Feb 2012 at 5:37 pm #

    Tom (Somewhere in GA)

    What’s the sauce like? My sister lives in M’ville (recent transplant) and is always looking for good BBQ. Who know, maybe we can meet you there on our next visit.

    Robin

  35. TruckerRon on 11 Feb 2012 at 6:18 pm #

    After delivering one of my loads to Memphis, a relative took me to the Germantown Commissary. That was the best BBQ of my life.

  36. Tom (Somewhere in Georgia) on 11 Feb 2012 at 6:19 pm #

    Robin- they have vinegar based sweet and hot sauces. Not sure how to describe it except to say that I like it! They are unique- pork loin, beef brisket, chicken and ribs. I like the ribs alot! (with little sauce) They have fine dining- outdoor picnic tables.
    Too bad you’re not in town tomorrow- I’m taking their chicken to the covered dish after church! Looking forward to your next visit.
    Tom

  37. Mark in Boston on 11 Feb 2012 at 8:32 pm #

    Monkeys don’t farm but they do trade sex for food, so I would say there were males who picked up hos before Adam picked up his first hoe.

  38. emeritus Minnesota biologist on 11 Feb 2012 at 10:49 pm #

    Mark in B.: That’s an interesting mix of sources of knowledge. I seem to remember some theolog in the One True Church saying that an evolutionary origin of man is ok as long as we accept that Yahweh [or was it Elohim?] supernaturally implanted a soul in an individual [male, of course], and that would be Adam, from whom we are all descended. Some people think salvation depends on believing a particular version of such things. A young rabbi two millennia ago is reported to have said that it depends on our keeping two commandments, neither of which anyone has proposed putting on courthouse lawns. Lovely.

  39. Mark in TTown on 12 Feb 2012 at 12:42 am #

    emb: Yes, He said that. He also said those two commandments incorporated all the rest. Because if we can follow them we don’t need the rest spelled out. The second of His two commandments said to “Love thy neighbor as thy love thyself.” Think what life would be like if we could manage that. Sure worth trying even if hard to do.

  40. Steven in Georgia on 12 Feb 2012 at 1:01 pm #

    Growing up in northeast South Carolina, I can say that the BBQ there is the same as Eastern NC.
    I missed the discussion yesterday, I hope somebody mentioned this video:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ubTQfr_tyY
    which says it all.
    Moving to Georgia has sorta cured me of my BBQ eating habits….

  41. Boise Ed on 12 Feb 2012 at 3:57 pm #

    There is some good info on oven calibration (for different brands) at http://www.appliance411.com/faq/temperature-calibration.shtml . I once saw (on America’s Test Kitchen) and used an easy way to gauge an oven’s temperature. But now I’ve forgotten just how to do it! It showed my oven was about 10 degrees too cool, so now I just set it 10 degrees higher than called for.

  42. Tom (Somewhere in Georgia) on 12 Feb 2012 at 5:12 pm #

    Steven IG- thanks for the video. White barbeque sauce?
    Emb- you are so right. Maybe that 60′s “LOVE” icon was a some kind of Christian plot?

  43. Robin in FL on 12 Feb 2012 at 6:11 pm #

    Mark in Boston

    I try to be civil here but why do you make a derogatory reference to female monkeys who engage in “trade” but not male monkeys? Seems they are equal in this transaction.

  44. Jim from NC on 12 Feb 2012 at 7:00 pm #

    Tom (Somewhere in Georgia),

    I grew up off Highway 11 in Grifton. You may be thinking about Bum’s in Ayden.

  45. phil in Missoula, MT on 12 Feb 2012 at 7:43 pm #

    eMb;
    Well said, sir.

  46. Mark in Boston on 12 Feb 2012 at 8:15 pm #

    Robin: OK. There were female monkeys that followed Johns before John had any followers.
    EMB others: Go to the Cambridge Massachusetts public library and you’ll find the ELEVEN commandments posted prominently engraved in stone. Number 11 is of course the Love Your Neighbor one.

  47. Jerry in Fl on 13 Feb 2012 at 12:16 am #

    And the award for the worst award show that ever has been or ever will be goes to-Tonight’s Grammys.

  48. Tom (Somewhere in Georgia) on 13 Feb 2012 at 8:32 am #

    Jim iNC- Thanks for the lead- it was in Ayden NC but it was the Skylight Inn. I’ll have to try Bums next time.

  49. Symply Fargone on 13 Feb 2012 at 9:07 am #

    re: Sleep Studies and CPAPs….today’s Close to Home shows the horrors. How can one sleep like this…well I did, I guess :)

    http://www.gocomics.com/closetohome/
    Feb 13th date

    Now I’ll be Fargone.

  50. Jerry in Fl on 13 Feb 2012 at 6:48 pm #

    Symply-I wore the CPAP Saturday night and last night. It takes a couple of minutes to get used to it, but I wake up feeling rested and better than I have in a very long time. The machine is confusing to put everything together, but after that you don’t have to fool with it too much unless you just want to take it apart every day. BTW I didn’t have any problem with the tribute to Whitney or LL CoolJ or Jennifer Hudson, but some of the other “musical acts” should bring forth an apology from CBS. I can’t imagine why I sat through it instead of recording it and then forwarding to Sir Paul, Joe Walsh and Bruce as they show the audience what rock music is. PS-I understand that Budd’s bbq in Mississippi that was featured on Picker Sisters just burned to the ground. Must have been some hot bbq.