Arkansas' Unholy Trio

Tuesday, at the Political Animals Club meeting, Lt Gov. Bill Halter remarked that he brought forward the lottery because all his life Arkansas has been at the bottom in regards to income per capita and students graduating from college. He speculated that the lottery would generate scholarships that would lead to more students graduating and voilà, higher salaries.
I don't accept his premise. His neglects several facts into his equation. Arkansas, along with it's low income per capita, is also one of the highest in regards to citizen's tax burden. Arkansas' top rate of 7% puts itself near the top of the country in terms of maximum tax rates. The sales tax itself is above the national average which is difficult to understand in that Arkansas is a low income state.
Why is such a low income state taxed so high? For decades Arkansas has be ruled by one party, the Democrats. The Democrats keep Arkansas taxes high which leads to less money in one's pocket. How can a student afford to go to school when the Democrats keep taking it out of a student's pocket?
Arkansas will be able to achieve a bigger income per capita when people smarten up and replace the "Tax 'em up the Wahzoo" Democrats with Republicans who understand the economic concept of lower taxes leads to job growth and higher incomes.

Democrats, High Taxes and Low Incomes.

New Face, Republican Party of Arkansas

The Republican Party of Arkansas now has a new website. Boy! It is so much better looking than the old one they had up. The look is very clean without any clutter. Nice colors, easy to see icons and large letters, no need to squint! Nice touch having Doyle Webb on the video introducing the website. They are also using the social media technologies, Twitter, Facebook, flickr, YouTube and even a blog. I have to chuckle when they say they are using the new technologies. In reality they are a few years behind. It nice that they have finally caught up.

Launching a slick new website is nice but time will tell if it's going to be a great website. The biggest problem I had with the old site was that the information was not kept up-to-date. The GOP is going to have to keep on top of keeping the website current. That will mean having some one constantly in touch with the county committees, the legislators and candidates. The state icon with links to the county committees is really great and has a lot of potential. Their success also depends on keeping people connected at all times. It sure would be nice that 5 years from now this website would socially active and flourishing.

Fayetteville, 17th Annual Dogwood Walk

It didn't rain! However, Gulley Park was really soggy. Of course, Casey took every opportunity to splash through a puddle. The clouds didn't keep people away. Oh Boy! Lots and lots of dogs!
I had a number of conversations about Casey. People were interested Goldens and asked questions about his personality and how hard was he to take care of and groom.


There were quite a few vendors. There are a lot of dog boarding/sitting/day care/ places than I have ever seen in the past. They were handing out lots of goodies. Casey was in doggy heaven. I have a several bags of treats and toys. The cats weren't left out either.





I put a stop to Casey's snacking so he joined forces with a brother. "Psst! You distract her and I'll grab a couple of dog bones. It'll be a 50-50 split."




The Humane Society of the Ozarks did a great job! Everyone enjoyed themselves and I know that everyone went home with a tired-out dog.

Botanical Garden's "Greening of the Garden"

It was a beautiful night! No rain and plenty of sunshine and the temperature was perfect. It was hard to tell how many people came because everyone was spread out all over the garden. Which was nice because you weren't crowded and bumping into people.






You were able to walk around the garden, admire the flowers while sipping your drink, nibbling the hors d'oeuvres and listen to the music.





I couldn't resist getting this photo. The couple were enjoying the music while bouncing the baby along with it. A few other couples sneaked in a few dances.





The hottest action was around the silent auction tables. The items with the heaviest bidding were the mini vacation packages. I didn't do badly myself. I got a nice dog lovers package (dog food and gift certificate) and a dog grooming certificate.

It is probably safe to say that the party was a great success! Thanks to all the volunteers who gave all of us such a wonderful party. And Thank You God for the perfect weather.

National Cytotechnology Day

A lot of people might find the job of a cytotechnologist to be a bit boring, isolated and quiet. We spend most of the day glued to a microscope looking through millions of cells. For me it's a challenge, a puzzle, the thrill for the hunt of the enemy. How many lives will I potentially save today? The majority of the time I find pre-cancer cells which are easily treatable. However, once in a blue moon, I see the slide where a woman neglected to get routine pap smears. Cancer! If only, I sigh.

National Cytotechnology Day is celebrated annually on May 13th to honor Dr. Papanicolaou who gave us the Pap smear. This test has reduced the death from cervical cancer over 70% in the U.S. since it was introduced in the late 1940's. This inexpensive test is the most successful cancer screening test in history. Yet, women are still dying from this disease. Of the estimated 4,000 women projected to die in 2009, half will never have had a Pap smear and another 10% haven't had a Pap test in the past 5 years. When I see that a patient hasn't had a Pap smear in over 5 years I consider that patient at a high risk of having a pre-cancerous lesion. I take extra care because I know this patient is probably not going to have another one for years. This is my one chance to detect any pre-cancer.

Cervical cancer can be prevented, but only if you follow through with regular Pap smear examinations. So, have you made your appointment with your gynecologist? Do it today!

Democrats, Taxing Sugar

Looking for ways to pay for a national health-care system the Democrats are looking at new federal taxes on soda and other sugar drinks. I drink the diet sodas and I'm thinking that the new tax wouldn't affect me.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based watchdog group that pressures food companies to make healthier products, plans to propose a federal excise tax on soda, certain fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and ready-to-drink teas. It would not include most diet beverages. Excise taxes are levied on goods and manufacturers typically pass them on to consumers.

What a minute, maybe I'm wrong. When you purchase sodas, be it regular or diet, they are the same price. I willing to bet that the manufacturers will pass on the Soda tax evenly among all drinks they make. Diet soda drinks will be subsidizing some of the tax on the regular soda drinkers. I've already reduced my soda drinking because of the higher cost of corn syrup. (Thanks to the global warming nuts) If the cost of soda goes any higher I'm going to start drinking tea.

Dodging the Rain

What a weekend! I tried to get as much done outdoors in between the rain. Casey and I went to the Farmer's market. I went to the first session of making a rain barrel by the Beaver Water District. I need to make several more rain barrels. It's absolutely amazing how much rain water comes off the roof. I didn't win the free barrel. Darn! We then spent most time at the market talking with friends. I didn't buy anything but a burrito for lunch.




It still wasn't raining so I decided that we were going to do some geocaching. I had downloaded the Groundspeak’s Geocaching App and I wanted to try it out. Man, this App is sweet. I really like that it gives a list of the caches where you are located. Now I don't have to keep a list of the caches I want to find. I'm also able to log my finds on site. This App won't work for the more remote caches where there is no IPhone coverage. I'll just have to work around it.






One of the caches I found was at the weir dam over the West Fork of White River off of Pump Station Road. With all the rain we've have the water was really pouring over the dam. I got in one more cache before it started to rain. The rest of the weekend was shopping, gardening (in between the showers) and cleaning house.

Generations

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels gave one hell of a commencement speech Saturday at Butler University. Excerpt:

Which leads me to congratulate you in advance. As a generation, you are off to an excellent start. You have taken the first savvy step on the road to distinction, which is to follow a weak act. I wish I could claim otherwise, but we Baby Boomers are likely to be remembered by history for our numbers, and little else, at least little else that is admirable.
We Boomers were the children that the Second World War was fought for. Parents who had endured both war and the Great Depression devoted themselves sacrificially to ensuring us a better life than they had. We were pampered in ways no children in human history would recognize. With minor exceptions, we have lived in blissfully fortunate times. The numbers of us who perished in plagues, in famine, or in combat were tiny in comparison to previous generations of Americans, to say nothing of humanity elsewhere.
All our lives, it's been all about us. We were the "Me Generation." We wore t-shirts that said "If it feels good, do it." The year of my high school commencement, a hit song featured the immortal lyric "Sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for today." As a group, we have been self-centered, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, and all too often just plain selfish. Our current Baby Boomer President has written two eloquent, erudite books, both about..himself.
As a generation, we did tend to live for today. We have spent more and saved less than any previous Americans. Year after year, regardless which party we picked to lead the country, we ran up deficits that have multiplied the debt you and your children will be paying off your entire working lives. Far more burdensome to you mathematically, we voted ourselves increasing levels of Social Security pensions and Medicare health care benefits, but never summoned the political maturity to put those programs on anything resembling a sound actuarial footing.
In sum, our parents scrimped and saved to provide us a better living standard than theirs; we borrowed and splurged and will leave you a staggering pile of bills to pay. It's been a blast; good luck cleaning up after us.

The Greatest Generation gave way to the Me Generation who is dumping it on the Woe Is Me Generation. I think it's time for people to learn the principles that guided the Greatest Generation. God, Family and Country.

Arkansas' IPhone App to Search Bankrupt America Projects

Arkansas launched an IPhone app today where one can track state projects bankrolled by the "Bankrupt America" funds. I have recently purchased an IPhone so I decided "what the hell, it's free". Surprisingly it's quite good. You have the ability to look for projects by keyword, location (county) or projects near you. You are also able to mark a particular project you are interested in and track it. If you want further information on the project the app will lead you back to Bankrupt America/Arkansas website. Mmmm, looky here! We're going to spend 12.4 Million dollars on a Arkansas Welcome Center in West Memphis. Really, why couldn't Gov Beebe use this money for that trauma center he wants so badly. He could have saved all that tax revenue that walked out of Arkansas.

Intimidating Arkansas Voters

The Democrats have found another way to suppress voters. Now you don't have to go to the voting line and threaten people's kneecaps. Presto! You can do it over the Internet.

A Massachusetts homosexual rights group posted online the names, addresses and zip codes of more than 83,000 Arkansans, who signed a petition to place a proposal to bar unmarried cohabiting couples from adopting or fostering children on the November 2008 ballot, the group said Tuesday.

The group has made a really big mistake. Christians, who comprise the majority of the signatures, are used to being persecuted. Heck, this will just make them more determine to make sure that America doesn't slip further into the cesspool of immorality.
Of course, you could petition Homeland Security because these people are basically making threats against an American voter, but Janet Napolitano has already declared war on those people who signed the petition.

Sen. Gilbert Baker, A Step Closer?

Is Sen. Gilbert Baker employing a publicity stunt that could help him gain more recognition if he chooses to run against Sen. Blanche Lincoln?

A proposed constitutional amendment requiring that union elections be conducted by secret ballots was filed with the attorney general's office on Thursday in an effort chaired by a potential Republican challenger to U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln.
A group calling itself "Save Our Secret Ballot in Arkansas" filed the proposal with Attorney General Dustin McDaniel's office on Thursday. The group, chaired by Republican state Sen. Gilbert Baker of Conway, filed paperwork with the state Ethics Commission on Wednesday.

I suppose it's one way to collect names that could possibly be potential volunteers and donors to his campaign. It could be a strong talking point in his campaign speeches.

Baker said his work on the amendment has nothing to do with his interest in a potential Senate bid. Baker is one of several Republicans considering running against Lincoln, who is seeking a third term. Sen. Kim Hendren of Gravette is the only Republican who has announced he's running.

Gee, I just find it awfully hard to believe him. Ahhh, don't you just love it? More speculation and gossip to chew over.

Twitter, Go To Jail

Maybe it's not such a good thing to Twitter in court.

Susan Henwood, a mother of four, has been sentenced to 30 days in the Tooele County Jail because she sent a text message about a court hearing she was observing. "She shouldn't be there. She did nothing wrong," her husband, Joshua Henwood, said.

I think people should treat Twitters as they would a phone call while they are in court hearing. Go outside and Twitter.

Twitter, A Flash in The Pan?

Have you joined the Twitter Craze? It seems like anybody who's anyone is Twittering. You have people who share their Twitter List and those who extol the virtues of Twitter. Fayetteville Alderman Matthew Petty, who Twitters during council meetings, is even trying to require the city to use Twitter. While Twitter has enjoyed a recent explosion in popularity just how many people are really using it? From Reuters,

Data from Nielsen Online, which measures Internet traffic, found that more than 60 percent of Twitter users stopped using the free social networking site a month after joining.

I can understand why people drop out it after awhile, it's extremely time consuming. I wonder about all these people Twittering. Do they have a job? Do they work for employers who don't mind that they spend time Twittering? I've tried to follow a few people and discovered that I just don't have the time. There are just too many other things to do and I just don't have the time to Twitter. It seems other people are feeling the same and Twitter may follow the path of many other fads.

But Martin said a retention rate of 40 percent will limit a site's growth to a 10 percent reach figure over the longer term. "There simply aren't enough new users to make up for defecting ones after a certain point," he said in a statement.

Morning Laugh

I just love a good laugh in the morning! From the Morning News.

"You may not agree with me," Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan told the City Council during its agenda session Tuesday. "But we had to start somewhere."
"So I hope you will bare with me and work with me," he added in somber, but sure tones. "We've got to work like a team, and work together."

I think going naked is going a bit too far for most people.

Living With Wildlife

If by chance you are going through Harrison, Arkansas, drop by the Home Depot. It has gotten an unique addition to the store.

A great horned owl now lives in the Harrison store's garden center, looking down on surprised customers shopping for flowers and paving stones.

I always like to see businesses accommodate wildlife. I hate it when development comes through and destroys the wildlife habitat. There were owls near my house but too much development has chased them off. I miss the meadowlarks too.

Rusty Scarborough, the education program coordinator at Delta Rivers Nature Center in Pine Bluff, said the Home Depot would be a good spot for an owl. Rodents are the predominant food source for a great horned owl and stores with garden centers stock bird seed and crop seeds — big draws for rodents.

President Obama, Repeating History

From Professor Bainbridge


George Santayana famously warned that those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it. Aldous Huxley quipped that the most important thing we learn from history is that we never learn from history.

On Writing

That God I didn't make the List!

Earth Day Rant, The Rich Are Greener

Much of the foundation of the environmental movement is based on pure lies, distortions of questionable “science” and out and out fraud by politicians and “scientists”. Americans are depicted as evil for developing new technologies and living the good life. In order to achieve our wealth we raped the Earth and now we must be punished for it. We must strip ourselves of all the conveniences we enjoy because they pollute the Earth and we must live that impoverish life that keeps the Earth pure. President Obama and Congress are set to make sure that the American people achieve that Green Lifestyle. They are set to unleash the mother of all taxes on Americans to combat the fraudulent disaster called global warming. The EPA is set to regulate CO2 under the Clean Air Act. Stop Global Warming, Don’t Breath!

Of course, President Obama and Congress are absolute idiots and their plans to save Earth aren’t going to work. The real problems in the world are largely tied to poverty and the oppression and corruption that facilitate it. John Tierney

In dozens of studies, researchers identified Kuznets curves for a variety of environmental problems. There are exceptions to the trend, especially in countries with inept governments and poor systems of property rights, but in general, richer is eventually greener. As incomes go up, people often focus first on cleaning up their drinking water, and then later on air pollutants like sulfur dioxide.
As their wealth grows, people consume more energy, but they move to more efficient and cleaner sources — from wood to coal and oil, and then to natural gas and nuclear power, progressively emitting less carbon per unit of energy. This global decarbonization trend has been proceeding at a remarkably steady rate since 1850, according to Jesse Ausubel of Rockefeller University and Paul Waggoner of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

Instead of impoverishing the rich in America, President Obama and Congress need to take steps to make the poor rich. If they continue on their current trend more people are going to be impoverished and they aren’t going to care about polluting the earth. They are going to live in cheap houses that aren’t energy efficient, they are going to drive their cars until they fall apart and they aren’t going to buy those more expensive “green” products.

CNN's Roesgen, After the Report

This is so great! All day I've been hearing about the shameful actions by Susan Roesgen, the CNN reporter who harassed attendees at yesterday's Chicago Tea Party. Instead of accurately reporting on the Tea Party, Roesgen picked people out of the crowd to confront and argue with, before signing off her report by labeling the tea party movement as "anti-government", "anti-CNN", "highly promoted by the right wing conservative network, FOX" and "not family viewing." The Founding Bloggers were there and shoot footage of what happened after the CNN camera was turned off.
These people can no longer be considered journalists. These people are activists out to spread the socialist propaganda and to destroy any one or anything that stands it the way of establishing America as a socialist country. From Drudge

FOX RATINGS SURGE ON PROTEST COVERAGE
8-11 PM ET

FOXNEWS 3,390,000
MSNBC 1,210,000
CNN 1,070,000
CNN HEADLINE 909,000

FOXNEWS O'REILLY 3,980,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 3,239,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,947,000
FOXNEWS BECK 2,740,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 2,401,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 2,185,000
COMEDY DAILY SHOW 1,777,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,499,000
COMEDY COLBERT 1,446,000
CNNHN GRACE 1,336,000
CNN KING 1,292,000
MSNBC MADDOW 1,149,000
CNN COOPER 1,021,000

Susan Roesgen revealed the soul of CNN, but guess who America is watching.

Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, Fayetteville Tea Party

Absolutely Wonderful Speaker!