Two days to go. But first, an open line. Final words:

* NEW LEADER FOR ASMSA: University of Arkansas President Donald Bobbitt announced today that he'd recommended Corey Alderdice, assistant director for admissions and public relations for the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Bowling Green, Ky., as the new director of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in Hot Springs. Current Director Janet Hugo is retiring in June. The UA Board of Trustees must confirm Alderdice's selection. The competitive residential school has about 200 students.

* HILLCREST NEIGHBORHOOD SQUABBLE: I've written previously about the eternal squabble over what the state schools for the blind and deaf will do with an asbestos-riddled building once occupied by Easter Seals that sits on 10 acres owned by the school at the end of Lee Avenue in a residential Hillcrest neighborhood. Easter Seals keeps trying to convert the building into cash. The governing board is running out of patience. This week it indicated Easter Seals must renovate the building and serve students there as its land lease requires, or the lease will be revoked. Waiting in the wings is an offer by Doug Martin, a Hillcrest resident who works for Stephens Inc., to buy the acreage and use it for one single-family house, with most of the acreage being put in a conservation easement. He'd pay $1 million for the building and land, with about half of that necessary to pay for demolition. Further meetings are planned.

* THE CAT'S OWWW! A Logan County man said he was trying to shoot a stray cat (oh, that's OK), but shot a 29-year-old neighbor instead.

* I'VE MET MANY DOGS NAMED MAX BUT THIS BEATS ALL: Courtesy of Andrew Sullivan,, this report on the fastest rising names for newborns:

Briella, which jumped 394 spots, to No. 497. Briella Calafiore stars in "Jerseylicious," a reality TV show about battling stylists at a beauty salon in Green Brook, N.J. She's also in a spinoff called "Glam Fairy." Brantley was the fastest rising name for boys, jumping 416 spots to No. 320. Brantley Gilbert is a singer who had a No. 1 country hit called "Country Must Be Country Wide".

* SLIMEBALL REDUX: Another botched and misleading stunt by right-wing provocateur James O'Keefe.

* AS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TURNS: The agency formerly known as the Little Rock Housing Authority is in turmoil. Its executive director, Shelly Ehenger, is suspended because she suspended someone else. That suspension turned on a memo about rampant employee unhappiness. An outside counsel, Arkie Byrd, was hired for $180/hr. to get to the bottom of it. She's gotten to the bottom of things before, a $10,000 report occasioned by Ehenger's complaint about a remark and anger displayed by Commissioner Brad Walker. I link it, you decide. You'll find the word "dysfunctional" therein. I'd second that. No action was taken by the board of commissioners following receipt of the report.

* THE LYING LIAR: U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin announced that he'd voted to renew the Violence Against Women Act today. What he didn't tell you is that he refused to vote for the Senate-passed bill, with bipartisan support, opting instead for a version that the president also opposes because it weakens protections for immigrant women and Indians provides no protection for same-sex couples. Domestic violence is domestic violence, except to thugs like Tim Griffin who thinks some people — gays, Indians and immigrants among them — are less deserving of equal protection.

Another Markham Group mailer hit mailboxes today. Like the anti-casino mailer, it's another anti-democratic effort urging people not to sign petitions putting a gas severance tax increase on the ballot. The committee, Arkansans for Jobs and Affordable Energy, is yet another chamber of commerce front group (remember the Little Rock sales tax campaign?) primarily financed by the gas industry.

The latest report shows another $100,000 contribution from Stephens Production, upping its contribution to a cool half-milion. The committee has raised and spent more than $1 million before the Sheffield Nelson-led severance tax increase has even qualified for the ballot. There's a LOT more where that came from, though it's only a tiny fraction of the huge sums rushing out of state to gas companies and royalty owners paying only a token for removal of a finite resource.

By contrast, the Committee for a Fair Severance Tax has raised $155,000, but none in the last two reporting periods. Its major contribution was $100,000 from the Calfneck Capital Corp. of Perryville, headed, according to state records, by Burnis "Buddy" Metcalf. Frank Fletcher of North Little Rock earlier gave $50,000.

Speaking of Sheffield Nelson: He'll speak to the Political Animals Club at noon May 30 at the Wyndham in North Little Rock.

Line is open. You got anything? Famous last words:

* 2014: Lots of "considerings" emerging from the horde of Democrats and Republicans likely to run for governor in 2014. This one angle interests me. U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, presuming he survives Herb Rule this year, is widely believed to be planning a run for governor. This makes some sense. He could try to cast himself as having crossover appeal in a general election. Based on the facts, that's a joke. He's been a rigid right-wing Tea Party conservative in every way. Still. He's a formidable candidate. But could he beat a strong Northwest Arkansas candidate in the Republican primary — Darr, Hutchinson, Womack, whoever? He'd need a huge vote in Pulaski, presuming his home county likes him much.

* 'ADULT NOVELTIES' STOLEN: KAIT in Jonesboro reports that UPS dropped off a box containing $530 worth of "adult novelties" from the retailer For Your Pleasure in the carport of a local home, but the box was gone when the homeowner arrived.

* TALK ABOUT DEATH PANELS: It has escaped notice, but this item makes clear what Republicans anticipate as an alternative to Obamacare. Nothing. Repeal. Period. Those who'd previously been without insurance or hope of getting it will be back to square one. Screwed. Die, poor folks. Or get a job. (Original link corrected. And it wasn't nice for those who suggested the link that went to a news release about Republican Rep. Nate Bell fit an item about adult novelties.)

* FORMER LR SCHOOL CHIEF DIES IN ST. LOUIS: Henry P. Williams, a former Little Rock school superintendent who had a stormy tenure here and then got in bigger trouble as Riverview Gardens schools superintendent in St. Louis, died last month at 70, a St. Louis paper reported. He owed more than $300,000 in taxes and restitution for his travels and gambling on the Riverview district. He was removed in 2007 and pleaded no contest to theft and tax fraud charges. He received a prison sentence and was ordered to make restitution, but didn't pay off the debt. In St. Louis, he directed district money to his daughter, girlfriend and her familiy. The district budgeted $1.7 million on travel, including tabs for flying Williams to London, Yellowstone National Park and Cape Town, South Africa. Prosecutors showed he gambled 900 days during the 1,800 days he served as superintendent and lost as much as $176,000.