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.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

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!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

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:

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.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

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!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.




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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

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.