ArkGeo 2008 Annual Social

Yeah, I was out having fun this weekend. The Arkansas Geocachers Assoc held their annual meeting at Lake Catherine. It was my first time to meet these people you only know by their caching name. There was plenty of food, caching and prizes to be won. Yup, I picked up a couple of prizes!

This is the educational table. You could compare your GPS features with others. Find out what programs people were using to store or organize their caches. I found out the clue to solving the We Forgot! mystery caches in Rogers. Sneaky, very, very sneaky!
There was also showing off your geocoins. "CacheMates" definitely has a nice collection. Unfortunately, I didn't stay for the hotdog and marshmallow roast. I missed out on a very special event.

The "Wake" for "Uncle Elwin" and the scattering of some of his ashes was a new experience but now he can call Arkansas home. You had to have been there.

I'm really looking forward to the next years Ark-Geo Event somewhere in Arkansas!

More pictures here!

Scull Creek Trail Bridges, Installation

Matt Mihalevich,Trails Coordinator sent out this announcement.

This Thursday, June 5th, Kinco Contractors will install 3 of the 6 trail bridges for Scull Creek Trail. Should be an exciting day if anyone wants to stop by. I have attached a map of the bridge locations. They will begin at 7:00 a.m. and they expect to install a bridge every 2 hours.

It should be an interesting sight!

Fayetteville, The Government Channel's Role

I read City Attorney, Kit William's memo about the 2 concerns he had about the way the Government Channel was being used.

Allowing forums, roundtable discussions, talk shows etc., on the Government channel rather than on the Public Access Channel would eventually mean that the primary purpose of the Government Channel to show the citizens their government at work could be drowned out by special interest groups debating or discussing their views while taxpayer paid city employees had to plan, film, produce and cablecast the show

In a time when the city's finances are not doing well we shouldn't have citizens start ordering the city employees to spend money on their projects.

However, he went on to say that in recent years the Government Channel has "wandered"into Public Access Channel domain by producing and cablecasting public interest forums. Williams argued that trying to limit the content of forums to "governmentapproved subjects"is difficult and may not be constitutional under the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution.

There will be some one who feels that their project belongs on Government Channel and would sue the city if it was reject. Having previously accepted public interest forums, the city is likely to lose such a lawsuit. I think Kit's concerns are reasonable and deserve to be investigated. That's why I was so shocked to read about a full blown conspiracy in which Susan Thomas,Public Information Officer, was trying to censor and/or outright kill all free of speech. How did the newspaper editor put it?

The term for it is power grab.

Ah, yes, and this conspiracy also involves the "administration" (Mayor Coody).

The bigger concern is that the administration’s latest intrusions open the door to further meddling in programming on the Government Channel. Some future administration might be inclined to tamper with the policies even more. The programming could become just what it was designed not to be: a tool to put the current administration in the most favorable light.

Yeah, the tin-foil hat conspiracy brigade is in full force. I was reading this and this and I just wondered what in the heck were they smoking. Fortunately, there is some one that has been acting like a sane, rational adult. Nancy Allen. Her comments at the May 22nd meeting were right one. Way to go Nancy! She is quite right that the City Council needs to review the policy of the Government Channel and also the responsibilities of the Telecom Board.
So, the issues brought up by Kit Williams has created more friction between the Telecom Board and the City Administration and has led Susan Thomas to say she didn't wish to appear before the Board. Richard Drake, Chair of the Telecom Board has vented his feelings about the whole situation and wondered if he should resign. Based on what I saw from the meeting, I would have said no, don't resign. However, he decided to blog about the whole situation and probably made the whole thing worse.

So, in essence, I was publicly Slimed by a member of city staff.
Which is fine, as far as it goes. I’m a big boy. But there is a larger issue at stake here, and that is one of fairness, and equal treatment before the city.
I didn’t mention the fact that the person who chose to Slime me before the city council was highly-paid for no particular reason, but to make a point. In the grand balance, is the word of a staffer to be taken over the word of a citizen-volunteer - who makes zilch - automatically by the city council, without even hearing from the individual involved?

Yes, now I think you should at least resign from the chairmanship. It is so wrong for a member of a city board, particularly the chair, to write this about a city employee. I don't even care if Richard is in the right. Richard should have taken any beef he had to the Mayor or any City Council member. His blog was the wrong place to do it. There is a rule in blogging that says you should never write about your boss. There should be another rule and that is to never blog about a city employee when you're a member of a city board.

Arkansas Illegals in College

I am assuming that the administrators want these illegal immigrants as students in their colleges.

Purcell sent a letter last week warning schools not to offer illegal immigrants in-state tuition, unless they wanted to give the same benefits to an out-of-state student. The department began polling the state's two- and four-year colleges and universities after that to find out their admissions practices.

These students have studied hard to get into college, they've filled out forms, and made arrangements to afford their education. Why don't they put in the same time and effort getting into to college to becoming a legal citizen? Why doesn't the college after identifying bogus social security numbers start the students through the process of becoming U.S. citizens? As long as these students haven't committed any crimes I see no problem with them continuing school while they go through the citizenship process. Heck, give them the incentive of in-state-tuition if they apply for citizenship.

After the Rain

Tigger is enjoying the garden although it is a bit wet. We've had rain nearly every day this week. All the rain is making the garden grow really nicely. Of course, the weeds are growing too. At least we've been really lucky in not getting any tornados.

More cats at Friday Ark

Walton Arts Center, In Fayetteville or Out?

I don't see the Walton Arts Center staying in Fayetteville. The PTB in the institution really want the bigger stage for bigger productions. When you talk to anyone from the Center that's seems to be their number one priority. While it would be nice to see some of the bigger productions, is there going to be enough people to shell out the big bucks to see those shows?
While the city of Fayetteville is going to try everything it can to keep it on Dickson Street, I don't think there is enough space for a bigger theater and more parking. I just don't think every entertainment venue can fit on Dickson Street. It's time for Fayetteville to look beyond Dickson Street and have other entertainment sections in the city.
The Walton Arts Center does still have it's possibilities. One of the things I miss in living in L.A. is the small theaters a lot of the cities had. For $10 I could go see a play, put on by local amateur actors. Some of them were better than the touring Broadway shows. Springdale has the Art Center of the Ozarks, I think the Arts Center should be home to a Fayetteville theater group.

Economy, Still No Recession

Hey, Democrats and MSM! You aren't trying hard enough! We still aren't in a recession yet! Frankly, I'm amazed that the economy has managed to grow.

The signs Thursday of resilience in the U.S. economy appeared welcome. "The GDP news was pretty good. From our perspective, we're not going to see a negative quarter of GDP, so earnings are going to improve," said Scott Wren, senior equity strategist for Wachovia Securities

Still, the growth is small so more pessimistic reporting could tip the economy over into a recession. The Democrats have to hurry though. The election is just a few months away and given all the baggage Obama has the Democrats really need a recession.

Soul-Searching Republicans

There is an expectation that Republicans are going to lose big this fall. So we have a few leaders commenting on why they are losing and what to do about it. Tom Coburn wrote

Voters are tired of buying a GOP package and finding a big-government liberal agenda inside. What we need is not new advertising, but truth in advertising.Becoming Republicans again will require us to come to grips with what has ailed our party – namely, the triumph of big-government Republicanism and failed experiments like the K Street Project and compassionate conservatism.

The Republican Party needs to start acting like Republicans. The Republican leadership needs to stop the massive spending increases and entitlement programs. They need to start giving people freedom instead of dependence on the government. Glenn agrees with Tom and further comments

He's right. At least, the GOP leadership is. Grassroots Republican seem to be in despair . . . .

I disagree with the despair in the Republican grassroots. We got frustration, anger and a willingness to toss out the Republican leadership. The grassroots are searching among their ranks for candidates who are dedicated to the conservative principals of the Republican Party. The national outlook for Republicans look like a mess right now, but local candidates are learning the lesson about straying from the principals. For Republicans to win - and be worthy of winning - they need to get back to where they belong.

Memorial Day

In Flanders Fields, John McCrae, 1915.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Fayetteville, Gulley Park, The First Summer Concert

I took Casey and Trixie out to the Gulley Park Summer Concert which started tonight. Ultra Suede, one of my favorite bands, opened the Concert Series. It is a gorgeous night. The wind was slightly blowing and took the edge off the humidity. I took a book hoping to read but Casey was in a playful mood. I'll have to get to the park earlier next time and run his energy off.

Visit more dogs at canine carnival

NW Arkansas, Salvation Army

Last night I attended the Salvation Army's Appreciation Dinner. This dinner was to celebrate all the people who volunteer for and/or financially support the Army. Much of the service was recognizing various people and organizations that had made special contributions to the Army. However, as I looked around the crowded room I realized that there were many people that volunteered for the Army that weren't getting any special awards. In NWA alone, 7,516 volunteers rang bells, served meals, sorted toys, and served in disasters. Last years Angel Tree program helped 6,960 children and seniors. That's a tremendous number of people working to help others. When you read all the things the Army is doing in NW Arkansas you realize that how very special these people are. Of course, they would say that they are only doing what they do best, helping people.
The dinner just reaffirmed my decision to make the Salvation Army one of my primary organizations to support. I love having so many people helping out and also knowing that out of every dollar given to the Army, 90¢ is used for services. I know that most of the money is used to help people rather than to administrative costs. Now, I just have to find the time to actually start helping out instead of giving money. Maybe I should ring the bell this year.

Why Republicans Are Going to Lose

I'm pretty sure John Brummett's prediction on the election in November is fairly accurate.

It is for a John McCain victory for president coupled with significant gains for Democrats in the House and Senate, perhaps sufficient in the latter chamber to overcome filibusters with the help of the two or three reasonable Republicans.

I, however, disagree with his reason why the Republicans will face a Congressional defeat.

the now-demonstrated inability of Republicans to tie fear of Obama around the necks of local Democratic congressional candidates.

The people in the Republican Party are sick and tired of their Congressman acting more like Democrats than Republicans. The grossly bloated farm bill is a prime example why the Republican Party is in trouble. This bill increases farm spending by 44% over last year and because of GOP backing, Bush's veto will be overturned. Then, to make matters worse, Bob Novak reports that

Seventeen pork-minded Republican senators gave the Democratic leadership necessary support to waive from the farm bill the brand new ban of earmarks on a bill that had cleared both houses. Thirty-two craven Republican House members voted for upper-bracket tax increases to finance new veterans benefits.

The GOP candidates in Mississippi and Louisiana lost because their Democrat opponents were running as better Republicans than they were.
Jonathan Adler from The Corner comments

My own Congressman, Rep. Steve LaTourette, joined the pork parade by supporting the farm bill. No surprise there, as LaTourette's been a weak sister for quite some time, but this is the last straw. I'll never vote for him again. I'm sick of big government guys like him giving the rest of the party a bad name.

Hallelujah and Amen!

Bows, Capturing the Sun

It's been unseasonable cool this week. It's not quite cold enough to turn on the heat, but it's cool enough to wear long sleeves. For the cats, it's all about getting the coveted sunlight spot.

More cats at Friday Ark

The Republican Leadership Sucks

I am really, really royally pissed at the leadership in the Republican party. I was really puking when I heard McCains's envirowacko speech. What a con job! He's joined the Democrats in creating a humongous government agency that will be taxing us up the wazoo. Then came his 2013, fanciful, big vision thing, I'm hurling again. Boy, did that have a surprising lack of realism to it. Mark Steyn says he met 3 kinds of Republicans

1) A small number who are disgusted with the GOP and say this Bob Barr/Ron Paul/Whoever chap is going to get their vote.

2) A small number who are disgusted with the GOP and plan on sitting on their hands this November.

3) A much bigger number who are disgusted with the GOP but say it's a waste of time flirting with Barr or flouncing off in a huff because it's going to be Obama or McCain in the Oval Office so we have to vote for McCain faute de mieux.*

Right now I'm going for door number 2!

Casey, First Novice Title

I took Casey and Trixie up to Lawrence, Kansas for a dog agility trial. Lawrence is a really beautiful city, they have a really nice fence free dog park. My only expectation of Casey for the trial was not to get all excited and goofy. I wanted him to concentrate on me and my directions. Boy, did he perform well! Saturday was a bit frustrating because he was still getting distracted but Sunday he mellowed out and worked well. We came home with first place ribbons in all the events he was entered, Q'd several of the runs and earned his first Novice Title in weavers. All that hard work is starting to show!

More dogs at Friday Ark. and canine carnival

La Nina, Arkansas 2008

Finally, a normal cyclic climate event is being report as responsible for the more violent weather that has been hitting Arkansas. The knee jerk "global warming" crap is thankfully absent.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service say a phenomena known as La Nina — a cooling of water along the equator — is the reason why the state and country are experiencing nearly double the number of tornadoes in 2008 than in an average year.

The last time I remember the La Nina effect being so strong was in 1988/1989 while I was in school in L.A. Boy, was there a lot of rain and flooding. We didn't have the tornadoes.

The current La Niña event, characterized by a cooling of the sea surface in the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific, has strengthened slightly in recent months and is expected to continue through the first quarter of 2008, with a likelihood of persisting through to the middle of the year. ScienceDaily

It looks like we can expect more tornadoes and rain into next year. It's a good time to check out your emergency kit.

Cold April

From National Climatic Data Center

The average temperature in April 2008 was 51.0 F. This was -1.0 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average, the 29th coolest April in 114 years. The temperature trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit per decade.

Brrr! Bring back global warming!

I Need a History Lesson

History was never one of my strongest subjects in school. So, when did the U.S. grow to 57 states?

The Difference!

Funny, but oh so true!

To Do List Overflows

Blog writing has been sporadic due to life. At the end of the day I've been so tired that I've had no desire to write. Heck, I haven't been listening to TV or radio enough to know what's going on in the world. Thank God for the Drudge Report. I poked my head up and noticed that Clinton and Obama were still running. Yawn!
I wrote up a list of things that have to be done around the house. Oh crap! I really don't feel like doing them. I want to have fun on the weekends.
Our new tech showed up Monday and he's still coming back, we didn't scare him off. I'm hoping that he'll take some of my work. Of course, everyone else is looking at him that way too. Wonder who will win? Yeah, about those Ding Dong wrappers on the floor. No, it wasn't me at the end of the day trying to de-stress. I stored a box of Ding Dongs on the bottom of the pantry shelf. Casey took the opportunity to eat them while I was at a meeting. Knowing that chocolate is toxic to dogs I made an emergency call to my vet. The vet said it wasn't enough chocolate to hurt Casey. He just might have diarrhea for a few days. He was right. I found the little piles of very dark poop. I just wish he had cleaned up some of the crumbs a little better so I didn't have to shampoo the rug.

Stockpiling the Pantry

Food riots in other countries have caused some concern here in the U.S. with a couple of big retailers limiting bags of rice. It doesn't seem there will be a rice shortage here in the U.S. Some are saying not to worry about the availability of rice so there is no need to stock up. There are some that say it's time to load the pantry.

Reality: Food prices are already rising here much faster than the returns you are likely to get from keeping your money in a bank or money-market fund. And there are very good reasons to believe prices on the shelves are about to start rising a lot faster.

It appears that food prices are going to keep rising and no one knows when it will end. Sunday, in church, the pastor had every one hold up their wallets/purses and he prayed about the cost of gas and food. I've pray for a person's finances or a particular financial project, but I've never had an entire church hold up and pray over their own wallets. Maybe God are warning us that there is difficult times ahead.

WRMC, Smoke Free and Polluting

I don't like cigarette smoke. I don't like the smell nor the asthma problems I can have because of it. However, I do understand that cigarettes are addictive and it can be very difficult to almost impossible to kick the habit.
In late 2005, Washington Regional Medical Center and the surrounding medical offices became smoke and tobacco free. Smoking was not allow on the premises not even in parking lots. That is why you see smokers sitting or standing on the edge of the sidewalks on all the streets surrounding the hospital and offices.
Most people have been pretty good about picking up their trash and butts, but not all. Well, one could complain about the people who smoking. Me, I would like to know why the hospital and clinics don't put in a designated smoking area. Why not have a place that people can smoke and throw away their trash instead of throwing in on the street, curb and surrounding bushes. In trying to deal with smokers the hospital has caused a new one, pollution.

Courtney Henry, Can We Really Trust Her?

It’s hard to get some answers from the candidates for the Arkansas Court of Appeals. You want to ask questions to discover this person’s character, what their beliefs and principles are without getting into specific issues. Of course, the election of judges is supposed to be nonpartisan, which further complicates questioning. The Court of Appeals doesn’t really address constitutional issues, mostly workman compensation and employment compensation appeals, but it could be the stepping stone up to the Supreme Court.
Still, we want to know if the judges we elect are going to follow and interpret the law or are they going to decide to legislate from the bench. Are they going to protect our freedoms as guaranteed in the Constitution or are they going to eliminate them? It has been the standard practice of liberals, when defeated by voters in the voting booth, to take their issues to court and get them to overturn the will of the voters.
These were the issues on the minds of the people present at the Washington County Republican Women’s forum, this Wednesday. I found it interesting that the candidates for the Court of Appeals, Courtney Henry and Ron Williams didn’t seem to disagree much with each other. The biggest difference between them was the experience. Ron Williams has been working as a lawyer almost as long as Courtney has been alive. He has had significant court experience while she has had none.
There was confrontation at the forum though. It was between Courtney and the moderator Mary Mann. Courtney kept answering questions saying that they were partisan and she couldn’t answer. She was starting to get a little hostile. Mary finally lectured Courtney saying that they were not asking political questions. They were asking questions about her judicial philosophy, was it conservative or liberal. Courtney has presented herself across NW Arkansas as a conservative so it was a bit suspicious that she’d get so confused about the direction of the questions.
Courtney has nothing in her back ground that would suggest that she is conservative. Just because she says so doesn’t make it so. The only thing we have is who she hangs out with and her voting record. Her family is Democratic with strong ties to the Clintons. She voted Democrat in the primary which means she voted for an extreme liberal who’d love nothing more than to have judges legislate from the bench. Based on this I don’t really believe Courtney when she says she’s conservative on judicial issues.
It was apparent by her speech and manner that she has had some training and grooming on how to appear before voters. I believe Courtney has ambitions to higher things then the Court of Appeals. I am not willing to place Courtney on the path to the Supreme Court solely based on her word that she’s a strict constructionist.

Tigger, Truck Model

Most people have a really hot guy or girl drapped over their truck. I've got a cat. Sighhh!

More cats at Friday Ark

National Laboratory Week

All this week we are celebrating Laboratory Week at work. The majority of people going to the doctor's office don't realize that most of the blood and tissue go to a laboratory for processing and diagnosis. You never see the technologists that process your specimen and either submit a final diagnosis or pass it on to a pathologist. A lot of specimen processing is done by machines/computers but it's absolutely amazing to realize that there are just some things machines can't do. It takes the eye, knowledge and sometimes intuition of a person to get a result. So when you step into that doctor's office say a silent thank you to all the laboratory professionals behind the scene making sure that your laboratory results are quick and accurate.

More Here

USA, Sam's Club Restricts Rice

I read about Costco limiting rice on the west and east coasts, but I was a bit wary about believing it. Well, it's true, as Sam's Club joins
Costco in limiting rice purchases. While it's mostly people deciding to hoard against future price increases you wonder if maybe you should be doing the same thing. Congress, the President and the Presidential candidates are hell bent on pursuing their disastrous global warming policies so gas and food prices are just going to get a whole lot higher. Sure wish I had a 100 gallon gas tank in the back yard!

Arkansas Home-Schooled Student Finishes Second

Congratulations to Virginia "Ginger" MacFarlan who won 2nd place in the American Legion National Oratorical Competition earlier this month. The title of her oration is: “Our Constitution: Born In Conflict, Nurtured By Debate.” Ginger presented her oration at the Washington County Republican Women's meeting last month. It was absolutely wonderful. If there is any way that you can get her to present it, do it! It gives you a wonderful appreciation of how very special our Constitution is.

Tax Freedom Day!

Today is the day we are now free to enjoy our own money. Americans have earned enough money to pay all their federal, state, and local taxes for the year. Here's a video to celebrate!

Florida, Nutz to You

Florida is attempting to ban the novelty item that I'm sure men are attempting to signal that they have a pair just like them.

The proposal would make displaying bull genitalia reproductions on a vehicle subject to a $60 fine, moving violations and points against a driver license.

I find these things as offensive as nude women on mud flaps and little boys peeing in the wind. I wonder if Florida will make these a violation too. I believe police have better things to look for than some tacky novelty item. You'd think legislators would learn by now not to fool around with a "good old boy's" toy.

Celebrating Earth Day

I enjoy hiking, bird watching, wildflowers and trees. I love nature and abhor the trash that people just throw out. Years ago I considered myself an environmentalist, but not any more. Why? Because environmentalism has become a socio-political movement that seeks to control people. It's no longer about science and being a good steward of the earth. It has become a smokescreen for people wanting to expand government and exercise power. It is now rooted in a disdain for personal freedom and capitalism. Environmentalists are going to be relying on mandates, restrictions and a whole slew of legislation to control people. Environmentalism is the new Marxism.
Anyway, I just had to get that out. But we should celebrate with some humor. Here's George Carlin on Earth Day.

Wal-Mart Women

Well, we may be having a new election focus group that everyone will be watching and commenting on.

Move over, Soccer Moms, there's a new gal in town. Lobb may not know it, but she's part of what looks to be an increasingly crucial demographic in the Presidential election: Wal-Mart Women. These lower-middle-class white women who shop frequently at the discounter are stretched thin and feel increasingly vulnerable.

Of course, these just discovered women are former Republicans who finally smarten up and are going to be voting Democrat. They are following the myth that a Democrat will do better on the economy. Of course the Democrat leadership are hoping that these Wal-Mart Women are too stupid to remember the Democrat's war with Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart Bashing and Democrats Against Wal-mart
I don't know if Hillary would want to remind people that she sat on Wal-Mart's board of directors and Michelle wouldn't want to brag about her membership on a board of a major supplier to Wal-Mart. There are just too many liberals that hate the supreme leader of capitalism.

Biofuels are Becoming Evil

It wasn’t but a short time ago that biofuels where hailed as that which will save the world. We would be able to use as much fuel as we needed and still protect the earth from green house gases. Ahhh! How things have changed. Biofuels are now being proclaimed as evil and being blasted for creating global food shortages and adding to world wide starvation.

"A conflict (is) emerging between foodstuffs and fuel ... with disastrous social conflicts and dubious environmental results," outgoing Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi told the International Energy Forum here as rising food prices worldwide raise the spectre of famine in some countries.
Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said that biofuels were having a negligible impact on the oil markets. "But look at the impact (they have) had on food prices. It's madness," he said, adding: "All the countries of Latin America have been hit by the surge in food prices."

I don’t think that the oil producing countries are being very sympathetic either.

Qatari Energy Minister Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah said the world would have to choose "what its priority is going to be -- driving or eating."

Meanwhile in the U.S., politicians are falling all over themselves to put in some sort of climate change legislation. All 3 presidential candidates have bought into the global warming fraud and are eager to put in restrictions on coal plants, oil and gas drilling and any activity that they believe would generate green house gases.
I use to admire Newt Gingrich, but now I'm spitting mad at him. He's wimped out on global warming just so he isn't tagged a meany, cold-hearted Republican. The old Newt of the conservative movement have effectively been Newtered.
American today is having a hard time with higher food and gas bills, housing downturns and worries about a recession, but just wait until the President and Congress get finished with their climate change legislation. All I can say is hold onto to your wallets and hope you can hold on to your job, home and car. Look at for your neighbor because a lot of people are going to be going to be needing a helping hand.

Fayetteville, Working Skull Creek

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Wednesday afternoon I joined others with the Sidewalk and Trails Task Force in cleaning up the Skull Creek trail. Most of the clean-up was in the creek rather than the trail itself. I picked up quite a bit of plastic from the stream, mostly shopping bags. One of the more interesting items was the bra and men's underwear. Picking up the trash with a bunch of people is really enjoyable. The day was beautiful and the bank of the stream is actually quite pretty. The violets were blooming profusely in the shaded banks and there were birds flying among the bushes and tree. The Sidewalk and Trails Task Force adopted the trail volunteering to keep it cleaned. Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Division has recently added an Adopt-A-Trail program which is similar to its Adopt-A-Park. Those who are interested should contact the Lisa Netherland, the Adopt-A-Park and Trail coordinator, 444-3471 or e-mail Netherland at Lnetherland @ ci. fayetteville. ar. us. gov.


Story

Eli, Framed

Eli, Framed
Originally uploaded by val

I've had several pictures of the cats in this window from the inside of the house. I was outside pulling weeds from the flower beds when I took this one of Eli. It was cold that morning and Eli decided to supervise from inside the house.

More cats at Friday Ark

Obamanomics Idiocy

The exchange between Charlie Gibson and Sen Obamo regarding capital gains taxes was certainly eye opening. What got into Charlie for actually revealing the truth about taxes?

And in each instance, when the rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased. The government took in more money. And in the 1980s, when the tax was increased to 28 percent, the revenues went down. So why raise it at all, especially given the fact that 100 million people in this country own stock and would be affected?

Hey, he's not suppose to reveal that cutting taxes actually works and benefits millions of working people. Then we have Obama's startling response.

Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness.

Obama accepted the low tax/higher revenue premise but he insisted that his Marxist stance of "fairness" trumps fiscal effectiveness. In other words, we need to raise taxes because it would be worth it to stick it to rich people. The problem with Obama's desire to impoverish the rich he would also impoverish ordinary working people. We are putting our money into the stock market too and are also benefiting from the lower capital gains tax. Social Security is not going to be available when we retire and millions of us have been placing any extra money into our retirement programs and it's really important that we get all the tax breaks we can get.

Woof! A Penguin!

Casey and Trixie spotted this penguin while they were on their walk. Mmmm, it's says that there is a reward. Well, they can think of nothing more rewarding than a really big pile of rib bones. Yummy!

Global Warming, Corrupt Science

I'm sure you heard these; "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9) and "those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it". Well, you can tell people haven't been studying history. Trofimko Lysenko is being mentioned in regards to the hoax of global warming. What we have today is the scientific community once again being hijacked by a fraud that could cost millions of lives.

Their comments came amid growing unease over the planting of biofuel crops as food prices rocket and riots against poverty and hunger multiply worldwide.
UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Food Jean Ziegler told German radio Monday that the production of biofuels is "a crime against humanity" because of its impact on global food prices

For the past 10 years temperatures have at best reached a plateau and a potential cooling phase is expected. Yet European and American Governments are rushing headlong into foolish legislation to control a problem that does not exist. Given the economic devastation that is already happening and which will not doubt worsen as they attempt more global warming legislation, what possible justification can these governments have for pursuing such a destructive path? Maybe there's still hope that real scientists will learn the lesson of Lysenkoism and strive to defeat the people with vested interests in keeping the hoax alive.

In recent months, rising food costs have sparked violent protests in Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritania, the Philippines and other countries. In Pakistan and Thailand, troops have been deployed to avoid the seizure of food from fields and warehouses, while price increases fuelled a general strike in Burkina Faso.

I just wonder how many millions of people must starve before the global warming fanatics realize the horrors their deception has caused?

Food Crisis Story

The Morning Sun

The morning sun has been a rare sight these past few weeks. Last night's storm added another 3 inches of rain. At least I've been lucky not to have been flooded or have any wind damage. Eli is keeping watch, making sure that the kitty across the street doesn't trespass. Bows is contemplating Eli's tail. Tigger is making sure he's out of the way when the fight between Bows and Eli begins.

More cats at Friday Ark

Illegals, Protecting the Criminals

We have the Mayor of LA warning the Feds not to enforce our laws and San Francisco is going to be advertising their status as a sanctuary city. The mayors are expressing their concern for the poor illegals, but who are they really protecting.

but Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner said the department believes its priorities are correct. She said work-site investigations focus on national security and public safety and that the agency also investigates companies it believes may have committed visa fraud, money laundering, and other violations.

and

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have since May 2006 conducted raids across the country, including arrests in San Rafael, Oakland, Richmond, San Pablo, Santa Clara and other cities across the Bay area. Immigration officials have said they were executing arrest warrants for immigrants who had committed crimes

In our little area of the world we have a group, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) that is crying over those same poor illegals.

A minority rights activ- ists says the 287 (g ) program creates a "tense climate"that has dehumanized illegal immigrants.

Come on! The police in NW Arkansas are not arresting poor, innocent, hardworking, God-fearing victims. The police are fighting well organized, violent gang members.

The charges included attempted capital murder, battery, and weapons, drugs and alcohol offenses.

I am not at all worried about dehumanizing these illegals. They are already dehumanized by committing these offenses. The police in NW Arkansas are working hard to protect people from these criminals. I would love nothing more than to deport these criminals back to Mexico. It's too bad that groups like MALDEF are working so hard to protect these criminals. I think it's time they abandon the dark side and join us in fighting crime and keeping our neighborhoods safe. As for the Mayors of cities like LA and San Francisco, they have pretty much announced to the world that criminals are welcomed in their city and that they have no interest in protecting their citizens from illegal criminals. I am so glad that there are a few cities in NW Arkansas that are willing to get these criminals off our streets and are willing to work with ICE to accomplish it. Those are the cities you'd feel safe living in.

Fayetteville, Botanical Garden Greenhouse

Yesterday I got the opportunity to see the new production greenhouse at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. A Ball grant provided the greenhouse and they will continue to supply seeds and plants to the Garden. The greenhouse will give the Garden the opportunity to start and propagate their own plants. Any extra plants could be sold to the public.


The old sidewalk around the Fayetteville Square was dug up and replaced. Do you know where some of that old sidewalk went? Yup, the Garden is using pieces of it to make some walkways. You know, there might be more pieces available for anyone else who wants to piece of the Fayetteville Square.

Just Say Thank You!

Today, in a very moving ceremony, President Bush presented the The Medal of Honor to Michael Anthony Monsoor. Also today, General Petraeus testifies to Congress this week on the progress in Iraq. Wednesday will be the fifth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. Many young Americans have put their lives on hold and even sacrificed their lives for America. May God be with our Armed Forces and their families always. If you haven't thanked a soldier for their sacrifice here's a simple way to do it.

The Gratitude Campaign



(h/t Gateway Pundit)

What a Weekend!

It was an absolutely gorgeous weekend. The weather was perfect. I started the weekend with a trip to the Farmer's Market. The new sidewalks are really nice. It's a whole lot easier to move through the square. People can talk to the vendors and not block people walking past. The square wasn't completed but the corner planters that were done looked good.

I should have worked in the garden cleaning up the flower beds, but I had to get out. NW Arkansas has had a lot of rain so there are a lot of waterfalls I want to see. I went out to the Wedington Trail. It's a good trail to loosen up those hiking muscles. I stopped for lunch at the underground spring. Casey took the opportunity to take a little dip. While I was out I also pick up some of the geocaches that line the Wedington Trail. They were fairly easy, I didn't have to work hard to find them.

I ended Saturday shopping in Rogers. I caught these balloonists enjoying the last hours of the day. Sunday, I did work in the garden. Whew! I was sore after the hike and bending over the flower beds didn't help much either. I took a big dose of ibuprofen at bedtime.

More dogs at Friday Ark. and canine carnival

Eli, The Paperweight

I really don't need any help keeping the paper from falling out of the printer.

More cats at Friday Ark

Radio Station of the Year

Congratulations to KLRC for once again being chosen Radio Station of the Year by the Gospel Music Association.

Small Market
KLRC – Fayetteville, AR – Sean Sawatzky, Station Manager

The recipient in each market category was determined by a panel of judges who reviewed the following areas - community involvement, ratings, air check and industry leadership.
The radio stations will be acknowledged during the Dove Awards, to be held April 23, 2008 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN.

Way to go people! You're Great!

Fayetteville, Who's the Bully?

The Northwest Arkansas Times did the job that the NY Times should have done a whole lot better. While the NY Times portrayed Billy Wolfe as the victim and the Fayetteville School District as unfeeling and uncaring, the NWA Times found a different story. The picture emerging isn't quite matching the story the Wolfe's are telling. Oh yes, Billy has taken some hits from students, but Billy, it seems, is very good at bulling himself.
I find it interesting that everyone is taking the school district to task for not protecting Billy better, but my question is why hasn't the school protected the other students from Billy? If what students are saying is true about Billy, isn't there any concern on the school's part that Billy's actions against other students might become more aggressive. It's even more worrisome in that Billy's parents are unwilling to believe that it's their son that causing problems. If I were a parent I'd be concerned that Billy might actually come to school with a weapon and begin killing people.
In any case, the Wolf's use of national publicity isn't working well for them. In the past students have avoided Billy to escape his taunting, now I bet they avoid him like he has the plague. I wonder, has any one the courage to be his friend?

Border Changes

Getting the US-Mexico border straighten once and for all. Hmmm, when did Mexico invade the U.S.?

UPDATE:
An Absolut Toast:
Here's to Robert Frost,
Cheers!

Another Cup of Coffee, Brain Protection

Brew up another pot! One of my favorite beverages may be good for my brain and I tell you, I need all the help I can get!

Coffee may cut the risk of dementia by blocking the damage cholesterol can inflict on the body, research suggests.

Oh shoot, the study is being done on rabbits. Rabbits drink coffee? Well, one can hope that the same process that works in rabbits works in humans. Hmmm, better not take chances. Excuse me, I going for another cup.

Story

Fayetteville, In The Center Ring!

Former Arkansas Attorney General Steve Clark is contemplating running for Mayor of Fayetteville. The Northwest Arkansas Times is salivating at that possibility.

One thing's for sure: The lackluster mayoral race we've seen so far got a dose of excitement with Clark's notion of running. His decision to run will certainly make it all very, very interesting.

Yeah, you got to admit that Mr. Clark's candidacy would bring a more carnival atmosphere to the election. It'll give the newspaper writers and editors something new and exciting to write about. Hey, I think it's time for a poll to see how many people would want Mr. Clark to run!

Government Bailout, Taxpayer Burden

Finance is mostly a mystery to me, it's not one of my strong points. I'm always happy when I find an article that clearly explains an issue. David Freddoso has done a really good job explaining what went down on the federal bailout of Bear Stearns. It just makes me sick that when corporations make really bad decisions the taxpayer is suppose to pony up and bail out the company.

The ones being rescued are Bear’s bond-holders. They keep their shirts. The stockholders at least keep their socks. The profits from the good times are retained, and the losses are socialized.

There are many businesses in Fayetteville that have failed and never has the Federal government rode up on a white horse and saved them. Why should large corporations get saved.

The taxpayers’ involuntary generosity also benefits the other large institutional holders of mortgage-backed securities. For these, the bailout holds forth hope that the government will someday be there to save them from the free market as well. But can it save everyone?

Does this mean that companies are going to feel free to make bad and risky decisions because the government is going to bail them out?

A Rainy Weekend

I realized that I was not going to have the weekend I planned when I got a phone call as I was leaving work Friday. It was from my aunt and uncle from Minnesota. It seems they were a few miles away and they wanted direction to my house. Oh crap! The house is a freaking mess! I broke all speed records getting home. They haven't shown up yet so I started to put things away. I kept cleaning up until I realize they should have been here by now, what happened? Sure enough, they called and they were still lost. They turn right when they should have turned left. Whew! I have more time to clean up! Well, we had a nice visit. They were on their way south and just stopped to spend the night and have a quick visit.
All the rain this weekend put a kibosh on my gardening plans. I did manage to pick up a few geocaches around town while I was running errands Saturday. I'm starting to learn how really mean and sneaky some people can be when they hide caches.

Congress Continues to Blame Big Oil, Ignores Own Stupidity

Once again Congress had dragged in the oil executives for a bashing.

"On April Fool's Day, the biggest joke of all is being played on American families by Big Oil," Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said, aiming his remarks at the five executives sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in a congressional hearing room.

No, Rep Markey, the biggest April Fool is you and the rest of your colleagues who grandstand about gas prices. Gas prices are high because of the incompetence and the lack of balls on the part of Congress. Instead of making the oil companies easy targets for your socialist demagogues, how about overturning the asinine legislative barriers Congress has enacted to cripple American's energy requirements?
Gas prices are affected by refining capacity and the price of crude. We need more domestic oil production, new refineries, fewer blends of gasoline, and less ethanol. The current situation seems like a perfect storm in which several fronts collide to produce a monstrous storm. We have substantial restrictions on domestic oil exploration, restrictions on refinery expansion, mandates for massive amounts of biofuel, and costly new regulation on emissions.
The profit margins for Exxon Mobil(10.0%), ConocoPhillips (6.1%), and Chevron (8.5%) are excessive according to Congress. Lets see we have Microsoft (29+%), Cisco (21+%), Johnson & Johnson (17.3%), Procter & Gamble (14%), 3M (16.7%), General Electric (13%), Anheuser-Busch (12.7%), Coca-Cola (19.8%) and even McDonald’s profit margin (10.5%) is a little better than the oil companies. Why isn't Congress hauling them up to the Capital?
Of course the government makes far more money per gallon of gasoline than the oil companies without lifting a finger to find, transport, refine, etc., it into a useful product. How about reducing gasoline taxes. Congressman?

Bows, Supervising the Gardener

Spring is finally here which means the garden has to be cleaned up. This year I decided I was tired of fighting the weeds in the lawn so I contracted a company to spray the lawns. Which leaves me free to work on the garden beds. I've already planted lettuce, spinach and potatoes. I've mulched up the remaining leaves and debris and I have started to sift the soil from the mature mulch. Pure black gold there! If this weekend remains nice I think I should able to finish up the gardening. Then I have to get started repairing things around the house. Well, by summer I'll be able to relax in the hammock under the tree.

More cats at Friday Ark

Fayetteville, Decrying Bullies They Become Bullies

All right, so you're a little upset about the story you read in the NY Times and you feel like letting the Fayetteville School District know how you feel. But, I don't think it's a really good idea to leave threats.

Fayetteville School District officials filed a terroristic threatening complaint with the Fayetteville Police Department regarding a phone message received as part of the fallout from a recent New York Times news column.

I mean, you're complaining about the violence in the school and you're making threats.

The district reported one of the e-mail messages received Monday to the FBI's cybercrime division through the FBI Web site, said Chief Financial Officer Susan Norton.

There are number of people out there that are truly twisted and in need of help.

Story

Fayetteville, What To Do With Bullies

I don’t think the Fayetteville School District should worry all that much about the NY Times article and some of the negative publicity they’ve received. All it has done is brought attention to the fact that schools are dealing with bullies and there is a limit to what they can do. Bulling has been happening from the beginning of time. Everyone can tell a story of how they were bullied or knew a kid that was bullied. The majority of schools have always had to deal with these bullies and those that get bullied. They aren’t always successful.
The Zero Tolerance policy many schools adopt, where both victim and bully are punished don’t work well either. The victims are victimized again and the bullies don’t care. Then many people criticize the Federal Family and Educational Right to Privacy Act which effectively hides the fact that there is some one causing problems from students and parents. One wonders what crimes are being hidden under the Privacy Act.
Of course the news articles are slanted to the victimization of Billy, but some things aren’t adding up. I have a few questions regarding the Wolfe family. The paper says that the bullying occurred through a number of schools.

The abuse began at McNair Middle School, continued through Woodland Junior High School and now at Fayetteville High School.

What is it about Billy that what ever school he is at, he’s a victim? Does Billy have socialization issues that he has difficulty getting along with others? Is Billy really just a poor innocent boy who’s done no wrong?
Then there’s the family trying to say the school didn’t do enough. What is the school to do? Particularly when they admit that most of the bulling didn’t occur in school.

"However, it is important to note that incidents of this nature often take place off the school campus or outside the school day where the school district does not have jurisdiction."

Is the school suppose to provide Billy with 24/7 protection? Then I must ask the parents, why are you continuing to destroy Billy’s life by sending him to school where he is tortured and abused. It should be extremely apparent that Billy is having problems dealing with school and interacting with other students. I think it’s way passed time for the parents to think of making some alternative school changes. There are other schooling options that Billy would be less likely to have trouble with others and be able to learn.

NY Times Story
Local Story

UPDATE
Parents and students are starting to make comments about the bulling. The readers comments has had several parents and students make comments. The best comment from a parent who is obviously in the know was removed (crap!). But they paint a totally different picture of the situation. As I strongly suspected. There is totally different take on this and the school district is frustrated because by law they can't respond. The picture emerging is that the supposed victim may be a bully himself. The fights he experiences is students dealing with a bully in their own way (not the best, though). Hopefully more students and parents will come forth with the story the school cannot tell. Of course, an enterprising reporter could go out and get that story.

Arkansas Political Parties, Recruiting Write-in Candidates

This is a tremendous failure by both the Democrat and Republican Parties of Arkansas. They have let down the 39th District by not making sure they had some one who has a good moral character run for office. Now, because the Parties weren't paying attention they have Dwayne Dobbins.

Originally faced with a felony sexual assault charge, Dobbins struck a plea agreement reducing it to a misdemeanor harassment conviction. He was sentenced to probation and agreed to leave his seat in 2005.

I don't know about the Democrat leadership, but quite often I believe the Republican Party leadership are a bunch of bozos.

Story

Barack Obama Has Lost His Halo

All hail the Messiah Barack Obama! Finally a black that many Americans, black and white, could vote for President. Obama is just simply to good an opportunity for everyone to pass up. For whites it's an opportunity to say that we have finally made it passed racism and we voted for a black man. For blacks it's an chance for one of their kind to make it to the top. But alas, the messiah has flaws. While his speeches have been about bringing people together and deploring actions that tear people apart, Obama has made his home with a hate-filled, anti-American, anti-white, black liberationism community for most of his life. Yet, we are still being asked to accept Obama. We are being ask to tolerate, excuse, and dismiss the black liberation theology that Obama has accepted for decades. Yeah, yeah, we're being told that Reverend Wright's comments were made because he was just excited and into the moment. However, the Reverend's comments come from a thought-through view that comes from decades of reading, writing, studying and speaking.
How ironic that this controversy is occurring within the Democrat Party. You know, that one that sticks its nose in the air declaring they were the ones who really understood blacks and was the Party to help blacks. For all the efforts the Democrats put into social programs and redistribute the wealth schemes , racism is is very much alive in their Party. I think it's time for the black community to toss aside the Democrat Party. They need to stop thinking and acting like victims and stop looking at every white person as racist. It's time for them to toss aside the Democrat's promises that the government will take care of them. They need to grab hold of the simple formula for success:

work hard, make sacrifices, focus on education, delay gratification, avoid bad moral mistakes and maintain optimism.

Quote from Stupid Black Men, How to Play the Race Card - And Lose by Larry Elder

Protected By Smart Poo

so says the sign that a British businessman posted to warn vandals off his property.

The defense arrangements, which include priming the catapult with chicken droppings from a nearby farm, include 32 closed-circuit TV cameras, security fencing and motion-sensor lights

Arkansas poultry growers can probably help him out by shipping him some ammo.

Full Story

(Via Boing Boing)

Fayetteville Square Renovations

Last week Terry Gulley gave the SWTTF a tour of the construction on the Square. I could see that the sidewalks were going to be wider. That will be great because when the Square got crowded, it was hard to shop. It's so nice to get rid of those old ones. I don't know how many times I've tripped over them. Of course, I could be a bit of a klutz. The widening of the sidewalks won't take away any parking spaces because they were deep in the first place. I was able to see the red clay that was packed beneath the top soil. No wonder the cherry trees weren't healthy. Terry said that the new containers will all have good soil and no red dirt. The new cherry trees will last at least 50 years. I'm glad to see that they were replacing the old azaleas too. The old ones were looking nasty.
The renovation work has been criticised and I do agree that Mayor Coody should have done a better effort to informed the public on what was being planned. The artist's rendering should have been placed in the paper before they started to tear up the sidewalks. Oh well, live and learn.

St Patricks Blogger Party

I did finally get to met BloodSpite and Ryan missed us. Next time, we have to exchange cell phone numbers so we can locate each other. BloodSpite is apparently a very good talker especially after drinking a bit. Which was fine, because I'm more of a listener than a talker and BloodSpite regaled me stories of his childhood. It's always nice to talk with some one who hasn't heard your stories before. After seeing BloodSpite I've decided that I have no desire to see him in leather, but the pink tutu is another matter.

Red Oak Park Passed

Hallelujah! Finally! The Fayetteville City Council has approved the project design for the Red Oak Park Streambank Improvements that was submitted by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. I really appreciate Connie Edmonston and Carole Jones working very hard on getting this done. I can’t wait to see David Evans work his magic on the park.

Doggie Weekend

The dogs and I traveled up to Lawrence, Kansas (lovely city). I entered Casey into his first full agility trial and as you can tell he won several ribbons. It's hard to tell how well the weekend went. I was disappointed that he didn't get more Q's, but I found several areas he really needs work on that didn't show up during training. Well, we'll work on those the next couple of months and enter another trial. I must say that the folks at U2 Kan Du Agility did a wonderful job. I know I'll be going to a lot of the trials they host.

Helping With the Fish

I'm cleaning out the fish bowl tonight and Tigger decided that he would keep the fish entertained in his little cup. The fish looks like it's easier to catch in that tiny cup but it's still in that nasty water. Once Tigger realized that he'd have to get wet he gave up.
More kitty helpers at Friday Ark

NWA Blogger Party, St Patricks Day

BloodSpite has announced that it's time for the annual NWA Blogger Party. I am planning on going and I hope to avoid the problem I ran into last year. Hopefully BloodSpite will do something to identify himself. A sign would be nice or BloodSpite dressed in a pink tutu or maybe a picture (you got leather?)

Four Days Trapped in Cell, Forgotten

I work in a place where there are policies and regulations up the wazoo. But sometimes the most basic things get forgotten and you wonder how. I would think that in a government building, security would automatically check every room to make sure it was cleared out at the end of the day. Some one could hide in any room, steal stuff or generally wreak havoc. Apparently the Washington County Courthouse isn't checked before closing. So that's how a woman spent 4 days locked in room.

Hour after hour, for four full days, Adriana Torres-Flores was locked away and forgotten in 8 1/2-by-9 1/2-foot cell in the Washington County Courthouse, with only a metal table, two benches and a light bulb that never went out. She had nothing to eat or drink. There was no toilet.

Wow, what a big mistake. A really big breach of security.

(Tim) Helder promised a thorough investigation and new safeguards - perhaps a video camera in the cell - to prevent a similar occurrence. Such a mistake had never happened before at the courthouse, although he believed that a janitor cleaning the cell had once gotten locked in by mistake, Hoyt said.

Yeah, I would think it would be a really good idea to review their security procedures. They were very lucky this time. Adriana could have died.

Story

Upgrade to Vista, NOT!

Yup, this is why I will never upgrade. Friends working in IT have vowed not to upgrade either. Microsoft has a big problem.

An alternative theory, however, is that Vista’s reputation precedes it. XP users have heard too many chilling stories from relatives and friends about Vista upgrades that have gone badly. The graphics chip that couldn’t handle Vista’s whizzy special effects. The long delays as it loaded. The applications that ran at slower speeds. The printers, scanners and other hardware peripherals, which work dandily with XP, that lacked the necessary software, the drivers, to work well with Vista.

I don't care how much Microsoft cuts the price of Vista, it's not worth it to go through all the problems people report having.

We usually do not have the opportunity to overhear Microsoft’s most senior executives vent their personal frustrations with Windows. But a lawsuit filed against Microsoft in March 2007 in United States District Court in Seattle has pried loose a packet of internal company documents. The plaintiffs, Dianne Kelley and Kenneth Hansen, bought PCs in late 2006, before Vista’s release, and contend that Microsoft’s “Windows Vista Capable” stickers were misleading when affixed to machines that turned out to be incapable of running the versions of Vista that offered the features Microsoft was marketing as distinctive Vista benefits. Last month, Judge Marsha A. Pechman granted class-action status to the suit, which is scheduled to go to trial in October. (Microsoft last week appealed the certification decision.)

I'll go with a MAC before I upgrade to Vista.

Another Sex Scandal, Eliot Spitizer

What was Spitizer thinking? To all accounts he was a guy on the way up to the top. Why would he ruin everything just for sex? He’s so well-known and now-a-days there is just no such thing as privacy, how did he think that it wouldn’t be discovered?
I just feel so sorry for his wife, Silda, and their daughters. She must have been just emotionally numbed standing there by her husband. I can’t understand what was going on in his mind. He’s described as self-righteous and unforgiving and he’s pursued Wall Street wrongdoings and also prosecuted prostitution rings. Now, he’s the very person he viciously prosecuted. Listening to all the news and commentaries; this guy has no one standing up for him. I thinking he’s having a hard time finding friends right now. Was the sex worth it?

Lioneld Jordan, Annoucement for Running for Fayetteville Mayor

You couldn't asked for a more beautiful day, although the location was a bit torn up. There was a fairly large and supportive crowd at Lioneld Jordan's announcement for running for Fayetteville Mayor. A good many of the other Alderman were present. I like the idea that most of them support Lioneld's bid for Mayor.

Lioneld spoke that he was going to aggressively bring economic growth to Fayetteville, keep Fayetteville green (urban forests, parks), build up Fayetteville's infrastructure (fire & police, trails, streets, public transit) and keep an open door policy while in office.

Lioneld wants to have quarterly town hall meetings so that people have an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns. He said when asked what kind of mayor he was he said "A People's Mayor". Lioneld has a web site which has full details of his positions. Who ever built his site did a really good job.

Fayetteville, The Ambulance Ride

I understand the frustration Judge Hunton is having. I agree that the Ambulance committee has taken quite enough time with the issue. It's now time to decide whether Fayetteville is going to inter into an interlocal agreement with the county and small towns for ambulance service.
However, Judge Hunton's frustration does not excuse his behavior. His letter to Mayor Coody is childish, immature and bulling. There was no need for him to get his tighty-whities in a wad for an imagined insult.

He further expressed disappointment with Jordan, claiming he looked down and continued to write when Hunton and others spoke.

Then he decides that he's not getting what he wants so he'll go and take his toys with him.

"Due to this impasse, I am obliged to convey via this letter that all the issues and projects on which historically we have cooperated with the city of Fayetteville are now in jeopardy," he wrote.

I believe that the other JP's may have something to say about that. I don't think that they are going to allow Judge Huton's bulling to wreak everything the City and County have worked on together. As for Major Coody, does he really believe that he controls the City Council? He obviously doesn't feel very highly of them.

I am not sure that the full Council grasps what is at stake here.

It appears he doesn't think they are capable and if in the event they decide not to agree to the interlocal agreement, by golly, he'll make sure it's corrected.

If necessary, I will break a tie in order to protect our emergency services and our government's relationship.

As for the issue of the ambulance service, Springdale is happy with their ambulance system. I don't see any problem with the way Fayetteville is being serviced now. Why should we be forced and threaten to give up something that doesn't appear to be broken?

Full Story

I Do Not Share

Sorry Tigger! You are out of luck. Bows is not going to share her dinner. Maybe you can find some one that will share their dinner at Friday Ark

Jerusalem Slaughter

Killing children. These inhuman monster killing students and enjoying it.

Hundreds of Palestinians poured into the streets of Gaza City as news of the attack at a west Jerusalem yeshiva spread, firing automatic rifles into the air in celebration.

Yet, these animals are the very ones that Senator Obama is so anxious to sit down, talk and drink tea with. What kind of sick mind would want to play nice with these monsters?

Story

The Democrat Primaries

I swear, I am jealous of the Democrats. Their presidential primaries have been so much more exciting than the Republicans. I'm on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. Lord, Howard Dean must be eating bottles of Tums. Dean wants the party officials in Florida and Michigan to come up with plans so that their delegates can be counted at the national convention in late August. Dean said the state parties will have to find the money to pay for new contests. Dean noted that the DNC would not pay for the do-over.

"We can’t afford to do that,” Dean stated on CBS’s "Early Show." “That’s not our problem. We need our money to win the presidential race."

Dean is right. The DNC has only $3.1 million and the cost of re-doing the primaries could be at least $18-$20 million each.
I don't know why the DNC and the state parties are worrying about the money. I would think that it's Senators Clinton and Obama's problem. If they want the delegates, make them pay for them. After all, they are the ones flushed with cash.

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama raised a record $55 million in February for his presidential campaign, eclipsing rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's own substantial fundraising for the month. All told, Obama has raised $193 million during his yearlong bid for the White House. Clinton raised an impressive $35 million in February, a significant recovery from January

Of course the RNC would be smart to try and force the Democrats to hold new primaries. It sure would deplete the money they have.


Story here and here

It's a Tough Lent for Some Catholics

I am so glad that I'm not a Catholic. Next week is Holy Week and St. Patrick's Day falls at the beginning of the week. I really admire those Catholics who gave up alcohol for Lent. What a sacrific!

Arkansas, Academics VS Sports

As soon as I got to high school I knew there was something different between the athletes and the rest of us students. They got all the attention and money. They got the best of everything. Those of us who didn't have an athletic bone in our body knew and understood that we were second class citizens. Yeah, the administration claimed that academics were important but we knew. Yes, we resented it. All that money just so a couple of guys got their scholarships and went to a prestigious college and maybe, just maybe, one athlete made a national team.
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette has a great article about the disparity between the funding of academics and athletics. You always knew it existed but it's shocking to see how big the difference is in actual dollars and special treatment of coaches.

Arkansas’ school districts reported collectively spending at least $ 116 million on athletics in fiscal 2007. The districts report spending a combined $ 50 million on salaries for athletics employees. But state Education Board member Mays estimates that districts spend closer to $ 200 million annually on athletics.

It's been a number of decades since I've been in high school and the system hasn't changed. It won't change until people decide that a student's education is more important than the school's athletic program.

Mays said his complaints largely fall on deaf ears at the Capitol and during state board meetings. Because sports, and football in particular, is so ingrained in Arkansas culture, most state leaders don’t want to discuss cutting athletic costs, Mays said. "People get so emotionally attached to their sports programs that they just won’t look at that objectively," he said. "Football conjures up an emotion that is beyond reason."

The supremacy of sports is ingrained in all the states school programs. Participation in some sport is very important to a person's well being, but there needs to be a balance. It's just too bad that parents and administrators don't attempt that balance. There will be some schools that will have achieved that, but they are few. I don't see this inequity changing anytime soon. I can only hope that it's in my lifetime.

March Came In

Boy, it sure started really nice. Saturday and Sunday were so nice. I was about ready to start digging up the garden. Now, we have a bet on how much snow we get tonight. Somehow I don't believe that we are going to get as much as the weather people say we are. I'm guessing we get maybe an inch. A co-worker is betting 2 inches, and other 6 inches.
Good news! I'm not up to my eyeballs in work. Bad News! I have time to catch up on the news and make snarky comments. Heh, heh, heh, heh!