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!
br />
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.
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
So how many of you saw this last night right after the SuperBowl?
And how many of you were OH SO PROUD that he came from this great state? I know I was!
Go D-Mac Go!!
After auditioning at the Wheel of Fortune open call in November at the Conway Sports Center, Jenna Morehart of Conway was chosen as a contestant and will appear on the February 5th episode of the game show.
She said she almost did not go to the audition, but her husband, Tyler, "was dying to be on the show."
"I told him, 'There is no way we're going to get on that show.' I wasn't going to go. At the last minute, he and his brother were leaving I was going to go and watch one audition."
To her surprise, her name was called in the random drawing, and she had the chance to audition.
"We left thinking, 'That was a fun Saturday night.' They told us in front of the whole crowd if they liked you, they would send you an e-mail for the final audition, but it wouldn't come for a couple of months," she said.
Time went by, and the possibility of becoming a contestant was "out of sight, out of mind," Morehart said. Then shortly after Christmas, she received an e-mail inviting her to the final audition at the Capitol Hotel in Little Rock the following week.
Read the rest of the story here.
Read here about my wife's experience at the same audition.
Wheel of Fortune airs each weeknight at 6:30 on KATV.
The ACLU s version of ordering a pizza in the future. Scary! Anyone for more privacy
H/T to ARRA News Service
According to Mosler, one of the main speakers at the annual Greenbrier Chamber of Commerce banquet Saturday, businesses will come to Arkansas if the state is viewed as a winner.
Ideas were shared about how to make Arkansas more viable in the business world. Oh yeah, the event was held at the Greenbrier Junior High School cafeteria.
Way to get the image thing kicked off in the right direction.
A few years ago, after moving to Arkansas, I was going around the horn (flipping channels) and landed on The Tonight Show. Jay Leno was doing his opening monologue, and while I don't remember the joke, the punchline was, "They have computers in Arkansas?"
I don't know about the rest of the state, but here in Conway, the business community continues to grow. Recently, Hewlett Packard announced plans open a state-of-the art facility here.
Shortly thereafter, Southwestern Energy, a natural gas exploration and production company, announced it will locate a regional headquarters in Conway. That's all you can ask for in a depressed economy.
Next year, maybe they'll find a better location for the Greenbrier Chamber banquet. I hear the McDonald's dining area is available.
Source: TheCabin.net
My son, Dylan, celebrated his 16th birthday last Friday (the 16th).
Dylan's birthday wish was for the entire family to get together and go on a camping trip. He was hoping everyone would pitch tents but it was way too cold for that! So the family went in together and rented a log cabin in Jasper, Arkansas, which is a two-hour trip from our house.
Unfortunately, the entire family couldn't make the trip but we ended up with a nice size crowd anyway.
The cabin was nice (click here for the slideshow: photos change every 10 seconds)! The cabin had one bedroom, one full bath, and a loft. Sounds cozy until you realize there were fourteen of us!!! :) Believe it or not, everything worked out great. The bedroom had a double bed and the loft had a double bed, a twin bed and a double futon couch. The open living area also had a couch, three love seats, two of which were twin sleepers.
On Friday night, thirteen of us slept on beds or couches (birthday boy-Dylan-slept on the floor in his sleeping bag). And then on Saturday night, six family members went back home, so that left lots more room for us to spread out.
Should you ever want to vacation in the Ozarks, I highly recommend Deer Lodge Cabins.
The original plan was to do some hiking, some geocaching, and some fishing. There were three ponds on the property filled with bass, bream, catfish and sunperch. Unfortunately, the pond closest to the cabin was frozen solid and it was too cold to go check out the other two ponds. The kids had a blast walking on the ice and birthday boy, Dylan, eventually pressed his luck one too many times and fell through (see the pic to the right). He weighs 245 pounds so it didn't surprise me to see him fall through the ice. Teenagers are sooooo schmaaart!!!
After breakfast, everyone headed out to go on a hike and do some geocaching. I stayed behind at the cabin with Brady and a couple of my nieces. Like a bone head, I didn't pack Brady's hat and mittens, and it was bitterly cold. I took him outside after breakfast and he was miserable, so I knew it wouldn't be a wise idea to take him on a long hike.
The family came back a couple hours later and had many great pictures to show me (that's a waterfall of ice behind the boys!).
Later on that evening, my brothers started a fire in the fire pit and we all sat around roasting marshmallows and making S'mores.
Everybody had so much fun spending time together, that we've decided to plan a fishing trip next!
Thanks for reading!
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Happy 16th Birthday, Dylan!
Dylan: Doing Shakespeare In The Park
I Love Being A Mama!
At long last, the Arizona Cardinals have made it to the Super Bowl.
That's a huge deal. How big a deal? Well the Cardinals have been in Chicago, St. Louis and now Arizona and have pretty well been rotten far more often than not. The team hasn't been to the Super Bowl, in fact, since the merger between the AFC and NFC created the NFL back in 1970.
Of all the teams that were part of that merger, the Cardinals are the last to make it to the Super Bowl. That's impressive stuff, particularly when you consider the Cardinals were underdogs throughout the playoffs.
Yes everyone knew the Cardinals would fold against Atlanta, then it went without saying that they'd be stopped by Carolina. Of course, the Cardinals never had a chance against the Eagles on Sunday night, right?
The Cardinals made it through the playoffs, of course, and are underdogs in the Super Bowl against a very good Pittsburgh Steelers team. Nothing against Pittsburgh, but I hope the Cardinals beat the odds once again and pull off an upset in the Super Bowl.
Why? I like underdogs and always have. I well remember watching a scrubby, laughable team called the Denver Broncos pull off unlikely victory after unlikely victory in 1977 and go to the 1978 Super Bowl (they lost to the Cowboys). I've been a Broncos fan ever since and this Cardinals team reminds me of that Broncos squad.
Arizona has gotten absolutely no respect all year long and has wound up in a position that many thought impossible going into the season. Hell, the Cardinals have been a laughing stock for as long as I can remember and I've been watching football since 1976 when I was seven-years-old.
It's always good to see an underdog wind up in the Super Bowl. Why? It gives fans of teams like the Browns, Lions, Texans and other teams with no winning tradition hope. Hell, if the Cardinals can make it to the Super Bowl, that means that just about any fan can sit back, grin and say, "Yeah, it'll be our year one day."
So, go Cardinals. I wish Denver would have made it to the Super Bowl, but seeing an underdog make it in is the next best thing.
Johnta Quatast BarberA Faulkner County jury decided late Thursday night the fate of Barber, who was also convicted of eight other charges, including aggravated robbery, theft of property and kidnapping.
Barber was captured minutes after a woman in a home near the search area saw a mud-covered man peering over a fence and into her window and notified searchers.
The 28 year old Barber will be 85 years old by the time his sentence is carried out.
My wife commented by saying, "You have a better chance of getting out of prison if you kill somebody, than if you rob a bank."
Sad, but true. So don't mess with the money.
Source: TheCabin.net
Oklahoma and Florida can battle for the BCS.
But we've already crowned the true national champ.
by Rick Reilly
The Utes trampled Alabama to complete a perfect season. How are they not national champions?Some gifts people give are pointless: Styling mousse to Dick Vitale. An all-you-can-eat card to Kate Moss. The BCS Championship given to Oklahoma or Florida.
It means nothing because the BCS has no credibility. Florida? Oklahoma? Who cares? Utah is the national champion.
The End. Roll credits.
Argue with this, please. I beg you. Find me anybody else that went undefeated. Thirteen-and-zero. Beat four ranked teams. Went to the Deep South and seal-clubbed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The same Alabama that was ranked No. 1 for five weeks. The same Alabama that went undefeated in the regular season. The same Alabama that Florida beat in order to get INTO the BCS Championship game in the first place.
FIND ME ANYBODY ELSE THAT WENT UNDEFEATED. THIRTEEN-AND-ZERO. BEAT FOUR RANKED TEAMS. WENT TO THE DEEP SOUTH AND SEAL-CLUBBED ALABAMA IN THE SUGAR BOWL.
Yeah, that's how it is now in the shameful, money-grubbing world of college football. If you're Florida and you beat Alabama, you get a seat in the title game. If you're Utah, you get a seat on your sofa.
Hey, remind me: What do they give out for one of those BCS things anyway? It's been so long since I cared. Something from Sears? This is the sixth year in the past 10 that the title has been in dispute under this cash-grab, fan-dis, monopoly that the BCS has created. Which is why the title game just doesn't matter anymore. It's like being named Miss Ogallala. Or Best Amish Electrician.
Just take a look at the teams that think they're worthy of being called national champs:
USC? Great year. Wonderful. Let's all go to SkyBar and celebrate. But it lost to Oregon State, a team Utah beat.
Texas? You think beating Ohio State by a nubby three points gets you the title? The Big Ten was 1-6 in bowl games! That's like pinning David Spade!
Florida and Oklahoma? They lost. Utah never did.
So that's it. Utah is the national champion. The Utes should probably have two now, actually. They went undefeated in 2004, too, and their coach still thinks they were the best team in the land. Smart fella named Urban Meyer. Coaches Florida now.
By the way, we're calling our title the "national" championship because it actually includes the whole nation—all 119 Division I schools—unlike the BCS, which includes 66. Yeah, the BCS somehow eliminated the middleman—the NCAA. The conferences these schools play in take their dump trucks full of cash straight from the TV networks and fairness can go suck a lemon.
Nettie Tien
The Utes won't get the trophy they really deserve, so we gave them one of our own design.
Do me a favor. Call Ohio State president Gordon Gee and ask him why he won't support a playoff. He's one of the most powerful presidents in the NCAA. He could get it done. If he says anything other than, "We don't want to share the loot" then you know he's lying his bow tie off.
"This is not how we normally do things in America," says Utah president Michael Young. "In America, quality usually wins, not conspiracy. And there's a reason people usually enter into a conspiracy. It's money. You make money doing it. And those that are in on the conspiracy want to stay in and keep everybody else out."
Sure, BCS blowhards will hand you schlock about how the college football season is like a playoff, how it's an elimination tournament every week. Really? Well, how come Florida and Oklahoma weren't eliminated with their losses? Utah ran the table, beat everybody set in front of them, including Ala-damn-bama in no less than the Sugar Bowl, and gets the bagel.
Oh, by the way? It was Utah's eighth straight bowl win, the nation's longest streak. Among the losers during that run? Let's see USC, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, and now the legendary Houndstooth Hats.
"What else do we have to prove?" asks Utah's magical quarterback, Brian Johnson. Good question. He and the Utes essentially whipped Alabama at home. Handed Nick Saban a garlic necklace to wear the entire offseason. Stepped on his team's neck 21-0 in the first three possessions and never looked back. Let's see. Who was it that was losing to Alabama until nearly six minutes into the fourth quarter? Oh, yeah. Florida.
What, you want the Utes to win a spelling bee? Make a prize-winning souffle? Knock up Angelina Jolie? What?
It just slays me. It really does.
Call Myles Brand, president of the asleep-at-the-wheel NCAA, and ask him if he and his greedy presidents are going to stand in defiance of president-elect Barack Obama, who wants a playoff and wants it yesterday.
Ask Brand what he's going to do if Obama starts asking the Justice Department to look into anti-trust hearings against the BCS. The Utah attorney general has already launched an investigation into that very thing. Or ask him what he'll do if Obama asks the Department of Education to consider withholding federal funds from these schools that have entered into this secret club called the BCS. You don't think playing in the title game means millions in general-fund donations for a school? That's as unfair as anything Title IX fought against.
Until all these people do the right thing, I'll be celebrating with the true national champions — the undefeated, untied Utah Utes. (Our new slogan: Utahk about a team!)
Lemonades for everybody!
My old friend and boss, Michael Tilley, sent this over to me today.
Yes, Tilley's new publication, The City Wire, has decided to pick up a column I write for my current employer that is picked up by about 20 publications in Arkansas. The City Wire is a bit of a first for us because it's entirely Internet-based while the rest of the publications that pick up my column are still primarily print-based.
What is unique, of course, is that I sent that column out today and Tilley put it up immediately, thus beating everyone else to the punch. I've known Tilley since my days as a business reporter at The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas in Springdale. He was the business editor of both The Morning News and the Southwest Times-Record in Fort Smith.
He's a good guy and I'm glad he's picking up my column. I hope he does very well with his new endeavor and, given his drive, intelligence and determination, I'm sure he will.
So, y'all go ahead and take a look at my column if you want to see The Hawg wearing a suit and grinning like an idiot. Heh, heh.
Yes, once again it's time to recognize the top Entrecard droppers of the month.
We had a lot of visitors here at The All Arkie Army in December and that's impressive seeing how the Christmas season kept a lot of people busy.
So, here are the top Entrecard visitors for December:
1. Crotchety Old Man -- and he's an All Arkie Army member, to boot! Yay!
2. BMWF1Blog
3. Of Trends and Aces
4. The Natural State Hawg -- Yes, the administrator of the All Arkie Army places a pitiful fourth on the "top droppers" list. Awful!
5. The Way I See It
6. Beyond Left Field
7. PaulsHealthBlog.com -- Yet another valued member of the All Arkie Army!
8. pamibe
9. The Half-Life of Linoleum
10. Political Conservatives -- a site run by two members of the All Arkie Army.
Thanks, folks. The visits are appreciated.
Link: [Berrin Art Jewelry]
Link: [Bob McCarty Writes]
Link: [Deuddersun Says...]
Link: [MeHeNDi]ARRA News Service: Jason Tolbert on the Tobert Report today ends year 2009 reporting on an Arkansas version of "Chicago style" politics. In summary, we have an elected constitutional officer who is Arkansas Chief Law enforcement officer advocating for and paying for a defeat of constitutional amendment in the past and now espousing that he can defend the very same amendment in a court case now challenging the amendment passed by the citizen's of Arkansas. And we thought their was no shame in Little Rock when Bill Clinton was AG. Below Jason explains about the latest "Dustin dust-up":
After seeing this photograph from the Arkansas Times of Attorney General Dustin McDaniel at a fundraiser for Arkansas Families First, the group formed to oppose Initiated Act 1, I decided to go down to the Arkansas Ethics Commission on my lunch break and take a look at their financial disclosure statements. My hunch was right.
The McDaniel Leadership PAC contributed $1,000 on October 28, 2008 to support Arkansas Families First in their campaign against Initiated Act 1. According to the PAC’s filing with the Arkansas Secretary of State, Dustin McDaniel serves as chairman of this PAC. (As a side note, fellow blogger Blake Rutherford serves as the treasurer.)
This is significant because as the Attorney General for Arkansas, McDaniel’s office now serves as the defense attorney in representing the state of Arkansas against the ACLU’s court challenge of Initiated Act 1. McDaniel’s Chief Deputy Attorney General Justin Allen told the Associated Press yesterday that his office will still be the ones defending the lawsuit.
I cannot help but wonder how someone who has contributed financially for a measure’s defeat can now be the advocate for the people of Arkansas in defense of that passed measure. I am certainly not a lawyer but referring to a borrowed copy of Howard Brill’s “Arkansas Professional and Judicial Ethics,” this appears to be a violation of Rule 1.7 defining a conflict of interest. The rule states “A concurrent conflict of interest exists if …. there is a significant risk that the representation of one of more clients will be materially limited … by a personal interest of the lawyer.”
Is this circumstance not a clear example of this definition? The rule goes on to discuss several requirements for a lawyer to overcome this conflict including if “each affected client gives informed consent, confirmed in writing.” The clients in this case would be a people of Arkansas, particularly the 586,248 Arkansans who voted for the Act. I am not sure how McDaniel is going to pull that one off.
