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Arkansas Politics
House begins videos of state representatives
Would you like to spend 2:22 listening to Republican Rep. Doug House of North Little Rock? If so, click the YouTube above.
House happens to be the first video biography online at the House website. The House communications staff will add them one at a time until all are done. A news release explains:
As part of an ongoing effort to increase communication between members and constituents, the Arkansas House of Representatives will soon be releasing video biographies of its members.“The public may know that a member serves on a particular committee or how he or she voted on a hot-button issue. But unfortunately, the public may know very little about the district that individual represents or why that member got involved in public service in the first place,” said House Speaker Davy Carter. “Partisanship is at its lowest when members know one another personally. We hope when members share their personal story with the public, it will have the same impact.”
The House Communications Office purchased the video and editing equipment in 2009 as part of its public transparency initiative to broadcast its proceedings. There is no additional cost for the production of the video biographies.
The House will release the videos one at a time throughout the remainder of the 89th General Assembly via our social media and website arkansashouse.org. Once released, the videos will be made available on the member’s individual bio section on the House website.
You can follow the House on Twitter at @ArkansasHouse or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArkansasHouse.
I dunno. I'm glad for Doug House that he has some cute grandkids and reads "voraciously". Doesn't make me like his partisan voting record very much.
Arkansas Culture and Characters / Religion
Little Rock: Very religious, also fond of pornography
- Buzzfeed
The Little Rock metropolitan area (which includes Conway, Sen. Rapert) is a place with a rich and deep religious tradition.
It ranked 10th on a recent Gallup tracking poll of the "most religious" cities in the United States, with 54 percent describing themselves as very religious. Had we edged up one more point, we'd have been in a tie for 4th.
Well. Pornhub (you'll have to look it up yourself) took the Gallup list and ranked the religious cities by per capita visits to the site, which markets hardcore videos, between Dec. 1, 2012 and April 30.
Buzzfeed has compiled the results in a handsome spread complete with photos. LR/NLR/Conway came in at No. 3, with 18.8 Pornhub views per capita.
This doesn't mean there are any websurfing hypocrites here. It just might be that the not-so-religious are REALLY fond of Pornhub. I do note that Montgomery, Ala., where 64 percent say they are very religious, ranked No. 2 with 21.9 Pornhub views per capita. Their irreligious must REALLY REALLY like Pornhub.
Arkansas Politics
Democrats go after Cotton for trying to criminalize family relationship
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is going after expected Republican Senate candidate Tom Cotton over some wacky legislating yesterday.
Will extremism hunt in an Arkansas election? The DSCC is rolling it out in support of Sen. Mark Pryor, typically knocked for his mushy middlist approach.
Extreme Ideologue Tom Cotton Tries to Eliminate Due Process For Family Members Of AccusedTom Cotton is clearly wasting no time trying to push his extreme right wing agenda through Congress. Yesterday, Cotton introduced an amendment to “automatically” institute severe penalties on extended families, including nieces, nephews, and great grandchildren, of people accused of violating U.S. sanctions against the Iranian government.
Cotton’s legislation would completely disregard American citizens’ due process rights guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment. In the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Cotton said, “there would be no investigation,” before inflicting harsh punishments of up to 20 year prison sentences upon "parents, children, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, grandparents, great grandparents, grandkids, great grandkids" of those accused of violating sanctions against Iran.
“To call Tom Cotton an extreme ideologue is not overstating anything,” said Justin Barasky, a spokesman at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “He is proposing legislation that would eliminate the constitutional right to due process for grandchildren, nieces and nephews of Americans accused of a crime.”
Polls show that a majority of Americans view the Republican party as extreme, but the legislation was even too far right for Cotton’s House Republican colleagues, who ultimately forced him to withdraw the amendmen
It ain't just politics if it's true.
Republicans just aren't so hot on constitutional protections except those they find, without limit, in Amendment Two.
Also today, Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus was quoted as saying innocent people don't plead the Fifth Amendment. This the very amendment Cotton proposed to stomp on with his guilty-by-relationship idea.
Rock Candy
Music / Coming soon
ZZ Top to Fayetteville
Get out your cheap sunglasses, 'cause "that little ol' band from Texas" is headed to Fayetteville's Arkansas Music Pavilion for an Oct. 4 concert. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 30 and they're gonna run you $37-$102. Here's where to go to get 'em. Or you could call 479-443-5600.
The 'Top recently got the Rick Rubin treatment with last year's "La Futura," a gettin'-back-to-their-roots collection with real drums and a gritty, mean guitar tone.
After the jump, one of my favorite ZZ Top tunes, from 1973's "Tres Hombres." No, not "La Grange" (though that one is totally the jam).
What's going on
Friday: American Guild of Organists benefit recital, Wes Jeans at Denton's and more
If you're looking for something not quite so Riverest-y to do Friday night, The American Guild of Organists presents a recital to benefit the Pediatric Injury Prevention Program at Arkansas Children's Hospital, Christ Episcopal Church, 8 p.m., free, donations accepted.
Texas-based blues-blaster Wes Jeans brings the 12-bar tube-amp jams to Denton's Trotline, 9 p.m., $10.
The Sideshow Tragedy and Damn Arkansan offer an evening of Americana/roots rock at Maxine's, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door.
Up in Fayetteville, A Concert for Campers has performances by John Henry & Friends, Brick Fields, Houston Hughes, Dividend and Joey Largent, with proceeds helping to send children to Camp Quest Oklahoma, Nightbird Books, 7 p.m., donations accepted.
If you want to keep the good times going after things wind down at Riverfest, check out Lawler and Ewell's 5th Annual Bday Bash with Raydar and Shaolin, Joe C, Noodles and JDawg, Revolution, 9 p.m., $5 adv., $10 day of.
The Center for Artistic Revolution's Rainbow Camp is a sure bet for LGBTQ and ally youth, Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center, Friday-Monday. More info here.
What's going on / Music
Friday To-Do: Mad Nomad
MAD NOMAD
9:30 p.m. White Water Tavern.
Mad Nomad is one of the newer entries on the Little Rock musicscape, having formed in September. But they're not exactly taking the leisurely route, having already finished up their first full-length, the nine-song "Black Out," available at this album-release show.
The group plays an amped-up sort of indie rock that's informed by the classics (Replacements, Built to Spill, Dinosaur Jr.) and unabashedly guitar-centric. They remind me a bit of the Springsteen-gone-punk sounds of Against Me! circa "New Wave." Most of the tunes are of the fist-pumping, triumphant sort, but they slow down the pace a bit on the Southern-rock-riffing "Me Tarzan, You Jane" and they break out the acoustic guitars on the wistful "When You Were Here."
The band includes Joe Holland, Jacob Mahan, Jesse Bell, Adam Hogg and Chris Honea. Hogg's piano playing adds some nice texture to the guitar squall. The album, good on its own merits for sure, is also a promising indicator of things to come. Good-time party-rockers Booyah! Dad and The Bootheel of Springfield, Mo., will open the show.
Event Calendar
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Re: Tom Cotton's attack on the Constitution
Oh, Arkie, you are a true genius! Too bad it wouldn't pass.
- on May 23, 2013
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Re: ExxonMobil has a plan for Lake Maumelle watershed
Rural lifestyles are made possible by wasteful extension of roads, water, electricity, phone, gas, sewer,…
- on May 23, 2013
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Re: Democrats go after Cotton for trying to criminalize family relationship
He's trying to McCarthyize dissent/affiliation/adherents of any manner. The GOP is just suggesting decriminalizing the…
- on May 23, 2013
Arkansas Reporter
Clinton School partners with school to heal Uganda's wounds
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Fox16 Local News and Weather
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Police Investigating Attempted Break-In Call at Governor's Mansion
May 23, 2013Arkansas State Police say a man climbed over the fence this morning and was quickly caught and placed under arrest. fox16.com /more/ -
UA Board of Trustees: No Guns on Campus
May 23, 2013Panel meeting in Stuttgart votes to opt out of concealed guns on campus for faculty/staff.. fox16.com /more/
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