For my Wordless Wednesday selection yesterday, I chose a photo I took last Friday at an Arkansas Traveler's game.
Why? Because I love the heck out of baseball, that's why. Think of it. It's a warm, spring evening or afternoon and you're out at the ballpark. You've got a hot dog in one hand, a beer in the other and you're yelling, "Hit the damn ball!" What could be better than that?
I've been a fan of the Arkansas Travelers since I was just a little The Hawg. When spring and summer rolled around, it was a regular event for my dad, mom brother and I to hop in the car, make that 20-minute drive from Benton to Little Rock and go see the Travelers.
My dad taught me about baseball during those many outings and I've had an appreciation for the game since. I pretty well grew up at Ray Winder Field, in fact, and will probably go to Travelers games until I'm too old and/or sick to make it to them.
A lot has changed over the years. A couple of years ago, the team moved from the middle of Little Rock to Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. The Travelers used to be a St. Louis Cardinals farm club (a great fit because a lot of us Arkies are Cardinals fans) but is now an Angels affiliate (not a good fit at all -- who in Arkansas cares about a middle-tier team from Anaheim or Los Angeles or wherever the heck they are based?) And just last year, the Travelers go
t a rivalry -- the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (a Kansas City Royals affiliate) set up shop in Springdale.
At any rate, it felt rather like old times. Well, the roles of mom and dad were played by my wife and me and the roles of the kids were played by our children. Still, I was probably more relaxed than I've been in at least three months during that game and the kids had a great time (just look at the photos for proof).
So the kids are learning about baseball the way I learned -- by watching a lot of games, doing a lot of yelling and having (hopefully) a good time with the family. I do miss Ray Winder Field, but there's something to be said for putting the team in a park that overlooks the Little Rock skyline and wasn't built when the Kaiser was in power.
It was a b
onehead move on the part of the Little Rock city officials who let the Travelers move north of the Arkansas River, but the city of North Little Rock has been bloodying the nose of its sister city for a few years now. So, the move wasn't really that much of a surprise. Hey, North Little Rock has gotten very, very competitive with Little Rock as of late and that's been fun to watch.
For example, Little Rock got the Clinton Library, so what did North Little Rock officials do? They put an RV park right across the Arkansas River from it. That's funny as hell and a surprisingly fitting tribute to our former president.
At any rate, the Travelers lost last Friday to the Naturals.
The score wasn't really the point of going, anyway. It never is.
This post is part of the weekly Tell Me Thursday event. Do you participate in Wordless Wednesday? Why not take part in Tell Me Thursday, too?
A rant of epic proportions. Read all about it [here].
Check back tomorrow when I submit the story behind this photo for the famed Tell Me Thursday event!
Meanwhile, why not head on over to Wordless Wednesday and submit something of your own?
“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about, websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time. Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.” This is subject to change, however. In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while. For rants promote change, and change can be good—right? Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told). A [Lost Generation] is considered this week.
This was sent to me by a fellow Arkie and one might guess this Alabama fellow dislikes Tennessee. Any SEC fan will get a kick out of this.
Back during my childhood, our parents would often load up my brother and I after Sunday morning church services for a leisurely drive around where we lived. Even though we were seeing mostly familiar sights, it was still good to see them, and this is why “A Sunday Drive” sounded about right for the name of a weekly series revisiting familiar sites that are well worth seeing again and again. Go [here] to see more of such sites as: 
Bittersweet Refinements is another book that I have been given to publish. If it gets to sounding an awfully lot like a broken player stuck on repeating the same old wrong song over and over again that is because it is to a fairly great extent. For most of it contains rewritten parts of the Bitter/Sweets that were published here before. Hopefully, it will get to sounding a lot better to you very soon, and for the benefit of those who do not have access to multiple versions of our Heavenly Father's Holy Bible, numbered Scripture references in the text (for example, [1]) provide links to such through Bible Gateway this time around. The same also applies to verses included in the text. Please go [here] to consider Chapter XVII: Sheltered Lives.
This is the new version of FIVE FOR FRIDAY. As with the former, it is the SOLE purpose of this weekly series to call attention to sites that I think many would find most interesting—in one way or another. Please, go see for yourself, and [this week] such sites can been seen as:
Head on over to Wordless Wednesday and post an entry of your very own!
Kris Allen Fans Turn Out To Show Support
Conway's Kris Allen brought the Farris Center to its feet Tuesday at the official Kris Allen watch party for American Idol.
The watch party was organized by a task force made up of local business people, community leaders and friends of Allen. It was held at the University of Central Arkansas' Farris Center. Scores of fans came out to support the Conway resident and UCA student who has made it into the top seven contestants and hopes to survive through Tuesday night's double elimination, the results of which will be made known tonight.
Read the rest of the story here.
“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about, websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else that may tickle my fancy at the time. Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.” This is subject to change, however. In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while. For rants promote change, and change can be good—right? Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told). [Chicken a la Carte] is being served this week.
Back during my childhood, our parents would often load up my brother and I after Sunday morning church services for a leisurely drive around where we lived. Even though we were seeing mostly familiar sights, it was still good to see them, and this is why “A Sunday Drive” sounded about right for the name of a weekly series revisiting familiar sites that are well worth seeing again and again. Go [here] to see more of such sites as:
Well, folks, your old friend The Hawg has been in "change mode" lately.
I woke up one day and thought it would be a good idea to have an active law license again because I've figured out a way to make money with the thing (here's a hint -- just hanging out a shingle, advertising and hoping for walk-in traffic is for suckers). So -- bam! -- I'm in the middle of getting that done.
I woke up this morning and thought I'd been slacking on things here at the All Arkie Army since, well, shortly after I started it. The original purpose of this site was to bring attention to bloggers with Arkansas ties -- to give them a site where they could link to posts on their own blogs of which they are particularly proud and post an original item or two.
So, I'm asking everyone to keep all of that in mind -- post links to your favorite items and post something new here and there if you have time. I've also started a blog list so that members of the famed All Arkie Army can get some traffic that way.
What's more, I've learned a few things about how to get attention on these here Interwebs. Backlinks are important, I reckon, so that blog list will (hopefully) help boost the page ranks of members. Furthermore, please drop me a note if you know of an Arkansas blog that should be listed on that list and I'll put it up -- if we're lucky, we'll get a reciprocal link from some of those blogs and that will help out all of us as the rank of this blog increases and pulls everyone up with it.
In short, I hope members will get more active over here, maybe recruit a friend or two and suggest some links to add to the blog list. I really like the idea of linking to more Arkansas blogs -- let's help out some other Arkies, huh?
One of the better ideas floating around out there is Tell Me Thursday -- a dandy little blog that was built on the notion that people might like to hear the stories behind items posted in the weekly Wordless Wednesday event.
If you happen to be a Wordless Wednesday participant, then I'd encourage you to take a look at the aforementioned Tell Me Thursday. That project should be getting a lot more participation than it is, so please give the site a look, huh? All you've got to do is blog about your Wordless Wednesday post and submit a link to Tell Me Thursday. I'm lazy by nature, so I love that -- I can come up with a post without a lot of effort. Dandy!
At any rate, my most recent Wordless Wednesday post is called Cobb and the The Kitten. I snapped that photo because it really says a lot about The Kitten. We've got far too many animals around here -- four cats (two of whom mostly live outside and one of whom mostly sulks in the closet in the bedroom my wife and I share) and three dogs (again, animals who spend most of their time outside).
Of the four cats, The Kitten is the only one who gets along with all the other animals, my wife and me and our two children. Two of the cats are downright skittish and the closet sulker hates everyone -- children and animals alike -- except my wife and me. For some reason, The Kitten seems to pal most easily with Cobb, our beloved rat terrier.
Why is The Kitten so friendly? I have no idea. I should point out a couple of things, however. First of all, we've had The Kitten since she was born to her mother, The Cheat, back in July. Her name isn't really The Kitten -- it's Gizmo, but her nickname seems to have stuck (you can yell "Gizmo!" all day long at her, in fact, and she won't respond).
The fact we have The Kitten at all takes a bit of explaining. A couple of summers ago, I got a call from my wife. She and my daughter were out at some store or the other and found a family giving away free kittens.
"Your daughter wants a kitten," my wife said.
"Well, tell her she can't have one. We've got two cats already and that's more than enough..."
"You tell her," my wife responded.
"No, that's a bad idea, honey..."
"Hello, daddy," my daughter said after my smart alec my wife passed her the phone. "Can I have a kitten?"
"No!"
"Please..."
"No!"
"Please..."
"No!"
"But, daddy..."
"OK. But only if I get to name it whatever I want."
That's how The Cheat arrived at our home. Also, we were supposed to have her spade, but made the appointment too late. That's how we got The Kitten. Did we plan on keeping any of The Cheat's kittens? No, but we did keep one.
Why? Because she was the friendliest of the lot and looked the coolest (it's obvious her father was a gray-and-black tabby and her mother is an orange tabby). She's been a fantastic cat, too. I do wonder what we'll call her when she's fully grown, however.
So, there you have it...
Take a good, hard look at that photo, folks.
That's Tony Alamo and he's five kinds of crazy. Fortunately, he's not that bright, either.
Let me explain.
Alamo is an alleged minister and certainly a cultist who has pestered people in Arkansas for decades now. I well remember finding his junk literature on my car windshield in the 1980s -- we're talking about rants against Ronald Reagan, the Pope and basically anyone in power who wasn't a screwball.
In 1994, the nut got convicted of tax evasion and sent to the federal pen. Sadly, they let him out in 1998 and he started causing trouble again. He eventually wound up in the southwest Arkansas town of Fouke and set up another one of his blasted ministries. The Fouke mayors office, almost immediately, started receiving complaints of underage marriages, polygamy, child abuse, sexual abuse and all sorts of nasty things.
So his Fouke compound got raided in September 2008 as part of a child pornography investigation. Alamo fled, was eventually nabbed in Arizona and was hauled before a judge in October. He's denied all wrongdoing (of course) and has been sitting in jail since then awaiting his trial in May.
Here's the funny part -- he's been held without bail since October and has finally gotten around to complaining that the court should -- like, you know, uh maybe -- reconsider. That request has been denied.
The law is pretty clear in this instance -- if you are facing federal charges and you think you are being held without bail unfairly, you shouldn't wait five months or so until you start complaining about it (in fact, you've got 10 days to appeal that decision).
Alamo's attorneys should have known this, I suppose. However, I wonder how hard an attorney works when he's representing a known ne'er-do-well who is facing several counts of taking minors across state lines for the purpose of having sex with them.
I hope they get Alamo out of circulation for good this time.
Head on over to Wordless Wednesday to submit something of your own!
According to Little Rock's KTHV -- a CBS affiliate -- that Making Work Pay tax credit may or may not be beneficial.
If you want to read that particular story, just click, click, click away. For those of you in a hurry, however, here's the synopsis.
President Barack Obama has asked employers to adjust their payrolls so that all eligible workers can start receiving the credit. Individuals making $75,000 or less or couples making $150,000 or less are eligible for the credit and are to receive $400 (for individuals) or $800 (for couples).
So, less is withheld from your paycheck, resulting in some extra cash every pay period. Dandy, right?
Well, maybe not.
According to the KTHV story, the amount of taxes you owe has not changed. By the end of the year, workers are to receive a tax credit from the IRS so that extra money won't have to be paid back to the feds. However, KTHV reports there is some speculation that credit will never be issued, meaning a lot of people could be looking at lower refunds next year and might even owe taxes.
Want to defer the credit? Talk to your payroll folks and they can adjust your withholdings accordingly. That's what my wife and I are doing. If it is a true tax credit, we'll receive it when we file our 2009 tax returns.
So cheesy. So cool...
Whenever the Arkansas General Assembly is in session, the best advice for those of us in the Natural State is to pray hard that they don't screw anything up too badly.
The Legislature, as usual, made its typical array of tax-levying, budget surplus-wasting decisions. However, it did do one thing right -- HB 1339 got hung up in a Senate committee and never emerged. The legislators have all gone home now, so the session is over and it appears HB1339 is finished, too.
What is (or, actually, was) HB 1339? Part of the national movement by that National Popular Vote bunch to do away with the Electoral College. Under the terms of HB1339, Arkansas would be required to cast her votes in the Electoral College for the presidential candidate that won the popular vote.
The Arkansas House passed the bill (no surprise, really -- that group would pass legislation to build reeducation camps for conservatives if the national Democrats said it was a good idea), but got nowhere in the Senate. Yay for the Senate!
This most recent move to render the Electoral College moot goes directly back to the Bush/Gore election in 2000. It seems a lot of people are upset because Al Gore won the popular vote, but George W. Bush carried enough Electoral College votes to get in office.
The funny thing about all that outrage is that it's pretty circumstantial. John Kennedy (the secular saint of the Democrats) lost the popular vote back in 1960 but wound up in office, anyway. Yes, Richard Nixon carried the popular vote but couldn't hack it in the Electoral College. Was that result fundamentally unfair? I can't help but think the folks pushing for abolishing the Electoral College would find some rationale for that election being fine and dandy while the Bush/Gore one was an outrage in that the will of the people was flaunted.
Frankly, I'm fine with both of those contests and any presidential election resulting in the winner of the popular vote not getting in office. Why? Because abolishing the Electoral College dilutes my vote. That rotten old Electoral College was developed in the first place to give those of us in more rural states at least some ability to keep from getting run over by people in larger, urban areas.
Look at it this way. Every state sends two senators to Washington, D.C., and a number of representatives based on population. The purpose of limiting the number of senators to two per state rather than tying the number of senators a state could elect to strictly population was the notion that their is merit in a system that protects local interests. California and New York, for example, have much more sway in the House of Representatives than does Arkansas, whereas the field is leveled considerably in the Senate.
The Electoral College was developed along those same lines. Further, presidential candidates do bother to show up in smaller states such as mine and campaign and concentrate instead on those states that have larger populations.
The Electoral College, then, brings a bit of balance to the system -- larger states do have more influence in electing presidents, but the rights of voters in smaller states are protected, too. The system has worked out very well in most elections.
Is it worth throwing out the Electoral College in favor of going strictly with the principal of "majority rules" rather than recognizing those of us in smaller areas ought to have some influence, too? What Arkansan wants a law that states his or her state will simply cast Electoral College votes in favor of the majority regardless of how we actually voted?
I have a feeling this wouldn't be an issue at all had the tables been reversed in 2000 and Gore lost the popular vote but carried the Electoral College. I'm sure this issue will come up again and again until it passes the Arkansas Legislature. When that days come, those of us living in smaller states will come to regret that decision.
Our comrade and member of the All Arkie Army (New Jersey Division), the Crotchety Old Man, has made mention of a "Drop Free Friday."
To be fair, this Entrecard boycott was called for by Laane in this post right here (hey, let's give credit where credit is due). Regardless, the word's getting around as a lot of people are mad at the new paid ad policy put in place by Entrecard.
So, Crotchety is joining in the boycott by refusing to drop any cards today (Friday, April 10) as part of an effort to demonstrate just how irate some of us Entrecard members are. I'm good and mad, too, so I'll follow Crotchety over the cliff by refusing to drop any cards for this blog or the other two I've registered at Entrecard -- The Natural State Hawg and Straight Shooting
Real Estate.
I'd encourage all furious Entrecard members to join the boycott. Gabba, gabba hey! Viva la revolucion!
Yes, you may be asking yourself, "What's all the fuss about?"
About a week ago, Entrecard unveiled its paid ad program. For those who are unaware of it, what that means is that people who pay for Entrecard ads share a widget with those who bought them with credits.
Take a look at that Entrecard widget on the upper, right-hand portion of this blog. If an Entrecard member "drops" a card there, we both get a credit. If that member then clicks on the ad there, he or she will pay a visit to the site that reserved that spot.
Until a week ago, the game was to save up credits and purchase an ad on Entrecard members' widgets so as to get more traffic. And the system has worked very well. I've met a lot of great bloggers through Entrecard and -- what's more -- I've been able to locate a lot of great, entertaining blogs in one spot.
"But, The Hawg," you might say. "Entrecard is selling paid ads because the company must make a profit to survive. What's the problem with that?"
In theory, there's no problem with that. Entrecard should be able to make some cash and pay the bills. However, the problem is that paid advertisers share that widget with the people who have done everything right. The people who have dropped cards, saved up credits and bought ads will now be rewarded with a reduction in traffic. Ads purchased with credits, after all, are only on Entrecard widgets half the time when it comes to those blogs that are accepting ads (The All Arkie Army accepts paid ads, whereas The Natural State Hawg and Straight Shooting Real Estate do not).
Ah, but there's more! Entrecard will start buying up credits with cash money, but the powers that be over there have let it be known that the good soldiers who accept paid ads will be given preference when it comes to selling credits.
In other words, the Entrecard folks are persuading people to accept ads. What will happen to the members that don't? Will they be unable to sell their credits? Will they be marginalized by Entrecard? That, folks, is anyone's guess.
I'd argue that the solution to this mess is simple -- Entrecard should develop a dual widget. One half would go for ads purchased with credits, whereas the other one would be for ads only. That suggestion has been made many times and I'd argue that it would allow for the best of both worlds. Members wouldn't be so reluctant to accept paid ads if they knew they weren't stiffing the loyal members who buy space with credits. Entrecard, meanwhile, would be able to boast about a higher ad acceptance rate and raise their rates accordingly.
Asking Entrecard to design a dual widget isn't asking for much under the circumstances. Perhaps a boycott is just what Entrecard needs to realize that a lot of members are upset and the service simply won't work without the support of bloggers.
There are other ways to get traffic, you know. Entrecard will be in a world of hurt if loyal members start searching around for alternatives.
As I've harped about before, I was a newspaper reporter once upon a time.
Public relations might be more lucrative, but being a reporter had its merits. I miss it, in fact.
Luckily, my old friends at the Daily Record in Little Rock gave me the chance to freelance -- to write three real estate stories a week. I jumped at the chance. After all, how could I pass up the opportunity to make a little extra cash and get to use that long-dormant reporting skill?
"Oh, no," I can imagine you saying as your roll your eyes and groan. "That The Hawg fella is going to torment us with his latest batch of articles."
And you are absolutely right. Oh, don't groan too loudly. You might learn something. You might rub your chin and go, "Well, I'll be." You'll never know until you click, click, click those links and find out, will you?
Here they are:
* A profile of Benton Realtor Denise Hyde.
* An article on deed in lieu of foreclosure.
* An article on how county reassessments don't necessarily reflect the true market value of a home.
Want more real estate goodness? Click right here!
Here's one that's worth mentioning just in case someone missed it. Yes, the "ShamWow" guy got arrested for beating up a hooker.
That only gets funnier the more times you say it.
Enjoy the video and ask yourself, "What the hell was that guy thinking?"
Once again, it's time to say thanks to the Entrecard members who have made it over here the most in the past month.
Running a blog is, well, pointless without traffic, isn't it? Entrecard has provided a steady stream of traffic to all the blogs in which I'm involved (this one, the legendary The Natural State Hawg and Straight Shooting Real Estate).
Before listing the top 10 Entrecard droppers for March, I feel compelled to plug my latest blog, Straight Shooting Real Estate. Actually, that was the blog I originally started, but I let it go for awhile. I decided to revamp the thing and start putting content over their again. If you've got a minute, please have a look.
Having made the requisite, self-serving comments that no one gives a damn about, here are the top Entrecard droppers for March:
1. New Dilemma
2. The Way I See It
3. BMWF1Blog
4. The Natural State Hawg (not entirely fair to list this one, I know)
5. Computer Help and Advice
6. Junkfoodaholic.com
7. Free Callers Blog
8. Secondary Roads
9. Epicurean Health
10. livelife365.com
More shameless self promotion
Yes, I'm on a mission to get some more reciprocal links. Want to swap links with a blog with a PR3 blog and an Alexa ranking near 90,000? Leave a comment on this post at The Natural State Hawg and let's swap.
What's the point of all this? A higher page rank and Alexa ranking, of course! And, naturally, your stats will go up, too, with a swap.
Folks, this place is starting to look a bit like a ghost town.
In the past week, the only things posted here at the All Arkie Army have been a couple of YouTube videos.
Yes, it's my own fault for not being more active. I've got the cure for that, kids -- a good, old fashioned rant.
Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you know that the federal government has effectively taken over Chrysler and General Motors.
President Barack Obama insisted the government has no interest in running the auto industry. Of course, at the same time, he announced that GM CEO Rick Wagoner had been forced out of office by the government, that GM has 60 days to get its act together or receive no more federal funding and that Chrysler had damn well better work out a merger with Fiat in 30 days or else.
Ford, of course, was left out of the discussions. That company wisely refused government cash and the interference that comes with it. Yes, the feds often dangle cash around to try to force themselves in areas where they don't belong -- just ask Chrysler, GM and Wagoner.
Think back to when the federal government decided the drinking age across the nation should be raised to 21-years-old from 18-years-old. Of course, establishing the drinking age is something left up to the states.
Ah, but the feds went ahead and dangled that cash again. "You either raise that drinking age or we'll cut off your federal highway funds."
Most of the states complied. Louisiana refused and had to put up with a rotten highway system until the state complied.
But, back to Chrysler and GM. Those companies went out and begged for federal dollars to save their companies from ruin and they damn well deserve the consequences that always come with federal help. Screw them.
Screw their boards of directors and executive officers who were stupid enough to keep producing and marketing SUVs when gas was about $3 a gallon. Companies that lack the foresight to adapt to changing marketing conditions deserve to fail. Screw the UAW, too, which has made labor so expensive that Japanese car companies with American factories pay their workers about half as much in wages and benefits as their "Big 3" counterparts and turn out a superior product, to boot.
What we're left with are a couple of government-run auto manufacturers that make overpriced junk, have management teams that couldn't pick up on market trends if they were run down in the street with them and are in no position to compete with far superior vehicles manufactured by other companies.
Frankly, I'd buy a damned Peugot before I purchased a Chevrolet and let it rust in my driveway. I'll stick with my Toyotas, thank you, but one can't help but wonder when the feds will used the time-honored, dirty trick of protectionism to strong arm us into buying American vehicles. Things will be heading that way, just hide and watch.
Why? Because GM and Chrysler simply won't be able to compete with companies that produce superior, more affordable vehicles. Yes, B.O. and his lads are going on about forcing GM and Chrysler to produce more fuel efficient vehicles and other things that their international competition has been doing for years. Uh, we're behind the curve on that count, so what makes anyone think we'll surpass the competition?
You'll still have management that believes thinking ahead means figuring out what to have for lunch, labor unions that howl about salary negotiations and have resisted more efficient manufacturing techniques (because they put people out of work) and government interference at a level that is almost unimaginable. In a free market economy, companies like Chrysler and GM fold because of their inability to compete (and, truth be told, one or both of those companies should be out of business).
Ah, but we're not operating in a free market, are we? No, the simple notion of letting consumers decide how to spend their money will be regarded as something that's not in the best interest of the country. That's where protectionism comes in -- if you can't compete, then protect your market from competitors.
The government, in the 1970s, wasn't a bit shy about using protectionism to shield American industries. Just study up on how the feds harassed Volkswagen because the Big Three couldn't come up with an answer to the Beetle (apparently, the technology that gave birth to a car that was designed in Germany while Adolph Hitler was still in charge was baffling to our auto industries).
At the end of the day, we'll lose our ability to choose how to spend our dollar without government interference when (and if) the government rediscovers the joys of protecting industries that don't deserve it. I'd argue that consumers -- free of government meddling -- should be able to purchase a Chevrolet, a Chrysler, a Toyota, a Kia or whatever vehicle they believe fits their needs. The loss of that freedom to choose will be pitiful, but we'll be told it's in the best interest of the nation.
These days, that's about all the government has to say and people will believe it almost every time. That's been true for at least 20 years.
Here's "Bankrobber," one of the best from the mighty, mighty Clash.
One of the band's best...
Apparently word about Kris Allen's rising stardom has made it outside of the Arkansas state borders.
At the start of this season's American Idol competition, singer Kris Allen, a business student at the University of Central Arkansas, kicked off his escalating popularity with an Idol audition in Louisville, Ky.
After getting the golden ticket to Hollywood, busting into the top 13 and now being kept in the top 10 through viewer votes, Allen's fan base has quickly spread across the nation.
Allen, along with the rest of the 13 final contestants, tested his skills at country music Tuesday to go along with this week's Grand Ole Opry theme.
From Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton, all the way to previous Idol winner Carrie Underwood, the country greats were featured by contestants who made the songs their own.
Read the rest of the article here.
Another great band that never got enough attention. Here's "Really Really Happy."
Here's one for the fine folks over at Political Conservatives (and anyone else with a sense of humor).
Folks, a milestone worthy of being celebrated has been reached -- the Crotchety Old Man has posted over 500 pearls of wisdom!
We at the All Arkie Army are thrilled that Crotchety has stuck it out this long and is still going strong.
Well, I -- The Hawg -- am thrilled at least. I'm certain no one here at the All Arkie Army will disagree, right?
At any rate, I feel compelled to mention that I've only been blogging away since July. Crotchety runs one of the first blogs I ran across that caused me to keep visiting. Why? He's a hoot, that's why. And he's OK for a Yankee.
He's so OK, in fact, that he holds down the New Jersey Division of the All Arkie Army. He's so OK that I'd be proud to treat him to a dandy slice of pie at the famed Ed & Kay's here in Benton, Ark., if he ever gets down this way.
He's so OK that some of the visitors here had some nice things to say about Crotchety when I mentioned his upcoming milestone the other day. The always glib Don from Beyond Left Field simply sends his congratulations -- perhaps he knows that little more needs to be said about such an acclaimed fellow blogger.
Meanwhile, Patricia Rockwell from both Subjective Soup and Communications Exchange was a bit less concise, but eloquent as ever.
"Hey, I am a fan of Crotchety and all the things he yells at," she said. "Including cars!"
Lot 2 Learn from "I will have the...," "Did I miss something?" et al ran across Crotchety in much the same way that I did.
"I found Crotchety when I first joined blogcatalog about a year ago, and since then I have not missed a post," he said. "I love his take on life, and his outlook on everyday events. Great job, Crotchety!"
As for me, all I can say is that anyone who checks out blogs regularly and doesn't visit Crotchety at least once a day (he's a prolific fellow) is really missing out on something. If he's not posting his dandy "caption this picture" feature on Wednesdays he's describing the fine ways he treats Mrs. Crotchety, talking common sense politics, taking swipes at things he hates and generally just being as entertaining as an evening of shooting rats down at the dump.
So, I extend my congratulations to Crotchety, too, and hope he keeps yelling at those cars for years to come. Go pay him a visit, huh?
Modified from an entry originally posted at The Natural State Hawg.
Arkansas Razorback Basketball Predictions.
Check out these predictions
They ain't gonna take it, man.
By the way, make sure to click right here to help me collect some comments to acknowledge the Crotchety Old Man's greatness in time for his 500th post! He's one of the finest bloggers around, so let's honor the boy, huh? Oh, and please click right here to go to RafterJumpOn and give my stuff a thumbs up if you have a minute.
It has come to my attention that the Crotchety Old Man, who heads up the mighty important New Jersey Division of the All Arkie Army, is getting ready to celebrate his 500th post.
Now, that's a pretty big deal, isn't it? I sure think so and I do believe he deserved a little recognition. If you're not familiar with Crotchety, click right here and get familiar, huh?
As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I've got a background in journalism. Yes, The Hawg was a business reporter before he was a public relations guy. I figure I should tap that long-dormant journalism skill to do something special for Crotchety, but I'll need your help.
Since most people who visit here are familiar Crotchety, I'm sure y'all have some nice things to say about him. So, leave a comment saying how wonderful Crotchety is and I'll put those all together in a nice little article to be posted here and at my primary blog, The Natural State Hawg.
So, leave those comments and let's acknowledge Crotchety's achievement in a big way. But hurry -- he's up to post #496 at the time of this writing so that 500th post will be rolling around soon.
Shameless plug!
I went and applied to be a rafter so I can wax poetic about various things. If you have a minute, click right here and give my stuff a thumbs up and leave a comment if you want. Thanks!
For proponents of small government, the $787 billion economic stimulus bill recently passed by Congress isn't a life saver. It's the last straw.
State lawmakers across the country are sponsoring resolutions (most of them only symbolic) demanding state sovereignty, in effect the right to ignore any federal law or policies they deem unconstitutional. And that includes the U.S. stimulus package.
Lawmakers in at least 15 states are sponsoring similar resolutions. They say they're fighting a trend that has reached a fever pitch - decades of federal overreach.
The resolution, which needed 11 votes to pass, failed on an 8-10 vote.
Source: here
Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: A source at the Americans for Limited Government in Washington D.C. called my attention to a dangerous piece of legislation that is working its way to the floor of the House of Representatives. This bill would restrict your rights as never before. Simply put, this would legislate that the Government could take an industry and slaughter it! And that is the least of the powers that they will gain if this is allowed to pass.
Left wing extremist, Henry Waxman and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is set to vote on legislation that would place tobacco products under the authority of the FDA. The bill could be on the President’s desk as soon as this Summer. While I am not a smoker nor do I even support smoking in general, one does not have to agree with smoking to see that this bill only serves to further centralize government authority over our daily lives. Through classifying tobacco as a drug under the authority of the FDA, the Government then can force people to do as they say, and as a result, put thousands of people out of work and block new proven smokeless products from entering the market.
Instead of helping to fix the problem, the government will use force and coercion to influence the change that they want. They are gaining power to influence your daily life, and do not think for one second that they will not exploit this for their own benefit.
Although the ears of the Arkansas and other Blue Dogs democrats appear to have been clipped by Speaker Peloisi, if they don't stand up soon for against the continued onslaught of centralized government authority, they will become totally co-opted by Pelois' liberal cronies. As for Arkansas Vic Snyder, no need seek help since he represents the liberal extreme interests. And as much as I would like to ask "former" blue dog Marion Berry, he appears to be out for nap most of the time.
But I am going to plead with the one able minded Arkansas Blue Dog congressman who in the past has taken stands for his Arkansas constituents. That Congressman is Representative Mike Ross of Arkansas' 4th Congressional District. So here goes: Congressman Ross, please do not support legislation that would restrict liberty and freedom. As long as people are not restricting the liberties of their neighbor, there exists no need to punish them. It is not the job of the Government to tell people how to live their lives, rather, it is the job of the government to defend us from those who would restrict liberty. Congressman Ross protect our liberty and freedom. We are all watching and hoping! Join me and Contact your representatives!
Mick Jones landed OK after he was booted out of the Clash, huh? Here's one of Big Audio Dynamite's better songs, Rush. Enjoy!
Big Audio Dynamite - Rush (Official Music Video) - Click here for this week’s top video clips
Yes, once again it's time to join the Razorback cheerleader pictured here and whoop it up for the good people who have visited this blog regularly through Entrecard.
We love regular visitors here at the All Arkie Army and thank those who make this little blog a regular stop. Unfamiliar with Entrecard? If you've got a blog, you should join that site by clicking right here. You'll be amazed at the traffic you'll get.
Regular visitors, after, all make blogging worthwhile. Here at the All Arkie Army, we'd really be thrilled if some Arkansas bloggers -- or those who had ties here -- would take a minute and join this site. You'll get some more exposure for your blog and will (hopefully) get to find out some things going on here in the Natural State, to boot. Want to join? Just hit the "Contact" link at the top of the page and send me, your friendly The Hawg, an e-mail.
So, without further ado, here are the extra special Entrecard members who visited the most in February:
2. BMFW1blog
3. The Way I See It
4. PaulsHealthBlog.com
5. The Natural State Hawg
6. EzGreatLife
7. The Fearless Blog
8. Beyond Left Field
9. Of Trends and Aces
10. The Fashion Lovers
Go and pay those good folks a visit, huh?
Here's one just in time for our old friend, back-to-work Monday. Yes, it's Wall of Voodoo playing "Back in Flesh" in 1981's Urgh! A Music War.
According to this story from MSNBC, Socks the Cat was euthanized after a long battle with cancer.
Yes, it seems that Sock's 19 years on this earth ended at the Three Notch Veterinary clinic in Washington, D.C. on Friday. The story is pretty cut and dried, right? Is it really? Hmmm.
Socks, of course, was adopted by Bill and Hillary Clinton back in 1988 when Billy was governor of Arkansas. Socks -- by far the member of the Clinton family who subscribed to the highest moral standards of the lot -- traveled to Washington with the Clintons and has remained with Billy's personal secretary, Betty Currie, since 2001.
It's no surprise the Clintons would leave someone loyal to them behind, of course. Just ask the folks in the Arkansas Delta what years of supporting Clinton got them.
What is curious, however, is how people who get too close to the Clintons tend to vanish, wind up in prison or end up dying under mysterious circumstances. Could it be that Socks knew too much? Could it be the word got back to the Clintons that the cat had started having lunch with a Washington Post reporter?
Rumor had it that Socks was critical of Billy's constant catting around and disapproved of Hillary's catty behavior, too. Could it be that years of resentment and an embarrassing abandonment finally drove Socks to blab secrets to the press and he had to be silenced?
Oh, I hope not!
When University of Central Arkansas student Kris Allen traveled to Kentucky to audition for American Idol, he had no idea he would eventually compete for a top 12 spot.
Now that Allen, 23, has made it through the introductory rounds, he will perform in front of the show's judges, and the rest of America, at 7 p.m. Wednesday on Fox.
The following show will air at 7 p.m. Thursday and Allen will find out whether he will continue the path to fame.
"You know, it's crazy because when you go try out, you don't ever believe you're actually going to make it and then you get through to Hollywood," Allen said Friday. "You just don't ever think you're going to make it to the next round."
Read the rest of the story here.
ARRA News Service - K. Ryan James, an Arkansas voice in Washington, D.C., offers insights today concerning the influence that Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln may have in either protecting or taking away the secret voting rights of workers via Card Check. This story is a big one for the people of the right-to-work state that is Arkansas, considering that our senior Senator Blanche Lincoln has has literally been all over the place on this issue - which is to be expected when you consider that Arkansans spectacularly rejected President Barack Hussein Obama and his liberal policies in November. He questions weather Sen. Lincoln show her independence and not support a bill that is opposed by virtually all of her home state, including her own Democratic Governor? Or, will she kowtow to the labor lobbyists and their allies at MoveOn and other liberal groups. [ Story on ARRA or Ryan's Full Article on Sen. Lincoln & Card Check]
Arkansas State Representative Karen Hopper (R - Dist 81) lives in Lakeview (Baxter County), Arkansas. She shares about her first 30 days as a freshman in the Arkansas House of Representatives.
ARRA News Service Guest Editorial by Rep.Karen Hopper:
~The First 30 Days~
It is indeed an honor and a privilege to serve the almost 27,000 residents of House District 81 as a freshman legislator. Thank you to all of you have contacted me during these first five weeks to voice your feelings about some of the almost 200 bills that have made their way to the House floor, not including the numerous budget bills, as well as other bills that have been introduced and have not cleared the various committees. Your input is invaluable.
Please know I welcome your comments and the opportunity to be of service with individual constituency matters. The best way to reach me during the session is via email-- hopperk@arkleg.state.ar.us.
This past week we passed the 30-calendar-day mark. We have already tackled a number of hot topics. The following is a synopsis of the first five weeks with a few personal observations... [Read Complete Article]
Here's "Hybrid Moments," the best song from the Misfits and one that's oh so easy to bang out on a guitar (use those barre chords for a fuller sound, kids). The band might not have been exactly technically skilled, but that doesn't matter one whit on this song. Enjoy!
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Emily Stokes goes to the mat, puts lock on Conway High School history
Emily Stokes paints her nails dark, wears pink, loves bling and heels and figures she can hang with the best of 'em in the girlie stuff.
At first glance, she fits nicely into the All-American cheerleader or homecoming queen type.
As soon as you're comfortable with that traditional image, she'll body slam you and put you in a headlock.
She's also crazy over pins.
She's the first female wrestler to letter at Conway High.
Read the rest of the story here.
ARRA News Service - A ballistic missile from a foreign enemy would take 33 minutes to reach the United States. With each passing day, this becomes a growing danger to America, yet our government has failed to build the missile defense systems capable of defending us against such attacks. Our enemies are attempting to stockpile arsenals that threaten our freedom and prosperity. North Korea and Iran are the most prominent, but this also includes Russia, China and other nations that have missiles capable of killing Americans in very large numbers and threatening our allies.
The time has come to revive the strategic missile defense system that America uniquely can develop, maintain, and employ for its own defense and the peace-loving world's security.This documentary aims to do just that by highlighting the disastrous consequences of a nuclear explosion on American soil - one that could happen in just 33 minutes. Film coming winter 2009.
Dr. Bill Smith, ARRA News Service Editor is a member of The Heritage Foundation and has requested to be able to show screenings of the film when released. Once the material is on hand, groups will be able to schedule special events for the film. Below is a trailer for the film:
ARRA News Service: Have you had enough of the stimulus scam. Below is a satirical open letter written by Laura Singleton. We wanted to help make sure her letter arrived. You can also help by sending Monopoly Money to DC, so that our "esteemed leaders" can fool around with it instead of OUR hard-earned money. She has asked if you'd send some too.
Here's what to do: send your elected officials monopoly money. How? Anyway possible: Email or Fax the image I've posted in my pics on this site. Put the image on your blogs. Mail Monopoly money overnight. Drop some off at their offices in your state or in DC. Blog about the waste, the pork, the delay & reference the Monopoly Money. Send out press releases, whatever. Flood their offices with the stuff. Maybe, just maybe, they'll get it then. Remember, the final vote is likely to happen Monday or Tuesday, so we don't have a lot of time. One voice is a dissenter. One million is a democracy.
Dear Esteemed Politicians,
I know many of you are new, and that the experience in our nation's capital can be both heady and confusing. Therefore, I'm writing to remind you that the Monopoly Money is the stuff that is pastel. Apparently, some (a "pared-down" $780,000,000,000.00 at last count) of the citizens' real money has slipped into your wild game. Normally I wouldn't be so rude to point out this slight and obviously unintentional mistake. However (dear me, I'm blushing), it seems that our children and grandchildren will be responsible for this debt so you can buy:
$99,600 worth of doorbells in Laurel, MS (net jobs produced: 2)
$6M to convert hybrids to electric cars in Boulder (net jobs produced: 0)
$650M more for Digital TV coupons (net jobs produced: 0)
$70M in smoking cessation programs (net jobs produced: ?)
$500K for a dog park in Chula Vista, CA (net jobs produced: 0)
$600M for the Heritage Trail in Natchez, MS (net jobs produced: 65)
$1.5M for a Prostitute Shelter in Dayton (net jobs produced: 0)
$500M for Solar Water Heaters in Puerto Rico ((net jobs produced: 14)
and--(this one deserves an award for "stupid positions have consequences" posterchild)--$400M for testing and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
Now, I know that you know best, and I'm certain that this is all a misunderstanding. How could you know that the water company turned off service to somebody in our upper middle-class subdivision a couple of days ago? Or that there's a foreclosure sign a few houses away? My 70-year old parents came out of retirement to do substitute teaching after their life savings tanked. My brother's business deal fell through because of the economy & he's going to lose everything. But obviously no one told you that businesses here are going belly up and people are losing jobs. However, if it wouldn't interrupt your game too long, perhaps you could talk to any of these people--or me, for that matter--and find we'd actually rather have the money to get back on his feet than to pay to test someone who didn't abstain for an STD.
I know that Washington, DC is far, far away from here, but I would be more than willing to bring you additional Monopoly Money for you to play with in exchange for the real money, which real people could use for real needs.
Sincerely,
Laura Singleton