Around 4:30 a.m., members of the Appleton, WI police department were dispatched to a home for a report of a burglary in progress. The officers arrived at the home to find the homeowner, armed with a shotgun, holding 37-year-old Aaron Maurice at gunpoint. Maurice, who says he was in the house because he is on the run from the government, was found wearing his own pants, the female homeowner’s jacket, the male homeowner’s hat, and lathered head-to-toe in barbecue sauce. When asked why, Maurice told officers it was an urban disguise. Maurice was booked at the Outagamie, WI County jail on one count of burglary. But turn that frown upside-down Aaron, you’ve won our official Barbecue Bonehead Burglar of the Month award. Congratulations.

When looking to add a charming outdoor fireplace to your backyard, deck, or patio, fire pits and chimineas are the favorites. They not only make interesting showpieces, but also work efficiently in terms of utility. When choosing an outdoor fireplace, many people face a dilemma about whether to go with a fire pit or a chiminea. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages, and either one can be a great addition to any home. Therefore, when choosing an outdoor fireplace, an individual must decide which fireplace option best fulfills their needs, and works best for their backyard, patio, or deck.

Both chimineas and fire pits can be used as patio heaters. However, chimineas have the fire inside their bowl, and because of the way they are made, you cannot have roaring fires inside them. The chiminea retains heat better, and provides a less smoky atmosphere than a fire pit, because the smoke rises up and is released through the chimney. With fire pits, there is no chimney, so the fire is open. As a result, fire pits can hold much larger fires than chimineas, but can get quite smoky. However, if you’re looking to recreate that open campfire feel, fire pits are a great choice. An example of a great fire pit is the Landmann Big Sky Fire Pit. It comes with an outdoor cooking grate, enabling owners to prepare any outdoor campfire meal, and the wildlife cutouts in the side glow to create a unique nighttime ambience. So whether you’re looking to recreate that outdoor camping experience, or just looking to spruce up your backyard or deck, an outdoor fireplace is a great investment.

For those who missed my article last week about chimineas, and are interested in learning more, I’ve provided the link for you here. Enjoy.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department reported Thursday that the landmark restaurant, Kansas City Barbecue, made famous by the 1986 hit “Top Gun”, had burned to the ground. The restaurant, which played host to Tom Cruise and dozens of uniformed men during a scene that included a famous rendition of “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling”, was set ablaze from an open cooking pit fire in the kitchen. All restaurant employees and guests were evacuated safely, and the fire was extinguished in about 20 minutes. The building, however, was completely destroyed. The Fire-Rescue Department has estimated the damages at $400,000, not including the “priceless” collection of photographs, props, and other memorabilia on display to commemorate the film and location.

Barbecue Crime Scene Investigators - Crime File 1: Sunday, June 29th 2008 - A woman was kidnapped at gunpoint from Gates Barbecue in Kansas City late Sunday night. Witnesses wrote down the alleged kidnapper’s license plate number, and within 15 minutes, the police were knocking on the suspect’s door. Officers said the woman ran out of the house, and was taken by ambulance to the hospital to treat a gunshot wound to the leg. The suspect came out of the house onto the front porch twice, smoking a cigarette and then heading back inside each time. After the suspect went into the house following the second cigarette, police officers said they heard a gunshot. They believe the suspect shot himself. According to Sgt. Tony Sanders, of the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, they do not feel the kidnapping was random. “They had been in a relationship and knew each other. It wasn’t a random kidnapping like that, per say. He may have followed her there, had knowledge she’d be at that particular location. That’s when he decided to forceably take her away from there.” Fortunately, the woman is expected to recover.

The National GBU (German Barbecuers United) Party today declared war on this year’s barbecue season. To commence the attack, Germans have taken to the seas with the launch of the world’s first barbecue boat. The doughnut-shaped vessel, with a hibachi style grill at the center of a round table built to accommodate 10, has taken to the waters of Zeller Lake in Austria. The “Grill and Chill” runs on a battery powered, electric outboard motor, which provides up to 4 hours of noiseless and vibration free sailing. Incoming reports show mass consumption of Vienna sausages and vienershnitzel, producing noxious clouds of gas emanating from troops on these boats.